#but never in the way that would be obvious or literal

[yandere-wishes]

Can't get this thought out of my head!! It's been driving me crazy all night~🌸

Sorry this is so utterly random, but I can't stop thinking about how similar Poison Ivy is to Venus Mcflytrap!! Like yeah I know it's so obvious but it's never occurred to me before.

So I propose this...

Reader who has powers like Venus: Plant mimicry, Chlorokinesis, and has the mind control pollen (guess that makes her like Ivy too).

Reader who has vines growing on her arms and legs that have thorns and roses, reader who just wants to be like her mentor/adopted mother and save the planet from the horrendous humans running it, reader whose hero name is either Flytrap or Blood-Rose (or maybe Ivy has two side kicks who knows)

Now imagine a batboy, I'm thinking either Tim or Jason fall in love with her.

If it's Jason then the reader obviously has a more punk aesthetic, her words and actions are harsh but her heart is made of pure gold. She loudly protests on the streets, vandalizes anything that she deems a hazard to the earth, and isn't afraid of throwing punches when face to face with the defilers of the earth (literally anyone, I'm thinking she would start fights for stepping on flowers, breaking tree branches, mistreating animals even, oh and def littering.) and this is all as a civilian. As a rouge she's unhinged, she lacks her mentor's grace, she goes in monster veins swinging. Ready to break skulls. Maybe she really is more monstrous compared to Ivy who uses seduction as her greatest assist. Reader instead has venus flytraps sprouting from her shoulders/back that she uses as weapons. Her veins and flytraps have given Jason more broken bones than he'd like to admit. Yet somehow he's always sad when the cartilage heels, almost as if it's scrubbing off all traces of her.

If it's Tim then reader is more of a mad scientist, she's always locked up in her room. Coming up with new plants that she finds stunning, and everyone else finds utterly terrifying!! She makes her mother proud by making new planets capable of taking back the earth and planting them where they can do the most harm. Her creations have literally wrecked skyscrapers. I'm thinking she would have roses and thorns sprouting from all over her body. Definitely a bit insecure. Since she's always hidden away. When Tim is tasked with hunting down whoever is behind the new

killer plant attacks. He tracks her to Ivy's hideout. Que a "meet cute" where Tim is trying to bring her to justice and reader is trying to kill him. But she's not good at fighting, she does however end up drawing blood with her thorns!! When it's over Tim has destroyed her lab and new creations and finally gone home. He finds he can't get her out of his head! He thinks it's the pollen, maybe because of her pricking him...but turns out he's really falling in love.

The third option is my favorite trope that I've never really written about (it's coming up in the Catfam series too) but Yandere! Bruce Wayne/Batman falling in love with his rogue's sidekick. Under the pretense of "saving them". He'd end up kidnapping her locking her away in the manner. Ultimate princess treatment only catch is she's tied up and He's found a way to shut off her powers!! 💞💋💞💋💞 utterly obsessed with unhinged Bruce!! Trying to play hero but also so psychotically in love!!

Now because I'm me I have to add in a fourth option of Harvey Dent. I remember shipping him and Ivy as a kid (yes my perspective of love was screwed up even then) So maybe Ivy's little helper developed a crush on Big Bad Harv, one the Harvey wants to use to get back at Ivy with. But her puppy dog crush is so endearing that both sides of him start to get addicted!! She finds him so so beautiful, adores both sides of him. She even decorates his half and half apartment with flowers. Cuter brighter flowers on Harvey's side (sunflowers, orange blossom, sakura) and darker "creepier" things for Harv (Flyraps, black dahlia, thorn veins).

Should I just throw in one for Damian too? Like, remember that one comic where Ivy creates planet children? Maybe she does that and Reader is born. Obviously, she has accelerated growth and the same values and obsessions as her "mother". She's created her to be the ultimate savior to carry on her legacy and succeed. There is so much of her Damian can relate to, so much about her that pricks at his heart when he sees her blooming under the sun. 🥺💋🥺💋. Ivy would totally call her "my sapling" or "my little bloom". Damian hears the nicknames and repeats them much to the reader's surprise and disgust.

Is this anything??

[gothicxreylover]

Hi!! I don't know if my request sounds weird, but can you do some slightly suggestive or fluff scenarios of the uppermoons with an extremely quiet and shy darling? Like, they love them back, but are just too shy and bashful to be in the same room with them because their darling has never really felt as much love as they give them? And maybe add in their darling had a rare human condition like Vitiligo or Heterochromia and how they demons react to it?

Sorry about uploading your request late I hope you enjoy!

Kokushibo (Upper Moon One)

Kokushibo was never one to pry, but he noticed how you always avoided him despite your affections being painfully obvious.

He could hear the way your heart raced whenever he was near, see the way your eyes darted away when he so much as glanced in your direction. But the moment he moved toward you?

You would flee.

Tonight was no different. You were sitting quietly in a dimly lit room when he entered, and the second you realized he was there, your entire body tensed like a deer caught in a trap. Your hands clenched the fabric of your sleeves as your heterochromatic eyes flickered toward him—one a deep shade, the other an ethereal, striking hue.

Kokushibo exhaled slowly, his six eyes watching your every movement. “Why do you tremble before me?”

You swallowed hard, gripping your kimono even tighter. Because you make my heart feel things I don’t know how to handle, you wanted to say. But the words wouldn’t come.

His gaze softened, and without another word, he was suddenly kneeling before you. His clawed fingers reached forward, barely grazing the edge of your sleeve.

“Do not fear me.” His voice was quieter this time, low and deep, vibrating through your very bones. “I have no intention of harming you.”

His hand shifted, cupping your cheek. His thumb traced over your vitiligo-marked skin, his expression unreadable. “Your beauty is rare,” he murmured. “Much like you yourself.”

Your breath hitched, and before you could stop yourself, you buried your face into his shoulder, too overwhelmed to even look at him.

Kokushibo let out a low, knowing chuckle. “Ah… I see.”

For once, he allowed himself to indulge, his arms slowly wrapping around you, caging you in a warmth that sent a shiver down your spine.

“You will have to grow accustomed to my presence,” he whispered against your ear. “For I have no intention of letting you go.”

Doma (Upper Moon Two)

Doma found your shyness adorable.

The way you would become so flustered in his presence, how you would stammer and look away whenever he got too close—he lived for it.

“Aw, my little darling, why do you look like a scared rabbit?” he cooed, resting his chin on his palm as he watched you from across the room.

You didn’t answer, instead curling further into yourself. Your hands were clenched into small fists on your lap, your entire body screaming nervousness.

Doma sighed dramatically before suddenly closing the distance between you in a blur.

You barely had time to react before he was leaning in, his breath ghosting over your ear. “Come now, pretty thing. How can you love me if you can’t even look at me?”

Your heart slammed against your ribs. He was too close.

Doma hummed, his fingers dancing along the patchwork of vitiligo on your skin. “This is rather charming, you know. A rare, delicate pattern… suiting for someone as special as you.”

You squeezed your eyes shut, refusing to meet his gaze.

He chuckled. “So shy~! I could just eat you up.” He paused, then grinned. “Figuratively, of course. Unless… you’d like me to be literal?”

The way you whimpered had him laughing, pulling you into a tight embrace before you could bolt.

“I was joking, my sweet,” he purred, pressing a playful kiss against your temple. “But do stay close, won’t you? I do love watching you squirm.”

Akaza (Upper Moon Three)

Akaza didn’t understand your behavior at first.

He knew you loved him. He could hear it in your heartbeat, smell it in your nervous sweat. But every time he tried to spend time with you, you would shrink away, barely able to handle his presence.

It frustrated him. Not in an angry way—no, more in a desperate way.

So tonight, when you tried to escape his company once again, he finally reached out and grabbed your wrist.

“Enough.” His voice was firm, but not unkind.

You froze, eyes wide as you dared to look up at him.

His grip was gentle, but unyielding. “Why do you run?”

You swallowed hard, your free hand trembling. “I… I just…”

Akaza’s cerulean eyes softened. With deliberate slowness, he lifted your hand and pressed it against his chest—right over where his heart should be.

“Feel that?” he murmured.

You did. Or rather, you didn’t—there was no heartbeat, just an empty, unnatural stillness.

“I don’t have a heart,” he whispered. “But when I’m with you… I swear, it feels like I do.”

Tears pricked at your eyes, and before you could stop yourself, you leaned into him, hiding your burning face against his chest.

Akaza stiffened for half a second before his entire body relaxed, his arms slowly wrapping around you in return.

A rare smile graced his lips. “There we go… no more running.”

Hantengu & His Clones (Upper Moon Four)

Hantengu’s clones all had vastly different ways of reacting to your overwhelming shyness. Each one had their own way of handling you, and none of them were particularly subtle about their affections.

Sekido (Anger)

Sekido had no patience for your avoidance. He wasn’t angry at you—no, he was angry at himself for not knowing how to handle you properly.

Every time he entered the room, you would flinch, avoid eye contact, or look ready to disappear into thin air. It frustrated him to no end.

One evening, he had enough.

“Stay,” he ordered, blocking the doorway before you could slip out.

You tensed. “I-I just need some fresh air…”

“Lie.” His crimson eyes narrowed. “You always run.”

You swallowed hard, gripping the edges of your kimono.

Sekido exhaled sharply, his hand suddenly grasping your chin—not roughly, but firmly enough to make you meet his gaze.

“Look at me.” His voice dropped to a near-growl. “You fear nothing. No one can harm you. Not while I exist.”

Your heart raced. The way he stared at you, as if claiming you, sent shivers down your spine.

Then, in an unexpected moment of gentleness, he brushed his thumb over your vitiligo-marked skin, his frown softening.

“You are not allowed to hide from me.”

You swore he looked almost flustered himself when you buried your face against his chest in response.

Karaku (Pleasure)

Karaku found your shyness deliciously entertaining.

“My, my~ You really are a delicate little thing, aren’t you?” He chuckled, watching as you practically shrank the moment he leaned in.

You turned away, your face burning. He was too much.

Karaku tilted his head, an amused smirk tugging at his lips. Then, without warning, he slid behind you, arms snaking around your waist, pulling you back against his chest.

You gasped, squirming in embarrassment. “K-Karaku—!”

He hushed you, his breath tickling your ear. “Shhh… you’re always so nervous. Relax, won’t you?”

One of his fingers traced absentmindedly over the unique patterns on your arm, his touch featherlight. “This is cute. Just like you.”

You shivered, too overwhelmed to respond.

Karaku loved this reaction.

He hummed, pressing a teasing kiss just below your ear. “If I kiss every inch of you, will you finally stop hiding from me?”

Aizetsu (Sorrow)

Aizetsu understood your feelings. He, too, was prone to melancholy, and your bashful nature only made him more drawn to you.

“You are too sweet,” he murmured one evening, watching as you fidgeted nervously under his gaze.

You peeked up at him but quickly looked away, your face burning.

Aizetsu sighed, resting his head against his palm. “It makes my heart ache when you avoid me…”

Guilt pricked at your chest. “I-I don’t mean to,” you whispered.

He perked up at the sound of your voice. “Then why?”

You swallowed. “I… I don’t know how to handle this much affection.”

For a moment, Aizetsu was silent. Then, gently, he reached out, his fingers ghosting over your cheek. “I don’t know how to handle it either.”

Your eyes widened.

His expression softened. “But… if it’s with you, I think I’d like to try.”

For the first time, you held his gaze—and the sheer adoration in his eyes nearly stole your breath away.

Urogi (Joy)

Urogi was the most relentless when it came to your shyness.

He thrived on making you flustered, whether it was through playful teasing or sudden displays of affection.

One night, he swooped down from nowhere, grabbing you and lifting you effortlessly into his arms.

“U-Urogi!” you squeaked, gripping onto him for dear life.

He grinned, his golden eyes alight with mischief. “Ooooh? You’re holding onto me so tightly~ How bold of you, little bird!”

You tried to push away, but he only tightened his hold. “Nope! You’re staying right here.”

His talons lightly traced patterns over your exposed skin, stopping when he reached the distinct markings of your vitiligo. His expression turned curious.

“This is beautiful,” he mused, dragging his claws along the contrast.

You shuddered, overwhelmed by his touch.

Then, he licked the side of your neck playfully, his wings flaring out. “Mmm, I should keep you forever~”

Gyokko (Upper Moon Five)

Gyokko was obsessed with beauty, so the moment he laid eyes on you, he became fixated.

Your heterochromatic eyes, your vitiligo-marked skin—it was something otherworldly, something he had never seen before.

“You are art,” he had said upon first meeting you, his voice dripping with reverence.

But your unbearable shyness only made him more impatient.

“Why must you avoid me?” he huffed, watching as you tried to keep a distance. “Do you not understand how rare you are?”

You bit your lip, fingers trembling. “I… I’m just not used to this much attention.”

Gyokko clicked his tongue, displeased. “Ridiculous. You deserve to be worshiped.”

And before you could react, he suddenly caged you in with his tentacle-like arms, pulling you way too close for comfort.

His eyes gleamed. “Shall I carve your beauty into porcelain? Preserve it for all eternity?”

You squeaked in alarm, your entire body overheating. “G-Gyokko, you can admire me without turning me into a vase—!”

He chuckled darkly. “Mm… I suppose. But I’ll settle for never letting you out of my sight.”

Gyutaro & Daki (Upper Moon Six)

Gyutaro

Gyutaro had never thought of himself as someone who could deserve love.

So when he realized you loved him—despite your overwhelming shyness—he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“You really do like me, huh?” His voice was low, almost disbelieving, as he watched you fidget.

You nodded shyly, avoiding his piercing gaze.

Gyutaro scoffed. “Then why do ya always act like you’re scared of me?”

You swallowed hard. “I-I’m not scared… I just… I’ve never felt this much love before.”

His heart twisted painfully at that.

Without warning, he reached out, yanking you into his lap, arms tightening around you possessively.

“You better get used to it,” he muttered, his lips brushing against your ear. “’Cause I ain’t ever letting you go.”

Daki

Daki was dramatic about your shyness.

She hated how you avoided her.

“Ugh! Why won’t you look at me?!” she whined, grabbing your face and forcing you to meet her eyes.

You immediately turned red, your heterochromatic gaze flickering everywhere except at her.

Daki huffed, her fingers tracing over your vitiligo with fascination. “You’re so weird,” she muttered.

You flinched. “I-I—”

“But I like weird,” she interrupted, smirking.

Then, with zero warning, she kissed your cheek, making you squeak in surprise.

Daki laughed. “Aw~! You’re so easy to tease.”

She rested her chin on your shoulder, her arms wrapping around you smugly. “I think I’ll keep you all to myself~”

[twijaxx]

OMG FEM!LOCK sooooo would it be ok if you'd write some headcanons about fem!lock characters having a crush on fem!reader? How would they realise it? How would they go about pinning for their crush, yk fluffy stuff(of course only if you want to!) Anyways I hope you'll have a wonderful day or night!!!(Pls pls pls we need more fem!Ness, I love fem!Ness sm)

OMFG I THINK IM IN HEAVEN chat i love yall. (FEMNESS LOVER NONNIE MARRY ME PLS) i hope you will like it nonnie i was having a good time writing this 😣

Fem! Isagi, Rin and Sae (separately) x Fem! reader, occ characters, fluff.

wc: 0,6

Part 2. Nagi, Kaiser and Ness.

Isagi Yoichi! :3

(i don’t have any femsagi pics..)

This woman ain’t nonchalant she made it so fucking obvious it was hard to not see.

Isagi realized when the two of you were on a night walk, the moonlight gently shined at your features, really wide smile on your face as you talked about some stupid things, she could barely understand what you were saying, just staring at your face. You swear! you saw hearts in her eyes in that moment.

As we all know Isagi ain’t nonchalant, she tried shooting her shot any occasion she had :3 (ain’t she cute?) Sadly you were too shy to ask her is she meant it in friendly way or if she really does love you, but one night Isagi decided to straight up say that she loves you.

It wasn’t anything spectacular just simple “I love you [name] i really do, and not just in a friendly way, i mean it like romantically i want to be your girlfriend! and i mean it with all my heart!!” and of course you agreed, after all you loved her too.

Rin Itoshi :<

Rin is NOTHING! like our sweetheart Isagi, she is literally the definition of nonchalant.

She tried really really hard to gaslight herself into thinking she doesn’t love you, that you two are just friends, that the butterflies in her stomach are actually a small stomach ache.

But everything changed one peaceful day when you asked her if you can come to her soccer match, she wanted to tell you that you can’t, but the way your voice sounded oh so sweet on the other side of her phone, she just couldn’t refuse.

It started off peacefully she glanced at you couple of times before the match started and nothing much, but the second she heard you scream her name a loud as u can when she scored the final goal… she realized she was so fucking hard in love with you, so hard she didn’t even notice when she started running to you right after the match ended saying “I love you, be my girlfriend” and then kissing your lips quickly but passionately at the same time.

Sae Itoshi :|

Sae is WAY more nonchalant than her sister, she is plotting inside but outside u will never know she loves you until she says it to your face.

Let’s be fr this woman ain’t broke, even before you two started dating (:3) she was buying you expensive gifts and taking you out to dinners (just in a friendly way/jk)

She was delusional too (like her sis) telling herself this dinners mean nothing, all the necklaces, rings and bracelets she got you were just to make you look prettier. But the realization hit her just like a flying brick.

When the two of you were at a fancy restaurant (again :>) you wore the most beautiful dress she ever seen, wearing all the expensive necklaces, earrings and rings she got you, the dress exposed your every curve (especially your ass) she swears her heart skipped more then one beat the moment she saw you waiting for her in front of her house to pick you up.

The dinner went like every dinner you two been to, she picked you up telling you you looked beautiful as always, eating the food you two ordered, laughing and smiling at each other, then when it was time to drop you off she realized a chance like this will never happen again so she said “Thank you for spending time with me today, you looked as beautiful as always but i have to ask you something. Will you be my girlfriend [Name]? I love you” Of course you said yes, she was the only girl that mattered to you. (you two then went to your house and got freaky ;)

Tags: @isaisliterallyhim @laiko2real <3

I fumbled isagi so hard…

[starcurtain]

A Closer Look at the Phaidei Memory

I've seen so many people talking about this scene with Phainon and Mydei and making fun of how blatantly obvious Phainon is about his... respect for Mydei's... conspicuous body, but one thing I feel like a lot of people missed (or at least I haven't seen anyone discussing) is that this memory seems to come from very early on in their acquaintance.

Looking at it closely, it's clear that the two aren't particularly familiar with each other yet in this memory sequence. For one, Phainon questions things that he should easily know if he was well-acquainted with Mydei already.

First, very comically: "Do you even bathe, bro?"

And second, Phainon questions why Mydei isn't immune to the black tide:

This suggests that, up the point of this memory, Phainon had not been in enough battles with Mydei (or at least close enough to Mydei) to see him be affected by the black tide. Apparently, this memory-Phainon-and-Mydei don't have years of rushing into battle side-by-side to defend Okhema yet.

It's also hilariously clear that the Phainon in this memory has absolutely no idea how to talk to Mydei.

Breaking this scene down, it's literally Phainon just trying really hard to strike up conversation, doing his best to try to crack the tough exterior and get Mydei to actually interact with him. He jumps around through topics rapidly--the baths, the black tide, their personal sparring--looking for anything that will catch Mydei's attention.

Meanwhile, we can tell that Mydei is not particularly familiar or comfortable with Phainon yet because his dialogue is so different from any of his other scenes in the game. Although Mydei is obviously not the game's biggest yapper, he does always have full sentences to contribute to other conversations and banters readily with Phainon whenever he's baited into it.

In this memory, he instead starts off polite but also completely aloof:

This is the exact sort of response you'd have to a vague acquaintance coming up and trying to talk to you like you're best friends. Phainon skipped at least four steps of familiarity here, and Mydei is obviously at a loss for why the conversation is even happening.

He responds by blatantly stonewalling, answering Phainon's (slightly pathetic) attempts to start an actual conversation in nothing but single word answers:

You can even see Phainon recognize how bad he's failing half way through the conversation, which prompts him to vocally declare that he's going to make a complete topic switch:

And this time, it works!

When Phainon brings up their personal duel or spar, whichever it was, finally, finally Mydei caves and engages in the conversation with him:

Which prompts Phainon to laugh (in relief? lol) and flat out crow about how he's finally cracked the code and figured out how to get Mydei to notice him:

Poor Mydei, however, did not seem to realize his slight display of interest was going to lead him into a full conversation, and he responds to Phainon's blatant invitation to keep talking with a confused:

Witness Mydei accidentally turning down Phainon's request for a date in real time.

The only thing that complicates the situation is what Phainon says late in the memory: that they've battled "all this time." However, looking at his earlier comments, this last statement may just be in a general sense, as in "two Chrysos Heirs who have been fighting the titans for years," especially as the rest of the line "How do you train? Would you consider teaching me?" once again indicates a lack of close familiarity.

(It's also possible this line is just poorly translated in English, and was actually meant to refer to their legendary ten-day-long duel: "We battled all that time, yet I never saw you fatigued." Given the rest of the lines in the memory, I think "dodgy translation" honestly makes the most sense here, and would also just have really funny implications: Phainon and Mydei didn't fall in love at first sight; they fell in comically-long-duel at first sight. Okay, maybe for Phainon it was both.)

Phainon's earlier statements in the memory make it clear that he isn't very experienced with fighting Mydei specifically, with the overall implication of the dialogue being that they've just had their first duel against each other recently:

So anyway, where I am going with all this?

I know a lot of people got distracted by Phainon's (accidental?) pass at Mydei in the first line, but I think taking a step back and looking at the scene as a whole, in context, makes it even more hilarious and off-the-cuff:

Phainon and Mydei aren't well-acquainted in this scene.

Phainon literally walked up on a guy he barely knows and the first words that fell out of his mouth were "Dan Nicky your bobbies." "I would know that body anywhere."

Even Mydei was weirded out at first!

Like, Phainon has absolute foot-in-mouth syndrome around his new "friend." He spends the whole conversation narrating his own attempts to communicate ("Ah, I see I am unwanted. Instead of leaving, I shall try another tactic. Is it working yet?" and "Yes, yes, yes, it worked!") like this is a remotely normal thing to do around a person you're not even close with yet.

You can see his puppy tail wagging. He wants to be friends with Mydei so bad.

He is actively making up excuses to try to get Mydei to spend time with him here--first the comment about "Yay, you're here!" at the baths like he expects them to bathe together, then the whole "Why don't we go somewhere and have a long conversation about the insights we gained from rolling around in the dirt together?" to finally just flat out asking Mydei to train with him.

It's so charmingly earnest, straightforward, and even a bit awkward that I think this scene is really under-rated by the fans. It's not just another example of Phainon commenting on Mydei's muscles--it's a glimpse into what they were like before they were close and just how much Phainon wanted to connect to Mydei, how willing he was to explore to discover exactly what Mydei would be interested in so that he could seize that common ground between them.

Really a masterclass in showing us fans characterization right on the cusp of changing, and for showcasing both Phainon's charming audacity and Mydei's surprisingly-reserved-around-strangers behavior.

And, since we know the future that memory-Phainon-and-Mydei are headed toward... we also know it worked! Mydei is smiling by the end of the conversation! He and Phainon are going to become vitriolic best buds--er, rivals--and Phainon is going to get all the spars he wants.

Persistence pays off!

[genderqueerdykes]

Really appreciate this blog and what it shares. Got into an arguement with someone who was a transfem TIRF (didn’t realize that was even a thing at the time lmao) and it left me feeling really upset due to the both gross ways she’d talked about trans men and the fact that she got a lot of support in the notes. So coming here and seeing in fact most people love and care about us transmascs is nice.

Won’t argue again next time I see an account like that cuz it’s kinda obvious people in those circles are prolly not getting out but yeah.

i am so sorry you had that experience. i'm glad you're advocating for yourself and choosing to not argue with that person again.

i honestly refuse to socialize with a person when i see them be that openly hateful with no attempts to change. i stopped talking to one of my old roommates after he started saying all kinds of transandrophobic shit, shitting on transmascs bodies and calling them gross because he's "gay" and could never be into vaginas or breasts. my ex (trans)gf literally fucking yelled at me for not wanting to be his friend after this. like actually fucking yelled at me numerous times. i asked her if she would be comfortable staying his friend if he was transmisogynistic toward her and told her her body was disgusting, and she said yeah of course, as if somehow that wouldn't cause her pain. nobody gave a flying fuck about how transandrophobia affects transmascs, so i said fuck all of you and stopped being their friends.

there are so many people who have gladly jumped on the rad fem train and it's so sad. that's no way to live your life. that's such a hateful ideology. rad feminism is nothing but hate. it's hate for yourself for being a woman because you equate womanhood to suffering. it's hate for other women because they're not women "right" like you are. it's hate for transmascs and trans men. it's hate for nonbinary people. it's hate for genderfluid people. it's hate for trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, gnc, bi, & pan lesbians. it's hate for butches who are men. for TIRFs in specific, it's hate for other trans people because they're "trans wrong". rad feminism is hatred all the way down no matter how you look at it. rad feminism will never be productive or progressive. it's about wallowing in your misery, mining for sympathy and pity, and crying about how you're powerless and defenseless instead of doing something about it. it's admitting defeat.

as a fellow transmasc, i'm just over it. i'm not gonna stew in self hatred. i had a friend who WAS transmasc who basically forced me to hate myself for being a trans man. always going on and on about how they hated certain transmascs and trans men, how they were "Whiny and entitled"... yikes dude. you can keep hating yourself over there, but i genuinely love being transmasc & a trans man. coming out as a trans man literally saved my fucking life. i was a depressed mess that hated myself before i came out. i've never loved myself more. and if someone else can't love what i love about myself? they're not worth my damn time.

i'm not here to throw transmascs under the bus just to kiss up to transfems to try to look progressive for brownie points. that shit is underhanded and dirty. we can support all trans people at once. we aren't football teams. you don't have to pit random queer identities against one another. we're on the same side. none of us are enemies. none.

thanks for taking the time to stop by! take care of yourself, i'm glad that i could help in any way. i am just OVER people forcing transmascs and trans men to hate themselves and exist solely to talk about trans women and transfems and nothing else. i am just over people making men and mascs feel like shit. it's done. it's over. i'm not participating, and neither are you. pack that shit up into a box, and throw it in the garbage. we're working together whether or not you like it. the only way we get out of this is together. our fight for liberation is NOT a crab bucket- you do NOT have to pull someone else down when you see them rise up and advocate for themselves.

[mllemaenad]

It's fascinating that the people who have most consistently and successfully established a connection to the titans are the Grey Wardens.

I'm not trying to oversell here: what they're doing has a lot of downsides. But while there are rare incidents of a dwarf truly connecting to a titan across the Dragon Age stories ... only the Grey Wardens have found a way to do it that's even moderately predictable. Sure, the Joining might kill you. But if it doesn't – congratulations, you're linked up to the Song of the titans.

Of course, they're connecting to the corrupted dreams of the titans: the infamous blight. And the more obvious differences in that connection obviously stem from that: the infertility, the eventual corruption of their bodies, the call of the Song that can overwhelm their minds.

But it's interesting what else is going on with them. I've never seen a Grey Warden dwarf do magic, the way Valta or Harding can. But I do wonder if that's an absolute rule, or just a side effect of the way they're connected.

It does seem to reconnect dwarves to their dreams. The archdemon dreams are the most obvious example, but there's also Oghren's account of a normal dream in Awakening. I recognise that that anecdote is meant to be funny but a) it still happens and b) there's now a lot of material from Harding that could also be described as "funny stories about dreams", and we aren't meant to disbelieve her.

So why no (obvious) magic?

Well, the thing about the Joining is that it is at least an attempt to connect to the blight safely.

The Joining requires darkspawn blood. Recruits are typically sent out under the watch of an older Warden to slay darkspawn and collect the blood. This is a test to see if the recruit has the courage and ability to fight darkspawn. Once the blood is collected, the Wardens add a single drop of Archdemon blood and use magic to make it at least remotely safe to consume. Archdemon blood is among the rarest substances in all Thedas, and it makes the Joining all the more exclusive a ritual. Older Wardens carry a small amount with them at all times. – The World of Thedas Volume 1

The exact details of how the blood is prepared remain a mystery, but the Grey Wardens have clearly gained some control over it. A recruit who is suffering from the taint may not be cured of it, but if they survive the Joining they will develop a resistance that may last decades. Without the Joining they will die or become ghouls like anyone else, so while a certain resilience on the part of the recruit may be part of the magic, it certainly isn't all of it.

Prospective Wardens consume as little as possible, as safely as possible, in order to gain the skills necessary to fight darkspawn: the ability to sense their presence, a practical if not literal immunity to the taint – and the all-important archdemon-killing presence of the taint in their veins.

Most of them aren't trying to do more with it. Although, yep, Avernus has the general idea:

The taint allows us to sense the darkspawn. The longer we survive with the taint in our blood, the more potent it becomes. Unfortunately, this corruption will eventually overwhelm the Warden; over time, it devours both mind and body, leaving nothing. But what if the spread of the corruption could be stopped, or contained in some way? What if the Warden could become more powerful, without having that power kill him? How great would that power be? Would it be enough to stop the demons? The Joining ritual is crude. We take into yourself the blood of the darkspawn in the most obvious way. Most die from the corruption immediately; it is, after all, poison. There must be some way to refine the Joining. Isolate the true power that is found in darkspawn blood, and leave behind the evil that kills us. I can feel the corruption starting to take its toll on my body. I must not succumb. There is too much work to be done. Through my magic I've been able to slow its inevitable spread, but not stop it completely. I am starting to hear things, even while awake: A voice—more beautiful than any other—that calls to me from the depths. In my dreams, I see the Black City, and I am drawn towards it. There is something there, an answer to what this taint is, this taint that we share with the darkspawn… —From the notes of Avernus. – Avernus's Notes

And that's the key thing he points out: the taint within a Grey Warden grows more powerful over time. However, the mental resistance to that taint breaks down as it grows, so by the time the taint is at its full power the Warden is effectively a ghoul. Yes, there are instances of intelligent, functional ghouls – but they're not the norm.

Power develops over time. One of the first things Alistair will tell a newly recruited Hero of Ferelden is that he can sense the presence of nearby darkspawn, but you can't ... yet. That power will develop with time.

In practice, by the time most dwarven Wardens have developed enough taint in them to even attempt magic, they're in no condition to try it. And even if they were, would they think to?

By contrast, both Valta and Harding are basically smacked in the face with the raw power of lyrium. It does not grow in them slowly, it comes to them all at once – and a certain amount of involuntary magic is performed on the spot. Once it's happened, they can't ignore it. They know they can do it.

I wonder if a dwarven Warden on the brink of their Calling might be able to throw some rocks around, if they really tried.

After all: genlock emissaries have magic, and a genlock is ... not exactly a dwarf, no, but it's also not exactly not a dwarf.

[getaapologist]

The Tension and the Terror..............Part VIII

Pairing: Emperor Geta x OFC (extremely loosely, character is named but otherwise not described besides hair length in a later part)

Summary: Geta makes a declaration of love. It isn't received well, through no fault of his own.

Warnings: violence, implication of SA (did not occur), 18+ only.

Word Count: 3.4k

Part 8 of 13?

[ Part VII ]

Series Masterlist

A/N: This is a bit more foundation work. I also didn't name Letha's brother (or any of her family) so you can picture whoever you want. I almost took all this out, I wasn't sure it fit everything I've written up to now, but I hope it works for you.

Raptio is literally "taking," but it's used to reference the abduction of women, to be used/enslaved or married against their will. The obvious implication there is SA, but I am not including that aspect here because it's just not needed. Being kidnapped is enough, surely. I don't know if it was really a punishable crime, but I sure hope so. It is in this version of events, anyway. The next two parts will pretty much be all Geta. Thanks for your patience!

Letha had beaten both Emperors to breakfast that morning, despite spending extra time in choosing a dress from the assortment delivered to her rooms the prior day. The anticipation of seeing Geta again drew her out of bed early. She took advantage of the quiet to actually eat a reasonable meal, only interrupted as she pushed the small plate away. 

“My brother dismissed all his concubines this morning. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” Caracalla wasn’t really asking. He already knew she had something to do with it. Still, the news shocked her. She thought of Lyra, regretting her words. She hoped nothing awful had happened.

“I didn’t ask him to–”

“Of course you didn’t. You can’t tell us to do anything,” he sighed, pulling out his usual chair and plopping down in it. “Just thought you’d like to know.”

Letha took it for the kindness it was. “Thank you, Caracalla.”

He reached out and picked through the fruit, mischief lighting his eyes up. “So does this mean you two are fucking?”

She nearly choked. “N-No,” she responded, recovering, face on fire.

Caracalla giggled. She avoided looking over at him, instead choosing to study the elaborate craftsmanship of the table. It was a nice table, she thought, desperately trying to not think about Geta.

The chair beside Letha was pulled out and the man himself sank into it, a sly smile already on his face as he busied himself with adjusting his robes. He was all made up, ready for the day. Bright, shining, like Apollo. 

He leaned over, invading Letha’s space. “Did you get enough to eat?” he asked quietly.

“Yes,” she assured him. She was nervous to meet his eyes again after the way she left him. She was relieved he didn’t seem upset with her, quite the opposite. 

Protective?

“How is your shoulder?”

“Better,” she answered. 

She noticed Caracalla watching his brother intently. She followed his gaze, surprised to see the dark maroon already lining his eyes. She expected to see the tired, fresh-from-bed version of Geta. This was… It was nice. 

“You sure look pretty for the senators, brother,” Caracalla teased.

Geta looked down to Letha, his gaze soft for once. “It’s not for them.” The smile returned. Her face probably felt hot to the touch. She almost pressed her own hand to her face to check. 

“Why do I even have to go?” Caracalla whined, slumping in his chair. “Can’t you tend to them by yourself?”

Geta looked over at his brother, his smile growing. “It’s our duty.” He picked up an apple and took a bite, his pleasant mood almost infectious. 

“I’ve never seen you so eager to fulfill our duty,” Caracalla grumbled. 

“You must get ready, ‘Calla,” Geta requested, his tone gentle. “It shouldn’t be a long meeting. Then you can have your games.” Another bite of the apple.

Geta was always so sweet to his brother. Letha couldn’t come up with a better word for it. Taking the sting out of responsibilities, soothing his panic and fear, distracting him with life’s pleasures to ease his mood. He tolerated his teasing, even when his patience had run out for all others. Caracalla was exempt from Geta’s poor moods. He only ever received a tiny fraction of Geta’s ire when his mouth got away from him and he seemed on the verge of revealing something in other company that Geta wished to remain private. 

And Caracalla intuitively understood his brother’s shifting moods and their cause, not usually having to ask him what was wrong, what might be bothering him. Perhaps all that time seated beside his brother he became a good study. 

“At least Letha will keep me company,” Caracalla smiled.

“The senators might balk at her presence,” Geta admitted.

“Since when do you care?”

“I don’t,” Geta claimed, glancing down at Letha. “She can come if she wants to.”

“Is she not here for my protection?” Caracalla asked, seemingly concerned.

“I’ve arranged for Tegula’s best man to remain at your side, at all times,” Geta explained, gesturing to a lightly armored man standing in the corner of the room, tucked in among the columns as if he was trying to be inconspicuous. “This is Ancus.”

Caracalla looked over at the man. Then back to his brother, to Letha. To Geta again. “But I don’t want Ancus, I want Letha,” Caracalla complained, something in his tone veering towards true agitation.

“She’s still healing, ‘Calla,” Geta explained. “She will be near, but I would feel better if Ancus stayed with you too, at least until we figure out who’s responsible for these attacks.”

“You just want her for yourself!” Caracalla accused, standing from his chair. Geta mirrored his movement, albeit much more slowly.

“Caracalla, I—” he paused, adopting a more gentle tone before continuing, “I will not keep her from you. She can do as she pleases. I just need to know that you are safe.”

His words seemed to soothe him enough, but Letha worried that this would not be the last of this conversation. Caracalla skulked off, and Ancus followed after him silently. 

Geta sank back into his chair with a sigh, his mood no longer nearly as pleasant.

“I will spend time with him today,” Letha offered, broaching the silence. 

He leaned his head back, his head turning in her direction lazily, a smirk appearing. “Not too much, I hope.”

“As much as is necessary to preserve his good temper,” she answered, the pressure of his warm eyes on her jump-starting that heat again, as if she were back in the gardens again, frozen beneath his stare.

“Oh, but then I’d never see you, Letha,” he teased, moving closer, “and I have more to offer you.”

“More?” She couldn’t help her eyes falling to his lips.

She jumped in her seat as his fingers found the skin along the inside of her leg, just past her knee, too close for where they were, in the middle of the dining hall. She quickly pressed her hands to his, trapping it against her skin. He squeezed.

He leaned over further, his lips finding her ear. “Just something for you to consider today, when you’re… deciding how to allocate your time.” His teasing was back in full force. He drew back, taking another bite of the apple, his stare unwavering as he chewed.

Letha could only watch him right back, thoughts boiling until her legs stopped shaking and she could stand.

Letha understood Caracalla’s complaints about having to meet with the Senators almost immediately. She could feel their eyes on her as soon as she stepped into the room, following behind the twins as they made their way over to their thrones, side by side. 

“A chair,” Geta summoned, pointing to the space beside his seat.

“By me, brother,” Caracalla insisted. 

Geta frowned, but relented.

Letha was sure to reach down and brush the hand gripping the arm of his seat with her fingers as she passed around the chairs, a consolation to try to keep him jovial. She took a seat as instructed, body turned in towards Caracalla in the presence of so many strangers, with clear distaste in their expressions for her unconventional presence.

“Caesars, forgive me, but what is this woman doing here? This is hardly the place for a dalliance—”

Geta rose, the speed of it startling some, Letha included. “She is a lady, and you will address her as such,” he corrected, standing before the bravest of the Senators. A display of power, of confidence. Of ego. “That lady is the reason your Emperors still stand and breathe. I believe you owe her an apology.”

He was incensed. Part of Letha almost felt bad for the Senator cowering before Geta, all his fury and splendor making him appear very much like a god. It shouldn’t have been so thrilling to see, but Letha couldn’t help herself.

“I am sorry, my lady,” he spoke, his eyes on Geta. His fear was palpable. 

Caracalla giggled beside her. “It’s not usually this entertaining.”

A few more moments of lording over the senator and Geta stepped back, slightly more composed. “What do you need of us today?” Geta finally asked, sinking back into his seat.

An older senator stood, stepping into the middle of the room, drawing Geta’s gaze. “There was a question of increasing your personal guard’s wages, Caesars?”

“Yes,” another stood, “We do have questions as to the… necessity of this. It is a steep price.”

Geta frowned. “Is our safety not worth the extra expense? We’ve had two attacks in as many days.”

“Well, perhaps if you did not hold such lavish dinner parties every night, the costs could go towards this increase you desire.”

“Senator Gracchus,” Geta smiled, standing. “I will remind you that we have not yet found the person responsible for bribing the Praetorian. Someone wishes us dead.”

Letha froze up in her seat. Yes, someone did. But they were looking in the wrong place. 

“The sum recovered was far too large for an average citizen to come up with,” Geta explained, circling the senator. All others had backed off, allowing all of Geta’s displeasure to focus in on Gracchus. “Should I have you interrogated? Or will you pay Tegula’s men what they are owed?”

A moment longer was all it took before Gracchus wavered, relenting. “They shall have it, Emperor.” A chorus of similar responses sounded throughout the room.

“Very good,” Geta praised, moving past the senator and reclaiming his seat. “What else?”

The doors at the back of the room opened and a tall, hulking figure clad in dark armor and a red cape strode in, bowing before the emperors before rising to his full height. The garish line across the side of his head still looked like it burned, the flesh vividly red around the line. The cut ear.

Letha recognized him immediately. She shrank in her seat, drawing Caracalla’s eye. A flash of her brother’s bruised and bloody face had her squeezing her eyes shut. It wasn’t enough, the image wouldn’t leave.

“Emperor Geta, Emperor Caracalla,” the general greeted. “I have come to report on my men.” He did not spare a glance to Letha. Either he mistook her for another of their concubines, or did not spend enough time in the Senate chambers to know how unusual her presence was. 

“General Plautianus,” Geta greeted. His eyes raked over the violent wound. “What of them?”

“Regrettably, they cannot seem to be contained,” Thraex interjected, eyes on the General as he got to his feet. “They drink the city dry and commit acts of violence upon its citizens. A brawl in a brothel just yesterday required a hefty discretionary payment to appease the owner so he didn’t ban the entire army.”

“They need to be sent away,” Gracchus agreed. “They are bored, and their victories have given them a feeling of entitlement to the city’s offerings.”

Oh, that sounds quite familiar, Letha frowned. So as long as it isn’t taking place in Rome, that’s what matters, she thought bitterly, sinking back into her memories and tuning out the rest of the conversation. 

“Your God-Emperors are cowards,” Letha’s brother spoke, his lip split, his brow leaking blood. His eye socket looked broken, his skin beginning to darken around his eye. 

“You should hold your tongue,” General Plautianus spat, stepping past the man crumpled against the wall. Another soldier knelt beside him, gripping the cloth covering his shoulders tightly, keeping him upright.

“You Romans can’t take a joke,” he laughed. It devolved into a coughing fit not long after, his hands going to his ribs as he grimaced.

Letha looked up, worry filling her as she waited for her brother to recover, desperately trying to figure out how to help him, how to get them out of this mess.

“You should stop talking before you choke on your blood,” another soldier threatened.

“You’d have to hit me a bit harder for that,” he grunted, clearly nursing a broken rib.

“Brother, please!” Letha pleaded, begging for him to be silent. Him egging on their captors would ruin their chances of surviving this night. 

The sound of the harsh slap cut through the room, almost echoing. For a moment Letha couldn’t feel her face at all. Then it all flooded in at once, tears welling, clouding her vision.

She could hear her brother shouting, the soldiers joining in. She tried to ignore the way her cheek stung, too concerned for her brother’s welfare to care about her own. It was one blow versus the great many he’d suffered at their hands already. 

They were holding him down against the wall, it took two of them now. The General stood before her, his hand still outstretched from the slap, though his eyes were cast over his shoulder at her brother as he spouted insulting, angry words.

“You are lucky you’re considered one of Rome’s subjects now,” the General spoke, returning his attention to Letha. “Your dear father pleaded for your safety, and I can think of none better to secure it than me.”

Letha understood his intent, the implication of his words. It was nothing new. It was all men ever did. She couldn’t be dragged to Rome. She refused. As her brother drew his attention once more, his protests much more spirited, she saw only one opportunity to save herself from that future. 

She reached forward and drew the sword from its hilt on his belt, the sound of it drawing all attention to her. It was heavier than she was used to, the blade much wider. Still, she didn’t waste a moment, swinging it recklessly at the General’s head. It drew blood, but the recoil of it hitting his thick skull forced it out of her hands. He roared, his hands moving to cover the red line leaking blood down the side of his head. 

Letha felt the stabbing point of a gladius at her back, the soldier’s boot forcing her flat onto the floor. She wondered if it had drawn blood, it felt quite sharp even through the dress. Even if she had just signed her own death warrant, that would be preferable to the alternative.

Plautianus hissed as he cupped his ear, reaching down for his discarded sword. He used it to tilt her face up, forcing her to see the wound she’d created. “You’ll pay for that,” he assured her.

“Please, just leave her alone,” her brother pleaded. “It was stupid, she shouldn’t have done it, but don’t hurt her.”

His words stung. He was right, it was incredibly stupid of her, but she had to do something–

“No, no–”

The blade had left her chin without her realizing it. It was embedded in her brother’s throat. She screamed.

“Letha,” Caracalla whispered, a hand pressing against her cheek, drawing her back to the present. “Are you alright?” She jumped, crashing out of the vivid memory. He moved his hand down to squeeze hers. “Do you want something to drink?”

She shook her head, eyes landing on Plautianus. He wore the very same armor as that day. 

He is the monster.

“I will think on it,” Geta answered, dismissing the senators. “General, I would like to speak with you, if you have the time.” He wasn’t really asking.

Plautianus nodded, clasping his hands together in front of him, watching the senators as they trickled out of the room. As his eyes scanned the room, they finally landed on her. There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes and he reflexively reached up for the side of his head, to the scar there. He said nothing of it, instead returning his attention to his smiling Emperor.

“Letha,” Geta called out, reaching an arm out for her to join him. Her stomach sank like a stone. “Come on,” he urged, as if he were coaxing a small child into a room full of strangers. As if it were shyness keeping her in her seat. But he didn’t know. How could he know?

She stood on shaky legs and released Caracalla’s hand to walk over, trying to keep her eyes on Geta so she didn’t fall into a state of panic. Even though months had passed, it was now so fresh in her mind, as if it had happened only days ago. She felt ill.

Geta was concerned, but he hid it well. He wrapped an arm around her waist and returned his attention to the General. 

“I’d like to introduce you to Letha,” Geta spoke, looking down at Letha with something close to love in his eyes. Perhaps she was imagining it to save herself from the reality of what was unfolding.

“I don’t believe you two have met, unless… Well, have you?” Geta prodded, all pretense falling away. 

Letha felt herself suck in a deep breath at the realization. Geta knew. How much, she couldn’t say. But he knew of their meeting, likely how she was brought to Rome. How she was purchased by Macrinus. From Macrinus himself, she thought. It would explain their new closeness. What else had Macrinus shared?

General Plautianus seemed just as caught off guard. He looked like he wasn’t sure if he ought to lie, or admit to his crime. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Geta frowned. “Ancus,” he muttered, signaling for him to approach. 

Ancus moved swiftly behind the General, pressing his boot into the back of Plautianus’s knee to force him onto the marble, his hands gripping the pauldrons to keep the General still.

“Raptio,” Geta spat, “is a crime, General. Just in case you’ve forgotten.”

The sound of a sword being drawn sent shivers of revulsion down Letha’s spine. The tremors that Geta had stilled with his hand at her lower back resumed. The General looked truly frightened. It didn’t fill Letha with any amount of satisfaction. She was just as scared as he was.

Geta raised the General’s sword high so he could inspect the edge, trying to determine its sharpness. He pressed the blade to the spot just above the chestplate, letting the tip bite through the cloth covering the base of his throat before turning to Letha, ignoring the General altogether.

“Should he be killed?”

Letha could see now the warnings she’d been given. Geta was deadly. He was clever and vengeful and violent. But he hid it well. So well. Much better than Caracalla. Seeing the senators scared to defy him, the way his General seemed scared of his whims, she should’ve been scared of him too. 

But it was never directed at her. And even now, it was being done in service of her desires, her wants. She felt… honored. He was offering her a gift. A declaration of love if looked at in the right light. 

She felt her own love for him beginning to bud, but her memories were too distracting in the moment, keeping her expression empty, her body trembling. If they were somewhere else, she might have taken the time to explain, so he’d understand she wasn’t spurning him intentionally, she just couldn’t get a handle on her own mind.

“Emperor!” Plautianus lifted his hands up from his waist, his plea desperate. “T-This is improper.” 

Geta glowered down at him, his eyes narrowed. 

“She attacked us,” he tried to explain. Ancus kept his knees pressed to the floor.

“Quiet!” Geta ordered, glaring at the General. He returned his eyes to Letha’s, his gaze softening immediately.

In that moment all Letha could do was stand there and try to keep her tears at bay. 

Was this the same sword used on her brother?

Geta was patient, reading into the way she shook slightly, a bead of sweat falling down over her temple. She was terrified. Perhaps now wasn’t the best time. He could drag him out again later on, when she felt more up to it.

“It seems Justicia has saved you today, Plautianus. Find solace in your cell.”

The sword was silently returned to Ancus and as soon as it left Geta’s hand he brought her back in close, whisking her away from the scene and over to the golden thrones. 

“Brother?” Caracalla asked, clearly confused.

“I will explain later,” Geta spoke, his eyes focused on Letha. His hands found her cheeks, attempting to soothe her. “I should not have sprung that upon you,” he realized. 

“I-I do not think–I think I should lie down,” she confessed, a tear spilling down her cheek. She could see the heartbreak plain in Geta’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can attend the games today, I don’t feel well.”

“It’s fine,” Geta assured her, smoothing her hair out of her face. “I should have warned you.”

She couldn’t say anything more, couldn’t offer some placating remark to soothe his mood. She needed calm and quiet, and she wouldn’t get that from the arena. She hoped he understood that.

[ Part IX ]

[sillygoofyqueer]

LeviathYuan baby can gnaw on me I don't mind <3

Please tell me more about baby.

Grumble grumble grumble......I wouldn't have answered this if I hadn't needed a way to dive into The Creature™ Lore (/silly). After some careful deliberation (a poll in the server...should I make a mutuals server? Putting that thought away for a rainy day), I have decided that the topic of choice will be Leviathyuan interacting with other CQMS cultivators. So, Liu Qingge is the most likely to find Leviathyuan first - he's the most likely to be out on the prowl and hunting demons, perhaps not recognising how far he's gone until he's being attacked from all sides by monsters he has never even seen before. Obviously, there's only so much he can do without getting beaten up by attack after attack, so he's got the shredded robes and bloodied everything, fucked up ponytail (I've got a note next to the main note that says 'awooga 😍', so there's that as well). He ends up in The Cavern and is immediately suspicious of the huge ass lake (he's got that natural hunter instinct fr fr), so he's got Cheng Luan out (he hasn't actually put it back in its sheath since he ended up in the Abyss) and is on guard as he picks his way along the shore - but he's literally fucking exhausted and running on the last legs of adrenaline at this point, so he's really fucking hoping that whatever it is, it can be dealt with really quickly. Leviathyuan is chilling in The Depths, and he smells this new kind of blood - it's different, it's unique, and he is definitely intrigued. After all, he knows what all the blood of animals in the depths smell like, and this is not anything he's ever known before. He swims up to the surface pretty casually, looking around and seeing something tiny moving around on the shore and transforming into his more humane form to be of an equal size (he is, funnily enough, SHORT). I just need you all to pause for a second, come here real quick, and see this from Liu Qingge's perspective with me. He has literally just been like "please for fuck's sake, let whatever creature in here be easy to kill so I can just fucking relax for a second" and then boss music basically starts playing as the water erupts around him, and this leviathan - bigger than anything he's seen before - curls down and stares right at him. Just as Liu Qingge is gearing up for yet another fight, this monster just fucking SHRINKS. This monster becomes a demon with more humane attributes (but not a human, which is obvious by the staggering everything that points otherwise), and stumbles over to him like it isn't used to walking, not blinking at the sword in his hand, so it is an easy target! Of course, Liu Qingge severely underestimates his exhaustion levels, and is decked right in the face with them when this demon pushes the sword out of the way and only has to shift to avoid his sluggish attempts at attacking it. Eventually, the demon raises a hand and just pushes Liu Qingge over, which is enough to fully knock him out when his head hits the floor (this only happens because he is exhausted and weak, not something that would happen usually because of his thick skull. Also, Leviathyuan didn't mean to hurt Liu Qingge in any way, he just knows rough housing with other monsters of The Depths). When Liu Qingge wakes up (something that he didn't even expect to happen after being defeated), he is swaddled in something that is both warm and fluffy, and yet smells distinctly of blood. Turns out, a fluffy monster followed Liu Qingge into The Cavern, and Leviathyuan was just like "this creature is cold. You have warmth :3" and fucking DESTROYS that beast, without any other thoughts in his mind. Then he skins this beast using Cheng Luan (who is only slightly self-destructing at being used by a demon) and dumped the skin onto Liu Qingge (fluffy side wrapped around him, don't you worry). (Let me know if you want me to continue this, I've got like, half a page of notes left :3)

[harmonysanreads]

We literally have no information about Anaxa and yet I find myself simping for him, how great.

Anyways, I have a feeling that Anaxa is going to be cursed or something along those lines, he gives off those sort of vibes, doesn’t he? Plus, he has some weird mark on his hand and an eye patch, there is no way that this man is an ordinary scholar. How about you, Harmony-san? Any ideas for Anaxa? :o Also, I like to imagine that yandere! Anaxa is delulu lol.

Darling: How- Why are you in my house, and who are you!?!?

Anaxa: ……You’re my lover, isn’t it obvious to spend time with your beloved?

Darling: I don’t even know who you are…..

I would go absolutely feral if his pet name for darling was ‘beloved’ or something along those lines, like aaaaa I love him so muchhhh orz

(And, if possible, can I please be 💫 anon……? I’ve always loved your works, but never had the courage to send an ask…. But I do plan to send more since I have severe brain rots, so I think you’ll be seeing me lurking more in your posts lol)

Of course! Welcome to this... uhh brainrot dump 💫 anon! Have a cup of tea <3

Not so much as being delulu but, there is the popular hc of Anaxa being autistic, which I agree with as well. There's npc dialogue that hint towards a Chrysos Heir who is very nitpicky about the water's temperature in the baths, there's also some that suggest that Anaxa might not be very well-received around Amphoreus. Which, him being a heretic and all, makes sense. They also call him a yapper, but I think it's a bit of an exaggeration on the npc's part. He's a fundamentally quiet man, but he's simply passionate (in his own way) about the topics he has interest in.

So, my current perception of him is that he's someone who doesn't conform to societal standards without strong (preferably logical) evidence. This bias has contributed to a detachment from human and emotional connection, making him inexperienced and frankly, quite dense towards those prospects. Even if he understands the concept of loving someone on paper, he isn't bright in processing the emotions that are stirring inside right off the bat. And this lack of understanding makes him a bit unintentionally impulsive when it comes to the outer reaction part.

For Yandere!Anaxa, I've been on board with him being devoted to his darling to counteract his lack of faith since they revealed him. You could either go with him having fully accepted darling as his savior or, just keep him in that ‘conflict’ zone where he's questioning his whole existence from the mere realization that he's that endeared by someone. For nicknames, I like the sound of beloved as well, especially if it's said very sarcastically. But I think a concept or object that is very particular to him would be even more precious. We'll just have to wait for the details.

[lovelyjuju]

i have arrived to req what nico would be like as a bf pls and ty 🫶🏻

YAY WE LOVE BF NICO!!

okay okay let's start with the very obvious: fashion. given his passion for fashion, bf!nicholas would for sure love to go shopping with you (needless to say, you would defs get pretty, matchy outfits, too)

i also feel like, besides clothes, he'd love to get other small matching items with you, such as keychains, jewelry, or maybe phone cases? it would just always remind him of how you're his, even when you're apart.

i think he'd absolutely love little photoshoots with you, too (read: ootd pics are a must). not only would you trust you to take the perfect photos for him, he'd definitely love taking pictures of you and he's absolutely the type to hype you up when he does :(

another very obvious thing about nicholas, and yes i've mentioned this before, but bro is soo sleepy. while i think he does stay up late, he for sure would never wake up early unless he really, really has to. that being said, i feel like he'd be super pouty and grumpy in the morning. somewhat cute but then again murmuring something about being too tired in his raspy voice that just sends goosebumps down your spine even if you've heard it a hundred of times? yes.

since he just recently mentioned it again; he's 100% the type to play with your hair until he falls asleep :(

seems like the kind of person to really enjoy holding you close in his sleep, not only for you to feel warm, comfortable and safe, but because let's not lie, he does give off protective (possesive) vibes?

he'd definitely not have it if someone else were to be too close to you. would neither accept anyone trying literally anything with you, nor others speaking only the hint of a bad word about you. like, he would literally not even need to say a word – just glaring at them would be enough to shut them up.

also also one last thing (very important) : since nicholas has been hitting the gym lately, i think he would definitely show off his progress. would either genuinely prove how he's been working out his arms, chest and back or would goofily square up 😭 either way, who would not fold? (cause i would)

[greenerteacups]

OK need more on this delicious idea:

The most obvious example is the Regulus plot (which in retrospect reads like maybe vestigial foreshadowing of a different outline for Deathly Hallows?)

What do you think this different outline of DH could be?

Totally! I might have been off, but I thought the #LocketGate reveal at the end of Book 6 was meant to indicate Regulus had some role in Book 7 — possibly as a plot mechanic or as the central "mystery" of the book that the Golden Trio have to work out. Like, maybe Regulus left clues for them to find in order to figure out how to destroy the horcruxes, or to find the hallows, or to find a secret weapon to kill Voldemort, something, whatever. Because having Regulus defect from Voldemort and successfully steal/swap the lockets, only for him to die anyway and for the locket to end up stuck in a cabinet in Grimmauld Place, is like... kinda disappointing and weird for something that's so important to the plot? Because it cuts the legs out of the pre-climax of Book 6, i.e. Dumbledore's sacrifice and Harry's fight with the inferi, for the horcrux to have been stuck under the floorboards at Grimmauld Place the whole time.

Also, sorry: lame!! That's a lame development. It is dull. It is boring and dry. It gut-punches your dramatic tension for any re-reads of Book 6 and it means the ultimate "finding the horcrux" moment gets shunted into the first act of Book 7, which should have been about setting up the war conflict. It also violates the fantasy author's Rule of Cool, which demands that, all else being equal, you should choose the option that is more badass, fun, or sexy, precisely because it is more badass, fun, or sexy. Sometimes it's fine to just make a decision because it's going to be more fun to read! If it doesn't injure the story, there's nothing wrong with that! And I think the locket in the cave should have EITHER been the real thing, in which case Dumbledore's sacrifice and Harry's struggle would have been rewarded with another horcrux being destroyed and we could have dived headfirst into the "how do we kill them?" plot in 7 — OR, it could be a fakeout, but then make that note/clue part of a bigger and more interesting mystery plot in Book 7.

Also, not that it matters, but all the other Harry Potter books have central mysteries in them. It's usually what they're named for: the philosopher's stone (what's behind Fluffy?), the chamber of secrets (who's the heir?), the prisoner of azkaban (what does Sirius want with Harry?), the goblet of fire (who put in harry's name?), the order of the phoenix (what's in the Department of Mysteries?) and half-blood prince (who is he?) But then the hallows just. Aren't. I'm not interested in what they are, I don't care what they do, I'm never given reason to think they're relevant to the story that currently exists — at BEST they explain why Voldemort isn't pursuing Harry more intentionally in the story, because he's obsessed with collecting Hallows first, but was that necessary? Because i would have believed that dude was just busy prosecuting his literal war effort against the government. It would have been way cooler (imo) for the final mystery to be Harry figuring out the nature of his connection with Voldemort, unveiling the horcrux mystery for himself, rather than Ghost Dumbledore dropping it on him via Mind Limbo. So that's my case for Regulus being the setup for the central mystery of Book 7.

[kamechan98]

YES!!!

I am so fucking sick of love triangels in general, I think they’re one of the lowest form of attempting relationship and character drama just for the sake of it. It’s like ‘we have nothing else we can think of that might develop the relationship between two characters before they get together so we’ll introduce a third character so we can draw it out even more just for the drama. Especially since 9 times out of 10 it’s painfully obvious which characters are going to end up together anyway so it always feels like a huge waste of time.

In the case of Vassago and Stolas as a pair, they have literally never interacted. For all we know they don’t even know each other (save for Vassago knowing of him) so there’s no ground to stand on in terms of them being a potential couple. Plus, as stated above, it would dismiss and minimize everything we’ve been through with these two:

Stolas saving Blitzø from being executed, attempting to sacrifice his own life for him,

Blitzø admitting that Stolas is his heart (if only to himself),

Blitzø trying and do everything he can to support and help Stolas losing everything,

Blitzø saving Stolas in turn from Andrealphus

Their dramatic kiss

Blitzø trying to comfort and be there for Stolas after Octavia cuts him out of her life

Their dance at the end of Sinsmas

I could go on but you see my point

I know a lot of shows will do that thing of drawing out a couple getting together for as long as possible and will throw in other potential candidates for being a love interest for one or both parties, but I always see this as cheap and telling that the only reason you don’t have a couple get together and stay together, letting us watch them grow and develop as a couple and as people, is because you want us to keep watching and be more invested in the drama of watching the main couple finally getting together. But in my experience it has the opposite effect and will just make your audience more and more frustrated with you and the show.

I don’t want to see a Will-They Won’t-They season for Stolas and Blitzø, we’ve already had that! Now give me them going on real genuine dates, being cute and affectionate with each other, fighting over differences but making up in the end like adults, having cute banter like an old married couple despite barely having gotten together but act like they’ve been dating for years.

That’s what I want!

Also, normalize friendships in shows! I understand wanting to see for LGBT representation in media, or that shipping in general is fun, but can we please stop acting is if having friends isn’t an option anymore? And Stolas has no friends outside of Blitzø so please give him more love from different people and in different ways, please and thank you!

Why must my favorite HB YouTuber post a video talking about the Stolas, Blitz, and Vassago love triangle headcanon, I can seemingly never escape.

Please don't act like it's a good idea, especially after the events of Mastermind and Sinsmas. IT'S NOT.

"Oh Blitz and Stolas can have a bit of a breakup, and explore other people."

THEY HAD A BREAK-UP!

"Oh they can spend some time apart during their breakup to see if they still want the other."

OH YES, LETS MAKE THIS FUCKING DUET ABSOLUTELY MEANINGLESS.

"Maybe they can explore other people."

STOLAS DID EXPLORE OTHER PEOPLE, AND THE MEMORY WAS SO FUCKING TRAUMATIC FOR BLITZ THAT IT'S IN THIS FUCKING MEMORY REEL.

Blitz is not strong enough for a love triangle! This man is a fucking bitch baby, he can't HANDLE IT!

Also...

Blitz has ZERO intentions of exploring other people when THIS IS HIS DREAM.

I... PLEASE STOP WITH THIS HEADCANON I FUCKING CAN'T.

Why can't Vassago just be a friend to Stolas, please? FFS Stolas has no friends! The closest he has to a friend is Blitz, but they might as well be fucking married by now at this point, since they live and work together.

[kangshxrtie]

Fourteen | Professionals

"Now my tummy hurts, she's in love with her But for what it's worth They'd make beautiful babies" - Tummy Hurts, Reneé Rapp

your videography group was having its last meeting, wrapping up filming and sorting out the final details.

"have you two practiced for the kissing scene yet?" chaewon asked, her tone casual but curious.

"no, we're just gonna wing it when we film," you replied without much thought.

"are you sure that's gonna work?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

you shrugged. "i mean, we were chosen as the actors for a reason. we're professionals."

"i'll trust y'all," chaewon said, though she didn't seem entirely convinced.

she quickly moved on, checking in with everyone else about their respective duties.

once the meeting wrapped up, you wasted no time trying to get out of there. you had barely texted yunjin since that day, and she knew something was up. the constant voicemails asking why you were ignoring her made that obvious.

luckily, her rule about not speaking to you in public still applied. if she really needed to know that bad, she'd break it.

you speed-walked to your car as soon as you were out of the building. the moment your phone connected, two messages came in at the same time. the first one made you want to turn your phone off entirely, but the other? that one you needed to reply to.

huh yunjin (01) are u going home? can i come to u?

nien are u gone already? i wanna hang out y/n NO NOT YET where are u nien i'm standing at my car rn y/n u want me to come to u?

nien u can we can come back & pick up ur car l8r y/n OKAY heading over now

you shut off your car, taking your keys with you as you made your way across the parking lot to nien's car. on the way, you passed chaewon and yunjin walking together. without missing a beat, you made a big show of hugging nien once you reached her, and of course, she played along perfectly.

as you walked around to the passenger side, you caught yunjin's eyes. she was staring at you in disbelief while chaewon looked at her, utterly confused.

nien started the car, handing you her phone so you could pick the music. yunjin could never.

"hitting them would be double points," you muttered, eyeing nien's backup camera.

"i don't need my intrusive thoughts voiced out loud like this," she said, shaking her head.

"maybe it's a sign," you joked.

"damn, they moved too fast," nien sighed, finally able to back out.

once you two were out of the parking lot, you let yourself relax, only to immediately get another text from the one person you didn't wanna hear from.

huh yunjin (01) so u can leave w nien but can't tmb? y/n y/l/n she texted me to hang out first huh yunjin (01) so she's more important than ur actual gf now mayb u 2 are playing ur roles a lil too well y/n y/l/n weren't u leaving w chaewon anyways 🤔

huh yunjin (01) i was js giving her a ride home i was gonna go to urs right afterwards y/n y/l/n js hang out w chaewon huh yunjin (01) ur acting weird y/n y/l/n i gotta go hanging out w nien yk huh yunjin (01) we're gonna hv to talk abt this

"was it yunjin?" nien asked, noticing how annoyed you looked while typing.

"yeah, she's mad i left with you instead of hanging out with her," you replied, sighing.

"aww, you chose me over her? i feel special," nien teased.

"well, i would've chosen literally anyone over yunjin right now," you admitted.

"i can turn around and take you back, then," nien said, nodding toward the direction you came from. "go hang out with your other hoes."

"wait, no," you protested. "i wanna hang out with my favorite."

"i'm your favorite?" nien glanced at you for a second before turning back to the road.

"yeah. my favorite hoe," you finished with a grin.

"as long as i'm your favorite in something," she muttered.

"okay, you can't say it like that—now i feel bad," you said, frowning.

"i'm just speaking my truth," nien shrugged.

"honestly, though... you've been my favorite person lately," you admitted.

"yet you still won't date me," she sighed dramatically.

"stop joking, you don't actually wanna date me," you said, shaking your head.

"i'm serious," nien said, voice softer. "i'm literally just waiting for you."

you stared at her for a moment before shaking your head again. "i'm gonna pretend you didn't say that, and we're just gonna be good friends for the rest of the day."

"whatever you want, y/n," nien said with a small smile.

you rolled your eyes at nien's little smile, shaking your head as you turned your attention back to the music playing through the speakers.

"where are we even going?" you asked, realizing you never actually planned anything.

"hmm... dunno, i just wanted to steal you away," nien said, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel. "but now that i have you, i guess we should figure something out."

"you kidnapped me without a destination?" you teased.

"excuse me, but you willingly got in here," nien pointed out.

"no proof of that," you shot back without missing a beat.

"i have witnesses and text messages," she countered, glancing at you with a smirk.

"yeah? well, they're not here," you said smugly, folding your arms.

nien rolled her eyes. "okay, luckily i don't wanna talk to my witnesses."

you chuckled before tilting your head. "so, what exactly are we doing now?"

"well, since we already ate, we could get dessert," she suggested.

"that works," you agreed with a nod.

nien pulled into the parking lot of a small ice cream shop, the neon sign glowing softly in the evening light. she parked and turned off the engine before glancing at you.

“you’re paying, right?” she asked with a grin.

“you asked me to hang out,” you said, giving her a look. “i think that means you owe me ice cream.”

she sighed dramatically. “fine, but only because you’re my favorite.”

you raised an eyebrow. “your favorite what?”

nien smirked. “wouldn’t you like to know?”

you rolled your eyes but felt the warmth creeping up your neck as you both got out of the car.

as you stood in line, nien nudged you. “what are you getting?”

“i don’t know yet,” you said, scanning the menu. “maybe something classic. you?”

“something that makes me look hot while eating it,” she joked, flipping her hair dramatically.

you laughed. “yeah, good luck with that.”

nien smirked. “what, you don’t think i could pull it off?”

you scoffed. “i think i’d be too busy cringing.”

she gasped, feigning offense. “i’ll have you know, i’m very good at looking attractive while eating ice cream.”

“okay, now i have to see this,” you said, crossing your arms.

“luckily, i’m a professional.,” nien quipped, stepping up to the counter to order.

you shook your head, trying to suppress a smile as you placed your order after her.

a few minutes later, you both sat outside at one of the small tables, ice cream in hand. you took a bite of yours, but your attention flickered to nien when you heard her make a satisfied sound.

you glanced over just in time to see her take a slow, exaggerated lick of her ice cream, her gaze meeting yours with a knowing look.

“okay, stop,” you said, nearly choking on your spoon.

“what?” she asked innocently, licking her ice cream again, just as obnoxiously slow.

“that is not how normal people eat ice cream,” you said, covering your face with one hand.

“well, i never said i was normal,” she teased. “and you asked for this, remember?”

“oh my god,” you groaned, shaking your head.

nien just laughed, taking a normal bite this time. “alright, i’ll behave… for now.”

you shot her a look. “i can’t believe this is what i’ve been missing out by not becoming friends with you all these years.”

“glad we’re here now,” she said with a satisfied grin. you hated how true that was.

you rolled your eyes but couldn’t hide the small smile creeping onto your lips. the two of you sat there for a moment, the warm evening air settling around you as the soft hum of passing cars and distant laughter filled the silence.

nien absentmindedly twirled her spoon between her fingers before looking at you. “so, are you regretting it?”

“regretting what?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“letting me steal you away tonight,” she said, tilting her head slightly.

you let out a small laugh, shaking your head. “not really.”

her lips curved into a knowing smile. “see? i’m not so bad.”

“i never said you were,” you admitted, stabbing at your ice cream with your spoon.

nien leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand as she watched you. “you could’ve gone with yunjin.”

you sighed, looking down at your cup. “yeah… i could’ve.”

“but you didn’t.”

you looked up at her, and for once, she wasn’t teasing or smirking. just looking at you—like she was waiting for you to say something you weren’t sure you were ready to admit.

you exhaled, shaking your head lightly before meeting her gaze again. “no… i didn’t.”

she held your stare for a moment longer, then smiled, small, but genuine. “of course you chose me. i’m just better.”

you huffed a quiet laugh, unable to stop yourself from smiling back.

it was the last day of filming; aka, you and nien's final day on the project until it was time to present the video.

you and nien sat off to the side, running over your script one last time while soobin and yeonjun set up the scene. across the room, chaewon and yunjin were directing them on what to do, while keeho and intak adjusted the cameras and perfected the angles.

"you two ready?" soobin asked once everything was in place.

"yeah," nien nodded, climbing onto the bed beside you.

"just remember, act natural. we're not filming a porno, just a kissing scene," yeonjun said.

"i didn't think we were," you shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"just had to make sure you knew," he shrugged.

you and nien laughed before locking in. you two had to focus and get the scene done.

Masterlist ــــــﮩ٨ـ Next

[sweetenerly]

OMGGG UR RECENT POST WAS WRITTEN PERFECTLY. I am an asexual lesbian and I love byler for many reasons. 1. Because I think WIll is one of the most accurate representations of what it is like to be gay EVER written. Will is so relatable. As a lesbian I have unfortunately fallen for MANY of my friends. There was one notable time where a girl I was really close with accused me of liking her (i did oops) and it became a huge thing. She was disgusted and told anyone she could and it was the worst feeling. So when I see a character in the same situation I am obv gonna want them to have what I didnt. 2. Because Will’s character alone is so tragic and I want him to have a happy ending. I also really like angst and watching sad things. I love crying and movie and tv shows. Every single one of Will’s scenes have gotten me. 3. Because SO many people are SOOOO hateful online. The straight up homophobia over a queer ship is UNBELIEVABLE. I need this people to be wrong SO bad. I want to see them mad I want to see them metaphorically slapped in the face that times ARE changing and that they are the problem. I also think it is the suspense that has been built. I def would love it still and ship it, but if there wasnt so much suspense built I dont think it would be as big. I hate how people always try to claim its sexualizing because not a single thing on here its sexualizing them. Literally everyone just wants a kiss and the rest is all wholesome so I dont see how it is sexualizing in any way. LGBTQ representation is for everyone in the community. I do not really get why people try to claim it is not. I will never understand why people within the community try to pick fights with each other instead of attacking the actual issue (homophobia) it is not productive in any way and we should all be standing with each other in growing representation for the community as a whole. Sorry this is so long I just thought u might appreciate someone agreeing with you because u are totally right.

EXACTLYYYY!

I’m just so over seeing this “tragic homosexual” pattern in every single piece of lgbtq media (reddie, cmbyn you get what i mean) because as much as it is realistic it’s just so depressing to see it over and over again when it’s already terrible enough to deal with in real life. And as you said, Will has already been through so much, adding unreciprocated love for his best friend on top of everything would be the final nail in the coffin and only prove that he in fact was right about never finding love. That would be so cruel!!!

It’s also so obvious that if Will was a girl nobody would call bylers delusional and just straight up throw hate and shade at them. It’s clear it all stems from homophobia and the GA’s heteronormative point of view, which is really sad but that’s unfortunately the society we live in

[rypnami]

Theiara Drabble

self- indulgent theiara drabble about a time they see a dragon, feat. some stuff i made up on the fly (hehe get it) about the hebridean black. not beta read or edited so keep that in mind heeh. literally no plot i just wanted to write them.

word count: 1081 no warnings, just fluff and the classic theiara bickering lol. established semi-new relationship <3 idk if any of this makes sense byeee

tagging @amethystandemma since chatting w/ you about the dragon pics inspired me lol

The Scottish highlands are, in Chiara's opinion, the most beautiful place in the world. Granted, she hasn't been to many places in the world, and perhaps being a Scot herself, she's biased, but simply nothing can compare to the rolling green of the mountains or the glistening water on the scattered lochs. Now that winter is, for the most part, over, and spring is finally showing its face, it’s the perfect time to take a long walk and enjoy seeing the sun for the first time in ages.

The only thing that could make the day better would be if she had someone to share it with- as luck would have it, she does. After quite a lot of convincing, she has brought Theseus Scamander in tow for this mini-adventure. They’ve been coworkers for a few years now, but recently it’s developed into something more. They haven’t technically labelled it yet, but it is certainly more than just friends, or coworkers that drive each other mental at any given opportunity. 

Where she has opted for more casual clothes for once- a simple white blouse and knee-length grey skirt, he is in his full blue overcoat, the grey blazer she’s rarely seen him out of, and his incredibly fancy shoes; perhaps not ideal for a trek in the highlands. It’s hardly different from what he would typically wear to work, as if they are about to be called on a very important case, and not out trying to enjoy themselves on one of their few days off. He does look good, however, so she can’t complain too much. 

They’ve stopped in an open meadow-like area, surrounded by hills and dotted with purple flowers. She flops down in the grass, just off the well-worn dirt path, and breathes in the freshness of the air. Her pale blonde hair spreads out amongst the green.

Theseus leans over her, eyebrows raised. “You’re going to get insects in your hair doing that, you know.”

“Spoilsport.” 

“I’m only sayingggg, I don’t imagine you, of all people, want crawly things all over you.”

Hm, true. Chiara hates just about anything with more than 4 legs. Honestly, who needs that many? What are they even used for? “You’ll pick them out for me.”

He sits down beside her, smiling slightly. “Of course I will. But… is this really what we came all the way out here to do? Have you lay on the floor?”

“It’s called appreciating nature. Try it sometime.” She sticks her tongue out at him. “And ‘all the way out here’ is an exaggeration. You can still see the hamlet.” Chiara points left, back down the dirt path, where just peeking over the rise of the hillside, the thatched roofs of Bainburgh are visible.

 

“Yes, but we could appreciate nature from there.” 

“If you’re going to whinge the whole time, you can just go on back and I can enjoy myself.”

“Hey, now, I didn’t say I want to go back.” Almost absentmindedly, he reaches over and starts playing with her hair. “Just pointing out that someone truly in awe of the natural world could do it anywhere.”

“Have a sense of adventure, Scamander,” Chiara huffs, sitting up and crossing her arms. “There’s more to see out here than at a mouldy old hamlet!” She gestures as a couple shaggy, long-horned cattle that meander by. "See?!"

“Ah, yes, we can see all the cows. I love cows. Very interesting.” A grin spreads across his face, and accompanied with the twinkle in his eyes, it would be obvious to anyone that he’s only trying to rile her. Unfortunately, Chiara has never been one for attentiveness to such things- or emotional regulation, honestly. 

“Cows are brilliant!” 

“Have you seen their expressions? It looks as though they operate on about 2 brain cells.”

Chiara narrows her eyes. “Two more than you have.”

Theseus chuckles. “Alright, alright. You know I’m teasing. I love spending time with you, wherever. Even amongst the livestock.” He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her in so she’s sitting in his lap. He rests his chin on her shoulder as Chiara leans back against his chest. “I’ll admit, it is nice to be just us.”

“Mm.” Chiara sighs. Yes, he might drive her up the wall sometimes, but she truly can’t imagine her life without him. “There’s not just farm animals around, anyhow. Could see… I dunno. Hippogriffs, maybe some Puffskeins, or- a dragon?!”

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up about a dragon-”

“No, look! A dragon!” Chiara gapes.

Overhead, a handful of kilometers away, is, in fact, a dragon. It is positively massive- so big, in fact, that she can still make out what it looks like rather clearly. It has a massive wingspan with orange membranes spreading between long, finger-like segments. It seems to have dark brown or grey scales, but a lighter underbelly. As it flies even closer, close enough that they can almost feel the wind from its wings, she can see what looks like a large, vibrant purple eye. 

Although there is something incredibly unnerving about such a powerful, dangerous predator so close to them… it’s also oddly mesmerising.

“It’s beautiful,” Chiara murmurs.

“It is.”

“What species do you think it is?”

Without missing a beat, Theseus answers. “Hebridean Black. Looks like a female, too. See, she’s got two sets of horns, one curling forward. Males have three, and they all curve back behind the ears.” He squints at the dragon as she flies away. “Her tail is also pointed- a male would have more of a club shape, for defence.”

Chiara stares at him, her jaw hanging open. “How in the hell do you know that? Just off the top of your head?”

“Oh. Er, I dunno.” He runs his fingers through his hair, smiling a bit sheepishly. “I- suppose it’s my brother’s fault. He’s quite passionate about magical creatures. My whole family is, really, but him especially. When we were younger, he used to always talk my ear off about beasts and creature identification…only ever listened to humour him, but I reckon I was paying more attention than I thought.” 

“That’s… unexpectedly sweet.”

“I beg your pardon? I am plenty sweet. All the time!” 

“Of course you are.” 

He presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Yes, well. Perhaps we ought to go back inside, on the off chance she comes back around and spots us… I don’t fancy being dragon food today.”

“...Fine.”

[on-wine-dark-seas]

So what finally convinced you to selfship?

Whew, this might actually net me some disdain, resentment, etc, but...I'm gonna power through this because I have a lot of opinions, and I wanna make it clear why I'm taking on this challenge.

So full disclosure: I don't actually really like Reader fics. It's not that they're not well-written. On the contrary, a majority of them are brilliant, and most of my favorite fics in this fandom are Reader[ish] fic. Now, the reason I don't like this is not because of the second-person perspective. I'm a longtime gamemaster, writing and speaking in second-person doesn't bug me. I've read The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. Second-person can be a rad storytelling element.

What bugs me is the obvious farce of Reader fic.

I know a lot of writers and artists try their best to keep descriptions of the Reader out of their narration, but it almost always manifests and becomes glaringly obvious that the Reader is their OC stripped of name and defining physical characteristics. Even in the art, it's very clear that Y/N is an OC or a generic, skinny, white, feminine body.

Now, here's the issue: I'm a dark skinned Black woman with curly/kinky hair, and I'm not skinny or perceived as delicate [despite my best efforts]. When I see descriptions about my fave supposedly combing their hands through my hair, or my lips being plush and pink, or my CHEEKS TURNING PINK WHEN I BLUSH, I immediately separate myself from the Reader and replace it with what is obviously the writer's OC or self-insert. And there's absolutely no shame in them doing that! I am the CEO of the OC x Canon agenda, and I will always push for people to be fearless in creating OCs.

And so much of the Reader fic is making it painfully obvious that that's what everyone wants to do, and because no one wants to risk losing readers/views/kudos/comments at best, or being labeled the dreaded Mary Sue at worst, we get inundated with a lot of fanfic and fanart that clearly have heavy OC overtones.

I never see myself as the Reader because the writers are never visualizing me when they're writing the Reader. It's not even about the choices Reader makes in a fic, it's the obvious coding of the Reader's appearance, if that makes sense? I'm sure other Black women in fandom can relate.

So, because of this, I can't feel truly immersed in the story as if I'm the protagonist because the Reader is not me.

Does this look like a fragile, delicate, wide-eyed ingenue waiting to be seduced by the big, bad wolf? No. I am a woman of many vibes: I fuck. I fight. I curse. I spit blood and I dance until the sun comes up. I can also be very soft and sweet and affectionate [just ask the polycule], but most importantly: I'm Black as fuck; not just in appearance, but culturally. I come from Nigerian and American parents. I have a very rich cultural background that shapes and influences everything about me. And none of that is ever reflected in the Reader fics I read, and even some of the ones supposedly featuring a Black reader are holding back in significant ways. Yes, even the ones I praise and laud endlessly. Again, it's not about the quality of the writing, it's about the principle at its core.

And how could I ever expect a writer to account for a person like me in their stories? Why would I ever expect them to? Reader fics ring false for me because there's too many unique people out there to settle for generic nondescript details about the literal protagonist. And I have the misfortune of being in a fandom where that is mostly all there is to read. As a result, I have to do some extra mental gymnastics to enjoy reading fic. I would rather be reading about other people's OCs, if we're being honest.

I got tired of reading fic where I still felt like an interloper or outsider in a story that is supposedly about ME. And I decided to take the plunge and write a story that actually features me as the protagonist and love interest. Not the Reader. The Writer. I'm definitely not the first, and I hope I'm not the last. I feel like this is the natural progression for someone who exclusively writes OC x Canon.

On the other side of this, I understand why Reader fic has become so popular in the fandom. It's an easy way for people to get eyes on their work because now the readers feel like they can be invested in the story because the protagonist is them. And for some people, that's enough. But for those of us who are already ostracized, ignored, and even abused in fandom, and treated as Other, this is not always the case. It's not as easy as slipping into a new coat cut exactly to my size, and more like I'm in the writer's closet trying on their clothes and realizing that we're nowhere near the same size for me to be in there at all.

I hope the people who actually rock with me and my writing enjoy The Invitation when I finally release it. It's turning out to be a point of pride for me, and most importantly: the story is about me.