#but it's well meant. and id forgive him

[demidevil-dog]

ALSO have a Bonus Grandpa Galeo Funny voiceline:

You've heard of 'he should be at the club' now get ready for 'he should be at a retirement home.'

[midnight-talescape]

𝐻𝒶𝓉𝓇𝑒𝒹 (𝒱𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑜𝓊𝓈 𝑀𝒾𝑔𝓊𝑒𝓁 𝓍 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇)

Kinktober Day 31: Free day

Yeah its gangbang time! IM FINALLY FREEEEEEEEEE

I had to colorcode them because i wasnt sure how to separate the Miguel apart but if anyone have a better ides to seperate them i will appreciate it.

Yeah they’re the miguel from the last four story. As you can tell they all ended in angst :)

Orgin Miguel is the Miguel from bestfriend, but he’s like from (Y/N) Orgin universe

Thats it have fun

Also very bad at writing gangbang

Warning: gangbang, knot, hate sex, a few toxic behaviors? etc, etc you get the point not for kid

Genre: filthy filthy smut

Word Count: 3266

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How fast can love turn to hate?

That was a question Miguel never thought about till he met you, well Miguel never even thought about love till he met you.

If you were to ask him that question then, he would have answered never.

How could he ever hate you?

You could hurt him all you want and he will forgive you.

You were his everything and deep down Miguel knows that between you and the multiverse, he will pick you each and every time.

Without you, he’s nothing.

How naive he was back then.

If you were to ask him this question now, he would tell you a decade.

A decade of sleepless nights and a decade of wondering why it had to be you.

He knew you couldn’t help it and it was for the greater good.

But why did it have to be you?

Why did you have to leave him alone in a multiverse without you?

A multiverse where you’re doomed to die and he is destined to lose you.

A decade was all it took for that love and despair to change into anger and hate.

You were his everything and you left him.

You promised to never leave him, but you did and left him a broken mess.

He will never forgive you.

He will find you again and he will make you pay for leaving him behind.

Even if it meant stealing you away from the Multiverse, even if it meant destroying every universe in his path.

Miguel would stop at nothing to have you once more.

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You open your eyes confused out of your mind as you stare into the darkness.

W-where am I? D-didn’t I die? Wait… how did I die?

You let out a loud groan as you felt a splitting pain in your head.

Your brain filled with fragmented memories of various past incarnations.

Of pain, love, and loss.

But most importantly…

You squint your eyes, the light stinging your eyes as the door opens.

“Miguel?”

"Welcome back from the dead, mi amor. We promise you will never leave us again."

Came several voices all dripping with desire and wants.

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You were pushed onto the ground by the different Miguels, you couldn't even fight back, still confused and dazed from what was happening.

"Welcome home, mi amor," Origin! Miguel said softly, a crazed look in his eyes as his fingers tracing lightly over your arm, sending shivers down your spine. "We missed you, and we'll make sure you never leave us again."

Your eyes widened as you felt their hands running up and down your body. Your body begins to flush and your eyes water as you try to stop them,

“W-wait guys stop…”

Your body still sensitive from being newly resurrected, and your mind trying to comprehend what’s happening.

You whimper as Miguel's fingers lightly trail over your sensitive skin, his touch brings you an unspeakable pleasure.

The other Miguels surrounded you, their hands clawing and tugging at your clothes, their fingers desperate to touch every inch of your skin.

You try to push them away, but the heat radiating from each of them seems to melt you from the inside. You want to fight back, but the familiarity of their touch, the intensity of their desires hold you prisoner to their love.

It felt like you were drowning in their love, their lust, and their anger.

“I-i will die…” you cried out terrified at what was about to happen,

Triggered by your comment Miguel grabbed your face pulling you up toward him, his eyes filled with rage, lust, and fear as he snarled out,

“You won't die, mi vida. We will fuck you until you can't remember your name or walk. Until you're drunk on our cock and can't do anything but have our cum dripping out of your tight little cunt. You will fucking live and be ours. You are mine, mi vida!”

You should be scared, you should be terrified.

But you love them.

Every single incarnation you have loved them.

Even though you were trapped and they are forcing themselves on you, you still love them.

“Are you okay, Miguel?” You asked quietly,

Miguel looks up at you, his eyes filled with pain, before being replaced with hatred again,

“You left us, mi vida… YOU LEFT ME ALONE!!!”

Origin! Miguel nipped your arm, his hand stroking your back gently a sharp contrast to his voice, dripping with malice,

“You made me forget you, (Y/N)…there weren't even memories that I could use to hold onto you, (Y/N)….”

Hybrid! Miguel wrapped his tail around your waist and nuzzled into your neck,

“What we’re going to do to you is nothing compared to the pain we went through, doctor…”

“Those mortals were nothing compared to you, mi diosa…”

“You are mine. I marked you, little hero, how could you leave?”

“You left us!”

Over and over again they repeated your broken promises, the promise of forever that were broken.

Their bodies tremble as they voice their pain, they need your love, your affection.

They were desperate for you, they needed you.

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“Tell me little hero, how many cocks do you think your body can take? Because we're all gonna have our fun with you.”

Origin! Miguel pulled you into his arms when he saw how terrified you were at the prospect,

“When we’re done with you, you won’t be able to move…..You won’t be able to walk, you won’t even be able to think…. But we will be here for you, keeping you safe….”

You shook your head and desperately reached out your hand for Miguel,

“It won't fit… All of you won't fit inside me…”

Hybrid! Miguel grabbed your hand and bit down drawing blood,

“Don’t try looking at him for help, he was the one that orchestrated this.” His voice dripping with jealousy at the aspect that you trust someone more than him,

“We will be gentle,” God! Miguel mumbled as he kissed the side of your neck,

“Doubt it, I want to break her as fast as I can.”

You look up at them your eyes watery trying your best to win some mercy from them, but Miguel just looks at the other before saying,

“Prep them a little with your fingers or tongue before doing anything. We don't want to break her…yet”

Villain! Miguel rolled his eyes and said,

“They’re a wet little thing, they’re practically dripping wet by this point.”

But Villain! Miguel lets go of you and gets ready to prep you for the rest of the night as you tremble in fear.

You let out a loud groan as Miguel pulled you into a rough kiss, his hand wrapping tightly around your neck choking you as he shoved his tongue down your throat.

Hybrid! Miguel grinned as he watched your eyes tear up from the kiss, tracing his tongue across your skin and biting at your shoulder.

The hybrid took his time, his tongue rough as he dragged it across your sensitive skin, causing you to whimper and writhe beneath them.

After all those years apart, that line between love and obsession is so deliciously blurred.

As he bit into your shoulder, the other Miguels didn’t waste their time.

God! Miguel fingers reached between your legs, feeling the dampness that seeped between your thighs.

You moan pitifully into the kiss, every muscle tightening as you try to hide your arousal.

Before you could fully drown in his kiss, there was a sudden sharp pain in your thigh. Villain! Miguel bit your thigh as he pulled your leg apart so God! Miguel could better push his fingers into you.

Your body arched, clenching onto his fingers and you tried to push them away, but your hand was grabbed by Origin! Miguel who wrapped his tongue around your fingers.

You panted as Miguel let go of you, your face red and sticking out your tongue to breathe as your body trembled with pleasure.

“S-stop….” every single part of your body seems to be licked or bitten by one Miguels or another,

“Relax, mi diosa… if we don't stretch you out a little you won't be able to take all of us…” God! Miguel purred as he curled his fingers deep inside you, drawing out an painful orgasm from you,

You let out a loud whine and your body arched upward, but Miguel pushed your body down forcefully. He wrapped his hand around your breast, kneading it roughly and swirling his tongue around your nipple.

Hybrid! Miguel grin as he watches your body clenched around God! Miguel fingers, the carpet under you wet with your juice and sweat.

“Just let us fuck you stupid, doctor” Hybrid! Miguel lick up your stomach, placing kisses on your stomach as he slipped his hand into your wet cunt, thrusting his fingers inside you with God! Miguel finger, “…you owe it to us for leaving us after all…”

“T-too much…” you cried out struggling to get away,

“I don't care if it’s too much, I want your mouth on my cock. I want to see how far your throat can stretch around me.” Villain! Miguel murmured into your ears as he shoved his fingers into your mouth, “How much of my cock do you think your pretty little mouth can take, little hero?”

You couldn't answer only gagging around his fingers as you felt your body being stretched as the Hybrid! Miguel pulled his fingers out of you so God! Miguel could slip his tongue inside your wet fold.

“It feels good, doesn't it? Don't worry we’re just warming you up, we’ll get you ready for the real thing…”

For the next hour, you were reduced to a babbling leaking mess as they competed with each other to see who can get you to cum the most.

There wasn't a single part of your body that wasn't kissed, licked, touched, or bitten in some way as they used your body to its contents.

Your chest and ass were littered with scars from their claws. Your cunt was stretched and overstimulated as they each took turns eating your out. By the time they were done prepping you, you were overstimulated to the point you couldn’t even think and begged for them to stop.

“Look at you, reduced to a whimpering mess, mi amor,” Origin! Miguel said as he reached over and pushed your leg apart exposing your wet cunt further to the rest of the Miguels,

They looked at each other, a dark look passing over their eyes as a silent agreement was made.

Origin! Miguel picked you up slightly and turned you around so you were now straddling him. Your body trembled in fear as you felt what was about to happen.

Twisting your head to the side Villain! Miguel looked into your dazed eyes and said,

“I told you I will see how much of my cock your mouth can take~” before grabbing your head and shoving his cock into your mouth,

You gagged almost immediately as his cock hit the back of your throat, tears falling from your eyes, Origin! Miguel looked up with a slight frown,

“Let her adjust a little…” reverting to your caring best friend for a split second as he watches your pitiful form,

Villain! Miguel let out a crazy laugh still forcing his cock down your throat as he said, “Like hell I will, their mouth is so tight and warm it's like they’re made for this…” he looked at Miguel and Origin! Miguel for a second before continuing, “…if I remember right you guys are the only one who haven't fucked her before, right? Spoiler, their body is made to be fuck and destroyed~”

His voice dripped with contempt as he said that.

None of them were happy with sharing you, having only resorted to this because they have to and it's showing.

Villain! Miguel’s words enraged the rest of the Miguels and they all looked like they were going to punch him.

Miguel glared at him coldly, his protectiveness over you showing through the hate, “They’re not a toy for you to abuse, we can use them like one but we're not going to treat them like one.”

Origin! Miguel rubbed your back soothingly trying to comfort you,

“At least they love us, unlike someone who never even got a promise before they died.”

That comment hit a sore spot and Villain! Miguel immediately pulled out of your mouth allowing you to breathe before attempting to attack Origin! Miguel,

“I killed all the villains so I can have her to myself, I don't mind killing you too…” he hissed as he was held back by Hybrid! Miguel,

God! Miguel looked down at you as you wrapped your hand around your neck coughing and your eyes teary, before kneeling down and wiping away the saliva from your chin,

“Mi Diosa, you left me…” his voice gentle, bringing you back memories of how he used to protect you against all harm,

“I'm sorry…you guys were more important to me than myself…” you said quietly your voice hoarse,

Miguel hears your voice and turns to you with a cold anger in his eyes. “You don’t understand. You don’t know what it felt like to watch you die. To not be able to do anything as I watch you disappear in front of me, (Y/N). I would rather die with you than live alone.”

As he said that a heavy silence fell in the room. Villain! Miguel stopped struggling against Hybrid! Miguel as he watched you, his eyes filled with anger and desperation. Origin! Miguel wrapped his arm around you tightly pushing you into his chest, you felt something wet falling onto your shoulder.

“A decade, (Y/N). A decade of my life missing. Then another decade and a half spent wondering why there is a hole in my heart, desperately searching for a person no one remembers…” Origin! Miguel bit into your neck, “…how could you be so cruel, mi amor…”

“I’m sor- gah!” you started apologizing before your body froze and you felt him shoving his cock into your tight cunt,

Origin! Miguel eyes seemed to glow red as he bit into your neck drinking your blood as he mumbled,

“…this is your punishment for leaving me…”

The rest of the Miguels seemed a little concerned over Origin! Miguel's sudden aggression as he brutally fucked into you. Except for Miguel who simply got behind you and started slowly pushing his cock into your ass.

“F-fuck! I-it hurts stop please!” You cried out desperately your body rigid with pain as you felt both of your entrances being stretched open, your eyes rolling into the back of your head, gasling in pain as they thrust into you,

“Are you sure we’re the violent ones?” Villain! Miguel asked as he watched the scene unfold in front of him,

Before he shrugged and then walked toward you tilting your head up again, your face wet with tears.

“I will be gentle this time, little hero…” Opening your mouth again he shoved his cock down your throat, groaning as he felt your throat tighten around him, your whimper sending vibrations up his cock,

God! Miguel and Hybrid! Miguel looked at each other before each grabbing one of your hands and wrapped it around their cock using your hand to satisfy themselves as they waited for their turn.

Your body flushed as you felt their hand wrapping around your breast kneading them roughly, your hand barely able to wrap around their large cock as they used your hand to satisfy them.

Origin! Miguel gripped your waist tightly as he ram into your tight cunt swearing as he fucked into you ignoring how much pain you were in,

“Such a tight little cunt for me we’re not letting you go (Y/N) not until we have our fill of you and break you down till you're begging us to fill you over and over again…”

Villain! Miguel hissed as he felt your throat tighten around him, using his hand he choke you feeling his cock through your throat before saying,

“..someone’s a little excited.”

Miguel splayed his hand over your stomach and pushed down on the cock bulge and with a muffled scream you cum onto Origin! Miguel cock.

“So fucking sensitive…” Miguel groaned as he felt your body wrapping tightly around his cock,

“We’re going to stuff you full of our cum until you can never walk again. Until you will never think of sacrificing yourself ever again…”

It didn't take long for you to completely lose track of whos fucking you and who’s using what part of your body. All you can tell is you’re being filled over and over again.

Your stomach was filled with cum and more is dripping out of you before being stuffed back into you. Yet there was still more that coated your body.

Your throat was raw and both of your entrances were swollen and puffy as they pounded into you.

One of your legs is hooked onto someone's shoulder while the other one is in someone else's hand. Your body was bent to the extreme so they can use your body to the max.

Someone kissed you exploring your mouth, while someone nibbled on your chest. Sucking your nipple roughly as though they expected you to lactate if they suck on it hard enough.

They were pulling you down into the abyss of their dark twisted love…

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“Please… I’m sorry! Please, please, please stop!!!”

You cried out dazedly as they kept pounding into you deeper and deeper, your body was being overwhelmed. But they weren't stopping, at least, not yet…

One of them pulled you close and kissed the tears off your face…

“Oh, my little hero…You’re so adorable when you beg…”

He let out a soft chuckle and looked at you, whispering darkly

“I think I might just keep going…”

“Remember how I promised I would never hurt you? It seems I can’t keep every promise I make…”

"I won't stop mi amor…. You hurt me. You promised you'd be with me, you promised me forever.”

“You have always wondered what my claws can do, haven't you? Well, it's time for you to find out…” Your body convulsed as you felt him clawing at your inside,

He ignores your begging as he watches you sob and struggle against him.

“Stop crying so much doctor,” he chuckles before whispering to you. “The louder you cry, the more excited I get.”

Your leg spasms as you feel his knot inflating inside you, plugging you up.

“Oh, mi diosa... Oh, how much I've missed you,” he whispered in a low and sultry tone, his voice dripping with lust.

“How long I've wanted to possess you, body and soul again…”

“Fuck your so tight… it's like you don't want me to pull out, Doctor…”

The room was filled with nothing but the sound of skin slapping against skin, grunting, and whimpering as they used you.

They will do anything to keep you with them.

And if it means fucking you till you won't ever consider leaving them again, so be it…

[karizard-ao3]

It's October, which means Oktoberfest! Can I please ask for any ideas about the NGE characters going?!

Oh boy, I have never been to Oktoberfest, so you'll have to forgive me if this is way too off base!

Okay, so Asuka is super excited for Oktoberfest. She has her dirndl all ready to go and she hasn't eaten all morning so she can stuff herself on German food.

Asuka instructed Shinji to show up in traditional dress. She meant lederhosen but he arrives in a yukata instead. Even though he thinks it's a bit weird to wear to a festival in October, he figured that was what she meant. They get in a fight, then Shinji gets some lederhosen at a stall and changes and all is well.

Rei goes in her school uniform. She has been researching German culture in preparation for the festival and joins a traditional dance competition, which she does not win. She is simply happy to have participated.

Misato chugs beer until she can't see straight and Kaji has to babysit her, which is what he expected already when he agreed to go. Ritsuko sits with him and makes digs at Misato for being an alcoholic.

Toji and Kensuke are there for one reason and one reason only: to try to get some beer. They don't have fake IDs or anything, so they come up with all these ridiculous plans to try to get a stein each. Hikari is hanging out with them because she likes Toji and Asuka is busy flirting fighting with Shinji. She keeps trying to get them to stop their dumb attempts but they ignore her. I think in the end, they end up just drinking from some cups people left out. Hikari calls them gross and leaves. They, despite only having a few sips each, are convinced they have become drunk and get all excited.

[uwingdispatch]

From the Very First Night

From the Very First Night

Notes: Ezra Bridger/Reader, established relationship, gender neutral reader, post-rebellion/post-war, hurt/comfort, chronically ill/disabled reader

CW: light discussion of past traumas/implied PTSD

Ao3 Link

★★★★★★★★

The day you met Ezra Bridger you laughed when he told you his name. 

“Forgive me,” you told him, “but you’re not the first man on Lothal to try and pick me up while claiming to be the guy in the mural on the wall outside.”

“Well that’s new,” he said. “I tell you my full government name and you think it’s a ruse. Maybe I should have used one of my old aliases.”  

You’d been finishing up some work in what had come to be your favorite caf bar in town, a few blocks from your home on Lothal. And you were thinking about leaving when a man approached with a look in his eyes that, on another day, might have prompted you to pick up your comms and fake an emergency call from a friend.

But now he was reaching for his wallet, pulling out an ID. “You can check my chain code if you want. I didn’t realize I had so many doppelgängers.”  

You quirked an eyebrow. None of the other “Ezras” you’d met had offered ID but, as soon as you saw it, you felt heat rush to your cheeks. “Okay,” you said. “This is embarrassing. ”

He smiled warmly as he put his wallet away. “To be fair, most of the stuff in town depicts me as a kid, and I didn’t have this handsome beard back then. But I can appreciate a skeptic.”

You put away your datapad, your instincts still split between staying where you were and running out the side door. Surprising yourself, you say, “But I’m not hearing you say that you're not trying to pick me up.”

“Well…maybe. That depends, I guess, on whether you mind if I join you.”

You nodded, and he sat opposite you, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling when he smiled. Up close, you could almost see the teenage boy from the mural. But his hair was longer, dark curls falling soft around his face, and he had a short beard that he did wear quite well.

You wondered if his nerves had caught up with him as he ran a hand through his hair, the late afternoon light coming in through the window catching a streak of silver at his temple.

“Sometimes it feels like I know everyone in this city. Or at least that everyone in this city feels like they know me.” he said. “But you’re new, aren’t you?”

“What gave me away?” you asked.

“Well, I could never forget such a lovely face.” 

“Are you serious right now?”

“I really am.”

There was something sincere about him, despite the flirtations. Something about the way he moved was honest. Welcoming. A server brought him a cup of caf and Ezra exchanged a few words with him in Rodian. 

“So how long have you been in town?” He asked.

“About eight months,” you said. “I just hit this point where I felt like a fresh start might be nice. I don’t usually abandon ship when things get rough, but I thought maybe this one time…I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”

He winked. “I used a Jedi mind trick.” 

“Right,” you said, fairly certain he was kidding.

He shrugged. “And somehow you landed on Lothal.”

“I narrowed it down to the places where I’d be able to have my astromech serviced.”

“Must be a special astromech.”

“She’s a therapy droid.”

“Ah,” he said. “There are several mechanics in Capital City who work with that program.”

You were a bit taken aback at how unfazed he was at the mention of your therapy droid—issued by the New Republic. Similar programs had been available to injured veterans before, but the civilian program was newer. And he not only knew about the program, but didn’t seem bothered by the fact that you had a condition that required this kind of aid.

“We had a lot of options,” you said. “But Ceetoo and I decided Lothal seemed nice. So…I’m here.” 

“Glad you are,” he said, both hands cupping his caf mug.

“You just met me and the first thing I did was call you a liar.”

“That’s what I like about you.”

A day would come when you’d realize what he meant then. That when you saw him you weren’t thinking about all the war stories, about the way Lothal had memorialized him when they’d thought he was dead. That he had a chance, at least for a moment, to show someone who he was without the burden of their assumptions and expectations. 

You would also come to realize that from the first time Ezra smiled at you, there was no coming back. He had you, melting like chocolate in the palm of his hand. Because he saw you too, like no one else ever had before.

***

It’s late afternoon when C2-B35 comes in from the garage bleeping about the line at the pharmacy. She’d gone with Ezra to pick up your medication after getting your doctor to call in something new for your joint pain. Ezra could have gone by himself but, because of an incident early in your dating history when there’d been a mix-up, Ceetoo almost always insists on going with him—and he learned a long time ago not to fight a stubborn astromech.

Ezra finds you on the sofa where you’ve been trying to relax, the pain in your back making it hard to even lie still. He knows better by now than to tell you that you’ve been working too hard, that you should take more breaks. He knows to help you up, taking you gently into his arms and kissing your hair. By the time he hands you the tablets, you’re already feeling a bit of relief.

You take the medicine and let out a heavy sigh, resting your head on Ezra’s chest before whispering a thank you. 

“I wish I could heal,” he says.

“We still don’t know if that kind of healing would help me,” you say. “Genetic condition.”

It’s a dance you dance every time you have a flare like this, bad enough that Ceetoo insists on contacting your doctor. 

“I met a kid once who could do it. His dad said he could nullify the effects of a neurotoxin. Close a wound like it had never been there at all.”

“What did the kid say about it?”

“The kid doesn’t talk much. Still working through some things, I think.”

He gets quiet, and from the look in his eyes you know that he’s gone somewhere in his mind lost you can’t follow. It’s been 25 years since he last saw his adoptive father, the man who’d trained him in the Force, and there are some wounds that time never quite heals. Ezra is still working through some things, too.

“Hey,” you say. “Come back to me.”

He smiles, his eyes bright as he gently squeezes your arm. “I’m right here, sunshine.” 

The medication starts to hit, and you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. You reach for his face, the sharp line of his bearded jaw, the parallel scars on his left cheek. “Just as you are, you’re enough, Ezra. I don’t need a Jedi. I just need you.”

C2-B35 beeps irritably before retiring to her room, reminding you that you haven’t eaten since breakfast. 

“Thank you, Ceetoo,” you call, with a promise that you’ll have a proper dinner.

“Is it helping?” Ezra asks. “The medicine?”

“It is,” you say. “Finally.”

“Have you really not eaten all day?”

Your face tells him everything. 

“Right,” he says. “Dinner. I could make some quick dumplings? I think I froze some last time to fry later…I’d just have to make the sauce, really.”

He’s up and in the kitchen, pulling jars of spices out of the pantry, and you know he can already taste this comfort dish, and so can you.

So much of his life had been unstable after Ezra’s parents disappeared. He was on his own at such a young age, and then after a few short years in the Rebellion he ended up in exile on Peridea. Now, everything he had felt like a luxury to him: a permanent home, a pair of naughty indoor loth-cats, soft clothes he wore without consideration for armor. He’d told you about learning to cook when he came back to Lothal and, now that he has access to just about any ingredient for any dinner in the galaxy, he has every intention of not only enjoying the luxury of any hot meal he can dream up, but to make sure you enjoy food as well. When Ezra offers to cook, you never say no.

“Ezra?”

“What do you need, love?”

“I need you to kiss me.”

And he does, pulling you up from the sofa, taking your face in his hands as he presses his lips to yours, his neatly trimmed beard soft against your skin. You’re lacing your fingers through his dark curls when he pulls away to look right into your eyes.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” you whisper.

And he replies, “I can’t imagine being anywhere else.” 

***

It was night before you left the caf bar and, at this realization, Ezra insisted on walking you home. “Unless you don’t feel comfortable with that,” he’d said. “I would understand. It’s just dark out and…”

And something about being with Ezra just made you feel safe. Even on that first night. You’d never let a strange man walk you home before—it was on its face a bad idea. But you’d stayed out much later than you normally would, and the idea of being alone felt far more unsafe than being with this charming man.

“I don’t normally do things like this,” you told him, the words coming out way too fast, just a block from your building.

“I figured,” he said. “For what it’s worth…I haven’t done anything like this in quite a while.

This did surprise you. “Walked someone home?”

There was a playful tone to his voice when he replied, “Approached a beautiful stranger in a caf bar.” 

“You sure are bold for someone who doesn’t regularly…do whatever this is.”

“I just…” he started and paused, taking a breath. “This is going to sound like a line, but I just felt so drawn to you.”

“In the Force?”

“Maybe.”

“It does sound like a line,” you said. “But somehow I believe you. Jedi mind trick?”

“I’d never actually—”

“I know.”

You were both standing outside your door, a cool evening breeze in the air. You took all of him in—his firm chest beneath the deep v of his tunic, his dark hair catching on the wind, those blue eyes that seemed to see right past all of your walls. You’d met this man just a few hours ago but, beyond all reason, you so wanted to—

“Can I kiss you?” He asked, the words falling from his lips as if he hadn’t considered the consequences.

You nodded and he took a step closer, cupping your face in his hands, his nose brushing yours as he leaned in to press the most delicate kiss to your lips. And you felt his smile just as you felt that joy in yourself—a spark of something unlike anything you’d felt before. Maybe it was the Force, but every inch of your being wanted to be close to this man as you reached for his face, drawing him nearer, slipping a hand into his hair as the kiss deepened.

“I should go,” Ezra said, breathless into your ear.

“Why?” you asked.

“I have an appointment.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“Then stay.”

Nervously you fumbled with your keys, dropping them not once but twice as you tried to open your door, Ezra eventually placing them steadily into your hand, and just the touch of his fingertips against your palm sent a pleasant shiver through you. Quickly you shooed an alarmed Ceetoo away as you entered. Unlike you, her memories included files from the war, and she recognized Ezra as soon as she saw him. Beeped out something along the lines of this one’s mostly trustworthy and I’m going to charge.

“Mostly?” Ezra said, almost in a whisper. “I wonder what she’s heard.”

You bite back a laugh. “I just need you to know I don’t normally do this either.”

“Okay.”

“I could make some tea.”

“Sure.”

But his arms were around you again and you both stumbled toward the sofa, falling into the cushions wrapped in each other like teenagers, wholly unworried about anything else in the galaxy.

That tea didn’t get made for hours. And it was nearly dawn when you retired to your bedroom and Ezra fell asleep on your sofa, your loth-cat sitting at his feet. When you woke, he was gone, a note left on your kitchen counter: Had to work this morning, but I hope you’ll call me. You traced your finger over the comms code left in scratchy handwriting below, wondering for a split second if this could be real. But if you closed your eyes you could still feel the sensation of his fingertips ghosting over your cheek when you’d handed him a blanket the night before. His voice when he’d whispered in your ear, “Sleep well, sunshine.” 

★★★★★★★★

Thank you so much for reading! They really gave us Hot!Ezra in the Ahsoka series and I'm just here to be a gremlin about it. I hope this fic made you feel seen and loved.

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[thornswoggled]

on chises family, “a storm brewing in the east,” and future arcs

[ive written this post before, but its due for a refresh. now that jasper has been introduced, the whole last half of that post is moot, and i have additional thoughts on chika as well as more context on my thoughts on yori.]

now that fumiki is back in the picture, id like to theorize that yuuki hatori will soon follow. [see post: yori is fumiki and heres why.] more attention being paid to chises life in japan [ch 50, 75], chise wondering why her father “abandoned his role" [ch 57], and elias expressing curiosity over the circumstances that led her to meet seth [ch 74] are all hints towards yuukis story coming to light

one thing TAMB does that i love is how tertiary characters are facsimiles meant to help us understand our main characters. for example, all the dysfunctional pairs we see in the first arc that we are meant to compare and contrast elias and chise to, all in various ways that help us understand the ways their relationship might evolve. these minor characters may seem unimportant, but are preparing us to accept developments in the main cast. i believe there are two characters in the college arc that are prepping us for yuuki hatoris story - seth noel and adam sargent

lets first address fumiki, who ill just call yori. yori seems to have mastery over his eyes, which “have the power to bind [fae]” according to gabriella [ch 51]. this is a power both he and yuuki have, which protects chise and chika for a time. however, chika implies that he didnt always have this ability, or perhaps didnt have the sight at all until he became involved with her. which is strange, considering yori has a “family business” important enough to require he study abroad to train for:

[sources: ch 19, ch 98]

(id like to note that this line about training is almost certainly a result of his "reeducation" in italy, as we already know that his true purpose was to audit and replace simon. but i think theres at least a kernel of truth to it)

lets run with the idea that yuuki started off with weak or nonexistent powers. have any other men in this series been booted from their families because they lacked the skill?

[source: ch 63]

its possible that this “family business,” assuming it exists in truth and is not a fabrication of yoris brainwashing (which i dont think it is, considering he seems specialized in exorcism), eventually learned that yuuki acquired his binding powers, as well as a child with the same ability. again, are there are other men who are forcibly dragged back to their family, to the detriment of their young daughters?

[source: ch 83]

theres a few reasons why i think such care and time was put into the backstory of philomelas family. chise has done much of the character growth thats possible for her at this time, and attempts to “fix” philomela as a way of fixing herself. she projects on her, and for good reason too, since we are meant to compare them almost 1:1. i believe that the amount of time sunk into adam sargents story is meant to warm us up to understanding yuukis situation, regardless of whether we are meant to forgive him for his abandonment. seths story, too, introduces us to the idea of magical families booting their unworthy kin. which leads us to:

[source: ch 42]

going back to the screencap for the beginning, lets give yuuki the benefit of the doubt and assume hes being truthful when he promises hell be back one day. this phrasing is really interesting, and i feel like it implies yuuki knows the place hes going is dangerous. if hes returning to his family, or to some sort of organization (which i say because yori is part of the church), perhaps hes afraid that theyll be taken advantage of. or… maybe he was just lying! there is very little we understand about the church, so there are all manner of reasons why yuuki and yori may have ended up involved with them

regardless of reason, i dont believe that yuuki left because he wanted to. rather, i think he was being summoned. lets look at this little fae that appears twice, just pages apart:

[source: ch 42]

this weasel-like creature appears as soon as yuuki gets home in the first instance, and appears again immediately before yuuki packs up to leave. it looks distinctly different from the abstract, blight-like monsters that trail this family day to day, and id like to theorize that it is specifically keeping tabs on yuuki. in my theory post about yori, i wrote that the fox yori keeps in a tube [ch 51] is a kuda-kitsune, a sort of familiar kept by soothsayers. another word for this type of creature is 飯綱, or izuna, which is read in modern japanese as... the least weasel! yamazaki has solidified her reputation as someone who doesnt shirk on research, and i think this linguistic connection is enough to suppose whether the weasel that summons yuuki home came from the same source as yoris familiar

now, to discuss something i neglected to mention in the first version of this post. the ways in which we can compare philomelas and chises families doesnt end with yuuki. not only is alcyone a sort of elias, but iris is a sort of chika. id like to start with noting that iris' backstory of having been sold by her parents is a reflection of the original backstory yamazaki wrote for chise in the first drafts of TAMB. the dregs of chises old backstory finally gets used when iris' story is revealed:

[sources: merkmal, ch 83]

iris and chika are two mothers who deeply love their children, but are doubtful that they will be able to protect them when it counts:

[sources: ch 83, ch 42]

this next part might be a little controversial, but id like to take a look at the scene when chika snaps. specifically, the way her inner voice is framed:

[source: ch 42]

the black mist that we see in the apartment is similar to other depictions of malevolent magical energy weve seen before, such as the blight elias creates just one chapter before in ch 41 when he languishes over chise leaving him. it also seems to be pouring in from the same window where we've seen the weasel hanging out. the way chikas intrusive thoughts are depicted as a separate, shadowy figure is also remarkably similar to chises inner voice that tells her to kill the nucke-lavee:

[source: ch 61]

its possible that the voice that urges chika to kill chise is coming from somebody else entirely. like how chises curse[s] urge her to violence, i think theres a chance that someone wanted chise and chika to die, but didnt want to get their hands dirty. after all, if the family yuuki left behind died, he would stop trying to leave to reunite with them or retrieve them. being able to frame their deaths as a result of his abandonment would also be great manipulation fodder if he was summoned to wherever he went against his will

to be a naysayer of my own theory, i think it would cheapen chikas death if it turned out that she was not wholly responsible for her own actions. it would also make chises refusal to forgive her less impactful if it... literally wasnt her fault. but the way her attempt to kill chise is visually depicted makes me think theres a nonzero chance she truly didnt want to do it

lets take a look at the way iris' and chikas deaths are depicted:

[sources: ch 83, ch 42]

the visual of billowing curtains was often used in early chapters when it wasnt yet clear what happened to chises mother, and it gets used again when iris dies. and just as chika throws herself off the balcony, alcyone leaps through the window with philomela. im also stuck on the line of "we messed up and let his daughter escape." i dont mean to imply that i think we should hold up philomela and chises respective backstories as 100% 1:1, but they are remarkably similar in terms of broad plot points. if the same force that compelled yuuki to leave also compelled chika to get rid of the remains of yuukis old life, i wonder why it is that no one ever directly tried to kill chise again. did they lose track of her when she began moving from home to home?

speaking of... do we know whether chika took yuukis surname when they married, or the other way around? japanese law requires spouses to have the same last name, but husbands will sometimes take their wifes name. as far as i know, theres no explicit confirmation that the hatori family chise stays with in the OVA are related to yuuki or chika. just as seth changed his name when he was driven from the webster family, it could be that yuuki distanced himself from his past by taking chikas name. after all, if the hatoris who care for chise are truly so fed up with her, why would they not attempt to track down yuuki and "return" her if hes their relative?

(by the way, what yuuki did in taking fumiki was legal. japan is only just now going to start allowing joint custody in 2026, "parental child abduction" was not illegal at the time we're to suppose TAMB takes place, and yuukis disappearance can be considered an instance of jōhatsu. i just think its important for cultural context, because as a western reader i know i tripped up on "wait, WHY was yuuki allowed to do that without consequence?")

do i think that yuuki will ever physically appear in the story again now that fumiki has? i would love him to, but i dont know that chise will ever be allowed the closure of seeing his point of view:

[source: ch 42]

theres such a sense of finality to this line. just as philomela was only able to speak to her father in the form of a curse taking his shape, i dont know that chise will have the luxury of meeting yuuki again. theres a strong possibility that hes already dead, especially if he persisted in attempting to reunite with the rest of his family. frankly, i always thought he looked unhappy with his life in the scenes from ch 42, but his instinct in wanting to bring chise with him makes me believe that only death would ensure he never tried to see or support her again. though, if this is a safe space for me to express a little self-indulgence:

[source: ch 51]

we still dont know who sent yori to audit simon. the church is such a large organization ("a loose collection of private armies," as gabriella puts it in this same chapter) that yori being taken to be reeducated by another branch of the same organization that sent him to audit simon in the first place is not unusual or contradictory. let me first state that i dont think yori has ever been aware that he has a sister, or that he knows chise is in any way related to him (again, this post supposes that yori is fumiki). but in my heart of hearts, in my very soul, i do think it would be just so wonderfully dramatic for yuuki - or any member of his family, for that matter - to send yori off to ensure that elias, and chise by association, are under the watchful eye of someone they can more reliably control. if chise was not worth anything to them when chika died, perhaps their interest in her is piqued now that shes a mage-in-training under the apprenticeship of a vastly powerful creature. even if its not yuuki trying to figure out what the deal is with the mage who bought his daughter, perhaps his family is interested in how she can contribute to them

again, to be a naysayer to my own theories before someone else can be, i doubt that yoris reeducation and months-long stay with simon would be overlooked if a member of yuukis family sent him for the initial auditing. though theres a chance alonza had a hand in making sure his stay with simon continues. we just have to wait and see

under what context might we meet the rest of chises family? i have some ideas, but this soon into the arc everything is too subject to change. im also not convinced any of this will be addressed in the fiendbane arc. after all, yori was first introduced at the beginning of the college arc, and is only now becoming relevant. so all of this may only be laying the groundwork for yuuki to return in another arc, if not this one, which already has a lot cooking with the dragon, the new mage, etc. but then again, we get oberons little prophecy:

[source: ch 99]

it doesnt seem that oberons phrasing in the JP text matches what the great wall of china is called in japanese, but i dont think we are meant to interpret "a distant land" in any way other than japan. yamazaki has a quirky tendency to refer to japan in her works as a faraway land in the east, which extends to spinoffs like wizards blue

with the growing interest elias has expressed in chises life before she met him, and with the appearance of yori, perhaps we will learn more about yuukis story and circumstances when the brewing storm finally breaks. her family may even have something to do with it! but i doubt that any of this will come to fruition during the current arc. so until we get the next arc several years from now... ill leave you with this theory!

[acrystalwitch]

DEITY GUIDE

(From research but also from my own workings with her as my matron. This isn’t meant to be strictly historical this is more for pagans wanting to work with her. There will be a lot of UPG or SPG)

Selene is a Greek Titan (I call her goddess because I find it honoring but she is a Titan) She is the moon incarnate. The embodiment of the moon itself in spirit form. I believe to look up at the moon and call it beautiful is to call her beautiful as well.

Her parents are Hyperion and Theia and her siblings are Helios (The Sun) and Eos (The Dawn)

She is ever changing and ever shifting.

The myths of her have a lot to do with a man named Endymion. There are many versions, but my favorite take I’ve ever heard is that he was a human she fell in love with. She knew that he would die one day and couldn’t bear that. So she requested to Zeus that when it was his time to die, he’d go in his sleep, and he’d instead just sleep forever, preserved and immortal. She visits him every night and has many children with him. (I like to believe the version that this was all consensual and that Endymion would’ve wanted it this was as well)

What working with her is like?

She is as ever shifting and multifaceted as the moon itself. She is a sweet mother, and a firm scolder.

She is the only deity I’ve had who has set off my fire alarms (it was a very normal glass candle with no herbs or extras 😅) and a second time she melted a pillar candle of hers onto the floor because she got very excited that there was a lot of love in my household that day.

She doesn’t put up with me wallowing, she wants me to confront my issues head on. Has tried to work with me on emotional problems and addictions. She’s a fierce protector of women and I’ve found that she will even look out for my girlfriend’s emotions as well, though she doesn’t work with her.

She is a strong mother figure, loving yet stern. She also can go quiet for long periods of time. In my experience prefers meditation as communicating, or the moon oracle deck I have.

Offerings for Selene:

(What I personally have given her or known others to say that she likes! Feel free to add your own id love to know!)

Physical offerings:

- moon water

- moon stone

- selenite (named after her!)

- amethyst

- moon imagery

- grey candles

- white candles

- jewelry

- silver coins

- flowers that bloom at night

- white flowers

- imagery of white horses (she has a chariot)

- the moon tarot card

- the lovers tarot card

- the chariot tarot card

Devotional offerings

- look up at the moon! Call her beautiful

- learn about the moon phases

- look after yourself and your health

- meditate with her

- draw pictures of her/the moon

-write songs/poetry

- don’t be afraid to feel your feelings!

Personally, though she is my matron I have some of the most difficult times connecting with her. It could be due to my issues with my mother and seeing her as a mother figure. But, I’d say if you want to work with her be prepared for it to be a bit different than most deity work talked about.

She’s quiet and confusing at times and requires a lot of work. But she’s also patient and forgiving and loving. All in all if you feel a pull to her, I’d say go for it! Just be very respectful of her!

[huginsmemory]

Wolfwood, the Symbolism of the Punisher and Tragic Narratives

ID: A shot of Wolfwood carrying the Punisher.

MAJOR MANGA SPOILERS

Considering that my post on Wolfwood being a tragic character is doing the rounds and people seem to adore it in the most horrified manner, I thought it might be fun to point out some of Wolfwood's 'dead-since-the-beginning' motifs, specifically through what the Punisher signifies.

Symbolism of the Punisher

There are five (from what I've pulled out) things the cross-machine gun of the Punisher symbolizes. First and foremost, I'm going to talk about how the Punisher, in it's shape of a cross, represents Christianity and Christian morals. This is something that is highly ironic, as while it shape symbolizes the morality and salvation of Christianity, of forgiveness and unconditional love--and such missives as 'thou shalt not kill'--it is also clearly a specialized weapon created specifically to kill people, violating the assumptions of Christian morality.

In a way, this irony or contradiction reflects Wolfwood's own irony; outwardly looking like and pretending to be a priest with Christian morals while at any closer inspection is clearly an assassin. However, the inverted is also true; although Wolfwood is an assassin and kills people, it is shown through his moral quandaries, that these Christian ethics are ones that Wolfwood subconsciously believes in, but has rejected to survive in the world. As a result, the Punisher symbolizes the irony and contradiction of Christian ethics that Wolfwood carries.

Interesting side note, Chapel directly says that their actions as assassins--executing people with their machine gun crosses--is mercy and leads them to save themselves and others to redemption, much in the same way humanity was redeemed through the cross in Christianity, which is the excuse that Wolfwood carries with him for killing others; but that's a digression from what I want to talk about.

ID: Chapel says, “If killing is a sin... it is also the path to redemption. Did you not understand that?” Wolfwood, through black panels of narration, thinks: “I understand. I understand, but... He is foolish. His words are no more than the nonsense of a child. Idiot. I understand that.”

The second thing I wanted to talk about, was that in a way, the Punisher in a cross shape is apt, as the cross previous to Christianity was a literal torturous execution device. To be sentenced to crucifixion meant hours of pain until one finally died from asphyxiation. The Punisher in that manner, stays true to the execution part of the original symbolism of the cross, as it is being used to kill and hurt others; as well as in a way, it applies to Wolfwood himself, which we will get to later.

The third thing I want to talk about the Punisher, is how contextually it symbolizes Wolfwood's profession, and his connection to the Eye of Micheal (EOM), which causes him guilt (the fourth thing). The cross is literally given to him by Chapel, the man who inducted him into EOM; Chapel giving Wolfwood the Punisher, a prestigious weapon used by those from the EOM, can be considered the physical signifier of Chapel giving Wolfwood the brutal lifestyle that he lives under and his connections to them. Hell, specifically because of his weapon, Wolfwood is mistaken for being Chapel, it is so tied to EOM and Chapel himself. As well, by both being the weapon that shows his correlation to the EOM and the weapon that he uses to kill people with, the Punisher (and it's weight) also represents his guilt from the lifestyle, becoming literally the 'cross he has to bear' as a result of trying to protect the orphanage.

ID: First 2 images show young Wolfwood being given the Punisher and being told it’s the Eye of Michael’s highest honor. Its skull-shaped handle is shown. 3rd has Legato saying, “That cross... I’ve been waiting for you. You’re ‘Chapel,’ correct?” He and Wolfwood look at each other.

A quick, bullet point recap, of what the Punisher signifies:

Christian morality: unconditional love, absolution and forgiveness, and 'thou shalt not kill' and Wolfwood's irony around this concept

a literal historic torturous execution device

signifies his profession and connection to the eye of Micheal

signifies his guilt over his profession

Narrative doom and Wolfwood

The fifth thing I want to talk about, is how the Punisher and it's symbolism is related to Wolfwood being a narratively doomed character. I choose this specifically as the Punisher literally becomes Wolfwood's grave marker (or one of them, at least). Thus, the fifth thing the Punisher symbolizes as Wolfwood's grave marker is his death-- and how he's been dead since the beginning.

ID: Wolfwood’s grave with the Punisher sitting as a grave-cross above the flat headstone is the foreground of the last page of volume 10, chapter 8. In the background Vash and Livio discuss where Vash will go next.

Hell--our first introduction to Wolfwood is him slumped under the Punisher in the desert, and assumed to be dead by the bus driver. The bus driver even comments that he's a really well-prepared dead guy, referring specifically to the cross of the Punisher, which in the first-ever panel we see Wolfwood, looks like a grave marker for him-- and ultimately ends up being his grave marker. Since the beginning, our introduction to Wolfwood is him as a dead character, and in a way, he remains so as he literally carries his grave marker throughout the story, only waiting until the right moment when he can truly die.

ID: 1. Wolfwood is starkly shaded as he sits unconscious in the desert with the Punisher behind him, almost like a grave marker.

2.. The bus driver comments, “Whew... That’s one well-prepared dead guy.”

As well, not only is the Punisher literally his grave marker and is a symbol of his death, but the other symbolism that it carries can be considered to cause Wolfwood's death; Wolfwood's connection to the EOM, his guilt, and Christian morals. For Wolfwood's connection to the EOM and Chapel, it is Chapel whose actions cause Wolfwood's death. In fact, as Chapel is the one who gave Wolfwood the Punisher, Chapel is the one to give Wolfwood his grave marker--and was the one to ensure that it became his gravemarker. Since the beginning of Chapel taking him under his tutelage, he was condemned to die.

Not only does it symbolize Wolfwood's death as a result of Chapel, but it also symbolizes Wolfwood's guilt over killing as a result of working for EOM, which also contributes to Wolfwood's death. Wolfwood's guilt come into play in his choice to defend the orphanage alone, as he believed that due to his guilt he wasn't worthy or important enough to ask Vash to help him; even if he knows Vash has proved over and over again that he would put aside everything to help anyone. Ultimately, he is proved wrong when Vash shows up anyways, but by this time, it is already too late. Adding to this is Wolfwood's staunch refusal to kill Livio as he declares his belief in Vash--and Vash's principles, ie, Christian principles-- which also causes Wolfwood to die, which Chapel himself notes. As a result, it is his guilt, his connection to Chapel, and to a smaller degree, his acceptance of Christian ethics, that kills him--all things the Punisher, his grave marker, signifies.

ID: Chapel berating Wolfwood for not shooting to kill Livio.

As well, tying into the historical interpretation of a cross as a torturous execution device, one can take the symbolism of the Punisher, specifically of Wolfwood's profession and deep self-loathing guilt as a result of his ethics he's had to forsake, and interpret the Punisher as metaphorically torturing Wolfwood. And, as it's symbolism is tied to the reasons for his death, one can also metaphorically claim that it is also what causes Wolfwoods own death, or execution; fully fulfilling its historic significance.

Summary

TLDR/To summarize: The Punisher, in its cross shape, ironically symbolizes Christian values which both the punisher itself and Wolfwood contradict, although may aptly symbolize it's historic use of a torturous execution device. Contextually, the Punisher also symbolizes Wolfwood's connection to Chapel and the Eye of Micheal, as well as his guilt over killing people.

The final thing the Punisher represents, is Wolfwood's death, as it literally becomes his grave marker. This is connected to how he is narratively doomed as that he has since the beginning been carrying his grave marker, and even in our first interaction it is foreshadowed to be his gravemarker. The other things the punishers signifies is directly correlated to his death as well, such as Chapel being to one to give Wolfwood his gravemarker, and being the one to cause Wolfwoods death.

All in all, Wolfwood as a character was never, since the very moment we met him, meant to survive the series; he's been literally carrying his grave marker the whole time. There was never any chance of him being able to escape his life the way he so desperately wanted to. He's been dead since the beginning.

.

ANYWAYS Uhm if u enjoyed reading my meta, here's a master post of some other trigun meta I've done :D

Edit (mar 26): At the suggestion of @princess-of-purple-prose and using/adapting the ID's they've added via a reblog on my post, I've added ID's to the photos to allow clarity of reading for those unable/have difficult accessing the photos.

[antebunny]

So there's a subgenre of fics in the Harry Potter fandom wherein a person conceived while one of their parents is under the influence of a love potion will become aroace at birth. The origin, afaik, are two insidiously awful decisions of JKR combining: 1) she reinvented date rape drugs/roofies aka love potions, without realizing it I guess, and 2) she said that Voldemort was asexual, because she's never seen a marginalized identity she didn't spit on.

Since Merope Gaunt (Voldemort's mother) used a love potion on Tom Riddle Sr. (Voldemort's dad) I guess people got the idea that what if love potions caused asexuality? And asexuality + aromanticism, of course, meant evil. Here's an excerpt from one of those fics in which Bill Weasley explains being aro/ace to Hermione:

[Image ID]

"No. I just dated because that was what you did. I never really felt anything for them. A few kisses, plenty of hand-holding. I made out in a few broom closets, and had one very uncomfortable make-out session up the top of the Astronomy Tower that I eventually ended by pretending I heard Filch coming past on a patrol. I even tried making out with a guy once in case that was it–nothing. I never told mum about that, of course. Good wizards don't shame their families like that."

"There's nothing wrong with being gay, you know."

He shrugged. "It doesn't apply to me anyway. I'm not gay. I wasn't anything, and I was trying to accept that and be content with it. It was good enough. Until I met Fleur." His eyes lit up with joy as he spoke about her.

[Second Image ID]

"Look, the point is with her allure from being part-Veela, I love her. Like I can never love anyone else. I don't want to lose that. You don't understand what it's like to go through life feeling nothing for anyone else. I've dated people I said I cared for, but I wouldn't have died for them. Well, out of logical choice I might risk my life, but not from love. But I would die for Fleur. Do you understand? She makes me a better person. I would do anything to make her happy. I'm not alone in the world anymore."

She nodded slowly. "I see." It wasn't so much him manipulating Fleur, as him permitting her to manipulate him. Into feeling. "I didn't realise it could be that bad." She still thought he should confess, but it didn't sound like he was hurting Fleur–he really did love her.

[End Image ID]

I read this fic years ago, and at the time I genuinely had not thought about my sexuality at all. I would've never called myself aro or ace. Still, reading this felt like being repeatedly punched in the face. I kept on waiting for Hermione to say something similar to what she said after Bill made a homophobic comment. After all, she went out of her way the first time, didn't she. Instead, what I got was essentially:

Bill: I don't usually feel romantic or sexual attraction. So there's something wrong with me.

Hermione: Yeah lmao. But there's nothing wrong with being gay!

I've been (reading) on Ao3 since 2016, and in all that time I've seen plenty of subtle racism, sexism, etc. But I've never seen anything as plainly stated as this. To this day I have yet to hear any aro/ace people describe the experience of being aro/ace in any of the following ways: "How could I forgive myself if we brought a child into the world to suffer the emptiness I lived with my whole existence[?]" /"You should be unable to love." / "You don't understand what it's like to go through life feeling nothing for anyone else."

I could not understand why Bill described it as "emptiness" or "feeling nothing." I still cannot find a single aro/ace person who would describe themselves as empty. The most I have ever heard is: "I wish I was normal" (meaning I wish I fit in, I wish to be accepted by other people). Historically, many aro/ace people married and had kids, conforming to societal norms, and I am sure many believed there was something wrong with them or hoped to grow out of it. I was one of them. On a very personal note, I suspect that my father is too. I am certain that he's never heard the terms asexual or aromantic in his life. But if you think I'll ever discuss his sexuality with him, you're out of your damn mind.

Now, I know it's really easy to find this fic from these quotes. I chose to include them anyways because I think it's important to show how blatant it was. My Tumblr blog isn't exactly a platform, but for the five people reading this: please, please do not go after the author. I truly believe that they had no ill-intent. In the comments of this fic, a few people bring up variations of "it sounds like Bill is just aro/ace" and the author is consistently understanding. Here are some of the author's comment on that fic:

[Image ID]

I very much understand what you're saying. It's a tricky thing for me to address, however. For the core idea I'm playing with is basically the evilness of "love potions". And part of that is exploring JKR's idea that Voldemort, being unable to love due to his mother using a love potion on his father, was a *monster* because of that. Perhaps that doesn't come across very clearly (there's a little bit more of it in the prequel), that it's one of the assumptions I'm trying to undermine. ("Love potions are funny/romantic", "Voldemort is a monster because he could not love", "Harry's power was that he could love - he's not a monster like Voldemort", "There's nothing wrong with selling love potions to teens/adults because it's not 'real' love".)

I feel like I'm already poking at the inherent problem of framing "people who cannot love" as "monsters/psychopaths" by showing Bill and Harry's struggles with self acceptance, and Bill finding a way to love (though do note he'd been making peace with the idea he wasn't attracted to anyone, prior to meeting Fleur). I really don't like the canonical take on love-redeems/love-is-the-best-power/the-loveless-are-monsters, so I'm messing with it a bit. Exploring other people than Voldemort, ones we admire, who are also dealing with being unable to love. Does that make sense? Now, that doesn't mean I'm doing a perfect job at it, but I'm trying my best to explore that theme around the edges of my Dramione story.

[End Image ID]

The author's intention was to show how other characters, made aro/ace via love potion like Voldemort, were not evil or sociopaths. I don't know why all the characters were so aro/acephobic, but sometimes fics get away from you and you don't address everything you wanted to. I don't know why the aro/ace characters had so much internalized shame and hatred when the term bachelor has been in use for centuries, but we fanfic authors love writing self-esteem issues and I would be a hypocrite to say otherwise. I don't know why the author never tagged acephobia or internalized acephobia, but no one HAS to tag anything.

I don't know if the author ended up writing that fic where Harry comes to accept his aro/asexuality. It's totally understable if they didn't; I have failed to write many fics that I really did want to write. Sometimes it's just like that. I really, truly believe that the author had the best of intentions and is not aro/acephobic, just severely misled on what that experience is like.

My beef is not with this author. I used their words to highlight a reoccurring and popular sentiment that I hate. My real beef is that this fic is popular. This is an entire subgenre of Harry Potter fics. I actually decided to write this post because some random person on the internet said, a few days ago, something along the lines of: "Remember when JKR invented a date rape drug that turned people into sociopaths? Yeah…" (And also because I was up until 3 am last night writing a dumb trash angst one-shot about it).

I'd wager that the vast, vast majority of people who write or read those fics don't feel the same way. But the condescension is baked into the very premise of that trope. "Oh poor you, it must be so hard, so lonely going through life without ever loving another person. You must feel so empty inside."

It's actually people who say similar things that make me feel isolated. Most of the time I feel free, like I've cracked this secret code, like I'm able to see things clearly that people so hung up over sex and romance can't. Other times I feel so left out I wish I was "normal." Mostly, being aro/ace is lonely, annoying, exhausting, and liberating.

It wasn't until last year that a friend told me that some people actually do have trouble speaking to someone they've never met before, just because they find that someone attractive. I thought that only happened in stories. But I don't want to get nervous meeting new people based on their looks, I don't want to treat people differently based on how much I want to have sex with them. I wish my friends in high school had never pressured me to come out as bisexual. I wish all the other similarly liberal, queer communities I've found since didn't insist on associating sex and dating with emotional comfort. I wish I could magically stop my parents from expecting me to ever get married and have kids.

But I can't.

Anyways, that's it for today. I'm not sure what the point of writing this was. I really don't want anyone to get hurt or attacked because of it. This is not a callout, or a hate brigade, or any sort of call-to-action. I don't want people to get up-in-arms about this. I'm just tired. I suppose I just wanted to put my feelings out there, and well, this is my Tumblr.

[intrusive-thot]

Meet my Immortal Desires MC!!!!!

oopsies im hyperfixating on this choices book

"You guys couldn't make me something cool-like a siren or whatever? Vampires are so mainstream,"

-Isa Valentino, upon realizing she's a vampire

Name: Isa Valentino

Height: 5'5 ishhhh

Birthday: She's 100% a Capricorn (just like her creator), leaning towards like January 10th or sum.

Sexuality: Bisexual

Personality: Looks like a cinnamon roll, could kill you.

Love interest(s): Gabriel Adalhard, Cassius Harlow (endgame)

Friends: Libby, SETH, Nicole, Harrison, Gabe, Cas

Family: Terri Valentino (mother dearest)

Gregory Meadows (flop father)

Edna Meadows (evil stepmother)

Before Crimson Beech:

Was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts before moving to Crimson Beech.

Her mother was going through medical school, her father was a trucker so he would be away for days at a time.

When Isa was ten, her mother caught her father having an affair, which lead to a messy divorce and her father remarrying her stepmother.

During the divorce, Isa went to stay with her dad and stepmom during the weekends. They weren't awful people, but she hated them for breaking her family up. While it's childish, I don' think she ever forgives her father, even as she grows older- eventually he gave up trying to be nice and her mom won full custody.

So after all that, Terri was away a lot, having to go through her medical school stuff as well as get jobs to support them, which left Isa to her own devices most of the time. Terri was devastated by the divorce, and used her daughter as a shoulder to cry on when she was home, which is why the MC is kind of parentified by her throughout the series.

Isa was also heartbroken, her own grades slipping. She was top of her class before and now she just.....didn't care, she barely passed any of her classes anymore, and she began drifting away from her friends due to all her responsibilities at home.

They had to move to a whole other part of the city shortly after this, as Terri had finally graduated and gotten a job as a medical examiner. This meant a whole new thing to get used to for her kid.

Her mom was busy a lot, and as she got older, she began to cook, clean, do laundry, and so on and so forth, two of her hobbies include reading books (to escape reality) and crocheting.

When high school came around, her mom allowed her to do online schooling in an attempt to get her grades up for college. It worked, but she was isolated from others her age. However, her mom and her grew stronger because of it, as Isa was now home a lot more often so they had time to talk.

And then her mom got fired from her job at the end of her junior year of high school.

She picked up a job babysitting the kids in her apartment building to help pay bills while her mom looked for a new job.

Which is where she found an opening in Crimson Beech, so they packed up and moved, Isa being happy she got to go to a normal school for her senior year of HS.

Relationship HCs:

Truly never had a crush on Gabe, she just understood he would be good for her. He was everything she had ever wanted, able to give her safety and security. But she could never make herself like him in that way, although she cares about him as a friend.

Lowkey though she was annoyed he kept randomly showing up when she was with Cas, even if he thought she was making a bad decision, he had really never heard of personal space.

I imagine her relationship with Cas to be more enemies to lovers. She found him annoying, and she wasn't really Cas' type, she's not edgy at all. But Cas knew that she would be a good gf for Gabe, and wanting to piss him off, he began flirting with her.

When she found out he was a vampire she was actually terrified of him and everyone else who was one, how could she not be like ID MC be so fr.

Her opinions of him started changing when he saved her from Gabe going ballistic in the gym. Naturally she was shocked and wanted to distance herself from Gabe that night, so she picked Cas to walk her home. They wreaked havoc in that little ice cream shop, and that's when it all started. That's when the two start seeing each other in another light.

Despite the fact that I cannot control myself and have to flirt with Cas everytime the option comes up, it's a lot more slowburn than them kissing on the porch after that dabacle.

No matter how many times that everyone warns her to stay away from him, I honestly think they're a better match than Gabe and Isa. Cas shows her how to shirk her responsibilities, he shows her the excitement of being a teenager, things she missed due to her upbringing. On the flip side, she shows him gentleness, and that it's ok to be vulnerable. Their relationship is equal parts exciting and like calming?? idk the word, but period.

Friendship Headcanons:

Gabe and her watch Blades of Light and Shadow together.

Besides Gabe, Libby used to be her best friend. It was nice to have a breath of air away from the two boys she usually hung out with, and Libby seemed to put in effort to get to know her.

However, Libby flopped. She didn't understand that perhaps the reason why her best friend was so distant was because she was in a traumatic fire, and while Isa never cuts her out fully, she sees her as selfish in a way, and so, they never really become best friends again.

So her human friends alienated her because they're lovely people, she moves her lunch table to sit with Cas and the Venandis. She hates those guys, but hey, Cas and Seth are ten times the people Margo, Scott, and Val will ever be, so whateves.

Seth becomes her new best friend right then and there, because he's just the sweetest little guy ever.

Everyday for lunch, she brings a grilled cheese, tomato soup, and chips to school. She shares half her sandwich with Seth, because he doesn't deserve to eat nasty school food, and she lets Cas eat her chips because he's ok too.

After Seth dies, she can't bring herself to eat the second half of her sandwich, so she throws it out. It's a waste of food, but Cas doesn't want it, and she hates the other Venandis, they're not worthy of Seth's sandwich.

Despite her being a Venandi, she hangs out with the Clement gang if she's not chiling with Cas. Being a girl's girl, she hates Margo because Margo literally is the least girl's girl ever. Isa's convinced she has never supported a woman in her immortal life ever.

Vampire Headcanons:

She was devastated as soon as she found out she was a vampire, she can't leave Crimson Beech and can't have a future outside of the town, and her future was looking real long. All her hopes and dreams were crushed in an instant.

Was livid at Gabe and Cas for turning her, her anger only rising when the covens went after her again after she saved them. She didn't take it out on them just yet though, she feels bad for harboring this resentment towards them, and tries to act as normal as possible around them.

Probably pukes after drinking blood for the first time, just the thought of it disgusted her so badly.

Despite being a Venandi, she oftentimes doesn't hunt humans with them, and instead drinks blood bags she receives from the Clements.

But she feels bad for depleting the blood supply of the hospital in such a small town, so she goes out and hunts sometimes, even then she only hunts men. Idk if Jennifer's body is in choices canon but she would 100% be obsessed if it was.

After she gets like exiled for the first time with Cas and Gabe, she loses her mind in that cave. All the feelings of being turned bubble to the surface and she starts screaming at them, as she should.

It takes her a while to get used to being a vampire, she doesn't hate herself like Gabe for being one, but yet, she doesn't fully embrace the fact that she is one, it's complicated, there's good and bad to both, as there's good and bad in being a human.

Truly does not care when she gets in trouble with the covens, she's just annoyed at this point.

Bro isn't phased by her powers because that's truly not the weirdest thing that's ever happened to her, and she figures if she got turned without consent, she might as well be the main character vampire, the y/n of vampires if you will.

General Headcanons:

Seems like the mom friend, but that's Gabe. While she is nurturing and loves taking care of people, she also is just a silly little guy.

Speaking of, she gets voted as class clown in the senior superlative thingy.

Had a MASSIVE fat crush on Raleigh Carrera. HUGE. Which explains why she likes cas lmaooooo.

Maybe her top music artist would be Avery though, or Mitski cus she's canon in choices.

Along with Blades of Light and Shadow, she loves the Crown and the Flame, her bi awakening was Queen Kenna.

Crochets everyone Christmas sweaters with their initials on them and forces them all to pose for photos.

Her favorite season is winter.

If she wasn't a vampire, she'd want to be a siren because those serve so hard.

Loves the ocean, it's truly the only thing she likes about summer.

Whenever warm weather comes around she's always at a loss for clothes because she is a sweater/cardigan girlie, so she steals some of Cas' tee shirts, which he doesn't mind.

Most people assume she's a stereotypical not like other girls person, but that could be farther from the truth. She's on the lookout for another girl to add to their group, because she desperately needs one- probably Nicole.

Since becoming a vampire, her only ambition is to be left alone.

Is a massive pushover, which is why she followed Cas into the woods and did all that before she even liked him, felt bad saying no. Which explains why ID 2 is set up like a love triangle when she chose Cas, Gabe was in love with her, and she felt awful for breaking his heart.

She keeps helping the covens too because of this, and also cus their Cas and Gabe's family, but mostly because she has a desire to prove herself.

Wow, so I wrote a lot.

I'm going to include a pic crew of my character, since I cannot draw, however questions about her and fanart are welcomed and encouraged!!

[starkraivennemad]

The Second Holiday

Well, THIS was not on the bucket list for this new year.

“I think you mean Bingo card,” Greg’s mind automatically corrected itself in HIS smooth voice.

Of course, it’s his voice. It’s always his voice. Shush!

This was their second holiday season apart since Greg left London for New York. Bering away from London last year was excruciating for its own reasons. This year was less so, but still hurt.

It has been months since the letter exchanges between them began.

But it was just that -letters, only letters.

They had not called. They had not emailed or messaged. They had not Skyped or used WhatsApp or… or…

So, Greg was utterly gobsmacked to see the ID on for missed text as he came out of the shower.

Greg plopped onto the side of his bed, the phone, his hands trembling.

He TEXTED me? After all this time? Why now? You know you're going to read it, Greg, do it already.

Greg opened his messages.

>>TEXT: Forgive me; I know this is this is out of our new ordinary, but needs must. – MH

>>TEXT: I will be incommunicado for a few days. I did not want you to wonder. – MH

Greg understood what that meant.

The letters. I will not be receiving them daily while he is not in town.

>>TEXT: You need not respond. I’ll understand. - MH

It was late at night for Greg in New York, meaning it was very early in the morning in London.

Still, he reached to me. I can do no less.

<<TEXT: Thank you. I admit I would have been concerned. – GL

Greg was not in the least surprised to see the active dots indicative of an immediate response. It was not unusual for him to be awake at such an ungodly hour for that side of the Pond. It’s who he was.

>>TEXT: Truly? – MH

>>TEXT: Do you ever think about me? About us? – MH

Oh, he’s exhausted. He certainly had not meant to type that.

>>TEXT: DAMMIT!

And definitely not that.

The proof came immediately.

>>TEXT: Apologies, you don’t have to answer that. I overstepped; I know. – MH

<<TEXT: You know damn well I do, Mycroft. You gave me no choice. – GL

Greg glanced at said boxes stacked neatly within his line of vision.

<<TEXT: And, yes, you have, texting me like this. – GL

How can I not think of him with daily reminders in literal boxes before me?

Greg went to the bar and fixed himself a brandy. It was undoubtedly time for a drink.

Are we texting now? Will the letters stop?

>>Text: I am sorry. I shall not text again. – MH

<<TEXT: No, wait. That is not what I meant! - GL

<<TEXT: I understand letting me know you will be incommunicado, and I appreciate it. I just was not ready for that question.

>>TEXT: I will not stop writing if that was your fear – MH

<<TEXT: It was. Thank you, but since we are texting now… - GL

<<TEXT: So... you changed your mind? - ML

>>TEXT: Yes? No? It’s the holidays? I apologize. I don’t know how I feel about this.

>>TEXT: I understand. Then, I will sign off as I do my letters.

Once the boxes became too much, Greg moved the excess to a shelf within easy reach, with only the most recent box of letters on his desk.

Love letters, written by Mycroft and read by Greg, are tangible in the here and now. He knew what the sign-off would be.

>>TEXT: Happy Christmas, Greg. I love you. – MH

That was familiar to Greg. He breathed easier seeing it. This, he could handle.

Ghosts are apropos of the season, I guess. Greg shrugged to himself as the fairy lights hung in his living room windows.

He sipped his brandy and again looked at the boxes that represented the ghosts of what once was of their past.

And perhaps the ghost of future them?

No, Greg was not ready to contemplate that, but it did not fill him with heartache as it once did.

That has to count for something.

Yes, this was their second Christmas apart, but a part of him smiled as he responded, suspecting it just might be the last.

<<TEXT: Happy Christmas, Mycroft. And God help me, I still love you. - GL ------------------------------------------------------ Read Comment on AO3

Start from the beginning Love Letters From The Attic series

@mystradeholidaycollection

@notjustamumj

[tonydaddingham]

Lol isn’t it funny how Mr. Very Good At Forgiveness demands an apology dance after Crowley finally agrees to help him with Gabriel? Angels are supposed to be good at forgiveness, but one of the joys of being with Crowley is that he’s allowed to be a little petty. In fact, even after he’s satisfied by the dance, he doesn’t actually-

…doesn’t actually-

…

…wait, hold on

what if “I forgive you” was his response to “I was wrong, you were right about helping Gabriel heaven instead of running off and avoiding it”?

“I forgive you” -> “As you just admitted the angel equivalent of 2 seconds ago, you were wrong about this. We have to help!”

hi nonnie!!!✨ well, the So Did I argument is i think a very clear parallel to the Feral Domestic™ in ep6, in that whilst on a much larger scale and evidently did not result in crowley swanning back in to offer his help and an apology, the context of that apology is different to the context we are given in ep6.

crowley didn't tell aziraphale the danger that beelzebub suggested when he came back to the bookshop, but had a higher stake in ensuring that the plan went off without a hitch - to the point that id be surprised if crowley wholly meant the apology he gave...

was he just apologising so that aziraphale would let him help, by extension giving him the opportunity to protect aziraphale, rather than because he actually thought aziraphale was right in hiding gabriel? hm. and you're right, aziraphale didn't say he forgave crowley, something that he knows hurts and angers him.

so, in the endgame argument, why would aziraphale say it after being smooched into another plane of existence? well i have my thoughts on this, which i don't think have been very popular lmao, but i still somewhat stand by them. overcome with emotion and playing his last card in getting aziraphale to stay, crowley kisses him. and aziraphale is shocked, we can visibly see that, but allows himself a microsecond to accept it.

but my interpretation of aziraphale's inner monologue essentially goes like: "wtf are you doing / stop, this hurts / i want to reciprocate but this is very difficult for me in the position im in now / please know i love you back / but this can't happen and you know it can't / this is cruel / why would you do something so cruel", or something to that effect.

and that's why i think aziraphale says he forgives him - the only time we've otherwise seen aziraphale forgive crowley is when crowley has said something that's really struck at a sore spot in aziraphale's armour - "how can someone as clever as you be so stupid?". it's his reflex to crowley actively causing him pain, because he knows it will hurt him back, but have plausible deniability in its meaning. dick move, that's obvious.

but this is partly why i think - however subconsciously or unintentionally - crowley reverted to his last weapon and tried to tempt aziraphale with the kiss. "look, this is what you could have if you stay / isn't this what you want? it's what i want / we could be wonderful together, angel / and all you have to do is stay". and frankly, i think aziraphale knew it.

he knew that this is crowley's last power that could work on him, and it might have, even if for a second, worked. but i feel like at this point in aziraphale's story, he's tired of being manipulated and being taken for a fool (ironic given metatron's workings on him), and the one person he could trust not to treat him like that was crowley. it hurt. hence (in my opinion), the 'i forgive you'✨

[quirkthieves]

well its over for you hoes because lys said i should post it so

forgive the organizational mayhem here

so basically id like to compare and contrast the utilization of gendered traits and the resulting way in which characters are perceived both ic and ooc between geten and trumpet. basically. because ive already written an embarrassing amount about the weird pair-esque foiling of the characters and what they represent

like, the interactions between masculinity and femininity in getens design arent intentionally meant to be indicative of permeability between the two (as in, by him). getens "femininity" comes entirely from physical traits he has no control over, but they visually register as strongly enough to forcefully shift the understanding of who he is as a person ic and as a character ooc. its jarring and further serves to indicate his strangeness and existence outside of the social order and specific alignment to the himura clan, who are, as he explains, closed off and insular. * thats a special tool to help us later

conversely, we read trumpet as effeminate, but we dont do so because we see indicators of Active Femininity so much as we compare his perceived masculinity to the characters around him and find his genteel demeanor and specific physical traits to be "lacking" . and im not gonna sit here and say we're in the wrong or inherently bigoted for using these gendered assumptions because its very intentional on both the part of the author and character to insinuate these things in this way.

and on kokus part, you see a phenomenon thats really not all that uncommon: the taking on of specific performances of perceived femininity in order to appear less imposing. soft pinks and purples, hearts for the logo, the lower lashes, intentional passivity… he needs people to trust him as an ideological leader, and while going for a hardline masculine type of charisma COULD work, this one brings an element of class alongside it. he poses no threat to other men, and hes given more leeway by women because hes able to act within the code of mannerisms womens spaces ask for, and it adds an element of novelty that makes him stand out. the cismasculine fascination with femininity abhors it but at the same time cannot help but admire the integration of femininity into masculinity especially from the higher class. like geten, it moves trumpet into a very specific social sphere, but one of privilege. and this privilege isnt BECAUSE he performs femininity-- its because koku also performs masculinity in a way that reassures the public that femininity is not a core tenant of his identity, its not part of his ideology-- he is the rational, logical Man, he is the respectable man, he wears well cut suits and keeps his hair appropriately styled, he sports facial hair, he never acts in a way that is not masculine, just not aggressively so. the femininity is some flavoring. an artistic garnish.

and whats interesting is we get a chicken and the egg situation here where its like, do we assume kokus behavior is effeminate because of how he looks or do we presume hes effeminate because of how he acts? koku is frequently put in a more "womanly" role compared to redestro, and we use more feminine terms to refer to him-- but at the same time, we do so in a way that correlates it with physical weakness, more concern over decorum, nagging, etc. his appearance has become associated with "womanly" behaviors, even though koku doesnt really have a feminine identity. or, is it that we read more femininity out of his design than is actually there, simply because he acts in a way that we automatically associate with a lack of masculinity, especially in comparison to his peers. its almost the opposite of the geten issue, where our notions around his behavior influence how we view his appearance instead of his appearance influencing our notions about his behavior

and if you want to approach it from an ic perspective its like, okay, well, does koku utilize femininity because he knows his behaviors will be read that way? does he behave the way he does because he knows itll indicate a lack of hyperaggressive masculinity? at what point does it cease to be a very careful balancing act of Intended Messages and where does it become an aspect of a deep rooted personal identity? and like i mentioned before with trumpet being able to exercise acts of perceived femininity as a part of an expression of class you see this the same way with the himuras, except it isnt an act so much as we are meant to implicitly understand that the reason the himura men can be so waifish and beautiful is because of their class and wealth, because they have not had to be laborers and have become so separate from the rest of the world theyve essentially created the "himura look" based on that specific lifestyle and a desire to be seen as upper class, an intentional cultivation of genetics and mannerisms that in and of itself serves to indicate aristocracy and inherent superiority, as opposed to something like the individual act of wearing certain things or styling your hair a certain way. Their obsession with blood purity speaks for itself.

the association of beauty with morality is millennia old there is a societal directive that assumes a direct connection. the wealthy, intellectuals, politicians, artists, etc all have a vested interest in maintaining that kind of reputation because of the nature of their work. Koku needs that-- Geten does not, hence Geten's typical gear.

geten with his hood up and in a large coat obscures most immediate visually gendered traits, and he tends to be a lot more quiet with his colleagues than he is once his coat is gone. while compress does call him "iceman", likely using his voice as a point of reference, we all remember the geten gender controversy. the presentation itself is ambiguous because geten himself is meant to exist outside of the social sphere, specializing in covert missions and a powerful combatant. hes removing his personally identifiable traits in order to impress upon those he interacts with a sense of unfamiliarity and inhumanity and to intimidate them (which i think is further demonstrated by the fact the dude is moving like a critter he pounces on dabi, hunched over, face obscured). Geten's not performing masculinity here so much as he is "not performing femininity", combined with a level of aggression and ideology that we read as masculine because of social gender roles.

Not only that, but the removal of those personally identifiable traits, so closely associated with his family, continues the theme of his name, "apocrypha", texts of unknown origin. he has obfuscated any sign of where he came from and what lineage he carries.

geten removes his hood during the skirmish with the heroes because it is no longer advantageous to have that kind of presentation and instead he needs to take on a more active, aggressive, leading role that gives his troops a Person to look up to and gives his enemies a clear view of his body language and posturing

his more naturally androgynous appearance isnt really presentation because he has no real choice in it like hes not choosing to look that way. but he does read as feminine to others, enough so that we had years of people still fucking debating whether or not a guy could have those eyelashes. it is almost a necessity to remove those traits in order to cultivate the imposing air that a villain like geten is supposed to have

conversely, we only ever see geten without the coat when hes in detainment and explaining his connections to the himuras, and his appearance is very much intended to make him look a lot more like rei to emphasize that connection. his behavior is ALSO very different, expressing much more sentimental ideas and smiling as he speaks to mr compress and asks what kind of gossip he has to tide them over till the war is done. His behavior is drastically different than his usual aloofness or battle-hungry behavior: he almost sounds GENTLE, reminiscing about how he wonders if people's hearts will change. Geten isn't serving as a villain there, and so the viewer is encouraged to see him at his most "human": but more than that, geten's soft features, intentionally resembling a character the viewers have been called to sympathize with from the start, push it to an almost cartoonish extent that tempers out what we've seen of his behavior prior and prevents the viewer from feeling like its dissonant with his character.

[bl3ssed-cursxd]

Did You Ever See Me As Your Brother?

Blind TVN, Blind 2022, Blind Kdrama, Oneshot

Ryu Sung Joon & Ryu Sung Hoon

notes: posted on ao3 as well. this show literally destroyed me anyways here's the oneshot i claimed id post like uh 6+ months ago ?? idek anymore. they may be slightly OOC but oh well 🤡

Word count: 711

"Father, you are under arrest for attempted murder," Ryu Sung Joon said as he put the handcuffs on his own father. "You have the right to remain silent, you have a right to an attorney..."

Rain poured upon the three, including Ryu Sung Hoon who was still on the ground. After making sure his father was cuffed properly, Sung Joon got up and went over to his brother. He felt so betrayed and furious—Sung Hoon was working with Yoon Jae the entire time?

"Are you happy now?" Sung Joon scoffed. "It turned out the way you wanted to."

Silence. Spare for the rain hitting the ground. It was too loud.

Sung Joon balled his fists, hands trembling.

"Are you happy now?!" he shouted, hating the silence. For once, his brother had nothing to say. Well, how could one possibly excuse lying to him for so many years?

In a fit of rage, he went and pulled Sung Hoon up by the front of his shirt. He braced himself for the one final question he had.

The question he was scared to ask. Or rather, the answer he was terrified to hear.

"Did you-" Sung Joon took deep breaths, the adrenaline of forcing the gun out of his father's hands from earlier wearing off. "Ever, just once ," his voice took on a pleading tone, "think of me as your brother?"

Sung Hoon finally snapped. "What do you take me for?"

"ANSWER ME!" Sung Joon shook him. Perhaps he was being selfish, there were more pressing matters to get to, like taking his father and brother to the station, but he had to know.

Did Sung Hoon really hate him? Has he ever truly cared about him?

"You thought I didn't because Yoon Jae told you, don't you?" Sung Hoon asked simply. Sung Joon wanted to pull out his hair in frustration.

"You came from Hope Welfare Center."

"Scary men there would hurt you."

"Don't tell our parents or they'll send you back there."

The necklace.

"I gave you that necklace because I think of you as my real brother."

"You're still pathetic, though," with a hint of a smile.

"You said you gave that necklace to me because you considered me as your real brother!" Sung Joon screamed, voice breaking. He pushed Sung Hoon away and made him fall right back on the ground. "Why did you lie? Why did you make me get my hopes up?"

"Ryu Sung Joon!" Sung Hoon shouted, wincing and bringing a hand to the wound on his side. "Stop speaking nonsense, I didn't lie. Why are you being like this?"

"If you meant it, why did you lie and make me believe I was adopted? That I was Yoon Jae?" Sung Joon couldn't help it, his eyes watered. The tears threatened to spill. He shook his head vigorously. No need to make himself look more pathetic.

He was already practically begging his brother to love him—like a child.

"I… I projected my… experiences onto you," Sung Hoon admitted. "I’m… You didn't deserve that. I understand if you never forgive me. I’m… I’m sorry,” he swallowed.

Sung Joon stared at him, feeling hyper aware of the sounds of the ocean waves behind them. The sounds of the waves, almost calming if it weren't for the situation at hand. The pitter patter of the rain, how his clothes stuck to his body. He felt sick. Sick to his stomach.

His brother disgusted him, but at the same time, he apologized. Sung Hoon never apologized. Granted, perfect Ryu Sung Hoon never had a reason to. Their parents adored him, Sung Hoon was never the one recklessly getting into fights and trouble.

Why would he have apologized before?

“You… you tricked me,” Sung Joon whispered, voice breaking. “Why did you have to lie?”

“How much do you… recall? Those memories… Yoon Jae w-” Sung Hoon began, but the second Yoon Jae’s name came out of his mouth, Sung Joon snapped.

"It's always Yoon Jae!" Sung Joon let out an unamused huff of laughter. "Yoon Jae this, Yoon Jae that! Has it always been about Yoon Jae? Your real brother?”

"At some point in time," Sung Hoon exhaled, pushing himself off the ground. “It stopped being about Yoon Jae.”

HAHA THE END MY MOTIVATION ENDED THERE

might make pt 2?? but last time i said that it never happened so honestly imma just say Inshallaah 🤠

[noahsbookhoard]

📚March 2024 Book Review (Part 2/2)📚

Last post for March and there is only good and really really good books here!

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare famous telling of Julius Caesar's last days, the conspiration against him and the aftermath of his assassination.

In honor of the Ides of March I finally read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. It's always fun reading a new Shakespeare play as someone who didn't grew up in an Anglo-Saxon culture: every time you fall on one quote and get to say "oh, THAT'S where the idiom comes from!". The fault in our stars, e tu brute... I didn't know they were Shakespeare's before (growing up I've always heard Caesar's last words being "Tu quoque fili" (you as well my son) and that's apparently from a 18th century biography)

Overall it's a good play although it's not my favourite. I especially love Mark Anthony's funeral speech (it is well know for a good reason). Plays are always best appreciated live so if anyone knows a good scene or film adaptation I'd love to see it!

Veiller sur elle by Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Mimo (short for Michelangelo) is a poor yet extremely talented sculptor, Viola is the clever and adventurous daughter of the rich Orsini family. These two that nothing destined to meet will quickly become the closest friends, but this friendship is put to test with the rise of Mussolini.

Mandatory French literature read and second book of my adventures in Goncourt land! This one is a total succes and I'm glad I finally picked it up after glaring at the red "Prix Goncourt 2023" dustsleeve as if it might bite. I was also hesitant because of the period: WWII and fascism can be very interesting themes to explore in a novel but I read one too many where it was token-ish and just a convenient setting. Nevertheless I read very few book about Italy under Mussolini so I gave it a go.

From page one the style took my breath away. It's funny (he describes coming back to Italy as "Welcoming it with open arms" before clarifying that he tripped getting off the train and fell flat, face first on the platform, the image stuck with me) and it's tender, it's hard sometimes but Mimo's life is and it doesn't sugarcoat it.

This is the story of two souls that were meant to met but found each other and never let go. Mimo and Viola can lose contact for years and meet back again as if the saw each other yesterday. There's nothing they can't forgive the other, no matter how terrible. And they will do and say some truly awful things to each other because they are trying to adjust to a world that grows faster and madder every day. But in the end the two friends will always be there for each other, looking after ("veiller sur" in french) each other. It felt like reading about my best friend and me sometimes, it was touching. I appreciated that it never ever was even a mention of romantic feelings between Mimo and Viola, to me it made all the tenderness and softness between them even more endearing that there was no ambiguity in it.

The story is told in alternate between Mimo as an old man dying in a monastery and Mimo as a child then a young man, both are in Mimo's point of view. There is a mystery of sort, too: when the sculptor moved in the monastery he asked specifically to be near her. And this feminine figure is shrouded in secrecy, no one can see her, only the abbot has the key, because she is said to turn people mad. As the story unfolds there are more hints but never any physical description, up until the very end and a really good twist that pulls together the past and present memories of Mimo. I felt like I should have seen it coming. I might have cried a bit too.

A huge book crush, I am currently lobbying at home to have my sister and mother read it. And I hope it gets translated because I want so hard people to enjoy that book as much as I did.

All System Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

The diary of a Security Unit Cyborg who overrode its programming and preferes watching soap operas to working. However the scientifc expedition it is assigned to is attacked Murderbot, as it calls itself, will have to involve itself more than it wishes to.

Another serie I started because Tumblr was gushing over it. Also I wanted to get into SciFi which isn't a genre I read much of as a kid. I like my alien and spaceship on TV so there were no reason I wouldn't enjoy it on paper!

In this future projects are handed to the lowest bidder and lowering security is a good way of driving cost down. I could definitely picture it, that's basically how they handle infrastructure and equipment repair at my job! The future is beautiful...

Murderbot is really relatable. I too would love to slack off at work watching series and just checking that things are not going to hell (more than usual) once in a while. It has an interesting balance between the disinterested SecUnit with professional detachment but and the Cyborg who unlocked the emotions its programming had locked down. The awkwardness of the relationship with the human crew was really funny.

I was expecting a full length novel not a novella (my fault entirely for doing my research) so the plot felt very quick. I'll be adjusting my expectations for book 2.

I enjoyed it, it has some really cool character, good world building. I think I missed what everybody found so brilliant about it, and that's definitely on me since this book and several others in the saga where finalist or won the Hugo and Nebula. I'll probably read the next book, as of the time of writing this post it is on the TBR.

The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fischer by E M Anderson

83 year old Edna Fischer is as surprised as anybody when a wizard comes to her nursing home with an announcement: Edna is the Chosen One, the woman who will save the Kights from the dangerous Sorcerer who rages for months in the land. Armed with her knitting needle and her cane, she will have to face this fight and maybe find it is not so black and white as she thought.

I was drawn to this book for this prompt alone: the Chosen One is not another teenager, it is an old woman in flowery dress and knitted cardigan. This was nothing I had ever read, although there is among the cast of character ye old smart mouth 17 year old. I was also surprised to find it was more of an urban fantasy that the traditional medieval setting but if your hero is an octogenarian you might as well have her fight dragons in a city!

I really liked all the little twists on the genre's cliché: those I had as a reader (the Sword of Destiny, the Big Final Fight...) and those other characters had that helped the main cast (or sometimes caused them more trouble).

Edna was believable as an old woman, healthy but with the difficulty of old age. She is kind, patient, compationate. I would have wanted her as a grandma. Yet she is also determined and won't let people walk on her toes. There is some good ideas to circumvent those mobility issue (Edna would NOT have been able to trek and sleep in camps) that makes also for some very nice companions and side quests.

Some elements were somewhat predictable but still deeply enjoyable. I especially liked that there was some chapter with the Sorcerer's point of view, which isn't usual in this type of novel. It really sets everything up for the ending (i won't say more than that.)

In conclusion a really good read, a nice twist on a genre and the chance to picture YOUR granny fighting a dragon (there is a physical description of Edna but I couldn't help imagining my own grandmother). I think the author is on tumblr? At least that's where I first heard of thos book. If I can find the url I'll add it here.

[soemthingsparkly]

hey i just checked out your tumblr from the new devotion and devastation chapter! i reblogged the post and would love a lil ficlet if you have time rn

id be happy with whatever, but perhaps something about pearl's relationship with gem or jimmy? tysm!

Right!

Finally, after many a week, I've finally managed to write something for you :D

You asked for Pearl's relationship with Gem or Jimmy, but I'm not quite ready to let Pearl out of the bounds of the main plot yet (you'll see why in the future), so instead I give you Jimmy and some mushrooms.

----

Note: this takes place within the two weeks between Jimmy arriving at the Moon Kingdom and when he finally visit Pearl in his chamber.

---

Jimmy is an idiot.

Jimmy Solidarity, prince of The Coal Kingdom, current royalty in residence and potential future ruler of The Moon Kingdom, is a big ol' dummy.

This is what they would write on his gravestone, he thinks, if they were to ever uncover his body from where it rots in this god forsaken marshland.

Yes, Jimmy is lost in the marshes of the Moon Kingdom.

How exactly had he gotten here you ask?

Ah yes, well that would be thanks to the very daring and cowardly escape he'd made earlier that afternoon, after he'd noticed Scott talking to one of the many knights who had accompanied the onslaught of visiting princes.

But it hadn't just been talking though, had it? It had been talking and talking meant lingering looks and wondering eyes and fluttering lashes and breathy laughs and, oh yeah, he can just imagine where the two of them are now.

Scott's arms are wrapped tightly around the neck of the Knight, who has now shed his rigid armour so that he really enjoy the feeling of Scott's lithe fingers tracing the hollow depths of his collarbones, as he–

He grabs at his hair, trying to eject the images from his head.

No, no, no, it was just talking, it wasn't talking and just because Scott was flirting with someone doesn't mean he's going to-

"Will you just shut up!?" he shouts into the empty marshaland.

"Well, you'll have to forgive me, I hadn't realised I'd been speaking."

Jimmy's eyes snap open. He looks up.

There, above him – when had he crouched down? – stands a rather tall man with sharp ears and scars littering his face. A small woven basket hangs from the crook of his arm and there's a notebook tucked under the other. After a moment, he tilts his head, and then, all of sudden, gasps with recognition and drops urgently in front of Jimmy.

Jimmy begins to wave his hands in dismissal, "No, no, it's alright, you don't have to–"

But the man shushes him with a sharp "Shh!" against his finger, brows furrowed deeply.

Once he's satisfied with Jimmy's silence, the man lowers his finger and points down at Jimmy's feet.

"What are you–"

A finger is pressed roughly against Jimmy's lips. Jimmy blinks and the the scarred man nods to the ground again.

Jimmy finally does as he's instructed and looks down at the mud between his feet.

There, just between the inner souls of the his boots, is a mushroom. It's a bright, saturated thing in the murky brown of the bog it had sprouted from.

It hadn't been there before - or if it had, it hadn't caught his attention.

The pair of men are silent for a long while as they stare at the white and purple fungus beneath h. It seems to be growing right in front of their eyes - shifting, as if to get to the light beyond Jimmy.

Except when Jimmy steps backwards, shifting his body weight out of the direct sunlight, the head of the fungus follows him, shifting and pulsing as if sniffing for the scent of him.

"What–?" but at the sound of his voice, the mushroom shrinks and the scarred man gestures for Jimmy to lower his voice.

"What is it?" Jimmy attempts to ask again, this time at a much lower volume.

The scarred man looks positively gleeful, as his head rests in his hands, content to just observe for as long as he can.

Eventually he says, "It's a Vis Innixi Fungus."

Jimmy watches the mushroom as it seeks him out. He reaches a hand forward and lets the small, bulbous flora bump against his fingers. Once it finds him, it brushes it's cap against his skin and Jimmy quirks a smile.

Whatever this little creature is, it seems fond of him. It can't seem to get enough of his hands. He thinks of the stray cat he'd once brought into the castle when he was fourteen. It had spent at least half an hour scenting everything in the room, including himself, before it settled into a circle at the end of his bed.

He feels calm, watching the fungus bob and weave between his fingers and he even starts to forget about his earlier perils... He feels so soothed...

Which is the very moment the scarred man tears the mushroom from the earth, "Yoink!" and deposits it into his basket.

Jimmy is left staring at the spot the mushroom had just been moments before. Now it lays still and corpse-like in the man's basket.

"What... What did you do that for!?" Jimmy demands, pushing himself up to his full height again. The scarred man has a few inches on him and looks curiously down at the prince.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I...?" Jimmy can feel anger and betrayal spiking at the back of his neck. "You killed it!

"Well, I suppose if you want to look at that way, yes?" the man replies, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"It was friendly and you killed it!"

Now the man laughs. He actually laughs in Jimmy's face, as if he hadn't just committed a henious act against a living organism.

Jimmy's fists tighten at his side and he can feel the strain in his knuckles, the white tension in his skin.

"Trust me," the scarred man says, wiping his eyes. "That thing was not being friendly."

That? That took the fight out of him.

His shoulders fall, fists losing their grip.

"What?"

"Oh heavens, no. No, this is a vis innixi mushroom. They feed on the stress hormone. It was feeding on you."

Jimmy blinks. He looks down at his hand. Now that the man had given him a word for what had been happening, Jimmy realises he can feel a very low-level tingling sensation in the parts of his hand where the mushroom had rubbed against him.

Where it had seemed like a real living animal giving him an affectionate headbutt for attention.

Wow, he really is an idiot.

"Oh, don't be so sad," the scarred man says airily. "These things don't just eat the hormone, they produce a numbing agent. I imagine you were feeling quite content just now, but that's all the work of the numbing agent."

The man is much too chipper for Jimmy's despairing mood. "Yeah, makes sense," he says, dully.

The man goes on, "Oh yes, these are very common where I'm from." He reaches into the basket and strokes the cap of the fungus lightly. "What a surprise to find one of these little fellas all the way out here like this?"

Jimmy hums in response. "Yeah, weird."

"Yes, yes, you must've been feeling quite distressed indeed to have brought it from the ground like that... It must have sensed you from below the earth."

Jimmy is glad he could be such a profitable resource for the man-eating fungus and mumbles something along those lines outloud.

The man seems to finally notice his mood and claps a hand on his shoulder. "Ah, don't be so glum," he says and Jimmy looks up at him.

He mumbles an apology and sees the man's face compress in sympathy. He tries for a smile, but feels pathetic.

"If it's any consolation, you've very much made my day," the man tells him. "It was quite the nostalgia trip."

That almost makes Jimmy feel better - almost. The smile he gives is more genuine this time.

The man throws a look over his shoulder and then back again. He purses his lips and gives Jimmy a once over.

"Tell you what," he says, taking the notebook from under his arm and dropping it on top of the mushrooms he'd forraged. He covers the basket with a small cloth and holds out a hand to the prince. "Why don't you accompany me back to the castle and I'll make us some tea? I owe you that at the very least."

Jimmy takes a breath. "No, it's alright. You don't owe me anything. It's not like you're the one who stressed me out."

The man's lips twitch and he rubs at the back of his neck. "Well, I suppose not, but I did let it feed on you until it was an adequate harvesting size."

Jimmy snaps out if his haze of misery and frowns. "Wait, what?"

"Oh, well, you see, the Vis Innixi is only a useful ingredient once its of a certain size, so..."

Jimmy stares at the man for moment, before he cracks up. He has to hold onto the man's arm to keep himself upright as he laughs so hard he feels the sudden, unexpected mirth shake something loose in his core.

The man is chuckling now, if uncertainly and that only amuses Jimmy more.

"Okay, well, I'm glad to see you're not harbouring any negative feelings about this..." the man says and Jimmy finally pulls himself back together.

He catches his breath and wipes his eyes.

"So," the man says, "Tea?"

"Yeah," Jimmy agrees. "Yeah, alright. I think I'll take that."

And he lets the scarred man lead the way.

"I'm prince Jimmy by the way, from Coal."

"Oh, I know who you are," says the scarred man.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"No, no, it's quite alright."

"And what's your name?"

"I'm Scar. I'm the high wizard of the Moon Kingdom."

"Oh. For real?"

"Indeed!"

Jimmy smiles, feeling foolish. "Sorry, I had no idea."

Scar chuckles softly as they head back to the castle. "Not at all, you seem like you have more pressing things on your mind."

"You could say that, yeah."

"Over tea?" Scar offers and Jimmy finally feels a real sense of calm and companionship for the first time since he arrived in the kingdom.

"Yeah. That actually sounds pretty good."

---

I hope you enjoyed! It wasn't quite what you asked for, but it was a lot of fun to write, so I hope it was good anyway :)

Thank you so much for reblogging my post and sending an ask!! it means a lot!!

<3

[thornswoggled]

on chises family, "a storm brewing in the east," and future arcs

hello im back from two years of not posting on this sideblog to spitball a theory thats been burning a hole in my brain since i caught up with the manga. all loose speculation, id be extremely interested to hear thoughts on this

now that fumiki is back in the picture, id like to theorize that yuuki hatori will soon follow. for the purpose of this theory im going to skip all the reasons why yori is absolutely fumiki. imo theres no point addressing all the evidence here, but id be happy to summarize if not. more attention being paid to chises life in japan, chise wondering why her father "abandoned his role," and elias expressing curiosity over the circumstances that led her to meet seth are all hints towards yuukis story coming to light

one thing TAMB does that i love is how tertiary characters are facsimiles meant to help us understand our main characters. for example, all the "toxic" pairs we see in season 1 that we are meant to compare and contrast elias and chise to, all in various ways that help us understand the ways their relationship might evolve. these minor characters may seem unimportant, but are preparing us to accept developments in the main cast. i believe there are two characters in the college arc that are prepping us for yuuki hatoris story - seth noel and adam sargent

lets first address fumiki, who ill just call yori. yori seems to have mastery over his eyes, which "have the power to bind [fae]" according to gabriella. this is a power both he and yuuki have, which protects chise and chika for a time. however, chika implies in chapter 19 that he didnt always have this ability, or perhaps didnt have the sight at all until he became involved with her. which is strange, considering yori has a "family business" important enough to require he study abroad to train for:

lets run with the idea that yuuki started off with weak or nonexistent powers. have any other men in this series been booted from their families because they lacked the skill?

its possible that this "family business" (assuming yuuki didnt found it himself, and that yori doesnt just mean the church, which i dont think he does because he seems specialized in exorcism) eventually learned that yuuki acquired his binding powers, as well as a child with the same ability. again, are there are other men who are forcibly dragged back into their family, to the detriment of their young daughters?

theres a few reasons why i think such care and time was put into the backstory of philomelas family. chise has done much of the character growth thats possible for her at this time, and attempts to "fix" philomela as a way of fixing herself. she projects on her, and for good reason too, since we are meant to compare them almost 1:1. i believe that the amount of time sunk into adam sargents story is meant to warm us up to understanding yuukis situation, regardless of whether we are meant to forgive him for his abandonment. seths story, too, introduces us to the idea of magical families booting their unworthy kin. which leads us to:

going back to the screencap for the beginning, lets give yuuki the benefit of the doubt and assume hes being truthful when he promises hell be back for the girls one day. this phrasing is really interesting, and i feel like it implies yuuki knows the place hes going is too dangerous for them. assuming hes returning to his family, or to some sort of organization (which i say because yori is part of the conclave/church), perhaps hes afraid that theyll be taken advantage of. or... maybe he was just lying! there is very little we understand about the church, so there are all manner of reasons why yuuki and yori may have ended up involved with them

so, great, okay. fumiki is here, and yuuki may be coming soon. under what context might he show his face? i have some ideas, but this soon into the arc everything is too subject to change. im also not convinced any of this will be addressed in the fiendbane arc. after all, yori was first introduced at the beginning of the college arc, and is only now becoming relevant. so all of this may only be laying the groundwork for yuuki to return in another arc, if not this one, which appears to have a lot cooking already with the dragon, the new mage, etc. but then again, we get oberons little prophecy:

i think we all understand this is japan, right. like, it has to be. it doesnt seem that oberons phrasing in the JP text matches what the great wall of china is called in japanese, but i dont think we are meant to interpret it any other way. what else could it mean, hadrians wall? cmon

all of this focus on chises family, past, and meeting with seth are perhaps warming us up to these people and places becoming relevant when the storm breaks. and i believe yori and yuuki will be the ones to involve chise in it all. now, at this point its clear yori doesnt know who chise is, and is just as likely to not know he had a sister at all. but i think this guy knows:

now... i double checked, and im almost certain this is not seths bodyguard. they have similar hair and fashion, but seths bodyguard parts his hair to the side. its been so long since yuuki has appeared in the manga that its impossible to know for sure if this is him, and im not confident at all that he is. they share some qualities for sure, but that doesnt mean much in this medium. he certainly has yoris swooping hair, at least, so if hes not yuuki he might still be related to him. in the same family business, perhaps? all we know is that hes been here before, and may have been keeping tabs on them in the same way the church does

the use of "wrest" in the above panel is notable here. to wrest is to forcibly take something, and what kind of "blessing" would they want to seize from elias' possession? maybe a useful slay vega that yuuki failed to disclose? if, IF this is yuuki, his demeanor has changed much over the years, and perhaps he is more willing to put chise to use now that he knows where she is. its possible yuuki is making good on his promise, and really is coming back for his daughter like he said he would. we have, after all, seen in chapter 99 how liam and isaac are both unwilling to return to their homes, and the sudden development of philomela being taken in by the scrimgeours. again, philomela is meant to be a near 1:1 chise dupe, so its compelling that we are just now seeing her spirited away to join another family without warning. again, developments among secondary characters prep us for developments among the main cast

again, too soon to tell, and the next chapter is coming soon, so theres a chance this will all immediately blow up in my face. however, we have already seen chise get scouted by another mage, and elias considers how frightened he is that chise will desire something "he cant provide." so how catastrophic would it be if she was also compelled to rejoin her family, searching for answers and closure in a way elias cannot understand? personally id love to see it, though itll be a long way off

do you think yuuki is coming back? do you think yori is a red herring? let me know. ill leave you with this