#and so much feeling and heart and relatability

[briseroyawritingsblog]

𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓

𝒉𝒖𝒔𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅!𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔!𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎!𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒆!𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

• +18 minors do not interact. pregnancy sex, soft sex, fluffy, kissing, squirting, future together, established marriage relations. etc, minors do not interact.

𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 / 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕

divider by @anitalenia

“Oh Lo” you whispered touching your chest in awe. You just moved into a new home.. few days ago. Busy like two bees getting everything in order to start living your lives together you gazed at your husband who currently put together a cot for your little one. “It’s ready” he smiled softly looking at you his heart fluttering at the mere sight of you carrying your love baby in your belly rocking the flowery dress. “You look beautiful sweetie..come here..” he extended his hand to you standing up from the floor. You caressed your round belly feeling the baby kick and move within you. Lacing your fingers together you touched the cot gently before feeling his arms around you. He kissed your shoulder humming big hands caressing your bump. “our baby seems to be very happy” you tilted your head towards him meeting his lips in a soft kiss. “I feel it” he kissed you sweetly rubbing over your bump.

“Lo..” you moaned feeling his lips on your chin as he touched your full breasts gently squeezing. “So beautiful” he hummed eyes clouded in desire your cheeks receiving a tinge of pink. “You always have a way with your words Lo” he continued to pepper soft kisses against your neck your hand scratching the back of his dark mane letting out a moan. “Keep going..” closing your eyes you felt his hand delve inside of your cleavage touching your perky breasts your nipples hardening to his warm touch and your core pulsated with warmth and wetness. He tsked “So wet sweetie.. all for me?” You nodded gulping with glossy eyes and swollen lips from all that sweet kissing. “Please.. there” you kitty licked his lower lip as he parted your folds with his thick digits circling your clit. “Oh please!” You tipped your head back leaning it against his shoulder as he stood behind you growling with hunger, growing bulge pressing to your butt. “I got you, c’here..” he gently pressed you to the drawers and you grasped them with both of your hands moaning loudly as he slid his fingers inside of your pussy. Your cheeks grew hotter as you felt his mouth on your ear whispering how beautiful and how much of a good mother you were about to become. You tugged on his belt impatiently “wanna cum on your cock daddy” you whined pressing your butt against his bulge “fuck.. fuck..” Lo growled hungrily, your hearts matching rhythm going wild in your chests. When you heard his belt buckle you moaned at the emptiness in your core.

“Gentle baby..” he wrapped his arms around you hands on your bump as he pushed in your dripping wet honeypot. “Daddy needs a little lovin little one.. mommy is impatient..” you giggled breathlessly feeling him fill you out perfectly. “Daddy” you breathed melting yourself in his arms and when his hips drew back and forth into you— you felt your world explode in ecstasy. Lo opened the front of your dress so your breasts bounced out to his pace and it was loving, soft “fuck.. lookatcha..” he hugged you feeling his big swollen cock coated in your creamy slick as he thrusted in out of you squeezing your breasts your mouths melting into another passionate kiss “can’t help it.. you make me so happy mommy”. His pace grew faster, your hands grasping his strong forearms crying out in pleasure feeling the heat in your abdomen just intensify and when you reached the sun you squirted on his cock making Lo curse with lustful groans and moans against your ear “my perfect little wife.. mine forever, mine.. ugh, mine” he praised making you whimper out sob in pleasure before he gave you even faster pounding grabbing your messy pussy from the front when he stilled his hips with a moan cumming undone filling you with his load. You accepted all of it— “love you so much I’m yours” you littered his face in soft kisses touching his hair. He held you close to him humming with a soft smile “my moon..my love”

-

[rainbowolfe]

Why Aym and Baal?

They were, according to Shamura, supposed to be Narinder's replacement family/companions. Narinder never really got that memo, but like, what did Shamura expect? Relationships don't work that way. You can't just throw two strangers at someone and have them fill the void of a millennia-long relationship.

But the question of the hour is, why Aym and Baal? I don't think it's because they're cats.

It's implied Narinder had his own family (made up of cats or whatever he is) and chose the Bishops, a goofy assortment of non-mammals over those blood relations. So he's not exactly inclined towards members of his own species. So that doesn't feel like the reason why Shamura chose them. And it doesn't feel like the reason Narinder kept them.

I noticed that this photo from Jalala's journal had to have been of pre-servitude Aym and Baal, cause they're much younger. Baal's hair is shorter, they're both just wearing basic tunics instead of their signature robes, and Forneus isn't wearing her hat. So Aym's always looked a bit scuffed, and it wasn't the result of his time spent with TOWW in the Realm Beyond.

Which means Shamura saw him and went "wow that's literally Kallamar". Scar over one eye? Check. Messed up ears? Check. It would also loosely confirm that the boys were sent after they sealed Narinder, since Kallamar's ears wouldn't be scuffed before then.

It would be really funny if what Aym's looking at is Shamura, and this picture was taken 5 seconds before disaster.

Now, my first instinct was that Baal would be Narinder, and what Shamura hoped to recreate was Narinder's relationship with them and Kallamar. But that doesn't quite make sense. The new "family unit" already has a Narinder, so why would Shamura give him another?

Baal can't be filling Shamura's role for two reasons. One, as the head of the family, Shamura would be more likely to be Forneus (the role they are now placing Narinder in). If not Forneus, then the unseen father presumably taking this picture. Two, Shamura does not believe that Narinder loves them. That's. Kind of why they're doing all of this. So they wouldn't give him a replacement-Shamura either, unless they were feeling really really egotistical.

Which leaves us with two options.

And the correct one is Leshy. Leshy, whose core item is the red camellia. And whose symbol becomes a black heart when he's cleansed.

While we don't get to hear much from Baal, Heket's core traits are that she's a shit-talker and likes to eat. Leshy's core traits are that he's chaotic, but has an appreciation for/focus on the world around him. Smells, sights (when he could see), and sounds.

Baal is actually the politer of the two and, based on his recruitment dialogue ("So much color... so many creatures") he too is the worldly type. Also, Baal thanks Lamb for helping them. Leshy and Narinder are the only Bishops who thank Lamb in the end.

And, you know, if you take the order Shamura lists the family in into account, Leshy and Kallamar are the first and second sons respectively.

...

Of course, this can be taken one step further in another direction :3c I can't just leave Heket out of this.

Although Shamura only gave him Aym and Baal, theoretically what they saw was a four-person family unit that reflected their own... before Narinder entered the picture. I mentioned before that if Shamura isn't a reflection of Forneus, then they're a reflection of the unnamed father. (Who I suspect to be Paean)

Which means they saw Heket in Forneus.

Do you see the vision??

Cause this is a found family, age order doesn't necessarily matter to the familial hierarchy. Even if Shamura wasn't the eldest, they would still be the head (whether matriarch or patriarch) because their role is as the leader of the other three. Heket would be below Shamura, but above Kallamar and Leshy, because she serves as caretaker. She's even the one who takes charge upon Lamb's return, as the matriarch would do if something were to happen to the patriarch.

((Traditionally, while the father is seen as the protector and provider, his purpose is specifically to rule/lead the family. It is the mother whose sole purpose is to protect. Primarily the children, as their (often only) caretaker. But in traditional circles, it's commonly felt that the mother should sacrifice everything for the father as well.))

It would be particularly fitting because a lot of Heket's side of things revolves around sacrifice. How she's burdened by it, and seemingly how much she tried to do to find a better/different outcome. She's characterized as particularly family-inclined.

...

This would suggest that who Narinder valued the most in the family were Leshy and Kallamar. At least, it would suggest that's how Shamura saw it. But I'm liking this line of thought, so let's say their read is accurate.

Shamura saw that Narinder. Could also be Forneus. And Shamura loved Narinder the most, so...

Narinder and Heket's disdain for each other stems from them competing for the same role in their family: The matriarch. Shamura's second in command, and the boys' caretaker.

Not in a "raise them" type of way, at least not in Kallamar's case. But to guide and influence them. To be the one they trust and rely on. Heket has been that. And, intentionally or not, Narinder intrudes on that.

Narinder's the 'other woman' lmao

As a bonus:

Baal is aligned with his father (you get Tears of the Vengeful Father in exchange for him). Aym is aligned with his mother (ditto for Tears of the Merciful Mother).

If Aym = Kallamar; Baal = Leshy; Forneus = Heket; and The Father = Shamura

Then that dynamic is actually reflected in this Tarot Card. It pairs Kallamar with Heket, and Leshy with Shamura. :3

[fxirybun]

💭 PAC: your DR s/o’s messages for you

this is a shift-related pick-a-card reading. DR means “desired reality” whilst s/o means “significant other”.

this is a collective reading ! take what resonates and leave what doesn't. i cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. take the pac reading lightly ჱ̒ ｰ̀֊ｰ́ )

ෆ⸒⸒ cat 🐈

thank you for being my source of light during my lowest point. you inspire me to think things positively and to motivate myself to improve on certain aspects of my life. your words of reassurance comforted me when I was doubting myself and my abilities of striving forward.

i see you as my mentor , the one who teaches me the art of appreciating oneself. you make me want to be a better person for you , sweetie , and I mean it. i don’t want to succumb myself in the dark any longer, and it was all thanks to you. thank you at the bottom of my heart for accepting me for who i am , even though you have seen my vulnerable side.

i may not be the perfect person that you wanted me to be , but I would like to ask you if you could give me a chance. a time for me to adjust myself and to reflect upon the flaws i have. life has been cruel to me ever since , and it was all because of the karma that I need to face from my past. but all this enduring misery led me to you and that our paths are meant to be crossed.

ෆ⸒⸒ coffee ☕

i came here to write down my thoughts about our connection. i've encountered numerous people in my life , who want to have a piece of myself and taste it for their pleasure. however , i can feel my heart wandering as if it were in constant search of something , of someone. who knew that this stained heart of mine was craving for you ? as i laid my eyes on you , i can feel the everlasting warmth that is emitted from you.

my sweetest devotion , your beauty outshines the rest , and better yet , i instinctively can see myself transforming into a moth , trying to come closer to the luminous star that can be only seen during the evening. i love how nurturing you are and that your intentions are pure , similar to how a mother fosters her children.

i would be lying if i told you that I’m not enthusiastic about our meeting. as a matter of fact , i'm getting impatient and am very much eager to encounter you sooner. i've been reckless about my actions in life by making poor choices and dating multiple people who would bring me more harm than good. please forgive me , my love , for being clueless that you were the one who could fill my heart’s desire.

ෆ⸒⸒ earphones 🎧

i've been meaning to write down my thoughts , though I’m not sure words can capture how much i miss you. i've met countless people , crossed paths with those who’ve sought my attention , but none have stirred my heart the way you do. lately , it feels as though my heart is wandering , always searching for something that’s missing—and that something is you. without you near , it’s as if a piece of me is lost , drifting in the void.

i think back to the moments when i was by your side , and the warmth you bring feels like a distant memory i can’t let go of. your presence has an undeniable gravity , pulling me in like the moon draws the tide. even in the quietest of nights , i find myself longing for the sound of your voice , the comfort of your touch. my world feels dimmer without you here , as if the light only returns when you’re close.

i never thought that i'd feel so incomplete in someone’s absence , but the truth is , i'm counting down the moments until we can be together again. every day that passes without you feels like a lifetime. please do know that you are never far from my thoughts , and i'm longing for the day when this distance between us is finally closed.

[miukki960]

I'm gonna make this post before I go in the tag and see ANY God or Diew slander, because for me the conflict this episode not only made sense, but was necessary for their relationship to move forward.

The seed was planted long ago when God first found the picture of Diew and Dr. Asshole, and at first God handled it rationally (as expected of our Green Flag King). But the longer the situation went unresolved, the more doubt and insecurity began to creep in until it all came to a head in this episode, because all God needed was honesty and openness from Diew, but Diew has learned from past conditioning to lock those parts of himself away and only show a surface level of his personality and self.

I found that God's argument with Diew, while definitely escalated by emotion and insecurity, was justified at its core. We've learned throughout this story that God's main love language is Quality Time, and that most often is fulfilled by God genuinely enjoying doing anything and everything with the people he loves, so long as they are having a good time. But his conversation with Dr. Asshole put the idea in his mind that Diew has simply been going with the flow and doing whatever God suggested in order to make him feel good, that he hasn't actually enjoyed their time together. And while we as an audience know that's false, the idea is one of God's worst fears and most devastating nightmares.

But he loves Diew and doesn't want to believe it's true, so he gives him multiple chances to prove him wrong. And when Diew continues to reply with lies and deflection, it unfortunately proves him right. Because while the context is a bit off and there is definitely a misunderstanding at play, at the end of the day Diew isn't being honest and isn't trusting God enough to open up and show him the deeper, more emotional parts of himself. So God comes to the only conclusion he can see, that even if Diew is no longer in love with Dr. Asshole, their love was deeper and more meaningful than what he has with God now.

But don't get me wrong! Even though Diew was choosing the wrong dialog options during his argument with God, he was also justified in choosing to keep his secrets and emotions hidden. What God doesn't know is that Diew HAS opened up before, bared his heart and soul to someone he thought he loved and trusted, and what was he rewarded with? Disinterest, deflection, shame. As someone with major anxieties related to human interaction, you only have to burn him once to teach him to never play with fire again. And Dr. Asshole burned him deeply on multiple occasions.

No amount of kindness and sweetness and love from God was gonna convince him to play with fire again. In fact, it was reaffirming. Much like what we have been seeing with Wan towards Beer, I'm sure Diew sees how good and wonderful God is and is absolutely terrified to fuck it up. But just like Wan, his defense became his biggest downfall.

At the end of the day, rather than focusing on what happened, we should instead focus on why it happened and how the characters are going to grow from it. And we can see that how through the characters actions during the last few minutes of the episode. We see Diew, who's defense is to isolate, actively reaching out to God multiple times in multiple ways, ready to explain and open up and heal. And we see God going through the more nasty, volatile parts of his emotions alone, so he doesn't hurt Diew while he's in the wrong headspace, but also doesn't bottle the bad things to explode later.

I think what gets me the most is that in their very last conversation before the end of the episode, Diew was asking for togetherness and God was asking for space, and they were both upset on many levels, but they were still speaking to each other with love in their tone and words.

[kykyonthemoon]

Hello, i've read your work recently and i'm in love with your writing! If you mind can i ask where the reader somehow remember their past life and saying sorry to the love and deepspace character? I wonder about their reaction where mc feels really guilty at them. Thank you <3

Dear lonely-dreamer,

Thank you so much for the request. It took awhile but I finally managed to finish it. Since we know too little about Sylus (or even Caleb), I wrote for only the 3 first MLs. I might write something else for Sylus and Caleb later :3

Hope you like this piece. Have a wonderful day!

Lost. Found.

When you suddenly find the memories of the past lives, which you once lived with him.

── .✦ Character x Female Reader|MC

Included parts in order: Rafayel, Xavier, Zayne.

♡︎. Tags: angst, hurt/comfort, short, myths related.

♡︎. Word count: 2k1

── .✦ Masterlist ♡ Request a fic - currently closed.

Roam on, my love

down life's

long road

we will

be lost

and found

a thousand times

before

we meet again.

— ATTICUS.

Rafayel

Talia came to find Rafayel in the middle of the night, while you were still half asleep, feeling his warmth slowly fade from the space next to you in bed. You sensed a major event had happened, which was why Talia hurried here alone at such a dark hour, looking so terrified. 

You had intended to go downstairs and make some tea for the guest. But as soon as you reached the stairs, Talia's voice echoed through the half-open door. 

"He will not be the last Lemurian to be slain... You know that, don't you, Rafayel? That we don't have any time left..."

Your bare feet paused. The cold air from the stone stairway touched your palm, waking you up. Yes, you were no longer dreaming. This was real. As real as everything you had seen since touching that protocore. During a mission last month, you happened to resonate with a strange protocore. It caused you to perceive illusions, but not quite so. They were like recollections from your past lives, fragmented and sewn together in front of your eyes.  The feud between you and Rafayel from a long, long time ago.

So you were aware that your tale and what Talia had said were related. Rafayel’s silence made her even more impatient. She added:

“They want her, Rafayel. They will come for you. I can’t convince them anymore… They will find her sooner or later. You already know the price…”

Time passed slowly in the dark corridor. You understood everything Talia had said, that the girl was you. What the Lemurians desired was inside your chest. You remembered, not everything, but vivid dreams told you what you had done to the Lemurians, to Rafayel.

But it wasn’t you. It was a completely unfamiliar version of you. 

A moment after Talia left, you entered the room. The warm firelight from the enormous fireplace filled the room and illuminated Rafayel's slumped back. When he heard your footsteps, he turned around with a feeble smile and asked: 

“Why are you out here, my princess? Did I and our unexpected guest awaken you?” 

You gazed at him for a brief moment. After all, you understood that every time he called you princess, it was not just a loving pet name.

You moved closer and hugged Rafayel. You had not told him about your dreams or what you had recalled. That night, you were determined to tell him everything.

Rafayel was astonished. The warm firelight in his eyes blurred, and pure white pearls began to tumble to the floor.

“I’m sorry… Rafayel… I’m so sorry…”

Rafayel seized your hands, drew them closer, and kissed them with his lips.

"To be loved, it's not a sin."

His fingers tenderly wiped the tears from your face. He had waited so long for you to discover who you really were, and at the same time he hoped you would never know. That way you could live your days freely, not bound by the hatred of the past. Yet you still remembered everything.

Your breathing became heavy with each sob. You said: 

“Rafayel… If you want my heart…”

"I want it to stay there," Rafayel said. "Within your chest. It's yours. Across the past, present, and future. I have never once regretted giving it to you. If you remember, you know I always try to rewrite our story, right?”

“But the Lemurians…”

“They are losing faith in me. I understand. But all I need is your faith. We will get through this and never be apart again. Do you understand?”

You did not dare to believe that there might truly be a happy ending for you and Rafayel. But in that moment, as you gazed into his resolute eyes, you realized that you would do everything just to stay with him.

Xavier 

Lately, you had a hunch that Xavier was going to leave. 

Ever since you returned from that mission, there appeared to be an unseen divide between you two. You knew it was not him, it was you. The mysterious protocore you accidentally came into contact with during the mission caused you to see things. The dreams were fractured, with no beginning or end. However, you comprehended them as if they were recollections from your former lives.

You kept it hidden from Xavier. He merely thought you were acting odd since you returned, but he would not compel you to say anything against your will. You secretly searched for evidence to back up what you suspected. And you found it.

You knew about the Backtracker fleet. You knew about Philos. And you knew about Lumiere.

Xavier kept everything hidden for your safety. And yet, you kept this a secret because you did not wish for him to suffer. Again.

You still did not know what to say to him, or how to compensate for his loss. He had sacrificed so much, for you. But somewhere inside, you still felt a little resentful that he had left you all alone. You knew he was ready to make the same decision as when he abandoned you at Philos.

“Go to bed early.” Xavier stroked your head gently. “In a few days, when you wake up, I’ll be by your side.”

Lie.

“Do you really have to go?” You hesitated. “I mean… You could have refused this mission.”

You could have stayed. You could have told me the truth.

"I have to go." Xavier responded. He gently squeezed your cheek. "But I'll be back shortly. Do not worry too much. Remember to eat well and skip any meals. Don't stay awake too late. It's getting colder; remember to stay warm. If you are bored and miss me, you may play the video games I recently purchased or watch the unfinished movies..."

It sounds like you're not coming back! You held back the tears and replied:

“If you don’t come back soon, I might have to watch them all by myself.”

“Then I’ll have to ask you to tell me the plots.” Xavier smiled. He lightly kissed your forehead. “I’ll leave now.”

You sat on the sofa, listening to his footsteps as they slowly walked away. A slight "click" was heard as the door closed.

His mission was only an excuse. A few days back, you overheard him and Jeremiah talking. He intended to use this expedition to stage a phony "missing case" to distract those who had betrayed him. With Jeremiah, he would lead them away from Linkon, away from you.

He chose to leave you. Again.

Warm tears streamed down your cheeks.  All alone, what should you do? You recalled the scene in the past, in which you sat on the throne with the blessings of so many people, yet absolutely on your own. You had counted every star waiting for the day Xavier would return to you as promised. But he had completely disappeared.

This time, he pledged to return to you. This time, he would also break his promise.

You brushed the tears away. You had been thinking a lot in the last several days. You still blamed Xavier, but you understood why he had done so. And you had distanced yourself from him since you were unsure how to confront him. But, at this point, none of that mattered when you might lose Xavier again. Forever.

You raced out of the home. You did not care about the past. You had no concern what the future held. The most important thing to you right that moment was Xavier alone.

Unable to wait for the elevator, you decided to run. You caught Xavier standing outside, likely waiting for Jeremiah. You hurried over to embrace his back. To Xavier's amazement and your weeping, you stated:

“Don’t go… Xavier… Don’t leave me alone again… I’m sorry that I assumed you left me to find your true star… I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, that ever since I touched that protocore, I started remembering what happened in Philos… I know who you are. Who I am… So don’t think you can fool me again… This time, I’ll go wherever you go. Let me face it with you, okay?…”

Xavier did not have time to respond. You could feel his entire body shudder as a burning tear fell onto your hand, which he had just squeezed so tightly.

Zayne 

"Doctor Zayne is out of danger. You can come in." Greyson's voice sounded out. Yvonne stood alongside him, relieved. You nodded at each of them and entered the hospital ward.

How strange, since in all the previous cases, it was Zayne standing here, and you were the one lying on the bed.

There was an attack on the outskirts of Linkon. You were sent to investigate, and Zayne had accompanied his team from Akso Hospital to treat the injured. While fighting the Wanderers, you encountered a peculiar protocore. It had drawn you into a bizarre realm where you appeared to glimpse the lives you had once lived, with Zayne.

You were not sure how long you had been there. It was like a dream, with no sense of time or who you were. You were lost down there, so deep that Zayne had given up everything to find you. The real Zayne, yours, in this timeline. 

The price of bringing you back was him lying there, fighting for every breath, body covered in wounds and almost completely frozen. 

The price of bringing you back was him laying there, battling for every breath, his body covered in wounds and almost frozen. 

You lightly stroke his frigid hand. Zayne did not respond but his heartbeat remained steady. He would live. That was what Greyson told you, and it was all you held on to that moment. 

Hope.

You stayed by his bedside all night, breathing life and all of your love into Zayne’s hands. When the first rays of the morning light woke you and the warmth returned to him, his eyes fluttered and gradually opened. You squeezed his hand.

“Zayne… Zayne… You're here!…” You cried out. You called for him and not completely him, but the Zayne of all the lives you had found.

Tears began to trickle down your pale cheeks. Zayne carefully wiped them away.

“Why are you crying?… I… did not go anywhere…”

You grabbed his hand and pressed your face against it. You kissed his hand aggressively, as if you were scared he would disappear again. 

“I don’t believe you anymore… You lied… You always said that I would live a happy life in the end… But then, you vanished without a trace… Did you think you could fool me again this time?” 

Zayne’s pupils widened. In an instant, his reaction shifted from astonishment to joy, then despair.

“I…”

"You know, right?" You dried your tears, halting whatever he was about to say. “You know that we don’t have just this one life. Right? You know that you disappeared in front of me in the jasmine field… You left me seeking for you among mountains and hills… This time, you really intended to leave me again… Do you believe that I could really live happily in a world without you?” You let out all your pent-up emotions through each word, each tear. Zayne stared at you with a mix of anguish and joy. You were aware of the same thing he was.

"I'm sorry…" Zayne spoke softly. His fingers cradled your chin and softly elevated your face. 

“Why should you apologize?… After all… The one who is most at fault is me… Because of meeting me, Zayne…” 

You trailed off. Choking. Your entire body trembled as emotions came to the surface. Zayne struggled to sit up, then drew you into his arms and embraced you hard. 

“Because of meeting you, I learned what it means to love someone. Because of meeting you, my world is no longer lost in ice and snow… I chose you. It will always be you…”

You let out another sob. You clutched to Zayne. “I’m sorry… I’m really… I’m sorry…” 

Zayne's weight was resting on your head as he kissed your hair. He rubbed your back to soothe you, like he always did. 

“It's alright now… It’s alright… When I came to find you and get you out of the protofield, I thought I wouldn’t have the strength to go back anymore… Yet I heard you calling my name all night long… You helped me find my way back. You found me. You saved me… This time, I have no intention of letting you go ever again.”

[thepersonperson]

Thoughts on JJK's ending and my Dream/Delusion Theory being wrong.

Original Theory

Follow-Up on Characters Feeling OOC

(Written using TCBscans. Click images for captions/citaitons.)

Preface

I want to say that this ending could’ve worked if it were given more time. The majority of my complaints are the rushing which I mostly blame exploitation at the hands of the manga industry and predatory contracts.

Here are my original thoughts on JJK 268 when it released and JJK 269 when it released. I've basically reverted to those opinions.

Examining JJK 268–271 as Presented

When the last chapter of Umineko came out, its author Ryukishi07 very much spat in the faces of fans. He mocked them mercilessly and it was glorious. Every single criticism he lobbed at them was warranted because he targeted the fans that refused to see the love he put into his work or engage with the story on its terms.

“Without love, it cannot be seen.”

Ryukishi gave you all the tools to solve the mystery. He told you exactly how to do it. And yet some weren’t satisfied. They wanted everything neatly handed to them in a bow. Ryukishi denied them that simple ending in favor of sticking to his vision and rewarding the fans that accepted Umineko for what it was.

I have my own issues with the ending, but none of my complaints are related to that. I can also say with confidence what happens is completely in character, it’s just not something I personally vibe with.

When I read JJK 268–271 I feel that same creator frustration. I see Gege’s fatigue with fans who care only about the surface level presentation and nothing else. There’s been so much fun setups and follow throughs. So many subtle characterizations and symbolism that goes unnoticed by those who are unwilling to see the love Gege puts into his craft.

“JJK fans can’t read.” This is a fandom joke that is very true. A massive part of the fanbase ignores subtlety and gets upset or confused by Gege following through on it. The entire Sukuna battle was like that. You could pick out all the reasoning behind their actions if you paid close attention.

But then we get JJK 269 where Gege does something he's never done before—over-explain everything bluntly in a way that adds more plot holes and hinders character development. It feels like Gege is going “You don’t understand what I put down? Ok fine! Here are the answers!” It feels like getting to tell those fans off was more important than everything else.

Instead of doing a Ryukishi where he tears into uncharitable critics and rewards those who gave him a chance, Gege just abandons it all and makes an ending that won’t fully satisfy anyone. 

With my theory, I decided to look past everything I hated. I decided to trust that if a mistake was made, Gege would call it out like usual. I decided to trust that the inconsistent locations were intentional because Gege has not once ever flubbed them. I decided to trust the clever set up and follow through that’s always been there, even when Gege’s health problems were at their worst.

I decided to look at Gege’s work with love and my heart was trampled for it. My post now serves as glaring proof the ending is botched and nothing makes sense. All the plotholes I found solutions for are bigger than ever. JJK 269 in its entirety is utterly pointless narratively. It could’ve been spent on political fallout, grief, or villain backstories, but instead it reads like a defensive Reddit post.

JJK 271 isn't Satisfying

JJK 271 made everything about JJK 269 worse and then added some more nonsense. Sukuna’s last appearance really sucked for me. I found his entire interaction with Mahito to be grossly OOC.

Mahito is a character who finds humans disgusting and doesn’t care about their opinions or what they do. They also don’t like Sukuna. When Jogo believes that the age of curses needs Sukuna to work, Mahito says they can surpass him. The very idea that Mahito would be upset by Sukuna becoming more human goes against their entire established character.

And more continuity errors!

This conversation is actually their 4th. Here are the other 3:

Sukuna warning Mahito not to touch him.

Sukuna punishing Mahito for touching him.

And Mahito telling Sukuna to shut up and watch him be even better.

Their relationship was antagonistic and Mahito desired a world without Sukuna. Why would Sukuna be with them in the afterlife?

And if Sukuna was going to change his mind it should’ve been with someone he cared about. Jogo and Gojo would’ve been great candidates. Or you know…it could’ve been Uraume themself. In the way Yuji voiced his feelings to Megumi and reached out to him, Sukuna could’ve done the same with Uraume. It could’ve been a thing that expanded more on their relationship and how it came to be. But Uraume doesn’t even get to voice how they feel about anything.

What we get is Sukuna talking to someone he doesn’t like about his emotional issues he has been suppressing and then deciding to live for a person whose history we know nothing of.

I knew him being an unwanted child screwed him up. But that kind of stuff takes a long, long time to unpack. And Sukuna, up until this point has given no indication he was ready to acknowledge his trauma, just like Gojo. Even in the end Gojo can’t admit to Toji and Geto traumatizing him. Sukuna knowing his heart and being so casually open about it just flies in the face of the subtle characterization that existed up until that point. (I wanted Hidden Inventory Arc type reveal you know! But tell not show is prevailing seemingly out of spite.)

He dies stubborn and hateful towards Yuji. He lies to him about feeling nothing and not liking flowers. For him to turn around in death and go I was wrong the entire time no problem to someone he has an antagonistic relationship with is extremely OOC because it wasn't earned. 

And since when did Sukuna fear his own curse? When was that ever hinted? All that was suggested was Sukuna having a rough childhood and being exploited by others until he had enough.

Even for all the characters that survived, this isn’t a satisfying ending. Their coping with trauma is unrealistic and contradicts earlier characterization. Their relationships are not explored further. All their arcs or goals are neglected, save Yuji. Nobara didn’t even get to meet up with her childhood friends like she always wanted to. Just the mom letter.

It’s also jarring to see that a series that began with mourning, a series that made itself different by having children deal realistically with traumatic things, end where that heart no longer exists. We have so many characters who are explicitly motivated by their trauma. And we get to see them cope with it in their unique ways and still choose to chase joy through the hurt. 

And these final 4 chapters? It’s gone. Yuta being so distressed over everyone treating Gojo like an object and not acknowledging his personhood? Gone. Megumi, Yuji, and Nobara sucking at dealing with death? Gone. They all act like none of it really mattered and won’t affect them for the rest of their lives. Those who were lost are forgotten quickly and their efforts are not remembered. (At this point, everyone ignoring Choso hurts worse than Gojo tbh.)

The Totally Not Kenjaku surviving decapitation and brain eating makes no sense if that's real. And the implications from that are horrible. All Gojo wanted to do was mourn Geto’s body. All we wanted was to see someone mourn him or acknowledge his efforts. I was hoping they’d be buried together. The idea that Geto’s body is possibly being used by a the master manipulating rapist while everyone is ok with that sickens me. (Does any remember Choso?! But hey, let’s kill all the incarnated culling game players who were victims of manipulation or outright helpful to the protagonists’ victory!)

It’s also why Mei Mei surviving and going unpunished or criticized for her treatment of Ui Ui sucks to see. And I guess while we’re at it. Kusakabe really did tell a 15 year old to his face he should’ve died. (And he was wrong about that like the higher ups. Yuji and Sukuna were a backup plan and the fingers were getting stronger all on their own. Gojo was the only adult who took productive action against it.)

The revolution really did die with Gojo. His dreams were good and noble. Resetting the Jujutsu Society and its exploitation was needed. But he gives up on them and asks to be forgotten. It's done in a way that feels like Gege is addressing his fans directly and telling them to get over him too.

I knew Gojo was suicidal, don’t get me wrong, but he was characterized as someone who had a hard time understanding that others did care about him. I was hoping for the revelation his intuition was wrong via a funeral or mourning. That didn't happen and it breaks my heart. 

Yuta tried to empathize with him. We see it with the Yujo plot that goes nowhere except to disrespect Gojo’s body one last time. We don't even get to know if he was cremated or buried or how Yuta felt about that experience. It is extremely hard to see this all as anything but Gege expressing resentment for Gojo’s popularity.

And I’ll give Gege credit for that. The only theme that stayed consistent was Gojo being seen as an object to be exploited by everyone, except Sukuna. (I’m not even sure if I can include Yuji and Yuta in the cares deeply for Gojo anymore. It’s so OOC for them to be like this that I want to ignore it.)

The balance of the world changed when Gojo was born. We had several chapters dedicated to how this impacted various people's lives from Toji to random curse users. His death should be just as impactful.

But you know. Kenjaku was proven right. The cycle of curses will continue on because the systemic problems were never dealt with. 

The conditions that allowed for Yuji and Sukuna to be created still exist.

Reflection

I understand why people like myself want to reject this ending. It doesn’t feel like Gege put love into it. All the fun little quirks this series had are flattened and discarded in what feels like spite. Not even the final battle has the fun energy that was present just 4 chapters ago. 

I’ve decided that I’ll accept these last 4 chapters for what they are, but reject everything they stand for. They’re more interesting to discuss and pick apart than actually read…which ironically is how I feel about Umineko’s final chapter.

And speaking of Umineko… My favorite thing about the reaction to my Dream/Delusion Theory was this—the people who said, if they can’t handle what’s in the catbox, this is their canon. 

The fans who love the series and want to weave their own tales based on this in a way that helps others cope, please tag me in your creations. (Especially you @rosemaryreality!) It’s all incredibly Umineko and I’m forever grateful I got to experience the Rokkenjima Incident in real time.

Very important to Umineko’s themes, there was a common sentiment type across those that were dismissive of my theory vs those who were receptive to it—their perception of the mangaka, Gege.

To those that believed Gege was a bad writer, the idea that he could be clever and put love into this series was impossible to them, and therefore my theory was impossible. To those that had faith in Gege as a writer, my theory was solid, even if it needed a little tweaking.

I had the most fun with those who cited manga at me to make corrections like @runabout-river. Or those who wanted clarification on the holes I missed.

The ones that were entirely dismissive? It was boring. Their arguments mostly amounted to “Gege bad”. (I won't post screenshots here because I don't want them harassed, but they are there if you want to verify them.) Not a single person offered me an interpretation where the events were literal and took place in reality using manga panel citations in a way that tied it all into JJK’s themes and characters.

That disappointed me immensely. I wanted someone to prove to me my reasoning was wrong with a similar methodology. Instead they drew rebuttals stemming from their perceived flaws or outright dislike of Gege.

This is quite literally what happens in Umineko. It’s a murder mystery that can only be solved if you consider love. Both the love within the characters themselves and the love the author has put into his creation.

Is it magic or is it a simple trick? Is it a delusion or is it reality? Depending on how you answer and solve the mystery, your interpretation of the story itself changes too. 

I wound up being wrong of course, and Gege really did screw up everything in the end. But while that delusion was real? I had a blast.

I’ll be forever grateful to everyone that proved Ryukishi right about Umineko’s core theme.

[n1ght0f-nyx]

I absolutely NEED #7 with pert'ah

Like reader realizes they love him, and he loves her. Like maybe it's been a year since she was sold and she wants the anniversary to have happy memories? Obviously do whatever you want i love your writing 🥰🥰🥰

woven bonds pt 7!

pert'ah x fem reader

thank you for the request because i was completely clueless with what i was going to write for this

tags/warnings- arranged marriage, human female x male orc, gentle giant, you finally confess your feelings to big man

also, feel free to request non-woven bonds-related things that involve pert'ah or my other ocs (see my masterlist) i love writing for all these characters and seeing the mass of support I've gotten over the last month!

The sunlight was warm against your skin as you sat by the window, looking out at the familiar sight of the orc encampment. You traced the edge of the wooden sill absentmindedly, your fingers brushing against the rough grain as your thoughts drifted. It had been a year now—an entire year since you had been sold to Pert'ah, given away like property in exchange for peace.

A deep breath escaped your lips. So much had changed in that time. You had been angry, bitter, scared at first, and who could blame you? Being taken from your home, your family, and everything you knew only to be married off to an orc craftsman—it wasn’t something you could easily accept.

But over the months, something had shifted. Slowly, and perhaps without you fully realizing it at first, your feelings toward Pert'ah had softened. He was kind, even when he didn’t have to be. Gentle, despite his massive size and tusks that had once terrified you. He always tried to make things easier for you, in his own quiet way.

Today, the one-year anniversary of your marriage, brought back a flood of memories. Not just the pain and fear from that day, but also the small, tender moments that had happened since. Moments like when he’d bring you small gifts, things he made with his own hands—jewelry, pottery, even tiny, intricate carvings. He never pushed you, never asked for anything in return, though you sometimes saw the flicker of hurt in his eyes when you remained distant.

You sighed, resting your forehead against the cool windowpane. Maybe it was time to stop being distant.

The door creaked open behind you, and you turned to see Pert'ah stepping inside. He paused when he saw you, his gaze flickering with the faint hint of surprise before settling into his usual calm expression. He carried something in his hands, though you couldn’t quite see what it was yet.

“You… here,” he said, his voice as gentle as ever. “Good.”

You gave him a small smile, a gesture that had become more natural over time. “Yeah, I’m here.”

Pert'ah’s steps were slow and careful as he approached, and when he finally came closer, you could see the item in his hands. It was another of his handmade gifts—a necklace this time, with a pendant shaped like a small leaf, carved with meticulous detail. The metal had a soft shine to it, catching the light from the window.

“I make this,” he said, holding the necklace out to you. His thick fingers were surprisingly delicate as he offered it. “For you. One year today… yes?”

You swallowed, a lump forming in your throat as you took the necklace from him. It was beautiful, and like everything else he made, it was created with care and thought.

“One year,” you echoed softly, your fingers brushing over the pendant.

For a moment, the room was quiet, the weight of the unspoken tension settling between you. Pert'ah shifted slightly, his gaze dropping to the floor.

“I know… hard for you,” he said, his voice halting, almost as if he were choosing each word with great care. “This life… not what you want. But… I want to make you happy. Try, even if… not always right.”

Your heart clenched at his words. He wasn’t wrong. You had been stubborn, holding on to the past, even when he had shown nothing but patience. But now, looking at him, standing there with the necklace in his hands and the sincerity in his eyes, something inside you broke. You couldn’t deny the truth anymore, not to yourself.

You loved him. You had fallen in love with Pert'ah—slowly, unexpectedly, and despite everything. He was your husband, not by choice, but he had become so much more than that. He had become your partner, someone who truly cared for you, even when you weren’t sure if you could care for him.

You stepped closer, taking the necklace and placing it gently on the table. Pert'ah looked at you, his brows knitting together in confusion, but you didn’t speak. Instead, you reached up and placed your hands on his broad chest, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath your fingers.

“Pert'ah,” you whispered, your voice trembling slightly. “I know it’s been hard for me. But… I want you to know… I appreciate everything you’ve done. You’ve always tried to make me happy, and I—I see that now. I see you.”

His eyes widened slightly, the confusion slowly giving way to something softer. He stayed silent, watching you with an intensity that made your heart race.

You swallowed hard, gathering the courage to say the words that had been building inside you for so long. “I love you, Pert'ah.”

The silence that followed felt like it stretched on forever, but then, slowly, his expression changed. His large hand came up, gently resting on the side of your face, his thumb brushing your cheek in the most tender way. It was a simple touch, but it carried so much weight.

“I… love you too,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “From… long time. But I wait. Didn’t want… to push.”

Tears stung your eyes as you leaned into his touch. “You never pushed. You’ve only ever given me time.”

Pert'ah let out a low, relieved breath, his hand moving to the back of your head, fingers threading gently through your hair. “I want you to be happy here. Even if… you want to go, I… I let you.”

His words hit you harder than you expected. The idea that he would let you go, even after everything, out of love, broke something inside you. But you didn’t want to go. Not anymore.

“I don’t want to go,” you whispered, your voice trembling. “I want to stay here. With you.”

He gazed at you, his eyes searching yours for any sign of hesitation. When he found none, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips—a rare, genuine smile that you had only seen a few times before.

“Then you stay,” he said softly, his forehead pressing gently against yours. “You stay with me.”

You closed your eyes, breathing in the warmth and comfort of his presence, letting the moment settle between you. This was what you wanted—what you had come to realize over the past year. Not just peace, but happiness. And it was with him.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, you stayed there in his arms, the quiet promise of a future together settling over you both. It wasn’t a perfect beginning, but it was real. And for the first time, you were ready to embrace it.

[sxftkxssxs]

If you are free and in the mood, can you write about the M6 or just Asra, lucio, and Nadia reaction to MC donating third of what they make from working in their magic shop, like they donate it to charities or families that need money.

I can never resist adding the slightest bit of hurt to Asra's part (he makes me violently ill.)

I don't really know how I ended up having all of them giving to charities themselves but they all definitely would at one point or another.

M6 with a MC who donates to charity

Asra

He'll offer more ideas on how to donate or give to the charity of MC's choosing. He'll try to slip some goofy things in if they're donating to kids, he wants them to have fun!

They definitely kept this tradition up if MC started it before the Plague, since it was something important to them. Though, he'll always be a little teary eyed while he does it.

Once MC is able to walk and talk on their own, they'll ask them to pick charities every so often to give to. If they pick one they used to give to a lot he gets a sad look on his face they can't understand.

When they go on their trips they make sure to bring enough supplies back to donate a good amount and still have some for themselves.

Asra likes to donate to charities that focus on kids. Especially ones that include orphans.

Julian

He'll mostly tease at first.

Even though he's teasing, he gets a warm feeling in his chest seeing you be so kind to all these people.

Julian gets somber when he sees families struggling to stay together. It reminds him of having to leave Portia.

He'll absolutely want to be part of it but uh, MC, what do you expect this man to give?? He's been on the run for years!!

He likes to donate to medical related charities, but still varies often. His second most donated to is family charities.

Nadia

She loves that MC cares so much for her (and possibly, eventually, their) people so much.

She knows that the time she was asleep and with Lucio, she neglected her people. Even if she never meant or wanted to, it happened.

It warms her heart that they still cared enough to help others less fortunate.

She'd love to join! Just, tell her not to overwhelm these people. Please.

Muriel

He's honestly not thought about charities for...a long time.

Before him and MC get close he'll be on edge about it. He doesn't trust apperances.

Once he gets closer and realizes MC just wants to do it to be a good/nice person, he relaxes.

We've seen this man be so kind when he's finally allowing himself to be his own person. Apply here!

He likes to make things for charities. Blankets, Furs, etc.

Muriel would likely want to donate to charities that focus on family or orphaned children.

Portia

she is ecstatic!!

This woman has donated since she got herself into a good stable position and you cannot tell me otherwise.

She's been donating to charities that revolve around keeping families together or children. She understands the pain of losing family more than they realize.

She would want MC to donate to wherever they wanted, give as many people a chance as you can!

Pre-Upright Lucio

He's genuinely confused

They'd rather give that money away?? They could've spent that on something extravagant for him themselves!

The whole idea confuses him immensely.

Once MC starts dragging him through the magic realms and lovingly forcing him to face his own consequences, he'll start to grasp the concept much more.

Post-Upright Lucio

This is a new and improved man right here!

He'll even participate with you! if you help him decide on what all to give? He's still lost on what is best there

Surprisingly, he's the one to suggest donating to families or children.

He still holds so much guilt over his actions. He knows that he's gonna live with that the rest of his life, but at least he can do something good with his second chance, right?

[lightlycareless]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNL3PDf8/

I saw this and it made me think of Naoya. I’m not sure which kid this would be but this feels so much like Naoya in how sassy and done the dad seems about the situation. He also does seem like the type to climb into the backseat on the road to see what his daughter is saying XD idk I love seeing videos of dads with their kids and imagining it with Naoya

Awww, I love this so much!!

I already envisioned Naomi as a chirpy baby, always talking to her mama or papa, so this was just perfect!!!

warnings: fluff. Naoya and you are parents to an adorable baby girl named Naomi❤️ Also this is not exactly the same as what happened in the video, it actually inspired me to write something somewhat different, still related, but not identical... if that's ok 🥺 I still hope you enjoy it though!!

Happy reading!

To me this sounds like it would happen a road trip, or anywhere where the two have to drive to their destination and grow quite unsure if Naomi will be able to handle such a thing.

But of course, she does! Kind of, Naomi is always one to entertain herself thanks to her wit and curiosity, either creating complex storylines involving her plushies, or sharing whatever crossed her mind with her parents—regardless of if they were fluent in babbling or not.

“—jump! Kitty jump!”

“Is that so, dumpling?” Naoya smiles, always enjoying listening to the voice of her adorable daughter. “And what else did she do?”

“Fly—no, sleep! Kitty tired…”

It was always endearing to see how the two interacted, like they had an unbreakable father-daughter bond you could only dream of having! Still, you weren’t jealous—no, of course not. If anything, you were simply happy they got along perfectly, God knows how guilty Naoya felt for his prolonged absences, so to see them so close… it made your heart soar with happiness.

Until Naomi eventually grows tired of being in the same sitting position for hours, and demands to be attended, which Naoya naturally jumps to do so.

“Papaaaa!!!”

“What is it, pumpkin? Is everything ok?!” Your husband naturally frets.

“Tired papa, hungry!!”

“Oh, I know what to do.” You say, reaching over for your bag to give Naomi one of her many pre-prepared meals—but she doesn’t want it, neither the milk nor the fruit; and that’s when both knew a break was due.

“Now, now—isn’t that better, princess?” Soon after finding a place to pull over, he cooed at her while gently holding her against him, watching her eat as Naomi glanced back at him, with those bright round eyes that let him know she was satisfied to be away from that uncomfortable seat and instead in the arms of her beloved papa.

“We should stretch our legs for a bit before continuing.” You suggest, to which Naoya enthusiastically agrees to—he had driven to a near lookout with the hopes of distracting Naomi (though it was more like rushing to find one, he wasn’t to stop in the middle of the road and expose his family!) and get a few more pictures of her; mementos to reminisce his loved ones while away for work.

“Look over here, little mochi!” you sang, waving your hand at Naomi to catch her attention and get her into the right position: a lovely picture of her and her papa standing before the beautiful scenery of the Japanese countryside.

“Alright, I think it’s time we head back on the road if we still want to be on time.” Naoya says, wanting to take advantage of the sunlight as well as Naomi’s now calm demeanor, believing it wouldn’t take long for her to fall asleep, lulled into deep slumber after being tired out…

Or at least that’s what either hoped, for Naomi, upon seeing her parents approach the car, quickly understood that she’d be relegated back to that awful seat, far away from dear papa and all the attention he was giving her—no can do!

“No!” Naomi cried, shaking her head. “No, papa!!”

“What’s wrong, Naomi??” Naoya, as usual, worries. “Are you still hungry? Or do you want to stay here a little longer—”

“Papa no go! Stay!’

“Oh, you don’t want me to go?” He asks, flattered by her request. Though concerned, because if he were to stay with his little princess, then who…?

“It’s ok, I’ll drive.” You suggest, taking the keys from his hands. “Go sit back with Naomi, our mochi needs you.”

“Are you sure, my love? We still have much to traverse.”

“I’ll be fine.” You encourage with a smile. “Now go, sit with her. I’m sure the two of you will have much to talk about!”

And that, they did, for Naomi wasted no time to jump back on whatever playful scenario she left pending, now with the addition of her equally imaginative father (no surprise where Naomi got it from) who made her playtime even more exciting.

“And then, the great Toji-kun appeared, defeating all enemies around them and rescuing Kitty!” Naoya effused, playing with one of her plushies—a stern-looking penguin that somehow reminded him of his cousin.

Naomi giggles, liking the addition of this so-called amazing Toji-kun into her games, alongside noticing the fondness her father seemed to have for this character for he’d always bring him along one way or the other, regardless of what they were playing—

Never comparable to her adorable Hello Kitty, of course, but she wouldn’t tell him that. Not when she was having so much fun!

And so, your chirpy daughter and doting husband continued to entertain one another, making the ride to your first destination quite enjoyable—it kind of made you sad having to interrupt them just to ask Naoya a question regarding your hosting reservation, but since they quieted down a bit this might be the best moment yet—

“Honey, at what time do we check-in?”

Only to realize their silence hadn’t come from observing the scenery around, but rather, succumbing to their own exhaustion, Naoya’s head rested over Naomi’s seat while her hand tightly heled onto his, for even when asleep she didn’t want to be far from him.

You smile at the sight of them, giving them one last glance through the rearview mirror before continuing looking ahead, hoping that by the time you arrive you’d still be able to snap a picture of them.

Until then, you look forward to spending the weekend with them, on what was Naomi’s first holiday as a family.

Been wanting to write about Naoya, Y/N, and Naomi spending a holiday together ajkghkajgha I don't know what exactly, but you know, I'll figure out something :)))) (suggestions are greatly appreciated too hehe)

Thank you so much for feeding my domestic au. We just love a doting Naoya, don't we :') 🥹❤️ if only... Well, that's why I'm here for 🤭 still have more to come!!

Now, take care, and hope to see you soon!

[struggling-jpg]

Thoughts About the Potential Underlying Hidden Tragedy of Yanqing and Jing Yuan

that isn't just the "Yanqing will have to kill Jing Yuan eventually" red flags.

A relatively longer-ish post so thank you for bearing with me if you choose to do so!

I'd already been thinking about this whole mess of thoughts for a long while now, and so have other people, but the urge to write this came from a comment I saw on a post that mentioned how Yanqing had lost to "Jing Yuan's ghosts" and overall how it contributes to the dynamic of them being mentor/mentee + father/son. While the narrative seems to be leading to "Yanqing having to strike down a Mara-stricken Jing Yuan," there's just enough weird points that stick out to the point some alternative outcomes for Yanqing and Jing Yuan's fates to play out.

And while I anticipate HSR to follow that most expected point, I feel like there's enough there that could lead to a subversion or something more likely than that, an additional twist to the knife alongside the expected point.

Jing Yuan's Flaws as a Mentor and Father-Figure:

While most of us love the family fluff, I'm pretty sure we can all acknowledge the issues in Jing Yuan's approach and decisions in regards to Yanqing. Yeah, this is a fictional space game story where it's likely they aren't going to delve into the consequences of having someone as young as Yanqing be a soldier, there seems to be something there regardless. Like the brushes with death that he has and how we see him have to worry about the Xianzhou's security as a teen due to having a higher position in a military force. This is all set up for more of a coming-of-age type narrative for him, which HSR has done amazingly so far, but there are a lot of chances for this to explore something darker.

Among official media, the one time I could even remember the term "father" being used in relation to Jing Yuan is in Yanqing's official Character Introduction graphic:

Another notable thing that we see here is how we do have moments where Yanqing expresses thoughts and questions about his own origins and birth parents. The fact that even here, he wonders if the general is hiding something from him, sets off some alarm bells in my head. But he then brushes that off because he's always been with the General and Jing Yuan accepts him for who he is (which under the theory that Yanqing originates/is connected to the Abundace adds a whole heavy layer (this will be discussed in a later section)).

Yanqing does something similar in his texts:

As Huaiyan says to Jing Yuan:

"Yanqing can understand your concerns."

Alongside Yanqing generally being a considerate and polite boy, it can possibly be said that his eagerness to share Jing Yuan's burdens not only stems from his own gratitude towards him but possibly also Jing Yuan's distance.

As in, Jing Yuan doesn't really express his feelings so blatantly, and what we can clearly tell from when Yanqing first met "Jing Yuan's ghosts," neither does he speak much about his past too on a personal level. In Jingliu's quest, Yanqing says that Jing Yuan simply told him to forget everything he saw that day.

For Jing Yuan, the loss of the quintet is a grief that feels fresh in his heart, especially with echoes of them running around him. This is in the description for "Animated Short: A Flash":

(Will also talk about this in a different section)

While Yanqing learns about his General's past in a more direct manner (aka the people involved), it's sad how avoidant Jing Yuan is at times. While he's never been a upfront person, especially in the case of solving problems, I wonder if HSR would go as far as to show the negative side of that in terms of raising and teaching Yanqing.

History Repeats Itself (Sometimes It Don't Need A Reason):

+ the Jingliu parallels

Following up on that last image, Jing Yuan, especially in A Flash, has that whole "history repeating itself" thing going on for Jing Yuan. It points to Yanqing having to take down Jing Yuan but it also comes with a lot of its own possibilities and meanings.

It's blatant that Yanqing parallels Jingliu to an unsettling degree. Anyone who personally knows Jingliu and meets Yanqing sees her in him. Jingliu probably sees herself in him as well. Beyond powers and passion for the sword, her Myriad Celestia trailer shows that her principles before getting struck with Mara were the same as his. But it took her losing her dear friends in such a cruel and brutal manner (alongside how long she'd been alive) for all of that to fall out and form the version of her we see today.

And while it seems that Yanqing is deviating from Jingliu's due to the teachings he's learning, especially with Jing Yuan's effort, I feel like there's still a chance for things to go so wrong and mess with that. Yukong's line about him strikes me as concerning:

"A sword will vibrate and beg to be unsheathed if it is unused for too long... Once unsheathed, it will either paint the battlefield in blood, or break itself in the process..."

Even though I don't think HSR will go down a route of tragedy with Yanqing, like say, he gets Mara struck somehow or killed because that's not how Hoyo's writing has fully gone for playable characters (Misha and Gallagher aside in terms of death). Even in the most despairing parts for Hoyo's games, they're usually outlined and tinged with hope in one way or another. It's just that with what's been presented, there's got to be more here than meets the eye.

Yanqing's Origins - The Breaking Point:

From what we've been given, I think the number one thing that would have the potential of shaking Yanqing's entire sense of his life and the reality he lives in is learning where he comes from. Where he actually comes from has been a strange mystery since the beginning, how Jing Yuan getting him being recorded in the military annals of all places.

As shown from the screenshots of Yanqing's texts, he doesn't know and tries to brush it off because he's happy with Jing Yuan now. The choice to have this aspect here leaves a lot to ruminate on. What is Jing Yuan hiding? And if he really is witholding information, does he ever intend to tell Yanqing? If he doesn't and Yanqing finds out, how will it play out? And even if he does mean to tell him, depending on the severity, how will Yanqing take it?

It's why the theory that Yanqing is connected to the Abundance, possibly even coming from it directly, is as harrowing as it is.

With his arc in mind, will his development be enough to sustain him when he does find out the truth? If he finds out sooner than he should, will he be able to rise above it? And what of Jing Yuan? If confronted with a situation that's outside of his control again, what will he do and how will he react?

The potential in that scenario is so fascinating to me, because we can all anticipate the absolute gut punch that Yanqing killing his master would be. It fits Hoyo's writing style of something so sad but having a hopeful end for the future type beat. But the idea of that being twisted, that expectation being flipped on its head, could be so agonizing. It's not a narrative we see too often explored, at least in my experience, so maybe that's why I'm brainrotting over it so much lol.

[dimonds456]

Transfem Stan Thoughtdump

Okay so @/abyssalzones made a pretty good post that sums up a lot of my thoughts as well, but I have a few extra ones I'd like to add to this discussion, as well as elaborating on one of the post's points. I've been thinking about transfem Stan for a couple of weeks now and at this point I'm like "fuck it we ball" and throwing it out there. 

For one, it warms my heart whenever there's an older character who was raised in the mid-1900s/older times who realizes they're queer, or comes to terms with their identity in old age. You're never too old to realize you're part of the community, and never too late. Adding this on top of the many, MANY identities that Stan has had to take to survive in her life, it'd be like really turning over a new leaf for her. She'd get to really step into an identity that she aligns with completely, and not something else given to her or that she took to protect herself. 

Not to mention, everything regarding Ford. The fact that she had to pretend to be Ford for so long, she more than likely never had the chance to even think about taking on any other identities. She had to keep this one as intact as she could. Otherwise, she could risk loosing the Shack, and with it, the portal- her brother. No way that was happening. 

It was briefly touched in the post, but when Stan was watching that one movie and she was like "JUST LIKE ME FR", obviously the writers intended that to just be a joke since this was as far and away from Stan's identity as they could get. But we're gonna ignore that and take it at face value for a second. 

The channel introduces itself (jokingly) as the boring old lady black-and-white channel, clearly something that a manly-man like Stan wouldn't be into, and he reacts like how you'd expect. But once it gets going, he gets fully sucked into it, leading eventually to the scene where the main character, seemingly about to complete a Character Arc™, tells her mother "I'm not just a dutchess, I'm also a woman!" and Stan cheers for her, saying the "just like me fr" line. 

Without any transfem headcanons, again, this is a joke. Or you could interpret this in hindsight as Stan feeling a similar way about his father, since lines like "I'm a woman!" declared like that usually means "I'm free to make my own choices," which is a message resident make-my-father-proud-issues Stanley Pines would relate to pretty hard. Even though this isn't a conclusion Stan comes to in the show, we could easily see him coming to a conclusion like that in the future.

Now let's add the transfem headcanon back in. With that new layer to it, Stan (whose egg hasn't cracked yet) would be confused as to why she relates so hard. After all, she's a man who was raised to shove feelings down and be a manly-man man by Filbrick. She's more than likely gone her entire life trying to conform to that idea of toxic masculinity that her dad pushed on both her and Ford. Stan was always the one who resorted to punching, after all. That's a manly-man trait, so surely this goes no further right

There's a part of Gravity Falls that I feel doesn't get discussed enough, and that's the underlying misogyny of it. There's not a ton of it, but there are quite a few jokes about how men are stronger than women and the like. Stan has quite a few lines like that herself. So she would be subscribing to a similar mental state, the idea that if you like punching, CLEARLY you're a guy. Cuz that's how it works. Obviously. 

Introducing Mabel Pines, someone who is VERY much a girly-girl. She likes pink and unicorns and rainbows and makeup and sleepovers, stuff of the like. Now I could make a whole other post about my headcanons for Mabel and her queer journey, but one thing she can definitely do that "girly-girls" DON'T? Punching.

Mabel can punch. And she punches a lot. 

It's a small thing, and something I think Stan has just kinda accepted without question over the course of the series, but if she were to stop and think about it, she'd be like ".....wait a minute." and it could very well be the first piece that cracks the idea of manly-man masculinity vs just. existing as a person and what that actually means. 

Once Stan finally starts to break away from toxic masculinity and all those lessons she got thrown into her head, then her egg would finally be able to start cracking. 

As for why it even matters, first off, it just makes for an interesting interpretation of the character I haven't really seen before until VERY recently. Like, within the past 2 days recently (and maybe once like a month ago?? idk). 

But secondly, for her character, it would be a good, healthy step into really taking back her identity. Who IS Stan Pines? She's spent so long being other people, either as a form of self-defense or pretending to be her brother so she can help save him from the sideburn hell dimension, that I don't think she's really allowed herself to connect to who Stan is. 

This is true regardless of gender headcanon, but I think the transfem angle makes it so much more interesting. Who is Stan? Not even she knows. And she's starting to feel VERY confused about the whole thing. 

As for Ford, I think he'd be more than willing to support an identity journey for Stan. After all, he's traveled across dimensions and more than likely had all his teachings questioned as well. I am willing to bet money he's encountered trans people before. And, knowing Ford, he'd be open and curious to the idea, not close-minded, no matter what their father tried to teach his kids. Honestly, I could see Ford pestering Stan with questions long into the night regarding the whole thing, and taking up the whole identity mystery for himself as something the two of them can "crack" (heh) together. Just another adventure for the crew of the Stan'o'War II! 

There's SO much more but I don't wanna re-say things that the og post already said, these are just the big ones that stick out to me and what I wanted to elaborate on. 

TL;DR Stan goes on a journey of realizing that toxic masculinity Is Bad Actually and honestly so was his father, and once he accepts that and starts actively challenging his own beliefs about gender, her egg cracks and she realizes that maybe she isn't a guy at all. The rest of the Pines- but Ford especially- are supportive, and although Stan has a LOT of self-reflection to do and I could see her getting frustrated, flustered, or even embarrassed of her newfound realization, ultimately it makes her happier like this. Cuz it's her identity. She's not pretending to be anyone else anymore and she can just wholly be herself.

Thank you and goodnight

[vicsy]

Many people won't care about me writing about this but I must get this out.

I got into Formula 1 at the beginning of 2022. It coincided with the world as I knew it collapsing in on itself with record speed. I don't hide the fact that I am from Russia and I know most people would know what my country started in February that year. You watch your entire life plans getting crumpled like a piece of paper and thrown into the trash; the borders closing, companies leaving, the world turning back on you for the sole fact that you were born here. You watch yourself slowly inched into isolation.

And at the worst time in my entire life I managed to find this little gateway. It started with Lando, funnily enough, because I didn't know my way around the F1, so I picked someone with a Star Wars name. Irony is not dead. It wasn't long before I imprinted on Daniel like a fucking baby duckling.

Even through the mess that was his career in 2022, he brought me (and many others) so much joy. I was slowly navigating the world of racing and trying to make sense of it all. Daniel was there. The narratives were there. He is the reason I discovered the fanbase, the fandom, the reason I met so many people I get to call lifelong friends now. And I can't imagine my life without them anymore. At my lowest I found a community that made my life bearable and fun and bright; a community that made me want to create and write again. Daniel was the reason I broadened my horizons and became a Fernando fan, Lance fan, a fan of so many other drivers that I still have the joy to support even when Daniel won't be there, behind the wheel or barking in the garage.

You'd think that it's stupid to hang your entire life balance on one millionaire who drives cars in circles and won't ever know you exist. But to me Daniel became that balance when everything else was just plainly uncertain. I watched the news of the world events unfolding and that pit of dread was never ending. It was like having a rug pulled from underneath your feet every single day. Those first 2-3 months of the war felt the worst. Not like it changed but you get the idea. But I still had this little F1 world and this smiling weirdo to brighten my day.

The friends that I found, the happiness that I managed to scrap in the times of great uncertainty, all of this was tied to Daniel. He was, in a way, a lifeline that led me to a hobby that I've grown to love. It hurt me back, multiple times, but it also saved my sanity on so many occasions.

I know, in my heart, Daniel will bounce back. Who knows, maybe he'll be back one day, in 2026, or doing something related to F1. Or maybe he chooses to stay away forever. Me, personally? Of course I'd like to see him race. And I hate change. The change of it all hurts as much as the fact that Daniel never got a proper goodbye. I do hope he knows, somehow, how much he is loved.

And I'll forever cherish the fact that I got to see him live in Baku, that I stood in front row an listened to him explain his terrible pizza choices. I heard him say well done, Baku first hand. I'm glad I got there in time to get a signed card. I'll always have the warmest feelings towards Daniel. If not for him, my life would be emptier today.

oh, and, never forget – fuck 'em all.

[loverstrings]

Just sulking.

fatherfigure!aaron hotchner x gn!reader

summary: In a confused state, Hotch reminds you what lead to it. warning: HEAVY ANGST, happy/hopeful ending, reader dissociated, cheating (not by reader or hotch), reader calls hotch 'dad', hotch calls reader 'sweetheart' and 'honey', no use of y/n a/n: RAAAA gaud sometimes my own writings got me fucked up. I hope you enjoy reading this one the way I enjoyed writing it. I was also listening to Decode by Paramore so that’ll be mentioned in the fic hehehe. I didn't really proofread it, sorry for grammar errors.

You snap back into the conversation when you notice your heart racing, tear stains drying on your face and your palm throbbing in pain. Why are you standing? You look around you and see papers and trinkets that lived on your desk now on the floor next to you. Why does every part of your body feel strained? After looking at the aftermath of your desk you look straight ahead to see Hotch, eyes soften, he’s standing, why is he standing your tissue box in his hands. You try reading it, trying to make a profile of why he’s in your office and why Paramore was playing in the background.

“Hotch” You whisper. Slowly losing your composer, the cracks of vulnerability showing. Something you promised yourself you wouldn’t ever show Hotch. He already takes care of so much, you barely wanted him to take care of you too. Hotch didn’t dare to speak until you asked your question. He saw the gears turning in your head. He saw the anger that was once there fade into confusion and fear. So he gave you a soft hum, so you know that he’s acknowledging you. 

Tears start to trickle down your face. A small sound came out of your mouth, almost like a whimper. You didn’t understand, what happened? How’d you end up like this? And what the fuck happened to your voice?

With all the courage you can muster, your frail voice chokes out “H-hotch, what happened?” More tears start to slip out, you sniffle them back and continue. “Please, I don’t understand. Dad, please I don’t I-” The confusion and fear completely taking over your speech. Now tears are streaming down your face as you slip further into feeling fearful of yourself   

In that moment Arron’s closed off professional personality completely shatters when you call him ‘Dad’. You and Hotch aren’t related, he was just a father figure for you since you joined the team at 24. He hasn’t seen you dissociate this quickly since the first heavy case you experienced years ago. Here you both are, standing in your home office with papers and gifts scattered on the floor.  Hotch came to visit and drop off some food, he and the team realized you hadn’t been at work and knew something was up. So they sent their resident dad to the rescue knowing Hotch had a softer spot for you the same way he had one for Jack. 

He tells you all of this while sitting you down in your office chair. He continues explaining that with the extra keys you gave him. He let himself in to drop the food and card that Jack and the team wrote up for you. Expecting you to be too sick to get out of bed, but he saw your office door open, lights dimmed and Decode by Paramore playing a little louder than he expected.

In true BAU fashion Hotch took out his gun to clear the rooms in your house before slowly entering the office. He heard you before he saw you, you were humming to the song. Lowering his gun and holstering it he knocked on the wall and announced himself while calling out for you. You give him a quick ‘yeah’ in response as you continue what you were doing. Hotch walked closer to see what you were so in trance with. That’s when he saw you sitting at your desk looking at your phone. He peered his head over to see what exactly you were looking at and saw you scrolling through instagram. He notices there is no purpose with scrolling and you look stunned. 

He softened up, “Sweetheart, what are you looking at?” Leaning over your desk so you can hear him a little better.

Slouching further in your chair you mumble, “Nothing, just sulking today.” Hotch didn’t believe you so he pushes and asks you “What did you find out?”

You look up from your phone to make eye contact with Hotch. “They've been dating for about 5 months. Well that’s what the instagram story says.” You can barely look at Hotch because you see him, you see Aaron and not Hotch and it utterly breaks you. You have promised him that this guy was different and Hotch approved. Ever since you joined the BAU, you have always looked for his approval. His word  was the one that meant the world to you.

“We broke up 5 months ago, something felt wrong and I tried to profile him but he used me and this team as an excuse to break up. There was never a conversation about why he just left. ” You rise from your seat, hands pressing into your desk, making intense eye contact with the man in front of you.

“Hotch, he lied to me. He lied about everything and before we even broke up faked his love for me but I was so fucking love sick to notice. I should have noticed something, right?”  You don’t realize you raised your voice as you continued talking. “I’m a fucking profile at the BAU for god fucking sake how come I didn’t see it coming.” Pacing from behind your desk, you run your hands through your hair while tears fall onto your cheeks.

“I can’t believe I let this happen to me.” You scuff to yourself, Hotch still standing in front of you. He kept his mouth shut, if he says anything it could possibly antagonize you. So he lets you continue until you can’t anymore, it looks like you’ve hid all this hurt from him for a long time, longer than 5 months. “You know what” you’re pointing at Hotch now, eyes look like they’ve lost life and rage took over.  Hotch sees you dissociating now, he tries to respond to your question but you cut him off. 

“Everytime we’re on a mission, he doesn’t pick up the phone. He would text and say he was busy.” Your voice is straining from raising it, something Hotch thought he’d only see in the field. “So I call who I thought was my best friend because after cases I want something to feel normal, you know. I wanted to talk to someone who doesn’t know what we’ve seen. And god how can I be so fucking stupid. S-she would keep secrets when talking about her day and I didn’t push it because I trusted but god fucking damnit Hotch it was all there. All the evidence was there.” You’re choking up now, the tears streaming faster than you can think, the music seemed to hit harder. “She was supposed to be my best friend. I told her how he didn’t love me once, I told her so many secrets about him so she knew how fucked up he was. But she took his side, she defended him while caring for me.” 

Now you feel insane because you laugh, you let out a crazed laugh. Running your hands through your hair again you look at your desk. 

Hotch is watching you intensely now, feeling like your next move will harm someone in the room. He moves back and watches you contemplate something, raising your hands you push all the contents on your desk with a loud “Fucking asshats. How can you do that to someone you care about?” The screaming and yelling turned into confusion and fear. Which leads to your current state. 

“Woah, I said all of that.” You mumble out, Hotch is kneeling in front of you, hand in his as he cleans your wound.

“Yeah, I’m sorry that happened to you sweetheart. You know outside of this room is some ramen I got from your favorite spot and a card from Jack and the team.” He looks at you now, the light in your eyes start to come back so he pushes another question “How ‘bout I call everyone for a small movie night and you can talk to the girls about what happened.” You look at him with hope and nod, explaining that them coming over would be nice. 

“Sounds good, honey. I’ll call them right now” He says while rising to reach for his phone. Before he calls he turns back to you and says “Don’t worry about the mess, Reid and I will clean it up. I bet he knows exactly where everything was.” You let out a sad chuckle because Hotch is right, Spencer has taken hostage of your office because his words ‘the atmosphere is the same but completely different from his home’.

An hour later, you’re sitting on your couch. A blanket over your lap, as you eat the ramen Hotch brought for you. The team is spread out around your kitchen and dining table, you realize they also brought over everyone’s ramen order to make you feel less guilty for being the only one eating it. During that time, Spencer completely reorganized your desk and left you one of your favorite candies for you to find the next day. The rest of the team came bearing beers and wine, giggling that today is finally the day a team sleepover happens. 

Still in your head you don't notice the slight dip in the couch until you look over and see Emily with a glass of wine in her hand. “So my love, tell me everything.” You giggle and tell the whole group to gather around, yelling that you don’t want to repeat the same story 6 other times. 

[mirisss]

SKZ reaction to their s/o being a loud introvert (ISTP)

SKZ x gn! ISTP reader

Thank you so much for the request 🐹! I hope you and everyone else enjoy it! 

I tried to write as best as I could and I hope I did it justice. 

I also apologize for switching POV/writing style in the middle of this but for some reason it felt better writing these two styles for the different reactions.

Warnings: None I think, maybe a slight mention of shyness, possibly a bit of anxiety if you squint. 

Wordcount ≈ 1k 

Bang Chan, Changbin, Felix, Han

These four would find it adorable that their s/o was comfortable enough around them to just act however they wanted to. When around strangers (Y/n) would be more quiet, keeping close to their boyfriend, and anxious about meeting new people. However, when it was just (Y/n) and Chan/Binnie/Felix/Han or maybe the other boys around, (Y/n) would be loud and outgoing, feeling safe and comfortable in their presence. Chan/Binnie/Felix/Han all felt their hearts swell with pride and love as they knew they were a safe space for their s/o, just as (Y/n) was for them. 

Han related so much to how (Y/n) acts as they are quite similar personality-wise, so he understands why they sometimes don’t talk as they usually would if someone new is around or if there’s a large group of people. Though he loves that both he and (Y/n) can be outgoing and loud with each other, while it might be harder once the two are out alone as both are introverted, usually Han finds some courage in himself to be the more extroverted one but sometimes (Y/n) is the one to do that. No matter who is the more extroverted one, they both need the other to stand close by, holding their hand, so they don’t have to do it all on their own. 

Changbin loves to talk and do things, he’s not afraid to make a fool of himself so he loves it when (Y/n) can act silly with him, whenever they are out and (Y/n) goes into quiet introvert mode, Changbin is their number 1 protector, always observing their body language and the second he sees them being uncomfortable, he’s picking up his jacket, ready to leave. 

Felix might be an extrovert but many times he’s quite calm, compared to some others in his group, but with (Y/n) he always matches their energy, ready to be whatever they need. If (Y/n) needs him to be super energetic and bouncing off the walls with them, he’ll do it, if (Y/n) needs some quiet time just cuddling and watching a movie, he’s on the couch with open arms ready for a movie marathon. He loves the moments when they’re being silly and loud together but as physical touch and quality time is a big thing for him as well, he truly cherishes their quiet time. 

Chan is a combination of all three boys above, he is a man who will do everything he can to make sure his s/o is safe, comfortable, and happy, so if that means (Y/n) distracting him from work sometimes with random conversations or sudden exclamations, or him being the one to make every phone call for (Y/n), he doesn’t mind it. As long as he gets to be with you, he’s happy to do anything. 

Minho, Seungmin, Hyunjin, Jeongin

These four are wildcards, sometimes you can’t keep them quiet, and other times they’ll just be sitting in the chaos observing the world around them. So having a s/o that is similar to them but also often quite loud when it’s just the two of them or when they are around friends they feel safe with, is shocking at times. It’s easy to forget that your s/o is an introvert when they have been screaming song into the mic at the karaoke for the last 2 hours without a care in the world, but then they are reminded of the introvert they love as they are too shy to order a drink on their own. 

Minho thinks it’s kind of cute and fits well with him, he’s often laid back, preferring to observe the chaos rather than participate in it, a man who loves doing acts of service so ordering a drink for you is just the perfect way for him to show his love for you. Seungmin is similar to Minho when it comes to the acts of service, of course, he’ll sing a song with you, oh you wanna sing it in a silly way, of course, he’ll do that, you want an iced tea and you’re too scared to order it on your own, he’s on it, he’ll even throw in an order for a dessert for you. 

Hyunjin doesn’t understand where you find the energy to run around chasing Han throughout the dorm as you both laugh loudly, he isn’t even sure how this chase started but he will sit on the couch, smiling to himself as he sees the wide smile and the sparkle in your eyes, he loves seeing you like this, just living your best life, and then once you’ve calmed down a little, you go over to him, sitting down in his lap as he wraps his arms around, putting his chin on your shoulder, “Hey love, having fun?” “Yeah, how about you?” “I’m having a wonderful time watching you laugh and smile like this, wish I could paint it, you look so beautiful,”

Jeongin loves running around with his members, acting like a child, what he loves even more than that is when you join in on the playing. Running around playing with water guns, spraying each other, laughing, screaming, other people around on the beach only sigh and shake their heads at the nine young adults acting like 5-year-olds. “Want to go buy some ice cream?” He asks to try and get some alone time with you, “Of course!” The two of you walk away to the ice cream truck, you excitedly look at all the flavors, deciding on (flavor), and Jeongin decided on his own favorite flavor, you stand in line, but once it is time to order, you shyly looked at Jeongin who instantly understood that you wished for him to order for you which he happily does all the time. 

[suckinitup]

i wanna think about something soft now and i keep turning back to tide and tidalwave. i think yeah of course he’s slept in other people’s beds before he’s hot and a superhero. people would KILL to jump his bones. but i think that theres something really novel to him about like. the idea of sleeping in someone’s bed just to be near them in like… a romantic way. the trust, the comfort, the wanting to be near your person who also wants to be near you. yea this stuff can also be platonic (hi ghostkicks) but tide i think would really yearn for that fairytale romantic sweetness. he hasnt had that before. related—i dont think tidalwave would be explicit with labelling what they are or what they mean to each other yknow. its something that would sneak up on them. theres sexual attraction, ofc, and that’s what tide chalks everything up to at first. Mark looks at him too long while hes making dinner? its because hes checking him out. Tide’s hand lingers against Mark’s when he passes him a pen? obviously its because of the skin contact. Mark stops tensing every time Tide enters a room? well, okay, thats different. Thats just built up trust. theyre more friends than enemies now. and its obviously just the sexual attraction and residual Villain Alertness that made Tide look at Mark often enough to notice. tide can feel the relationship changing all the time. He isnt stupid. he knows its important when mark drags ashe to the hall of elementals after a storm knocks out the power on their street. he knows it means something when theyre up late at night talking about some threat or the kids or some bullshit and when mark gets up to get coffee he brings tide back a mug. its important how mark takes a sip from each mug before handing tide his, but it’s not important because of safety, anymore—its important because its routine, because its something mark does without thinking even when tide doesnt need that proof of safety. its important because when tide makes dinner mark will mock him for the beef stroganoff or whatever other meal that tide doesnt make as well but mark doesnt seem to think of asking tide to eat from his plate anymore. they wont turn on each other—not like that. Their dynamic is changing, and tide knows its changed when they fight (about the kids or mark’s clone bigotry or WATCH or remnants of overlord’s organization) and though the air crackles and Mark is shouting—tide can see Mark hesitating to genuinely fight him, fists shaking and clenched tight at his side, so tide hesitates too and neither of them throw the first punch.

imagine william fucking around and making the wisps fly through everyone’s hair and is especially fucking around with mark’s and tide keeps laughing. he’d be worried, but he sees the crinkle in mark’s eyes beyond his scowl, laughs harder for it and his heart feels so big and warm. (ashe giggling quietly behind his hands but later that night hes like. “….guys i think my dad has a crush on your dad” because he’d been able to see the softness in that scowl when mark looked at tide)

where am i. right. tide snd mark spending more time together. spending more time in each others spaces. Slow to acclimate into the other’s personal bubble, but making constant, glacial progress until they can sit comfortably next to each other on the couch, practically squished together to make room for the teens who sprawl wildly during movie night. imagine mark starts talking about his wife more. not much, and only to tide, and only in little references (plucking a flower caught on tide’s locs after a battle, quietly noting “she really liked these” before tucking the flower behind tide’s ear). imagine tide, also trying to open up, talking about the lab and his family and. yeah. okay. maybe he Is a little mad about the way he’s treated as a clone. just. something growing between them at such a slowburn pace that william and vyncent have to gag and then bribe dakota (who has suffered ENOUGH from ghostknife) to stop him from shouting “JUST KISS ALREADY” at the top of his lungs.

somethinf something. Imagine a big fight. lasts all day, multiple moving parts, everyone is exhausted. for some reason they cant go back to the hall of elementals—maybe its damaged or something. they go back to marks house, the teens collapse onto the sofa and tide drifts, dizzy, almost dead on his feet into the kitchen to make some coffee. He sits at the table, puts his head on his arms while he waits for the coffee to brew, and is half-conscious enough to register mark coming into the room a few minutes later but Not conscious enough to actually greet him. mark puts one hand on his shoulder. “hey. come on. youre gonna hurt your neck if you sleep like that.” and tide mutters something nonsensical so mark sighs and tugs at him, half-bullying half-pulling tide to his feet. tide stumbles, so mark lets him lean against him as he guides him from the room. they pass the living room and tide sees all the kids passed the fuck out on the couch and something alert and afraid in his brain finally shuts off and he just. he feels safe. and he doesnt think much, but then there’s a warm bed and a soft pillow and he’s so relieved to finally actually sleep.

he wakes up again in the middle of the night pressed against mark’s side, clinging to one of his arms like a koala bear and one of mark’s legs is thrown across his own. theyre close enough to share a pillow—mark’s shoulder practically is tide’s pillow, and mark’s gentle snoring is strangely soothing. unfamiliar, but tide kind of wishes it wasnt. he starts to drift back to sleep but not before he thinks that, maybe, he’s already living in something like a fairytale after all. just one made for a superhero snd a supervillain and their very super children. he smiles and squeezes marks arm a little tighter and goes back to sleep

the next day mark goes and hides in the bathroom for like twenty minutes because god DAMNIT he was so caught up in the thought of tide in his bed fhat he forgot about the MOTHERFUCKING AIR MATTRESS. its deeply embarrassing. ashe will fucking Know. and this isnt a physical pain or a villain thing but it feels like he has to hide it all the same so he starts concocting plans to hide the air mattress or throw it out or tear it to shreds so he can claim he couldnt find it.

tide smiles really sweetly at him over breakfast. and hey, thats weird, and it makes mark’s heart flutter in his chest but he’s been dealing with this stupid crush for a while now he’s just gonna keep on dealing. but then tide asks mark if he can show him something, and mark is confused but like. okay. (he’d almost spat out his coffee because tide had said it so weirdly it almost sounded like a proposition, but then he’d gotten a look at tide’s face (a little shy. Eager. but nothing seductive or indicative of that thought-line) and thought Welp at all the feelings that stirred up before putting them in a little box in his brain. hes too busy to make this thing with tide weird)

anyway tide takes mark to the lake by marks house. lures him into the water. mark is a little baffled but like. Okay. tide makes a bubble for them underwater and they set off, sitting next to each other in this little bubble of air. they talk a little—mark is like woah. powerful. thats hot. hes a little on guard but he cant help but appreciate the way the light flickers over tide, the way it shines in his blue blue eyes. its nice and they talk a little and its one of those intimate moments where its only intimate because they know each other so well. but they finally arrive at a certain point at the bottom of the lake and tide is like. this is where i woke up after the kids threw me in here to protect you. do you remember that. they wanted to put me somewhere that you couldnt reach. and mark is like oh. and theres something to This that is bigger than he was expecting and he’s struggling a little bit and he struggles even more when tide takes his hand (tides hand is warm), lowers their air bubble, and presses the palm of marks hand to the cold (dry) sand. tide says quietly, now youve reached it.

oh. mark says again. and like an idiot, he asks if thats what tide wanted to show him. tide hesitates, then says, even quieter, that no. what he really wanted was to see if mark would let him do this. and he starts to lean in for a kiss.

mark’s fingers curl into the sand and without thinking he puts his hand on tide’s arm. tide stops and mark panics and says, a little breathlessly, “really heroic to proposition a guy when you control all his air.” and tide fucking. panics. rips himself away from mark and goes OH SHIT NO WAIT—

but mark is an asshole and he feels better now that tide is off kilter too, now that theyre on what feels like level footing and he has a bit more control over the situation, and he doesn’t even really feel bad for laughing because when he leans forwards (using his hand on tide’s arm to pull him back) and kisses him, tide clings to him like theyll both drown if he lets go.

they still wouldnt talk about what they are. it doesnt matter, and it would give the teens more ammo to mock them. but they start sleeping in each others’ rooms whenever they go over, and tide gets to have his fairytale romance

[rosenotactuallyquartz]

I just remembered this part of Garnet’s timeline from the artbook… woaw

let’s take a look at some more garnet quotes.

“garnet’s confidence and straightforward leader behavior developed from knowing rose as a fighter, and because rose consulted with garnet regularly.” — steven universe podcast, volume three, episode one

“garnet is shocked. rose quartz taught her to love herself. if that was a lie, if pink diamond was self-hating and wanted to disappear, then what does that mean for garnet […] no it wasn't garnet being inspired by rose... rose was inspired by them!” — end of an era, page 26

“before garnet, rose was only fighting for earth. but garnet changed everything. rose wanted to fight for her, she wanted to fight for gems!“ —pearl, now we’re only falling apart

rose & garnet have a very interesting, often overlooked dynamic. it’s something that i’ve written about before, and really i should find a way to add it to my pinned post. for rose, there’s 90s flashbacks & there’s war flashbacks. a lot of focus on rose’s relationship with greg & also rose as a mother, because the show is from steven’s perspective. he never met his mom, and he’s imagined her that way—an ideal warm & loving mom who knows everything & has no issues of her own. it’s a comfort, really, especially with everything that he goes through as a child. as he gets older, he learns that mom shattered pink diamond. then, he learns that mom was pink diamond. it’s… a lot to take in.

garnet is confident & straightforward, a leader who is literally made of love. just as a stable fusion is held together by love, garnet also tends to hold the group together as the leader of the crystal gems. she feels stable as garnet, and she knows that rose helped her love herself. the leader aspect also comes from rose, who consulted with her regularly, as sugar said. she has a kind heart & she’s incredibly caring, but on a flip side she’s often keeping it together and not showing her emotions so that she can keep the group together. she also prioritizes being there for steven, too, because she knows that he’s only a child who’s dealing with a lot himself.

i love the answer, now we’re only falling apart, & your mother & mine because they all look into garnet’s dynamic with rose. i also love the timeline and the quotes from the creators because it tells us even more.

in the flashbacks from pearl’s perspective in now we’re only falling apart, she remembers a version of rose who was ranting to her about how incredible garnet was. “a fusion between two completely different gems. can all gems do that? how have i never heard of this, i’ve only ever heard that it’s… unheard of!” in the flashbacks from garnet’s perspective in the answer, she sees rose as this beautiful, mysterious, inspiring leader of the rebellion. she remembers their surroundings, the forest of roses as beautiful, ethereal. like a dream, really. until now we’re only falling apart, she has no idea how much rose is inspired by garnet herself.

garnet is a quiet character; she doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve, and i relate to that. this is why i really appreciate that you reminded me of these quotes from the timeline. she trusts rose & respects her secrets, she loves her mystery so she learns to love the mystery of herself. she’s inspired by rose’s self love… wow. my reaction is a lot like yours! we also see the way that she talks about pink diamond in your mother & mine.

her world was literally turned upside down, when she found out about rose’s past. & this really gets overlooked a lot, doesn’t it?

she had a special bond with rose, and she was deeply inspired by her. she felt that rose taught her how to love herself, and she said confidently that she was made of love. ultimately, she remembered that this love was always there. rose was inspired by garnet, admired her, and followed her simply because of who she already was.

& that’s such an important part of the show. sapphire’s line, “all this time we thought we were following her, but really, she was following us” has so much meaning.