#and i'm sorry for the delay on this!!

[izloveshorses]

greta gerwig really said. when this girl gets a little sad and confused by the weird and complicated and uncomfortable parts of being human and growing up, she meets god and sits at her kitchen table, drinks her tea, holds her hands. and she asks god if she’s allowed to be happy. and god tells her she doesn’t need her permission. she tells her she’s going to be okay.

[wombywoo]

shower time teaser for this week's p@treon post 💀🧼

[kamiraaah]

Malleus going home to visit his grandma only to find Vovo Bucchi has a matching throne right next to Grandma Mal

They need more chairs to have afternoon tea, unfortunately Lady Maleficia has to improvise due to how little time they have available, they both have responsibilities, you know how it is~

Malleus: Wow... Grandma really is incredible.

Lilia internally: HUH??? What the fuck?! A THRONE?!?!?!

[ataraxiaspainting]

Yandere!Blade with the tower and the hanged man!!! Word count up to you, congrats for reaching 500!!!

the tower - everyone in this event is dead... aside from you and them.

the hanged man - they keep telling you that they will take you outside tomorrow.

i did more of the hanged man than the tower but i hope this is okay!!

Warnings: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships/kidnapping, mentions of violence, descriptions of self-inflicted starvation/self-harm, and Blade's canonical desire to die.

*~*~*~*

Blade hasn’t eaten in a long time.

The side effects of being mara struck is mostly comprised of downs, but in his opinion this is half of a positive. Starving your body – despite it being able to regenerate faster than someone can take a breath – feels euphoric to someone like him. The flesh isn’t mortal but the way it shrinks makes death feel all the more real. If he tries hard enough, he can imagine his vision spotting. He can try to imagine his bones peeking out from graying skin. As far as he gets with his self destruction though, his body manages to get back to a healthier weight like he ate the amount he needs to thrive. Death doesn’t come for him as much as he tries. 

Shuhu’s curse allows him to consume but never be consumed.

You aren’t looking at the food just inches away from your lap. You’re silent – imagining the time death will come for him at long last. Normalcy is what you want. Death is what you want too, perhaps even for yourself. 

“I’m not hungry.”

At your words, Blade twirls some of the noodles with the bad chopsticks – he always gives you the good parts of everything; utensils, food, clothing, money – and proceeds to chew softly. It’s a motion he hasn’t used much before you came into the picture.

Now shared mealtimes are what he loves most. No matter how much you have eaten when he was not with you during the day, you’ll find yourself escorted to the short table that makes the distance between you two feel even shorter than its height.

“It’s good.” He puts another bite’s worth of vegetables, meat, and noodles in between the two chopsticks, presenting it to you. “See? You should try it.”

“What’s the point?”

The room goes quiet – the chopsticks are put on top of a napkin.

“What’s the point? As much as I listen and feast to your heart’s content… as much as you tell me we’ll go outside tomorrow… you don’t follow through.”

“I can’t yet.” Blade admits as he mimics your posture. He gazes into the bowl, looking like he is counting all the bits of spring onion you put into his bowl – the bits you didn’t want. You never liked spring onions. He can’t taste much anymore, but he’ll sacrifice if it means your body will never be hurting like he wants his own to be. “We will soon. I just… need you to be happy first.”

He means it. He’ll never lie to you – he just wants this relationship to feel as real as it can be until you can be trusted never to leave him like everyone else has.

“I’ll clean everything.” He looks to the window, where in the distance there is the very restaurant he set ablaze. “I took their recipes too.”

You don’t smile. He doesn’t either.

[tls123]

thirty-one days of jiujiu(ly) — 2024 edition // day twenty-nine + with bonus lan wangji ! + find the 2022 edition here

[royalarchivist]

Pac: What is this, man?!

The relationship of Sims Hideduo is too strong for even Pac to sabotage, despite his best efforts 😅

[starflungwaddledee]

[vialism]

be my once in a lifetime ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

moodboard inspired by this edit by @add1ictwithapen

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

The Agency's Older Brother: or, Ranpo's Character Development

I want to talk about Ranpo and the development he goes through in the series, because for as much as Ranpo is an important member of the Agency, his story is focused on in small chunks that may not always, at first read, seem to be overly significant. In fact, Ranpo’s arc is very consistent and I’m fascinated to know where it’s building to, because he’s done a lot of growing in the series. A lot of the themes of his story are to do with responsibility and faith in others.

The Ranpo we meet at the beginning of the story is not the Ranpo we see now. The biggest change is that he’s a lot more personally involved with the struggles of the Agency members, taking it on himself to be proactive and protective, while previously he had to be pushed and bribed into helping much of the time. When did this change?

Well...

[ID: Two screenshots from a scene in Poe's introductory episode of the Bungou Stray Dogs anime. In the first screenshot, Yosano lies on the carpeted ground, an axe embedded in her chest, blood pooling around her. Ranpo is crouched beside her, supporting her shoulders with one hand and clasping her hand with the other. The second screenshot is a close up of Ranpo's distressed face. End ID.]

The thing is, it's almost easy to overlook the effect this scene had on Ranpo, because Poe’s introductory chapter/episode is such a brief one. Moreover, afterwards, Poe becomes an ally and is a bit of a silly character, so it’s easy to forget sometimes that he was a legitimate threat here - and Yosano nearly died for it. This scene was incredibly significant to Ranpo for a few notable reasons.

It’s the first time someone in the Agency was in serious trouble/died without a backup plan.

It is, unfortunately, kind of on him. (Let me be real clear here: I am not blaming Ranpo. But he probably was blaming himself and that's something to keep in mind.)

To recap: Poe pulls Ranpo into his novel out of revenge, also trapping Yosano, who went with him. Ranpo realizes that they are in a world with no abilities, and importantly, he doesn't have the glasses Fukuzawa gave him.

We know those glasses mean a lot to him. When Ranpo was at his lowest, when he was convinced the world hated him, Fukuzawa gave him those glasses and told him he had a special ability. That he had a gift that no one else did that allowed him to see the truth that no one else could. Untold Origins makes it very clear that if Fukuzawa hadn't reached out to Ranpo when he did, Ranpo may have forever been outcasted. He was a kid kept in a bubble then suddenly and rudely shoved into a world he was unprepared to cope with, where he continued to get rejected and thrown out over and over - and all this on top of the grief he felt from his parents' passing. Ranpo was bitter and terrified of people, and thought everyone was pretending to be oblivious just to hurt him. Fukuzawa saved him the only way he could, in the only way Ranpo would hear him. It's not an exaggeration to say Fukuzawa saved Ranpo's life. And, while cute, it's also telling how quickly those glasses became an intrinsic part of his identity. Only maybe twenty minutes after he first received them, he was already making little doodles of himself wearing them.

Suddenly, the glasses are gone, and Ranpo goes into a funk because he "can't activate his ability without them". Obviously, we know that isn't true, and so does Yosano. Ranpo probably, deep down, knows this too, but to admit that would be to admit the president lied to him, and to uproot the very thing that gave him the means to perceive the world in a brighter light. The reason Fukuzawa had to lie in the first place was because the truth would be to tell Ranpo that his parents lied to him, something he angrily denies could ever be the case. And now, Fukuzawa is very plainly stated to be Ranpo's adoptive father. Ranpo's parents do not lie to him. He does not want to see it - and so he doesn't. This is a recurring thing with Ranpo. For as much as he sees the truth clearly, he also chooses not to see it at times when it would be uncomfortable/go against the intuition of someone he deeply trusts and respects.

And I think it's very easy to just leave it there, and say, "Oh, Ranpo realized at the end of this chapter/episode that he didn't need the glasses, that he doesn't have an ability, and that's a key turning point" but I don't feel that's the full picture or even the focus here, especially since Ranpo still hasn't reached the point where he can properly admit it aloud, even to Yosano.

The thing is, those glasses aren't just of use to Ranpo - they have sentimental value. A heck of a lot of it, for a character who is not very sentimental. The real turning point here is that Ranpo put on Yosano's glasses in order to save her.

[ID: A screenshot of a panel from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo puts on a pair of glasses. His hair is blown out of his face and he wears an intense expression. End ID.]

Shortly before this, we are informed by Yosano that not only was the Agency specifically formed for Ranpo to make use of his talents, but also that it was Ranpo who invited her to join - which we later learn was a pivotal moment for her to start over after she was completely broken by her experiences in the war. And now, he is watching her bleed out because she had to take over. Because he couldn't solve it. And that, to Ranpo, is unacceptable.

But again, there's more to it. Ranpo is fundamentally a self-centered character - this is not a judgement; I actually love that about him. He's the center of the Agency, the (ostensibly) good guys of the series; a narcissistic guy with little in the way of sensitivity who wants to use his skills to help others. Not for some higher ideal, or because it's "right" necessarily, but because he's good at it, and because he's supposed to protect all the "babies" who can't solve things for themselves. I love it because it highlights a major theme of BSD, which is good as something you do rather than something you are, and also because it explains something about Ranpo himself.

See, if everyone in the world is a "baby" who needs Ranpo's assistance, then the people in the Agency are a little different. They're people hand-picked by Fukuzawa to support him, both through praise and through backup. Remember that Ranpo trusts Fukuzawa's judgement more than anything - this means that he expects the Agency members can handle themselves. So, in chapter 10, when Ranpo doesn't really care that Atsushi has been taken, citing that it's a "personal problem" and he should handle it, I really think this was some odd form of "Atsushi will be fine" and "why should I worry or do anything when I know he'll be fine". And in the past, this has been true - the Agency members always pull through. None of them, up until that point, have been in a situation that they couldn't eventually fix. Ranpo has a bubble of safety in the Agency, that basically amounts to a "villain of the week" type beat from his perspective, where troubles gets fixed up pretty quickly. All in a day's work.

But then Yosano dies in Poe's book, someone he actually had some level of responsibility for when he invited her to join his safe little circle in a world that had no place for people like them. And it's a direct result of Ranpo's refusal/inability to act.

In order to fix this, Ranpo uses Yosano's glasses. The lens he's seeing through has changed. The people in the Agency were initially "his" in that they were meant to support Ranpo, the special one "chosen" by Fukuzawa's glasses, the reason for the Agency's existence in the first place. But now the people in the Agency are "his" in that they are his to protect. He's their big brother they all look up to in a way, and as the big brother, he's got to take responsibility for their safety.

Why did this not stand out in the moment? Well, we learn something about Ranpo from Untold Origins: he's very good at pretending he's doing okay and things aren't bothering him as much as they are. He's able to hold it together up until it all comes spilling out of him during the play. Also, I do think Ranpo cares about people a good deal more than he'd have you believe. A common fanon thing about Ranpo (from what I've seen) is that he tends to forget people, which, I can see how one would come to that conclusion, but I actually think it's completely wrong. I don't think Ranpo's forgotten a single person he's accused. I don't think he's forgotten a single person he's helped.

He lied about not remembering Poe, in fact, he remembered him pretty fondly as a real challenge. He remembers the information on a person from the Special Division he was asked to look into and gave the info to Mushitarou to allow him an in. He recognizes an officer he'd helped, and it's implied he recognizes every single officer who had been present while he was working on cases in the past. Does this mean he cares about all of them? ...eh. Probably not. But it does mean that Ranpo keeps a lot of his cards close to his chest. He's disarming with his intentional childishness. And so it can be difficult for the characters and readers both to notice that events like Yosano's almost-death... actually bothered him a lot more than he let on.

Because it was his fault. Because she was his responsibility. Because he's supposed to be invincible.

And unfortunately, the story from here on out does not get any kinder to Ranpo as his safe bubble that is the Agency is repeatedly targeted in ways that are increasingly hard to repair.

Fukuzawa falls ill and nearly dies in Cannibalism arc.

A girl gets blown up and Kunikida ends up in jail because Fyodor managed to manipulate Ranpo's intel.

Mushitarou is believed to have been shot and killed trying to warn Ranpo about the Decay of Angels plan.

Taneda bleeds out from a stab wound and falls into a coma. Ranpo can do nothing but listen and cannot get him help.

The amount of times Ranpo has seen people nearly die in front of him... bro it's almost as bad as Kunikida.

Much like Kunikida having extreme faith in his lofty ideals which make him fall just that much harder when he fails to uphold them, Ranpo has practically zero self-doubt and complete and utter confidence in his abilities... so when problems arise, Ranpo is very harsh on himself. He takes the blame because he's supposed to be better than that. Because he is the one with the powerful "ability" that should never fail.

In this sense, Ranpo's position in the Agency reminds me a lot of a certain person in the Port Mafia, someone who also has a powerful skill he puts towards protecting his own, someone who also received life changing words from the boss which earned him his loyalty, and someone who would do anything to defend the only place in the world he feels secure.

I think there's definitely a reason Cannibalism arc had Ranpo and Chuuya face off, I'm just saying. Both of them ostracized and thrown out as young teens by people who should've been looking out for them. Both the instigators of that arc, proactive and desperate to protect the person they are most loyal to who changed their perspectives. They've even got the same power stance, look. :P

[ID: Two panels from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. The first is a panel of Ranpo with the silhouette of Fyodor behind him. He is standing with his hands in his pockets, facing front with his head tilted back and to the left a little, a fierce expression on his face and his cloak billowing outwards. The second is a panel of Chuuya standing in a similar manner, arms crossed, facing front with a fierce expression as his coat billows out around him. End ID.]

Of course, there's more interesting comparisons and contrasts to be drawn between them, but I'm focusing on Ranpo in this analysis, so I think I've made my point. Chuuya is the Port Mafia's best martial artist. Ranpo is the Agency's strongest man. And that places a burden of responsibility on them that they both believe they must uphold. They're both ready and willing to do whatever it takes.

The thing is though, is that Ranpo doesn't actually have an ability. When up against someone like Chuuya, he is at a distinct disadvantage, and he knows it. "Regular people can't defeat ability users". But he's still going to come up with a way to do it anyways, and why?

[ID: A screencap from the Bungou Stray Dogs anime. The members of the Agency all stand around Ranpo, who is seated at his desk with a smile, one hand holding his cap, the other held up in a casual gesture. The image is filtered in a soft light. End ID.]

Because his friends think he's invincible.

If Ranpo wants to maintain his safe place in a world of fear, then he has to step up to defend it, and he has to get creative about it. And that's exactly what he does. Ranpo becomes steadily more active throughout the story, which is a huge change from the start, where he had to be practically bribed to help at all. I see a lot of people point out his channeling of Fyodor's tactics to secure Kunikida's release, which is definitely a dark turn for his character, but it's not the only change.

Ranpo is now choosing to place his faith in others, the first obvious instance of this being his use of Poe's novels - which was how he defeated Chuuya. Ranpo knows that he is not going to succeed against people who drastically overpower him all alone, even if he does still take things on as personal burdens. He's also far more obvious about his protectiveness, going on the rescue himself to save the Agency members, driving a car (whereas before he needed someone to take transit with him - another indication of his increased proactivity since he's now literally driving instead of being driven), and bodily shoving Atsushi out of harm's way.

It all culminates in one of my favourite Ranpo scenes where he speaks at the conference to the police, who've worked with him before, where he asks if they will think for themselves - and tells everyone gathered there that anyone can be a detective if they think for themselves and look with their own eyes (!!!). He manages to get half the police force on his side, just through his words and his logic alone! Minoura assumes he somehow knew it would all work out, because, well, it's Ranpo. Ranpo knows everything.

But...

[ID: An image from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo sits in the passenger seat of a car with an honest, helpless smile. End ID.]

He reveals he didn't know if his ploy would work at all. He had to trust that it would with no solid proof. He had to trust these people would use their heads and look beyond the obvious. He respects these people enough that he thinks at least some of them will make the right call.

Fourteen year old Ranpo, bitter and estranged from other people, would never. For him to have come such a long way is testament to the security that the Agency provided him with. In a way, Fukuzawa forming the Agency allowed Ranpo to "complete" his childhood in relative safety, so that when the world became hostile once again and his family destabilized, Ranpo had matured enough to meet it and defend himself and those he has a responsibility towards head on. The Agency is his family, and Ranpo cares for them enough that he puts his faith, not just in them, but in the people they put their faith in too.

[ID: A panel from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo is kneeling in front of Fukuchi, who is sitting backwards on his chair to face him. End ID.]

...aaaaand then Fukuchi went and ruined it. Thanks, Fukuchi.

Ranpo again chooses to put his trust in someone without proof because Fukuzawa trusts him, only for that to have gotten thrown back into his face in the worst way possible. And it's in this regard, the trust aspect, that I think we'll see Ranpo develop as the story goes on.

Will he continue to show this tentative faith in people? Or will he begin to hyper-analyze, unwilling to trust again without proof?

If this arc gets resolved decently well, I think Ranpo will have no issue brushing this off as a one-time thing. However, if what I fear might happen does and Fukuzawa doesn't make it out of this arc... Ranpo will be destabilized.

I don't know that Ranpo would go "bad" per se. He likes the other Agency members. He cares about them - that's genuine. But if Fukuzawa dies, then Ranpo may begin to take darker actions in order to keep them safe, almost overprotective and harshly logical, with little room for blind trust or risks in the name of justice or honour. It may put him at odds with Kunikida, in that Ranpo may start to develop a strong "do what's necessary" mentality, even if that may be immoral. He may regress a little into his old trust issues.

However, I really don't think Ranpo will go too far down the path of darkness, even if the worst should happen. He's a lot tougher than he seems, and he has a good support system in the Agency. I guess it remains to be seen where Ranpo's story takes him next.

Until then...

[ID: A screencap from the Bungo Stray Dogs anime. Ranpo sits in his chair in a cuter art style, having taken a bite from the pastry he has in his left hand. End ID.]

I love one good boy. :)

[sheyhem]

Just got a letter informing me that my good friend Jonathan is going on a business trip to Transylvania in a bit under two weeks! I'm sure he will have a wonderful time on his travels! Can't wait to hear all about it through his letters!

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

BNHA

something else to pretend by beeclaws

Bakugou apologies. Somehow, this makes things worse.

Retrograde by redrobin1989

Retrograde /ˈretrəˌɡrād/ adjective: directed or moving backwards noun: a degenerate person. verb: go back in position or time.

Seasoned pro heroes Midoriya Izuku and Bakugou Katsuki are mentally transported back to their younger bodies due to a quirk. All they have to do is wait for the quirk to wear off for everything to return to normal. But sometimes the journey is worse than the destination.

DC

dick move by konan_konan

Part 1 of batfam twitter shenanigans

dim trake ☑ @timdrakeceo・52min guys what if dick grayson IS batman. that’s why he thought he was getting cancelled. it all makes sense. 784K Views | 142 Retweets | 52 Quote Tweets | 63.9K Likes

tason jodd ☑ @jsntdd・49min ↳ replying to @timdrakeceo asshole last week you said i was batman 461K Views | 88 Retweets | 16 Quote Tweets | 18.3K Likes

or: a civilian overhears a conversation between batman and nightwing. twitter does what it always does: makes things worse

the rules of playing make believe by hoebiwan

“We can’t squat in some dead guy’s mansion, Damian,” Tim says. Damian, in the midst of packing all their meager belongings into grocery sacks, ignores him.

“Why not?” Jason demands. “It’s not like he’s using it. Finders keepers, losers weepers.”

Or: Homeless!Reverse Robins squat in Wayne Manor.

Nine Worlds

with a winged heart by celebros

"Cliopher. Cliopher. Cliopher." I blink. It's Conju, standing with his hands on my shoulders, and I go to answer him and realize that I am already speaking, babbling, and Franzel is behind him, wringing his hands and looking near tears. I try to focus on what I'm saying, but it's like a stream, light and splashing past me, too quick to hold, not enough to catch, somehow, somehow – A few weeks before the start of the viceroyship ceremonies, Kip finds himself the unwitting recipient of a truth serum.

Original Work

That Frightful Nest Inside the Throat by whereveryouroam

Part 1 of That Dreadful Clockwork Beats Below

Living horses were in vogue among the high and mighty of the great families, but Peter’s new owners had sent proud motorhorses, clicking over in a blur of cogs and wheels, to draw the carriage. It was a very nice carriage - plush and cushioned. He couldn’t help but think this was sinister. Masters didn’t transport slaves in finery. At least, not slaves like him.

Peter’s spent years under the cruelty of masters who want the Monster inside him to become their weapon. He is quite sure that Lord and Lady Arken will be no different.

Percy Jackson

Through rose-colored glasses (the past is perfect) by Mo13

Part 1 of Rose-colored glasses verse

Luke/Percy were in a non-consensual 'relationship' when Percy was twelve. Percy deals with the aftermath, while constantly convincing himself that his relationship with Luke was fine (IT WAS NOT). Mostly cooperates with canon up to the end of Heroes of Olympus.

The Goblin Emperor

A Complete Education by bomberqueen17

Preparing for the Emperor's wedding, everyone has some things they need to learn about.

Emperor's Best Friend by imaginary_golux

Ino and Mireän decide their cousin Maia needs a special present for his twentieth birthday.

a burning coal of kindness by egelantier for Morgan (duckwhatduck)

When Maia is kidnapped by a faction hoping to halt the construction of Wisdom Bridge, Beshelar, gravely injured, is by his side. It might just be their undoing.

The Stairs Beneath the Heart by hermitknut

Part 1 of Keystone

The reign of Varenechibal IV is over; the reign of Edrehasivar VII has begun. The transition, however, is anything but smooth, as the Alcethmeret household navigates grief and worry as well as adapting to the new emperor.

A series of missing scenes and unseen moments centering around the Alcethmeret household over the course of the first few months of Maia's reign.

[greenflowerceo]

pros of a rooftop date: cute and sappy moment with boyfriend

con: slipper at risk of falling off

[hundredthousandtimes]

Han Xiangjian's outfits in Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace  如懿传

asked by: anonymous

[swordinhand]

dunmeshi idea of the day:

laios as a toddler/kid being slow to talk but early to walk (and run, and wander off) while baby falin is delayed with walking but very verbal from a young age. laios carrying falin around while she does the talking for both of them. together they can do anything in their little world of the village.

and then once laios got his words and falin got her legs under her no one knew a moment of peace, lol.

[t-dick-sapphic]

For 🌾 --but anyone's invited to listen and imagine sucking me off and then getting sucked off in turn - the more the merrier ;) Read the time stamps below to know what to expect!

But 🌾, know I absolutely was imagining you, my perfect little slut, while recording this while super high. (btw the audio is not great the first few minutes but it gets better)

Also, while listening through my audio to make the time stamps below, I got really turned on and stroked my cock the whole time 😳 Autoandrophilia is real. Anyway, i'm off to go lay in bed and listen again while imagining you listening so i can finally cum 🤭

0: I kind of ramble while i touch myself in bed after having jerked off in the shower (and again standing on the bath rug lmao), talking about how i never masturbated in the shower until after my tdick grew enough to peek out from under my hood. spraying the shower head up onto it feels so fucking good now, fuck, the idea of you holding the shower head and controlling how much water hits my cock gets me so turned on

2:48 I start imagining you're touching me, stroking my tdick and fingering me exactly how i like

4:30 You kneel in front of me and start sucking my cock, following my instructions to slip your tongue from the head of my cock down to my hole while you keep fingering me so deep

6: I pull your hair so you mouth is pressed balls deep around my cock until I cum in your mouth, twice, while you lick every last drop of cum

7:35 Now it's your turn for me to suck you off 😇 I tell you i'm going to make you cum in my mouth and that you're going to love it, my perfect slut

9:20 I promise i'll make you cum soon-- you have till the last 20 seconds of the audio to cum if you want to imagine cumming into my mouth while i continue to suck and lick every last drop from the head of your cock 😘

[thelonelyshore-if]

Please, I need Croft sfw alphabet please

I need to know what has this grump secretly kicking their feet… for completely and totally innocent reasons (what? I would never use this information against them for evil…)

Here you go, Nonnie! Croft's SFW alphabet below the cut <3

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Not super affectionate, especially unprompted. They enjoy cuddling and non-sexual intimacy but rarely seek those things out on their own. They typically show affection by buying you something nice or infodumping c:

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Croft is a great friend if you're looking for someone who is a little mean and a little petty and who wants to just like. Drink wine and talk shit about strangers. But they're not really a warm and fuzzy type of friend. And if someone wanted to be their friend they'd have to be willing to put in the majority of the work on the front end–Croft would literally live in total isolation if left to their own devices.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

They do enjoy cuddling! Though they get overwhelmed when it comes to touch pretty quickly, so they can only spend so long doing it before they need their space. Their favorite ‘cuddling-adjacent’ position is sitting on the couch together with their legs in your lap c:

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

They would like to settle down, yes. They’ve never been all that interested in dating, and especially now they feel too old for it. Note–they aren’t. But they feel like they are. Croft is an excellent cook…but they’re very picky, so they really have to be prodded into making something out of their comfort zone. Their house is very cluttered, also, but it isn’t ever dirty. Just messy.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Eh, unfortunately Croft is blunt as hell. They wouldn’t soften the blow–they’d just come right out and say it. Perhaps with bullet points illustrating everything that went wrong. Maybe they’d bring a handwritten letter that really goes into the details. It wouldn’t be a pile-on, note. They’d be just as quick to speak on their own faults. Both parties would walk away feeling miserable.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

There is very little in this world Croft is less interested in than casual sex or dating. They want to settle down, yes. And they’d be willing to propose after a couple years of dating? They do want to be married quite badly, though they don’t want to do it until their parents can attend.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

As mentioned, Croft is pretty blunt. They’re more physically gentle…but that’s more hesitance than it is true softness. Emotionally they tend to keep their distance until they’re sure of a partner…and then they get quite attached. Still not the most gentle, though.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Croft doesn’t really like hugs and, as such, their hugs tend to be as fast as they can humanly make them. 

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Hmmm. I think it would be a reasonable amount of time? They wouldn’t hesitate to say it like some of the other ROs, but neither would they be quick to say it. A few months into dating, maybe?

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

They get decently jealous! They’re staunchly monogamous and also hate basically everyone, which means they can be prone to jealousy. They get icy and distant, keeping their partner at arm’s length, and then typically end up more frustrated with themself, because they can’t figure out why they’re so upset.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

It depends on where you are in the relationship. Early on Croft’s kisses are very hesitant, almost scared. Brief, fleeting, longing types of kisses. The longer you’ve been together, though, and the more sure they are of you, the deeper and more heated their kisses get. They’re not picky with where they kiss their partner, but they do love being kissed on the neck/collar bones/shoulders.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Terrible! Croft hates kids, fully believes the feeling is mutual, and does their best to stay away from them. They feel super awkward around children–they can never figure out how they’re supposed to talk to them. Do you just treat them like adults? Do you talk down to them? It’s annoying, and kids are loud and rude, and they’re better off avoiding one another.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Chances are you’ll wake up and Croft will already be out of bed; their hair up in a messy bun, a cup of coffee sitting next to them on the desk where they’re typing away at their laptop. They write, almost obsessively, and early-morning is a great time to do so. Once they’ve noticed you’re awake, though, they’d propose either going out or working together to make breakfast. And when you have your food they’d want to start talking through both of your plans for the upcoming day.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Croft often writes late into the night. Or plays Minecraft, lol. Still, they’re a bit of a night owl–despite their early mornings. They’ll probably have to be dragged into bed. Once in bed together they’ll talk your ear off, more chatty than usual. Trying to talk through where they’re stuck with their novel, or just infodump about something that’s on their mind. They enjoy curling up together and talking until one or both of you falls asleep.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Ohhhhh they’re a bit of a mixed bag. There are some things they’re very open about–even some things that they’re weirdly open about–but other things they hold close to their chest. It’ll take a long time for them to tell even a beloved partner some things…though it isn’t always logical. They’re perfectly comfortable talking about some of their traumas, for example, but will freeze up when prompted to talk in detail about their mom. It just depends.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Croft has little patience for foolishness, and they come off as almost constantly irritated. That being said, they don’t often get full-on mad. Usually they’re just frustrated or overwhelmed or annoyed. True anger is unusual.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

They remember everything about you. Except for what they forget. Which is my joking way of saying that it’s pretty touch and go with Croft. If it’s something they find interesting, or something they’re worried you’ll be upset if they forget, chances are they’ll remember forever. Other things–especially plans or little details–sometimes fall to the wayside.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

As with the other alphabets, I’ll hint at something in the future. Croft’s first date involves a trip to an antique store, and discussing some similar life traumas.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Croft is surprisingly protective for somebody who really isn’t all that physically inclined. Especially when it comes to the dangers Easthaven poses. How they would protect you is spoilers. They don’t really think of themself as somebody who needs to be protected, to be honest, but they’d be flattered if MC went up to bat for them regardless. So long as they didn’t feel like MC was treating them like a child or like they’re fragile.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Ehhhhh Croft isn’t the best with dates or anniversaries. They usually will end up dragging their partner to either a) something to do with a current interest, b) some rich-person bullshit that they grew up doing, or c) one of their three favorite restaurants. In the real world, that is. In Easthaven their date-planning prowess is even less impressive. When it comes to gifts, though? Oh, Croft is the best at gifts. They really tend to think them through, and they have the money to really go wild.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Writing or gaming basically all night long is a big one. Getting very little sleep, and then being even more grumpy than usual the next day. Drinking too much caffeine. Gossiping–which is especially funny, because they don’t care about most people, so they will quite readily talk shit to their faces. Also Croft has never really outgrown their childhood belief that money can buy anything, which makes this whole ~trapped in hell town~ thing all the more frustrating.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

I wouldn’t really describe them as concerned with their looks…but that’s mostly because they’ve spent a lot of time (and resources) becoming exactly who they want to be. They’ve got their piercings and their tattoos and those really make them feel steady in who they are. That being said, Croft doesn’t give two shits what other people think of their looks, other than maybe the person they have feelings for. They mostly care about feeling like themself.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Lol. Not really–not until you’ve been together for a long time. And even then, I don’t think Croft really thinks of their partner as part of them in that way. It would be a loss, sure, but not a loss of self. They’d still be complete…just desperately sad and lonely.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

They love the ocean deeply and miss it every day. The lake just isn't the same. As much as they hate Easthaven they can't claim it's all bad because they adopted their cat here and they love her a lot. They really love chocolate but can't stand chocolate-flavored things. Their badly dyed hair is an aesthetic choice.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Immaturity drives them up the wall. They find it remarkably unattractive. Croft takes themself quite seriously–too seriously--and somebody who is always screwing around or acting like a teenager would annoy the hell out of them. 

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

A big part of the reason they avoid sleep so much is to avoid night terrors and sleep paralysis. They suffered from them when they were a little kid, but both went away in adulthood…until they moved back to Easthaven. Also, they’re the sort of person who needs to sleep with like. 6 pillows.