#but i will agree that the transition is a little sudden. nature is such a big moment for the series

[skrunksthatwunk]

not my dad not liking moral orel season 3 🤭🤭🤭that's so embarrassing for him (<- he's not wrong for feeling that way but i think it's like 60% because he doesn't like it when art gets weird and that's so so tragic for him)

[bestalbertcamuslover]

Slow Mornings and Quick Thoughts

↳ Masterlist

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✯ pairing: Sebastian Vettel x Retired Driver! Reader ✯

✯ content warnings: none ✯

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She was staring blankly at the scene unfolding outside the window: the branches of the trees swaying in the soft yet cold breeze, the clouds drifting lazily across the blue sky in undisturbed calmness, and the sun, not yet fully risen, playing a tranquil game of peekaboo. The scent of coffee filled her nostrils as she observed the scene—so still, so unchanging, it resembled a painting.

“Morning,” he mumbled, making his way to the kitchen island while rubbing his eyes.

“Morning,” she replied, a faint smile crossing her face at the sight of him.

She took a sip of her coffee, remembering how, not so long ago, she had almost relied on caffeine to keep up with her hectic schedule and combat jet lag. It had definitely been a drastic change—and a considerably sudden one.

“You’re going for a run?” His voice was raspy with sleep, and he didn’t bother hiding the mild horror in his tone.

She took another slow sip of her coffee, amused. “Mhm.”

He frowned slightly, eyes scanning her running gear like it had personally offended him. “It’s too early for that.”

She smirked. “It’s eight.”

“Exactly,” he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face before stepping closer. Without warning, he tugged at the sleeve of her jacket, pulling her toward him. “Come back to bed. It’s warm there.”

She huffed a laugh, steadying herself with a hand on his chest. “You’re just saying that because you don’t want to be awake alone.”

“I don’t want to be awake at all,” he corrected, voice muffled as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling the faint scent of coffee on her skin. “And you’re warm. And you smell nice.”

She smiled, fingers threading lazily through his hair. “So I should stay because I’m a personal heater?”

He nodded sleepily, arms looping around her waist to keep her in place. “Mhm. And because you love me.”

She chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. “I do love you. But I also love running.”

Sebastian groaned dramatically, tightening his hold around her. “I’ll love running when I’m actually awake. Right now, it sounds terrible.”

“Everything sounds terrible to you before coffee.”

“Exactly,” he agreed without hesitation. Then, lifting his head slightly, he gave her a lopsided smile. “If you bring me back one, I’ll reconsider letting you leave.”

She rolled her eyes, nudging his nose with hers. “You always reconsider letting me leave.”

He sighed, closing his eyes again. “Fine. Five more minutes like this, then you can go.”

She let out a soft laugh but didn’t move away. “Deal.”

As always, running served as a window into her thoughts. The cold breeze that rustled the trees also stirred her mind, setting it into motion as she kept her stride. Despite maintaining a mindful pace, she couldn’t shake the habit of quickening slightly whenever another runner came into view—just enough to pass them. Whether it was competitiveness or something else, she wouldn’t admit it. She’d simply insist it was her natural rhythm.

Morning thoughts had a peculiar way of blending into shower thoughts, often feeling like a seamless continuation. And lately, one thing in particular occupied that space—her abrupt transition into retirement. It was a natural thing to think about, inevitable even, but there was an edge to it. After all, not many drivers found themselves retiring alongside another driver.

Sebastian was leaning against the kitchen counter, nursing his second cup of coffee—now properly awake—when she walked in, dressed, hair and makeup done, looking effortlessly put together.

But he noticed. The way her lips pressed together just a little too tightly, the way her brows drew in ever so slightly, the way her gaze flickered toward nothing in particular, lost in thought.

He set his mug down, tilting his head as he studied her. “Alright, out with it.”

She blinked, caught off guard. “Out with what?”

He raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Whatever’s making you look like you just lost a tenth in quali.”

That made her huff a quiet laugh, but it faded just as quickly. She exhaled, leaning against the counter across from him, fingers curling around the edge. “It’s nothing.”

He waited. Just looked at her, the way he always did—patient, steady, like he had all the time in the world. And, inevitably, that was enough.

She sighed. “I think I’m overthinking.”

“That sounds about right.” He smirked, but his eyes were soft, urging her to continue.

She hesitated, but the words were already pressing against her ribs. “It’s just… this is different, you know?” She gestured vaguely between them. “Us, now. Life now. I love it, I really do. But I can’t help but wonder if one day, we’ll just… be bored.”

Sebastian frowned, his expression shifting into something more thoughtful. “Bored?”

“Not with each other,” she rushed to clarify, then winced. “Or maybe? I don’t know. What if we only ever worked because we were in that world, in that chaos? What if we needed it?”

He took a sip of his coffee, considering her words. Then, setting the mug down, he stepped closer, closing the space between them. “You think racing held us together?”

She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. “Maybe. It’s what we knew. It’s how we started. And now…”

“Now, we don’t have that excuse,” he finished for her, watching her carefully.

She nodded, finally meeting his eyes. “Exactly.”

He was quiet for a moment, then exhaled a soft laugh, shaking his head. “You are overthinking.”

Her lips parted, ready to protest, but before she could, he leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead—slow, warm, grounding. “Do you know how many people have relationships that survive their careers, not because of them?” He pulled back just enough to look at her properly. “We had racing, sure. But that was never us.”

She swallowed, her chest tightening at the sincerity in his voice. “Then what was?”

His hands found her waist, thumbs brushing over her hips. “This,” he said simply. “The mornings. The coffee. The running even though I still think it’s ridiculous at that hour.” She laughed lightly, and he smiled before continuing. “It’s the way you still steal the blanket even when you swear you don’t. The way you think you’re being subtle when you’re deep in thought.” His voice softened. “It’s the way I look at you now, and I know we’re more than where we met.”

Her breath hitched slightly, and before she could say anything, he tugged her just a little closer, pressing his lips to hers—gentle but sure, like there was nothing in the world he’d ever be more certain of.

When he pulled back, she let out a slow breath, the tension in her shoulders easing. “That was a good answer.”

He grinned. “I know.”

She rolled her eyes, but her heart felt lighter. “I really was overthinking.”

He smirked, brushing his nose against hers. “It’s one of your talents.”

She hummed, hands settling on his chest. “At least I balance it out by having excellent taste in men.”

Sebastian laughed, shaking his head as he kissed her again. “That, you do.”

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✯ authors note: I feel like this story could go along with He is Retiring and Retirement and a Failed Proposal , as in they are all technically thought as the same storyline but work independently.

English is not my first language and I hope you liked it <3

[oddaesthetin]

i love my guitarist side — han hyeongjun

tiktok trend fluff

—

“junhan, come here for a second,” you call, barely containing your excitement as you queue up the video.

he shuffles over, his guitar still slung across his shoulder, looking a little suspicious. “what are you up to?”

“just sit,” you say, grinning as you pat the spot next to you.

he gives you a side-eye but obeys, plopping down beside you. you’re practically bouncing as you press play, and he leans in to watch.

the video starts innocently enough— cute pictures of guitar, then slowly transitioning to pictures of you with the caption,

i love my guitarist side.

the music swells as the caption reappears:

but you don’t play guitar.

his brows furrow slightly, lips twitching like he’s trying to figure it out. but then the video cuts—right to him.

a clip of him shredding his guitar on stage. another of him practicing in the dorm, hair a little messy, head down in full concentration. the camera zooms in on his hands, and the final shot? a candid you took of him in the practice room, bathed in golden light, tuning his guitar like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

the screen fades to black, and you’re biting your lip, waiting for his reaction.

he doesn’t say anything at first, just stares at the screen, blinking. you watch his ears turn red before the rest of his face catches up, his hand automatically coming up to rub the back of his neck.

“wait,” he finally says, voice soft, “this is about me?”

you nod, grinning. “yup,” emphasizing the p. “you’re my guitarist side, duh.”

his lips part slightly like he wants to say something, but all that comes out is a quiet, “oh,” he looks down, then back at you, his gaze flickering between your face and the laptop like he’s still processing, “you made this?”

“yeah,” you nudge his shoulder playfully and proudly adds, “the one and only.”

there’s a pause, and then he lets out a small laugh, covering his mouth with his hand. his ears are bright red now, and you can tell he’s absolutely flustered.

“you’re insane,” he mutters, shaking his head.

“insanely sweet, uh-huh.” you correct, nodding your head as if you’re really agreeing with yourself.

he glances at you, and you swear his smile is the softest thing you’ve ever seen.

“you really think that?” he asks quietly, the teasing tone gone.

“think what?”

“that… i’m, like… part of you.”

his voice is so shy it almost breaks you. you lean back, trying to play it cool despite the sudden urge to squish his face. “well, yeah. obviously. you’re my guitarist, aren’t you?”

he doesn’t respond right away, just looks down at his hands like he’s trying to hide how much he’s smiling. he combs back his hair and licks his lips; actions that you notice he always does when he’s flustered. and then, finally, he looks up, with his eyes meeting yours. there’s this quiet intensity that makes your heart skip. “i like that,” he murmurs, voice soft but steady. “i think you’re part of me, too.”

it’s your turn to be flustered now, heat rushing to your cheeks as you look away. “OKAY,” while you’re not entirely sure why, you said that so defensively, and then added, “STOP.”

“what?” he asks, grinning now, voice teasing again. “you started it.”

“i regret everything.”

“no, you don’t,” he says, leaning closer to nudge your shoulder like you did earlier.

and when you peek through your fingers, his expression is so warm and fond that you know he’s right. you definitely don’t.

thank god for being chronically online and for not having anything else to do.

—

© oddaesthetin 2024

ughh i just noticed there’s no junhan inner thoughts ughhh (lmao). i made it my goal to always include a peek of the male pov bcs honestly y not. it helps my delusions. not even a week yet and univ ruined my brain already.

[magugbigug]

My Analysis of Voltron: Legendary Defender and Its Legacy - in Particular Regards to Keith and Lotor.

My father introduced me to Voltron: Defender of the Universe when I was four years old, around 2010, because he grew up with it in the 80s. Voltron became my first real obsession. When I was about ten, DreamWorks announced that they would be partnering with Netflix to remake my favourite show. Naturally, I was excited. But when I finally watched Voltron: Legendary Defender (LD), I was confused.

At the time, I didn’t know about Beast King GoLion, so I was full of questions: Who’s Shiro? Where’s Sven? Why did they change Arus to Altea? Why isn’t Keith in the Black Lion? I cannot tell you how furious ten-year-old me was when I discovered they had given the Voltron Force the “wrong” Lions (Lance in Blue? Preposterous). After Season One, I actually quit watching because it felt so far removed from what I knew (they made Pidge a girl? How dare they!). It wasn’t until Season Eight had already been released for quite some time that I went back to give it another go. It was… alright.

I’m not new to Voltron, but I am new to fandom, and Tumblr—only recently realising that you can talk to people about your interests over the internet instead of just in the schoolyard (my friends got so bored of me talking about Voltron). So what I’m about to discuss may already be old news, but these are my thoughts on Legendary Defender and how it compares to Voltron’s legacy.

The Role of the Black Lion and Leadership

Whilst scouring the tags, I’ve seen a recurring debate within the Voltron fandom regarding whether Keith should have been in the Black Lion or gone back to Red. Some argue that he was unfit for the position, but this perspective overlooks the franchise’s long-standing tradition. Since Defender of the Universe in the 1980s, Keith has been the Black Lion’s pilot and the leader of the team. The Black Lion has always been the heart of Voltron, piloted by the one who holds the team together and leads them into battle.

To claim Keith isn’t fit for the Black Lion is to disregard not only his character arc but also the very structure of Voltron as a franchise. From the very beginning, Keith has been the pilot of the Black Lion, just as Optimus Prime has always been the bearer of the Matrix of Leadership in Transformers. The Black Lion choosing Keith in Legendary Defender is a natural continuation of a forty-year tradition, not a sudden or undeserved shift.

However, LD wrote itself into a corner by bringing Shiro back and sidelining Keith for almost two seasons. While this allowed for Krolia’s introduction and the addition of the space wolf, which I enjoyed, it disrupted Keith’s development as a leader. Instead of organically growing into his role, Keith’s transition to leadership felt abrupt and underdeveloped. Previous versions of Voltron, such as Defender of the Universe and Voltron Force, dedicated time to showcasing Keith’s leadership qualities, making his role as the Black Lion’s pilot feel more natural. By contrast, LD’s decision to remove him from the team for an extended period created an inconsistent leadership structure that ultimately weakened his arc.

The Absence of Voltron in Voltron

One of my biggest issues with Voltron: Legendary Defender is how little the titular ‘character’ actually appears in the show. There are entire story arcs where the audience goes multiple episodes without seeing Voltron at all. This is a stark contrast to the previous Voltron series, where the lion mechs formed Voltron at least once per episode, making the giant robot a central and consistent presence.

After reading Bob Koplar’s opinions on LD, I find myself agreeing with him. Even though I was quite young when Legendary Defender first came out, I had already seen all the previous Voltron series thanks to my father. Even then, something about LD felt off to me. It wasn’t until I read Koplar’s insights that I fully understood why—it simply didn’t feel like Voltron.

And to be clear, I’m not saying Legendary Defender is a bad show. It’s a well-produced series with high-quality animation, a solid voice cast, and some genuinely good storytelling. It also brought more awareness to a brand I love, introducing a new generation of fans to Voltron. But despite its strengths, it often felt disconnected from the essence of what made Voltron special.

In every previous iteration, forming Voltron wasn’t just a moment of spectacle—it was a core part of the show’s identity. The lions coming together, the transformation sequence, the blazing sword—these weren’t just iconic visuals; they were essential to the Voltron experience. In LD, however, Voltron often felt secondary to character-driven subplots and political intrigue, which, while interesting (most of the time), took focus away from the giant robot action that defined the franchise.

The Absence of Vehicle Voltron

Voltron: Legendary Defender was marketed as a love letter to everything that came before it—a grand tribute to the Voltron legacy. But in reality, it wasn’t.

Of course, Lion Force Voltron (adapted from Beast King GoLion) is the most well-known and beloved version of the franchise, so it makes sense that LD focused on it. But if the goal was truly to unite all Voltron ideas under one roof, then why was Vehicle Voltron (Armored Fleet Dairugger XV) completely ignored?

I understand that Vehicle Voltron is more obscure, but it was still an essential part of Voltron's history. The original plan for Voltron as a franchise was that there would be three Voltrons:

Defender of the Far Universe (Lion Force),

Defender of the Middle Universe (Vehicle Voltron),

Defender of the Near Universe (Gladiator Voltron, based on Lightspeed Electroid Albegas).

However, after Vehicle Voltron proved less popular, instead of introducing Gladiator Voltron as planned, World Events Productions doubled down on Lion Force Voltron with a second season and a TV movie, Fleet of Doom. That movie featured both Lion and Vehicle Voltron teaming up, and it remains one of the most awesome moments in Voltron's history.

If LD had truly been a love letter to Voltron, it would have acknowledged all of Voltron, not just Lion Force. It would have recognised the legacy of Vehicle Voltron and drawn from its rich history instead of awkwardly repurposing its best elements. Instead, the show attempted to reinvent Voltron while sidelining key parts of its past, losing much of what made Voltron special in the first place.

Lotor’s Redefinition: A Flawed but Ambitious Adaptation

Lotor’s characterisation in Legendary Defender marks a significant departure from his portrayal in Defender of the Universe. In DotU, Prince Lotor is a sadistic, irredeemable villain. He was a brutal conqueror, a mass murderer and a serial rapist. He saw Allura as a prize rather than a person. His cruelty extended even to his own subordinates, reinforcing his role as an unambiguous antagonist.

LD, however, attempted a more complex interpretation of Lotor, depicting him as a strategic manipulator with seemingly noble intentions. He positioned himself as a reformer of the Galra Empire, standing in opposition to Zarkon’s tyranny. This reimagining was ambitious, but the execution faltered. His eventual descent into villainy in Season 6 felt rushed, as though the writers were unsure whether to portray him as a tragic anti-hero or a monstrous antagonist.

This brings me to another major problem with Legendary Defender’s handling of Lotor. If the writers wanted to create a sympathetic, deserter, reluctant ally figure, then Lotor was the wrong character to use. In Defender of the Universe, Lotor is a sadistic, cruel warlord obsessed with conquest and domination, especially when it comes to Allura. He was never a misunderstood antihero—he was pure villainy.

A far better choice for this arc would have been Commander Hazar from Vehicle Voltron. Hazar was the noble commander of the Drule forces, who realised that his people’s war against the Galaxy Alliance was doomed and sought a peaceful resolution. He had a compelling redemption arc, going from enemy to ally as he struggled against the more ruthless elements of his own empire. But instead of introducing Hazar, LD simply took his story and gave it to Lotor—likely because Lotor was the more recognisable character.

This ultimately backfired. While a sympathetic or morally ambiguous take on Lotor could have been compelling, the series failed to develop him in a consistent manner. Instead of an outright sadistic monster, LD initially portrayed him as a cunning, strategic manipulator who appeared to have noble intentions—at least on the surface. He positioned himself as a reformer of the Galra Empire, criticising Zarkon’s rule and striving for a different vision of leadership. He surrounded himself with female generals whom he treated with apparent respect, further distinguishing him from his DotU counterpart. This version of Lotor was crafted to be more sympathetic, even charismatic, to the point that Allura herself developed feelings for him, a massive departure from the horror and revulsion she held toward him in DotU.

However, the execution of Legendary Defender’s Lotor was deeply flawed. The narrative spent seasons portraying him as a potential ally, only to suddenly reveal in Season 6 that he was not only unhinged but had been engaging in horrific experiments on Alteans. His villain turn felt rushed and unearned as if the writers couldn’t decide whether they wanted him to be a tragic anti-hero or an irredeemable monster. This abrupt shift wasn’t organic—it was the result of executive intervention. According to reports, when Bob Koplar (who oversees Voltron at World Events Productions) found out the writers were trying to make Lotor good, he stepped in and pushed them to course-correct, leading to Lotor’s sudden descent into madness and atrocities.

By trying to blend Lotor and Hazar into one character, LD weakened both. Lotor lost the defining villainy that made him iconic in past series, while Hazar’s compelling redemption story was distorted by being attached to a character with too much villainous baggage. LD wanted Lotor to be both the misunderstood antihero and the ultimate evil, but in trying to have it both ways, they ruined the integrity of his arc. The greatest casualty of Lotor’s inconsistent characterisation was Allura’s arc. Instead of developing their dynamic meaningfully, the show oscillated between presenting Lotor as sympathetic and suddenly making him irredeemably evil. In DotU, Allura despised Lotor and stood firmly against his advances, representing strength and defiance in the face of oppression. In LD, she was manipulated into trusting and even falling for him, which not only contradicted her instincts as a leader but also made her later grief and anger feel hollow due to how abruptly the story shifted Lotor back into full villainy.

The Missed Opportunity of Keith and Lotor’s Rivalry in Legendary Defender

One of the biggest missteps in Voltron: Legendary Defender, I felt, was its failure to develop Keith and Lotor’s rivalry into a meaningful, ongoing conflict. In past incarnations, particularly Defender of the Universe (DotU), Lotor viewed Keith as his greatest obstacle—not just as Voltron’s leader, but as the one standing between him and Allura. He recognised that Allura harboured feelings for Keith, which fueled his hatred and provided some of the most compelling personal conflicts in the series.

In Legendary Defender, however, Keith was largely absent for two seasons, leaving little room for an adversarial relationship with Lotor. Instead of building on their natural opposition, the show reduced their interactions to a handful of confrontations, missing an opportunity to add depth to the overarching narrative. Had Keith remained with the team instead of leaving for the Blade of Marmora, his dynamic with Lotor could have taken one of two fascinating paths—either leading to a devastating betrayal or reinforcing Keith’s instincts as the voice of reason.

Keith Trusts Lotor Completely (and is Devastated by His Betrayal)

Had Keith stayed, he might have bonded with Lotor over their shared half-Galra heritage. Throughout Legendary Defender, Keith struggles with his identity, and without the Blades to guide him, he could have been drawn to someone who truly understood what it meant to exist between two worlds. Lotor presents himself as refined, strategic, and pragmatic—qualities that might have resonated with Keith as he tried to grow into his role as a leader.

With Shiro compromised by Haggar’s manipulation and Allura torn by grief and duty, Lotor could have positioned himself as Keith’s closest confidant, someone who could help him make sense of his Galra side rather than viewing it as something to suppress. This trust, however, would have made Lotor’s eventual betrayal all the more soul-crushing. It wouldn’t just be the loss of an ally—it would be the loss of the first person who made Keith feel like he didn’t have to choose between his human and Galra lineage. Given Keith’s history of abandonment—his mother leaving, his father’s death, and Shiro’s repeated disappearances—Lotor’s deception could have broken him in a way few other betrayals could.

Instead of reacting with pure anger, Keith’s devastation could have manifested as bitter disillusionment. No longer willing to trust easily, he might have hardened himself further, becoming even more closed-off and reluctant to open up. This would have been a poignant subversion of past Voltron incarnations, where Keith and Lotor were always enemies. In DotU and Voltron Force, there was never any question of them being on the same side—Lotor was a power-hungry prince, and Keith was the noble leader standing in his way. Legendary Defender could have played with audience expectations by making Keith believe Lotor was different, only to have that belief shattered.

Keith Doesn’t Trust Lotor at All (and Becomes the Voice of Reason)

On the other hand, Keith’s blunt, no-nonsense attitude and strong instincts might have made him the first to see through Lotor’s deception. Keith is an intuitive fighter—he acts on gut feelings, and more often than not, those instincts are correct. He was the first to suspect something was wrong with Shiro, the first to push for finding the Blade of Marmora, and the first to embrace his Galra heritage when others hesitated. If Keith had remained with the Paladins, he might have immediately sensed that Lotor wasn���t as noble as he claimed.

This would have led to a compelling internal conflict within the team. Shiro (or rather, his clone) trusted Lotor. Allura, yearning for hope, wanted to believe in his sincerity. The rest of the Paladins were hesitant but willing to follow Shiro’s lead. If Keith stood alone in his distrust, it could have isolated him, forcing him into a position where he felt like an outsider even among his own team. This tension would have mirrored his past struggles with authority—just as he distrusted the Garrison and later the Blades, he would have once again found himself at odds with those around him, questioning an alliance everyone else was willing to accept.

This slow-burning antagonism between Keith and Lotor could have been an excellent way to preserve their classic rivalry. Instead of being immediate enemies, their conflict could have simmered beneath the surface—Lotor, ever the manipulator, attempting to win Keith over, while Keith steadfastly refused to be fooled. When Lotor’s true nature was finally revealed, the impact would have been far greater, as Keith would have been proven right—but at a cost. His relationship with his team could have suffered in the process, with the others only realising too late that he had been the only one who saw Lotor for who he truly was.

Both of these potential storylines would have strengthened Keith’s character arc—either by forcing him to confront betrayal on a deeply personal level or by cementing his role as an unshakable leader who sees through deception when no one else can. More importantly, they would have restored the weight of Keith and Lotor’s rivalry, making it more than just a handful of scattered battles.

Instead, Legendary Defender kept Keith and Lotor largely separate, missing an opportunity to explore their ideological clashes, personal similarities, and the devastating consequences of Lotor’s deception. By discarding their dynamic for two seasons, the show ultimately failed to capitalise on one of Voltron’s most compelling rivalries—a conflict that, in past versions, had always been at the heart of the story.

My Issue with LD’s Canon Romance

If there’s one franchise where the canon pairing didn’t work for me, it’s Voltron: Legendary Defender. Normally, I’m content with canon ships—I love Hiccstrid (How to Train Your Dragon), the Doctor and River Song (Doctor Who), Kataang (Avatar: The Last Airbender), and Anakin/Padmé (Star Wars). But in LD, the decision to end with Lance and Allura felt like a fundamental misunderstanding of Voltron as a whole.

For over thirty years, Voltron consistently paired Keith and Allura. Their romantic tension was a recurring element in Defender of the Universe (second season), The Third Dimension, Voltron Force, and even the Dynamite comics. Legendary Defender, however, sidelined their dynamic and abruptly pushed Lance and Allura together at the last minute without meaningful buildup. Their relationship lacked organic development, making it feel forced and unearned.

I, like many fans found the canon ending unsatisfying, but instead of Kallura, the most dominant ships in the fandom became Klance (Keith/Lance) and Sheith (Keith/Shiro), which honestly baffles me. Sheith, in particular, feels uncomfortable—not just because of the age difference, but because Keith explicitly refers to Shiro as his brother. Their dynamic is built on a strong mentor-protégé bond, which makes any romantic interpretation feel… wrong.

Klance is equally confusing to me. Keith and Lance spend most of the show at odds, their relationship defined by rivalry and bickering. I've seen arguments that Lance is bisexual and Keith is gay, but I could find no actual evidence in the show to support this. Lance openly flirts with multiple women (Allura, Nyma, Plaxum), but never once shows interest in men. Keith, on the other hand, isn’t depicted as romantically interested in anyone, male or female—though there are moments where he subtly notices Allura (noticed by people far smarter than myself). On my first watch, it seemed to me that the writers were setting up Keith and Acxa.

I will say that I don’t like these two ships, but it's fine if you do, I’m not judging. I’m just curious to hear from people who do ship these pairings. What is it about Klance or Sheith that resonates with you? Is there something in their dynamic that I might be missing? Maybe my perspective is limited or some gay subtext that my stupid hetero-focused brain can't process, so I’d love to understand why these ships became so popular.

Conclusion

Voltron: Legendary Defender set out to modernise and reimagine a beloved franchise, and while it succeeded in some areas, I felt it ultimately fell short in honouring Voltron’s full legacy. The series introduced fresh character dynamics, impressive animation, and ambitious storytelling, but its execution often felt inconsistent. Keith’s arc as the Black Lion’s pilot was hindered by narrative disruptions, Vehicle Voltron was ignored despite its historical significance, and Lotor’s character was muddled by conflicting portrayals. The rivalry between Keith and Lotor, a defining element of past iterations, was underdeveloped, missing a key opportunity for deeper storytelling.

Despite its flaws, LD reignited interest in Voltron for a new generation and expanded the franchise’s fanbase. It brought new perspectives to familiar characters and offered an engaging, if imperfect, reimagining of the classic series. However, by disregarding core elements of Voltron’s past, it failed to fully embrace the legacy it sought to celebrate.

Disclaimer

Everything stated in this post is purely my opinion. I’m sharing my personal thoughts and interpretations, and I understand that others may see things differently. Feel free to discuss this respectfully. Upon re-reading this, I realise it might sound a bit gatekeep-y. I'm not using this as an excuse to bash anyone else's opinions or claim my own as superior. I'm simply using it as a way to perhaps educate about what came before and understand what is now. Like what you like and don't what you don't, so long as it doesn't hurt anyone. If you’re interested in learning more about the previous Voltron series (mostly DotU), I highly recommend checking out @voltronfandomhag. They haven’t posted anything in a while, but they are an absolute treasure trove, and their insights were invaluable to me while writing this.

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

Love language: gift giving

For some reason Lucifer has called you at 7 pm to go for a last second shopping. And for some other reason Solomon decides to tag along

Wc: 1,2k

"Say… what kind of blanket do you want?"

Lucifer sighs " shouldn't you recommend me? We have barely been here for a year"

Lightly giggling you touch some of the blankets in display " I was thinking of what kind of blankets you like"

" Diavolo said he would find a suitable replacement for me, but we should get one if those for mammon" he points towards a brown and gold blanket

" I'm sure he is going to like it, it almost looks like a Grimm" quickly you push one if those inside the shopping cart

Lucifer stops next to a shelf as he looks over a pack, it's a set with a sun and moon twin blankets " Those ones fit the twins don't they?" He only nods

Looking around you see a fluffy pink throw " isn't that the limited influencer Eisheth throw? Do you think asmo will like it?"

He wraps tte pink and fluffy fabric around his glove" As long as it can last a week or so it will make do" he says sternly before turning to see plain color covers

You lean towards one of the patterned blankets, running your fingers through the fine hairs " Can I ask why the sudden need to call me an hour before bedtime to buy blankets?"

Lucifer leans backwards against the wall tiredly " Leviathan decided to hoard all of our bed coverings and lock himself in his room with the threat of summoning lothan" you do catch his eyes drifting towards the section behind you, the demonus and infused beverages.

"Why did he even steal them out of the blue?" You catch Solomon grabbing some pasta and drinks, for some reason he insisted on coming with you

Lucifer lifts his eyebrow, a face between judging and surprise " According to Diavolo, cold-blooded demons go through a nesting phase during the colder months of the year… Now that I think about it, why are you so normal… aren't you a cold blooded demon? You have scales like Levi " points out to your wings filled with small scales

"O-Oh well" you look around, trying to find Solomon to help you out somehow

Solomon hugs your shoulders, leaning against you "Deeeaarr, don't tell me you want that one too?" He points towards your hand, petting the faux devildom beast fur

He sighs dramatically putting it inside his own cart " you are going to make me run out of money at this pace, three blankets and five different pillows and you somehow hoard everything."

As you look inside his cart you find the faux fur and two teddy blankets, one with blue and other purple "You whined about the blankets being too rough for a while now and these are the softest I could find, do they make do?

" Oh, yes thanks" Solomon smiles at you

" Mh, so you are going through that phase…" Lucifer doesn't seem too convinced that you two are being truthful but is too tired to look into it " I do apologize then. I will make sure to only contact you only when necessary for this week"

Solomon looks inside the shopping cart but seems to be confused "Why didn't you buy something for little Satan?" Solomon ask teasingly

He sighs heavily "Is it even worth buying something for Satan? Whenever I get him something he rips it apart"

" Just leave it to us, okay?" He grabs your shoulders " I'm sure we will make do"

Lucifer gives in, not wanting to deal with the subject any longer " alright. I will get going to the manor, Satan will be waiting downstairs for you" as he walks to the demonus aisle

" That is the wrong direction luci~"

" I know sorcerer."

He laughs softly " Well then, do we agree on what to give to Satan?" He looks at you before you two spouter the say sentence

" Cat blanket"

" Kid section?" You ask

" Most likely"

Just as you enter the section the muted and natural colors transition towards vibrant ones, a green blanket with little baby cats walking around greets you as you enter

" Just what we needed" says Solomon as he snatches it,

" Well, let's get going" you turn around to return the other two blankets but you can't see him "Solo?"

"Here, i just saw these" he pops from a display stand, each hand holding a different blanket " and i couldn't just leave them there"

" We don't have to fake any longer sol, lucifer left" you keep walking towards the teddy fabric section, Solomon following you trying to sell them

" But don't you like them? They have sheeps motifs for you and stars and moons for me"

" Wasn't I drying you of your money? Leave them where they were"

You are suddenly stopped when Solomon hugs your chest pushing you against him "but that's fine~ I'm your husband I will buy my lovely spouse whatever they want" and gives you a quick kiss on the cheek

"We are in the middle of a store, Solomon"

" But I love my demon spouse~" he pushes the cart to the cashier and as she starts ringing the objects up you see some objects that catch your eye

" Why did you get a horn humectant? My horns are quite alright"

" Look" His hands move your hair from the base of your horns, as he does he manages to scratch the base and get a white and gray powder " the base is dry, if we don't treat it it will look like you have dandruff" before flicking his fingers to dust the residue off

"... Okay" you keep putting things down, some food, a bottle of demonus and a bottle of human world alcohol, and some snacks it seems. Newt's legs, bat's wings, fire sauce jelly and… " AH!" You gasp

"Mh? What did you find"

" You got hell's slime popsicle?" You grab the handful of lollipops " you remember I like them"

" Of course I did… whenever I talk with you your tongue is green" he rolls his eyes as he

" Don't act as if you didn't like your tongue getting dyed green too," you hug his shoulders as you look towards the cashier "even if you don't like the flavor"

" Thinking it through please leave the lollipops off" he says to the cashier who is trying her best to not laugh

" Solo noooo" You pull on his arm like a little kid annoying their parents to buy sweets. It seems to be working from the vein popping on his neck

He did, in fact, buy your sweets

" Solo?" You asks him as you walk to the house of lamentation

" Yes?" He answers while chewing on the fire sauce jelly

" Thank for the sweets"

" I'm glad you like them" he smiles boyishly, it has been a good while since you saw him so relaxed, one hand on his pocket and the other holding a bag

" Do you want something from the magic shop? I will get you anything " you point to the dimly lit shop but he only laughs and oats your head

" I'm quite happy like this, let's just go home" his free arm slides across your shoulder, pushing you towards him

" But if you wanted to humor me I would like to cook dinner tonight "

"O-Oh there is no need, i will ask for hell's kitchen delivery"

Satan did not get his blanket that night

[justanotherthrowaway1950]

(tw abuse)

Something I've been thinking about:

Sometimes I feel that there's not much we know about Azula. The only two episodes she's given depth beyond being a villain are Sozin's comet and the Beach. Even the time where she and Zuko were in the fire palace didn't show much.

I wonder if this contributes to multiple perspectives people have on Azula. Mainly anything along the lines of 'she shouldn't be redeemed, bc that was the point' and 'she wasn't abused'

The show implies many things about her. And there are many fabulous metas about her.

(I feel most of the ways Ozai abused Azula are implied. And this is another meta, but I find that a lot of people don't recognize that a character is abuse unless it's explicit and a point is made of it, especially if a character is shown to have some form of privilege.)

But what we are shown explicitly is a villainess who kept following her dad's orders until people turned on her because of it. Not much about why she is the way she is, beyond 'she was her dad's favorite' and does everything to please him.

Agreed. I've always felt that they should have removed or condensed some of the pre-DoBS episodes in S3 so they could have, among other things, given us an episode showing the events of ATLA leading up to Sozin's Comet from Azula's POV so her fall to madness wouldn't be so sudden, we could see how Ozai abused if her, if he ever did, and we would have had a definitive answer to the nurture versus nature debate that was only recently answered by her solo comic.

(If you want to see me go into details with my perceived issues with ATLA S3, please see this.)

But even accepting the "fact" that Season 3 had too much going to dedicate time to fleshing a character who was ultimately a secondary villain and foil to Zuko and Katara, it's really odd that they waited 15 years to finally fill in the gaps in the Azula's character and answer long-held questions by fandom, even if a non-insignificant portion of them view the answers as belated, fan-driven retcons. And even then, Azula's solo comic really doesn't really go into detail, either through flashbacks or dialogue, about Ozai's abuse of her, which leads to the problem you identified of people failing to recognize a privileged character as an abuse victim unless it is explicitly shown and directly pointed out by the text.

For example, in my opinion, based on my personal observation, a lot of fans view Azua's solo comic all but saying she is a product of nature who felt she had no choice but to become his monster after Ursa left the Palace as a retcon caused by the creators becoming aware that Azula had a substantial fanbase that saw her as a child failed by her country and father, instead of a irredeemable, psychopathic monster who deserved her fate.

Especially since the comic fails to show Azula becoming progressively more evil after Ursa left due to the pressure she felt from Ozai, making it seem like Azula was trying to justify being a bad person since she was young to avoid taking responsibility for her current lot in life.

Or in other words, a Draco in Leather Pants situation that managed to actually affect canon.

I know the comics' main goal was to depict the transition between Aang and Korra' eras, and then fill in the time period between Sozin's Comet and when Aang's movie is supposed to occur after Avatar Studios became a thing. But I wish the comics from the start focused on, among other things, fleshing out characters who weren't a main character in the show like Mai, Ty Lee, and Suki, among others.

In my opinion, it's a shame that we know so little about the characters and world in Aang's era despite the comics being a thing for most of time after the show stopped airing.

(Yes, I know the roleplaying game is filling out the lore. But most people haven't read it, so the above statement applies to most ATLA fans.)

[slythereen]

I agree, if Charles went to RBR it would actually be the best, PR-wise, for RB and him.

If anyone starts talking about Charles betraying Ferrari? The absolute shade Christian would throw out into the media about how Ferrari didn't treat him right.

People hating on him once he starts winning? Red Bull would bask in the media attention for being the villain team and having two drivers destroy the competition. They would post videos of getting booed and see it as a sign of superiority. You're right, they would definitely eat that shit up and throw it in everyone's faces.

And Charles in Ferrari media always gives PR-media-trained-perfect-angel-boy, but we all know Charles is actually unhinged and insane and can be snarky as hell. RB would allow him to not be a robotic PR boy for once in his life.

Honestly, it would be best for everyone, and most importantly, entertaining for us.

you know, i actually am not sure how demonic charles would be on main about it all. on one hand, yes, ferrari absolutely has a hand in how buttoned up his media persona is — but, he's been with them for so long (is ferrari the team that sent him to media training with sky? or was that earlier?) that it's definitely influenced his natural approach, i think. careful and deliberate is ingrained in him.

don't get me wrong: he has his moments. he's not afraid to get a little sassy, he will toss shade, but significantly less than other drivers (and half the time he gets kidnapped by silvia and returns suddenly happy with ferrari again). i can see the sudden shift in pr management from transitioning from ferrari to rbr going two ways.

first, charles doesn't really shift much. his personal brand is very polished and serene. it may have originated with ferrari, but it's part of the image that he has also helped to craft for himself. he may just me more relaxed and freer with his cheeky commentary, less likely to get scolded behind closed doors (but everyone knows so it may as well be in the paddock), generally be a slightly spicier form of charles... but he'd still be gentle about it. playful about it. not abandon his main persona very much, because a) i think a lot of it is genuine but b) a switch up would make it look not genuine. so non-robotic but not the fullblown rbr villainy that would entertain me greatly.

or: rbr as a brand encourages it. they will tell him he can do it, likely (within reason/without it blowing back on the team, naturally). they may even craft scenarios where he can be "real" on main. red bull gives you wings, after all, and charles' have been clipped for years. and charles, if he moves to rbr, knows what he is signing up for. if he wants to cohesively integrate into the rbr image and marketing (which he would want/need to) he would need to embrace a shift in his pr approach. that's something he would need to be committed to in advance. he might full-send it, or at least send it harder than expected. it might be part of the new marketing angle he's taking.

a combination thereof may be closer to the how the brand book would be put together. a happy middle ground, maybe. if you think about it, charles' shift in messaging supports it, too: "i don't care for pole, i want to win" "max may have the best car but that doesnt excuse his talent. the driver winning is still extremely talented even with the best car, btw. (pls remember that when i have the best car and suddenly am winning again)". it's little but it's noticeable; he's repeated it a lot.

[youngjusticeslut]

Since we can almost all agree season 1 was the best. What do you think made it so good and so favorited compared to the three seasons?

Given that I've recently finished rewatching Season 1, I feel like now is an excellent time to answer this ask.

In my opinion, Season 1 of Young Justice is the best, and none of the following seasons even come close to matching it. At its core, Season 1 introduced us to this core team of teenage heroes and told the story through their lens. There are a few defining key features to this season that makes it stand above the others, and they are as follows:

You did not have to know any comics history in order to understand and follow the plot. This is, arguably, one of the most important elements of Season 1 that the other seasons (Outsiders and Phantoms in particular) fail on. Each character is a unique take to their comic counterparts. In the case of Kaldur and Artemis, they remain completely separate and can almost be considered characters that are completely unique to the show. In the case of more recognizable heroes (Wally, Dick, Superboy and Miss Martain), Season 1 gives them enough of a refresh that they feel new, but with familiar elements that make them fun to watch and get to know. Easter eggs don't detract from the plot, and remain just fun little things to point out and commend for their inclusion. Unlike later seasons, which pulled heavy elements from DC comics and wove them into the plot, Season 1 is accessible and enjoyable to everyone and isn't just for those who've read the comics.

The core cast of characters. Season 1, primarily, focused on the Team (Aqualad, Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, Miss Martian and Artemis, sometimes Red Arrow.... and later, Zatanna and Rocket). These characters were the main cast, and every episode revolved around a story that put them in the spotlight. Every character (with the exception of Rocket) got at least one episode focused on their their development and gave them a chance to shine, and the audience a chance to get to know and appreciate them. The famous couples (Spitfire, Supermartian, etc.) got proper build up and were pretty fleshed out, making them endearing to the fandom. Unlike later seasons, which have outrageously bloated casts and relationships that got maybe 50 seconds of screentime (I'm looking at you, Wonderbird), Season 1 invested in its characters and let them lead the story, making them feel all the more real and the story that much more genuine. This is why the harsh transition between Season 1 and Invasion feels like a heartbreak. We spent 26 episodes falling in love with the core Team, and now all of a sudden we're expected to care about an entirely new cast with no support, explanation or buildup. It felt like being cheated out of 5 years with this cast, and even now we still don't have answers to a lot of questions in the gap.

Show, don't tell. I won't get too much into this one, but if you've been following me throughout Outsiders and Phantoms you'll know how much I loathe the amount of "telling" instead of showing. Season 1 does this so much better. Missions are played out, instead of explained to viewers through excessive monologues. Characters let their actions speak for them and actually had the time to play around the plot, instead of letting the plot making the decisions for them.

The reality of it all. At the risk of sounding like I belong on Twitter, Outsiders and Phantoms has an insane amount of 'woke' storylines-- for the sake of being woke. Don't get me wrong, several of the topics brought up in these later seasons are extremely important topics and I can understand why they're included; they're just not executed well. Compare this to Season 1 where the natural reaction to the events of Failsafe was that everyone on the team needed therapy to discuss it. There was no cheesiness, no hammering on the head about it. Action --> Natural Consequence.

I can really go on and on about how amazing Season 1 is, but truly, it was so good. I wish we'd gotten 4 seasons just outlining 4 years with the Team, getting to see them grow and change and be together. The rest of the seasons are fine, but none hold the charm and sheer power that the first have, and for that it will always be top tier in my book.

[i-restuff]

a personal Mario movie review from yours truly.

ok, so, I'm very natural over Mario franchise. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. so this review is mainly from someone who is there only for the animation (also for Jack Black ofc). cool? cool. alright.

spoilers below

I'm going to be super upfront with the "good stuff", and sorta detailed with the "meh stuff". mostly because the good stuff is very self-explanatory while for the negative ones I feel like at least I should give a little bit of reason why I feel that way.

good stuff

I love the world-building, everything is very well-detailed and the environment is insanely rich

character designs? love it. they look absolutely alive and expressive

the casting. I think they're all really good???? I personally think Chris Pratt is alright too ig? I mean I kinda don't care, I was distracted with everything else in the movie. but he's fine.

Jack Black. nuff said.

I love Toad. I love Peach. DK. BROWSER??? everyone's very likable damn.

I'm obsessed with the 3d models ngl. there are times when I was focused more on the models than I was on the story. It's really distracting in a good way.

Storywise, I think it's decent but also fun!

love love love the dynamic between Mario and Luigi. Peak dynamic, really.

Such a nostalgia trip. I for one who doesn't know much about Mario had such a blast listening to all the soundtracks and looking at the itsy bitsy references and such.

obsessed with Lumalee. let em die :(

/////////////

the credit animation is super colorful I wish I could eat it.

^ I was watching this with a friend who is obsessed with Mario. there are times when he went absolutely insane and explained some stuff that I didn't know. which I think it's cool! it's crazy how there are literally easter eggs and fan service everywhere, it doesn't feel forced too. I really could see why people love it so much.

meh stuff

ok, imma be honest. I'm just gonna complained about the plot holes here,, It didn't really effect the story, but it did confuse me a bunch of times. again, this is coming from someone who doesn't know much about Mario. I might miss some stuff.

the transition when Mario/Luigi got teleported from Brooklyn to the Mushroom Kingdom. like, why? what's so special about that specific pipe?

also before that. why's Brooklyn drowning all of a sudden lmaoo. that part kinda felt forced just so Mario and Luigi had a reason to go below the sewer. it sorta makes sense I guess? but the pacing is pretty dang weird.

how does Peach know her own kind? "you're a human!". she was a literal baby when she first got to the Mushroom Kingdom

I love love love Toad character. I just don't understand his presence? I mean sure, he's bringing the comedy, but you could find the "comedy" elsewhere too. so his character is a bit useless despite him being the protector. long story short, the movie would be fine with or without him < this is how much his character matters imo.

the pacing after Mario agreed to fight with DK and then suddenly he's on the stage. tbf this isn't really a big deal? but the transition kinda bugged me.

I don't know what exactly they wanted to do with Mario and Peach relationship. do they like each other romantically? it doesn't feel like it despite being teased a few times.

my dude Luigi has to sit in the cage for how long now? kinda suck. I wanna know more about him, I wanna see him more in action.

that being said. I wish they did more with Luigi, give him something to develop on. because seeing him fighting Browser doesn't feel as rewarding as how we see Mario. all he did most of the time was get caught and sit in a cage while Mario had to go through all those bullshit. but I get it though. storytelling wise, Luigi is supposedly Mario's goal. to get him back and all that. I get that.

I can't feel sad for Mario for some reason??? (this has nothing to do with Cris Pratt btw). his supposedly "emotional" scenes didn't impact me at all. in fact, I felt awkward. I honestly don't know why though.

the final fight scene is also awkward? I mean it's cool, don't get me wrong. I think it has to do with where they're fighting? I guess imma blame Brooklyn for this.

the 80's pop songs felt out of place, but maybe that's just me.

personal rating? 7.

but I genuinely get why people love this movie.

[blue-opossum]

Comparing and Contrasting "Tornado!" and "Tornadopillar"

        Comparing and Contrasting "Tornado!" and "Tornadopillar"

        Saturday afternoon, 20 April 2024

        I am exclusively reviewing "Tornado!" from 1970 and "Tornadopillar" from 1982.

        Despite their narratives and outcomes, both marvelously unique, they have the same underlying causality attributes, unrelated to symbolism in the conventional sense or the falsehood of "interpretation," as some practice it.

        Both dreams have a proto-cognizant element. In "Tornado!" I watch an outdoor lecture from my bed through my window. It is taking place across the highway where (in real life) I waited for the school bus in the morning. I try to discern why the "anatomy" of a tornado might be complex enough to require a lecture since it is only a drawing of horizontal lines that puzzles me in its simplicity. (It correlates with the lack of mind-body communication and real-world cognizance while sleeping.) My dream ends when the setting becomes my school's playground. "Tornadopillar" starts with the implication I am leaving the public library in La Crosse. Both dreams have proto-cognizant attributes related to reading and learning, but the main focus is potential real-world mobility - though "Tornadopillar" features the "sudden cocoon" and my sleeping status recognition - somewhat the opposite of "Tornado!" where I "run to achieve balance" to wake. (Of course, your vestibular system must be viable and functioning in order to wake and walk.)

        The two dreams have different outcomes. In "Tormado!" I spin the merry-go-round to "counteract" the tornado to "dissolve" it and soon wake. In "Tornadopillar", I stop running, and when I do, I see the "tornado" is now a giant caterpillar in a vertical cocoon. The supposed "threat" was coincidental. (The caterpillar was not chasing us.) I remain in the dream state a little longer.

        The outcomes are different because, in "Tornado!", I resolved my vestibular system's natural ambiguity (caused by sleep) by accepting the unusual idea that my intent of mobility and running in a circle while pushing the merry-go-round would resolve the physical ambiguity of sleep. In "Tornadopillar" - the "tornado" stops moving when I do. The caterpillar in the cocoon merely means that I am asleep and my real-world body is immobile (R.E.M. atonia).

        It is crucial to understand that I do not fully agree with most AI text as below, because it feeds off the same fallacies as human beings.

        AI's response (verbatim): The selected text provides a reflective analysis of two dreams, “Tornado!” from 1970 and “Tornadopillar” from 1982, emphasizing their shared causality attributes and proto-cognitive elements. Here’s a summary of the key points:

        Proto-Cognitive Elements: Both dreams incorporate aspects of learning and reading, which the author relates to the proto-cognitive stage of dreaming. This stage is characterized by a partial awareness or anticipation of waking cognizance.

        Vestibular System: The dreams are analyzed through the lens of the vestibular system’s role in movement and balance, highlighting its influence during sleep and the transition to wakefulness.

        Dream Outcomes: The two dreams have contrasting conclusions:

        In “Tornado!”, the dreamer actively counteracts the tornado by spinning a merry-go-round, leading to waking up.

        In “Tornadopillar”, the dreamer stops running, and the tornado transforms into a giant caterpillar in a cocoon, extending the dream state.

        The author suggests that these dreams do not adhere to conventional symbolism or interpretation but rather reflect the natural ambiguity of the vestibular system during sleep. The actions within the dreams—spinning to counteract a tornado and stopping to reveal a caterpillar—serve as metaphors for resolving this ambiguity and either waking up or remaining asleep. The analysis underscores the importance of understanding the physiological underpinnings of dreams rather than relying solely on symbolic interpretation.

[wolvesandpetals]

Postscript. Part 1 of 3.

Loki x Sylvie "Our divorce never went through" Modern AU. Angst with a happy ending, Rated T. For Sylki Week day 7: Free day @sylkiweek

Masterlist of my fics here.

The last thing he wants to do is call up the woman who tore his heart into pieces. But it has to be done. His business partner and his lawyer both insist on it.

[[MORE]]

And he agrees. They are about to land a huge contract that will put them at the top, and he has no intention of letting the woman who left him broken claim any share of his upcoming financial success.

Not that he thinks she would. But he didn't think she'd leave him either, so what does he know?

It's been ten years, but he remembers her number all too well. He wonders briefly if she has changed it by now, but he dials anyway.

Six rings later, she picks up. "Hello?"

It's the familiar voice, warm and irritated, but older, mature, and more jaded. It is clear from her tone that she has forgotten his number, and it stings a bit. "Hi. It's me, Loki."

There's silence, and he has to check to see if she hung up on him. When she recovers, she speaks softly. "Loki? Hi... How are you? I wasn't expecting your call."

"I wasn't expecting to call either", he says matter-of-factly. He called her so many times over the first one year, left her so many messages. But she never replied, and he eventually stopped, vowing to never call her ever again. "But it couldn't be helped. It's an urgent matter."

"Okay?" She asks, confused.

"Do you remember your lovely divorce lawyer?"

Sylvie grimaces. That divorce was a complete mess. She wanted out, Loki didn't, and it dragged on for months. They both had rich parents, but they had married hastily against their wishes, and they were not going to take their parents' help and hear the "I told you so". They were both college students, barely in their 20s, barely married for a few months. They both relied on their limited funds to find lawyers that best represented their interests. Sylvie's was particularly cheap, and particularly inefficient. "Yes, Lacey. What about her?"

"Oh, nothing much." Loki says in a taunting voice. "It's just that, she messed up the paperwork. It turns out our divorce never went through."

She's silent again, and he waits for an outburst, for an accusation that this is his doing, since this is what he wanted. Instead, her reaction is shocked, but controlled, far from the woman who used to fight with him on everything in those last few days. "What? How is that possible?"

"You'll have to ask Lacey that." He replies. "But my lawyer has confirmed that we are indeed still married."

The silence returns, and Loki grimaces. It was better when she had a retort for everything he said. "This time, I do have a competent lawyer, and he will make sure the divorce goes through, I promise you. I just need your signature."

"Okay", she says quietly.

"If you can just send me your address, I will mail the papers over." Then he adds, because his lawyer insists. It's been ten years, surely you're over her, he has said. "Or we can meet and do it in person, make sure this time the process actually goes through properly. Whichever you would prefer." He would prefer never to see her again, but it can't be helped.

"We can meet." Her voice is shaky, something that's rare. "Where are you, these days?"

"I'm still in London." He says casually. "But I'd be happy to drive to wherever you are."

"I'm in London too."

Convenient. At least he won't have to undergo a long trip now.

"Perfect". He says smoothly. "Let's set up a meeting and get this over with then."

---

"I don't believe you." She tells him bluntly.

Tears rolls down his cheek, and he clutches her hands helplessly. "I promise you from my heart, this isn't about your money."

She snatches her hands back from his grasp angrily. "What was I thinking trusting you? Has this whole marriage been a con?"

Something in him breaks, and it shows on his face. "Really? That's what you think of me... after all this time? Sure. Why not? Evil Loki's master plan comes together. Well, you never trusted me, did you? What was the point?"

Sylvie takes a step back. She heard the rumors from a friend who heard it from a friend, and of course she didn't believe them. There is no way Loki married her for her inheritance. But she found her mother's expensive pen hidden in his pocket one night after dinner with her parents, and he didn't have a good explanation for why he had it. He said he didn't recall slipping it in, but there was no way that was true.

The pen isn't everything, but it is the last straw. Combined with all the fights they have been having lately, and all the ways she feels suffocated in the marriage, unable to do the things she wants to do, the pen is what seals the last nail in the coffin.

"Why aren't we seeing this the same way?" She asks desperately.

"Because you can't trust", he says with the saddest smile and the saltiest tears, "and I can't be trusted."

Her hands grip the handle of her suitcase. "Then I guess we're in a pickle."

"Sylvie, wait." He begs, but she's already at the door. "Wait!" He screams, but she's hailed a cab. "Sylvie. Sylvie!" He calls out as her cab disappears around the corner.

And that's it. That's the end of their marriage.

---

They decide to meet in a small cafeteria on their old campus ground on Saturday evening. Neutral location, safe, and with the comfort of familiarity, it is the perfect meeting spot.

Loki gets there early and waits. Every second is tortorous, everything around him bringing back a memory that he wishes he had forgotten. He feels himself tapping his feet restlessly as he orders two coffees. He wonders if her preferences have changed, if he should have waited and asked her first.

"Hi". There's her voice, followed by a burst of blonde. She has cut her hair short, into a tidy little bob, dyed it back to her natural blonde instead of the dark black from her goth days, and her make-up is quieter now, in neutral tones. She would be hard to recognise now, if he hadn't spent countless nights worshipping every inch of that face.

"Hi". He says politely, and hands her a cup. "Two sugars, extra cream, no milk. Is that alright?"

"Yes, perfectly." She says just as politely, with a hint of surprise in her voice. "You remembered."

He tries to brush it off like it's not a big deal. It really isn't. When you spend so much time learning every single thing about a person, all that information doesn't just leave your brain when it's no longer useful. It all stays, and it comes back in unexpected ways, from words of strangers and friends, every little thing triggering a memory he pretends to have forgotten. He shakes his head, willing the inner monologue away for another time. "I remembered the papers too." He swiftly transitions into the matter at hand. He digs into his briefcase, and pulls out a bundle of papers, placing them into the table.

"Right." She says, a little taken aback at how quickly he wants to get this over with. The Loki she remembers from ten years ago wanted to stretch every brief conversation into hours, in the vain hope that she would change her mind. She didn't.

She takes a seat next to him, and glances down at the papers. A question forms in her mind, one she shouldn't be asking, because she's not sure whether she can deal with the response. "Why now? Why the sudden need? Are you getting married?"

He wants to say yes, just to spite her, just to show her he has moved on and found happiness. But he has never been able to lie to her, and he can't start now. "No." He doesn't explain further, has been warned against it by his lawyer.

The man who never shut up is talking so little. It baffles her. She reaches inside her purse to pull out a pen.

Loki shakes his head, his face suddenly contorted in veiled rage. "Don't. I might steal that one too. Use this." He supplies her with a pen he brought himself.

It stings. She didn't expect him to forget about it, but she had hoped nevertheless. She owes him an apology about it, about everything. "I'm sorry I accused you of stealing." She says sincerely. "Dad told me later that you were doing crosswords that night, and you must have mixed up your pens. But at that point, I just really wanted out of the marriage. I just couldn't-"

"Sylvie." He doesn't raise his voice at all, but it's so commanding, that it makes her stop abruptly mid-sentence. "I don't need you to recount the ways I suffocated you. I just need you to sign the papers."

"Right." She says, a little unnerved and suddenly parched. She reaches for her cup, feels her fingers shake, and then-

"Shit!"

There's coffee spilt all over the divorce papers.

"I am so sorry." She says quickly, wiping at the papers with tissues desperately.

He takes in a deep breath to calm himself. He's never going to hear the end of this from his lawyer, is he? "It's okay." He assures her. "I'll get fresh papers ready and get them to you."

"I don't want to inconvenience you again." She says apologetically. "Maybe I can meet you this time? At your place? Or maybe at work?"

"No, that's not necessary." He says in a measured tone. "I will meet you here again when the papers are ready."

"Okay." She says quietly.

He gets up, and she follows. She reaches for his hand, then hesitates when she sees the cold look in his eyes, and just smiles. "It's really good to see you again, Loki."

He nods, doesn't return the compliment, and he leaves, not even bothering to walk her to her car. Why should he, anyway?

[crystalessenceswrites]

Hi Again! I was wondering if you wrote for the clones? (I'm thirsting for Wolffe!!) If not, that's ok! And if so, I thought maybe something fluffy and a bit hot with Wolffe? I'm a huge sucker for the trope- Reader tries to hide that she hasn't been feeling well and turns out she's pregnant? With twins! She's scared because even though they're committed, it wasn't planned? And then fluff and some love making?? <3333

Hi lovely, welcome back! I am open to writing for the clones, I just haven’t done so yet! I too thirst for Commander Wolffe so you’re in luck! This trope is def very cute, the end turned out more fluffy than spicy, I hope that's alright.

Commander Wolffe x fem!reader Rating: E (18+) Warnings: explicit sexual content, unprotected p in v sex, unplanned pregnancy, swearing (first time writing for Wolffe, may be slightly ooc)

[PART TWO]

There was never enough time. You really should not have been surprised by the revelation, you were at war, but it still sat heavy on your chest. Always needed elsewhere as soon as you completed a mission. Never time to rest, even in transit. Someone always needed your attention for reports, strategic planning or council meetings as the GAR cruiser hurtled through hyperspace. It never left you enough time for him. Thankfully, the stubborn nature of your clone commander allowed him to make time, even if just a spare moment, for the two of you.

“Oh fuck,” you throw your head back against the door as he reaches that spot deep inside you. Pushing you ever closer to the edge. “Wolffe, please-” you’re whining as he grinds up into you, throbbing inside you. He’s always had the uncanny ability to read your body, he knows better than you when you’re close to bliss and he enjoys drawing it out. To think Commander Wolffe was a fucking tease.

“Please what, cyare?” His smug grin slides across your chest following the trail of marks he’s littered across your skin where no one will see. “What does ner jetii need?”

“Please, ‘m so close,” you tighten your legs around his waist, trying to draw him in closer, anything to reach your release, “please, Wolffe!”

He groans into your neck as you tug at the curls fallen loose at the nape of his neck, “well when you ask so nicely, cyare.”

His sudden thrust up pushes the air from your lungs. Your mouth falls open in a silent scream as he pounds into you, all teasing forgotten. He’s relentless as you tighten around him, the coil in your belly threatening to snap.

“That’s it,” he grunts, “come on my cock ner jetii.”

His words and his gloved thumb brushing over your bundle of nerves has you falling apart around him. White hot pleasure rolls over you, leaving you a limp, moaning mess in Wolffe’s arms.

“That’s it, mesh’la. Squeezing me so kriffing tight,” he groans, hips stuttering, his own release fast approaching. “Fuck.” Wolffe manages a few more thrusts before he buries himself in you, spilling himself inside you. Whispered praises fall from his lips as he comes down from his own high. His lips ghost over yours in a chaste kiss as he withdraws, tucking himself away before he lets you down.

Your legs cry out in relief when they meet solid ground, not longer clinging to Wolffe for support.

“Good, cyare?” his hand sweeps over your brow, so tender for a man with such a fierce reputation, even amongst his brothers.

“Mhmm,” leaning into his touch, he chuckles at your blissed out expression.

“Someone’s bound to come looking for you soon, General. Let’s get you cleaned up.” You don’t protest as he helps you redress, though you do moan about how unfair it was he just had to remove his codpiece and you had to strip completely out of your robes for these little storage closet rendezvous’.

“I don’t think jedi robes were designed to allow for easy access, cyare.”

You pout, “you’re probably right.” There was that whole bit about no attachments you were blatantly ignoring after all.

Before the commander can come back with another sharp retort your commlink blinks to life. “Yes?”

“General, General Plo is looking for you on the bridge.”

You sigh, “thank you, Sinker. I’ll be right there.”

Never enough time.

.

The next couple of months continue much the same. You and Wolffe sneaking away between missions when you can, trying to find solace in each other despite all the horrors you both see on the battlefield. In a war that seems to stretch on forever he is your rock. As he watches his brothers fall, one after the other, you are his comfort. It breaks your heart to be apart from him but there is little you can do to control it. When the council requests you to join Obi-wan and Anakin for a series of missions you cannot object. Instead, you drag your tired self out to the far reaches of the outer rim to help them as best you can.

“You look exhausted, my dear.” Such tact this one possessed.

You roll your eyes, “you don’t look much better, Kenobi.” Though you doubt he has been waking in the middle of the night to empty the contents of his stomach like you have for the past week.

“This war does seem to be pushing us all to our limits.”

“I’ll race you!” Ahsoka sprints by, apparently headed for some target or another with her master hot on her heels.

“Snips!”

Cody chuckles under his bucket, shaking his head as the two disappear into the distance.

Obi-Wan scrubs a hand over his face, “it’s pushed most of us to our limits.”

“What I wouldn’t give to have the energy of a padawan again,” you groan.

“I agree wholeheartedly,” Obi-wan nods, “we should all try to get some rest while we can. We need to break camp near dawn.”

You agree and bid your fellow jedi an early goodnight. With the headache you could feel coming on, sleep sounded like a good idea. As you go to stand the world spins around you, any sense of balance you had gone. You reach for the crate you had been sitting on to try and stay upright but you miss by a mile. Knees giving out you collapse to the floor, the world around you still spinning. You can barely hear Cody shouting over the ringing in your ears.

“Call for a medic! The General’s collapsed!”

.

By the time you regain consciousness you’re no longer planet side. Obi-wan had been quick to have you medevacked to the closest med-station for testing. The unholy white lights of the station burn your eyes when you finally come to. Your sudden groaning draws Kix back to your bedside.

“General. Good to see you’re back with us.”

“Kix?” You try to focus on the 501st medic instead of the bright lights, “what happened?”

“You collapsed back at the forward camp. We weren’t able to determine what was wrong with the limited medical supplies we had on hand, so General Kenobi called an air lift for you.”

Another groan bubbles up, Obi-wan had been forced to waster precious resources on you. “Were you able to find out what’s wrong?”

The clone’s face falls, “yes.”

You’ve never heard the medic sound so meek before. “Kix?”

“I’m not sure what’s the best way to explain this, General… but you’re pregnant.”

Oh.

Oh.

“H-how far along?”

“Looks like just over two months,” Kix shifts from foot to foot, pointedly not looking you in the eye. You can’t blame him for being uncomfortable, this isn’t quite the medicine he’d been expecting to practice. He was a combat medic not an obgyn. “We were able to get an ultrasound, would you like to see?”

Nodding, you sit up, your head now spinning for completely different reasons. Kix brings you a datapad displaying the grainy black and white image.

“Kix… am I seeing this right?”

“Yes, general.”

“There’s two…”

“Yes general. You’re having twins.”

Oh fuck.

.

Kix is a godsend, having worked with Anakin and Rex long enough to know reporting everything may not always be a good idea. The official report on your sudden collapse reads that you suffered from a foreign infection your body had not been prepared to fight, coupled with the battle fatigue, your body had shut down in order to force you to rest. Obi-wan and the council believe it, ordering you back to Coruscant to recover and rest. You knew you would have to tell them; it would not be long until you were showing, but you would much rather deal with the council in person than from your medbay bed.

Before your escort arrives, Kix slips you a disk with a copy of the ultrasound pictures, “in case there’s someone you want to show them to.”

“Thank you, Kix,” he blushes when you give him a quick peck on the cheek, “you’ve done more for me than you’ll ever know.”

You do your best to rest on your trip back to Coruscant but its incredibly difficult when your mind is going a parsec a minute. Besides the council there’s one other person you have to break the news to. While you two had talked about what life would be like for the two of you after the war, this was not something you had discussed. You were not sure if Wolffe wanted kids ever, let alone now. Having twins while the whole galaxy was at war was not ideal. Not when the two of you were expected to put your lives on the line for the Republic.

Panic washes over you when you arrive at the capital to find the wolfpack waiting for you on the tarmac. They’d just arrived back for some long overdue shore leave and Plo had informed them of your sudden illness. Normally you would be touched by how much they cared for you, but now all you can think about is how you are not ready to face Wolffe. Not yet.

You can feel his gaze heavy on your back as you field Sinker and Boost’s barrage of questions.

“I’ll be alright, I just need to take my medicine and get some rest. It shouldn’t be long before I’m right as rain again.” You hate lying to them, but you did not want them worrying unnecessarily either.

It seems to appease them; the pack wishes you well and invites you out to 79’s with them as soon as you’re recovered. Wolffe hangs back, watching his brothers go.

“I’ll walk you back, general.”

“No.” It comes out much harsher than you’d like. The surprise that washes over his face feels like a stab to your gut. “There’s no need, Commander. I’ll be alright.”

His voice drops, brow furrowed together, “cyare?”

“Not now, Wolffe,” you frown, “I just need to go lay down. We’ll talk later.”

But you don’t. You cannot find it in yourself to answer any of his calls or messages over the next few days. Instead, you wrap yourself up in as many blankets as possible and hole up in your quarters while you try to figure out what to do. You watch Coruscant go by from your window. It’s only when Sinker and Boost call that you’re freed from running around in circle inside your head.

“Boost? Sinker? What’s going on?”

“Oh thank goodness you’re alive, General!”

“Boost what are you going on about?”

“The Commanders been going crazy! He hasn’t heard from you in over a week and we don’t think he knows how to handle it!”

Although you and Wolffe did your best to keep your relationship hidden, in such tight quarters it was hard to keep it from Wolffe’s brothers. You’d never outright admitted it to them, but you figured they understood what was going on. You were glad for it now.

“I’ve seen him pace before, but never like this,” Sinker adds.

Oh Maker. “Where is he?”

“The barracks, General.”

“I… I’ll speak with him, alright? Hopefully that will calm him down.”

“Thank you, General! We were running out of ways to distract him!” That was the kind way of saying ways to annoy him to keep Wolffe’s mind off you.

“Thank you, Boost, Sinker.”

“Good luck, General!”

You were going to need it. This was not a conversation to have over the com so you make your way down to the barracks, doing your best to avoid attention when you can. It was not like you weren’t allowed there, but the last thing you needed was more questions.

Boost and Sinker were not lying about the pacing. Punching in the access code to his quarters reveals a tightly wound Wolffe, pacing back and forth across the length if the tight space. His armor has been haphazardly discarded around the room. You’re surprised he hasn’t worn a path into the floor yet.

“General?” Surprise and then relief fall over his face when he catches you standing in the doorway.

“Wolffe, I-”

“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be resting.”

You’re thrown off by the sudden cold tone in his voice. “I-I came to explain, Wolffe… to apologize.”

“Apologize?”

“I’ve been avoiding you Wolffe,” your voice cracks despite your best efforts to remain calm, “and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, I just needed to find a way to tell you and I couldn’t.”

His frown deepens, “tell me what?”

“That I’m pregnant.”

“What?” He looks at you live you’ve grown another head.

“I’m pregnant, Wolffe.”

It takes him a moment to wrap his mind around your words, but you can see the instant he does, his mouth dropping into an ‘o’ as his jaw falls slack.

“You’re pregnant? With my… with my baby?”

“Babies,” you correct.

His brain seems to sputter out again, “babies?”

You nod, “twins.”

Before you can blink, he’s got you wrapped up in his arms, spinning you around the room. “Twins. You’re having twins.”

It takes everything you have not to start bawling. Kriffing hormones. You’ve never seen Wolffe this happy. This was beyond any reaction you could have imagined. The awe on his face when he sets you down makes your heart melt.

“This is why you were sent back? Your sudden illness?”

“Well yes… but Kix’s report was that I had an infection. I wanted to talk to your first before anyone else. I just didn’t know how.”

His warm hand oh-so-gently cups the side of your face. You lean into the touch. After even just a few weeks apart you’re starving for him.

“Why were you worried, cyare?”

“We’d never talked about kids. And we’re in the middle of a war. Not to mention we’re not even supposed to be together on the first place… I didn’t know how you’d react…”

His face softens, his amber eye drifting down to your nonexistent bump. “I’ll admit, I’m surprised. It may not be how either of us hoped, but it is a pleasant surprise.”

“Really?”

“Really, cyare.” You cannot help but smile as he pulls you in for a kiss. His lips slanting against your own as he holds you close. “I know there may be somethings we need to work out, but we’ll take it one step at a time,” he murmurs against your lips, hands tracing patterns across your back. “We’ll figure it out together.”

[blu-joons]

DATING NCT A⇴Z HEADCANON ⇴ Wong Kunhang

A ⇴ AFFECTION

Kunhang loved affection, but he was often very sensitive to your touch. You’d often tickle him or brush over his skin and hear a giggle come from him or feel his body jolt away momentarily in surprise at your sudden affection.

B ⇴ BEFORE DATING

The two of you met through mutual friends at an event that was being held. Whilst you were stood by yourself, Kunhang decided to approach you and offer you some company and a drink. You were quick to accept his invite and soon got to know him, most definitely liking what you saw in him too.

C ⇴ CONFESSION

A lot of thought went into Kunhang’s confession to you. He took his time in making sure that the two of you were on the right page and he didn’t want to scare you off either. He decided to confess at the end of one of your dates together. It became a bit of a transition that neither of you could bring yourselves to say goodbye, so instead of saying goodbye, Kunhang decided to tell you exactly how he felt.

D ⇴ DATES

The two of you will give anything on your dates a try at least once. At least once a week, if you can, the two of you will set one evening aside to spend time with each other in amongst the chaos that came with your busy lives together. It doesn’t matter whether you’re sitting down for a meal or enjoying something more active, what the two of you make sure you do is value the time that you have together and take some time to breathe away from all of the carnage that comes with your careers.

E ⇴ EXPERIENCE

Having a relationship was something that Kunhang had always looked forward to, but there were plenty of nerves there for him too. He worried a lot about so many little things, your safety, privacy, he never wanted to put you in a bad situation no matter how often you assured him that you could handle things. Talking was key in your relationship, whenever those nerves crept back in then Kunhang would talk to you straight away so that you could help himself to ease and push those nerves aside before they grew too strong.

F ⇴ FIGHTING

Kunhang isn’t afraid to stand up for what he believes in so there are definitely times when the two of you will find yourself coming to blows. Whilst he’s not necessarily stubborn, if he feels like he’s right then he’ll try and put his point across to you as best as he can. But he’s also smart, and can tell when arguing a point has outlasted its worth and begins to drive a wedge between the two of you. Kunhang will know when to stop which will perfectly prevent anything too begin coming to blows between the two of you. He fights for his view to a point, but knows when not to overstep the line.

G ⇴ GETTING TO KNOW HIS FAMILY

Having three sisters, Kunhang knew that it would be impossible for you not to get on with his family. Adding another girl to the family was exactly what they wanted to wind Kunhang up, and being able to share plenty of stories and gossip on Kunhang was an added bonus for you all, much to his expense.

H ⇴ HOME

Moving in with you was definitely something that Kunhang looked forward to as part of your future together. He wasn’t prepared to rush things or move too quickly, but as your relationship began to progress he knew that he saw himself living somewhere just with you in the near future.

I ⇴ “I LOVE YOU”

He was the first to say ‘I love you,’ at the end of one of your date nights. Kunhang wanted to be sure before he told you how he felt, but as your evening came to an end and you began to say your goodbyes, he knew that the time was perfect to open up to you. It certainly left you surprised, but you were quick to say it back, leaving him just as surprised as you.

J ⇴ JEALOUSY

Jealousy wasn’t something that Kunhang felt often, he was known to get loud in some situations, and that was usually a bit of a sign for you that he was starting to get uncomfortable. He would never admit to being jealous, it was something that would usually occur without him even knowing, but when the voice got higher, you knew that it was probably time to step in and reassure him too. It would only be once you’d told Kunhang what you saw, would he realise that perhaps he was feeling jealous after all.

K ⇴ KIDS

The future was something that Kunhang had thought about a lot, he came from a reasonably big family with his siblings and definitely wanted to continue to create a big family with you too. Of course, there was no rush for either of you, from the start, you both agreed that when the time was right this could be something that you could look forward to, but until then, you had plenty of memories to make together.

L ⇴ LAUGHTER

There are definitely times when Kunhang can get loud and draw a laugh out of anyone. He likes to make sure that you’re happy, and if the responsibility to do that is on his shoulders then he’ll happily step up. He’s not afraid to be himself around you which definitely helps him as he tries to make you laugh as often as he can. It’s natural whenever Kunhang is around you too, that he finds himself smiling. Your company alone is enough to brighten up his mood, knowing that he’s not by himself always brings a grin to his face, and as he takes note of all the quirky things that you absentmindedly do, he’ll often find himself laughing away to himself too.

M ⇴ MISSING

Kunhang is usually able to handle his feelings pretty well, when he’s overwhelmed he tends to be be quite calm and make sure that no one else can recognise how stressed he is. The other members could be forgiven for thinking that he’s not missing you by how well he manages to disguise his feelings, but the moment he sees you on a call, those emotions will hit him hard. It’s only when he physically sees you, is Kunhang reminded of how much he’s missing out on and how hard being on tour really is for to both. Yet still, no one else would know, it was something that was kept between the two of you.

N ⇴ NICKNAMES

You very quickly made the decision to jump onto the bandwagon and call Kunhang ‘donkey.’ To begin with, he hated it, but over time he learnt to adore whenever you called him by his nickname that he was so attached to.

O ⇴ OBSESSION

Kunhang was obsessed with your mind, he loved to know about your thoughts and interests. An intelligent mind was definitely something that Kunhang was attracted to in a partner.

P ⇴ PDA

Being affectionate in public isn’t something that Kunhang is huge on. If you randomly touch him in public it’ll often make him incredibly shy, which usually gets captured by a camera, much to his embarrassment. He likes to be the one to initiate affection so that he can see it coming and keep himself in control.

Q ⇴ QUESTIONS

Kunhang’s smart, he loves to engage in discussions and share facts with you. He’d often ask what you think about things or ask if you want to hear an interesting stat he’d read. Usually, before you’ve answered, he’s started telling you about it anyway.

R ⇴ RANDOM FACTS

Adventures are one of your favourite things to do together as much as you can. Long walks are particular favourites for you both, Kunhang loves to find new trails for the two of you to explore in both the city and the outskirts, trying to find as many new places as possible. Your phones are filled with memories of the places that you have been together and random photos that you’ve taken of each other along the way.

S ⇴ SEX

You are always the priority when it comes to intimacy and Kunhang will refuse to ever let it be any other way. It’s the time when he really wants to prove to you how much of a gentleman he is. He’s sensitive, and soft, and likes to take the best care of you. If you try and be the one to dominate, he won’t let you, he likes to be the one that has control so that he can make sure that he treats you right and allow himself to be second best.

T ⇴ TEXTS

He can tend to worry sometimes if he’s not heard from you in a while, so there will definitely be a few texts on your phone at the end of the day. They’re never pushy, but enough to get encourage you to respond as soon as you can.

U ⇴ UNIVERSE

Kunhang thought he knew everything about a woman, but you taught him wrong. He loved that he was constantly learning about you and learning about love, his quizzical mind was put to the rest by you in the best possible way.

V ⇴ VACATION

The moment Kunhang had some time to go on vacation he couldn’t wait to take you home and meet his family. His sisters especially had begged him to bring you to them as soon as he could. Being able to introduce you to his family was a huge deal for Kunhang, and something he wanted to do straight away.

W ⇴ WHINING

Kunhang isn’t someone that will whine often, he respects the barriers of a relationship, but will anxiously wait until he can be by your side again.

X ⇴ XXXXX

Sensitive kisses are Kunhang’s weakness, and you know it perfectly. You know the exact spots on his body that send a shiver down his spine, Kunhang has many sensitive spots that your lips will often attach. He’d find himself lost quite often under the spell of your kisses. It’s the perfect way to get whatever you want from him, he can succumb to your kisses in a moment and allow himself to be wrapped around your little finger.  

Y ⇴ YOU

You were his team mate, you were a duo in everything that you did together.

Z ⇴ ZZZ

Your touch at night can often startle Kunhang as he’s so sensitive. If you don’t fall asleep curled up beside each other then don’t be afraid when he becomes a little bit surprised if you suddenly move across in the night to touch him.

---

Masterlist

[calpops]

midnight into morning | c.h.

You and Calum spend your first night and morning at home with your newborn daughter and she meets her uncles along the way.

3k words

dates with cal masterlist

Copyright © 2020 calpops. All rights reserved. This original work is not allowed to be reposted on any platform in any format (translations included).

<< >>

Midnight quickly turns into morning, Calum is tired but every time he closes his eyes fear strikes through him. You’re at his side, tucked under the covers but unable to sleep for all the same reasons. Your daughter Mila is quiet in her bassinet and from the slight glow of the moon peeking through the curtains Calum can see that her eyes are closed. It’s the first night she’s home from the hospital after seven days in the neonatal intensive care unit, only a week old and so precious and small it worries Calum to take his eyes off of her, to lose her for even a moment. He sighs and a sigh from you follows.

“Have you slept at all?” you ask in a thick and tried whisper.

“Maybe for a few minutes,” Calum responds but can’t be sure of it. The night is getting hazy as time passes.

“I can’t sleep either,” you admit.

It’s the first night back at home, the first night in your own bed and not an uncomfortable plastic chair and yet rest doesn’t come any easier than all of the nights in the hospital. Calum nods at your words, understanding without explanation why sleep evades you. It’s the same for him.

“I’m just so worried,” you continue and Calum knows you need to talk about it, to get some weight off of your chest. “What if something happens? What if we’re asleep and she’s not okay?”

Calum doesn’t have answers to those questions and they only present thoughts he’d much rather never have to consider. He feels himself getting choked up but he shakes his head and shakes away the fear as best as he can. He trails his fingers along your jaw, soft and reassuring. A thousand thoughts spin through his mind and rocks the foundation of the world he shares with you and Mila. He comes to an answer though he knows it’s not a solution that is feasible long term.

“What time is it?” he asks.

“Last I looked it was almost four,” you answer and bite your lip, Calum catching the motion of worry from moonlight.

“You get some sleep. I’ll stay up with her,” he offers and not only sees but feels the disapproving shake of your head. “Sweetheart, one of us has to sleep. Your body’s been through so much. Mila needs you to be rested,” he adds on and knows the tactic is a little low but if you won’t sleep for yourself or for him the only other person you would do anything for is her. “Sleep. I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

You give him a pout but he sees that you’re relenting from the tired look in your eyes and the way they can’t stay open any longer. You nod, beg for a kiss with a small noise and puckered lips and finally settle in to attempt to sleep when he gives you a peck. Calum stays by your side while you war with slumber, keeps a hand trailing up and down your back in a soothing rhythm and has his gaze pinned on the bassinet at the bedside. Mila has only stirred a few times during the night, to be fed and changed and soothed. Otherwise she’s slept and been sound. Once Calum is sure that you’ve finally drifted and the clock reads five he slips out of bed and rounds the corner to get to Mila.

Just the sight of her makes him smile, brings tears to his eyes and has him at peace with the restless nights. He would give up anything for her. Sleep. Time. The rest of the world. He wants more than anything to hold her but he doesn’t want to wake her.

He settles for something familiar, a soft fingertip trailing over her small hand. For seven days it was the only form of contact he had with her. She doesn’t flinch or react in any way, she stays still and calm. After a moment eyes that mirror his own open but she doesn’t cry. She’s secure with his touch and it warms Calum to know his presence keeps her calm. He looks over at you, finally burrowed under the covers and asleep, then looks back at her and reaches into the bassinet slowly and carefully and quietly. She fits so perfectly in his arms, her small body tucked into his hold with ease.

“We’re gonna let mommy sleep,” he whispers and presses a kiss to the top of her head as he strides out the door and for the nursery across the hall. “Would you like a good morning story, lovebug?” Calum asks as he settles into the rocker near the crib. He borrows your term of endearment for her, having heard you call her lovebug in the hospital.

Mila stays quiet and Calum takes that as a yes. As the sun comes up he reads to her about a bunny and once the pages come to an end he proceeds to talk to her instead.

“Your mommy and I used to read each other to sleep,” he says with a fond and far off smile as he recalls the gentle nights of whispered words. It was a tradition created when sleepless nights after breaking up and getting back together ensued. He sits and rocks Mila, tells her stories about you and revels in the warmth of her and the sun coming in through the window.

Just as the story of meeting you enters his mind and sits on his tongue your voice breaks the thought away.

“Good morning.”

Calum’s eyes dart up and find you standing in the hallway, pajamas a rumpled mess and hair in disarray but a more restful look in your eyes. He smiles, unable to stop himself, the mere sight of you enough to make him happy.

“How is she?” you ask when Calum stays quiet.

“Perfect,” he answers without hesitation, wanting to put any fears or questions at bay for you. “You could go back to sleep if you want. We’re good right here.”

You shake your head. “I’m awake now, I should probably feed her.”

Calum agrees with a head nod and laughs when you enter the room with outstretched arms and wiggling fingers in your anticipation to hold her. Calum understands the feeling of wanting her in your arms. Seven days without her makes every moment that much more important. He gives Mila one last kiss on the cheek before standing and gently handing her to you. He watches with caution and admiration as you settle into his place in the rocker with her in your arms. Mila makes the transition from him to you with such ease it’s almost startling how easy she is after so much turmoil.

“Do my sweethearts need anything?” Calum asks and plants one knee on the ground to be level with you and Mila and darts his gaze from you to her.

“Breakfast?” you ask with a little smirk and raised eyebrows. “If it’s not too much?”

“Nothing ever is, I’m on it,” Calum promises and rises from his one knee position.

He doesn’t forget to give you a parting kiss before heading for the kitchen. The house is quiet and calm and it’s such a striking contrast to the constant activity and anxiety of the hospital that it nearly winds Calum. He doesn’t even have time to get a pan out before a soft knock on the front door has him running off.

“I brought breakfast,” Luke says as a greeting when the door swings open. “Thought you guys could use a break, make things a little easier for you.”

“Thanks,” Calum says and means it, nothing but appreciation coursing through him at the thoughtful gesture. Calum takes the bag of takeout from his best friend and a sudden realization hits him. “How’s Duke? Do you want us to come get him?”

Luke waves off Calum’s question. “He’s fine. He can stay a while longer if you guys want time to get Mila settled.”

“That might be good,” Calum says and contemplates. He’s not sure how introducing Duke to Mila will go over but from his protective nature of you during pregnancy Calum has a feeling Duke will be nothing but a guard dog to Mila. When Luke lingers, eyes darting into the house Calum smirks. “Anything else?”

“Can I see her?” Luke finally asks and Calum huffs out a laugh as he expected that question as soon as their eyes met. Calum steps aside so the entrance is wide open for Luke.

“Come on in. She’s being fed right now,” he explains and sets the bag of food on the counter. “Want any?” he asks as he starts to unpack the near buffet Luke brought for only two.

Luke waves off the offer as Calum sets to plating the food and waiting for you to come out with Mila. When you do, with slow footsteps and an easy smile at the sight of Luke he lights up at the baby in your arms. Calum watches as his eyes soften and his lower lip juts out in awe. Mila is small in your arms, face buried against you with her eyes closed, tiny hand curled into a fist. Luke immediately stands from his seat and suppresses a gasp, or that’s what Calum believes the chortled noise is.

“Is that her?” Luke asks in a breathy and unbelieving whisper.

“No, it’s some other baby,” you retort with a laugh. Calum chuckles and grins when Luke falters for just a moment and then joins the laughter.

“She’s so tiny,” Luke comments as he stands from his position on the barstool. “Can I hold her?”

There’s a tense moment of pause where Calum watches your body language. You turn at an angle so Mila is slightly away from Luke. Your eyes skirt to Calum and show fears and anxieties as clear as day. You bite your lip and then frown.

“Do you have even a slight sniffle or sore throat?” you question, worries born of getting Mila sick and another hospital stay lingering deep inside.

Luke quickly shakes his head as he picks up on the meaning of the question. “I’m the pinnacle of health. I promise.”

Calum gazes at you as you begin to let your guard down and slowly nod. “Okay, but sit on the couch,” you suggest and Calum smirks at the momma bear protective instincts already coursing through you.

Luke agrees to that plan and Calum walks over to the living room with you and Luke. He settles on the couch and reaches out for Mila. You hesitate for a moment, needing to give her one last little squeeze and kiss before giving her up and it makes Calum smile as he’s already prone to doing the same thing. Mila stirs when handed to Luke, tiny cries falling from her as she makes the adjustment into a stranger’s arms. Calum flocks to Luke’s side, the one you’re not already on, and gently takes her hand.

“Hey lovebug, it’s okay, this is your uncle Luke, he just wants to hold you, it’s okay,” Calum whispers in as soothing of a voice as he can amongst her small cries. His heart hurts with every little noise that escapes her, his hand is soft on hers and his words are even softer. “It’s okay, we like uncle Luke, he’s big and goofy and loves you.”

You follow suit and whisper soothing words to Mila who’s cries begin to taper off. It takes another moment for her to become comfortable and trusting in Luke’s hold. Calum isn’t sure if he can attribute it to Mila trusting Luke or Mila trusting your presence and comfort. Either way he’s overjoyed that she settles in.

“We’re good now right?” Luke asks as he looks down at Mila, finally quiet and content. “You guys go eat, I’ve got her.”

You both hesitate as if waiting for Mila to decide she’s no longer okay but she stays calm and soothed as Luke rubs her back and coos to her. Calum releases a breath and heads for the kitchen with you but keeps his eyes trained on Luke and Mila. You eat breakfast in silence, merely observing and listening as Luke acquaints himself with your daughter. Calum can’t hold back his grins and snorts at Luke’s antics.

“Hi, how are you?” Luke asks in a baby voice as he shifts Mila so he can cradle her in his arms instead of against his chest. Calum gazes at the two with just as much fondness in his eyes as Luke has in his for Mila. “You know, I built your nursery and put your car seat in the car and even helped your auntie Mali pick out those cute little pajamas you’re wearing. And we got your things you’ll grow into; pretty dresses and cute little bunny slippers,” Luke continues, his words like business but his voice is higher pitched and more gentle than usual.

“What are you doing?” Calum asks around a bite of muffin.

Luke looks over at Calum from his position on the couch and Calum arches an eyebrow.

“Just pitching to her why I should be the favorite uncle,” he explains and doesn’t hesitate to turn back to Mila to continue talking to her as if she understands.

The interaction and explanation make both you and Calum laugh. You’re both hasty in eating the breakfast Luke brought for you, wanting nothing more than to get back to your daughter though with the way Luke holds her and speaks to her you’re not sure he’ll give her up any more willingly than either of you would. You end up back in the living room after eating and sit on either side of Luke and Mila, letting him have a little more time with her before swooping in to take her back.

“I can’t get over how small she is,” Luke says when you both join him. He has a light hold on her hand and smiles when her eyes meet his. “My pinky finger is bigger than her hand. Look at her. She’s tiny.”

Luke continues to fawn over Mila while you and Calum watch from your perches on the couch and while both of you would rather have her in your arms you don’t rob Luke of time with her. Only another knock on the door rouses both of you from watching them.

“I’ll get it, you make sure Luke doesn’t run away with her,” you offer and Calum laughs but sweeps a skeptical eye to Luke. There’s only a moment before Michael walks into the living room escorted by you and awe at your baby in Luke’s arms.

Michael voices his awe and Calum grins at the softness of his voice and eyes and picks up on the flinch of his arms as he also desperately wants to hold Mila. Luke doesn’t seem to get the memo, or completely ignores it in any case, and continues to hold her.

“Alright, my turn,” Michael finally announces minutes after taking a seat and trying to be patient, not one to hold onto subtleties for too long.

Luke shakes his head. “Get your own baby.”

“You get your own baby,” Michael says around a laugh at the staunch look of not giving up on Luke’s face.

“Maybe someday I will,” Luke mumbles and sighs, gives Mila one last little coo and finally relents.

The transition from Luke to Michael comes with a small fuss but you and Calum stay by her side until she’s settled. Calum watches his lifelong friend hold his daughter and feels overwhelming warmth and happiness radiate through him. Calum concludes Michael must be feeling the same as he gazes down at Mila with watery eyes and a gentle smile.

“I love her so much,” Michael says and a crack in his voice alludes to the emotion his words promise. “But I am disappointed I was the last one to hold her,” he adds on with a pointed and somewhat joking look to you and Calum.

Calum throws his hands up in the air in surrender and defense. “Shoulda brought us breakfast like Luke,” he jokes and shrugs, to which Michael narrows his eyes but laughs along. “Besides, my parents haven’t even met her yet. They’re catching a flight out tomorrow.”

Michael concedes his argument and jokes and settles into gently rocking Mila, holding her hand and getting himself wrapped her tiniest finger. 

“You guys gonna get any rest until then?” Luke questions in the vein of mentioning how tired you and Calum look but it’s only asked in concern.

“Maybe,” you answer and Calum catches the slight frown on your face.

“It’ll be easier when they’re here,” Calum says and rubs your back soothingly. “It’ll be nice to have them around during the nights.”

“Well, if you need any help you know we’re here,” Michael offers.

“I’ll take her anytime. Can’t promise I’ll give her back though,” Luke pipes in and smirks. “I am her favorite uncle after all.”

“Says who?” Michael asks and gives Mila a little tickle as if to earn affection and the coveted spot of favorite uncle.

“She did. We had a little talk before you got here,” Luke says casually.

You and Calum both laugh at the little argument that ensues and in the distraction swoop in and take Mila from Michael. You hold her and Calum holds you. Ashton and Mali let themselves in through the front door and as they join the group you both know your family will always be there for you and for your daughter.

<< >>

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[artinclined-jointheartside]

So I was thinking about the sudden transition to a feral mindset and was thinking about its origin in the context of a set of dormant instincts that can be traced back to the boiling isles equivalent of prehistoric witches (consider if you will, neanderthal-like witches roaming about). Just a little headcanon I came up with :)

That! Is a very good point! :D

I had a similar idea, but hadn't flushed it out much beyond "This is the other half of their nature." Because, really, they aren't human. They are just human-like. And while it's commonly agreed humans came from apes, witches came from... ? Who knows, that's the fun! But it makes sense they'd have a pathway back to their lesser mind because they aren't actually all that far removed from that more animal side of them to begin with.

So yeah! I like it! Would make a fun little side project to flush that out more. >v>

[valaks]

Signals: Deleted Fic

Summary: When Alex had come to SCORPIA it had been in hopes of getting answers but at every turn he seems to walk away with more questions. The only thing he can cling to is the memory of the man who sent him here and his protege who is now guiding him. At least Nile’s nice...for a terrorist but that’s really more than Alex can ask for.

“D’Arc said you made quick progress on the hand signals”

Alex was still getting used to hearing praise. It’d been longer than he was willing to admit since he had received anything more substantive than an “I’m glad you’re home and safe”. That it was coming from a man who Alex had learned the hard way was objectively very, very dangerous…it didn’t speak well of the direction his life had been going.

Not that coming to SCORPIA was really a bright and shining moment for that either but at least here he felt a little more...settled than at home. Everything here was easy in a way that Brooklands hadn’t been in quite sometime. He was still behind in some subjects he hadn’t made it to chemistry which made some of Gordon’s lessons difficult at best but in others he exceeded. That his classmates stayed closed lipped at the very worst only made things that much easier to slide in and feel comfortable.

“Yeah, some of them overlap from what MI6 taught.” He tried to brush it off but Nile stopped dead in his tracks fixing him with an unreadable stare, on anyone else at Malogosto it would be natural but on Nile who kept such a good temper it was disconcerting.

“Don’t lie, Alex, our hand signals aren’t anything remotely like 6s.”

“How do you know?” He was genuinely curious but also hoping to switch subjects because Nile was nice but also terrifying and maybe lying to him hadn’t been his best decision

“You’ll study them here, well, the big ones - CIA, MI6, SVR, and the rest who try to play world police.” Nile said with a flippant hand wave “Now why don’t you tell me the real reason you know them?”

He really shouldn’t be surprised, Nile wasn’t a school teacher he could fool with questions and misdirection. He was informative and helpful but there was a limit and he got the feeling he was reaching it. “My uncle taught them to me when I was young.” And that had been as much of a shock to Alex as it apparently was to Nile who took a step back, something unreadable flashing through his eyes. Gone as soon as he saw it.

“Odd choice for an MI6 agent...” he murmured

“Maybe he didn’t want other people to see me using them, might’ve thought it would make people see me as a target” People like you went unsaid.

Nile nodded thoughtfully, “It’s possible he learned them from Hunter, your father.”

“You don’t think that’s why do you?”

“No,” there was a note of approval in his voice and Alex did his best to ruthlessly repress his own pride at having garnered it. Nile’s next words did a great job of smothering it “I think you were always meant to come to SCORPIA, Alex, ideally in 4 years when MI6 had more of a chance to groom you. Thankfully you found us on your own.”

There was just the smallest thread of doubt there and Alex had the sudden urge to tell him that he had, that he was tired of being used by MI6 that he belonged here in a way he hadn’t belonged anywhere since Ian’s death. Nile seemed to find what he was looking for and nodded.

“Do other people feel that way too?” It wasn’t subtle but subtleties were lost on Nile who seemed to be able to read him like a book.

“Of course,” it wasn’t comforting “Those doubts hang over the head of every operative we have that switches sides. Your youth helps, of course.”

“And it helps to have a second in command watching my steps.”

Nile flashed him a smile “Yes but there is more to it than that. If they wanted to prove your loyalty there are easier ways - interrogation or any seasoned operative but they chose me, why do you think that is?”

Nile liked these little thought exercises. Pressing Alex to understand his position or lessons was a favorite last time. Alex now saw them for what they were - a test. Unfortunately, one he would fail.

“Honestly, I don’t know” he didn’t, not really not when they had perfectly good instructors, not when Nile’s time was infinitely more valuable in the field. It didn’t quite add up but then this entire experience had felt a little surreal.

“Mrs. Rothman is interested in you as are the rest of the board. You have a family history that speaks of talent but more importantly you have a far more recent history that shows the skill and determination to use it. You have foiled two of our operations, ones that were planned and executed by Cossack who had a...reputation for being thorough and never failing.”

“Before me.”

“Before you” Nile agreed “Some on the Board attribute your success to his weakness. I don’t believe that is true and neither does Mrs. Rothman. She has had the other two youngest Malogosto graduates under her command to fantastic results, she feels you will be similarly successful.”

“I know you are the youngest.” Are because Alex hadn’t graduated yet and mercifully had quite a bit of time before he could really consider what that would entail. “But who was the other?”

“Cossack, he was 19 when he trained with your father.”

“Oh”

“Yes, oh” Nile looked amused, but there was something more to it than that. It wasn’t the first time he had caught it either. If Nile was assigned to him then maybe….

“Did he mentor you?”

Nile gave him a long look and then nodded “Not while I was at Malogosto but once I left and started making a name for myself.”

“Can you tell me about him?” It came out more forcefully than he intended. Yassen represented a lot of unanswered questions in his life. Alex wouldn’t be here without him having killed Ian but he also wouldn’t be alive at all for that matter. If Nile couldn’t tell him about his father, maybe hearing about Yassen would fill in some of those blanks.

“Another time, maybe.” A casual look down the corridor was enough to signal that it wasn’t a ‘no’, just an inopportune time and place. “I’ll talk to D’Arc about transitioning you into the other hand signals. After dinner we’ll be headed back to the range 72% is good but they’ll be introducing different targets soon. I want you to have exposure to them before your progress is scored and reported tomorrow.”

Nile didn’t have to explain all that. He could have ordered Alex anywhere and he would have gone. Maybe he knew that explaining things was the easiest way to get Alex’s compliance, or maybe he needed him to be aware of the stakes, Alex liked to think that it was because despite his background Nile did genuinely want to see him succeed. He held onto that because he hadn’t had anyone who wanted that and was willing to help him succeed in a long time. And maybe it was fitting that the line of mentorship would keep going.