#and there are so many subtleties that reveal who he is as a person

[wildsaltair]

a few more rare shots of Maximus that make my heart ache

[bookwormangie]

Harry and Snape’s Clashing Communication Styles

It's interesting to think that Harry and Snape don’t have longer conversations in the series, but when they do, their communication styles are so different that they often clash.

Harry’s way of communicating is practical and straightforward. He tends to break down complex ideas into simpler terms that he can easily understand. This makes sense, given his upbringing in a non-magical world and his tendency to rely more on gut instinct than deep theoretical knowledge. For Harry, things are usually black and white, and his directness shows his desire to cut through the confusion and get straight to the point.

Snape, on the other hand, has a more complex and layered way of speaking. His language is precise and often sarcastic, which reflects not just his intelligence but also his disdain for what he sees as Harry’s lack of subtlety. Snape’s use of imagery and metaphor, especially when he describes consepts, gives his speech a poetic, almost philosophical quality. He takes pleasure in showing off his superior knowledge and uses this as a way to belittle Harry.

We see this clash clearly in OOTP during Harry’s first Occlumency lesson:

Snape looked back at him for a moment and then said contemptuously, “Surely even you could have worked that out by now, Potter? The Dark Lord is highly skilled at Legilimency —” “What’s that? Sir?” “It is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person’s mind —” “He can read minds?” said Harry quickly, his worst fears confirmed. “You have no subtlety, Potter,” said Snape, his dark eyes glittering. “You do not understand fine distinctions. It is one of the shortcomings that makes you such a lamentable potion-maker.” Snape paused for a moment, apparently to savor the pleasure of insulting Harry, before continuing, “Only Muggles talk of ‘mind reading.’ The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing, Potter . . . or at least, most minds are. . . .” He smirked. Whatever Snape said, Legilimency sounded like mind reading to Harry and he did not like the sound of it at all.

For Harry, when Snape mentions Legilimency, it immediately sounds like “mind reading,” which is a reasonable but overly simple way to understand such a complex concept. His quick jump to this conclusion shows his need to make sense of something that feels threatening, but it also reveals his limited grasp of the deeper nuances.

Snape, however, can’t resist mocking Harry’s lack of subtlety. His response is laced with condescension as he insists on the complexity of the mind and dismisses the idea of “mind reading” as something only muggles would think of. Snape’s explanation is detailed and philosophical, contrasting sharply with Harry’s desire for a straightforward answer.

Another great example of their different communication styles comes in HBP when Snape puts Harry on the spot, asking him to explain the difference between an inferius and a ghost:

“Let us ask Potter how we would tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost.” The whole class looked around at Harry, who hastily tried to recall what Dumbledore had told him the night that they had gone to visit Slughorn. “Er — well — ghosts are transparent —” he said. “Oh, very good,” interrupted Snape, his lip curling. “Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. ‘Ghosts are transparent.’ ” Harry took a deep breath and continued calmly, though his insides were boiling, “Yeah, ghosts are transparent, but Inferi are dead bodies, aren’t they? So they’d be solid —” “A five-year-old could have told us as much,” sneered Snape. “The Inferius is a corpse that has been reanimated by a Dark wizard’s spells. It is not alive, it is merely used like a puppet to do the wizard’s bidding. A ghost, as I trust that you are all aware by now, is the imprint of a departed soul left upon the earth . . . and of course, as Potter so wisely tells us, transparent.” “Well, what Harry said is the most useful if we’re trying to tell them apart!” said Ron. “When we come face-to-face with one down a dark alley, we’re going to be having a shufti to see if it’s solid, aren’t we, we’re not going to be asking, ‘Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?’

Once again, Harry demonstrates his practical and straightforward approach. He gives a simple, clear distinction based on what would be most useful in a real-life situation—whether the entity is solid or transparent. This shows how Harry tends to focus on what’s immediately relevant and actionable, and Ron’s defense of Harry’s answer highlights this practicality. Ron even points out that in a real-world scenario, Harry’s answer is actually the most helpful, contrasting it with Snape’s more academic approach.

Snape, though, dismisses Harry’s answer as too simplistic and mocks him for stating what he sees as the obvious. Snape’s communication is more about the theoretical and precise understanding of magical concepts. He emphasizes the deeper, more complex nature of an Inferius, which, while academically accurate, is less practical in the context that Harry is thinking of. Snape’s disdain shows that he values this deeper, nuanced understanding more than the direct, practical knowledge that Harry offers.

These moments really bring out the deeper divide between Harry and Snape. Harry approaches things with instinct and a straightforward mindset, while Snape is all about nuance, precision, and seeing the layers in everything. Because they see the world so differently, they struggle to communicate, which only adds to the distrust and misunderstanding between them—a tension that echoes throughout the entire series.

[katiekatdragon27]

Since Ubisoft makes NFTs of Rayman, I don’t feel bad about rewriting the whole show (kinda)

Me and @rainbow-wolf120 both kinda/really like CLH, but we both have issues with it. Soooo why not rework some stuff while keeping the core the same? Seems easy enough (NOT). First up is Bullfrog :)

More stuff below cut:

Bullfrog is my favorite character of the show. I love him, he’s awesome and fun and kind when everyone else is sorta giant assholes. Also his design is very clean and cute, and I don’t really have issues with him.

HOWEVER, I do have a couple grievances with how he dresses and his motives.

On one hand, if he is the last of the brotherhood, WHY DRESS SO OBVIOUSLY LIKE AN ASSASSIN?? This is an issues I have with Dolph too, bc like, if you are supposed to be under the radar, you would think HIDING the parts of you that GIVE AWAY WHO YOU ARE WOULD BE OBVIOUS. But no, no you need interesting looking protags ig.

Another thing that irks me is that there are so many cool assassins in the Assassin’s Creed universe. So many. And they choose to base Bullfrog on Ezio. I get it for marketing ig, but like, there’s literally a French assassin (AC Unity), but no, the French frog gets to be Italian lol. Although I find it funny, I feel like the whole thing was a missed opportunity to give exposer to the lesser-played AC games. Or use it to promote AC Shadows by making Bullfrog a girl or like the woman assassin from that game. Or better yet, combine a ton of different aspects of every AC game into the outfit.

Which is what I did lol.

To fix both these problems, I decided to design two looks for her (he’s a her now, stone me idc, also sorry every Laserfrog shipper ever it’s not personal I promise). The one on the left is her assassin fit. It drives a lot more inspo from AC Shadows and AC Unity, with elements of Ezio and Bullfrog’s original look. However, most of Bullfrog’s initial look is incorporated in the outfit on the right, which is the subtlety outfit. That is the outfit she starts the series with, only to take it off in the sewers to reveal she’s an assassin.

When in the subtle outfit, she tries to hide as much of herself as possible. Her assassin parts, her frog parts, and her girl-ness. Kinda. She just presents as a man so people don’t fuck with her. As for the assassin fit, it shows up in the Sewer scene when she’s fighting the dudes down there. Then they identify her once she’s arrested and surprises Rayman with being a girl lol.

And to everyone who gets pissy about her being a girl, the show needs more girls.

Have a good one my dudes :))

[d3pressed-caffiene-addict]

Hazbin Hotel Ep 5&6 Oh My God (Major Spoilers)

I am having so many thoughts, this is just a brain dump

-LUCIFER. He’s so pathetic I love him

-Jeremy Jordan you fucking legend. I’m a big fan of a lot of his work and was excited to see him in this but I was slightly unsure if he was the right casting since I expected Lucifer to be more of a high and mighty/snobby figure, but with the way they characterised him HE IS PERFECT.

-“TAKE THAT DEPRESSION”

-The Lucifer vs Alastor rivalry is beautiful

-“Ha ha, fuck you.”

-Father figure Alastor

-HIS EARS GO BACK LIKE A CAT WHEN HES ANGRY I CANT

-MIMZY’S ARRIVAL. I know most of us know the lore about her and Alastor being developed as a couple before it was scrapped but I really like how they are in the show

-Even if it’s just crumbs I’m so excited to be getting snippets of Alastor’s lore. It’s wild to keep going back and forth between “aw he actually cares for and protects his friends” and “oh my god he’s a fucking psycho”

-Speaking of that the scene with Husk holy shit. Poor man looked terrified

-The confirmation that Alastor’s also stuck working for someone, it has to be Lilith surely. I know some people will call it predictable because a lot of theories are coming true but personally I think it’s from good worldbuilding/foreshadowing

-ALASTOR IN FULL DEMON FORM JUST ANNIHILATING EVERYONE and then he just goes “Ah that was fun, now back to it”

-I kinda like the parallel between Al and Mimzy & Angel and Cherri where they invite their friends to join them if they want to, even if neither of them take it up initially maybe we’ll see them join the hotel in the future?

-BABY CHARLIE

-I really expected Lucifer to be a dickhead and a shitty dad, but he seems to be an overall better guy than most people in hell

-CHERRI BOMB ARRIVAL! And she’s Aussie now fuck yeah represent

-I still love her and Angel’s friendship even if she is a terrible influence. Everyone’s got that friend who’s solution to a bad day is just self-destruction but they mean well at least

-DARREN CHRIS TOO, THE MUSICAL THEATRE/BROADWAY ACTOR CASTING IS STACKED

-Emily is so sweet I love her

-The Molly cameo is so sweet, I was waiting for her to appear somewhere but lowkey forgot she was in heaven. Honestly though how did she get there when the rest of her and Angel’s family got condemned for what they did together? Maybe she left the mob or something idk I just hope we get to meet her properly at some point

-Heaven’s real fucked up? Yeah not shocked

-VAGGIE?? FALLEN ANGEL REVEAL?? AND SHE WAS AN EXTERMINATOR???? I know most of us called it but holy shit I didn’t expect it to be confirmed this soon

-Adam is such a dick but he’s so much fun

-I love that Charlie was gonna start her court presentation with definitions like a high school essay

-“Consent is a good name for a sex club” the gentleman Husk truthers gonna have fun with this one

-Pentious hitting on Cherri is hilarious and totally not the same level of subtlety I flirt with when I’m drunk

-Hearing more and more about how Val treats Angel is so sad especially with how casually he talks about it since it’s just another day for him

-Him parenting drunk Nifty is beautiful

-“You wanna play with the kitty?”

-Valentino is my #1 enemy

-Seeing Angel stand up to him to protect his friends is making me feel feelings. Like he knows that he’s gonna be treated even worse for it but I think he’s reaching his tipping point and shits gonna go down soon

-Also I know there’s a popular theory that he’s gonna die soon and a lot of the theories are coming true so I am scared. I kind of don’t think this one’ll happen though since he’s the fan favourite and its just too soon to take that much of a risk. Plus Vivsie’s admitted he’s the best written character and it’d be such a waste of all that development

-More sweet moments between him and Husk, they’ve gotten me so invested in this ship so fast

-The fact that most of heaven didn’t know about the extermination?? Wild

-Idk how I feel about the timeskip between Ep 4&5, they’re only a month away from the extermination now. Yes it’s making the stakes feel higher but I do wish we’d been able to see more of that time for the relationship development, all the characters seem much closer than before and we’ve only seen bits of how they got there

-I really wish they’d greenlit more than 8 episodes to pace things a little better but I’m glad we have season 2 confirmed

-That last minute ‘reveal Vaggie’s past to Charlie, boot them out of heaven and then cut to credits before she can react’ is gonna torture me until next week

-I don’t disagree with past criticism that Vivzie’s female characters can feel a bit underwritten but I think it’s getting better

-“We’re coming to the hotel first” plus all the theories that someone’s gonna die are fucking stressing me out man

Anyway hope you enjoy the brain dump, this show has once again consumed my thoughts

[mariaxxxxx]

Fantasize (Namor x Black!Reader)

Summary: Fantasy can be sweet compared to reality.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY/ Minors DNI, Angust, Sex, Apologies, Crying, Creampie, Passionate sex, size difference, smut, soft!dom!, slight degradation, unprotected sex (don't do that wrap this thing), aftercare, curse words, breeding kink.

A/N: English is not my mother tongue. I apologize for any errors.

Work count: 4.113

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

K'uk'ulkan is a man who earned his position as leader of Talokan through hard work and iron-fisted leadership. Considered by his people as a God and by his enemies as an executioner, admired by many for having the good characteristics that make a king and a physical appearance as divine as paradise. He wasn't the kind of guy to start a small conversation, but he knew exactly how to persuade a person with his words. There were also social subtleties involved, which You found adorable, the man was gallant and imposing and this made people respect him more. His father thought he was arrogant and proud. You agreed with him, but chose to describe that man differently; he was a bit of a jerk, a bit of a romantic, and incredibly powerful. These are really unique characteristics.

You look up as he enters Wakanda's council room. You open your mouth to greet him, knowing it's a bad idea. Luckily for You, a loud scoff from his father makes You both focus on the conversation going on in the room. He sits, next to his father, a place fit for a royal guest.

“The situation with the Americans is under control.” His father is speaking to the leader of Talokan with a loud tone of voice, an annoying trait of his. “As agreed, our borders have been strengthened.”

“We cannot relax if we take into account the persistence of the colonizers.” As the river tribe leader speaks You watch K'uk'ulkan's eyebrows arch upward.

K'uk'ulkan is the type of man who is interested in subjects that disrespect his nation and enjoys strategic conversations to keep the colonizers' curiosity at bay. He likes to hear what his allies have to say, although he almost never agrees with the decisions made. He was a violent man indeed. He always responded to violence with more violence.

“The late king’s decision to open Wakanda’s borders brought dilemmas that needed to be resolved.” Says K'uk'ulkan with his apathetic face, but You can detect a small gleam in his eyes. You know how much he always has to fight not to reveal his dissatisfaction with being so far from home. “It is not enough to close the borders again, more brutal measures need to be carried out.”

Oh! There it was. The flame of war shining in his pupils. Two years ago Talokan went to war with Wakanda. A dispute that caused losses for both sides. It was still difficult for many to overcome the death of Queen Ramonda and the departure of the legitimate heir out of the country, leaving Wakanda once again without its protector. Black Panther chose to step aside, indefinitely, to deal with his grief. The decision was respected and accepted by the council, but the people did not look favorably on it; after all, Black Panther was the warrior spirit sent by Bast to protect us.

After the ascension to the throne of his father, King Jabari, diplomatic programs were created to formalize the ceasefire and the union of both nations to deal with attempts to steal Vibranium. His father chose to return to old policies; close Wakanda's borders and suspend metal extraction. Such an attitude made Talokan, the people and the council happy, but not the colonists who demanded the sharing of Vibranium.

The conversation went on for a long time; they talked about metal, about borders, bonds of friendship, trade routes... At some point, you disconnected and sank into the chair with your eyes fixed on the floor, shaking your head every time someone said something. Meetings were tedious for a young man like You with so much energy to burn.

“So, have we reached a decision?” Your father says suddenly, snapping You out of your thoughts. You look at everyone in the room and notice when everyone exclaims a resounding Yes. Only one says nothing. You notice K'uk'ulkan's fingers turn a little too white, as if he's gripping the arms of his chair. A clear sign of irritation and denial.

You're not surprised to see him get up and leave, but no one comments on it before your father says,

“At least he didn’t fondle us again.”

(...)

That night, You escaped the palace walls, all ready to go the moment the clock struck eleven. When this happens, you hide from the Dora Milaje. After all, it wasn't safe for a new little princess to walk the streets late at night. The big doors open and you walk out into the night. You knew the way with your eyes closed; Behind the palace, surrounded by large trees, there was a saltwater river little known to the inhabitants.

On the riverbank there was a rustic wooden cabin with opaque glass windows and a large oak door. You didn't know who built this place, but in the last two years it had become yours and his. Little by little you redecorated the place, filling it with luxurious furniture and yellow lights.

You silently enter the place, turning on the lights and observe the mess you and he made on your last date. You put on shabby clothes, tie your hair up and start working as if you were being paid to do so. You start by arranging the cushions on the couch, then clean all the dishes, counters and general surfaces. You finish by vacuuming all the sand from the place and mopping the floor with a cloth dampened with scented water. You don't care about the room. After all, he was always so tidy. Your lover would rather take You in the living room, or on the balcony, or by the river under the starlight; very few times did you use that bed.

When you finish your cleaning marathon, your watch beeps informing you that it was already midnight and he would be here soon. You take a break and run to the bathroom. After a shower, perfumed your skin and touched up your makeup, you put on a thigh-length dress made of transparent fabric. The dress leaves your breasts and intimacy exposed, so you minimize this fact by placing a padless lace bra and thin panties under the dress. You looked beautiful, like the Goddess Isis waiting for her Osiris.

You return to the kitchen to start preparing something to eat. There are just a few minutes left before the food is ready when the cabin door opens and you hear a familiar voice.

"My love, I'm here." K'uk'ulkan breaks the silence that has hung over the environment since You arrived. You don't bother shouting, you never do. You would do it in person in seconds instead of yelling at each other in different rooms. The last time you dared to perform such a vulgar act, K'uk'ulkan gave you slaps on the ass to educate you correctly. A good wife greets her husband when he walks through the door, he said as he slapped her behind. You loved being punished like that, but you hated spending three whole days without being able to sit down.

You leave the kitchen and go to him, with a big smile on your lips. You find him in the room wearing fancy clothes richly decorated with gold and jade. He keeps his shorts green with black embroidered details. You extend your arms and circle them around his neck. You give him a kiss on the lips in greeting. He returns the kiss, pressing your body against his.

"Hello my dear." You pull away from his lips and turn your head to give him a kiss on the cheek. "How was your day?"

“Stressful, but I managed to escape to be with my wife.” He smiles and plays with a strand of your hair. “Knowing that You are here to care for me fills my heart with joy.”

The kisses didn't stop as he spoke and You were struggling to remember the stew that was boiling on the stove.

“Fuck” You don’t think about the curse until a hand squeezes your hip. A subtle warning of how such verbiage was not allowed in that environment.

“Such a beautiful girl with such a dirty mouth.” He mutters. His lips brush your ear, and you have to concentrate to push him away.

“I need to go to the kitchen.”

“Just focus on me, my love.” You can feel in his tone he wants to break You, break the character You play. Like a dizzy duck You fall into his trap.

“K’uk’ulkan” You whine. "Is very fast! Our dinner will burn and it will be a disaster.”

You scream when you feel a sharp slap on your ass. His hand makes a circular movement at the impact site, easing the pain a little. This was her punishment for being so petulant towards her man.

“Don’t talk to me like that.” His voice is lower, a little dark.

"Sorry my love."

"Good girl." He removes his arms from your waist and signals you to go to the kitchen. You mumble a simple thank you and rush over to find the food boiling furiously over medium heat. You hang up and return to the room, to him.

“Now I’m all yours, my love.”

“What have You done to us?” He says it like he doesn't know. As if he hadn't instructed her what to cook.

“A stew with vegetables accompanied by cornbread.”

It was a rule established by both of you that you would do your best to please him. No easy or quick foods, no fatty foods with added sugar and pesticides. K'uk'ulkan didn't take care of himself, in his opinion. He woke up early to govern, stayed late in meetings and would certainly forget to eat if You didn't prepare something. You remembered how he claimed not to eat much, a phrase that made you want to care for this man who cared for others and neglected himself. Not that this was a surprise, however. K'uk'ulkan was born with a crown on his head, so difficulty taking time away from work and taking care of himself became commonplace.

There was also the pleasure of serving and being served. He was excited by the idea of having a wife ready to serve him at the end of the day, with the effort made by You to please him in every way. It excited both of you, knowing that you worked hard without complaining to please him. In addition to carnal pleasure, there was cuddling; although you and he never talked to define exactly what this relationship was, nights of cuddling and talking on the sidelines were not uncommon. He liked to please too, it would not be uncommon for him to give you gifts ranging from fabrics with gold thread to jewelry; You hid them in the back of your closet to avoid questions.

His hand snakes down your hips to your butt, he gives it a squeeze making you moan with a little discomfort at having your sore flesh being touched like that.

"Adorable." The words vibrate in you. His hands suddenly caress your body. The hand pauses, pulls back, and spanks her ass afterwards. “What do you say after being praised, my love?”

You stabilize yourself with the force of the blow, fight back a groan, smile at him and mutter a loud:

"Thanks."

“You’re such a good little girl” he reflects, pressing your body against his so you can feel the hardness that was forming between your legs. “You love this, don’t you? You love it when I discipline you.”

You don't answer because you think it's a rhetorical question, but a warm hand moves his hair away and thick fingers grab the back of his neck.

"Yes my love. Thank you for taking care of me and teaching me how to be a good woman.” You fight back a bratty response about how you could take care of yourself.

“Such a good queen to me.”

Your mind lights up at the word queen being expelled from his mouth. You're insecure about the current agreement to never discuss these things, so you just smile, and kiss him passionately, pretending that being called his queen hasn't affected you in every way possible.

You allow his tongue into your mouth savoring the feeling of him touching you so softly. His skin burns red hot from the hot trail his hands leave as they roam your body. A hand tangles in his hair and pulls his head back enough for You to feel the pressure on your scalp. K'uk'ulkan attacks his neck, distributing wet kisses while you moan and encourage him to continue.

“K’uk’ulkan” You moan shamelessly when he sucks on the sensitive skin of your neck. He walks away, leaving you a mess, the damn thing had the power to make you go crazy with so little.

"Let's play a game." He suggests. A part of You is disappointed by this, but You knew how he liked to prolong the night. He moves away from you, sitting on the navy blue sofa; You narrow your eyes, finding this attitude strange, but his smug smile prepares you for what comes next. “Take off your panties and climb up my thigh. Now."

You don't wait long and you're soon getting rid of your panties, straddling his thigh after doing so. The cool, bare skin damps beneath You which is clearly visible when K'uk'ulkan pushes you back to check, You gasp when you realize how wet you were. His face burns with embarrassment, so you cover him in a cute reaction. You can't meet his gaze when he grabs his hand and pulls them away so you opt to kiss him for a minute to hide the embarrassment. Until he pulls away and puts his hands on your hips.

“I barely touched you and you’re already wet.” His hands are firmly on your hips, he uses them to pull you against him causing friction. “I know how desperate You are for this. Keep your moans low. Anyway, good girls never act like whores.”

He was right about how much You needed this, of course. The bastard knew her like the back of his hand. He leans his torso against the couch, giving him a privileged view of the movements of his hips. You bite your bottom lip to keep from moaning loudly when a specific movement increases contact with your swollen clit. You can barely concentrate between your low sighs and the warm hand that snakes across your belly and over your breasts, the feeling of his hand drives you crazy and without you realizing it a loud moan escapes your mouth when one of your breasts are tight.

You come out of your little world of pleasure to be met with K'uk'ulkan's intense gaze. He arches an eyebrow and squeezes your hips when you try to seek more friction.

"Sorry." His breath catches with the need to be forgiven, your hands tighten on his shoulders and you, once again, try to move your hips only to have your plans thwarted.

"Stand up." He commands and You obey. “It looks like my beautiful girl is having trouble following my orders. What a shame!"

"Sorry my love." You falter when you see the expression on his face.

“We need to solve this problem” You can see the cruel smile and you resist the urge to roll your eyes. “Take off your dress and come onto my lap.”

You take everything off and stand naked in front of him. Hesitantly, you walk over to him and settle into his lap. K'uk'ulkan rests one hand on your upper back and squeezes your shoulder. Care before everything happens You understand. You arch into his lap due to the hard slap he gives your ass.

“Tell and be thankful.” He orders.

"To thank?" His question is rewarded with another hard slap on his ass. "Sorry. Thank you for the lesson my love.”

"Good girl. Too bad this one didn't count. I didn’t hear any numbers.” You can see his smile in your mind. "Count."

"Yes." You speak breathlessly, one hand gripping his leg to anchor yourself. A slap. "One. Thank you my love"

"Higher." Another slap.

"Two. Thank you my love."

You hear a chuckle and his hand covers your ass, rubbing it creating momentary relief.

“Behave and you won’t be punished again.”

The blow comes harder this time, catching You off guard enough to scream.

"Three. Thanks." You say breathlessly.

“I said it without groaning.” The slap is even stronger than the previous one, you bite your lip to keep from screaming. “Thank me and I’ll think about whether I’ll fuck you with my cock.”

“Thank you for punishing me, K’uk’ulkan” You lick your lips to moisten them. “Please fuck me with your cock.”

He grabs the back of your neck and pulls you up, the quick movement makes you slide off the couch and fall on your knees between his legs. You look up only to find the obsidian orbs watching you with intensity. This man has too much power over You, and You can't care about it. You were about to beg to suck his dick, but K'uk'ulkan grabs your jaw with his fingers and caresses your lips with his thumb, You suck it devotedly without looking away.

“I will be benevolent today.”

You are internally grateful for the decision. K'uk'ulkan had been teasing you for a long time and your pussy was throbbing, and you had never been so ready to be fucked in your life. He tightens the grip on your jaw, a reminder for you to thank him.

"Thanks." You say. “Fuck me with your divine cock, K'uk'ulkan”

“My good girl, so good to me.” He caresses his cheek with his fingertips. “Lie down on the mat and spread your legs.”

You find yourself crawling onto the carpet a moment later, laying your head on a cushion. You look at K'uk'ulkan, his body sculpted by gods, he worked to rid himself of the jewelry and green trunks.

“Eat me feathered serpent.” You say, making no move to hide the way you look at him.

  K'uk'ulkan lets out a rough, savage growl, and you notice how hard and rigid his cock is begging for attention. Your pussy moistens even more at the knowledge of how thirsty he was.

“I'm going to fuck you soon, my love. I want to get You ready for me.”

He moves his body until he is on top of you and kisses you. You feel his cock in your belly, dripping with your juices, and you feel divine for provoking such a reaction in that man. You feel a finger slide through your intimate area, playing with your swollen clitoris and then being inserted into your vaginal canal. You groan at the intrusion. You kiss him harder when a second finger is introduced and then the third.

“K'uk'ulkan, You are stretching me. I cannot stand." You say only to receive a raised eyebrow before he goes back to doing what he was doing. With his thumb, he circles your clitoris in circular movements to the point that you see stars.

“You’re my good girl, you can take it.” He leans in, and the predatory tone of his voice when he speaks makes you squirm beneath him. “Cum on my fingers and I’ll give you my cock.

Her folds tighten tightly on the edge of a powerful orgasm. You try to beg, but only disjointed sounds come out of your mouth. You feel his thumb tease your clitoris with movements oscillating between slow and fast, in a sneaky movement he removes his thumb only to press it harder immediately afterwards. His orgasm hits you like a truck. You arch your back and scream for him when you feel your spirit leave your body and return shortly afterwards.

“K'uk'ulkan, I'm...”

“You’re going to cum again.” He says as he aligns his cock with your pussy, You moan when he purposely rubs against your hard and sensitive clit. “This time, it will be on my dick.”

He pushes hard. You're wet and open enough, but he was pretty big and the pain of penetration was inevitable, but it was a good pain. Every time You loved feeling his cock tearing your wet pussy. He supports himself on his elbows which give him the possibility to fuck you hard and he does so.

"Cum." You blurt out as he beats you mercilessly.

Above You, K'uk'ulkan ate you like a flesh-hungry beast. The dull touch of his skin hitting yours fills you with anxiety, and makes you think about the bruises that will appear. He grabs her waist with one hand just to stretch her a little and thrust her with more force.

“My perfect wife, good girl, my good good queen.” He babbled helplessly as he thrust hard into her pussy that was clenching around him, a clear sign of a new orgasm approaching. “I will spill my semen inside You. Filling Your womb with a baby will make You my queen and take them away.”

“Put a baby in me, K’uk’ulkan” You beg him. The hand squeezes his waist again as he attacks with a series of swear words in his mother tongue.

With a powerful thrust You cum again, screaming his name shamelessly. Your inner folds contract, squeezing his cock inside You, K'uk'ulkan tries to resist it, but it was a losing battle. He comes grunting like an animal spilling drop by drop of his seed inside You. He still gives a few more thrusts as if to ensure that You received every drop of his sperm. He collapses on top of you, with his cock still inside your pussy.

It stays inside You until You are uncomfortable. K'uk'ulkan Pulls away, pulling his softening cock out of You, a moan escaping when You feel the emptiness that was left. Your walls were sensitive and stained with his release; satisfaction filled every molecule of your body at this feat. K'uk'ulkan lies down next to him; you turn your head to him and smile, place a chaste kiss on his lips and sigh softly:

"Thank you my love."

To then be pulled closer and wrapped in a comforting hug.

“We need to eat.” You say snuggling into his chest, he pulls You into him.

“I already ate.” He says with his eyes closed. "I am very satisfied."

“You made me cook for nothing.” You speak of false indignation. “I’ll leave You hungry next time.”

“I will make it up to you later for cooking. Now, let's rest. Soon the sun will rise.”

Silence settles in the room, a sign that K'uk'ulkan was sleeping. You were not left behind, falling into a deep sleep with pleasant dreams.

The sun was rising when You awoke from your sleep. It wasn't a surprise to discover that you were alone. You never woke up next to him. As the leader of a nation he needed to return to his nation and, as painful as it was, he knew the implications that his affair with K'uk'ulkan could bring if he didn't go underwater. Hatred for surface dwellers was sown centuries ago and it would be difficult for a Talokanil's relationship with a surface dweller to be accepted.

You shook your head to dismiss such frivolous thoughts. I knew this was salt in the wound, a long time ago. You had already convinced yourself that you were nothing more than a concubine; You accepted this position with flying colors, although a little voice in your head always begged you to demand more. Being his queen, the mother of his children seemed like an impossible dream, so for the sake of your sanity You accepted the role to be played; sex is necessary and affection when requested. One day, this would end; You would marry a nobleman or some promising scientist and have his children, K'uk'ulkan would be nothing more than a youthful fling.

“Fuck” You cursed as you realized where your thoughts were taking you downs a dangerous path again.

After all, you and he would stay in this fantasy a thousand times if necessary. Until reality knocked on the door and took us back to the harsh reality. For now, you could be content with pretending he was yours; pretend he would come back every night as her husband to love her and possess her body under the starlight. You sigh as you realize how your reality wasn't as pleasant as your expectations. You snuggle on the rug, deciding to sleep a little longer until you return to the palace, your father would definitely be upset and question your disappearance, but you could deal with that later. Now, You just wanted to close your eyes and dream of a reality where You and K'uk'ulkan would be happy surrounded by children. Fantasy could be sweet compared to reality.

[meowzfordayz]

cast iron

Author’s Note: inspiration truly is everywhere — even elbows deep in a sink washing dishes. 🫧

cast iron

Bakugo Katsuki x Reader

Word Count: ~900

CW: none

~faqs~ 

You know Bakugo’s fallen in love with you the day he lets you wash his cast iron pan. He’s meticulous about the thing; a handed down, family “secret” that he only revealed after a year of dating to cook your anniversary dinner…

… not including the months it’d taken for him to randomly exclaim So are we together together or are we friends?! his face red and puffy as you’d blinked slowly, taking a moment to process his outburst. What do you want? you’d deflected, heart nearly beating out of its cage, to which he indignantly replied Nope. I asked first! Your achingly familiar laughter ringing in his pinkened ears as your assured answer brightened his gaze We’re together together… I hope? He’d rolled his eyes, that overwhelming sensation of longing tucked neatly away, his chest broad and exuberant as he scoffed Well obviously.

You hadn’t actually gotten to watch him cook—he’d surprised you by taking over your apartment while you were at work, perfecting the meal for your return—but you’d taken note of the soaking pan (all other cleaning already completed, of course) when you’d peeked into the kitchen.

“I can’t thank you enough,” you gush, salivating as the scent of the broth in your spoon wafts to your nose, “My entire place smells amazing!” “Yes you can,” he grunts You already do, the softest of a smile tugging on the corner of his mouth, “Eat.” Nose scrunching, you happily acquiesce, a tangle of lime, fresh chili, and coconut milk (plus a hint of fish sauce) melting warm on your tongue. You dip your spoon again, this time capturing a cute button mushroom, its fleshy underside soaked in flavor and heat as you take a contented nip. “How is it?” He tries to sound nonchalant, eyes hardly meeting yours, right hand clutching his own spoon with calculated casualness, but you know better. You’ve loved him for 365 days, after all. Bakugo doesn’t give a damn what people think, because Bakugo knows what he is and what he doesn’t aspire to be. But Katsuki? Katsuki cares, perhaps a little too much. “Delicious!” you declare, “Definitely spicy, but not unbearable. And there are so many subtleties… I swear it tastes different yet better with every bite.” “You’re so dramatic,” Katsuki snorts, grinning proudly nonetheless, eyes raising to feel your praise, acutely aware of how you might’ve just described him. — You spring up when you’re finished, determined to get to the remaining pan before he can, but you’re stopped almost as soon as the thought occurs. “Sit.” His voice is quiet, stress not veiled in the slightest. “But the-” “I’ve got it.” You pout for a second, arms crossing as you sit down, head shaking fondly at his protectiveness. “I know how to wash cast iron.” “So tell me why you don’t own a single cast iron pan,” he retorts. “High maintenance,” you quip, eyebrow raising pointedly. Grumbling to himself, Katsuki stands and clears the table, pressing a chastising kiss to your forehead before walking toward the kitchen. “Takes one to know one.” “Heeeyyy!!!!!”

The pan goes home with him in the morning—sometimes in the afternoon on a lazy Sunday—an unassuming tool of tenderness and self reliance. Katsuki, selflessly devoted. Bakugo, foreign to the touch of affection. You don’t feel half loved, nor do you feel that you love half a man (Bakugo Katsuki, for all of his faults, is a wonderful partner and admirable person), but you often wonder how he feels. As he scrubs at the buildup of grease and grime, clear water gradually turning murky, his reflection still visible as scraps of onion and garlic float to the surface… rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat. How do you get a man who loves so deeply to see that same love shining back at him? A man so attentive and observant to the quirks and whims of his lover… and afraid to share his own, lest they be unwanted or unfulfilled.

“Can you wash the pan tonight?”

You gawk. Not your finest reaction, but certain instincts can’t be avoided.

“I thought you knew how to wash cast iron?” Katsuki teases, pulse in his throat, “Or did you say that to impress me?”

“I…” you falter, unsure whether to continue tiptoeing or reach for him outright. He starts toward the kitchen, stare more guarded than you remember, and you blurt, “I figured you’d never ask.”

He freezes, indiscernible emotion clenching in his jaw. And then he chuckles. He chuckles and swivels to look at you, ruby eyes twinkling with uncharacteristic yet so beautiful shyness, tone rough like the homey crackle of a winter fire, soothed by the languid drip of honey into chamomile tea.

“Silly,” he rasps, your fingers curling around his waist, plates and silverware caught between your almost embrace, “I love you.”

—

He watches you scrub at breadcrumbs and spring onion, water practically scalding, and not a soap sud in sight. You work methodical and efficient, the pan hardly banging against the sink when you change angles and sections, each glance you direct his way brimming with amusement and adoration.

“I feel like I should pay you,” you hum, giving the pan its final rinse, “You’re basically my personal chef at this point.”

“Absolutely not,” Bakugo scowls playfully, poking your side before gently taking the cleaned pan from your hands, “This is more than enough.”

[xshingie]

Exploring The Narrative Significance of Edouard's Blue eyes

Something that piqued my interest was the fact that Annette was so insistent when she saw NightCreature!Edouard, she was so convinced it was him and she would not consider any opinion otherwise. Initially, one might think it speaks to the implicit depth of their connection that she would recognize… but perhaps, what if it speaks more to Annette might have perceived how well she /thought/ she knew him? What possibly would have occurred for Annette to retain Edouard's eyes in her memory so vividly?

This below quote from All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren serves as the springboard for my inspiration for what eventually became my Annette/Edouard short story, Yours Truly https://archiveofourown.org/works/51906367 (I also sampled the phrasing as well):

"I suppose that that day I first saw Anne and Adam as separate, individual people, whose ways of acting were special, mysterious, and important. And perhaps, too, that day I first saw myself as a person. But that is not what I am talking about. What happened was this: I got an image in my head that never got out. We see a great many things, but that is different. We get very few of the true images in our heads of the kind I am talking about, the kind which become more and more vivid for us as if the passage of the years did not obscure their reality but, year by year, drew off another veil to expose a meaning which we had only dimly surmised at first. Very probably the last veil will not be removed, for there are not enough years, but the brightness of the image increases and our conviction increase that the brightness is meaning, or the legend of meaning, and without the image our lives would be nothing except an old piece of film rolled on a spool and thrown into a desk drawer among the unanswered letters."

I took inspiration from the concept described above: In Yours Truly, Edouard had tried to tell her something she didn't have a concept of understanding at the time. And yet, it's with narrative irony that when Annette looks into his eyes, despite color being so clear, but she couldn't really get a good "read" into him. The most we know about Edouard is through Annette's lens, and she describes him in a very romanticized, idealized manner -- which hints to me that she views him in a special way, but doesn't understand him -- not really.

This is veering into headcanon territory by this point, but a distinct vibe I picked up from Edouard is that while he is friendly and appears to be warm, kind and collegial, he seems to almost keep people an arm's length distance, revealing almost nothing (vulnerable) about himself in his interactions with others. If you look at these screencaps, his eyes are so bright, but his smile is very subdued and tight-lipped -- even his eyes don't really convey any turbulent emotions. I think Edouard might have been kept a lot to himself, which partially contributes to Annette not really understanding him on a deeper level. Hence the feeling of staring at something, which is calm, serene… but tells you nothing about the person themselves. Although it may sound romantic when I describe the feeling of looking into Edouard's eyes "as reflecting her soul like a still gemstone", what I had actually intended to convey that relationship between Annette and Edouard, while undoubtedly close and Annette grew to understand herself on a deeper because of him, this very quality actually was capped the limitation of Annette/Edouard's connection.

Edouard seems to give off a vibe that he keeps people at a certain arm's length, all the while being able to charm people (""I make them [the nobles] happy, and they lower their guard and loosen their tongues.") while keeping is own guard up, I took a lot of care to weave in in a lot of subtleties that showed both a mismatch in understanding and Edouard keeping an arm's distance. Edouard sidesteps her question and doesn't tell her who exactly who he's writing to. He brings up that everyone has their own reason for fighting, but he doesn't reveal his own. He tries to get Annette to get interested in writing, explaining letters on an abstract romantic level; he shares a personal story about his grandmother, but all Annette's response is that she doesn't understand.

What was Edouard keeping to himself, that he never shared with Annette? Perhaps he was reconciling with the inner conflicts of his mixed heritage. Perhaps he was dealing with his own demons or vices that would have condemned him to Hell to enable him to become a Night Creature in the first place.

This "image" that Annette had of Edouard's eyes in her mind, represents the image that continued to stay with her, as she gradually begins to understand what Edouard was trying to convey to her on a deeper level.

(and why yes, to write this I did spend an inordinate amount of time starting of screencaps of Edouard to try to incisively capture the vibe of what it feels like when Edouard looks at you with those gorgeous AF eyes of his lol)

A huge thank you to ladyeama/@pansexual-chocolate for being an amazing headcanon partner in all of this!

[goodomenskinkyrambles]

Disclaimer: I reference kink as a way of processing and letting yourself ‘feel’. Imo, this is a very legitimate and intimate experience if communication, consent, trust, and boundaries etc are respected, and it is not relied upon in place of therapy etc.

Aziraphale comes across as a pillow princess, but this is only because he fears repercussions / is in denial about being on ‘their own side’ when it comes to intimacy.

Whenever Aziraphale gains the confidence to be more himself, his dominance starts to show through. Here, we start to see a switch who is primarily a gentle dom with a subtle sadistic streak.

He enjoys making Crowley follow his orders. He likes to see him squirm as the Demon fights with his pride, only to ultimately give in to his Angel’s wishes.

Crowley is a masochistic brat / bratty sub.

But what about the “Rescue” scene in France?

In S2, Aziraphale reveals that he usually has a plan, but that Crowley loves to feel like he’s saving him. This is a classic ‘power play’. Aziraphale is in control all along —luring Crowley in, playing up to Crowley’s pride… only to rip it away.

And this is very reminiscent of Crowley’s fall.

It is shown throughout that Crowley struggles with the traumatic experience of his fall, especially given the circumstances. He was simply asking “why”. So, what better way to release this trauma, and process it, than in a safe and intimate environment? With his Angel, he can be vulnerable —though they haven’t fully gotten to this point, due to their perilous position with Heaven and Hell.

Being seen, especially through the intimacy of kink, can be a beautiful and healing thing.

And so, our Demon plays up to his pride —his protective shell, shielding him from his anger, his confusion, his pain— and Aziraphale lets him have this, until he doesn’t. As an Angel, he is the perfect person to deconstruct the Demon, and reveal those layers.

Here, Crowley can brat, and ask ‘why’, and be ‘punished’, and have the power taken forcibly away from him, but can still be loved and held and seen as ‘good’. He can writhe in anger and struggle against the loss of power, and still be comforted rather than abandoned. He can be ignored when he is in need, in favour of a good book, but still be taken care of afterwards and never truly discarded.

He’s been in free fall for so long, that for all his feigned confidence and self-assertiveness, the highest form of freedom he can get would be in the form of rope, and intimacy with his Angel, where he doesn’t have to pretend to be strong, or free of worries, or unaffected by things, or tough all the time.

But it is by NO means all about Crowley.

Aziraphale constantly doubts himself, and has constantly been patronised and abused by Heaven and his so-called ‘superiors’ (looking at S1 you, Gabriel).

What better way for Aziraphale to own his thoughts and freedom, and gain confidence in his words, thoughts, ideas, and his own *will*, than in the safe headspace kink provides. Many a time, he has shown himself to have a slight, tantalising edge to him. In S2, he looked every bit the dominant when asserting that /yes, Crowley would be doing the “I was wrong” dance/.

Aziraphale’s style of dominance is subtle but incredibly strong when you’re able to see it.

In S1, he subtly hints that Crowley should remove the stain from his jacket —an action he can easily do, but wanted Crowley to do. Although it can be argued that he wanted this as a display of affection and because it’s ‘not the same’ if he does it himself, it is also a power play —and there are many of these subtleties scattered throughout. Aziraphale’s gentle (but foreboding) approach to dominance shows when we see how little convincing it takes for Crowley to catch on and (brattily, begrudgingly) follow Aziraphale’s whims.

These moments of feigned petulance could be interpreted as Aziraphale himself bratting, but really, Aziraphale always comes out on top —no pun intended— and has an air of unknown power about him. His gentle, airy, and petulant moments makes it all the more hedonistic when he switches to steely, strategising, and commanding. He lets himself indulge in fine foods, intricate books, and good wine. If he let himself indulge in intimacy, I think his particular and exacting nature would show through. Like crepes —he knows exactly what he wants, and will go to great lengths to get it… be it a good book, or Crowley accepting that he is ‘a little bit good’ via an intensely emotional scene.

But what about Crowley throwing him against the wall?!

Well, it looks like said intensive scene would follow, if Aziraphale chose to ‘correct’ Crowley on his insistence of not being nice.

To conclude, though I will happily write more and converse about this all day, and would love to add gifs and examples some day…

Psychologically, it makes the most sense for Aziraphale to naturally side towards dominance. I sometimes feel that for Aziraphale, alluding towards submission just doesn’t do him justice. It would put Crowley —ever the tempter— in control. Previously, Aziraphale’s sense of duty has taken the angel’s control and will from him. Gabriel has taken his power from him. His own anxieties and worries have done the same.

Aziraphale’s growth lies in his dominance, and his self-assertion. By “taking down” his beloved Tempter & serpent, in the most intimate way possible, he is proving that he has made his choice with his own mind, is regaining and revelling in his own power, his own will, and his own desires.

By allowing himself to access this power, he proves this to himself, to the whole of Heaven, and to Crowley.

He proves that, regardless of temptation, he *chooses* Crowley.

[saintsenara]

If you’re still doing the ship game, what are your thoughts on Voldemort/Tonks? (Inspired mostly by the comparisons between Tonks and Bellatrix in the most recent chapter of One Year in Every Ten.)

anon, thank you so much for this ask - which has, to be quite honest, upended my world.

because i'd literally never thought about this ship before, but now i realise that i'm not only in line for a passport to vonks nation, i appear to be an accidental vonks sleeper cell...

i always write both bellatrix and andromeda as having personality types which map on very closely to the tonks we meet in order of the phoenix - funny, clumsy, cheeky, charismatic, bright, a bit naive, and possessed of an outrageous fashion sense.

there isn't a shipping reason behind this. it started way back when i was planning nor all that glisters gold and thinking about andromeda, and i realised i've never vibed with a fanon tendency to make her this incredibly haughty ice queen, and to suggest that all of tonks' vibrant or insincere personality traits are inherited from ted.

obviously - yes - andromeda doesn't come across as massively welcoming in her only canon appearance, but i think she can be forgiven this on the grounds that harry and hagrid have just destroyed half her garden, revealed that her daughter might have been murdered in a surprise death eater ambush, and shouted at her when harry mistakes her for bellatrix.

but nor, actually, does ted. and so i think it makes much more sense to imagine that they're both a bit curt because of the enormously dangerous situation they find themselves in, and that - outside of that context - andromeda is just as likely to be a great laugh as he is.

i should also say that i am really not a fan of the sort of "omg aristocrats are so brooding and mysterious" way of writing many of the pureblood characters in the series. and one of the things about this which i don't like is the way it reduces characters to gendered stereotypes, while rarely seeming to think critically about the actual gendered conventions which govern their lives we get a hint of in canon.

pureblood women are often reduced to descriptors such as "haughty", "mannered", "prim", "icy", and so on - and, yes, all of these are traits which are implied canonically about bellatrix and andromeda [and narcissa, sirius, and regulus as well...], but they are not traits which have to exist separately from ones we would associate with tonks.

because bellatrix is - canonically - both haughty and theatrical; both cruel and loyal; both in thrall to voldemort and willing to answer him back [it's always overlooked, i think, that, in half-blood prince she reveals that she's told the dark lord to his face that he's wrong to trust snape - that takes a pretty strong nerve!].

she's clever but not particularly cunning [she's a blunt instrument - subtlety is not her strong point]; incredibly charismatic [harry always notices her whenever she's in a room] but also quite artless interpersonally; entirely committed to her prejudiced beliefs and also clearly a little bit naive... her anger when harry says that voldemort's a half-blood in order of the phoenix is really striking when compared to the fact that lucius malfoy doesn't bat an eyelid - i have always thought that more of the death eaters are aware of voldemort's birth name and background than dumbledore believes, which malfoy basically confirms, and so i really like the insight this gives us into what bellatrix is unwilling to move beyond when it comes to the version of voldemort she has in her head.

and she's also someone who is clearly very affection-starved - and who can be written on the basis of her canon personality to be something of a hopeless romantic, and for the vision of romance she has to be quite idealistic and a bit girly. and this doesn't prevent her being a sadistic bigot who knows exactly what she's doing in the slightest - it just adds another layer to her character which i think is really interesting to explore.

i really like the complicated dissonance of her being proud to be the loyal lieutenant of a terrorist kingpin she believes is capable of magic beyond her wildest dreams and who rewards her for her service by not murdering her, and also her wishing to be wooed and sent roses and taken out dancing by a man who has never had the slightest intention of doing any such thing.

tonks also has that idealistic romantic streak - after all, she takes one look at the giant red flag lupin's waving and says "you son-of-a-bitch, i'm in" - and she also has the brains, charisma, bluntness, theatricality, loyalty, and ruthlessness of her aunt.

as an aside - i also really like these tonks-bellatrix comparisons because they undermine one of the series' lazier narrative conventions when it comes to writing women: that straightforwardly bad women can never have anything substantial in common with straightforwardly good ones. petunia has to be nothing like lily, for example, because lily is the series' central pinnacle of womanhood and petunia is a bitch.

the idea that tonks gets all the fun parts of her personality from her father is an offshoot of this. but i really like the fact that realising she is very like bellatrix would force harry et al. to actually reckon with the reality of what bellatrix did and to think critically, in contrast to the ministry's view that everything's fine with voldemort dead, about the conditions which enabled her radicalisation.

[i've written something touching briefly on this - everlasting ink - in which harry and ginny end up adopting delphini and discover she's both her mother's daughter and the reincarnation of a woman they adored.]

but to return, dazed and bleeding, to the vonks agenda...

it's an incontrovertible truth that voldemort mainly likes bellatrix because of her fanatical devotion to him, which enables him to use her freely as a tool for his own gain.

but this is not - i think it's reasonable to argue - the only reason he likes her. after all, she's not the only death eater who goes to azkaban rather than betray him, but he's not going around calling rabastan his favourite...

and her slight bolshiness evidently does contribute to his fondness for her.

the canonical voldemort clearly thinks of himself [even if, let's be real, he's wrong] as someone who doesn't like sycophants. he has no interest in hearing nott sr. gab at him following his resurrection; he is perfectly happy to be told by augustus rookwood that the way he's being going about trying to retrieve the prophecy is wrong; one of the things which drives his humiliation of lucius malfoy in the dark lord ascending is that he's fully aware that the malfoys hate having him squatting in their house, but that lucius would never have the backbone to tell him this. his trust in snape is implied, particularly in deathly hallows, to be connected to what he perceives as a frankness in the way snape speaks to him - him telling snape that he "sounds like lucius" just before he kills him is a way of him letting snape know that he thinks he's being shifty [which - of course - he thinks is because snape knows he's the true master of the elder wand].

he is also theatrical, charismatic, interpersonally offputting [in a context where you weren't afraid of him, think how annoying his tendency to witter would be], clever, strangely loyal [i talk about this a lot, but the fact that he berates wormtail for betraying james and lily - even though this is exactly what he wanted - is really striking], transcendentally attention-starved, and so on. and he clearly respects the idea of constructing one's own identity in defiance of social convention - his favour permits bellatrix to behave in a way which is clearly unusual for a woman of her social class and snape to be ranked higher than richer purebloods who should look down on him, for example.

and he's also - in his own way - a little bit of an idealist too. the elaborate fantasy he's shown to have constructed for himself as a child - that his father was a wizard [who, i presume, he imagines will reveal himself after dumbledore's visit, now that it's safe to do so], that his mother wouldn't have died if she'd mattered, that his father doesn't emerge because he's also dead [he doesn't realise he's alive until he visits morfin!] - is something he uses to self-soothe, and he's hugely rattled by anything which undermines his belief in this dreamscape. just as bellatrix is by any hint that he's not an almighty pureblood god.

and, above and beyond this - even though this is a much more controversial thing to say - he's also capable of being a hopeless romantic himself when he wants to be... it's astonishing to me that we as a fandom don't make more of the fact that he thinks that his parents were in love, that tom riddle sr. was responsible for naming him [even though he's shown in chamber of secrets to know that merope chose his names], and that his father only abandoned his mother because she revealed her magic to him. there is absolutely no chance that he heard this from either morfin or tom sr. - he just makes it up! - and yet he clearly believes, even as an adult, that there was a world of happy families he was denied by his father's lack of chivalry. and i think this adds a really interesting dimension to his obvious loneliness which is tremendous fun to explore.

in a context where the fact that she's an order member is insignificant to him, then, i think it's entirely plausible that he wouldn't hate tonks - which is, for him, essentially a proposal of marriage - on the basis of her similarity to his erstwhile fave.

and tonks, for her part, clearly has a horrible weakness for cruel, emotionally-unavailable, self-loathing men who are cheerfully capable of murder.

i don't not back it...

as a postscript, my two favourite tonks-voldemort moments in canon: the fact that, in the middle of planning a coup, he's taken time out of his day to learn that she's married lupin [it's giving xoxo gossip girl!]; and the fact that her wasting away from unrequited love in half-blood prince is exactly what happens to merope.

[were-wolverine]

Birdflash Week (Day 4)

Villain AU

@birdflashweek

Wally watched as Batman pulled up a profile on the screen at the front of the Watchtower’s conference room. According to the Bat’s reports, there was a new Rogue on the loose that knew the Justice League’s secret identities. So far they hadn’t gone to the media, luckily, but in the meantime they had built up quite the reputation in Gotham (along with a pile of bodies).

The profile showed a masked man, likely about Wally’s age, in a black and blue suit. There was a symbol on his chest, and two stripes of color down his arms and gloves. That was all he could tell from the extremely blurry photo, though. Apparently he went by the alias ‘Shadow’ and had been traveling the world quite a bit before settling in Gotham.

“Do we know how he find out our identities?” Superman asked, tone grave.

To any normal person it would look like Batman replied with a simple “No,” but with his superspeed Wally was able to catch the briefest hint of hesitation before the man responded. Which was… unsettling. Batman never hesitated, ever. Something was definitely up with this Rogue.

Batman continued to brief them all on the situation, but seemed fairly confident the masked man wouldn’t reveal their identities to the public. That, at least, was comforting. The rest, not so much. It seemed like this Rogue was taking more of an anti-hero approach at least, only killing criminals that were repeat offenders or the worst of the worst. Of course, killing was always bad, but at least this guy wasn’t harming civilians or heroes.

As the meeting dispersed and Wally zeta’d back to Keystone, he couldn’t help but wonder about the new Rogue, and how exactly he knew the League’s identities- which was one of the most carefully kept secrets in the entire world- and why he (however thankfully) hadn’t just released them to the media.

His thoughts about the man kept him distracted enough that he didn’t notice someone else was in his apartment until he was already in it with them. And, because he had shit luck, it was the Rogue he had just been wondering about. Eh, he was never one for subtlety anyway.

“Hey, why didn’t you release our identities to the public?” he asked the man, who cocked his head and studied him before replying.

“I don’t actually want villains to hurt you or your loved ones. I was just proving a point to B, telling him something only I would know,” he explained, much to Wally’s surprise.

“…Oh. Um. What?” Wally asked, beyond confused.

“Plus I wanted to mess with the League a bit I suppose. Not you though, Wally,” he smiled warmly at the speedster and Wally felt a rush of familiarity at the sight.

“Have we… met? Before?” the redhead asked somewhat desperately. There was something about the man before him that Wally just recognized on a bone-deep level. The man’s kind smile turned into a delighted grin and he pulled a stunned Wally into a hug.

“I knew you would remember me! I told Dami but he didn’t believe me. We were best friends for almost a decade, of course you’d remember me,” he rambled excitedly. The speedster froze in his arms and sucked in a sharp breath, pulling away to face the man once more.

“…‘Wing?” he asked, voice breaking at the end.

Nightwing nodded enthusiastically and was pulled back into a crushing hug.

“I thought… everyone assumed you were dead but I refused to believe it, but then so many years passed and Batman never said anything… I’m so sorry,” Wally whispered.

“Hey, hey no it’s not your fault. I should have told you all that I was leaving after Jay died, I’m sorry. I wasn’t in a good headspace and it only got worse and then… after everything I’ve done… I didn’t think you would want me back,” Dick admitted softly.

“Of course we would, dumbass. Of course I would,” he emphasized, leaning his forehead against the shorter man’s.

“I’m sorry I left,” Dick replied, holding him tighter.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re back now, and nothing is going to come between us again,” Wally promised, and leaned down to press a kiss to the other man’s lips, which was eagerly returned.

[moophinz]

I’ve made a post on this already, but after acquiring heaps and reams of knowledge, I’ve decided to go at it again.

(From Mine’s TV Tropes page.)

I cannot stop anyone from wanting to view Mine as bi, and my intentions don’t lie there. But instead, I wanted to bring up that it hardly seems like the intentions of the devs and especially Yokoyama. Mine is a pretty big deal in being a heavily implied gay character regardless of having been a villain, partly due to how he’s just as masculine as his peers and his love for another man is a core part of his characterization where sympathy comes into play. On top of that, they do not shy away from heavy handed hints in his total lack of interest in women romantically and sexually.

Yokoyama is not only a non stranger to commentary on how much he loves Mine, but he’s also made remarks that imply he finds it funny that women are attracted to him though they can’t have him.

RGGO is particularly revealing about this thanks to how much room it gives to focus on character elements they couldn’t do in the actual games.

—A beach event in Okinawa has Kanda wanting to throw a party and see who between them can invite the most women. Mine is less than uninterested, but still winds up getting a few women interested in him. He can’t seem to outright reject them, but gives them very bland answers.

—This is a big trend in other Mine centric stories. Upon being asked by a woman if he’s by himself, he gives a slightly roundabout answer instead of outright saying anything more direct. He agrees to do something with her despite his ongoing lack of enthusiasm.

—As told, he’s gone on dates with women thanks to being unable to turn them down (he’s interestingly kind enough to women even though there’s some popular jokes about him being a misogynistic gay man). But if he sees a woman once, doesn’t really see them again. All in all, this is incredibly different from many other yakuza men who adore women as they slot into the three important status symbols: power, money, and women. All things that Mine brings up at the end of 3 as stuff that wasn’t really giving him any meaning or purpose in life. His line about having any woman he could want goes largely misunderstood. Especially after he ends that line with saying living life that way was a lie.

Comparing an outright love confession to Mine being thankful to have had Katase around feels almost laughable. On one hand, I’m at least glad the person who wrote this acknowledges the romantic feelings with Daigo, but on the other hand… “heavily implied?” With Katase? No… Not every meaningful statement or even so much as breathing the same air as one another between a man and woman is grounds for love.

Genuinely, it feels like they’ve done nearly everything but outright use any direct wording for his sexuality. He’s the only character they’ve gone this far with. Others get more vagueness or subtlety.

(From Majima’s)

(From Zhao’s)

I’ve talked to @04tenno quite a bit about this. And as usual, they’re the reason I know quite a bit, too.

Majima’s section is bizarre to me for immediately throwing out there that he’s a huge ladies’ man. (This was listed elsewhere in his section). Which is just… hilarious. Sure, plenty of irl female fans adore him, but in universe, he’s nothing of the sort and often interacts with women by using a more friendly tone of voice (probably to seem less intimidating) along with other behavioral changes. I also take up issue regarding the way the person who wrote this seems to completely downplay Majima and Kiryu’s relationship to the first game. But that’s a whole other conversation…

Zhao’s section feels incredibly different compared to the other two due to how the person writing it seems to completely lean into the potential signifiers and stereotypes surrounding him and includes other instances beyond that. There’s nothing about him being in a hostess club automatically meaning he’s attracted to women. As such, even a lot of dudebros seem to openly view Zhao as not being bisexual, but instead, straight up gay. This seems to be due to the fact that Zhao is never shown playing into the typical mainstream macho type stuff as opposed to Mine.

I didn’t take a screenshot, but Daigo even gets the assumed-to-be-into-women-because-he-was-next-to-one-treatment. While he went to hostess clubs, he looks so extremely despondent and out of the moment when we see him there. I can’t find it in me to assume he’s attracted to women just because he went to those types of clubs. His sexuality is totally up for debate as several others are as well. And we can all see him however we want. But, overall, immediately assuming things for such and such reasons starts to feel a little off to me. All in all, Mine gets this treatment the worse thanks to his sexuality actually being a big factor in his character.

[ineffablydelighted]

[Cute Omens #6.1]

The Supreme Archangel Aziraphale returns to Earth for the first time in five years to meet Beelzebub's replacement, the new Duke of Hell, aka... [Yep. I'm definitely not the first who explored this option, you just know where I'm getting at, don't you? 😎]

Aziraphale: *enters the Resurrectionist, a little worried* *does not show it, of course, he's supposed to emanate respect and authority* *has become quite good at it, actually* *salutes the pub owner* Hello, sir. I believe a seat has been reserved in the name of... Heavell, I believe. *understands the pun JUST NOW* *closes his eyes in pissed off by that new Duke of Hell already*

Pub owner: *uneasy* *rapid movements* Oh, hum... yes, yes, Heavell, of course, the person asked for the private area... one year ago? Or was it two? I am not sure, excuse me. Please follow me, Sir.

Aziraphale: *follows him in brand new clothes he learned to like and rearranges them* The... private area? *remembers the last time he came here* *feels something rather painful in his chest but chooses, as always, to ignore it* You have one, now?

Pub owner: Yes. It's been... three years or so? I no longer live upstairs since I reconnected with my dear wife Saddie so I thought it would be nice to... *has no idea why he gives so many unnecessary details* *stops* *clears his throat* Anyway, yes, I do have one! Mind the stairs, Sir, they are pretty narrow.

Aziraphale: *nods agreeably* *walks up the spiral stairs after him* And, have you... ever... met Mister... Heavell, before?

Pub Owner: Not that I know of, Sir. Have you not either?

Aziraphale: *calmly* *in theory* Not that I know of.

Pub Owner: Here we are... *opens a wooden door revealing a pretty cozy room with forest green sofas* Please be seated, you're in advance, I believe.

Aziraphale: Yes, I am. Thank you, Sir.

Pub Owner: Would you like a drink while you wait for your... contact?

Aziraphale: No, thank you, I will wait until they have arrived to make an order.

Pub Owner: Sure. *closes the door* *leaves*

Aziraphale: *sighs* Heavell, for Heaven's sake...

[Twenty-or-so minutes later]

Aziraphale: *looks at his pocket watch, again* *frowns* Of course, the Duke of Hell has to be late... Have they no decency?

Crowley: *pops on the sofa in a weird position because Crowley* *does not have his glasses on* *speaks casually* That's kind of the point of demons, Angel, don't you think?

Aziraphale: *startles* Ah! *recognizes Crowley* *eyes wide open* *strange movement at the corner of his lips that vanishes as quickly as it appeared* Oh. *severe final face* *sighs* Sir... Heavell, I presume?

Crowley: *grins* You sound as if you understood the joke only thirty minutes ago.

Aziraphale: *will never admit Crowley is totally in the right* *cold* No, I sound as if of course, I should have known it was you, of all demons, who came up with something as... lame.

Crowley: *presses his chest and opens his mouth, falsely offended* *sneers* Says the one who thought calling himself Mister Fell while being an Angel was funny. *theatrical arm movements* Come on!

Aziraphale: *wants to end the small talk asap* Can we, please, not dwell in the past? I'm not here for that, Mister-Heavell-Duke-of-Hell. I'm here to represent Heaven as we negotiate the terms of the upcoming War or Wars following Heaven's Second Coming.

Crowley: *half-amused half-annoyed by his attitude* *obviously chooses to be provocative* Wow, look at that, who's got already so full of himself with that new twinkly title of his?

Aziraphale: *eye-rolls with the subtlety of a 3yo* *colder than before* *also weirdly detached* Looks like you acquired quite the twinkly title as well.

Crowley: Yeahhhh... I still have no idea why they gave me this position, I haven't done anything to deserve i- *snaps his fingers* Oh, wait, that reminds me of someone... *runs his finger over his chin* Who can that possibly be, um... *tilts his head at Aziraphale* Oh! Found him. *waves sarcastically* Hell-o!

Aziraphale: *annoyed* So that is how low we've fallen, Crowley? Are you really going to spend the night mocking me?

Crowley: *looks at his nails* Well, you called me lame first, so...

Aziraphale: Could you stop acting like a child for two seconds and talk to me?

Crowley: I AM! *gradually gets up on the sofa* And that is already MORE THAN YOU DESERVE, YOU F- *points at him* You... *makes the most unsincere reverence* SuPrEmE ARSE-AnGeL...

Aziraphale: *hits the table with the palm of a hand* You're the Duke of Hell, for Heaven's sake, sit the fuck down and act like it!

Crowley: *more theatrical arm and leg movements* Oh, oh, of course, happy to oblige, my Lord... *walks until he is very close to Aziraphale* *does not sit back down though*

Both: *weird low-angle look*

Aziraphale: *closes his eyes for a little while* *sighs* *looks back at Crowley* Now, if you please could let me know when your tantrum has finished, your Dukeship, that would be lovely.

Crowley: *severe look* *suddenly grins* Actually? I'm not here to talk. I've never been here to do that.

Aziraphale: *raises one eyebrow* Huh?

Crowley: *abruptly jumps on Aziraphale with a human-sized sack and traps him inside* *dry voice* I'M HERE TO ANGELNAP THE CURRENT SUPREME ARCHANGEL, SILLY BOI!

Aziraphale: *has not the time to pop himself out of this situation that Crowley already popped both of them in Hell*

To be continued...

[Yep, I'm uncool like that. Nope, I do not regret a thing.]

***

Navigation time!

[While needing you to consider that, most of the time, the scenes are randomized and do not necessarily follow one another at all - OBVIOUSLY THOUGH 6.2 WILL FOLLOW 6.1 EVENTS I'M NOT THAT DEMONICAL OKAY?!]

Previous -Beginning - Next

[tio-trile]

OKAY SAME ANON sorry this is the third one,, but im going thru the rest of your asks and im realizing so many things.

I agree, a show SHOULD be able to stand on its own as an individual thing rather than counting on a sequel to continue its story. Now that I'm looking at the show in this lens, it is very lackluster. I still do quite love it, scratches that slice of life itch,, but mystery wise? No. I loved how ominous the "Everyday" song was. I thought it was supposed to foreshadow Armageddon (which it did, kind of) but more so it was for the Beel Gabriel reveal in the end. Aziraphale ran around looking for clues, but the annoying thing for me is he never puts it together? It was just something he does for US, the audience. It would've been good if he acknowledged all those clues in the ending, or realized it faster than us. In the end it seems so fruitless for him to investigate bc it never really did him any good? It was just for the audience to see. Also the Nina--Maggie subplot was cute, but it was also lacking? I like the point of "you cant force us together" bc theyre humans and its not that easy. But as a subplot it was waaay too ignored for it to be any relevant at all to the plot.

The thing about you mentioned abt A/C being supporting charas in the book, I agree. The good thing abt their dynamic is even with little clues and gestures we realize how good they are w/each other. The subtlety is what makes everything MORE interesting. But s2 makes it revolve around the ship, to the point where its all just filler. I dont mind filler,, but as you said, canon-compliant filler would be better. I appreciate that they're the main characters now since more screentime but I'd love it if they weren't ship-focused and still had proper interaction and dynamics with people outside of their circle (which I liked from the book + s1).

Anyways,, I still like it. But I appreciate seeing your takes since it really changed the way I view the show now. I feel more neutral about it now somewhat? I'm not invested in fandoms anymore bc of irl stuff so I don't think I would've spotted these things like you did so I really, really appreciate all your insights. Thank you. There's a lot of things to fix if s3 ever gets announced.

I think Neil mentioned that Terry brought up the "Everyday" song as a song about the Apocalypse (the book or S1), which could have been so good and ominous......instead it got used on this random Beelz x Gabe romance that came out of nowhere 😂😂 I thought the Nina x Maggie romance had potential in the beginning, but also completely fell flat/didn't go anywhere towards the end. Again, my takes are NOT trying to convince people who liked the show that they should change their opinions and NOT like the show anymore -- I'm just trying to explain why I personally didn't like it. Feel free to enjoy it as much as you can! Unfortunately I had way too much insights about it for it to be enjoyable for me 😂😂

[lv-iceprince]

@misatx-x

ello ello.

well my dear the time has finally come, thank you so so much for your consistent support for this blog, the interaction and for genuinely being a sense of comfort for me. i put a bit more extra time into this one, i wanted it to be just right xo

~enhypen~ jay

 Some believe true love is a thing, and though we can’t be certain of this we can be certain that Jay is in love with you. It’s a no brainer on his part, he swears he isn’t vain, but you speak to a deeper part of him as it is like looking in a mirror when he looks at you. Despite this he still sees through his own perceptions to see the beauty in everything you do, everything that you are and that alone. This is one of those instances where platonic comforts turned into wanting the occasional kiss on the lips. Somehow it all seemed to unfold like the prettiest flower in the world, love in its purest form, all this poetry is  my way of saying that it caught him off guard despite things falling into place with much ease.

Jay’s need to be around you comes from his joy in making you feel that little bit shyer than usual. It’s actually so cute when you really think about it, his love language relies on the subtleties of your relationship regardless of whether it is platonic or romantic. He does it in the sweetest, most wholesome ways ever, if your voice falters when his gaze is fixed on you, he will smile and hit you with the “come again?” line. It’s all in good fun, wait, it’s actually more than that, he wants to explore the deepest parts of your personality without getting all obnoxious or psychological about it. Jay is truly so gentle with you; his behaviour is second nature to him at this stage. You definitely wrote that off as Jay just being a nice likeable guy until you started dating him, the penny dropping when you realised that he doesn’t even bat an eye when Sunoo squeals out for help. You reveal domestic tendencies in him that are otherwise hidden, they are so well hidden that he didn’t even know he had them he just assumed that he had an appreciation for you and was being a standard guy. It’s then that you take the time to remind him that he is THE standard.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure this out, but Jay is actually so comfortable in your relationship, he has his excitable moments, but he has really come to appreciate just how reserved you are, which relates to the primarily cosy home lifestyle that both of you reenforce. You’re basically twinning with the whole default walking pace and while he does enjoy carnivals and laser tag he totally uses both as an excuse to flex how cool a boyfriend he is he still revels in the comforts that are having  heart to heart conversations with you or reading books in silence. If you yearn for something that’s that little bit more intimate and thrilling Jay won’t hesitate to grab his guitar and serenade you with those sweet acoustics. This is a sidenote but one that is so precious nonetheless. If you ever wanted to feel the music through your own hands, feeling the many love songs each note sings to you, Jay would lead your hands to the neck of his guitar, placing his hands atop yours he would guide you in playing your favourite song.

Jay was never one to see the world in high definition and in colour, but the day you gifted him with rose coloured glasses he swore he would never dare take them off. There are unusual circumstances surrounding you and Jay, the rose-coloured glasses he wears aren’t deceiving him, they’re actually allowing him to see everything beautiful that you are.

~txt~ beomgyu

Hear me out. I get that the two of you are seemingly opposites but sometimes things don’t go quite to plan and you end up falling for someone who seems to bear little resemblance to you, and this is the case. The whole dynamic for you and Beomgyu is just that, yeah it happened, and it was a surprise to both of us, but it works, and I wouldn’t sacrifice it for the world. Being completely honest with yourself you expected to feel more inclined to date Taehyun or Soobin, which was why Beomgyu didn’t even try to woo you, he just knew that there was a fifty-fifty chance of you liking him or you didn’t. Such heavy thinking was unlike him especially while he sat next to you at the arcade spinning the wheel of his Mario Kart at a rapid speed. He wanted to beat all of you guys but each time he glanced off to the side he would see you and he couldn’t prevent his mind from wandering.

He didn’t tell you until your first date, but he likes a woman who is kind of reserved, you actually got a slight chuckle out of the fact that he was using Yeonjun and Taehyun to describe his perfect woman which was you. You were reserved and thought a lot more than the average person like Taehyun and you sometimes loved to be lazy and enjoy yourself like Yeonjun. All of his words were out of the goodness of his heart. He was fumbling to express how much he admired you.

Beomgyu may seem like he’s far too loud, extroverted and that bit chaotic, but he knows where to draw the line but beyond that he actually seeks people who can be his voice of reason. He doesn’t want you to feel like you have to take care of him, but he just appreciates the fact that you are so reserved and often see further into the future than he could at any given time. I’m not saying Beomgyu is a passenger princess who likes you taking control in most ways, I am saying that, but he still likes his decisions being questioned. Like if he wants to go out and you say, “Hey actually why don’t we stay inside and do *Insert relaxing activity*” Beomgyu will wear the most stunning grin because he has now gotten the rush he was seeking.

Most of your relationship is actually quite relaxed, honestly, it’s surprising that you got him to sit still for more than a few minutes. Beomgyu just likes being held by you and resting his head on your shoulder, letting his bangs tickle your neck. Despite this he has his ways when it comes to you, he gently holds your emotions in the palms of his hand when you decide to let it all out. Instead of going overboard and making you feel slightly more awkward for sharing your feelings Beomgyu listens and reminds you that while he loves a tough girlfriend you can both switch roles for at least one night.

In some ways Beomgyu is a fool in love and in times when he feels like his love is getting too much he is the first person to suggest that you go to a carnival and be spun around and flipped upside down, or partake in a game of laser tag so he can hunt you down like a crazed maniac and shoot you. In his eyes the laser tag gun is his cupid’s bow.  In many ways he chases the feeling of your relationship, even if it comes in the form of a monotonous answer there’s nothing more that he wants than to be struck down by bolts of electric love.

[jpt3391]

The Life of Oharu

Dang. That movie was one of the saddest movies I have ever watched. The atmosphere that Mizoguchi created of a lady in the 1600s who had fallen from grace, may be exaggerated a bit, but still holds applicable to how many of the women during that time were treated. Even his own sister, who we talked about the class before, was sold off by her father which I can only imagine the effect that had on him and the future works that he would create. It really puts into perspective the hardships that women had to face throughout their lives and how the patriarchal society functioned. From her father, to her “lovers”, and to the other men that she had to face, every part that brought her problems was because of men and how they viewed women as property, rather than human beings like they should.

The titular character, Oharu, is introduced in the first frames of the movie, but it takes a bit for her to show her face, similar to how she would hide her face throughout the movie when meeting others for the first time. I think that Mizoguchi shot that long scene to put us into the shoes of how other people would see her and long to look at her face. Eventually, the beauty that she tries to hide turns into a beauty that she hides because of the path that she walks now as a nun. I thought that, despite everything that she went through, it was a respectable thing that she did. She was shunned by the nun at first because of the misunderstanding that was caused by Jihei, speaking of which, how terrible was that nun for not being able to forgive her and be the better person to still want to take care of a woman that has been tossed aside so many times. I thought that was so sad, to have Oharu in that position and turning to another lady who is supposed to take care of you, still casts you aside for what a man has done to you. It’s not even her fault, and she has to take the brunt of the punishment. But going back to the chronological story, one of the shots that I found interesting was the slow pan that revealed who I assumed was the priest of the temple, standing above the older ladies as a representation of the social status that men had back then.

The importance of money, not just in their society, but in the modern world as well. The shot where they all turned as the counterfeiter showed off the spoils to the people at the brothel was a really good shot. When they all turned around, it was pretty funny to me

More subtlety in the statues as the women are still below them, but also in the shot of Oharu and the other men looking down at her. It just reminds the audience of the lowly status that women had before.

[pyxiecle]

Howl's Moving Castle

Book Review **spoilers**

I finally finished this book after receiving it late last year.

I can’t help but wish I could have experienced it before the movie, as there are many differences between the two - which always seems to be the case (doesn’t it?)

The romance plot isn’t as delved into in the book; the iconic “find me in the future”, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you” is nonexistent. The most you’ll receive is “I’ve been wondering all along if you would turn out to be that lovely girl I met on May Day.” But the honesty is still tender to read.

The falling into each other’s arms felt rushed (though i’m a sucker for detailed romance scenes), but ultimately it made sense in the scene. So much is happening at once, the back and forth of all the characters in the moment wanting both their attentions yet they only want to focus on the other.

I’m sure if one re-read, you’d pick up on the subtlety of Howl falling for Sophie earlier than when it’s blatantly said. I do think her doing so was more obvious as the hints of jealousy were present throughout, but the masquerade of sisterly protectiveness was a nice cover.

I think all character’s personalities translated well when compared to the film. Howl remains dramatic, Sophie is kind, Calcifer is humorous. Not to place them into strict categories of course, wouldn’t dare to do such a thing for such otherworldly beings.

I really liked the focus of Sophie's magic, and how this ties into her being the only one who could’ve broken Howl and Calcifer's contract. Who else could’ve spoken the fire demon and Howl's heart back to life?

I think this scene, the catching a falling star scene in the film, was so beautifully done. This gives you the context of Calcifer and Howls contract, but looking back I really do prefer how the book lays it out for you gradually until it’s revealed.

I really enjoyed the book’s version of the star scene; having a secondary character along with Sophie attempting to do this, the personalisation of the star not wanting to live (!) and overall the hint from Calcifer to Sophie that *cough* he was a star once too.

I found myself flipping back a few times, which i love to do when reading as it’s such a cohesive feat for authors, and big kudos to them for achieving this. The “wait! so this is what that was!” moment makes reading so much more fun.

The war elements in the movie, trademarks of Miyazaki's (film's director) style, is something not mentioned in the book. It doesn’t make much of a difference to me. As the book came first, so therefore it has seniority to me of what works best.

Overall, I could continue to ramble, but i’ve never really done a book review before. I really enjoyed this one, and was a bit !!!! when it seemed to end so abruptly! I feel i’m used to at least another chapter of what potentially would’ve just been filler. So maybe it’s best it ended how it did. It’s a nice change from what I would’ve expected normally, especially when you note this was released in 1986.

I think this is easily a recommended read for anyone if you enjoy fantasy world building fiction.

I struggle with rating things, but for this review purposes and with how much I’ve enjoyed it —

★★★★★