#however her ways of showing affection are not necessarily seen as affectionate by other people bc she’s so intense

[tellie-vision-art]

I’m gonna be honest I lowkey want to draw Axel or maybe her with Priya but I don’t normally draw fanart and I am scared 😭

And also I would hate if people followed me explicitly for that BC I don’t normally draw fanart and I know it would be disappointing to see my OCs all the time. Like would any attention I receive from it be worth it if no one’s interested in my actual art rather than just the characters in it. Like there’s no demand for my art would anyone who follows me even care if I drew fanart 😭 it’s a double-edged sword

And like interacting with fandoms always ends poorly for me (Scream Queens bc harassment, Squid Game bc lots of gross people) what if I draw it and post it and the TD fandom gets ruined for me too somehow, I would die 😩 I fear interaction outside my target audience (followers and my friends) I suppose

[darcytaylor]

Are They or Aren't They? A Devil’s Advocate Look at Nicola and Jake's Relationship Status

I recently did a post like this on Nicola and Luke's relationship status, so I thought I’d try it again for Nicola and Jake. Given the recent speculation, public appearances, and photos, it’s fair to say people are curious! Are they dating, or are they just close friends?

Before we dive in, I want to say upfront that these are just observations. Nicola and Jake may be dating, or they might simply be two close friends who happen to share a close friendship. This post is meant to take a devil’s advocate look at both sides of the story, exploring why some people believe they’re romantically involved while others think it’s just friendship.

What do I think? Honestly, I have no clue. I can see the arguments from both sides, and since I don’t know the individuals involved personally, I can’t confirm their relationship status. All I know is that they are in some type of relationship.

Reasons Why Nicola and Jake Could Be Dating

1. Hand Holding Nicola and Jake have been seen holding hands in public, which is often associated with couples rather than friends. These moments, especially when caught on camera multiple times, can hint at something more than friendship.

2. Progression in Their Relationship Timeline Since March, Nicola and Jake’s public appearances together have increased, from pub outings to music festivals and even travelling abroad together. This progression could suggests a growing relationship.

3. Shared Friend Group, but With Added Intimacy Nicola and Jake are known to be in the same friend circle, which could naturally bring them closer. However, their level of physical affection and their time spent together outside the group context might signal a deeper connection. Friends are often close, but it’s the one-on-one time and hand-holding that suggest they could be romantically involved.

4. Recent Paparazzi Photos The photos of them together in New York and London have led many to believe there’s something romantic. With both of them being aware of the public attention, it’s possible they’re letting the world know they’re together by appearing in some of these images.

Reasons Why Nicola and Jake Might Just Be Friends

1. Close-Knit Friend Group Dynamic Since they share a friend group, it’s natural for Nicola and Jake to be spotted together. Many friends show affection, especially in a tight-knit group where people are comfortable around each other. Nicola’s touchy, friendly nature could explain the hand-holding and closeness without it necessarily being romantic.

2. Ambiguity of Paparazzi Photos and Their Timing The source of these photos is somewhat questionable, as some have pointed out inconsistencies with dates or image order, suggesting a bit of media “storytelling.” This could mean that what looks like romantic “proof” is just selective or out-of-context shots that don’t tell the whole story.

3. Physical Affection in Nicola’s Other Friendships Nicola is known for her warm, friendly demeanour and has been touchy and affectionate with other friends, both male and female. For someone who’s naturally expressive, gestures like holding hands might be a form of friendship rather than romance.

4. Photos Disappearing and Tags Being Removed Several tagged photos of Nicola and Jake have reportedly been removed, leading some to speculate that Nicola or her team might want to control the narrative. If they’re just friends, taking down photos could be a way to slow down unnecessary rumours, especially if public speculation is escalating.

5. Lack of Direct Confirmation Despite all the public attention, neither Nicola nor Jake has confirmed a romantic relationship. Sometimes, silence can be intentional, allowing people to assume whatever they like without adding fuel to the fire.

6. Comfort Hand-Holding Amid Unease The first time Nicola and Jake were spotted holding hands, Nicola’s location had just been publicized online, which could have made her feel uneasy. In such situations, it’s natural to reach out to someone close by for reassurance. While some people say they looked relaxed, it’s essential to remember that none of us truly know what someone is feeling internally. Nicola is also a trained actress, skilled in masking her true emotions, which could make interpreting her body language challenging.

(I think when looking at any situation with celebrities, it's cool to look at all of the arguments that are seen being thrown around. It helps a lot with critical thinking and also not being boxed in to any one position. I think this can be healthy to do when we do not know any of the people involved personally)

[murmurmurl]

gay people

(not canon btw! none of the ships/labels will be canon :3)

I'm also gonna yap now yipeee

Uhm. Affection!! Wanted to think about how they would express and receive affection. Not only in a romantic context btw, just in general.

Matsu LOVES casual physical affection. He loves hugging people, holding hands with his friends, tackling them, just. Being all over the ones he loves. This also applies to non-physical affection, although a little less. However! He's really not the best when it comes to being on the receiving end of that affection.... Not because he doesn't like it or anything, it's just that his brain short-circuits, and he has no idea how to react. He loves receiving affection from people he trusts and, well, also loves (again, not necessarily romantically). I think the reason for him reacting that way could be that he's only started experiencing this after getting close with everyone in H♡L. Sure, he's been practically best friends with Fumi since ~middle school, but their falling out lasted at least a few years, and in that time Matsu didn't really get all that close with anybody else. Also, he doesn't like being super affectionate with people he isn't close with, or doesn't trust enough, or just isn't comfortable enough.

Toshiro isn't as enthusiastic... but they still like it. They like receiving affection, even if with some complaints (not seriously though) whenever Matsu tackles them. They're a little more reserved, but when he *really* loves someone, he'll stick to them like glue. I think his favorite way to show affection physically is through doing someone's hair. H♡L members often walk around with little braids or some uncharacteristic hairstyles because of that. He isn't very good with words though... but a little better than Matsu, who just. Would like to be able to express his feelings through something more than cutting himself off every 2 seconds because it's absolutely impossible for him to put the vague concept of his emotions into existing words. Toshiro is, indeed, a bit more successful in that, but still prefers quiet physical affection.

Fumi doesn't let herself be very emotionally open and vulnerable. That's what years of repressing and trying to get rid of any possible "weakness" will do. The person she lets to herself the closest is Matsu... she's more used to him and has a giant soft spot, even if she would deny it as much as she can (most of the time). However, Fumi still has ways in which her affection and appreciation towards someone end up being shown. It's pretty casual, and sometimes can seem a little mean, but she's trying her best. They often ruffle Matsu's hair, for example. Though Toshiro gets slightly "harsher" treatment, like very light shoves. Seina manages to escape all of that, though. She's not as close with Fumi as everyone else, but has this effect of calming her down and making her drop the defenses a little. I think over the course of the story Fumi will slowly learn to allow herself to be more vulnerable with people close to her.

Seina. Her affection is the most gentle, I think, but she expresses it more through words and caring for someone, rather than with physical touch. However, since I think I'm kinda focusing on physical affection here, she likes to pet her friends' heads, or dust them off, or just calmly hold their hands or shoulders.

They all also have slightly different ways of expressing affection towards each other that I thought of. Like Matsu tends to tackle Seina less, and more just hug her. With Toshiro he doesn't really hold back, as well as with Fumi. He also likes to try to ruffle Fumi's hair when she does it to him, though... have you seen how short I made him? there's no way that's even remotely easy. Toshiro likes to hug specifically Matsu a lot, but it's more calm than how Matsu himself does it... with Fumi, he often casually puts a hand on her shoulder, which she surprisingly allows. And with Seina, he plays with her hair probably even more than with everybody else's. I think I pretty much described Fumi's ways with everyone..? But something I didn't mention is that she often gives gifts to her friends. Which mostly involves flowers (of clourse)! She's a little embarrassed when doing it most of the time, but it's one of the few visible ways she can allow herself to show her appreciation to someone. Seina likes to do Toshiro's hair back, like he does to everyone, though she isn't really the best at it... they still like it! A lot, actually! She calms Fumi down with surprising ease and likes to allow them to lean onto her and just kinda... hang out like that. With Matsu she gets even more caring and worried than with everyone else, which can look pretty funny.

This might sound strange, seeing as Fumi is clearly the "keeps a tough front and rarely allows herself to show affection" person of the group, but Seina actually has a lot of trouble properly expressing her appreciation, maybe the most out of all of them. She kind of acts almost the same way with everybody, which results in people sometimes thinking she doesn't care enough about them personally. Repressing her own emotions in fear of burdening or upsetting her loved ones with them made it so that she isn't very good at expressing them when she wants to.

I am getting a little off topic? And also tired. Even though I absolutely love rambling about them,,,,, also, I think somewhere later I'll just be dumping all of the lore/details, actually maybe literally everything about Helianthus♡Light! to the side blog, for which!!!!! I still have to draw a few things bc I want it to look cool and pretty,,,,,,

[thecoolerliauditore]

scott/cleo section aka cleo is NOT a groomer. This section is Bad because I'm more unwell about these guys don't expect to read anything of value.

Cleo is the designated mum friend. This has just been the archetype she's been assigned into by both her own personality/actions but also, arguably more prominently, gender bias. However, what a lot of people miss about the existence of a "mum friend" is the implication it brings of everyone else being "child friends" -- the ones who are irresponsible, incapable or otherwise dependent on the mum friend for whatever it is they need.

This is usually implied (e.g. lizzie and her "flammable trees" in LL) and sometimes full on spelled out (e.g.the whole of limlife) but regardless, Cleo has this point in common with Martyn where she Has To be the responsible one and fears being useless. Even with people like Etho and Martyn and arguably 3L Bdubs who are her "husbands" they are labelled much more as incompetent, sitcom-esque dead-beats than anyone on equal footing with her.

Her relationship with Scott is unique in that this is NOT their dynamic, at least on the surface. Their initial alliance is instead based on a mutual understanding they both have that they are Above their idiot children teammates and that neither of them are in need of looking out for the other one. They're always forever on the same page and always a tertiary alliance that can be brought out as needed and there is comfort in that stability.

Scott is a re-enforcement of Cleo's old, hyper-transactional worldview on relationships. This is why even as she learns over the course of the series to be more vulnerable and affectionate towards her friends (e.g. look at her and etho), Scott never gets that privilege. Because he's on equal footing with her, his needs are never considered. He shows up to do his job (which is usually to die for her) and then leave and everyone is happy.

While this is not Cleo's doing or necessarily indicative of affection, I think it's funny that in limlife even Martyn gets to be the clockers "godfather" and the bad boys get to be their "cousins" but Scott, who has a way tighter alliance with the clockers, never gets any familial connection. Like even on some subconscious level there's this acknowledgement that while Scott is useful, he's not one of us and we don't care for him the way we care for eachother.

Cleo is Aware that Killing People is Bad, as seen by her refusal to entertain letting Etho die for her in SL. She is also aware that, on some level, she is taking advantage of Scott by using him for her own gains (see the bridge conversation from DL again). But this doesn't matter because he's a stagnant force in her world.

Scott, on the other hand, gets stability from Cleo too. Scott hates taking risks and revels in doing things efficiently, and the alliance he has with Cleo is pretty much as perfect as something can get in regard to a back-up plan. Scott also likes to be relied on and hates feeling humiliated (see: how furious he was after Joel killed him for the first time in LL) and letting Cleo (or anyone else) kill him voluntarily lets him feel as if he is useful and gracious and doesn't have to suffer the indignity of Losing.

Now here's where I introduce the freudian aspect and it gets very stupid: because despite impressions, scott IS more of a kid than most of the people cleo teams with and this dynamic is doing him more harm than good.

Scott has a respect for Cleo that he doesn't display in his other alliances, e.g. I don't think Cleo is much better at the game than Jimmy but where Jimmy gets berated, Scott is patient with Cleo and never talks back to her, even when she's having trouble landing crits on him while he's standing completely still in DL. I'd argue Scott has a bit of weirdness around women but it's definitely most noticeable with Cleo.

In a way, it feels as if Scott on some level views Cleo as having a level of authority over him and appealing to her is the same as appealing to a parental figure, which as aforementioned, is how Cleo is most often viewed through the "mum friend" designation. As such, with Cleo accepting his sacrificial tendencies, he's essentially being rewarded emotionally for continuing to harm himself by an authority figure.

I do think a lot of my feelings here are based on the tendency of Scott characters in other series to fall into that neurotic golden child archetype (esmp1, pirates) and his weird mommy thing on twitter which are both things I usually try not to put into consideration when it comes to my views on The Character but hey I am a biased human being blah blah blah

TL;DR idk i just think if it was idk a 40-something man telling a girl in her mid twenties that she was special and smarter than everyone else and continuously called on the girl to die for him and she took pride in doing that the fandom would have A Lot More To Say but also it's not really cleo's fault like. vaguely gestures at scott. cmon

Look I know you said it’s funnier without explanation but if you’re up for it, can you please share your thoughts on the freudian vibes post? I’m guessing that it’s Scott treating Cleo like a mom and Jimmy treating Martyn like a dad?

anon IDK why I felt the need to like. write an essay regarding this. You've basically got it down pact that's literally the whole joke everything else is stupid. but I made you wait so like. whatever man.

under the cut is the horrors but tl;dr:

martyn/jimmy: martyn needs to be someone's husband/dad to feel like he deserves to be loved and jimmy feels comfort in being cared for but is ultimately frustrated with being infantilized.

cleo/scott: much much muddier but cleo gives scott the privilege of being The Mature One who gets her (when scott is not this) while scott gets an illusion of unconditional stability (which cleo can only sometimes provide)

Martyn/Jimmy is the more cut and dry one, mostly sourcing from their Evo relationship and their interactions in traffic smp.

Martyn is someone who feels the need to be a provider/protector and feels frustrated when he is denied that role (e.g. look at his bridge conversation with Cleo in DL or his reaction to jimmy half-rejecting his offer to run away with him in 3L and acting spitefully towards jimmy at least verbally for the rest of the season).

In my head he is someone who feels as if he is undeserving of a certain level of emotional intimacy (often associated with romantic relationships) if he doesn't perform well enough in said role(s) since the people he strives to "protect"/"rescue" are often the same he acts romantically towards (Ren, Cleo, Jimmy).

This isn't a fully sound point since the southlanders and especially mumbo kind of contradict this but I think the southlanders were kind of a messy specific instance of the worst traits of every member all combining together to form an alliance from hell but that's for another post methinks. Grian is also an outlier but I'd argue that could be seen as him misdirecting his need to rescue jimmy onto the next guy he saw.

Jimmy, on the other hand, is often put into roles where he is assumed incapable of taking responsibility and thus denied of his agencies and thus he ends up in this weird position where, depending on who he is with, he is either someone's tradwife or everyone's youngest brother. What responsibilities he does get are often whatever is deemed most unimportant by the other party he's with, regardless of whether those things are actually important (e.g. him taking care of Martyn emotionally when he spirals in Evo during the election arc).

I'm not actually a massive jimmy guy so I can't say for sure what his feelings towards Martyn are, but whatever they are they seem to be heavily conflicting. Jimmy is more abrasive towards Martyn and seems to be more comfortable teasing him and making jokes at his expense, but at the same time becomes cold to him very easily, such as in 3L when he began shooting specifically at Martyn right before his final death or in SL when he tries to kill Martyn and then runs away stating that he "can't go home now". To me, it is as if Jimmy is frustrated with the "incapable" role he gets put into which his relationship with Martyn epitomizes both the romantic and caretaker aspects of, but at the same time Martyn brings him a level of nostalgic comfort.

TL;DR jimmy reminds me of this:

(from: "my lesbian experience with loneliness")

one final note regarding jimmy/martyn: this could go the other way around as well, with the aforementioned emotional care jimmy gives martyn in evo as well as one throwaway line near the end of the series where martyn says something to the effect of "thank god you're back, I don't know how to cook or anything". However I don't think this point is too important since the big point of this is jimmy and martyn wanting to feel loved and cared for by eachother with the conflicting feelings attached.

I'm having a lot of trouble putting the Scott/Cleo section into words rn but I'll reblog this with that added later when I'm processing information in a more digestible manner 👍

[xpeachesncream]

how many drinks? | one shot (jjk)

summary: the question is - how many drinks would it take for you to sleep with your bestfriend?

pairing: jjk x reader

genre: (18+) college au, dance group au, bestfriends/bestfriends with some benefits au | fluff, smut, sprinkle of angst

words: ~12.2k

warnings: cussing, mature language/implied sexual content, kind of crack-y, dancer!jk to fulfill my needs, unprotected sex, sprinkle of dirty talk, fingering, sprinkle of a handjob, slight biting, nails digging into skin, oc almost gets taken advantage of/forced into doing things she doesn’t wanna do, rough handling, song kang is in this too because i’m also a hooch for him but he’s an ass here, alcohol consumption, intoxication, mentions of blunts/smoking, house parties, cuddling, kissing/makeout sessions, straddling, breast/nipple play, hickeys, fucking on the edge of the bed, multiple orgasms, fingering, licking/neck kisses, oral (f. receiving)

note: one shot title is taken from miguel's song ‘how many drinks’ + a couple of things--

both hoseok and jimin’s piece mentioned below are inspired by real-life pieces my old dance mentor has choreographed and taught. this is the inspiration behind hoseok’s couple piece; this is the inspiration for jimin’s piece

i’m a hooch for all three of them in this video

enjoy imagining koo and oc dancing part of their couples piece like this 🥺

"Y/N." You picked up Jungkook's call as you sat at your desk in your dorm room. You had been finishing up your bio homework until the interruption came blaring through on your headphones.

"Yes?"

"Can I nap in your room?"

"The fuck I look like? A hotel?" You snorted.

"Yeah, a 5 star at that with how good you take care of me." He tries to butter you up, causing you to roll your eyes.

"You're lucky I like you."

"Yesssssssss!" You hear him faintly exclaim on the other line. "Be there in a sec."

"You know my doors are always unlocked." Which, it was true. So many of your friends had decided to live off campus that you and your other bestfriend [and beloved suitemate] were probably the only few left on campus. And that meant people were constantly in your room, hanging out or using both of your rooms, [with permission] or the couches in the shared living room space of your suite as a place to nap. College, amirite? Why the fuck would you lose your parking spot to go back to your apartment when you have friends who lived right on campus? You weren't just good for smuggling free food from the cafeteria to your broke ass, struggling off-campus friends.

Sooner or later, you're greeted by a fluffy, black-haired Jungkook, looking like his shit must have air-dried with how wavy and voluminous it was. He swings your door open so aggressively that you jump a bit in your seat, swinging off your headphones like you weren't even expecting him. You watch as he flings himself onto your neatly made bed like he hasn't felt a bed in years.

"Ugh, yes." He moans as he belly flops onto your bed and stays in that position.

"When's your next class, you little baby?"

"In like an hour or so, I don't know." He says sleepily. "Wake me up, please?"

"Sure." You realize it's Wednesday, and he definitely has Ecology lab later at 3:00PM. You figured you'd wake him up by 2:30 just to give him enough time to groggily walk his ass back over to the science building.

You and Jungkook weren't really close before college. It was moreso that you knew of each other since high school because of mutual friends. You'd see him at parties and he'd see you, but it was never more than the casual hi and bye and small talk. Maybe the occasional comments on facebook pages and the likes on pictures on instagram. But foreel, other than that, that's as real as your friendship got for awhile. You didn't mind it though, you were good with your set of friends and he was good with his. A lot of your friends attended the same university as you two and then your groups intertwined even more. 

But, it wasn't until the past couple of months or so where you both unexpectedly got really close - simply just by talking more and being around each other more. You both had similar interests and Jungkook wasn't the most vocal in his group, but with you, he seemed to talk endlessly. He loved comics and he loved raving to you about Marvel and DC superheroes. He loved to draw, and he'd draw you things every now and then - his most recent being you as a scientist superhero saving the world from overgrown malaria-infected mosquito monsters. It was the cutest thing you had ever seen, and you tacked it against your cork board near your desk. Then, small things like that turned to bringing you food or boba, being stuck at the hip where he'd only go to a certain place on campus if you were there; texting each other inside jokes and funny ass tweets all day turned to facetime sleepover calls and then late hangouts eventually turned to actual sleepovers in your bed, where he'd drape his arm around while you both slept but it never escalated into anything more than that in bed. Although he did fucking hate your medium-sized Olaf plushie that took shelter on your bed - he'd always hike it across the room and talk about how annoying he is and how he's always taking his spot. You never understood it, really.

And then soon, it turned to small displays of affection behind closed doors, where Jungkook would hold you close. Hold your hand if you two were in the room watching a show, or movie. Small kisses exchanged. Big kisses exchanged, making out sessions. But, that was literally it. Nothing else. No sex. No pressure. Lots of unspoken feelings, obviously, but you weren't gonna be the one to bring that up. Because you were comfortable, and if anything, you didn't wanna ruin what you guys already had going.

Like, is this a friends with benefits thing? Maybe? Maybe not? It was hard to label it because it's not like you both determined so, it kind of just fell together that way. And there was really no pressure to fuck every single time you got affectionate. It was cute, sweet. And no one really knew it was like that behind doors - possibly your suitemate Kass and her boyfriend, Jimin, but that's only because you shared the dorm suite with her. Jimin was also one of Jungkook's roommates and his really good friend, so whenever they had slept over on the same night, it was pure and utter chaos. But honestly, if Kass and Jimin hadn't been around you two much, they most certainly wouldn't have the idea.

Whatever it was, it was a comfortable closeness that you both experienced and appreciated. However, the both of you were afraid of discussing what this really was, afraid it'll ruin the dynamic. The atmosphere. Having to come to terms of what it might, or might not be. Neither of you can fully admit that you like the other. Although, it got hard. People did lightly tease you two because you both always looked for each other and were stuck by the hip out on campus.

Oh, well. Bottom line is that you liked your relationship where it was at, but it doesn't mean you haven't thought about the what if's. Jungkook was insanely attractive, and it's no lie that girls swarmed him left and right on campus, but he didn't give a shit [either he didn't give a shit or he was dumb as hell?]. Okay, rewind — to be fair, he would have a fling or two, flirt once or twice. He'd tell you so and so was cute and that they've hung out or texted, but that's it. He just wasn't necessarily looking for anything cause he too enjoyed where he was at with everything.

It doesn't take long before Sleeping Beauty is snoring face down on your bed, looking like Patrick Star with the way he's sprawled out. But, you continue to do your work until it was time to wake him. You gently shake him, his puppy eyes looking back at you after being face down all nap.

"Class time."

"No." He groans. "Can't I just stay here with you?"

"No, dude. Get to class." You chuckle. "You already skipped last week."

"Yeah, but this is a new week Y/N."

"Jungkook." You almost say in a scolding manner.

"Fiiiiiiine." He whines as he shoots up and hops off from your bed. "Are you going to our party on Friday?"

"I said I'd think about it right?"

"Yeah, like on Monday. It's Wednesday."

"And I'm still thinking about it." You snort, making him pout.

"Just come for a little bit."

"Why? You know parties aren't my thing and you'll be too drunk anyways. I'll end up wanting to go right the fuck back home as soon as I step outside."

"I'd like to be drunk and have you there. It'll be more fun!" He pouts as he holds your hand and swings it back and forth.

"I mean, to be completely honest, I'll probably end up going because of Kass anyways."

"Because of Kass." He rolls his eyes. "Oooookay. Not because of you, Jungkook, no." He says sarcastically, brows furrowed.

"Ew. You're such a fucking whiner. Leave." You laugh, throwing an empty water bottle at him.

"I'm kidding." He chuckles. "Wanna grab dinner with me after practice?"

"Sure. If you pay." He groans

"Fine. I'll see you later." He puckers up his lips to blow you a kiss, which you automatically reject by giving him a look before turning your attention back to your homework. You were hoping he'd offer to go to In-n-Out because you were craving that #2 with animal fries and a neapolitan shake, plus there was a Target in the same plaza that you wanted to drag him to for new pens and clearance sale shopping. And you wouldn't even warn him about it. He would tag along, no question.

Hoseok stands in front of the mirrors in the studio, pacing back and forth as your dance group learned a couple of 8-counts from this new piece he had been brewing up. Apparently, it was supposed to be a couples piece but he wasn't sure if he was going to keep it that way. He watched to see if this would be better as a group, or if he should stick to his original plans.

Your college dance group was a small group formed by people with pure, genuine interest and love for modern hip hop choreography. Hoseok was the dance lead, with Jimin being the back up lead. The group came together, taught each other pieces, taught workshops for those interested on campus and performed at the various talent shows and productions the school had throughout the year. It was just your group's way of showcasing your talents, something you all purely enjoyed, and it was nice to see the love and support given by the audiences.

"Okay, run that from the top one more time please. We'll take break after, swear." Hoseok chuckles and gives Jimin the cue to start the song back at the starting point. Jungkook makes a funny face at you as he huffs and puffs, trying to catch his breath from the last time you went through the counts.

"Ew." You giggle, slightly pushing him aside. Miguel's How Many Drinks begins to blast through the studio speakers, Jungkook doing his best to sing along and match his tone all while focusing on his steps. Once you're done going through the counts, the music continues to play, Jungkook twirling over to you just to sing—

"Cause I ain't leavin' aloneeee, I feel like I could be honest, babe." He spins to your other side. "We both know that we're grown, that's why I wanna knooooow - how many drinks will it take you to leave with meeeeEEeeeE?"

"You can give me all the drinks in the world and I swear I still wouldn't." You snort, making him frown and click his teeth.

"Too bad that's not really how you act when I ask to sleep over, though." Silence as you stick your tongue out at him. Cause, yeah. You really do tell him to sleep over without hesitation. You loved his company, you can’t lie. "Yeah, fraudulent as hell. I never taught you that." He jokes.

"Shut up, Jungkook—"

"Okay!" Hoseok says, clapping his hands. "This'll be a couple piece. I honestly think it'll work better that way, just like I envisioned it. I'll work with the couple to clean this up before the performance, but to whoever isn't casted for this, Jimin still has a piece to teach the rest of you, so don't feel discouraged!" Hoseok chuckles a bit, giving the rest of the group a small smile. "So with that being said - Y/N, Jungkook, I want you two to do this piece."

"Ouuuuuuuu." Jimin teases you from the sidelines, causing you to put up your middle finger.

"We won’t let you down, cap." Jungkook swings his arm around you.

"I'll teach you the rest of the piece next practice so we can start polishing it up and making it clean before the talent show."

"Sounds good with me." You flatly say, even though 100%, you're pretty excited for many reasons. One, you had been wanting to do a solo or couples piece for awhile, and two, your partner was Jungkook. Your best friend, your ride or die, the dude you've spent so much time with and gave your affection to behind closed doors. It made you giddy just thinking about it, even if you'd blatantly lie to his face later on when he'd tease you. And Jungkook felt the same. You missed the way he subtly bit on his bottom lip when you were named his partner, just so he wouldn't smile too big in front of you.

After practice, you egg him on enough to agree to take you to In-N-Out, without hinting at the plan you had drafted out in your head earlier.  The plan that says you're gonna drag his ass to Target afterwards and he had no choice but to come along.

"Y/N, you liar." He groans. "You said you weren't gonna go to Target." He pouts as you follows behind you anyway.

"Kook, I literally just need to get one thing."

"What's the one thing that you couldn't get on your own time?"

"I don't know, I'll have to find out when we get in there." You giggled, causing him to groan again. "Plus, we're here already. Killing two birds with one stone."

"Ah shit, I suppose I can get some bottles for the party."

"Yeah, make yourself useful Jungkook."

"Yeah, make yourself useful Jungkook, aheh." He mocks your tone and does that really weird and ugly ass laugh that dudes always do when they try to mock girls, however, you ignore it because you've just stepped into Target and bitch, this was Disneyland to you. Heaven. Paradise.

"Hm, what are we drinking on Friday?" He says his text outloud as he follows you around the dollar section where you begin to pick up really unnecessary items that you're probably just gonna store away in or around your desk somewhere.

"Should be holy water because you all need it."

"Mmm, I don't know, I don't think they have that but we can check." He responds ever so seriously, causing you to chuckle.

"How many people are you expecting?"

"Honestly, I don't even know. We said we'd keep it to close friends only. I don't really have any friends, so that's all on them."

"Ah, makes sense as to how the entire class was invited." You fire back sarcastically. "Your upstairs neighbors are really gonna have a blast."

"They're invited too."

"You guys are so dumb." He laughs when you hit him against the chest. After walking a bit, the two of you head towards the alcohol aisle, Jungkook grabbing what his arms will allow him to grab since alcohol is a little cheaper here than other grocery stores. "Isn't there a limit as to how much alcohol you can buy?"

"I don't see anything anywhere." He hauls about 4 big bottles back to the cashiers. "Besides, I'm giving them business compared to Safeway and those other grocery stores."

"Grab the coupon at least, genuis. It could save you some money." You take off the coupons from the three bottles.

He looks down at the coupon attached to the 4th bottle. "Sign up today and get 2% cash back on every bottle you buy." He snorts after reading the coupon outloud. "More like sign up today and get 2% cash back turnt." He looks at you. "This doesn't sound like a coupon, miss. Where's the ‘get 5 dollars off’ bullshit?"

"2% cash back turnt? Really?" You furrow your brows at him and hand the coupons to the cashier. "Here. God, maybe you shouldn't be hosting parties with your roommates."

"Maybe not." He holds his bags, even grabbing onto yours as you both walk out to his car. He turns up the radio, the both of you singing along to the songs coming through. When he pulls up to the lot of Edgehill Village, he parks in someone else's marked spot only because it's technically next to your door and he doesn't anticipate to stay long. But honestly, that never goes as planned. He grabs your bag from the trunk, silently following behind you as you unlock your door to an empty suite - just as you expected. Kass was most likely at Jungkook’s, spending the night with Jimin, and you'd be alone for the night. It didn't matter to you though, the peace and quiet was always nice.

"You sure you're gonna be okay here alone?" You nod.

"Yup. It's kind of nice actually." You lean forward onto your bed since it's raised a little higher than usual with bed risers, and open up your laptop. Jungkook sets your Target bag down and wraps his arms around you from behind, planting a kiss on your cheek and on your jawline.

"You sure you don't want me to sleep over? Cuddles sound nice."

"It sounds like you want to."

"Only if you want me to." He nuzzles his head against your neck, waiting for your response.

"Kook, please." You chuckle. "If you wanna sleepover, then go ahead."

"Yesssss! I do."

"Well you need to find parking, or else the person that owns that parking spot will be highly upset."

"You got it, captain. Pull up a movie!" He says, dashing out of your room to move his car. He's most likely going to come back in another 5 minutes, being that the only free parking at this time of night is probably on the other end in the gym's lot, or somewhere on the streets [if he got lucky].

And so that 5 minutes sure does go by before Jungkook is breathing heavily when he walks into your room, duffle bag swung over his shoulder with a big, dorky ass smile on his face.

"I'm back!"

"I see." You snort, still going through the movies.

"Hey, let's run through what Hobi taught us first."

"Ugh, I'm so tired though."

"Cooooome on, just once." He pulls you by the hand, his body pressed against yours as his his other arm wraps around your waist. "Please." His puppy dog eyes look down at you, causing you to push him away because fucking hell, that shit makes you weak. Makes the pussy throb just a lil, you know? Christ.

"Only if you watch 10 Things I Hate About You."

"Sure, I don't mind." He pulls up the song on your laptop. The both of you face the mirror in front of you, careful not to hit each other since you had such limited space to fully move around. Running through it once was a full blown lie, being that you both are doing it for almost 5-6 times before you're laughing at how out of breath you already are. You're so out of it and winded by the last time around that you accidentally hit Jungkook in the face, causing him to whine and stumble off to the side.

"Oh shit!" You laugh. "I'm so sorry, Kookie!" You run over to cup his face. "Are you okay? You good?"

"Shit, Y/N. You have a heavy hand." He keeps his hand against his cheek.

"I'm sorry." You lean in to plant a kiss on his cheek, but Jungkook being Jungkook, he looks to the side to have his lips meet yours instead. He picks you up in one swift motion, your legs wrapped around his torso as he sits you on your bed, your hands still cupping his face. And honestly, you really wanted him. You've always wanted him since this whole thing started. God, he was attractive to you - every little thing about Jungkook was a fucking weakness, but you weren't gonna let up first. Not tonight. The scar on his cheek, his soft, fluffy hair, his toned body, his muscular ass arms, the way he held onto you when you both slept, the way he kissed you.

Lord, he was truly going to be the death of you.

Before the kiss could get any deeper, you smile into it and back away, keeping your gaze on the small, dazed smile Jungkook has on his face.

"Can we watch now?" You ask, subtly biting onto your bottom lip.

"Yeah, good idea."

"Actually, after all that, I need to shower first."

"Can I join?" His eyes light up.

"Sit your ass down. You can go after." You laugh as you hop off the bed, grabbing your pajamas for a quick shower. You literally take 10 minutes, walking back into your room with wet hair and an oversized shirt and shorts underneath. Although you had been completely comfortable with Jungkook, the both of you have never really seen each other fully naked like that. Whenever he slept over, you were both always fully clothed. You've seen him hop out of the shower and come in shirtless, but that's probably about it. You start to brush your teeth as he rummages through his emergency duffle bag full of shit that he holds in the trunk of his car, grabbing a fresh pair of clothes to change into after his shower. You already know his ass is gonna use your shampoo for everything because he loves the smell of it and always talks about how good your hair smells.

While waiting for him, you slip yourself under your covers and pull the laptop closer to you, scrolling through your phone aimlessly to see what's new on instagram. Which, is absolutely nothing, so you let out a dissatisfied sigh.

"Ready!" He comes in, tossing his towel aside and shutting off the lights to crawl into your bed with you.

"You smell just like me." You chuckle.

"It's great, isn't it?"

"Your hair isn't bothering you?" You run your hand through his incredibly wet hair as he shakes his head.

"No, I'll be good."

"Okay." He wraps his arm around you to pull you onto his body, the movie already off to a start. As the movie goes on, you find yourself getting sleep as both of your bodies sink deeper into the sheets, Jungkook still not letting you go. The laptop rests on his belly, while your head is on his chest, his heartbeat the one thing putting you to sleep pretty quickly. He's comfortable, just as you are. He's warm, you're warm. He's content, you're content. You drift off to sleep while he continues to watch, knowing your bodies will be pressed tightly against each other in the morning.

"Kook there's so many fucking people here. The cops are gonna come and shut this down quick." Jungkook shrugs.

"Oh well, wasn't my idea." He snorts. "Shot?!" He hands you a shot that you take with ease, feeling like you aren't drunk enough for all this shit and all these people. "Atta girl."

"Yuck, though." You slightly make a sour face as you feel the warmth trickle down your throat and into your stomach.

"Heeeey, whyyyyy do you look so FaMiliaR?" This girl asks Jungkook in a weird, flirty tone, where every other consonant goes up and down. She's obviously really fucking drunk and out of her mind because for one, she definitely goes to the same school as you two, and she has definitely been in class with Jungkook before.

"Oh uh, my name's Justin Bieber. I used to sing from time to time." He says nonchalantly with you furrowing your forehead at him because what kind of response did he just give her?! What did he just tell her? You're so embarrassed that you slowly turn on your heel and walk out of the kitchen as you hear him sing One Less Lonely Girl hella out of tune, with the girl completely smitten over his drunk ass.

"Where's Jungkookie?" Kass asks as she sits on Jimin's lap.

"Over there, pretending to be Justin Bieber apparently."

"Oh, nice. You don't come across that often." Jimin says sarcastically. "Are you staying here tonight?"

"Yeah, stay here tonight, with Kookie." Kass wiggles her eyebrows, her cheek resting on top of Jimin's head. "It's not like that's anything new."

"Um, I'd rather much be back in the dorm."

"That cold, lonely place? When you could be here, in such a pretty apartment with such a pretty boy?" You shake your head at her.

"Unbelievable." You mutter. Suddenly, an incredibly tall man walks into the apartment, reaching about 6'1 and almost hitting the ceiling with his tall ass. You've never seen him before, but he walks in with Hoseok and Namjoon and for whatever reason, you can't peel your eyes off of him. "Woah, who's that?"

"Who's what?" Jungkook finally comes to your side after being Justin Bieber for a good minute or so, his eyes following yours. Who was he and why were you looking at him so intensely?

"That's Kang! You've never met him?" Jimin says, doing a slight nod to greet him as he passes by. Kang and his fine self looks up at you, a small smirk creeping up at the corner of his lips as he continues through to the kitchen behind Hoseok and Namjoon. "He's a transfer and on the basketball team."

"He's fiiiiine." You and Kass swoon over him a bit, Jungkook giving you a look.

"He's alriiiight. I've seen better."

"Shut up, no one asked you." You lightly punch him on the side, making him lightly groan while Jimin and Kass laugh. The rest of the party, you suddenly have a goal to find out more about Kang and see what he's about because you and Jungkook weren't official. You both didn't really know what this was, but one thing you knew for sure was that it wasn't anything exclusive. You wouldn't bring it up, so wouldn't Jungkook - so was this really something all that meaningful?

Whatever, you didn't wanna keep going in circles about it.

Jungkook fucking hates it though, and he's honestly really jealous that you're suddenly trying to be all cute and woo the new, tall, handsome [but he's not really that fucking handsome to Jungkook for christ's sake] basketball player. Jungkook almost wants to mock his every move and how suavé he is, almost looking like a try hard with the way he's leaning against the wall and talking to you.

Wait— he's talking to you?! You were literally right next to him 2 seconds ago.

"What the fuck?" He squints, trying to make sure he's actually looking at you.

"You're so full of shit." Jimin laughs.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why don't you just admit that you like her and stop being childish about it?"

"I don't like her. She's just my bestfriend."

"Um, okay?" Jimin snorts. "When you sleep at her place every chance you get and vice versa? When she has a ton of your shirts and hoodies in her own fucking closet? When you always get so affectionate with her in the dorm? Sure, you don't like her."

"How do you know that?"

"I just do, you've done it in front of me and Kass before but you both tried playing it off. I don't understand you two."

"Well, I don't like her. She obviously doesn't either with the way she's trying to be all up on him." Jungkook glares at you, his teeth biting the rim of the cup harshly as he brings it to his lips to take a sip.

"Whatever, I'm just saying dude. Probably better to be straight up about it than not."

"Kaaaaaaay." Jungkook responds sarcastically, trying to play off how butthurt he was right now. Cause yeah, he did fucking like you. He was just scared to admit it though because of reasons like this - the fact that you possibly didn't like him back killed him. The fact that you could possibly be using him to feel wanted, needed. It made his stomach turn.

He just really liked you, and god, did he want to be the one in your bed tonight. Whether or not that ended up in sex, whatever. He just wanted to be the one to touch you, be on you.

Meanwhile, Kang was attractive as hell and ouwee, were you feeling him tonight. You were, you really were - except, you could literally feel the holes Jungkook was burning through you from across the room. You'd occasionally glance over due to how distracting it was, Jungkook literally have no shame with eyeing you, almost glaring at you, from across the apartment.

"Is it too forward if I ask for your number already?" Kang licks his lips, his teeth lightly piercing his bottom lip as he looks down at you.

"No." You smirk at him, taking his phone to put your number in.

"We should kick it soon. I'd love to hang out with you and get to know you better."

"Yeah, just let me know when." You blush, until you're suddenly pulled out of your daze by a loud 'ahem,' the loudest throat-clearing you have ever heard in your life. You turn to see Jungkook making his way back over to the shots, knowing damn well he's calling you over. "See you around?" Kang winks before he tips his cup to you and gives you a single nod.

"Sure thing, cutiepie." You bite onto your bottom lip, making your way over to Jungkook at the shot station, instantly pinching his arm.

"What the fuck?"

"Nobody was calling you over." Jungkook smirks.

"Shut the fuck up, yes you were. I know that was you clearing your throat like that."

"I'm sorry, does it bother you?" He blinks cutely, tilting his head to the side. "Besides, why come over here when you're too busy with your man?"

"Are you jealous?"

"Why in the hell would I be jealous, Y/N? Do you." The words sting you, even though part of you still wants to believe that Jungkook may actually like you. All you can do is sigh and brush it off, placing your cup down in front of him as he pours himself another shot. "You sure?"

"Just give me the damn shot." You say, making it your 7th.

And the 7th turns into 8, 8 turns into 9, 9 turns into 10. And at 10, you're pretty fucking drunk even as the party is starting to die down by the time it's close to 2am. All 10 were a good combination of shots and mixed drinks.

10 drinks.

10 drinks is what it took for you to lay in Jungkook's bed at the end of the night, hands tangled in his fluffy hair as your makeout session intensifies by the minute - all due to this sexual tension, frustration, whatever the hell it was brewing between you two after all this time. The both of you are drunk as hell, and it's pretty evident with the way you can still taste the alcohol on his tongue, both sloppily touching up on each other, kisses getting wetter, clothes coming off like there's no tomorrow.

"Wait, are you sure?" Jungkook says, about to unhook your bra.

"Jungkook, god, just fuck me." You plead drunkily, the room spinning around you. He continues to unhook your bra, tossing it across the room where your other clothes lay, peppering kisses along your neck before licking up a stripe to meet your lips again. He hooks his fingers across the band of your panties, tugging them down and letting them get lost within his sheets. You take this as leverage to tug his boxer briefs down, already stroking his hardened member the moment you come into contact with it. The sad thing is that you both are so fucking drunk, you can't even appreciate the fact that you both are naked in front of each other for the first time ever.

You can't even come to terms with the fact that you both are about to fuck each other and cross that boundary completely.

But, hell, what do you care? You were drunk. You got a cute guy's number. You're getting dick at the end of the night.

"Oh shit, Y/N." He moans into your mouth as he feels you stroking him. "Need to feel you." He quickly runs his finger down your fold, slipping in two digits to pump them in and out, quickly prepping you for his dick.

"Hnnng--Kook." You bite onto your bottom lip as your eyes shut close momentarily, your head digging deeper into the pillow the more he tries to stretch you out. "Want you inside of me."

"I got you." He says. You almost whine at the loss of contact until you feel his tip poking at your entrance. He slowly continues to slip himself inside of you, Kook letting out a small groan while your mouth was left open, a soundless moan releasing before you hiss and take in all of him. He fills you up so well, so completely. He was so big that you felt full, bloated, with him being inside of you the way he was.

"Ohhhhhgod." You whimper as he starts to steady his pace, the lewd noises of his cock slipping in and out of your wet pussy filling his room - god forbid if Jimin or their other roommate Yoongi heard this right now. It would be nothing short of pornographic.

"You're so wet. Is that all for me?" He says, causing your eyes to roll to the back of your head as he begins to aggressively thrust into you.

"Y-yes." You whine.

"Say it again."

"All for you, Kook."

"I fucking thought so." He drunkily responds as one hand grips onto your hips tightly, the other in your hair as he digs his head back into the crook of your neck, his tongue messily licking near your jaw before he nibbles onto your earlobe.

"Hmmmmgggh, Jungkook. Fuck." You moan as you start to work your hips upward into his, your clit rubbing against his pelvis, causing the pleasure to pool quickly within the pit of your stomach. It causes goosebumps to pierce through the surface of your skin, your hands gripping tighter on his hair. "You're-you're gonna make me cum. Faster." You plead. He does just so, hammering into you, the sound of his hips slamming into yours bouncing off of the walls.

"Ahhh—Y/N." He groans.

"Just like that, just like that, just like that!" You repeat, your clit feeling incredibly stimulated by the way it rubs against his skin while he fucks into you. "Oh shit! Jungkook!" You moan loudly, biting his shoulder as you feel yourself trembling hard in his grip, your orgasm taking over your entire body.

"Shit, shit, shit—Y/N, Shiiiit." He says into your neck, followed by more curses and groans as you feel him coat your walls warmly. He stays inside of you until the both of you come back down to normalcy, your breathing becoming more regulated. He slowly slips himself out, plopping next to you on the bed, but doesn't welcome you into his arms.

The night goes on, the both of you sleeping on your own sides of Jungkook's bed, not really saying a word to each other. Because the both of you, although still pretty drunk, are more aware by the time it's over and it's become so clear how fucked up this got.

You were hurt. Completely hurt. Because you didn't expect Jungkook to just fucking ghost you after that night. You wanted to talk about it, maybe come to the conclusion that you two should just distance yourselves from each other to figure this out, even if it would hurt you a lot to do so.

No.

That morning, Jimin and Kass had to take you back to campus because Jungkook had darted out of his room, nowhere to be seen until later that night. The next week or so, there were no texts, no calls. No visiting your dorm, no asking to sleepover.

Nothing.

Just radio silence, white noise, if you will.

The one thing he could come up with was a stupid response to your text when you finally caved and asked what you did wrong mid-week.

Something along the lines of 'what do you want me to say, Y/N? do you want me to force myself to feel a certain way?'

Followed by a 'i'm sorry, fuck. that came out really wrong' even though you thought it came out perfectly fine. You understood loud and clear.

Even though this wasn't really an exclusive thing, or even a 'thing' if we wanna be straight up, you still couldn't help but feel like Jungkook had just dumped your ass with no explanation and you were still waiting for that explanation to come, whether it would or not. And because of this, you started to see Kang, hangout with him more often. He even took you out on a dinner date and you really enjoyed his company. He seemed genuine, caring, supportive - even if a lot of the basketball boys were the complete opposite. He was different, you liked to think.

And so you stand in front of the mirrors in the dance studio, you and Jungkook awkwardly running through the piece with Hoseok watching, confused as to why all of a sudden the two of you have this weird tension going on. It hasn't entirely ruined the couple piece, but it hasn't brought it together, either. The both of you could barely look at each other, barely get into the movements, the emotions behind the motions. Hoseok had to correct a few things, his 'pah pah pah's' echoing in the room constantly with how many times you and Jungkook had to be set straight for your sloppy steps today.

"Okay, I'm not saying it's bad, cause it's not. But can you both please act like you at least like each other or something? What's going on with you two? You aren't normally like this." Hoseok says, coming down to a crouch in front of the mirrors.

"Nothing, we'll do better. Don't worry." You brush off the entire question with your quick response. Jungkook looks at you, his hands on his hips, lightly frowning at how much you're distancing yourself even though he knows its entirely his fault for running from his feelings and not being honest with you.

"Okay, let's do it from the top." The music starts, you getting into the piece without making any eye contact with Jungkook. Even the steps that cause you to be close and near Jungkook, you look anywhere but his eyes, and your touch is light, trying your hardest not to let any feelings pass through the motion. Hoseok is a little more pleased this time around, but it still doesn't sit right with him, so he lets you two take a break while he heads to the other studio to check on Jimin and the rest of the group.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"Jungkook, you don't get to ask me that." He sighs and runs his hand through his hair, not sure if he should continue on or not.

"Y/N—"

"Save it, and let's just get this over with, okay? I don't wanna be here just as much as you." Your words cut him deep because dear, you have gotten him completely misunderstood and yet, he still can't speak. He still can't talk about his feelings. He still can't save this even though he wants to, even though he loathes seeing you the way you are with Kang.

"I never said—"

"Kay, ready? Let's run this full out and make it a good one so we can call it for today." Hoseok says, clapping his hands to hype you two up somehow. The music starts and you're finally able to get into the steps. The emotions. And god, it's only because you're so hurt by your own bestfriend. You're hurt that he fucked you so good, and then dipped. You're hurt that he couldn't even face you the day after. You're hurt that after all this time, he made it seem like you still didn't matter enough - at least enough for an explanation, for some kind of reasoning, conversation, behind what just went down between the both of you. Between what has been going down between the both of you.

Besides the stupid ass responses he gave you through text.

You get so into your feelings that you don't even realize you're tearing up by the time the piece is over, and Jungkook catches it even though you face away from him as soon as the music cuts out.

"Nice, okay! That was so much better! Let's pick it up next session, yeah? We'll keep cleaning it up. Thanks guys!" Hoseok says. You immediately head towards the wall, grabbing your things to avoid any confrontation from Jungkook, but he grabs your arm as soon as you slip through the door.

"Y/N, wait. Stop."

"Let me go." You yank your arm from his grip.

"Why are you crying?" He stops in front of you, his hands placed on your arms to prevent you from moving any further.

"I'm not." You blatantly lie while you aggressively wipe away the stragglers coming down.

"Really? Just gonna lie like that?"

"Why do you care? You haven't said shit to me all week." You snap back, and Jungkook is taken aback from the tone in your voice. You remove his hands from your arms, and take one last look at him before shaking your head and walking off.

Next mistake? He doesn't come after you.

This was a waste of fucking time. If he truly cared about you, he wouldn't let you hurt like this.

You let out a deep sigh before clutching onto your things and walking back to your dorm. The walk from the gym/fitness center was damn near on the other end of campus compared to your dorm. It would be a good 10 minute walk if you really took your time. A good 10 minutes to ponder on your thoughts.

Yes, you liked Jungkook. You really liked him. Having sex with him solidified those feelings even more. How could you not have feelings for your bestfriend after all the moments you've shared? Was it your fault for assuming that? Was it your fault for walking through that door when it seemed to be completely open for you?

"Sup." Kang comes out of nowhere, pulling you out of your thoughts. He swings his arm around your shoulder, gently pulling you closer to his body.  "Just got out of practice?"

"Sure did." You give him a toothless smile. Yes, he was attractive as hell. He always will be. But, even with the time you spent together, the date he took you on, he still couldn't make you feel the way Jungkook has been able to make you feel.

"How was it?"

"Um, it was alright. Nothing new really, just cleaning up the piece before the show. You're going right?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He smiles down at you. "Listen, I don't know if you've heard, but there's another party tonight."

"A party? It's Wednesday." You snort.

"Yeah, I mean, one of the boys on the Lacrosse team is throwing it at his family house because his parents will be gone. Wanna come? I'll pick you up. We don't have to stay for long." You looked at your watch.

"What time is it at?"

"Like 9ish?" Enough time for you to shower and get a quick dinner in your belly. Why the hell not? You were caught up for the week. You didn't have any pressing assignments that were due asap.

"Sure. I'll come."

"Cool. See you later then?" He says, about to part ways with you. You simply give him a nod before walking deeper into Edgehill village. You hoped you wouldn't regret this tonight, and you really hoped he meant it when he said you two didn't have to stay for long. You drag yourself into your room, seeing Kass' door wide open, revealing her packing up her duffle bag.

"Hey, where are you headed during the middle of the week?"

"My two classes got cancelled for tomorrow so me and Jiminie are heading out for a mini getaway for our anniversary." You cross your arms and smile. "He's just gonna catch up on shit when we get back I guess." She laughs.

"That sounds cute. I hope you have loads of fun this weekend, babe."

"What are you gonna do?" Kass and Jimin were obviously aware of everything happening between you and Jungkook being that they had to be the ones to take you home. They never pressed on it though, knowing you both were still pretty upset about how things were playing out. They figured you two would eventually work it out, but until then, they would just sit back and keep their mouths shut. You two were being completely stubborn, but it wasn't their relationship to fix.

"Well, there's this party Kang wants to take me to tonight."

"The Lacrosse party? Messy." She laughs. "Be careful, but also have fun, yeah? I still don’t know if I trust him.”

"Yeah I know."

"Tell me how it goes!"

"I will." You wave her off as you head into your room and shut the door. You figured you would just grab dinner on campus to avoid spending more money than you should; after all, dinner seemed to be pretty bomb tonight. You didn't mind going alone, sometimes Namjoon would join you, asking for you to bring him a plate of food while he does the hard job of sneaking inside the cafeteria through the back door. He usually waits for you at a free table and ends up staying there to have dinner with you, updating you on how life has been, how school has been. Sometimes Hoseok would join you, too. Either way, you didn't mind if no one joined. It was nice to have dinner by yourself from time to time.

You get there on time to be able to grab some food, eat quietly and head out before the cafeteria gets way too busy for your liking. You slip into the shower and throw on a mini skirt, a crop top and a denim jacket, lightly fluffing your hair in the mirror and adding a dab of lip gloss to your lips before Kang is calling you to tell you he's outside your dorm. He's wearing something similar to your color palette, however, you don't make much out of it since this also wasn't really an exclusive thing and you sure as hell weren't going around telling people you and Kang had a thing going on.

To him, you two might be a thing. You've definitely overheard people talking about you two in passing.

To you though, you two definitely weren't. And it was a big fuck you to Jungkook for that.

The house is packed from end to end already, and you're surprised being that it has barely hit 10 minutes since the party was expected to take off. Kang is having to park down the hill, allowing you to hop onto his back for a quick piggy back ride up until you reach the front of the house. There's people already fucked up out on the lawn [you figured they fucked themselves over during their pre-game session cause that shit really happens from time to time], either laying there drunkily or yacking on a free patch of grass.

Gross.

Messy, indeed.

Some people are posted, smoking blunts and offering it to people who were passing by. You and Kang both pass up on it, the idea of not knowing where it has been not sitting right with you. You both head straight to the bottles, taking shots and downing mixed drinks to chase it with so that you can catch up with majority of the crowd. Kang has his arm around your shoulder throughout the night, keeping you close to him, even when he's getting pretty drunk. You realize he's a little more handsy than usual, a little more touchy than you expected him to be. It doesn't bother you for a minute, until he really tries to hike up your skirt while you sit on his lap. You gently shoo his hand away, playing it off while he nuzzles his head against your neck.

"Let's go upstairs, babe." He says, the pet name sounding incredibly off coming from him. Maybe you were drunk, maybe you really just weren't in the mood. It just didn't sound cute, if that even makes sense?

"Okay." You respond stupidly, not wanting to cause a scene at a lacrosse party. You intertwine your fingers with his as he leads the way up the stairs, eyeing the doors as they come into view. He leans forward towards each door, making sure it's clear before opening it. You assume he finally finds one that he's satisfied with when you catch the small smirk that grows at the corner of his lips when he turns the door knob and brings you inside. He pulls you into a deep, rough kiss, one that doesn't even allow you to breathe and process what the fuck is even going on. You can't get into it for the life of you, no matter how hard you try to back away. "Wait, wait."

"What's wrong, baby? Isn't this what you wanted?" He says, kissing down your neck as he drops his jacket to the floor. He gently pushes you onto the bed, his hands traveling up your skirt as you lay there trying to push him off.

"Wait, stop." He doesn't listen. He continues until his hands are literally hooking onto your panties, his finger swiping down your clothed folds. You try fighting him off, but he's way stronger than you. He continues to be aggressive, forcefully trying to shove your panties down until you muster up all the energy you have to finally push him off of you completely. "Stop!"

"What the fuck? I thought you wanted this?"

"Who the hell said that?"

"Are you serious? The way that you're dressed and the way that you look at me. The way you approached me at your friend's party - isn't it all because of this? Because you wanted me? Why are you backing out now?"

"Jesus, get over yourself." You stand, fixing your skirt back down. He furrows his brows at you before his hand grips your arm tightly, shoving you against the wall.

"The fuck, you can't just leave without giving me anything. I brought you here to this party."

"Let me go! You're fucking sick. No one even told you I wanted this to go down. I don't know who you think you are, but you need to get yourself together and stop assuming every pussy is yours to take." He attempts to pin you, his hand holding up both of your hands against the wall while the other tries to pull up your skirt. Someone accidentally opens the door, distracting him and giving you leverage to shove him off and get the fuck away. You dart down the steps, fixing your skirt as you head outside and away from the house.

Fuck, you're far from campus. And Kass and Jimin aren't around.

God.

You groan and run your hand through your hair as you continue to walk down the hill and into the neighborhood to get as far away as possible from that house and that gross ass dude. He was literally just like the rest of the basketball team. You've heard stories and they weren't nice. Looks like he was trained well already, and that shit was sad. What a waste. A beautiful human being with such a nasty, sick mindset. You hoped other girls hadn't fallen for his shit.

Ugh, it sends shivers down your spine. Bad shivers.

"Hello? Y/N?"

"Kook, can you come pick me up please?"

"Yeah, yeah. Of course. Where are you?"

"I'll drop my location. Please hurry." You say, looking back to make sure your coast was clear. You drop the pin into your text thread with Jungkook and sit on the curb until his arrival. It's getting pretty chilly out, and the denim jacket you're wearing fails to provide you with the warmth you're looking for. Sooner or later, Jungkook is pulling up, damn near hopping out before he can shift the gear into park.

"You okay? What happened?" He says, opening the door for you before rushing over to the driver's seat.

"Nothing, can we just go back to your place?" He nods silently, and doesn't press any further after hearing your tone. He watches from his peripherals how you fiddle with your fingers and constantly reach to pull your skirt down even though he doesn't think there's any other way you could pull it down even more. He watches as he parks the car on the curb in front of his apartment how you simply undo your seatbelt and hop out to walk straight into his apartment. He watches as you welcome yourself into his closet and pick out some clothes for you to change in.

You were hurt, and his blood boils thinking about who could've done this and what they could have possibly done.

I mean, no. He knows who did this, but the question was what exactly did he try?

He hears the shower turn on, then quickly get turned off after a good 5 minutes. You had stepped in for a quick body shower, using Jungkook's bodywash just to rid yourself of feeling gross. Feeling gross from being shoulder to shoulder all night long, people breathing down your neck. Kang touching you inappropriately. You slip into Jungkook's clothes, his scent wrapping around you entirely. When you head back into the room, Jungkook has his headset back on as he faces his computer, logging back onto his game of League of Legends. You silently toss your dirty clothes to the side of his room, making a mental note to grab it tomorrow morning and toss it straight into the laundry.

Straight into a fire, perhaps. But you loved those clothes so much, it was unfortunate it'd have such a horrible memory to go with it.

Jungkook slowly removes his headset again and removes himself from his game before he heads over and sits on the edge of his bed. You simply look at him, pursing your lips tightly together to prevent yourself from crying.

But he can tell.

"What happened Y/N?" The question triggers you, making you cry into your hands as he sits there, dumbfounded and worried at how he can fix this and make you feel better. "Look, you don't have to tell me all the details but please tell me how I can help. At least tell me if I need to beat Kang's ass." He says, pulling you into his arms.

"He tried to fucking take advantage of me." You mumble as you remove your face from your hands.

"He did what?" He manages to ask even though he has a hard time swallowing the lump that formed in his throat. He already assumed you had placed him in the same category as Kang even though he never intended to take advantage of you. He really took that night as something special [even drunk], and he never meant to make you feel like you were a used object. Not like Kang.

"He-he," You sniffed. "He tried to force me into having sex with him. He took me upstairs at that lacrosse guy's party or whoever the hell it even was, and he started to aggressively kiss me. And then he tried to force my panties down and touch me there, and—"

"Okay, please don't go on or else I'll literally go over there and tear his ass apart right now. I promise you." He says sternly, his jaw clenching tightly. "God, fuck. I'm so sorry Y/N. I can't apologize on his behalf but fuck, you didn't deserve that." He uses his sweater to wipe your tears.

"I don't even know why I'm crying, this shit isn't even worth it." You groaned. "It's just overwhelming to process, I guess."

"That's okay." He says, letting out a sigh as he brushes his hand through your hair and continues to wipe the stragglers falling from your eyes. "Anything I can get you right now?"

"No, I'm probably just gonna go to bed." He nods. "Thank you for picking me up."

"Of course. You know I'll always be there." He says. You slip yourself into his sheets, watching as he makes his way back to his desk. But fuck, the only thing you needed right now was him. You didn't want this distance anymore, and you just wanted to be comforted in true Jungkook fashion.

"Wait."

"Hm?" He hums as he has a hand placed on the  head of his chair while he turns to you.

"Can you just lay with me?"

"Yeah." He says, shutting off his computer before making his way over to you in the dark. You feel him slip in next to you, his arm snaking around your shoulders so he can pull you close and onto his chest. "Better?"

"Yeah." You say, shutting your eyes as you listen to his heart beat.

"Y/N."

"Yeah?"

"I never meant to take advantage of you, or make you feel like I used you that one night." Silence. "It was dumb of me, but I just— I had trouble coming to terms with my feelings. I was scared that you wouldn't feel the same way, but I thought fuck it, at least you would know, right?"

"What are you talking about, Kook?" You ask, close to a whisper.

"I'm saying that I really fucking like you, Y/N. No, that's not right." He curses himself. "I-I uh, I'm in love with you. And I don't know if I messed this up already with the way I acted, god I hope not, but you at least deserve to know that I truly do value you and that you mean alot to me. That night, even though we were pretty plastered, it meant a lot to me. It was more than just sex and I'm sure you felt that too." He waits for your response as his fingers rake through your hair. "Please say something, anything."

"I feel the same way, Jungkook. You're an idiot for running off, but I couldn't even stay mad at you. You just know how to hit my soft spots and I can never say no to it. Can never turn my back on it." He presses a kiss against the top of your head.

"Fuck, I'm really glad to hear that cause I don't know what I would have done besides cry if you rejected me." You playfully hit his chest.

"You're annoying." You jokingly say as you chuckle.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I never wanted to hurt you."

"It's okay." You look up to press your lips against his before laying back down.

"And Kang better be fucking glad you're pressed against my body right now because I'm still looking to beat his ass."

"He's not even worth it." Is the last thing you say before you find yourself drifting into a deep sleep, in the comfort of Jungkook's arms.

"You two feeling okay? Nervous?" You and Jungkook shake your heads. "Good, you guys got this. You've been looking amazing during practice, the audience will love you two, no doubt. Just remember to show emotions through expressions and hit every beat sharply." Hoseok nods in unison with the both of you.

"Got it, thanks Hobi." You smile at him toothlessly. You and Jungkook patiently waited for your turn backstage, the talent show already off to a wild and fun start. So many students came by to showcase their talents - from beatboxing, open mic, freestyling [like Yoongi did], dancing, singing, you name it. It was always a fun time at the talent show, and it was always nice to see people getting love for the shit they loved to do.

"You're up next." Hoseok says. "I'll be in the front row. Kick ass and have fun!" He says as he rushes off towards the opposite end to head back out to his seat in the theater.

"Ready?" Jungkook holds out his hand for you to take.

"I think so." You playfully respond as the backstage crew is rushing out the previous talent and rushing you two in to take your places on stage. The lights pick up as soon as the music starts, Kang's big ass head already in full view for you. He's definitely not smiling, no, he has a look of pure disgust because he simply couldn't get what he wanted from you.

And boy, who's fault was that? Not yours, no sir. It was his fault for thinking he had it like that.

But anyways, you're feeling the music, you're feeling the piece because you're dancing with your bestfriend and there wasn't this grey area anymore. It was easier to get into the motions, to get into the feeling, especially when things felt right between the two of you.

And God, what else is more attractive than Jeon Jungkook hitting his 8 counts so smoothly, with just enough umph to make it pop but make it pop cleanly.

Yo, please. I beg. Send some help. You could literally melt on stage.

The moments where Jungkook has to be close to you, where he has to touch you - you let him, and you touch him with meaning. You don't stray away this time because you have no reason to. The crowd is cheering, lots of 'ou's' and 'aw's' erupting from various places in the theater.

"Pretty lady." Jungkook whispers in your ear as the move requires his hands to be placed on your hips for a quick moment. You hear him slightly singing along to the song as he parts from you, causing you to blush.

Sooner or later, the couple piece is over and the song is transitioning to Jimin's piece, you and Jungkook rushing off the stage so the next group can take their positions. Jimin wanted to test his limits, creating a piece a little different than his usual taste - Chris Brown's Came to Do begins blaring through the theater speakers. You immediately jump into Jungkook's arms once you both reach backstage, the both of you immensely happy and pumped that you got through the piece without messing up one step or beat. It went so smoothly that Hoseok was standing in the front row, clapping and cheering in typical Hoseok fashion. You intertwine your fingers with his, slipping through the side door to catch Jimin's piece on stage. You and Jungkook are cheering them on, always impressed by the shit your friends can come up with. You both loved dancing, but you couldn't even imagine coming up with your own pieces to teach people.

That night after the show, everyone heads to a nearby restaurant for dinner with everyone. You all take up almost an entire section of the restaurant, splitting two long tables to accommodate the entire group with doubled the waitresses to take your orders. You settle for water, splitting an abnormally huge and filled deep dish pizza with Jimin, Kass and Jungkook. It was a good day, a good night, everyone at the table happily eating and chatting it up over dinner. You turn down any drinks because to be honest, drinks lowkey make you queasy just from the thought of how much you drank at Jungkook's apartment, plus the added bonus of that party Kang took you to. Jungkook declines as well, knowing he has to drive you back safely.

Jimin and Kass head back to the apartment because Yoongi says he's gonna hang out with Joon And Hoseok for a bit, and they warn you and Jungkook that things may get loud so the both of you decide to really stick to the plan of bringing you back to the dorm. Jungkook does his usual routine of dropping you off first before finding parking around campus. You hop in the shower and come out in Jungkook's oversized crewneck that he left in your closet, forgoing the shorts because you certainly thing that at this point, he'd love to see you in his sweater and panties.

And he does. He smiles as he pulls you close, his hands traveling up your sweater, only to find out that you literally don't have shit on besides some cute little boyshorts. He feels himself hardening in his pants quick because he's incredibly attracted to you and everything about you, always has been, always will be.

"You did amazing tonight." He says, gently kissing your forehead.

"You did too, partner." He gives you a slightly shocked look.

"Is that all I am to you? Your dance partner?"

"Yeah, why? Were you expecting more?" You joke as you smile up at him.

"Yeah, I was."

"Oh?" He gently swoops you up into his arms, your legs wrapped tightly around his torso as he sits you on the bed, his hands resting on your thighs while you continued to hold him around the neck. "Care to tell me what you were expecting?"

"Well, you know, my best friend—" He presses a kiss against your lips, thumbs gently rubbing circles against your hips. "My girlfriend."

"Hm, say that again?" Your fingers are gently playing with the ends of his hair, your lips barely grazing his.

"My girlfriend." He says closed to a whisper, kissing you softly. The kiss deepens quick, Jungkook's tongue lining your bottom lip as his way of asking for permission to take it further. You gladly take it and let him in, your tongues instantly fighting for dominance. Your fingers travel up his hair, tugging ever so slightly just to let him know you want more. That you need more.

And he gets that.

His fingers hook onto the band of your boyshorts, tugging them down and letting them fall down your legs and onto the floor. He breaks the kiss momentarily, his brown, puppy dog eyes looking straight into yours.

"Hey." He says, brushing the hair out of your face.

"Hm?"

"I know I said the last time was special, and it was. It is." He corrects himself. "But, I wanna do right by you this time around. So, is it okay if I keep going? Are you comfortable?" He asks properly, since the two of you are both sober and perfectly coherent, aware of your surroundings and the fact that you'll be seeing each other fully naked in a few minutes.

"Yes." You respond. "Yes, I want you to keep going. I want you. This." He simply nods, bringing his lips back onto yours. His hands climb up your sweater and gently gives your breasts a good squeeze, earning a small moan from the both of you. His other hand begins to travel down to your pussy, two long fingers slowly probing your entrance and causing your breathing to hitch.

"You okay?" He asks lowly. You nod, biting onto your bottom lip as you tilt your head back and rest on your hands, no longer able to keep up with the kiss due to all the pleasure starting to pile up deep in your core. Jungkook starts of slow, his head now buried into the crook of your neck as he works his digits upward, tickling at the right spot.

"Ohhhh, Kook." You mewl as his tongue swipes across the surface of your neck, biting gently beneath your jaw. He begins to pick up the pace, the sounds of him finger fucking you filling up the room entirely.

"Fuck, you're so wet baby." He groans into your neck.

"I'm gonna cum." You whine, teeth almost piercing through your bottom lip in between your whimpers.

"Need to taste you." He removes his fingers and sinks down in between your thighs, gripping onto them and pulling you just a teensy bit more off the edge of the bed so he can get a good angle. The sight of his eyes looking up at you in between your legs is to die for, and the sight alone is enough to make you cum. But, you hold on, you ride out for a little longer - feeling Jungkook's tongue swipe in and out of your folds before he's sucking endlessly on your clit.

"Ahhh, fuck, wait, Jungkook!" He slightly smiles while eating you out, signaling that he's not stopping even if you beg him to. "Hnnng—shit!" You moan loudly as you feel yourself toppling over the edge, your body shaking in Jungkook's grip. You twitch every time he continues to suck gently on your sensitive nub, letting you ride out the rest of your high. He comes back up to your lips, the taste of your own cum lingering on it as you kiss him deeply.

"You taste so good." He says, back to twirling your nipples in between his fingers.

"Wanna feel you." You fiddle with his jeans, undoing his belt and sliding the rest down as much as you could. Jungkook gets out of his shirt and tosses it aside before helping get the sweater above your head. His eyes glow at the sight of your bare body in front of him, wanting to do nothing but please you and please you well.

"God, you're so perfect." He places kisses down your collarbone, to the surface of your breasts before quickly swirling his tongue around your perked buds. You moan as you tug down onto his boxer briefs, immediately stroking his hardened member while he tended to you. Jungkook was a fucking beauty himself - his soft hair, his perfectly toned body, his long 'thick in all the right places' dick.

"Please." You plead. "I want you inside of me." You whimper, causing Jungkook's breathing to hitch when you slightly tighten your grip at the base of his shaft. He gently pushes your hand aside to take over, lining himself up at your entrance. He inserts the tip, watching your eyes roll to the back of the head as he slowly sinks into you.

"Mmmmmgod." He moans. "So tight for me, baby. So fucking wet and tight." He repeats, close to a growl. Your moaning begins to pick up, matching the pace of his thrusting. You're still on the edge of the bed, Jungkook keeping you steady by gripping your thighs tightly. He marvels at the sight of your titties bouncing up and down with every thrust, hissing and shutting his eyes momentarily to keep himself grounded and to prevent himself from coming too quickly. Cause god, he can literally blow any second now.

"Jungggggkooook, yessssss!" You moan loudly, whining even at this point with how good he feels fucking into you at such a fast pace. You're feeling slightly sore already from him hammering into you, but nonetheless, it builds more pleasure for you and you want nothing but to reach your high again. "I-I'm coming!" Jungkook moans in unison with you when he feels your walls pulsating against his cock.

"Such a good girl for me." He says, slowing his pace. The creamy sounds of Jungkook's cock slipping inside and out is music to the both of your ears. He finally gains the courage to remove himself, sitting next to your spot on the edge of the bed and pulling you onto his lap. You swing a leg over, your hands resting on the nape of his neck while you sink yourself lower onto his length. Your mouth opens to let out a moan, but the best you can do is let out a hiss. It feels too fucking good that you can't even process it thoroughly. Jungkook pushes your lips down onto his by grabbing your neck, his other hand guiding the movement of your hips as you roll into him.

"Mmmggg—Jungkook." You whimper in between kisses. "You feel so fucking good, god. You're gonna make me cum again."

"Yeah, cum for me. Cum all over me. It's yours." He grunts, his hands guiding you to work him faster. Your movements are getting sloppier, and you feel your wetness starting to coat his pelvis. He doesn't give a fuck though, and neither do you. This shit feels too good for you to worry about the mess you're making on him.

"Cum with me please." He moans at the sound of you whispering into his ear.

"Faster, baby." He says, almost making you cry at how awfully close you are to unraveling. You tug onto his hair, your head buried deep into his neck as you try and suck onto the surface, trying to find an outlet, some kind of release, until you let go. You suck harshly as you coat his cock with your cum, leaving a purple mark right at the base of his neck. You continue to ride out your high, rolling your hips sloppily as Jungkook finally lets himself go, his moan bouncing off of your walls as his seed fills you up warmly.

You stay in your position, slowly raising your head to cup his cheeks and kiss him deeply once more.

"Fuck, I love you." He says slightly pulling away.

"I love you too." You giggle.

"Didn't actually need any drinks to do this now, did we?" Jungkook jokes, softly pinching your hip.

"Shut up."

"Damn, you both couldn't even at least try to be quiet?!" Jimin yells from outside the door.

[infernalrevenge]

Hello, hello! I was wondering if I could possibly request your take on Reader and each of the Dimitrescu Daughters with how they show affection? Nuzzles, kisses, hugs/snuggles, terms of endearment, gifts, nsfw, etc. One big fluff-ball. Just bury me in the warm fuzzy. Thank you!

This is excellent timing, anon friendo because I had been thinking of making a Love Languages Headcanon List for some time now, so this is a great way to start on that! I hope this satisfies your mushy fluffy warm fuzzball desires (that I kept relatively PG) :P

------------

Bela Dimitrescu

Bela felt that she had a reputation to uphold as the eldest daughter of the Dimitrescu family, ever so meticulous yet also eager to please. But she does know her boundaries.

More often than not, she finds herself busy with her mother in helping run the business, hoping to one day become a proper heir. I mention all this so you know her situation -- she's a working gal and you gotta respect that.

However, she is not one to leave her loved ones hanging. The best way she shows her love is by spending quality time with you, doing things that you might enjoy. It gives her a chance to better get to know her love.

Of course she would have her way as well, doing activities she liked such as art, music, and more. You two might even try something new to the both of you, just for some added thrill.

It doesn't always have to be "something" to do though, she's more than happy to just simply be in the same space as you while you do your own thing. That counts as "doing something together", right?

You could be reading a book on one corner of the room and she could be reviewing some important notes on the bed, but you two are just so comfortable in the quiet space you've made for yourselves that it feels like you two are side-by-side.

She just likes to know you're there, your presence alone is a great source of comfort to her. She loves to see you happy and content, especially knowing it's because she's around. Once you get into it, there is no such thing as an awkward silence between the two of you.

I imagine she's not that big on initiating physical affection, but she would be hard pressed to deny you anything. From something as simple as holding her hand, to spooning and cuddling, to a full-on make out session -- all you have to do is ask. She's more than happy to deliver.

Her favorite position is being the big spoon in bed, finding a lot of comfort in knowing that you are in her grasp, safe and sound. She also enjoys planting a few kisses on your shoulder and neck in an attempt to rouse you from slumber.

While she was still courting you (because I like to imagine she's a bit of an old-fashioned romantic, but she would have courted you regardless of your gender), she would often bring you gifts. They weren't extravagant, but they were definitely meaningful, and often related to things you two had talked about in the past.

She didn't use pet names very often but she will call you "love" on occasion, especially if there was a chance you would call her that in return. She may not openly admit it but she just melts every time you call her that -- made it feel like having a crush on you all over again.

Even though she may seem distant on the outside, Bela is truly a woman who makes the most of her time with people she cares about. You are no exception to that, and she wants that to be known to you as much and as often as possible.

Cassandra Dimitrescu

Cassandra, much like her older sister, believes she too has a reputation to uphold within the family. Can't have her be seen going soft for just anyone.

But uh, plot twist: Girl just wants to be loved, and she doesn't even know it.

In private, she really really loves physical affection. She shows her love by clinging onto you as tightly as possible, melding so closely to you that it becomes hard to tell where her body ended and yours began.

She loves pressing her cheek and ear against your chest to hear the calming beat of your heart, the warmth of your skin just under her fingertips, and her head tucked right under your chin while you two lay in bed together.

Truthfully, she started doing this when you first got together because she enjoyed how flustered you seemed when she basically had herself wrapped around you. But over time, the both of you realized just how much she liked being this close to you too. You teased her for it once and she shut you out of your own room for a while. (She only let you back in because she suddenly missed cuddling you.)

This was a trait that kind of carried over from her hunting instincts, but she was very observant of others -- their tics, habits, routines, and all the like. She took notice of a lot of things other people did, didn't do, and couldn't do. It made her very attentive to her loved ones.

This manifested in the form of performing acts of service. Toward you, it ranged from simple things like keeping objects that were usually out of your reach to a more manageable height (either by her own action or an order to a servant) to helping you relax after a long and tiring day, to even performing your chores for you if she knew you were having a hard time with them.

Anything that she could help with to make herself useful, she would do. She wanted her loved ones to move around comfortably and without much worry, and she would take on that burden if that was what it took.

Granted it didn't necessarily mean she did well in these endeavors, but the effort did not go unnoticed. And you would never see the girl try to half-ass anything -- once she started on a task, you bet your sweet ass she was going to get it done too.

Her terms of "endearment" were very teasing and, out of context, could be downright insulting. You would never hear anything so generic as "baby" or "sweetie" (unless she was being condescending.) "Little shit" (affectionate) was more her speed.

If you also called her nicknames with a similar amount of creativity, she would return it with the same enthusiasm. She didn't take those things to heart anyway. If insults were a love language, this would be one of hers.

Cassandra is a little rough around the edges when it comes to love and intimacy, but she loves so fiercely. It's like a fire, raging on the more you feed its maw -- the only difference is that this fire would never die out.

Daniela Dimitrescu

Daniela is the most affectionate and most likely to be a hopeless romantic in the family. She always daydreamed of having a "knight in shining armor" of her own, but honestly she'll take anyone who would love her for herself.

Definitely the type to show off her wonderful significant other, either "subtly" through a bit of PDA, or more overtly through a lot of PDA and more grand gestures of love. Just let her do this, she has so much love to give and she needs that energy to go somewhere.

Even in private spaces, she would never let go of your hand if she had her way. Trying to separate from her when she wasn't in the mood would get you the "kicked puppy dog" treatment from her. It's not her fault you were so warm and nice to be around.

She loves being the little spoon in bed. There's just something reassuring about having a warm presence right behind her, your arms wrapped around her middle. You could even kick a leg on top of her waist -- all she wants is to get as close to you as she possibly can.

When you're working on a desk and sitting on a chair, she will inevitably sit on your lap and snuggle up against you while you try to do whatever it is you're doing. No matter how many times she promises that "you won't even know she's there", it's kind of hard to ignore the way she just buries her face into your neck and the little snores coming out of her if she falls asleep like this.

Calls you very cheesy and almost strange pet names like "honey pie" and "sweetie baby boo". You're never sure if she actually meant them or was messing with you because of her tone, but you can tell she was always amused by your reaction to them, which was part of the reason she kept saying them.

She did also have an inner poet though, so she may suddenly pull lines like "the moon to my night" that would make you stumble and wonder what had possessed your girlfriend. And then you would remember how much she enjoyed reading romance novels, so it made more sense.

Sometimes she'll pull them out early in the morning right as you two were just waking up, limbs entangled with the other's. Then you'd hear her call you "light of my life" in her deep sleepy voice, and you just have to hide the big goofy smile on your face behind a pillow or something.

She also loves to give you gifts, mostly because she liked how your face would light up whenever you received one. Oftentimes, they are little trinkets that remind her of you that she spotted one day and thought to give to you. Kind of like a cat presenting a dead mouse or bird to its owner, but not as gross.

She says "I love you" and any similar declarations pretty often, but the words never lose their meaning. Just know that she always says them with her whole heart, regardless of the tone she takes on when she does.

She also enjoys doing random acts of affection because she likes seeing how you react to them, whether you get all blushy and a little embarrassed, or you return them in kind. Either way, she is very happy and it gives her the warm fuzzies when you play along.

Like I said, Daniela just has so much love to give, and she would be so happy to see that energy enthusiastically returned. Just give her a chance and you'll never have to doubt her feelings for you.

[apompkwrites]

love in their own way || albedo, childe, xiao, zhongli

masterlist characters: albedo, childe, xiao, zhongli genre: fluff summary: in which their s/o's aren't as forward about their emotions, but still manage to have their little tells that express their love. notes: i hope this meets the request! i had a lot of fun writing this! i just want the boys to be happy :)

albedo -

i like to think albedo is secretly clingy but doesn't allow himself to show it to anyone.

naturally, it's just because he's always holed up with his work.

when he consciously does it... it's because he's nervous.

remember the end of his quest when he's talking to himself at dragonspine?

that's why he's nervous.

anyway!!

he's not too bothered by the fact that you're more reserved.

he has a lot of work so he can't really dwell on the idea for too long.

just you being there when he's working is good enough for him :D

as we all know, this boy is very into experimentation and learning.

so trying to decipher your minuscule facial changes is actually really interesting to him!

he has a bunch of notes just on the little details he can find about you.

and since he's so observant, it doesn't take him long to realize that there are certain signs that only appear around him.

he'll notice them when he's painting you.

whenever he's waiting for results, he'll use the time to draw you <3

because he's done this, he practically has you memorized.

so imagine his surprise when he sees your expression change whenever he leaves your sight.

it takes him a while to actually be able to see this, but i'm sure it's because of timaeus and sucrose.

after all, they're around you a lot whenever albedo is busy.

they probably take a picture to show him something they did while he was gone and that's when he notices.

he doesn't even have to look at a different picture of you.

he can just tell you look different.

the little crinkle next to your eyes was gone.

your lips were more pursed than usual.

you now had a crease in between your brows you didn't have before.

the next time he sees you, he'll hold up the picture next to your face to confirm they're different.

he wants to ask why there's a "clear" difference in your appearance but he already knows why.

he'll ask you just to be sure, though--

your cheeks get a tiny tiny bit darker when you answer wholeheartedly.

it does make him chuckle when he hears that you're so smitten for him in your monotonous voice.

the picture sucrose and timaeus took isn't his favorite of you, so he ends up taking a new one when you two are both exploring dragonspine.

it's a reminder of how much you really love him <3

childe -

out of the four boys here, he's definitely (in my opinion) the most affectionate.

like, this boy will take whatever he can get to just hold you for a second.

especially if you're also from snezhnaya but came all the way to liyue to keep him company.

he's very family-oriented as we've seen, so he treasures these relationships.

now, with an unaffectionate s/o?

honestly, i don't think he'd be too upset about it.

like i said, he really treasures these familial relationships.

because of this, it's his top priority to make sure you feel comfortable in the relationship.

he won't necessarily keep his distance, but he won't be too clingy either.

he'll stand right beside you, enough to where you can almost feel his skin touching yours.

as for your expressionlessness...

it'll take him a bit to really understand how you're feeling.

it's a lot of communication because he doesn't want to mess anything up.

near the beginning of the relationship, he'd ask how you're feeling and if there's anything bothering you.

but once he finally notices the subtle differences in your face, such as a slight eyebrow raise or a tilt of the head, he'll be able to read you easier.

nothing too complex, but just enough for him to tell your emotions.

there is one subtle change that he always looks for, however.

he's realized, with the help of zhongli of course, that there is a specific characteristic that only happens when he's in your line of sight.

your lips are normally pressed in a fine line.

however, around him, the corners lift up ever-so-slightly.

the only reason he's able to see it is that he'll catch himself staring at your lips because he wants a kiss :)

once he sees that, he starts noticing your little quirks whenever you're around him.

you'll lean closer to him as you're walking through liyue harbor.

your eyes start to soften as he talks on and on about his day (and complains about scaramouche--).

he loves the idea that all of these little details about you only happen around him,

it makes him feel... important.

and loved.

even if he holds back from touching you, he'll settle for seeing your cold exterior melt around him.

xiao -

he's not too well versed in affection...

i mean, he's the vigilant yaksha that is known for being stoic just like you are.

you two are basically carbon copies of each other.

no affection and no clear expressions of love.

people (who know both you and xiao) often forget that you two are actually together.

like, they just think you two sit in silence when you're both tired of dealing with people.

they... aren't necessarily wrong.

the two of you are often found sitting at the balcony looking over liyue.

sometimes you bring him almond tofu to share :)

it's very rare for the two of you to actively show your love for each other, mainly because you both know your feelings.

although... xiao does have those moments.

it's not like he's completely oblivious to the whispers about you two.

and on the days where his karma acts up, he gets insecure.

he's... really scared that one day you'll leave just like the others.

it doesn't matter if you're a mortal or an adeptus, he's scared that one day he'll wake up and you'll be gone.

and if that ever comes, he's scared you'll pass on either doubting your feelings or his.

it doesn't help when he notices the difference in your attitude and appearance when he's around.

his first instinct is that he's doing something bad.

either you're angry or upset at his mere existence...

verr goldet's the one who has to explain why you seem different.

she's quite observant on her own, especially because you're the first person that xiao actively enjoys being around.

she'll be the one to tell him that it isn't because you're mad at him.

you have minuscule changes because that's how xiao makes you feel.

you're so soft around him and she can tell just from the small interactions she's seen of you.

for example, when you're talking to the chef downstairs, you have the same expression that xiao has when he's talking to people.

you're annoyed but you know how to handle it.

but when you're around xiao, it's like everything that bothers you disappears.

it's like you're in your own domain whenever he's around.

nothing else matters except for him.

and even if she's relying on small observations and pure intuition, she can tell that the changes are good.

your eyes that seem to look anywhere besides the person you are talking to are completely different from the ones that seem to only focus on xiao.

your normally stiff body relaxes every time you summon xiao at the balcony.

the tiny smile that graces your lips when you disappear to the top of the inn for hours on end.

verr goldet's explanation calms his heart.

his worries seem to disappear and the next time he sees you...

this is the one thing his karma can't take away. he'll be sure of it.

zhongli -

zhongli is also another person who isn't well versed in relationships.

although he isn't as inexperienced as xiao, it'll take some time for him to figure it out.

he's not someone who craves affection like it's the only thing keeping him alive.

he definitely would appreciate it but he completely understands that it isn't something you tend to give.

so instead, he'll show his love in the smaller things.

such as telling you stories, sharing tea, going out on walks, etc.

he's another person who is very observant, especially in people close to him.

his storytelling friends often ask him about your relationship with one another.

they try to bring it to his attention that you may not be as interested as he thinks you are.

of course, he'll simply laugh them off and tell them that they should listen to the person who knows you best.

he'll turn those questions into a big story and explain how they're mistaken about you.

he's never actively told anyone this, save for hu tao who tries to bug him into telling her, but he'll tell them about all of the tiny details that tell him your feelings.

when you're feeling upset, you puff out your cheeks a small bit.

when you're angry, your glare hardens at whatever is making you mad.

when you're happy, your lips part slightly.

when you're in love... well, that's a detail he'll keep for himself.

he's quick to say goodbye to his peers, practically rushing back to your shared home.

he's greeted by you as soon as he opens the door.

your stoic expressions... would be exactly the same to anyone else.

but to him, it's like you've lit up like a small puppy seeing their human parents come home after years.

you don't run up to him, but you turn to look at him and away from the book on the table.

he'll greet you with a quiet nod, pulling out the chair and sitting next to you.

he'll take the book from you, taking in your appearance for a moment.

your shoulders relax by a hair and you move your chair an inch closer to his.

you don't lean your head on his shoulder but you lean towards him as if you were about to.

it's these moments that make everything worth it to zhongli.

here, in your home and in your life, he's simply zhongli.

the man you fell in love with and allowed your reserved self to open up to.

and he would trade anything just to have these moments with you.

[innovativestruggles]

What the Free! anime can teach us about male heterosexuality and toxic masculinity

I’m going to start off by saying this. I am a feminist. And as a feminist who is also a self-professed otaku, the two cannot be anymore incongruent. Despite the large amount of misogyny seen in a still conservative country like Japan, and the unfortunate toxicity seen in some fandoms, I am still able to find joy in watching and reading my fair share of anime/manga.

I am relatively late to the party with the Free! anime, nevertheless I am still glad I gave it a chance. I was initially skeptical, because though it is not a BL genre, I would say from my experience being in numerous anime fandoms, I can already predict what a fanservice anime full of gorgeous half naked men would entail amongst fans. Needless to say, I was correct. However, that isn’t the point of this post. This post came about because I was so pleasantly surprised with the characters, their development and their interactions with each other.

Free! is more than just fanservice. It is about friendship and the freedom to express emotions without repercussion. I absolutely love love how every male character have their own way of expressing their feelings. I love the friendship between them and how they can be vulnerable in front of each other and about each other. It gives that incredible perspective into men and emotions - that they are also human, that it is okay for them to experience vulnerabilities, to be in touch with their emotions, to talk about their feelings with their male friends and to touch each other - all without the idea that they would be perceived as gay.

Character sexuality

I am going to disregard that there are some people out there who fish for a romantic interaction between the characters as soon as one or the other show some sort of vulnerable emotion or experience physical touch. Don’t get me wrong, I ship a lot of the male characters with each other, but this post is not about shipping.

Although the anime does not explicitly state the characters’ sexuality I am going to presume that the majority of them are most likely heterosexual. My reasoning for this is the canonical evidence I see and my interpretation based on these canonical scenes. See below.

When the boys played a game and asked Haru what his first romantic encounter was like, they all assumed it was a beautiful woman...

Makoto’s comment on the girls being cute and correcting Chigusa’s question that it’s not just their yukatas... so to me it genuinely sounds like he thinks the girls are cute

The assumption that Rei has a girlfriend

Gou (being a girl that she is) insists on wanting to know more about Rei’s “love” situation

Gou obviously explained she thought he has a girlfriend but he does not believe in love. So he doesn’t explicitly deny that he doesn’t like girls.

And Rin’s host family asking whether he has a girlfriend, to which Rin has a lot of hesitation because he is in love with Haru and the only person he would think of in that way is Haru

So because of the impression that these guys are most likely heterosexual, it just makes the basis of their interactions with each other so much more important in the sphere of toxic masculinity. 

Men are taught to never show their emotions, their vulnerabilities - especially towards each other. Any form of emotions between male friends, and physical touch would automatically earn them their sexuality - being gay. So when men hold onto these rigid gender stereotypes, it perpetuates and dictates how men should be, how women should be, and therefore, it disadvantages women and reinforces gender inequality. 

As much as anime and manga are fictitious, it is still based on how society portrays men and women. it comes from somewhere, and because the fandom is always in discussion about their thoughts and feelings of the anime, and how the fandom treats other fans within the fandom, there are repercussions that comes from watching/reading fiction.

Character names

One of the first things Free! emphasised on were the “girly” names each of the male protagonists have. What I really like about this, is that just because you have a girly name, just because you show emotions and just because you genuinely love and care for your male friends, as a male character, this does not necessarily mean that you are gay. 

Society dictates that as soon as a man falls outside the male norm - i.e. if he doesn’t have a masculine name, if he has feminine features, if he show emotions, if he hugs his male friends, if he cries - then he must be gay. And this is the disconcerting thing I find with some fandoms - the need to categorise males and females into one box. It seems to me that men tend to have less of a leeway with these kinds of things. If you look at Gou for example, she does not have a feminine name. Her name gears toward more masculine or gender neutral, yet the anime clearly depicts her as having an interest in men. No one bats an eye. But this is different for the male characters, because when you feminise a man in any way, you have this misconception that he must be gay. Such perception reinforces toxic masculinity and ultimately increases the gender inequality gap. This is why women continue to be subjected to gender based violence, because people believe that men should not express their emotions, that they should express them in more unhealthy, aggressive ways or “manly ways”. And so violence towards women is condoned.

Free! is such a breath of fresh air. Not once throughout the entire show when I watched all three seasons did I say “oh, he cried in front of his friends, therefore he must be gay” or “he hugged his friend, therefore he must be gay.” Because heterosexual men should be able to do all this. They should be free to be what we call “being feminine” without being afraid that they would be labelled as gay. 

Heterosexual men can have close loving friendships with their male friends. They can tell their male friends that they love them, they care about them, that they can kiss them, without being labelled as gay. Because women do this to each other all the time and no one makes the assumption that she is a lesbian.

Heterosexual men can cry and be vulnerable to each other without the assumption of being labelled as gay

It’s okay for men to cry in front of their mates

Heterosexual men can hug each other and show physical affection without being labelled as gay

They should be able to express their feelings to each other and how much they care about each other.

And most importantly for the above scenes, heterosexual men should be able to say this to each other. There is nothing wrong with men being vulnerable and emotional, and telling each other that they care and love their friends.

Emotions, vulnerabilities and expressing feelings should be normalised amongst heterosexual men without them being labelled as gay. This is the only way to dismantle the patriarchy and the toxic masculinity that continuously plays in society, amongst film and fiction, and reality.

The characters spoke of their fears, their dreams, their friendships, their future, their past, and their struggles. This is not often something men talk about (let alone to each other) because they view discussions like this as weak and it makes them feel less of a man. But the Free! characters broke through these barriers and really put it all into perspective. And as young men, they portrayed this so well.

So thank you Free! for showing viewers (especially heterosexual male fans) that they can be vulnerable and that it is okay to be affectionate towards your mates.

Feel free to share your thoughts! And please be respectful! 💞

[morelikeastrhoelogy]

Some astrological opinions

(positivity edition)

This is from a Cap pov ✨

Aries : Alrighty Aries ! I don’t have many Aries friends in my life, but I am an Aries moon and what I can say about the few Aries people I met is : even if you can be very confrontational and impulsive, at least I know you’re speaking what you truly think on the instant - like, you aren’t the type to stab people in the back, you stab your opponent and look him/her in the eyes. And do you know how rare it is nowadays ? Sometimes you can judge one’s moral values by the way they treat their own enemies. Also, you guys are young souls in the reincarnation cycle, hence why you often got so much energy to make bold choices or actions - and honestly, that’s refreshing, we need to feel new energies in our lives, which you always bring with yourselves ! 🔥

Taurus : Tauruses, I’m always so protective with you, I think you are so underrated ! Perhaps that’s because you are so reliable ? You are among the first people I instinctively trust when I get in a new school, a new town, and once you start sticking around someone, you don’t let them down - this may be part of your stubborn attitude ahah. You are what I would call « root » friends, and what’s really delightful with you is that we don’t necessarily need to know each other’s full life stories to share nice and warm moments together. Simple friendships are sometimes what we need the most to reconnect with ourselves, and you are the kind of people that always make people feel home. Also ? You know how to keep your close friends’ secrets - which don’t prevent you from judging them though 👀

Gemini : Alright, two of my very good friends are Gemini, and let me tell you : you guys are the people that make Caps like me feel fun when I have to do social interactions. There’s such a fun, dynamic energy with you and it’s contagious, you are my partners in crime and actually, long-lasting ones. For Earth signs, I think you bring this light-hearted vibes we desperately need sometimes, and I think the world would be definitely less bold and less funny without you to try out things I would secretely regret not trying. Also, when it comes to serious issues, you are among the first to help, even when I expect it the least, which makes you more trustworthy than what the cliché says. I wouldn’t say reliable though, but it’s not a criticism, it’s more because you have so many projects that you can easily adapt or change your plans depending on what you’re currently interested in. I’m speaking more specifically of Gemini girls here btw - sorry guys, I really don’t know you much... 🌪

Cancer : Cancers, you are the sweetest, most genuine and softest people I’ve ever known. I thank the Universe for sending you in my life, because you are the people that help me learning to embrace a softer, more vulnerable side of my personality, especially Cancer boys, who are among my best friends. As an Earth sign (and a Cap), I’d say we complete each other’s needs, and you guys bring us emotional liberation, which is priceless. You always care for you friends and you deserve to be cared about just as much, please don’t forget this. Also, Cancer girls : you are f i e r c e. And you know how many meanings can this word hold for you. 🧡

Leo : A round of applauses for the Diva of the Zodiac ! While it is true most of my Leo relatives and friends love attention and drama, they are actually the sweetest when their affection comes right from the heart and not from the ego. Most of them hold their eccentricity from a lowkey lack of confidence, though. You are the type of friends who will act generously to show your love, you just love to find the right attention for each of your friends and honestly, I am grateful for having a few Leo relatives because they always help me bringing out a more extrovert and fun side, just like Geminis. I’d say the difference with you and Geminis are that your energy comes from the fire of your heart while Geminis are literally free, non-rigid spirits, which give them the same vibes but I’d say you’re a bit more of a sentimentalist compared to them. Finally, I’d like to say that my father figure was a Leo too and he wasn’t necessarily « extra » like the cliché, Leos can be quiet and humble too, but their generous, affectionate heart will always betray them - when it’s not your ego, ahah. 🦁

Virgo : Dear Earth fellow, I think Caps and Virgos are very similar in their rational way of thinking and organizing their life. Along with Tauruses, you feel safe and I just know I can rely on you when I have a project going on. I’m not necessarily talking about business project, although it could be : it can be something personal, which is much more important, and I know I can trust you to have my back. You are very protective when you love someone - and also ? quite kinky for some of you. Yeah, people say you are control freaks, that you have a problem with authority but you know what ? Most of the Virgos I know don’t have that problem, or rather : they start off like this, and with time, they become of the chillest friends I know, unless when they start panicking about something they didn’t expect or didn’t know how to handle. You sure don’t like to feel your ego hurt, and you won’t spare your words when you attack back, but that’s also because you do know how to choose your words, almost like Water signs, but in a more calculating way - and I mean it in a neutral way, like it can be used to find peace in a argument too, because you are very observant of the people around you, what triggers them and what appeases them. 🦢

Libra : Libras, you’re going to hate me for making such a short passage for you, but truth is... I literally don’t know any Libra in my life. However, from what I know and the few Libras I met in my life, I’d like to say you do stand out with your aesthetic. People say you are always good-looking, but I think this beauty mostly comes out of the fact that your appearance matches your soul, your way of feeling and embracing yourself - and that’s incredibly sexy. Also, that’s definitely something ethereal with you, you are a free spirit like Gemini but even more regarding your social life. You don’t want to be chained to relationships, you let them go with the flow and I think that also comes from your intellectual and emotional attachment to freedom - like the other Air signs. ☁️

Scorpio : I don’t really get the hate around Scorpios. Just like Pisces, they are among the most loyal, dedicated and caring friends I’ve known, even if they may have some trouble expressing what they feel intensely. I don’t mind it, personally, I love how meaningful their little gestures can be, you just know it comes from a honest place ! Your friendships are solid ones too, once someone got your heart. People say you might be manipulative, but again, isn’t it the same reproach for every Water signs ? Tbh, unlike Pisces, I’ve seen you guys be criticized most of the time because of your blunt honestly, and not your lies. You’ re too proud not to say what’s on your mind when it matters to you. Finally, I also love your creativity, I think yours is quite underrated compared to the other Water signs’, I mean, when you channel your intensity into art, you guys come up with such great ideas, I had so much fun writing stories with my Scorpio friend ! 🖤

Sagittarius : My sis is a Sagittarius, and as chaotic our relationship can be, I must admit there’s no one braver than her in my life. She has this fire, this willpower that has always allowed her to bounce back in hard times, and I think that’s what I find most inspiring in Sagittarius. You guys don’t hesitate, you just chase your goals and desires and it’s basically what’s life is for ! Just remember you are allowed to be vulnerable sometimes. Also, I think you are actually very very smart, but in a cooler, « no big deal »way than other signs (don’t get me wrong though : you know your worth, and you won’t hesitate reminding people), I guess that’s what makes your humor so witty ! Oh, and your fashion aesthetic ? It always carries a part of your personality, you aren’t the type to buy clothes that aren’t of the quality or the brands you like. I actually think you are quite fashionable, but always in your own style. 🐎

Capricorn : Alright my dear fellows, time to give the Goat some appreciation time. Of course one of my best friends is a Cap, because between goats, we understand each other. While it would be difficult to find the good parts of my Cap personality, it is so much easier with this friend. Caps are reliable and loyal, the friendships we offer is made of iron, and we rarely break them, unless we feel truly betrayed or used. Just like Tauruses, we don’t like drama, or at least, we don’t like to start dramas - but judging people ? Oh h o n e y.... Anyway, that’s probably because we have more maturity and mostly self-control in social interactions. Don’t get me wrong : on the inside, we can hold grudges forever as long as our ego thinks it’s important. So, yes we are proud beings, stubborn ones, but that’s also what makes us succeed in our goals and rarely give up, despite our fear of failure and disappointment. Also, I think we can all agree that we are funny as hell, in the goofiest or wittiest ways possible sometimes. Finally, I wanna conclude with something : on the emotional level, we are a lot similar to Scorpios. What we feel is so authentic and dedicated that we often have a hard time to express it, especially since we are also like Virgos in our way of observing people and calculating our words. We might fear it wouldn’t be worth the risk, so we keep it inside and express our love in subtle, yet genuine and protective ways, with gifts or caring advises for example. 🐐

Aquarius : Ohh, Aquarius, I had the most amazing and heart-breaking friendships with you. I know a lot of people have a negative experience with Aquarius, but I think that’s because our own expectations of them end up being betrayed instead of accepting them as they are, including their boundaries and their conception of relationships. You don’t owe anything to any of your friends, if this friend doesn’t stimulate you anymore, on an intellectual or emotional level, you won’t fake it, you won’t force it, you just follow your guts, even if that person used to be your best friend or that person you used to text every day and night. Friendships last as long as you have fuel to feed them with these free spirits. These old souls don’t have time anymore to keep superficial friendships for old time’s sake, they want mature, profound connexion, and when they actually fall in love and let down their rational, cold-looking wall ? They become devotee of their lover. There’s no in-between with you Aquariuses : it’s ride or die, the spiritual, intellectual or emotional connexions you share are intense, often fusional for a time, and the best thing to do with you is to enjoy it while it lasts and respect your boundaries. 🌬

Pisces : Let’s end up with the oldest souls of the zodiac ! Maybe the ancient age of your soul explains why you understand so well the mechanisms of the soul ? I think you definitely are the moms of the Zodiac, more than Cancers, but that’s a bit despite yourselves. You didn’t ask for this, it’s something you genuinely feel, as your soul remembers its past experiences. I do think most of you guys partly suffer from this empathy and these overflowing emotions when you don’t manage to channel them through exercices or art. Tragic thing is, when you reincarnate, you forget you are an old soul, and yet, you are born with the feelings and intuition of an old soul, which can take some times to figure out. I think this is the main reason why people often accuse you of being toxic or having boundary issues. That’s why I also don’t agree when people call you the baby of the zodiac. You are no baby, you are the oldest of them all, and you don’t know what to do with what your soul has acquired during all these past lives. Also, even if you are caring and very compassionate, you have to admit you do have a strong ego too. It’s okay, no need to repress it, everybody got one and we won’t throw rocks at you for showing it when you lose your temper 🌊

[simple-heroics]

Momo Yaoyorozu Fluff Alphabet | Part 2 | Letters M-Z

 Guys, I love her so much. This took awhile to finish but here it is! Read Part 1 here.

credit to creator of the fluff alphabet prompt list here

Marriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

In a word…yes.

However, Momo never dreamed of marriage as a little girl nor did she ever feel like she needed marriage - or any relationship - to be happy. She has her family, friends, a fulfilling career, tea, and other passions (i.e advocacy, fundraising, etc.) to keep her busy. 

Momo doesn’t date to get married or because she’s lonely or needs another person to feel complete. She dates you because she loves you. She marries you because she wants to spend the rest of her life with you. (Oh, and the legal benefits. One of which is that threats against spouses of various federal employees is a federal crime. Including pro heroes. Don’t fuck with Creati’s baby :) :)  She will use every possible way to ruin a person’s life forever if they come after you.)

Basically, YOU make HER want to get married. And you bet your ass she’s gonna put a ring on that.

Forget about “stimulating the economy” and that trickle down economics bull shit. Momo is making your ring - a symbol of YOUR LOVE - herself, and only the best of the best for you. She spends hours researching designs, meanings of various gemstones, the durability of metals. All the “samples” she makes are a small fortune in and of herself.

When she proposes, Momo takes you to a botanical garden - the same one you both went to on one of your first dates. Literally rents the entire place out. While you walk around, you start to get nostalgic just as she hoped and reminisce. 

Holding your hands, Momo talks about the first time she saw you, her favorite memories, how you’ve made her so happy. She tells you how you’ve changed her and helped her grow as a person, how everyday has been such a blessing.

Then she makes the ring, right then and there, for you. Softly, reverently, she asks, “Can we spend the rest of our days together like this?”

Marriage actually makes Momo much more comfortable with PDA. Whereas before she would only go as far holding your hand, now she presses loving kisses to your face and strokes your hair and is in general at least 20% more touchy. Marriage gives her a sense of security and - in a weird way - “propriety”. It’s one thing to lovey dovey with a datemate in public; it’s another to be affectionate with one’s spouse.

Oh, yeah. She loves the sound of it. Whenever your name comes up, it’s always “my spouse, y/n” or “y/n, my spouse”. It just makes her so giddy to say.

The feeling’s mutual of course. Anytime Creati is on TV, kicking ass or looking so pristine in an interview, you’re like:

Nicknames - What do they call their s/o?

Momo is full of sweet, doting nicknames: darling, my love, dear, dearest, beloved. These are usually accompanied by a kiss on your hand or temple. 

All in private, though. You’d have to take her by surprise with a sudden visit to the office or it’d have to be an intensely emotional situation for Momo to call you those sweet names in public.

But Momo doesn’t need to call you a pet name in public for people to know who you are to her. Just the soft, almost reverent way she says your name - practically cooing it - says it all. Everyone knows that you’re her darling even if she doesn’t outright call you it in public.

On Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Okay, so this is gonna be a little contradictory but…I see Momo as being both the most relaxed she’s ever been in her life and more focused than she’s ever been before.

You teach her that it’s okay to be herself and not this image of her “best self” she always has in her head. You make her feel safe enough to be let go of her perfectionism and accept her enough that she gradually drops one insecurity after another. She can be messy around you. She can be loud or quiet or giggly or grouchy or literally anything else. She’s just Momo with you.

Finally with some kind of outlet, the explicit permission to be free, it’s like watching an entire lifetime of tension slip away. 

But….because you make her feel this, so happy and light and free, Momo is overwhelmed with gratitude and love that it kind of kicks itself in reverse. She has to be absolutely perfect for you.

And it can become a cycle. Not a great one, either. So please keep in check with each other and help balance yourselves out. Please. She just wants to make you the happiest person on earth which - in her view - is hard because you already do that for her.

Like I briefly touched on above and will even more so below, it’s Very Clear that Momo Yaoyorozu is in love. People who have known her for years have never seen her happier nor have her own colleagues ever seen her so…intense.

Because Momo has a very solid, very real reason to make it through missions waiting for her at home. She has a precious person to make the world a safer place for now. She was absolutely dedicated before but now? Now it’s personal.

PDA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Given Momo’s upbringing, the answer to most of these is no. Definitely not. Not only is Momo shy about PDA but she was taught that doing so is disrespectful to people around you and even your significant other. Japanese etiquette only affirms this. The most you can expect from your girl is holding hands or linking arms while you walk around.

That doesn’t mean Momo stops touching you in public. In fact, sometimes it’s like she can’t keep her hands off you but her affection is expressed in small, subtle touches disguised as helpful gestures.

Tucking your hair behind your ear, straightening your collar, dabbing the corner of your mouth, brushing imaginary lint off your shoulder. 

As for bragging…Momo doesn’t necessarily “brag” about you. But she does talk about you. A lot.

Out with a friend? “S/o said hi!” Doing paperwork? “S/o got me this pen.” Eating dinner with a colleague? “I should bring s/o here.”

Momo absolutely adores you. Even though she doesn’t go shouting this to the word, it shines in the little things.

The biggest giveaway? The way she looks at you with those bright, shining gray eyes. 

Quirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship. I just love this prompt for BNHA imagines.

Momo has a lot of secret talents that you’re always discovering at random. Her parents put a lot of thought and care into their only daughter’s upbringing, especially her education, and it shows. Your favorite so far?

Her dancing.

And it’s not like Ashido’s dancing or really many people your age. I am talking classical ballroom, mostly for the sake of those fancy banquets and soirees that the Yaoyorozus often attended. Momo knows how to elegantly through a ballroom as well as she does in the field. 

But that’s not what you’re interested in. It’s the quiet, private part of your lives where’s it’s just the two of you in your home. No one else, no demanding tasks, no where to be. Just you and some lo-fi music.

Momo will gently take you in her arms and sway you around the room. And this is where you see her at her most relax, taking one of those skills hammered into her from a young age and just…letting go of all the rules. She makes it her own and just moves fluidly to the music, taking her with you.

Catch me when I swoon.

Romance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

Extremely romantic! Didn’t I tell you that she’s doting? And affectionate? And absolutely mesmerized by you?

And looord, does she know how to treat you.

As she grew up without want for any tangible object in the world, Momo is not a gift giver. Love, to her, is expressed in the time you spend with a person. This leads to fun weekend trips, surprise visits on lunch breaks, concerts, you name it. 

Momo always finds a way of incorporating a little personal touch into the most cliché of clichés and making them entirely your own thing.

Support - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

You have been nothing but supportive of her pro hero career - one that demands so much from Momo and by extension your relationship with her. And Momo is READY to support you in any way she can.

This girl legit researches and creates an entire long term plan on how you can achieve your goal, whatever it may be. School-related? Hello, Momo-sensei. Fitness goal? She goes to the gym and exercise with you, encouraging you the entire way. Artistic goal? Oh, what a coincidence. That random gallery owner happens to be a friend of her mother’s!

You maaaay have to pace her a little bit. She believes in you wholeheartedly but needs to be reminded that they’re your goals and you’re the one working towards them. Not necessarily you and your enthusiastic girlfriend. 

Thrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Momo has a high risk job where people’s very lives are at stake. For god’s sake, she was thrown headfirst into danger in her first two weeks of high school with USJ incident and it’s just been one thing after another ever since.

Give her a routine. Give her that calming domestic bliss. 

Seriously. It’s crucial for your relationship and Momo’s own mental health that she has some sort of routine with you. Routine is comforting; routine provides a sense of security and safety. For that, Momo sets some serious boundaries between her personal life - with you specifically - and work. 

You won’t be going on skydiving dates or anything with Momo. But you will wish each other good night every night, whether you’re in each other’s arms in bed or phone when she’s away or even just text if she’s on a stakeout. It’s these little, consistent things that make your relationships so strong.

Understanding - How well do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Part of the way Momo shows her love is learning you and everything about you. She’s spent hours dedicated to studying and now she studies you. It’s likely that she knows you better than you know yourself.

She knows everything about you: your favorite food, your hobbies, your goals, where you were born, who your best friend in high school was, everything. 

She collects every piece of information about you, always listening and observing, and holds it close to her heart.

That said…and don’t hate me for this…but Momo isn’t the most empathetic person. Of course she’s kind and caring and an overall lovely person. But she is a person who follows things by steps, who uses logical thinking to predict people. Sometimes she gets so wrapped up in her line of thinking that she…misses out on the emotional side. 

You’re probably the more empathetic person in this relationship, trusting your instincts and just letting yourself feel out situations while Momo tries to think her way through them. Both have their pros and cons, and it honestly teaches each of you a lot about each other.

Value - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

Momo’s a busy woman. If she takes the time and energy to not only enter but maintain a relationship with you, you mean the absolute world to her.

And she reminds you of that every. single. day.

However…Momo is a selfless person. She gives a lot in the relationship and to you but to her, it’s not a necessity (close, though) but an indulgence. She sees herself as selfish for keeping you in her life, ever aware of the dangers of dating a high-ranking pro hero. She sometimes thinks of herself as selfish by staying with you, loving you, as she does.

Her worst fear is that you’ll suffer for her “selfishness” or be used against her in some way. Or worse still…that she’ll be forced into a situation where she’ll have to choose between you and her duty as a hero, between saving you or the public.

Even Momo doesn’t know which she would choose. She prays she’s never, ever put in the situation where she would have to make such a terrible choice.

Wild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

You know that one cool couple who is always hosting fun get-togethers with friends? Like, there are all of these monthly hang outs and yearly traditions that literally everyone in the squad looks forward to every year?

That’s you guys. 

Momo LOVES playing hostess and you know how to have fun. Seriously, you’ve expanded Momo’s world beyond posh banquets and afternoon tea and she adores you for it. You host regular hot pots. Movie nights. Brunches. Beach days. White elephant parties. Every year there’s a cake baking competition with a golden whisk as the prize along with a full 365 days of bragging rights. (Bakugo, who didn’t even want to come, won it last year and will die before giving it up. Nobody cares who wins the golden whisk next year as long as it’s not that gremlin.)

Y’all know how to throw a party.

Probably of one the best things about this relationship is that you’re not in a “couple only” bubble. You cherish your other relationships, and it shows in how you often include others in your lives. :)

XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Doting. Doting is the exact word that comes to mind when I think of Momo and affection. Almost immediately after meeting you, Momo was just so achingly fond of you and those feelings simmered for loooong while before the confession finally happened.

Now she just can’t help herself.

If she’s not playing with your hair, she kissing your fingers. If she’s not doing that, she’s hugging you. If it isn’t a hug, it’s a full on cuddle session where she kisses your face and holds your hand and murmurs sweet affections and -

Yeah. Momo restrains herself in public to subtle, sweet gestures but once your alone? She makes up for lost time.

Her favorite is leaving soft, delicate kisses on your temple after tucking your hair behind your ear and whispering how much she adores you.

Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Momo keeps incredibly focused and on task at work. But as soon as it gets quiet and she’s alone…she yearns. She pines. She sighs. And she video chats you.

She does a very good job of staying in touch and communicating when you’re separated for any reason. Like I mentioned above, Momo always wishes you good night. And good morning. No matter what. 

Please send Momo encouraging texts throughout her long, hard day. Please send her cute pictures. Please tell her love just because and tell her you can’t wait to see her again. It’s those little things that get her through missing you.

On a more angsty note…Momo worries about you. A lot. She has actual nightmares about something bad happening to you - being held hostage for ransom, a villain looking to get revenge against Creati, you getting caught up in a random public attack and her being unable to save you. These nightmares are at their worst when she’s away from you. The longer the separation, the more vivid and terrible they are. There have been times that she’s called you in the middle of the night just to hear your voice - the only thing that can calm her pounding heart and soothe her enough to go back to sleep. 

So while she keeps in close constant because she does miss you a lot, Momo also does so to give herself some peace of mind. She needs to know you’re okay.

Zeal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Y E S. Oh, my god, yes. Momo would do anything for you.

Sometimes, it honestly scares Momo how much she would do for you. She’s always been a dedicated person, a true perfectionist that approaches everything with well thought out strategy. She does things by steps. She’s the woman with a plan. 

Then you came along and her whole universe imploded, forming a whole new one in the dust of her past and creating something new and unfamiliar and beautiful and terrifying.

So much so that even Momo doesn’t know her own limits anymore - not when it comes to you. She had lines before, boundaries, places she would not go. But with you? God only knows what she wouldn’t do for you.

Momo doesn’t like to linger too long on what kind of incredible, possibly terrible things she would do for you if pushed. But she promises herself that she’ll do everything in her power to keep it from coming to that.

[dogcopter]

Rose is Lion Theory

Before Steven Universe Future ends, a consolidation of sprawling Rose Quartz endgame speculation into one post. Structured for story sense, but pulling from all points of canon throughout for context:

Mechanics/powers

Lion: secrets and behaviors

Suspicious characters, dreams and stuff

Future/speculation and arc implications

TL;DR: Maybe if she has the same abilities Steven does, Rose Quartz gave up her physical form to Steven, but did not die in the sense that her personality still exists somehow. Using the same sort of astral projection powers Steven has demonstrated, Rose has continued to watch over her son in secret after changing her identity, like she did when staging Pink Diamond’s shattering. 

Image and text heavy. Potential spoilers for Steven Universe Future up to Bismuth Casual - This is long and I may add a few things to it.

Lion’s introduction in Steven’s Lion.

After they meet in the desert, Lion follows Steven home.

Lion approaches Steven after he lifted up his shirt, exposing his gem, so it’s possible he recognized Rose Quartz’s son. However, the Gems had never met Lion, and didn’t know he was connected to Rose.

From Steven’s Lion:

Steven: Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are coming. Quick, put my head in your mouth! Pearl: Steven! What is that? What are you doing?

From Rose’s Scabbard:

Pearl: Does Lion have something to do with Rose? Amethyst: Ohh, of course! That’s why he’s pink!

...

Pearl: No, Rose didn’t have a lion, because if Rose had a lion I would have known about it!

How does Lion know where the Crystal Gems live? Where they’d take a corrupted Gem after destroying its physical form?

Lion doesn’t know where to find Steven/the Pink Diamond gem innately. In Jungle Moon, Stevonnie has to call Lars in order for him to find them, and Lars and Lion have identical powers from their pink revival.

Lars: Keep searching! We're not giving up on them, no matter what! Stevonnie: Lars! Hey Lars! Hey! Lars: There you are! We've been looking all over for you!

And Lars and Lion have the same magic abilities. Per SU podcast “The Fantasy of Steven Universe”

Anything Lion can do, Lars can do.

It’s possible Rose told Lion about the Gems and how to get to Beach City and where they live, but it’s likely he has never been there if they had no clue about him. He warps straight to the Temple.

The generally accepted explanation for Lion’s behavior is that Rose masterminded Lion’s knowledge and prepared for him to tell Steven everything, or at least told him her life story in enough detail, perhaps confiding in him, that his level of knowledge would make sense. 

Almost anything Lion does can be explained that way, but Lion being Rose makes more sense as an explanation. After all, she was known for being secretive.

From A Single Pale Rose:

Rose: No one can ever find out we did this. I never want to look back.

From Now We’re Only Falling Apart:

Sapphire: She lied to us! She lied about everything!

From Rose’s Scabbard:

Garnet: Rose kept many things secret, even from us.

From Steven’s Dream:

Greg: There were some things your mom didn't like to talk about. I never pressed her for details.

Mechanics

How is it possible for Rose to be Lion? Steven’s mysterious extra OP astral projection/dream/possession spirit powers that came up again in In Dreams.

Rose’s absence is consistently described as “giving up her physical form”.

Body swap: Steven controls other organic beings in Super Watermelon Island, The New Lars, and Escapism.

Dream travel, lucid dreaming, and dream TV: Steven is able to travel in his dreams and talk to others in Chille Tid (Lapis while fused in Malachite), affect the content of other people’s dreams Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service (Kiki’s recurring nightmare), change his own dreams and broadcast and record them in In Dreams (Camp Pining Hearts fanfiction)

Astral projection/”psychic ghost thing”: In addition to astral projecting in the above forms, Steven travels from Homeworld to Earth via astral projection in Escapism, and confronts the Diamonds via astral projection in Reunited. They can’t see him, but can perceive an “aura”.

If Steven can do this, and this ability was familiar to the Diamonds, Rose may be able to do these things as well. Steven’s ability to take over organic bodies explains Rose using Lion’s body because they’re related powers, which is made clear in Escapism when Steven astral projects to find Earth and ends up in a Watermelon Steven body far from home.

When does Lion act like Rose?

Secrets

The following section are things Lion knows that only Rose, or only Rose and Pearl know, including locations related to Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond. 

Secret: Lion

Went over this above. Gems didn’t know about Lion himself.

Secret: Armory

Pearl: You must be thinking of someplace else. I’m the only other Crystal Gem that’s witnessed the Armory’s magnificence before now. Steven: Nuh-uh, Lion showed me.

On one of their first adventures together, Lion brings Connie and Steven to a place only Pearl and Rose knew about. 

He also seems to know how the Armory works; he encourages Steven to activate the controls and doesn’t let the kids bail on training. Pearl had to climb a cliff to bring Steven there.

Secret: Mane

Lion’s mane contained Bismuth, Rose’s Crystal Gem keepsakes, including the sword that Pearl hadn’t seen. and keepsakes from Greg. 

When Steven finally unbubbles Bismuth in Bismuth and frees her from the mane, Lion immediately looks at the Crystal Gems’ reaction.

The mane also held the tape “For Steven”; “For Nora” was abandoned in the desert. Rose gave up her physical form before she could have known the baby’s sex, as Greg explains in Lion 4: Alternate Ending.

Greg: When you have a kid, you have no idea who they’re gonna be. Even Garnet couldn’t predict it. That’s what was so exciting to your mom, that life is full of so many possibilities, and you would get to explore them for yourself. I mean, you could be Steven or Nora or anyone else. And you can always change your name; hey, I did.

Lion is able to remove the sword from his mane in Lion 2: The Movie, meaning he may have had both tapes in the mane at one point, ejecting the Nora tape after meeting Steven. Not necessarily something he’d have to be Rose to do.

Secret: Scabbard & Battlefield

Lion finds Rose’s scabbard immediately at the battlefield. From Rose’s Scabbard:

Pearl: That’s the scabbard for Rose’s sword!

Lion also knows where to find Pearl when she gets upset; the battlefield where the scabbard was abandoned. Even though Pearl introduces the location like this:

Pearl: This was the site of a historic battle. Every weapon here was left by a Gem over 5,000 years ago. I don’t like to disturb it, but Garnet said we can’t just leave these lying around.

Later, when Pearl is upset, Steven asks Lion:

Steven: Do you know where she went? Lion: growl Steven: I’m going to assume that means you do.

...then he warps Steven to the battlefield. After Steven chases her to a floating island, Pearl then says:

Pearl: Do you remember this place? Do you have any of her memories? We were right here, over 5,000 years ago.

Pearl recreates the moment she and Rose chose to stay on Earth forever. Another location specific to Rose and Pearl.

Secret: Moon Base

Lion warps Steven to the Moon Base in both It Could’ve Been Great and in Can’t Go Back. The Galaxy Warp was destroyed pre-corruption, so unless Rose wanted to visit and gave excellent warp directions, Lion could not have visited it before. But Rose spent some time there as Pink Diamond!

Secret: Landfill/Pink Diamond

Lion brings Steven to the landfill in Lion 4: Alternate Ending, when Steven is paranoid about his magical destiny.

He was excited to get Steven into the mane in Lion 3, but in Lion 4 he’s reluctant to answer Steven’s questions, and acts much more subdued and serious than usual when they get there. 

He brings Steven to Greg to have his questions about “For Nora” answered, but leaves before Greg sees him. 

One other thing that’s slightly different between “For Steven” and “For Nora” is Rose’s monologue in the tape. Two sections are slightly different. One of them is this:

“For Steven”:

Steven, we can’t both exist.

“For Nora”: 

Nora, we can’t both exist, but I won’t be gone.

The other revelation in the landfill is Pink Diamond’s ship. Its location was known only to Rose, Pearl didn’t know there was still a working ship on the planet. From Space Race:

Pearl: It’s fine. I’ll always have my memories of other worlds. But now I’m here. On Earth. Forever.

Rose’s identity as Pink Diamond was a secret. In Legs From Here to Homeworld all it takes to activate the ship is an incidental touch from Steven:

Lion must have known bringing Steven to look for answers here would risk Steven discovering Rose’s secret identity?

Behaviors

Rose is not necessarily Lion full-time; Lion is a revived lion with the same powers as Lars. 

Lion’s relationship to Connie or Steven isn’t in this post, although it’s significant to both of them; Connie, Steven, and Lion have closely related character arcs, but in terms of the theory I’m sticking to characters Lion would have known as Rose or as Pink. I do have this brief post about Connie knowing Lion and Steven well enough to figure out Rose is Lion.

Garnet is also missing from this post because Lion has spent suspiciously little time around Garnet, presumably because Rose knows how her future vision works.

Lion’s interactions with other characters:

Behavior: Amethyst

Lion seems to like Amethyst! He’s particularly affectionate with her, and she’s affectionate with him. They’re shown in the background being cuddly a few times. Amethyst feels an instant connection.

(Is this a family photo?)

Lion also keeps an eye on Amethyst's reaction during Cry For Help, while Steven is distracted by Sardonyx’s whimsy;

Behavior: Pearl

Notable Pearl and Lion scenes. In Lion 3 they watch Steven sleep together.

In Scabbard they interact a lot and it’s interesting. He’s amused by Pearl taking the scabbard from him and annoyed at being shooed away.

Then he’s mad at her for trying to get into his mane.

We don’t get to see his face once when Pearl gets upset in the living room, but when Steven asks where Pearl went...

Lion knows exactly where to take him, and feels strongly about it.

He lets Pearl put the sword in his mane and ride on his back at the end of the episode.

He has some reactions in the movie, like after Pearl sings her incredible verse about moving on from Rose, Lion wakes up with this look on his face

He also hangs around Greg and rejuvenated Pearl, although his face isn’t shown much.

Behavior: Greg

Lion loves hanging out with Greg! 

Lion’s notable scenes with Greg include: that time he took Steven back to fight with the Crystal Gems in The Return, and then hid before Greg could see him in Full Disclosure. 

Is this a family photo?

And at the very end of the series, the time he shows up to face Greg with a badly injured Watermelon Steven.

Greg greets him with a smile before he sees Steven - maybe Lion’s shown up to spend time with him before?

Character development. And of course in the movie, Lion gives Greg a little kiss in a Crystal Gem groupshot. Very cute!

Behavior: Diamonds

Lion has a visible reaction to the Diamonds and seems to understand their power, even though he would never have encountered them before.

In Reunited, Lion tries his hardest and he’s the first to charge Blue Diamond after a teamwork. 

Makes sense for Rose to be angry with Blue

Also in Reunited, Lion is the only character who keeps an eye out for Yellow Diamond after the Cluster knocks down her ship.

In Legs From Here to Homeworld, Lion is making a face for most of the episode. He is not happy about this new development (asking White Diamond to help with corruption)

In Escapism, when Steven asks for help against White Diamond, Lion looks unusually worried.

He looks a little judgy when the Diamonds and Spinel sing in the movie.

Behavior: Spinel

Lion allows Spinel to ride around on his back, but he also shoots her dirty looks, 

and leaves her behind at the Sadie Killer concert.

If Rose is Lion, oof. But hey, still in character based on past behavior!

Behavior: Jasper

We don’t know the nature of Rose and Jasper’s relationship, and Lion doesn’t interact with her much, but Lion is there to witness Malachite’s fusion.

In Crack the Whip we get a few Jasper clues. He reacts to mention of Jasper’s name at the beginning.

He also seems big mad at Jasper, who spends the whole time aggressing at Steven under the impression he’s Rose.

Curious to see if this comes back when we get to hear Jasper’s story in Future.

Unresolved Mysteries

Some things about Lion and about Rose that still lack answers and could affect this:

What Lion and Rose’s relationship looked like

how he died and was revived by Rose’s abilities.

Desert Glass gem. 

The lizards he eats

Whether or how it’s even possible Rose gave up her gem to Steven while continuing to exist as a separate entity on the astral plane like this.

Suspicious Characters, Dreams & Stuff

Galaxy brain: if Rose is Lion, what’s to say she doesn’t have the other abilities Steven has? 

Steven has Pink Diamond dreams when he needs the information in the dream. When animal sidekicks appear they lead him to his goals. If Lion is a mysterious animal sidekick who appeared just to be Steven’s friend, and he’s secretly Rose, what other convenient animal sidekicks are suspect?

If he doesn’t have a magical destiny, but does have a magical, secretive mom who can astral project and hijack organic bodies, maybe she’s been lending him a hand here and there.

The only time the mask slips is in Storm in the Room.

Steven: And that’s why I’m here, isn’t it? Did you just make me so you wouldn’t have to deal with your mistakes? Is that all I’m here for?

Rose: Steven, you know that isn’t true. In the tape I left you, I told you how much I wanted to have you and let you exist.

Ghosts

There are a few characters I call “suspicious ghosts” who aid Steven along his journey. They only exist to be convenient to Steven, even though Steven doesn’t have a magical destiny, and might be Rose:

Tiny Floating Whale: Has Susan Egan’s voice and appears before Steven hears her voice in Lion 3

Baby Melon: Is friends with Steven, punches Steven to draw the ire of the other melons and sacrifice himself.

Dream Dogcopter: Leads Steven to Lapis when he’s looking for Malachite. Tells Steven to “take a deep breath” when Lion is trying to get him in his mane.

Melon Dogs: Shows Steven Malachite is near Mask Island. Tries to distract and entertain Steven when he’s trapped in Pink Diamond’s tower.

Maybe Pink Steven? Maybe Cactus Steven? (They could be more Rose ghosts, given the way they behave, but could also be exactly what they appear to be)

Dreams & Memories

Like Lion, Steven’s dreams also seem to help him out with information his mom would have.

Steven’s Dream: Steven asks Greg if his mom ever talked about Pink Diamond, Greg tells Steven that Rose didn’t tell him about her past. Steven has a dream of crying in front of the palanquin, prompting him to search for answers there.

Jungle Moon: Stevonnie is stranded on one of Yellow Diamond’s Moon Bases and has a dream that is partially a memory of Pink Diamond’s. Using the code they see in the dream, they are able to unlock YD’s console and call for help.

Can’t Go Back: Steven dreams of Pink Diamond trying to save Earth and Pearl with Rose’s sword, prompting him to speak to Pearl and uncover her secret.

Masterpost of suspicious ghosts that goes into slightly more detail.

Rose’s Characterization

From Storm in the Room:

Steven: I finally know the truth. I know what you are! You’re a liar! I thought you’d never want to hurt anyone, but you hurt everyone! How could you just leave Garnet and Amethyst and Pearl and Dad? They don’t know what to do without you! Maybe they didn’t matter to you as much as hiding the mess you made!

My read of Rose choosing to be Lion but not tell the others is because she cared about them, but like other things she’s done, that doesn’t change the fallout.

The good news: If Rose is Lion, and she is still around in some fashion, if she can only overcome this pattern of behavior and face the truth... then, like everyone else in Steven Universe, she has a chance to change!

But... 

Lion is pink because he’s like Lars: Yes. See above. I’m not claiming there’s an alternate explanation for Lion’s appearance or abilities, or contradicting his behaviors. It’s just that Rose is using his body.

Lion knows everything because Rose told him: I don’t think this makes sense given what we know of Rose. I don’t mind being wrong if there’s a better explanation.

Rose is dead My only response to this objection is yea, as far as we know, but there’s enough supporting detail not explained in other ways that I believe the theory has merit. It’s not like SU hasn’t misdirected us before.

Future Speculation

In the Steven Universe Future premiere, although Steven really doesn’t want to think about what she did anymore (and who could blame him?) we get a little bit of new Rose lore. Shy Rose Quartz.

I think this is Rose. I don’t know how she managed it, but I think we’ll learn soon. With the possibility Rose is Lion, and can inhabit other bodies, the whole vibe of Rose Buds changes. Here is a post dedicated to that: Shy Rose is Steven’s Mom. That’s all. From A Single Pale Rose:

Rose: Convincing? Pearl: Very much so, my DIamond. Rose: Soon it will be just Rose.

In Volleyball it’s also explained that she traumatized her former Pearl, and that Rose changed her behavior so much that it’s like Pearl and Volleyball knew two different people.

One last thing: Steven’s arc.

From I Am My Mom:

I get it now. I’m the only one who can stop what she started. I can stop all of it!

From Reunited:

Now all that’s left of her exists in me, and I think that we can all agree: that is a little bit upsetting. I’d rather think about a wedding!

From Storm in the Room:

No, I’m sure you meant it. I get it. I know you didn’t want me to deal with your problems. You’re a part of me now. I have to deal with what you left behind.

From “Happily Ever After”:

Once upon a time, I thought I’d always be in my mother’s shadow Answering for her crimes, I thought I’d always be in an endless battle

From the end of the movie:

There’s no such thing as happily ever after. I’ll always have more work to do.

Steven has a tough relationship with his mom by now. 

Like when she said “We can’t both exist,” recently called back in Rose Buds. 

From Storm in the Room:

In the tape I left you, I told you how much I wanted to have you and let you exist. Do you think what I said to you in the tape was a lie?

If you entertain this theory as plausible given the lore, the implications change; what if Rose isn’t gone? What if she’s not half of him? What if at least part of that tape was just another lie?

And I need you to know that every moment you love being yourself, that’s me, loving you and loving being you. Because you’re going to be something extraordinary; you’re going to be a human being.

Steven has internalized a lot from when he was young. His best friend Lion has been there for him. We’re also seeing the ways his childhood trauma has manifested in coping behaviors and automatic reactions from his gem, not unlike his mom before him. 

Right now, in Future, mid-breakdown - how would Steven react to such a paradigm shift?

Thank you for reading! I know this is a lot. 

[afoolforatook]

Ticklish Fairgame (teaser, I guess....)

So I had a Discord convo the other day that got me on a Fairgame and tickles rant... and I want to share all of it, but a good bit is gonna be in a later chapter of Loving... but I had to share some, cause it’s so damn soft and it’s all I’ve been thinking about. 

So here’s some notes from part of my rant.... (there’s also some stuff from this rant about more SPD stuff and fidgeting/stimming but I’ll find a place for that later...)

In response to “Qrow would do better in a tickle fight because of experience from Ruby and Yang tickle fights when they were little” - 

Bold of you to assume it was Ruby and Yang who made him build up a tolerance....when he lived with teenage Taiyang Xiao Long.

That man has some major "I will tickle my grumpy goth roomie until he admits he likes having friends" energy. Not to mention Summer. 

......

Okay but at first I didn’t know how Qrow would be with tickling.

Because, as much as I love the STRQ Beacon years tickle/pillow fights image, where Qrow and Raven first really learn how to let loose and have friends and be vulnerable.  And the co-parenting/poly STRQ, however you wanna see it, of Branwen/Rose/Xiao Long family tickle piles with the kids.

There’s also a big part of me that sees him reallly not being a huge fan of tickle fights.

It might just be me projecting (a shock, I know) but I can't help but feel like Qrow is one of those people who is extremely EXTREMELY ticklish. To the point where most of the time it's not fun but exhausting. 

I was totally that kid/teen who everyone thought it was adorable how ticklish I was, and would just rush me all at once, trying to be cute and fun. But it was very easily wayyyyy too much, and I'd practically hyperventilate from sensory over-stimulation. My older cousins learned very early not to tickle me when I was a toddler, because I would just immediately start crying. I did not get angry as a kid very often, and many of the few times that I did were because I had to yell in order to get people to stop, because they didn't take me seriously. I was also just extremely sensitive all the time. Any touch that I didn't see coming (and even many I did) and that wasn't solid pressure would have me jump and make my skin crawl. My parents weren’t at all surprised when I got my SPD diagnosis, cause they were like “yeah by the time you were ten we knew there were ways we should and shouldn’t touch you if you didn’t know we were there, because you would just flinch and freeze up and shake and have to have no one touch you at all until you relaxed.” (This wasn’t at all a trauma response, it was purely just a kind of sensory input that I was particularly sensitive to) One of my best friends in high school surprised me by just barely nuzzling the back of my neck with his nose and I actually screamed. Needless to say, I don’t really like tickle fights.

And I feel like touch-starved, spy, intimacy wary, Qrow would be a lot like that and just get overwhelmed pretty quickly. (especially when he was younger and leaving the tribe, where I doubt there was much gentle contact to get him used to it, or teach him not to be ready to fight at the tiniest sign of a threat...)

Like yeah, he'd be adorable for a second, but pretty quickly that would turn to actual stress and panic. He'd jump and practically squeal at tiny innocuous touches, and you'd think it was cute until you saw how genuinely startled and frazzled he was.

And at first I couldn't reconcile that with the STRQ family moments that I like the idea of so much...

But the thing is, they're both true.

With team STRQ, he probably had a lot of that aversion early on. And Tai and Summer picked up on it and didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. But they'd still want to help him relax.

I’d think that Summer at least, if not both of them, would try to ask him outright at first. “Qrow, does it bother you when we try to touch you? Do you want us to stop.” But they’d quickly have realized that he wasn’t going to just tell them that, not yet. They were still practically strangers. He’d just shrug it off and grumble about not caring either way and slump off. But she’d noticed the split second of panic before he covered it up. 

So they paid attention to how he’d react to casual contact. What made him flinch and what didn’t. What got a laugh and what got a held back yelp. What made his shoulders tense and what made them relax.

(Also, I think Raven is similar, though not necessarily for sensory reasons. I think she just, didn’t expect or want that kind of open contact most of the time. The first time Tai tried to do anything even close to tickling her, his arm was immediately in a death grip and she just deadpanned ‘Again and you’ll lose it.’ I think she eventually would get in on some more play wrestling, but I think her physicality in relationships was very much always on her own terms. So the STRQ tickle fights were really only ever STQ with maybe a rare exception.) 

And slowly, as Qrow got more comfortable with them, as he stopped trying to escape group hugs and cuddle piles (which they always let him have the ability to do so if he wanted/needed), they figured out what were good and bad touches. 

He’d let Tai drape over his shoulders and ruffle his hair, as long as he was putting some significant but gentle weight on him. Summer wouldn’t nuzzle at the crook of his neck but just drop her head over on his shoulder while sitting on the couch. He even started to stop balking at the idea/proximity of tickle fights. Summer and Tai would get into a play argument and soon be a blur of arms and legs trying to push the other away and both calling for Qrow to help them. 

And he’d finally stopped scooting further away or leaving the room when that started. He’d chuckle lightly. Eventually, he’d even make some quip about so and so starting it and having to learn to take responsibility for your choices (Not at all in a mocking tone, of course not Summer, why would you even think?!..)

So, as they got closer and understood Qrow’s sensitivities better, tickle fights were never just that. There was always enough grounding pressure of hugs or falling on top of one another or playing with his hair to balance it out. 

I think the first time he actually didn’t try to get away, both Summer and Tai got a little caught up at first and, while still being conscientious of what they were doing, they didn’t actually realize “hey, he’s not running or slipping away from us.”

Whoever realized first probably stopped the other and they pulled away (though still leaving some kind of pressure contact), looking over at Qrow. One of them’d ask something along the lines of ‘Sorry, do you want us to stop?” 

And he’d blush or stammer, rub his neck or no... maybe he’d just freeze for a moment before getting a big grin and diving forward to tickle Summer and say ‘What, you that scared of me winning, huh, pipsqueak?” and the fight would resume. But Tai and Summer were still aware of Qrow’s demeanor, and as soon as he’d tense or shiver one of them would tackle him playfully. 

And once the girls were born, and old enough to start with the horseplay themselves, they’d have taught them those rules too, even if just subliminally.

“Yang, Ruby, don't just run up to him and poke him in the side, just so you can watch him jump and then run away. Tackle him, hang onto his legs, GET EM!”

Sometimes, especially when the girls were really little, it might have gotten too much. But he'd either be able to slip away after and unwind, or better yet, the girls would tire themselves out and want to curl up pressed to his chest and take a nap. And that pressure, their warmth and softness and trust would make his skin stop crawling. 

But then Summer died and he started staying away more. He started isolating himself more again. And pair that with having to be alert on solo missions and spy work, and he quickly went back to the old jumpiness.

He became very good at not letting people sneak up on him, both in battle and on missions...and at home.  On the somewhat rare occasions that he was home and awake/sober enough when the girls still wanted to play with him, he'd put on a strong face and rough house for a bit, but by then he almost always had to slip away, transform just for long enough so that he’d stop being so aware of the tiniest breeze on his skin (he might be just as sensitive, or more so, in his corvid form, but I think that would be in a much more positive and simpler way than normal... if he’d ever let people touch him in that form, that is..) 

But as the girls got older, they quietly understood the subtle signs that told them what were the good and bad ways to show their uncle affection. 

I'm thinking Ruby jumping onto his arm in V3. Still very touchy, affectionate. But diving for his arm instead of his waist, literally putting all her weight on him. I’d have to look back through other hugs or moments to better speak to them, but as far as I can remember off the top of my head, the softest we’ve seen her be with him is at the end of V4 when he’s still unconscious from his fight with Tyrian. There’s the hug at the farm, but to me (from what I remember) that seemed more cautious because of how vulnerable he was, and she keeps her head away from him some. And then the hug in the airship, and while she doesn’t tackle him and it’s still a pretty soft movement, she presses the sides of their heads together, not putting her chin on his shoulder/neck like you might usually. I’d have to look at her hugs with others but I think she’s tended to bury her face in WBY’s shoulders more. It’s kinda a stretch but hey...

So, then we get to V7.

And no one has actually tried to tickle famed huntsman, previously notorious drunk who is only very recently sober (and not having his senses numbed or otherwise affected, aside from withdrawal stuff) Qrow Branwen, in a 

Very. Long. Time.

[maleyanderecafe]

Healthier Yandere Relationships

When you think about yanderes as a concept, a healthy relationship is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. Many say that it’s impossible or extremely rare to have a yandere be in a healthy relationship, but it is possible to make them, at least to some extent, healthier for both parties. Today, we’ll be discussing how to write a healthier relationship with a yandere and their s/o. 

Before we get into how to write a healthier relationship, let’s talk more about what makes a healthy relationship. Now obviously, there are a lot of different factors to having a good relationship and some of them are disputed up, but for now, I’ll try to go into some of the basics to what would make it healthy. 

The first thing would be communication. Essentially what this means is that both parties are able to express to each other how they feel. They can set boundaries or tell each other how much they love the other person, etc, etc. This doesn’t necessarily have to be verbal, it can also be things like gifts, gestures or physical affection. In concept, this should be relatively easy, but some things tend to be harder to communicate than others. In terms of yanderes, it would be things like how they show affection, how they react to their s/o giving affection, how they talk about their problems, etc. The better the couple communicates, the stronger their relationships tend to be. 

Another factor is compromise. Again, setting boundaries, making decisions and setting aside differences. This usually has to tie into communication because it’s pretty difficult to compromise without talking about it with each other and helps the two become more equal in terms of what they wish to do together. In terms of yanderes, it can be setting boundaries for how comfortable the s/o is with having someone watch them at night, having rules for how to react to someone when they become jealous and what constitutes as way too much texting at the s/o. This can be difficult since a lot of times in yandere type couples, one of them tends to be more dominant, which may cause problems for the couple as a whole.

Finally, there’s commitment. Basically how much time the couple spends together, putting each other before themselves and others and working through challenges and difficulties they might face. In terms of yanderes, making sure they’re there for their s/o, working through problems like jealousy or rage, sacrificing time for each other. This usually is the easiest part for a yandere since part of their charm is their undying devotion to their s/o, but things like working towards difficulties they might have maybe a bit more difficult if they fall into the habit of them over and over again. 

Basically, when it comes to more unhealthy yandere relationship, compromise and communications are usually the bigger faults that are failed to be addressed. Assuming that the yandere and the s/o are in a relationship, or at the least know each other (because you can’t really have a relationship if one doesn’t know the other exists), either or both can be problems in creating unhealthy actions. Communication for instance, like a yandere not telling the s/o how uncomfortable he feels when she hangs out with other guys, or compromise like a yandere’s restraint on taking pictures of their s/o. Of course, this communication doesn’t necessarily have to be verbal, and if the s/o or yandere can accept certain behaviors through the way that they communicate, then it makes for a better relationship. For instance, Nontan from Akkun to Kanojo, understanding Akkun’s reason for ignoring her after he goes into dere-dere mode and allowing him to have distance, or understanding that he may want to hide things in his room that she may not want to see, even if she doesn’t know that it’s just an absurd amount of pictures of her in his room. Compromise is generally important to think of as well, especially if the s/o isn’t as comfortable with certain behaviors that the yandere has or vice versa. For instance, in Koharu No Hibi, when Torri tells Koharu that the messages she sends to his phone are too much, and that, while it still freaks him out a bit, she can still send one message to him a day. 

There are a lot of ways to make a more healthy relationship between a yandere and their s/o’s but one of the most common ones is to make a lighter, or more harmless yandere. This is most common in things like Shoujo, where everything is generally very light, a slice of life, where things more or less follow the rules of a normal world, or comedy, where some actions are usually seen in a more comedic lens.

 For Shoujos, like Hananoi-kun to Koi no Yamai or Miniamaru Kareshi, because the tone is usually shown in a lighter and fairly romantically sweet eye, the actions of each of the yanderes are not very extreme. In a lot of cases, the story will focus more on the dere dere part of the character, and occasionally show the more yan part of them, especially if they are talking to someone like a childhood friend. Usually, the “lovesick” part of them is displayed in something like jealousy, “light” threats or warnings, or going overboard when doing something for their s/o. Jealousy is usually tied with the warnings or threats, though in these cases, it’s more of a warning to stay away from their s/o rather than an actual threat of violence, though occasionally that is the case and the overboard actions are usually things like overpreparing for a date, or being extremely clingy. Usually what differs these from a simply clingy person is either because of some version of overcompensating (like they’re afraid if a date goes wrong, the s/o might leave them, or they believe they aren’t good enough for the s/o if they don’t go overboard) or a way of showing love that ends up going overboard and possibly hurting them (a good example being in Hananoi-kun to Koi no Yamai where Hananoi-kun tries to find Hananai’s ring in the snow for so long that his fingers started to freeze.), or being more jealous and clingy than appearence first suggests (like in Miniamru Kareshi attitude towards his love rival). Most obviously though, they will not have any intention of letting go of the person that they love, even if its better for their s/o. Usually the view is from the s/o’s perspective, viewing their yandere doing various things since the story is usually more focused on them and not on the yandere, though there are stories that go from the yandere’s pespective. Of course, that’s also not to say that the shoujo can’t have a dark turn, plenty of shoujos tend to do that, like in the case of Arisa. However, a huge part of this genre would be the kind of fluffy romantic atmosphere that tends to surround them. Comedic moments may also be sprinkled in as well, usually to downplay the more “extreme” that the yandere has. 

In terms of Comedy, like in Yankee to Yandere no Karera ni wa Tomodachi ga Inai, AntiStalker or even a parody like The Parodied Jokeland, yandere can go very extreme, from blackmail, stalking, aiming a gun at someone, etc, but the end result is pretty much always harmless. I’ve talked a lot about Comedic Yanderes in my post here, but an important part of a comedic yandere is how flanderized a yandere’s characters are. A lot of times, the point is to go overboard on how a yandere is portrayed, which means that a lot of really extreme actions can be taken within the story and they may not really amount to much of a reaction to the people in the story. The important part is usually, the idea of the unexpected and the downplaying/reacting of their actions.  Since this analysis is talking about couples specifically, I’ll be talking about a couple of different dynamics that are common. The dynamics are restraint, encouraging tolerance, mischievous, and oblivious. These of course can be mixed and matched. Restraint is the most common one, where the yandere usually goes off the handle and the s/o has to prevent them from doing things to people or calm them down. A good example is the first couple chapters of He’s Harmless, I Swear, where Tammy has to restrain Tomoya down when he threatens the carnival guy for scamming him, or in Oath, where Rina has to restrain Akira from threatening a fellow student. Of course, the two usually have a fairly good relationship, but sometimes the yandere needs to be calmed down in many cases. Encouraging is another one, where the yandere and the s/o usually are usually in kahoots on whatever extreme actions they decide to do, like hurting someone that tripped the s/o. The comedy would mostly come from either a friend or outside person, or it will revolve more about the various shenanigans they go through to finish their goals, whether it succeeds or not. Tolerance is the dynamic where the yandere often goes off to do something crazy, and the s/o is pretty much okay with it. It can be that they know what the yandere is going to do (perhaps harmless or not), don’t really mind what might happen or are just oblivious to what will actually happen. The comedy in this case usually comes from an outside person, like a friend, trying to stop the yandere and reacting to both his and his s/o’s reactions. With this kind of dynamic, there is more of an implication of trust and understanding between the couple, especially if the s/o is correct in what the yandere is about to do. They also often can restrain them pretty easily with a simple scolding or pampering. I’d imagine usually in this case, the s/o is very relaxed and dead pan, although they can also be very upbeat and genki like as well if written well. Mischievous is generally more on the behavior of the s/o side and less on the yandere. Usually in these cases, the s/o wants to do something like pranking, surprising or outdo the yandere in something but pretty much always fails, either because the yandere is a couple of steps ahead of them, they have a different (and often more affectionate) reaction than what the s/o expected or the s/o screws up on what they’re doing. A good example would be AntiStalker, where the main character always seems to fail at assassinating her target. Although in a relationship, it’s usually done more to mess with their boyfriend then it is to actually harm them. Finally, there’s obliviousness, which is when the s/o is dating a yandere, but aren’t really aware of their yandere actions. A good example is Akkun to Kanojo and  Yankee to Yandere no Karera ni wa Tomodachi ga Inai, where in both cases, the s/os of the yanderes are oblivious of the actions of their yandere lovers. Again, this is another case where having a friend or someone else watching the yandere is important to see the comedy come through. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, another way to write a good yandere couple is to make the s/o okay with yandere’s behavior of killing. Usually this happens in more of a drama or thriller scene, where the s/o is also capable or doing what the yandere does, and basically makes them both a power couple. In this case, the s/o would be able to better restrain the yandere’s behavior and would be able to trust each other. Depending on how the story is written, they can be the villains or the heroes, like in a survival situation. Or, it could be a story of how the two come to trust each other in various situations. 

Finally, there’s something I call a healthy unhealthy relationship. It’s an oxymoron, yes, but thought it would be interesting to talk about. A healthy unhealthy relationship is one that is for sure, unhealthy but has all of the criteria of a healthy relationship. For instance, a s/o who dates a yandere because he looks like a former boyfriend and a yandere that dates the s/o so that he can be praised. Assuming that both parties know why they the other is dating them, all of the basics, communication, compromise and commitment can all be fufilled. Like a compromise to act like the s/o’s former boyfriend when cooking or a communicating how to praise the yandere and the commitment towards that. Technically speaking, this can be unhealthy because it can cause them to retain worse traits, like not moving on, believing that someone can replace someone else, believing that praise is all that they need to live, etc. While this may be “healthy”, the unhealthy aspect of it comes from the idea that this is not a stable relationship. If one of the parties messes up or decides to change, it can cause the whole delusion to fall apart and cause a lot of discord between the couple. Of course, there is also the possibility that they may actually fall in love and create a genuine relationship as well. 

Those are my thoughts on writing a healthier yandere couple. I wrote this in two days because I have a lot of assignments and such coming up, so I hope you enjoy. 

[madamhatter]

Sophie and Hollow for ship thing? :o

Send me a ship and I’ll tell you... | accepting

Who asks the other on dates:

Evermore vocal and initiative taker with the right personalities, Sophie is one that would always inquire and gauge Hollow’s interests if they’d like to go out. Her attentive nature is already accounting for what Hollow likes whenever they’re staying in her hometown and what they usually bring once they return from the forest. Though, a common theme is that whenever Sophie asks someone on a date, it isn’t necessarily a date in the romantic context -- as she’s pretty much like molasses to admit these things even when she’s painstakingly aware.

Hollow does ask out Sophie out, but in the case, it’s more spur of the moment because they aren’t too focused on that. It’ll usually be whenever Sophie is cooing and inquiring about things that Hollow does, and they take it as an ‘oh! she must be interested’ and offers the proposal. They also follow under the same umbrella of ‘dates aren’t inherently romantic’ like Sophie, but they also have different forms of showing affection, and going on outings usually isn’t seen as one.

Who is the bigger cuddler:

How in the world would one be able to successfully cuddle a demi-god of over 9ft? Sophie has that answer because she will do it and has no complaints about it. However, the way they join together isn’t like a normal ‘couple,’ as you can imagine. It’s usually just Sophie leaning against Hollow’s side, wrapping her arms around their side (careful for about the scars as she doesn’t want them to be uncomfortable).

Hollow is receptive at best when Sophie gives him a vocal head’s up as they’re still remarkably jumpy about touches (to a higher degree than Sophie). Accounting for how drowsy the seamstress would get, trying to refuse herself to sleep until she finally crashes after several days, Hollow tends to extend their cloak and wraps Sophie in it too.

As for initiating touch, Hollow is much more careful when they use their hands and arms. Which would be elaborated on in the next point.

Who initiates holding hands more often:

Sophie is the one to reach out and allows her palm to press against the nyx palm of Hollow’s comparing hand sizes and she might cheekily give their hand a squeeze. Though, she isn’t one that’ll always hold their hand, especially considering that Hollow would prefer open palms to equip their Needle if anything were to happen. After all, always keeping on the alert and able to fight was a part of how they were raised as they were destined to be the savior -- despite it not being in a way one would normally think it to be.

Hollow, however, initiates their own form of ‘hand-holding’ or quick forms of PDA through the fact they push and press their forehead against Sophie’s. More clicking, whistling, and humming would be emitted from them as they nestle against her as she’s unable to stop blushing, quiet tongue-tied at how much more intimate this tends to be. There is much more emphasis in face touching when it comes to Hollow and Sophie eats it up.

Who remembers anniversaries:

Both! It’s usually celebrated early into the morning because they both, admittedly, have a weird sleeping schedule and tend to be closer together once it’s night time and they’re not distracted. Sophie has made it a habit to count down to the damn hour and once it hits 12:00 AM, she will approach Hollow and shower them with adoration and reminding them ‘happy anniversary.’

In Hollow’s case, it has taken several years for them to realize their relationship with Sophie has developed into a romantic sense. So, while they remember the date recently, it was something that surprised them during the beginning and it’s still something to get used to. Though, they will never be empty-handed and unprepared for the day -- it’ll just being something that’ll take some hours to prep.

Who is more possessive:

Now, this relationship wouldn’t really ever get into the topics of jealousy and possessiveness, given Hollow’s general nature and how Sophie’s own jealousy doesn’t always come out and reveal its ugly colors. I would say neither.

Who gets more jealous:

Like the previous answer, I don’t see the dynamic exploring that much in jealousy and possessiveness. However, I will mark this as Sophie’s, given her self-deprecation and low views on herself. It is something that Hollow would learn after some time, as to how she tends to push away and keep to herself. 

Though, it isn’t aimed towards them, but it is own her own issues with understanding that her own jealousy is stemmed from feeling useless and, if she can’t provide, what’s the point of keeping her around. Hollow is remarkably sympathetic in this regard, when Sophie opens up about it, because their mutual trauma as eldest siblings, though VASTLY different in conditions, led to some suprising similarities in what they deal with about their self-perception (among other things). 

Who is more protective:

Both! Hollow is a god damn knight and will not hesitate to throw hands with anyone. Hell, there’s a point Sophie would have to plead with Hollow not to go so carelessly into fighting -- as they already do it without a problem and not needing a reason. Though, their protiectiveness is more of their presence available and them, being admittedly a outright terrifying cryptid demi-god prince, which would discourage anyone from bothering/targeting Sophie. Though, oh boy, I don’t think Hollow would think twice if someone does try to harm Sophie because hey, they got a sword, and the person tried to get violent, so let’s give him what they wanted- 

Sophie, meanwhile, is the outspoken one for Hollow’s behalf and it can get very embarrassing for the young knight. She would refuse to speak poorly about them and will not hesitate to reveal her previous affinity for dirty fighting. She will always see the better of her partner and will be adamant not to move from protecting them. 

Who is more likely to cheat:

Neither! It’s far too out of the character, especially considering their shared trait of fidelity. Hollow already isn’t interested or considering any relationships since it takes them a whiel to realize it. Sophie is way too emotionally taken in Hollow and would really ever consider someone else.

Who initiates sexy times the most:

Neither as Hollow isn’t interested in any sexual contact and it’s something Sophie learns shortly and will always respect.

Who dislikes PDA the most:

Both, but not for the usual reasons. They have to work through how they respond to touches and it’s a slow process. Though, Hollow is much of one who’ll be happy to receive, rather than give -- which works out for Sophie when she works on herself by being more affectionate in public. If anything, it’s not all about the displays and being physical, it’s more like being vocal in a springtime song of young love -- full of whistles and chirps and giggles. 

Who kills the spider:

Sophie wouldn’t be opposed to killing spiders, but Hollow tells her that she shouldn’t worry about it. So, neither.

Who asks the other to marry them:

Relationships aren’t so typical when you’re a demi-god in love with a mortal, who you know won’t last as long as you, but you know the love will. It isn’t a track that Hollow ever considered, even if Sophie admits it time and again about her own ‘simple’ and ‘silly’ dreams were to have a family, be it with or without a partner. It made the knight ponder the longer they stay with her, usually thoughtful of her actions and words, especially when she looks after people. 

Marriage wasn’t something that’d fit -- it wasn’t as simple as fitting a ring unto someone’s finger and exchange vows. But, it was Hollow who did propose to Sophie in their own unique way, which went beyond them pledging themselves to never leave her-- something they knew she terribly feared and they terribly realized would happen. 

But, Hollow proposes on a knee, like they remembered as they did when they were finally knighted. It was everlasting fidelity as long as she would live. She’d gently hold his hollowed mask against her chest, hugging him quietly, crying at the implications of her mortality, but even happier to know they were together.

Who buys the other flowers or gifts:

Neither! They both prefer making eachother gifts and it’s usually involving flowers and something Hollow would find in their travels. Sophie prefers focusing on seamstressing by fixing Hollow’s cloak and fitting hats on them around the time it got cold -- even if they’re not prone to getting cold. 

Who would bring up possibly having kids:

Sophie! Though, as their both eldest children, they have their hands full with their siblings. It would be more of her asking Hollow if they ever thought of having an apprentice or adopting.

Who is more nervous to meet the parents:

Sophie would be, if Hollow makes here aware of the fact that one their parents (White Lady) is still alive. There is quite a bit of context and plot needing to be developed if Sophie ever does go to Hallownest with Hollow. God, how would you go up to your parent and explain that you’re now courting a squishy little human.

Hollow, already, has met Sophie’s stepmother and her sisters by the fact Sophie gave them shelter at her home. They are not as confident, per say, but they don’t reveal just how nervous they can be. They get on well with Sophie’s sisters, more so Martha absolutely adores hearing the stories from Hollow that Sophie translates, while Lettie them remarkably intriguing, especially with what they aren’t (as in non-humans are pretty rare in these parts). 

Once romantic feelings are involved, or Hollow realizes their own, they’re more nervous about Sophie revealing that to her stepmother. Or, in some cases, they’re more worried about the long-term that they’re introduced, but one day, they’ll...they’ll need to leave. 

Who sleeps on the couch when the other is angry:

Neither. I don’t see them being them getting so angry with another that one is sentenced to the couch or needs to sleep apart. Though, there can be a flavor of mistrust and confusion when understanding the other and how little they may reveal about themselves. They don’t do it to hurt the other, but it is something that they need to work on independently as people. There might be times, however, that they may need to separate and they work away to work on their problems alone. 

Who tries to make up first after arguments:

Hollow. They spent far too many years chained up and harboring the Radiance inside of them to let any other moment go to waste. If they ever did fall into an argument, it would be a long silence before Hollow gently reaches out and checks on Sophie -- which shortly dissolves the negative emotions. 

Who tells the other they love them more often:

Both. Never a question about it because Hollow and Sophie are so soft for another :’)

[lachalaine]

SENSES AND OTHER ODDLY SPECIFIC HEADCANON’S

tagged by: your local meme thief aka; me.

tagging: please also steal it from me, it’s a fun one 🌸🌸

1. WHAT DOES YOUR MUSE SMELL LIKE?

Lavender is her main scent, as she utilizes it from her body wash and her shampoo and conditioner, although sometimes she likes to change things up and use green apple or ocean breeze scented body washes, something more -- refreshing and calm. She also smells like sulfur half the time though too, just because she deals with pyrotechnics a lot during her shows, and that’s primarily the main reason she’ll usually get one of the other scents to mask the smell, because they can tend to smell a lot more potent and clean then pure lavender sometimes. 

2. WHAT DO YOUR MUSES HAND’S FEEL LIKE?

Soft and smooth overall, and yet also just a smidgen bit rough, particularly around the fingertips. The girl works primarily with her hands, from utilizing simple instruments like the piano, to the different knobs on a DJ deck, and then often does she also have to get her hands dirty when actually setting up for events - pushing heavy speakers here, arranging spotlights, etc etc. It’s not necessarily absolute manual labor, but she isn’t just sitting pretty on stage all the time either. She likes to get involved. Then there’s also the fact that she likes to punch people a lot 🙃 so her hands ain’t exactly the daintiest in the land, no, but the einjerhar blood ensures any marks received heal fast for the most part, and if you were to just take a passing glance, you wouldn’t notice a thing. 

3. WHAT DOES YOUR MUSE USUALLY EAT IN A DAY?

She lives off of convenience store food, mainly because she can’t cook for shit. So she stocks her kitchen with some fruit and sandwich supplies, her fridge with rice balls and rice meals, only ever really having to heat it up when she’s ready to eat. But that usually only occurs when she’s around the house enough to actually eat it. Otherwise, when she’s out for the day - which is often - she’ll eat lunch and dinner out, usually going for Japanese food at a sushi restaurant nearby since for the most part is it fairly healthier compared to other types of cuisines. Otherwise, it’s hamburgers, and pasta, and Japanese barbecue. How does she keep her figure, you ask? Well -

Running from the law tends to be great cardio, no? 

4. DOES YOUR MUSE HAVE A GOOD SINGING VOICE?

Yes! Although it’s super unlikely anyone will ever really hear her sing. She sings only when she’s alone ( in her main verse ) because she’s self-conscious about her singing voice, and for all the tracks that she manages to put together - she’s never seen herself as being capable of actually providing the vocals she works so hard to sync to her music. 

Her voice however, is actually so very soothing and smooth. She has the vocals of a jazz singer, so she can croon out notes that are low and a bit husky, and it’s so gosh darn melodic to listen to. It’s why she’s an actual Jazz Singer in her Jazz Verse! 💕 but also, some additional fun stuff: 

Her singer voice claim is Banks, specifically how she sings these songs: Song 1 & Song 2

And in her Jazz verse, this is one of the songs I could see her singing on stage, for plot related reasons 🙃: Song

5.     DOES YOUR MUSE HAVE ANY BAD HABITS OR NERVOUS TICKS?  

Sometimes when she’s really overwhelmed and having trouble centering herself, she has a terrible, terrible habit of digging her nails into her palms to steady her breathing and calm herself down. Her nails aren’t terribly sharp necessarily, but they are a smidgen long and tend to dig deep into her skin when she gets like that. Sometimes she’ll accidentally break the skin, sometimes she leaves bruises dark enough to last more then a few hours. She says it’s because the pain helps her handle her emotions, so at least she can at least try to be above it all and just listen to reason, be rational, be calm, as opposed to breaking into tears or screaming, or doing something she’ll really, really regret. 

6.     WHAT DOES YOUR MUSE USUALLY LOOK LIKE, WEAR? 

Jackie’s hair is usually all curly and wild, sometimes let loose, yet most often tucked into a half up and half down braid that frames her face. Her attire is primarily what one would consider to be ‘music festival attire’, which is to say they are street style inspired bohemian outfits that spell out both fashion and function. On a usual basis will you see her wearing tattered denim shorts and jeans, most often paired with crop tops of varying cuts in either plain black or white. The trick she tends to go with is that she usually keeps her main clothes a basic color, and then her kimono’s / cardigans and jewelry are the ones that add all the glam and glow to her daily look. This helps tone off some of the intensity of the color and chaos of her hair, so it all looks nice and attractive and balanced - and not too painful on the eyes. 

7.     IS YOUR MUSE AFFECTIONATE? HOW MUCH? HOW SO?

Yes, but she’s not the most outright about it. She tends to be affectionate without even realizing she’s being affectionate, and then she gets all shy and huffy whenever it’s even remotely brought to her attention; curling back into herself and pouting and refusing to do it anymore. But her style of affection is damn so soft, that once someone gets into that phase with her, she can’t resist them at all! And it doesn’t happen often either, because she tends to hold most people at arms length even when they think she’s being the friendliest person in the room. But for the few that she holds in that regard, do they see a side of Jackie that’s really just very sweet. So remarkably sweet and warm and just genuinely delightful, prone to snuggling up close for hugs, leaning her head on their shoulders, tracing the lines of their hands and just kinda comparing them sometimes, even sometimes having them lay in her lap and she just kinda runs her hand through their hair so she can soothe them. Physical touches is how she best showcases her affection, so even if you don’t always get the words, you’ll always get the actions. 

8. WHAT POSITION DOES YOUR MUSE SLEEP IN?

She sleeps on her side, usually curled up into a pillow so that she doesn’t feel like she’s alone in her bed. Legs are often curled upwards, although she gets irritated with herself sometimes when she realizes that because it makes her spine curl in a way that frustrates her for some reason, so she tries to keep it straight whenever she can but it goes back to that position when she sleeps again anyway. When she’s sleeping with someone she cares a lot for, she sleeps best when she’s snuggled in their arms and on their chest, or when they’re snuggled in her arms and she can just kinda throw her leg over them and get all intertwined. So long as she can feel them close, she’s happy.

9.     COULD YOU HEAR YOUR MUSE IN THE HALLWAY FROM ANOTHER ROOM?

Only if she wants to be heard. When she’s relaxed and comfortable, you’d likely be able to hear her boots clip clopping against the ground, or maybe hear her laughter travelling through the walls. When she’s not so much at ease though, she tends to keep her presence quiet; knowing exactly how to move and how to modulate her tone so that you’d never even know she was in the actual vicinity, no matter how thin those walls can get. On top of that, not that she actually uses it consciously - but her one of her foremost einjerhar abilities is the fact that she can manipulate sound. Whether that means ridding other people of their sense of hearing, or ridding the overall environment of it, she can control it in ways to fit her own agenda, enough that it be severely jarring when you suddenly find yourself having to cope without it. 

Makes giving it back so abruptly, and on high volume, rather painful. 

[prxfessor-membrane-blog]

rules: repost, don’t reblog. just pick a muse of yours and fill it out.

muse: Professor Membrane

BASICS

▸ is your muse tall/short/average? He stands at 6′3 & id consider that taller than average.

▸ are they okay with their height? Yes! He’s glad he turned out to be tall. ▸ what’s their hair like? Greying on the sides, other than that its jet black. & his hair “spike” is a prehensile limb. ▸ do they spend a lot of time on their hair/with their grooming? Not really. This man will go a good week or more without washing or caring for it if he’s caught up in work. ▸ does your muse care about their appearance? He is...i don’t want to say self conscious. Perhaps secretive? Whatever it is, he doesn’t like showing much of his face. He also wears his gloves to conceal robotic arms & lab coat to conceal his body. So i would say that while he does CARE about it to some extent, he would rather just be seen as a brilliant scientist rather than the hot goth dad he used to once be. ▸ does your muse care about what others think about them? Yes. He wants people to know he is the smartest man on Earth. He wants people to love his inventions & recognize his brilliance. As for people who dislike him, he doesn’t care too much about that, because he knows he’s better than them.

PREFERENCES

▸ indoors or outdoors? Indoors, this man does not like being outside of his home/lab unless necessary. ▸ rain or sunshine? Rain, it makes for better atmosphere when he’s zapping things with lasers in his home lab. ▸ forest or beach? Forest, definitely. Beaches require too little clothing and he isn’t a fan of people STARING at his robotic arms or legs. ▸ precious metals or gems? Both! But he definitely prefers metals, working with them is more fun. ▸ flowers or perfumes? Does tea / coffee and fuel / chemicals count as perfume? ▸ personality or appearance? He cares about an INTELLIGENT partner. He couldn’t see himself with someone he can’t have stimulating conversations with.  ▸ being alone or being in a crowd? Alone. As much as he has to go to conventions / reveals for his new experiments, he doesn’t care much for it.  ▸ order or anarchy? Both. :) ▸ painful truths or white lies?  Professor is...brutally honest. However he can’t handle painful truths so he much prefers people lying to him.

▸ science or magic? SCIENCE.

▸ peace or conflict? World peace! It’s what he strives for. ▸ night or day? Night.  ▸ dusk or dawn? Dusk. ▸ warmth or cold? Cold. He is a professional skier after all & has an award for it. Besides, more reason to wear big, puffy clothes that conceal his stupid robotic limbs. ▸ many acquaintances or a few close friends? He isn’t the best at socializing nor is he the best as realizing emotions or social cues. He much prefers a few close friends - or acquaintances really. 

▸ reading or playing a game? Both. He enjoys reading physics in his free time but he also enjoys spending time playing games with his children.

QUESTIONNAIRE

▸ what are some of your muse’s bad habits? Whew well uh. Professor is...brutally honest. To the point where he hurts his children (Dib mainly) because of it. His denial of his sons interests, and constantly trying to force him to follow his footsteps is one of his BIGGEST flaws. Not to mention he experimented on his own daughter several times (superpowers, the pig episode ect). He is, in every sense of it, a horrible parent and a feral scientist. He would do anything in the name of science regardless of who it hurts. (Sometimes even his children). He is very logic based as well, and this means he doesn’t really get emotions, which attributes to his cold, honest personality. Not to mention he is STUBBORN.  ▸ has your muse lost anyone close to them? how has it affected them? Not necessarily a loss in the sense of death. But he did lose his parents, cutting off ties to them once he gained footing as a successful scientist. They most definitely did some damage to him & attributed to why he is how he is now. They contributed to his denial of the paranormal / aliens, they contributed to him constantly TRYING to be a better father (despite turning out just like them), they contributed to him not understanding feelings by them being just as scientific and cold as he is now. I mean...they did force him into science though, and while he did not go the destructive path that they did, he certainly has them to thank for his interest in it. Even if it was by...unconventional means. 

▸ what are some fond memories your muse has? Creating his children was one of the happiest moments of his life. One of his fondest memories with his son was when he presented his child to the world as his ‘little scientist’, mini lab coat on the boy and everything. One of his fondest with his daughter is when she finally got good enough at videogames to beat him, he’s never been so proud of her. ▸ is it easy for your muse to kill? Yes. While Professor is a peaceful man and wants world peace. He will do anything he can to protect those he loves, And if that means slaughtering a sentient robot army, or killing another person with his own two hands, he will do it without second thought. He will do it as if it were a normal every day task. As if it were as easy as writing his name. 

▸ what’s it like when your muse breaks down? Anger. Tears. He becomes an emotional mess that cant handle it. Lots of dissociating too.

▸ is your muse capable of trusting someone with their life? Maybe. If he met the right person. But his survival and his kids survival as he sees it, is in his hands.

▸ what’s your muse like when they’re in love? Love is a... tricky topic for him. It’s not something that comes easily, as he has to know a person well in order to actually be IN LOVE with them. But he is extremely clingy when he does have that person, he is also extremely protective of them. Willing to go out of his way to lay down his life for them just as he would with his children. He is also extremely affectionate... in his own way. Meaning he would constantly be creating things for them, wanting to show them off to the world. They would hold just as much importance in his life as his kids. But, his children will ALWAYS come first, even if his partner is loved just as much.

tagged by: @agentmothmxn tagging: steal it from me & tag me!