#and he actually does have very serious things to be potentially anxious about

[battywitch]

"He transformed into a spider and now he has a disease named after him" takes me out every time 😂 Poor Barclay

[chevelleneech]

See so i think jikook are close def that much i can say, but i dont think they are in a relationship or a serious one at that , i mean we are pretty sure that jk had teh thing with the women (which people for some reason dont agree with or say its a cosplayer , who has teh exact same hairstyle, floorplan, walls, dog, sofa and lights , mannerisms, apartment and very soon after that jk said that "saesangs are still here" , so i dont whats there to disprove over here for those relegious jikook people) and then jm has with the actress who posts his apartment pics, and all of this happened esp with jk at that period when they admitted they werent talking at all, and wouldnt have if they hadnt met, throughout ct it felt that jk was sort of anxious, bored, distracted more like it and felt was upset, all of this also points that maybe they had a fallout a major one perhaps, but now they are better bc hell they went to military together. But all of this factually also puts out that jk and jm are not dating, jk is having his fun, with prob diff people, relationships and same prob with jm. Tae was with jennie, and even rm had a long committed relationship until recently it seems from rpwp songs. so all of this people fighting over taekook vs jikook and how jk seems abusive is redundant , bc they arent in a relationship either of them. what are you thoughts about it.

You including the “Jungkook was anxious and irritated and upset” line tells me you’re a Tkkr trying to hide your hands, lol.

Jungkook may have been nervous at the start of their trip to Connecticut, because Jimin was too, as they both mentioned it’s the first time they’re hanging out after a bit of not seeing each other. But this attempt at highlighting JK only, and saying he seemed uninterested in whatever ways, has been the one thing Tkkrs clung to since the first episode, and it is baseless.

Jungkook is allowed to feel however he felt, but we also all watched the damn show. He was smiling and happy during every single episode thus far, and reiterated his joy many times over. He also said during the first episode that he wanted to keep traveling and filming with Jimin after enlistment. He wants to do it until they’re 50. Was he exaggerating? Most probably, and him being tired at some points was a given due to him being in the middle of promoting his solo work. Outside of that though, he was happy and willing to do the show.

Jungkook and Jimin traveled together because they chose to, because they wanted to. So whatever was going on behind the scenes between them, is something we will never know the full picture of. So if you don’t think they’re together, okay, but I don’t think you ever did, because I’m pretty sure you are a Tkkr anyway.

Regardless of what you ship though, smoke and mirrors are not good indicators that people are dating. Jimin and Jungkook flirt and put their mouths on one another. They choose each other over and over, so no matter the fact that there is a woman claiming to be or trying to insinuate she is Jimin’s girlfriend. Without him ever confirming that, she’s just a weirdo.

Not to mention, why would any of their actual partners post the way she does? If Park Jimin was my man, I do not need to vague post and try to show off bits and pieces of our lives to convince his fans of it. Never mind the fact that it’s his private life. So if they are together, unless Jimin is okay with her stirring shit up in the fandom and posting his house on IG… that’s not something a grown woman, who is famous adjacent herself, dating an incredibly famous person would do.

In comparison, Namjoon and his potential boyfriend situation is the near exact opposite of what that woman is or was doing. We have no idea who the man (or men) is in the pictures Namjoon himself posted. Maybe some people do, idk, but the point is, there is no way to determine who they are nor what they mean to Joon outside of fandom speculation. Yet the speculation makes sense and is believable, because Namjoon himself played into it. He wasn’t deterred by people questioning his sexuality nor relationship status, he posted a heart over a man’s face, and was posting all types of loves songs as he traveled with his family and a man. Yet when he seemingly had his heartbroken, he deleted all photos of the emoji covered man (or men), started talking shit about relationships, and posting sad queer music.

That, imo, is how I believe a relationship between any BTS member would go. Not the heartbreak, but a “quiet launch”. Tae and Jennie were even along similar lines. They unfortunately didn’t post their pictures themselves, but even in the middle of the drama, they kept seeing each other in public spaces. They just didn’t publicize their whereabouts.

So if two members of the group can seemingly date both famous and presumably non famous people, and take pictures and be seen out and about with them, why can’t Jimin? Why is his relationship shrouded in mystery, and only fueled by the woman claiming to live with him all the while he makes no move to imply there’s truth to the rumor?

If he and JK have absolutely nothing going on, why is he out here letting his girlfriend look goofy, all the while biting hickies on a man? While flirting with a man on live and asking him to get naked? While traveling with the same man, getting his ass slapped by him in bed? Enlisting in the military with said man, using a program that keeps them together the entire time?

So again, you don’t have to ship Jikook nor think anything of them, but if you’re going to pull in Taennie and Namjoon’s possible situation to use as examples of the members dating, keep it steady across the board. Jimin and Jungkook’s speculated relationships with women do not match up with Taennie nor Joon’s situation, yet Jikook does.

They travel, sight see, share meals, stay up late, take cute selfies, and cuddle up. So what makes Jikook less likely, aside from them being in the same group for a decade? Which only adds reason to why they may have had some communication issues or whatever, and needed time apart.

[trebuchet151]

Oh I have a few more questions about Corey if you don't mind!

What are their relationship like with each of the rangers + Mortum + HG?

How did they react to Chen's revelation that he was suspicious about his death after HB and choose to not investigate it further? I know for my step it was very traumatic.

Been sitting on this one for a bit trying to think up good responses. Replayed it a couple times trying to narrow things down too lol

I'd love to share more about Corey!

Under a cut for length

Relationship between Corey and the Rangers/Mortum/HG:

Ortega

Corey and Ortega were as together as sidestep was willing to get pre heartbreak incident, which was complicated. Ortega never pushed for more out of respect for their boundaries and worry about scaring them away (they were head over heels in love with each other. But sure, best friends that kiss it is). When they reunite, Corey is initially hesitant to open up out of concern their old feelings will come back and they wont be able to focus on their goal as heartbreak (correct). The romantic tension comes back with a vengeance, and Corey and Ortega get together again. If you look up "ride or die" in the dictionary, there's a photo of these two. A relationship they both agree is worth sacrificing their morals for. EXTREMELY codependent. Corey very quickly loses steam on their turn-villain-get-angry plans once they reconnect with Ortega. Now they really just want to be Sidestep again. They feel very vindicated that Ortega cares about them/ believes in their cause enough to be willing to "switch sides" and break them out post crash.

Chen

Corey has always been anxious around Chen bc of how obvious his suspicion was. Historically very very worried about being found out due to Chen digging for information (still not convinced that isn't how the special directive found Sidestep in the first place). Realizes during retribution that he was only trying to protect Ortega and is starting to warm up to him/be friendly (which Chen ruins very quickly by admitting that he knew the whole time and did nothing). Lot's of camaraderie around the shared experience of soldier/people shaped weapon with chronic pain and trauma that loves dogs. They'd be best friends if they could stop antagonizing each other. Both at least acknowledge the potential friendship there, even if neither are willing or able to pursue it by the end of Retribution.

Argent

Corey really likes argent, but the feeling is NOT reciprocated. She thinks they're selfish and a coward. They piss her off in pretty much every interaction they have during Rebirth and Retribution. Once she finds out Corey is the one that possessed her, her irritation with them turns to hate. This relationship is probably not salvageable. (Romanced her once, had to change almost everything about Corey's personality and fighting style to get her to like them lol) Respects her even more after she scars their face post-reveal. Thinks she had every right to hurt them and admires the restraint it took to not blind them. Reminds Corey of themself. 

Herald

Corey Does Not like Herald at first. Only when he reveals that he genuinely enjoys their company and isn't just being a Sidestep fanboy do they change their mind. Goes from being nice out of pity/guilt to actually caring about/ wanting to protect him over the course of their training sessions. Being around Herald's unrestrained positivity has an effect on Corey's mental state similar to how they feel around dogs. Mr sunshine is contagious. Corey's starting to realize that's a front and that they should keep an eye on him. They're worried about his mental health (immense guilt over being the reason he's hurt). Bursts into tears mid apology when Herald comes to confront guiltystep in the hospital. Reminds Corey of Anathema.

Mortum

Corey and Dr Mortum get on like a housefire. They briefly flirted as the puppet before things got serious with Ortega, then broke it off to just be friends (If I weren't such a sucker for the decade long slow burn friends to lovers, Mortum would beat Ortega for favorite romance). They have admitted to being a re-gene to Dr Mortum and desperately want to make the friendship work (that Mortum didn't immediately kill them or turn them in has Corey smitten. The bar is on the floor). Using mirror image puppet for Ortega romance purposes in canon route, but the coming out scene with Mortum and a questioning step happens regardless of the puppet gender in my head. Corey really needs to vent about their dysphoria to somebody. The amount of trust Corey needed to out themselves as a re-gene to a "well connected scientist" like Dr Mortum is crazy. Especially with how horrible their medical trauma/anxiety is. Hopefully Mortum knows how big of a deal that was and they can reunite soon. 

Hollow Ground

Corey and HG have a very tense but amicable professional relationship. Undecided on the canon route here, but either 1. They saw and resisted HGs threads without getting caught, and intend to use that to manipulate HG in the long run. Or 2. They were their usual defiant little shit self and refused to shake hands, and know nothing about the threads. Trying to figure out the various ways to keep the subtle manipulation stat high enough to see the threads without losing other story moments I like for them. As much as Corey would like to stay detached and hate HG for how many people he's hurt, they secretly love Ortega's theory and hope that its true. They want a loving protective big brother so bad. Intends to hide the re-gene thing from him as long as possible to avoid losing the potential business (and sibling) relationship. Side note: Not my canon route, but I have played through with Hollow Ground as Corey's villain name bc I think it'd be hilarious. Naming yourself after the fake villain your ex is obsessed with only to find out they're real and also you're related is a beautiful comedy of errors waiting to happen.

Regarding Chen's suspicion:

Corey and Chen's relationship had improved dramatically over the course of Revelations, which made the fallout from this even worse. Corey was just starting to think of Chen as a friend rather than a reluctant acquaintance. When he tells them about the photos and that he chose not to investigate further despite knowing what had happened to them, it breaks their heart. Instead of reacting as they usually do (getting angry and lashing out the way Chen expects them to), they just start crying (trauma has NOT made them stronger, they cry a lot easier now and they hate it). Poor Chen was braced for an argument and thinks somehow getting screamed at would've hurt less than seeing them look this defeated. Corey feels betrayed and abandoned, and really wants to hate Chen for not coming to rescue them. After some time to think about it, they realize that also means that even though Chen KNEW they were a re-gene he decided to be friendly toward them anyway. Their friendship will take a long time to rebuild, but its not permanently gone. 

[weebsinstash]

Ugh okay I’m not sure if this will really fit with ur ideas but whenever anyone brings up group yanderes I’m always drawn to a specific scenario: Reader, by some miracle, gets a significant other outside of the group that, again, by a miracle, they don’t know about (I’m thinking, in this scenario, Reader travels through universes often to hang out with different spiders, and in a universe they visit frequently, they sneak off and see someone whenever the local spider is doing their spider stuff). Said s/o breaks up with Reader and they’re obviously upset. The group starts freaking tf out because their darling’s upset and not telling anyone what’s wrong, while Reader’s going through a whole internal conflict because they know they’ll be in trouble if they tell the truth, but also they know their ex will be in MAD trouble, so they’re desperately trying to hide the whole situation, which only makes things worse as the group descended into chaos, knowing that their darling is hiding *something* and not telling anyone. The whole spiderverse is working together to manipulate you/figure out what’s going on. People like Jess, Pav, and Gwen try to approach you as sympathetic friends who you can vent your issues to, while characters like Miguel and Hobie are much more upfront in telling you to tell them what’s going on, not even asking. When the truth does inevitably get revealed, it’s hell on earth for both you and your ex. (Bonus; imagine if said ex actually hurt you in some way other than breaking up, like admitting to cheating or was generally cruel to you either during the relationship or just in the breakup. The fury of your captors would be biblical)

God and from their perspective some/most of it is justified because you're walking around SIGNIFICANTLY more depressed than before, you're starting to become more anxious and jumpy, and with some people you're outright lashing out in anger if they press you on the subject, so like, even if some of the Spiders are trying to invade your privacy or even manipulate you, from their side, there's no telling how serious this problem actually is, or if it's nothing to be concerned about (in the grand scheme of things, you having a fight with your partner isn't some world shattering event, but to THEM it's 'wait Reader's been dating? who???' And like virtually no matter who it is, if they're a Normie they aren't good enough by the Society/your group's standards. Although technically if dating could potentially interfere with any of your future canon events, well, then you have a particular spicy papi very upset with you...)

So like, I haven't seen all clips of Miguel's scenes and speaking lines yet but I've been spoiling myself to a little more (I aim to see spiderverse on the big screen this weekend so I was kinda leaving some to surprise, fucking hid all my wax and edibles, im gonna dry out for a few days and hit some dabs and see this shit in IMAX and itll rewire my fucking brain shits gonna be so good) but oh my god this man gets so fucking scary. He's just on his brooding platform already stressed as fuck which is a constant state he lives in at this point and here's Jess and Peter B as concerned parents to fill him in on their concerns, what they've seen from you: sudden increased self isolating, crying more, becoming more withdrawn and quiet, refusing to talk to them about it, trying to spend all your time alone. Miguel just, trying to tether the last pieces of his mental sanity together as he decides to go visit you personally, and he can immediately tell you're hiding something from all the darting glances to the fact you don't want to look him in the eyes.

Like can you imagine, I guess it depends on how you see Reader "going about", like do they have their own home universe or whatever, but, Miguel hasn't confronted you himself yet and he decides, fine, you want to keep secrets, good fucking luck, and all of his dimensional watches he's given out are probably connected to the same servers and systems so he just, looks up your travel log and quickly identifies that you've been visiting the same universe repeatedly, but none of your friends seem to know why you would be going there. Say you've been hanging around in Gwen's universe and Miguel assumes, oh maybe you're spending time with Gwen, maybe that emo little drummer said something to upset you, but Gwen looks confused (and a little upset) when it turns out you've been apparently popping in her universe without even saying hi? And Miguel is gritting his teeth because he's starting to form a theory on what's going on and he doesn't like it one fucking bit

He teams up with Jess and Peter B and Gwen and some of your other pals and he starts triangulating your bracelet and. Wow what the fuck you're in Gwen's dimension RIGHT NOW. So then they all race towards your location to watch from a distance, some real loony tunes, "all 6 or 7 of us are hiding behind the same tree" bullshit, and, there you are from a distance, out of costume as you're clearly very upset, talking to someone that, most of the Spiders recognize instantly minus characters like Pav and Jess and Miguel and there's this resounding GROAN OF DISGUST "oh god, NOT FLASH THOMPSON" (for Spiderman lore newbies this is literally the character that bullies the fuck out of Peter Parker in high school like literal actual shoving him into lockers shit)

Peni uses her mech to send out a listening device and everyone is comically gathered around as they eavesdrop and start getting progressively more furious as they start piecing things together: you HAD been there to visit Gwen initially, but somehow you met Flash out of costume and the jockey SOMEHOW managed to woo you, but the relationship quickly became manipulative and controlling until you eventually caught Flash with another person. They're all GRITTING THEIR TEETH as you're in tears, asking him what you did wrong, where did you mess up, and Flash basically tells you to your face, "you're nothing special, I got bored of you"

Your little groupie gang of platonic and romantic yandere WITH STEAM BLOWING OUT OF THEIR EARS as you whimper "but... you-you said you loved me! We SLEPT together!" And he just. Fucking laughs in your face, SHOVES YOU, and calls you a slut before walking away with someone else on his arm

Gwen absolutely seething as she reflects on how Flash treated her Peter and Pavitr is swearing curses onto his entire family line meanwhile Hobie just like "oy would it break canon if I smash my guitar over that pisser's head". Peter 'I just wanna talk to him' B Parker as he hands Mayday off to Jess while cracking his knuckles. Miguel is, well, upset about like 10 different things because God fucking damn it, how long have you been hanging around with non-Spiders in other universes? (Do you think the Spider Society would be like, more than just a little possessive and insular, since youre supposed to be part of the Ha Ha We're All Spiderman club and they catch you hanging with normies over them) Is there anyone else? What have you been doing? He's just instantly a mixture of furious and hurt because damn it don't you know you're like his favorite, why the fuck are you running around potentially flirting with canon, don't you know how dangerous this is

But also deadass he wants to tear that man apart with his claws and he's considering checking the canon events of this universe to see if he can make it so

The Gang just watching as you pick yourself up but can't stop crying, and you drag your feet as you head to sit in a park or something, seeming like your entire form and surroundings are nothing but a depressed, deep blue. You're in a park or something so they can't exactly approach you normally because there are people around, but you just sit there crying for ages before you eventually pick yourself up and draaaaaag your feet, seeming to walk around aimlessly until, eventually, you go to a dark alley or under a bridge somewhere and they all pop out at you just as you're about to warp home anyways and you're just immediately bombarded by all these people

"Hey, you know what he said isn't true, right? Dude's a punk bitch!"

"Scuse me? I take that personally. He IS a total fuckin wanker though"

"Hon, you can't let what some ego-tripping blonde who peaked in high school said make you feel like this! He ain't worth it!"

And you're just standing there looking at them as your heart breaks a little more because you HAD been wanting some kind of support in all of this but you're muttering out with disbelief, "you guys followed me...?" And you're really hurt by that, but, here comes Miguel, stalking forward, putting a hand on your shoulder that's one part sympathetic comfort, one part possessive anger as he glowers at you with chestnut eyes that almost look RED, "anything else you wanna share?"

Miguel marching back to the weekly We Love Reader meeting and slapping a graphic up onto the wall with your face like a PSA "THIS Spider FUCKS and only YOU can stop it" fhfjfjg no not really but like non yandere Spiders are doing their own thing when, from a secret meeting room somewhere in Nueva York, the ground practically shakes with dozens upon dozens if not hundreds of voices crying out in agony "NOT FLASH THOMPSON 😩"

Bonus points if like, one of the things The Gang had witnessed was you crying and all that right, but, what if Reader had specifically said to Flash, "but I gave you my VIRGINITY" like. Mayhem. Pandemonium. All the Spiders have a sudden "aha!" because wow no wonder you suddenly started talking about how you're worthless and don't matter, this DICK HEAD lured you into a false sense of security and trust and then took your virginity and bounced while calling you a fucking loser and judging by that shove, has maybe even put his hands on you before? Like fuckinnnngggg The Society and your entire friend group freaking the fuck out one day because you have a black eye one day you were trying to hide with sunglasses and you say it was from a Villain but they're all like Nah Fam That's Sus because how would a villain pop one off on your face when you have super strength and Spidey Sense and they get you/intimidate you to open up and it's like, oh, that was because your "boyfriend" didnt like how you thought you smelled someone else's perfums/cologne on him and he lost his temper when you pressed him for answers, and even when you tell them the truth you're still crying with a small laugh, "it was my fault, I should've backed off and realized I was upsetting him"

Reader just gets surrounded by all their friends and "the cute Spiders" like the cat Spiderman and oh my fucking god there's a plushie Spiderman and just, gosh, they try to basically smother you with love to cheer you up and bring your confidence back but your heart has been wounded and needs time to heal 🥺 regardless, later on Detective Stacey is having to investigate and finds Mr Thompson in an alleyway with a busted knee that permanantly ends any sort of athletic career and the words "CHEATER" cut across his body in multiple places while he's covered in scratches, bruises, bites, and he keeps mumbling the weirdest most incoherent shit under his breath that gets him hospitalized

"The- the pig... it TALKED... it pulled out a HAMMER... from its POCKET... the pig... had ... POCKETS..."

[the-cosmicbeans]

New Project Announcement!

"Diamonds in the Dark" has been a huge comfort story for me. It has been going since I was 16 years old. I remember how much I felt bad for Fawful, and how I wanted to alter his story in Bowser's Inside Story. I also accidentally started shipping him with my alien OC, which went from being a silly joke to a ship that has been one of my biggest special interests of all time.

But the thing is... the more time has passed, more ambitious ideas have been popping in my head. I've been getting ideas to extend upon Vaphorians, give my OCs more depth etc.

And all of that made me realize how this story was growing beyond what Bowser's Inside Story originally was. So today, I'm here to announce a brand new project I've been working on through those past months...

And it's called "The Fawful Elite: Guiding Stars"! As you can tell, it has remained as a M&L story about Fawful and those other three folks.

Somwhere after BIS, Fawful finds himself in a different place called "the Sol Kingdom". While he didn't experience a complete memory loss, Fawful is unable to remember most things that happened in BIS. And on a top of that, he's constantly getting nightmares about scary dark spiders! Since nothing was helping, Fawful decides to set on a journey to find a garden with a very rare plant called "the Cosmic Plant". Its fruit is capable of healing any illnesses and curses, which our beanish man believed to have. During that long journey, Fawful meets new and familiar faces...

Now for some short character summaries!

1. Fawful

Most of us already know Fawful. He's an evil scientist, planning to conquer over the world! ... or does he? He would probably say that if he remembered what happened to him in the first place.

Fawful is an energetic beanish man with a huge self-confidence. Which could also lead him into potential dangerous situations. He loves to taunt and torment his enemies, but can get easily furious if something goes slightly wrong.

Despite everything he says, Fawful is actually pretty anxious about this situation. And all of that makes him feel a llittle lonely... but no, he's perfectly fine on his own! ... right?

2. Norin

A sassy Vaphorian with powerful magical abilities, who's also looking for the Cosmic Plant in order to heal his own "curse". Aside from their plans to travel through universe after obtaining the fruit, they don't like explaining why they need it. Would those plans change after meeting a strange beanish man?

And while she wasn't so fond of Fawful at first, the more the two spoke, the more Norin started to geniuinely like him and see him as a friend. But who knows if it won't blossom into something more?

Norin is usually pretty chill compared to Fawful. He enjoys pranking other people and, just like his beanish companion, loves to taunt them. This Vaphorian has a softer side to her though... and I'm not talking about her cat-like behavior she tries to hide almost everytime. They're very compassionate towards people they deeply trust.

Norin is a huge bot maniac, and loves seafood more than anything. His magic powers allow him to control any type of liquid, and ice.

3. Merry

A short beanish woman who rivals with Fawful. They go way back... the two, along with Favalis, knew each other for a good while. They even worked underneath Cackletta. However, Merry got upset by how Fawful began to act more bossy and surperior towards her and Favalis, which caused the other two to go their own ways... for a few years.

During the story, the two are also looking for the Cosmic Plant. Because of a childhood accident, Merry didn't know who her biological family was. She wants to obtain the fruit so that she could remember who they were... and yet strangely, Fawful looks a lot like her...

Merry can be pretty chaotic, even more so than Fawful sometimes. It's not like she can't be pretty serious at times, however. She's not afraid to state her opinions on the matter, and is overprotective towards Favalis.

Merry enjoys playing baseball and video games. She uses her bat to throw bombs more easily, and possesses great strength for her height.

4. Favalis

A beanish of a few words. They come from Cackletta's family (their mother is Cackletta's younger sister), and she was also the one to teach them a lot of stuff about magic. They're usually seen accompanying Merry, and is responsible for telling Fawful a lot about ancient artifacts... and Vaphorians. Unlike Merry though, Favalis doesn't appear to be so upset with Fawful.

Favalis doesn't usually like talking about themself, which makes them appear more mysterious. They tend to avoid most people, and are usually pretty cold towards anyone they don't trust. On the other side, they're pretty talkative when they're around around their friends, enjoying exchanging some information about their interests.

However, Favalis almost doesn't think about themself... sure, they might have some goals. But for them, they're not as important as taking care of their friends...

Favalis is capable of using dark magic. They enjoy reading various books about its' history, or ancient artifacts. Favalis also enjoys drawing in the meantime.

So, here it is! There's a lot more stuff happening in the story, but I don't wanna go deep into that yet because I don't wanna spoil the entire thing in one post... and I'd definitely run out of space if anything lol. If you read the entire thing, thank you for reading my silly rambles about my story.

[sauriansolutions]

Me: my kink blog needs more kink content... I'm going to write burpcanons for my favorite characters!

Also me: oops I accidentally just wrote an entire character analysis essay about Jade ;;

Yeah uhh... idk why I'm like this? I'll try again another time... but if anyone wants to read my way too intense whoopsie attempt, imma throw it here~!

my main jade headcanon is that jade's excessive politeness is just a mask to hide his more twisted core (see what i did?) 

But i can also imagine a jade who genuinely values social etiquette. Maybe it's an anxious/ASD insistency on "rules"--he learns an effective rule, (ie, burping in public is *always* rude), and unless he has legitimate cause to update (say, he learns burping is considered a compliment in the Scalding Sands), he'll continue to follow this rule rigidly forever. 

This would generally work well for jade. But it might make him seem unapproachable in a different way (*too* polite! Suspicious! Is he a robot? What's his deal?)

The other problem is, such a system could easily lead to jade holding himself to an unrealistic standard. If he ever did slip up, (letting out a loud burp in public by accident,) i could see this leading to excessive embarrassment and self-recrimination.

I can imagine a child version of jade coming to the realization that his predatory nature scares others away, realizing that he needs to find *some* way of appearing more approachable, if he ever wants to "fit in" and make any friends besides floyd and azul. Even among the trio members, i think jade is legitimately the scariest--he's as smart as azul, as strong as floyd, and he also lacks their innate social skills (potentially toeing the ASD/psychopath line).

A really cute, kinda sad idea: what if little jade asked his grandma tried to teach him "proper etiquette?" And she does... but, because she's from a totally different generation of merfolk, it's rather antiquated? 

Jade's parents and teachers make things worse by encouraging this... because, c'mon, a ten year old politely bowing and saying things like, "my goodness, please excuse me!"... is actually really adorable. 

This leads to jade developing a persona that's very respectable and charming. 

Yet he'd still come off pretty eccentric, and he'd have an especially hard time relating to other kids his age. While mer kids would just find his behavior and speech patterns stuffy and outdated, on land he'd definitely come off as the most "foreign" of the octotrio, as the high-class manners he learned are specific to an older generation, *of the northern coral sea.*

Unfortunately, i think azul would also strongly encourage jade's overly-polite personality change... but this is because azul sees how uncanny and frankly terrifying *this* jade would be as a business associate. 

This isn't to say i think azul would intentionally sabotage his friend! Rather, i think azul a.) Respects jade to the extent i doubt he'd believe himself capable of manipulating him, and b.) Wants to be like that himself--outwardly perfectly polite and respectable, secretly capable of being as cold and ruthless as necessary. 

I think this whole, "being envious of a character trait the other believes is a serious flaw" component of jade and azul's relationship has tons of angst/introspection potential, whether used as a kink thing or not. 

Kink example: jade accidentally burps during some meeting or social event. He excessively over-apologizes, and smoothly directs the conversation on. Everyone, especially azul, comes away with a higher opinion of jade--"oh jade is so courteous~ wow, even when he makes a (totally reasonable) mistake, he goes so far out of his way to apologize, what a gentleman~~"

What they don't see, is jade secretly reprimanding and hating himself. Endlessly agonizing, recommitting to a standard of absolute, inhuman perfection that is 1000% fear and shame driven. Believing that anything less will make others hate him, (even more than they probably already do!)

Meanwhile azul is like, "i wish i could commit to *that* level of self-destruction! I'll just have to try harder~"

One last thing re: jade/azul's messed-up dynamics, then I'll move onto jade/floyd. I think, tragically, that jade and azul secretly idealize each other--hyperfixating on their strengths and successes, and minimizing/completely overlooking their flaws and failures. But, because they're snarky bitches to each other to hide their vulnerabilities, they both believe the other holds them in disdain and contempt, when in fact, the opposite is true. 

And because they're both intelligent, driven, hardworking, and self-sacrificing, jade and azul have not only accidentally grown to become each other's perfect enablers--they've tricked themselves into believing that they like this arrangement. 

Floyd time!

Regardless of whether they had to eat their siblings to survive or not, i hc that jade always took on the role of the "parentified" twin. Now, floyd is a prodigy in many ways: strong, stubborn, and dangerously creative... but i think he's only able to be this way because jade was there to be the anchor twin. Unlike floyd, jade can be relied upon to be unflinchingly stoic. Jade's always (needed to be) the one who can make the hard decisions. To do what needs to be done, without crying or complaining. And, no matter the toll on his body or soul, move on to the next thing, seemingly unaffected. 

The Leech twins are, especially in life-or-death situations, actually highly complimentary and really effective together, in these roles. That said, the twins' dynamic, especially in "normal" situations like making friends and going to school--could easily veer into toxic codependency. 

And since jade is the anchor, i think floyd was probably really, really upset when jade first started developing his polite personality. 

Initially, jade's attempts at becoming this "new" jade probably led to a lot of pushback from floyd. And I'm talking fighting, pleading, complaining, full-on tantrums, tearful threats of abandonment, and basically anything and everything floyd could think of (and he is Dangerously Creative), to get jade to go back to behaving like he did before.

But a combination of jade's stoicism, stubbornness, and refusal to back down from his decision in any way eventually led to floyd more or less accepting that jade is going to do what jade is going to do. 

There was also comfort in the realization that, no matter the outward facade, jade was still jade

[halfagone]

That’s a good point, she probably only knows him as an adult, not his age. Hmm, how do you think Danny and Marinette would get along anyhow? I know he’d get along with Adrien like a house on fire, but I feel he and Marinette have some similarities as well.

If you think about it, in a great deal of ways, Danny could probably be compared to Chat Noir just minus all the flirting. And for all that Marinette- as Ladybug- rolls her eyes at his puns and wordplay, we have seen her go along and even banter back with that same humor. Marinette handles Chat just fine even as a civilian, so there's no difference on that front.

At the same time, Marinette is a very anxious person. We see that she has very good people skills and she knows how to corral a group together, much like Danny can, but sometimes she really struggles to get out of her own head. Danny, on the other hand, can be a little too dismissive at times so I can see that being a potential conflict. It's often the same case with Ladybug and Chat Noir.

And it's not always because they don't take something seriously, they just don't take something serious enough for her. Marinette is a prepper, she always tries to keep ahead and plan things out, where Danny tends to go with the flow. Of course this does stem from the threats they face; Marinette knows that the akuma are coming from someone somewhere, whereas Danny often just fights individually ghosts. Occasionally they'll team up, but very rarely is there a joint, united effort between them.

To a degree Marinette always goes with the flow, due to the nature of akuma, but you get the feeling from the way she plans out her speech to Adrien about how she's actually in love with him that it's more due to force of circumstances. Otherwise she does try to keep track and get ahead of Hawkmoth.

On Danny's end I can see him viewing Marinette in a couple different ways. She could always remind him of his sister, which would be understandable since the pair share a lot of the same qualities. They're supportive and energetic and they're always there with a plan or idea. But sometimes that can be overwhelming, and sometimes they make mistakes, like what Marinette did with Marc and Nathaniel. None of them are perfect by any means, but that's part of what makes them realistic.

You don't even have to make Danny the Ghost King to have him empathize with Marinette's situation as Guardian. In a lot of ways he's been forced as the Portal's keeper as well, and if anything happens to it who knows what becomes of him. That's a lot of responsibility that- in a certain perspective- is keeping them chained to other duties neither of them asked for but keep anyways.

Marinette tried to turn down the Ladybug miraculous once, but took it up again.

If we're counting Phantom Planet here, Danny's done the same. Even if we just count Identity Crisis really, Danny has done the same.

But there's a price for everything, and it's not a price they're willing to pay.

Danny's situation definitely mirrors Adrien's more, with a neglectful parent that's hurting them at home with their dismissiveness and also out on the field. The only difference is Danny is aware that's his parents hunting him down; Adrien doesn't get that luxury and pain.

I can definitely see them being friends; I've written them as friends. Their relationship wouldn't be as deep as Danny and Adrien's could be, and nowhere near what Marinette and Adrien have with each other. I don't think they'd be a couple for a lot of the same reasons I don't think Danny and Sam could really work as a couple, if you were wondering about that as well.

They'd have really cute banter if Marinette brought out her more teasing side and I can picture Danny giving her a rough time like a good older (younger? I've written him as older but he can definitely be younger if we wanted him to be) brother.

It could be very sweet is all 😊

[brown-little-robin]

Story asks: for both mp100 and Jojo, 1, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, 22

YAY okay I love these asks but I'm going to split the post in half because that's a lot of writing (thank you, you Get It). mob psycho 100 first:

1: what got you into this story?

clicking on a fifteen minute YouTube video essay titled "The Philosophy of Mob Psycho 100: The Sublime" or something like that. It explained mp100 through the end of episode 5. That was the first time I got into mp100. But I gave up on episode 5 that first time. I came back several years later because of this comic about what would have happened if Mogami kidnapped Mob at a young age and reading the mp100 fanfiction that inspired it, A Breach of Trust. Both times, I got into mp100 because of something a passionate and inspired fan made!

5: do you have a favorite character? who?

Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama himself :) and other than him, Ritsu, Musashi, and Dimple!

6: do you have a LEAST favorite character? who?

(sigh) well. if I must say it... Reigen. I care about him; he's interesting and I don't hate him. But honestly, I don't personally find him that funny, and that's the main draw of his character, is the comedy!

7: how does the story compare to your initial impressions of it? has it surprised you yet? how?

oh, it surprised me VERY much. it's..... the thing with Mob Psycho 100 is that it toes the line of almost being a parody of the shounen and paranormal genre, while also taking itself very seriously when you get right down to it. The premise is silly, but the emotional beats are incredibly raw. I thought mp100 was going to be... y'know... a silly slice-of-life story about a psychic kid's life as an exploited employee of a con man, and instead it hits me with things like "no one is special, and that means that everyone has the potential to change themselves bit by bit and do good in the world, including compulsive liars and severely repressed anxious teenagers". That kind of thing.

13: tell me an out-of-context piece of worldbuilding or lore!

alskdjfslkdf okay so in the 3rd and final season, a single mammoth broccoli plant appears in Seasoning City. It's called The Divine Tree. You will cry because of the broccoli. :)

14: how likely do you think this story is to break a reader's heart?

VERY LIKELY. you will be broken down and rebuilt. It will happen over and over again, starting with episode 5 of the anime or volume 2 of the manga. You will emerge stronger.

19: pitch an idea for a sequel or spinoff novel for this story!

okay this is a little bonkers but I want to see Tome and Mezato have an adventure together. And they should drag some protesting other, less insane person into it, too. I think a Tome and Mezato and Takenaka (and oooooh maybe Inukawa as a translator) story where they meet aliens would have some SERIOUS potential. It would be SO funny. IMAGINE. Takenaka playing the exasperated straight man to Tome and Mezato's zany nonsense, but not actually minding at all; he actually likes his life to be interesting and is studying them like bugs. Tome and Mezato feeling like they have to compete to fill the "most passionate person here" role, then discovering that both of them have felt insecure about their interests. Inukawa having PTSD flashbacks to the last time he interacted with aliens, the serious side of the story which is gonna need to be handled tactfully, and Tome, Mezato, and Takenaka are not tactful people, so it's gonna go wrong. IMAGINE. (vibrating with excitement)

22: FREE SPACE: say anything you want about the story!! <3

In lieu of saying something, I'm going to share screenshots, because the art style of the anime is one of my favorite things about mp100. :]

IT'S JUST SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SHOW, MAN

[coffeewithcutcaffeine]

8, 13, 17, 25, 26, 49, 58 for cătălina and vlad <3

My beloved Lizzie! Thank you so much for leaving these in my inbox, I had such a great time coming up with the answers and getting to ramble about my darlings. ❤️️ I also apologise for taking forever to get to post my reply! Nonetheless, I hope the post will do it justice somehow. 🥰️

⇒ from OTPs and Self-Ships Asks (Vlad and Cătălina)

8. What happens when one of them gets sick?

Both parties tend to be very caring towards each other. However, their illnesses and discomforts usually stem from vastly different circumstances, so this difference often results in variations in their approach. I am afraid I am no longer making much sense skdskfjsksfjsk so let me show some particular examples!

As a warrior, Vlad frequently sustains various injuries during battles — dislocations, bruising, lacerations, cuts, you name it. Although Cătălina is rarely present for the initial treatments, she always tries to help him in his recovery (help because the man would rather die than rest). She applies healing ointments on his skin, bandages his wounds, massages the sore muscles, and helps cover injuries that might reveal the vulnerabilities no one should see (more about that very soon 👀). She is a very calm and composed caretaker and never succumbs to panic.

Cătălina’s most serious health issues always present themselves during her pregnancy, causing Vlad to feel concerned and anxious about her well-being. Pregnancy was extremely risky during their time due to various factors and, despite the presence of midwives and some medical knowledge, the substantial risks associated with childbirth made it a dangerous experience for women. Death resulting from pregnancy and birth complications was an alarmingly common thing. Given these circumstances, Vlad always becomes deeply alarmed by any sign of discomfort Cătălina might exhibit, leading him to be overprotective and even somewhat insufferable at times. When she miscarries, the experience is profoundly traumatic for both of them, though in different ways. Also, Vlad in full-on panic mode presents himself in his full glory here.

13. Who’s the bigger tease?

At the beginning of their relationship, it’s definitely Cătălina. I would not wish to spoil this too much as the circumstances of their romantic journey are yet to be written, but their start is a bit of a wild one and, most of the time, she tries to draw him out of his comfort zone a little. At that point in their lives, she perceives their affair as a temporary thing, so she approaches it with more boldness than she normally would — that fleeting nature of their relationship erases any potential guilt or shame from her mind.

Cătălina also enjoys being a flirt as it allows her to derive a sense of power from it, and that plays a huge role in her story. Through her experience in life, she learns that her femininity does not always have to be a weakness but often works as a source of strength. Her charm and wit can often be a tool for asserting control over various aspects of her life, and she knows how to search for the right opportunities and use them accordingly.

Vlad can certainly bring a light, playful atmosphere into his relationships. If he does tease, then usually through his wit and sharp tongue, but he generally maintains the direct approach he is known for in other aspects of his life. Ironically, it is this very directness that she tends to find charming about him.

17. Who’s more likely to pull the other in by the waist and kiss them passionately?

That will always be 100% Vlad lmao the man is crazy for physical affection! I actually think that already shows a lot in the one work I have written with them together — he is instinctively very physically affectionate with her the moment he gets near her.

As a human being, he is naturally inclined towards being physically affectionate. Still, how he behaves around her also has a lot to do with the fact that open displays of physical affection are also a public declaration of his place by her side. Vlad is a man who deeply values his privacy (owing to a multitude of reasons that are both personal and more intricate) but his love for Cătălina and the need to express it openly outweighs his usual reserved nature. He is adamant about not concealing his mistress from the eyes of the world, mostly like a dedication to ensure that she is never made to feel hidden or secondary. He can reassure her with verbal affirmations of his love every minute of the day, but there may nevertheless remain a semblance of detachment. When he holds her hand in public, tenderly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, or places his hand on her hip, it becomes impossible for anyone to deny the romantic aspect of their relationship. (It easily puts a target on her back, which is something she has to tackle at one point in her life, but that’s another thing.)

25. Do they have any hobbies they share?

Cătălina is an extremely skilled and talented horseback rider, so they often find themselves engaging in horse rides, especially when the weather is favourable and the time allows them. These shared rides not only let them enjoy their mutual passion but also provide them with a chance to escape for a while and spend time alone. (This actually plays a very ✨️important✨️ part in their initial adventures which is already in my WIPs sksksk but let’s not spoil that yet!)

Besides her proficiency in horseback riding, Cătălina has also mastered the art of archery, another activity that they can enjoy together. They sometimes seize the opportunity to indulge in a playful competition that adds a touch of fun and excitement to their routine. On occasion, their sons join in these archery sessions as well.

Yes yes I purposefully skipped one favourite activity sksksk.

26. What are their vices?

To be fair, I have thought a lot about this particular question and cannot think of any specific vices attached to their characters — they might come to the surface as I progress through the story but, so far, I am clueless there skdsjsksk. (Especially when it comes to Vlad, he has the disciplined personality of a soldier which helps him easily dodge any temptations he wishes to avoid.)

Hence I will at least try to mention things that have the potential to make things complicated in their relationship. I hope I will be forgiven for that!

What ruins Vlad’s private happiness are his duty and ambition. As much as he loves Cătălina, certain matters will always have priority — his land needs governance, battles need to be won. He loves her, he loves life dearly, every second of it, yet he would be ready to give up all of it for what he feels to be right. Circumstances often leave them separated, and although there are moments when he could simply walk away and leave the matters of the state to others, pursue other ways of living in which he could even marry her and live with her and their sons in peace and happiness, he always chooses the Wallachian throne.

As for my beloved Cătălina, her position is quite a paradox as she has incredible freedom in the relationship but also little space to manoeuvre in certain cases. Specifically, because of Vlad’s priorities in life, she often has to grit her teeth extra hard and endure. To be a ruler’s mistress requires a very tough character as she lives with the fact that other things often come first, and it helps if she loves him for having those visions and ambitions that keep him away. But of course, she is only a human being and sometimes grapples with feeling pushed aside, locked away, lonely.

49. Does either of them have a hard time being away from the other?

Not necessarily as they are frequently away from each other. It is simply the life they are used to (and in their times, it was also normal that men were gone for months in wars or for work). They might miss one other or wish for the other’s presence, but they generally see it as a standard part of their relationship that has to be endured.

There is only one time when they have a hard time with the absence of the other, but the circumstances are brutal, and they both know their relationship is effectively over for good. They both mourn that loss in their own ways, they think of one another often, but they also know that life goes on and they have to move on.

58. Who’s more likely to hold a grudge after an argument?

Cătălina skdskdsjsk she enjoys occasional pettiness after more trivial disagreements. She likes to tease him with that a little, see him trying to get back in her graces. It makes her feel like she has the upper hand for a second, that she has the power over the most powerful man in the land (she continuously has, but this just feels different), and power can taste very sweet. There are so many things she has to bear, so these are her little moments of recompensation.

During more serious arguments, it is still Cătălina. Vlad often has to brush things off and focus on other things, or he does not feel extra pressure as a man, but Cătălina tends to feel certain things differently as a woman, mistress, and mother. She sometimes has a hard time ignoring things that gnaw at her soul.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Grey's Anatomy: Never Felt So Alone (20x05)

Man, Nick sucks so much as a character I cannot believe.

Cons:

I'm going to be a broken record about Jo and Link, but wow, I don't care about their relationship. This pregnancy scare is a cheap way to introduce a shot of lightly-comedic drama into their honeymoon period and I'm bored to tears by all of it. It's a shame, because I actually think both actors are really charming and funny, and yet when they're playing off of each other in a scene, I feel absolutely nothing. The idea of going through a Jo/Link marriage and babies story just fills me with a sense of defeat and ennui. Alex Karev I miss you so much.

I feel like the takeaway from this episode is supposed to be that Meredith is being unreasonable about the Nick situation, but... nah. Nick is a boring lump of coal and Meredith has a lot of trauma around the death of loved ones, and Nick should have called sooner. I just wish that Meredith had been settled off-screen with a less annoying endgame love interest. It feels like we've lost our chance for Meredith to find a new forever person on screen, because Ellen Pompeo isn't interested in doing that anymore, and fair enough, but Nick? God, he sucks so hard.

Usually I get really moved and emotional about the "very special episodes" that this show pulls off, about all manner of serious subjects. I have to say, I felt a little alienated from this one, though. There were things I liked about it, but the core of it, the med student Eddie standing on the ledge, with Simone and Kwan talking to him, just felt very... generic, maybe? It was a lot of standard talking points about suicidal ideation, without the magic of making every guest character come alive, the way Grey's usually pulls off. I don't know. I don't feel like it was terribly done, it just didn't quite grip me.

Pros:

I really liked Owen and Amelia spending the day working together. Their romantic relationship was always such a clusterfuck but I think they have the kind of friendship that really stands the test of time. They do a risky and complicated surgery to give a med student a chance to be able to walk again, and seeing them triumph and feel that thrill of surgery again together was really quite lovely! Also, when Teddy and Owen don't have hella drama going on between them, their relationship is perfectly tolerable. I liked the ending little bit where Teddy gets cleared to go back to surgery, and she and Owen are talking over logistics for picking up the kids, etcetera. Their energy together does work for me; I remember shipping them way back in the before-times.

Bailey and Ben are really the best long-term relationship on this show. I'm almost anxious about Station 19 ending, because if Ben hops back over to be more of a main character on Grey's, they might give them relationship tension and I don't want that! Ben calming Bailey down, the two of them talking about mental health and being there to support each other... this was the part of the suicide prevention plot thread that worked the best for me. Just these two married people having a frank conversation about being there to support one another.

Despite hating everything about Nick, I did like some of Meredith's stuff in this episode. Her being able to talk through her fear with Richard was really touching. Of course she has baggage and fears around specifically this outcome! Something totally survivable happening to someone in her family, but the potential of the hospital fucking it up? I like that now that Meredith has moved to Boston and she's only a part-time character, she really does feel like more of a mom. Not to be cheesy, but it's such a fitting way to wrap up the overall arc of Meredith Grey, given where we started with her, and all her own issues with her mother. I wish Nick wasn't the person she was having the conversation with, but I also liked her being willing to process her messy emotions and admit the harm she did to others because of it. Real growth for our Mer!

As I keep saying, I really do love these new intern characters a lot. Let's go through some of these stories really fast.

Jules and Winston! Jules is growing on me more and more. I love that she stood up to Winston, and that he admitted he'd been a grump lately. Her compassion and care for the people around her is so lovely, and she manages to seem like a really strong, pragmatic person all while having empathy off the charts. We love to see it.

Yasuda gets stuck with the unpleasant job of babysitting a bunch of drunk med students with minor injuries, and things take a turn for the worse when she learns from Schmitt that Helm kept her from an interesting surgery, and made her stay in the pit. We don't know the outcome of this little betrayal yet, but I'm interested to see their relationship get more of a spotlight, even if it is to work through a difficult moment! I loved Jules comforting Yasuda at the end using a technique her mother taught her. Their friendship is so lovely.

We get some insight into Kwan's relationship to his own mental health; I loved how he stepped in and talked to Eddie after letting Simone take the lead for so long. I think it's telling that in an episode themed all around connection and reaching out to people, Kwan didn't actually open up to Simone after that experience. He didn't go to Jules, or to anybody else, to talk through what had happened. We'll have to see if he's able to form those important bonds moving forward.

And as mad as I've been at Lucas for being such a dickhead recently, I did find the scene at the end with him and Simone quite lovely. It's not a fix to everything broken between them, but it's this moment where they're able to come together to comfort and hold each other. Simone definitely needed that after the day she'd had, and I like that Lucas was willing to put aside everything else and do that.

So that's all for this one. It looks like from the promo for next week that Richard is going to have some sort of freak-out or incident at work, and I'm... kind of already tired of seeing this story again. But we'll see!

7/10

[chaosandthe-deadblog]

at some point im gonna doodle Band AU Shadow and Maria in the sweaters like goddamn i really love how you characterized them the trans chapter still makes me tear up, I like how you rolled with the idea of sexual dimorphism between female and male hedgehog Mobians too tbh, did any of that originate from Amy's old design by chance? How she had once had her quills spiked up but later it was changed to them being slicked down? (Personally I like the echidna-hedgie hybrid theory for her but your take on it is really neat!)

I also just love how you've characterized them all. I'm gonna be ranting a bunch and it's gonna be confusing a lil but like pls stay with me i just have the Big 'Tism so my brain go hugvyfcrytjkn

I enjoy having the whole thing be very plotless tbh, there's not enough of that in fics imo and it's the exact stuff I need a lot and I love that. I don't ever really feel anxious that, say, Maria is gonna suddenly die or some shit like that, or that some cataclysmic event is gonna suddenly happen. I like that, I've needed a lotta that honestly. I just love how you've written it so much,,

I am still curious about Shadow's past, though. Was he still genetically engineered? Is he still part-alien??? Does Chaos Energy even properly exist??? Is Gerald just A Guy who is a scientist and actually succeeded at what he'd wanted to do???? Seeing as it seems his "backstory" never properly happened, and they're in modern times, I presume Gerald would be still alive or something. Is Eggman there too???? /Is there potential that younger-Eggman exists and he's like a weird internet troll to the band or something????/ Perhaps jealous that his cousin gets to meet the "cool guys" and there's a very small and non-dramatic plot of Tails being like "ugh this guy again" and Maria's like "oh yeah thats my cousin!" and everyone's like "WHAT????"

There's just so much to explore with such a domestic take on these characters honestly, and I really love that. It explores parts of their characters that often don't get touched often due to how much they're always fighting or dealing with drama. It allows dynamics to be explored that are never really toyed with in canon. Adapting various pieces of the characters to a more laid-back setting is genuinely REALLY fun and you've done it so well I just,,, wawUUUGH,,,

I'm so interested to see what goes on with Knuckles too, since his whole story is seemingly so fantastical yet so easy to adapt to a more mature and "realistic" setting. Does he simply come from a culture that's often overlooked in this world? Is his inner compass about protecting his family name? Is he actually the last echidna in this world or are echidnas moreso simply a group that are marginalized in some way? I almost feel like him being someone who's struggled through, like, immigrant struggles would almost be a really interesting take on him as a character. He's quiet about who he is, where he's from, often keeping to himself, it's why he doesn't sing on his own and why he often is seemingly just... There. But Amy knows, she's one of the only ones who does know.

And maybe if Shadow still shares that "being made in a lab" past as his canon self, perhaps he and Knuckles could end up being friends if Shadow were to learn about his past. They could relate to one another's feelings of not belonging where they are, yet having strong drives to defend WHO they are.

(I've been reading a lot of immigrant poetry recently for class and because, despite not sharing those experiences, I still always feel like I relate to the general themes of them. I dunno why, but I always imagine Knuckles being the type to write stuff like that himself, since his whole story draws a lot from very real and serious sorts of topics that can be related to some of those real-life issues. I really like that about him, how it always seems that his story is taken VERY seriously and not downplayed. That's why I liked him in Frontiers, and why I know many liked him in Sonic 2. Just mentioning this all because that's my inspiration for even coming up with this idea)

Again I absolutely do not wanna seem like im hijacking your story! I just wanted to rant about characters because hmmmmng,,, you write them so well and give me many idea and I love that,,

damn you put so much more thought into this au than i did LMAO

ummm okay i'll take these one by one

first: the trans chapter, that is ABSOLUTELY what i wanted to do and i'm so glad someone picked up on it. I think male hedgehog mobians have their quills spiked up while female hedgehogs tend to have them drip down. That's why Sonic pre-transition tied up his quills! However, I do think Amy fucks with her presentation a bit in that sense, she still spikes up her quills (though i think, similarly to how there are short haircuts that are deemed femenine by humans, the same thing could apply to hedgehog mobians and their quills)

about it being plotless... aha. haha. im gonna be honest. i love drama. there WILL be some dramatic event, and there’s gonna be drama, but it's not gonna be sudden. i'll be sure to have enough build up so it hurts a little less. a little. but its gonna take a while. so dont worry about it :)

OKAY shadow's past. okay. yeah so. okay. everything is like a lot more normal and domestic than in canon, so the whole magic and powers aspect is... altered. similarly to how it is in pirate au, the characters still have some trait thats similar to their powers/abilities in regular canon (sonic raced in highschool and regularly goes on runs, for example). I think Chaos Energy and the chaos emeralds and all that stuff is the equivalent they'd have of mythology. some people believe it, some people don't. "chaos and the emeralds" is a name that came to sonic based on one of those myths.

so... about shadow. gerald is dead. old age. i'm gonna try to explore shadow's past on later chapters so i'll keep it to: shadow was adopted by and raised by gerald until the doctor died, leaving shadow in charge of finishing raising maria. (and also, i didnt take eggman in consideration for this au because... implications. but it would be funny if he was just maria's annoying cousin that both of them can't stand)

and about knuckles! yeah, it's pretty much the former! it'd be interesting if he was an immigrant or someone from an overlooked culture. and no he is definitely not the last of his kind but i do think where the gang leaves it's not THAT common to see echidnas. i don’t think i'll touch much on that because... well i'm very much white and very much live in my birth country so i am deeply unqualafied to write about immigrant struggles, but that's definitely the direction i'd love to go to for knuckles. also you didnt ask this but he's like a big brother figure to amy, they were childhood friends

i actually hadn't thought about most of the things you asked, and this helped me do some worldbuilding, so thanks a lot for the questions!!!

[monocytogenes]

For Pravin: stillness: How does your OC act while still? Are they fidgety? Do they have any common gestures or tics? Does their clothing affect how they hold themselves while at rest? For Gaubert: motion: How does your OC move? How does their clothing help or hinder their range of motion? Are they flexible, coordinated, clumsy? For Lautilde: glance: At first glance, what stands out most about your OC’s appearance? What’s their distinguishing feature?

From here!

stillness

DA!Pravin is very appearance-conscious--there's a controlled quality to him when he's sitting down having a conversation or, say, listening to the advisors bicker at the war table. He's far more expressive onstage, and gets more animated by association when he's going on about his art--he'll talk a lot more with his hands, for instance--but on the regular tends to limit his gestures and motions to slight, subtle points of emphasis. This tendency is very much an upper-class Orlesian cultural norm, I imagine--when people are wearing masks and/or heavy makeup, you get less expression from their face and have to read their feelings off their body instead, which results in a kind of caginess, a conservation of motion.

One gesture I do see him doing a lot (and which I spotted a few times whilst perusing my fics) in quieter moments is little tilts of his head--flirty, quizzical, thoughtful. I have a headcanon that Orlesian actors do a lot of physical acting in general given the mask situation, even in serious dramas, and one specific manifestation of that is exaggerated head motions to convey feelings, so that carries over a bit into his everyday movements.

His clothing tends to be fitted but not restrictive--much of it is tailored straight up with those considerations in mind, or altered after the fact by Lautilde. He likes to show off his body for sexy reasons, but also takes care not to wear anything that would potentially impede his ability to defend himself in a fight. Because paranoia, lol.

I'll also add a note about agent!Pravin because I feel like it--he actually does have a specific tic that I find myself dropping into fics from time to time:

Pravin’s gaze sank to the tabletop. He let his hand drop from his mug, tapping his fingers pensively against the plasteel.

He took a slow breath, tapping a tense rhythm against the desk’s surface with his right hand, then hit the send key.

He traced restless circles on the tabletop with a fingertip.

He does this tapping/tracing thing when he's anxious. It developed through the onset of his stimulant addiction--kind of as a means of exercising control over the shakiness stims can bring on in higher doses--and stuck around as a habit.

motion

Gaubert's surprisingly coordinated for someone of his age and appearance! He's lost some of his stamina post lung injury, and was never like, gymnast-flexible, but he was absolutely doing complex dance and stage combat choreography prior to that on the regular. As I mentioned before, Orlesian theater involves a lot of physical movement to overcome having the actors' facial expressions partly or fully hidden, and this is especially true in comedies, which were Gaubert's specialty. He can fake a punch, do a wild sideways leap, or pratfall like nobody's business. (Needless to say, these were transferrable skills to his bard work, too. Much of why he's still alive after that poisoning attempt is because he hit the deck and faked his death so convincingly that the other bard left him alone.)

He's also, relatedly, the kind of professional musician that makes rapid-fire playing look downright casual, especially on lute and guitar. He visually doesn't seem to have the hands for it--thick, stubby-looking fingers--but when he gets going, he's quick and precise as shit. (He'd add with a wink that this well-developed touch translates into other areas as well.)

His clothes are all roomy and comfortable--he's got nothing to show off, in his opinion, so he might as well pick out stuff that's breezy, lightweight and pleasant to wear. And besides, he didn't have to be as anal as Pravin about making sure he could fight in it back when he was barding, too.

glance

Lautilde would claim it's probably one of her distinctly elven features, such as her ears or her long, thin nose. In reality, it's probably her hair. She has nice natural curls that she trims just so and styles up, often under a cap or veil to keep them clean; and while she barely fusses with cosmetics and dresses quite conservatively for someone whose talents would easily allow her to do otherwise, she does make a singular high-effort concession to beauty standards: she dyes her hair. At home, yes; only back to the blonde of her youth, yes; but it's an effort all the same.

(Pravin dyes his encroaching gray hairs, too, and while Gaubert gives him a bit of friendly shit for it, Lautilde never does. Like, hey, everyone's allowed at least one little act of vanity.)

[blimbo-buddy]

Note before I start: I’ve admittedly not remembered much about the characters and their personalities. Not that I’ve totally forgotten but it’s very likely that some aspects of their characters I’ll get wrong. That’s why I encourage any sort of input: Character fixes, corrections, even potential ideas for the au. There’s a lot of moments in here that are just “I don’t have a solid idea about it yet”

So this idea stemmed from a thought I had with the Chimeras, “Can multiple people be merged with the same monster as one entity”.

Basically it starts out as the regular story does but instead of eating Falin, the Red Dragon consumes Laios, Marcille, and Toshiro. Falin uses her teleportation spell but it only manages to work on her, Namari, and Chilchuck (since the other three already got eaten). Falin’s freaking the fuck out and, like Laios with Falin in the og story, she’s eager to go back and save everybody after recounting some vague information she remembered from Laios, that the digestion of a Red Dragon takes a while. That means if they’re fast enough they could get them all out in time.

Chilchuck and Namari aren't too sure about that idea: They have no money and most of their stuff got lost on that floor during the fight

I don’t know if I’ll have Namari stay with them (same reasons as in canon) but Chilchuck for sure will stay with Falin

He didn’t want to at first but seeing how serious she was on going into the Dungeon, he got a bit nervous at the thought of her alone down there

and also. Y’know deep down he doesn’t want anymore people to die or get hurt

Lot of this is fuzzy but generally things sort of go the same. Falin does suggest trying to eat monsters but she’s not as insistent about it as Laios would be (she still really likes monsters though). Maybe they manage to scrounge up some rations or something (Maybe some scenes where she would rather go hungry than see Chil get hungry). Thankfully they meet Senshi so, cool they got a chef now

I think Senshi would also help Falin realize that, while she has kind-hearted intentions, she can’t keep starving herself in favor of others not going hungry

Everyone needs to eat

Falin’s just really stuck and worried on getting Laios Marcille and Toshiro out and safe. I’m going to.. skip over a lot of the smaller aspects of the story because I’d like to brainstorm more in depth of how Falin would play off of the other characters in place of Laios. Of course in these moments we’d also get flashback scenes of her and Laios/Marcille/Toshiro to show her bond with each of them.

A lot of her info about monsters mainly comes from Laios and some of her newer info about them comes from Senshi

I think when Kabru’s party and Toshiro’s retainers meet, it’s made just a bit apparent that Maizuru and the others are searching for Toshiro (though they hide it as best as possible because sensitive information) maybe one of them overheard Namari talking about it while in a tavern. Even though Maizuru tries hiding it, Kabru pulls a total Kabru and sees right through her stoic attitude and sees a deeply anxious person worried for someone’s safety. He also notices the strange stand-off-ish attitude of the other retainers about retrieving Toshiro

Whoops another gap of info. Again I’ll save these moments for posts or asks about them but I also just. Need to reread the manga again to get a good idea.

Eventually they get to fighting the Red Dragon. Missing info here about how exactly they kill it because Falin , while not completely defenseless and dumb in actual combat, probably wouldn’t have that same knowledge in it as Laios did (Unless I’m wrong (very likely)). But they manage to kill it with just three people, hooray time to recover them all!

All they find is bones

Obviously just like in canon with Falin, the party is too late and Laios, Marcille, and Toshiro were digested  

Now this is the part I’m stumped at the hardest. Because in the og story, Marcille knew dark magic which is how she was able to bring Falin back. While Falin does know resurrection magic, it’s not the same as necromancy

Was there a way that Falin somehow learnt dark magic (did Marcille somehow teach her out of pure trust? Is it in character for Marcille to do that with a banned system of magic with her best friend?)

How the fuck did they manage to get their bones in the right places. How would they not mix them up

Because at least Falin’s bones were fairly easy to figure out, the other bones were from the Wargs

I just really don’t want to accidentally go the “These are WOMEN bones and these are MEN bones” route. Maybe they go by height? Taller people do have longer bones but I don’t know if this also carries weird connotations

However this goes, somehow, someway, the three are brought back to life by some miracle using the flesh of the Red Dragon. Yay they’re all back they can finally go home now(?)

Side note but I imagine Laios got really jealous that Falin got to eat monsters without him

Generally though Falin’s just so, so happy to see her brother and friends back

Might actually have some scenes of awkward but friendly interactions between Falin and Toshiro

That night the three (Laios Marcille Toshiro) feel like somethings off. This leads them back to the Red Dragon’s corpse and right to Thistle. The rest of the party comes across this and yaddah yaddah, Thistle tries getting rid of them and the last thing Falin sees is the three of them collapsed on the ground; flesh and blood piling onto their bodies.

Time skip to when Kabru’s party, Falin’s party, and Maizuru’s party all come across each other. It’s revealed, after Hien and Benichidori (and right after: Maizuru) are killed, that Laios, Marcille, and Toshiro, perched on the rooftops and surrounded by harpies, were transformed into Chimeras

But, not as three separate entities

Rather as three parts of one singular body, their lower torsos connected by three long, feathery necks that sprout from the Red Dragon’s body

They would later be nicknamed the Trimera (portmanteau of Tri- & Chimera

(Very poor artist rendition below. Pretend its Falin's drawing or something)

(Not exactly to scale. Marcille is in the middle but Toshiro and Laios can be on either side)

During the fight, it’s scary how strangely coordinated yet different the three parts of them are when it comes to fighting, likely due to the enhanced abilities from the Red Dragon. But hits are, of course, struck onto the Trimera

Laios is oddly in his element, attacking like a wild beast instead of how he would usually attack

Marcille, thanks to the Trimera still being capable of some speech, is able to cast destructive spells. Getting stabbed by Kabru likely enhanced some rage in her

Toshiro is quick, nobody can catch him off guard and trying to get him from his blind spot is near impossible. Even with a huge gash on his side he's still quick in battle

I would imagine right towards the end, Tade, who manages to recover pretty fast after being whipped by its tail, makes the boldest choice of her life

She charges towards the Trimera, narrowly avoiding another tail whip

Leaps onto and climbs towards Toshiro’s half

She sets her sights on a gaping wound that Daya left right at the spot where the base neck of the dragon (aka toshiro's lower torso) is located

And she starts to violently, brutally rip him off

I think this scene would show the very sad and unhealthy dedication she has to the Nakamoto clan

Toshiro’s dad expects him home at some point, Tade is going to make sure he comes home

The last tendon severs and the two are sent flying onto one of the rooftops, Tade struggling to not fall and to also restrain Toshiro

After the Trimera (still called this even after Toshiro got ripped off) flees, all of the casualties are revived. Tade comes down from the rooftops, Toshiro is barely even responding. Falin doesn’t keep her eyes off of the place that the Trimera fled from. She doesn’t say a word. All she can do is weep while the others try to comfort her. It’s too much for her to handle, it’s all her fault.

What has she done?

oh my god I got the most batshit crazy dungeon meshi au idea last night but I’m gonna let it marinate in my brain for a minute hope you guys are ready

[ninlilwinds]

Genshin Characters With Stressed out Reader because of testing.

Before reading: So this is my first actual post. I'm pretty new to this please have a bit of patience for any typos or anything of the sort. Reason for writing this is because of all the finals I have going on. Just took a pretty important test today, so this is for myself more than anything.

Characters: from Monstadt- Diluc, Kaeya, Venti. From Liyue: Zhongli, Xiao. Inazuma: Arataki Itto, Thoma. Other: Childe

Diluc

Diluc knows what it's like to be under pressure. He constantly has to work for his wine industry and manages to keep everything under control

Which is why when you come to him stressing about an exam, he knows just the tricks to help maximize your potential.

He teaches you all the ways he's learned speeches and documents last minute and help you study

Keeps his calm when you start to panic about not being able to remember a concept

He pays very close attention to what seems to me working best for you and focuses on those methods

When your mind doesn't seem to retain any more information, he tries to reassure you that you did your best, and it was time for a break

During the break he'd have one of his maids bring u a drink (like hot chocolate, tea, or coffee) and sits down next to you on the sofa. There he'd hold your hand and caress it lightly as you rested your head on his shoulder.

Kaeya

Never fear, your amazing boyfriend is here.

Despite not looking like it, Kaeya is a master at retaining information. He's had years of practice from memorizing documents in the nights of Favonius offices to speeches when master Jean isn't present, to having to remember subordinates and other people.

So, he gives you the methods that work best for him

He would praise u as u studied and occasionally chime in with a silly trick to memorize a concept like a silly rhyme or something.

When/if you fall asleep from studying, he'll pick u up gently and carry you to bed.

The day of the exam he's ready with a strong breakfast he woke up extra early to get at the Good Hunters and an encouraging 'good luck' kiss

Venti

I'm gonna be honest, I see this troublemaker laughing at your panic

He just doesn't understand why your so stressed. He's never had the stress of having a test before.

Once he sees how serious you are about this, he decides to help you

He brings snacks for you so you can think better and makes sure your always comfortable.

The review material you aren't using he looks at and memorizes himself. After your done with the current thing you were studying and go to what he was looking at he shows you cool rhymes and small little songs you can sing to remember the material

Later in the night he brings out his lyre and plays a calming tune, which ultimately makes you fall asleep

Which was his mission, for he could see just how exhausted you were from all that studying

Tucks you in and kisses u goodnight

Zhongli

If its history, then your in luck. If it's not, he'll try his best

Zhongli is generally calm, so when your panicked he remains composed, much like Diluc

He makes you some calming tea to help you clear your mind and focus. He also makes sure the area is quite and is there to help you figure out any concept you don't really understand

After your done studying, he reassures you of how you'll do great. You did make it this far after all.

Helps you fall asleep that night because your too anxious by telling you a funny story and stroking your hair gently

Xiao

honestly, he doesn't understand why mortals would need such a thing like exams and tests. Haven't you been learning this material all year? Why do you need something to prove you know it? And why does it cost so much from your grade

Kinda holds a grudge against exams for having you so stressed

He doesn't know many of the subjects well, so he just watched you from afar as you study

He's mostly hiding in the Wangshu Inn's tree branches and observes your every movement. The tapping of your pencil, when you tie your hair up, your eyes fluttering closed

Once he sees you've fallen asleep, he makes his way over and picks you up gently placing you in bed where it is more comfortable

Before he leaves, he looks to see what exactly you were learning and scoffs. When are you going to use that in life? Are they really stressing you out over this?

He learned that day that he doesn't like exams, even though he's never taken them

Arataki Itto

He was about to ask you if you wanted to go beetle fighting with him when he saw you hunched over your desk, eyes closed and a paper stuck under your cheek

What in the world happened to you!?

After you stir and see his confused face, you explain how you have exams and have been studying so much it's completely exhausted you

Oh no no he can't have you so stressed out and tired

He won't help you study, he'd distract you

Please you've been studying enough. Time for some fun. Beetle fighting and exploring Inazuma

But to be honest, he also doesn't help you because he can't really understand what any of the papers are saying. What is a mitochondria??? Or a cell???

He helps you relax and mentally prepare

Thoma

He knew your exam schedule before you did, so he helped you prepare beforehand.

He's a busy man, helping the Kamisato clan and all, so he has to finish his duties as well

But he keeps a close eye on you since he knows you have tendency to overexert yourself and end up passed out

As he cleans, he estate he has you in his line of vision

He's pretty proud of you. Look at you go. Knows for sure you'll pass with all the time and effort you've put into this

Once he's done cleaning and settling his matters, he whips up some snacks/food, since he knows your probably hungry by now

Takes a break and eat with you too

Once you're done with your break, its back to studying, but it's he encourages you. He has full confidence that you can do it.

Childe

You have an exam? Oh no worries he's got you covered.

Need a tutor? Found. Review books? Got them. Can't contact your teacher? No worries.

He helps you in every way possible. He wants you to be the best you that you can be

But don't ask him any questions on the reviews, because he does not know

Don't get me wrong, he's very smart. But his harbinger duties have made him forget more of the scholar side and focus more on the strategic, undercover witty side

Any other way, though, he will help

The morning of the exam he's left a note since he had to leave early for some harbinger duties saying how you got this and to be confident in yourself since you worked hard.

Thanks for reading so far. Let me know how I did and any pointers you have!

[outofangband]

Characters when sick or injured, Húrin and family

I did the Fëanorians here and I went through pain tolerance of the family here

feel free to ask for any more characters or ask questions!

I also have a series of ficlets with each family member and fever though I want to add to those

also finally I’m writing a meta about what the breath of death was at some point if there’s interest 

I thought way too much about this and still am

Túrin is a bad patient unless he’s with his parents and even then he’s not super easy about it. He doesn’t like being sick at all. He’s unhappy and uncomfortable and prone to complaining though in his defense it’s usually proportional to the situation. He also was very preferential about which parent could do various things when sick (usually towards Morwen).  

Lalaith is an agitated little baby when sick or hurt. She fusses a lot and regresses to shorter sentences, less real words, more babbling. She also gets even more clingy. Húrin had to take a week off of work (captaining?) once.

Niënor is a pretty good patient though she does get anxious and bored easily if she’s confined to bed rest. She was also the kind of kid who thought pus and blood had the potential to be really cool. She doesn’t complain often so when she does complain about a headache or something that’s usually a sign to Morwen or others that she needs to be on sickbed. 

Húrin is similar to Niënor. He’s agreeable and won’t lash out when sick or hurt but he gets restless easily. He gets a lot of minor injuries during his time as a captain of Fingon, half of them from various fights and ambushes, the other half from stupid dares and wrestling. 

 (Obviously this doesn’t include post Angband stuff, for a full account of injured Húrin post Angband see my series on The Wanderings of Húrin. Let’s just say he does indeed lash out)

Fun fact: Once Húrin got drunk on an especially strong elven wine because no one told him this particular kind would effect humans much differently and another elven captain of Fingon had to bring him back home. Luckily Húrin is just very giddy and drowsy for about eight hours. He does get very emotional in the last hour or so before he finally passes out.  Morwen brought him a glass of water and he started crying saying that’s the kindest thing anyone’s ever done for him. 

Morwen uh. Hm. She’s not a bad patient because she won’t be a patient at all. She’s very stubborn about it too. She doesn’t like healers and she doesn’t like being touched or worried about especially by people she doesn’t know well and honestly people who she does know well are on thin ice. She will absolutely refuse to admit she’s sick and push herself to the extreme to hide it. One of the only major disagreements Húrin and her had was whether to allow an elven healer to attend to her when Túrin was born. I don’t say ‘argument’ because there wasn’t much actual arguing. 

On a more serious note, I actually do headcanon that she has pretty severe trauma from how she was treated by the healers and other authorities in Brethil as a child when she was there with Emeldir following Dagor Bragollach. There’s no canonical evidence for it exactly but Morwen’s intense mistrust of staying with others or needing their help has always struck me as likely a trauma thing as much as it is just her principles (which I think it also is!) and we get a not too flattering look in The Wanderings of Húrin regarding how some in Brethil treat outsiders especially those who are neurodivergent, mentally I’ll or traumatized.

If that’s how they treat a nobleman and war veteran of high status, I hate to think how they would treat a probably neurodivergent little girl with no parents to stand up for her.

And I know Morwen’s unease at the mention of Brethil during her conversation with Húrin pre Nírnaeth is supposed to be foreshadowing but I can also imagine it relates to her time there as a little kid in a terrible situation.

I have a longer meta about Morwen’s part of that conversation I’m actually working on rewriting but I think there’s a lot of interesting implications there

 this list is mostly for fun but I couldn’t help going into one of my darker headcanons for Morwen pre events of the book too

[ijustwant2write]

A Secret Romantic-Benedict Bridgerton x Reader x Eloise Bridgerton (Platonic) (Part 2)

(GIF credit to @elenawinchstr)

Part 1

Masterlist

Tags: @marvel-ousnesss @myficplace @yelenas-lova @lavxnder @s-unflowxr 

Summary: Benedict and Eloise both anticipate Lady (Y/N)’s social event, as does their mother, causing tensions to rise and panic to ensue. Benedict doesn’t want his mother ruining what he may have with (Y/N), asking Eloise for her help, who gladly plays the role of a good sister.

Characters: Benedict Bridgerton x Reader, Eloise Bridgerton x Reader (platonic), mentions of Anthony Bridgerton and Violet Bridgerton

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

(Y/L/N)=Your last name

Warnings: Fluff, fluff, fluff

                                   *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Benedict hastily moved around the house, avoiding his mama at all costs. She called out his name repeatedly, growing frustrated at his childish manner. He was supposed to discuss a plan with her about how he should prepare to court Lady (Y/N), but he knew better; his mama knew nothing of (Y/N) (he admitted, he still had much to learn about her too), and he didn’t want his chance to slip away. Although he was confident at her house when he called upon her, there was a sickening doubt looming in his mind that if he did anything wrong, another suitor could easily take his place.

“You have no where else to hide brother.” Anthony smirked, his eyes skimming over the top of his newspaper.

Benedict sighed, accepting defeat. She would find him in a matter of minutes, especially since Anthony’s office was the last place she would look. 

“Please, just let me stay her for a few moments.” Benedict begged.

Anthony chuckled, putting down the papers as he reclined in his chair.“Oh dear, I see things are turning serious quite quickly.”

“Yes, which wouldn’t be a problem if mama wasn’t making this such a big ordeal.”

“But it is to her.”

Benedict knew this.“I know that, because someone hasn’t found a woman to marry, so it then falls onto my shoulders.”

“I haven’t seen you so anxious before. Sit down, try to relax.”

Benedict took his offer, practically collapsing into the chair on the other side of the desk. Anthony stood, pouring out a drink each and handing one to Benedict. Though not one to drink in the early afternoon, he gladly sipped at it, wishing he would just calm down.

“Besides mama, what is going on in that head of yours?” Anthony asked. 

He genuinely wanted to help. He felt a slight guilt knowing that his mama was more excited about this possible partnership, seeing as he never gave her the satisfaction of even socialising with women. 

“I worry that I may not be enough for (Y/N).” he said.“Of course, I have talked to women, I know the right things to say, but I also know that I will not want to engage in further conversation. Whereas with (Y/N), she intrigues me, so much that even after we danced and talked for hours, I still felt like I hardly spent any time with her. I thought about every word I said, listened intently to everything that poured out of her mouth. There are no other women like her.”

Anthony didn’t speak for a few seconds.“You should write poems alongside your art work.”

Benedict groaned, about to stand when Anthony stopped him.

“I am teasing you brother. Look, it’s extremely obvious that you have fallen for this woman. Putting feelings aside for a moment, she also comes from a well off family with a respectable background, so you’ve done very well in that department. This art exhibition will allow me to also see what Lady (Y/N) and her family are like, as well as keep mama away from you both as much as I can.”

“You would do that for me?”

“You seem shocked. I will pretend not to be offended.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I know that you too do not like to be....bothered by mama at these events. No doubt she’ll talk to you about my potential courtship all night.”

The door opened as he finished speaking, Violet popping her head in. Her smile widened when she saw both her sons in the same room, now able to speak with them both about Lady (Y/N). Anthony and Benedict shared a look, knowing they would be there for some time.

Elsewhere in the house, Eloise was suffering through a conversation with Hyacinth. As Daphne had to endure, Hyacinth was questioning her older sister, wanting to know everything there was to know about the balls they attended. She wanted to make sure she had all the knowledge she needed when it was her turn to debut. They never spoke of these things in front of her or Gregory and she wanted all the answers. However, Eloise was not revealing anything, and making it seems that everything to do with debuting was awful.

“Go away and pester somebody else.” Eloise huffed as she descended the stairs away from her sister.

“Why are you always so mean to me? I’m just asking questions!” Hyacinth protested.

Eloise felt guilty, especially since Hyacinth was still young and didn’t understand many things about the world yet.“I’m sorry, but I’m not the best person to ask these questions.”

“Why don’t you want to get married?”

“If I explain, you won’t understand.”

“Yes I will!”

“You won’t Hyacinth.”

“You’re so mean!”

The young girl stomped off, having a tantrum to herself. Eloise did feel bad for being so snappy with her sister, but she really didn’t like talking about these things, doing all she could to avoid it where possible. It just made her feel miserable. And who wants to dote on a topic that eliminates all happiness from them?

However, Eloise did find that she was excited about the art exhibition. She was curious as to how (Y/N) and her brother’s encounter would go. For a moment, she felt like her mama. It sent shudders down her spine. It was nice to have the pressure and attention off of her, and to see her brothers in the spotlight. She knew too many friends with brothers who had it easier than the women of the family. Of course they had certain expectations, but Eloise did not see any men parading around in uncomfortable, tight dresses, with over the top embellishments and feathers. 

The remaining days leading up to the art exhibition were filled with dress and suit fittings, lessons on the (Y/L/N) family, and making sure everyone knew how important this day could be. Benedict grew more and more nervous as it approached, his mama making him realise that this could be a turning point in his life. Before this was all about him being excited to see (Y/N), to be in her company again, now it was as if he was proposing to her.

Eloise stepped out into the garden, welcoming the warmth that was still lingering at this time of night. She couldn’t sleep, knowing what was on her mind, but not wanting to admit it. She wasn’t surprised to see Benedict already on the swing set, secretly smoking as they had both done before. A small smile appeared on her face as she approached him, making sure to create some sort of noise as to not startle him.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one being kept awake.” she said as she sat down.

“I haven’t even tried to sleep yet.” Benedict said before inhaling through his cigarette again.

“Is someone nervous?” she wasn’t teasing him, she was concerned.

“Yes.” he surprisingly said.“I’m nervous because mother has made me believe everything is depending on this next meeting. Yet she forgets how long Daphne took to decide who she was marrying.”

“You shouldn’t be nervous.”

“And why is that?”

“Because (Y/N) likes you.” 

Benedict chuckled."Ah, I forgot you were the expert on such topics."

"I may not know a lot about...feelings and love, but I am not a fool. I saw the way your eyes lit up when you first saw her. (Y/N) was practically speechless too. But not like the other women who fawn over the Bridgerton name, she actually liked you for your face, for some reason. I don't know, it just seemed that there was something natural between you."

"Eloise Bridgerton, what a doting thing to say."

"I am trying to be nice to you brother."

"I know. And I appreciate it, but...I feel at ease with (Y/N), and I don't like the thought of mother's eyes burning into the back of my head. Anthony has said that he will do what he can to help, but I fear that mother will not be totally distracted by him. She’ll know his sudden interest will be fake.”

Eloise had an idea, and even if she didn’t want to go through with it, she knew it would help Benedict.“I will regret saying this, but I shall help too. I will make sure mama is paying attention to me, I’ll let her drag me around and indulge in hideously, dull conversations.”

Benedict had been shocked for the second time that day. Two of his siblings, both detesting the thought of marriage, had offered to suffer through this social event in order to give him time with (Y/N).

“What has happened to you two today?” Benedict asked.

“We are merely being charitable. Hopefully you return the favour in future. God knows I’ll be in need of saving soon.”

(Y/N) was all a flutter on the morning of the exhibition. Her mother had bought a new dress just for this, wanting to impress the Bridgerton family, prepping their halls and rooms for the exhibition for the last week. (Y/N)’s father was proud of what he had created, and that his daughter may be on her way to marrying a family who were held highly in their society. (Y/N) couldn’t focus at all, relieved that her maids were the ones in charge of getting her dressed and ready for the day; if left to her own devices, she surely would have put her dress on backwards. 

Guests streamed in, but (Y/N) was only on the lookout for one person. She remained polite, trying to stay in the moment as more and more people arrived. However, she still kept an eye out for Benedict, also staying on her toes. She had many things in mind to say to him, and she wanted to keep them in her mind. There was no way she was going to humiliate herself. 

Her heart started beating a thousand times faster when she saw Benedict enter the main hall, the one holding the biggest and most expensive pieces of art. She smiled, and somehow it grew even bigger when he made eye contact with him. His smile was so sweet, it made you fall for his charms even more. Benedict felt his stomach twist in anticipation, desperate to have just a few moments with (Y/N). Alas, that did not come when his mama latched onto his arm, steering him in (Y/N)’s direction. Although he wanted to speak with her, he found it all rather forceful, especially when (Y/N)’s parents suddenly appeared behind her.

Formal introductions were made, each set of parents making small talk about the last time they were in each others company. (Y/N) and Benedict were silent, nodding along with what was being said as they sneaked glances at each other. The conversation was dragging for them, they knew their parents wanted to figure out if this could be a potential arrangement. It didn’t seem that they were going to stop talking at any point, neither child wanting to be rude, until Eloise intruded.

“Pardon me,” she started, sending a subtle smile to Benedict,“mama, I have been looking everywhere for you.”

“Ah, another Bridgerton. The next daughter to find a suitor, I presume?” (Y/N)’s mother beamed.

Eloise hid the urge to frown. Luckily her mother stepped in.“Yes, this is Eloise. I’m sorry darling, I did not mean to leave you stranded.”

“Yes, well, shall we?” Eloise tugged at her mother’s arm.

“Alright dear. It was lovely to see you both again.” 

As Violet eagerly followed Eloise, (Y/N)’s parents also dispersed. Benedict and (Y/N) were now finally together, just as they had wished; so why did it suddenly feel awkward?

“Well, that seemed to easy.” Benedict cleared his throat.

“What was?” (Y/N) asked.

“Getting rid of them.” he grinned, holding out his arm.

(Y/N) smiled back, happy to hold onto him.“I was trying to come up with something to say that would not be rude, but would also mean we could leave. I hope that it wasn’t obvious I wanted to leave.”

“Even if it was, I doubt they would care too much. We both know they are over excited.”

“Oh how right you are. I’m assuming your mother has been acting the same as mine this whole week?”

“Overbearing? Overthinking? Over-”

(Y/N) giggled.“Yes, yes, I do not wish to dote on the memory. I am happy that you are here though Benedict.”

“You are?”

“I am.”

The pair’s arms stayed linked as (Y/N) guided Benedict around the art work. Sometimes they joined other conversations, though liked to keep to themselves. It was easy to bond over artwork, especially since it was a passion both of them had. There were no pauses or silences after a few minutes of talking, conversation flowed naturally between them. Men and women also searching for suitors were jealous; a Bridgerton boy had been swept up all too quickly and (Y/N) had been a popular choice amongst the men. However, people could not deny they made a fitting pair.

"Come, let me show you something." (Y/N) muttered to Benedict, easily slipping away from the crowds and leaving the room.

"We really shouldn't be alone (Y/N)." Benedict said, even though this was all he had been wanting.

(Y/N) had a cheeky smile on her face as she tugged on his arm, her steps gradually getting quicker. Benedict didn't even take in her elaborate house, only looking at her beautiful face every time she glanced up at him. They stopped before two grand doors, which (Y/N) cautiously opened, slipping inside with Benedict close behind her.

In the middle of the room was a huge painting covered by a fine piece of cloth. Benedict was confused why (Y/N) brought him to this, until she let go of his hand (him instantly missing the feeling), and theatrically pulled the piece of fabric down. Benedict's jaw dropped as the piece was revealed. He had never seen a painting like it.

It was a large, landscape painting of a ballroom. It captured dancing pairs in the middle of some sort of waltz, musicians huddled in the corner whilst the other guests stood watching; and it was so intricate, Benedict guessed it must have taken the artist months to complete it. All the colours, the detail, it almost looked real.

"This is amazing." he breathed out.

(Y/N) was happy when she saw Benedict's shock."Isn't it? It's supposed to be revealed later, but I wanted to see your expression properly."

"Who painted it?"

"I don't know. Father said he is going to inform everyone later, but it is a new artist. I just think they're work is dazzling to look at. I become mesmerised."

Benedict's focus changed back to (Y/N)."Yes, that does tend to happen."

She didn't notice that he was referring to her, nodding along in agreement. Her smile faltered slightly, which Benedict was able to see immediately.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he neared her, hating the gap that was created

(Y/N) covered her slip up, as her mother had told her."I'm sorry, it's really nothing..." she started, but found herself relaxed, and wanting to tell Benedict all her problems."It's only that...I used to paint frequently, well, I sketched more, though I enjoyed both. Like all girls, my mother told me to stop that and focus on becoming the most desired lady in society. I shouldn't have even told you about that when we first met."

"That's what made me desire you (Y/N)."

She blushed, realising how intense his gaze was."Oh, Lord Bridgerton-"

"What's with all the formalities all of a sudden?"

"I-I don't know. I don't want to ruin anything and it's only our second meeting. Third if you count when you called upon me."

"And I called upon you for a very good reason."

"I was wishing that everyone else would leave, so I could spend more time with you."

Benedict loved hearing her say that."As did I."

Subconsciously they had moved closer, though they both knew what they were doing. Benedict reached down to tenderly hold her hands, causing her heart to beat erratically. (Y/N) had no idea what to do, she only had experience from the books she read. It seemed simple enough to kiss someone, but also the hardest thing in the world. How much pressure should she apply? How long should they kiss for? Where would she put her hands? Where would he put his hands? She didn't have anytime to think as he was already leaning in towards her.

Eloise and Anthony were finding it extremely hard to keep the fake smiles plastered on their faces. Benedict was really in for it once this was all over. Their mama had kept a tight grip on them both, because as soon as they saw their chance to flee, they would. Both had to suffer through extremely long, boring and repetitive conversations, listening to parents boast about their children's achievements. Everyone knew how this worked, yet they all had to pretend to be happy about it.

"Where is Benedict? He's been away for a long time." their mama pondered as they took a break for refreshments.

"He's probably wooing Lady (Y/N), just as you wanted." Eloise slurped on her drink.

"Do not fret mother, he knows what he's doing. He truly likes her and will be doing all he can to...well, yes, woo her." Anthony said.

"I suppose you are right. It feels strange that one of my children are making an effort for once."

Eloise huffed."Oh, do not chastise us mama. We've been doing this all afternoon, haven't we?"

Violet squinted her eyes at them, suspicious that they were up to something. She was about to question it, but stopped herself. They were doing what she always wanted, finding someone to spend their future with. She wouldn't jeopardise that. Lucky for them, a servant announced that Lord (Y/L/N) requested for everyone's presence inside. The guests were intrigued, following orders and grabbing full glasses of whatever quenched their thirst. Eloise and Anthony had got away with their plan for now, they just hoped Benedict and (Y/N) had had enough time together.