#but it can also be something indicative of her strength and power - as being the one person between two things: a protector or a defender

[backjustforberena]

RHAENYS TARGARYEN: And I must stand alone.

[yndrgrl]

yandere! kiribaku are your gym crushes, & you're their obsession

long ass fic. polyamory. quirkless! au. established! kiribaku. switch! kiribaku

warning: nsfw, voyerism, kiribaku seggsy time, stalking, spit-roasting, double penetration, cockwarming

a/n: i hope y'all like big boyz (please request scenarios) also can someone tell me how to reply to comments or something... idk how to. also writing this took forever cuz it kept deleting parts frfr

let's be mutuals :) insta: thebufferfish

---

kirishima was the first one to notice you out of the pair. you showed up at the gym an hour after him & bakugou arrived. something drew him to you, his eyes trailing you into the locker room.

you didn't wear anything "high fashion" per se, just what you felt confident in. boy, did it show. you walked back out with a certain aura around you-- sure, ready to work, & determined. whatever goal you had in mind for that training session, you were going to achieve it, kirishima could tell.

"oi! what are you looking at, shitty hair?" bakugou scowled as he arose from the bench, reracking the weight then followed his boyfriend's eyes. he saw your figure facing away from him. you were on the treadmill at walking speed. his breath hitched for a moment, but he blamed it on working out. he tried to rationalize that he hasn't even -technically- seen you, & you're probably just an extra in his movie anyways.

after your warmup, you went for a squat rack, where you would stay for a good portion of your workout. you started off with squats-- tried & true. you had big, bulky headphones on & your hair tied up out & away from your face.

bakugou & kirishima got a good look at your face through the reflection of the giant mirror that lined the walls. you loaded your weight for your warmup, & bakugou scoffed.

"what is that chick even doing?" he rolled his eyes to kirishima, turning his back on you. he swatted away any curiosity that he had for you.

he heard you rerack the weight, take off the clip, & slide off your warmup weight. he examined kirishima's usual happy expression turned into one of shock, approval, & a hint of arousal. bakugou would've been offended, jealous, cursing his boyfriend with every name under the sun due to this reaction.

"what is it now?" he groaned, turning his head back to face you. he was expecting maybe you flashed kirishima, maybe you somehow seduced him with siren power, but he wasn't expecting you, with a leather weightlifting belt strapped against your stomach, squatting way more than expected. if they were being honest, it almost looked inhuman, yet you had no indication that you were struggling.

kirishima breathed out, "you know, kats, she's actually kind of strong."

bakugou knew kirishima, of course he did. he knows all the little tendencies he does when he feels a certain way. when he's nervous, he has a smile that's stretched a little too wide; when he's angry, his normally-bright red eyes turn blood crimson-- almost black. that's why, when he saw his partner adjust his pants & bite his lip, he knew kirishima was undoubtedly attracted & turned on.

"is that all it takes to get you going?" bakugou barked at the redhead, angered, not because he was jealous, but because he was puzzled. truly puzzled. he was so content with the life that him & kirishima had, the routine they fell into. wake up together, get ready & eat breakfast together, have some morning fun, go to the gym, work, come home, have more fun, sleep. that was their life.

yet here comes you, a random stranger with the brute strength of hercules & the beauty of a goddess. you wrecked their unsaid routine.

"what are you talking about?" kirishima questioned when he tore his eyes away from you. he just watched you add more weight to your next set.

"are you that easy?"

"katsuki, you're one to talk," kirishima laughed, switching positions with his partner so he could begin his set of bench press. "i saw you look straight at her ass, & don't deny it 'cuz i watched your eyes."

"i don't know what you're talking about," katsuki growled. his boyfriend unloaded the weight, bringing the weight down to his chest then pushing it back up. even when struggling under a mass of metal, kirishima had a small smile on his face.

"yeah, you do," kirishima uttered out between his reps. "i can see your hard-on right now."

"shut up!" bakugou yelled. kirishima & bakugou's eyes darted towards you & met your semi-scared gaze in the mirror.

"katsuki," kirishima reracked his weights then sat up.

bakugou lowered his voice, saying, "listen, shitty hair, i'll admit that she got me a little bit hard, okay? but i'm not going to do anything about it, i'm loyal to you-"

"i want you to," kirishima laughed, cutting off his partner's endearing, aggressive rant.

"what?"

"i want you to do stuff to her," the redhead reiterated, "i want to do stuff to her. honestly we're both attracted to her, & i wouldn't mind sharing you if it's with someone like her."

"what if we get to know her?" kirishima suggested, sly smirk glued on his face. bakugou couldn't help but copy.

that night, after snooping through your gym bag when you went to the restroom, they found out your name was y/n l/n & your instagram username, thanks to your notifications.

over a quick dinner they made when they got home, they scrolled through your posts. they learned that you were nineteen, three years younger than them. they found what college you're studying at & what major you went into. more importantly, they found all the progress pictures, selfies, & outfit-of-the-day pictures.

whether it was posts themselves or past stories, they screenshot them all. every single one. the more they looked at you, the more they realized how good of a choice they're making by perusing you-- not that you knew that yet.

then they found the gold mine. you're a college girl trying to live it up while you're still young, that much they gathered. what they didn't expect was to see you & your friends (the important part is you though) in costume that bordered lingerie. the post's caption was, "baby rave!"

it felt sinful to see you in such a way. at the gym, you're pristine, well-mannered. in this post, however, you are a complete party girl with lights of different colors radiating, confetti in your hair, & an alcohol-induced flush on your face.

you wore a dark red bikini top that barely held your breasts. metallic chains draped around your body, all connected by a black pearl choker. your bottom matched the top, & you wore ripped-up fishnets underneath.

if bakugou & kirishima were there that night, they would've fucked all of your holes in the middle of the mosh pit.

grunts & sloppy slurps echoed off the walls of the room they shared. "ah, fuck, eijiro," bakugou groaned, his eyes shifting to the man sucking his cock to the pictures of you at a rave, letting your friends jokingly squeeze all over you. he wishes that was him & his boyfriend's hands all over you.

kirishima coughed, spit & pre-cum mixed sliding down bakugou's cock. "choke on that dick, babe," the blonde taunted. in response, kirishima shoved his head down onto his length then moaned. the vibrations sent shock waves through bakugou through the tip & into the rest of his body.

not long after, bakugou forced kirishima on his feet. he stood with him, both of their impressive sizes in his grasp, pressed against each other. he spat onto kirishima's girth, & already was kirishima jacking his hips forward for friction. "god, fuckin' do it already," demanded the redhead, biting his lip. bakugou stroked their cocks simultaneously as kirishima crashed his chapped lips against his.

soon, they were moaning into each other's mouths, eyes cracked open to see the picture of you propped now on the bedside lamp. "oh fuck, i need her so bad," bakugou admitted, & kirishima's heart leaped out of his throat. he could've won a marathon with how wide his panting smile was.

"tell me how bad you need her, kats~" kirishima said as he slipped out of his boyfriend's grasp & got behind the blonde. he reached around bakugou's waist, making him face the photo of you with your hands spreading your ass ever so slightly, only fishnets & a bikini bottom covering your most precious parts.

the bulky redhead, with his other hand, lined his tip with bakugou's hole. "i need her bouncing on my cock while she's choking on your massive fuckin' dick," bakugou responded, & he was rewarded with kirishima pushing past his entrance with his tip & him pumping faster.

"what else? that can't be the only thing," kirishima laughed. "i know how crazy you can actually be."

"'gonna ruin her so bad, she'll only need us. god, she's gonna become our cute, little house wife."

"oh yeah?" kirishima pushed his entire shaft into bakugou asshole, & they groaned together. bakugou leaned his body into the bigger man, shutting his eyes as kirishima pumped him hard, thrusting in & out of him.

"fuck yeah," said bakugou, "she's gonna -harder, bastard- she's gonna our fucktoy house wife, addicted to our cock. i'm gonna fill her up every night of the rest of her life, i swear to god."

they both looked back at your picture, your stunning body, every curve & every muscle & every stretch mark. they were obsessed, needy. "f-fuck, ei, i'm gonna cum," bakugou choked out, brows furrowed & concentrated on your photo.

"me t-too," kirishima said, thrusting harder into his boyfriend. thinking about you already felt good, so what would it feel like if you were actually here? they both wondered. great minds think alike, after all.

in kirishima's hand, bakugou's cock started to throb, jets of cum shooting out & onto your picture, all over the night stand. kirishima followed in suit; he pulled his cock out of bakugou's gaping hole & jerked himself off to you. "y-y/n," he moaned, releasing his cum all over you.

you didn't know any of this, you didn't know just how badly they wanted you, what they did to the mere thought of you. you were unaware of a lot of things, it seemed to them. you didn't know how perfect you were, always hiding your stomach by crossing your arms over it when you sat down. you didn't know how much you teased them when you swayed your hips.

& you didn't know how much you ruined their daily routine.

they found themselves less present at the well-oiled machine of a company they own; not that it mattered, they only go for a few hours every week just for check ups. they spend an ungodly amount of time at the gym, taking note what time you show up on certain days. they figured out your workout routine, what machines you like using, how often you refill your water bottle, what supplements you take.

you couldn't help but notice them as well-- not to the extent they notice you though.

they were eye-catching, everyone in the room would find themselves magnetized to their hulking selves.

bakugou was intimidating, wearing tank tops & loose fitting pump covers. he was at least six foot two, weighing in at 230 pounds of nothing but pure, raw muscle. he looked like he was born with a scowl on his face. unkept, wild ash-blonde hair, a small stubble growing in neatly.

kirishima was the opposite. he was approachable, a friendly giant. he was bigger than his counterpart, standing at a terrifying six foot six & weighing nearly 300 pounds. he was always found with a smile on his face-- happy to be there. he wore tight fitting, long sleeve shirts. small scars littered his hands & clean-kept face.

they shared one thing though, their demon red eyes, lasered in with focus & intent.

you noticed them & how ridiculously handsome they were. just from their appearances, they were just your type.

you moved into the city from a small town on a full-ride scholarship to the local university. you wanted to experience everything city life had to offer because everything was different. from the concerts to the markets to the men. no one would ever describe you as meek in most aspects of your life. in school, you were hard-working; in your career, you were ambitious! however, when it came to your love life, you were subtle.

other girls approached the two musclemen, chatting & giggling. you watched as the girls gave them their socials before leaving to finish their workout. you, on the other hand, would use a machine close to the one they were using. yup. that was it. that was your grand, big gesture of flirtation & seduction.

when you got lucky & they would look your way, you averted you eyes every time with a dark blush (that you blamed on your workout) as heat flashed through your body. you were only meant to watch from afar, you thought.

bakugou was the first to approach you. blunt as ever, too. it made kirishima want to die of embarrassment. "oi! you!" he called out, but you could barely hear his voice through your noise-canceling headphones. you pushed one side off of your ear, turning your head to see who he was talking to. it was you. "you new here?"

it's been two weeks since you started going to this particular gym, which means it's been two weeks since they've been trying to get your attention so you'd talk with them.

"oh, uh, yeah, i am," you told them as you slid off your headphones, letting them hang on your neck. the music buzzed quietly, you doubt they could hear the song. "j-just moved here." you cleared your throat. since when do i stutter, you mentally face-palmed.

"really? from where?" kirishima butted in. them standing in front of you, only a few feet away made you feel tiny.

you said the name of your town, & bakugou snorted, "i've never even heard of that place. sounds lame."

"compared to here, it is. there's nothing to do over there besides working out & hike," you said with a small smile. most people said that about your town so you never really took offense.

"how do you like it here?" kirishima asked.

you could gush about the city all day. you didn't want to bore them though. "i love it here! there's always something to do. the other day i went to my first rave, & there were more people there than people that live in my old town!"

kirishima laughed at your sudden excitement. they were both relieved that you weren't a raging bitch, that you had such a sweet, lovely personality. truly, beautiful inside & out.

in the city, it was so hard to find gems, yet, without even needing to look, they found you. that must mean that you were meant to be theirs, right?

"tch, you probably aren't that interesting, huh?" the ashen blonde spat, even though he was completely enamored by you.

it caught you by surprise. "you're one to talk, big guy. i've probably lived more life than you," you barked back, half-jokingly & half-warning.

with a staggered laugh & a glance at his amused/annoyed partner, kirishima said, "you got a bite on ya', i like that. please excuse him, he's intimidated by pretty ladies like you."

the people back in your old town always told you that city boys had no charm, that they weren't capable of actual romantic emotion, but this red-haired, toothy-grinned man is proving them all wrong. he was smooth with words, easing your mind.

"i'm eijiro, by the way," he said to you with his hand outstretched.

you secured your weights before taking his hand, to which he gently turned yours & placed a chaste kiss on your knuckles as you were introducing yourself. "i-i'm y/n."

anyone else would've been unbelievably jealous that their hunk of a boyfriend is -very clearly- flirting with another person, but bakugou honestly didn't care. in fact, he was giving eijiro a look that told him to keep going. bakugou knew that, out of the two of them, eijiro was more inviting.

you turned your attention away from eijiro. bakugou took this as a sign to introduce himself. "katsuki."

"katsuki," you repeated, holding out your hand to shake his. "got it, i'm y/n," you said in case he didn't hear you the first time.

the only ones who call him by his first name is his parents, his hunk of a boyfriend, & now, you.

eijiro & katsuki shot a look over you. "do it" eijiro could practically hear his partner demand. "so, y/n, have you been to any good restaurants?"

"there's a few i really like! i haven't seen any with my favorite food though," you said, & that made you remember that you were insanely hungry. as if on cue, your stomach grumbled in complaint. embarrassed, you tried to cough to cover up the fact you could eat a horse & then the whole barn.

eijiro shot you a smile. if he heard your stomach, he didn't say anything. instead, he offered, "what's your favorite food? i promise you that kats & i know a place."

you told them what your favorite food. they already knew though; you loved to post about it on your instagram highlights.

"no way, we were just about to head out to get some! you should come with," eijiro offered.

"i-i don't know," you said as you rubbed your arm. what if he's just being nice? what if he felt like he needed to invite you? those questions & then some circled your head.

"what don't you know, sweetheart?" eijiro questioned as he took your hand again, his thumb grazing over your knuckles. "we're not scaring you, are we?"

"n-no! that's not it!" you quickly denied. you didn't mean to give them that impression-- even though you were slightly intimidated by them. however, you were more nervous than anything. your two gym crushes are, not only, in front of you, not only talking to you, but inviting you to a restaurant with them. in your delusions, you pretended that it was a two-way date, even though it was just a friend hangout for sure.

"then what is it, baby?"

"you can just say you don't wanna go," katsuki said, rolling his eyes.

of course you wanted to go! it was a dream to have an opportunity to get closer to the two. "i do wanna go!"

"okay, then what's stopping you?" katsuki scoffed.

you admitted sheepishly, "i kinda spent a lot the other day on groceries & things from amazon."

eijiro was silent at first, then started laughing. "you're cute," he sighed as he let your hand go.

"listen, he didn't ask if you had money. he asked if you wanted to come with us, dumbass," katsuki said with a smirk. eijiro & him, before approaching you, had a long talk about how he needed to be nicer, so his lips turning upward ever so slightly was his "nicer."

"kats," eijiro warned, narrowing his eyes at his partner. katsuki gave a shrug as a response.

"i mean," you began, their attention turning towards you, "if you say it like that, i couldn't miss out on some good food." like a weight being lifted off of eijiro's chest, he let out a deep sigh of relief.

after you finish your last set, you headed to the locker room to freshen up while they waited for you. you fixed your hair, applied more deodorant just in case, & change your shirt-- also just in case.

they led you out of the gym, katsuki slightly in front of you. though his rough exterior, you saw how he was trying to be gentlemanly by making sure you were following him to the car. eijiro, once the car was unlocked, opened the passenger-side door for you. "are you sure?" you questioned while he slid off your duffel bag from off your shoulder.

he replied back, "yeah, i sit up there all the time anyways. it's tons more comfortable in the back for me."

you reluctantly sat in the front seat. the redhead threw himself into the back, placing your bag on the ground beside his.

katsuki slid into the driver's seat with his gym bag in hand. the moment eijiro sat up properly, katsuki threw his bag at his face.

laughter bubbled from you as you gasped out, "that was so mean!"

"yeah, that's why i did it," katsuki replied, getting more giggles out of you. he was in cloud 9, & so was eijiro. katsuki let himself relax to your laughter, falling for your voice. it was ten million times better than his favorite song, & if he had to choose his top band of all time or your voice, he'd never listen to the band ever again. eijiro would allow himself to get hit in the face with katsuki's duffle bag a thousand more times to see that expression on your face. smile wide, mouth agape, as you laughed for him.

"jerk," eijiro muttered, slapping the driver's shoulder.

"whatever," katsuki replied as he backed up the car, "it made the pretty girl over here laugh, so i don't really care if i was being a jerk."

you blushed at katsuki's sudden compliment. eijiro also seemed surprised. "i didn't think you had it in you, kats," eijiro praised, you thought it was because eijiro was just being a supportive friend. the other two knew that it was because of something deeper, something they've worked through in their relationship.

"hey, i got an idea," eijiro started, changing the topic, but you still couldn't get over how flirtatious the two were being. "how about we order takeout from the place? it's pretty busy around this time, so it'll be a wait until we actually get to sit down & eat. is that okay with you, y/n?"

"uh, yeah! if that's what you guys want to do, i don't mind," you said. "where would we eat though?"

"we can go back to our place?" eijiro suggested.

"yeah, i'd be okay with that as long as the two of you are okay with me coming over?"

"we are, don't worry," eijiro said, fishing his phone out of his gym bag. "i'm gonna start ordering, okay?"

while he ordered online, you began talking with katsuki. "i didn't know the two of you were roommates."

"roommates? yeah, i guess we're something like that," katsuki replied. he placed his right hand on the gear stick; he tapped his finger to the beat of the song you decided to play after they practically forced the aux cord into your hand.

"well what else would you call the two of you?"

"no, roommates describe us pretty well," katsuki lied. in his head, it wasn't technically lying. they split the chores, the bills, the rent, just like real roommates do. they grocery shop, they clean, they take turns mowing the lawn & keeping their plants green. the only difference is that they suck each other's dicks & fuck each other in the ass... roommates for sure.

katsuki glanced in the rear view mirror & made eye contact with eijiro. the shark-toothed man rolled his eyes with a knowing smile then continued to pay for your guys' food. he asked you earlier on the way out of the gym what you wanted to order to save time since he already planned in head you were going home with them.

"so how long have you guys been friends?" you asked to fill the silence.

"we've been friends since freshman year of high school," eijiro told you. he wasn't ready to reveal his relationship & how he wanted you to be a part of it yet as he didn't know your stance on polyamory.

"that's a long time! i don't have any friends from high school honestly," you recalled, your town was pretty small after all so all the people were just clones of each other, & it freaked you out.

"yeah, we're pretty good friends. i know kats here inside & out~"

by the time you arrived at the restaurant, the food was done & packaged. "i'll go get it, be right back," eijiro announced before getting out of the vehicle. katsuki had enough curtsy to park in the nearest space closest to the entrance.

"i'll come with you to get the drinks," katsuki said, unbuckling his seat belt. "just stay here & be pretty, easy enough, right?"

"oh, o-okay, i guess," you replied. the keys stayed in the ignition, air conditioner pumping cool air throughout the car. you pulled out your phone, texting your college friends about what was going on.

outside, eijiro pulled katsuki close, whispering in his ear, "be nice or i'll make you."

katsuki pried his lover's hand off of his neck with a scoff. "i am being nice. look at her, she doesn't care."

"i swear to god, katsuki, you're gonna fuckin' pay if you scare her off," eijiro threatened through gritted teeth. he brushed his fingers on katsuki's semi-hard cock through his sweatpants. eijiro took a deep breath, & katsuki stared at him with an amused expression.

by the time you looked up, they were already headed back with a plastic bag full of food & specialty drinks they wanted you to try. you smiled at the two of them, unlocking the doors when they got to the car. you didn't see the interaction between the two of them moments before. maybe if you did, you'd put two & two together.

the drive to their apartment only lasted a song & a half. you were expecting to pull into a regular, slightly warn-down apartment complex with four floors of rooms. instead, they drove into the parking lot of a glass building, a skyscraper to you-- just another tower to city folk.

"woah," you said, though you didn't mean to. "what is this?"

"it's where we live," katsuki said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"but... how? it's so fancy," you gasped.

katsuki parked the car as eijiro chirped, "you haven't even seen our apartment."

to call it an apartment was an understatement. it was a penthouse that could fit your apartment three time & still have room left. it was luxury at its finest, if you do say so yourself. you couldn't fathom how this could be someone's "regular."

the statement wall was nothing but glass, sunlight spilling into the living room. the high ceiling -along with the two men who towered over you- made you feel miniature. the decor matched the house, yet it didn't match eijiro or katsuki. it was pristine, minimalistic. when you pictured a boys' apartment, you thought it would be messy with random decor that don't match. hell, your dorm room was messier than their entire penthouse! at least, from what you could tell.

as they took off their shoes, you followed in suit. eijiro took you by the hand, saying, "allow me to give you a tour, sweetheart."

"i-if you insist," you stuttered out; you weren't used to the physical contact, even though it's happened a few times already. he showed you to the kitchen, which had a beautiful backdrop that complimented the countertop. all their kitchenware matched because why wouldn't it? even their barstools matched!

the dining space was nothing but a glass table with black chairs. the centerpiece was a black-tinted, glass pitcher with fake locks of wheat inside of it. "pretty cool, isn't it?"

"so fancy, i'm kind of nervous honestly," you half-joked, half-told-the-truth. seriously, who were these two? how could they afford this at their age? you figured they were around your age, maybe a few years older than you. you've met people who are twenty years older than you who don't have living spaces as nice as eijiro's & katsuki's.

"what? why?" asked eijiro, who sounded slightly offended. he caught that you were joking, but he was curious what made them so intimidating.

"it's just you guys are so put-together. i've never met anyone like the two of you," you told him, & it was true. you've never seen anyone so well-built in all aspects of their life.

eijiro laughed as he ran his fingertips through his spikey hair. "trust me, we had to work our asses off for this place. all the furniture & stuff came with it, so we never changed it."

he started to guide you to the living room, showing off all of their consoles that sat on the tv stand shelves. "any game you wanna play, we got," katsuki said from the kitchen, sounding proud of their collection.

"it's true. we love video games," eijiro told you with that same, charming grin that gets your face red. the way he kept flashing the smile made you think he knew how flustered it got you. "let me show you the rooms. that's probably the only place we decorated on our own."

as he led you through the hallway to the bedrooms, you took note of the framed pictures hung on the wall. it was a mixture of photos of katsuki & eijiro on their own & them two together. "you guys must be close," you stated, pointing out the obvious.

"yeah, we're really close," he said back. "believe it or not, but he's softened up over the years. katsuki used to be so much meaner back in high school."

"that's neat that you guys basically grew up together. i never really had like, a best friend," you revealed. you don't know why you were telling him this, you felt like you could though. "i'm jealous of people who can make those connections honestly."

"i lucked out. it's pretty hard to make deep connections, like you said," eijiro agreed, opening the door to guest room/office. "you make it sound like you've never had a relationship."

"i mean, technically i have," you admitted-- you didn't want to seem lame or inexperienced in front of him after all. "just not a long term one. it's hard dating in a small town where everyone already dated everyone else. you'd think that it be like, ten times easier to date in the city, but it's not!"

eijiro listened to your tangent, adoring how riled up you're getting. he didn't want you to stop, it was such an intimate moment -to him- that the two of you were sharing, just the two of you. "oh yeah? tell me more."

"my parents were right, city boys are so much more... direct. they can barely hold a conversation with me in person & over text then they flash me their... you know, thing. i mean, i get being horny & all, but i don't think i'd ever show off like that to get some. it doesn't actually work though, does it?"

"no, unsolicited nudes ever work. guys on dating sites are usually super desperate. you've already figured that out, huh?" eijiro asked, masking his anger (because you went out on dates with other guys) with fake interest. he already knows most things about you. it's not hard to get into chat logs if you know the right people.

"oh, yeah i have. i wasn't interested in this guy after one date, so i cut it off with him, but he kept texting me for two weeks straight. saying stuff like how i was a gold-digger then he'd apologize, asking for another chance."

"sounds terrible," eijiro replied as he exited the room, you following close behind. he opened the only other bedroom door, telling you briefly that it was his-- he's not a liar, he's just not telling the full truth. he sat down on the bed & offered a spot next to him so you can comfortably tell him all the things men did to you.

"maybe you're looking in the wrong places," said eijiro, his voice dropping an octave lower. his face inched closer to yours, but you didn't notice as you continued your rant.

"it is terrible! another guy took me on a date to this really nice restaurant & he brought both of his parents & his little sister! said something about how we were going to get married because it was god's plan. it was actually really scary at the time. i give up on dating."

"i don't even know where to look! i mean, i guess the gym is a good place to find guys with goals like mine; they're usually misogynists or taken though. you & katsuki are the only ones i'd actually date though, but you guys are swimming in girls-" you cut yourself off once you realized what you just said so clearly. "i mean, i know you guys aren't interested, & it's weird to have two crushes-"

"calm down, sweetheart," eijiro interrupted, & you looked up at him. you almost jumped once you saw how close he actually was. the tips of your noses nearly touched, his left hand was propped behind your back against the bed, his fingers toying with the waist of your pants. his other hand rested on your upper thigh. "i just need to know before i say anything more. do you think i can handle me?"

you nodded, shrinking away from him. could he hear how your heart pounded against your rib cage? your heartbeat rang in your ears as it muffled whatever he was saying. your voice was caught in your throat; you knew if you tried to talk, you'd just squeak.

"do you think you can handle katsuki?"

you nodded again.

"how do you feel about both of us? can you handle both of us?" his hand traveled up your body to cup your chin. all you could do was nod. you've never really thought about two men at once before until now. "use your words, y/n."

"i-i could d-date both of you," you said out of innocences. you didn't want him to know about all the dirty thoughts swimming through your head.

"ah-ah-ah~" he tsked. "i asked if you could handle us both because if you say yes, i promise you that you'll be more than just a date to us. you'll be our pretty, little girlfriend. so i'm going to ask you again; could you handle both of us?" you let your eyes wander for just a second. you saw katsuki leaning against the doorframe, a knowing smirk on his face. his hand readjusted his member, but it only brought attention to how it tented against his pants. you gulped.

"y-yes i can, i-i can h-handle both of you," you said, intrigued, curious. you could barely spit out that sentence before eijiro crashed his lips against yours. you let out a muffled squeak, & he took that as an invitation to let his tongue roam into your mouth.

a string of saliva connected the two of you when he pulled away from you. he turned to katsuki with a lusted expression with half-lidded eyes & a toothy grin. "you hear that, babe? she wants to be with us."

babe? you thought. babe is what you call a girlfriend... or a boyfriend. they watched as you finally realized why the two of them lived together, why the photos on the wall were them doing more-than-friend poses, why there wasn't another room for katsuki. "th-the two of you are, um, a-a thing?"

"took ya' long enough," katsuki taunted, sauntering towards the two of you. he grabbed eijiro by the throat, pulling him into a rough, passionate kiss. he threw his red-headed partner off of him as fast as he kissed him. he placed his hand behind your head, colliding your lips together.

once the two of you disconnected from each other, you tried to defend yourself. "i-i'm sorry! i r-really didn't know y-you two were dating!"

"yeah, we know," eijiro laughed, his hand roaming back down to your leg. "it doesn't matter though. you're worth sharing, you know that, sweetheart? you're so utterly beautiful that we couldn't help but fall for you. can you blame us?"

"you're just our type. motivated, real. you're just so fuckin' sexy," katsuki confessed. he sat down on the other side of you. he dragged you into another rough kiss, & eijiro latched his lips onto your neck. both of their hands began to touch you all over. eijiro's hand found itsway in between your legs, & you grinded against his thick fingers. katsuki's was under your shirt, under your bra, squeezing your flesh.

eijiro whispered in your ear as you made out with katsuki, "you want this, don't you? you really want us."

you moaned into katsuki's mouth as a "yes." your panties were stained with your slick at this point. your pussy throbbed in need, how much you needed them inside you. eijiro nipped at your neck again, marking you in hickeys & love bites. you threw your nervousness to the side as leaned against their arms. both of your hands started rubbing against their bulges. you pulled away katsuki, gently shoving him away. "y-you guys a-actually want me as a, you know, girlfriend?"

"we do, pretty girl. we want to be the only ones to love you, to need you. we're going to be the only ones you ever crave," eijiro purred into you ear as katsuki threw off his shirt. "tell me everything you're worried about so i can ease your mind~"

"a-are you sure you want me?" you uttered with a reddened face. this was nothing like you've ever experienced before.

katsuki butted in, "we fuckin' need you, idiot. how clear do i need to be." he grasped you by the throat, making it harder for you to breath. "i need you."

"i need you, too, sweetheart," eijiro whispered against your neck, which was littered with red marks. you didn't even realize that he stripped down to nothing but his grey boxers. out of his waistband poked his leaking tip, oozing precum for you. "say what you want from us~"

"i-i need you too! i need both of you!" you squeaked out, though you were nervous for what the future might hold, you wanted to experience this, them, to the fullest.

"good answer," growled katsuki, slipping off his sweatpants. "now strip. you can't be the only one hiding yourself."

you did as you were told in an instant. you threw off your shirt, &, with the help of eijiro, you took off your pants. as you stripped, eijiro pulled katsuki in for a victory, sloppy kiss. their tongues fought for dominance. you couldn't help but get more aroused as you watched the two & their passion.

to return the favor, you start peppering kisses on eijiro's neck. his arm snaked around your waist, pulling you closer to his mass by grabbing the meat of your ass. you butterfly kisses turned into desperate bites to mark him. you sucked on his most sensitive spot; he moaned into katsuki's mouth, his eyes fluttering open just to roll in the back of his head. katsuki invaded his mouth with his tongue, making eijiro choke on their mixed spit & his thick muscle.

katsuki, though his eyes were shut, pulled his boxers down & stroked his length. every up-stroke caused more precum to bead out of his tip. it dripped down his shaft, being used as lube while he played with himself. katsuki was an impatient man, though. his own hand can't keep him satisfied for long. the hand that was tugging at his dick shot into your hair. he grasped a fist full of your locks, & he forced your face against his cock. all while he made eijiro's mind numb with nothing but his tongue.

you opened your mouth. one moment you took a deep breath, the next you were choking on katsuki's heavy dick. your eyes watered as he forced himself down your throat. you felt your throat bulge, you felt yourself gag, & there was nothing you could do but choke & cry.

the ashen blonde finally pulled away from eijiro, his other hand on the other side of your head while he thrusted in & out of your mouth. "kats, baby, don't be too rough with her~" eijiro told him, but he knew katsuki wouldn't listen. in fact, he knew he would do the opposite, & that's just what he wanted.

in retaliation, katsuki thrusted deeper down your throat. your hands pressed against his hips to try & stop & catch your breath. instead, he let go of your hair & grasped both your wrists & yanked them behind himself as they straightened. you were forced to take all 9 inches down your throat. drool dripped down your chin.

eijiro unclipped your bra from behind, & he sat you on his lap. his cock stood squished between your thighs. he bucked his hips forward, & your panties began to shape to your pussy lips. the cloth rubbed against your clit, a moan bubbled from your throat, but it was muffled thanks to katsuki's prick thrusting in & out of you mouth. "you said you can take us, prove it," hissed katsuki, glaring down at you while he fucked your pretty, little mouth.

eijiro slipped off you panties, strands of your wetness snapping away the further he pulled them down. katsuki finally shoved your face off his spit-coated dick. eijiro say you against the headboard so you were sitting. he was on his hands & knees in front of you.

katsuki was behind eijiro, a loud spank jolted the redhead forward. with your spit & katsuki's precum as lube, he thrusted into eijiro's asspussy. you watched as eijiro's eyes widened & his mouth hung open. "a-ah, fuck, kats," he moaned out as he abused his hole. eijiro locked gazes with you, then gave you that same, charming smile. through the slapping thrusts that filled the room, he asked, "does this get you excited, hm? you like watching us?"

you were speechless, so turned on beyond belief. all you could do was nod.

"you're so c-cute, y-y/n," he whimpered, his fingers finding your pussy. you spread your legs wider, & your juices gushed out. he inserted two fingers, it was already thicker than you've ever handled. he pressed his mouth to your tit, flicking your nipple with his tongue. you squealed as you stared into katsuki's eyes. his narrowed eyes stayed trained on you while his cock was buried in his boyfriend's ass.

you cheeks were still tear stained, your eyes red from pleasure. eijiro inserted a third finger. a hand, your hand, shot up to cover your screams of pleasure. katsuki pulled out of eijiro. he went to their shared bed stand & used a clean towel to wipe his dick.

eijiro, with no effort, carried you on to his lap as he fell to his hip so he was sitting down. he brought your knees to you ears. katsuki sat in front of you on a chair that was beside their full-length mirror. you could see everything; you could see eijiro's cocky expression, how wet your pussy was, how excited katsuki stroked his cock. "ready to prove you can handle me, sweetheart?"

"y-yes, eijiro!" you shouted, mind clouded with lust. "please fuck my pussy!"

following your command, he thrusted his entire girth into your weeping hole. you screamed in pain & pleasure, more juices leaking onto his lap. "y-you're so fuckin' big," you moaned out. he hasn't even thrusted yet, & you already saw stars. after a moment, he moved his hips. your tits bounced with ever thrust.

in the mirror, you saw how your stomach bulged when eijiro was balls deep inside you & how it would disappear when he pulled out, only to reappear when he slammed himself inside you. his thrusts were slow, but not gentle-- unlike katsuki's. "eijiro," katsuki said, getting bored of his hand. "my turn."

eijiro rolled his eyes, but he released your legs & lifted you off of him. "bend over, sweetheart. he loves your ass," eijiro told you, & you listened. katsuki stood up as you bent down in front of him, using your hands to spread your ass & pussy lips apart.

"god, you're too fuckin' short," katsuki growled. all of a sudden, your feet were off the ground as you were still bent over. eijiro grabbed onto your flailing hands. as a thank you, you shoved his slick-covered dick down your throat. katsuki wasted no time & fucked your pussy while you were airborne. his hands carried you by your hips. he used you like you were toy, pounding your cervix with his angry tip. eijiro didn't even have to move with how much katsuki manhandled you.

you were trying to scream as katsuki picked up the pace, but all that came out was spit & gags. "you're gonna break her," mused eijiro, feeling your arms go limp. you accepted that they were in complete control, & that there was nothing you could do about it.

katsuki didn't respond. instead, he groaned between thrusts, "take. this. slut. you're. such. a. fuckin'. tease." his deep, long strokes turned shallow & spastic. shots of hot, white cum coated every inch of your pussy. it swelled in your womb; you felt katsuki's cock twitch as your pussy milked every drip. you came with him, your juices squirting onto the ground, rolling down your leg.

with a few more thrusts, eijiro flooded your throat with his cum. his salty, bitter jets dribbled out of the corner of your mouth. katsuki set you down & pulled out, & eijiro followed. their cum leaked out of your holes onto the floor, & you collapsed on the floor. eijiro held you up by your arms.

"we're not done with you," he snickered as he carried you onto the bed. katsuki, who was already laying on the bed, had you lay on top of him. he held your legs open while his tip ghosted over your asshole. eijiro was in between your legs, straddling katsuki's. he readied himself at your entrance. he bent down to kiss katsuki, then you.

he & katsuki simultaneously shoved themselves into your throbbing holes. you let out a scream. you convulsed, legs shaking while you came all over them. through your release, they picked up the pace. when one was out of you, the other was buried inside you. because of your orgasm, you were more sensitive than usual. "i-it's too m-mu-much!" you cried while you came again.

"aw~ is my baby getting over stimulated?" eijiro cooed, yet his pace was still as harsh as ever. having both of them inside you made you feel so full. you could feel how much more length katsuki had, but eijiro had more girth.

"that's a shame," katsuki snickered. his hand found it's way in between your legs from behind. using his middle finger, he started rub your clit.

"s-stop! i-i'm go-go-"

"let it all out," was the last thing you heard before everything went white. all you felt was pleasure, they pumped in & out of you.

"m-more, more, more," you mindlessly moaned with every thrust. they gave you more, just to see your face every time you came. you don't know how many times they came inside you, it was all just a blur.

you loved how full they made you. your throat was scratchy because of their cocks, because of how much you screamed your name. you were covered in hand prints, hickeys, love bites, & their cum.

you don't know when you switched positions, but now the three of you were on your sides. katsuki was buried deep inside your pussy once again, releasing his seed deep inside of you. eijiro coated your ass in cum before inserting himself back inside your asshole.

they finally stopped moving. they were still buried in your tight, sore holes. you were sandwiched between them, connected to them. "go to sleep, good girl," katsuki praised, kissing your forehead. eijiro kissed your shoulder, then the two of them shared a kiss. your eyelids immediately shut. that's when you learned that you loved feeling full when you slept.

[keytomind]

The right woman isn’t going to pick an argument with you for game or sport. She has had her fill of that bullshit and she is tired of it. If she picks an argument with you, it’s because she wants to teach you something important. She wants you to grow as a person or she wants the two of you to grow as a power couple. The right woman isn’t here for a fight. She is here to love you.

The right woman doesn’t need a boy; she needs a man. She needs a man who is capable of elevating himself, a man who does not mind being corrected if it is going to make him a better person. She needs a man who points the finger at himself before he dares point it outward at anyone or anything else. She needs a man of confidence who will inspire her to do better for herself and her family. The right woman no longer has any patience for boys, except for her sons (and even that wears thin).

The right woman wants to suffocate and drown herself in your masculinity. It makes her feel warm, loved, safe, and protected. By providing her with your masculine energy, you are creating an environment that allows her to radiate her own feminine energy, which is something that every man truly needs. He needs her loving warmth in order to balance himself out and to become the best version of himself. His voice, his mind, and his body will all be able to relax from the wars that he fights every day. The right woman is not threatened by toxic masculinity as she understands that the only thing toxic about masculinity is the absence of it in a man.

The right woman does not hide behind her man. Although she often wants him to lead and to assert his masculine energy appropriately, she will fight alongside him like a warrior Queen. And even though he would rather she stayed out of harm’s way, she would even stand in front of him and take a bullet to protect him. She goes to battle next to him whenever necessary and she safeguards his darkest secrets under lock and key. The right woman does not run away; she plants her feet like roots and she weathers the storm right next to him.

The right woman does not make excuses. She knows that she is not perfect and that there is still much that she can learn. She possesses the raw emotional intelligence to know that she isn’t always correct. She loves for him to teach her new things without belittling her or making her feel unintelligent. She takes accountability when she is wrong and she does her best to take action whenever possible. She is a true Goddess to the world who craves to be soft and little in the arms of the deserving man. The right woman is a force to be reckoned with.

The right woman learns his love language without asking, although there is no shame in asking in order to learn better. She studies his every move - what does he like, what does he want, what does he need - what turns him on, what makes him happy, what does he hold close to his heart.. what does he fear… she wants to know every single detail so that she can love him correctly. And the right woman should only expect the same reciprocity for herself.

The right woman understands that we are a team and that he is not a punching bag. Men are conditioned to be protective and to be strong, but men also fall weak because the human body can only take so much abuse, and some of our greatest battles are fought in our minds. This is not a sign of a lack of strength but rather it is an indication that he must rest as he is exhausted from fighting certain battles alone. While he would rather she did not engage in certain battles, he needs help dressing his wounds, protecting his body, and relaxing his mind so that he can safely remove his armor. The right woman will spring to action without having to be asked as nurturing him to health is her greatest reward.

The right woman doesn’t need to fight other women if they show you favorable attention. She knows to handle such battles with grace and she does not need to clench her fists. She instead will walk right into view, grab you by your tie, kiss you like it might be your last night on earth, and cling to you like a lifeboat while making eye contact with her newfound enemy, letting her know who won the battle without firing a single shot. Again, the right woman is a masterful Goddess who claims her territory appropriately.

The right woman comes in many different forms. She varies in shape, size, color, beauty, attitude, and much more. She will have her heart broken, probably more than once, by a man who did not value her for looking differently on the exterior. This will wound her temporarily, but in time, the right woman rises from her ashes and she learns her worth. If another man doesn’t value her for any such reasons, then she dodged a bullet because, ladies, I fucking promise you that there is a man out there, perhaps many men, who adore you exactly the way you are. If you aren’t his cup of tea, so be it, and if he doesn’t want you for you, the right woman knows when to say “fuck em”.

The right woman deserves absolutely nothing less than the right man, for without the right woman, that man is nobody and nothing. She makes him whole. She gives him great purpose. She gives him life and energy that had evaded him for years before they met each other. He would die for her as she would die for him, and it will be hell when the day comes that they are forced to live without each other. She may bless him with a family one day, but if not, they will make their home warm and full of the love that they both need to enjoy their time spent here in this life.

The right woman is absolutely fucking priceless. Fight for her and, when you do, the right woman will fight for you.

[everythingacotarbxm1012]

They're Mates

Summary - Feyre meets Rhys's Inner Circle and witnesses the strength of the mating bond.

Warnings - abusive family mentioned

Other Notes - 1k words; Please note that most of these lines/plot points are inspired or directly quoted from ACOMAF; I gave reader the name 'Vee' because I know y/n can be obnoxious and i also think it adds to the Az x Reader story.

Part Two

✨💫

Feyre looked up to see the same two males from earlier standing in the doorway, grinning, and a new presence. A beautiful female with wings like the others. She wore a deep blue gown that reached the floor––her hair resting over both her shoulders. The two males wore black leather with a sword strapped against their backs. Feyre noted the power each of them seemed to hold.

The male who was a bit large than the other, spoke up with a light chuckle. “We don’t bite. Unless you ask to us to Feyre.”

The female shot him a pointed look. “Last time I checked, nobody wanted to take you up on that offer, Cassian.” The male who stood between the female and Cassian let out a light, short, laugh before whispering something into the female’s ear making her eyes twinkle subtly. Feyre watched as Cassian gave his own pointed look.

“No secrets in front of our guest, Az,” Cassian said with a grin.

The light danced across their faces allowing Feyre to observe their physical features for a moment. Similar to Rhysand, all three were dark-haired. Both males had tanned skin and hazel eyes. Feyre couldn’t quite tell the eye color of the female standing next to Az, but she gave off an heir of beauty and power.

Cassian grinned again, looking Rhys and Feyre up and down. “You made poor Feyre dress up, brother,” he said before winking in her direction. His features were rough like someone had molded him, from the earth.

The second male was more classically beautiful, though hard to read. He was certainly the one who would be a surprise in the dark, the hidden knife. Feyre noticed the light sparkle in his anytime he looked at the female to his left. It piqued a curiosity in Feyre.

Rhys said, “Azriel––my spymaster,” indicating the one in the middle. He then indicated the female. “Vee. An emissary for the Night Court.” A name, Feyre later learned, Az had adopted for the emissary after she declared she did not want the name her abusive family had given her.

She immediately offered her hand with a warm smile. “Welcome, Feyre.” She gently squeezed Feyre’s before she quickly let go and Feyre does her best to not seem eager as she stepped back to stand next to the High Lord of the night Court, again.

“You’re brothers?” Feyre asked. The two males before her looked similar. The kind of similar where people who come from the same place do, not familial similar.

“All bastards are brothers in some sense,” Rhys responded, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Before Feyre could ask Cassian said, “And I command Rhys’s armies.”

Feyre nodded, shifting on her feet slightly before her eyes glanced to see Azriel taking another glance in the emissary’s direction. She looked right back with a smile that showed a clear fondness for the spymaster. The moment went as quickly as it came when Az turned his gaze to Feyre. “Cassian also excels at pissing everyone off. Especially amongst our friends. So, as a friend of Rhysand, good luck.”

Feyre was giving more attention to not being recognized as the girl Under the Mountain. She wondered, for just a moment if they knew––maybe they didn’t. That was quickly  answered when Cassian nudged past the Night Court’s spymaster requiring Az to flare his wings to keep himself balanced. Feyre watched Vee’s hand fall to Azriel’s lower back to assist. Feyre noticed the fleeting moment of eye contact between the spymaster and the emissary, but it quickly became a second thought as Cassian asked his question about how Feyre had made the bone ladder in the Middengard Wyrm’s lair, when as he put it, “you looked like your own bones could snap at any moment.”

Vee shot Cassian another pointed gaze, but it turned into a grin after Feyre made a sarcastic comment of her own. The general laughed and Azriel’s eyebrow lifted with approval as the shadows swirled around him, tighter. Feyre’s need to understand the gift only furthered when the shadows swirled up and around Vee’ wrist playfully, before weaving around the ends of her hair.

Her curiosity once again was pushed to the side when Feyre heard, thankfully, a familiar voice…Mor. “I hope Cassian’s howling means Feyre told him to shut his fat mouth.”

Vee quickly whispered something into Az’s ear, his shadows lightened slightly from around him. Feyre’s curiosity about the nature of their relationship increasing.

“I don’t know why I forget you two are related,” Cassian told Mor, while glancing over at Rhys for just a moment. “You two and your clothing.” The High Lord rolled his eyes, but Feyre had her own focus on the emissary and the spymaster who were both standing in silence, stealing glances at each other.

“I wanted to impress Feyre. You could have tried to make an effort to comb your hair,” Mor responded.

Cassian braced his feet a little farther apart on the floor in a fighting stance Feyre recognized, perhaps too well. “Unlike some people, I have better things to do with my time than sit in front of the mirror for hours,” the general bit back.

“Yes,” Mor said, tossing her hair over her shoulder, “since swaggering around––”

“We have company,” Azriel said in a soft warning, spreading his wings as he tried to herd everyone.

“Relax, Az,” Mor said as she dodged the spymaster’s outstretched wing. “We won’t fight. We promised Rhys.”

Feyre barely noticed Az stop in his tracks, letting out the smallest of huff and his shadows seem to become thicker. She then watched as Vee took one of Az’s hands in her own, gently pressing her lips to the back of it. His shadows lightened around him. Apparently the question about their relationship reached Feyre’s face because Rhys leaned down slightly to say, “They’re mates. Azriel and Vee. They’ve known each other a little over 500 years and been mates just under 500.”

Feyre considered that fact, thinking there was something delicately beautiful about nearly 500 years of commitment between the two. Now she just had a few thousand more questions about the court’s spymaster and emissary. Question she decided were for another time as Mor indicated the empty seat beside her. Feyre knew the image of Az whispering into his mate’s ear and the twinkle in her eye would be etched into the back of her mind forever.

[tumblingxelian]

A Necessary Post - Yang, Taiyang & Seeing Red

I debated this being a message or a note or a reblog, but ultimately this warranted an essay. Because a hatred of nuance is not even remotely the reason why Tai is critiqued as a teacher or father.

With that fact in mind, let's begin:

During RWBY Volume 4, Episode 9: Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back Taiyang has a great deal of critical feedback for Yang regarding her fighting style, personality & Semblance.

The issue is that Tai's words and advice when compared to what we saw on screen before & afterwards demonstrate he does not understand how it works or how she used it.

So here for your reading pleasure if a more or less line by line breakdown of Tai's advice and why I don't feel it holds up & more to the point, why I don't believe Yang utilized it.

Taiyang: Do you realize that you used your Semblance to win every fight after the qualifiers?

Yang rightfully points out that her using Burn is no different than anyone else using their Semblances. I would add that Yang's Semblance only serves to enhance her already present abilities with damage taken in a fight. So her not using it would be stupidly holding back extra energy for no reason.

Tai's critique also fails to register that when using her Semblance to take out FNKI, Yang specifically disrupted the ground so Neon could not skate effectively & used the boost in power to turn Flynt's own weapon against him.

I will be addressing Mercury further down but she used it effectively and intellectually here and to great effect.

What's more, every other fights fighting style, weapons or both were literally built around their Semblances. Yang's threat level remains fairly consistent without her Semblance, all three of these other characters take a huge dip.

Taiyang: Because not everyone else's is basically a temper tantrum.

Ignoring that calling the manifestation of Yang's soul a temper tantrum is another in a long line if dickish things Tai says to Yang. Her Semblance literally does not work that way.

Her anger has jack and shit to do with it, this has been explained & demonstrated time and time again. Yang only gets a power boost when she's been injured, the fact she tends to be angry when using it is because being hurt sucks and she's usually in an intense fight. When the fight is going well and she still gets to use it she's not angry, as seen with a pleased smirk here:

So as before, Tai's critique is bereft of any merit, Yang's Semblance does not work that way.

Taiyang: I'm serious! Once you take damage, you can dish it back twice as hard, but that doesn't make you invincible!

Cite a time Yang thought she was invincible, cite it provably that Yang thought, said or indicated that she felt she was invincible. You can't because Yang never indicated as such this is something Tai is assuming about her at best.

& no her jumping in the Nevermore's mouth is not an example because she was not using her Semblance, did not take damage, it was a very effective strategy & seemingly either part of the plan, or was so easily understood that it could be safely and reliably worked into the plan. She wasn't using her Semblance here but finding evidence of risky behavior was hard, especially with her Semblance, go figure.

In fact every time Yang used her Semblance she did so only because someone landed a blow, which just happens in fights sometimes.

Taiyang: It's great when you're in a bind, but what happens if you miss? What happens if they're stronger? What then? Now you're just weak and tired!

We know what happens when Yang misses, she can swing again!

After the first blow on the Paladin she missed & needed help to catch it, her missing had zero impact on her Semblances.

As to what happens if they are stronger, um, she loses, that sometimes happens in fights. Its not something Yang can do anything about by holding back on extra strength. Not to quote Qrow but sometimes bad things happen. Other characters losing to stronger opponents don't get given this kind of diatribe's because its pointedly obvious that there was nothing to be done about it.

& on the final piece, she was very pointedly not weak and tired after using it. The only times she has been shown to be is when she was extremely low on Aura regardless in which cases not using her Semblance is a death sentence.

So again, we've established Tai's critique comes from nowhere & his understanding of her Semblance is nonexistent.

Taiyang: But you gotta keep your emotions in check. Keep a level head, and think before you act. Your Semblance is a great fallback, but you can't let yourself rely on it.

This is so painfully unfair it hurts.

No other character gets this kind of shit for expressing emotions in combat. In fact we see characters expressing emotions in battle all the time. Nor has she stopped displaying emotions in combat:

I already outlined how in all two of the Yang fights Tai actually witnessed she used strategy and retained excellent combat form. So again, baseless claims from Tai.

What's more, Yang primarily does use her Semblance as a fallback rather than rely on it in these fights. She only whipped it out against Mercury when he'd unleashed his seeming kill move on her and was confident he'd won.

Not using it here would be dumb and make no sense.

Yang doesn't rely on it to save her, she deploys it when it makes sense to & she has the energy or the need. This is more than we see from many characters.

Taiyang: It won't always save you. Obviously.

So now he is critiquing her for a fight he didn't even witness & knows jack shit about. So let's break this down once again:

Yang has spent the last 24 hours questions her sanity.

Yang's new home (Her words) is burning down.

Yang's sister is missing in all this chaos.

Then Yang's partner gets fucking stabbed, and the guy who did it is standing between them with a sword & gun, with fire all over Grimm all around.

Anything Yang can do he can counter, she tries to go around he only has to pivot. If she tries to fire from long range she might hit Blake. She tries an earth shock wave, she launches Blake into the fire.

She quite literally had no others options & zero time to try anything else because he can just shoot or stab Blake whenever he wants.

Taiyang: You definitely have your mom's stubbornness.

This, this right here is where all this is actually coming from. Tai is once again projecting Raven onto Yang despite them frankly having almost nothing in common.

With most of Yang's visible personality tells being inherited from Summer, such as the mother daughter shoulder check of V9. Thanks to chittychittyyangyang for the GIFs

Or as outlined in some songs with Yang's side of the lyrics explicitly citing how she is trying to fill the Summer shaped void in their lives.

Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day, I will be there to take all your fears away.

Taiyang: Your mother was... a complicated woman. Like everybody, she had her faults, but those faults are what tore our team apart. And, it did a real number on our family.

Tai blames Raven for tearing their team apart. Save that by all accounts, barring her absence things seemed to be going fine. Qrow seemed to be present in their lives, Tai looked happy, the girls were happy & Summer at least seemed happy though we know she was covering up a lot of dread.

Keep in mind Tai is projecting Raven, the woman he blames for destroying the team and damaging the family onto his daughter who literally kept the family together after Summer died. Yang's established this, Ruby has established this, its canon.

Yang: I had to pick up the pieces. I had to keep things together. Alone. (pause) Weiss, if you have something to say, then say it. Ruby: If you thought we wouldn’t come for you, then you must’ve forgotten who raised me.

Tai was not the one holding that home or family together. Unless you think the writers are gonna randomly swerve & say both Yang & Ruby are big whiny liars for some utterly nonsensical reasons. So no, I don't take him seriously as a narrator or critique of Yang, I have no reason to.

But let's push on, because I'm not done.

Taiyang: You both act like the easiest way to tackle an obstacle is through it. (pointing at Zwei) That strength is all that matters in a fight.

Ah yes, Raven, the woman famously known for thinking the easiest way to deal with an obstacles is to tackle it head on. That's why she spent years adorning herself in a Grimm helmet that hid her eyes & raised a False Maiden to serve as her body double.

A woman so inclined to rely on her own raw strength that when she was ambushed by Salem's forces she decided to trick them into an ambush.

Then when fighting Cinder and was at a disadvantage she freezes her in place while making Cinder think she is going on the offensive leaving her to be crushed by Stalactites & also utilized mind games to distract her & deal the finishing blow... Cos she only relies on strength.

As to his final piece of advice I already address it up above, there was no way around Adam, the situation was fucked from the start.

Saying it was Yang's fault she was dismembered is no more than victim blaming, I stood by that in Volume 3 to to this day & beyond.

Taiyang: But if you just take a second look, then maybe you see... (walking toward her, stepping around Zwei) there's a way around as well.

But let's actually look at Seeing Red & if Yang listened to Tai's advice or if she not only ignored it but did the opposite of what he ordered.

Let's see she goes in with open aggression & emotions, and also takes many blows rather than going 'around' them somehow.

Yang, as if she were 'indestructible' outright tanks a massively charged up Aura beam for the purpose of increasing her strength.

Then burns through all of her Aura & Semblance energies delivering one direct blow, relying on it to save her & leaving her weak & tired.

Or in other words, she:

Yang didn't miss, but we know that isn't a real issue anyway.

Yang used her Semblance to 'win' the fight & very much did rely on it to save her.

Yang expressed anger & many other emotions in the battle & still continues to does so.

Yang willingly took huge risks that involved her being able to take tons of damage rather than go "Around" the problem.

Yang knew Adam was likely stronger given it was 2 V1 but relied on her Semblance to get her out of that bind and she was in fact left weak and tired.

This is also the first time she has done several of these things, or otherwise demonstrated these traits, such as being left weak and tired or willingly tanking big attacks rather than just being hit by surprise or due to being overwhelmed.

I don't take Tai's advice seriously because none of it was accurate or aligned with the Semblance we saw in action or had described to us.

I don't trust Tai's opinion on Yang because his take on her is explicitly informed by Raven & not the Yang we spent four & then five more volumes getting to know.

I don't take Tai's words over Yang's, Ruby's or what we see on screen because Tai is at best a secondary or minor character & a recurring theme in RWBY is the failure of older generations.

These failures are not just in the past but how they have been consistently failing the next generation as the story is being told. There is zero reason to think Tai is some magic exception to this narrative trend when much more well explored characters like Maria, Qrow, Ozpin, Ironwood, Raven, and hell, Summer Rose are not.

& that is my stance on that, thanks for tuning in!

[hells-wasabii]

Headcanons for Charlie, Lucifer, Lute, and Alastor with a m!reader who’s the Demi-god son of Zeus?

I would imagine that deities from other myths and cultures do exist in hazbin hotel/helluva boss but don’t really have much power like they did in ancient times, likely mainly due to when christianity started to grow larger pagans ended up being persecuted and killed if they did convert. And it would effect them to the point where either deities chose to live among mortals (like how deities do in American Gods), simply join Heaven and became powerful angels, or tried to fight heaven only to get killed and end up in hell and possibly be more powerful than overlords.

Y/n doesn’t really have a good father-son bond with Zeus, given how much of a terrible father and wife he is in the greek myths.

And with y/n being a son of zeus he also inherited some of his abilities (lightning, strength, etc.)

A/N: I really hope this one is formatted properly, I had to post this one from mobile. But I didn’t write as many headcanons as I normally would due to the number of characters in the ask. From this point on my max character amount will be 3 per ask. But in any case, I hope you enjoy what I got!

Characters: Lute, Lucifer, Charlie, Alastor

Type: Headcanons (x son of Zeus!reader, General)

Lute

When Lute first met you, she immediately saw an opportunity. She practically begged you to join the exorcists! She did admittedly get scolded by Adam for letting the exterminations and exorcists slip, but after that she went about trying to recruit you to their cause properly.

The greek gods wandered freely and let their powers go to waste, but you, you could do something with your powers! Sure, they may not be nearly as strong as your father’s but you’re powerful nonetheless. Which on top of that, there weren’t all that many demigods in heaven anyway, which made you all the more

So she goes out of her way to try to recruit you. She had met your father in passing, sure, but she didn’t particularly care for or about him. He was complicit, doing nothing when it came to the sinners, so frankly he was none of her concern.You on the otherhand were a well of untapped potential!

She would personally make you her project. Your uniform would be altered, an indication for other exorcists not to get to close on the battle field, after all electricity is hard to control especially surrounded by metal objects such as armor pieces or weapons.

Lucifer

Lucifer was initially confused to see you in hell. The other pantheons had their own afterlives, you knew that, right? You were a demigod, you were practically guaranteed a spot in elysium, especially with one of the old Olympians as a parent. Oh, you didn’t want anything to do with that sort of stuff? That’s fair he supposed.

When he finds out about your lack of a relationship with your dad, he initially would want to help fix it. He doesn’t have the best relationship with Charlie, something that the king of hell deeply regrets. He knows how much it can hurt.

That is until he finds out your dad is Zeus. Then he fully understands. See, he never really liked Zeus all that much, between how he he had the habit of acting childish and how he constantly cheated on his literal wife, (which that was a whole different can of worms that Lucifer was not about to open)

Charlie

Being the princess of hell, she wouldn’t exactly have any room to talk when it came to your lineage. But you were the son of Zeus, that basically made you royalty, right? Regardless, she’d still refer to you as such, even if your human blood prevented you from being heir to a now nonexistent throne.

Much like her father, your strained relationship with your own dad tugged at charlie’s heartstrings. She will actively want to help you reconnect with him.

She might initially be a little pushy about it, considering her views on forgiveness and redemption, but she would want you to try to better your relationship with your dad. She herself doesn’t have the best one with her own, but they had been working on improving it. She wants that opportunity for you too.

If that’s something you would want at least. As much as Charlie would love for you to have a better father-son relationship, if that’s something you’re uninterested in she’ll respect your decisions and help better set boundaries with the God, because lets face it. Zeus wouldn’t exactly heed any you might set on your own.

Alastor

Well, i think we all know how he would react. You were powerful, more powerful than a normal soul and he knew it. He could feel it. Sometimes, when you got too excited or let your emotions get the better of you he could feel the charge of electricity

He, in terms of sinners, is likely to be the most open to the idea of other pantheons existing, he dabbled in the dark arts after all.

He knew early on that he could use you to his advantage, and if he could do so by simply saying something along the lines of your father wouldn’t approve, that’s even better. However, if you were harder to get into a deal or to form some sort of alliance, then that meant you would need to be dealt with or steered clear from.

After all, radios and an abundance of electricity don’t exactly mix well.

[claudiafrankie]

Pick a Card: How is Your Soul Doing

Disclaimer: Tarot is not an evidence-based practice. You are in charge of making your own decisions.

Pile 1 - Water

Wowie pile 1! This feels really good. The picture on the oracle card you picked made me feel like you are in this drop of water, protected and encased in this womb. The rainbow looks like it's feeding/emptying into the water drop, kind of like an umbilical chord. You are kind of churning around and developing, maybe growing a little uncomfortable, feeling like you are too big for your current environment.

Then, bursting over the waves or a rocky mountain range in the distance, a bright white sun explodes into the sky. I see you with your back to this, you aren't aware of it yet.

It looks like the drop of water is suspended over the ocean - and not a calm one. You are cocooned amidst a storm. You probably have felt like you've been in survival mode for a long time. Trying to do small things to bring the light and spark back into your life, with nothing really sticking or working for you. You might have been feeling like you just want to cut everyone off and run away, or like you need to do something drastic, or make some kind of otherwise significant change in your life.

I think you are being heavily protected right now, and watched over. The rainbow emptying into the drop, to me, is like your ancestors and guides providing you with the nourishment you need should you decide to seek it out. They have been sending you messages and communicating with you, and want to pass on advice and wisdom. It's like your outside looks solid or mostly the same, but on the inside you are caterpillar chrysalis enzyme goo, not quite sure what you are going to solidify into.

I think you have been emitting light and hope to those around you during this time of transformation, whether you are aware of it or not. There seems to be light emitting from the right side of the water drop, which spirals upwards and connected with the illuminated sky. I think people around you are anticipating your reveal, waiting to see what kind of person you are going to become.

I think you feel pressure from this, like you have to become something extraordinary and "wow" people that you might not even know very well to begin with. This is part of why you are in this cocoon, you are connecting with who it is that you want to be. Without taking outside opinions into consideration. Going deep into that space within you that is always there, that's quiet and still, that connects you to god.

Pile 2: Fire

Hey pile 2, welcome to your reading!

You chose the 'fire' oracle card, which reads: "As one of the four physical elements, Fire brings us inspiration, creativity, and focus, while also being associated with the masculine properties of strength and life-force. This card can indicate a powerful time of transformation and creative energy."

Your tarot cards are: Queen of Swords, 3 of Swords, Knight of Swords, Nine of Swords, and the Page of Cups.

Looking at your oracle card I was getting the feeling that you have been putting out signals, trying to communicate the need for help, ask for assistance from the universe or your guides or some higher power or source, whatever you believe in.

It looks like the pyramid in the bottom center of the card is lit on fire with the orange/red triangle on the top. Then the large planet-looking object hovers above, and I get the sense that there is help coming to you that may come as a surprise, maybe in the form of a person you wouldn't expect.

Also with fire, and asking for help, I started thinking about fire signals, and then that moment in Lord of the Rings where Gondor lights the beacons to summon help from Rohan - "The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!"

Looking at the Queen of Swords kicking off your spread, (using the universal waite deck) she holds her sword upright looking straight ahead, gesturing outwards with her left hand. She gazes over the rest of your cards, we only see her right profile. The 3 of Swords stands before her, and the Knight of Swords comes crashing in, sword raised, windswept and single-minded.

The 3 of Swords is sandwiched between the queen and the knight... big red juicy, pierced three times, exposed to the elements.

The queen has placed her sword in the heart and so has the knight. Then there is a final ace of swords down the middle - remember in Avatar the Last Airbender, one of the very first episodes, we learn that Sokka tried to remove a fishhook lodged in his hand with another fishhook?

The nine of swords... Something has been attempted to be solved from an angle that doesn't work anymore. A cerebral, thinking one. You have thought yourself in circles about something. You have learned a great deal, about yourself and whoever else this involves. But it's hurting you. And ultimately, it's done. Whatever has happened is over now, but it's like your brain cannot seem to let go. You hold on, desperately trying to decipher some riddle, some code, some writing on the wall that at this point you think you might be imagining.

The Page of Cups stands at the very end of your spread - the only card that's not in the suit of swords. He sees the woman in the nine of swords suffering night terrors, and the repetitive cerebral approach being taken to mending the broken heart. He doesn't seem to be judging, he offers his cup lightly, almost like he's dancing. Here is the help you called for - the Queen, looking over all the cards between her and the end of your spread, is beginning to see above the clouds. How her sword is not a one-size-fits-all tool for solving problems. She has become so used to running her world using her brain. The page sees this and, filled with respect and admiration for her obvious intellectual prowess, lovingly and informally suggests a new way. One that's a little less heavy than that steel sword in your hand.

The four of cups at the bottom of the deck - the page offers his cup but won't force you to take it. After that, the six of swords, ace of pentacles, queen of wands, ace of wands... I think you might want to take that cup.

[fashionteahouse]

Hey love! Can we get an Embry x reader where she is his imprint and gets in a bad car accident. Embry finds her unconscious in the car while he was on patrol or something after she wasn’t returning his messages. He got there just in time, but his imprint is having a hard time healing. I would love to hear angst and drama from his perspective. Basically our cute romantic Embry being her protector and like the best imprint to her. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

You rock for writing so much! Love them!!

hey honey! i would love to make this 💜💜 aww thank you so much! hope you enjoy :)

best to you - embry x reader

“Okay, i’m omw.”

You type to Embry and send it to him.

You close the car door and turn on the car. Letting the engine idle, you turn on a song that’s been stuck in your head for a while. You put the stick into drive and make your way to his house.

He had some time before he had to go on patrol and you made it your buisness to go see him. It’s been a while and all you wanted was to see his face and hear his voice in person.

You could tell it was going to be a weird day on the road. You had to honk a couple of times to let people in front of you know that the light was green. You didn’t think too much of it. Singing softly to the lyrics that’s playing, you drive at regular speed onto the open road.

Your eyes however, caught the sight of the deer that gallops in front of you. You gasp, swerve to the right but overestimate the power of your swerve. Your car rides down the ditch, bumping you all around in the car. It doesn’t stop, you’re bracing yourself for the impact as the car slams into the small lake. That’s all you remember.

Your phone that’s under the seats, buzz. First, Embry calls you. He knew the distance that it took for you to get from your house to his. No answer, he figured you might’ve made a detour. He decided to wait a bit. He decided to text you.

“I don’t want to rush you but are you still coming? I have to go soon”

Pacing back and forth, watching the time running out he takes his phone out again.

“Call me”

He calls you with no answer. Soon, Sam is letting him know that it’s time to go. Defeated, Embry leaves his phone at his place as he strips and shifts into his wolf.

Walking and patrolling, he’s keeping his eye out to protect his tribe. Following Sam’s orders, he goes deeper into the secluded area, searching for any indication of a threat. He feels his heart feeling heavy. He felt pain. He hoped that you were okay as his chest begins to feel tight.

He decides to secretly dip off and see if he could check up on you to make sure that you’re okay. The imprint pull, pulls him towards to the location that you were. Confused on why he’s going into a direction of a ditch, he hears faint music. He moves in closer to see that it’s a car that’s dipped into a small lake. A car horn that is pressed on is also heard.

He moves in, sniffing, smelling your scent. He sees you with your head on the steering wheel, making the horn noise that’s on loop. Immediately shifting out into his human body, naked and all, he pulls the car open with his strength. Taking your seatbelt off and carefully pulls your body out. Your body was limp, with blood covering you. You were unconscious.

His eyes raked all over your body, feeling panicked and scared. He hoped he wasn’t too late. But, he calms down a bit when he heard rhythms of your heart still fighting to beat. He holds you close as your unconscious body is in his arms. Sam, who followed Embry, noticing that he went off his designated path, comes into view.

Sam watched as Embry shed a few tears, as he told him to take you to the hospital. He would meet him there with some shorts.

Carrying you in the hospital was hard, “I need someone!” he yelled out, the nurses rushing over to get you seen.

He followed you as you rolled through the hallways. The door was slammed in his face and he was very upset. “I need to be in there!” he says to the nurse who’s blocking him.

“You cannot go in there right now. The doctors have to see what’s wrong with her, sir.” The nurse tries to explain to him carefully but he kept peaking in the glass spot of the door. Watching as curtains swirl around you.

Walking back to the waiting area, he felt defeated. His hands were on his face, not showing the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looks up.

He saw that all of his pack brothers were there for him in solidarity.

“What’s going on? Did they say what’s wrong with her?” Quil asks him as he sits next to him.

“No. They won’t even let me in the fucking room.” Embry chokes out angrily.

Jacob placed a hand on his shoulder. Embry placed his face back into hands. He cried for hours.

Soon, the doctor comes out, not smiling. He looks down at his clipboard and Embry’s heart thuds. The doctor lets him know that you’re fine but complications are present.

“Can I see her?” He asks, he just really needed to be with you right now. He felt all of the pain that he was feeling and he wanted nothing more than to be right at your side.

“Im sorry but we have more work to do. Internal bleeding and organ damage is our main concern. Spinal cord injury is also what we are looking out for. We are hoping that the bundle of nerves and nerve fibers aren’t too damaged to where paralysis can occur. It’s going to take some time as we operate. You should get some rest.”

“Im not leaving.” He blatantly says.

“Come on, Embry-” Seth starts but was interrupted.

“I just said I’m. Not. Leaving.” he growls out and his pack brothers share a look.

“You can leave. But, I’m staying here. Actually…I want to be alone.”

“We can be here for you-“ Sam goes on to say.

“I. Want. To. Be. Alone.” he says coldly.

His eyes were closed but his arms were folded. He didn’t even realize that he was asleep until he felt a tap. He opened his eyes to see someone with surgeon attire with a surgical mask that’s pushed down under his chin.

“You can see her. However, she’s not awake.”

Embry stands up slowly and follows down the hallway. The door is pushed opened, to reveal you lying on the hospital bed. Your eyes were closed, not moving, tubes were stuck in your body. The machines were beeping next to you and Embry slumped in the chair that was next to your hospital bed. He takes your hand that was good and holds it.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” the doctor says and closes the door.

Embry couldn’t hold it in anymore. His entire body shook from his sobs. Sniffling and peering at you with his red, bloodshot eyes, he couldn’t imagine losing you. He couldn’t imagine a life without you.

“You’re strong, Y/N. You’re the strongest person I know.” he chokes out, tears lazily running down his cheeks. He kept your hand, pecks turned into open mouth kisses on your hand, he even held it to his face. He wanted you to feel him. Feel that he’s right there.

You were unconscious for days. Embry didn’t dare to leave your side. He showered in the bathroom of your hospital room but put the same pair of shorts on. He didn’t care. He wanted to be the first person you see when you opened your eyes.

The doctors talk to him about your chances of being a paraplegic but Embry knew you were going to fight through it. Those terms weren’t meaningful to him. He knew that you were going to make a full recovery. He was sure of it.

“Can’t she do physical therapy or something?” he asks them, getting irritated that they were acting like they knew your imprint more than you.

“If the spinal cord can’t send messages to the nerves then she would be wheelchair bound.”

“Embry I think you should calm down. The doctors know best.” Sam tried to explain to him. He came by himself to check up on Embry, who hasn’t been in contact with anyone.

“Don’t tell me to calm down.” Embry says in a brassy tone. His eyes were baggy from zero sleep. He couldn’t sleep. He didn’t want to miss anything.

“When is she waking up?” Embry asks, not caring to be polite any longer.

“Well..that..We don’t know-“ The doctors goes on to start.

“How in the hell are you a doctor and you don’t know?! What the fuck have you all been doing these past couple of days?!” he snaps at the doctors, throwing his hands up.

“It’s a process. She has a lot going on and she’s not healing as fast as we would like-“

“Why isn’t she healing up to speed?” Embry asked darkly.

“That..That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

“Fucking useless.” Embry mutters and Sam gives the doctor an apologetic grin, “Sorry about that.”

“Well I’m not! Y/N’s not! She’s suffering and no one’s doing anything!”

“Embry they’re trying-“

“Trying isn’t good enough!” Embry exclaimed and flops in the chair next to you, looking that all of the damage that was on your body.

The doctor leaves out to answer an emergency call and Sam sighs with his head down.

“More cold ones are in the area. We need your help so you might have to come back so you can phase.”

Embry looks at Sam as if he slapped him, “She’s more important than that!” He grabs the same hand, lifting it up to show Sam only he, himself, can be the best to you.

Sam retreats out of the room. He couldn’t place any blame for why Embry is feeling the way that he feels. He couldn’t imagine how himself could feel like if that was Emily on that hospital bed.

Embry’s voice was pleasant. It caused your hair to raise every time he spoke to you. When he spoke to you, it felt like you were above all. Embry knew everything about you. He was the best to you.

You squint at bright lights that you slowly opened your eyes to. Squeezing them shut. Your eyeballs move, giving you consciousness of your awake state. Embry’s voice raised a familiar feeling that it felt like forever since you felt it. It was home. You listened closely as a familiar part of a book that you read was being read to you. Embry was reading towards you.

You slowly open your eyes to find that face that you missed so much. His eyes was following amongst the words, but he made sure that he looked up very often. So right off the bat, his eyes and your eyes immediately connected. It felt like he imprinted on you all over again.

“I was so worried about you.” Embry whispers to you as kissed your forehead, raising goosebumps on the exposed skin that his lips brushed on.

You look down at yourself, each injury that you had, made you remember that the only pain you cared about feeling was the feeling of not seeing him.

Embry was right. When it comes to you, he always was. It seemed to be that anytime Embry was there to make you comfortable, you showed improvement on your health. Fluffed up pillows, extra attention, helping you with hopes of being better, Embry was prepared.

[yuesya]

I have a question, in the last chapter Shiki says that her type is someone that can defeat her in a fight. However she seems to arrive at that conclusion from thinking that someone scared from her would be uninteresting and that someone stronger than her wouldn't be scared. Then it seems her type would be "someone not scared of me"? Maybe it is the influence of the AUs but Yuzuki was most certainly not stronger than her, but he wasn't uninteresting or scared of her, and I think they would have made a good couple.

Is that truly her type?, is this another case of Shiki not truly understanding her feelings? Or is there some more Shiki logic I missed?

Bit of a long answer here haha.

So, Shiki's 'type.' It's not exactly 'someone who's literally more powerful and therefore wouldn't be scared of her.' True, Shiki would not be interested in a partner who fears her. But her answer here is less an indication of her preference being 'someone unafraid' and more 'someone she finds interesting' instead. (Also, preferably someone who won't die easily. There's also that, for uh... various reasons.)

Keep in mind: Shiki's worldview is a little skewed. Even putting aside the whole 'lines of death' thing going on, Shiki's way of categorizing and making sense of the world around her is actually more or less based on using strength as a measurement.

So, normally when you encounter someone, you'd assess them on things like personality, social status, relationships to people around you. However, what underpins Shiki's first assessment of people is their potential combat strength.

It's not that she looks down on and mocks those who are weaker, but it's just... basically part of how she functions. Her parents were killed when she was young; Shiki lacked the strength to stop it. Her abilities dictated that she needed to be brought into a sorcery clan and trained accordingly; Shiki needs the strength to fight curses. Her uncle is worried about her and there are dangerous enemies surrounding her; Shiki needs the strength to overcome adversity.

Shiki doesn't need a partner who understands her, but the partner needs to be someone who Shiki understands, and what Shiki understands best is strength. She's aware of this on some subconscious level -as reflected in the answer to Tsukumo.

Anyways.

Aside from dissecting Shiki's profile here, something else that I think bears keeping in mind that a type is just that: A type. A person might have a type, but eventually end up romantically engaged with someone who is not their type. (Or at least, not their original professed type -maybe there are other qualities that grew on them throughout the relationship. Maybe they still stick to their original type, but the partner in question is an exception that they're willing to make.)

... Feelings are complicated haha. Shiki already has enough trouble navigating and expressing regular emotions; good luck tackling romance.

[raayllum]

bc I said this like two weeks ago and it's time

The Claudia Dragon scale Armour Meta, or what is the Point?

In like any other show I'd treat the dragon scale armour as a really cool looking power up and not look into it any further, also because it is That Cool that it doesn't really need another reason to exist. However, because this is TDP I'm assuming there's also symbolic layers we can glean even without knowing about the First Elf, Laurelion, that it came from. So let's get into it

Corruption

The most obvious layer to me is the suit representing another form of corruption. Presumably Claudia gets it (i.e. the knowledge and power of how it works) from Aaravos as a gift of sorts to protect her. As her hair grows increasingly white, we see another form of dark magic (the glowing purple eyes) literally overtake her body in a more armoured, animalistic form.

Claudia has gone from taking on more animalistic traits (4x03 with the snake, 4x04/4x07 with bat wings, 5x09 with the tentacles) of the creatures she uses as spell parts to using her own body as spell parts literally (5x09) and metaphorically. Now, the suit of armour is overtaking her entire body and encroaching onto her face, almost like it's swallowing her up.

The fact that it's armour I think is also indicative. As Soren becomes less guarded and more open, he shifts from the full armour in arc 1 to a much more dressed down armour in arc 2. If true strength is found in forgiveness, in vulnerability, in love, then that means setting down your arms to talk and/or walk away. Not getting more armour.

The worse she gets, the further she goes, the more the armour will reflect that. Rather than being possessed by Aaravos (at least in theory), she's being moulded and shaped further and further into his weapon and carrying out his worldview. So that's one design / potential aspect of the armour. What's the other?

A Dragon

When making decisions as a writer, while there are often initial inclinations or ideas, others are considered. What I mean by this is that Claudia's armour could've taken any kind of shape. It could've been watery or bloody in appearance to represent Aaravos' ocean or violence swallowing her up; it could've been just dark magic-y, like corrupted skin; or snakes, to symbolize her bracelet and being entrapped.

But no, it's a dragon scale and makes her look like and breathe fire like a dragon.

So why make Claudia look like a dragon? A few reasons, I think:

The Laurelion necklace being a fiery heart, like what was done to the human armies and Katolis in 3x07 and 6x08 respectively.

Claudia taking more of Viren's prior fire motif as she steps further into her father's shoes

Dragons are described on more than one occasion as monsters (also loops into the corruption idea), and Claudia in becoming one is becoming/invoking the other

Dragons and First Elves used to work / rule Xadia together, even if the dragons were ultimately less powerful and more subservient. Claudia is accordingly becoming the dragon working with another First Elf but for the opposite, more destructive aims

Call backs to 2x07 with the burning town, Katolis with Sol Regem, and presumably Elarion in the past (if only attempted).

Something something "becoming the thing you hate and the thing other people fear" redux, I suppose. More eloquent thoughts may come to me later but for now, this is what I got!

[tainbocuailnge]

it sucks that all the knight parts of arknights ch11 are just not great. i think they're very good at writing the struggles and resistance of ordinary people through the salvation corps and people like miss golding and feist's grandma, and also at like the terror of facing powerful sarkaz in battle and amiya briefly experiencing the ancestral suffering of existing as a sarkaz and stuff like that, so from one scene to another the tension is maintained well enough even if i think the pacing isn't great. except when it's about the glasgow gang. when it's about them there's just suddenly nothing happening.

and it's not unclear what they're supposed to be contributing to the story here: victoria had been falling apart under the selfish greed of its nobility long before the sarkaz occupied the city, and to save victoria requires having a vision of how you want to define victoria, of what parts of victoria can and should be saved. the culture of victoria built much of its sense of honor and justice on the image of its (steam) knights so there is a message in the steam knights being missing and the heir to the throne and her knights being a street gang. what is worth swearing loyalty to as a knight when the difference between the throne and the people, between the concept and the lived reality of victoria is so vast? these are classic knight themes and very easy to work with because of how timeless they are. there is potential too in the contrast between victoria's lost knights (as an ideal warrior that fights to defend its homeland) versus the sarkaz mercenary soldiers (the reality of warriors fighting to reclaim and avenge a lost home) and how people like horn straddle the line. they touch on it briefly when golding laments that the play about the steam knights that she hoped would teach the kids knightly ideals only cements the image of the steam knights as a bludgeon against their enemies.

but every time the focus is on the actual royal heir and her knights they keep telling you the same shit. vina is an important figure. vina has an important choice to make soon. vina has much responsibility on her shoulders. vina has many people putting their trust in her to make an important choice soon because she is important. shit dude we've known that since the game released, we were all waiting for the main story to go to victoria and finally let her do shit, and now 2 chapters of 20+ stages in victoria later she's still not really done anything at all except stand around and have other people tell you how important she is and how she's definitely gonna do something important any moment now. all this effort to get her hands on the royal sword with hardly any indication of siege's own capabilities or convictions as a ruler. everyone in glasgow gang keeps gassing her up and she's just standing there.

so you end up not buying any of the knightly ideals they're talking about because for every time dagda or indra or morgan say they're protecting victoria and its future by sucking up to siege there's a factory worker risking it all and building a doohickey to actually make a stand with. and when you finally find the sword of victoria's kings your path is barred by the last steam knight who still moves through pure strength of will to protect the one thing he can still truly say is "the victoria he fought for", and you're not even obligated to actually fight him. man, what are we even doing here then.

[yumeka-sxf]

A chronological analysis on Twilight and Yor - Part 22

*This is part of an ongoing post series. If you missed the Introduction/Part 1, click here*

----------

The highly thematic and well-choreographed scene of Yor slaughtering one assassin after another as fireworks dazzle the night sky, reminded me of this fascinating post by @crunchcrunchteacakes. The post theorizes about the origins of Yor's incredible strength, particularly how she uses some form of altered state of consciousness (ASC) to achieve such a powerful command over her physical abilities. This is why her expression always seems "darker," almost like she's in a trance, whenever she's fully concentrated on feats of strength, not just during assassin work, but similar tasks that require the same strength, like when she subdued the Eden cow.

The post goes on to speculate that the reason she often seems ditzy or "spaced out" is because that's a way for her to disengage from her conscious mind, allowing her to channel her strength as needed. She's almost fully in her trance-like state at the beginning of the series (her "robotic" look that annoyed her coworkers). But once she joined the Forgers, taking on the role of Loid's wife and Anya's mother, the desire to concentrate on that mindset more often overrides her need to keep her strength peaked. Thoughts of Loid and Anya are now what can pull her out of her ASC, as we saw previously when she was keeping watch over the room at night, only for her "trance" to break when she thought about meeting up with them. But unfortunately, those thoughts can also be a hindrance when she's deep into a fight with a powerful opponent. This happened to a minor degree when she realized she was dragging her feet when fighting Barnaby, but as she fights the swordsman assassin, her lapse in concentration allows him to get the upper hand.

The moral ambiguity I mentioned in Part 21 is highlighted further when the assassin leader tries to call a truce with Yor, saying that he'll give her a share of the bounty money. Yor requests that he give up on Olka's bounty so there won't be any further bloodshed, something I find interesting since she didn't hesitate to kill all the other assassins without any negotiating. So the fact that she's willing to let the leader go proves that she doesn't just mindlessly kill everyone on a mission (even though that's what she was instructed to do). She's also staying true to what she said before that if you point a weapon at someone, you shouldn't complain if one is pointed back at you…since the leader wasn't on the attack in this case, she was willing to hear him out.

However, when she refuses his deal, he reminds her that they're all just people hired to fight on someone else's behalf, and her reason for killing – to put food on the table – is the same as all the other assassins. As Yor fights the swordsman, the thought that's holding her back this time is not only that a serious injury would mean she'd have to leave Loid and Anya, but how cruel it would be to them for her to suddenly disappear without a word. While the assassin leader continues to try and negotiate with her, she can't help but keep questioning her own reason for fighting – she doesn't want to believe it's for money, the same as theirs, so then it must be for her country…but she never thought she had some higher calling like that.

All these uncertainties distract her, resulting in the swordsman being able to knock her against the side of the deck. Surprisingly, as he stands poised, ready to cut her down, all Yor can think of in her dazed state is not her assassin job that's currently being sabotaged, but her mother/wife jobs of picking up Loid's shirts from the cleaners and returning Anya's books to the library…a clear indication that, when it comes down to her final moments, the responsibilities of Yor Forger have become more of a priority than the responsibilities of Thorn Princess. As Rebecca Silverman put it in this ANN article:

"She's more than just a big sister and an assassin now; she's a mother, a wife, and a person in her own right. Yuri's grown up, but Yor has too, and it feels like this is the moment when she realizes that she has a say in her own life. And if she wants to focus on being Mrs. Forger instead of Thorn Princess? That's a choice she's allowed to make."

When she comes back to reality for a moment, wondering why there's a man pointing a sword at her, what flashes in her mind is the reason she's in this situation in the first place: Yuri. But once again, the realization that's been hitting her over and over since getting the cruise assignment comes back one last time…Yuri is indeed all grown up and does not need support from her Garden work anymore. What's extremely tragic when this fact finally sinks in is that she's ready to die then and there…she decides not to resist and just end it all now that her main reason for fighting is gone.

As I've mentioned several times before, especially in Part 8, Yor dedicated her life to ensure Yuri's happiness, which resulted in her inability to consider her own worth besides being useful to others. Now that no one needs the one thing she excels at, she can't find any reason to keep going. Whether Garden brainwashed her into deeming her life meaningless without a reason for fighting, her crippling lack of self-esteem, or some combination of both, it's even more tragic that she can't even comprehend how sad certain people would be if she died. However, when it appears as though she's completely given up, upon hearing that the assassin leader is about to go after Olka, she throws one of her earrings at him to stop him.

She had just decided to stop resisting upon realizing that Yuri doesn't need her work anymore, so why would she suddenly care to stop the assassin? She seems confused about it as well, as she questions herself why she's even protecting Olka. I believe at this point she's formed a genuine bond with Olka as more than just a client to protect. So, despite still being dazed, she instinctively reacted upon realizing Olka was in danger. But the true reason why she hasn't completely given up becomes clear to her when she remembers Olka's words: "I just want to live a quiet, peaceful life."

A quiet, peaceful life…this is exactly why she became Thorn Princess. Not for money or for her country, but because she wanted to ensure Yuri could live a quiet, peaceful life, the same life Olka is currently seeking. Her epiphany continues as she realizes her desire to cleanse the world of needless tragedies hasn't changed, despite none of her loved ones directly benefiting from her work anymore. Yor may be naive about many things (due to her upbringing), but she's not ignorant about the sadness that exists in the world around her. And here is where she makes her decision to keep doing her assassinating, not because she enjoys killing people, not because she needs money, and not because she feels some higher sense of duty to her country – but because the result of her work will make the world a better place...because now, she has even more people whose happiness she desires to protect.

This renewed sense of purpose gives her the strength to fight back. As she goes full assassin mode on the swordsman, she tosses aside all of her previous worries about her profession and her own personal well-being – she doesn't care if she has to keep living a dangerous life, nor if she has to leave the Forgers (both of which were things she was concerned about while on the cruise). All that matters to her now is making the world a better place for others. It's also worth mentioning that Yor's inner monologue in this scene is one of the rare times I mentioned in Part 19 where she doesn't use keigo (polite speech). That's another clear indication of what a truly emotional revelation this moment is for her.

Her new resolve is fully solidified when she remembers that Loid complimented this aspect of her personality way back when they first met. She's grown to trust him so much that she confidently states he would acknowledge and understand why she does what she does even if she can't ever tell him about it.

Interestingly, she thinks of Loid in this situation instead of Yuri, who's the original reason she became an assassin. She knows that Yuri, being her (obsessive) brother and only "true" family member left, would forgive her no matter what. This is why acknowledgement from someone else, especially someone she respects as much as Loid, is so meaningful to her. And, unbeknownst to her, her reason for being an assassin is the same reason Twilight became a spy…to make a world where those they care about can live a peaceful life, where needless tragedies can be prevented, and children won't have to cry.

Continue to Part 23 ->

<- Return to Part 21

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

Hi. Could you help me understand the meaning of this line "かけがえ無き、"繋がり”…だからこそ捨てた…孤独なる闇に限りなき力を求め、サスケの闘いが今始まる!!"? It appears in the farewell scene between Sakura and Sasuke in the first manga published in Weekly Shonen Jump. SS uses this line to emphasize Sakura's special place for Sasuke. When translated with DeepL, it reads: 'The connection between us is irreplaceable. That's why I abandoned it… Sasuke's battle begins now, seeking unlimited power in the lonely darkness!' This seems consistent with SS's interpretation. However, MangaPanda's translation is: 'The ever precious friendships formed…only to be thrown away! In the depths of solitude, in search of unlimited power, Sasuke's fight begins here…'. Personally, I think MangaPanda's translation fits the context better, but I don't have knowledge of Japanese to be sure, so could you clarify this for me? *Below is the image accompanying the line above

Hi @ymamsp

SS fans really try to twist everything they can, huh!

かけがえ無き、“繋がり”... だからこそ捨てた! 孤独なる闇 に限りなき力を求め、サスケの闘いが 今始まる!!

kakegae naki , "tsunagari"....dakara koso suteta! kodokunaru yami ni kagiri naki chikara wo motome , sasuke no tatakai ga ima hajimaru!!

The Precious/Priceless, "bonds/ties" (that formed) ... now that (he) cut them off! In the solitary darkness, seeking for an endless/unlimited power, Sasuke's battle begins now!!!"

Let me break it down:

繋 がり (tsunagari) : connection , friendship, relationship, bond

孤独なる闇 (Kodokinaru Yami) - it expresses loneliness/solitary and darkness. This refers to being in a state of loneliness or being enveloped by darkness. 闇 symbolizes difficult situations, challenges, or an internal feeling of loneliness.

闇 is also used metaphorically. And, 闇 may also be used figuratively referring to something in hiding or dark side such as in "dark place in ones mind"

に 限りなき力 (Ni kagirinaki chikara) - endless/unlimited power

力 is usually used as a noun, meaning "power, strength or force".

を求め (womotome) - to seek or to search for. 「を」 is a particle that indicates purpose. In other words, it means "to seek/to search for infinite/unlimited power."

戦い (tatakai) - a fight; a battle

今 (ima) an adverb, meaning "now."

When something begins, you use ~が始まる (ga hajimaru)

かけがえ無き、"繋 がり”... だからこそ捨てた! - this sentence expresses that Sasuke cut off his Teammates in order to pursue his Goal. Relationships with important people can sometimes hinder judgment in the process of moving towards a goal. So he needs to sever that ties. Cutting off bonds and connections, it indicates a situation in which one searches for strength and answers in the midst of loneliness and darkness. "Seeking unlimited power in lonely darkness" means striving for infinite power, strength, or influence. And it also describes a situation where someone faces tremendous challenges and seeks to gain immense strength or power to overcome these difficulties.

In other words, the phrase suggests that new trials and growth will occur as a result of throwing away past actions (bonds), and it expresses that he has started to take up a new battle.

All in all it means that he has left the village after severing ties with his teammates and now begins his new journey to gain strength and power in the lonely darkness.

SS uses this line to emphasize Sakura's special place for Sasuke.

If that's the case, then, why didn't her confession awaken his Sharingan, but when Naruto confessed, Sasuke awakened his third Tomoe.

And Sasuke himself said that severing the bond between Naruto makes him stronger.

Yes, he pierced Naruto's chest with his chidori and tried to kill him several times. But he couldn't cut his bond with Naruto.

He never showed any pain when leaving Kakashi & Sakura... Whereas he felt immense pain when he leaving Naruto alone after Vote1 battle

Whenever Sasuke saw Naruto, he reminded him of his family....for no reason, and that would make Sasuke happy. But he thought that feeling happy was a form of weakness, so to avoid being distracted by Naruto's presence, Sasuke trained even harder to avenge his brother. And this is way before Team 7 was formed. Despite Sasuke's best efforts to stay away from the weakness Naruto had instilled in him, Sasuke ended up on the same team as him... and once again he reminded him of his family.

There is no mention of Kakashi or Sakura instilling him the feeling of family in him. But, all these feelings were attributed to Naruto and Naruto alone. And Sasuke only considered Naruto as his family, not Kakashi or Sakura.

So, are the other teammates equal to Naruto???

• At the age of eight, Naruto already gave him the feeling of a family, but not Sakura or Kakashi.

• He feeling the Pain of Naruto alone, but not Sakura or Kakashi.

• Naruto was changing Sasuke's heart and not Sakura or Kakashi.

• He felt relieved because of Naruto and not because of Kakashi or Sakura.

• Naruto is his weakness, but not Sakura or Kakashi.

• Sasuke called Naruto his (extremely) closest friend, but not Sakura or Kakashi.

• His body moves on its own for Naruto, but not for Sakura or Kakashi.

• Ever since he left the Village, he doesn't care about Sakura & Kakashi.

Also, When Sasuke thought about Team 7 during Killer Bee battle, the text says: "Looking back he wasn't alone"

But the word "alone" later pointed to Naruto and Naruto alone:

"After losing Itachi, I thought I was finally alone... But there was Naruto... I absolutely must kill him"

"And now... With this I will finally be able to be alone"

Not to mention, during the War Arc, Team 7 picture makes an appearance again... and Sasuke exclusively slashes Naruto's image out of this picture... because it's necessary for Sasuke to become a lonely.

If that bento offering to Naruto was about Team work, then why did he cut Sakura out of the panel and treasured this as his precious memories in his dying moments?

Sasuke can easily cut his ties with Sakura and Kakashi, because they are only his teammates. He cared about them during his Team 7 days but that does not mean he cared for them to the same extent as he cared for Naruto. He prioritizes Naruto and it was always about Naruto and he always individualizes him outside of the team.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Costume Meta 7x06

Me on holiday trying to write a costume meta - yeah probably gonna keep this one shortish because - you know - on holiday!!!

We have plenty to get through this episode an dI had zero Idea how to set this one out because its kinda immpossible!

So in the end I just decided to go with the flow and therefore this is probably a bit all over the place in terms of organisation!

Chimney

Ok so Chimney exclusively wears check for this episode, apart from his hospital gown, which I'm not going to talk about as its a hosptial gown!

Chimneys first shirt is a grey and white rectangle gingham we see him in when he is having dinner with the Lee's to remember Kevin.

Grey is a neutral colour and can be linked with feelings of depression and compromise. These are key indicators of what is going on with Chim in this scene - he isn't depressed, but his spirits are clearly depressed (as in mute) and this should be seen as an alarm bell for Chimney - he who is forever optimistic - its all adding to the arc of Chimney not being himself - of something being wrong with him.

His second shirt is this cream with a double blue check pattern - the increased amount of check plays into his encephalitic deterioration - showing he is becoming increasingly confused/delirious etc - the check patterning ins far more obvious and distinctive, unlike the grey gingham from earlier - which kind of blurs out to look more overall grey even if you can still see its a check pattern.

Doug

Not going to dwell on Doug for long, but I do want to mention the fact that they put him in the very same costumes he was wearing in season 2. This triggers visual memories for audience members who have been watching the show from the beginning (or have watched those earlier episodes recently) because even if you don't quite connect the dots on why, you automatically know that this is a hallucination and not reality - the other visuals (such as him being there then not) add to this understanding, but it is the costumes that connect the Doug we're watching here and the Doug from the past.

Maddie

Gonna go in reverse with Maddie's costumes! here we have her in Chims hospital room, wearing a very similar outfit to the one she worse in his hospital room back in season 2 in the aftermath of Doug, the blue is now navy rather than the grey/blue of the earlier one, but that plays into the idea of a deeper relationship - they were just at the begining back in season 2 - the grey played into Maddie providing a soothing and relaxing presence for Chim, while the undetone of blue played into the growing trust and loyalty they shared. Now the navy blue is showing the strength of that trust and loyalty, while also hinting at Maddie feeling in a darkish place - her fear at losing the love of her life.

Maddies wedding dress - it’s a stunning dress and I love that it’s not all white - it’s a mix of white tulle and champagne embroidered lace. The dress having chapagne embroidered lace is really lovely - the golden brownish yellow tones of champagne as a colour in colour theory are emblematic of a driven and powerful personality (which we see displayed very clearly in this episode) as well as of modesty, excitement and fun.

When I first saw it, not going to lie, I had mixed feelings about it - but I think most of my issues with the dress stem from the fact it’s not especially well fitted to Jennifer - not sure if it’s because they rented it rather than buying outright so couldn’t alter it or if there are other factors at play, but that aside it’s a really great dress and very Maddie. 

It makes sense that she would actually choose to go all out for the wedding - to overwrite all the memories of her wedding to Doug - this wedding is the one she wants to remember - the one she’ll look back on in the years to come, so for her to get to pick out a grand dress (especially as she likely didn’t get any choice in her previous dress) 

Beyond that there’s not a lot I can say from a costume and colour perspective - it’s a wedding dress doing wedding dress things!!

Hen

Hen is in a black suit for her role as best woman, its full of Hens personality, whilst being subtle and fitting for a wedding - there really isn't a lot to say about it from a colour perspective, or from a design perspective - its doing everything it need to perfectly (it is also stunning and I would very much like to own it), not making Hen the centre of attention, whilst also ensuring we're aware of her importance within the wedding party.

Then we have Bachelor party Hen, who is definetley rocking more of a 70's vibe in those jeans (which I also love and want please!!) and shirt and Karen is definetely more 90's vibes in the black and gold Chinese suit.

THis is really intentional - we have the context of Chim not being into having a bachelor party (which we know he would've actually loved and enjoyed had his brain not been being eat by a viral infection) and so every one else not being in costume except Eddie and Buck is very much about them feeding off the vibes Chim had been giving - they've made an effort to get dressed up, but they haven't gone with the theming.

Chris

Chirs is wearing a surf shirt - it's by Quicksilver and I've included a better picture of the pattern below, because what you can't see with the filter on the camera is that the little logos on the shirt are in both blue and green. They're all symbols associated with surf and water.

So the water theming around Christopher (and Buck and Eddie) continues and we have the added fact that blue green theory is in play here as well - and it was in play a lot throughout the episode in relation to Buck and Eddie.

Tommy

Only one brief costume to look at for Tommy in this episode and its very much continuing the theming we've seen on him this entire season. We continue to see him in a Henley and jeans. This one is navy blue.

Choices were definitely made when it came to this outfit and the fact he hasn't chosen to dress up in any way - its part of the wider arc at play in this season (for all characters, not just Buck or Eddie - its the seasons theme - which is fitting considering we've moved to a new network and its a way of establishing/re-establishing the characters, their motivations and their interpersonal relationships) that Tommy doesn't know Buck - its not only highlighting the difference between Buck and Eddie and Buck and Tommy, but also calling back to the literal episode titled 'you don't know me' and emphasising that tommy doesn't know Buck and his quirks at this point (this is not Tommy bashing before anyone comes for me - I like Tommy and I wouldn't expect him to know that Buck gets super invested in things in this way at this point I am merely pointing out that the costume is highlighting the newness of their relationship).

Bobby and Athena

Bobby and Athena are exclusively in blue and green this episode - we have the brighter jewel toned blue suit and emerald green dress of the wedding which are switched out for the more muted navy polo and khaki green jacket when the search for Chim gets underway.

The brighter colours are much more hopeful and cheerful - the bright blue of Bobbys suit with the meaning of trust and loyalty it is a supportive shade, meanwhile the green of Athena’s dress symbolises growth and health and luck.

The more muted tones of the search play into their respective roles - Bobby becomes a fire captain just without the logo - it gives him the air of authority, while remaining supportive and dependable. Meanwhile Athena’s khaki green - a very typical shade plays into her position as a police officer - she is prepared to fight to figure out what happened to Chim - it’s an echo of the outfit she wore when investigating Eddie’s shooting back in season 4 - a key parallel considering we get a lot of other costume parallels this episode!

Buck and Eddie

Again we're doing these two back to front, - the above picture shows them during the search for Chim and we have the very loud and obvious green and blue pairing in parallel to Bobby and Athena. its setting them up as a unit.

I am still not over getting Buck in jeans - I probably won't be for a while, so get used to me screaming about them at every opportunity - because they have played a blinder with them - the fact that we get Buck in jeans here, along with his white trainers

The other thing that I love about these two costumes is the way they both play into their respective costume styles. We've only seen Eddie in his army geen colourway once so far this season when he found out Chris was seeing multiple girls, and this is the first Henley we have him in - when he is normally king of the Henleys - this indicates where Eddie is at - ready to go to war for his found family, in the same way Athena is, but also that this is a comfortable state for him.

Bucks bright cobalt blue plays into his blue theme thats been building over the last season and a half - its telling us he's in a good place, more settled (in relation to Tommy not Chim being missing!) and its an indicator of his loyalty and trust, but the main thing about cobalt blue specifically is that its considered a colour of enlightenment - so continues the theme of Bucks bi awakening being about him becoming enlightened!

Buck and Eddie being the only ones to have got dressed up to the 80's theme is all about showing them as a solid unit - they will feed off each others energy regardless of what it is. this is them being best friends best friending and being completely oblivious to everyone else - especially Chim's lack of enthusiasm.

The pink on Eddie plays two fold - it plays into the innocence and naivety theme the costumes are giving us this season - slotting Eddie into that narrative more firmly than just having Marisol wear it in episode 1 - it ensures that theme continues past the intial reveal that she was a novice nun - this is important because it reminds the audience subconsciously about that plotline. I don't expect to see him in any more pink this season, but I have a feeling we might see Marisol in more pink down the line as their arc unfolds.

I am interested to see how it plays into the guilt aspect though - the pink we've seen on other characters in other plots have revolved around feeling guilty - Lola being in pink when her cheating on Norman is revealed, and his innocence in it all as that plot is playing out having him also in pink. It suggests to me that we're going to get something relating to guilt - beyond catholic guilt - sitting pretty heavily in Eddies arc for the rest of the season!

(popping back in to finish this meta and now I'm screaming at myself for not connecting more dots earlier - I was so so close to connecting the mall - so close!!)

So we have buck back in white - a key indicator that things are going to go wrong - mirroring all the other times Buck has worn white and either ended up in the middle of a disaster (tsunami!) or in some kind of trouble. The trouble here is obviously that Chim didn’t turn up for his bachelor party and has gone missing. It’s an indicator of the seriousness of the situation because Buck doesn’t wear white when it’s a trivial thing going wrong.

Then we have his greenish beige double breasted blazer - I have spent so long trying to figure out what colour this jacket is supposed to be and I’ve decided to trend towards beige with a green undertone. Beige is considered a trendy colour and is therefore its meaning suggests forward thinking and fashionable (don’t ask me why I have zero idea!!) the irony of buck being in beige is that it’s also considered the antithesis of intoxicating, The green undertone has the same vibe as the green shirt he wore to donate his sperm - and so there is a similar vibe going on here - that idea that things are going to go very awry, but will untimately end in sucess!

I've included a couple of stills below of Crocket and Tubbs - just so you can see how perfectly the wardrobe team managed to create the vibe of them - as the same time as making both of them both Crocket and Tubbs - because they have elements of each of them in their costumes - which is just genius!!

one final little nod to a fun thing the costume team have done - calling back to Bucks Coma dream costume - when he was a teacher - like his parents - by dressing Margaret in a blue version of the same outfit!!

Sorry this was so late and not as in depth as some of my other meta's - but I got there in the end and I hope you enjoy it!!

Off to write 7x07's meta now!!

Tagged people below!

@theladyyavilee @mistmarauder @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @bewilderedbuckley @spotsandsocks

@bewitchedbewilderedbisexual @rogerzsteven @wanderingwomanwondering @oneawkwardcookie @leothil @copyninjabuckley @shammers86 @crazyfangirlallert @missmagooglie @katyobsesses @radiation-run @gayandbifiremenofmine @bi-moonlight @crazyaboutotps @princesschez75 @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @sherlocking-out-loud @satashiiwrites @lover-of-mine @yramesoruniverse @extasiswings @favouritealias @pop-kam @b-dwolf

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#24: Family Fun Days (S9E03 & S4E15)

Grimes Family 2.0 has my heart eternally. 🥹 They are the best family to ever grace an apocalypse. And what’s so sweet is during their Family Fun Day in s9 and s4, it truly didn’t even feel like an apocalypse - that’s how much love and joy Rick and Michonne were admirably able to place in their and their kids’ lives. And while the fallen world turned Rick and Michonne into walker-slaying warriors, who they really are to their core are parents. (ours and their kids 😋) So the final Family Fun Day and the first unofficial Family Fun Day are a tie on this list for allowing Richonne to show why they're the greatest parents around...

Starting with the s9 Family Fun Day, one of my favorite parts is when Rick, Michonne, and Judith are walking hand in hand in ASZ. It’s so idyllic and so the type of rewarding happy life these three deserve.

I think back to s5 when Rick and Michonne were outside the gates of ASZ with Carl and baby Judith in the backseat of their car. I love that the leap of faith they took together in coming to this place has now turned into a stable home where they can fully enjoy being family.

I feel like words can’t fully even capture how much I love all this. Their smiles. Michonne cheering Rick on by saying, "come on, daddy." Judith skipping. Rick's countdown. And the way they lift her up and cheer Judith on. Somehow, I never noticed it until this rewatch, but after they lift Judith up, Rick and Michonne say “wow” at the exact same time. Always in sync those two. 🥰

And Rick and Michonne getting to just be parents is the best and so meaningful. After the devastating loss of children, the way Rick and Michonne have risen from those depths of despair and given Judith a beautiful cheerful life is so commendable. And, truly, it speaks to the strength of Rick and Michonne's impact on each other's lives that they can be this healed and happy now.

I’m choked up from just this initial moment and it only gets cuter with each of their activities. It’s clear that this is Judith’s favorite way to spend the day, but make no mistake, this is Rick and Michonne’s favorite way to spend the day too. And I love that Family Fun Days are something they seem to do often and look forward to. (also it's sweet that, throughout the series, we got several indicators that little Judith is a mama's girl 😊)

It was such a joy to see this side of Rick and Michonne, especially knowing we’d only have 2 more eps before Rick’s departure. I love that we got to see Rick just have so much fun as the best girl dad. He deserved to have so many more days like this with his baby girl. 🥲

Also, what I would give to have seen a family fun day that included Rick, Michonne, RJ, Judith, and Carl all together. 😭

The good thing is Rick and Michonne are going to do everything in their power to get home to Judith and RJ, and I have hope TWD's best parents will be able to have plenty more days like this to enjoy with their children whenever the four reunite.

(Side note: Since we're talking Grimes family in this post, can I just say I never understand the complaints about our sweet prince RJ being a regular kid doing regular kid stuff - like ??? To me, it's actually the biggest flex that Rick and Michonne's baby is living a normal life. A whole dang apocalypse hit the earth, and your kid is able to just read comics and ride bikes because, even in the most dangerous possible world, you managed to create some normal (as normal as it can be in that world) stability for your children - What a win. And rather than find him "boring" as a kid under age 10 just living life, I find it heartwarming that RJ Grimes got to be so normal. The mostly peaceful and regular way RJ is living is the very thing Michonne and Rick wanted and fought for. It's the very thing RJ's big brother Carl fought for too. How wonderful that they got what they wanted 🥰👌🏽)

And then the montage includes my absolute favorite visual with the three of them on a picnic blanket all relaxed, with a brief glimpse of Rick handing Michonne a pink flower as Judith seems to notice the way her dad loves her mom. Even in just a .5-second clip of Rick wanting to give Michonne that flower we see yet another example of how Rick so naturally shows love to his wife. 🥰

I love that in s9 especially, Rick was like if y’all don’t know nothing else about me, you’re going to know that I’m head over heels in love with Michonne. And he’s just so good at courting her even in their married era, and I adore how he’s always thinking of how to gift her.

Y’all, everything in this moment (& the deleted picnic scene where Rick expresses wanting more years like this with his wife and kids) gives me so much happiness and peace. Again, it’s so idyllic and tranquil and pretty. I wanted them to live in this moment forever.

The picnic shot is just beauty and I will always cherish it. It makes me think about Carl’s vision in s8, of their family playing hooky. I know Carl would be so proud to see the three of them essentially doing exactly that on this beautiful family fun day. Like this whole montage is truly what Carl wanted most for the three of them. 🥹

To this day, when I see Scott running over while the three are reading, I’m like damn it. 😫 Richonne deserved to have a day to be all about their family and nothing else and Rick and Michonne look like they really do agree with me in the way they both communicate with a wordless look lol.

They don’t want this family time to end, but they know the world is ready to start screaming again. I do like how Rick sees Scott coming but keeps reading tho. Like ‘maybe if we keep reading he’ll just jog past us.’ 😂 

Seeing Rick kiss Judith before joining Michonne and Scott is so sweet and so sad because it’s his final interaction with his daughter before he’s taken away for years. 😭

Rick and Michonne again wordlessly communicate upon learning about that murdered savior, and you can tell they’re both disappointed. And I'm disappointed that Family Fun Day was cut short too, but I also was like, I should've known...

But I adore that this scene, which ends up being Rick and Michonne's last time side by side in the present, does not end on disappointment.

Rick is quiet and looking at Michonne, and then he looks away frustrated and stressed, especially because this new development could jeopardize the unity and safety he and Michonne so badly want to build for their people.

It’s so clear how Michonne feels for him, knowing how much they both wanted to have this day to just be. And then the shot focuses on their hands with Rick’s fist clenched to further illustrate his frustration. 

But Michonne always knows how to offer Rick the exact right uplifting encouragement and so I love that she then takes his hand. The choreo of it is so good with her slowly sliding her hand into his. It’s symbolic for Michonne to be the one who could most help Rick release his fist, thus release the frustration, and hold onto what matters most.

And, of course, Rick is receptive and holds her hand. He can always receive the positivity Michonne instills in him. And so I love that Rick tightly holds her hand and allows that to be the note they can end on together. 

Richonne handholds are always a thing of beauty so I love that their final moment like this ends on that emphasized visual. Even when things fall apart, they’re still in it together. They’re still held together by their love.

Y’all, how do even their hands tell a compelling story? I mean they always have. From exchanging bullets in Clear, to passing mints and holding hands in their canon ep, and this significant final present moment between them. It really does highlight the strength, love, and unity of Richonne's relationship. 

It’s also sweet how Rick and Michonne's official romance began with a handhold, and their final moment ends with one too. And while their journey is about to devastatingly take them on separate paths for years, I really feel like this handhold right here actually never breaks.

In many ways, during their years apart, Rick and Michonne still embarked through life as though their true love was still with them, still holding their hand and supporting them because their love is neverending - as noted in both Rick and Michonne's sentiments during the TWD series finale.

(Side note: There’s this interesting contrast I think about - because with losing Lori, part of what made it so painful on Rick is knowing they never got official closure after they grew distant and their marriage fell apart. But then with “losing” Michonne after he was taken, part of what likely makes it so painful for Rick is that their marriage was in such a great spot. Rick and Michonne were so beyond close, happy together, and hopeful for their future just before Rick was taken away. And that’s a unique pain to just be abruptly plucked from the woman you were so longing to spend the rest of your life with. Where the Lori loss featured an element of mourning a clear closed door, the Michonne “loss” is an element of mourning all the doors he hoped he'd open with her. And I’m really curious to see how Rick has been dealing with that type of pain while away in TOWL)

This whole sequence of events in 9.03 is the definition of precious. And the song in the background pairs so nicely with this heavenly time. I love Grimes Family 2.0, and this was like a beautiful love letter to them.

It was a lovely reward for Rick and Michonne after all they've been through in this series. And I just appreciate how much joy was depicted in every moment Rick got with his girls in season 9. (their opening moment in the s9 premiere also gets an honorable mention cuz I absolutely adore it)

So I called this Family Fun Days plural because before Rick and Michonne so adorably had their day as mommy and daddy with Judith, they had another version of a family fun day out in the woods with Carl. And this moment, along with the s9 montage, are my all-time favorite Grimes Family 2.0 scenes.

This one in season 4 is so meaningful because during their s9 family fun day in ASZ they were enjoying merriment in the safety of their community - but here the golden trio of Rick, Michonne, and Carl are traveling while unsure of where they’ll get their next meal or where they’ll lay their head for the night…and yet they smile. 🥹 The levity found in this moment is so important and heartwarming to see. 

I love that Michonne was so effortlessly able to be a best friend to Carl and helped him have fun even in an apocalypse. I adore the opening of the scene as Rick talks about resources running low and turns around to see Michonne and Carl adorably preoccupied with their train track competition.

Rick turning around to see Michonne and Carl reminded me of the s9 premiere when the first thing we see of Rick is him opening the doors to watch Michonne and Judith.

I know Michonne’s bond with Carl and Judith means the absolute world to Rick. And I can only imagine how moved Rick would (and will) be to see her bond with their adorable son RJ too. 😭

(Again, I'll never get over the fact that Michonne really carried Rick's child. How extremely beautiful. 🥹And soon Rick is going to finally know all about the son he made with the love of his life. Won't He Do It! 🥳)

I always appreciate that Rick walks over to Michonne and Carl, letting them have the moment a little longer, and the way Michonne playfully tries to win their competition. Carl sharing the Big Cat because "we always share" is also just so sweet.

And, of course, you know I love the way that man Rick is grinning while watching and appreciating this wholesome family moment. 🥰The way he keeps sneaking glances at Michonne as he smiles - I forever stand by the fact that Rick has fallen in love with Michonne by this point.💯

Even despite their circumstances, the three seemed so happy in this moment cuz they’re together the way it was meant to be. And I love that Michonne and Rick both valued giving Carl a good childhood against all odds.

In Carl’s devastating final episode "Honor" he tells Michonne "Don't carry this - not this part," and I always like to think that this moment on the tracks is one of the parts of their journey Carl hopes Michonne holds onto instead. Cuz it was such a beautiful happy moment that cemented the three as a family.

And, clearly, she and Rick did choose to carry the good parts with Carl and even pass it on to Judith as they and their daughter so presently enjoyed a day of fun and games seasons later, where for a few hours they didn't have to be community leaders or fierce fighters. Instead, Rick and Michonne just got to be what they so cherished being - mom and dad. Grimes family forever. 🤍

[lychee-angelica]

ashwini nakshatra 🍯

please do not plagiarise or copy my work, thank you my loves

ashwini nakshatra occurs at 0.00° - 13.20° of aries, ruled by ketu and influenced by mars. it is the first nakshatra of the twenty-seven lunar mansions, in a sense marking itself as the original ascendant point. planet sun becomes exalted in ashwini specifically and funnily enough the sun rises on the eastern horizon - where all of our ascendant signs are calculated from. ashwini is the dawn of the sun x

the word ashwini literally means "horse-woman" or "a beautiful stallion". despite the yoni of this nakshatra being a male horse the word ashwini translates to something quite feminine. a horse is the main symbol of this nakshatra, making it very important when understanding the qualities of ashwini. horses are a symbol of good health, vitality, beauty and opulence. the quality of ashwini is light and swift, aligning well with horses characteristically speaking. this nakshatra is fast, powerful, wild yet elegant and graceful.

additionally, the bird that symbolises ashwini nakshatra is an eagle. a bird that represents a kind of fierce beauty, proud independence, freedom and strength.

i would also like to add that just as how not all aries people are the same, not all ashwini people are the same either. the padas distinguish the nakshatra further into fourths. each pada essentially is a sign that planet falls within in our navamsa charts. the pada will indicate certain traits attributed to the sign in our navamsa charts.

ashwini pada 1 falls in aries - lively, pioneering, energetic

ashwini pada 2 falls in taurus - materialism, down to earth

ashwini pada 3 falls in gemini - light-hearted, witty, friendly

ashwini pada 4 falls in cancer - emotional, compassionate

mythological significance 🍯

wife of suyra

the ashvini kumaras are the gods of ashwini, they are twin horse headed deities. their mother was wife of sun, suyra. she had once fled her husband due to his immense heat, taking on the form of a female horse, venturing far away into the woods in order to recuperate. she had casted a shadow of sorts or a clone of herself to take care of her affairs at home. although, suyra eventually figured the reality of the situation, from there he swiftly took form of a horse and ran after her. upon reunion the two made love in their horse forms and the ashvini kumaras were then born.

this story portrays many things, the first being a tendency to run-away from our issues in life whether literally or metaphorically. this can manifest in someone's life through forms of escapism and even deception. although this theme of running away from our problems tends to be for the purpose of regaining our own vitality and peace, finding ourselves once more.

the second key message in the story is that of loyalty and devotion. suyra's wife did not wish to leave his side, she temporarily distanced herself from her husband for her own health and well-being. this is why ashwini individuals tend to remain loyal in love despite their apparent independence, boldness and awareness of their own needs. for this reason, sun becomes exalted in ashwini nakshatra, specifically occurring at 10° of aries - pada four. ashwini pada four resembles the most softest and compassionate side of ashwini as it falls in the sign of cancer in our navamsa charts, this is why suyra thrives best here. ashwini is the true wife of sun.

another note is that suyra's wife married a man of high status, he is literally the hottest. this is why ashwini is often times attributed to opulence and luxury. additionally, horses are symbolic of wealth in society which has been quite a timeless association. although money and fame is not the motive of ashwini women, just a little side note.

miraculous healing

the asvini kumaras are celestial physicians to the gods. there are copious amounts of stories told of the twins performing medical miracles for others. they most notedly cure blindness specifically, but also regenerated the health, well-being, youth and beauty of others. the twins were knowledgeable on the sciences, medicine and art of surgical practice but had a thirst for divine and occult knowledge in order to 'cut to the chase' so to speak with their miracle workings.

the fact that the asvini kumaras primarily cure blindness is quite significant. when we think of eyesight, visible perception and light, suyra's exaltation within ashwini provides deeper reason. ketu on the other hand, resembles a dark force of ultimate nothingness, metaphorical blindness. it is just like to say that our literal pupils are just twin black holes of empty space, with those same eyes all that can be taken in is the immense light of suyra. the story portrays the act of curing blindness as miraculous, meaning attributed to divine working, acknowledging the divinity of our own vitality. in ashwini nakshatra health and well-being is expressed as something divine with a sense of regenerated youth. ashwini individuals are able to peer through beyond the veil so to speak, entwined with the affairs of tangible and internal realties, the seen and unseen.

characteristically the asvini kumaras are painted as youthful and delightful deities, even a mischievous and cunning pair with good intentions. they are interested in the secrets of divinity and are willing to take short cuts or loopholes in order to learn quickly. they are highly compassionate and in tune with the needs of others. ashwini people tend to be very light-hearted and don't take things too seriously. their cunning and intelligent nature ultimately negates any mistaken nativity in their character.

appearance 🍯

when discussing the physical appearance, it is important to note that our other placements will garner influence over the appearance in our charts too - specifically speaking our moon, sun and ascendant. i believe too that first or second house lord placed in ashwini will result similar features.

one of the most notable traits of ashwini women is their lips, they are usually wide, if not they'll be quite moderate in length, along with moderate plumpness. the cheekbones of these women tend to be high set too along with a moderately pointed chin - the face is usually tight in structure despite the overall length. the most common eye shape i have seen with these women is slightly hooded and large eyes, especially with ashwini ascendant and moon. overall these women physically possess a quite youthful and elegant kind of beauty.

suyra ashwini (sun) - gigi hadid & anya taylor-joy

chandra ashwini (moon) - selena gomez & zendaya

personality sun, moon & ascendant 🍯

when either sun, moon or ascendant is placed within ashwini the traits of course become personal. these individuals are independent and bold, they are the types to value their freedom and will prioritise their health and well-being. they have a quite cunning, playful and even mischievous side to them too. they are light-hearted, sweetly-spoken and don't take life too seriously. they are also very loyal and devoted to their loved ones.

people born under ashwini may have a tendency to become quite impatient, they may even speak or walk pretty swiftly too. they may love adrenaline and adventure. these people likely have a thirst for divine and occult knowledge too.

planets in ashwini mercury, venus, mars, jupiter & saturn 🍯

mercury in ashwini people are very friendly and good at communicating with others, most people will often find these individuals highly likeable. they can be quite witty, cunning and have good sense of humour. they are highly intelligent, skilful and have the ability to learn very quickly. they may also speak in a quick yet delightful and persuasive manner.

venus in ashwini people are highly compassionate and devotional lovers. others may perceive them, particularly the women as worthy of a very valuable or even high status partner. there is also something beautiful when it comes to their light-hearted and playful natures - especially when relating to love interests.

mars in ashwini people may be very self-made types, very strong independent streak can be seen. people with this placement can have a very stunning physique too, they may appear very healthy. similar to sun, mars in ashwini can indicate someone who possesses the characteristics of a pioneer or leader.

jupiter in ashwini people may be very intrigued with the bigger, over arching questions in life. they most likely have a thirst for divine and occult knowledge and refreshing perspectives and beliefs. they also tend to grasp these topics quickly, even through some sort of spiritual loophole. they are like pioneers when it comes to spiritual and existential ideology.

saturn in ashwini people may be quite impatient, they can be frustrated when it comes to their karmas and struggles in life. although saturn is not debilitated in ashwini, he still struggles within the sign of aries. unfortunately saturn's slow paced and patient nature is quite uncomfortable within ashwini.

© lychee-angelica 2023