#i have more complicated feelings on this subject but i just can't quite put them into words

[starry-eyed-extraterrestrial]

2

Nsft answer under the cut :)

a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom.

Ooooh this is already a really hard one for me to put into words in the right way, but I'll try for your sake anon <3

Okay so my fave is Mick and I think he's a bona fide top, only because he is a very old man that was raised in a very homophobic culture in the south of all places and he sees any amount of bottoming, even if it is with a woman as “gay” and not that he thinks there's anything wrong with being gay he is just dead set on the fact that he is heterosexual because he grew up with the idea and still thinks being gay is something to be made fun of for. (Mick also subconsciously thinks he's far to ugly to bottom and that the person topping him wouldn't find it to be an enjoyable experience at all and that sets his nerves on fire too)

So sorry to all my Mick is a bottom truthers, I think canonically that old man needs to be on top otherwise he gets masculine self esteem issues, which he already has enough of due to being in just the most toxically masculine bands on the face of the planet.

However!!! this does make a fun flavour for fics in my opinion because I feel like Mick sees bottoming as totally handing over control to your partner and that it's the duty of the top/ “the man” (fuck these guys have out dated opinions) to take care and serve the bottom and please them in every way they can, so if Mick were ever to bottom, which would take a lot of convincing I think, he'd be super awkward about it and cluncky in a way that's very not sexy, as in he'd make weird faces at different sensations and try and crack jokes at inappropriate times to make himself feel better and more in control. But, but, but!!! If he was with the right partner that set him at ease and made him feel wanted and loved, this man would become absolute putty in their hands, he'd also be totally shocked by just how good it felt to hand over control in this kinda context I think.

Sorry for the long answer and the kinda contradictory things I had to say about it, I just have contradictory feelings on this topic.

Tldr : old man is a top because he's got to much internalized homophobia to feel comfortable bottoming, but if someone were to convince him to try it, I think he'd like the experience a lot.

[lou-struck]

Missed Messages

Lucifer x reader

~ You have always tried to be self sufficient and fight your own battles. But when you reach your breaking point, you find yourself alone.

Warnings: Angst with a happy ending, physical and emotional feelings of stress, reader getting treated poorly for being a human, group projects.

~2.9k

You feel like there is a little stress demon bouncing around your chest. In the human world, group projects were annoying, and unfortunately, they still exist in hell.

For one of your classes, you were paired up with Olivier, a Greater demon from one of the Devildom's wealthy families, and his companions. Right from the get-go, he made it very clear that he had no intention of working on a project with a filthy human and that if you were to say anything about his refusal, it would make Diavolo's exchange program look bad if it appeared that the demons at RAD were not being accepting of humans. 

At first, you thought his threat was silly. That he was simply a slacker who wanted to get out of work. But after a while, you realized that Olivier has a strong distaste for humans and could have the influence to cause problems for the exchange program if you were to speak out against his behaviors. 

So, you put on your best face and ignored his prejudiced behavior. The subtle comments he would make under his breath when you asked questions in class, the way he would cleanse his hand with fire magic after coming into contact with something you had touched, and the way conversations would die out whenever you entered a room without one of the brothers, the Angels, or Diavolo himself by your side. 

You have been tirelessly working on this massive project all by yourself; it has stolen all of your free time, and feelings of sardonic frustration are just welling up inside of you. Now, just like the too-heavy book bag that clings to your shoulder, You are nearing your breaking point. 

The House of Lamination is a safe haven for you after your tiring days at RAD, but right as you enter through its massive double doors, you come face to face with Lucifer. The Avatar of Pride greets you with a loving expression, but he looks just as exhausted as you feel. 

"Mc? Is something troubling you?" he asks, taking in your downcast features with a frown. You want to tell him of your little problem, but he is ridiculously busy and probably has more important things to do than dealing with your inability to play nice with others.

After all, a classmate not liking you is no excuse for you to receive a poor grade on your project…

"Not at all," you reply, flashing him a sweet, convincing smile. "I'm just getting a bit hangry, I can't wait for dinner tonight."

"I see," he says doubtfully.

"How are you doing?" you ask, changing the subject. 'You look a bit stressed."

"Is it that obvious?" he chuckles, raking his hand through his raven-colored hair. "Apparently, those rubber duck toys from the human world have become quite popular in the Devildom, and Lord Diavolo thought it would be fun to give them out at RAD. So now I am going through the student council finances to determine how many ducks and varieties we need."

"Sounds complicated, but why you?"

"No clue," he sighs, "But he seems to think that I have a hidden fondness for these toys."

"Well, I'm sure this Rubber Duck event will go off without a hitch," you say earnestly. "You are so organized and capable you can make anything successful."

"Do you really mean that?" he asks, a smile gracing his fine features. You nod as he gives you a soft peck on the forehead as thanks for your kind words. "I have to work through this paperwork now, but I feel more inclined to do it after your encouragement, Mc."

"Wait," you call after him. "You better make it down for dinner tonight then; if you don't, I will personally invite Solomon to come and prepare the next meal."

His eyes widen as a shudder courses through his strong back. "There's no need for that. I promise to be down for dinner."

~

Hours later, everyone is gathered around the dinner, eating some kind of Devildom variation of lasagna that Satan made.

Beel has a whole sheet pan to himself and is chowing down as he and Belphie seem to be having a telepathic conversation that no one at the table is able to decipher. Lucifer is at the head of the table, keeping true to his promise of joining you, but he is eating quickly, clearly in a rush.

Asmodeus sits to your right, talking animatedly about something that happened today when he was at the mall, you're sure it's an entertaining story based on the reactions of the others, but you are too lost in thought, poking at your dinner plate with a silver fork. 

Although you have been working on your project for days, there is no way you are going to finish the damn thing on time. This workload was meant for a large group, not just one human.

"Mc? What are ya thinkin' about?" Mammon asks, stirring you from your thoughts. "Ya haven't touched yer dinner."

"Satan looks up at you from across the table. "Do you not care for this dish?" he asks. "I could make you something else if you would prefer it?" his dejection breaks your heart.

You shake your head quickly. "No, not at all," you say. "I love it; the sauce is really creamy, I just got distracted."

"Oh, I see." he nods as you take a bite of his dish. "I'm relieved."

"Gahhhh," Levi cries from his seat as he sets his game console down on the table. His screen flashing red tells you that he has just failed the level he was on. "I can't believe it, I was so close."

"Leviathan, what did I say about playing video games at the dinner table?" Lucifer asks the purple-haired demon sternly. 

"N-not to." he sulks, slipping the little handheld off the table and into his deep jacket pocket.

"Thank you," the eldest responds. He clears his throat to get the attention of everyone. "Now, if I could just have a second of your time."

"One," Belphie deadpans, looking at his older brother. They hold eye contact, and it is clear the youngest is struggling to keep a straight face at his joke.

"Anyways," the taller demon continues, "I have a very important task to finish tonight, and I will need absolutely-"

"That's two seconds now." Satan interrupts with a snicker. 

Lucifer, with the wisdom and patience of the oldest sibling, chooses to ignore the teasing and continue with what he is saying. "As I was saying, I require peace and quiet to complete these documents, so I will now be returning to my study and enchanting the door with a noise-canceling spell. I do not wish to be disturbed, so please only contact me if it is an emergency."

"Wait? So we jus can do whatever we wanna do tonight?" Mammon asks, his eyes sparkle with mischievous greed as he imagines the possibilities before him.

"Within reason, Mammon," Lucifer's crimson glare shoots to all his brothers. "But if I find out that any of you decided to waste your free time running about the Devildom causing problems, rest assured, I will punish you using everything at my disposal." The room falls silent as the Avatar of Pride rises from his seat and turns to leave. His massive cape swishes dramatically as he walks out the dining room doors. 

Unsurprisingly, Asmo is the first to spring from his seat. His arms wrap around you as you inhale his sweet peach-scented cologne. "Mc, come to my room. I have the cutest top you can wear tonight when you go to the club with me." he purrs into the shell of your ear.

"No way," Mammon objects. "The human is gonna come to the Casino with the Great Mammon tonight." 

Before the two demons try to drag you across the Devildom to party, you object. "Actually, I have a project to work on," you say, standing. "But you guys have fun."

"Wait, Mc," Beel asks softly, his big eyes full of hope. "Belphie and I were gonna go get some shaved ice for dessert. Would you like to join us?"

Your heart flutters tenderly at the Avatar of Gluttony's request, but the stress you are feeling is hitting you ten-fold. "I wish I could, Beel. But I really have to get my assignment done."

"May I join you two?" Satan asks. "I find myself in the mood for dessert."

"Me too," Levi quips.

"Sounds like a plan," Belphie says, looking at you with a pout. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"I'm positive," you reply, giving them your most convincing smile. "Now, you guys should go before the shop closes for the night." Beel's eyes go wide with worry, and he hastily leaves the room. As the others follow him out. 

Now alone, your body begins to tremble under the stress of the deadline looming over your head. The walk back to your desk is a long one, and tears begin to wheel in your eyes as you stare down at your assignment rubric and wonder how, in the three realms, you are going to be able to finish this project on time. 

~

It's been hours of working. Stressing, erasing, and overthinking and you feel like you are nearing your wits end. 

Your screen lights up with a message from Asmodeus. When you open it is a video attachment. Clicking on it you see that the 6 brothers are sharing a lush VIP booth at the Fall. "I wish you were hereeeee," Asmo yells into the speaker just above the thrumming base that belphie manages to sleep through peacefully. Their cheeks are ruddy from demonus, and they have the happiest smiles on their faces. 

It brings a smile to your face as you rewatch the video. Just behind Mammon, you see a figure that has you seeing red. 

He is double-fisting some kind of green demonus and wearing a ridiculous hat, but you see your classmates, the demon Olivier and the rest of your 'group' out partying without a care in the world.

While you are at home, working tirelessly on their project. 

Something inside of you just shatters, and you turn away from your desk and throw yourself onto your bed. The soft pillows muffle your cries of frustration. Your DDD feels like a brick in your hand as you raise it to your eye level. 

Your tired face stares back at you on the black screen, and you feel so alone.

You need to talk to someone…

But it's the middle of the night, Simeon and Solomon have gone to bed hours ago and Diavolo and Barbatos are off at a diplomatic conference. You know in your heart that Lucifer is still awake, hunched over his desk as he works through his mountain of paperwork.

Although he said he did not want to be disturbed, your feelings are too severe. 

This feels like an emergency. 

You call him, wanting to at least hear the soothing sound of his voice. The Dial Tone rings once, twice, thrice… but he doesn't pick up.

You sit there, listening to the dull sound of his answering machine. "I guess even in Hell, I have to leave voicemails," you murmur, waiting for the beep. 

"Hey… It's me," you say into the speaker. It's a struggle to keep your voice steady. "I know it's late, and you have lots to do, but if you get this, could you ple-please come here. I just really need someone to talk to right now."

Just voicing your struggle is enough to send tears trickling down your face, and you quickly hang up the phone before you let out one of those raspy, croaking sounds loose from your throat.

Exhaustion courses through your body as you give up on completing the group project for the night. Perhaps when you wake tomorrow, you will have the energy to pretend your problems don't exist.

~

Lucifer wakes up with his head against the polished mahogany of his desk. A bit of drool wetting the surface as he runs his hands through his hair. "What time is it?" he mutters groggily, reaching out blindly for his DDD. 

He pats the empty surface and sits up straighter. Finding that his device is not in its usual place on his desk. His brow furrows as he begins to look through the mountain of papers, trying not to ruffle the organized stacks that he completed earlier before dozing off.

Minutes later of flipping and straightening, he finds it under the center stack and sees that it is flooded with pictures from his brothers, who look like they had a great, but expensive, night out together. 

It brings a warm smile to his lips when he sees their cheesing faces. But then he notices another notification he hadn't seen before. "Mc sent me a voicemail?" He clicks play.

"Hey… It's me. I know it's late and you have lots to do, but if you get this could you ple- please come here. I just really need someone to talk to right now." your voice sounds so weak and shaky it fills him with dread. 

How could he have missed this?

He stands abruptly, papers flying everywhere from the movement, but he really couldn't care less.

You need him. 

You needed him last night and he wasn't there for you.

He has to find you, hold you, and do whatever he can to make you feel better. 

~

Apparently, falling asleep after hitting an emotional low does not constitute the most restful sleep. Your neck feels stiff as you pull your head up from your pillows. The fabric is still slightly damp from your tears the night before. There's this icky feeling in your chest, but it doesn't seem to go away. It only intensifies when you look over at your desk, your unfinished project littering the once pristine space.

Your door flies open suddenly as a gust of air reaches your skin. Lucifer stands in the doorway tensely. He looks ragged, tired, and his deep crimson eyes are muddled with heartbreaking concern. You immediately remember the voicemail that you sent him the night before

You stressed him out; you have to fix this. 

"Good morning, Lucifer," you smile. But it doesn't reach your eyes. He can see through your little act. "I didn't mean to worry you with that voicemail; it was really nothing."

"What's wrong?" he says, coming forward, closing that painful distance with determination. His hand cupping your cheek, forcing you to meet his eyes.

It's funny how one simple touch has your self-assured act crumbling to the ground like a poorly constructed house of cards. 

You find yourself spilling every detail to him, your exhaustion, the group project, the ostracization from your groupmates, and how you saw that they were out at the club last night."

All the while, Lucifer nods along with your story, his thumb gently running along your cheek in a soothing motion. His actions are caring and tender toward you, but there is a fire blazing in his eyes reserved for someone else. You may not know it yet, but Olivier’s days of comfort are numbered. 

"Why didn't you tell me of this before," he asks softly once you finish your explanation. "Why did you take this burden upon yourself?"

"I was worried, "you admit. "I heard that Olivier comes from an influential family. If I said anything, he could cause problems for the exchange program that you and Diavolo have worked so hard for."

"Mc, I promise you, that little rat was greatly exaggerating his self-importance." Lucifer's hand rubs gentle circles into your back. "If anything, you have far more influence in Devildom politics than he does," he adds with an amused chuckle. "

"He's still a jerk, though." you sniffle, wiping your eyes. "Thank you for coming here to cheer me up."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner," he murmurs. "You needed me, and I let you down; please let me make it up to you today."

"You have nothing to make up for," you start, glancing back at your table. "Besides, I have to finish that project before tomorrow."

"Absolutely not," he says abruptly. "You will not lay a finger on that project since clearly you have done more than your share. I will make sure Lord Diavolo hears of this situation and you receive full marks on the work you have already done. I need you to know that you can rely on me. No matter how busy I am, I should never be too busy to come to your aid."

"I love you," you sigh, feeling the burdens lifting off your chest and disappearing into nothingness. "But I should've told you sooner. What do you think will happen to the rest of my group?"

He smiles and kisses the top of your head; as you lean into his touch, you don't see the dark look on his features. "Don't worry about them, Mc, I'll make sure they never cause you pain ever again. Now, let's get changed; I'll take you to that new cafe that opened up to Majolish and enjoy the rest of the day.

Tagging: @enchantedforest-network

[gojotenshi]

For centuries, the Blood Moon Society has existed as a buffer between humans and vampires, keeping their blood lust at bay by providing them with humans willing to be drank from.

Both parts are supposed to keep their feelings away from the situation, just another day in the office as it was. They should have known that life has never been that easy.

A collection of explicit works that will follow the lives of the humans that get deeply tangled with vampires, complicating their lives in ways that they never thought possible.

All works will be xreader and below you will find a tentative list of pairings.

They will heavily feature normal tws related to vampires ( blood, biting, ... ), explicit content and very likely dark content as well. Triggers will be featured on each work as I start posting.

Post will be updated with small summaries as soon as I plan it all out, which should be around tomorrow. Summaries have been added, some may be subject to change as I start writing but hopefully things will go as planned. As soon as I finish any of them I will post a small timeline of posting times.

Satoru Gojo & Suguru Geto

↬ You get sent to to the home of Gojo and Geto after their regular feeding partner has been turned. It's not their first time reaching for the Blood Moon Society, but it's been a while. And it shows in the way that they're unwilling to let you go.

Sukuna Ryomen

↬ Who guessed going against a hunter would have put you under the attention of one of the vampire archdukes? You had no clue that he was that powerful, all you were doing was your job. But interest from a powerful vampire is not like fiction told you it was going to be.

Yuta Okkotsu

↬ Grief lead him to disastrous ends, but his friends helped pick up the pieces. You're the first Blood Moon Society member Yuta has used in ages, and you're his first fresh feed since Rika died. You wished you had seen the red signs earlier.

Kento Nanami

↬ Kento tried to keep himself away from attachments, just wanted a peaceful life. But you're a breath of fresh air that he can't help but crave. It's a fight against himself and the world, is it not?

Hiromi Higuruma

↬ Workaholic. Tired of everything. That's Hiromi on a good day. He lives on blood bags and coffee and doesn't really have much of a life outside of his work. And then you appear on his life, someone he hasn't expected but someone that he finds himself unwilling to let go of.

Choso Kamo Itadori

↬ From the first moment Choso saw you, he understood one undeniable fact - You were meant to be together. You're trying really hard to let him down gently, but it's quite difficult to change his mind. And as time passes, it becomes even more difficult for you to remember why you were telling him no.

[thegrayascendancy-if]

Mawwage. I have matrimonial thoughts rn.

1. How does everyone feel about marriage? 2.How would everyone propose? and 3. what would be their ideal wedding?

Bonus because I love lore: any marriage traditions or practices that are specific to the universe/culture?

Marriage!

Arthur: a complicated, touchy subject. When even the king of your land inquires about your plans for marrying, it is bound to become a sore spot. Because of that, a proposal would be a spur-of-a-moment thing when instead of contemplating it, he just goes ahead and does it. After a dangerous brush with death or pain even. Not even in an "I thought I almost lost you" way and more like "my inhibitions are so low I don't want to think about anything I associate with it, I just want you". His ideal wedding is small, preferably with no one but the MC there, but alas.

Darla: quite bashful when it comes to marriage. Either she gets proposed to, or she blurts a proposal at the MC one day instead of a "hello" (because she is so filled with adoration she has run out of ways to express it) and waits for their response, not breathing and hot in the face. She wouldn't care about the scale of the wedding itself or the guest list (as long as her family is there), but she would want it to take place in the capital, in a pretty setting and with a fun party.

Gale: doesn't feel any way about it. When he gets into a relationship with the MC, it's already that kind of a commitment from him without expecting it in return. A lot here is also dependent on the way the events unfold by the end of the game so I can't say much except that there is a condition under which he would propose to secure the MC's standing.

Ianthe: she grew up in a slightly different community, so family can take on many forms. She would be happy with a simple exchange of honest vows and frequent expressions of love in whatever form they come, but should the MC wish to abide by their tradition, she would defer to them and follow the preparations with curiosity.

Jax: they are curious about it. Their mother never married for status reasons, but many people do, and somewhere deep, deep, deep down they want to experience what it is like to care for someone so much. They would propose through a coveted gift, something the MC believed unattainable. No particular preferences for the event itself.

Yvette/Yves: generally, they view it as a tool to gain or lose power, influence, and/or resources. They've actually used their status as a bachelorette/bachelor before for political purposes. But in connection to themselves and the MC, it would actually depend a lot on what happens to them in the endgame. Without spoiling much, they would be eager to consider it either way but would approach it with different attitudes.

Now, as for the protocol and traditions, officiation is primarily important for weddings and unions where ownership can be questioned: royal families (obviously), nobility, merchants, scholars. The rest might simply exchange vows and consider themselves wed, which sometimes leads to all kinds of sticky situations as you might imagine.

One tradition is an exchange of handpicked boutonnières that both parties perform on the eve of the wedding. It could technically be anything plant-themed, though the majority puts together a small bundle of fresh flowers, stalks and leaves. People tend to encode whole meanings into their arrangement, especially if the marriage is loving, but there are also traditional ones to fall back on to. Depending on how well off the families are, rare and expensive plants might be put in it, and nobility often uses gemstone brooches and other jewelry shaped like a flower arrangement.

[merakiui]

I know you talked about the eels being the world’s greatest uncles, so I gotta ask, where were they in your yandere Azul fic in His Blueberry Eyes? I know for narrative purposes you wanted to isolate the reader, but I gotta know: did they know that Azul pushed reader down the stairs? Were they present over the pregnancy? Whenever they had to babysit the reader when they moved to the city, did they ever ask her how she was feeling or if she was willing to try again? I don’t know, I still have feelings for that fic and I’m craving fluffy platonic Jade and Floyd who desperately wanted to coddle a baby tako.

The tweels were going to be excellent uncles in HBE, but Azul tries to keep them at arm's length from you. >_< part of me likes to imagine the twins catch on to his obsession in its early stages, but they don't say anything because they know how sensitive Azul can be and they both note how obviously happy he is with you (and surely Azul knows better than to let his attachments spiral into something unhealthy, right?). They're not going to coddle him; he can take care of himself.

This also isn't their marriage, so marital problems are between you and Azul. It's not something the twins want to involve themselves in, lest they risk complicating matters or unintentionally causing more rifts. I think it's a difficult tightrope to walk because they try to tell him he needs to relax and stop being so controlling and manic, but Azul is stubborn and insists that the twins don't know anything; they have no room to say anything about his marriage because it's not theirs.

The main issue is that Azul can't keep anything from the twins even if he wanted to. They read him like a book. So even though Azul never admits the real reason for why you lost the baby, the twins can read between the lines and suspect the truth hiding behind layers of lies. It hurts because the twins were very supportive and excited when you were pregnant, but Azul sort of,,, shut them out during that time because he was so worried and anxious and self-conscious. He also just doesn't like the idea of other people, even his close friends, being within your proximity when you're pregnant.

As for when they'd look after you, I think neither of you talked about Azul. Most of all, the twins wish for your happiness and if Azul's an unhappy subject they'll make the day all about you to put your mind at ease, if only for the afternoon. I imagine Floyd and Jade took you to all of the places you'd like to go to but never could because of Azul. Sure, he wants you to stay home, but that's so boring. When you're with the twins, you can do whatever you want and be free and safe and happy.

Maybe they dropped little hints about the main issue at hand. I imagine both of them (in the days leading up to the scene in HBE where he kills you) put the idea of divorce in your head in hopes that it might help you figure out what to do or where to go from there (though they really couldn't have imagined Azul could be capable of something like murder; that surprises even them). Maybe they pulled you aside and simply told you, "Whatever you choose to do going forward, we're here in case you need us," or something along those lines to let you know you're not alone in this and that you have their support. Because it's painful to see both you and Azul suffering in different ways, and the twins value family and friendship so much. It's unhappiness all around. T_T

Even though they are only mentioned in the fic, I imagine Jade and Floyd were quite fond of you. Perhaps it's a platonic fondness (or a romantic fondness if you would like to read it as such), but they really do care for you. If I were to ever write more with this universe, I'd like to include scenes in which the reader interacted with them or what they do now that Azul is in custody. There is a lot that could be expanded upon.

And maybe the "hotel" Reader mentions staying at is actually the code word for Jade and Floyd's place. Maybe that was her safe haven. :( maybe the twins and their visits were what kept her sane for such a long time. In the aftermath of everything, Jade and Floyd miss you. The gutting thing about loss is that, even though they know you're never going to return, they still wait for a phone call from you or a text from Azul telling them to go look after you. Without you or Azul around, it's going to feel empty and lonely for a long time.

[dyns33]

Flufftober 2024 - 12 James Wesley

For people who didn't know him well, James looked perfectly calm at that moment. Serene, unflappable, as always.

But Y/N could guess the tension in his shoulders and the slight trembling of his lips.

She knew very well that he would have this reaction as soon as she broached the subject. She also understood why he was quite nervous.

"… This is not the right time." he replied, as he did every time she asked him this question.

"You know that the longer we wait, the angrier he will be."

"… I know. But is it necessary for him to know ?"

"James. He's my father."

It had been love at first sight between James and Y/N from their first meeting.

Mr. Wesley had done his best to keep his distance from her, to ignore his feelings, to tell her that he was not at all interested, but it had been stronger than them.

Their relationship had lasted for almost two years now, in total secrecy.

He wasn't ashamed of her, although Y/N ​​could have considered it because she found him much more intelligent and classy than her, who liked simple things.

The problem was rather a survival concern.

Because Y/N was slightly the daughter of his boss, Wilson Fisk. The Kingpin had almost blind trust in his secretary, whom he also considered his friend. Besides that, he loved his daughter more than anything in the world.

It was also for her that he wanted to clean up Hell's Kitchen, so that she could live there peacefully. Since her mother's death, when she was still very young, he had watched over her, even when he couldn't be there because of his work.

It had seemed normal to him to entrust her safety to James. He was the best at many things, and since the two seemed to get along, Fisk had thought that Y/N wouldn't take it as if he had a bodyguard on her back.

When he had started dating Vanessa, his daughter had thought it was the perfect time to tell him about their relationship, but James had refused.

"He'll kill me without a second thought."

"Don't say that… He'll be happy for us. I don't see what kind of man would be right for him if he thinks you're not good enough, and even if he's protective, he can't want me to be alone forever."

"You deserve happiness. But he might want someone who won't put you in danger."

"James. Darling. I'm a Fisk, I'm always in danger."

They let several months pass, New Year's, Valentine's Day, summer, until Vanessa invited them to a party she was throwing for Halloween.

Either it was a coincidence or she was a very smart woman, but she had asked James to come, telling him that he could bring Y/N with a little smile.

If she knew, it would be a miracle that she hadn't told Wilson.

"We should tell him at the party."

"A great way to ruin the party." James remarked.

"… And when, then ? Before or after, it will be just as complicated. I don't want to wait anymore. I… If you love me, we'll tell him on Halloween."

She could see in his eyes that he didn't appreciate the ultimatum, how sad it was that she might think that he wasn't talking to her father because he didn't love her enough.

It was a surprise when he came the next day with suggestions for matching costumes, clearly stating that they were a couple.

"What about the 'it's not a good idea to tell him during the party' ?" she asked with a smile.

"We're not going to tell him during the party."

"You want him to figure it out on his own ?"

"No. I went to see him last night. He told me he'd known for a long time and was glad I finally had the courage to tell him, proving that I was truly worthy of you."

"… We've been scared for nothing all this time ? Wait, I told you we've been scared for nothing all this time !"

"Hmm. What costumes would you like ?"

He remained unfazed when she slapped his shoulder and laughed, though a slight smile appeared on his face. It then disappeared just as quickly when she suggested Shrek and Fiona.

[pinkflipphonez]

Hello! Really love your content so far and it makes me so incredibly happy seeing more people reimagining Alfred and Matthew as nonwhite compared to it being controversial 8years ago.

Ever since I joined the fandom I always had the (at the time) unpopular opinion that the NA bros were from mixed heritages (White/Indigenous), which as an American non-white Latino with Indigenous roots made the most sense to me especially considering that even in the manga they don't really represent the government, but the people themselves and both countries (especially the US) are so diverse it absolutely baffled me that they were just plain white boys. I always imagined them being mixed, but never quite fitting in with either groups.

I am sorry if I overstep on this next bit, please feel free to correct me on anything I say, I've just had a long time to think about this and how other countries would react, which is gonna put England/France into a bad light but...they were straight up horrific to the Natives. Even France.

I know you mentioned how in Hetalia, the personifications get along with their overseers/colonizers and that they wouldn't be okay with this, and I think I may have to *slightly* disagree.

I think when it comes to Nations and how they view their fellow personifications, how they look won't matter as much compared to how they act or culture wise. I can see that while the two heavily resemble Native features, when they were taken in by their colonizers they were raised to hold to those same European values that still do plague the country today. I can imagine Arthur making sure that Alfred ignores his Indigenous roots and that he's raised as a proper British colony, speaking and writing in English only, being raised as a proper Christian etc. Forced to assimilate, which has been done to so many people that come from different cultures from the time America was colonized to even now in some places. They may not look completely white, but by god will he makes sure they act like they do.

I don't think he would have ever been okay with his people being killed, tortured, having their cultures and languages erased or even enslaved, because he does not represent the cruel ideas the government has, but the people itself...which also do include the people that *ARE* okay with this. A constant battle Alfred has to deal with, which ends up with him making not the best choices.

Things aren't perfect even today, there's still so many issues that's happening where Indigenous folks are still fighting for basic rights to water, working roads, etc. But at the current time, more Americans these days (especially the much younger generations that were taught/look up about the atrocities that our government has committed, especially now that the Native voices have platforms to speak on), are much more aware. I see the brothers trying to reclaim their roots, and start what will be centuries long reparations on what their people have done to the Indigenous community. Which honestly, reconnecting with cultures after being forced to assimilate to American culture is something big thats happening here all across the United States with Latino-Americans embracing their heritage, African-Americans who were descendents of those stolen from their homeland reconnecting with their culture, Indigenous people bringing their languages and foods back to light.

It's honestly just a very difficult journey I think they would have as they have to deal with Nationhood, but forgetting who they came from and having to give themselves up to a certain group. Again, never fitting in completely with one or the other.

Again, I'm so incredibly sorry if this is overstepping in anyway or if some things don't make sense. It's such a complicated subject that really can't be summed up super easily and I did want to go longer but I felt like this was long enough already @_@

Firstly, you are not overstepping in the slightest! I am legitimately so content and kind of misty-eyed to see so many other native fans of the show both interact within the fandom and give their own interpretation on both canon and OC characters. It was never this wholesome and community-oriented when I first joined the fandom and I'm glad I stuck around to see the tide change.

Secondly, your interpretation of France and England's involvement in Canada and America's assimilation is... very accurate, and while it's something I've fought about with myself in my plotting of Alfred's life (because I don't want to hate them lol), they most definitely did have a hand in his disconnection. However, as much as I agree they are influenced by both their natives and settlers, I do think they very much hold their own reservations and opinions on the social climate around them as any individual human being would.

While American society and most American presidents were anti-indigenous and pro-slavery, there were also vigilant indigenous activists and abolitionists; there were men and women who defended and engrained themselves with native communities and there were men and women who fought mercilessly to free enslaved people. I believe Alfred was one of those people. Alfred noticed the wrong within the society around him and despised it-- but alongside his overseers and the people surrounding him, his thought process was in the minority.

I don't see Alfred participating in the genocide, assimilation, or enslavement of indigenous or Black people-- and it is not because I wish to sanitize this true history, but because I earnestly do not see Alfred being so cruel (as he was someone who also thought himself a better person than his brutal fatherly figure). I do think he did try to feel indifferent most of the time to... well, assimilate, but I also like to think he was infuriated, enraged, while at the same time having convictions on where his help is best suited as a native man with the privileges and appearance of a white man (I hc that he very consciously slaughtered slave-owners and triple k members, especially during the civil war, but I realize that may be a heavy hc to have).

I appreciate you bringing up the increase of younger folks in America beginning their decolonization/reconnection journeys because that is absolutely what I feel Al and Matt are going through actively, but I like to think they began their reconnection journey much earlier, during the rise of AIM in the 1970s. I see them being the biggest activists for all their native communities and they help in every possible way they can. Not only because they want to reconnect and amend their mistakes, but because they altruistically care for their people.

Their hobbies absolutely include remodeling the homes of elders and delivering food to them. They are very much for the landback movement and will call out anti-indigenous sentiment without hesitation. I also think Alfred separates himself from his governmental supervisors in current day and will challenge them now compared to when he stayed relatively compliant as a young nation.

I still have SO MANY theories about Alfred and Matt's origins and experiences with assimilation that I am working out, but I want to carefully plot it all out so as to not trivialize legitimate indigenous trauma, especially as a reconnector. All I can say is that if the land I stand on had a personification, it would be an indigenous being, no question.

[henrysglock]

i finally found an actual good analyst of henry!! hi hyd?? we rlly need more henry fans!! anyway, i haven't looked but do you think patty is coming back season 5? if yes how do you think that will play in with the plot of s5 and henrys emotions/intentions??

Hi!! I’m doing alright, thanks :3

I agree, we do need more Henry fans. And like…I mean real Henry fans. Iykyk.

I actually answered an anon about this exact topic earlier:

Since you're a newbie (pun very much intended), here's a little crash-course re: my feelings on Patty.

Given the sheer amount of unreality in TFS—specifically unreality in the same way NINA has verifiable elements of unreality—I'm of the opinion that Patty never actually existed in the capacity we see her in in TFS. That's not to say she didn't exist in someway, just that she's not what TFS has portrayed her to be. I believe the Patty we see in TFS is more connected to the Mindflayer than most people realize, and I think the relationship dynamic she has with Henry is quite unhealthy.

Given that TFS's version of Patty may not be real, I think any feelings Henry may have about her come ST5 will be extremely complicated—think along the lines of the movies Her (2013) and Ex Machina (2014). I think his feelings about Patty would be as complicated as El's feelings about NINA!Henry, given that there are vast amounts of NINA!Henry interactions that can't possibly have existed in reality. Especially so with Patty's connections to the Mindflayer...it'll be a touchy subject, that's for sure!

I've speculated that Henry is trapped in a Camazotz-style idyllic world per the leaks of Jamie that came out over the summer. If Patty is part of that inner world—especially since in TFS she keeps trying to draw Henry back to Hawkins and back to the source of his flaying in Nevada using emotional bids based on the connection that's been forged from both ends (i.e. the Mindflayer playing both angel and devil to try and get Henry to cooperate)—it may be hard to extract Henry from it and back to reality.

For as much as I don't believe Henry is in love with Patty, I don't disagree that he's deeply attached to her. In fact, his attachment to Patty is the Mindflayer biggest weapon against him, and that's something I dig into in more depth in my stupidly long category 9 autism event 50k word master analysis/theory on TFS.

I'm gonna link that masterdoc below. It contains links to a bunch of supporting posts for ease of referencing:

I've linked Chapter 4 specifically, wherein I begin to delve into TFS as a whole. (The first 3 chapters are concerned specifically with Brenner and the general unreality in Henry's story that lays a basis for TFS's unreality; chapter 4 expands out and begins to talk more about Henry in relation to the non-Brenner characters.) I encourage you to click around in it!

One thing, though: If you don't like what I'm saying, please just exit the document and refrain from sending me nastygrams. That's not to say that I think you're that type of person, but I just have to put the request out given recent events.

Stranger Things as a whole is one of my special interests, so if you have questions: Please, please, please!!!! reach out and ask them. I love discussing TFS, Henry, Patty, Brenner, and the Mindflayer, and I'll answer (or at least speculate on) just about any questions about them.

I promise I won't bite if you don't bite me first :3

Welcome to henryblr, and happy hunting!

[psychewritesbs]

Maybe I'll regret sending you this ask but it's like a thorn in my side and I need to get it out because I can't stop thinking about this so here I go 🙇‍♀️

If I don't see the romantic subtext in Gojo and Geto's dynamic, does that mean I'm not really understanding what Gege is telling? I like their dynamic, they're complex characters and so is their dynamic, but not because there is romance there. Of course, if I read and look to see romance there I find it... but I'm looking to interpret it that way. So when I see "the subtext is there", "the dynamic is ambiguous", I start to question my interpretation... I don't know if it's because my reading comprehension has already been attacked when I said their relationship isn't canon. I really tried to see that ambiguity since I started reading the manga but in the end I felt like I was reading too much... that I was actively searching for something that was supposed to be in plain sight.

P.S: I have seen ships with ambiguous dynamics in SNK, HQ, Naruto (NARUSASU, I don't even ship them but I understand 😅) and I never saw this war between shippers and non-shippers...

Nooooo anon 😭. Please, I promise I don't bite too hard.

So, first of all, thanks for sending this. I'm ngl, it makes me sad to think that I might have contributed to someone feeling like I would make you regret asking about something you don't see.

Second, I'm going to make this answer about perception because the purpose of my blog is psych.

Third, as a lead up to the psych stuff, it goes without saying that one of the reasons I don't talk about shipping in jjk is precisely because shipping is highly personal, and a lot of people in this fandom take their interpretations about the story as absolute truths, to the point that they gaslight anyone who doesn't agree with them.

It's like we're all just deploying domain expansions and the one person with the strongest sense of self wins. Right?

But this is a HUGE irony because Gege has gone on record in an interview saying that one of the themes at the core of jjk is that there is no such thing as an ultimate truth where someone is right and someone is wrong.

(source)

And to me this gets at a much larger issue that I taco'bout under the cut.

So this is the thing, right?

If you don't see the subtext in stsg, there are a lot of factors affecting your perception. Gender, sexuality, background, etc etc...

The thing to keep in mind is that you don't see the world as it is...

So I love that second angry anon brought up the idea that someone who is straight would very likely see gjhm as a romantic pairing, because it's true!

This is really complicated because, yes, heteronormativity is at play here, AND that doesn't mean a straight person is being homophobic for not seeing the stsg subtext without putting on pink-colored fujo glasses.

That said, I have seen the jjk dudebros be total dicks because they think that, because they are straight and the target demographic, the only way the story should be perceived is as if most all characters are straight and you are delusional to think otherwise.

And I'll be honest here, I'm a bi/pan woman. I am also a fujoshi. I've read quite a bit of bl/yaoi, and I think that has influenced why I don't see the romantic subtext without looking for it.

Basically, I've read really long threads by stsg fans that were meant to provide evidence for why they are canon that I was just like "this is all a subjective perception" and that is not to say they are wrong.

More like, YES. I couldn't agree more with you. It's there if you look for it. I am not sure if you saw this, but someone else came through sharing the same sentiment as you.

For me, little details like the battle taking place on December 24th, and Gege recommending bl before, point at a certain ambiguity that Gege might want to create without confirming anything.

It's funny that baity anon said stuff like "Gege is throwing irrelevant breadcrumbs at these shippers" when the same could be said about stsg according to many, many, MANY people.

Who is right? Who is wrong? If a group of people can see it and another can't, who owns the ultimate truth?

If Gege doesn't explicitly say "stsg is the other dynamic that is canonical along with mechamiwa", then who gets to have the authority on how to interpret the story? And who gave them that authority? And why are they ignoring subtext that doesn't suit their agenda?

I'm asking both sides for the sake of being a devil's advocate btw lol.

The thing is, it's all subjective, and there is no such thing as an ultimate truth where someone is right and someone is wrong--what there is is people arriving at conclusions based on their own logic according to who they are.

In the end, we're all looking at jjk through our own subjective lens, which is inevitably made up of many different factors.

That ramble aside, I hate that your reading comprehension was attacked because you can't see what someone else can see. That's just lame af because it tells me this is someone arrogant enough to take their opinion as absolute truth, and insecure enough to make someone else feel bad for questioning their interpretation.

As someone who has been internet-mean and who has wrongfully thought she owned the truth about something in the past, I apologize that someone has made you feel this way.

The reason this is a bigger issue than just shipping is because this issue is prevalent across fandom.

jjk dudebros will have you believe that if someone reads jjk for anything that is not battles is wrong.

Others will gaslight people and call them dumb for being open about how they don't understand how Gege explains certain things.

By the way, Maki is better than Toji according to some, but not to others.

I'm telling you, for jjk being a story about how there is no absolute truth, we sure are attached to our interpretations as being the ultimate truth.

All I know is that I don't want to be part of the problem and that starts with me making space for understanding why someone would disagree with me or think differently than I do.

Here's the last thing I'll say, anon.

If you don't see the stsg subtext as romantic, then you are indeed missing out on a romantic interpretation. If that's not something you're interested in... that's no one's "problem" but yours.

As long as you aren't seeking to minimize someone else's perception, then it's your interpretation and yours alone.

For me, I see this:

And I fucking love this spread because I see deep and intense longing. I get the sense Gojo is looking really hard for any semblance of Geto in this body.

Do you see something romantic? Yes? No?

It doesn't really change anything, does it? It just means someone reads into something you don't see.

The fact that you are questioning whether you are "really understanding" the text "right" tells me you have the humility to look to adjust your perception and be open to other ideas.

There's a difference between saying "I don't see it" and "I don't see it and neither should you because I don't see it, and if you do, you are delusional!"

Which one are you?

Which one will you be moving forward?

Thanks for coming to my TED talk looool.

I went on a raaaaant bahaha.

I just... man... this is the kind of problem that shipping in this fandom creates. As you said... imagine just wanting to mind your own business and someone who ships a certain pairing comes and tells you you are an idiot for not reading the same way as they do. OR viceversa, you're shipping along, minding your own business and someone tells you you are delusional for enjoying a ship.

Come on....

It really is a matter of perception and we're quite literally spamming domain expansions on each other as a way to impose our personal truth on others as absolute. It's really ironic and funny ngl.

This reminds me...

Idk if you've seen any Gundam shows, but at least the ones I've seen, usually the plot revolves around how war and conflict is the result of two sides of the same coin being unwilling to accept a different point of view.

So anyways. As I said in that baity ask... I'm at a point in my life where I'd rather focus on holding the tension of opposites. It's just where I'm at.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts anon!

Don't let others define your perception! If you do, you've already turned your back on the only person whose perception matters most--you.

[jean-dieu]

For the Romantic Questions!

Raphael: 2, 12, 21, 34

Does your OC remember their first crush? Would they ever admit to it now?

Ok second question about Raphaël's first crush and I want to explore a vague idea I had years ago about it.

Even without a celibacy vow, Raphaël is not the kind of man to think very much about love. As a teenager, he's not very interested in that kind of thing... And he's mostly terrible at recognizing his own feelings. I portray him being somewhat friend with a girl from his neighbourhood. They weren't best friends or anything, far from it, just casual friend, nothing more. But she always treated him right, even before they started to get to know each other, which is... Rare for him. He would start to develop feelings for her, but he knows he's nothing more than a positive acquaintance for her, with her having her own group of friends like a lot of teenagers. Raphaël would never confess to her, fearing a harsh rejection, and knowing they're in fact, not that close. Ultimately, she would starts dating someone else, and he'd just forget about it, thinking love isn't for him anyway.

He would admit it to himself, but telling others about it would be hard. He'd probably tell Sosiel at one point though as he gets more and more comfortable seeking help and reassurance about his complicated relation with love.

What was the worst advice your OC has ever received on the subject of love and relationships?

"If you like someone, just tell them! It's not that hard!" Raphaël's little sister, who means well but doesn't understand how her older brother functions

How does your OC feel about virginity? And their own in particular? Is it something to which they attach moral or spiritual weight? Or is it a meaningless social convention to them? Did (or would) their first lover know about their virginity?

Oh the most difficult question of the bunch. I have so many feelings about this but putting it into words is hard so please be patient with me. Also, TW this one is going to be a bit nsfw and darker than rest, talking about Raphaël's OCD and its impact on his sexuality, so feel free to skip that one.

Raphaël's view on his virginity is complicated.

As usual, Raphaël can't see himself as he sees others. He's not allowed to live the way they do. Not entitled to the same things. They are allowed to love, to have sex. He isn't. First of all, he's terrified of the idea of taking advantage of someone through sex, even abusing them. Raphaël has OCD, and has intrusive thoughts he struggles with, and whenever he thinks about sex, they come in. The problem is that he's in denial about it all, and while any normal person would just think "what a silly thoughts, I'd never do that" he can't help but think "this is exactly what's going to happen" and he has to prevent it by any mean necessary. And of course, he does blame it on his heritage, his blood, and it consolidates his thoughts that he's nothing more than a twisted mortal no better than a fiend. That's the first reason behind his chastity vow.

The second reason is also rooted in his status as a tiefling, as tieflings in general are often said to be thrilling lovers, and he wants to distance himself from any stereoypes as much as possible. Tieflings are thrilling lovers? No, not him! He's not like the other tieflings. He's a good little tiefling, as Woljif would put it.

Then comes Sosiel. He falls in love, and comes eventually their first time.

Breaking his celibacy vow was already hard, and he knew it was just a question of time before his chastity vow would be broken too. They both took it slow, but it still was very hard for Raphaël with how much healing he needed regarding his relation with his own sexuality.

Right after their first time, he broke down in tears, completely overwhelmed with the facts that 1. he actually did it 2. nothing bad happened 3. it was actually quite nice 4. he's allowed to love, to be loved, and to feel pleasure. It didn't startled Sosiel too much; at this point they've been dating for quite a few months, and he already knew the tiefling had a very complicated relationship with sexuality as a whole.

There's still a long way to go for him to heal completely, but he's definitely making progress. Sosiel has been more than helpful, and the cleric has been nothing but very understanding of his lover's issues, always being there for him when he needs to vent or to talk about it all. He's starting to enjoy having a sexual life, and is even starting to come to terms with being a bit ~kinky~ too.

Is it usual for others to develop a crush on your OC? Are they usually oblivious to this? If not then how do they manage such things?

No, Yes, They don't. Raphaël appears cold, distant, and stern beyond belief most of the time, so it's ... Hard to develop a real crush on him. But even if someone does, he'd be so oblivious to it. High wisdom + High perception? Fuck that, he doesn't get it until someone actually confesses to him. Thank GODS Sosiel did because they'd still be staring at each others from afar years post crusade.

I suppose as a Knight-Commander, he does get a bit more attention and he's doomed to have a few people having some kind of celebrity crush on him... Something he absolutely don't understand so his reaction to someone shouting "Raphaël I love you!!!" in a crowd would just be "what" and he would... walk away silently and awkwardly klzejzlksfjlkfq.

[themetaphorgirl]

A home for all of my Lockwood & Co fics

Pas de Deux

**bonus reference post with videos of variations and ballet steps!**

my heart’s an autoclave

Post The Creeping Shadow. They've wrapped up the job at Aldbury Castle and they can finally head home, but the Other Side is still clinging to Lockwood and Lucy like wisps of smoke. They can't escape unscathed, but no one knows what kind of repercussions are going to hit them.

burn clear and steadfast tonight

It was just going to be a quick trip, just a weekend away to give a lecture in Manchester and then straight home to their children. It was the most ordinary night, like any other night for the Lockwood family, but Celia can’t help but shake the feeling that something isn’t right.

you're on your own, kid

Lucy Carlyle always dealt with things alone. That’s just how things worked. She just needed to find the right people to care about her.

the quality of mercy

Jessica has been trying so hard to keep everything together after the loss of her parents, especially when it comes to caring for her little brother. But twelve is so young to carry that much weight, and when Anthony gets sick she's afraid that she can't protect him the way he deserves.

cold hands, warm hearts

Lockwood and Lucy get sent out to work a case in the country in the midst of a snowstorm. It’s freezing but they’re in love and all they need is each other.

how to be yours

Lockwood is so relieved to have Lucy back, but when he comes down with the world’s worst case of the stomach flu he can’t help but panic that she’s going to walk out that door again. Luckily for him, she has no such intentions.

Keep You Safe

Instead of staying in London after the deaths of their parents, Jessica and Anthony traveled up north to live with their uncle on the family estate in the countryside. As Anthony grew up, he was sure of two things- one, that he was hopelessly in love with his childhood best friend Lucy Carlyle, and two, that they needed to get out of there. But before long things get even more complicated, and there's bigger mysteries that needed to be solved.

(Canon divergence, childhood best friends to lovers)

Peace When You Are Done (a collab with @cats-and-metersticks)

Infamous agency head Gravedigger Sykes doesn’t hire children, and he doesn’t play favorites. That is, until he meets Anthony Lockwood.

Give No Quarter (a collab with @cats-and-metersticks)

"Are you sure you’re okay to come out on the case tonight?”

Lockwood paused, and took a moment before turning around to face her, expression perfectly smooth. “Of course I am. What would make you think otherwise?”

Lucy took a deep breath. This was always a delicate dance, and one she hadn’t entirely perfected yet. “Just… you know it’s the type of thing George and I can handle alone, and it’s been a while since you’ve had a night off.”

He frowned. “But you don’t have to handle it alone. And I don’t need a night off.”

Or, the last time Lockwood works a case with a headache.

the riddle of his existence

"Sometimes, though not often, he had dreams, and they were more painful than the dreams of other boys. For hours he could not be separated from these dreams, though he wailed piteously in them. They had to do, I think, with the riddle of his existence. At such times it had been Wendy's custom to take him out of bed and sit with him on her lap, soothing him in dear ways of her own invention, and when he grew calmer to put him back to bed before he quite woke up, so that he should not know of the indignity to which she had subjected him."

Lockwood shoved all of his trauma down as deep as possible, and then tries to pretend it doesn't burst out of him into nightmares and migraines. George worries. So does Lucy, but she wants to do something about it. She just isn't sure how.

a mess of fading lines

When the team gets called to help seal the scene of a car accident, Lucy isn’t prepared for the effect it has on Lockwood and the old trauma it opens up.

Neither is Lockwood.

stay young, go dancing

The company gets invited to a black tie Fittes affair and Lucy feels like a fish out of water. Luckily Lockwood is there with her. Well, at least he’s trying.

I need you so much closer

Lucy can’t pinpoint why Lockwood is so on edge, but it makes so much more sense when she realizes it’s the anniversary of one of the worst days of his life.

home is a fire

Now that the dust has settled, they can start putting 35 Portland Row back together after it was ransacked by Winkman and his relicmen. The trouble is that it’s not possible to put everything back exactly the way it was, and Lockwood is struggling with the destruction of his childhood home. But Lucy won’t let him struggle alone, and neither will anyone else.

our hands clasped so tight

Lockwood always understood the concept of undying devotion, but he never once dreamed he would be enough to deserve it. Maybe the press of Lucy’s lips against his is enough for him to finally believe it, or maybe dreaming about the family he lost can remind him he was always worthy in the first place.

[superkooku]

My thoughts on the apothecary diaries

(volumes 1 & 2 of the manga)

I'd like to write a review for the manga. Of course, it's just my subjective POV. I'm no professional reviewer, just a fan.

The (very) good

Maomao

If I had to pick knh's greatest strength, it's our protagonist.

Of course, many have noticed how we have an actually fleshed out female character, and that's great. But even by normal standards, she's awesome.

I could see both her strengths (levelheaded, curious, smart) and some weaknesses (too blunt, missing some social hints, getting carried away in her passion). She's also very expressive and it's delightful to see.

Finally, her sudden promotion is actually justified. She's helpful and smart.

The side characters

So far, no character has annoyed me (except maybe some maidens. But it's on purpose).

The rest of the cast may not be as fleshed out as Maomao, but they're all interesting.

I like how the concubines aren't villanized. We see how they themselves suffer, but also their qualities.

Lifa especially surprised me. I initially thought she'd be nasty, but she's quite nice. Her outburst at Gyokuyo becomes more interesting when we learn she isn't her normal self. She's just a sickly woman who's afraid for her son.

And of course, there's Jinshi. He's quite intriguing to me. He seems to put on some kind of facade in front of the others, one which matches his beauty, but it makes him seem shallow and annoying to Maomao.

Speaking of them.

The complicated relationship between Maomao and Jinshi

I talked about the characters in general, now, I'll focus on the "main" relationship.

(Right after Maomao X Poison, my OTP)

First of, yeah, Jinshi's a bit clingy with her 😅. I've seen some people dislike this fact, but personally, I don't mind it. It makes them imperfect and that's a good thing.

And it manages to stay funny instead of creepy (for now at least).

I'm pretty sure it'll become romantic, because I got spoiled 😅. Jinshi's clinginess and Maomao's comments kinda hint towards it anyways.

It's like a healthier version of "Enemies to lovers", though the first part is mostly one-sided.

(No actual hate or spite, just a bit of unease from her side.)

I seriously love how each one can throw the other off their game. Jinshi can't use his charm on her. But Maomao can't hide her schemes from him, he always catches her.

It's like a little mind game. Fun to read.

In volume 2, their interaction after the banquet felt different. I'm excited.

(also, if it becomes romantic, I'm pretty sure he'll realize his feelings way before she reciprocates, lol.)

The politics and commentary

I'm not that good with politics, so I could be wrong, but I like how knh delves into the palace (more specifically the harem).

We see how beautiful the concubines are, the lavish decorations in their rooms, but also the darker side of their lives.

The NINE YEARS OLD concubine (Lady Lishu), how women are put against each other and forced to always be careful in order to survive.

We also see how much damage superstition and ignorance can cause (r.i.p the prince), while most characters aren't dumb, but just used to the system.

There's also that sweet story on the woman dancing at night. We see how far she has to go just to reunite with her childhood friend.

Knh delves into many complicated themes inherent to the society in culture while staying tasteful.

The illustrations

Kudos to Nekokurage. The style is often cute and expressive, but some panels really are beautiful.

(like the final one in volume 1, with the woman dancing, or the freaking covers !)

The cuteness of the style doesn't make more serious scenes less impacting (like when Maomao gets angry at the maid).

Smaller points

The humor

Gyokuyo's three assistants are cute (though a bit foolish)

Other relationships (Maomao with Lady Lifa or Honnyan)

The mystery

The lack of useless fanservice

Maomao's past is acknowledged several times and not only in a negative way. Her background helps her. It's sweet.

The... less good

Although I really enjoyed reading this manga, there were some spots that (imo) can be improved or added on.

Pacing issues

I feel like some things are too fast or could be expended on.

Also, many months sometimes feel like mere days. For example, when Maomao first comes into the palace or when she spends time with Lady Lifa.

Some characters are too incompetent and mean for no reason.

MOST characters aren't dumb. There are exceptions.

It's probably made so Maomao seems even better in comparison. I don't really like this approach.

At least, the doctor is nice, but I would've liked to see him being useful. Maybe some flawed mentor figure for our protagonist.

Maomao can't do everything in this big palace. Seeing other people actually doing their job would be refreshing.

Also, that maiden Maomao slapped is a bit too "strawman" to my taste. Is beauty the ONLY reason why she gave Lady Lifa the notoriously toxic powder again ? Really ?? Is someone actually that stupid ?

It doesn't really make the moment less impactful, but a bit more frustrating (maybe it's made on purpose).

The science can be a bit vague

The vagueness can be justified by the context. This part is handled very well (like Maomao explaining what an allergy is without using modern terminology).

Especially when it comes to Maomao's immunity. I googled it and it only works under very specific conditions.

It's effective against venoms, not poisons.

It takes many years

It can backfire in the long run

It's a small problem, because expositing everything to the reader is not the way to do it and I actually don't hate this subtler approach.

There's nothing too unrealistic, but it's very vague.

Now, there are three options.

It's vague on purpose. Knh will delve into it later on. This approach would mean Maomao would suffer from her methods. I don't want her to be hurt, ofc, but it'd be interesting to delve into the problems of this method.

It'll be justified later on. Not exactly like 1, because the problems will be cancelled instead of solved (for example: she used this method since her childhood)

It will remain vague and we will have to suspend our disbelief.

Also, chocolate isn't an aphrodisiac for us, but knh somewhat explains that it's because they're not used to it like we are.

(Maomao can eat chocolate for example).

Again, it's vague but not completely incorrect, so it's just a little personal issue.

I expected a bit something like Dr. Stone that delves deeper into it, but knh's approach is also interesting. It's not like Maomao doesn't explain anything, she does, it's just more focused on the knowledge she can gather in their era.

Final thoughts

But it's not 100% realistic and focusing more on the "apothecary" part of knh (without forgetting the characters) would be beneficial.

I love this manga and although it has it's little flaws, it's really a wonderful discovery.

I'm very excited to learn new things about the characters (especially Maomao and Jinshi) and the palace in general.

I give it 8.5/10 🤩

[thedroloisms]

yes theres no doubt a large disparity esp on here when other communities outnumber this one in size. I mean to say the new wave over-saturates this behavior, when they all share the common mindset of "at least my guy is not as bad as that one" they conform to putting a controversy in the back of their mind because they never expect their guy to be subject to that limelight or little things that get dream lambasted for because they take part in it. Making sure their punching bag stays as that only punching bag. And seeing it happen to them is such a foreign thing to experience, so they have find ways to cope with it even if it means to drag a name that has nothing to do with the situation. It's my thought process at least that the critical thinking the general community adheres to will always be based on bias and malicious take-downs to make themselves seem better to a wider range beyond theirs. Its so naturally performative too, their statements have like a veneer of snarkiness to it that you can clock right away. Using "she didn't say anyone so we shouldn't speculate" and ignoring the deliberate details she dropped, makes empathy look like a smoke screen to deny or not talk about the person who everyone knows is in plain sight. I understand its a sensitive subject to most people but seeing the evidence of her spoken word be accused of being associated with leak stuff in order to blame something other than their guy is so disgusting. So thats why in this situation, seeing the stark differences as an observer, I can't help but laugh too otherwise I would go mad.

i'd say in my personal experience, older fans tend to be even worse about the "my guy is a good guy and better than dream" rhetoric specifically bc they cling to their experience in choosing "the right side" as giving them a moral high ground. a lot of said people are specifically even invoking dream's name in terms of decision-making in this situation, basically saying "ohhh this situation isn't like the dream situation, if it was like that then obviously i would've dropped him" or on the flip side being like "we can't be like dream fans, guys, we have to Drop Him and call him an awful inhuman monster #fuckmen" etcetera whatever. obviously there are plenty of problems with newer fans as well but i've seen pleeeenty of people acting in stupid ways who were specifically here for the allegations against dream in 2022 (including something i saw earlier which made me laugh a little bit - someone going "look i cant support abusers i used to be a dream fan but then the allegations dropped and i stopped supporting him because i didn't want to look bad :( i dont support will gold anymore but i will continue to draw wilbur soot" like ???? okay) - i feel like new fans are more of an issue bc they take this attitude from older fans and parrot and amplify it, but honestly i wouldn't really say new fans are the root of the issue (though obviously their lack of supporting a Bad Guy in the past factors into their superiority complexes in the present)

while there have been quite a few idiots making this situation about dream (some people outright accusing dream, though honestly i think those people were just trying to deflect the situation onto their favorite punching bag rather than making an actual accusation - and a lot more people bringing up the dream situation specifically to soothe their own complicated feelings because Obviously they care about victims and Obviously they care about holding Bad People accountable) - i feel like the majority of what i've seen from people other than the copium is just a lot of people going all :( support shelby #believevictims don't speculate, which is. wow. crazy to me as well to consider it leak to ... talk about literally publicly available information? like leaktwt is when you listen to music lyrics now i fucking guess.

you really, really do have to laugh, honestly. i didn't know what to expect from this situation but my god, i did NOT think it'd be this bad

[picnokinesis]

Ahhhhh Yazs last chapter! I loved it and was surprised how easily the Doctor came out to her about being genderqueer and her pronouns, because I expected her to be a bit dodgy about the subject, maybe the conversation with Jack helped her a lot. I kinda hoped that she would tell Yaz about her former name, John, but baby steps LOL. AND RIVER YEEESSSSS. I didnt know that she visited her, I can imagine that River wasnt exactly happy to see her but it is cute that she gave her that mixtape awwww

Ahhh thank you so much, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!

You know, it's quite funny with the Doctor, but honestly I think that there are so many other things on her mind at the moment, so many things that she is actively avoiding talking about, that talking about her gender and sexuality is relatively easy territory HAHA! But also I think it has a LOT to do with the context of the conversation. For a start, Yaz came out first, and in my personal experience (which a lot of that conversation was inspired by honestly haha) it is SIGNIFICANTLY easier to come out to someone who has also just come out to you, because it suddenly becomes less of a terrifying thing and much more a 'oh my days we're family' thing, which is really lovely. And you can be a lot more frank about it too, and more open about the complexity of the whole thing, because this is another queer person who will most likely get where you're coming from in a way that a cis straight person probably wouldn't so much.....so I think, for the Doctor, that has a lot to do with it. But I also think Yaz really went about it the right way too, which helped a lot - she didn't try and put any names on what the Doctor experienced, and just left it open for her to say what she wanted. And this helped the Doctor a lot, because she honestly doesn't know in some ways, and in others it's ended up being a bit complicated. But you'll see all of that in a lot more detail from the Doctor's side when you get her pov of that scene!

You are right, though, in that there are definitely times when the Doctor would have been more cagey about this sort of thing - and I think that would have been if she'd felt like she needed to give a clear cut answer, or felt like she was being pressured to explain it all more than she feels comfortable with. There is a lot that she doesn't say to Yaz. There is a lot that she doesn't say in general, actually, which is partly why her section is significantly longer than anyone else's haha (as well as the fact that she sleeps less than everyone else sksk)

About the name John, though - well, unfortunately, at this stage in the story, she will definitely not talk to ANYONE about that, and it's because it's all entangled in the past she can't really remember. It's a direct thread pulling back on everything between her and Koschei and she...isn't dealing well, let's say.

AND THIS IS GETTING LONG BUT YES RIVER!! Oh, River.....yeah, that meeting in 2018 was really complicated. I feel like it was significantly more difficult for River than for the Doctor, who just had no context for anything. But I really wanted them to meet like that, because it's meant to be a parallel between that moment in River's first episode in the show, where she looks at the Doctor and he just does not know her at all. The album that she recced though, in case it wasn't clear, wasn't in 2018, but way back when they were sort-of-dating - and as I said in the ask I just answered, it was because it resonated with her a lot and she thought it would resonate with the Doctor too. If you haven't listened to it, I do recommend it actually because it's a GORGEOUS album and very raw in places.

Sidenote - not sure if you saw the asks I replied to about campervan!River aaages back, but if not, they're here and here!

[sixthwater]

I mention the decks I use in my readings, but do you really know them? A lot of them have quite the personality, so let me introduce you to them!

The Luminous Spirit by Labyrinthos

My first deck that was gifted to me by some friends. Is quite blunt, so I try to be picky about who I use this for, since it doesn't hold back. If I had to relate it to a character, it's exactly like Edna Mode from The Incredibles. Gives you information you need to hear, not what you want -- what you usually think of when you hear people talking about tarot decks or tarot readings. If you're not sensitive, this deck can be quite funny and honestly it's super loving, it's just kinda....Earthy (virgo/capricorn blunt like)

Tarot of the Divine by Yoshi Yoshitani

Sensitive and dreamy deck. Shies away from the honest truth if I'm being honest. Cards hold traditional meaning, but likes to speak through the fairytales therefore giving more depth to the meanings or straight up changes it. Absolutely loves romantic readings, doesn't care for much else but will still entertain them. Doesn't like low energy anything, will always root for your success.

The Modern Witch Tarot by Lisa Sterle

Unless you have your entire life in check, don't request this. Gossiper and will spill unrelated secrets, need to work with her on that lol. Great for yearly reveals though! Has no ill intent, but will showcase whatever needs attention or is the most prominent energy. Imagine someone reading on you but with like ten Rider-Waite decks.

The Traditional Manga Tarot by Shou Xueting and Riccardo Minetti

Very bright but also relaxed? Just wants you to be happy and cheering you on from the sidelines. Doesn't care for love, but likes reading for career or your strengths. Likes thinking positively and will read for shadow related topics but doesn't like to sit in it for too long. One of my very few neutral/flexible decks

Orien's Animal Tarot by Ambi Sun

My other neutral and relaxed deck. Let's you take the reigns but will put it's foot down when it doesn't like something. Refuses to hand out cards for subjects it doesn't like in regards to the person. So if they shouldn't know, it doesn't necessarily matter, they want to talk about something else, etc. It's a quiet but forceful energy.

Mystic Mondays by Grace Duong

Transform! Grow! Change! It wants the best for you. It's rooting for you, but it knows you can't stay where you are. Another blunt deck, but in a lighter way. Will gently insult you while complimenting you. It's always cheering you on and giving you a pat on the back.

Luna Somnia by ShoresOfMoon

Fire sign in the form of a deck. Very loud and excited. Wants to celebrate all of your achievements and make sure you know you're loved. Gives out compliments easily, but doesn't like repeat questions. You have a two strike system. Although the imagery is repetitive, noticed that everyone tends to resonate or pick up on something with the cards they get. (I have tried to explain that a lot of the cards have the same thing but they are very adamant about it and it's happened far too many times so it must be something)

Moondust Tarot by Terra Soleil

Doesn't like to be bothered much lol. Usually likes to be read for important or intense situations despite being a joyous deck? It's difficult to explain but it can get bored of energy checks or near future -- things like that. Enjoys much more complicated situations where I have like three piles going on or having to piece a bunch of stuff together? Not what I was expecting when it gave off the same energy as Luna Somnia & Mystic Mondays.

The Rider-Waite by Arthur Edward Waite / Pamela Colman Smith

Objective and dare I say emotionless. Will just give you what is happening in a situation, if I need the parties involved I have to break out another deck. Perfect for giving you an outside breakdown of what's goin on, not so great for feelings or emotions? They will tell you how they're doing, but it's not empathetic -- that's usually me putting in the work lol. (Ex; you see someone crying at a table and you know that they dropped a meal they just bought, but you don't know that they've been internalizing stress for the past four days and that was their breaking point),

The Horror Tarot by By Aria Gmitter and Minerva Siegel

Overdramatic. That's it lol. Loves doing shadow work, looking at flaws, the underbelly of the world -- but will exaggerate things a bit. Or a lot. Somewhat childish, and is aware of that.

Tarot Familiars by Lisa Parker

Encourages change. New chapters in life and wants you to take that next jump. It's very quiet and peaceful, not very loud. It's messages are a little difficult to decipher when you first hear them, but they make sense later and you have to come back to them in time. It chooses when to talk in rhymes or when to be direct. However it's always talking about being a better version of yourself, or the you that you need to be in this lifetime.

After Tarot by By Corrine Kenner, Pietro Alligo, Giula Francesca Massaglia

A little goofy and playful. Wants you to enjoy your life, but not throw it away with foolish choices. Be smart, but not have a stick up your ass. Just like how it looks, basically the Rider-Waite but with a bit more personality. It struggles to read the situation objectively cause it wants to have a bit more fun. Can give some specific insight to situations so if I'm called to it, it's for a reason. (Page of Pentacles is presenting or coming up with a business idea, but with this deck, someone else would be working with them or giving them said idea).

Book of Shadows Vol. 2 by Barbara Moore

This has become my personal deck, so I'm trying to see if I want to get a duplicate lmao. All about exploring new opportunities and being my best self. Doesn't like to be bored or be too serious. Wants the best out of life. Always excited. Honestly feels like it gets upset when I'm upset or being too serious/thinking too hard about stuff lol. Very light-hearted and sweet deck, so I want to be able to read for others with it.

Trickster's Journey by Jia Sung

This deck is...highly spiritual? It feels weird to say that. Essentially it stresses the importance of moving away from material/wordly things or ideas and to focus on emotional or spiritual happiness. Which, considering the art and theme of the deck, makes sense.

Romantic Tarot by Lo Scarabeo

LOVES love, not surprising. Doesn't like being serious and basically told me to get that stick out of my ass and fall in love with life. A very sweet and energetic, goofy deck.

Angel Tarot by Travis McHenry

Still don't know why I got this deck. I just really wanted it one day and every time I use it, I vaguely remember what I did, which I really hate!

White Numen Tarot by Alba BG

So comforting. Wants me to slow down and get in touch with myself whenever I use it. Does not let me go fast and, much to it's theme, is very grounded lmao. Really enjoy working with this deck.

Dreaming Way Tarot by Rome Choi

I've always wanted to get this deck due to someone I watched previously using it, but it's just so nice to use? It has an interesting personality and wants to be used in a certain way that I've gotten used to but it's very calm and grounded like the deck before it.

Manga Tarot by Riccardo Minetti

Love this deck, it's so sweet! The deck itself utilizes seasons throughout the deck (it's not pentacles = fall, it changes) which I find really nice for my mecurial self. I like the art and how the pip cards are expressed, especially the court cards.

Halloween Tarot by Kipling West & Karin Lee

I still don't know why I got this :) I was out with my friend for their first deck and it kept getting my attention :)))) but this deck is SO CUTE!!!! I didn't expect it's preferred topics considering it's a 'spooky' deck, but it loves lighthearted topics which I find hilarious. The only negative is that the art doesn't correspond with the cards sometimes? Most of them make sense when you read the guidebook, but the only one I can't get over is the four of pentacles. Doesn't make sense.

The Sacred Web by Jannie Bui Brown

I also don't know why this called out to me either. I knew I needed a deck but I wasn't expecting this one lmao. It's a little intimidating but it also draws me in. It makes me think and it forces me to slow my mind down to process stuff. I wouldn't call it grounding but like...quieting outside noise? Something like that. Interesting deck.

Teeny Tiny Tarot by Holly Oddly

My first mini deck! This was gifted to me, and my only thing is that I have such a thing with the suits being switched up majorly and then having no guide attached to it. Besides that it's really cute, and it's attitude is quite loud for a tiny deck lmao.

The Fablemakers Animated Tarot by Misty Bourne | **Trial Period

A gift for christmas and I almost fucking screamed let's be real. These cards are gorgeous and this is the first deck where an entire suit is my favorite because of how well they were all shown. I am still so nervous to use them which is a very big downside so I'm trying to figure out how to get around that due to them not being compatible with how I shuffle, thus the trial period.

Thera-pets by Kate Allen

Literally the cutest deck I have. Love pulling these for people. Love pulling them every day. Best investment I ever made.

believe in your own magic by amanda lovelace

While it's focused on women, it's inclusive outside of that. It's split into three sections that carry different energies and I have yet to pull certain witch cards, and it's rare that I do actually. It's usually princess or mermaid cards!

The Arcana of Astrology by Claire Goodchild

My favorite astrology oracle deck so far. I know people have other favorites but they...pale in comparison tbh lol. I always use this for nearly every reading, and it's like my personal little companion. Has never failed me. Has signs, planets, houses, and asteroids.

Archetype Cards by Carolyne Myss

I feel like I don't need to introduce this LOL. I mainly use this for personality or relationship breakdown readings

Woodland Wardens by Jessica Roux

Super cute deck. Love that some of the cards mirror tarot as well. This can kind of be used for personality readings, but you have to get creative with them. I use this on and off for check ins.

Claves Astrologicae by Labyrinthos

Gifted to me by an old co-worker. I've started to use this for more personal readings as a back-up, or when I'm on the go. I don't use this as much but I'm a cancer so I can't get rid of it, and the art is really nice so it stays for now.

Seed & Sickle by Fez Inkwright

This was such an annoying deck to get used to LMAO but I use it more comfortably now. You can read them just like tarot, upright or reversed (dawn or dusk), so there's double the amount of cards to remember. It took me a bit of time to get used to it since there's no correlation or base to start with, but now I use it pretty regularly like the wardens. I actually use them together.

The Abandoned Oracle by DeviantMoon

Perfect companion with The Horror Tarot. Much more objective and straight-forward, but the art is able to be less pretty while not being gruesome. Love to use this for shadow work or figuring out what lies underneath.

Astrological Oracle by Lunaea Weatherstone, Antonella Castelli

Yes…another astrology deck. This one seems to be great at picking up actual placements or chart energy most of the time instead of what people exude. I love the art and it’s pretty particular and picky with what cards it wants to give so it can take a minute, like it’s pondering over what to get in a shop

The Language of Flowers by Cheralyn Darcey

Feels weirdly very...stern? Not in a mean or intimidating way but feels serious. I usually joke around or play with my decks and I felt a little uncomfortable doing that with this one. Feels very earthy? Time will tell if it'll let me joke with it once we get used to each other :)

Sea Melodies by Jessica Le

Imagine a Natasha Bedingfield or Ellie Goulding song. There you go. Very sensitive, and I couldn't be sarcastic with it as it immediately told me to be kind. Honestly feels like a big hug and really wants me to, explore the depths of the ocean (get it)

The Citadel by Fez Inkwright

Found a favorite deck maker I guess because I pre-ordered this one lmao. It's really compatible considering I'm a writer and I really love the theme of it. Compared to the Wardens, I got used to this fairly quickly.

Fairies Oracle Deck by Eugene Fletcher & Camelia Pham

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!! It's energy is so cute and bubbly, it reminds me a lot of the folktale tarot deck I have which makes sense. They're legends and myths. Saving the combination for very uplifting readings, but I always use this whenever I want a smile.

The Sacred Creators Oracle by Chris Anne | **Trial Period

Cute, calm, and simple. Also really easy to shuffle?? There's just a ton of cards to remember and I tend to get confused, but very easy to resonate with, but I worry that maybe it loses personality due to that? It's very cute though, like a wallflower.

The Psychic Tarot Oracle by John Holland

Not much to say here. I enjoy using this as a replacement for tarot sometimes as it opens up alternative routes or it goes more in depth.

Energy Oracle Cards by Sandra Anne Taylor

Love these cards!! Finally was able to get them and they're so beautiful while also opening up the message -- as oracle cards should do (Example, two readings I had messages of 'The Chariot' coming out through all my cards including this deck, and then it happened in another reading with the empress)

Mini Divi - Dreams by Holly Oddly

Got this tiny deck gifted to me as well due to getting messages through my dreams and my friend was aware of that haha.

Loputyn Oracle by Loputyn

SO!!! PRETTY I love this deck. I love how raw it is both in imagery and explanation and I love using it. That's it.

Elle Qui by Arwen Lynch-Poe

Love this deck too. I use it as archetypes a bit more than for advice as it comes out stronger for that than letting people know that they need to embody a certain character trait.

[ferromagnetiic]

"Heard you can control magnetism and I can't help but wonder how that works exactly. I mean technically all matter is magnetic, some more than others, but you catch my drift." Undeterred the brunet genius carries on. "So are you creating your own magnetic field then and can manipulate how electrons interact with each other or are you limited to the usual type of ferromagnetism? If it's the latter, do you need a certain percentage of, lets say iron, in a material so your powers have an effect on them? Or does it not matter?

To say that Tony thought about this a lot would be an understatement.

[Feel free to ignore this if you want, he's just been curious and wants to know everything about Kids powers >:) ]

          【 UNPROMPTED ASK. 】                      @ravarui 【 Tony 】

          It's not often someone takes the time to inquire about the mechanics of his devil fruit ability, and it's even less often that he answers them sincerely. On occasion his nakama have tempted him with the question, though more often than not, the individual asking hasn't been expecting a sincere explanation and they tended to give up trying to make sense of him halfway through. Kid remains notoriously terrible at explaining things. He works on visuals and feelings, and has a tendency to leave out important details; he gets irritable when people don't already know the basic principals he's relying on and he has to go back and explain things further. Most commonly, anyone who investigates how his abilities function will get a clipped answer something along the lines of ❛ Because I ate a rotten fruit, now quit worryin' about it. ❜ Over time, similarly to a father who does not have the energy to explain complicated subjects to their infant child, he started to give up on trying to go into graphic detail of how he was able to control magnetic properties, and tends to not even bother.

This time, it is not his loyal friends asking him at all. It is a total stranger, no less, and his paranoia of what consequences may occur if he provides untrustworthy people with too much information is rearing its ugly head. He doesn't know this guy, so why should he hand out all his secrets to him for him to use as his pleases? Why should he give him an opportunity to use his honesty against him? Distributing free instruction manuals for his devil fruit powers to anybody who asks is a horrible idea, and this particular man in question doesn't exactly strike him as someone stupid enough to find this information utterly useless. He's composed, well kept, displaying a degree of quiet confidence that doesn't need to be boldly stated. Kid can read his intelligence in the way his eyes move — focused, attentive, but yet somehow simultaneously distracted, as if he's juggling multiple thoughts and ideas whilst still effortlessly managing to carry their conversation. He reminds Kid of the people who have the ability to both read a book and speak to others at the same time, without one action compromising the other. People like him put him on guard. The ones who didn't need to demonstrate their intelligence were generally the most dangerous.

Maybe he was an undercover marine? His clothes didn't match, but that didn't prove his innocence. His well-groomed appearance seemed like something a marine would want to don, anyway. He should dismiss the question and tell him to fuck right off and leave him alone. None of his business, was it?

          ...Still.

He seems to know what he's talking about. At least, more than the last person who tried to make sense of Kid's powers. He wondered how much he could even really do with the most basic walkthrough of how his magnetism functioned. Understanding a concept didn't necessarily make that information particularly helpful, after all.

Besides. Something about this man was intriguing to Kid. He could sense something he couldn't name; a very particular energy that he can't pin down. At the very least, he detected no active hostility from him. Kid considered himself to be fairly good at reading people when he wanted to — this is partially due to honing his haki to be especially sensitive to the auras surrounding a person and recognizing how to detect any malice in their intentions, but additionally, it was also simply a learned behavior that stemmed from having a dear friend who could not regularly show his face. He learned to understand body language in order to adapt for his sake. Movements. Tone of voice. Choice of wording. This man was not giving off obvious signals of being an enemy, at least for now.

Kid watches him for a long time. He sucks his teeth, making an audible clicking sound with his tongue when he releases them. He's trying to decide if it's worth it or not.

Well, maybe an incredibly vague rundown of his powers wouldn't be the worst thing. He could leave out anything that might be readily used against him, and he could stop if the stranger started probing for more than he was willing to offer. Even if Kid didn't trust him, he did pique his curiosity.

     ❝ Ya answered yer own question. 'S like ya said — everything is kinda magnetic; just not always enough to do a whole lot with. ❞

There's a slight pause here as he shifts on his seat, leaning his right elbow to rest against his knee. He deeply exhales as he moves, in a way one might expect from a much older gentleman, rather than a healthy young man in his early twenties.

     ❝ Ya know all about atoms, don't ya? I ain't gonna explain that shit if ya don't. ❞

He should, since he already brought up electrons. This isn't necessarily a subtle insult. Multiple members of his crew had a limited understanding of basic scientific principals due to their upbringing and home environment. It wasn't unusual for his question to be answered 'no', and at which point, Kid was quick to lose interest in continuing the conversation. Trying to tell someone that there are tiny little specs smaller than dust that made up everything in the universe sounded like the nonsensical ramblings of a madman. The only reason he even knew about the existence of atoms to begin with was because Old Man Ketil had taken the time to tutor him, even if he hadn't been particularly happy about it at the time.

The stranger doesn't stop him, so Kid continues.

     ❝ Atoms have their own force fields, right? They got their core — their nucleus, protons, neutrons — then ya got the space around them, these little... loops, I guess. Yer electrons spin and orbit and make these electrical rings that circle them. When they move in the same direction, that's their magnetic field, right? This charge that goes all around the core. ❞

He can already feel himself struggling to tell what areas should elaborate on, and what he should skim over. He wonders how long it will take for the stranger to give up trying to follow.

     ❝ It ain't like I can see atoms or some shit; that's not what my fruit does. But I don't need to, 'cause I can feel those loops. See, the Jiki Jiki no Mi, it gives that magnetic charge a physicality. It makes it tangible. Makes ya more aware of it being there. So every one of those loops stops being this force ya can't touch, and instead it's like, they're all made of strands of thread, or silk or somethin'.      Ya try to touch one strand of silk, it's just gonna break. Ya can't move anythin' with one strand of silk. But when ya get a fuck ton of those strands all together, and ya grab them all at once.... ❞

To demonstrate, he makes a tight fist with his right hand. In conjunction, an empty, partially crushed beer can that he had earlier discarded on the ground then begins to levitate, moving closer towards him and hovering just inches below his enclosed palm; it deliberately swings, almost as if he's trying to make it resemble a yoyo on an invisible string.

     ❝ — That's how ya make rope. Then ya just gotta tug that rope in the right direction. Ya gotta decide if ya want to attract or repel, and it's like contractin' the muscles in yer arm. ❞

He squeezes his fist closer towards his bicept at this, tensing the muscle fibers below his skin. But then, he slackens, and releases his fist entirely, letting the can immediately succumb to gravity and fall to the ground with a tinny clang.

     ❝ Anyway, that's why it ain't easy to, say, control blood through the iron cells. The iron is too diluted; not enough to grab onto. Doesn't do shit. ❞

The average human being has approximately around four grams of iron in their body, though the exact quantity depends on a large number of variables. When that's dispersed, there isn't a whole lot of force to be created from moving those individual iron molecules. What created significantly more force than moving those four grams of iron was Kid's fist, punching them in the gut at full strength and rupturing their spleen. However, that didn't mean he wasn't capable of magnetizing the human body at all; since his devil fruit's awakening, he has since acquired the ability to do just that.

     ❝ — But if ya can give tangible loops to any atom, ya can start makin' the whole person into one huge magnet, and ya don't have to worry about findin' the right cells to single out. Ya just start screwin' with the electrons to stitch stronger loops to all the atoms, even if they're usually too weak to do anythin' with. ❞

The problem with that was the energy expenditure required to create a significant magnetic field for almost every individual atom that made up a human person, as well as the concentration it took. It was a work in progress, and admittedly, even just being able to do it for a short amount of time was impressive enough; but this skill is still in its primitive stages, and requires significant work before it is honed to its fullest potential. He still has yet to master isolating oxygen atoms in order to repel them from a person's body and suffocate them, for example. When it came to ambitious desires, Kid always preferred to go big. He longs for the day that he can control the entire world through its geomagnetic field. He impatiently waits for the day that he can hold the entire Earth hostage, if such a thing were possible. He has visions of controlling the tides of the seas through the movements of the moon, and the ground would split apart at his will, because the stranger was right — magnetism is potentially present in all things, if he is only able to utilize it, manipulate it, and create that which he needed in order to control anything he desired. Playing God has nothing to do with it; he just enjoys tearing things apart for the sake of seeing how they work.

This is an awful lot of time spent on conversing with someone he doesn't even know. He doesn't feel particularly compelled to elaborate in too much more detail beyond this, though the explanation is certainly missing some key elements. Manipulating the shape of magnetic materials was more complicated than simply moving an object around in the air, and involved more focused work on pinpointing individual areas and applying force to alter the structure of the metal, as if he were playing cat's cradle. Altering the patterns of electrons and changing the relationship between north and south poles were other topics that he didn't need to bother with right now. Whatever. He got his answer. Maybe's Kid would give him a few crumbs more if he bought him another beer or something. Dinner, maybe. Was he even listening? If he wasted all that time yapping to this guy and he wasn't even paying attention, Kid might just shoot him in the head out out of sheer annoyance.

     ❝ Ya get all that shit, Buttercup? ❞