#how much more interesting would it have been if you could really work at the relationship to let them know they're not alone

[gremlinmodetweeker]

Aftermath of Breakdown

So, after that one ask about cat hybrid!König and Horangi, I wanted to write a little fic about how it works out. Here's the finished project.

Tws: slight pervy behaviour, Konig being a creep

Wordcount:

Art from This Post

Rest of the Story Below the Cut

Aftermath of Breakdown

You gently bandaged König’s paw as he moped in your lap.

“So you’re telling me you’ve been actual living human beings this entire time,” you said as you gently pinned the bandage into place. Without thinking, you kissed his paw before letting it go. You looked at the bandage and frowned.

“Does this mean he can’t change back now?” you asked.

“Not at all. C’mon big guy,” Horangi patted your cat on the head a couple of times and in an instant, your scruffy precious maine coon was a giant horrifying soldier man.

“Thank you Schatz,” the man murmured as he sat down on your sofa and kicked his injured foot up onto your table.

“No feet on the…” you squinted, “I don’t think that actually applies to you.”

Horangi took the chair opposite, leaving the only space left beside the Scary Big Bastard Man. He gestured for you to sit and König(?) looked up expectantly.

With a sigh, you lowered yourself down and let König wrap his arm around the back of the sofa. You glared at the offending arm, but there wasn’t much you could do about it.

“So… What are you?” you asked as you looked at Horangi.

“Government experiments used in military espionage and combat mission to further national interests,” Horangi rattled off, “but for you? Cat hybrids.”

“Like… In animes?” you asked carefully.

“Kinda?” Horangi cringed, “we’re basically cats in human skin. Or humans in cat skins? I dunno. Point is, we’re both at once. We have the intelligence and cognisance of humans, but the instincts and predatory skills of cats. We’re essentially perfect soldiers.”

“And you’re in my house,” you concluded.

“Well, once the program was defunded, they didn’t really know what to do with us,” Horangi sighed, “so, they sorta just… Dumped us. They couldn’t kill us, we were human beings, but nobody wanted to take us in. Nobody wanted a vet with unchecked PTSD trained to kill on sight around their kiddos, right? So they kicked us onto the street.”

“Does that mean there’s more of you?” you asked.

“A lot more,” Horangi agreed, “but if it helps you at all, we’re pretty much all adopted. The only ones left are the ones who don’t want a home in the first place,” Horangi waggled his head side to side, “or that’s what they say at least. We keep trying to convince them, but they won’t hear it.”

“So you guys are contract killers that I’ve been feeding for the past year for free,” you said.

“If you want to put it that way, sure!” Horangi chirped, “but we’d rather think of it as us becoming a family together.”

“Building a family!?” you spat.

“Hey, hey, look. I know this is a lot, but I promise that we never meant to have you find out.”

“So you were going to lie to me forever?” you screeched, “and you were just going to take advantage of me!?”

“Take advantage?” Horangi puffed up.

“Hold on,” König held up a hand and then turned to you, “we didn’t want to take advantage of you. We just didn’t know how to explain this,” he gestured to himself, “and we didn’t want to lose you.”

There was an awkward beat as you waited for König to continue.

“I, ah, we have taken quite a liking to you,” König said softly, “we want to be with you for a long time. The plan was that we would court you as humans, but it never really went well. Horangi never seemed to find a good time, and you didn’t seem to like me at all.”

“It’s hard to like you when you creep me out,” you admitted.

König’s eyes drooped as he took in your words.

“You thought I was creepy?” he said, absolutely despondent.

“I mean, yes? I still do, but not as much? It’s a different type of creepy,” you scrambled before finally saying, “I mean, I was considering calling the police on you.”

“Why am I creepy?” he asked.

“Why are you acting surprised?” Horangi cut in, “I told you to cut it with the freak shit This is exactly why!”

“But I thought girls liked it when you-”

“Women do not like men staring at them and panting when they get close,” Horangi drawled.

König looked over to you.

“It’s really creepy,” you admitted sadly.

König looked like he could’ve died right then and there.

“Look,” you said as gently as you could, “if you’re not in my house all day, where do you guys go?”

“Mostly to work,” Horangi shrugged.

“Y-you work!?” you spat.

“Yeah? I’m a manager at the club downtown and König does private security gigs,” Horangi said, “when König’s between jobs he’s a bouncer at the club.”

You looked him up and down conspicuously. He notably stiffened under your inspection.

“So, if you have jobs,” you spoke as carefully as you could, “why are you not paying rent?”

“I can!” König practically yelled, “I can pay rent! Let me!”

You blinked and looked at Horangi.

“He’s been wanting to do this since you brought us home,” Horangi explained.

“And you didn’t let him?” you shot back.

“You tell me a good way to explain a strange man paying your rent for you,” Horangi glared at you over his sunglasses. When you couldn’t come up with a good answer, he sat back smugly, “That’s why.”

“So, you’re fine helping pay the bills around here,” you glanced between both the men.

König looked like he was about to burst when Horangi said, “Of course! We’d love to actually be able to help out. That, and eat some good food.”

You thought for a moment.

“Is this why you guys are so picky about your food?” you asked.

“Pretty much,” Horangi shrugged, “it’s hard to find cat food that tastes good. You got a good brand, but really we prefer to eat regular food.”

“So you guys have really been living rent free in my place for a year.”

König gently rubbed your shoulder, “If you’d let us, we’d like to take the chance to maybe take care of you like you’ve cared for us.”

You thought for a moment. If these men had actually wanted to hurt you, they would’ve done so by now. They hadn’t touched you inappropriately, they hadn’t stolen from you, the worst they’d done was bring a dead animal into your house. Actually, about that…

“Can you guys stop bringing me dead animals?” you asked, “it’s really gross. And as of today, it’s really creepy too.”

König sighed sadly as Horangi said, “Sure. But only if you agree to take the bell off my collar.”

“Done,” you affirmed.

“Then we’ve got a deal,” Horangi leaned back into the chair contently.

König nudged your thigh gently, “Are you going to let us stay, Schatz?”

You sighed.

“If you pay my bills, I don’t care what you do,” you sighed.

Immediately you were pulled into a suffocating hug. You squeaked and wiggled, then melted into the embrace.

“Thank you,” König chanted into your ear again and again. On the other side of the room, Horangi looked more pleased than ever.

“Can we still sleep with you though?” König asked hopefully, “it’s so comfortable in your bed.”

“Seeing as you haven’t done anything to me,” you sighed, “sure. But only as cats.”

“That’s fine,” Horangi said, “honestly, I usually waited until you went to sleep and then slept on your chair.”

“So only König sleeps with me?” you looked at the big scary man beside you.

“He’s always been the cuddly one,” Horangi drawled, “what did you expect?”

“Fair enough,” you sighed and slumped back into König’s arm. Without thinking, you slipped and let your head rest on his chest. It was… Comfy.

“So you guys never actually did anything in my sleep?” you checked.

“Never,” König swore, “you’re our… Um…”

“You can say it,” Horangi groaned.

“Our mate!”

You blinked.

“You think I’m your… mate?” you put together slowly.

“One day,” König said, “as we said, we both like you. Very much so. We always thought we could try to date you as men.”

You spluttered, “Both of you? At once!?”

“Well yeah,” König shrugged, “it’s only fair, right? We’ve already shared you for a year, and you’ve loved both of us equally.”

“We don’t love the same, so we figured it wouldn’t be so overwhelming for you,” Horangi added.

You gently pulled yourself out of König’s black hole and put your hands in your lap. You glanced between the men and thought carefully.

“You don’t have to commit to anything right now,” Horangi assured you, “this is a lot to take in. We totally understand.”

“I want an answer…”

“Shut up König,” Horangi hissed then turned to you, “ignore him. He’s a freak.”

You nodded primly, “I think I’ve figured that out by now.”

“So really, take your time with this,” Horangi urged you gently, “nobody’s rushing you but König, and if you haven’t figured it out by now, it’s best to just ignore him.”

“I think I get the idea,” you snickered, “but yeah. This is a lot. Honestly, I know I said you guys can sleep with me, but can you give me a couple of nights to just take it all in?”

König nodded sadly as Horangi agreed immediately.

“And also,” you glanced at König, “what’s with the hood?”

“This?” he plucked at the black hood, “it just helps a lot.”

“With?” you inquired.

“Social anxiety,” Hornagi explained, “he has a few scars too. They don’t show up when he’s in his cat form, but they’re pretty nasty in his human form.”

“Do injuries not show up when you change forms?” you asked then looked at König’s bandaged foot, “but that doesn’t…”

“Injuries transfer,” Hornagi explained, “but unless the scars are especially bad like our friend Nikto, they don’t tend to show up.”

“Nikto’s another hybrid?” you checked.

“Yeah. He had…” Horangi grimaced and König shuddered, “he got it bad when we were on the streets. Real bad. Just… People are awful. He’s got a good home now, but it’s a touchy subject. I shouldn’t have brought it up, honestly.”

You nodded sympathetically and turned to König, “So you’re trying to keep your scars covered?”

“If you saw me without my hood, I was worried you wouldn’t even give me a chance,” König admitted.

“Well, if you want me to be your ‘mate’, I wanna know what I’m dating,” you looked at him expectantly.

König glanced between you and Horangi, then with a nod from his friend, he sighed and took the mask in his hands. He unclipped his helmet and put it by his side. His fingers grazed the edges of his hood, and with a deep breath he pulled it off.

You blinked. Gingerly, you reached out a hand. He flinched back, then slowly let you cup his soft jaw.

“You’re so…”

König scrunched his face painfully.

“Handsome,” you finished softly.

His blue eyes opened wide, perfect mirrors of vulnerability. The light skin scratched over his skin ran across the bridge of his nose. Another line traced through his lips and yet another across his chin. Your eyes lingered on a particularly large line crossed his jugular.

“You’re incredible,” you murmured softly. You turned to Horangi and silently urged him to do the same.

Horangi didn’t have nearly the same hesitation, almost seeming eager to take the mask and sunglasses off. He put his helmet to the side and waved at you with a wide smirk.

“Hey,” his dark eyes sparkled in the warm light of the lamps, his smirk wide on his angular face.

“You’re also…” you frowned, “that’s not fair. Both of you are so hot and I’m…”

“Oh please,” Horangi laughed, “if we didn’t think you were perfect we wouldn’t still be here.”

“I might still eat the food,” König admitted quietly.

“Okay, König might still be here, but there’s no way I’d stick around,” Horangi’s smile softened, “we both think you’re beautiful. I promise.”

You smiled softly.

“Thanks,” you said, “but honestly,” you yawned, “I’m getting really tired. Maybe we can talk about this tomorrow or something?”

“Of course,” Horangi nodded towards the cat bed, “c’mon big guy. Girl’s gotta sleep.”

“Princess need perfect sleep,” König agreed sagely.

You tottered back to your bed. As you shut the door behind you, you heard a couple of small poofs, and then König’s whine as Horangi smacked him.

Konig Dump

Konig Alternate Universes

Cat Hybrid!Konig

[ash5monster01]

I love your work!! Could I get chicken wings for two with tater tots and coke. Thank you so much! :)

Order #5

Now Serving!

Main Course: Steve Harrington x PlusSize!FemReader

Ingredients: 18+, MDNI, smut, plus size reader, second chance romance, first time, fingering, p in v, body image issues, love confession, fluff, no use of y/n, reader has a nickname.

Meal: Steve with plus size reader, chef’s choice of second chance romance, with their first time and one bed.

Total: $28.63 + 2.8k words

Menu - Masterlist

You had agreed to the camping trip because really it couldn’t be that bad. You weren’t huge on nature but Robin had promised the cabin would make it feel like a second home. You could both share a room and wake up to the birds chirping, go on small hikes, swim in the lake, and grill dinner every night. It sounded like a good time. The only downfall was Robin’s newfound friendship meant all of this included the one and only, Steve Harrington. 

Years ago, a few pounds lighter, and less pressure about being popular, you had your own relationship with the boy. You’d study in the library together and brush your hands under the table, sneak smiles and late night calls, walk each other to your respective lockers. It was the first time anyone had shown any interest in you, loved you despite the hip dips, softly rounded stomach, and wide thighs. At least until he had made the basketball team. 

People like Tommy would drag him away from your locker, Tommy’s girlfriend Carol not so quietly making whale jokes, and with that came a Steve who could no longer look you in the eye. All those feelings, short and fleeting, gone so fast you sometimes wonder if any of it had ever been real. You hadn’t had someone like that since, not a single boy who looked at you like Steve used too. The lack of intimacy and human connection only added to the idea that maybe it was never real the whole time. 

You could be friendly though, share tight lip smiles, and other small conversations. Neither of you brought up the past or the memories that came with it. For all Robin knew, your friendship started and ended with her. There were no blurry lines and misplaced memories lingering right there. Just another life once lived by kids who weren’t influenced by the thoughts of others. Yet even now, you knew the Steve in your shared cabin was different from the one you once knew and the one he was in high school. Maybe he was a bit of both.

He had been easy enough to avoid during the group trip, acting as if neither of you knew of the other, but the weekend rolled around and Vickie came to join, leaving you paired with Steve more than Robin had originally planned. It’s the very reason you make the walk alone to the campsite showers at the end of the day, looking for some space, and not having to make small talk with Steve. When you return though, Steve is sitting alone on the wooden couch, thin cushions propped beside him, as he watches something on the staticky TV. 

“Hey, care to join me?” he asks as you continue to dry your hair with the towel. Worry flashes through you at the idea of squeezing into the small spot beside him, the closeness and the obvious size of your body beside his. You could hear the whale jokes from Carol ringing in your ears now. 

“Robin and Vickie go for a walk or something?” you ask instead of responding. He made you nervous, which was weird because not so long ago you had been so comfortable with him. You didn’t ever feel a reason to shy away no matter how different you felt from the other girls.

“Not exactly,” he nodded to the bedroom you had shared with Robin the last few days, just to see the door had been shut tightly, and a white sock hung over the knob. 

“Oh,” falls from your lips as realization draws over you. Steve doesn’t miss the way your cheeks tint pink or the way you suddenly can’t make direct eye contact with the door or him. 

“I’m afraid you’ve been booted, Teddy,” he says, the old nickname falling off his lips too easily. You both tense at his words, the first real sign that the relationship you once shared was a very tangible thing. 

“Sleep tight, Teddy.”

“Teddy? What’s that for?”

“Because you’re cuddly and cute, just like a Teddy Bear.”

“Goodnight, Steve.”

All those late night phone calls, deep conversations of your desires and dreams, how maybe one day you could conquer them together. You wonder if he remembers any of them, how he said he’d always be your number one fan. The forgotten promise of always being there no matter what you faced. 

“It’s okay, you can take my room. I’ll stay out here,” he says after a long while, taking your sudden silence as panic over not having a room. The offer is kind but you take one more look at the cabin style couch and know for a fact it’s not meant for the body of an adult man. 

“That’s sweet Steve but really, it’s fine. I can figure something out, you shouldn’t have to sleep on this uncomfortable couch,” you say as you gesture to the furniture he’s already tried to use pillows to make comfortable. Discarding your towel over the dining table chair you sigh. 

“We could always share. I mean, it’s a big bed and I would hate for you to not get any sleep when it’s not your fault you lost your room,” he offers and you freeze in place. The idea frightens you, terrified of feeling his warmth next to you, and smelling him in the sheets. It was a fantasy you once had years ago and now it was real. Plus, if you wanted any sort of sleep tonight, it was your only option. 

“Are you sure, I’d hate to get in your way?” you finally respond, gulping away the nerves as you consider all the possibilities. How with the late night could come secret confessions from the both of you. 

“I don’t mind at all, the room was already too big for one person. Plus, I’m sure Robin wouldn’t be too fond of me sharing with Vickie,” he jokes and you laugh slightly, accepting the joke as a way to latch onto some comfortability between you. 

“Well I’m going to get ready for bed then,” you point your thumb over your shoulder and he nods, watching as you move to the small kitchenette and get a glass of water. You move with ease, taking a few sips and fixing the large pajama shirt on your form. You give him another one of those tight lipped smiles before disappearing behind his door. It’s then he realizes he was in deep shit. 

You try to sleep, want to sleep so bad. You don’t want to be awake when he finally joins you, instead unconscious and unaware of the close proximity between the both of you. Yet just as predicted, the sheets smell of him, and items of his lay around the room, making it all feel too real and intimate. That’s why when the door opens you flinch, still awake, and shrink into yourself as you consider how the rest of this night might go. 

Steve moves quietly about the room, shedding his shirt and sweatpants, glancing to try and determine if you were still awake in the dark room. When he lifts the covers and slips in beside you, the way your body shifts tells him you’re still very awake. He continues to climb in anyway, the both of you ignoring the way your hearts pound. This trip had been the first time you had to spend more than a few hours with him. Now you were a few inches apart both recalling the first time you ever fell in love. 

“I’m sorry, Teddy,” his husky voice mutters into the night air and then without warning his arm starts to wrap around you. You tremble with fear, not of him but the fear of him feeling your body. The way it curves differently from other girls, the way you take up more space. Yet you don’t fight him, instead you allow him to spoon you, firm chest pressed against your back and face nuzzled in your hair. 

“It’s okay Steve,” you respond but he shakes his head, squeezing you closer. He’s afraid if he lets go he’ll lose you forever. 

“It’s not, I shouldn’t have ditched you like that. God, I loved you. I mean, I still love you, but I was so dumb. I am so dumb,” he mumbles into your neck and you’re still unmoving, shocked by the words he mutters, and a part of you is thankful you didn’t fall asleep. 

“I think you’re the only boy who’s ever loved me,” you tell him, rolling over to face him. Your legs tangle together and his hands fall low on your back, noses a mere inch from each other. 

“You think you could give me a second chance?” he asks and even though your heart hammers against your rib cage, and the feel of his skin pressed against yours feels fire hot, you nod. 

Then to your surprise, a big grin crosses his face before he presses his lips against your own. The same boy who had been walking around with your first kiss for all these years had finally given it to you. A part of you wondered if this could be a dream, some cruel fantasy your mind had conjured up, but then his tongue was dipping into your mouth the same time his knee pushed up between your legs. Completely out of your control, you let out a moan. 

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Steve whispered against your lips, large hazel eyes staring lovingly into your own, and even though you had so many fears attached to your body and being with another person, you found yourself pulling him closer. 

“No. I mean, I want to. I trust you– I think,” you say and you both laugh, a little addicted  to the way the other tastes. Steve grins, running his hand up and down your side like he couldn’t believe you were really there in front of him. 

“Okay, just tell me if I go too far,” he says and you nod eagerly, mind reeling with possibilities that you don’t have time to indulge because his lips are back against yours. This time his hand slips under the hem of your shirt, smoothing over the dips of skin on your side. You wait for him to be disgusted, stop kissing you, and back away. Yet he never does, instead just kisses you deeper, hand squeezing the flesh of your waist, and rolling his body instinctively into yours. 

You can feel yourself wetten and your whole body burns at the idea of being so turned on by him. Years ago it had been puppy love, too immature for this kind of intimacy, but now you were fighting every part of you that wanted to grind down on his leg still wedged between yours. When the same hand under your shirt brushes upwards, grazing your breast, you end up caving and rolling your hips against him. He grunts into your mouth, continuing to kiss you dizzy as long fingers spread over your breast and give it a squeeze. 

“You’re so perfect,” he mumbles, lips pulling away for air and dragging down your neck. You pant as he continues to grope you, lips sucking and kissing at your neck, and you can tell your panties are a mess. 

“Just, don’t stop,” you say before your face completely reddens. You’re thankful for the dark room at that moment but you can still make out his smile as his hand drops and starts to slide under your sleep shorts. Feeling and exploring the softness of your stomach. You watch him closely for any sign of distaste being a bigger girl. Yet he only continues, like it’s a miracle you’re in his bed at all, before toying with the hem of your panties. 

“May I?” he asks and you nod quickly, a squeak leaving your throat as warm fingers slide under the fabric and dip into your wet folds. 

He looks up to give you a lazy smile, interested in the way your face twists as he swirls his finger around your clit. You try to ignore the fact he’s so good at this from practice with other girls, skinny girls, yet it feels too good to let that stop you. He peppers soft kisses to your neck and face, so intimately like this was all that mattered. Like you were all that mattered. 

“You feel so good baby,” he tells you before slowly sliding a finger into you. You whine at the sensation, relishing in how much better it feels when another person does it. Slowly he pumps in and out of you, his hard length grazing your side as he fights the urge to grind into you. 

In a moment of insane courage you reach and grasp him through his boxers, palming him through the fabric, and he curses under his breath at the sensation. He wears the same look of pleasure on his face that you do, so you slip your own hand beneath his waist band and feel your way through unexplored territory. 

“You don’t have to, tonight is about you,” he reminds but you just smile and initiate a sweet kiss for the very first time. He smiles at you, lovesick, and something inside your stomach swoops. 

“I want to,” you tell him before pumping your hand over his length. You’re inexperienced, but based on how hard he is, it doesn’t really matter how you touch him. 

For a while you’re both quiet, instead pleasuring the other and relishing in the moans and soft gasps you draw from each other. When he adds a second finger and starts teasing your clit with his thumb, you realize how close you are. Eager to finish, you start pumping faster to draw him to his end with you. To think Robin had been the one to put a sock on her door. 

“I’m close,” you tell him and he nods, rolling himself into your hand and whining each time you squeeze him a little tighter. He’s so big in your hand you wonder how he’ll even fit. Suddenly you freeze, stopping your movements which makes him look at you with confusion, trying to see if something is wrong. 

“Can you be inside me when I finish?” you ask sheepishly, struggling to look at him and a soft smile tugs at the corner of his lips. Nodding he moves slowly, sitting up to help pull your shorts and panties off of you. Lifting your hips, you close your eyes as you wait for him to see all of you, size and all. When he’s quiet for too long, you open your eyes to find he’s shed his boxers and looking at you like God’s gift to earth. 

“Are we sure this is gonna work?” you ask and he laughs. Slowly he leans over you and brushes some hair out of your face before kissing you deeply. 

“I’ll go slow,” he promises and you nod, watching as he moves to retrieve a condom and roll it over his length. Once he’s finished, he carefully widens your legs for him, before lining up with your entrance. 

You wince when he pushes in slowly, adjusting to his length as he continues to sink in, certain you’ll feel better once you’ve taken all of him. Once he’s flush inside you, one arm propped on the headboard above you, you realize how erotic this is. So you indulge yourself, fingers dragging through his chest hair before pressing soft kisses to his pecs. Slowly he slides back out and pumps back in, determined to make you finish while he has you like this.

“Oh, fuck,” you moan as he starts to move faster. Your hands grip his shoulders, nails leaving crescent moons in his skin as he continues to chase both of your finishes. He has to squeeze his eyes tight to not cum too soon, the hand not holding himself up on the head board moving to rub sloppy circles onto your clit. You feel your stomach tighten, not used to the sensation, when suddenly your orgasm washes over you. 

The second Steve feels you clamp down around him, shaking from your finish, he can’t hold back anymore. His hips get sloppy, stuttering into you as he finishes just a few moments behind. When you are finally still beneath him, he slides out carefully, cuddling up beside you as it settles in what just happened was real. 

“I can’t believe we just did that,” you say, thinking about how neither of you could barely make eye contact this whole trip. You couldn’t imagine what either of you were going to tell Robin in the morning. 

“I can. I have been thinking about it for so long. I always knew it would be me and you,” he whispers, fingers delicately brushing along your stomach and hips. The words make you smile, pressing a wet kiss to his forehead. 

“You’re something else, Steve,” you tell him and he shrugs, perfectly content and where he always belonged. 

“Maybe, but that’s why you love me.”

[cyjrix]

The Kiss of Venus

pairing: radio host!haechan x astrology columnist!reader

synopsis: Mercury is in retrograde, Venus is wrecking havoc, and everyone’s blaming their ex! Suddenly, you’re stuck doing weekly segments with a guy who thinks horoscopes are fake but somehow knows your Venus sign.

word count: ~ 1.2k

genre / tropes: fluff, forced prox (radio segments), weak attempt at slow burn

warnings: shifts between 2nd & 3rd pov; other than that, none

divider made by @uzmacchiato

“Hey everyone! Welcome back to Neo Radio with your host, yours truly. Today, we’ll be talking about something I’m very vocal about. Very vocal on how much I hate it! So apparently Venus is ‘kissing’ my love life! Where’s the smooch, huh?”

Astrology is generally something heavily debated on but one thing is for certain. To haechan, it was all a load of bullshit because who in their right mind would look at the sun, moon, and stars, and think “oh golly gee! they can actually influence people.” He could have ignored the topic altogether but there was this one person who made him tick—this rising star, y/n aka the host of another radio show, stelaxz. She made him go crazy and not in a good way. Whenever he heard her voice on the radio, he wanted to rip his hair out, burn his ears, and leave the planet all at once. It’s like she made it her entire personality, an astrology columnist who was way in over her head!

Haechan thought that this was the absolute worst thing ever—so every single time he was on air, he’d make comments to poke at you, to get on your nerves. He hoped this would make you quit or at least shift to a different mode of expression. Yet you were indifferent, making a simple remark to stand your ground because who even was he? Just some radio show host who had zero knowledge in astrology. Just some radio show host with a whole lot of audacity.

“The day I start to believe in or actually even slightly show interest in astrology is the day that I lose it! Like lose my marbles. You know… Go bonkers, go insane!”

Viewers were quite used to him and his childish antics. Sure, he’s made a handful of comments like that. However, that specific clip goes viral, and it reached you! You’re far from the type to engage with trolls or in this case, people who talk shit for no reason but he’s been at this for weeks and it started to piss you off. Barely anyone expected you to clap back with a post on twitter:

“Where’s the smooch?” Oh I know! Maybe up my ass!

“Tell me you’re emotionally repressed without telling me you’re emotionally repressed.”

This blew up. And this blew up big time.

You weren’t even that well known yet and somehow, you got half a million likes. Your heart raced when you saw that you blew up online, your mind couldn’t fathom what would happen next. Would you get cancelled? Would you need to lay low? Maybe go off the radar because you had assassins on your tail? All the simple to the most complex and unlikely scenarios flashed in your mind. You wanted to expect the unexpected but that didn’t really work out for you.



You were prepared for everything! Well, almost… What you didn’t expect though (or even thought of) was multiple radio show hosts asking you to be on their shows with him or start your own collab show with him to ‘face your double sided rivalry’ for the country, probably even the world, to see. “What a load of bullshit,” you hoped that by standing up for yourself, you’d gain more attention for your content yet this is what you got in return? You got the exposure but at what cost.

Your feud turns into a forced-collab series where you “debate” on love and fate. So now you’re here! In a cold-ass studio with fluorescent lighting and a host who’s already talking as if he owns the show (he does) and like he owns the narrative (he does not). He doesn’t even look at you when you walk in. He just says, “Well, if it isn’t the moon whisperer.”

You blink. There was a pause. A beat. Someone, probably a producer, coughs in the background. Haechan grins. “Okay,” he says, dragging out the word. “This might actually be fun.”

It was most definitely not.

The first episode was a disaster. You were awkward. He was obnoxious. The tension was weird, not even the good type of weird, just weird-weird. At one point, you knock over your mic and called Mercury a bitch. That clip made it into the final cut. Said clip goes viral.

In the next week’s episode, you came prepared. You came with receipts, his birth chart to be exact.

“Since you’re so loud about how fake astrology is,” you say on-air, flipping the pages for that dramatic flair, “I thought I’d read your birth chart. You know… as a little treat.”

Haechan blinks. “You what?”

You smile, all sugar and menace. “Don’t worry. I only needed your birth time. I asked around.” The look on his face was priceless!

You clear your throat. “Let’s start with your Venus sign.” You say it like it’s no big deal, like you didn’t stay up an extra hour just to cross-check sources and double-confirm his birth time because accuracy matters, even when the subject is this insufferable.

He waves it off. “I don’t care what planet’s allegedly in my fake space heart.” You chuckled. Haechan leans back in his chair, mic dangerously close to his mouth. “Oh joy. Can’t wait to hear how Mercury made me an attention-seeking liar.”

“No, actually,” you say, smiling innocently. “Leo Venus made you that.”

He rolls his eyes. “Oh no. I’m attractive and love attention. How ever will I survive?”

Listeners eat it up. The clip goes viral. Again.

You continue, smooth and casual. “Leo Venus. Big romantic energy. Absolutely loves grand gestures, praise, loyalty. Needs to feel adored to feel secure in love.”

He snorts at what you say, but something about the way his leg bounces says he’s listening a little too hard.

You glance at your notes. “But also? Gets overly defensive when feelings are hurt. You know, masks that insecurity with ego.” You eye him, “Craves closeness, but refuses to be the one who wants it more.”

There’s a pause. “…Okay, Dr. Phil.”

You laugh, “Touché, but I didn’t make the chart. The universe did.”

He tries to joke it off, but that night at 2 in the morning, he finds himself rewatching the clip. Over and over and over again. Just the part where you say “needs to feel adored.” There’s something in your voice when you say it—just soft enough to not sound like an insult, the usual drag. Just sincere enough to make it feel like you saw him, even if you didn’t mean to. And then, at 2:08 AM, a couple minutes after, he types on his browser:

“leo venus compatibility signs + worst traits reddit”

“stelaxz venus sign + compatibility horoscope”

He clears his browser history immediately after. No one but him needs to know!

It’s been over a month since the first episode aired and this whole joint radio show extravaganza was exhausting. Though there were times you had fun. You’re tired. He’s tired. The jokes feel heavier than usual. You don’t know if it’s the way the comments are slowing down (maybe a slow day) or the fact that you’ve started to catch yourself looking at him for a little too long when he’s not being annoying.

Midway through the recording, you say something about how love isn’t logical, how sometimes it just feels right, and he doesn’t interrupt you for once. It was weird. He just listens.

That alone made your stomach twist.

@ cyjrix 2025

[strange-anni]

Yep, I agree with pretty much everything you said here. ST will always prioritize more genuine connections over shallow ones like the one Robin has with Vickie. The only scene the both of them share which could count as the starting point for a deeper bond is the one right at the end and even then we get reminded how Steve is still very close to them. He still plays a role and has been this entire time.

He was the one pushing Robin to get closer to Vickie from the start and then continued to play an important role in every scene Robin and Vickie shared. If rovckie was supposed to be endgame this would not be a good thing.

It's just that the audience is really used to characters like Vickie. A love interest for a queer character who gets shoved in at the last minute and with whom the more important queer character barely interacts with. We see this all the time and I believe Vickie in ST is supposed to subvert it.

The reveal of her being straight will shift all the dynamics between the characters. Yes, it will break Robins heart but it'll also remind her to be true to herself and probably also cause a fight between Robin and Steve. This would not be as bad as it seems though as I fully believe they'll make up at the end and become friends again as their platonic relationship is also a genuine bond and deeply cherished by both Robin and Steve. (There is also another purpose Vickie has for Steve specifically which I'll go into a bit later)

This then this also leaves us with the other genuine connection Robin has made throughout S4: Nancy. I won't add much to this as you've already pointed out why it's such a meaningful and important connection. To Nancy Robin is actually able to make a difference just by being herself and that is a wonderful thing. (see what happened at Pennhurst)

"They go from awkward coworkers to a genuine team. Nancy starts listening to Robin. Defending her. Valuing her input. You can actually watch the shift happen. It’s subtle but it’s there."

This is very much true. Also notice how this doesn't apply to Jonathan at all? Nancy at the beginning in S3 doesn't value his input, his opinions or him trying to help her. In fact I say she can barely even tolerate him were it not for the car he provides and the assistance he gives. This is exactly why I fear for them if they ever were to go to college together. She can accept him but only under her own conditions and for a relationship that is supposed to last this doesn't bode well.

It's also not really anyone's fault either. It's a matter of fundamental incompatibility. Jonathan and Nancy tried to make it work but ultimately failed. I also have the sneaking suspicion that the Duffers are dismantling every possible future jncy could have right in front of our eyes.

Working together on a task doesn't work if it's not directly related to someone they care for (like Will or Barb) as we have seen in early S3. A long distance relationship doesn't work either as we have seen in early S4 although it needs to be said that this works better for Nancy than for Jonathan. Then I don't think I need to explain how family life won't work for them either, do I?

I fully expect jncy to break up next season and it will be the college acceptance letter Jonathan is lying about that will do it. I think he kinda knows it too which is why he keeps lying to Nancy about it.

So yeah, with Robin Nancy can be a genuine team as you've pointed out but with Jonathan she'll only get assistance which works best if he keeps his mouth shut as much as possible. That is not a good prerequisite for a relationship and it's also not fair to either of them.

If Jonathan and Nancy don't want to start hating each other at one point in the future they better break up as soon as possible so they can continue loving each other in a platonic way and stay friends.

But back to Steve for a bit as I believe Vickie also has an important purpose for him. If she were to offer him a family it'll force him to make a decision between what he is seemingly looking for in Nancy or his true feelings and his friendship with Robin.

This decision will be a lot easier for him to make as it may seem as he's already on a trajectory towards the latter.

Steve: You implying I still have a thing for Nance? Dustin: No. I'm not implying. I'm stating. And, as it relates to your steadfast refusal to date Robin, it's pretty much the only logical explanation. Steve: That's not the only one.

Steve: Maybe after we find Vecna, kill him, save the world and stuff, maybe we can all go out. You know? Me, you, Robin, Jonathan, when he's back. It's not like we're dating. Me and Robin. Not like we're dating.

The horndog Steve is mentioning here also refers to Jonathan I believe. Look here.

I think right from the start Steve never intended to get closer to Nancy for the sake of getting closer to Nancy. He had a different goal in mind and Nancy was the only person out of everyone he knows who could help him accomplish it.

His actions throughout the entirety up until the very the very end make total sense if you think of him wanting a chance to reconnect with Jonathan. Nancy being his girlfriend is the only one who could make it happen.

Steve does want a family and he does want kids but that stands in stark contrast to his other desires as Steve is also very much queer-coded. We also can't forget that it's the 80s and the middle of the AIDs crises and society as a whole believes that gay or queer men are nothing but a danger to children.

Now here is Steve who is also queer and wants to be a parent. He is not as stupid to think that he can have all of this easily. So he thinks he needs to make a decision between his queerness and his want to be a parent. (It's really heartbreaking if you think about it.)

This is also where Vickie comes into play for him.

If Vickie offers him a family, he will be forced to make this decision for real but ...

... while this is directed at Nancy it also tells us something important about Steves priorities. His dream of having a family is meaningless if the most important part is not there. A partner he shares a deep connection with.

This is not Vickie.

Therefore I'm pretty sure he will reject Vickie in S5 as well.

He won't end up alone though as I am pretty sure Jonathan actually feels the same about him and he also wants a family. He just isn't honest with himself about this and projects it onto Nancy.

Also yes to Nancys and Barbs relationship being queer-coded and one problem with it was that Steve always played too much of a role in it. It was never about him directly but about the time Nancy and Barb did spend together. He was a bit like the glue between them they didn't really need but without him they would have also been forced to face their true feelings for each other.

Barb overcomes this earlier when she tells Nancy how going up to Steve's room isn't her and she was right but she also pushed for Nancy and Steve getting together way earlier.

Then tragedy strikes and Barb is killed leaving Nancy with grief while she blames herself for Barbs death.

It's a good thing then that Steve is of little importance to ronance just like Steve and Jonathan will find out that they don't really need Nancy either.

Vickie in the end will tie everything together for everyone involved. Robin, Nancy, Steve and Jonathan as well. They will all find their way towards happiness through her.

Vickie is straight

... and she has a crush on Steve

I know how controversial it is to state such an opinion given how Vickie seems to be one of the few characters in the show who actually seem queer. Yet if we are being honest she has never expressed any direct or indirect signs of actually being in love with Robin. It's Robin who is incredibly biased as she has a crush on Vickie and Steve who is trying to be supportive of Robin who gave us this assumption.

This whole thing is not as bad as it seems though. I can promise you this. So if you still care let me explain to you why I think Vickie is straight and has a crush on Steve.

Part 1: The Muppet joke

While still in the car with Steve in early S4 Robin gets reminded of her own advise: Just be true to yourself and stop pretending to be someone you're not. We need to keep this in mind as she is soon shown to not follow said advise.

When Steve reminds Robin at the basketball game that Tammy Thompson does sound like a Muppet she agrees with him. Vickie overhears this and in turn agrees with Robin.

The joke however doesn't originate from Robin. She just repeated what Steve told her before. Therefore the joke that made Vickie laugh comes from Steve. Or in other words: It was Steve who made Vickie laugh and not Robin.

We even get conformation of this a bit later in episode 2 when Steve admits and agrees out loud that it was his joke that made Vickie laugh.

Robin wasn't entirely herself.

While everyone is looking straight ahead it's Vickie who makes a point not to look in Robins direction after Robin is embarrassed of herself. There is distance between them.

Part 2: Vickie and Robin (and Steve) meet at the Weapon Store

It's Robin who notices Vickie first in the weapon store which is followed by Steve looking at her as he knows she has a crush on Vickie which is then followed by both of them looking sad as Vickies boyfriend enters the scene.

Robin is obviously sad because her crush has a boyfriend while Steve is just sad for his friend.

This shot is often brought up to proof that Robin is standing between Vickie and Dan as it's believed that her crush on Vickie is reciprocated but I don't think this is what it means exactly. It's Robins POV and she believes her feelings to Vickie are reciprocated so she sees herself as standing in between them.

But is it true? Let's look at what Vickie sees next.

Vickie notices the both of them and while Robin is just staring at her Steve is licking his lips. Then Robin turns around and leaves while Steve is still looking at Vickie and Dan and then smiles awkwardly at them.

So Steve is licking his lips and then smiles at Vickie and Dan. What message would Vickie receive here? My guess would be 1) Steve and Robin are close and 2) Steve might like Vickie as well.

This however is the last look we get of Steve in this scene. It's his back while he is still looking after Robin. So whatever made him lick his lips and smile is no longer of interest to him the moment Robin leaves. I think this means that he is Robins friend first and foremost. He is not romantically interested in Vickie and doesn't reciprocate her feelings at all.

Robin is gone and Steve has turned his back on Vickie but her gaze still lingers. Maybe her feelings towards her own boyfriend aren't as sincere as it seems and everything considered I think it's fair to ask who this is truly about? Robin or Steve? Is she saying the truth when she makes it about Robin who she did meet in band or is she using Robin as a shield as she doesn't want to admit to her boyfriend that she has a crush on another man aka Steve?

In the end she looks back towards her boyfriend and then again to the place where Robin and Steve just were. Is he perhaps still standing there?

Then we get a scene transition to Nancy holding a very long gun. It's not subtle at all.

Part 3: Providing Food for the Suffering

There is light behind Robin which can indicate that she is the one who is most sincere in this scene. This makes sense as it is true that Robin has a crush on Vickie.

It's Vickie who gives her the information that Dan is no longer her boyfriend but from the scene in the weapon store she also knows that Robin and Steve are close. So everything she says to Robin is likely to reach Steve as well which means that Robin could be the one to tell Steve that Vickie is single again and therefore available to him.

First notice how Vickie wears spiral earrings. This is very interesting to me as it's triangle imagery that is used to indicate queerness in the show. So here we have the supposed love interest of one of the only confirmed queer characters in the show not wearing triangle imagery when it really matters. Why? Because she is straight.

Vickie also mentions how she rambles about her boyfriend when there are people out there suffering at which point in time she looks up and slightly to her right. Later when the scene transitions from Robin and Vickie to Steve we also get him at a alight angle which to me indicates that Vickie was looking at him as she was lifting her head.

It's Steve who Vickie perceives as the one suffering and who she wants to provide with food. Or to put it a bit differently: It's Steve she has a crush on and who she wants to be with and support.

Steve on the other hand is also smiling and looking at Robin and Vickie. He is happy for the both of them as everything seems to be working out for Robin and Vickie which could not be further from the truth. He's also shaking his head just slightly. Most likely because he thinks a certain assumption he's made just an episode earlier turned out to be wrong.

That assumption about Vickie pausing Fast Times at 53:05 however might be true after all. Steve is just misreading the signs Robin and Vickie are giving off at the gym.

Tbc in a reblog because I almost hit image limit. Look here.

[sergeantbarnessdoll]

Hi! I love your blog and your writing. Would you be interested in writing something about Bucky being like a teenagers dad? Something really funny, like bucky and y/n are having their Time together and they barges into their room getting really shocked, but also getting really protective over their mother but in a funn and "shocked" way something like the episode of modern family.

I really like thinking about Bucky as a teenager dad, and after Thunderbolts* I like it more, he is such a dad.

Thank you very very very much!

Joking Around » Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Pairings: Husband/Dad!Bucky Barnes x Wife/Mom!Reader

Summary: You and Bucky are joking around in the bedroom when yours and his teenage daughter barges into the room.

Warnings: none except Fluff

Written on my phone. My apologies for any mistakes.

Header made by @buckyys-babydoll / divider made by me

GIF IS NOT MINE! Gif credit goes to the creator.

You woke up to the sun shining through the bedroom window. You stretched and rolled over, smiling when you seen your husband sound asleep next to you. Bucky got home from a work trip in DC last night. You leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. Bucky hums and smiles in response. His eyes fluttered opened and he looked at you.

“I was having a dream that a beautiful angel kissed my cheek.” Bucky says, his voice raspy from waking up.

“How about that beautiful angel kisses your lips?” You softly suggested.

“I would love that.” He smiles.

You leaned down and kissed his lips. Bucky hums against your lips and rolls over, getting on top of you. He propped himself up on his forearms to keep himself from crushing you. You giggled against his lips when his beard tickled your skin.

“Your beard is tickling me.” You giggled, turning your head to the side.

“You never complained about my beard before, doll face.” Bucky smirks against your cheek before kissing it.

“I’m not complaining. I’m just saying.” You giggled again.

“If you’re just saying, then you won’t mind if I do this…” He says mischievously.

“Do wh-” A laugh erupted from your mouth when Bucky started tickling you.

You squirmed as Bucky tickled you. The blankets fell off of you and Bucky the more you squirmed.

“Bucky!” You managed to squeak out. “St-Stop it!” You laughed.

“Nope!” He said. “I’m doing this cause I love you and I missed you when I was in DC.” He says.

“I missed you too!” You say.

Bucky stopped tickling you when you said that.

“How much?” He asks.

You leaned upwards and kissed him softly and sweetly.

“Mmm, that’s a lot, doll.” Bucky says against your lips.

Without any warning whatsoever, yours and Bucky’s 16 year old daughter barged in the bedroom.

“Mom, dad, can we- EW!” Becky shouts, covering her eyes with her hands.

“Calm down, kiddo. We’re not doing what you think we’re doing.” Bucky says.

Becky playfully narrowed her eyes at her dad. Then she playfully pushed Bucky off of you and plopped herself in between you and Bucky.

“You can’t get to mom now, can you, dad?” Becky jokes, grinning at her dad.

“I can still reach her.” Bucky also jokes, reaching over her to touch you.

“No!” She jokes, pushing his arm away.

You and Bucky couldn’t help but laugh softly. Becky has always been protective of you since she was little, which Bucky completely understands.

“Ok, fine. You win this time, princess.” Bucky says, playfully poking her cheek.

Becky smiles proudly and hugs you.

“What were you and dad doing before I came in here?” Becky asks, looking up at you.

“We were just joking around, sweetie.” You tell her.

“Oh ok.” She replies.

“Did you want something when you barged in here?” Bucky asks.

“I was wondering if we could go out to breakfast.” She suggests.

“I like the sound of that.” You smiled. “What do you think, honey?” You asked Bucky.

“Sounds good to me.” He agrees. “I can treat my girls to a shopping spree afterwards.” He says with a smile.

“Can we go to the movies too?” She asks.

“Of course we can.” He says.

Becky squeals excitedly and gave you and Bucky a hug before running to her bedroom to get dressed. You and Bucky pecked each other’s lips before getting out of bed to get dressed. After getting ready, you two waited for Becky in the living room.

“Let’s go!” Becky says excitedly as she runs to the door.

You and Bucky smile at how excited she is. You two followed her outside to the car.

“I love you, dad.” Becky says as she buckled her seatbelt.

“I love you too, princess.” Bucky smiles. “And I love you, doll.” He says to you.

“I love you too, honey.” You say softly, pecking his lips.

“How about a little less kissing and more spoiling me and mom!” Becky says, making you and Bucky laugh softly.

-Bucky’s Doll

[ranticore]

I really find the personal side of Qedivar's study of Ishmael and how he relates to him interesting. Are there any misconceptions that Qedivar is kind of projecting onto him because of this feeling of closeness and relatability?

oh GOD yes !!!!!!

i'm going to copy paste some stuff from my dms because i was talking about this exact thing with a friend recently too:

For background I'd not really thought much of the emotional bond between Qedivar and Ishmael until about this week aside from a few jokes about him developing a crush but when actually thinking about it, what stood out to me is the parasocial nature of the bond because of course one is dead and never could have imagined somebody like the other ever existing. There is a voyeuristic slant to it, it's almost similar to making up an oc who suffers continually for your entertainment/catharsis, but it gains this new dimension when the historical figure was real and not just someone you invented, an extension of the self. In this case he's almost turning Ishmael into that extension of himself, adopting him as part of his identity - his biographer.

Qedi lives in a repressive work-work-work environment and he is discriminated against for his characteristics, so he has a natural empathy for Ishmael, but he has these small freedoms that Ishmael couldn't hope for. He is aware of all of this - he's a good scholar and he knows perfectly well (again, more than anyone) what he has and what Ishmael lacked. Basic comforts, for instance

Ultimately the "next morning knowing he's wrong" part comes from some late night imaginings, he has this extreme almost x-ray view of Ishmael at this point, inside and out he has all this information from a 100 year lifespan accessible all at once, this insight which lets him know exactly when he could intervene to "save" Ishmael. If he had a time machine he would know when to appear in Ishmael's life and exactly what he could have said - he could have intervened, because nobody else did when the time was right - but it's a saviour mentality based on an empathetic response to tragedy. In the cold light of day he can go back to writing the paper with objective, detached language, knowing he could have done nothing even if he had been there at the time, because if they were both born in the same time period, he'd have no insight at all into that weird freak from lab block 1. He would behave exactly as everyone else had, with the information available to them.

Which is the big tragedy of being a historian I suppose

The culture Qedivar lives in is one of alienation where you can't even really be friends with anyone, so him thinking he and Ishmael could be friends isn't exactly the right language but an approximation - he'd think they could be close colleagues with an informal friendliness lol. But yes as a bit of an outcast himself the empathy has enough space to turn to this possessive attitude [towards Ishmael]. We're BOTH outcasts therefore I have some degree of authority over how YOU feel.

His own paper is objective and he does a bit of speculation with evidence but the fact of the matter is that outside of Ishmael's own journals (which are not at all exhaustive, he gave up journaling every few months), Qedi has no way of knowing how Ishmael actually felt. He's interpreting and he's fairly accurate but he cannot know the inner thoughts just from video footage and lab write-ups. And in looking at these write-ups, he's also aware that he's participating in the dehumanisation of their subject, hundreds of years later, because they were written by people with zero interest in Ishmael's mental state.

This frustrates Qedi which leads to all that wishful thinking and private speculation and saviour fantasies. But ultimately it does boil down to a kind of "wowww you're so interesting and weird and abused.. I bet I can fix you" arrogance. And, again, knowing from the evidence in front of his eyes, that this is not the case. But it would be nice if it was.

[bleue-flora]

Ahhh and so maybe he didn’t automatically come to the prison to rescue or visit Dream (either as a fellow ally or because prison goes against everything he stands for), because he suspected that Dream was there intentionally and he didn’t want to get involved (that and he was on vacation to the dsmp equivalent of Italy lol)…

But then Quackity comes around (one of the people very vocal about his dislike of Techno and Dream) talking about how he’s been visiting Dream and how Dream’s changed and such leading Techno to suspect that something bad is happening in the prison cuz ain’t no way Quackity is spending so much time there for any good reason, as Techno would say “it’s just in your nature.” Perhaps he suspected torture, it is an easy assumption to make when factoring in the Revival Book and Quackity’s tendency of trying to take power. Or maybe he didn’t think that far, just that Dream may have put himself there on purpose, but surely Quackity was not part of whatever plan Dream had cooked up. They were very much enemies, after all. Dream ruined Techno’s execution for starters, and if Quackity tried to drop an anvil on his head and put an axe through his heart over a couple withers, what would Quackity do to the person who rained TNT from the sky until L’manberg was nothing more than a hole...

In any case, Techno had to know that Quackity’s presence meant nothing good and while Dream didn’t cash in his favor, he did save his life so the least Techno could do was visit him to see if he’s alright - intentional imprisonment or not - whether Dream requested it or Quackity is lying…

So, when Dream tells Techno about what’s been happening, he is unsurprised. Unsurprised by the trap, unsurprised by Quackity and Sam working together, even unsurprised about the torture. It confirmed his suspicion and the panicked way Dream mumbled “you were my only way out of here” confirmed his course of action…

[44:32] Dream: "He’s been torturing me." *punches Techno* "He—I didn’t—I didn’t write that note." [...] Techno: "Quackity, was lying you say?" Dream: "Yes." Techno: "I—I’m not—I’m not gonna lie to you, Dream? I—I—I kinda… I—I kinda had a feeling he was lying… But I kinda had to visit anyways, just to—just to see how you’re doing, get to the truth of things, you know? You know?"

Because what’s really interesting (that I’ve never noticed before making my video) that perhaps Techno noticed is Dream’s own contradiction [clip]. Originally, when arguing with Techno, his reason for why no one has seen his house is to keep it secret:

Techno: “I—I believe you man. The redstone—the amazing redstone house that’s just never been witnessed before, but Trust me it’s real. I believe you.” Dream: “Noo, we-well—okay. Y—yeah, you’re right—it’s right cuz why would I—see I keep my house a secret because then nobody can come and pillage it—and barge into my house like I—I’ve done.”

But then later, when Techno is making fun of him at rhe portal he says something different:

Dream: “I have a—it’s a—okay, you’ll see. You’ll see.”

Maybe Techno picked up on that. Though that does go slightly against what he says later in prison about not believing Dream [clip] but perhaps he just says that when what he was really thinking was ‘I hoped you were lying’… like it’s really weird for Dream to be keeping his house a secret to then show it to one of the most notorious looters and then is prepared enough to save Techno from his execution but not himself from losing two lives? It doesn’t make sense and I love how brushing that all aside Techno I think would’ve visited anyways because he treats people like people and to hear someone has been in near isolation for months is concerning no matter who it is like he sheltered Tommy when he was actively stealing from him after all…

[26:12] Techno: “Strange what five months of near total isolation can do to a person… As we know, it’s always a positive effect.”

rewatching the prison podcast and the way c!techno talks about the prison especially re: 'i told you i had a house', makes me think that he had a good idea that c!dream was in there on purpose.

because i absolutely can imagine him hearing about what happened at the attachment vault and mentally calling bs on the idea that not only c!tommy and c!tubbo could beat dream like that but y'know. this deeply paranoid man, who worried about spawn trapping and all that, would've made an actual vault/evil lair like...... That.

[indecisive-capricorn]

Headcanons to Yandere Shanks x Reader:

WARNINGS: MDNI, implied kidnapping, crazed shanks, selfish, hypocrite, desperate, situationship aka not really together, implied hookups, violence, mature language, shameless, manipulation, etc.

SUMMARY: You're the only one who truly understands Shanks for all his actions and support him on it. However, you think of him as a temporary, fleeting figure while he is already planning ways to get you to stay with him.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The fact that this has been in my drafts for months.. I even made a copy of this post because there was like more than 900 posts in my drafts and it made me unable to access this. I had to do a clean up of my drafts, which is why I'm reposting a whole lot of things too, but I will be posting more fics as well this way! :)

MASTERLIST & REQUESTS: Before you go, have a glass of wine or better yet, recommend a good bottle. any kind of message is always a delight.

Let's start with how it all began. Shanks is someone who values freedom, so him ending up in this situation is very hypocritical for him to do, especially with his background, but he supposed that it is in his nature and blood to be possessive of things or rather, people. Shanks never considered himself perfect and when it came to you, he knew he had done some fucked up shit, both for you and to you, but he did it out of love.

You were just an ordinary bartender living in the same island that you were born and raised on for so many years. You were never really interested in going out to sea. Sure, the island wasn't that interesting and you always adored hearing the stories of voyagers or even pirates who had experienced many adventures, but you never really thought about leaving for it. You were someone who sees and listen to things from a distance, not involve yourself in it. It wasn't your cup of tea.

That was until one day, you came across a peculiar red haired pirate and his crew. You didn't know much about them but according to the stories told to you beforehand from other pirates, they seemed to be a strong one. However, none of them possessed Devil Fruit powers, which made you curious. Nonetheless, you continued to serve them like a regular customer. They were drinking to their hearts' content and almost finished your whole stock of alcohol for two weeks, but you didn't mind their presence. In fact, their company had made your bar livelier and more fun, not to mention much more successful as well.

While you were working, you loved to listen to the captain of the crew's endless stories and talks, but it wasn't the only thing that made you stay close to Shanks. Oh, definitely not. The man has a way with people, always knowing what to say and do to charm them. He could be the definition of 'charm' and you would have believed it because not long after meeting him, you became one of the unlucky bastards to have a crush on him. He was an attractive and charming man, who could blame you?

Not only that, but even when you were busy with work or doing other things at that moment, Shanks would always be around you and starting up a conversation or even flirting with you. Your heart certainly isn't trying to move on any day with the way he acts towards you and you weren't even trying to move on either.

Shanks always made you laugh with his ridiculous jokes and antics, but you never noticed how he kept on staring at you each time you laugh. It was like a melody in his ears, even if you ended up snorting in laughter, he still couldn't help but be filled with pride that he managed to make someone as gorgeous as you laugh.

It wasn't long before a spark of romance began to appear between the two of you, and you noticed the subtle way Shanks always reached out for your hand during conversations or even the way you began to lean closer against him when talking to others. He wouldn't be saying anything and neither would you but he would make sure to be close enough to you to lean against him.

The closer you to him and the more frequent he came to you, the more he saw how you matched his freak and how insane you could be at times, though you kept that part of yourself hidden since no one ever got close enough to you for you to comfortably let down your mask until Shanks came in.

He loved how feisty and sassy you were to him sometimes, not at all fearful of one of the longest and most powerful Yonkos. You just treated him like a friend. Perhaps, a bit more than a friend with the way the two of you were continuously flirting with each other to the point that his crew mates would always ask when the two of you will get together.

You always brushed off their question with a laugh. After knowing who he truly was, you knew that Shanks had many people depending on him and many adventures to still go to than just be in the island with you. So, you expected your relationship with him to just be a small fling. Something that the two of you could look back to and laugh at when the two of you catch up again. After all, you had no interest going out to sea nor did you want to settle down yet. You had dreams of your own, even though it doesn't involve going on dangerous adventures like they do, those dreams are still precious to you.

However, Shanks didn't understand that. He was always puzzled whenever you brush off the crews' question. He actually did wanted to start a long term relationship with you, which is quite a surprise to many, including him, since he is usually not the type of person to settle down yet, especially with how excited he is to go on to his next adventures. He still plans on doing it but this time, he wanted to do it with you.

You're the only person to truly make attempts to understand him and still supports him, even though you don't understand some of the actions he had taken. You believed that he is a good man no matter what, even when there were doubts and rumours casting on him and his actions, you still stayed by his side and all he wanted to do was to protect you.

He understood you didn't want to leave your home and you might even be safer staying in your island, but his heart longs for you to stay with him. It was a selfish thing he desires but after everything he has done, all the sacrifices that he has made, it would only be right for him to just be this selfish for once. And it wasn't as if he would abandon you. No, he will be taking care of you and try his best to make your dreams come true. But you will be doing all of it while staying with him, okay? Why do you need to leave him when all he wants is to protect you?

That's why he got a little confused when you rejected his offer for an official relationship together, for you to join his crew. He could give you everything you want, even your dreams, and he did try to but you still wanted to stay in your island. Even worse, you told him that you think that he's a temporary presence in your life? Oh, it didn't sit right with him. He was quiet about it at first but he became determined to change, thinking that he wasn't showing enough of it to you, and he wanted to prove to you that life in your home island isn't good enough for a rare gem like you.

During one of your usually busiest seasons of the year, you became confused when no customers appeared for a whole week, except for Shanks' crew but even then, you had stocked enough food and drinks than just them. It was as if the visitors has had enough of the island or perhaps they were scared of someone something. This demotivated you since you love to interact with others but you also found it strange how you only saw the rest of Shanks' crew during breakfast, lunch or dinner but for the rest of it, Shanks was the only one with you.

When you asked him about it, he only told you that they had some work to do, including barter for the upcoming voyage since they will be at sea for a long time this time, so you didn't think much of it. Besides, you still had Shanks to be with and listened more to his story about how he had saved a kid from Foosha Village and gave him his beloved straw hat.

"I could take you there someday," Shanks offered with that charming smile of his. He would say a few times during each adventure from different islands.

As your business continued to drop, you were beginning to get tempted with Shanks' offer. You needed to find a way to get more money, maybe even live in another village for a while until you had enough and go back to your home island. However, you didn't want to bother Shanks with your request either since he's busy until one day, you found your bar completely wrecked.

A bunch of bandits decided to steal your boozes and wrecked the place for money as well. It was the last straw for you since you didn't make much to begin with from the past month and there was no way for you to be able to afford the repairs.

Shanks comforted you and even offered to help pay for the damages using his own treasure, but you declined and instead requested to board his ship and drop you off at the next village they were going to. You didn't really want to leave but for your own sake, you had to find a way of living. After all, you were left on your own to fend for yourself all this time.

Shanks made sure to ask you several times before the day him and his crew were going to depart and you confirmed it each time, already packing all of the belongings for it.

Benn Beckham, Shanks' right hand man, was there for it all as well and right before departure when Shanks was busy carrying your belongings to the ship because he refused to let you do a single work, he questioned you whether you truly wanted to go with them, to which you just nodded.

Shanks ended up moving your belongings to his room since your room wasn't ready yet and you didn't mind sleeping with Shanks either since you have been doing so for the last few weeks. A few more nights wouldn't hurt and Shanks can be warm during those cold times as well.

However, those few nights turned into weeks with some of the crew making up excuses that the room got dirtied and wrecked since some of the guys accidentally used it during drunk nights to sleep in. Not to mention how there would be fights a few times and most of them coincidentally always impacted your supposed room. It certainly was odd, but Shanks didn't mind sharing a room with you and sometimes left you alone during the night to give you privacy while he takes over watch for the night.

What puzzled you was that as weeks turned into months and your relationship with Shanks eventually evolved into something more intimate, you never managed to arrive to the next village. Something about most of the ones around you were either in terrible states or there were no villages to begin. You could have sworn that a few years back when seeing a map, there were a bunch of villages close to your island but Shanks told you that those villages were in rough conditions from lack of resources, so they have a tight amount for the season.

Perhaps you will have luck in the next island or two? Well, for the meantime, you should really get comfortable with the Red Haired pirates because it certainly didn't seem like you will leave anytime soon.

[faineantgrl]

roaring knight character analysis

note: i will try to use they due to the fact we do not know the character yet, but i will be using "she" to break up any repetitiveness. at the end i will be talking about why this all points away from carol but i will not implicate anyone else.

video sources: x x x

we're going to skip over chapter 1 and 2 mentions & before tenna's destruction because ngl I don't think they're very important to this specific analysis i'm doing. that would moreso be plot/intentions and i want to analyze the knight themself.

Pre-CHP3 battle

so already just the way that tenna is sliced is interesting.

as others have pointed out, this is nigh impossible of a pose. so either the roaring knight somehow perfectly hit tenna whilst facing the other way, or hit tenna, then turned around to strike a foreboding pose. either way, we have already been given a flare for the dramatic.

they then hit this pose. now i've heard it's crying but when they're turning into this pose they're seen smiling for a few frames.

so, if they are doing some sort of crying thing, it's definitely on purpose to creep out the lightners more.

im not gonna flood this with screenshots but susie interrupts them trying to take toriel. they back off, but as seen in later chapters, and even later on in the boss fight, they didn't really have a reason to. they could have just blasted susie or something.

then they do Whatever This Is. if we didnt already establish the above you'd think this means they're Pissed, but the lightners aren't really a threat. they never do this again so it seems... it's just to freak out the lightners again.

Non-attack options

any action that is done to try and talk to the roaring knight does, essentially, Jack Shit. the roaring knight does not respond. i do not think this means the knight doesn't care to, as shown above they LOVE being a Freak, but rather that they... kinda can't! this should be kept in mind as we continue.

the everything else in battle

during the attack where the knight splits the Battle Box™️ they continue to strike poses

and then theres this attack

which i can only describe as Entirely Unnecessary. theres leftover code for more combination attacks like these which i can only imagine were left out because they were a little too batshit crazy to survive.

they also overkill the characters, up to -999 hp. you simply just don't gotta do that, mx knight.

and then...

they do. That.

"KB, didn't you just say they don't do the weird body contortion thing again-" yeah! they didn't! if you look closely That Is An Entirely Different Form Than Before (mostly in the "ribs")

and that final dramatic flair! they're not just putting on their best performance for the lightners, but you too!

and then they go "ougofhf... im so Weak,,,,,, you should HIT ME. it would be REALLY BAD if you HIT ME"

"oh no im dyingggg oh gosh-"

"-SIKE."

susie here makes a mistake of falling AGAIN for it

and then gets hit SO HARD that there isn't even an animation

then they get ralsei

and then we get darkness before seeing them "knighting" kris

this change in the pattern intentionally tricks the player into thinking "oh well they're not going to kill kris, maybe they're working togeth-"

SIKE AGAIN

i cannot express to you how funny it is in retrospect how many times the roaring knight tricks the player in one cutscene. like, they know exactly how the player is seeing everything and is using that to not only be super dramatic but to trick them several times IN A ROWWW thats CRAZY

once again we have another moment of the knight letting susie interrupt for unknown reasons. not only is my girl not a threat to the knight normally but she is DOOOWN. either the knight is trying to once again trick the viewer or she has a soft spot for susie. i mean who can blame her everyone does

and now here's her perfectly dodging attacks to show how much of a farce that battle was

and then the roaring knight turns into a bird. i dont know what thats about im not going to lie.

CHP3 conclusion

in conclusion of chapter 3: the knight is a dramatic af trickster who loves a good pose. not only are they putting on a show for the lightners, they're also putting on a show for the player. i almost wonder if they were spending all of chapter 3 getting antsy like "i gotta. i gotta get my freak on. whats taking so long i need to get silly with it"

CHP4 first cutscene

they are, quite literally, waiting for the player. theyve just been standing her this whole time, presumably.

their mouth turns into an eye because of course it does

and then they do THIS. which is entirely unnecessary. as i've said many times.

also note the change in color: before their overlay light thing was pink, but now its red. either they decided pink wasn't threatening enough, or thought pink overlay on blue wasn't gonna fly, and either of these show just how much WORK they put into the act.

and they also just attack susie here for fun i guess since she doesn't actually get downed

and once again they're on that PLAYER TRICKING GRIND

one sword at a time, even if fast, is possible to deal with

nevermind.

the knight also tricks the lightners and player AGAIN because they actually made TWO DARK WORLDS in the church and put a LOCK on the DOOR. IDIOT.

this is also an important moment for the knight's character. it seems they were entirely not planning to make the titan until susie says this. this is SO EXTREMELY PETTY. it's SASSY. it's FABULOUS.

they literally smirk and wait for ralsei to BEG like a cat about to push an item off a counter, waiting for their owner to get upset about the incoming doom before actually doing it.

ive also heard that the titan battle is harder if you end up defeating the roaring knight in chapter 3. the pettiness. the trickery. i literally have no choice but to stan etc etc

IN CONCLUSION

this roaring knight is a DIVA. she is WORKING IT. they are SASSY, DRAMATIC, A TRICKSTER, AND PETTY. they are PERFECT.

...that's also why it can't be carol. carol is the literal antithesis to whatever THIS is. she is no fun allowed. and there is only fun in the roaring knight's ball-court. carol is the harshness of a deadly winter storm, the roaring knight is the snow day spent throwing snowballs at your friends.

minnesota girl i'm incomprehensible daisy dukes winter coat on top ice-kissed skin so cold i'll freeze your popsickle oh woaoaooa oh woahahahah

[smolstarthief]

MelVik AU: A More Radical Solution

~Main Pairing: MelVik (Mel X Viktor)~

~AU Type: Viktor becomes Councilor instead of Jayce~

~Trigger warnings: There is an ableist comment and overall classism and naturally some discriminatory implied comments regarding Viktor's Zuanite heritage (more or less racism/bias). Better safe than sorry but let me know if I should include other warnings and I will add them!~

~A/N: This is by and large more for fun since I'm a bit of a sucker for AUs and scenarios where Viktor gets selected instead of Jayce. Seeing everyone's takes are super interesting so I minus try my own spin on it. Which leads into the factor of this possibly being an interest check too. Idk, just enjoy! And I tried to make Mel as nuanced as possible since I don't want her to appear too sinister so hopefully I did her earlier S1 characterization justice. I like to imagine the scenario as kinda like a political drama or something. Just they feel an attraction and they have met previously but never thought much of it (Viktor was introduced through Heimer taking him to a meeting or gala with him as an assistant once or twice). That sorta deal. Anyhow, anyone interested at all in this becoming a full thing someday?~

"The gemstone is gone... Along with some of our research papers."

Viktor grips his cane tightly as he solemnly announces this to the Council, looking downward while Jayce tries to put on a brave face. Yet, both men knew that it's not exactly possible to do so when some of their life's work is gone... As such there is a small glimmer of sadness in both of their eyes.

Mel on the other hand, internally processes this as she tries to conjure an idea. Her glance at Viktor in particular didn't escape his full notice but he opts to ignore it as Marcus gives his report, "The situation is still developing. No one in the Undercity has claimed responsibility yet."

Heimerdinger looks down from the window sadly, "How did it come to this?"

Viktor, while sympathetic to his mentor, could have easily huffed at what the Sheriff is implying with that last sentence but again, he keeps quiet for now. Unfortunately, Marcus did seem to notice his annoyed expression despite his attempt to hide it, "Is there a problem sir?"

Jayce glares at the man, about ready to defend his partner but Viktor stops him, "No, no problem here Sheriff Marcus. It's just..."

"Just...?"

Mel raises an eyebrow, now intrigued as Viktor calmly stands up with his voice soft and even, "It's just that how do you know it was someone from the Undercity? What if it's somebody from Piltover or outside it?"

"Tch, like I was saying, the situation is still developing. So far, current findings point to the Undercity. If it ends up not being the case then your opinion will be put into consideration. For now, I would suggest you restrain yourself."

"I am though. I just feel that we're all jumping to conclusions."

Shoola is the first to speak up, "I must concur with Mr. Talis' science partner. We've lost touch. They may not be your, or even anyone here's, preferred constituents but they're still our people."

Mel notices Viktor's expression softening a bit in thanks, feeling a tinge of surprise but also furthers her interest. Though Hoskel seems to think otherwise as he continues to fiddle with his puzzle box, "Hmm... Still, for too long has the Underground been left unchecked."

Cassandra hums in thought, "But the Undercity cannot be controlled, not by us."

Salo joins in concern, not really for anyone but himself though, "So where does that leave us?"

Viktor and Jayce frown as Bolbok mutters for a second before getting their attention, "Mr. Talis?"

Jayce looks up but also feels mild annoyance at Viktor being ignored despite being the one currently standing, "With all due respect Councilor Bolbok, I would also like you to address my partner here as he does have a name along with being a founder of Hextech along with me."

"Calm down Jayce." Heimerdinger kindly tells him, "But I agree, Viktor here was also a valued student and assistant to me so I'd say he has the right to be asked as well."

Bolbok seems to react like he's annoyed which Mel isn't surprised by considering what she gathered regarding his stances. Still, a small part of her feels a small pang of sympathy towards the Zuanite scientist. An outsider like she was she supposes but that shouldn't be the main focus at the moment as the gears in her mind slowly start to turn.

"Very well, then my inquiry extends to the Zuanite. Could the trenchers build a weapon with the stolen crystal?"

Viktor gulps a bit, trying to ignore the insult towards him and his people as Hoskel adds, "Shimmer, body replacements... We've seen their ingenuity over the years, of course, they can. In fact look right in front of us, that boy is a strong example right here."

Viktor looks hurt at what he's saying, "Are you trying to imply that... That I-"

"No Viktor, we are not. Right gentlemen?"

Bolbok and Hoskel seem to quiet a bit at Heimerdinger's scolding tone.

"Right, right, apologies Professor. As for Councilor Bolbok's question..."

He looks down at Jayce with a nod which prompts him stand with him to speak, "If the right person got a hold of it, it's possible they could utilize its energy."

"Yes, it's more theory than fact but worse case-scenario... It may be possible. Even I will admit that some of my people might be willing to stoop to such levels for one reason or another. Whether it be out of desperation to survive or personal gain... I dare not think of the potential consequences."

The room was silent at the admission with Jayce placing a comforting hand on Viktor's shoulder. It gets broken by a concerned Cassandra, "We need to address this immediately."

"We agree Councilor Kiramman..." He trails off until Jayce gives him a comforting and encouraging look, "It was our responsibility to safeguard this technology... And we failed."

Heimerdinger looks back from the window, his expression kind.

"Our mistake cost people their lives... Which is against Hextech's primary goal and purpose: To improve and help this world and it's people."

This causes Mel to pause in her thinking, absorbing his words as he continues, "Which is why we've come before you to recommend that we suspend all Hextech operations until this situation is resolved. Including our laboratories, the refinery, and... "

Jayce finishes for him, "And the Hexgates."

In an instant, they all (except for Heimerdinger and Mel), express outrage at such a suggestion.

"Have you both lost your minds?!"

"The Hexgates must remain open. Piltover's status as a global shipping lane depends on it. Thousands would lose their income."

Both men look astonished at the lack of priorities as Viktor steps forward to the center with Jayce exclaiming, "But shouldn't the safety of Piltover be our first priority?"

"Jayce is correct. The way we see it, this is the best possible way to ensure safety until the culprit is found and tried for the crime. Yes, it is a huge risk and I am no stranger to such... But don't you all think this might be worth trying?"

And there she sees it, that spark she's been looking for. Sure she sensed it in Talis as well but his? That drive, compassion, and determination is precisely what she's been seeking. She just regretted not noticing it sooner during their earlier days.

"So you both would sacrifice your life's work?" Heimerdinger asked in a mixture of awe and pride at his former students.

Hoskel, however once again, responds indignantly, "Without the Hexgates, my goods cannot reach foreign markets till winter. Am I to tell the Noxians their next shipment of wine will be vinegar?"

Now has come the time to make her move, the pieces falling into place right where she wants them, "Councilors. It appears we are at an impasse..."

All attention is turned to her, completely silent. She and Viktor briefly make eye contact, the latter already sensing that something is brewing in her mind. While they've interacted once or twice, and most of it was in a professional setting, he does admire some of her wit and cunning. Her strong ability to adapt and improvise on the fly. Her beauty and voice so hypnotic and it can draw even the most stubborn people's attention. He feels that it's a shame that she seems to be wasting all this and her other potential talents on politics but he can't exactly protest or say much on the matter. It's her life, not his. His own voice wouldn't matter to someone like her anyhow...

...Or so he thought as she continues, "If we shut down the Hexgates, the city will suffer. But if we do nothing, we leave ourselves vulnerable to malefactors..."

"And more lives will be lost..." Viktor finishes solemnly.

"Precisely well put Viktor. Which leads to what I will suggest: Perhaps the time has come to explore a more..."

She once again looks at him and that when she fully noticed his eyes, not just the continued spark that's slowly igniting but also how the beautiful shade of gold could rival any form of riches here or even in Noxus. There's an endless shine, a sparkling idealism that still lingers despite his clearly failing health if his crutch is any indication. She will admit that she also regrets not seeing such a beauty until now. She quickly regains her focus, expression strong willed, "...Radical solution."

"What are you suggesting?"

Viktor notices a slight smile in her eyes despite her face showing otherwise as she responds, "Both Mr. Talis and his partner Viktor have demonstrated a strong commitment to our safety. They're willing to sacrifice their own enterprise and dream. And it seems to me that only they have the knowledge necessary to secure the Hexgates. Therefore I propose that a new chair be brought forth, and that Viktor be elevated to this august body."

A collective series of gasps fills the room, Jayce looking at Viktor with worry but then awe. Viktor himself is simply astonished, almost dropping his crutch in his shock, "W-What?"

"As a Councilor, he will have the resources necessary to protect all our investments."

Shoola calmly states, "Councilor Medarda, this is highly irregular. The Council has held seven seats for generations."

Salo hissed in disgust, "What's most irregular is her choice, a poor crippled Zuanite in the Council? This has got to be some kind of joke!"

Hoskel huffed, "I must concur with Salo, we'll be made a mockery of!"

While Bolbok lacks facial expressions, Viktor can pick up the condescension in his tone, "Does this Zuanite have any experience? If not at all?"

Mel's confidence doesn't falter, "Only that of a scientist. Like Heimerdinger whom may I remind you all that he's worked closely with."

Viktor shakes his head in disbelief, looking at Heimerdinger with an almost pleading look. Whether it be to talk her out of it or to plead his case he's not entirely sure as the Yordel thinks for a moment before sighing, "I believe Councilor Medarda is right. Hextech security should be administered by a scientist and I have full trust and faith in Viktor to make the right calls and decisions. He is a bright lad like Jayce after all. I second the motion."

Viktor makes a choked sound as Mel finishes with a smile, "Well then, shall we vote?"

And that's when it hits him as the vote becomes unanimous, it seems like he's now dragged into a game and Hextech will no doubt be at the center of it. He never imagined himself into politics, let alone a Councilor. But in this case, he minus make the most of the position to further improve lives. Especially for his home.

"Then it is settled, we shall announce Viktor's inclusion first thing tomorrow. And Viktor..."

He looks at her and he can't but notice a spark like she did with him, a bit of mischief but also something else he can't quite pinpoint. No matter what it is, he can definitely feel a slight gravitational pull from within her greenish-gold eyes.

"Welcome to the Council and congratulations for being the first Zuanite to join us."

He looks at Jayce who is giving him a look of excitement which makes him smile before turning back to her, walking closer until they're face-to-face, "Thank you for the honor, Councilor Medarda."

She was admittedly taken aback by the boldness but that just further proves she made the right choice, as she gives a cheeky smile, "Please, only in professional settings. Outside of it though, feel free to call me Mel."

Viktor doesn't falter, "Of course, how could I forget your name? My apologies... Mel."

Oh this will be interesting indeed...

[muffinrecord]

A few quality of life updates I'd like to see for potraits:

An option to make the icons bigger. I'm an old lady and I don't wanna squint to see what I'm clicking on, I'd like it if you had a similar system like from magireco in terms of how big the rows are.

A way to organize or store them, similar to the vault system from Magia Record. Most of this stuff I'll never use and I feel like it clutters up the gallery. The ability to only show 5* memos and not 4* helps, but I'd like more options to hide portraits I'll never use.

The ability to organize by type. It's annoying to search and search and search for speed portraits. Though if we got a vault system, this wouldn't be as needed.

A way to prioritize event portraits first, like we had in magireco. I know we can sort by newest first, but this would also help with archive farming.

--

Other thoughts:

Portraits don't feel as exciting as memoria do in Magia Record imo. For example, the new login "Forgotten Antinomy" portrait feels useless. When are you ever gonna use it? And frankly it's a little sad to think that some of them are going to be eventually replaced with future updates since you only equip one portrait per character

Which brings me to my thought: it'd be nice if you could equip two-three portraits per character. Obviously they'd need to be rebalanced for this, but it'd make portraits more interesting. Maybe you can't stack two of the same type (no two speed boosts for example) to keep it balanced, idk. But that's a big change and I dunno if anyone else would like it as much as I would. One issue I can see with this is that you can't have more than one portrait at a time, but idk, I still think it could work.

It's been said before, but it's kind of depressing that portraits don't come with flavor text like memoria did. It was such an easy way of giving more personality to the game, and now it's gone :(

This is a really silly idea buuut I think it'd be cute if we could set a "favorite" portrait on our profiles. Maybe I want that orikiri portrait to follow me everywhere, even when it's no longer the best one in the game!!!

[sexisbetteronthemoon]

i want to see a pregnant lance fic from u so bad… it could be established kl kid and relationship or lance being pregnant from a previous relationship/hookup and keith stepping in… idk..

i tried writing something for you, anon, but it wasn't coming out the way i hoped. :( so instead i'm giving you an excerpt from a fic i'm still not sure i wanna keep.

“Welcome, Blue Paladin,” said the woman, and Lance blinked in surprise. “I am Princess Allura of Altea.”

“Blue Paladin?” he said, pointing at himself with a piece of jerky, and she nodded.

He looked at the others.

“What's that?” he said.

“It means you are the pilot of the Blue Lion,” said Allura. “I am very happy to meet you.”

“Um, no thanks,” Lance said.

Allura blinked.

“But she chose you,” she said.

“Yeah, and it sounds an awful lot like you're gonna want me to fight with it, because that's totally a war machine,” Lance said, taking another bite of his jerky. “So I'm gonna pass.”

Allura stared at him blankly.

“But,” she said, “this is a great honor.”

“Yeah, and I'm delicate,” Lance said. And he rubbed his stomach absentmindedly.

Allura tilted her head. Her eyes going down to his belly. He stopped, dropping his hand.

“Do you mean you can't fight while pregnant?” she said. “Is that normal for your species?”

“WHAT?” Pidge said, choking on the word.

Strangely enough, the annoying masked person echoed her.

Lance went rigid as everyone but Hunk turned to look at him. And like the greatest person on Earth that he was, Hunk put himself slightly in front of him.

“You're pregnant?” Pidge screeched. Her eyes were practically popping out of her skull.

“Oh, I'm so sorry,” Allura said, brow creasing. “With how brightly you're glowing, I thought it was obvious.”

“Hold up, I'm glowing?” Lance said. “Like actually glowing?”

“Lance,” said the strange masked person. “Are you … pregnant?”

“Sorry, do I know you?” Lance said, annoyed. “I don't think so. Mind your own business.”

“Lance doesn't have to answer any questions he doesn't want to,” Hunk said firmly, somehow growing larger as he stared everyone down. “Back off.”

“And just who the hell are you?” said the masked person.

“Did I not introduce myself?” Hunk said brightly, demeanor changing to friendly once more. “I thought I did. I'm Hunk, Lance's other half.”

The masked person stumbled back as if they had been shoved. The other masked individual stepped up behind them and held them steady by the shoulder.

“The better half, I think,” Lance said idly. “Hunk, do you have any oranges?”

“Oh, sure,” Hunk said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a small orange. He easily peeled it and handed Lance a piece.

Lance popped it into his mouth and hummed.

“So if that's all, we're gonna get going,” Hunk said, holding out a hand to Lance's mouth. He spat out a seed into it. “We have things to do.”

“You — you can't go,” Allura said. “The Blue Lion chose you!”

“Yeah, and I can't fight,” Lance said. “You drive it. But please drop us off at home first.”

“Can you really not fight?” Allura said in increasing anxiousness. “Just how delicate is your gestational state?”

“Lady,” Lance said, “if I so much as bump my bump the wrong way, something bad could happen.”

Allura looked horrified at the thought.

“Can you fight pregnant?” Lance asked, baffled.

Allura nodded and said, “Some of our greatest warriors were pregnant. It strengthens us.”

Lance frowned.

“Wow, I wish I was Altean,” he said. “My back already hurts, and I'm in my second trimester.”

“Changing into an Altean only happens in fairytales,” said the red-haired Altean.

“Uh-huh,” Lance said, already having lost interest. He ate another orange slice and chewed on some jerky. “So … about that ride?”

“Could you at least help us recover the other lions first?” Allura said. “Voltron is the hope of the universe.”

“Mm,” Lance said, face twisting. “No offense, but a war machine isn't the hope of anything. It's a means to an end like any other tool. The people who work it would be the hope of the universe.” He yawned abruptly. “Oh, man, I'm tired.”

“Here,” Hunk said, taking off his vest and laying it on the floor. “Sit.”

“You're the best, Hunk.”

Allura was speechless for a moment. Then she frowned.

“Well, Voltron is the hope of the universe,” she said. “Will you help us recover the rest of the lions?”

“Well, seeing as you're holding me hostage otherwise,” Lance said, and Allura gaped at him, “I guess I have no choice.”

She soon snapped out of it and cleared her throat, returning to her regal demeanor.

“Coran, would you please show our guests their rooms for the time being?”

[dominimoonbeam]

I almost missed your post and I didn't understand why everyone were asking for fics 🥺

I would love to have number 27 with Sam / Darlin sharing a coat / blanket on a cold night, all sleepy and cuddly...

I wish you the very best and thank you so much for sharing your beautiful work 💞

- ❄️

I'm glad you found it, Anon!! Thank you for the ask and the super nice words! <3 <3

darlin/sam

early relationship, sharing a blanket

The wolf ran through the deep snow, from the woods to the cottage, shaking off as much of the ice as they could on the porch before shifting human and opening the door. The storm pushed them in and they swore when they used their weight to close the door.

"We're definitely snowed in and it looks like the power is out down through the valley," the said, shaking snow out of their hair and shivering. "Fuck, it's cold!"

Sam nodded, stacking another log onto the fire.

Darlin took a step closer to the living room, folding their arms against the cold. The heating had gone out this morning when the storm kicked in and the power went out.

They laughed at the state of the living room. Sam had been intent on getting a stack of wood inside and the fire raging. Now it looked like he'd dragged every blanket and pillow in the shack onto the stretch of floor in front of it, piled between the little couch and the coffee table he'd pushed off to the side. "What's going on here?" they asked, teeth already starting to chatter.

He shot them a look, frowning seriously. "Take off your boots and put those socks on."

Darlin laughed. "What?"

He had that cute crease in his brow that he got when he was worried. "It's cold."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"It's going to get colder."

Darlin grinned. "Are you saying we should...get warm, Sammy?"

He sputtered but closed the distance between them rather than circling floor away from them like he usually would when Darlin made some sort of innuendo. "It's going to get really cold, Darlin. You need to keep all the warmth you can. So, ditch the boots, put on the socks, and get in the blankets."

Darlin didn't move, liking just how close he was standing and the very serious face the cowboy was making. They'd been friends for months now, circling something more, but they respected that he wanted to go slow. Sometimes they thought he was going slow because of them, because he wasn't sure about them, or wasn't that interested, but maybe that was even more reason to keep things slow. Maybe they would never get anywhere beyond friends and if that was the case, that was okay too.

Sam raised an eyebrow at their stillness. "I will take your boots off for you if you--"

Darlin groaned and immediately toed off their boots, hating the idea of anyone helping them do anything. Rolling their eyes at him, they grabbed the thick socks he's laid out on the arm of a chair and marched across the nest he'd made on the floor. It was impossible not to smile again when they got to the other side, near the fire. "This is too fucking cute, Sammy. Are you worried I'm going to die?"

He joined them, moving the covers around and sitting next to them, pulling the stack of blankets up and around them both. Darlin was sitting cross-legged, pulling the extra socks on over their own. It was, admittedly, really damn cold.

"Is it okay if I touch you?"

Darlin looked over their shoulder at him. He was sitting really close. They smiled. "Always."

He scooted in, one arm curling around them to tug them back until they were sitting between his spread legs, their back to his chest. Darlin held their breath for a second, surprising by the intimate situation, by the nearness, and the ease Sam seemed to feel about it all. Or, at least, he was so completely focused on getting the blankets around them, cocooning them against the cold, that he hadn't thought about it.

When he was done, Darlin was reclined against his chest, his arms around their waist, his thighs pressed along the outside of theirs, and the fire casting light and warmth on their face. "You know, I wasn't going to die, right?" they said, but softly because they definitely weren't going to complain about this either.

He sighed, his breath against their cheek. "You don't worry enough about yourself."

"I've survived a lot, Sammy. I'm not fragile."

His arms tightened a little around them under all those covers. "You're strong," he agreed. "But that doesn't mean you're invincible." His voice was low, close to their ear. The storm howled outside and the fire crackled. "I'm not gonna stand here, watch'n you shiver, and assume you'll survive the night."

Darlin sighed, warmer already. "You sure you weren't just trying to find a reason to get me in your lap?" They smirked, waiting for his usual huff of uncomfortable laughter or sputter of pretend shock.

Instead, they felt him smile against their cheek. "I mean...It ain't a downside."

Darlin definitely felt warmer.

[cryinggirlnamedhelen]

—CHEESECAKE, APPLE PIE — K. KENMA

synopsis ; what was “supposed” to be a simple collaboration and streamer friendship ended up being an investigation for lore, but more importantly—romance.

cw ; afab!reader

note ; in case you're confused or don't know, in the manga, it's confirmed in the chapter 29 (volume 4) extra/omake page that kenma's favorite food is apple pie.

a/n ; im back. this is an older work that i wasn’t originally going to publish, but atp wtv.

“throwing my plushie based on how much i like the dessert”

you almost wanted to cackle at the comments. what should've been a simple tiktok by a popular tiktoker and streamer that was just doing a cute trend with a popular audio ended up becoming the subject to many people's theories and engrossments in a ship. at least, that was how it was to a neutral bystander who wasn't actively involved in the lore between you and kenma.

11.8 million likes.

at this point, the neutral bystanders that you just spoke of took up less than 1 percent of the online population. after all, it’s rare these days to meet someone who uses any sort of online platform to not be invested in or have at least heard of the lore between you and kenma. you had gone to elementary, middle, high school and college together, and you were both always having collabs with each other.

“cooking stream with kodzuken in 30 mins (watch him burn down the entire kitchen)” was one such example. you ended up being the one who almost burned the kitchen, but no one really cared about that one. they were more interested in the contents of the video and the title.

you both had brushed hands far too many times for it to be pure coincidence, and no one has ever seen kodzuken so happy before. he smiled a decent amount of time, but never this much. his eyes were softer around you as well. “the look of love” edits and clips of you both on that single stream began to go viral, with many claiming that you should both just date already.

and the title. it seems simple at first, but why add the comment in the parentheses? whenever you did a collaboration with anyone else, you would never add a comment like that, not even with the people you were closest with. so why add such a snarky and playful comment? sure, you've known each other for decades now, but it was still sketchy. and the fact that the antisocial and nearly friendless kodzuken allowed it? that only added fuel to the fire.

even more so, a famous fellow alumni from nekoma posted a photo of you and kenma from when you were both in high school, giving each other a high five when the team made it to nationals. you had been the manager after all. of course, it was lev who had posted it. after that, deciding it wasn't enough, kuroo decided to post childhood pictures of you and kenma playing video games together.

@ilovekodzuken123: chat this might not be casual

@kodzukenapplepie: are they willing to adopt me?

@kodzukenno1fan: i wanna be in a poly with them

finally, this is when people began to truly get invested. they searched through every single live stream, every single social media post, every single qna video. some even gave lev and kuroo dms for the two of them to send more pictures of you and kenma.

@skibidi2019: she called a guy with gyed hair in a video game cute. yk who else has dyed hair? KENMA

@unemployed55: they want each other so bad

and finally, the video that confirmed it all was finally posted. the one that truly had the online world in shambles.

“cheesecake,” you throw your plushie up a good amount. it barely goes over your head from when you had thrown it from your lap. “apple pie,” immediately, you throw your plush right up as much as you could, enough for it to hit the ceiling with a soft THUD. however, this was the point where many had stopped watching the video, because the description had said enough already by itself.

“guess who this is abt lmao. anyways hi bbg🫶”

instantly, your comments and dms exploded, along with kenma’s. laughing, you sent kenma a text.

did u see their reactions and comments? they’re funny asf

im just ken(ma): yeah i did

your fans were right. you both were indeed dating, but considering how these are their current reactions to your slight implication of romantic feelings, then it might still be too early to reveal that you’re dating.

[katyspersonal]

Don't know if this was asked before but since it will soon me a year since its release, what are your thoughts on sote and radahn?

I've been rewatching jack play sote and I love everything about it but radahn, like I just can't put my finger on it (this isn't even about godwyn cause it's impossible for it to be him) it just kinda feels like (to me at least) I wish we got more about Miq and Radahn in base game to really build off the reveal, doesn't help that the final boss makes me want to throw my controller lol. I guess that's like the main thing bugging me about sote, everything else was really good. Would love to read your thoughts on this.

Yet again, I am very simple about the "no foreshadowing" situation, so it's time to pull out the Ol' Reliable:

(From this ( x ) interview)

I think that they've always wanted to make Radahn and Miquella an (involuntary) item but completely omitted the plot from the base game, with the exception of Aeonia Battle happening at all, because it would just be not worth it without the full ascension plot! Like how in base Bloodborne, Maria was not foreshadowed at all and was simply referred to as a nameless Old Hunter and a student of Gehrman. Because Doll being a grief ornament of Maria would just be not worth it without actually meeting her!

It was not just a callback to Lorian and Lothric either, because... well, Malenia and Miquella are actual callback to Lorian and Lothric. x) Younger sibling born so cursed that older one helps to lift their curse, and they basically exchange; Miquella's golden blood makes up 3.5 of Malenia's limbs, and he in turn also gets touched by the Scarlet Rot:

(Cleanrot Knight's wings reference by Youtuber Zullie the Witch ( x ))

Like, with SO much story and connection between Malenia and Miquella, there was no other reason to have it be Radahn unless they simply planned it to be Radahn from the start and now went "damn, we actually can bring it back now"! Like, yes, lolrandom ship but you go girl, as long as it is not forced fanservice (remember SVTFOE Starco nonsense to DIE instantly) I'll just accept it sooner or later! I remember it took some time to digest the PCR thing at first, but mostly because it was not a very good look for Malenia + Miquella felt like the type to embrace everyone, without picking favourite to me.

Miquella and Malenia being inspired by Radahn to aspire to be kinder and stronger respectively when they were young is also beliveable! Like, it fits into the story considering all characters and relationships, not to mention that Miquella carving his way to be compassionate and king is cooler than being "born good"! Besides, it means that Godwyn was not fit to inspire the twins to work on themselves, and what it means is that something was whack with the "perfect golden guy advertisement of how cool Erdtree is" underneath, even if he was still loved dearly. And I am all here for it! Radahn's inclusion is random without the foreshadowing, but getting him involved in the family drama even more than just the Aeonia Battle contributes, in my opinion! It offers interesting ideas, insights and interactions! "I like what I can do with this information" is the best way I can describe it.

Like, yes, they could have found a way to make PCR battle go in a more interesting way. Like it going wrong since Stage 2 because Radahn is using Mohg's body and it could break free and cause havoc and messed up mutations or something. The only flaw of the pair itself is literally lack of foreshadowing, and I already said that you just have to accept that Fromsoft does this thing consistently because their ideas never agree with their absurd deadlines xD

[dessknightenjoyer]

putting my thoughts on the egg room below a cut cause they are long and spoilers

The very first thing I thought when doing the egg room was "Does Kris remember resets / has kris done this before?" mainly cause it has the same themes of repetition and pointlessness. Kris drawing the man over and over again until they can do it on one line but the canvas is so covered that it's completely filled in has the same sort of doing something over and over again until it loses it's meaning thing that undertale kinda had going with it resets. Drawing the tree over it all at the end even kinda matches up with doing something else after the thing you were doing loses it's meaning. Kinda reminds me of flowey but not much.

If this is actual evidence, it would explain why kris knows how to manipulate the soul so well but would go against them gradually learning to do so.

Personally I think with the examples in your post are more Kris not bothering to actually do it when it's not serious rather then Kris learning how to do so over time. They don't want to look at the teenz corner but if they do its no big deal, at least compared to you getting a look at Asriel's search history or potentially opening a door with the knight behind it. Given that fully tearing out their soul seems to drain them somewhat I wonder if even small acts of resistance can tire them out. Like they could trickily resist every single thing they don't like the player doing but that would tire them out quickly and they don't want that.

As for whether or not this being because kris has done this all before is well. It's really not that solid and only works if you believe that chapter one was the first day of kris having a soul which. It demonstrably is not. Due to the birdcage. and the bloodstain on the floor and the stuff surrounding Carol that heavily implies that she knows about the soul (still not sure what to make of that). I think that kris knows how to do this stuff cause they've been dealing with this soul nonsense for much longer than we've seen and not because of reset time loops or anything.

Anyway uhhhhh sorrrryyy for saying there were implications when it was just. Deltarune reset theory slop that gets shot down by the first room we see in the game. Given how similar the themes of repetition are in that room I wonder if it's just supposed to be an allusion to undertale, although the egg rooms and the seem to have been getting more tied into greater deltarune lore in the recent chapters.

One last note I find that it's Kris who draws the painting but "You" who tries to wash the graphite off their hands to be. very interesting but I don't know what it could mean. I got nothing for the egg room sorry : (

at what point did kris figure out they can manipulate the options to their advantage ("no no no no" when checking teenz corner but defeat when chosen > peeking into asriel's cyberworld room with eyes closed > "turn the doorknob" instead of opening the door) and when are they going to go all monica ddlc on us