#i like learning about the characters and their relationships with each other it's really cozy

[ashtonisvibing]

just like me to arrive at a party late (i've gotten into welcome home- the puppets and their charm got me-)

[rosesradio]

have a valgrace smut drabble, for funsies 🤲💌

word count: 787

warnings: smut (obv), coming in pants—this one’s surprisingly fluffy compared to that last jercy one lmaoo

(for all intents & purposes these characters are aged up, college-aged seven quest etc)

———

As Jason cupped Leo’s face in his hands and kissed him, he took his time enjoying this moment alone.

Alone time was hard to come by on the ship, what with constant duties and monster attacks. Now, though, they had a lucky break—the ship was on autopilot north, the chores were done, and the other five were on deck in the case of a monster attack. So, Leo claimed he was getting a bath while Jason said he needed a nap before the pair practically ran to Jason’s room.

Now, Leo was in his lap, his kisses tasting like the strawberry ice cream he’d had after dinner. He felt so cozy and naturally fit against him, his gray sweatpants soft against Jason’s navy blue ones. Leo’s nimble fingers combed through Jason’s hair. Each short breath from Leo drove Jason to grip Leo’s hips more firmly, to touch him greedily.

He wasn’t used to having things. His time was never his own, always dedicated to the gods or the people under his praetorship. He’d never had a relationship before—Leo was his first everything. Jason knew, according to what they’d planned, they were going to take things to the next level.

Leo began to roll his hips down on Jason’s, the friction making Jason catch his breath.

“Aw, you like that?” Leo’s voice was light and teasing. Jason’s hands moved up to his waist, letting out a shaky breath at the curve of Leo’s arching back.

“Y-yeah,” Jason’s voice was small, much less dominating than he supposed he should have sounded. His cheeks flushed, and he nuzzled into the crook of Leo’s neck, pressing kisses to the skin there.

Leo didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps he didn’t mind. He might have even liked it, Jason observed, as Leo made more of an effort to push against Jason.

Jason felt a familiar coil begin in his stomach, the feeling overwhelming to say the least. He was a late bloomer in the most unnatural way; while he knew how sex worked, he’d never had the time or patience to learn how to find relief on his own. He took cold showers and practically prayed to the gods to make any of those feelings disappear. That is, until he’d gotten his memory wiped. After that—in the weeks after the initial flurry of don’t die don’t die don’t die, he’d found a bit of time to explore what he wanted. Once he did, it took him a while after that to rein it in.

In fact, Jason wasn’t sure if he’d quite mastered reining it in or not. With how good Leo was making him feel with this alone, he wasn’t sure how long he’d last. That idea was a little embarrassing, though his mind was too fogged to care.

“Leo,” Jason murmured, pushing up against Leo, breathing shakily against the crook of his neck. “L-Leo…”

Leo’s own breathy moans in his ear were making Jason’s head spin. He nipped Jason’s earlobe, his hands sliding up Jason’s shirt and grabbing at his chest. His fingers teased and pinched Jason’s nipples as he let out a low, pleasant hum. “Mm, yeah, muñeco?”

Jason wasn’t sure what that meant, though he knew that he was close. At this point, if he stopped, he would really hate himself at best—at worst he would have one of those delayed, half-assed orgasms.

He didn’t even think he could concentrate enough to warn Leo if he wanted to. Instead, the son of Jupiter gripped Leo’s hips, allowing the friction of Leo’s hard cock in his sweatpants to send him fully over the edge. He let out a sound that was just as much a moan as it was a whimper—if he could form a word, it would have been Leo’s name.

It took him about twenty seconds to reassess—about twelve for the orgasm to ride out, and eight for the realization to hit as he met Leo’s wide eyes.

“Did,” Leo started incredulously. “Did you just…?”

“No,” Jason shook his head quickly. “I mean, yes. I mean…sorry…?”

Leo’s incredulous look turned to a slight smile, and soon enough, he was laughing into his hand.

Jason buried his face into his hands, though before he could apologize again, Leo spoke up:

“Dude, don’t be embarrassed, that’s awesome!” He held up a hand for a high five. “I can’t believe that was all me—I mean, that’s absolutely legendary, the powers I possess—“

Jason let out an incredulous laugh of his own, though he gave his boyfriend a high five. He then intwined their fingers together, pressing his lips to his and pushing him against the bed. Although Jason was done, he wouldn’t be fully satisfied until Leo was as well.

[petit-etoile]

🪡how about a cute fic where astarion fixes up one of Tavs shirts and they realise they like each other or something heheee

here  is  my  hand  that  will  not  harm  you

pairing: astarion/tav wordcount:  1,110 content warnings:  none other tags:  canon compliant, introspection, character study, developing relationship, love confessions, getting together, gender neutral tav, human!tav archiveofourown: here.

tag list: @azrielshadows1nger, @pandimoostuff, @faevi, @microskies, @foreverthemaraudersera, @queenofthespacesquids, @claryvoyantfray, @6doodlaang14, @anne-isnotokay, @itshimbotime, @yeeteth-the-raven, @sessils,@8-opossums, @worryknotdear, @abirdaboxandachippedcup, @ghosts-and-ink, @b4um3pfl4um3, @gunslingerorchid, @hypopxia be added to the taglist here

summary:  Astarion repairs your clothes, and you can no longer keep a secret.

There is something Astarion is not telling you. You can tell in the way he slouches in his chair, his hands busy with the work he took upon himself, that there is something troubling him. Learning what Cazador’s scarring says has put a damper on his mood and everyone else’s, and now you’re all caught between procrastination and pushing on to the Moonrise Towers.

The Orthon fight took a lot out of you. Your armor took quite the beating, and afterwards with the rats… You’re glad to be staying at the Last Light Inn for one more evening. Everyone is resting before the fight tomorrow, and you’re relieved. You get one more night to sleep in a bed. The darkness of the Shadow-Curse is beginning to lift thanks to Halsin and Thaniel, and the shine of Dame Aylin’s excellence has caused Isobel to bask for hours on the balcony in self-imposed giddy isolation. It’s almost normal given the circumstances.

‘What do you think Gale is going to make for supper?’ you ask absentmindedly, turning the page of your raunchy smut novel.

Astarion hums in contemplation. You rest the novel you borrowed from him on your stomach and peer over at him. He insisted you take the bed after you arrived, and now he sits next to you biting his lip and cursing as he fusses over your chainmail. It’s quaint.

‘Hopefully just wine,’ he says with a snort. ‘We’ll need all the liquid bravery we can get.’

‘Do vampires get drunk?’

‘Certainly,’ he says. ‘A willing body drinks the wine, a willing vampire drinks the blood, and then they’re both willingly shit-faced.’

The thought of Astarion stumbling around drunk off your blood makes you laugh. It almost reminds you of how silly he was after devouring a bear, and you quietly begin manifesting that Astarion is right and Gale honors the tradition. You cozy down into the sheets and pat the book over your stomach as it growls.

‘Oh, fuck it!’ Astarion snaps suddenly.

He doesn’t fling your armor down as much as he seems determined to strangle it to death. There’s thread tangled around his fingers and his feet, and he’s pushing the needle back in his mouth as he fusses with a strap. He growls like an angry kitten and rubs at his brow in frustration.

‘What’s wrong?’ you ask nervously.

‘What’s wrong?’ he echoes, annoyed. ‘What’s wrong is that your armor is shit! To send you out there wearing it is basically wishing death upon you. It’s absurd how long you’ve worn this thing.’

You frown. It’s not exactly your favorite chest piece you’ve ever had, but you’ve worn it since the Underdark and haven’t found a suitable replacement. Then again, you hadn’t really asked Dammon when you arrived… You didn’t want to bother him as he was working on Karlach’s heart, and there was so much to do…

‘You can’t   —  You can’t go out there and fight everyone’s battles in armor held together by twigs and prayers,’ Astarion sniffs delicately. ‘I can repair it sparingly, of course, but… I wouldn’t feel good about it. It isn’t safe enough.’

‘What would you have me wear, then?’ you ask. ‘Perhaps there’s some additional armor somewhere in storage.’

‘This leather belt here is salvageable,’ he explains, showing you the damage from too many spells. ‘The chain mail will hold another fight, but…’

Something possesses you. You lean in, too close to his face, and watch as he runs his fingers over torn edges. He cares. About you. It takes you by surprise even though it shouldn’t. But Astarion doesn’t fuss this way over his own armor, just yours.

You look over his handiwork. You’ve seen it before in his clothes, his favorite sleep shirt, some of his socks, his gloves. He even repaired Karlach’s armor when she first joined. His hands are lithe and strong, and he works without too much thought like it’s second nature for him. Something about it is so bone-crushingly domestic that you can’t help but want to touch his hand. You cling to your book instead.

‘You’re good at this,’ you say.

‘Well, I’ve had quite a bit of experience,’ Astarion confesses. He smiles faintly at your praise. ‘Back at Cazador’s, I … I had a family I took care of. Sometimes they’d fight one another, and I’d fix little rips and tears. Learning to fix armor is a bit new, but none too difficult.’

‘Did you have many siblings?’

‘I had plenty,’ Astarion says. ‘I didn’t like them all. But I like you, so bring me all your clothes and I’ll fix them right up. I won’t even make you ask.’

You give in. You reach a single, curious finger towards his hand and slide it across the back of his knuckles. You take in the rise and fall of his hand, the smoothness of his skin, and the veins. He flexes his fingers beneath your hand and then, without saying a word, he turns his hand over so that he can hold yours. He muses over the connection and presses his fingertips to your pulse.

Gandrel, The Orthon, Raphael’s Deal. It goes without saying there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for him. You want to tell him, but the thought of saying it made you nervous. You hold your tongue. But if there was to be a fight at the Moonrise Towers, you wanted him to know. It plagues you too much that you start to stretch, so much so that you’re afraid to speak lest you start rambling on and on about how beautiful his eyes are and how you can’t stop looking at him and how he takes your breath away.

There’s no one else you want to have to fight by your side, but it isn’t just that. There’s no one else you want.

Carefully, as though you are more fragile than you truly are, Astarion removes your hand from his to continue fussing over your armor. The feeling of his hand still lingers on your skin, and it makes your stomach ache.

‘I had better go looking, then,’ you say thickly, ‘for another chest piece to wear. ‘

‘No, don’t go yet,’ Astarion says softly. ‘I  —  There’s something I want to talk about with you.’

He doesn’t say anything else. You stare at one another, the armor forgotten between you, and like magic from the Weave, everything changes. When you lean forward, Astarion meets you halfway with the shyest kiss he has ever given you and the most honest eyes he’s ever allowed you to look upon. After tonight, nothing will be the same and you think you’re fine with that.

[thebearme]

OH WAIT MY DUMBASS FORGOT TO ALSO ASK BTW IF YOU HAVE ANY HEADCANONS ON CAMERON OR GWEN

Imma just gonna start with Cam first, and let me just tell you Cameron I projected the most on because even after my "ihatehim no ilovehim" phase so idk maybe some of this could be out of character srry.

I imagine Cameron is south African, particularly Zimbabwean.

His a walking nerd emoji.

The only pass time Cam had was to draw bugs. So he's REALLY GOOD at drawing bugs. Only bugs. Everything else looks like it's from the diary of a wimpy kid.

Cam not that keen of physical touch but slowly getting used to it cuz of Mike. Mike also trying to remember that everyone is open on surprise hugs.

Idk why but with Zoey and Cam's relationship I just think of Carly and Freddie but without the crush.

Gwen and Cam would have art trades together.

Cam got the dryess hands in existence because of the amount of hand sanitizer he uses. OCD GAND RISE UP!

Im saying this now but Cam and B would TOTALLY VIBE TOGETHER!! i just don't know their intentions are yet so dont ask..

Lightning and Cam would have hangout if not for the cheating thing.

Duncan once asked Cam if he can draw a mural of his pet spider Scruffy.

Sam would take it as his personal duty to teach Cam in the way of being a gamer. By teaching him the Zelda timeline and the lore of FNAF. May god rest Cam soul after that.

Cam doesn't not do well with the more active people in Mike's system like Svetlana and Manitoba. They try to be gentle with him but they just don't know their strengths and Manitoba canonically eats dirt so there's only so much they can hangout.

Vito doesn't vibe with nerds but he does occasional try to back him up if he's getting bullied. ONLY if Vito himself isn't bullying Cam.

Cameron actually has the best relationship with Chester. He loves hearing history and old facts and Chester loves the excuse to chat someone's ears off.

Mal and Cam have more of a neutral relationship with each other but I can definitely see Mal thinking his just some weakling nerd until Cam shows him he knows how to make the Demon core.

Cam and Mike started a hate Scott club. Although Cam feels alil bad about, he tends to be reminded of why they started this club every time they go back to their cabin.

Cam once witnessed Scott use the bathroom without washing his hands. And never liked him since.

There was one time between season, Mike, Cam and Zoey were going on a little road trip. Z & M both ask what song should they play next? Cam said he doesn't know any songs so maybe just play the Ice cream truck theme. And that's when they find out HOW sheltered this boy is.

I would get into the nitty gritty but Cam's mom is NOT a good mom. Zoey and Mike have beef with her (Zoey trys to have the benefit of the doubt and said she just too over protective while Mike legit DONT like her.)

They both make sure that Cam gets as much outside time as possible and learn to have a life outside of his house.

When Cam goes to college is going aboard as an entomologist.

When Cameron first came on TD he didn't know what to wear because obviously he's never been outside so it a mixture of hot and cold clothes. Bro don't know fashion but it's his outfit changes in All Stars.

He's wearing a puffer jacket because it reminds him of a sleeping bag and makes him cozy + it has a cooling system inside thanks to B.

[gatoraid]

Happy 801 day to those who celebrate! I’m honoring this day by talking about one of the most amazing, memorable BL manga I’ve read this year.

Sleeping Dead by Asada Nemui is a deeply unsettling, melancholy, sometimes almost cozy and sometimes quite brutal horror BL story about science, zombies, trauma and obsession. It is thoroughly laced with black humor, and also manages to pose some tough questions about ethics and how far we’re willing to go in order to live, to survive. A French manga book club described the story as ”what if Mary Shelley had been a fujoshi” and that is not too far off either.

Content warnings for the story include gore, torture, cannibalism(?), rape, dismemberment, suicide.

Full text under the cut, includes spoilers.

Sada is a well-liked high school teacher who gets brutally killed when he’s out at night, making sure his students are not loitering out too late. His body is picked up by the ”mad scientist” Mamiya, who has devoted his life to researching resurrecting the dead. To him, Sada seems like the perfect test subject in more ways than one.

When Sada wakes up, he finds himself tied to a laboratory bed in an unknown location, his life altered forever. He is now a zombie-like living dead, whose body is resistant to injury but can only survive on a strict diet of human meat. What’s even worse, Mamiya subjects him to torturous scientific experiments day after day. When he tries to escape, it only makes it clearer how trapped he really is in this situation. For a long time, the only friend and companion Sada has is a living dead laboratory monkey whom he hangs out with and names Monkichi.

Little by little, Sada is able to win back some autonomy and gain more equal footing with Mamiya, shifting the power balance in their relationship. As they live together in their own secluded world, cook for each other or hunt for the next victim for Sada’s human meat smoothies, they slowly start to build a mutual understanding, even affection. And as we learn more about their pasts and motivations, it becomes even easier to understand why the characters act the way they do.

Asada Nemui is known for their unique, often quite dark BL stories. Sleeping Dead is definitely no exception, giving its own twist to the genre we know and love. It is definitely a BL story through and through, but the way it approaches romance, sex and relationships is pretty exceptional and thoughtful. Mamiya, who was raped by his bullies in high school, is deeply traumatized and his understanding of sex and relationship is very skewed.

This means that Sada and Mamiya start navigating sex and intimacy in a situation where one of them doesn’t even want to be touched. Even later on, Mamiya can only ever have sex while fully clothed. Mamiya’s trauma is treated as something deep and real that can’t be easily healed or dismissed, and I appreciate that. In romantic fiction of almost any kind, penetrative sex is often seen as the end goal or the only ”real” sex, but that type of attitude is not present in this story at all.

Sada is able to accommodate and understand Mamiya’s needs in a way that feels very touching. Even though Sada has a lot more experience in sex with men, he also confesses that he prefers after-sex cuddling to actual sex. He also prefers friendships to romance and doesn’t actively need to have a romantic partner, even if he understands that the society around him gives more value to romantic and familial bonds rather than friendships.

It feels like Sada and Mamiya are both outcasts in their own way: Mamiya visibly strange and ostracized by his peers, willingly withdrawing from the world around him, while Sada looks at the rules and conventions of society from an outsider pov while trying to live in it, enjoys being alone while understanding the benefits of human connection but also feeling like he’s different from others. With each other, Sada and Mamiya are able to carve out their own rules when it comes to sex and romance, just like they do with their whole existence on the outskirts of society.

Even with all the affectionate and domestic parts, Sleeping Dead is also very much a horror story. Since we are dealing with zombies, murder and eating humans, there are some gory bits, but the art does not dwell on the gore that much. There are many other levels and layers to the horror elements throughout the story instead.

At first, there is the quiet, existential horror of Sada’s new, undead life. He is forcibly brought back to a life he did not ask, made to eat fellow human beings, and can never go back to his old life or meet the people he once knew. There is a profound loneliness that you can see in his every expression and movement, the way he seems to be detached from everything around him, trying to understand why this is happening to him. This existential horror of being doomed to loneliness comes a full circle at the end, for a very chilling effect.

Then there is the horror of pain and torture, of Sada being treated as a test subject, stripped off of his humanity and agency. Just like Monkichi, the monkey that Mamiya has brought back from the dead, Sada is also locked in a lab and treated as an object, rather than a living being with feelings and needs. Through Monkichi and Mamiya’s various comments, the story explicitly links Sada’s horrific, inhumane treatment to the horrors of what non-human animals go through in the name of science and food production every day all around the world.

I personally really appreciated how hard Sleeping Dead goes when it comes to morality and ethical questions. When Sada expresses that he doesn’t want to eat human meat, Mamiya says that it’s not so different from killing cows or pigs for food, unless Sada was a vegan while he was alive. Sada has to admit that he wasn’t. They also ponder about whether it would be better to kill someone who’s an easy target, like someone living on the streets or an elderly person, or if it’s better to go after violent criminals who cause harm to society. These discussions between Mamiya and Sada give the story an almost philosophical air and make it a very memorable experience.

Even with all the serious topics and horror elements, the manga does not feel too heavy to read, thanks to all the black, deadpan humor that points out how absurd many of the situations the characters find themselves in are.

All in all, Sleeping Dead is a very exeptional story and it stayed with me for a very long time. The ending is especially haunting, especially when you think about how it relates to the title of the story, but talking about it would probably require its own post…. Let’s just say that I could barely get any sleep after finishing the story.

Unfortunately the manga has not been licensed in English yet, but it’s available in French at least.

Japanese version is available wherever jp books are sold, I read it on Ebookjapan.

[homestuckreplay]

Sburb Cat Necromancy DLC Unlocked

(page 441-442)

8/5/2009 wheel spin: Parent Bad :( verdict: INCORRECT

This was only a two page sequence but a LOT happened, so I gotta get into it.

Rose's house covered in snow is a BEAUTIFUL panel, lots of detail for such a low contrast color scheme. I am convinced that half the reason for Hussie making Rose live in a house Like That was so they could draw cool art of the house, and I'm not complaining. It's August and I'm sweating and looking at this gif still makes me feel like frosty nights and holidays are on the way.

WE GOT A ROSE AND GG CONVERSATION. FINALLY THE SET IS COMPLETE. I guess I don't need to write a sequel to this now, and I was laughably wrong about a couple of things - I had Rose giving GG information on Sburb when in fact it's the other way around, and I had Rose being a lot more skeptical of GG's mysterious knowledge than she actually is. [But I was totally right about them talking about pets and about GG mentioning that they're not as good at games as John and Dave, so I'll take a C on this.]

Some key facts we learn from the real Rose-GG Pesterlog: Rose's birthday is in winter, she lives in a place where it snows (possibly New England), John is the person who got her into knitting (just a few months ago), and she was knitting something for him as a gift, but didn't finish in time (the contents of the purple box on p.218). This is so cute. It felt when we met her like knitting was the most 'normal' of Rose's hobbies, and this explains why. It also shows that John knows her really well, given that he knew she'd enjoy it, despite it being nothing like her other interests. Rose has clearly thrown herself into it, completing the princess doll reconstruction, the laptop cozy, and assorted clothing items in just a few months, but she still hasn't finished John's present, probably because she struggles more when there's 'strong sentimental value' to her creation.

I think Rose is the best at banter of all four characters. Dave is not good at banter, he's responding to his own brain more than to his conversation partner sometimes, but Rose has shown the ability to bounce off all three of the others in a witty back and forth (see p.187 and 333), which is cool of her. And Rose and GG are both associated with being, honestly, smartass know-it-alls who at least believe they have more knowledge than others, although they do this in very different ways, so it makes sense they would try to outwit each other.

But it's really hard to get a read on how much they like each other. GG seems so nice and earnest even when they say things like 'you see not everybody always means the opposite of what they say the way you and dave always do' which from most people would be a jab but here feels like a patient explanation. Yet they didn't get Rose a birthday present despite working on one for John for 'years', and their 'tip' for Rose, while interesting, is explicitly something she should 'talk to john and dave about' instead of an offer for Rose and GG to do something together.

On the other hand, Rose has some expectation of a gift, and clearly puts value in GG's esoteric knowledge, given that she's far more open to believing a scientifically improbable prediction when it comes from GG. It might be that they both see the relationship differently - GG doesn't consider Rose a close friend but is still very nice to her because of their general demeanor and people skills, while Rose who is only nice to a few people interprets GG's kindness as the two of them being closer than they really are.

So, despite asking 'whats sburb??' on p.169, GG was the person who tipped Rose off to its release. This clears up some stuff on Rose's end, but only adds more suspicion and question marks to GG's whole deal. With Rose, it clears up why she was so fixated on sprite prototyping, what she meant on p.440 about this whole mess being Jaspers' fault - as he was Rose's first motivation to play Sburb - and her focus on necromancy, as this concept was specifically how the game was introduced to her. To be fair, 'childhood cat necromancy' fits her whole deal a lot more than 'immersive building simulator' does, and I like the idea that Rose - and by extension, John and Dave - got into Sburb through a secondary mechanic and not through the game's main purpose. It really makes it feel like they all stumbled backwards into this story.

It also explains why Rose is playing this game inside the mausoleum, right where Jaspers' corpse is. If she's planning to prototype him with a sprite, as the text is strongly suggesting, it makes sense to keep him by her side. 'I would describe my feelings toward the animal as lukewarm.' you absolute liar, you are braving a forest fire for the chance to see this cat again you big softie.

[nickeverdeen]

Could I request an Arcane match up?

I'm a 5'0 trans guy, studying creative writing and with a diploma in childcare. I love writing, making collages and baking when I'm able to. I also love playing video games, even if I really suck at them.

I'm pretty badly chronically ill, I essentially have the flu 24/7, and I'm severely mentally ill with complex ptsd, which mainly means I can't control my emotions at all and have a tendency to overreact and I struggle with hella nightmares. I also have autism, adhd and just a niiice long list of shit going on! But it's okay we ball

I love pink, sanrio and generally soft things. I used to do taekwondo and love running before I got sick, and I also used to paint and love studying before I got sick too, though now I can't do any of the above since I'm in a wheelchair if I leave the house and I struggle to retain new information.

I have a real deep love for CaitVi tbh.. only thing that could get between me and my bf is a poly with them 🙏 so scared for the next season tbh

I've been described as the human version of fluttershy, but I've also been described as very stubborn and sarcastic. I generally have to be reliant on others due to my health, but I love people very very deeply

I'm looking for romantic match ups, out of sheer curiosity, and also because I have arcane ocs I ship with certain people and I'd be curious to see who they'd be matched up to.. I just feel a bit weird asking for my ocs to be matched up LOL

Your Arcane match is…

Viktor

Viktor would love hearing about your creative writing and would often ask to read your work, offering thoughtful feedback

He’d see your words as a window into your soul and cherish them deeply

Aware of your physical limitations, Viktor would design small gadgets to make your daily life more comfortable

He’d do it subtly, ensuring you never feel pitied

He would encourage you to take breaks when your health limits your activities, reminding you that rest is an act of strength, not weakness

Viktor might initially be unfamiliar with your love for Sanrio but would grow to adore it

You’d catch him researching characters to surprise you with themed gifts

He’d make sure your shared space is filled with cozy blankets, plush pillows, and calming lights, creating a sanctuary for both of you

Viktor, though reserved about his own struggles, would find solace in opening up to you about his insecurities, knowing you’d never judge him

After a nightmare, Viktor would hold your hand or softly hum while you ground yourself, offering quiet, unwavering support

Your stubbornness and sarcasm would amuse Viktor, and he’d counter with his dry wit, creating playful banter that lightens heavy moments

When you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, Viktor would remind you that it’s okay to feel deeply, offering calm words and a safe space to process

Your love for collages would inspire Viktor to collaborate with you, combining your artistic touch with his meticulous design to create something meaningful

He’d eagerly join you in baking, even if he’s not particularly skilled

His attempts at decorating cookies would make you laugh until your sides hurt

Despite being analytical, Viktor wouldn’t excel at video games either, but playing together would become a beloved pastime filled with laughter and learning

Knowing you love running and taekwondo but can no longer participate, Viktor would find ways to bring the joy of movement back into your life, like scenic wheelchair strolls or virtual fitness games

Viktor would notice your needs before you voice them, from fetching water during a coughing fit to gently guiding you to rest when you’re overexerted

Both of you have faced significant challenges, and your relationship would thrive on the mutual recognition of each other’s resilience and determination

You’d spend evenings cuddled on the couch, Viktor engrossed in his work while you write or make collages

The quiet companionship would be a balm for your souls

Viktor would integrate subtle pink elements into his workspace to match your aesthetic, from a pen holder to small Sanrio-themed decorations

Your love for learning, though hindered by your health, would inspire Viktor to create innovative ways for you to absorb information, like audiobooks or interactive tools

Viktor would fiercely advocate for your needs, whether in a medical setting or navigating daily life, ensuring your voice is heard and respected

Despite both of your struggles, Viktor’s love for you would be steadfast, rooted in admiration for your kindness, creativity, and determination

[bunnymajo]

Went ahead just filled out that whole OC ask prompt for Quake the Elephant :P

Get to know her better! She'll be competing in the @sonic-oc-showdown going on right now!

You can vote here!

Name: Quake the Elephant

Species: Asian Elephant

Type: Power

Alignment: Good

Home: Sol Empire (wanders)

✨How did you come up with the OC’s name?

Since Blaze & Marine have very on-the-nose names based on their powers I wanted a similar kind of name for her. So I thought of a bunch of earth-related names that I thought were cute, Quake I was on the fence about but after talking with some friends (shout-out to the bumblekast server) who liked it I started warming up to it too. 

🌼  - How old are they? (Or approximate age range)

Late teen/young adult. Older than Blaze

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?

Not currently. 

🍕  - What is their favorite food?

Anything Lychee flavored. Tropical fruits are always a hit in general. Never eats meat.

💼  - What do they do for a living?

A traveling oracle, she can pick up vibes and premonitions from certain gemstones or rock formations. People seek out her help for advice or if there’s land that needs excavating

🎹  - Do they have any hobbies?

At her core Quake is just a big rock nerd. She likes learning and going to museums if there's any kind of exhibit about geology

Also all her jewelry is handmade so she's good at metal craft, all her rings are melted down ores & metals she's collected. There's a story behind each one.

🎯  -What do they do best?

Crush rocks. Look at rock. Know where rock came from.

🥊  -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do?

She loves to just sit and enjoy her surroundings, no drama, only sitting

She hates shopping for herself. She doesn’t mind it if it’s a gift, but clothes shopping for herself in particular she’s just really uncomfortable with the whole experience (look around, looking at sizes, trying them on, figuring out if she likes it enough to wear more than once, standing in line to buy it. etc. )

❤️  - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

I could be cheesy and say when she made friends with Blaze & Marine, but other than that she's always traveling she doesn't usually spend time with other people on her birthday or holidays - but one time a town she was staying at found out and threw her a small surprise party and she still cries when she thinks about it.

✂️   - What is one of your OC’s worst memories?

Sometimes picking up & and experiencing the memories of an old rock aren't always pretty. She doesn't like to talk about them.

🧊  - Is their current design the first one?

There’s a few initial sketches I did to get the overall idea going, but currently she’s on her 1st finalized design

🍀  - What originally inspired the OC?

I like powerhouse ladies and I like plus-sized representation in my favorite media, Blaze currently doesn’t have that in the Sol dimension so I took that as a challenge to see if I could make one. Sega also (currently) isn’t really keen on large mammal designs like elephants or horses, so I wanted to see if I could make a large hooved animal fit into the Sonic template. 

🌂  - What genre do they belong in?

I picture her fitting right into a kung-fu movie, as either a wise mentor or the hero's traveling companion, or even a mini boss depending on the situation.

She would hope she fit right into a cozy slice of life drama or a hallmark movie though, but she has too much of a fantasy character presence

💚  - What is your OC’s gender identity and sexuality?

Identifies as a girl, she/her/they pronouns, Ace Lesbian

🙌  - How many siblings does your OC have?

Currently 0. She views Marine as what it would be like to have a little sister though.

🍎  - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like?

Parents? In Sonic’s world? Ha!

Her oracle powers can be traced through her lineage though. I imagine she would view them with respect.

🧠  - What do you like most about the OC?

She’s cute and she can punch a rock in half

I also just like gentle giant characters. She's oc comfort food.

✏️  - How often do you draw/write about the OC?

Not as much as I should but I really want to change that, I think there’s so much potential to explore Blaze’s world and it’s just sitting there.

💎  - Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?

Absolutely not. Even if there was a dire situation where death seems like the only way out, I’ve seen enough magical girl baloney to know there’s always another way. Blaze & Marine would snap her out of that “I have to end myself here to save everyone” mentality, but that's the only kind of scenario where I'd even think about that.

💀  - Does your OC have any phobias?

Claustrophobia, including feeling closed in by big crowds 

🍩  -Who is your OC’s arch-nemesis or rival?

In a playful manner, Blaze as a rival. 

🎓  - How long have you had the OC?

About 5 months :’D

Thanks for reading!

[andypantsx3]

andie can u give us some book recs?<33

Yes!! Although normally I think recs are best given in the context of your other tastes, because I find literary preferences to be a highly-individualized thing!! So without knowing what other books you love, idk how my recs will hold up.

But I will give you some of my personal recent faves!!

I have already talked at length about my favorite book of all time The Goblin Emperor, and I think I've already also recommended the Pink Carnation series to my fun silly regency romance lovers, so I will not go into depth on them here but those are easily my all time faves.

I forget if I have also already talked about Winter's Orbit so forgive me if this is repeat info for you!! But I absolutely loved this book.

SUMMARY: While the Iskat Empire has long dominated the system through treaties and political alliances, several planets, including Thea, have begun to chafe under Iskat's rule. When tragedy befalls Imperial Prince Taam, his Thean widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with Taam's cousin, the disreputable Kiem, in a bid to keep the rising hostilities between the two worlds under control. But when it comes to light that Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan himself may be a suspect, the unlikely pair must overcome their misgivings and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the Iskat court, try to solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war... all while dealing with their growing feelings for each other.

I really like the way Kiem's & Jainan's pictures of one another shift over the course of the narrative, and as you read them through one another's eyes you understand their unreliability in self-narration due to their own personal insecurities. And what I love is that they both strive to emulate the traits they grow to respect in one another and that becomes the key to defeating the forces working against them!! It's so masterfully done, very gentle and thoughtful, and I hope someday to write a book just like this.

As an aside the author also got their start on ao3 and has a tumblr account and you can really feel the love & respect for some of the fannish conventions in their work. Cannot recommend enough.

This is also so basic of me but I would be remiss if I did not also recommend Howl's Moving Castle which I recently reread. If you have seen the movie but not read the book, you are absolutely missing out because it's very much its own unique experience with several divergences from the plot of the movie. Sophie's perspective is hilarious, it's such a fond send up of men in general, and I love the extra argumentative element to Howl & Sophie's relationship we get to see here; I feel it adds way more depth to their characters and relationship and you will totally eat it up.

I also read The House Witch recently and would definitely recommend to fantasy fans who are in the mood for something wholesome and cozy!!

SUMMARY: When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals. But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long. After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that’s only the beginning—because Fin’s past is catching up with him just as his love life is getting complicated . . .

It is not the most tightly-buttoned narrative, I think because there are several more books in the series that I haven't read yet, so there are lingering threads of an overarching plot I've not seen sewn together yet. But it's an extremely easy and accessible read and I again really loved the respect and admiration the characters grow for each other, even as they resist their feelings for one another.

This rec in particular though I can see people disagreeing with me on, as some of the humor is like kind of immature and you can tell the author is inexperienced and/or the editing team did not quite do their jobs as some of the ending felt forced or cobbled together. But overall I really did like this book, I thought the gems of a really compelling story shone through the little dirt there was lol.

I also cannot recommend most of Naomi Novik's work enough either. In particular I would recommend Spinning Silver (Uprooted too but that's wildly more popular and you might have already read it!!).

SUMMARY: Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk--grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh--Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar. But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love. Channeling the vibrant heart of myth and fairy tale, Spinning Silver weaves a multilayered, magical tapestry that readers will want to return to again and again.

Her prose is always immaculate, vividly descriptive but succinct enough to keep the story going at a driving pace. She always writes like the most compelling female POV characters, to me; driven and complex without falling into the trap of being ~so special uwu~ or ~angry murder girlie >:(~ which I feel so many authors end up flattening their FPOV characters into!! She is absolutely masterful at taking common ideas/tropes and turning them on their heads/fleshing them out in unique and interesting ways.

Lastly, I have also been reading through a bunch of MXTX's danmei series LOL. I haven't finished Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation so I can't quite give a coherent account yet but I have been enjoying it so far. What I can say is I like how conversational and silly her style is even while tackling gruesome and fairly problematic concepts, and I very much love the sweeping and single-minded focus the love interests always have on one another. She also is very good at writing unreliable narrators whose perspectives you don't really understand are unreliable until the end of the narrative, and it makes you fonder of them for all their self-doubt and strength in the face of hardships they try to downplay.

[unethicallypleistocene]

hello, me again :) seems like summer is kicking ur ass. i would feed u summer fruits myself but since i can’t, eat them for me? 🥺 but no you’re not ending anything (asks or otherwise) on a depressing note, not on my watch. so! answer some more: 3, 12, 17, 27, 30. also, i love ur ask box title. truly feels like i’m dropping a letter for a dear friend

P.S: thank u for ur unwavering support of my holmesposting & denethorposting! 💕💕 i hope u know that i’m the same w ur cherikposting + can’t deny that they’re v amusing & so is ur commentary on them lolll

aaaaaah I am smooching you platonically!! I actually like summer quite a bit more than winter, but I suppose I have a good amount of Dread coloring my experience. Rest assured that I am consuming summer fruits at maximum velocity! Just this morning I horked down an unadvisable amount of mango (although there really isn't an amount of mango that's unadvisable besides. none) and I hope you're doing the same!! The horrors persist but so does fruit. And thank you for complimenting my ask box! I quite like it too, I really wish I had a similar cozy-looking mailbox irl that was full of the lovely messages from friends I have here! Also: ofc I will always be rooting for your holmesposting and denethorposting! Recently I've been debating whether I prefer holmes/watson as a qpr or a romantic relationship (both. both is good. they might be in a sam/frodo situation here). Thank youuuu for supporting my cherikposting as always! They're so silly and I hate them but that's why they're special to me <333

also. me learning you read my cherik commentary and find it amusing:

On to the actual questions!!

3. What are some of your pet peeves?

Time to get meta with it: when people ask for my pet peeves. I'm never able to come up with something Normal so either I say something actually true that's kind of niche and end up getting weird stares, or I panic and just make something up that's not true and end up spending time feeling bad for lying even though, really, who cares. My autism's kryptonite: pet peeve questions.

12. Something you want to monologue about?

Since I'm still in cherik prison, it looks like there's only one option. Sigh. There's something really tragic about ideology, especially ideologies that are more-or-less aligned, tearing people apart. When an ideology has the power to interfere with a (GAY) relationship, it thereby cements itself as a part of the self. It's more than identity, it's more than a motivator, it forces characters to become figureheads. Of course this is obvious for Charles and Erik specifically, that's been their purpose in the comics since the 60s (and this is especially important in the symbolism/allegory heavy world of x-men comics). Unfortunately for me, I just think their conflict is so much more interesting when they're actually together! They're constantly forced to deal with the cognitive dissonance of the most important person in their lives representing an obstacle to their deepest beliefs. And that's fascinating! I don't think they have to constantly be at the brink of divorce to be at odds, either. From my perspective, they probably increasingly like each other the more they fight, those absolute freaks.

17. Space, enchanted forest, magical kingdom, or underwater city?

Enchanted forest! Let me be an ent!! Let me shepherd the trees!!!

27. What fascinates you about humanity?

A passion for knowledge (of any kind!). People can spend decades studying a single topic, people can spend hours upon hours writing nonstop about a character. That love is so mysterious and beautiful to me.

30. What is your favourite way to create?

I love brainstorming writing ideas by listening to music. If someone opened my brain during my near-daily music session they'd find cumulative hours of animatic-style storyboarded narratives mapped onto songs. I know other people do this too, which makes me SO happy.

[naancypants]

I think I've pinpointed the main reason I'm so viscerally unhappy with the direction the writers chose to go in with Nace -- obviously this is just my opinion, so any use of objective terms like "supposed to be", etc is not meant to be taken literally. It's just me airing out my takes on the storytelling.

For me, one of the most appealing things about Nace is how they juxtapose all of Nancy's other romantic endeavors. From the beginning, it's been different with Ace. He isn't a fast-moving hookup or a form of escapism. He gradually grows into the role of a best friend, a partner, someone she is emotionally open with, and the person who can keep her steady when shit hits the fan. Ace's presence encourages Nancy to embrace love (especially self-love) rather than facilitating her urge to push it away.

I associate Nick and Owen, Nancy's season 1 ships -- which ideally would establish a starting point for her -- with Nancy resigning to choices or circumstances that are out of her control, and having to move on from something she really wanted to make work. Both of these relationships were ripped from her grasp, thus leading to pain and reinforcing her belief that she isn't deserving of That Kind of love.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Season 4 has essentially applied these negative season 1 traits to Nancy/Ace, her supposed endgame, with the curse and how it has torn them apart. I've always believed her endgame should break down these patterns entirely, not slap a new coat of paint on them. The idea is for Nancy to learn that true love doesn't HAVE to be painful, that love shouldn't break your spirit. Not when it's the right person. There's no real reason to be rehashing angst and hopelessness and rebounds this late in the game -- not with Ace, who is narratively recognized as The One. This should be the relationship for Nancy that symbolizes joy and the warmth of falling for a friend. It should feel cozy and stable. Why would we want to validate Nancy's belief that great love must come with great suffering? I've always loved Nace for the themes of growth that it reflects in Nancy's character -- that she is learning what real love feels like, that she is embracing her most authentic self, that she has moved away from the closed-off girl we met at the start who used relationships as a distraction from her pain.

Ace is supposed to represent comfort, security, and a safe haven from the strife that surrounds Nancy's life... yet now he is the central cause of her strife. I don't want her to be miserable because of whatever is going on with Ace. I want Ace to be her solace from whatever else is making her miserable! That's how this relationship was built to function!!! That was the entire point!!!!!

I can't help but feel like this star-crossed drama sours their connection a little, when I ship them specifically for the way Ace has always been an anomaly for her; someone with whom she could let her guard down and communicate freely due to the harmonious undercurrent between them. Now they can't make it through (1) conversation without 'breaking up' or stabbing each other in the heart. It's exhausting. It's counterintuitive to everything I love about them. I don't expect a relationship without its bumps in the road, but their arc is so dramatic and heightened now, it's like the writers have disregarded why these two worked so well together in the first place.

All I ever wanted was a sweet little slowburn coworkers-to-besties-to-lovers arc where they both surprise themselves by falling for each other 💐 of course I'm still rooting for them to end up together, but it hurts to know that what was once my #1 currently-airing OTP is barely even a shell of what I hoped it would be.

[richincolor]

Book Review: True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li

Summary: College freshman Grace Tang never meant to rewrite the rules of love. She came to college to move on from a grief-stricken senior year and to start anew. So she follows a predictable routine: Attend class, study, go home and visit her dad every weekend. She doesn’t leave any room in her life for outliers or anomalies.

Then, Grace comes up with an algorithm for her statistics class to pair students with their perfect romantic partners. Though some people are skeptical, like Julia, Grace’s prickly coworker, Grace is confident that her program will take all the drama out of relationships. That’s why she keeps trying to make things work with her match, a guy named Jamie. But as the semester goes on and she grows closer to Julia, Grace starts to question who she’s really attracted to.

In award-winning author Christina Li’s YA debut, Grace will have to make a choice between the tidy equations she knows will protect her from heartbreak or the possibility that true love doesn’t follow any formula.

My Thoughts: Can love be predicted with logic and numbers? It's an interesting question that Grace and her fellow math classmates are wrestling with for their project. Science and math can do a lot of things for us so why not finding matches for people? It's a fun topic to explore or at least watch characters attempt to do so.

Grace learns a lot about herself as she and her math partners implement their program. Why some people click and others don't has them questioning their algorithm, but also themselves. The friends and other students that Grace is interacting with have opinions about the project, but the farther they get into it, the more questions arise. 

The story bounces back and forth between her college freshman year and the time when her mother was still alive and before a rift with Grace's best friend. She's grieving both losses and is only beginning to venture into new relationships both romantic and otherwise. She stumbles around a bit, but the book feels like a hug as she finds some connections, learns about herself, and begins to heal.

Seeing her muddle her way through new relationships was a little like watching a young horse start walking. It's a lovely coming of age story as Grace really delve into her feelings and discovers more about herself. She creates new bonds and takes a good look at how she has interacted with her father and her previous best friend. 

I loved the snowy ski excursions and it made me realize I haven't seen skiing in many young adult books. Grace and Julia have that common interest which really helps them get to know each other and it adds to the cozy feeling of the book. This book would be great with a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket.  

Recommendation: Get it soon especially if you enjoy seeing characters discover more about themselves and like a sweet bit of romance. 

Publisher: Quill Tree Books

Pages: 389

Review Copy: Final copy via publisher

Availability: On sale May 14, 2024

[rocketturtle4]

Not Me some more - Eps 6 & 7

@plantsarepeopletoo @anon451 @shouldiusemyname @thegalwhorants @wen-kexing-apologist @slayerkitty @fanfictionroxs @pandasmagorica

First post here

You're getting an update sooner than I thought because I skipped nearly allll my Sunday shows to take advantage of me and the watchbuddies all being on the weekend! (Oh My God Love in Translation finale brb - update will wait) (Finale was good am back, I feel so warm and cozy, what was I talking about again? Oh yeah how amazing Not Me is)

Episode 6 was a lot and episode 7 was AMAZING

There was NO Todd in either ep so I have no additional thoughts on him.

The plan in ep 6 was bonkers but it was crazy for White to switch it out right at the end!! Strangulation was a bit much though...

[Image of Yok saying: Your plan sucked]

I did adore the crosswalk metaphor in 6 1/4 though, walking into traphic because you're in the right doesn't mean you won't be killed, and if you are killed will your death have made a difference? mmmmm I really want other people I know to watch this show...

[Image of White saying: Your life is worth more than you think}

interestingly one of the only things I had already seen was that moment under the pride flag

not with sound or words, just the hand grab and the jumping and, with no context, I had assumed it would be much later in the series, a moment where the characters accept their relationship to each other...but nope, Instead it was a moment of shared celebration before that shift in the relationship, I might love that even more!!

Episode 7 felt like it shifted tone a little though to what I'm not quite sure yet.

We did get apparent resolution/explanation for the Eugene/Gram stuff

[Image of Eugene saying: Knowing nothins is the worst thing ever]

Seriously, she was dumped and then drawn in and then dumped again, very rough for Eugene.

I'm still not sure whether Graham was in love with Black or her though...

No more evolution on the theory of who hurt black and why specifically, except it's either the obvious answer (Tawi) or Tod...

Also, gosh! First was distracting this ep! Like how am I supposed to read the subtitles when I can't look away from his eyes??

[Multiple images of Yok staring at other characters]

Excuse me sir, please put your eyes away so I can focus!

[Image of Yok with his hand on Grahams face as they stare into each others eyes]

ALSO WHAT KIND OF TEASING WAS THIS ^^^ First Graham and Black now Graham and Yok? Somebody better kiss Graham soon (I mean he did kiss Eugene but STILL).

The nuance of Yok's mother being negatively impacted by his actions... ahh I do adore it.

@plantsarepeopletoo made a comment when we were watching about White being thought and Black being action and the halves of the whole they make up. All these people influenced by Black's action now being exposed to White's thought...

[Image of Sean and White asleep together]

Also again, OffGun is still working for me no matter how much I want White and Graham to kiss...

PLUS

Cop/Yok progression!! (I haven't learned Gawin's characters name yet)

[Yok saying: Will you uncuff me so we can have a proper conversation]

(Gawin also showing off his eyes this ep!)

(also Yok loves him for his skill as an artist?? Be still my beating heart)

I have been promised GOOD things for next ep :D

[Yok saying: It's my turn to draw you]

Also commentary on the police!! The actions we don't see and the difference between individuals and an organisation. SO MUCH IS BEING SAID IN THIS SHOW. Working both inside and outside organisations is required to make change. Also the way officers are granted automatic respect/lack of suspicion.

[image 1 with Yok saying: being both a cop and an artist that runs from cops. Image 2 with cop saying: I want to make things better than they are now]

Plus the confirmation from multiple characters this ep around knowing that their actions might lead to death or jail and choosing it anyway... Youth is such a passionate time.

[Yok saying: I never considered myself a hero who fights for justice]

[Sean saying: I do whatever needs to be done]

I think that's all for now, I am curious how the rising up of more people might challenge the more extreme actions of the gang, since White was working hard this ep to make them understand that alienating the people would only hurt their cause...

Also how long before Black wakes up? And at what point does the gang find out? Is White in place for the whole series?

Also didn't get any dad these two eps either so White hasn't been White for a while...ugh patience

This ended up with a lot of Yok images again... no idea why that keeps happening.

[the1trueanon]

Finally got around to making Sage/Rosemary's Neighbor Chart!! Maybe now I can finally get myself to do her official Neighbor description XD

Welcome Home and all it's characters belong to the great @partycoffin!! The Neighbor Chart template belongs to w i s d o m#0465 (thank you for making it)! Sage and Rosemary belong to me (@the1trueanon) -w-

Here's a further description of all of their relationships for you guys! ⏬

Wally: Sage isn't very close to Wally at first, though he does make it known that he is looking out for her in little ways. Though sometimes it seems almost as if Wally is sad or wistful around her. Despite this and some of his weird behaviors, they end up as rather good friends until Sage starts remembering Rosemary. Wally and Rosemary are very close. When Rosemary was alive, Wally was one of her closest friends and confidants. Now, Wally acts as a guide and companion as Rosemary remembers herself and tries to work out who she is, and Rosemary teaches Wally about the Outside and about himself and all the new things he learns and experiences. The two of them have the closest relationship, and love each other very much. One could potentially call them soulmates @:3

Barnaby: Barnaby and Sage are pretty good friends, though they aren't particularly close at first, They become much closer when Rosemary starts coming back. Barnaby and Rosemary become practically besties, as both of them adore making horrible, horrible jokes together. He's also an older sibling/father sort of comfort figure for her at times. The two of them and Wally hang out a lot.

Sally: Sage and Sally are very close, and end up dating each other! Sally prompts shy Sage to do more things, while Sage is Sally's voice of reason. However, the relationship between Sally and Rosemary is complicated. Though Rosemary and Sage end up as one person and still love Sally, and Sally still loves Sage, their relationship is strained with the introduction of Rosemary. But no matter if they stick together or break off their relationship, Sally and Sage/Rosemary will always be close.

Poppy: As always, Poppy plays a generally "motherly"-like role for both Sage and Rosemary. She and Sage often share recipies, complete with ingredients from Sage's garden. Poppy was also very key to helping Rosemary adjust when she finally came back to herself. When Rosie would have panic attacks or get overwhelmed, Poppy, Barnaby, and Wally were the main three able to help her step away and calm down again. Rosemary finds Poppy's company very comforting and cozy.

Frank: Frank and Sage are really good friends! Frank enjoys being around Sage as she's much calmer and less energetic than the others, and listens whenever they like to talk. The two share lots of gardening tips and ideas, and Sage gives them recommendations on what plants to try out in their garden. While Rosemary is noticeably more energetic and chaotic than Sage, Frank is still pretty close friends with her too. With Rosie's new confidence, she and Frank can now enjoy sassing each other back and forth XD The two are still gardening buddies all the way, and Rosemary even helped Frank with setting up an apiary once for him to study bees!

Howdy: Whether Sage or Rosemary, the general relationship between her and Howdy remains pretty much the same: she's one of Howdy's suppliers! Whether it be flowers or herbs, syrups or supplies, Howdy and Sage pretty much engage in a "tradesies" sort of deal. Sage, of course, still runs her own shop, but a lot of her supply also goes to Howdy's store. A bonus, however, of the addition of Rosemary is that Rosemary now engages in jokes with Howdy and Barnaby, typically resulting in the three of them dying of laughter on the floor!

Eddie: Eddie is probably the neighbor Sage/Rosemary has the least relationship with, though they're still good friends and enjoy spending time together. However, between Sage/Rosemary's work and Eddie's hectic schedule, the two don't normally get to spend time together unless it's in a group. Unfortunately, they're both workaholics 😅

Julie: Julie's bouncy personality typically overshadows Sage's calm and quiet demeanor, so while Julie and Sage are pretty good friends, most people wouldn't particularly recognize it. Sage is pretty good at helping calm Julie down when she gets overexcited however, and Julie -- like Sally -- pushes Sage to come out of her shell. Julie and Rosemary, on the other hand, are very obviously good friends. Paired up with Frank, the three of them can start a teasing spree that never ends! If Rosemary isn't with Wally and Barnaby, you'll absolutely find her with Julie and Frank.

[utanoprincesamascenarios]

Could I request Starish and qn's reaction to their s/o playing an otome games like mystic messenger and getting really into them and the characters??

Otoya likes video games as much as the next person, but he’s a little shocked when he sees how long his s/o plays at a time! He’s always happy to listen to whatever his s/o has to say about their current game. Otoya will also keep an eye out for any new releases that his s/o might take an interest in and might surprise them with a copy if it’s on a console. 

Masato is a little flustered when he learns of his s/o’s interest in romance games. Admittedly, they’re not his cup of tea, but it’s a hobby that means a lot to his s/o, so he puts an honest effort into understanding them. He’ll come to the conclusion that his s/o likes those games because they’re a big romantic at heart, and that’s a trait he’s always admired about them. 

Natsuki thinks it’s adorable when his s/o gets worked up over the characters in their games. He’ll make sure to remember the names of all of their favorites, and he’ll even pick one to be his own ‘favorite’. He’ll make sure that his s/o knows that they will always be his number one favorite, and they’ll tell him that the feeling is mutual. 

Tokiya isn’t really one to play video games, but he is an avid reader and he’s no stranger to getting sucked into a good story. It’s something fun to talk about at first, and when he sees how invested his s/o really is, he thinks it’s rather endearing. However, he does complain a little when his s/o plays in bed and the light from the screen interrupts his sleep.

Ren would definitely tease his s/o, but it would all be good natured. He’ll prod his s/o and ask if they picked a character that reminds them of him. He’d playfully pout if you were spending more time with the game than with him and offer to show you a few reasons why a real-life relationship is much, much better. 

Syo’s heard about those games before, but he’s never really understood the hype. He’ll ask his s/o for a crash course to get him up to speed, and he’d be surprised that the floodgates would open so strongly. Syo’s the same way with his favorite movies and shows, so it’s just another form of media that they can share with each other. No matter how much he tries, though, he can never remember the name of his s/o’s favorite character. 

Cecil sees anything story-driven like that as an opportunity to sharpen his language skills and will ask his s/o if he can play along with them. He’ll go along with whatever route his s/o wants, and he’ll probably get just as invested as his s/o does! He’ll tease his s/o about their choices a bit, and ask if he should be more like the characters, but it’s all in good fun. 

Reiji asks his s/o about their game when he notices how much time they’ve spent glued to it. When they get to the part about romance, Reiji feigns distress and wonders why his s/o has to resort to games for that! The teasing dies down quickly enough, though, and Reiji will cozy right up to his s/o when they start to play. It’s the best of both worlds – his s/o can play with their fictional crushes while getting some cuddles from their IRL crush. 

Ranmaru isn’t exactly the most invested person when it comes to his s/o’s hobbies, but he was quickly pulled in when his s/o started to bring up their game every chance they could. He’s a good sport about it, and he’ll ask some questions just to hear them talk about it more. They’re pretty cute when they’re passionate about something. He’s actually pretty interested in the background music for some of them and learns the words to their opening themes. 

Ai is very fond of games, and when his s/o starts talking about a new one they’ve picked up, his interest is piqued. He’s heard of otome games before, and he knows how dedicated some fans can be. Ai can help his s/o track down hard-to-find pieces of merchandise and knows the best websites for online shopping. He also sends his s/o any piece of news he finds hinting about sequels or new projects. 

Camus has absolutely no interest in video games, but after his s/o explains that they’re more story driven than anything else, he starts to appreciate them as a medium a little more. He’ll pop in and watch his s/o play, and he always has quite the commentary to provide when he does so. After a while, his s/o has to shoo him away because although his opinions can be insightful, they’re often a little too much. 

[sun-marie]

xoti for character breakdown <3

How I feel about this character: I like Xoti a lot!! With all that goes down with the Gods in PoE1, I think it was very bold of them to feature a very faithful cleric in the second game and explore how she keeps her faith to Eothas/Gaun despite.... All That. I also like how she contrasts Edér and shows a darker side to the Eothasian faith, and the game never feels like it's out to "prove her wrong" for her belief, just to push her to explore it. Her design is also very good, it bridges the gap between monk and cleric very nicely!

All the people I ship romantically with this character: She's real cute with Maia imo, even if it sometimes veers a little into "manic pixie dream girl" for me (sometimes). Their relationship feels like they're finding a calm in all the storm and I really really enjoy that. And Firefly is an adorable nickname <3

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Honestly, with the exception of the obvious no-go's like Maia+Tekēhu and Xoti+Pallegina, I feel like the entire Deadfire crew could fit this spot for each other. For Xoti specifically, I think Edér is an obvious choice, I like how her infatuation evolves into genuine respect once they learn more about each other. In addition, I also love her friendships with Serafen and Aloth, I love the moment when Serafen looks into her mind and is like "uhhhhh HEY, watcher?", and the mentor-esque role Aloth fits into feels so cozy. She and Tekēhu also give me huge sibling energy, for better and for worse lol.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Again, no idea how popular/unpopular this is in the PoE fandom, but I personally really hate her accent. Like deeply. Like it's an issue I have with all of Deadfire actually, because in that game they decided to give nearly every Readceran a rural/southern American accent (including Adaryc who definitely did not have one before) and for me it dips into stereotype territory that I could really do without. Like, "oh the group of people with a strong belief in their "dead" god, who's all about forgiveness and redemption, and who are generally seen as uninformed suckers except when they're seen as sleazy religious cult-leading con-artists? yeah let's give them American Southern accents" like fuck offfff fr. At best it feels just kinda lazy when nothing else about Readceras really reads as "southern" (Xoti's name for example more brings to mind Chinese than Texan), and at worst I find it kind of offensive! It doesn't help that almost none of their accents sound very natural or well-researched, just kinda generic hollywood "cowboy accents" and that I've already heard plenty of that from CR's Imogen and FCG

It specifically bugs me with Xoti bc she can be both naive and super flirtatious, which imo is fine on it's own but those two traits + the accent rub me the wrong way soooo bad.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I hope we see her again, either in Avowed somewhere or in a future Pillars game <3

GIVE ME A CHARACTER: and I’ll break their ass down: