#but this show was such a great reminder of just how special these spaces can be

[tirednotflirting]

saw the maine again and now i feel Normal and Alive. show number 11 was such a special one 💛

[xo-cod]

141 + reader

hc's when you five share the barracks together/just in general <3 (ooc, rushed my bad lmao, can be read platonically/romantically, reader is v close to them!!) kinda long oops 😩 might do a part 2 idk

nsfw version 🩷

there's a whole lot of testosterone and musk in the air when you're sharing living spaces with 4 men ‼️

all four men compete with each other to get your attention, even if it's unknowingly

whole lotta pouting when you're spending time with more man than the other, you're a great companion ;) and the army is lonely. they all need equal love and attention

speaking of, if you're smelling like one of them the other will immediately bundle you in his arms to put his scent on you instead and to cancel out the other (alpha behaviour 😵‍💫)

whole lotta flirting from each of them. they're all very intelligent soldiers, they know exactly what to say to get you going 😙

all of them adore the height difference with you. you get teased about it relentlessly (out of love obvi)

i don't think they're particularly messy men but ghost and gaz are the most cleanest, they like having their things in order and knowing where everything is

price is next because he's slumped with being captain so you'll see a lot of his paperwork around with coffee mugs from pulling all nighters

soap is more organised mess. it might look messy to you but he knows exactly where everything is

you, soap and gaz definitely have rap battles late at night. it starts of quiet but you'll usually hear price shouting at you three from his bedroom to stfu. ghost threatens to pull a grenade if you don't be quiet

assuming you're naturally a good cook, they'd all be so appreciative :") especially on bad days, your cooking reminds each of them of home (or lack of)

face masks! gaz would 100% be down to do them with you, soap would follow next because if gaz is doing it then he too???

ghost would roll his eyes, continuing polishing his guns with a rag "you ain't putting that muck on my face"

price would just look at you, shaking his head "got too much to do, sweetness"

but you're quite the convincer and all four men are on the floor of your bedroom, gossiping about the last mission with their preferred colour of face mask across their faces

assuming you're the only woman, they get very protective when you're hurt. soldiers get hurt from time to time but its different when it's you

"you alright, bonnie?" soap's gentle voice comes through your room as he hands you a warm mug of your fave drink

gaz had you wrapped in a big fluffy blanket, gently stroking your back

"who was it?" ghost's voice is firm, wanting to know who dared injured the youngest member of their team

"already got a handle on 'em" price follows, looking at the computer. whatever enemy dared to raise their hands on wished they'd be six feet under after all four men are done with them

you're the one each man needs when they're having a particularly bad day which are usually far in few between but sometimes it happens

gaz and soap are the types to seek you out, their faces settled in a troubled frown before they place their arms around you. no questions just yet, they just want to feel skin to skin for now. keeping them grounded before they can explain what happened. they're not looking for a fixer, just someone who'll listen

ghost and price are the type to isolate themselves for a while until it's night and then you'll find them gently knocking on your bedroom door and slipping inside, between your covers. their grip is strong, burying their faces deep into your neck whilst trying to wrap his arms as much as he can. these two won't talk much either, just looking to be held and stroked to calm down

ghost and soap are the type to show affection through lingering touches while gaz and price show affections through their words.

but speaking of hugs, each of them have their own special way they like to embrace

ghost thinks he's being slick but you realise just how touchstarved he really is, he gives hugs with his arms around your shoulders bringing you in to his chest. mostly because he's tall and broad but he likes how he can manhandle you from this position and smelling your scent <3

soap's the type to tackle you in a playful hug, maybe a spin to get a laugh out of you before he gently strokes your skin for a few seconds, a gentle kiss to your temple <3

price likes to hug from behind, resting his chin on your head while he looks at what you're doing. depending on you, his big arms are either wrapped on your waist or your shoulders <3

gaz gives side hugs because he likes linking his arm around your hips and he likes how you fit snugly into his body. and this way he can lean his head against yours and can bring you in closer with his other arm <3

all four can immediately smell you before you come in because they adore whatever perfume/spray you have

each of them would absolutely melt into pieces if you joined them/kept them company in what they were doing

and if they catch you in a towel after having a shower, best believe they're quickly walking back around to where they came from to help alleviate the growing... tent in their pants

lowkey kinda pervy 🫣 (never in a harmful way)

each of them have their strong points and would 100% train you in becoming stronger

even if you're a well established soldier, they all worry for your safety

price would teach you sniper techniques, ghost teaches you combat, gaz teaches you how to sharpen your aim and soap teaches you about explosives and how to construct/dismantle each of them

they take the training very seriously with you

a ton of cursing when their fave team loses lmaoo

if you're avid tea drinker, join the gaz/ghost/price club. if you're not, join the hater club with soap <3

ghost/gaz/soap will playfully fight with you, careful not to use their full strength and not to harm you. but it's so cute to them when you're struggling a little under them.

but when price scolds them in doing so, "i'm just helping in case there's an attack!"

if you're arguing against one of them, another will come to your defence. unless you're arguing all four then it's the silent treatment from you 🤭

all four of them melt when you call them by their real name instead of their callsign :")

ghost usually comes to you when his balaclava is broken and he'll keep you company as your fingers work their magic to the fabric, gently leaning against you as you speak to him

price will let you shape up his beard after you begging to do so and he grows to enjoy those tender moments

soap definitely calls for your help to shape up his mohawk, he trusts your hand to eye coordination above anyone elses

ghost will playfully ruffle your hair whenever you both pass each other

price gives you a gentle squeeze on the shoulder

gaz gives you a soft stroke on your arm or back whenever he's passing by

soap will gently tap his head against yours, not too hard to cause pain but just enough to know that he's there

but above all, the barracks you five share is definitely a safe space for each of them the second they come through the door <333

[wordsinhaled]

just musing about how niko was one of edwin's biggest unconditional supporters and gentle guides in his self-discovery of his sexuality, and i think it's so interesting that we still never saw edwin confide in her overtly about his feelings for/attraction to charles, though he easily could have at any time.

before the cat king ever shapeshifts into monty or charles to tempt edwin to realization, niko's there to tell edwin that it's okay for two boys to like each other, to let him know it's okay if he noticed monty when they first met, or if he enjoyed the idea of monty liking him; and she plainly tells him that he's completely allowed to want explicit things with another boy.

they talk about edwin's feelings and desires multiple times - he admits to her he's never kissed anyone, and even that the idea of kissing has become appealing to him. she asks him, does he want to kiss monty? does he want to kiss the cat king? but she never asks him directly, does he want to kiss charles? charles is the elephant in the room of that conversation, so to speak; the only other boy they know, the one she knows edwin is actually closer with than anyone else.

but she doesn't ask edwin about charles.

i think it's actually one way niko shows her love and care for edwin, her perceptive understanding of his boundaries, and her respect for his comfort, that she never pushes him to open up to her about this most vulnerable and newly-developing aspect of his truth—that his feelings are for charles—who is already the most important person in his life, and thus so much more life-alteringly consequential to him. even though she hasn't known edwin a long time she seems to grasp that he needs both the push and the personal space to come to his deepest realizations, even as she opens the door for him to come to them.

(i did consider for a split-second that maybe she never realizes it's charles that edwin's in love with, but i vetoed that thought immediately because... edwin just seems too deeply unsubtle for that to ring true. monty can see he's been passed over for charles. the cat king knows it immediately and asks about their 'special friendship,' and not just because he can literally read edwin's desires. crystal is going through amnesia and an identity crisis, and she still clocks that edwin and charles are like a married couple. so it only makes sense that niko can see it as well.)

plus, niko's got excellent reading comprehension, by her own admission; and she and edwin bond over both being great, astute detectives—getting to the bottom of a case is a love they share. and so i just think it's neat that between niko and edwin, the conversation about charles seems to remain deliberately unspoken even when it could easily become overt.

instead she speaks to edwin about charles in metaphors. she starts their conversation about physical intimacy and romance specifically with drawing edwin's attention to the red and blue starfish. "isn't it romantic? they're in love." they proceed to talk about monty, and about the cat king, but i doubt either she or edwin could fail to notice the color symbolism there. and when edwin tries to get scientific about it, she reminds him, "luckily, love requires no logic." and finally she gives him the red sea glass, for courage. courage to help him come to terms with what—and whom—he really wants, whoever it could be.

and in the end... edwin tells niko, "i did actually tell the boy i like that i like him." this is directly after niko tells edwin she's sorry monty turned out to be an evil spy crow and she and edwin commiserate about how things with monty didn't work out for him. and obviously, it was never the cat king edwin really liked. so, just like that, through process of elimination, edwin can only be talking about charles. and even then, they never say his name. they never have to.

i just think there's something awfully soft about how edwin's feelings for charles are first so deeply ingrained and natural to him as to be something he had to be woken to rather than something that happened to him suddenly. then once he was awake to what he felt and wanted, there's something i find lovely about the deep bond niko has with him, that she understands and honors his need to speak around his feelings for charles while holding space for him to still share them with her in his way. something about how charles is so deeply loved that it is easily understood, that he is there in the conversation without his name ever needing to be spoken.

[reidrum]

castling | s.r.

A/N: another deeply self indulgent hurt comfort angst who’s surprised…i wrote this kinda fast so if it’s messy and cheesy sorry :/

cw: gn!reader (pls lmk if i missed something that doesn’t make it gn), hurt comfort, mentions of depression, ambiguous sadness, trivialization of chess, inaccurate chess jargon?, spencer is a darling

summary: in which reader finds it hard to open up and communicate their feelings with spencer, so he comes up with an idea to help

wc: 1.4k

not proofread sry

reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! <3

_______________________________________________

It started during a game of chess, when Spencer was showing you different special moves.

“It’s called castling, the idea is that you move the king two spaces towards the rook and then switch their places to allow more protection for your king than if it was in the center.”

“Why would you want to move the king towards the outside, that seems counterintuitive.”

“Smart girl, that’s a good question,” he says fondly, “It’s kind of a last ditch effort in a sense, the rook is essentially expendable but the castling moves the king out of the line from key pieces like the other king and queen.”

“So, it’s like a rescue mission.”

He smiles, “Like a rescue mission.”

You smile back and continue with your next move. Spencer watches you in earnest as you deliberate the best plan of attack, even though he knows he’s gonna let you win by the end anyway.

“How was your day today?” He watches your demeanor change quickly, your shoulders sagging slightly and your eyebrows furrowing. He knew the answer, he’s a great observant and even more so when it comes to you.

“It was…fine.”

“Just fine?” he challenges, moving his bishop.

You nod and move your knight. You’re waiting for him to move his next piece when you realize he’s not looking at the board anymore.

Looking up you see hazel eyes staring right back at you, “Sweetheart,”

“Spencer, don’t.”

He sighs, “You know,” he moves his pawn, “this isn't the first time that you’ve had a hard time communicating with me how you feel.”

A deep sigh leaves you now, it had always been a struggle for you to show emotion so openly to those you love, mainly Spencer. You just didn’t want to worry him with the throes of your mind, and while Spencer appreciated the sentiment he reminded you repeatedly that he’s there for you through it all and just really wants you to take advantage of that.

“I just want to help you, angel.” he says softly, “I can’t do that if you don’t let me in. You don’t even have to tell me what’s wrong, just that something is wrong.”

Tears well up in your eyes, “I know Spence. I—It’s just, saying out loud that I’m—whatever—makes it real. A—And then you get so worried and I get more anxious—“

“Hey. It’s my job to worry about you. Because I love you,” he places his hands on yours, “But, I was thinking what if we had a code word or something, just a single word, and you can say it or text me or anything and I’ll know that you’re not feeling well.”

Your face softens at his proposal. The irony you face is that your brain has convinced you healing can be done alone, that if you’re the one who fucked up the road you should be the one to repair it. While you know logically healing is more effective when you have support, it doesn’t make it any easier for you to accept the help you need, that Spencer feels you deserve.

“I think…that’s a good idea.”

“Yeah?” he replies, “Do you want to pick the word?”

You think about it for a few minutes. You don’t want to do a silly word like banana or chicken, you want something that maybe doesn’t sound serious but would still convey the intent of the code word.

“Does castling work?” you offer softly.

Spencer’s face morphs into something you can’t quite decipher, but to him it’s a mix of adoration, love, and pure empathy for you. He’s just so touched by the fact you want to use that word, after just discussing the significance of that move. It’s an honor that you trust him enough to be your protecting rook.

“Yeah, that’s perfect angel.”

You give a small nod, “Check.”

___

You knew he wouldn’t judge you, that’s the whole reason you came up with this system. It felt like an emergency contact, which it was, but in a “How bad is too bad before I call?” type of way.

Laid down in your bed, you stared at the glow of your phone with your messages with Spencer open. Your thumbs hovered over the keyboard, daring you to make a move.

Nothing even really happened today, it was just one of those periods where you were in a funk. The voices that lingered in your brain fed you disguised truths and cynicism, and it was hard to feel afloat with support when you couldn’t even tell what was pulling you down.

It didn’t matter though, your tear stained cheeks and puffy red eyes amongst the disarray of your room which satirically matched the chaos in your mind were proof enough that maybe, you weren’t okay.

In this moment it would be stupidly easy to ignore it all and wallow in your own sorrow—Spencer was away on a case and you didn’t know when he was coming back.

So in a leap of faith, or perhaps a lapse in judgment, your thumbs twiddle a message out and press send.

castling

You toss your phone aside and try to avoid thinking about it. He’s probably busy, they’re on a case so he’s probably drawing out the geographical maps or maybe he’s on a raid or maybe he’s—DING.

Cautiously grabbing your phone, you slide the notification.

I’m on the plane, going to land in about an hour or so. I need to make one stop and then I’ll come straight to you, okay?

You stare through the blurriness of your eyes caused by your tears, the words blending together. Before the guilt of texting him and making him aware of your depressed state sinks in, another text comes through.

I love you. See you soon, angel.

Another choked sob releases from your throat, and you put the phone down before any more emotions try to infiltrate you. At some point you end up falling asleep on the bed, your body curled in on itself from the lack of warmth a nice blanket or Spencer could’ve provided.

You’re only stirred awake when you feel a soothing sensation on your head, long nimble yet intentional fingers sifting through your hair. You attempt to open your eyes through the thin crust it’s formed from crying so much, and you’re squinting for the first few moments of vision before registering the human in front of you.

“Hi honey.” Spencer whispers softly as you come to.

“Spence…when did you…”

“Just a couple minutes ago,” the hand in your hair comes to rest on your jaw, “How are you feeling?”

Tired eyes finally meet his brown ones and find nothing but reassurance and concern.

Oh. You’ve worried him now.

The last string of resolve snaps as your face crumbles in and you mutter out apologies mixed in with sniffles and sobs. Spencer moves from his knelt position in front of you to slide in next to you on the bed. He gingerly gathers you in his arms and tucks you into his side whispering it’s okay and you’re safe and i’m here.

After a few long minutes your breathing evens out. “You came.” you sniffled.

He pulls back to look at you with watered eyes, “You called. I’m so proud of you.”

You mumble under your breath, “I didn’t even do anything.”

Spencer shakes his head and tucks you right back in place, feeling the floppy fringe of his hair tickling your forehead, “I know a version of you that would’ve held it all in by yourself. Thank you for letting me be here for you.”

You turn your head into his chest further, letting the hot tears and snot stain his nice button up. His hands rub trails up and down your back, his head bent down to your ear whispering sweet nothings to you. With Spencer delicately taking your defenses down maybe you can finally admit to yourself that you were just too soft for all of it.

“Where did you have to stop by?” you wonder.

He smiles and readjusts you against his body, “I picked up Thai food,” “And some candy, sour of course. And there may be a Snoopy stuffie as well because it reminded me of you.”

You feel a different weight on your heart, not one that’s constricting but one that’s embracing, comforting. In a life where you’ve rarely felt taken care of, or even being worthy of that care, you know with certainty that Spencer would never let you go a day without knowing how much love and care you deserve.

[smutinlove]

ᴊᴀꜱᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴅᴅ—ɴꜱꜰᴡ ᴀʟᴘʜᴀʙᴇᴛ

—You know what this is. For my fellow Jason Todd lovers, this is for you.

✯A = Aftercare (What they're like after sex)

This man can either be rough or soft. But most of the time, he is rough. But he also loves taking care of you. After sex, he'd run a bath for you or give you a well-deserved massage while whispering something along the lines of, "You did so good, love."

✯B = Body part (His favorite body part of yours)

He is a total thigh man. He loves your thighs. Jason loves seeing you wear short shorts that show off your thighs. He also loves it when you sit down and your thighs quadruple in size. It always gets him in the mood.

✯C = Consent (He's a gentleman)

He will NEVER do anything to you without asking first. Jason would hate to see you hurt, especially if he hurt you. He couldn't live with himself if he were the one that hurt you.

✯D = Dirty secret (Very obvious)

Whenever you're out or not around, he'll raid your closet and masturbate using a piece of your clothing. (He is a major horndog)

✯E = Experience (How experienced is he?)

He's had a few flings and hookups before he died. He's experimented with a few things. (Toys etc..) He's a very experienced person. Jason's a quick learner when it comes to you as well. He knows what you feel uncomfortable and comfortable with.

He's occasionally asked Dick or Bruce for advice as well. (Bruce would probably avoid the question and say he needs to go on patrol or something. But Dick would definitely answer and questions from Jason.)

✯F = Favorite position

Missionary. He loves seeing you squirm and moan beneath him while he fucks you until you can't walk straight. And if he's in an extra special mood (jealous/angry) his hands suddenly find their way to your neck, giving you a rough squeeze and ramming into you like it's his last day on earth.

✯G = Goofy (Is Jason more serious or just goofy?)

It depends on Jason's mood. Sometimes he'll make jokes and tease you. But mostly, he's serious and into the moment. And when he's angry or frustrated, he always feels better when he hears you scream his name and moan.

✯H = Hair (Does the carpet match the drapes?)

Jason keeps himself neat. He occasionally has a bit of facial stubble. And he may or may not have a bush down there. But if you want him to shave, he will. He's good like that.

✯I = Intimacy (How is he during the moment? Romantic aspect)

I feel like Jason would get a bit uncomfortable when he feels vulnerable. But during sex, he's definitely more rough and does his best to ask how you are.

Jason struggles with showing his emotions and expressing his feelings, but it's something he's working on.

But when you're not having sex, he knows you. Jason is great at reading your feelings. He knows what you want and don't want. He will always want to make you happy and remind you that you're loved.

✯J = Jacking off

(Mentioned in dirty secrets) He really only does it when you're not around. Most of the time, you are the number one thing on Jason's mind, causing him to get hard and have to do something about it.

✯K = Kinks

Size kink - He has a major size kink. He's around 6 feet and he loves the feeling of being bigger than you. He loves towering over you and randomly picking you up, feeling your figure against his chest.

Choking - After he was thrown into the lazarus pit, his grew. A lot. He became stronger as well. He loves the feeling of having control over you. The way you squirm under his grasp makes him feel powerful.

Orgasm denial - He loves to see you beg. Jason wants you begging for even the slightest bit of release. It makes him

✯L = Location (Fav place)

He isn't picky. He will bend you over a sink at your local Arby's if it meant he could fuck you. But Jason loves fucking you in the shower. Him seeing you squirming and moaning under him as he fucks you in a tight secluded space does something to him in so many ways.

✯ M = Motivation (What turns him on)

Jealousy. He absolutely hates it when you talk to other men. He's very possessive over you. The idea of you even taking a small liking to ANYONE pisses him off.

Arguing/bickering. This man loves chaos. It's his natural home. And whenever you two fight, it gets him hard. And that leads to angry makeup sex.

✯N = No (Turns offs)

Gun/knife play - NEVER. He would hate to put you under that kind of thing. Jason would never dream of hurting you. And he grew up in one of Gotham's crime alleys. He knows all the disgusting things that happen.

Threesomes are a no. He hates sharing, especially when it comes to you. The slightest thought of it angers him. He also does not want anyone else to look at you.

✯O = Oral (Preferences in giving receiving, skill, etc..)

This man knows how to eat pussy. He'd eat you out like it's his last meal. He's good at it. He knows what makes you scream. But Jason also doesn't mind being given head. He teases you, calling you a "good girl" and he praises you when you swallow his come.

✯P = Pace (is he fast and rough? slow and gentle?)

It'd depend on his mode really. But he likes to fuck you hard, but he knows how much you can take. He'll definitely hold your hand. And later on, he'll run you a bath and take care of you.

✯Q = Quickie (his opinion, how often etc..)

He'll never say no to a quickie if you two are down bad. But Jason prefers to take his time with you. He wants you screaming and begging for release. He just loves to tease and make fun of you.

✯R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He's not much of a risk-taker. (He def can't be an entrepreneur.) If you want him to try something new, you'd have to beg. And it would take a long time for him to actually warm up to it. He'd be okay to use restraints if it's okay with you. But he would never put himself in a submissive position.

✯S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go? how long?)

It would depend on his mood, really. He could definitely go for a round or two if it's just casual sex. But if he's angry or jealous? You will not be able to walk for a few days minimum.

✯T = Toy (do they own toys? do they use them? do they use them on their partner?)

Jason would NEVER use them on himself. He hates feeling submissive and losing control. But on you? Definitely. I feel like he would definitely use handcuffs on you just to stop you from moving your hands so much when he's devouring your cunt.

✯U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Jason motherfucking Todd is the biggest tease ever. He will touch you everywhere but where you want him too. He wants you begging for him. Jason wants you screaming his name, begging him to touch you where you want him too.

✯V = Volume (how loud they are, etc...)

Jason isn't really loud. You'll hear an occasional grunt or low moan coming from him. But he will definitely pull your hair and give you an occasional reminder that HE is the one pounding into you.

✯W = Wild card (random headcanon for character)

Jason wants to dominate you. Period.

✯X = X-ray (what's happening under those clothes?)

his cock is def 8-9 inches. no explanation needed.

✯Y = Yearning (sex drive)

Jason definitely has a high sex drive. He would definitely fuck you all day.

✯Z = Zzz (sleep)

He doesn't fall asleep until you do. He wants to make you feel comfortable and protected. He's a gentleman (most of the time) frr.

»»————<3———-««

im def going back into my jason todd phase. maybe i'll do one for dick and bruce. <3

anyway this took so long to write and im tired. VERY TIRED. maybe jason can tuck me into bed and give me a kiss?

[cherrifire]

Please share your thoughts on the other 5 cutie marks, I'd love to hear!

Hi everypony! I got like 20 asks for the Dogwarts cutie mark lore so I'm here to speak my truth!

Before we start, I would like to write a quick reminder that a pony's cutie mark is not always their "special talent", but can also represent who they are, their personalities, and a possible destiny. Different cutie marks have different meanings and interpretations, but they're not just about representing what you're good at.

That being said, let's start with the cutie mark design I'm proudest of!

Ren's Cutie Mark

Ren's cutie mark is of a sunrise and looks pretty simple at first glance but there was a lot of thought that went into this one.

First of all, I bet you're wondering why a sunrise? Well, in the show, it is pretty typical for unicorns with great magical abilities to have one relating to space (examples being Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and Sunburst). And I figured since I wanted Ren to fall into a similar position of potentially becoming an alicorn, I gave him a cutie mark following the same trend. And I chose a sunrise to reflect the way Ren seems to glow when he enters a room. The way he carries himself is very warm and bright it just catches your eye in a similar way the sun would.

Also, Ren wears sunglasses. So a sun-themed cutie mark seemed appropriate.

Additionally, there are a couple of smaller details I want to point out too. Like the sun rays, if you look at them for a moment you'll see they're shaped like little crowns! I of course had to put a crown in thanks to how much Ren likes to play royalty, so I snuck it in there. And then the red spots underneath could both be interpreted as the sun reflected over water or blood. (But of course, this is a kid show AU so there wouldn't be any blood in Ren's destiny, just a fun reference to the red king and his whole thing about blood dyeing the snow red)

Martyn's Cutie Mark

I explained this one in an earlier ask but I thought I'd explain it again here for anyone who didn't see it!

Martyn's cutie mark is of a chopped log and a small stick.

This one is mostly a play on the name "Littlewood" but has other meanings too. As a character, Martyn tends to travel and explore quite a bit. In the Life Series specifically, he is usually the last one to find a permanent base and even then doesn't spend a lot of time in one place. Always on the move. Additionally, he's more of a wild card compared to other characters, always trying to be as unpredictable as possible.

The smaller detail here is the little swirl on top of the log is the same as the one on his Minecraft skin's shirt.

BigB's Cutie Mark

Cookies! Cookies! Cookies! BigB's cutie mark is of 3 cookies where one is trying to eat the others. There are also a few sprinkles there made to look like action lines.

We all know BigB loves cookies so of course I had to give him a cutie mark with cookies in it. For this one, I decided to follow the cutie mark trend of "symbol/item important to the pony duplicated 3 times" (examples being Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie) but I added a bit more creativity to it with the top on trying to eat the others to represent just how tasty they are 😋

Additionally, rather than the first cookie trying to eat the others, you could interpret it as opening its mouth to talk. Because BigB can not keep a secret to save his life! In Double Life when he started "secret soulmates" with Grian, he didn't last a day without opening his mouth. He told Ren about it immediately because he felt bad for keeping things from him.

Also worth quickly mentioning: People pointed out in my original post that they don't think BigB would be the element of honesty because of his behaviour in Secret Life. But that's just Secret Life. I think Secret Life to BigB was like that episode of My Little Pony where Discord makes the main 6 act the opposite of their true element. BigB was just going through a weird phase of telling very obvious lies because a book told him to.

Skizz's Cutie Mark

Skizz's cutie mark is of a lightning bolt from a couple storm clouds hitting the ground.

I think this is the cutie mark with the least thought put into it, unfortunately. There was still though just not as much as the others. The big thing I thought was fun was I made the lightning bolt shaped like an "S" to stand for Skizzleman. But other than that, this cutie mark sort of has the same meaning as Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. Quick like lightning, loud, bold, dangerous, and powerful.

Impulse's Cutie Mark

Impulse's cutie mark is of a lit-up lightbulb.

I absolutely crowded this cutie mark with the letter i. If you look closely, there are 6 of them. Impulse's design also has an i-shaped pattern on the belly if you look closely enough. But that's more of a fun easter egg and doesn't exactly reflect Impulse as a character.

There are a couple of reasons I chose a lightbulb for Impulse, the first and probably most obvious is that he's a redstone guy! He's a technical guy who likes to work smarter, not harder. So I figured the My Little Pony equivalent would be a light bulb/electricity. The second reason for the lightbulb is that it's usually used as a visual representation when characters have that "eureka!" moment in cartoons. When someone has a brilliant idea a little lightbulb turns on above their head. So since Impulse is the ideas guy, I figured a lightbulb would work for his cutie mark.

Etho's Cutie Mark

Etho's cutie mark is of a snowflake with a missing branch.

I promise there is more to this cutie mark than just "Canada is cold" even if that's part of the reason I wanted to give him a winter-themed cutie mark. While it is fun to make a nod to Etho being Canadian, I thought a winter-themed cutie mark would be fun to represent how he sometimes presents himself. Cold and a bit mysterious. I think deep down once you get to know him, those attributes melt away, but for people who have never met him, he may be intimidating that way.

I'll be honest, I don't watch a lot of Etho content, but I do have a few friends who identify as Etho girlies so I did my research. I was told in his Minecraft Let's Play World, that he has a snowflake build somewhere. I believe they said it was an iron golem farm? (Please correct me if I'm wrong) but I thought that was perfect for the cutie mark. And if you're wondering why there's a branch missing, it's because one of my friends said he was incapable of finishing builds sometimes so I thought that would be fun to include.

-=+=-

Alright. Rant over. To celebrate, here are a few pony doodles so I can put this post in my art tag.

[yourmomsawh0r3]

Happy Birthday

pairing: javier pena x f! wife reader

summary: with all the birthday celebrations, javier shows her how much she truly means to their family.

PSA: in honor of today being my birthday, you just know i had to write a special story.

Javier Peña woke up early, quietly slipping out of bed to avoid waking his wife, Y/N. Their newborn son, Mateo, was already stirring in his crib, so Javier picked him up, whispering soft words to calm him. Down the hall, their three daughters Sophia, Maria, and Elena were already awake and bustling with excitement. It was Y/N’s birthday, and they had big plans.

“Shh, girls. We have to be quiet,” Javier reminded them with a smile.

The girls nodded eagerly, trying their best to stifle their giggles. Sophia, the oldest at ten, took charge of the kitchen, directing her sisters in making breakfast. Maria, eight, carefully measured out ingredients for pancakes, while Elena, five, watched the stove with intense concentration. Javier juggled Mateo on his hip, helping where he could and ensuring the chaos remained somewhat controlled.

“Sophia, remember to flip the pancakes when they start to bubble,” Javier instructed, his voice gentle but firm.

“Got it, Papá,” Sophia replied, her face scrunched up in concentration as she carefully poured batter onto the griddle.

Maria meticulously arranged the bacon on a baking sheet, making sure each strip was perfectly spaced. “Do you think mamá will like this?” she asked, her voice tinged with a bit of anxiety.

“She’ll love it, sweetheart. She’ll love everything,” Javier reassured her, kissing the top of her head.

Elena, standing on her tiptoes, tried to scramble the eggs with a big wooden spoon. “Papá, can you help me? My arms are too little,” she said with a pout.

“Of course, mi amor,” Javier said, chuckling as he set Mateo down in his bouncer. He stood behind Elena, guiding her hands as they stirred the eggs together. “You’re doing a great job.”

An hour later, with a tray laden with pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and freshly squeezed orange juice, they tiptoed back into the bedroom. Y/N stirred as they entered, her eyes fluttering open to see her entire family gathered around the bed, grinning widely.

“Happy birthday, mamá!” they chorused.

Y/N’s face lit up with joy as she sat up, taking Mateo from Javier’s arms. “Thank you, my loves. This is perfect.”

Sophia carefully placed the tray on her lap, beaming with pride. “We made it all ourselves, mamá! Well, Papá helped a little.”

Y/N laughed softly, her eyes sparkling. “It’s wonderful. You all did such a great job.”

They spent a leisurely morning together, enjoying the breakfast and each other’s company. The girls shared their plans for the day with bubbling excitement, their voices overlapping as they each tried to outdo the other in enthusiasm. Afterward, Y/N had a few errands to run, so Javier saw her off with a kiss and a promise that they’d make her day special.

As soon as she left, Javier rallied the kids. “Alright, team. We’ve got a lot to do!”

They sprang into action, decorating the house with streamers, balloons, and handmade birthday banners. Sophia and Maria took charge of the decorations, climbing onto chairs to hang up the colorful streamers and carefully placing balloons around the living room. Elena was in charge of handing out the decorations, her tiny hands busy as she delivered supplies to her older sisters.

“More balloons over here, Maria!” Sophia called out, pointing to a corner of the room.

“Got it!” Maria replied, rushing over with a handful of balloons.

Javier supervised the activity, making sure everything went smoothly. He glanced at Mateo, who was happily kicking his legs in his bouncer, cooing at the flurry of activity around him.

“You’re being such a good boy, Mateo,” Javier said, bending down to kiss his son’s forehead.

In the afternoon, Chucho arrived, bringing his warmth and laughter. He hugged each of his grandchildren, lifting Elena up into the air and making her squeal with delight. Y/N’s parents followed shortly after, their arms full of presents and their hearts full of love. Together, they set up the dining room, transforming it into a festive celebration space.

By the time Y/N returned, the house was a burst of color and joy. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stepped inside. “Oh my goodness, this is incredible!”

Javier greeted her with a warm embrace. “We wanted to make sure your day was as special as you are.”

Y/N’s eyes welled up with tears. “You all did this for me? It’s beautiful.”

Dinner was a labor of love, with Javier at the helm. He prepared her favorite dishes, the aromas of roasted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and fresh vegetables filling the house. The family gathered around the table, sharing stories and laughter. The kids were bubbling with excitement, barely able to contain their secret.

“Papá, can we tell her now?” Sophia whispered, bouncing in her seat.

“Not yet, mija. After dinner,” Javier replied, a twinkle in his eye.

Finally, after the meal and a delicious slice of cake, it was time for gifts. Chucho and Y/N’s parents presented her with thoughtful presents, each one met with heartfelt thanks and hugs. Then, it was Javier and the kids’ turn.

Sophia, Maria, Elena, and Mateo all gathered around, holding a large, wrapped package. Javier guided it to Y/N, who looked at them with curiosity.

“Open it, mamá,” Sophia urged.

Y/N carefully unwrapped the gift, revealing a stunning painting. It was a family portrait, beautifully detailed and capturing a moment of pure happiness. Javier had worked with a local artist for months to get it just right.

Tears welled up in Y/N’s eyes as she looked at the painting, then at her family. “This is… this is the most beautiful gift. Thank you all so much.”

Javier pulled her into a tight hug, his voice soft with emotion. “We wanted you to have something that shows how much we love you, and how grateful we are for everything you do.”

The kids joined the hug, wrapping their small arms around their parents. Y/N’s tears were ones of joy and overwhelming love, feeling blessed beyond measure.

That night, after tucking the kids into bed and saying goodnight to their guests, Javier and Y/N retreated to their bedroom. Javier locked the door behind them, his eyes dark with desire as he looked at his wife.

“You made today so special,” Y/N said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thank you.”

Javier’s hands slid down to her waist, pulling her close. “You deserve it, mi amor. And I want to make tonight special too.”

He leaned in, capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. Y/N responded eagerly, her fingers tangling in his hair as she pressed herself against him. Javier’s hands roamed over her body, caressing her curves and making her shiver with anticipation.

With a gentle push, he guided her back against the bedroom door, his lips trailing down her neck. Y/N gasped as he nipped at her sensitive skin, her body arching into his touch.

“Javi,” she breathed, her voice trembling with need.

He dropped to his knees before her, his hands sliding up her thighs as he pushed up her dress. Y/N’s breath hitched as he kissed his way along her inner thighs, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine.

“Javi, please,” she whispered, her fingers gripping the door behind her for support.

Javier looked up at her, his eyes filled with love and lust. “Anything for you, mi amor.”

He buried his face between her legs, his tongue finding her most sensitive spot through the thin fabric of her underwear. The sheer fabric clung to her wetness, enhancing every flick and caress of his tongue. Y/N’s legs trembled, her back pressing harder against the door as she tried to steady herself.

The sensation was exquisite, the friction of the fabric against her swollen clit driving her wild. Javier’s tongue moved with deliberate slowness, tracing circles and flicks that had Y/N’s breath coming in ragged gasps. He wrapped his hands around her thighs, holding her steady as he intensified his movements, his eyes never leaving her face.

“Javi, oh God,” Y/N moaned, her hands sliding into his hair, holding him close.

Her hips began to move, seeking more of the delicious pressure. Javier responded by pressing his tongue harder against her, his hands gripping her hips to guide her rhythm. The combination of his expert touch and the added sensation of the fabric was driving her closer and closer to the edge.

“Please, Papi, don’t stop,” she begged, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Javier’s response was a deep, guttural groan that vibrated through her core. He could feel her getting closer, her body trembling with the building intensity. He redoubled his efforts, his tongue moving faster, more insistent, until he felt her body tense, the telltale signs of her impending climax.

With a final, expertly placed flick of his tongue, Y/N shattered. Her orgasm crashed over her in waves, her cries of pleasure echoing in the room. Javier held her through it, his tongue still teasing her through the fabric as she rode out the aftershocks.

When she finally opened her eyes, she found Javier standing before her, his eyes dark with desire. He scooped her up into his arms, carrying her to the bed and laying her down gently.

“I love you, Y/N,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

“I love you too, baby ,” she replied, her eyes shining with love.

He joined her on the bed, their bodies entwined as they made sweet, passionate love. Javier’s touch was tender, his hands exploring every inch of her skin as if memorizing her all over again. He kissed her deeply, their tongues dancing together, creating a symphony of desire and love.

Javier’s hands roamed down her body, slipping under the hem of her dress to slide it off her. She shivered at the sensation of his calloused fingers against her soft skin, her breath hitching in anticipation. He paused to admire her, his eyes drinking in her beauty.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”

Y/N blushed, her heart swelling with love. “I’m yours, Javi. Always.”

He kissed her again, more urgently this time, his desire for her palpable. She felt his hardness pressing against her thigh, and a surge of heat pooled in her core. She reached down, tugging at his shirt, eager to feel his skin against hers. Javier quickly obliged, pulling off his shirt and tossing it aside.

Their bodies pressed together, skin to skin, the heat between them rising. Javier’s hands slid down to her hips, pulling her underwear down and discarding them. He moved to position himself over her, his erection pressing insistently against her entrance.

“Are you ready, mi amor?” he whispered, his voice strained with need.

“Yes, Javi. I need you,” she replied, her voice trembling with anticipation.

With a slow, steady push, Javier entered her, filling her completely. They both moaned at the sensation, the connection between them electric. Javier began to move, his thrusts slow and deep, savoring every moment.

“Javi,” Y/N moaned, her hands gripping his shoulders as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

He responded by increasing his pace, his thrusts becoming harder and more urgent. Y/N’s breath came in short gasps, her body arching to meet his every movement. The pleasure was overwhelming, building with each thrust.

“Javi, please,” she begged, her voice breaking with need. “I need more.”

Javier’s eyes darkened with desire. He shifted his angle slightly, his thrusts hitting deeper, harder. Y/N cried out in pleasure, her nails digging into his back as she clung to him.

“Yes, Papi, just like that,” she gasped, her body trembling with the intensity of their lovemaking.

Javier leaned down, capturing her lips in a searing kiss as he pounded into her with a relentless rhythm. She felt her climax building again, the pressure mounting with every thrust. Her moans grew louder, her body shaking with the intensity of her impending release.

“Cum for me, Y/N,” Javier urged, his voice rough with need. “I want to feel you cum around me.”

His words sent her over the edge. She cried out his name, her body convulsing as her orgasm ripped through her. Javier groaned, feeling her tighten around him, pushing him closer to his own release.

“Javi, please, give me another baby,” she begged, her voice raw with desire. “I want you to cum in me.”

Javier’s eyes widened with a mixture of shock and desire. Her words pushed him over the edge, and with a final, powerful thrust, he came, spilling himself deep inside her. His hand came up to cover her mouth as she screamed his name, his voice a low growl. “Quiet, mi amor. The kids are sleeping.”

She nodded, her eyes glazed with pleasure as she bit her lip, trying to stifle her cries. Javier kissed her deeply, their bodies still joined as they rode out the aftershocks of their intense lovemaking.

When they finally stilled, Javier rolled to the side, pulling her close. Their bodies were slick with sweat, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

“I love you so much, Y/N,” Javier whispered, his voice filled with emotion.

“I love you too, Javi,” she replied, her heart swelling with love and contentment.

They lay there, wrapped in each other’s arms, savoring the quiet moments of intimacy. This truly was the best birthday ever.

[dreamscapeee222]

Marriage Headcannons

Jungkook x reader

Masterlist

Jungkook couldn’t wait. He’d been holding onto the ring for weeks, planning the “perfect” proposal, but one lazy evening at home, you made him laugh so hard he thought, why not now? He pulls you into his lap, his heartbeat so loud you can feel it, and blurts out, “Marry me.” When you think he’s joking, he grabs the ring from his pocket and adds, “I don’t need fancy. I just need you.” The simplicity of it, paired with the way he looks at you, makes the moment unforgettable.

He wants it to feel like you two. Nothing over-the-top—just an intimate gathering with friends, family, and a lot of laughter. He insists on writing his own vows, and when he reads them, there’s not a dry eye in the room. “I’m not just marrying my love,” he says, voice trembling with emotion, “I’m marrying my best friend.” When the reception starts, he’s the life of the party, dragging you to the dance floor and making sure the night is filled with joy.

Jungkook’s the kind of husband who makes everyday moments feel special. He randomly hugs you from behind while you’re brushing your teeth, kisses your forehead when he passes by, and sneaks little notes in your bag. Your nights often end with the two of you sprawled on the couch, his head in your lap as you play with his hair. He says things like, “This is my favorite part of the day,” and means it every single time.

Arguments with Jungkook are rare but intense—he feels everything deeply. He’s not great at hiding his emotions, so if he’s upset, you know. But he can’t stand being at odds with you for long. After some space to cool down, he always comes back with those wide, puppy-dog eyes and a quiet, “I was wrong. Can we fix this?” He makes up for it with cuddles so tight you can’t help but forgive him.

Jungkook treats anniversaries like personal holidays. He starts planning weeks in advance, whether it’s a surprise getaway, recreating your first date, or making an elaborate video of your favorite memories. He always writes you a letter, too—filled with his deepest thoughts and reminders of how much you mean to him. “I don’t want to ever forget how lucky I am,” he tells you every year.

Physical affection is his love language, and it shows. If you’re in the same room, Jungkook will find a way to touch you—holding your hand, resting his head on your shoulder, or even just hooking his pinky around yours. He’s also obsessed with giving you forehead kisses. “It’s like I’m recharging my heart,” he jokes with a sheepish smile.

Jungkook dreams big but loves the idea of keeping life simple with you. A cozy house, a couple of dogs, and weekend road trips are his version of bliss. He often talks about your future with an excited glint in his eye. “Imagine us, like, fifty years from now,” he says one night. “Still eating ramen at 2 a.m. but with grey hair.”

You’ll catch Jungkook at his softest during late-night talks. He lies on his back, staring at the ceiling while spilling his deepest thoughts. “Do you think we’re doing life right?” he asks one night, his hand reaching for yours. These moments are raw and vulnerable, and they always leave you feeling closer than ever.

Your life with Jungkook feels like a series of snapshots strung together—simple yet extraordinary, tender yet filled with so much laughter. He makes love feel easy, like coming home to your favorite song on repeat.

Requests may be sent through the ask box. Only SFW.

[advisorykitty]

Idk if I asked this already but can you do Randal x extremely nice/pushover! reader headcanons

Randal X Pushover Reader

Headcannons!!

You were Randal’s only friend, drawn to his strange but lonely vibe. You started dating because you were too nice to say no.

You agree to everything Randal wants, even his weird hobbies like collecting creepy dolls or exploring abandoned places and playing video games.

Randal will casually say things like “You’re mine forever,” but he says it with a weirdly sweet (yet unsettling) smile.

Unlike everyone else, Randal never tries to scare you. Instead, he just creepily watches you until you notice him. Something like "Oh hey! about time you notice me~"

If someone is rude to you, Randal will offer to make them “disappear,” though you always decline with a nervous laugh.

He gifts you a doll that looks eerily like you. You accept it even though it makes you uncomfortable.

Randal has no concept of personal space. He’ll randomly appear while you’re brushing your teeth or reading, just wanting your attention.

You can’t say no to Randal’s odd requests, like exploring creepy buildings or helping him name his dolls. Sometimes even straight up trespassing .

Randal constantly reminds others that “she’s mine,” in a way that makes people unsure if he’s joking.

Probably explains why no-one longer talks to you in class

Which is great for him since you have more time to spend together!

Sebastian thinks you’re too nice for your own good and encourages you to stand up for yourself, but you never do.

Luther offers you vague, slightly creepy advice like “You can always leave if he gets too much,” which leaves you unsure if you should laugh or worry.

And you find yourself contemplating what facial expressions to make when he says something (like is he trying to be funny or serious?)

Nyen teases you about putting up with Randal, while Nyon avoids being around when the two of you are together, clearly uncomfortable.

You’ll sit through hours of some wierd anime or eat Randal’s questionable cooking, just because you don’t want to hurt his feelings.

Onetime he tried making shitake soup probably saw it in an anime

He used poisonous mushrooms that he found, and you were sick for a week

If you’re stressed, Randal insists, “I’ll handle it, don’t worry,” though you’re never entirely sure what that means.

Another time while you were at school and unbeknownst to you had been getting bullied.

The next day the bullies magically didn't show up to class. Who could of thought 🙀🙀

MINI-INTERVIEWS!!

Nyen: "She’s soft, too soft. I don’t get why she sticks around Randal like that. He’s weird, but she’s worse for putting up with it. If it were me? I’d leave. No one’s worth that much patience. Maybe she likes being treated like one of his dolls. I don’t care. She’s just... there. Nothing special." Shrugs."Whatever." Nyen doesn't really care for you. As long as you stay out his way, he'll stay out of yours. However, he is interested in seeing what it takes to break your facade.

Luther:

"Sie ist... nett. Too nice. I’ve told her—several times—that she can leave Randal whenever she wants, but she stays. Warum? No idea." He shrugs slightly, voice monotone. "Maybe she likes suffering. Patience like hers is rare but fragil. We’ll see how long it lasts. But she’s... not terrible. Just... too kind." Luther enjoys your company. If he can even enjoy it, you're helpful and don't complain?? 5 stars already. He's still confused about how patient you, but humans like your are his favourite!

Randal:

"She’s mine, forever. No take-backs. I love how she never says no, like she’s meant for me. She’s kind of like a doll, you know? Only real, and much better. I won’t let her leave. She’s perfect the way she is, even if she doesn’t know it yet." Loves you alot, maybe to much. You spend majority of your time with him and he makes sure of that! Not like you can say no anyway.

Sebastian:

"She's uh.. okay?? I don't know how she has so much patients with Randal though... atleast it keeps thing off me for a while when she's around."

Similarly to Nyen, he doesn't care much for you, but he is thankful that you keep the heat of him when Randal is busy talking to you.

Nyon:

"She's..... nice.. too nice. Strange, too, not like Randal. Good. Strange.." He's not much of an extrovert, but he does see you as somewhat extraordinary. It's not often you meet someone who isn't cynical. However, he does sometimes feel bad for you when you have to endure Randal daily; you don't see him much, so you can't exactly regulate an opinion.

[canmom]

How do you live?

I (finally!) saw Miyazaki's new film 君たちはどう生きるか (How Do You Live?/The Boy and the Heron)! It's been out in the States for a while, and in Japan considerably longer, but it took a while to make its way over here.

I remember at the time it came out, people were having fun riffing on the incredibly cryptic marketing campaign, which consisted only of this rather abstract poster...

In the spirit of this, I resolutely avoided watching any trailers or knowing anything at all about the plot of the film. I picked up a thing or two here and there - I knew to expect some amazing Shinya Ohira animation for example, and you couldn't really avoid seeing the bird with teeth! - but overall, I had no idea.

There's plenty of great writing about this film in English already, such as kvin's fantastic sakugablog piece which discusses the physicality of Ghibli's animation, its weight and springiness, as a throughline. The stuff that kvin talks about really stood out to me as I watched this film. You can likewise read detailed interviews with Toshiyuki Inoue (fantastic interview for sakubutas) and Akihiko Yamashita on fufuro.

First up, the credits of this film are pretty much a who's who of the greatest jp animators of the last 30 years, and they've had some 7 years to cook it, so naturally this film looks fucking amazing. This is absolutely the kind of film that only Miyazaki could direct - its design language feels so familiar and yet it's iterating in all kinds of visually imaginative directions that show that yeah, the old bastard's still got it.

And like, god, man. This film's animation is really something special. Its real-world scenes in particular are full of shots that require an unbelievably strong sense of space, of both subtle and broad acting, the classic Ghibli attention to detail on mechanical objects and everyday tasks. It's full of bouncing and squishing and squeezing and oozing things. It loves to draw crowds and swarms of people and animals. It's the kind of film where any given shot would be the absolute star-of-the-show sakuga moment in just about any other anime film. If you wanted a complete statement of the Ghibli school of animation, it would be hard to do better.

And yet, for all that Miyazaki's known for his tight control over animation and heavy corrections to animators, in this film he had to step back from that kind of role and hand over the sousakkan reins to Takeshi Honda, who steps up admirably - as kvin writes above, bringing in more realist elements to the bouncy Miyazaki style to create a really effective unity that grounds all the big fantastical elements of the film and fills the first act with tension.

Alongside all that excellent key animation, the film's colour and photography departments evidently understand that well-chosen colours and good highlight shapes beat all the digital gradients and overlays you can imagine - the drawings get plenty of form from the strength of the animation, and the flat shading really pops. The backgrounds are as delicious as ever, skyscapes and vegetation and opulent interiors with the just-slightly desaturated and harmonious colours that just kind of remind you that oh yeah, it is still possible to do it this way.

Basically it's a Ghibli film lol. You know how it is.

But what of the story...? What's all this technical magic in service of?

The film's story has something of the feel of a serial story, perhaps reflecting Miyazaki's (in)famous process of working out the film gradually as he draws the storyboards. Certain ideas, like the parakeet empire, arrive in the film rather suddenly and then become fairly central to the plot. There's a clear emotional throughline, but this is not a film that is in a hurry to explain itself more than it absolutely has to. It wants to keep its magical elements numinous and mysterious. I would say, though, it's generally more satisfying in this approach than some of Miyazaki's other later films like Howl's Moving Castle, and resolves a lot more clearly.

So what is it like, About? Well, Miyazaki has been pretty open about channeling a lot of his personal relationships into the film, and a lot of it seems to reflect more or less obliquely on him. It's what they call a 'personal film'. The protagonist's position as the son of an aeroplane factory owner during WWII is straight-up from life. What about the old sorcerer, haphazardly stacking blocks to keep a world alive, and looking for someone to succeed him? The reading's kinda obvious, even if Miya himself says this guy is based on his memory of Takahata. Well, he can be both...

To say more I'm gonna have to delve into the spoiler zone. See you below the cut.

OK so! Let's try and get some thoughts in order.

first, a plot summary type of thing

Our first act introduces us to Mahito at roughly the moment his mother Hisako dies in a hospital fire. This is midway through the war, which is present mostly in the background - now and then we see soldiers marching around, and of course Mahito's dad runs a factory producing warplane parts, not entirely unlike Miyazaki's own father although seemingly a bit higher up the ladder.

We jump forward a little and Mahito's father remarries - to his deceased wife's sister, no less, and she's already pregnant. This is Natsuko, who does her best to play the role of mother, but Mahito still has big traumas and he is understandably not entirely on board with the idea of welcoming a mum 2 who looks almost exactly like mum 1. He moves with Natsuko into a huge old house complex, a mix of older Japanese architecture with a more recent Western wing where the family currently sleeps - and staffed by a small army of colourful old ladies who are eager for any canned meat or cigarettes they can get their hands on.

Also there's this freaky heron that keeps bothering Mahito. It seems to have something to do with a mysterious tower which turns out to have been built by his great-uncle. Mahito visits the tower, but can't make his way inside. Natsuko tells him not to go into the tower.

Mahito goes to school, but naturally they don't much take to the new rich kid on the block, and so after being attacked by his classmates on his way home he injures himself with a rock. (His dumbass dad is like, who did this to you son, I'll fuck 'em up.) For the rest of the movie, he has half his head shaved to accomodate a bandage, which is the sort of attention to detail this movie loves.

The heron has started growing teeth and talking to Mahito, telling him to come to the tower. Mahito is convinced it's a trap, and after a maybe-dream sequence in which Natsuko shoots an arrow to drive off the heron, he steals cigarettes from Natsuko in order to get one of the servants to sharpen his knife, and then constructs a bow and arrow out of bamboo - using a couple of the heron's feathers. Constructing the bow and arrow is shown in immense, loving detail.

In the process, he witnesses Natsuko walk into the forest, and also stumbles on a book: How Do You Live? by Genzaburō Yoshino, which contains a handwritten message from his mother. He looks at this book briefly... and this is about the extent of the connection of the film to the book, beyond thematic parallels.

The maids notice that Natsuko is missing. Mahito tells one of the maids, Kiriko, that he saw her go into the forest, and they follow, finding an old road that gives another approach to the tower. They're greated by the heron man, who is increasingly emerging from the heron's beak to reveal a big warty nose. He's some kind of like... heron selkie or something, a gnome in a heron skin. There's some wonderfully grotesque animation around this guy.

Heron dude taunts Mahito with an illusion of his mother Hisako. Mahito threatens him with the bow - the heron guy is like, do your worst, not realising it's a maaagic arrow. The arrow chases him around the room and pierces his beak, fucking up his magic. At this point, the tower master shows up and orders the heron to guide Mahito. Heron guy sends everyone through the floor into a fantastical world...

Mahito arrives in front of a huge, sinister tomb. He approaches the gate, and a swarm of pelicans walk up behind, crawling all over him and pressing him through the gate. This causes a storm to start brewing, since opening the gate seems to piss off the stones or something...

A fisher woman resembling a much younger Kiriko runs up and chases the pelicans away. She takes Mahito under her wing, explaining that this world is inhabited mostly by dead people, but there are also these little round guys called the wareware, who gain the ability to fly when they eat a fish's guts.

Kiriko, uniquely in this world, has the ability to kill, so she catches fish to sell to the other inhabitants and feed to the wareware; she and Mahito butcher a huge fish. Mahito fairly quickly figures out that she is somehow the same Kiriko that entered with him. She has tiny charms representing the other maids, which serve an apotropaic function.

That night, staying on Kiriko's huge derelict ship of a home, they watch the wareware rise into the sky to be born as humans in Mahito's world. They're attacked by the pelicans, but a fire-wielding magic user called Hisa (hmmmmmmmmmm) drives the pelicans away. Mahito shouts at her not to harm the wareware, but Kiriko assures him that more of the wareware will survive thanks to Hisa's intervention.

Later, a singed and dying pelican explains the pelicans' predicament to Mahito in a scene that calls to mind the animals in Mononoke-hime. The pelicans are foreigners in this world, they don't have anything to eat, so they take it as their role to eat the wareware. The heron man arrives on the scene too, offering to help Mahito find Natsuko as Mahito - coming in to his own as a protagonist more - buries the pelican. Mahito distrusts him but eventually Kiriko persuades them to give working together a try.

Mahito and the heron set out. As they pass through a forest, the heron reveals that thanks to Mahito's arrow, he can't fly and do heron shit anymore - and by magic law, only Mahito can fix the hole. Mahito applies his new woodworking skills to fashion a bung for the hole. The heron tries to stage a top 10 anime betrayal, but then the bung needs more work, so Mahito fixes it, and from that point on, the heron joins the party and he and Mahito are fast friends.

(You might wonder why I just call him 'the heron' and not by a name. He never gets named! He's just the heron man.)

Mahito and the heron arrive at the house of a blacksmith who's supposed to help them find Natsuko, only to find it guarded by big buff parakeet men. The parakeets are splendidly goofy round guys - they remind me of the heedra in Nausicaa. The heron draws the parakeets away, and Mahito enters the house, only to find, uh oh! More parakeets. The parakeets prepare to eat Mahito, who is not carrying a child and therefore fair game unlike Natsuko, but Hisa shows up and burns them with fire magic. She looks just like a young version of Mahito's mum! Funny that. Hisa helps Mahito escape into her house through the fire, and then takes him to infiltrate the parakeets' empire.

In the human world, the maids explain the backstory of the tower to Mahito's dad. It's a weird meteorite that came from space, it turns out, and Mahito's great-uncle built the tower on top of it before eventually disappearing inside. Mahito's dad overprepares in an elaborate getup complete with katana, and goes to try to rescue everyone.

Hisa leads Mahito to a corridor full of doors which open into all the different worlds, including his own world. Mahito briefly glimpses his dad coming to try and rescue him - the two see each other briefly, but the parakeets catch wind of the whole thing and attack, and so Mahito and Hisa have to flee back into the magical world. We see that the parakeet guys turn into regular parakeets when they come into the human world. Mahito's dad becomes convinced he turned into a parakeet.

Mahito and Hisa make their way to the delivery room where Natsuko is resting, waiting to give birth. On their way, lightning starts emerging from the stone - Hisa explains that the stone is sentient and pissed with them. Mahito insists on approaching Natsuko despite this being a huge taboo. They have a heart to heart - Natsuko's mask breaks and she tells Mahito she hates him, while he finally starts calling her mother, as he's assaulted by paper charms that tear at him violently. They part, with Hisa burning the charms to free Mahito, but it's too much and they both pass out.

Mahito dreams of meeting the sorcerer, who stacks irregularly shaped wooden blocks, and explains that stacking the blocks is necessary to maintain the world, buying a few days at a time. The sorcerer reveals the huge flying rock that is the source of his power; he also shows Mahito some blocks, but Mahito somehow divines that these blocks are 'stone for building tombs' and stained with malice. The sorcerer approvingly says this is a good sign for Mahito's ability to succeed him.

While they were asleep, the parakeets have captured Hisa and Mahito. One of them is preparing to eat Mahito, but the heron arrives just in time to save him. They Metal Gear Solid their way through the kingdom while the Parakeet King - a big swaggering guy very like the colonel in Castle in the Sky - goes to press a claim on the wizard, using Hisa and Mahitos' taboo act of entering the delivery room as a bargaining chip. There's some very funny scenes where the parakeets cheer for their king.

Mahito pursues the parakeet king, but the king destroys the staircase behind him, and talks to the sorcerer. The sorcerer is inclined to wave away the transgression, because he wants to let Mahito succeed him, but the parakeet king seems to be bringing him around. I kind of forget how this part went, but the parakeet king goes away from the sorcerer for a bit while Hisa is freed from her prison thing.

Mahito climbs back up with the heron man's help, arriving in the sorcerer's little subplane. The parakeet king quietly follows him, after telling his aides to inform his subjects he was a good king. Mahito approaches the sorcerer, who reveals he has found a new set of blocks, unstained by malice, and again invites Mahito to succeed him. Mahito says that his self-injury is proof of his malice, making him unfit for the job.

At this point, the parakeet king intervenes. Angry at all this sorcerous malarky, he desperately attempts to stack the stones himself, but when they don't stack, he flies into a rage and slices them with his sword. This naturally causes the world to start collapsing, and everyone runs to the doors to escape into the human world.

Mahito has by this point figured out that Hisa is his mum, and he asks if she really wants to go back to their world, knowing that she will very definitely die in a fire not much later. But she is naturally on board with this. Young!Kiriko goes with her, suggesting that she and Hisako entered the magical world at the same time. Meanwhile, Mahito returns to his own time, with Natsuko and the heron. All the various parakeets and pelicans come out through this door too. Old!Kiriko is restored from her apatropaic charm.

As everyone celebrates their safe return (and the appearance of a fuckton of birds), the heron tells Mahito that he ought to forget what happened in the magic world. We skip forward again, with Mahito - now with a baby sibling - setting off to Tokyo. Roll credits!

now let's comment on it

This is not a film that necessarily prioritises an internal logic playing out - new elements enter unexpectedly even quite late in the film. The sorcerer's motivation is murky until late on; the parakeets become major antagonists despite entering only halfway through the film.

There is a certain temptation, knowing how autobiographical this film is, to take it is a roman à clef. Mahito is of course a young Miyazaki; the old sorcerer's concern about finding a successor might be about Miyazaki wondering who should take over Ghibli or if it should just be allowed to die. Under this schema, the parakeets might be Ghibli's legion of fans, or the merchandising empire that prints their designs on every possible product. kvin's article develops this kind of reading, finding some angles I wouldn't have even considered, such as how the idea of weight communicated by the animation factors in to such an allegaroy. It's also something suggested in Miyazaki's own comments about the film, where the sorcerer is Takahata, the heron man is producer Toshio Suzuki...

It definitely helps to know a bit about Miyazaki's background when approaching this film. However, I think it would be reductive to go too far with this kind of reading, and take everything as an allegory for something in Miyazaki's life. The film still has to stand on its own feet!

'Coming of age' is the spin put on it by some outlets, like the BBC. And this is accurate to an extent. The arc of this film is similar to Spirited Away: Mahito starts out sullen and traumatised, but like Chihiro he transitions over the course of his journey in the magical world into the kind of determined Miyazaki protagonist we're used to. On this coming of age angle... well, also like with Chihiro, I don't find the Mahito of the first part of the film especially unsympathetic, his alienation is extremely natural given his situation. Mahito's dad kinda sucks! Living in wartime Japan also really kinda sucks, even if you're the son of a rich dude. But definitely over the course of the film Mahito has a change of heart towards Natsuko, and forms friendships that motivate him to try to protect them. His character arc definitely sees him become 'more prosocial'.

However, there's another angle that's pretty important - the idea of the weight of 'malice', the cursed existences of the pelicans and the like, and the fantasy of building a utopian world that is free of these things. This returns to a theme of Nausicaa, the manga in particular, where Nausicaa discovers that the world she knows - the toxic forest in particular - is actually an elaborate artificial system for cleansing the world of pollutants, that the clean world on the other side will be uninhabitable to her and her people, and that the architects of this system wait in stasis to replace them in this utopian future world. Nausicaa destroys them, commiting instead to an uncertain future.

In Mononoke-hime likewise, we encounter the lepers and former sex workers of Irontown clinging on to the 'cursed' world. Their extractivist project proves incredibly destructive, but the film still regards them sympathetically, and the resolution sees them perhaps finding a new way to live - and San, the feral girl, reconciling herself to the idea of humans.

Here, although the parakeet king forces the decision, Mahito has already declared that he doesn't believe he's fit to oversee a utopia, but instead that his place is in the awful, violent human world.

The film, and the book it's vaguely based on, are titled How do you live? In Japanese, that's a plural 'you' (君たち). There's a lot of ways you could read it, depending on who you take as 'you' - a child asking an adult how to live, or equally a future question of how will you live. This is a lot more explicit in the novel - which I have not read, but here is a summary courtesy of wiki:

Junichi Honda is a fifteen-year-old junior high school student, known by his nickname Koperu, after the astronomer Nicholas Copernicus. He is athletic and academically gifted, and popular at school. Koperu's father, a bank executive, passed away when he was young and he lives with his mother. His uncle (on his mother's side) lives nearby and visits frequently. Koperu and his uncle are very close. Koperu shares about his life and his uncle gives him support and advice. His uncle also documents and comments on these interactions in a diary, with the intent to eventually give the diary to Koperu. The diary writing, which is interspersed with the narrative, provides insight into the ethical and emotional trials that Koperu shared with his uncle. The diary entries, which cover themes such as "view of things", "structure of society", "relation", etc. are in the style of a note written to Koperu.[8]

Thinking like Copernicus that our Earth is a celestial body moving within the vastness of space, or thinking that our Earth is fixed at the center of the universe, are two ways of thinking that, in reality, are not only related to astronomy. Even when we think about things like the world around us or our own lives, the truth is that we are still revolving around them after all.

In the end, Koperu writes a decision on his future way of living as a reply to his uncle, and the novel ends with the narrator asking the question "how do you live?" to the reader.

The author of the novel was a socialist, who had been imprisoned by the nationalist government, and wrote the book intending to impart lessons on ethics. The version of his book published after the war was heavily edited to strip the book of political content. But it's also, perhaps paradoxically, a book that centres on very wealthy characters, aimed narrowly at educated boys, though it became a widely read classic.

Studio Ghibli's films, from both Miyazaki and Takahata, have a habit of being framed as imparting something to the younger generation - something the pair seem to have seen as a mission all the way back in the days of Panda Kopanda. For example, while Grave of the Fireflies is seen as the classic tragic war movie, for Takahata it was also aimed at criticising what he saw as the careless, consumerist generation of the 80s; the stubborn arrogance of the protagonist supposed to reflect on this. It's an attitude that also emerges in their comments about Chihiro. And, indeed, one of the first things we heard about How Do You Live? was that it was aimed towards Miyazaki's grandson - and more broadly towards that generation.

So what does this film have to say to the younger generations? Let's have a look at it from Mahito's POV.

For Mahito, the adults in his life are all pretty complicated. His father is enthusiastic and well-meaning but incredibly oblivious to what his son is going through (we might recall some of what Miyazaki wrote about his father in Starting Point, describing him as basically a grifter). Natsuko is masking pretty hard, trying to play the role of Good New Mum and connect to her newly acquired son, but there's an intrinsic distance. It is understandable that Mahito would want to reject them.

Mahito is... not entirely a passive character, he goes to some efforts to for example fashion the bow and arrow and repair the heron man's beak, but mostly he is pulled around by the plot into a strange world he doesn't understand. At first, his instinct is to retreat, even to the point of self-injury. Once he arrives in the magical world, he has acquired something of a purpose (finding Natsuko), but he gets pushed into near-disaster situations (the pelicans piling up to push him through the gate at the tomb) or stumbles into circumstances where something is expected of him (hey kid, gut this fish!). Gradually though his exposure to this world pulls him out of his shell. He runs into conflicts and injustices that seem intractable - the wareware and the pelicans - and has little power to intervene except to bury the bodies.

Eventually, he gets to carry out his main objective - finding Natsuko - but despite finally deciding to accept Natsuko as his new mother, he finds himself rejected, not just by her but also by the earth. Perhaps feeling responsible for getting her into trouble, his new objective becomes rescuing freshly-damsel'd Hisa. But now new adults want things of him - his great-uncle has decided he'd make a fine successor. Mahito has to make a decision here about what relationships he wants to commit to, what sort of life he wants to build - and he chooses the world he found so alienating at the outset of the film, the one which hurt him by taking his mother, not to the secondary-world fantasy.

It could be a 'this world is all we have' sort of statement, perhaps. But also the last act of the film feels like it gets a bit caught up in Castle in the Sky-style adventure-story beats.

I do feel like some aspects of the film ended up a little underbaked - which is an odd thing to say because it's not a short film and there is so much in it already. But Hisa for example - she's got badass powers and all, but I feel we barely get a chance to get a sense of what motivates her. Why did she enter the fantasy world? She acts at first like she doesn't know Mahito is her future son, but rapidly becomes incredibly devoted to him (in a way that reads a little romancey lmao). So much of her screen time is dedicated to having her convey the secrets of the world that it's hard to get a bead on her as a person.

Likewise, Natsuko - why did she enter this world to have her baby in this special ritual delivery chamber? She clearly knows more than most of the characters, but she gets kind of sidelined after Mahito confronts her, with wizard shit becoming more central. The animation does such a fantastic job of selling her feelings in the first part of the film that it feels like a shame that she drifts away at the end.

The progression of the film feels rather like a dream, where everything is arranged by symbolic significance to Mahito. It makes sense... on a magical level, where the secondary world is shaped primarily by parallels in the real one. So the tiny apatropaic statues of the old ladies protect him because they represent the role the real old ladies have in his life. Hisa has fire magic because Hisako died in a fire. Once Mahito has come to his personal resolutions about returning to the world, the magical one is no longer needed, and it collapses.

This is not such an uncommon role for magic in a story. In Miyazaki's own works, we have Totoro and Spirited Away, where a magical world provides direction or relief to a child's real struggles. Or take for example Okiura's film A Letter To Momo, in which the three yōkai recognise taking care of the grieving Momo as their explicit purpose as spirits. This magical world comes to Mahito to help him come to terms with losing his mother, and reorient himself towards living in a painful world.

Meanwhile, the sorcerer, whether he be Miyazaki or Takahata, is quite a distant figure. He may maintain the magical world by stacking his blocks, may be the authority which factions within it must plead to, but he also rules from afar in a vast empty palace full of long halls and open air spaces. His main company seems to be a big fucking rock, with which he made a 'contract'. He's generally handling it a bit better than, say, Ushiromiya Kinzo - he receives the parakeet king with good humour - but he's a pretty flawed god of his little world. So much of this world seems to pre-exist him, it's not something he constructed. Still, when he shows up, you pretty much have to do what he says.

If this is about Miyazaki's relation to Takahata, it seems like quite a sad portrayal. But 'unapproachable patriarch' does sorta describe their role in the studio from what I understand (c.f. Oshii's infamous article comparing them to the Kremlin).

When it comes to the question of who should succeed Miyazaki, we should probably consider the matter of Yoshifumi Kondō, who was being set up as the next big Ghibli director until his untimely death - which allegedly Takahata was willing to accept the blame for. The mythology built up around Miyazaki and Takahata is double-edged.

Here are some rather startling comments from Toshiyuki Inoue's interview. Inoue is one of the most impressive animators who ever lived in my book, the other star of the realist line besides Okiura. Just have a look at his booru page: iconic scenes from GitS, Akira, Millenium Actress; even in more recent films, he pretty much carried Maquia, and steals the show with his scenes in Miss Hokusai.

And yet even he was intimidated to be working alongside Miyazaki when he first came on board for Kiki's Delivery Service, fresh off Akira:

I believe you’ve always been a fan of Miyazaki’s, why were you scared to work with him? Toshiyuki Inoue: I had heard quite a few scary stories. A lot of acquaintances had worked on Nausicaä, Laputa and Totoro before that, so I knew how scary he could be when he got angry – I had heard stories of people being fired mid-production, things like that. How was it actually? Toshiyuki Inoue: Not as scary as I had imagined. He’d only rarely scream in the studio. But he did get angry. I’d sometimes be called to some separate room and lectured alongside Kōji Morimoto and Masaaki Endō. It felt like being in school all over again.

'Only rarely'. Honestly. Inoue describes how difficult it was for him to adapt his logical, analytical style to Ghibli's stretchy, bouncy characters - and how Miyazaki would disparage him if he, for example, drew a ship inaccurately.

For Inoue, coming back to How Do You Live was something like a 'return match'. He talks about how an older Miyazaki was no longer able to strictly correct the animation, and in general age was limiting him, but he still feels that Miyazaki is fundamentally superior:

Toshiyuki Inoue: I’ve always wished for a return match or a way to redeem myself. But even if I say that, I know I can’t even pretend to rival Miyazaki. I just can’t win. He’s extremely smart and learned, and on top of that, as an animator he always transcends common sense: he’s so talented that I know very well there’s nothing I can do against it. The more I learn about him, the more I realize I’ll never be on that level.

Miyazaki's genius is undeniable, but man... it's not a good mindset to cultivate if you want to find a successor lmao. If even Inoue doesn't feel he can measure up, who the hell could?

Mind you, it does rather seem that Miyazaki had mellowed out by the point of How Do You Live?. Here's Yamashita:

Akihiko Yamashita: As I said, the core of an animator’s job is to follow what the director asks, so whenever I had trouble with that, I’d go see Miyazaki to show him my roughs. He’d advise me on the things that were missing and reassure me about those that were good. He really helped me to gain more confidence in myself.

Reading these interviews underlines pretty hard that we shouldn't get too caught up in the mythology of Miyazaki the mighty auteur. While the story may be all on Miyazaki, and most of the character designs (with the notable exception of Natsuko)... so much of the details of the animation, the stuff that really makes this film land, is primarily shaped by everyone else - Honda in particular, but also the individual key animators who interpreted his scenes. I really need to get my hands on a copy of that Industrial History of Studio Ghibli book to get a less Miyazaki-centric perspective on the studio's history.

I do not feel, having come out of this film, any closer to knowing the answer to that eternally pressing question of how do you live - I guess I'm still working out my answer to that one, and I will be until I die. And maybe that's rather the point. I think this film still carries some of the flaws of Miyazaki's later films - despite having so many iconic scenes, it doesn't quite seem to know where it's going. But I am so glad to have seen this in the theatre (I saw it at the Prince Charles theatre in Soho with friends, the theatre was completely packed!), and glad Miyazaki managed to get this one out before he goes. Whatever happens to Ghibli without its sorcerer, it's been a hell of a thing to witness.

[respectthepetty]

Pride Petty Watch - LiTA (Rain/Payu) 1

Because I'm petty, I had the crowd pick which blacklisted shows I would watch for the month of Pride. I had planned to space them out more, but due to wacky weather over here (tornadoes, thunderstorms, softball-sized hail, and flash flooding), I had plenty of time to binge watch the first show, Love in the Air, which perfectly aligns with my real life theme of stormy weather, so I'm posting my random thoughts in five parts, two for each couple and the special episode.

I'm seated, I'm watching, and I'm being petty.

It starts at "2:00 AM" - Oh no. Nothing could happens at 2 in the morning, and the time just keeps going. This event isn't even going to begin until 3 AM?! Take me home, NOW! I don't care how fine these men are. I'm stopping for mini churros at Jack in the Box on the way home and going to bed. I'M OUT!

I've seen plenty of pictures of Boss in the past two years, but I still lost my breath a bit when he took off his mask because he was looking delicious in the rain.

RAIN WANTS A GIRL?!

Out of everything I saw about this show, NOBODY mentioned that Rain was trying to get a girl. I'm shook. That's a huge part of the plot I never saw mentioned. There were rumors of the actor (Noeul) being with Milk (of MilkLove), and I saw more of THAT in connection to this show than about him liking a girl within it. Where are y'alls priorities?! *looks at Tonnam and breathes deeply*

Payu's room is IN the garage? But what about the fumes? What about the noise? What about a good work/life balance?!

😬😬😬

I don't care if this boy is snuggling in his sleep, Payu is on my shit list! Instead of being like "oh, I misunderstood the signals," he pushed harder then got upset. Even if Rain secretly does want him, I need a verbalization. This is the end of the first episode, and I'm mad as hell at a bisexual on the first day of Pride. Damn.

Start of episode two and I know Rain's voiceovers are there to make me not be upset at Payu, but . . . I'm pissed at this man! He did all of that work, said it was free, but now there is "another" charge, then he shows up at this boy's school when he could've just talked to him at the shop, and feels him up in the bathroom stall. I am BIG mad!

I will admit, this is hot. Still very mad at my fellow bisexual for him saying he wasn't trying to force himself on Rain (even though he was about to mark a map on that boy's neck), but they got chemistry.

My fellow Slut for Christ, only God can judge you, but know that I am too.

All racetracks look the same so Pit Babe and Cutie Pie could have been filmed here for all I know, but I have this at 1.5 speed, unmuted, so I hear this is a legit hype rap song. WEARETHEGOOD's "Threat" with these colors?! Energy? Matched.

HE IS SPANKING HIM?!

I don't kink shame but both people should be willing participants in this endeavor. Then just to drop him on the floor like that?! That does not inspire trust! This is not Blue Boy behavior, sir! But this lecture after is. That is what I need from you. Remind him that this isn't some petty school shit but actual gangstas he is messing with. Remind him that he can't be reckless. THAT'S HOW BLUE BOYS GET KISSED!

Now it's a competition? Payu wants to fuck Rain so badly he looks stupid, yet Rain is over here saying he is going to make Payu want to fuck him, what? harder? What is this all about?!

What do you mean you didn't want to show Rain your bad side? Has all this been your good side up until this point?! Cause, dead ass, this side ain't looking that great either with you being upset you weren't sleeping with him on the first night and stalking him. So you're going to get worse?

Y'all can't sucker me in with red and blue colors. I Told Sunset About You tried that, and I'm still being petty about it. But whose house are we at now?! This is a different room than before. Payu got multiple places?! In this economy?

Prapai strolling in all happy because he had a good night . . . Sir, I'll get to your ass soon because I know how you got that happiness, and you are on the same shit list as your fellow bisexual bestie.

I am Sky and our judgement cannot be measured.

TWINS?!

All this blue between these two yet they are straight up lyin' every two seconds. The fuckery.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!

I would've let him turn it in, but I appreciate that he looks so good while looking so sad with that warm glow.

Payu gets one positive point for leaving his arms open for Rain to come to him, but now that warm glow feels sus like maybe I should be paying more attention to Rain's yellow/orange backpack.

And now for a negative point because even though I keep seeing black x white, Payu stays morally grey by playing with this boy's emotions and hiding from him in his own shop! These after scenes are not doing Payu any favors.

Payu, do I like you? Do I hate you? Do I wanna fuck you? Do I wanna kick you in the balls? All of the above?

Guess I'll find out in the next three episodes.

[vermilionsun]

(Feel free to ignore this request if you’re not comfortable writing it)

may I ask for some headcannons for Ais and Vere (separately please) whose s/o suffers from depression? Thank you 💙

Sure thing! Disclaimer! They/them for s/o because we love inclusivity!

TW! Depression (obvi) I tried to make the headcanons as general and "light" as possible, since everyone experiences depression differently

If anyone wants more angst or heavier/darker themes, send a req

And always remember; Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Vere

✦ Unlike with most things, Vere isn’t here to play around. Due to his apathetic exterior and ribald attitude, most people tend to underestimate his ability to care about anyone other than himself, yet that's far from the truth. In reality, Vere is fiercely loyal to those he cares about and will go to great lengths to protect them, even if it means putting himself in harm's way a̶n̶d̶ r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ i̶n̶t̶o̶ t̶h̶e̶ S̶e̶n̶o̶b̶i̶u̶m̶'s̶ c̶o̶l̶l̶a̶r̶.

✦ He is there, okay? Even if he has to remind his beloved every other minute, he will.

✦ He will become their biggest supporter and advocate, their cheerleader in times of need, the person who will always be there to lift them up when they are feeling down.

✦ He is there to listen, to offer aid, and to provide a comforting presence and a fluffy tail during difficult times.

✦ Encourages them to seek a professional therapist or psychiatrist if needed and haven't already received such help. He will find the best resources and support available in all of Eridia. Plus, he offers to accompany them to their appointments.

✦ If he feels something's wrong with his s/o while other people are around, he will find a discreet way to ask them if they are okay or need to talk later in private. His s/o's well-being is his top priority.

✦ In addition, he always makes sure to check in with his s/o regularly to see how they are feeling. This includes visiting during work hours, bringing them their favorite snacks, and being available to listen whenever they need to talk—even if he has to sneak away.

✦ He'd get meals for his s/o when they are feeling down or stressed, run errands, or simply spend quality time together.

✦ He believes in showing his love and support through actions, not just words, and that small gestures of love can make a big difference. He always goes the extra mile through various small gestures or grand displays of affection—a surprise date night, a gift, a sketch of them, a handwritten love letter.

✦ Of course, if his s/o feels overwhelmed, he will respect their space and give them the time they need to themselves.

Ais

✩ He will prioritize his s/o’s well-being and make sure they know they are not alone in their struggles.

✩ He isn’t the type to push his s/o to talk about their feelings, but he’s there to will offer a listening ear without judgment, a shoulder to cry on, and a comforting hug when needed.

✩ This man is the  E P I T O M E  of patience.

✩ He will encourage his s/o to go outside, and find excuses to take them out with him.

✩ Otherwise, if they were staying home for extended periods of time, he’d make sure to distract them with activities they enjoy.

✩ Did I mention he's the word "comfort" personified?

✩ If there are other people around, he'd keep an eye on them and see how they're feeling. If he notices that they're getting overwhelmed or uncomfortable, he'll get them alone or somewhere less busy.

✩ He'd be more protective, a̶s̶ i̶f̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶'s̶ p̶o̶s̶s̶i̶b̶l̶e̶, making sure they have everything they need and checking in on their well-being.

✩ He'd encourage them to look for a therapist or counselor who specializes in depression to help them better understand and cope with it. He'd be there every step of the way.

✩ He'd always remind them that it's okay to not be okay sometimes, that they are not alone in their struggles, and that he will always be there to support them through all of it; there to listen, there to support, and there to love them.

[fishsticksloser]

hello!! I'm starving for more x male readers 💔💔 I was wondering if I could request leo X male reader? basically the reader is overwhelmed with school. He's usually ambitious with his grades but lately he's been feeling burnout. So leo offers him some cuddles and fluff to relieve the readers stress and i think it would be very cute <33 especially if the reader is touch starved!!

I've Got You

Leo x male!reader

Warnings: stressed reader, comfort, fluff, kisses, post movie

A/N: Could technically be gn!reader. My break starts in 2 days and I'm stressing about completing all the requests I have before then... I'm also gonna lose my mind if someone tells me to rest...

Leo sits in his bed, casually reading a comic when you come in. He looks up, smiling when he sees you come in. His smile falters seeing your tired expression. He sets his comic aside, patting the space next to him. "What's up?" He asks softly as you drop your backpack next to the door.

"College... Work... I've done like nothing else for months." You pout, turning your head to look at him. "I'm so tired..." You walk farther into the room, plopping onto the bed next to him.

Leo glanced over at you, concern etched on his face. He could see the exhaustion in your eyes, and it reminded him of the countless sleepless nights he had from his nightmares following the invasion. He sighed heavily, his voice tinged with a mix of empathy and weariness. "I get it, babe. Life can be a real drain sometimes. But you gotta keep pushing through. You're stronger than you think."

He reached over and ruffled your hair gently, a small gesture of affection. "You've been working hard, and I'm proud of you. But remember to take care of yourself too." Leo leaned back against the headboard and pillows. He turned his head to face you fully, his eyes searching yours. "So, tell me, what's been keeping you up at night? College stress? Work deadlines? Or is it something else?"

"Everything... I've been working so hard and I feel like I have nothing to show for it." You sigh, laying your head on his shoulder. "I wish I had a break."

Leo let out a sympathetic sigh, his arm instinctively wrapping around your shoulders in a comforting gesture. The weight of responsibility can be crushing, and he knew firsthand how it could wear down even the strongest of individuals. "I know, amour," Leo murmured softly, his voice filled with understanding. "Sometimes it feels like you're running on empty, like all your efforts aren't making a damn difference. But trust me, it's not about the immediate results. It's about the journey, the growth along the way."

He gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze, his voice filled with a mixture of reassurance and wisdom. "You're doin' great, even if it doesn't feel like it right now. Take a moment to breathe, to rest, and to remind yourself why you're doing all this in the first place. And hey, if you need a break, I'm here for you. We could use some quality time together, huh?" A playful grin tugged at the corner of Leo's lips as he nudged you lightly. "Maybe we could even plan a little getaway, just the two of us. Somewhere quiet, away from the chaos. How does that sound?"

"That would be nice..." You hum softly, taking one of his hands and tracing his fingers and palm. Leo's heart skipped a beat as you traced your fingers along his hand. He couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth and affection stir within him. The gentle touch and the prospect of spending quality time with you ignited a spark of excitement in his eyes. "Won't be able to that until summer break though..."

"Summer, huh?" Leo mused, his voice laced with a hint of mischief. "Well, I suppose it'll give us something to look forward to, won't it? We can plan something special, make sure it's a break worth waiting for." He shifted slightly, turning his body to face you more directly, his eyes locked onto yours. "But in the meantime, we can still find ways to unwind and enjoy each other's company, right here, right now. What do ya say? How 'bout a little relaxation to take the edge off?" Leo's hand gently cupped your cheek, his thumb brushing against your skin tenderly. "I can give you a massage, help you ease those tensions away. Or we can just cuddle up and watch a movie together. Whatever you need. I'm here for you."

"Is all of the above an option?" You ask softly, your tone a bit playful, leaning into his touch. You close your eyes, sighing in relief.

A soft chuckle escaped Leo's lips as he gazed at you, his eyes filled with affection. "Sweetheart, you know me, I'm always up for a challenge. All of the above it is."

He shifted on the bed, making room for you to lie down comfortably. With gentle yet firm hands, he began to knead the tension from your shoulders and neck, his touch expertly skilled from years of medical training and self-care. His fingers worked their magic, applying just the right amount of pressure to ease the knots and knots of stress that had built up within you.

As he continued the massage, Leo's voice carried a soothing tone, his words laced with care. "Just relax, amour. Let go of all the worries and responsibilities for now. This time is for you, to recharge and find some peace."

With each stroke and caress, Leo's touch conveyed not only a desire to alleviate your physical tension but also a deep-rooted affection. He wanted to show you that you were valued, cherished, and deserving of this moment of respite.

Once he felt the knots begin to loosen, Leo moved to lie beside you on the bed, pulling you gently into his arms. He wrapped his arms around your waist, his body providing a sense of security and warmth. With the TV playing in the background, he held you close, content in the simple act of being together.

As his lips brushed against your forehead, Leo whispered softly, his voice filled with tenderness. "You're doing amazing. I know it's tough, but you're stronger than you realize. And I'm right here with you, every step of the way."

"I know... I need to learn to lean on others a bit more... But... I'm glad your here. I dunno what I would do without you." You mumble, your fingers tracing over his facial features, especially the red bananas around his eyes.

Leo's eyes softened as he listened to your words, his heart swelling with a mix of gratitude and affection. He understood the struggle of wanting to be self-reliant, to carry the weight of the world on your own shoulders. But he also knew the importance of leaning on others, of allowing them to support you in times of need.

"I'm glad I'm here too, baby," Leo whispered, his voice filled with sincerity. "You don't have to do it all alone. We're a team, and that means we're there for each other, no matter what. So lean on me, I've got your back." His hand caressed your cheek, his thumb gently tracing the outline of your lips. His gaze met yours, filled with an unspoken promise. "I'll be by your side, through the highs and lows, the ups and downs. You can always count on me."

Leo's lips met yours in a tender kiss, a mixture of love and reassurance. In that moment, he hoped to convey just how much you meant to him, how deeply he cared for you. Breaking the kiss, Leo leaned his forehead against yours, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're important to me, sweetheart. Never forget that."

[matchavellichor]

Hello :D

How are you doing?

Your writings are just amazing!

May I please request a part two on how to win the girl? (If it's okay with you)

Thank you and have a great day/noon/night <3

A/N: omg i've had an unfinished part two sitting in my drafts for soooo long, thank you for giving me a lil reminder to actually finish it loool. it's rly short but i hope you enjoy!! <3

How to Win the Girl Pt. 2

Ominis x f!MC - NSFW/Fluff - 1.8k words - ao3

Part 1

Tags: Pining, First Date, Fluff, MC is Bad at Feelings, Ominis is a Romantic Little Shit, Pureblood Courting Rituals, Period Inaccurate Flirting

Summary: Following their tryst in an empty classroom, Ominis decides to make crystal clear his true intentions with MC.

“Ominis, you cheeky bastard — flaunting around your spoils of battle, huh?”

Ominis didn’t pause to indulge any of Sebastian’s teasing, though he couldn’t deny the immense satisfaction he felt deep down in being able to show her off as he carried her through the castle.

“Don’t be so chauvinist, Sebastian,” he said, biting the inside of his cheek to suppress a smirk.

Sebastian called out another sly retort that fell on deaf ears as Ominis continued down the hall, veering off towards one of the adjacent hallways that provided a shortcut for where he was taking her.

“Dragging me off to another abandoned classroom?” she asked, cheek pillowed on his shoulder. “You sure know how to make a girl feel special, Ominis.”

“Shush,” he chastised. “We’re almost there."

“You can put me down now, you know,” she said as he turned the corner on another empty corridor. “I think you’ve long accomplished your goal of publicly staking a claim on me.”

He grinned, the arm he had braced under her thigh only tightening. “Who said that’s my only goal? Maybe I just like you in my arms.”

Stubborn as ever, Ominis only set her down when they finally reached their destination, pausing at the bottom of the Astronomy tower’s winding staircase.

They laced their fingers together as they began their ascent up towards the uppermost platform, and though they’d held hands countless times before, it felt so terribly different this time. Intimate, yet strangely unfamiliar. There was a novelty to it, and it was almost like she was a fifth-year again, still fighting the nerves she got in her stomach everytime they interacted.

When they reached the top platform, she stilled completely at the sight before her.

Pillows and blankets were arranged around the middle of the room in such an inviting display she wouldn’t have minded spending the night there. There were little glowing candles charmed to float around the room, complimenting the dim orange light cast over the space from dusk bleeding into evening outside.

Her voice was uncharacteristically dazed when she finally spoke. “This is…this is really nice, Ominis.”

“Oh thank Merlin,” he sighed, letting out the breath he’d been holding in. “I was nervous it wouldn’t be the way I’d left it.”

She swallowed to clear the strange tightness that found itself in her throat, hoping her voice wouldn’t reveal just how moved she actually was by such a stark show of effort that he had put in for her. Somehow, the fact was just as thrilling as it was terrifying.

“Been planning this for a while, have you?” she laughed in a show of feigned nonchalance, following him further into the room. “Were you that confident you would beat me?”

“A lot longer than I’d care to admit,” he muttered, sheepish. “And like I said, I was confident my motivations were certainly stronger.”

She paused for a moment, her head tilting as she observed him. “You really do like me, don’t you?”

He shook his head, huffing out an amused laugh. “Did you only just now piece that together? And here I thought I was being rather forward.”

She couldn’t help but smile so hard her cheeks hurt, Ominis barely repressing his own grin when she laced her fingers with his and pulled him down to sit on the pillows he had arranged on the floor.

She kissed him then, slow and tender, as if in gratitude, as if she could pour every bit of emotion he made her feel into the kiss without being forced to say the words. It was almost too much, evidently even for him, and he inhaled sharply when she braced her hand on his thigh to lean closer.

He broke away then and she grinned, quirking a brow. “Don’t tell me you’re going coy on me now.”

“Never,” he murmured, brushing a thumb over her cheek. “But it’s not what I brought you up here for. I’ve already lost control of myself once, I’m not going to get ahead of myself a second time. I…want to do things right with you.”

“The world’s last standing romantic,” she teased, earning an eye roll from Ominis. “I have to admit, I’m disappointed you’ve become so righteous. I wouldn’t have minded getting shagged within an inch of my life again.”

Ominis’ features darkened at her words for a brief moment, but he shook his head, as if willing any imprudent thoughts away.

“Don’t tempt me, witch. I’m trying to be sweet for you,” he heaved a groan, running a hand down his face. “Also, I think Professor Onai would notice if I did what I really wanted to do to you on top of her pillows.”

“Good point,” she snorted. “Maybe she’s having a premonition about it now.”

“Well, I guess I can’t really be blamed then, can I?” he murmured as he suddenly leaned over her, pushing her down on the pillows so he could crowd her against the floor. “The threads of fate have willed it.”

She laughed, her giggles morphing into contented sighs as he peppered kisses along her jaw. She keened from the contact, squirming underneath him as she tilted her head back to give him better access, his lips dragging down the column of her throat. He gave a lingering open-mouthed kiss to her collarbone before he pulled away, smiling at the soft whine she gave his absence.

“I have something for you."

“If it’s anything other than what’s currently poking my stomach,” she said, squirming against him in demonstration of the stiffness she felt hidden behind his trousers. “I don’t want it.”

“Circe, you’re more insatiable than me,” he sighed, voice having grown strained. He reluctantly detached himself from her, sitting up. “You’re going to be the end of me.”

“Revenge for beating me so cruelly,” she smiled. “I’m a sore loser.”

“Keep provoking me and you’ll be sore, alright,” he murmured, pulling away to rummage through the shoulder bag he had brought with them.

She sat up on her elbows to watch him, tempted to instigate him even more. He granted her no chance to, however, as she was suddenly too preoccupied with the way her heart stuttered a few beats in her chest when he finally turned towards her again.

There was a small, dark velvet box in his hand. She stiffened immediately. As if sensing her unease, he cleared his throat, making some attempt at lightness.

“Don’t tell me you’re going coy on me now.”

She swallowed, sitting up. “Whatever it is, I won’t accept it.”

“Stop that,” he sighed. “You haven’t even seen it.”

“But I know what it means.”

“So what? You’re not a pureblood, it won’t matter to you.”

“But you are,” she murmured, voice suddenly tense. “I know what you’re doing, Ominis. This is the equivalent of a—”

“I know what it is,” he said, decidedly firm, as if this was something he’d spent a great deal of time considering. As if he couldn’t be talked out of it, especially not now.

She stared at the box in his hands for a long moment as if it was a grenade, and then at him, like he’d just bitten free the pin and was holding it between his teeth.

“I don’t understand.”

He quirked a brow. “Have I been vague about my intentions with you? I could’ve sworn I’d been very clear.”

“There might’ve been some blurred lines here and there,” she murmured, sheepish.

He deadpanned. “Then let me make this excruciatingly explicit—”

“Ominis…” she began, but he quieted her with a raised hand, as if already expecting her refusal.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything to you, I’m alright with that. Just accept it as a gift—”

“A courtship gift, you mean.”

“A gift,” he insisted, inching closer to present her with the box.

Despite his level-headed tone, his fingers trembled slightly when he opened it, revealing a delicately-wrought ouroboros in the form of a ring. A snake swallowing its own tail. An emblem of wholeness, of infinity, of…forever.

She swallowed hard and stared at the glittering silver for a long moment.

“Please,” he added in a whisper, almost inaudible.

She tore her eyes away from the ring to glance up at him, taken aback by the stark vulnerability she found so open-faced. She realized then just what he was doing for her. Flaying himself open, letting himself be exposed.

“People will think we’re engaged,” she murmured, taking the box in his hands despite herself. His shoulders immediately sunk, the tension stringing them up dissipating from his muscles.

“Would that really be so bad?”

She raised her brows at him and he smirked. “Only teasing you.”

She looked unconvinced. “Are you?”

“Yes,” he insisted, rolling his eyes. “I just…want you to know I’m serious about you. We’ll take this at your pace.”

“A heartfelt letter would have sufficed,” she said, holding her hand up to the dim light of the surrounding candles to examine the ring on her finger. “Christ, how old is this thing?”

She felt an array of mixed emotions about how nicely it looked on her, like its place was always meant to be there. Her nerves manifested in her fidgeting, twisting the ring around her finger until Ominis finally stilled her with his own.

“I’m not very good with words,” he said, bringing her hand towards his lips to place a lingering kiss to her knuckles. He ran his thumb over the ring, almost in awe at it being there, surreality shining in his eyes. “And it’s a couple centuries, give or take.”

She whistled, staring at the heirloom with widened eyes. “You realize a couple dozen of your ancestors are rolling in their graves at the moment, right?”

He shrugged, starkly unbothered. “Salazar Slytherin himself could manifest and bid against it and the ring would still only ever be yours.”

She stared at him for a long moment, narrowing her eyes. “God, fuck you.”

He sputtered, choking out a laugh. “What?”

“You really are the world’s last standing romantic,” she muttered, swatting at him when his lips pulled into a prideful grin. “I hope this is the full extent of any pureblood courting rituals you plan to enact with me.”

“You wound me,” he frowned. “And here I thought you would be positively thrilled about all the chaperoned strolls around the Manor I had planned for us.”

She laughed. “Only if the chaperoned strolls involve an unchaperoned detour towards some lonely corner where you can fuck my brains out.”

“You are incorrigible,” he tsked, feigning great offense, even as he pushed her down and towered over her again. “What am I ever going to do with you?”

“I have a few ideas,” she smirked and he shook his head, brushing his lips against hers.

“Trust me, I’ve endured enough years of pining to conjure up plenty of my own.”

[faithintheunknownsblog]

Could you please write a sfw alphabet with Alucard? The nsfw one was great!

I’m sorry this took so long! But it’s finally done- also it’s a lot

Also there’s a lil nsfw references here and there- I’m a degenerate leave me alone

Alucard’s SFW Alphabet

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Alucard is very affectionate once he’s in love and shows it in all five ways; gifts, acts, time, touch, and words

If Alucard sees the smallest thing that reminds him of you he’s getting it and giving it to you shortly after unless it’s part of a bigger gift.

He’ll just do small things to help out and try to make your life easier, especially when you're stressed from whatever it is.

Alucard will spend as much time with you as he can, but like everyone you two do need your personal space and he 100% respects that, and you respect his personal space as well.

When he feels like saying “I love you” isn’t enough or during the times when it’s hard for him just to voice all his feelings he’ll leave you love letters. The letters will be especially long on special occasions.

You’re constantly going to be hugged, kissed, cuddled, back rubs and massages (if you’re alright with it of course)

Alucard constantly voices how much he loves you when he’s able to express himself, but it’s not always just saying “I love you” to you in order to show affection. He’ll make you laugh and tease you, try to cheer you up when you’re down, listen to the things that you have interest in and try to engage in the conversation even if he doesn’t hold the same interest.

He just tries to show you how much he loves you in any and every way possible.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Y’all be thick as thieves once you’re friends and it’ll be impossible to separate you two. Alucard is very protective of the people he cares about so if someone so much as looks at you the wrong way this man wants to resort to violence, without a doubt you had to talk him out of fights (murders) on multiple occasions.

How you two meet is through Integra but how the friendship starts is probably when he sees that you’re a “good” person, or as least as good as you can get in the situation you’ve been put in. Also it’s a give in that you’ll have to treat Integra with respect before he’ll ever be able to consider you as something other than a dog.

After that it’ll depend on how often you’re around and how well you work will affect how much thought Alucard will put into your existence. He becomes more curious about you as time goes on and one day just decides to talk to you. Of course he’ll do it at the worst times possible because he approaches you right as you’re in the middle of doing something around the mansion. Alucard will say something about what you’re doing and when you explain it to him he’ll unintentionally insult you by calling you “peculiar” or criticize how you’re doing it because that’s not how he usually sees the task being accomplished.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

This man was MADE for cuddling! Especially when you’re a human and it’s in the summertime because the heat makes everything so hot and sticky. His cold body against yours is the perfect way to cool off for you and the best way for him to warm up.

Also with those long arms and legs and his lanky ass body he can- and will- wrap you up in them and hold you tight when cuddling.

Plus the man is touch deprived- I mean he was locked in a basement for years and hasn’t felt a loving touch in Lord knows how long so he hangs all over you when the time for it is appropriate.

He’s just been through so much and he might not act like it but he wants to be held close, forget big spoon and little spoon. Alucard wants you to hold onto him and never let go.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Alucard’s dream is to own a home to grow old in with his beloved s/o and wants to raise beautiful children with them. He dreams that when he isn’t working he will try to cook if he isn’t too exhausted, and he wants to surprise the family with a big breakfast on the weekends.

It saddens Alucard that he can’t have kids and can’t grow old, but that doesn’t stop him from settling down with you in the home you two picked out together.

There was discussion of adopting children but with the “our appearance never changes and we’ll have to keep us being a vampire secret from our child, and if they don’t want to become a vampire when they grow up then we’ll watch them grow old and die” wasn’t something you two wanted to happen. The next idea was becoming foster parents and you two tried it but within a week Alucard wanted to adopt every child that entered your home, so you two gave up on being foster parents either.

Can you blame the man though? He has so much love to give and that’s why you have to tell him no everytime you walk past a pet store or an animal rescue. You two already have had over hundreds of pets over all the years and currently have a “dog” (he’s without a doubt a wolf but you two still call him a puppy even though it’s fully grown) that Alucard brought home without telling you. But he knew it wouldn’t have mattered to you anyway because there were currently no pets in the house.

When it comes to chores, Alucard isn’t terrible at cleaning but he’s better at some more than others.

Such as laundry, he’s good at doing laundry when it’s time to put it away. He makes sure everything is ironed and folded or hung up so there are no wrinkles but as said in another post the only clothes he leaves alone are your socks that you love to mix-match.

But Alucard sucks at actually doing everything else before that, most of the time he forgets to actually put the laundry in the basket, and doesn’t remember that he has to wash the blood out of his white shirts. You also have to sew up the tears in his clothes which was also said in another post

There aren’t many dishes to do because you both drink blood but when you two use cups either one of you will clean them after.

You both take good care of the dog but he is more Alucard’s responsibility than yours because he’s the one who brought it home without telling you. Alucard does accept most of the responsibility; cleaning up after the dog, brushing his hair, giving him baths, clipping his nails, brushing his teeth. Alucard did the puppy training and is in charge of the vet visits.

But when it comes to the feeding, watering, putting the dog out, taking him on walks, and playing with the dog, it’s 50/50.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

I’m sorry- what?

You think this man would leave you after he’s fallen in love with you? After how long it took him to accept you into his heart, you think he’s going to let you go? You’re out of your damn mind if you believe that he would.

But if I had to pick a way Alucard would do it I can only see him doing it by not saying anything, he just grabs all his stuff and leaves, the only trace of him is a letter saying why it’s over. He does this because he knows he’ll get annoyed by your reaction, whether it’s crying, getting angry, or just saying nothing at all.

Ngl he’ll probably threaten to kill you if you come anywhere near him or try to talk to him through someone else because once it’s over he wants absolutely nothing to do with you. So threatening you is the only way to make sure you leave him alone.

As said this will most likely never happen because once this man is in love? He’s. In. Love.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Only reason why Alucard gets nervous about commitment is because he’s worried something bad will happen to you. But once he realizes that you’ll be safe it’s all or nothing with Alucard because commitment is everything to him. If you ever have any doubts about the relationship he doesn’t want to ever be in it and he will never give the idea of a relationship with you any thought again. Nor will he give you a chance again.

For getting into a relationship though, it all depends, you could be friends for a couple of months or more than a year before Alucard will attempt a romance relationship. This is because he needs to see how you’ll deal with different things in life, such as; him going on missions, how you treat people, how you let people treat you, and- most importantly- how you react to him being a vampire.

After you two get into a relationship It’ll probably take a year or so because Alucard needs to see how you start acting as a partner when it comes to dealing with all the things that he had to consider before pursuing the romantic relationship. If you can still handle those things in what he thinks is an appropriate manner then he’ll be willing to marry you.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

When training (whether you’re a vampire or human) Alucard pushes you to your limits so you’ll always improve for next time and can be the best you can possibly be. But this is only if you want to train of course and if not he will never pressure you to.

If you do decide you want him to train you, expect to be left sore, with bruises, and scratches. The training will be even worse if you’re a vampire because your power is nearly limitless when you reach for your full potential.

But once the training is over Alucard will definitely make sure to make it up to you, treating you as if you’re made of glass. He will apologize for hurting you so bad and treat whatever wounds he has left you with. He will grab you anything you need if you’re too weak to and do everything he possibly can in order to make you feel better.

When it comes to emotional support, Alucard does the best he can but he doesn’t always get it right. It also doesn’t help that Alucard has his own emotions that you’re helping him work on, though he still has trouble addressing them. Though he has learned how to somewhat mirror (I’m not sure if that’s the right word but currently I can't think of a way to describe it) how you help him with his emotions for him to help you.

Also Alucard learned early on that sometimes you just start talking about something that makes you angry and when he gives input you get mad at him.

Also Alucard learned early on that sometimes you just start talking about something that makes you angry and when he gives input you get mad at him.

One day when you got angry at him for trying to help he asked you something like ‘what do you want me to do?’ and you told him to ‘just listen to me.’

So now every time you start a rant he asks you if you want ‘solutions or support’ and it’s kept you two out of so many arguments.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

As we keep establishing, Alucard is touch deprived so he absolutely loves hugs, if you two are alone there is rarely a time that he doesn’t try to stop you so he can have you in his strong embrace.

If you’re standing in place he’ll hug you from behind and start to sway your body with his for a little bit until he’s ready to let go, or when you swat him away so you can finish whatever you were doing.

If you two are on the couch in your room then he’ll be hugging you from the side and you’ll have your head on his chest. When you’re in Alucard’s lap he’ll have both arms around your waist and his head will be resting on your shoulder.

If you two are in public, walking down a busy street or sitting down next to each other when people are around Alucard will have one arm around your waist.

But when it comes to being in the mansion, outside of your room, you and Alucard both tend to stay professional since you two are basically at work. Plus the people who see you two hugging are people who both of you see constantly. There is just a difference between strangers you two will never see again and people who are always around. It’s not that you two are hiding your relationship- because everyone knows you’re a couple- it’s more of just keeping certain things more private.

There are the exceptions such as when he comes back from long missions and those times that Alucard is stressed out enough to just not care. When that happens he’ll walk up behind you while you’re talking to someone and casually wrap his arms around your waist. He’ll rest his chin on the top of your head, not swaying or anything, he just stands there, holding onto you and listening to the conversation.

It doesn’t happen often but it’s happened enough times that you and everyone else knows just to continue the conversation as if Alucard isn’t even there. Then once you’re done, you’ll let whoever you were talking to walk away before you and Alucard will disappear to a more private place so you can give him all the attention that he so desperately wants from you.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Takes years of friendship, then a year or so of being in a relationship before Alucard says it because he has a fear that as soon as he says “I love you” something bad is going to happen to you.

After Alucard first says “I love you” and nothing bad happens he’s still very cautious about saying it again for a while. But when you’re still safe whenever he said it he now constantly tells you that he loves you.

If Alucard is with you when you wake up he’s telling you that he loves you. If he’s with you when you go to sleep he’s telling you he loves you. When he wakes up from a nightmare he’ll tell you he loves you. If you’re cuddling he tells you he loves you.

If you do some small task that you think nothing of, Alucard is telling you he loves you for the help. Every time he leaves he tells you he loves you. Every time he comes back he tells you he loves you. The end of every phone call he’s telling you he loves you and if it’s a phone call during a mission that he’s been away for a while he’s telling you all throughout the call that he loves you.

Whenever you two hug or kiss he’s telling you he loves you. Alucard will get lost in his thoughts and zone out, then when you help him come back to, he will tell you that he loves you.

And every single time he says “I love you” he 100% means it, he will never throw around those three words carelessly.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Okay I know I said before that Alucard would kill anyone who so much as breathes in your direction but that’s before you two are together. But he isn’t jealous after you two get into a relationship because after you two are together he doesn’t have any competition. HOWEVER he is protective when it comes to the relationship.

Which are two totally different things.

Jealousy means that Alucard would get intimidated by someone else talking to you and thinks that someone could possibly take you from him. But he has enough trust in you and in the relationship to know there is no need to get jealous over someone talking to you. There is no need for him to worry about you being unfaithful when you go out or what you wear when you leave to hangout with your friends. Only thing he worries about is something bad possibly happening to you but you never go out alone because you and Seras are best friends, which is what puts Alucard’s mind at ease. It’s always you and Seras plus a few other friends go out, and sometimes a few of those friends are male friends, whom Alucard also doesn’t worry about. You’re free do do what you want, with who you want, where you want while wearing whatever you want.

So Alucard isn’t jealous but he’s very protective, meaning that if he is nearby and notices that someone could possibly be making advances he’ll subtly show that you’re taken. Depending on how that person react to him just proves what their intentions were; if they immediately leave you alone, you and Alucard just go on about your merry way. If they try to keep your attention on them after you introduce Alucard, you cut it off because you won’t let someone try to take your attention away from Alucard when you were out with him. If you introduce Alucard and they include him in the conversation, there is possibly a new friend. You two have actually made a few friends that way.

(though Alucard can tell when you’re trying to ‘make him jealous’ as foreplay and he will go along with it, when it’s like that he’ll act absolutely feral)

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Heh- I’ll exclude some places

Once again you both will be professional around the mansion when outside of your room, only giving each other a quick peck on the lips then going back to whatever it is that you two need to be doing. That also comes back with the exceptions of him going on his long missions. But even when it comes to kissing around other people- strangers or not- it doesn’t get too intimate.

But in private? This man is the very definition of passion. Alucard may not be able to put all his feelings into words, but his kisses tell you everything he can’t.

He does have his times where he likes to get playful though, giving you a kiss but pulls away before he lures you too far in, just so he can leave you longing for more. Sometimes he’ll run his fangs against your lower lip just to make you jump in surprise, then chuckles against your lips while you pretend to be annoyed by his teasing. Alucard loves you but he has to pick on you, y’know?

Alucard likes being kissed on his neck the most (yes I’m doing this out of pure irony, leave me alone)

Where Alucard likes kissing your hands- the NSFW Alphabet explains why- and he other favorite place to kiss you is right below the belly button. He likes kissing you there specifically because he likes the idea of you carrying his child.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Alucard would be an amazing father, though sometimes he’d spoil them more than he should. But he will still make the kids know what it means to put in hard work.

He also wouldn’t necessarily toss you to the side once you give birth to his children but you’ll definitely get put second more often than not. And if it ever came to saving you or the kids, sorry but you’re on your own love.

Alucard’s patience would never run thin when it comes to his children, and he would always try to be the first to come to their aid. Hell if you had his kids he might as well take maternity leave after the baby is born because he’d be up before you when the baby cries at night.

It’d be nice at first when you’re still recovering, Alucard would help with the feeding, bathing, changing, putting the baby to sleep, and anything he possibly can. But it would eventually get annoying when you have to tell him to give you your child back.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Since mornings are a vampire’s night, you and Alucard will eat and spend a bit of time together before you both pass out from exhaustion from all the work you had to do over night. But there is always a weekly early morning date. This can also apply to when you’re a human because you have to work overnight and are exhausted by daybreak.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

It tends to be too busy to spend time together since night is the time for the both of you to bust your ass to get work done. Though sometimes you two do take off and go out to a fancy restaurant, or a club since they’re most popular at night.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Everything depends on whether Integra will let him talk and act somewhat freely because can’t say anything without her permission and that’s what affects the friendship.

But if Alucard has permission then you’ll know he’s a vampire as soon as you two meet because he doesn’t care if you know or not.

If you start asking questions when it comes to his life, Alucard will only tell you what happened after Integra woke up. But if you start asking too many questions he’ll just tell you that it’s none of your business.

Now after you two get into a relationship it’s still only from when he was awoken, and you don’t push because it isn’t your place. The reason why he doesn’t share his life before Integra is because it’ll mean he has to deal with trauma.

Alucard might as well have bought a shovel to dig a hole in the backyard in order to bury his trauma, and he wasn’t going to let any of that shit resurface… Well, that was the plan at least.

Alucard didn’t want to ever tell you anything, Hell he didn’t even want to fall in love with you. But he couldn’t stop it from happening, just like he couldn’t stop from having one of his horrendous nightmares when you two were in bed together. You were more terrified than he was because of it, but you kept your cool and helped him through it. After that everything is slowly- but surely- being shared with you.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Alucard was easily angered by you at first because he didn’t give a damn about you or your feelings. But now you are what he cares about the most and that shadows his anger more often than not. He tries his best to keep his lashing out to an absolute minimum.

Which makes him accidentally take it out on you.

Alucard only does it by screaming and maybe breaking something but he never gets physical when he’s angry with you. It’s very rare that he snaps because he tends to defuse the situation or take a walk in order to calm down before he gets to the point of becoming aggressive.

But like- everyone- Alucard keeps stuff to himself and it builds up, so when an argument breaks out between you (which happens occasionally but not too often) he loses it before he even has a chance to realize it. If you shut up after he screams at you he’ll walk away and come back when he’s ready. If you don’t shut up that’s when a screaming match ensues and he breaks something, then he walks out.

He always comes back though, it might take an hour or maybe he’s gone for the rest of the night. But Alucard will always be back before day break because he can’t sleep without you and that thought is what calms him down.

The first time you two had a big fight and Alucard walked out he planned on not talking to you until the next night. He even went to another hidden cellar in the mansion that you didn’t know about because he didn’t want you around him. But when he tried to sleep it took him hours and when he finally did fall asleep he had a gruesome nightmare, it was that something terrible happened to you while he wasn’t with you.

Alucard woke up in a cold sweat then- without a moment to spare- he dashed out of his room and ran at full speed straight into your’s. He didn’t even bother knocking, he just went straight through the door. Tears were running down his face as he pulled you out of the bed and into his arms, covering your face with kisses while he told you how sorry he is. You helped him through his crying and got his mind at ease, making sure he knew that everything was going to be okay.

You two agreed to talk out the issue that caused the fight the next night and that’s exactly what you did, clearing up everything. After that you both promised never to go to bed angry at each other and that whenever you two are angry at each other you wait until you both calm down to settle the problem.

This is what keeps you both sane, well, as sane as you two can get and makes sure that the issues that cause the fights get fixed. It also keeps Alucard from having those nightmares that always makes everything a million times worse for his mental health, thus affecting the relationship as well.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Alucard has a whole library in his head of all the important things when it comes to you. But just in case he ever forgets, he writes things down in a journal he solely dedicated to information about you and the relationship.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

When you didn’t leave him after he told you he was Dracula. He expected you to leave him after only telling you a few things he’s done but you didn’t. Instead you told him that he doesn’t have to tell you all the bad things he’s done- and the war crimes he’s committed- because you love him for the person he is now.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Besides being protective of the relationship, Alucard would carry you in his pocket if he could just so he’d always be able to keep you safe. He gets nervous when he sees someone eyeing you up because he automatically assumes they have the worst of intentions.

If someone ever raises their hand to you they’re lucky if you kick their ass before Alucard gets to them, because if he does that person is getting sent out in an ambulance. And that’s only because that’s the worst that you’ll allow Alucard to do to them. If you let Alucard do what he wants to do, that person would be dead on the spot.

There isn’t really a need for you to protect him, matter of fact he doesn’t want you to attempt to protect him because he doesn’t want you to ever be in harm's way.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Your weekly dates are just small things, such as going on walks in the park, watching movies, window shopping, or eating at a diner or fast food place. It’s just easy and nearby and inexpensive. Sometimes they get a bit more fun, like going to a bar, a club, or a concert- you’ve talked him into going to a few raves and mosh pits.

But for anniversaries, a Valentine’s Day, or your birthday, calling those dates ‘extraordinary’ is an understatement. Going to the world’s most expensive restaurants, jewelry, makeup, clothes, shoes, you’ll even have a private jet flying you two wherever you want to go for a weekend trip.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Alucard’s temper and bottles up his feeling(yeah, big surprise but at least he’s trying to work on it)

He can be hot and cold (once again, not surprising)

Can be VERY nosy at times

Remember how we talked about dishes? Specifically the cups? Well, Alucard hoards cups in his office.

You always respect his office and don’t touch anything in it because that’s his own space, just like he respects your office because that’s your own space. So the ONLY time you complain is when it comes to the cups but you still don’t touch them, you just have to wait until he takes them out.

Speaking of waiting, you also have to ask him to take the trash out of his office because neither of you want bugs and/or rodents.

Which he does after the trash can is overflowing and there are almost no cups in the cabinets, which can take either a week or month to happenT_T

Also his hair is ALL OVER the bathroom. The floor, the sink, the shower, EVERYWHERE. Alucard sheds more hair than you and the dog combined and you’re surprised that he isn’t bald by now.

And this last one I will shout from the rooftops: HE! IS! A! HYPOCRITE!!!

But he’s trying to fix it.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Alucard only cared about making himself look presentable, as long as he was clean and well dressed he was fine with how he looked to everyone else.

But Alucard loathes his scars that he can’t get rid of with his entire being. He always has- even before he met you- but nobody would ever see them so he wasn’t insecure about them.

Or so Alucard thought, then you walked into his life. You’re the only one who has seen all of him and has felt most of him, now he gets so self conscious over the scars. They prove to you that at one point he was weak and couldn’t protect himself.

Alucard also hates how his hands are so rough and callous. You’re the only one who Alucard touches in an intimate manner, and he takes his gloves off in order to do so. Making him not only hate how he can’t feel your body in the same way could if his hands were normal. He also hates it because he knows that his touch is a bit harsh on your bare skin.

Alucard knows damn well that you couldn’t care less about how his hands feel and that you will never think less of him because of his scars but he still tries to “make up for it” in other ways.

Like having his hair smooth as silk, which is why his hair care products clutter the bathroom sink. Alucard tries to keep his lips from getting chapped so his kisses can be gentle and it makes up for the ruggedness of his hands. Alucard makes sure that the skin that isn’t scared is soft to the touch, to the point that it feels like velvet against your fingertips.

You’re the only person Alucard does this for but he won’t let you know that, he keeps these insecurities to himself because you promised to love him no matter what.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yes. You walked into his life and now there is no leaving. You are his everything. You are that last piece of the puzzle and he will never be able to live without you. He makes sure to let you know that with every chance he gets.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Alucard keeps a picture of you tucked in his hat, that’s why he makes sure it gets taken off and goes somewhere out of harm's way before every fight. If there is a surprise attack the first thing he does is grab a gun with one hand and throw his hat to safety with the other.

Also I picture human Alucard having tattoos- not sure what kind yet but he has them.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Someone who’s love he has to fight for, because he won’t.

Someone who’s controlling- he already has to deal with Integra bossing him around, he won’t have a partner do it.

Do. Not. Touch. His. Desk. Don’t clean it off. Don’t rearrange anything. Don’t do ANYTHING to it. Just leave his desk alone and there won’t be an issue.

Jealousy (though he will play along if you’re faking it for foreplay)

Someone who doesn’t follow through with their word

He gets annoyed with people who never stand up for themselves and always need/want someone to do it for them.

If something bad happens and you don’t tell him, he doesn’t give a damn if you’ve already dealt with it on your own

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

Alucard has nightmares and needs you to sleep, that’s a given. But he also has to be touching you in one way or another, even if it’s just his fingertips grazing your arm. He just needs to feel that you’re there in bed with him and if you get up he automatically knows.

[supercalime]

A goodbye post I guess?

Hey yall, i wanted to write something about all of this as this may be the last time I talk about this show. Apologies in advance, this will be long and all over the place cause im using this little essay to get it off my chest and help me calm down my anxiety. Strap in, this will be a doozy.

First off, no matter how sad and disappointed we are, let’s please not stoop down to the level of those fans when it comes to voicing our issues with this situation. Please, let’s not harass, call people names, send them threats, etc. we can voice our opinions in an adult way, and although it fucking hurts and it makes us want to shout from the rooftops and call Murphy, Minear and Stark every name in the sun, we need to be grown ups and come out on top of it.

That being said, I want to first acknowledge how fun and cool yall are. We endured A LOT of shit since april and all that bullshit didn’t stop you from keeping the positivity going. I applaud you all for that. It has been hard. I came in contact and became friends with some really nice people here and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I loved being a part of this fandom and it physically hurts me that this feels like it was all for nothing.

Even though I feel like a fool as well, I hate to see how you are all so sad with this. This wasn’t our fault. We were not naive for believing that this storyline could’ve been great. Don’t blame yourself for being taken advantage of. Because that’s what they did. They saw the opportunity to profit from a community and took it. They are the ones in the wrong. They used us for brownie points and then tossed us away like trash the second they got what they wanted. It’s on them.

What I’m about to say now will sound hypocritical as I’m writing this at 2am while trying to cope with an anxiety attack caused by this very show, but what we can take away from this is that unfortunately, we can’t rely on tv shows for happiness. Yes, that’s a bitter pill to swallow, specially in this political climate as we were hoping for some sort of escape from the horrors of the elections. What i took away from this is that I need to (for lack of a better word) touch grass. I need hobbies, I need friends. All things that I’ve been lacking because fandom stuff is easier. I need to find stuff that makes me happy that doesn’t depend on outside factors. But also I want to make sure that if a show is all you have, that’s okay and is even more okay to feel betrayed. I was an absolute mess a few years ago when a show I adored stabbed their fans in the back, but it gets better. You still get angry remembering you were done dirty but I promise that the memories that stick are the positive ones.

I don’t wanna go on a deleting spree but I also don’t want to be reminded of this hurtful moment as the wound is still fresh, so I’m deciding to reevaluate some things offline, like I did with previous fandoms, and come back when I’m ready. I don’t think I’ll leave tumblr or never watch/talk about 911 again but I need some time and space from it so I can feel better. I don’t want to doom scroll through the tags like I did tonight. What Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear and Oliver Stark did to us was awful, but the best thing I can do is not let these three men influence my mental health. I won’t let a tv show ruin me because it’s not my fault. It’s not our fault to believe that there were half decent people in the entertainment industry that cares about the portrayal of queer individuals. They will have to sleep at night with that knowledge and deal with the consequences from the BoBs. And if these guys decide to humor the BoBs that’s their funeral. It would further show they never cared about representation and just wanted to save face after making so many people miserable for simply enjoying a canon ship. I hope they can see the consequences because I’m not even the target here. I’m hurt for all the queer men that saw themselves in buck and tommy, that even messaged the actors thanking them for their honest portrayal.

In conclusion, here’s my goodbye (for now).

Thank you so much bucktommy nation!

Yall are the best,

Love, Lety 🖤