#growing up spending time in a graveyard does that to you I think

[rosenfey]

this book caters so strongly to my interests I might scream

I used to do this thing on my insta where I would post the new books I've been picking up, except I'm no longer active on there, and since I'm learning to be more open about my special interests here, I'm going to kick it off with this one!!! having very niche interests sometimes means that it's quite hard finding books in my local stores if I have something specific in mind, but then I get to bump into treasures like this. I'm literally so giddy you have no idea!!!!

[matteglaze]

Thinking about, tired fisherman! Aizawa and Shark! Reader

Aizawa has always been a great fisherman, almost abnormally so, with large catches and even larger fish. Others always ask him, how does he do it? Though, he never entertains it.

In, comes you, you make sure to follow Aizawa around— because it seems like he knows all the spots with the most plump fish. You end up turning it into a graveyard once he's left, eating everything in your wake.

Now, whenever Aizawa returns to his usual spots he's cursed to be in a drought. There's no more fish, and no fish means no money, no money means no food on his plate.

He spends hours at a time just waiting for something to hook onto his line, waiting and waiting, and when nothing happens he comes back the next day to do it again.

You take pity on him, of course you do, and decide to 'help' him out.

This leads to a series of strange events.

When Aizawa first finds out that you're some sort of mermaid— "No mermaid, shark" (you always correct him)— he thinks he's going insane.

But I also feel like he gets somewhat used to the idea (it's still very strange). You then express that you've always had an interest in humans, and Aizawa learns that you've managed to learn his language by spying on other fishermen's conversations.

(At least that explains your odd dialogue)

"Shouta, got any on ya fish, fella?"

Though, the order of your words could use work. It's why he suggests that, if you can help him out with fishing, he can help you out with learning more about humans (since you seem to harbour a strange fascination with them).

At first, you deny his offer. Mostly because in your culture, it's a courting ritual to provide for the one you want to mate, and then they offer you something back as well.

And, you aren't that interested in Shouta. If you wanted to court a man, you'd choose the one with a large boat, that likes to sing to songs on the radio and tease Shouta.

Why would you go after Aizawa? He seems to be the weakest of his kind. Small boat, quiet, and you could easily eat him.

But with the more time you spend with Aizawa,, the more you start to like him.

So you agree, and Aizawa thinks nothing of it (maybe you just had a change of mind), but then this starts the series of you courting him.

You offer him big fish, almost too large for his boat, and many gems as well, all of which he ends up selling.

It isn't until you're both inside of a desolate cave, him sitting on the edge with his feet in, and you in the water.

You bring your hands up to his legs, and he jerks away.

".. What are you doing"

You almost seem bashful when you turn your head to the side, hands still hung up as if they're frozen in time.

"Will bring big fish if you let" you murmur.

Aizawa knows better now than to fall for your shy act, but he's been curious about you, too.

"I'd like to see.. your, uh, tail" was that a normal thing to ask? It wasn't, like, offensive right? I mean, you asked to feel his legs— so it can't be that weird..

Instead, it seems like you preen at the idea, puffing out your chest proudly. It was always a positive sign when future mates showed interest, and once he gets a look at the scars littering your tail, he'd practically be in awe at your pure, sheer strength!

It doesn't take much for you to lift yourself above the water, finding a spot next to him as you run your fingers across his legs, toying with the hair that grows and playing around with his knee.

"Good catch" you say.

Aizawa looks anywhere but you, and once it's his turn to explore your tail he just looks— far too in his head to touch the skin.

It goes on like this for a few weeks, you bringing him fish, he explains basic concepts of human behaviour and sometimes even brings you fruit or home cooked meals.

"I like when you provide food, mate"

And Shouta startles, eyes wide and mouth shut closed.

You didn't mean it like that, he rationalizes, you probably meant it in a friendly way—

So why can't he stop thinking about it?

ummm am I writing a longshot based off of this? noooo....

I'm very excited for this year's mermay fics !!

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Akatsuki Headcanons: Halloween with their Darling

Featuring the Akatsuki and how they would spend Halloween with a Darling that loves the spooky season!

Itachi

Itachi is rather introverted and doesn't like parties or loud events. He could, of course, put on a smile and interact with anyone if it was for your sake, but he will be looking forward to being alone with you once again. Plainly put, he has no interest in other people.

He finds your excitement cute and might suggest that you spend a quiet evening in the graveyard, feeding the ravens and discussing horror movies and literature. It's peaceful, comforting and fitting. Oh, he just loves hearing your voice.

Truly, what could be more romantic than debating ghoulish matters among the dead and decayed? For Itachi it is a statement in itself, that your love prevails over everything. Perhaps even foreshadowing, if anyone ever dares to interfere.

Kisame

Kisame will be happy to comply with any proposal as long as you're by his side. That's really the only requirement for his successful Halloween. If you prefer larger events, he will dutifully keep suitors away and allow you to mingle with your friends. Otherwise a cozy evening indoors will suffice.

Now listen, when it comes to horror movies I’m sure the first thought is usually Jaws. But I had this picture in my head: watching Silent Hill with Kisame and getting him to dress up as Pyramid Head. If there’s a costume party happening, he’ll be right behind you in that bloodied up apron and great knife dragging along.

In fact, you could even go for a matching costume, such as Bubble Head Nurse. Kisame takes his role very seriously, so naturally once you’re alone he might just do what Pyramid Head does. You can tell he’s been looking forward to it once his imposing gloved hand is around your throat, grip tightening in anticipation.

Sasori

Sasori will be against any social event, so you better not pester him with any of those annoying Halloween parties. He does not care for it and he finds it an utter waste of time that could be spent with you instead. Why do you need the company of others?

If you must celebrate in some way, he’d much rather compromise on some quiet, cultural activity. Perhaps some museum exhibition, or a candlelight organ concert in a church. Even better, a horror movie at home so he doesn’t have to worry about perverts eyeing you.

I like to think he’d enjoy Tim Burton movies. They’re artsy and tasteful and a lot of the recurring themes might pique his interest. You’ll finish watching Edward Scissorhands and notice he’s been thoughtfully gazing at you for some time. Is anything wrong? Not really. He’d just been pondering that you won’t be allowed to grow old. He’ll make sure of it.

Deidara

Deidara is a thrill seeker and will absolutely share your enthusiasm for Halloween. Costume parties, haunted houses, amusement parks, you name it. He loves a good scare and might even compile an elaborate list of activities to make sure you have the best time. Truth be told, seeing you enjoying yourself might be the actual highlight.

He won’t mind, however, if you’d prefer a less intense evening. There’s plenty of things to do away from the crowd, such as pumpkin carving. He’ll do his best to impress you with his artistic skills, presenting highly elaborate carvings, often depicting your favorite things. He lives to entertain you.

If he thinks about it, this is a perfect opportunity to prove to you that really no one else compares. His love for you is unmatched. And as he likes to say, the holiday isn’t complete until it ends with a bang ;) (Had to make the joke)

Kakuzu

Ugh. Kakuzu just dreads the upcoming holidays. It’s all puerile, commercial quackery and he does his best to ignore the nonsense. Or he used to, at the very least. As much as it irritates him, your disappointed expression might be even more unbearable. He does have a soft spot for you, after all.

So fine, go ahead. Do your silly little Halloween shenanigans. As long as he doesn’t have to deal with other people. It’s really just the best for everyone involved. You wouldn’t want some poor soul complimenting your outfit to immediately meet their demise at the hands of your intimidating boyfriend. His patience might be thin, but when it comes to you it’s basically nonexistent.

Ideally it’ll be just you and him. Graveyards, horror movies, haunted houses, pumpkin patches, whatever your little heard desires. If he’s in a good mood, he might even be willing to don a matching costume.

Hidan

Given Hidan’s beliefs, he’s not very impressed by some pagan invention, although he does enjoy the activities that come with it. It’s his guilty pleasure. Especially because he gets to see you all dressed up.

That might just be the main reason, really. You. He loves seeing your excitement and would do anything to entertain it. He enjoys social events where he can show you off, but doing things alone as a couple is also perfectly fine. Okay, if he’s entirely honest, he would very much like to parade you around as his.

All the gore and the terror really gets him into the mood. By the end of the day he’ll be a starved man, and you can be sure that once he gets his hands on you it will be a bloody, scratching, biting mess. He’s probably the type to suggest you do it in a graveyard for the thrills.

Pein

Pein pretends not to care, but he is very much aware your favorite holiday is approaching. He’ll prepare weeks in advance to make sure he won’t have any paperwork or surprise missions. The day will be entirely dedicated to you.

He will either quietly follow you around to whatever plans you’ve made, like a loyal dog, or will conjure his own activities in case you didn’t expect too much productivity to be possible. Oh, the things he’ll do for your sake. Anything for a glimpse of that genuine smile.

You’re quite amused by the fact that Pein retains his serious expression no matter what jumpscares come your way. Impressed, you can’t help but ask him: “Is there even anything that frightens you?” And he won’t have to contemplate an answer for long. Naturally the thought of losing you. All the other artificial horrors pale in comparison. But you needn’t worry, he will never, ever allow it to happen.

Konan

Konan is only mildly excited about Halloween, but she will never say no to spending time with you. Additionally, it comes with the opportunity of doing arts and crafts as a way to relax. Forget buying decorations, she’ll be crafting the most exquisite garlands and ornaments you’ve ever laid eyes on.

She prefers to keep to herself. If you desire to attend a social gathering, she won’t downright refuse, but she’ll maintain her distance from the crowd and count the hours until you’re alone and together.

I feel like she would treat it as a spooky Valentine’s Day. She’ll show up with an elaborate gothic bouquet of flowers and a card quoting your favorite horror book or movie. “I have crossed oceans of time to find you”, as she lovingly once read in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. You’re her very own undying romance.

Tobi

You might think you’re excited for Halloween, but it quickly fades when compared to Tobi’s enthusiasm. Before you can even mention it to him, he will present you with a full itinerary of things to do together. He has been counting the days, constantly daydreaming of having all the fun in the world with you.

Similarly childish is his possessiveness. You find his little bouts of jealousy when you’re among other people terribly cute, as he pouts and tries to drag you away, reminding you dramatically that he’s your Halloween date. Only him.

Although you’re taken aback by his abrupt change of tone, when at some point during the night the silly threats turn into a deep, jarring voice demanding your undivided attention. Surprised? It’s a holiday of frights, after all. Perhaps he’ll show you how scary he can be if he wants to.

[yuri-is-online]

Can we hear your thoughts on Leona! Yutu?

Since Leona died fighting the Phantom, Yutu obviously wouldn't have met him, and I'm wondering about your ideas between what Leona became after NRC, how the loss of Yuu affected him, Leona's death, and Yutu's opinion of him before and after meeting him. I had an errant idea of Leona having Died a Hero's Death and then when Yutu meets him it's like, "THIS is the guy my parent was willing to spend the rest of their life with???"

Anyway yeah. As a Leona Simp, I would much appreciate anything you write.

Does he like cats... you know I have always sort of seen Leona has having a petty rivalry with Grim because he thinks he should be the King Cat, so the image of Leona! Yutu lying in a field with a bunch of cats is sort of a perfect contrast. I like it: Leona! Yutu absolutely loves cats and they love him.

notes: they/them used for Yuu, for context on the fyuuture kid au can be found here and here. You can find even more stuff for it on my masterlist under the series section.

Leona and and his position in the kingdom's line of succession... Based off my understanding of what we see in the Tashmina event I think the Savanna would prioritize protecting their royal family over a lot, something that pissed Leona off. He went to fight the King of Beast's phantom because he saw it as a problem he made and that he needed to take responsibility for sure, but also because he had no faith in his brother to do anything meaningful about it. I want to say that his brother wanted to enshrine Leona as a hero for his sacrifice, but that this decision was very unpopular with his advisors so he was buried in the Elephant Graveyard without much fanfare. He is an extremely popular figure with the hyenas, as is Ruggie. They see him as restoring the Kingdom's honor in a way by defeating the false king, something no other country in the apocalypse can claim, but things are still rough since they can't rely on tourism anymore and the blot has been making the weather really unpredictable, leading to bad harvests and starving people.

If Yuu was Leona's... losing them wouldn't have a noticeable affect on him but it was a massively crushing blow. We know he hates his unique magic because turning things to sand is a curse in the Savanna, but did it really have to be his own family this time? The family he got in spite of himself, the one fucking person who chose him no matter how much he snapped at them and tried to convince them to see him for what he was; a worthless dead end that would only hurt them. And what's worse is he knows that whoever took them had his brother's cooperation.

"Couldn't let me have this one fucking thing could you?" He's laughing as he says it and not even the irritation in his sister in law's eyes makes him back down. "Stuff it. I ain't stupid enough for whatever line you got fed and I don't care about your justifications. You're gonna have to live with this one on your own, Falena. Just like I have to."

He refuses to talk to his other family after that. No matter who is asking or making demands, taking Yuu and Yutu away from him is just one step too far. His brother probably thought that Yuu would be allowed to come home and that's why he let them go, but that's not exactly an excuse Leona would be willing to accept from anyone, let alone the supposed leader of a state. He almost feels relived when the blot phantoms start wreaking things, Leona might just want to sleep until you come to wake him up again but fighting things gives him an excuse to get his mind off things. Dying is a relief, he doesn't have to deal with Idia's whining or living without you any longer than he already has. His only regret is that he had to take Ruggie with him.

I really love this fanart and head cannon fima11 had of Leona's hair being light when he was born, and the color getting darker as he grows, so the idea of something similar happening with Leona! Yutu when he's born is really sweet. Leona's hair sort of resembles a mane, it'd be cute if Leona! Yutu's did the same. And genetics are already so weird I don't think any earth doctors would like too much of it.

Leona! Yutu is a sleepy boy. His hobby is napping and his favorite place in the whole wide world is his bed. He has a bad habit of laying face first in his pillows because he snores pretty loudly and he doesn't want to wake anyone up, which sort of makes him look like he has passed out as opposed to just settled down for a good snooze.

Because he is being raised by a single parent in the human world and not a bunch of gossipy servants hired by emotionally neglectful royalty, Yutu is significantly less entitled than Leona is. He has good sense with his money and can work hard, he just has a bit of a problem with resting bitch face that leaves people thinking he is rude. And to be fair? If someone is testing his patience then he really can be. Apple didn't fall far from the tree, Yutu is absolutely brutal when people test his patience.

Yuu's memories of Leona don't exactly help with his perceived behavior problems, they recall Leona's catty personality and how rude he could be, but that he was so remarkably clever and so very strong, that they were in awe of him sometimes. I think they would mention that he struggled with depression due to a difficult upbringing and feel a need to make sure Yutu felt appreciated and like he could do anything he set his mind to, no matter who he was born as. Yutu just takes that to mean that being a bitch runs in the family and he fully intends to ride that excuse to the bank.

It's a nice thought but Yutu feels a bit conflicted by it. He has no doubt that Yuu will always love and support him, but other people? Yuu might be able to ignore what their neighbors say about them but Yutu can hear them loud and clear. They think Yuu's amnesia is an act, and that he's a weirdo freak. Not to mention they don't have any money so even if he wanted to be a doctor or something like that going to school would be a bit of a pain, even with his grades. He finds school to be boring, and even when he gets bullied by one of the coaches in to taking up a sport because of how strong he is it doesn't help much.

I could see him being very into space and astronomy because he feels like he doesn't belong in your world. He knows a lot of downright stupid stuff about UFO sightings and aliens even though he doesn't believe in them. He is SO DISAPPOINTED when Twisted Wonderland turns out to have no conspiracy theories to talk about, can't think the moon landing was faked if you never had one after all. If the world wasn't literally ending he would be pushing for the Sunset Savanna to win the space race, c'mon guys it is in our name everything the light touches totally expands to the stars-

Like the other beastmen Yutus he maintains his instincts, even in your world. He is extremely territorial about his things and especially your home. Like Cater! Yutu, he has strong feelings of nostalgia for your world, but unlike him it has nothing to do with the monsters or hardships. Lions just tend to stay in the same place for a long time so moving to entirely different world and ecosystem makes him feel weird, even if he prefers his beastfolk body to his human one.

Gets put in Savanaclaw by the mirror. He might like space but his preferred type of argument is rearranging someone's dental work before asking them to explain themselves. He'd be terrible at defending a thesis.

Leona! Yutu's place in the Sunset Savanna hierarchy is tricky. I think, as Yutu is his brother's child, Falena would want some sort of relationship with him as he does clearly love his brother. What makes that hard is that as far as the government is concerned, Leona is dead and that's the end of his part of the family line. Acknowledging that he had a son could further destabilize the already tense political situation in the Savanna since Leona's sacrifice is already a point of conflict between the royal family and a portion of their people. While Crewel has no problem telling Yutu about his father since he has a right to know, the fact that he is technically a prince is completely hidden from him for a long time.

We haven't really played with this idea yet, but I sort of like Leona having a ghost that hangs around his grave sometimes. Idia arranges for Yutu to go there on a day he thinks he'll be hanging around and while Yutu doesn't get to talk to his father he does get to see him and the look of pride in his eyes when the grumpy lion realizes who he is. Leona gets to pass on and be with Yuu while Yutu gets a lesson from his cousin about the concept of the great Kings living on in the sky and how the past lives on in him. Because while Cheka understand his dad's concerns like hell is he not going to meet his favorite cousin. His enthusiasm is really exhausting to Yutu, he appreciates the fact that someone has nice things to say about his dad but he isn't too sure how much he trusts this guy.

Oh right one more thing, I don't want to say each of the Savanaclaw boys would pass their magic on to their Yutu's so if we ever get around to Jack he won't, but Leona should pass on King's Roar to his kid. Causing a drought might be considered a curse but I want to say Leona! Yutu wears it with pride. He loves his roar and that despite all the effort put in to erasing Leona from existence he still lives in him. His head is fit to wear the crown, no matter what anyone says.

Leona clocks what Yutu is the instant he steps out of the portal. It's all in the kid's scent and what runes he used to make the jump. He takes some time to think about what it could mean and comes to a few conclusions. Firstly, if he has a kid with you then he will always have some sort of relationship with you, no not in the yandere possessive way (mostly), he just knows enough about himself and his wants to know that having a kid would not be something he did by accident. If he did that at some point in the future it would be because you were going to stay with him forever and he actually believed that. Something that clearly did not get to happen because of how protective Yutu is of his parent.

Yutu was a bit confused if he should go about interacting with his dad or even ask about him so you can imagine his surprise when he stops by Ramshackle to see Leona half asleep on the couch.

"Oh sorry Yuu isn't here-"

"I know." Leona doesn't even open his eyes, and is he seriously wearing his shoes on the couch? Yuu would kill him for that it's so unsanitary.

"Um. Ok I'll just leave you be the-"

"Why'd you travel back in time?" Oh Leona's eyes are open now and there is something about that stare that's nailing Yutu to his spot and tempting his tail between his legs. His dad must notice because he laughs and shakes his head. "Seriously? If that's all it takes to scare you shitless we really are fucked."

Leona doesn't outright say he knows he's his dad, but Yutu gathers that's probably the case from the difference in his attitude around him compared to everyone else. There's a degree of coldness and severity to Leona when he's giving orders that really isn't present when he's talking to him about overblots or his theories about who is responsible for the bad future. He's almost playful about it, like he is messing with a cub. Which Yutu supposes that he is but still, he doesn't like being treated like a kid. Something he very much regrets telling Leona because holy shit his dad is strong just like Yuu said he was.

I think Leona would make him play chess against him a lot. You can learn a lot about a person by playing chess with them, and since it's something Leona really likes to do he would enjoy sharing it with his son. I think he would also get a kick out of seeing Yutu get really competitive with him about it. Maybe there is some lion in this kid after all.

Leona also makes a subtle effort to teach him about how the court of the Sunset Savanna works. I think Leona would sort of enjoy the fact that his kid didn't grow up as royalty just because it meant he was free of the pressures that he had, but hate everything else he learned about Yutu's childhood. It inspires him to think a bit deeper about how he is going to address this when Yutu is born in this timeline, though he is admittedly lacking on solutions beyond refusing to die this time. He must have been really far gone to even consider making a heroic sacrifice that's not like him at all.

He does get the appeal of his father sort of? Sure he's lazy, but he is extremely intelligent and clearly a lot more knowledgeable about literally everything than Yutu thought he was. When they're working together he sees a very impressive person and reliable leader. When he sees Leona interact with you he has questions. Why do you let him pick fights with you so often? Yutu can tell he's making heart eyes at how you fight back but that's because he's a beatman himself so he can read his body language. And he's not crazy about how he orders you around because if his father is a Prince... wouldn't that mean by marrying him you would also be royalty? He is so confused...

Meanwhile Leona isn't rushing things just because he knows you return his feelings at some point. He wants you to choose to be with him of your own free will, wants the feeling that comes with knowing you did that and he is willing to play the game to get that. Every milestone he reaches is so much sweeter for knowing that he got you on his efforts alone, crappy attitude and all.

The reveal to Yuu, much like the reveal to Yutu is extremely mundane. Leona invites you to spend the night with him sometime after you get together and he asks you while you're curled up on his chest and he's holding you just a bit too tight (not because he's afraid you'll run, not at all) how you would feel if you could never go home.

"A little upset." Because you had resigned yourself to the possibility a long time ago now. There's a chance you're only in Twisted Wonderland because you died in your world anyway, might as well be grateful you're still kicking. "And if you stayed and things went bad here, would you still be alright with that?" You don't hesitate at all to his surprise. "I think I'd be safe if I was with you." Well he really hates to prove you wrong but you still deserve to know.

Leona is weirdly quiet in his anger. He roars sure, but that's to exert control. When he's mad he just gets smug and says a lot of hurtful stuff. He leaves the screaming to Yuu, and I could see a Yuu that got with Leona only to learn they didn't get to spend the rest of their life with him doing a lot of screaming. Preventing the apocalypse is a team effort now but first Yutu and Leona are getting scolded for not letting Yuu in on the secret sooner. Leona is down bad horrendous and Yutu wants to die, he hates making you mad.

If I had to make a list of characters I would trust to find a solution to an apocalypse, Leona would actually be pretty close to the top. He is going to bitch about it the entire way, but if he were given the facts before things went too sideways, I think he would be able to make a good plan to set them straight. And there is no way anyone is going to tell him that he managed to have something as precious to him as Yuu taken away from him and not have him do something about it. He'll swallow his pride and take his licks when he has to, but not on this. Never on this, whoever thought he'd just roll over and die is going to shatter in his hands and be like dust on the wind. He really hopes they have enough sense to be prepared....

[no-where-new-hero]

Throwing in my hat into the LMM Rankings ring with...

Favorite LMM Abodes

Top Tier: Homiest Homes I Want to Live In

The Disappointed House (Emily of New Moon). A home you've loved since you were a child but isn't your childhood home but a fantasy of being grown-up and independent. A home you do eventually share with the love of your life. But also a home you got to decorate exactly according to your taste because your wealthy older paramour bank-rolled the operation and understood about the necessity of cupboards. A home haunted by ghosts but they're friendly and familiar ghosts. No, it may not be homey to most, but it is because it so aptly feels like an extension of you.

Patty's Place (Anne of the Island). On the other hand, sometimes you just want to live out a kind of intellectual sapphic eden with some friends and your gal pal and your gal pal's cool aunt and a couple of cats. A home that welcomes men and romance *sometimes* and then the rest of the time it's books and fireplaces and chats and hijinks.

Green Gables (AOGG). This is in the top tier simply because I couldn't bear to put it anywhere else. It's the place where Anne finds herself, finds love and companionship, endures some of her most important experiences.

2nd Tier: Homes I wouldn't mind living in as long as I acclimated to rural life

New Moon (EONM). Emily may love skimming pans for cream and helping Jimmy boil pigs potatoes but such arts are beyond me. At the same time, I'm not afraid of cows. And the garden and graveyard and orchard are manor-house-level accessories these days, so I would feel quite grand living here.

Lantern Hill (Jane of Lantern Hill). At least Jane doesn't farm, and I think I could handle her kitchen providing I had her supply of kitchen gadgets. I have also toasted my face while broiling fish, so I'm aware of the housekeeping hazards.

Cloud of Spruce (Magic for Marigold). This is this high up simply because it's well known for its cats and has a cozy, contented air despite its denizens. It feels less real than LMM's other houses, but everyone dreams of living in a fairy house once in a while.

3rd Tier: Homes that are Characters (so does that mean being in them implicates me in the narrative?)

The Mistawis cottage (The Blue Castle). TBC is a Gothic romance to me simply because of how important the cottage is (though it's also a Bluebeard retelling apparently so!) to Valancy as a person. A little wild, a little reclusive, but open and giving to those it loves. I would love a Blue Castle but I personally could not stand the mosquitoes that would invade off the water.

Silver Bush (Pat of Silver Bush). It's been very well argued that Silver Bush is the love of Pat's life and that Pat exists more as the numen of her house than as a real person. The house gets its own "introducing" chapter, laid out without a character's intermediary. It's huge, overwhelming, a more parasitic version of New Moon.

Tansy Patch (Emily of New Moon). The fact that Teddy comes from a House (unlike Ilse, who just has a house, and Perry, whose Stovepipe Town above is vague and ambiguous) automatically makes him important. He comes from this shadowy place, but do its shadows follow him? And how far?

4th Tier: Picturesque

Ingleside (AOGG). I've seen the real house that Ingleside is based off of, and it's not aesthetically my cup of tea, but I've always thought it would be glorious to grow up in a big rambling, bustling, bursting-with-people house. But it lacks a bit of oomph in the narrative.

Wyther Grange (Emily of New Moon). On the other hand, the Grange packs a punch in its small inclusion. I would like to spend a night in the pigeon-haunted pink room, please and thank you.

Echo Lodge (Anne of Avonlea). The echoes and Miss Lavender seem good company, but I would not be able to hide away there for years and years (I'm always posting on this damn blog).

I know there are more I'm forgetting, but here's what I've got so far. Would love to know other people's rankings too!

[telanadasvhenan]

I haven't spoken alot about my Lavellan, Avelea, but I've been thinking about her dynamic with Solas and what it would be like.

Solas is old, both in physical age (thousands of years old) but spiritually too. He has seen almost everything the world has to offer as well as what it used to be. He knows emotions & spirits lost to time and is familliar with people as a breathing, tangible cohesive unit. Because of this, I feel as though he feels emotions strongly and intensely but they are known to him. He is calm and collected when he wishes to be and allows himself to indulge in anger when he believes it justified. What must it be like to know yourself so well? To be someone and to know who that is. Solas is keen to learn, to grow and be more than he already is. But thats the thing.

Solas is who he is. He has lived, and lived and lived. He will continue to live; to fill his soul with the world even if there is no more room. He speaks of his younger self with a strange disconnect, and I have to wonder, in another thousand years, will he look back on who he was and be unable to recognise that man? Or will it stagnate: will he mourn his ability to change? I find that Solas is so steadfast and sure in his beliefs and convictions, he is almost like a glacier moving through thedas. He has the power to shift history, to liberate and to change everything. Except himself. So devout to his duty and to a cause, like a dog trained to walk at it's owner's heels. He walks the Din'anshiral as if it's the only path he can see. There's a vast sadness in that.

puting the rest below because im a yapper:

Avelea (Lavellan in general I suppose), however, is bright and blinding, each experiance new and unfounded in her world. She grew up chasing the past of a people long dead but is filled with curiousity and wonderment for all things the world has to offer. Her eyes are not adjusted to the light of living. Her soul is young and hungry, famished and lacking in food. She aches for something, unsure and unknowing but bold regardless. And he has a sense of duty to her family, her people. She is to be keeper: to hold them and their history in her heart. That is a kind of knowing that you ache for, the ability to know all that you hold dear. She spends childhoods amongst ruins and the resting place of the dead. I feel like there's a selflessness in that: to know your purpose is to observe, to hold all that you and all those around you find dear, and let it take safety within yourself. But where is the room for you? Where does your own heart go, when it is dedicated to rememberance? How can your life bloom when your mind is a graveyard built for everyone but yourself?

And then the Conclave. Avelea is alone. She has no friends, no allies. Those she travelled with, most likely fellow members of her clan that she grew up with, are dead. Only she lives, their lives and laughter pressed into the pages of her memory. She is imprisoned, accused of crimes she did not commit and is given no choice. Her body is marked, defaced. Her hand no longer belongs to her, as if her soul ever did.

"Felt the whole world change." With a gesure, the world is physically changed. Avelea heals the veil, with a little help. And she observes him, watching him, painting the shades and sounds of his face with her eyes. What must it be like, to be so old and known, to be so sure in everything, just to find yourself confronted with the unknown? Something new, someone new. Solas feels himself in her sight, feels himself be known for something other than he is. And Avelea finds him a tomb of knowledge, of love for all things other than himself and her curiousity pulls her in. She is a stumbling fawn, without the knowledge of it's antlers, wading into the sea in search of a drink. How could a mortal survive the depths of time? And yet it's exhilarating. There is nothing in this world like Solas, so strange and new and destroyingly beautiful.

They see each other and the world changes. Neither of them know if it's for the better. But it's new. It's different and it's blindingly intoxicating.

[punkpandapatrixk]

🔻Tier 3 Patron-exclusive PAC at the end🔻

☆°・. A Life that Suits You, Just You .・°☆ | Punk Girl Culture

Unless you’re terribly blessed since birth, I have a suspicion you might have noticed that living on this Planet, most of the time, for a lot of people, living a Life that suits you, just you, does not come automatically naturally. And to endeavour to create a Life that indeed suits you, just you, comes with a terribly high price tag.

Umm no, I’m not talking about collecting expensive shit because you have expensive hobbies. I’m talking about paying the price of your freedom with discreditation, invalidation, isolation, and perhaps to a lot of extent, alienation from those whom you believe should support your being yourself. Get it?

‘Parents will do anything for their children except let them be themselves.’ — something I found on Pinterest

If you haven’t noticed at all, the moment you were born into this Matrix of slavery, your first enslavement is to your parents. And for that, very little of your Life is even yours to actualise in the Style that suits you, just you. And I think… that’s such an unfortunate thing.

‘Man is born free, but one of the first things he learns is to do as he is told and he spends the rest of his life doing that. Thus his first enslavement is to his parents. He follows their instructions forevermore, retaining only in some cases, the right to choose his own methods and consoling himself with an illusion of autonomy.’ — Eric Berne

If you care enough… If you’re gonna commit to anything at all, I’d say commit to your own Style, honey. Life is too short to be unfulfilled on a spiritual level. To think your Soul chose to be born on a planet of free will and here you are living a life dictated by a System that profits from your phoney and misery.

‘We are born princes and the civilizing process makes us frogs.’ — Eric Berne

I’ve noticed that via education, most children grow up to find great strength within themselves to find all kinds of reasons to justify not realising a Life that’s just their own and nobody else’s. Becoming practical adults, they just flow along the river of society and drown in a sea of duty. Mingling and fitting in, though somewhat reluctantly, everybody is quick to forget the vision of an honest Life that’s dripped from the vast microcosm of their daydreams.

As if diving straight into the bottom of the ocean with just a single breath, most people race towards their graveyards without having truly lived. Are you… sure you’re OK with being just like that yourself? Damn, are you already that at this point?

I hope you understand just how important it is that you take action daily to create a Life that is just your Style. Even if just one small tiny puny thing. Any small action you take brings you closer to a realisation of why you chose to be born at all.

Everybody needs strength to take back their divine birth right—your freedom to create a Life that suits you, just you. You’re not anybody’s toy. In a world of your own you are God. I hope that by prioritising your own happiness you grow up to become a really kindhearted God. It all sounds so unnecessarily tragical but only because this world benefits from its inhabitants being miserable and cruel. But I think, I really believe, that if you can live on your own terms and conditions without being too much at odds with the world, that’s good enough of a win.

In a world of my own, I’d rather be a silly barbie doll of my own design than a stupid mechanical robot forced to serve a society that isn’t even kind to me. When people are miserable they become cruel and I simply do not wish to join that shit circus. I don’t wanna cry on my deathbed regretting an entire life I wasn’t ever happy because I wasn’t true enough to my Style⚰️🪦⚱️

If you’re gonna commit your entire Life Force to anything at all, commit to your own Life Style~

��♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

[PGC Masterlist] [Patreon] [Paid Readings]

🍃🪨🍄🧚🏻‍♂️

🔻Tier 3 Patron-exclusive PAC🔻

— [Your Reservoir of Abundance] —

Spring Equinox is a time of New Beginnings. Its theme revolves around joy and creativity, celebration and abundance. If you start NOW on your visions, it’s only natural you reap the aenergetic rewards by Autumn Equinox~

Celebrate Life but more importantly, celebrate YOUR Life. Every Spring, celebrate the fact that you made it another year. You’ve been growing and expanding. You’ve learnt more about yourself. You’re literally an unstoppable force.

It’s high time you crafted an abundant LYFE that’s totally your STYLE~ So draft it now with whatever you know and have at the moment. Aenergetic preparations to begin your Spring~🌱🍃🌸🌼🌷🌬✨

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

[third-arch]

Law Rambling-Melancholic Melodies

I don’t know why I’m talking about this. I just did. It’s incomplete, and steers of track and goes nowhere. But oh well.

I was listening to “day 30” by Matt Maltese, one of my favorite music artists.

I like imagine autumn leaves, myself dancing with my boyfriend.

The sunlight kissing our skin and peaking through our hair.

Ghosts under a gray sky,

The cold pavement,

Kanna and Law in a dreary park, walking over cobblestone hand in hand.

Things like that.

Anyways, I realized that “Maybe Law would like this song, too.”

I’d always liked imagining that he could play the piano. Maybe that was it.

But, something else,

Is it weird that I think Law would enjoy artists that are more melancholic than things like metal and punk rock?

Sure, growing up, I think it’d make sense.

And I think he’d love those artists.

But, he grew to be someone who didn’t like wishful thinking. He wanted to move on. Not forget, but not wallow, either.

His gentleness, his “in and out” and cautious behavior told me that he was someone who’d rather be in control of his emotions. Which is obvious.

He seems like someone who’d want things to make him happy, make him feel at peace, grounded, and familiar with his emotions.

Something healing, not stimulating.

It’s why I think he’d like Deemo, BTS, Radiohead, Phoebe Bridgers, The Beatles, things like that.

He’d want something that could make him think. Just relax, even.

Maybe it’s me doing the wishful thinking. I’ve always unintentially written him as being much softer than he should be.

Perhaps too soft at times, like these.

Maybe I think too much, like I always do. I always love too greatly. It’s frustrating sometimes.

Back to what I was saying, what about his aggression?

What about $uicideboy$? I’ve always said he’d like that too.

He’s a nerd.

And I think he did, and he probably does

A guilty pleasure that he and Kanna indulge in. Something they enjoyed deeply at some point or another before finding each-other’s company.

Even in my writing, he’s more reserved about it.

You have to recognize the shift he had from before, during and after Corazon

As someone online once wrote,

“In like a lion, out like a lamb”

Something that hasn’t changed is that I’d always liked to write Law as someone who needs warmth.

And perhaps, in these melancholic melodies, he finds that.

A strange, faded warmth.

A familiarity.

Something that doesn’t confuse him, or cause his emotions to stir, but rather feel comfort.

He was born to be a lover, made to be a fighter.

Ironic for the Surgeon of Death you’d think.

Or maybe not.

In Law’s words,

So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I try to look past his appearance.

When I study him, I don’t study what he’s saying, I study how and why he’s saying it, and then what he’s saying.

His thought process, and all that.

And I guess, after spending time with him, just seeing him as someone who likes melodies with themes of love and sadness just seems right to me.

He’s surrounded by death and haunted by ghosts.

The quiescent graveyard of his heart wouldn’t call for anger, he already has enough of that.

Just solitude and longing, I suppose.

[rinniereads123]

Series

SOME OF THESE STORIES ARE MATURE! READ THE WARNINGS AND TAGS BEFORE YOU READ!

Last updated 01/06/2025

★ - personal favorites | masterlist | other recs

The Rite - @lokisgoodgirl

As an invisible member of the wider Asgardian court, everything changes when you catch the eye of the elusive Prince Loki under unconventional circumstances. Pressured by time (and his brother) Loki is reminded he must complete a particular Rite in order to secure his place in Asgard's succession - all he needs is a partner. But adhering to the strict rules in the approach to the ceremonial Rite is more challenging than hedonistic, smugly smoldering Loki anticipated...as are his growing feelings for you.

★Does It Hurt? - @ellemj

Bucky never would've gone out of his way to help you if he knew that HYDRA was still watching his every move, if he knew that it would shift their focus to you. When you're targeted and taken, it's his fault and he'll do anything to save you. Anything.

Doll, please - @lokiswifeduh

Bucky is taken by the reader's ex-boyfriend. You go to save him, not knowing it's a trap.

★Love You Like Oxygen - @questionableratatouille00

You and Bucky’s journey through navigating sexual trauma.

★Graveyard - @wkemeup

As the unofficial healer for the Avengers, you pride yourself on the ability to mend heroes with the touch of your hand. Only, your gift comes at a heavy price — one you keep secret from your friends —and when Bucky asks you to do the impossible, they’ll discover why your gift is called a sacrifice, too. 

You Can't Leave Me - @thinkingoutlouddblog

A fight with Bucky distracts you from your mission.

Just let me go - @itsthewritergal

Y/N and Bucky are exes with a history. When Y/N is kidnapped, the Avengers come to her aid, but can she and Bucky make amends?

★your hands have made some good mistakes - @thenhewaswrongaboutme

Bucky has to spend six months locked up with a stranger. His teammates went on an international press tour and left him behind. They hired someone to supervise him, per the conditions of his pardon— a roommate, they said. A roommate?

One's Promised - @invisibleanonymousmonsters

Living a double life was not a choice when one was the daughter of Alexander Pierce. Y/N was the youngest agents of SHIELD and one of the most respected threats within Hydra’s empire. No matter her allegiance, she was feared by both. Y/N Pierce would’ve tried to escape it all… if it hadn’t been for The Winter Soldier.

Flustered - @ellemj

Bucky seems to thoroughly appreciate all women...except for you. When he finds out one of your weaknesses, he can't help but use it against you, which only makes you hate him more.

Of Kings and Beasts - @nastybuckybarnes

Born a bastard of the King of Orlen, you’re thrusted to the West to marry the Kings. However, the greeting you get is anything but warm, and your life with the King is far from enjoyable. He knows it isn’t your fault his husband is gone, but that fact alone won’t prevent him from taking it out on you.

All the King's Men - @nastybuckybarnes

Your father always said that if it weren’t for your presentation, he’d think you were an Alpha. There’s a reason for that. Growing up in a world where Omegas are treated like garbage, you’ve fought for the respect that you have. Until you’re sold off to an old King desperate for a bride. But you will not lay down and present for your new husband. No, you will fight back.

Worthy - @xalygatorx

Worthy is a slow-burn SFW Marvelverse (films) romance between Loki and a female OC that spans the timeline of the mentioned films in the disclaimer section below. I got to connect some loose ends for myself that I noticed in the films and I hope that they're just as enjoyable for you to revisit as they were for me at the time of writing this and now, reposting it. (Fluff and angst within with a confirmed happy ending.)

Underground - @adrinktostopyourthirst

The Underground is the last way for you to survive whatever is left of the world after the Blip. Natasha introduces you to the Winter Soldier whose wing you're under until you find your way around. He's a stoic Underground fighter and you're... useless.

Missing Piece - @likeahorribledream

When Bucky first arrived to the compound, Steve was his only friend and the only person he trusted himself around. That is until Steve introduces him to you, his best friend. Bucky was fascinated by how often you and Steve would hug each other. It had been a very long time since anyone had touched him in such a loving way and it didn’t take long before Bucky found himself craving your touch, but whenever you’d get too close he would flinch as if someone had hit him. His trauma still too fresh a wound for him to be comfortable with someone touching him. Then one day, he finally fights his instincts and let you touch him. He hadn’t realized how truly touch starved he was until he feels the warmth of your skin against his. Something clicks for the both of you in that moment, you had found your missing piece. As long as you were with each other, you were home. You both tried to fool yourselves into thinking you were just friends, really close friends. Friends that needed to be together almost every minute of every day and who needed to hold each other to be able to sleep at night.

★Needs and Wants - @ellemj

When you and Bucky are exposed to an unknown chemical in the field, things go from bad to worse.

Afterglow - @fictive-sl0th

After weeks of research on the super serum, you, a young talented scientist, have settled in well with the Avengers. Pepper and Nat became your best friends, Bruce your colleague, Cap a gentleman, and Bucky one to trust. Only Prince Loki who's forces to support Earth indefinitely, seems especially annoyed by you. One fateful day, when an experiment went horribly wrong, your life would change forever. Just like what you thought you knew about feelings and emotions...

Plum - @buckybabieboy (not complete)

After a bad day outside and an incident with Bucky, you catch an inexperienced!bucky pathetically humping your pillow. Your sadistic thoughts cause you to get carried away. Bucky's up to it at first, just wanting you to make him feel good. But as the night goes on he begins to realize he was in over his head.

Kingdom Fall - @nastybuckybarnes (not complete)

When an invading Kingdom forces you to flee your home, you find yourself stranded in an enemy kingdom on a farm, and the farmboy is nothing like you thought he would be. 

[agentrouka-blog]

Hi! Have you read the hunger games? Well, every time i read the final chapter and the epilogue i can’t stop thinking about jon and sansa and how that ending could be theirs, both characters suffered and faced terrible things, they lost the life they knew and several people they loved, both together and apart, to the end, when the war is over and they return to the place where they grew up, they are both different people with their own traumas to deal with but they manage to face it and support each other, even though the years go by they still have replicas of things who saw (with good reason!) but managed to find a balance, they have their love, they have their own children and i can’t stop seeing jon and sansa in them, as they will spend (probably) rebuilding Winterfell, with the memories of the past but with the certainty of a bright future for their children and their children’s children. I want to quote something that in my opinion is very jon/sansa!

“Peeta and I grow back together. There are still moments when he clutches the back of a chair and hangs on until the flashbacks are over. I wake screaming from nightmares of mutts and lost children. But his arms are there to comfort me. And eventually his lips. [...] That what I need to survive is not Gale’s fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that.”

And this other one too:

“My children, who don’t know they play on a graveyard. Peeta says it will be okay. We have each other. And the book. We can make them understand in a way that will make them braver. But one day have to explain about my nightmares. Why they came. Why they won’t ever really go away. I’ll tell them how I survive it. I’ll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in anything because I’m afraid it could be taken away. That’s when I make a list in my head of every act of goodness I’ve seen someone do. It’s like a game. Repetitive. Even a little tedious after more than twenty years. But there are much worse games to play.”

I think this is the bittersweet ending they will get! (or so i try to think) but I really want to know what you think or what would your bittersweet ending be like?

I haven't read the Hunger Games books, but this passage really does seem to reflect the ending GRRM is going for, too! The bitterness is in the way their scars and losses can never be erased, but the sweetness is in their desire and ability to move forward and create something better together. And, unlike the previous generation, they won't be swallowed up by repressed trauma but work through it.

[voidedgear]

👀 + "Do you hate me? Why???"

MEME OBTAINED!

Vanitas is relieved to be wearing his helmet in this moment. He’s relieved that Aqua can’t see the expression on his face when she asks that question. He doesn’t want to answer this, so he spits out a derisive, “Why do you care?”

His arms lock around himself protectively, those claws of his biting through his dark suit and digging into his arms. Vanitas’ lip curls up into half a snarl.

“Fine, you really wanna know what I think? You want to know all of my dark feelings?” Vanitas reaches up to clasp his hand over his chest. “I do hate you. I relished every battle we had as you hunted down my Unversed. I was relieved when Master Xehanort gave me the order to take your life in front of Ventus.”

There’s something almost animalistic in how Vanitas talks, his voice a low growl. He starts to walk around her, his steps slow and purposeful as his eyes are locked on hers beneath the helmet. A mirthless laugh leaves him.

“And you want to know why?”

Vanitas stops walking, his arms falling to his sides as he turns to look at her.

“I hate you because Ventus loves you.”

But there was more to it than that. There always has been, and Vanitas is struggling to keep it in because at least there is safety in being the monster that Aqua must think he is. Better to be feared and despised as the abomination Master Xehanort labeled him than to be truly seen and declared broken and hopeless.

Better to hurt others because he knows they would all hurt him. Better to do away with all of it.

“He loves you more than he loves himself.” More than he loved Vanitas. His hands curl into tight fists at his sides.

“I know he does, because we’re connected. I’ve felt the resonance of his heart ever since Xehanort cut us apart. His emotions were always with me, while I writhed and bled in that dusty Graveyard,” Vanitas looks away now, staring at the ground as his voice grows far away.

“He was so happy… so excited to spend time with you all. I had to feel all of it and felt all the emptier when I’d come back to my own mind.”

It hadn’t been fair. Why should Vanitas only ever be forced to watch while his other half got everything?

Sometimes, Vanitas would just lay on the ground and close his eyes, hoping that the monotony of the Badlands would be broken up by a vision from Ven, just so he could pretend to be him for a while. It was pathetic, a disgusting exercise that left him covered in dust and parched by the heat.

There was just nothing else to do there when Xehanort wasn’t there to beat him. Even slaying his own Unversed grew old.

“I hate you. Because you and Terra…” Vanitas’ voice grows quiet, barely able to be heard. “I hate you because spending four years feeling love for people who didn’t even know I existed, who can only love half of me, is too painful to bear.”

[officialbotanicalinterest]

Actually as much as having insane quantities of money has been a reoccurring trope among the Addams Family, I can't help but think that you would be thinking about it wrong to assume it's the Addams defining trait.

One of the major concepts with the Addams is that it never is explicitly stated what exactly they are, with enough of a plausibly human looking appearance/outward traits, but still some decidedly "not normal human" traits to keep an audience guessing as to what their deal is. Certainly, having suspiciously large amounts of money may help emphasize this factor, but it isn't what creates the near uncanny valley/how human are these people/are they even human or just really human looking cryptids feeling that is integral to the show. Furthermore the Addams also never seem to care about exactly what they are or aren't as long as they are a part of, or otherwise friends of the family.

Another key component is that they never seem to regard the things they engage in as odd, or fully realize that most people would consider the way they live not to be normal; and while that does fit with the concept of rich elites being out of touch with society, it could also be used as a metaphor for what working class people have to do in order to survive being unthinkable to the elites. (Namely in a-the wealthy, contrary to what they say, can't handle everyday jobs like what they claim to have started out as-kind of way.)

In reality a working class version of the Addams Family might look like a family who all live in the same house/apartment/rental due to practicality as opposed to ancestral family home reasons. Who have a hard time finding the right place to live, spending alot of time trying to find the appropriately haunted, dismal, mold infested place that hasn't been condemned or had its neighbourhood gentrified yet. If needing new furniture they'd probably go shopping at dodgy back alley thrifts stores, yardsales or even picking up pieces left by the side of the road hoping that what they find might be haunted/cursed. For meals they might regularly be making use of roadkill, foraging poisonous garden weeds /snails/frogs/toadstools, or even at their local abattoir purchasing offcuts of meat (think the eyes, trotters, ears, tongue, brains, blood, bones etc). They would still regularly consume various poisons albeit slightly less exotic ones such as your bleaches, drain cleaners or rat poison. Perhaps if they lived close to a fruit canning factory they might be able to purchase/take home large quantities of cherry/peach/apricot stones for cheap and eat them similar to how we eat nuts. They may not have a family graveyard, but they would probably routinely go for walks around any local ones the way we go for walks around public parks, allowing kids to play over at cemeteries/abandoned churches while the elders might feed the local crows/ravens. The kids might still keep pet spiders albeit rescues as opposed to thoroughbred (such as the banana spiders you might sometimes hear rumours of lurking in the fruit isle) along with leeches or a large (escaped/abandoned) poisonous snake as a family pet. They may still have carnivorous houseplants, just more ones rescued on the brink of death from the local walmart/grocery store bargain section or found in a local back alley, that after some coaching, began consuming things other than flies. Even if they didn't have the money for florists or enough room to grow roses they still could pick the large thorny stems of wild roses and brambles growing in ditches. Furthermore they still could genuinely love most forms of gothic literature, even if their books might be a bit weather beaten or smelling faintly of mildew.

For bonus points they might use hostile architecture such as anti-homeless spikes the way we use park benches. (Heck, I think even the regular Addams Family might do that.)

You couldn’t do a working class version of the Addams Family without turning them into something else entirely, because the fundamental ambiguity of “okay, are these people, like, vampires or something, or are rich people just Like That” is absolutely essential to the bit.

[love-minor-poltergeist]

Can I request cuphead and/or mugman having a crush on the reader, but they try to keep it a secret?

A/N: Anon good luck but I feel like dealing with either brother having a crush on you would be a headache (coughCUPHEADcough). Either way, I support your endeavors. 

I had written these as one-sided crushes– kinda like how a child would have a crush on their babysitter. If you actually had something else in mind, feel free to shoot me a message to clarify!

(Read more due to lengthiness!)

                                     ┍━━━━━♥♠♣♦━━━━━┑

Cuphead:

If there’s one thing to know about the older cup twin, it’s that subtlety isn’t his specialty. He’s brash, loud, and prone to being painfully blunt. Cuphead doesn’t mean anything malicious about it, though! He just doesn’t see the point in hiding it. 

The few times where he TRIES to be subtle, however, go poorly. He can not play it cool to save his life, and ends up putting his foot in his mouth more often than not; asking Cuphead to be suave is like trying to herd a cat. It’s just not going to happen. 

With that being said, Cuphead with a crush is almost no different than his normal self. He’s still just as eager to showboat— taking extra care to make sure you’re watching. There’s a 50/50 chance that it backfires on him. Knowing his luck, it usually does.

You may or may not have watched him faceplant often…It’s a blow to his ego, but having you fuss over him and hold his face in your soft hands was absolutely worth it. He’s absolutely spoiled for your attention.

Jokes galore around you! He wants nothing more than to make you laugh! If you’re having a good time, it’s a win in his eyes. 

He visually perks up whenever you’re in the same room. Cuphead’s face brightens as color floods his cheeks, and he’s quick to beeline towards you. Even if the two of you have a short conversation, Cuphead is just happy to spend time with you. 

Will absolutely make up bullshit stories or embellish them to make himself  look like the hero in the hopes of impressing you. Mugman, meanwhile, is standing on the sidelines rolling his eyes. The younger cup ought to have half a mind to kindly correct Cuphead how he had also been equally frightened about the graveyard incident. But he won’t. Not now, at least.

Any time he’s confronted over his feelings for you, Cuphead tries to laugh it off and deny it.  Him? Crushin’ on lil’ ol’ you?Nah, you must have the wrong guy. Nevermind the fact that he grows red like a tomato at the sight of you; or that he finds himself wanting to take you out on a carnival date… Nosiree! He’s definitely no lovestruck schmuck. 

Mugman:

Bless this sweet boy’s heart. He’s cripplingly shy around you. The last thing he’d want is to embarrass himself around you. Mugman ends up panicking and freezes up on the spot, leaving Cuphead to try and distract you. Even so much as a pat on the shoulder leaves him frozen.

Often daydreams of finally mustering up the courage to ask you out on a date. So much so that Cuphead usually has to shake him out of it. The poor boy is embarrassed and has to sit through his twin’s teasing. 

He tends to nervously ramble around you or stumble over his words; too busy overthinking over the little things that he forgets to relax. It’s a miracle that you’re able to calm him down long enough to get out of that mental fog. 

Mugman is a gift giver! He sometimes will stash away small trinkets or snacks that he’d think you’d like, often offering them to you with a heavy blush. He also likes to make littles crafts for you, too! Things like paintings, drawings, or even hand-made sweaters and scarves. 

Speaking of blushing– the boy's face is practically as red as a lobster whenever he’s around you. His cheeks are so hot that you once had feared that the milk inside would end up boiling.

He’s incredibly eager to help you in any way he can. Mugman would happily lend a hand or shoulder for you to lean on– the boy just wants to prove that you could rely on him for anything. Almost to the point where he forgets to take care of himself. 

He may or may not have written love poems or short stories where you fall in love with him. Since he doesn’t have the courage to speak to you face to face, Mugman lets himself fantasize a world of what-ifs. It’s a bit unhealthy, he knows, but he never shared Cuphead’s confidence. 

Unlike Cuphead, who prefers to wing it and find his own way to “woo” you, Mugman would turn to the advice of adults for help. He often looks to Elder Kettle for help, who usually favors an old fashioned approach to romance. Expect to see a mortified Mugman, dressed finely in an old hand-me-down suit, on your doorstep one of these days; surely Elder Kettle’s advice would work, right?

If ever confronted about his feelings towards you, Mugman would absolutely die on the spot; soul practically leaving his body as he’s left standing there, inhumane wheezes leaving his red face.

                                   ┕━━━━━♥♠♣♦━━━━━┙

[destinygoldenstar]

Just A Couple Of Fun Headcanons Of TD Characters (Gwen)

- Gwen was born in Connecticut in an isolated home with her two loving parents and later a little brother Charlie.

- Gwen’s actual name is Pasty. (Why does Duncan call her that again?) Her mom picked it because from complications of the birth, she answered the name question with ‘Toothpaste’. So the doctors called her Toothpaste. She changed her name because of personal discomfort with said name.

- Gwen wasn’t born pale. She was actually decently flesh colored. And her hair was a dark red. From her father’s side. (This is a nod to her Camp TV design, or ‘Heather’ in that)

- Gwen was an accidental pregnancy. A fact she likes to joke about when she claims she wasn’t meant to exist.

- Gwen’s goth nature stems from her grandmother, who is dead inside.

- Gwen actually likes flowers. She doesn’t show it now, but as a little kid, she’d love to collect them. 

- When she met Charlie for the first time, she was shy about the idea of a little brother at first. Her father assured her that they would get along very well. Though she was shy about touching Charlie as a baby, she’d often ask how he was doing.

- Overall, Gwen loves her family. She feels the safest around them to this day. Sure, her mom is kind of a klutz and airheaded, but she’s a very well meaning woman. 

- Her dad was a nightguard. He worked at a memorial part of the museum of historical figures that were beheaded. Gwen loved that place.

- Gwen didn’t have a lot of friends in school. They were turned off by her ‘strange’ behavior. For example...

- Gwen willingly holds frogs. She’s into the slimy stuff.

- Gwen is a huge drawer, and likes to reimagine her sketches. Her drawings of flowers would have faces on them. She also designed monsters of several kinds. 

- She had a toy wand she clung to, as she loved to play witches and fairies. Unfortunately it got stolen by some punk in school and snapped it right in front of her.

- Gwen’s favorite Halloween costume was when she was seven. She dressed up as Jigsaw. (Don’t ask how her parents allowed this)

- Gwen had a sack doll she slept with. It looked a lot like something out of Coraline, needless to say.

- When she was eight, her father developed a fatal heart disease.

- Gwen’s last memory of her father was her clinging onto him in the hospital, confused and upset. Her loving parent comforted her as much as she needed. He assured her that there was nowhere he would go where he wouldn’t be with her.

- "You're a special girl, Gwen. You will be loved as such. And if you love someone... you'll tell them. Even if you're scared that it's wrong, even if your love will cause problems, even if you're scared that your love will burn the entire world down... you say you love them. You never regret that you love them. You show your love to everyone. And life will take you from there." -Her father’s words to her

- A few days later, Gwen’s dad passed away, leaving the whole family devastated.

- Even to this day, every year of the day of her father’s death, Gwen would spend the whole day sulking in the shadows, a graveyard, or somewhere that looked dead. 

- From the grief, they moved to Ontario, hoping to forget and start a new chapter of their lives.

- They lived in a small townhouse. A really small townhouse. The neighbors were LOUD.

- Gwen was a massive indoor person. Especially after the move. It definitely showed on her skin. Didn’t help that she also has a huge amount of allergies.

- Gwen didn’t sleep well. She was practically a night owl. An ant crawling on the floor would wake her up in the middle of the night.

- Believe it or not, growing up, Gwen was deemed somewhat ugly. Puberty wasn’t really kind to her, especially with braces... you do not want to see that.

- Gwen has a hard time comprehending her feelings. She doesn’t like to show them, because when she does, it’s not very fun. (I think we can all agree with that)

- Gwen hates school. She has a thirty two page letter in her diary about how bad the system is and how she’d change it. She also has a fanfic about her school being a victim of a zombie apocalypse.

- Gwen is a huge fan of The Walking Dead. She also unironically reads the Twilight franchise. (Now you know why her relationships suck)

- Angus and Vampriya, Gwen’s lizards, were a ‘gift’ to her from the school. There was a science experiment to kill the lizards. Gwen freed all of them, and two of them clung onto her. She was suspended for doing this. (Because gosh forbid we teach kids that animal cruelty is wrong)

- Gwen draws what she feels. Whatever happens around her, she draws it in her edgy gothic mindset. Someone dies? She’ll draw the dead body as though it’s from a movie. 

- Gwen sits alone at lunch by choice. She wouldn’t have the social skills to communicate anyway, so she doesn’t really try.

- It was gradual and not instant, but Gwen did start to wear a lot more black. She kept her funeral outfit on for an entire month before taking it off. It just became second nature to her as brightness became more uncomfortable to her.

- Gwen’s ‘friends’ are really only her friends because they remind her of slashers in movies. Why is she into that? Because they kill off annoying teen archetypes.

- Charlie was Gwen’s one real friend, even if he was far more extroverted than her. She gets some of her cynicism from him. She always made time to hang out with him, even if she hated the idea of what they’d be doing. These two love each other.

- Gwen’s mom was... a little on the cooky side, especially after her husband died. She never married again, but she did date one dude. In fear of getting a stepfather, Gwen dug it into her mom’s mind that stepparents were the cause of the original member’s death, and her and Charlie would become servants for the rest of their days to him. It actually worked, and her mom broke up with that guy for little good reason besides that. They were only dating for like, four weeks.

- Gwen’s mom’s sanity was also kinda unstable, so she was unable to get any better promotions for her waiting job. Gwen had to be the one to get work to pay their bills. She was barely turning fourteen when she got her first job.

- Gwen much preferred her multiple jobs than school. She certainly had a lot of them. From a cleaner at a petting zoo, to a waiter at a cafe, to a lawn mower for the neighbors lawns, to chaperoning a nature trail. She spent the majority of her early teenage years working.

- Charlie made her audition for Total Drama. He wanted to help her get some fresh air and socialize more, as he couldn’t stand her constantly working and wasting her life. Because it’s Charlie, Gwen did it, but only for a dare.

- Gwen fully expressed in her audition tape that she did this as a dare and that she has no interest in their show whatsoever.

- The producers loved her and casted her.

- Gwen and Trent didn’t really interact outside of what the show showed you. Gwen’s not very good with talking things out, even if she thinks Trent’s a really nice guy. She has quite a few communication issues. Even she doesn’t know half the time if she’s mad at him for burying her alive or if she’s madly in love with him.

- Although, Trent played music about her all the time. Gwen loved to eavesdrop when he wasn’t looking. 

- Almost no one besides her family had ever expressed love and care for her. So you can imagine that Gwen would be allured by anyone who would do that for her. And I mean ANYONE. 

- It’s because of this that Gwen has a hard time telling the difference between a crush and a friend. If people tell her it’s a crush, then it’s a crush. Simple as that.

- Gwen and Leshawna do each other’s hair and nails in their spare time. Leshawna was a very supportive and endearing friend. Losing her in Island was a nightmare come true as her guardian angel against Heather was gone.

- Bridgette and Geoff never really held anything against Gwen. Not even in Action. They were scripted to be against her by their bosses. However, they both did make that clear to her and apologized later on.

- Gwen put poison ivy in Cody’s bed when she found out he stole her bra. She was very close to seeing him as a friend since he helped her with Trent, but Cody blew it.

- Technically canon: Gwen told Duncan, Heather, and Owen about her birth name. She threatened Heather and Owen to not tell anyone about it and not talk about it. But with Duncan, she’s cool with it from time to time.

- Gwen is on the asexual spectrum. She doesn’t want to have sex. She’ll kiss and cuddle, but not further than that. Believe it or not, both her boyfriends respected this.

- Gwen and Trent’s first date was at a donut shop, since Gwen made a deal with Owen. The two stayed after for some coffee and cuddled up by a bench. Trent played guitar for her as they did so.

- And then Trent became an insane obsessed lunatic. And yeah, everything Gwen loved about him was thrown out the window (Though I blame the writers for this one). So rather than take responsibility in the relationship and try to figure things out, she bailed on the relationship entirely.

- And then the IN UNIVERSE fandom grew to HATE her. And this hatred would only grow as the show went on. 

- To them, Trent wasn’t the problem. It was Gwen. Gwen was the one who lost everything they loved about her. Plus they were massive Gwent shippers, so... yeah. It was ugly...

- "Why did Gwen turn down Trent?!" "Trent did nothing wrong!" "Why would Gwen do that?!" "NOOOO, my Gwent ship! T-T" "What the hell is this breakup bull****?!" "Welp, hopefully they'll get back together next season..." "Season 1 Gwen was the best." "Gwent forever!" "Can someone smack Duncan? He caused this!"'

- Leshawna was ticked when she found out Gwen threw the challenge AND assaulted Harold. They weren’t friends anymore after that.

- Really, Gwen’s only friend after the humiliation that was Action was Duncan. He never played anything for the camera’s sake and respected all of her choices. Even her bad choices.

- The internet wars mostly stem around Gwen and still exist to this day. You’ll have people who hate her guts. And you’ll have people who’ll defend her. Doesn’t help that Gwen’s new career surrounds being online with her videos. (Does this make her a YouTuber?)

- The latter side did suggest another ship: Gwuncan.

- “It's a perfect match!" "Duncan and Gwen are perfect for each other!" "The emo and the punk making out? How cliché..." "Courtney sucks! Gwen is so much better for him!" "Go for it, Duncan!" "Why are you hesitating, Gwen?!"

- From my points before, you probably know what got into her head when she heard all of this. The Internet pretty much told her what ship to board. 

- Sure he was a criminal, but he treated her well. She had fun with him, and he was hot. So it was love, right?

- Plus, (As I said in the Duncan headcanon post) Duncan and Gwen hung out quite a bit in a hiatus between seasons. They happily shared all their interests with each other, and respected each other with no complaints. More than Duncan, admittedly, Gwen felt safe with him. Like she could share anything with him.

- The reason for this and not with Trent is because this is LATER in her life. After Island and Action, she’s grown to be more open about socialization and feelings. So she’ll be more capable of being open with a later crush than an earlier one. (So trust me, I am NOT against Trent in this case. I am indifferent to both of these ships, as unpopular of an opinion that is.)

- Course, Gwen didn’t engage with starting anything with Duncan because she knew he was dating Courtney. Sure, Duncan went to Gwen sometimes to vent about the fights he and Courtney got in, but they were technically still in a relationship. Even if Gwen felt bad for him. So you can tell how excited she was when she heard Duncan and Courtney publicly broke up and humiliated each other.

- Duncan told Gwen over and over again, even before World Tour, that he and Courtney were no longer a thing. Believe it, don’t believe it, the point is that Gwen did. She only bounced back because Courtney constantly referred to Duncan as ‘her boyfriend’, which brought a ton of confusion.

- Gwen and Courtney bondd over Twilight. Haha insert whatever jokes you want when reblogging

- Though Gwen wasn’t really ‘friends’ with Cody, she did express sorrow for him and his abusive relationship with Sierra (sorry not sorry). She knows what it’s like to be obsessed over.

- Gwen and Courtney also loved pranking Heather with her hair. They got Sierra for help with that.

- That’s the only thing she cooperated with Sierra for. Other than that, Gwen hated Sierra. That fangirl makes this goth SO uncomfortable...

- Duncan was rocking with Gwen’s favorite rock band. Dream come true.

- Gwen and Duncan’s kiss was... exactly as it was in the show. Yep. With the points I made before, it all applies. You expected me to change it, remove it, or dump on it? Ain’t gonna change the fact that it’s a VITAL plot point in the show that needed to happen. (If they didn’t kiss, Alejandro would have no basis to use Courtney, he’d have no solid ground to make Heather jealous, Courtney and Gwen would have nothing to break up from, Gwen would have no reason to try to mend their friendship, and Gwen being a Villainous Vulture would have made even less sense. I could go on.)

- Again, when Duncan came back, Courtney went on and on about how he’s ‘her boyfriend’. It was guilt tripping Gwen HARD, and she quickly regretted the kiss.

- Gwen confronted to Duncan first about the situation. Duncan told her again that he and Courtney weren’t a thing. “People change girlfriends all the time. What’s she gonna do? Kill us?” -Duncan’s words.

- They both agreed that they were gonna tell Courtney the truth. They didn’t have any intention to keep secrets from her any longer than the Greece challenge. 

- And then Alejandro had to enter the chat and ruin it.

- Everyone, I mean EVERYONE (Except Duncan and Cody I guess) were RUTHLESS in making sure Gwen KNEW her actions were irredeemable and unforgiveable, and that they hoped she SUFFERED. There was no break. Everyone hated her. She got hate mail, she was called ‘New Heather’ as a nickname (that stayed for the rest of her life), Courtney and Sierra constantly threatened to murder her, etc. All that sympathy she had in the first season was GONE.

- Duncan was Gwen’s only sense of comfort in the whole beratement. She cried on his shoulder after the false elimination ceremony in Greece. He was there for her.

- For clarification on ‘New Heather’: Heather was a bully. She was cunning, ruthless, didn’t care about anyone’s feelings, and only wanted her own selfish gain. She’d willingly use dudes to spite others. WHO DOES THAT SOUND LIKE? (This is in universe interpretation)

- In that sense, this was considered ‘the real Gwen’, who was nothing more than a villainess. Everyone sided with Courtney. They sympathized with Courtney, felt bad for her, and routed for her. Courtney was the hero. Gwen was the villain. Gwen was just as bad as Heather. If not worse.

-  "What bitter irony. Heather kisses Trent to spite Gwen. And Gwen kisses Duncan to spite Courtney. Not once does she consider that." "Actually, Gwen is pretty boring." "Poor Courtney! She didn't deserve this!"  "I hate Gwen now." "Dang, Gwen was derailed so badly..." "Where's my Season 1 Gwen?! I don't even know this girl!" "Oh, look at me! I'm just gonna steal my friend's boyfriend with NO care in the world!" "These two should have never hooked up!" "Done nothing wrong?" "Only a villain would do this!" "Gwen would be better if she admitted she was full on evil." "This isn't my Gwen!" "Does she realize how wrong that is?!" "I'm gonna be pissed if Courtney doesn't get her revenge." "I don't like ships like this!" "Gwent was way better!" "This is way too evil!" "Lovey dovey characters are so annoying!" "Man, and to think we used to like her..." "Does Gwen even care?!" "What kind of monster are you if you don't care?!" "She could have gotten with Cody, and it would make more sense than with Duncan!" "Gwen is a terrible girlfriend!" "It's all Gwen's fault!" "Boyfriend kisser!" "New Heather!" "Ironic that the one bullied by Heather becomes Heather!" "At least Heather was unapologetic about it." "Gwen sucks!" "I want Duncney back!" "I want Gwen out of this show!" "Gwen is irredeemable for me. There's no saving her now."'

- Gwen felt all that guilt and was emotionally exhausted with the backlash. So she went to the only person she could find comfort to in this situation. So when they kissed in the Ex-Files, THAT’S the moment where Gwen stopped feeling bad about what she did and decided to ‘let things happen.’ She wanted Duncan. Courtney didn’t have a basis to be angry (according to Duncan). She did nothing wrong (again, according to Duncan). The hate would die down eventually.

- It did not die down. It still exists to this day.

- Duncan did apologize to Gwen about his scheme in the Australian challenge, and explained that he didn’t mean any of that. Gwen told him it wasn’t gonna be a big deal, because soon, Courtney would be gone, and she’d come back to him in a victorious ending to their plotline.

- And of course, she didn’t come back.

- Gwen’s elimination in World Tour made the audience CHEER. They were so happy with Courtney getting revenge on her. It exploded into... quite a bit of harmful memes and posts. (Which I will not elaborate any further than that)

- Gwen, in Aftermath, went to Geoff for help on her situation, thinking he’d help her. He didn’t. Geoff knew what it was like to be cheated on, so he felt ZERO sympathy for Gwen, and only told her that he hoped the kiss was worth it.

- Trent was kinder to her about it, but he told her that he expected that of her. That broke her heart, and they hardly talked for years.

- From the rejection, Gwen and Duncan became quite possessive after World Tour. (Read my Duncan headcanon post for insight on Duncan’s POV with this) 

- Duncan exploited the hate that Gwen, well, hated, to keep their fame in tact. Admittedly, it kinda helped with getting money for both of them. Duncan also shoved Gwuncan in everyone’s faces just to amplify their hatred of them. Didn’t take long for Duncan to forget to take Gwen’s word for things. 

- So yeah, Duncan’s kinda the reason why Gwen’s a Villainous Vulture. Great boyfriend, huh?

- All of that was pretty... draining for Gwen. You know what the internet does to people’s heads? Her family noticed this and tried to find ways to help her.

- Even Gwen’s mom hated her relationship with Duncan, and advised her to shut him out of her life. It would be doing her a favor. Like, the five people who cared about her told her over and over again to stay away from Duncan. The only words that got to her about it was the phrase, “It’s not love.”

- With that in mind, Gwen decided she needed to make amends with Courtney. She needed to redeem herself and prove she wasn’t who everyone thought she was. She was NOT a villain.

- Of course, that included blanking Duncan. 

- When Gwen finally called off the relationship, Duncan confronted her that same night to ask what gave. It was a very ugly fight. Duncan ended up making it all about him and his feelings, and Gwen claimed that she THOUGHT Duncan was the only good thing that ever happened to her on the show... so they were both heartbroken in the end, and never understood each other’s ‘why’ in the matter. 

- Gwen told Duncan directly, “Get the f**k out of my life.”

- He did. After he was arrested, she never saw him again. He respected her wish in the end. If you were to ask Gwen about Duncan, she’ll either pretend she doesn’t know what you’re talking about, or say that she wishes she never met him.

- When Gwen was betrayed by Courtney, it was hard for her. She literally went through another season of torture just to get their friendship back, and then Courtney betrays her? It was all for nothing...

- After the show, Gwen became diagnosed with depression. She had to see multiple therapists about it, and was sulked away for nearly two years. 

- If Gwen could go back in time, she would have never auditioned for the show in the first place. She would’ve told everyone NO, she was getting on no one’s ship. She’d make her own ship and hoped it floated. They couldn’t have her name, or her image, or put her against anyone for the sake of ratings. She didn’t need fame to function. She didn’t need love to function. She didn’t need ANYONE. She could do plenty of things on her own, and she would approach her life loving herself first and others second. Gwen X Gwen was an OTP. A match made in heaven...

- But back then, she didn’t say that. Not if she wanted to break more hearts. 

- Gwen got into the art college she wanted. Her mom willingly went into debt for her to get her out of the house and fix her life. Gwen was heartbroken about that. But it showed how much this family was willing to sacrifice for each other.

- Cameron went to that college as well. They remained pretty good friends. Cameron’s even there to help Gwen with her art career. Mike and Zoey do help from time to time too.

- Tbh Cameron has kinda been the one guy from the show who didn’t give up on Gwen after the show. He was like a neighbor to her. 

- A few years after leaving it, Gwen made a return to her internet blogs as a business woman. She painted several murals, wrote several poems, and made environment advertisements, which mostly ended up selling well. 

- Her most famous poem was titled “What is Love?” She intended it for teenage girls who were having problems figuring out what love is.

- Gwen even got to make the rock band she wanted, with a few collegemates Ennui and Crimson. How did they get on air? Some jerk sent Gwen a love letter. So she pulled a Taylor Swift and made a song out of it about rejection. That song got really popular. (She’s kind of Taylor Swift but rock)

- Gwen won a Gemmy award for one of her songs. 

- Gwen dyed her hair constantly. Dark blue, purple, crimson red, blonde, etc.

- Gwen did manage to make things up with Geoff Bridgette and Leshawna, and they’d be there for each other as friends.

- Gwen even got to be friend-ish with Cody after he grew out of his simp phase.

- Gwen and Heather became friends. Of all things.

- Even Trent eventually came around and they helped each other with their work. They didn’t get back together (as Trent was pinned to Sadie) but they were good friends.

- Ironically, it took exactly 9 years after their breakup.

- It was kind of hard to get Trent back at first, as they both made names for themselves and they didn’t exactly leave on good terms. It took a big apology from Gwen for Trent to forgive her. (Did Trent apologize? No. He kinda grew into an egotist)

- Gwen and Courtney met again when Gwen got sued for a ‘copyrighted’ cover she did of ‘How To Be A Heartbreaker’. (Gwen had a contracted deal, so those people were just having a ‘sue a rando’ day) Courtney became her lawyer for the case.

- Courtney was the one who gave a big apology this time. And after the case, Gwen forgave her. She finally made amends with Courtney.

- Gwen pretended to be annoyed with being an aunt to Charlie’s kids. But she secretly thought of them as if her own. She saw her own eyes in her niece. 

- Gwen never married. She never dated anyone again.

- Gwen’s well aware that the hate for her Total Drama years never went away, and never would. When she was well enough from her depression, she made an effort to interview every contestant of that show to exploit what it did to people. She even tried to make sense of everyone’s POV’s of all her terrible mistakes that she’d never forget. There certainly were a lot.

- The unfortunate thing is that her Total Drama story was going to the one that would be told first. Before any of the other stuff. If you were gonna ask a majority of people which Gwen story they’d tell, it’d be the Total Drama one. Why can’t the rest of Gwen’s fame be remembered as much? Or her platonic relationships? People mostly remember celebrities for their drama.

- It took a long time for Gwen to accept that. Whenever she was faced of that past, she’d have several mental breakdowns about it. She never got over them. But she’d pull herself out and remind herself that accepting her wrongdoings were a part of loving herself.

- Technically, in the first gen cast, Gwen is ‘the last one standing’. She’s the ‘survivor’. (RR doesn’t count. That’s a separate show.) She saw her generation to the end of its time. She was the longest relevant of her generation with Total Drama as a whole. She was forced into loopholed contracts to interview for the show for nearly forty years. She also lived the longest out of these characters. 

- She’s the one who ‘survived’.

[holocene-sims]

next // previous

june 10, 2021 11:00 a.m. grant's house

grant knew the day would come sooner or later but he’s nonetheless filled with immense dread when he returns from the gym–part of his attempts to drag himself back into his old normal routine again–and discovers päivi waiting on the couch, attention buried in her phone, with her suitcases shoved in the corner by the door and her hair curiously restored to its natural platinum tone. she hears him enter and spins around to gander at him, but their eyes linger on each other for only a moment. she turns away, almost shunning him, and he just sighs with a queasy stomach and a crushed mood as he's consumed by the reality unfolding around him.

he wanted this day to come–and still does–and yet he’d sell his soul to say goodbye without needing to look her in the face and watch her walk out of the house and out of his life. easier would it be if she vanished without a trace in the middle of the night.

easier, yes, but improper.

“i could drive you to the airport. if you’d like.”

päivi watches him cautiously as he sits beside her. her face falls.

“it’s okay. i'm getting an uber. they’ll be here soon. i think.” she says, frowning and crossing her arms across her chest, drawing further into her shrunken posture and away from him. “and that would make it too hard for me to leave. sorry. but thank you for the offer.”

he waits for a moment, then reluctantly nods, all the while fiddling with the frayed hem of his t-shirt, desperate to relieve the anxious energy growing inside him.

“i hope you understand,” she murmurs, blushing.

“i do,” grant answers, “so, um...i guess this is it.”

“yep.”

“well, good luck. safe travels.”

he then spies the engagement ring still perched upon her pretty, manicured finger. she’s as eaten up with anxiety as he is, busying herself by twisting the ring around and around and around.

“thank you. i wish you the best.” and then the ring comes off, pulled off in one shaky motion. “and, um, you can...have the ring back. if you want.”

“no, no, don’t. it’s...just keep it. or sell it. whatever you want is fine.”

päivi hesitates but slips the ring back on her finger. in the ensuing tension only the soft pitter-patter of rain on the window marks the passage of time.

“right. okay. um. right, yeah, i should…” she glances at the ring, brushing her fingertip over the glimmering jewels, then reaches abruptly for her phone on the coffee table. “you know what, i should go. they’ll probably be here soon.”

“okay.” he watches her stand up and smooth out her outfit, all while a few silent tears well up in his eyes. “sure. um, goodbye.”

he can’t bear to look much longer, so he, too, fixes his mind on the nonsense notifications on his phone screen while she exits. the now months-old email from his master’s advisor stares back up at him and makes him antsy. grant swipes to get rid of it the very moment päivi’s suitcases click against the floor as she readies them for her departure. and then, like a camera flash, she’s gone.

forever.

never to return.

the door shuts behind her, closing out this phase of life, leaving him to pick up the pieces again in a home haunted by a graveyard of futile dreams and memories. he bought this house with his own savings but he’d done it with her, all for their future. it was meant to be a place for them to spend their eternity together, for him to find his footing again after the recent chaos of life, and maybe for the next generation as well. they’d never spoken much about kids, not really, but some part of him believed she and this home would be the foundation of that silly domestic hope he's clung to for so long.

grant’s gaze drifts around the room again as he’s consumed by ghosts and finds that there’s nothing to salvage about this. he’d foolishly believed her absence would solve the hurt. instead, all it’s done is leave the hole in his heart vacant for another set of worries to call home.

she's gone and maybe he handled this as best he could, but in the end, he remains an unemployed and deeply unhappy mess approaching his thirtieth birthday with yet another failed relationship for the books. the dark, poisonous thoughts he'd enthused just weeks ago quickly return, giving him no relief, and he can't help but feel like some cruel curse has shadowed him since the day he was born.

[thetrashthatsmilesback]

I was going to do this in replies but decided this was easier. I hope none of this comes off as rude, I just got out of the shower 🫠 I say all of this with the tone of upmost respect /gen

@thelimefactory @favored-blade I actually also thought he should be 16 in kh4, but i saw regularpat, damo, and bioroxas all say he was 17 in kh4, and since youtubers are the most accessible part of the fandom I thought I'd just go with what they said ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I agree that sora being 15 in kh3 makes the most sense with there being less than a year between kh2 and kh3, but I can understand the argument that they might have aged up since it's still several months

@favored-blade youre so right about the 7 days thing, but that leaves me with even more questions. Either it's theory one from above that Strelitzia only recently came to Quadratum, or it could mean that the beginning part of kh4 is actually happening before Melody of Memory, and if the events of kh4 are happening at the same time as melmem, what does that mean in terms of who actually shows up? Does this mean Riku won't get to Quadratum until kh5? If kh4 is taking place immediately after re:mind then that's interesting regarding the timeline

@agentperezbian so i get what you mean but I actually dislike the idea that Sora, and frankly all the kids, haven't been forced to grow up too fast. A core theme of Kingdom Hearts is maturing/growing up. We even the idea that growing up is inevitable in Ven's arc. His arc shows that even if others are trying their hardest to protect you from growing up, it's going to happen eventually and you will lose your innocence. Sora's relationship with Pooh becoming weaker was also supposed to indicate that he's growing up. Sora's issue is with change of the status quo, not necessarily with maturity. He spends the entire first three games (kh1, com, kh2) chasing after Riku and Kairi, a sign that he has remained stagnant in a way, but he has matured in other ways. His darkness has grown. He learned to prioritize the bigger picture over just his friends (i love the Kh1 manga's emphasis on how much Sora didnt care about the apocalypse, he just wanted to fine Riku and Kairi. It's wonderful, and while the manga aren't full canon they were written with Nomura's input so idk).

"Sora, don't ever change." "Huh?!" Sora has attempted to remain stable for Kairi, but he has matured over the series. I dont think the kid that watched everyone he knew die twice (the destiny island fall to darkness and then the keyblade graveyard) has avoided being forced to grow up too soon, even ignoring all the times he's killed himself.

That being said, the narrative definitely emphasizes his inability to change through artificial means (primarily his memories). I just dont think resistance to change is the same thing as being unable to mature. Riku's more amenable to change as his arc is a redemption arc, but Sora's fear of change isn't necessarily the same as not growing up/maturing. For example, his fear of change definitely aligns with his fear of losing friends - but it manifests in him sacrificing himself for others (including what landed him in the situation he's in in kh4). But this leaves the question - is being willing to die so that you do not have to live without one of your friends still existing immaturity? Is that fear of change immaturity? I feel like they're different in a way. Part of growing up is losing those close to you, but an inability to cope with that isn't necessarily a refusal to grow up or mature.

Idk i just dont think the games have forced him the remain immature. Kid has gone through two apocalypses, all three Kairi, Riku, and yes Sora have been forced to grow up way too fast

(Also please remind me to return to the idea that Ventus had two people attempting to keep him from growing up and yet was forced to in the end despite their attempts, I like that idea and how it may play into kh4 if Sora's memories are the Aqua and Terra trying to keep Sora from maturing, Sora is Ventus, and circumstancesare the Vanitas of it all)

People keep saying Sora will be 17 in kh4, but that raises the question

Do dead people age?

Strelitzia appeares to be the same age she was when she died, but we both don't know how long she's been in Quadratum or if it's even Strelitzia (I remember ppl theorizing it could be one of the 13 original darknesses inhabiting her body when the trailer first dropped, and there's all the stuff with "this is not what I look like." It could be anyone taking the form of Strelitzia).

If they're in unreality, and fictional characters don't age unless time passes in their story, then it's possible that in Quadratum you stop aging or age differently than in reality. Sora /should/ be 17 in kh4, but there's nothing to verify that. If Quadratum's time is more similar to the real world, he could be 19 or 20. If it's stagnant then he's still 16.

We only think he's 17 because there's less than a year between kh2 and kh3, and then a year between kh3 and melmem. We have no idea if that was a year for Sora though.