#i just don't understand this sort of thing

[starless-nightz]

The look of love

note -> I am NOT ready for act 3, I don't want Arcane to end :[[[

parts -> [part one] | part two

pairing -> Jinx X fem! reader, platonic! Isha X fem! reader

summary -> Jinx always believed that she would end up alone, she always did. That was until you and Isha came into her life and now she finally has something—someone—worth living for.

warnings -> none.

content includes -> just fluff.

Jinx didn't believe in happy endings. Not for her, not for anyone. Sure, people in Piltover might have them—their shining golden mansions and glittering dresses made them seem like they walked out of fairy tales. But here in Zaun? Happy endings were as real as unicorns, and Jinx would sooner blow herself up than believe in that kind of nonsense.

She had convinced herself she didn't care.

That was until you came along. And then later, Isha.

————

The first time she met you Jinx didn't think much about you. You were just another face in the crowd of Zaun, another person struggling to make it through the grime and smog. She’d been trailing through the streets, looking for some scrap or bauble to turn into her next explosive creation.

And there you were, crouched in some abandond alley with your hands tangled in wires, fiddling with some broken-down device. You didn't even look up when she stopped next to you, a hand resting on her hip as she watched you.

"Hey, you planning on blowing that thing up, or is it just me?

You jumped, your head smacking against the device. Groaning, you rubbed at your scalp and turned to glare at her. "What do you want?"

Jinx tilted her head. "Ooh, feisty. I like that." She crouched next to you, her eyes darting over your work. "What's this supposed to be?"

"Nothing you'd care about."

"Try me."

You let out a sigh, but humored her. "It's a transmitter. Or it's supposed to be. Trying to fix it so I can get in touch with someone topside. Supplies down here are running thin."

She knew should've walked away. Jinx never got involved with other people's problems. It was easier this way: to keep to herself and keep the world at arm's length, to keep her heart safe, she couldn't handle loosing anyone else.

But something about you made her want to stay, something about you made her want to get to know you better, to open up her heart to you.

"Supplies, huh? Tell you what," she said, standing and shouldering her gun. "You make that thing work, and I'll make sure nobody messes with you until then."

You blinked at her warily but curiously. "Why?"

Jinx shrugged, a lopsided grin spreading across her face. "Call it a hunch. You seem… fun."

————

That was the start. You didn't trust her that much at first—who would? Jinx was chaos in human form, a whirling dervish of energy and bad decisions that sane people crossed the street to avoid, not to mention a wanted crimial. But she kept her word. For weeks, she stuck around your jury-rigged workshop, chasing off the more common sorts of Zaunite pests.

And against your better judgment, you began to grow accustomed—and even attached—to her.

Jinx was actually good company when she wasn't blowing things up. She had a way of making you laugh, even when the transmitter refused to cooperate. Her stories—wild and half-believed—painted in the picture of a girl who hurt more often than she let on.

One night, with the both of you sitting on the rooftop of a crumbling building, she turned to you, her usual manic grin replaced by something softer.

"Why're you still here, anyway?" she asked. "Zaun's a dump. You could've gone topside ages ago."

You fumbled for words, gazing fixedly out across the glowing neon lights of the skyline. "Zaun's home," you said finally. "It's messy, yeah, but… it's mine. People up there wouldn't understand."

For once, Jinx didn't have a snappy comeback. She just nodded, the understanding in her eyes making your chest tighten.

————

Then came Isha.

Jinx had always been good at finding trouble, and it just so happens that a little girl fell on top of her while running away from bad men.

Jinx protected her, of course, the guys weren't even a match to her so it was incredibly easy. By the time the dust settled, the little girl was staring at her, wide-eyed and breathless.

"Yep, that's me." Jinx said as the two looked at the wanted posters of her, "You ever need to curse a sibling or a family or a society... my card." she said as she started walking away.

The little girl immediately followed her, trying her best to catch uo with her, her little eyes filled with amazement.

Soon Jinx was at your workshop with the little girl trailing behind her. You immediately noticed the two, raising your eyebrow as you glance between Jinx and the girl.

"She yours?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jinx shrugged. "I dunno. She just kinda started following meu."

You sigh, looking at the little girl then at Jinx. "Well, she's staying. She'll be safer with us."

Jinx didn't argue.

————

Months passed. The three of you became an odd little family, bound together by circumstance and something deeper that none of you could quite name.

You and Jinx spent your days scavenging and fixing whatever you could get your hands on, while Isha stood watch, her quiet presence a constant comfort, sometimes she would even help you two.

For the first time in a long while, Jinx felt something close to peace.

She would never admit to it, not even to herself, but she began to look forward to the moments when you'd smile at her, your laughter filling up the empty spaces in her mind. She loved the way Isha would hold onto her, a silent reminder that she wasn't alone anymore.

And then there was the way you looked at her.

Jinx had seen a lot of things in her life, but she'd never seen anyone look at her the way you did. Like she was more than just a ticking time bomb. Like she was worth something.

It scared her.

But it also made her want to be better. For you.

————

It was one of those nights when the city weighed heavier than usual. You were tinkering with a new device that aimed to channel Zaun's toxic air into something breathable. Jinx sat beside you, mimicking your actions but with one of her bombs instead as Isha layed her head in Jinxs lap sound asleep.

"Do you ever think about leaving?" You asked her, looking up to look at her.

Jinx froze, her fingers mid-twist. "What, like… Zaun?"

You nodded, not looking at her. "Yeah, starting over somewhere else. Somewhere quiet."

For a moment, she didn't know what to say. The idea of leaving Zaun had never crossed her mind. This place was her hell, but it was also her home.

But then she looked at you, at the way the dim light caught the curve of your face, and she wondered if maybe, just maybe, there could be something more.

"I dunno," she said finally, her voice quieter than usual. "Maybe."

You turned to her, your expression soft but searching. "If you ever wanted to… I'd go with you, Isha would too."

Jinx's heart stuttered in her chest. She looked away, trying to mask the way her cheeks flushed. She looked down at Ishas sleeping form, her hands playing with the young girls fluffy hair.

"Yeah, well," she muttered, "don't go making promises you can't keep, alright?"

But the way you smiled at her made her wonder if you meant it.

————

The world didn't change overnight. It never does. But for Jinx, it didn't need to.

She had you. She had Isha.

And for the first time in her life, she thought that might just be enough.

Because when she looked at you, she saw something she never thought she'd have.

Home.

And that was worth living for.

[journalofimprobablethings]

I think the thing about your first response that is provoking knee-jerk reactions (at least, it did for me) is that it implies that character death's only purpose in fiction is to "maximize pain" for the readers, and that any other purpose it might serve can be found through other means. And I don't think that's true at all.

To a certain extent I agree with the OP commenter that it's not necessary to kill a character simply for 'emotional impact' or 'realism'. If an author's main goal with a character death is just to "inflict maximum pain" on the reader, then that's probably not very good writing, and not "necessary". The death needs to do more than just hurt the reader; it should affect the story in some way, either in how other characters react to the death, or how events change because of it.

But I also agree with friskdaferret's argument that some character deaths are necessary for the story that the author is trying to tell. That's the key. Could they choose to write it a different way? Sure. They're the author, it's their story, it's all made up. But then it would be a different story.

I know that you consider the Holes argument to be a bit of a tangent, but for the sake of using an example that's already been brought up, Sam's death in Holes serves a particular purpose in the story. It reflects real-world racism in a very direct way: black men being lynched for having a relationship with a white woman (or after being accused of assaulting/touching a white woman, whether they did or not) is a real fact of American history. It's an ugly fact, and it's something that Louis Sacher decided was important to include in the story. For some kids reading that book, it may even have been their first exposure to that sort of racism. Having Sam leave Kate for other reasons, as you suggest, would change the story, and would make a different point. It's not the story Louis Sacher was trying to tell.

Your argument, if I understand correctly, is that sometimes, the potential pain inflicted on a reader who is very attached to the character might outweigh an author wanting to make a particular point or tell a particular story. How then, do we handle telling stories that are inherently about painful topics? What is the "utilitarian calculus" as it relates to a story like Orpheus and Eurydice which is about grief; or tragedies like Hamlet?

I also think that if you're going to make that argument, you have to consider the other side - that is, what benefit do those deaths, as written, bring to readers? Why has the author included it in the story? What do people get out of it? That answer is going to be different for different readers and stories, but there is a reason that death has been such a prominent trope in human storytelling since forever. Death and grief are inherent, immutable facts of life, and so storytellers are going to find ways to engage with and examine it.

Two examples that came to mind while I was thinking about this post were The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Babel by R.F. Kuang. Both of those books contain absolutely devastating moments of loss in connection with characters we have become very close to as readers. I don't think I've ever cried as hard at a story as I cried at those two books in particular.

Both of those stories would not be what they are, or say what they wanted to say, if those deaths didn't happen. They are a book about cancer and a book about imperialism and the violence it engenders, respectively. Both those topics are impossible to handle without at least talking about death.

Now, would I give people a warning before I recommend those books to them? Absolutely, because it's the sort of thing you probably want to be in the right headspace for. But do I think that those books should have been written differently, just because the stories were painful? Absolutely not.

I don't know that I agree with any sort of utilitarian argument about the potential effect of a character death on readers vs its function in the story, in part because that sort of thing is impossible to quantify. How would you ever possibly judge what was "too much"? It's entirely subjective, and in the end, authors do not have control over what a reader's reactions to their story will be.

I also think that to a certain extent, readers are responsible for their own reading experience. If a person does not want to encounter painful moments in their reading, that is their responsibility to tailor their reading accordingly. If they as a reader know they are prone to making deep connections with characters such that it might genuinely hurt them if that character then dies, they can take steps to avoid those sorts of stories, or to use sites like doesthedogdie.com to check whether a story has something that they don't want to/can't engage with. But it's not an author's responsibility to tailor their story so that it doesn't make anyone sad. That's not the point of fiction.

Fiction is a reflection of life, and a way for us as humans to examine and process all aspects of it, including the aspects that hurt, that are awful, the parts that don't make sense. It's perfectly valid for someone to not want to engage with challenging fiction, but to say that authors shouldn't be writing it at all because it might somewhere cause someone grief? I can't agree with that.

im starting to think you guys dont like it when stories make you feel things

[c0n-fus3d]

𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝙰 𝙱𝚘𝚢.

(Older!Powder x fem!reader)

I'm sorry but I finished ep 1 of act 3 and had to write this to get my emotions out about ekko and powder being a thing in an alternative reality bcz just RAHHHFHSHEHSHHS my gay ass is crying (no offense to the timebomb shippers, you do you!! If you like this that's cool💪💪) ENGLISH ISN'T MY NATIVE LANGUAGE, IF I MADE SOME SPELLING MISTAKES I'M SORRY ALSO SPOILERS FOR ACT 3!!

Warnings: uhhh just angst, mostly angst, this is for my girlies who might be feeling the same

༺ღ༒ ༺ღ༒ ༺ღ༒ ༒ღ༻

You've always liked Powder, every since you were kids, and still when you are teenagers.

Their was always something about her. The way she made the most creative inventions, the way she always seemed to have some sort of spark in her eyes. Her laugh, her hair, her eyes, it's hard for you to explain the feelings you have towards her.

You knew the way Vi's death was heavy on her, you could see that with the days, and soon years that came after. You we're always trying to be there to support her, make her feel a little better. You gave her space when she needed it, and we're there for her when she needed you the most.

And then there was Ekko.

You never hated Ekko, you 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 hate Ekko. he was a good guy, you got along with him. He was around Powder nearly just as much as you we're, maybe even a little more. When you were around Powder, he wouldn't take long to show up as well. You didn't mind.

But you couldn't deny that you we're jealous of him, of Ekko. The way he charmed his way into Powder's heart over the years. With his sketches, ideas, personality, kindness and understanding. You wanted what him and Powder had as if what you already had wasn't enough for you. You could see the way she looked at him, how 𝙝𝙚 looked at her the same way.

You often wished it was you instead of him. You try to forget about your jealousy, push it asside. You try to push your jealousy and selfishness asside, keep everything natural between you three. But it got harder and harder the more time went on.

Ekko has been acting strange recently, or at least that's what Powder told you. How he 'seems not to remember anything' and how he says these things about how in a dream her and Vi we're completely different. You noticed yourself too, how he was more around then usual. You assumed it was because of his project or whatever.

Now you find yourself here, on the dance floor in the last drop. Inventions around you everywhere as music and colorful lights fill the bar. You look into the crowd, trying to spot Powder. It took you a whole 5 minutes to finally spot her, but to no suprise, Ekko was there. On the dance floor, with her. Dancing together to the beat of the music like it was just the two of them. You tried to move your eyes away from the sight, let them be happy and together. But the jealousy ate you from the inside out, this all just left a bitter taste on your tongue. It all got so overwhelming so quickly, so you decide to leave the place before you explode and do something stupid.

So you decide to go out to Powder's little Hideout for now and go back once you've cooled down. You look at the massive invention across the room, stunned as fuck how they made this. You don't want to pay too much attention to it though, so you continue walking through the massive space before sitting down in front of the small memorial that Powder made for Vi.

You lighten the place up before just.. Sitting there. You sigh, looking at the picture sat on the desk. Vi always knew you had a thing for Powder, she always encouraged you to tell her how you felt. Whenever the situation was on your mind, you'd go here. You'd talk, like she was still there. Because to you, she was. To everyone, she still was. Now wasn't any different, you talked about what has been going on recently. With Ekko, Powder, and everything else.

"I just.. Don't know what to do, I know I'm supposed to be happy for them.. Ekko is a great guy, a-and if they become a thing, I'll be fine with it but.. Theirs this voice in the back of my mind that just doesn't seem to go away.." You groan, your head in your hands as you thought for a moment.

You knew you couldn't hide your feelings forever. If Powder wasn't going to feel the same way towards you, you might as well tell her what you've been feeling all this time. Just for an answer, a yes or a no. Anything. If she didn't feel anything as well then at least she'd know.

"I'll tell her, tonight. Like you always wanted me to do.. I'll.. I'll get this over with, okay? For you."

You found yourself walking back towards the last drop, but then you see Powder, going in the direction of what you knew to be the place where Vi always took her to. So you decided to follow.

If only you weren't blind enough to see Ekko walking along with her.

You climbed up to the place, heart racing in your chest as you tried to think about the things you could say. Your mind was running a million miles and you tried desperately to calm your nerves.

You we're finally gonna do it, you we're gonna tell her how you feel.

But just as you nearly reach the top, you see her. And Ekko.

Their kissing.

In front of your eyes.

Your heart dropped, hope that you knew was useless in the end shattered as you saw the image.

Wrong fucking timing. You stood there, frozen in time before quickly getting out of there. Trying to hold back the tears that we're threatening to fall.

She likes Ekko. She only likes Ekko. It was never you. Not in childhood, not in teenage years.

She likes a boy. That boy.

Your not that boy, and for now, you had to live with that.

You we're never going to being the one kissing her. It was always going to be him in the end.

[bonelyheartsclub]

for the swap versions of eachother (undertale/underswap and underfell/fellswap) what was it like seeing themselves essentially swapped with their own brother? and do you think the swapped versions of themselves get along for being like minded or are opposed to each other for it (at least when they first met i know they get along now lol)

Stretch: Was definitely…… overwhelmed when he met Papyrus and Boss. Imagining himself running around, doing everything like that every hour of every day made him feel tired just thinking it. More power to those guys. And he gets along with them as easy as his “lazy” counterparts, just conversation naturally oozes out with them.

Blue: Was absolutely astounded to see Sans and Red, how could he ever be that lazy in any universe? Though given he also shares their trait of lacking motivation in some things, he supposes he can relate. Papyrus was a great make-up gift, though, and the two became quick friends! Boss not so much, but that was for other reasons. Mainly dissimilar wavelengths. If anything came from it, though, it was nice to see that no matter the universe, his brother still kept his sweet tooth.

Red: Felt right at home with Blue and Nox. Even with the switching, he just saw it as more people to playfully antagonize with puns and pranks a plenty. He knows himself, he'd enjoy some April fooling, even if they were a bit more uppity. Stretch and Rus were a bit odd; he never thought he'd see his brother be so lackadaisical about anything. It took a bit of adjustment, but he considers them good buddies now. Though he does try to tone things down a little bit for them, moreso than he does for Sans; the part of him that still sees his little brother deems it so.

Boss: The swap siblings were a bit of a surprise to Boss, initially. Though over time, he realized Stretch still had ambition in his own way. Maybe not for the same things HE did, but nonetheless. Blue was a bit more difficult to understand, but gradually he noticed more similarities with Red. Particularly in their need to mess with each other; something he was glad to not be a part of. He was most perplexed by Rus. Knowing he came from such a harsh universe, he was initially surprised someone so clumsy could make it out of there. Though seeing Nox, he supposed it wasn't too much of a surprise: his brother would look out for him in any universe.

Papyrus: For Papyrus, seeing other versions of himself was a little earth-shattering, since before he had assumed it was just he and his brother. At first, he's ecstatic that there's more skeletons!! More friends who understand, especially with Blue!! He does realize later on that not all of his alternates have had the best life, but he wants to make sure they're comfortable from now on.

Sans: Was initially a bit surprised by the swapped siblings (and he for sure had some thoughts about multiverse theory when he met them), but once he got over the moment of shock, he found it easy enough to get along with all of them. Both Stretch and Blue remind him of Papyrus at times, just in different ways. Nox and Rus don't exactly have that same odd familiarity, though he likes them enough to be a general nuisance to them.

Nox: Was defensive and confused at first; seeing different versions of himself and his brother disheartened and enlightened him a bit. Seeing that others had better lives than them had him disappointed, but knowing Boss and Red having similar experiences of the underground had him feeling a sort of comradery- especially with Boss, even if they don't see eye to eye all the time.

Rus: Was a bit overwhelmed in general by the different versions, but he finds them all to be good company now. Papyrus was the oddest version of himself to see, but he admires Paps' energy. Boss reminded him a little of his brother and Rus admires him for his drive and ability to get things done. Stretch is the easiest to get along with for him, and Blue is a bit perplexing to him at times. Sans and Red are odd and definitely different from Nox, but he likes them both well enough (as long as Red keeps any big pranks to himself.)

Via @/Buttergriffin332 (Stretch), @/DuskySkye (Blue, Red, Boss), @/Creative-poptart (Papyrus), @/Lost-immortality (Sans), @/ChrysanStarset (Nox), & @/Goatdadjaxx (Rus).

[jksarchives]

THE LOVE BUG (AND A SPIDER)

➪ PAIRING; jungkook x reader

➪ GENRE; humour, fluff, established relationship

➪ TAGS/WARNINGS; drabble, humour, established relationship, reader is really scared of spiders, jk is annoying but a cutie, brief tears and comfort

➪ WORD COUNT; 1.3k

Jungkook is well aware of your extreme fear of spiders for as long as he could remember you. You never fail to remind him of your Sunday chores together of sweeping every corner of the house to look out for the creepy crawlers that could be hiding anywhere.

▎13 AUGUST 2023 — [10:35 a.m.]

Sunday mornings in your apartment always had the same chaotic rhythm: music blaring from the bluetooth speaker, laundry in a haphazard pile on the couch, and a thin layer of dust your husband had been promising to clean “next week” for the past month.

For you and Jungkook, it was your ritual. Sunday’s always been your house-cleaning day, and while you approached it like a military operation, Jungkook treated it like an improv show. Although it was a shared act of love, it was mainly irritation wrapped in Clorox wipes and mismatched socks.

Jungkook was assigned the bathroom which he approached with theatrical groans of suffering, while you tackled the living room with a feather duster.

“Jungkook, how does toothpaste even get on the ceiling? Are you conducting some sort of experiments in there?” you hollered over the music.

“I told you, babe, it's a science thing. You wouldn't understand,” he called back, voice muffled under running water. You rolled your eyes but couldn't hide the smile tugging at your lips.

“You're the only guy I know who thinks 'science' involves a toothbrush trebuchet” you scoffed.

“I accept that as a compliment,” Jungkook shouted proudly.

The two of you continued to clean while Jungkook continued to complain about how he should’ve been hanging out with his boys for yet another dangerous round of skateboarding at the skatepark. The man was pushing the age of thirty yet his body was as solid as he was back in high school.

“You missed a spot,” Jungkook said, leaning against the doorway, grinning. And you, crouched by the coffee table with a rag in hand, glared up at him.

“Do you want to help, or do you just want to supervise?” you asked.

“Oh, l'm a phenomenal supervisor” he said

“You're also fired” he then added.

Jungkook laughed as he strolled into the kitchen to take care of the ‘dishes’ portion of your cleaning routine, though his version of ‘taking care’ usually involved stacking dirty mugs like a game of jenga and then wandering off.

You rolled your eyes but couldn't suppress the fond smile tugging at your lips. Living with Jungkook was like sharing a home with a hyperactive puppy. It was exhausting, but impossible not to love.

Half an hour later, you were in the bedroom dusting under the bed with your trusty duster wand, when your hand froze.

Something moved.

You tilted your head, peering closer.

A spider.

No, not a spider. A nightmare with eight legs.

Your stomach flipped. Your throat tightened, and a strangled yelp escaped before you stumbled backward, your hand slapping over your mouth.

The spider didn't care. It sat there, unmoving, a sinister blot against the hardwood floor.

“J-JUNGKOOK!” you shrieked as your voice cracked with panic.

“Yeah?” came his distant reply, muffled by the sound of running water.

“Jungkook! Get in here now!” you screamed.

Something in your tone must've conveyed the urgency because seconds later, Jungkook appeared in the doorway, his hands dripping with soap suds.

“What's —oh”

He spotted the spider immediately. You were already on the bed, knees pulled to your chest, arms wrapped around yourself like you were holding yourself together.

“Get rid of it!” you demanded, scared for your life.

Jungkook’s mouth twitched, and your eyes narrowed.

“Don't you dare laugh,” you warned, your voice shaking.

“Babe,” he said, holding up a hand like he was trying to be serious.

“It's just a spider” he tried to reassure you, which did absolutely nothing to calm you down. Instead it irritated you.

“It's not ‘just a spider’, it's-it's—” you gestured wildly towards the creature, your words dissolving into an unintelligible squeak.

“Look at it!” you pointed.

Jungkook crouched for a closer inspection, his head tilting thoughtfully. “Yeah, okay, that's a big one. I think I saw it carrying a briefcase” he commented.

“Jungkook!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” he stood, rubbing the back of his neck.

You sniffled, and his teasing grin faltered as his head turned to you.

“Are you...crying?” he asked.

“I hate them,” you whispered, your voice breaking.

“I hate them, Jungkook. Just-please get rid of it” you told him desperately.

Jungkook’s playfulness evaporated instantly. He crossed the room in two strides and reached for you, his hands warm and steady as they found your shoulders.

“Hey, hey, it's okay. I'll take care of it, I promise. Don't cry baby” he comforted.

You nodded, hiccupping as you buried your face against his chest. For a moment, Jungkook just held you, one hand smoothing over your hair while the other rubbed slow circles on your back. He could feel how tense you were because your whole body was vibrating with barely contained panic.

“Alright,” he said gently, pulling back.

“Here's the plan. You stay up here on your throne-”

“It's not a throne, it's a bed” you corrected him

“Same thing. And I'll deal with Lord Arachnid over there” he replied.

“Just kill it” you mumbled.

“No way” Jungkook straightened, grabbing an empty cereal box from the dresser.

“We're doing a catch-and-release operation. This guy's going back into the wild where he belongs” he said. You opened your mouth to argue, but Jungkook had already sprung into action.

He approached the spider with exaggerated stealth and crouched low like a big-game hunter.

“Okay, pal, this is your eviction notice” he murmured, and the spider twitched.

Jungkook froze, “whoa. He's fast” he let out a tiny gasp.

“Don't say that!” you groaned, clutching a pillow to your chest like it was a lifeline.

With careful precision, Jungkook lowered the cereal box over the spider, trapping it with a triumphant flourish.

“Gotcha!”

He slipped a piece of paper under the box to seal it off, then straightened, holding it aloft like a trophy.

“Mission accomplished. I am the spider whisperer” he said.

“Just take it outside!” you wailed, your knuckles white where they gripped the pillow.

Jungkook chuckled but obeyed, striding toward the balcony. He slid open the door, stepped out, and released the spider into the flowerbed below.

“Be free, little dude,” he said, watching it skitter away.

When he came back inside, you were still perched on the bed as your shoulders sagged in relief.

“All clear,” your husband said, grinning. You stared at him for a long moment, then burst into tears.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Jungkook crossed the room, his smile vanishing as he climbed onto the bed beside you.

“What's wrong? It's gone, I swear!” he tried to reassure you.

“I know,” you sniffled, wiping at her eyes.

“I just.. I can't help it. They scare me so much, and I feel so stupid-” but you were cut off.

“Hey” he cupped your face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away your tears.

“You're not stupid, okay? You're brave as hell. That thing was terrifying” he said, trying to be honest.

“You laughed,” you mumbled.

“I wasn't laughing at you,” he said softly.

“I just…I didn't realize how upset you were. I'm sorry, baby” he pouted. You leaned into his touch as your breathing finally started to steady.

“You're annoying, you know that?” you told him.

“Yeah, but you love me anyway” he chuckled.

“Unfortunately” you sighed.

Jungkook smirked, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“You're lucky I love you enough to battle giant spiders for you” he said and you snorted, half-laughing, half-crying.

“Giant spiders, huh?”

“Absolutely. That thing could've been in the Olympics” he answered.

“Shut up,” you told him, but you were smiling now as the tension eased from your body.

Jungkook pulled you into his arms and cradled you against his chest. You both stayed like that for a while as the world outside faded into the background as he held you close.

“I don't know what I'd do without you,” you murmured eventually.

“You'd probably have to move,” Jungkook said, grinning against your hair.

“Probably” you hummed.

“Good thing you're stuck with me, then”

You tilted your head to look at him, your eyes still red but full of warmth.

“Yeah,” you said softly, “good thing”.

[copperhawks]

You're not the first person to make this comparison on this post, but when I wrote this, I hadn't done a re-read of SOTL yet (and the last time I'd read In the Hand of the Goddess was... a LONG time ago, so I couldn't really make a good comparison between these two scenes), but I have now and I've been sort-of thinking this over and have some thoughts on it.

For me, this isn't so much an indication of them being similar so much as it is just an unusually similar narrative beat. A character chooses to disobey an order about not crossing a border during a war in order to go save someone who has been captured and, in so doing, takes out a major antagonist that leads to the end of the war.

But the MOTIVES behind the two actions seem very different to me. Jon goes to save Alanna because he's in love with her and can't bear to lose her. Kel goes to save the refugees because she's responsible for them and takes that extremely seriously. She does CARE about the people, obviously, it's still being done out of love, but she's not doing it because she can't stand to live without them so much as that she's INSANELY duty-driven. She goes up to save Lalasa for similar reasons after being told that a noble's duty to their servants is basically sacrosanct. Kel goes across the border because she believes it's the honorable thing to do. Jon's motives aren't about honor and are, arguably, somewhat more selfish in origin.

So while this is obviously a very similar storyline, I don't find that it's an example of these two characters being similar to each other.

Kel is willing to give up EVERYTHING out of a sense of duty to the people she's responsible for. While Jon is someone who does a LOT of things for his people and spends a lot of his time and energy making life better for them, I can't recall a moment where Jon is ready to give up everything he wants and everything he's worked for just to save his people. Jon actually tells Kel in Squire that he and Thayet work pretty hard to keep themselves OUT of that kind of danger whenever possible, that's the point behind all of the compromises. All of the arranged marriages for his kids are to try to ensure peace through political connections and stop fighting in wars.

This is where they DO differ because Kel feels like someone who, at least at this point in her life, is willing to die to protect her people. But Jon is someone who will do whatever it takes to LIVE for his people for as long as possible. Jon understands that, in his position, it's more beneficial for everybody for him to make compromises in order to stay alive so he can keep making changes that will make people's lives better in the long run. This is a lesson that, while we do see Kel LEARNING it a little during Lady Knight, isn't one that really plays into the final conflict of the book. It's possible that Kel will end up being even more like Jon in this way as she gets older, more willing to stay back herself and trust others to do what needs to be done in her place, but by the end of Lady Knight, that just isn't who she is yet.

And maybe that's what's interesting about the comparison. Kel isn't all that much like Jon YET, and she's certainly not all that much like Jon when HE was 19, but Kel shows signs of being a lot more like Jon as he is during HER series as she gets older and gains more experience. Kel is very righteous, very inclined to just act and get things done, but over the 9 years we get to know her, she has to learn more and more about when to act and when to WAIT. She has to learn when to push and when to bend a little.

As a woman, she's going to be held to different standards than her male counterparts like Raoul or Wyldon, she'll be dealing with different limitations and setbacks than they ever did. And so her approach to leadership will, by necessity, have to be different than theirs was. She does look to them for inspiration, but in execution, I think she'll likely end up far more like Jon. Jon is obviously not a woman himself, but as King he's ALSO held to different higher standards than his compatriots and he was very young when he took the throne and has been very progressive throughout his reign which means he's dealing with certain limitations and setbacks that more conservative people might not.

Kel has strong opinions and firm ideas of what the world SHOULD be like, and that's going to lead her down a similar path of trying to CHANGE things, but she'll be dealing with all of the same limitations that Jon is, which will force her to approach things the way he does. She's going to have to compromise, she's going to have to bend, she's going to have to learn when a fight is worth having, she's going to have to learn to give a little in order to get a little later.

Kel would probably not have crossed the border for just one person. If it had been Neal, for example, and Neal alone, she may not have decided to take that risk. Neal is a trained knight like herself and probably won't thank her for giving up everything to come save him. Kel could probably have been convinced not to cross the border for him, as much as it would've pained her. And Jon I think would not necessarily give up everything to save a few hundred people the way Kel did, even though it would pain him to have to make that choice.

Kel IS like Jon and will likely become even more so as she ages, but crossing the border just isn't one of those places where their similarities are showcased to me.

The funniest thing to me about Kel, and maybe one of the most interesting because of how understated it is, is that Kel becomes a good commander in the end, not by emulating Wyldon who was cold and implacable and insensitive, or by emulating Raoul who mostly only disobeys orders out of principle or because he has an issue with what the order says about his personal relationship with Jon, but by emulating JON.

Kel doesn't even LIKE Jon, she BARELY respects him as a person. He's a good enough ruler that she's willing to fight for him and swear loyalty to him and to at least mostly believe that he wouldn't work with Blayce to make his own killing monsters, but that's as far as it goes for Kel. If he's kind to her, she finds it uncomfortable and almost untrustworthy because she assumes he doesn't care about her and so his kindness and respect towards her must be fake.

But from the outside, as readers, we know just how much Jon fought for Kel. We know how much he does respect her right to be a knight. Jon is the sole reason that Kel DID get the opportunity to prove herself, if he'd capitulated to Wyldon completely, she just wouldn't have ever been allowed to join. Kel doesn't KNOW THAT, obviously, but we do. We know that Jon did everything he could to find a way to convince Wyldon to let Kel become a page. While Wyldon claims later that the reason he chose to let her stay at the end of the probation year was because his better judgment convinced him she'd earned it, I'd be willing to bet that part of that better judgment also included knowing if he couldn't prove to JON that she needed to go, then he'd be in trouble. Kel was training and working in front of plenty of other trainers and teachers who could easily contradict Wyldon's lies if he'd tried it, many of whom are closer to Jon than they are to Wyldon.

Kel's experiences and feelings about that experience are entirely valid, and she doesn't have the knowledge we do about how hard Jon fought for her, so it's not shocking that she's upset with him for a good portion of her series. She never even discovers this truth by the end of her series, even though she does get a lesson from Jon and Thayet (and Raoul to some degree) about how politics and compromises work in order to make changes happen. So her opinion of him by the end is boiled down to the quote from Squire: "good kings weren't always good men." It makes sense for her to think this, but because Kel's knowledge base is so limited (and her worldview so black and white for much of her series), it makes her an EXTREMELY unreliable narrator about this particular issue.

Kel believes that while Jon generally does his duty and keeps the peace, he doesn't actually care all that much about his people as individuals. But in their only meaningful conversation in Squire, Jon is able to point out that he (and Thayet, who is actually equal to Jon in power, something Kel either doesn't know which would be a failure in her education or just tends to ignore so she can focus her ire on Jon) has to make a LOT of compromises in order to get ANYTHING useful done at all. Sometimes, often, it means making deals with people he doesn't like or people he just fundamentally disagrees with, because it's the first step in a multi-step plan to help more people in the long run. He also points out that just throwing his weight and authority around in order to be able to change everything he wants to change immediately regardless of what anyone else thinks about it is a great way to get himself and his family killed. Because even if he had good intentions, that would be tyranny. It does make Kel think a little, but she doesn't tend to like him much still afterwards, her resentment from her page years will always color her opinion of him a little.

However, then she gets to Haven and she's suddenly tossed into a position of leadership over a lot of other people, many of whom disagree with each other or disagree with her or both. And all of the sudden, Kel has to make compromises. She doesn't LIKE the way the sergeants often treat their men, especially the sergeants whose men are convicts, but there's very very little she can do about it without really pissing off those same sergeants and that's not something she can afford to do. There's a moment when Neal starts getting frustrated about the treatment of the convicts and she takes him out to vent to her so he doesn't vent to the sergeants, something that the sergeants would then take out on their men. Kel's reasoning as she does this is that she "preferred to avoid battles with them now so she would have authority with them later if she needed to use it." Later, Kel is talking to Daine and she says "That's all this job is... Trying to please everyone and pleasing no one. And it will only get worse, not better."

Both of these moments showcase Kel choosing to make compromises. She may not like the way the sergeants treat the convicts, but she needs to stay on the sergeants' good sides because she doesn't have enough resources to butt heads with them nor enough authority to just force the issue, and even if she DID, it could cause the sergeants to become troublesome or take out their frustration with her on the men in ways she can't see as well. But staying on the sergeants' good sides might mean letting some of their maltreatment slide if it's not physically harming the convicts. And even setting that aside, she's dealing with nearly 500 refugees eventually, all of which are from different towns in the area and have different needs, not all of which she can accommodate. This requires compromise. Sometimes she can please some of them and not others, but mostly she probably just ends up not pleasing anybody because that's often how compromises WORK.

She never makes the active connection to Jon and his lesson on leadership from Squire while she's in Haven, but that quote up there about how this job (aka being a commander) is all about trying to please everyone and pleasing no one? It sounds a HECK of a lot like "good kings weren't always good men." You can try your best to help others, but often doing the right thing can involve making everyone unhappy. You can't be everybody's friend if you're going to get anything done.

Some of this she might've learned from Raoul's style of command, but Raoul commands a fairly small amount of people (at least in comparison to a King), and so we see him able to be pretty friendly to the people he commands in a way that Jon is perhaps unable to do. And she might believe that she learned some of this from Wyldon, but Wyldon had a tendency to be very unfair and biased due to his raging bigotry and conservative values, as well as the fact that he doesn't actually even LIKE being a training master and that likely impacted the way he treated the pages (he's almost never that kind to the pages, whereas we see him capable of being quite kind with the refugees later, which is where Kel comes to the conclusion that he hadn't enjoyed being a training master).

But Jon makes an entire speech about how he (and Thayet) have been working THEIR ENTIRE REIGN to change laws that help people. He explains how they have to consider the needs of merchants, nobles, farmers, street people, priests/priestesses, and mages. They have to consider not only what these people might need or want, but also what they could do when they feel sufficiently offended and how that could impact not just the royal family or the nobility but the realm as a whole. Jon points out that they HAVE made changes, for the better, and that just because they don't always succeed at everything or because they have to compromise sometimes, doesn't mean they aren't working at making changes or that they don't care about helping people. Not everyone you have power over is going to be your friend, they might not even be someone you like. But if you're going to take on the job of leadership, that's something you have to be willing to accept and work with, which often means making compromises with people whose needs and values are contradictory to your own.

Jon probably knows when he makes the compromise with Wyldon that it will likely impact a lot of people's good opinion of him. Alanna is right there and clearly angry, and we know Thayet doesn't like the decision, either. And it's entirely possible that Jon knows in the moment that Kel herself will put the blame on him because he's the King. But he also knows that if he insists on Kel being allowed to be a page without trying to compromise with Wyldon, Wyldon will quit over it and he'll end up with ten DIFFERENT problems that could cause a lot bigger issues to far more people than just one girl. So he makes the compromise. He sacrifices Alanna and Thayet and even Kel's good opinion of him in order to ensure that Kel gets the opportunity to become a Knight without turning all of his nobles against him which could ultimately lead to a civil war. Is it fair? No, and he knows it. But it's the best option he has in order to get the outcome they all actually want which is just for Kel to have the chance to prove herself.

Kel has to make similar choices once she's finally in a position of leadership of her own. And whether she realizes it or not, without ever even spending more than a few minutes with Jon, she ends up emulating his leadership style more than anybody else's because it WORKS and it works WELL. She'll probably never admit it, she might never even realize it herself, but she's so much more like Jon than any of the other men she sees as role models. And I love that. I love the dramatic irony of that, that the one person Kel only barely respects because of a compromise he made on her behalf that she'll never even know about, is the person Kel ends up most resembling. Jon is the reason she has the opportunity to become the Protector of the Small in the first place, Jon is the person who created that environment that allowed her to nurture those values, and she'll probably never even really be able to acknowledge that, because sometimes that's what being a good leader means.

[lily-onher-grave]

okay okay okay thoughts/excited ramblings about the wicked movie under the cut bc i've seen it and now i'm insane about it again

let's be real it's kinda hard to fumble the opening number of a musical especially when that opening number is no one mourns the wicked and yet i was still absolutely blown away it was SO GOOD

the lil munchkins running, the singing in the streets, the posters of the witch (side note all the artwork was insanely good and just added so much to the style of oz i feel like) it was all so awesome

NOMTW becomes so sinister and they nailed it

obligatory emotional babbling about glinda standing alone in the crowd as everyone sings 'the wicked's lives are lonely'

before i left for the theater i was like 'take your bets on if i'll cry' and my roommate and i agreed that yeah obviously i would. but what i didn't expect is for ariana's sad face to knock me out in five minutes flat. i was done for

the effigy. holy shit. and handing the torch to glinda. i want to go see the whole thing again just so i can rewatch that scene. my heart still hurts

(also nanny! sort of not really. but i liked the childhood scenes i liked that elphaba had one (1) good thing in her life before shiz)

SHIZ okay shiz honestly shiz was the thing i was most excited for bc c'mon, we don't write about our gothic magic school all the time in fic for nothing. and honestly it was so good. the shots of the whole castle! the library design! the balcony moments and the stairways and just like the layers of architecture and the way morrible could kind of be anywhere at any time. the way it felt so grand and yet so small at the same time. idk man the vibes were good and the set was beautiful

glinda arriving by boat was magical that's all

the way everything dillamond had was tailored to him was fantastic it was so good

actually i want to shout out the library set design again and how it tied into the clockwork theme that never gets fully called out even in the musical but it's still so good

where's my time dragon clock tho

also back up the scene where elphaba loses her temper in the courtyard--when she breaks the relief of the wizard, there's old artwork of Animals behind it and i gasped out loud when i saw it

and that was the first moment i thought 'this is brilliant but i still want an hbo dark fantasy political drama tv show based on the book'

speaking of the dark fantasy political drama tv shows, the Animal meeting!! i'm so glad they put more stuff like that in there

actually as a whole the movie felt more grounded and less comedic than the musical. i think they did a fantastic job of keeping the magic and silliness and charm and wonder of the show while still adding those extra bits of drama and dire circumstances

anyway gelphie fic prank wars trope is officially canon great work everybody handshakes all around. i was cackling (silently. i promise i'm a respectful moviegoer)

the ozdust ballroom being illegal makes so much sense. it being underwater was fucking cool. boq and nessa were actually really great and i usually don't care about them at all during this scene

also i love love love nessa and i cannot wait to see more of her. but showing her multiple times on the sidelines when elphie was being humiliated was such a good choice. the tension between nessa obviously caring for her sister yet always caring for herself more is so delicious and i always want to see it fleshed out more, and i think they did such a good job with her? her and elphaba have sweet moments which i love, and her wanting to be independent and only elphaba really understanding that is so so good. and having her just watching elphaba for so long before finally saying she can't watch. god i can't wait to see her be desperate and selfish and cold in act 2, it's gonna be so good

side note boq also looking upset by elphie being bullied. i miss my brotp man

but let's talk about what's most important: the gelphie dance. because oh my god i started crying all over again. so did elphaba. and glinda wiping her tears i'm dying i've died oh my god

i always get a little bit surprised when glinda seems more head over heels than elphaba. idk why. but ariana's glinda is absolutely more head over heels than cynthia's elphaba and i loved it

(they just. freaking LEFT the party. just zipped out of there as soon as they hugged. glinda was like hmmm i just realized some things and grabbed elphaba's hand and ran off while the night was young. and fiyero stared after them knowing that he stood no chance whatsoever)

also i'm like 72% sure the guys sitting next to me were a couple? and they both cried during the gelphie dance too and it was a very unexpected but very funny moment of solidarity

i say ariana's glinda is more head over heels and i stand by it but elphaba's fond little smile when glinda was pouting about sharing secrets almost made me start sobbing again they're so GOOD they're so CUTE and she is SO heart eyes for glinda immediately!!!

i need to be sedated i swear

popular was adorable 10/10 no notes absolutely nailed it i loved every second

also glinda sitting next to elphaba in class now. my heart <3

after dillamond gets hauled away (again with this being more violent and dark and those moments of drama coming through more in the movie i loveeee) glinda doesn't sit down until elphaba does

also they had several little moments of elphaba looking to glinda and glinda either shaking her head or nodding. they've been friends for 2 days and they're already having silent conversations i love them <3

the poppy spell? was sick as hell????

another seeing of wicked, another complete sense of bafflement as to why fiyero is there

i say this jokingly but the fiyero and elphaba romance really does feel like a product of the early 2000s especially now that it's on screen rather than on stage. idk maybe that's just the lesbian in me talking though

the train design is also sick but we knew that from the trailers

okay look logically yes i knew idina and kristin would have cameos. but i'd been crying on and off and one short day's magic had already taken hold so they caught me completely off guard. it was great

the wizard stuff was really sweet. and while i was hoping for more time put toward shiz and stuff, i do think those moments did a great job of 1) showing how much elphaba just wants to be loved 2) foreshadowing the wizard being her father and 3) laying the groundwork for her briefly considering working with the wizard in act 2, which is a decision that never quiteee feels right in the show

i love that they put more lore into the grimmerie btw. very cool

the hot air balloon was random but fun. i wonder if it'll come up again in act 2

every time. every damn time glinda starts singing in defying gravity i just want someone to end it right there. glinda grabs the broom, it fades to black, and they both lived happily ever after

fuck

defying gravity taking place at sunset because it's at the end of their one short day of happiness

also UM morrible coming up and hugging glinda when she's crying. exquisite emotional manipulation i'm screaming

elphie! seeing! her! inner! child! i loved the baby elphie scenes even though i prefer creepy 'horrors' elphaba always. but seeing her come back was sooooo fucking good

elphaba only ever relying on herself, in the end

glinda's final 'i hope you're happy' took me out, as it always does, as it always should. and reaching out from the balcony? i'm sobbing again

morrible dragging glinda into the darkness while elphaba flies into the sun! someone fucking help me i'm already wrecked by these two

honestly my biggest complaint is that now i have to wait for part two, i want to see the rest nowwwww

[patricide1885]

Loosely connected observations I'd love to hear people's thoughts on:

As the video I just posted pointed out, people are remarkably receptive to new rules in a new setting. Often you can obey more than the people making the rules even expected, therefore you end up giving away more freedom than you would have been expected to.

In hypnosis (a topic I've been looking into for a long time but still don't seem to fully understand) there is a common tactic where you greet someone and reach out to shake their hand casually, and when they give you their hand you suddenly yank it towards yourself while acting normal and like you didn't just do something extremely weird. This functions as a hypnotic induction that puts the person into a highly suggestible state and they will start looking to you to tell them what to do for a period and will be more receptive to it. I understand this specific tactic to work by essentially dislodging a person's confidence in their understanding of the world and going into a sort of baby brain child-like state where they look to the confident person that has thrown their expectations into disarray to re-establish reality for them.

You might be familiar with this phenomenon if you're in a new social situation where everyone is doing things you don't understand or is operating based on ideas of reality that would normally sound weird and you go along with it because you have made the judgement that you don't inherently understand the culture or the situation and you are afraid of acting weird/you don't view your understanding of the world to be accurate. You are allowing those people to dictate reality to you. This generally happens without you realizing it.

[illmoraineakoi]

Do you guys think that if Chosen ever learned of the 'deal' Orange made with Alan in AvA4, he'd automatically see it as Alan using it to indenture Orange to him and blow a gasket?

Especially if Orange recounted the deal incorrectly, or perhaps even if Orange himself misinterpreted or misunderstood it.

Because the original wording of the deal was "If you help me animate, I'll let you free so long as you don't wreck my computer."

Alan likely meant this to mean that so long as Orange didn't mess up the computer and helped him animate, Orange would be allowed to live on the computer. Which is already a little questionable, placing a stipulation on having a place to live. A very 'earn your keep' sort of vibe.

But the original deal makes no mention of RGBY or their role in everything. Honestly, it seems like they just kinda moved onto the desktop at some point between 2015-2017. But like most things with Orange, things tend to revolve more around them than himself, when it comes to his priorities.

So I don't think it's too out of the question to think that Orange automatically pooled them in with himself in this deal, and they became another factor of it when they originally weren't involved at all.

A common interpretation I've seen is Orange misunderstanding the deal, and thinking that if he helps Alan animate, his friends get to stay too. IE: If he doesn't, Alan reserved the right to kick them off or bar access to the computer from them. Placing a stipulation not just on Orange's own ability to have a place to live, but on his ability to see and have access to his friends. Turning it into a privilege earned by fulfilling the responsibilities expected of him.

Orange undoubtedly likes to animate with Alan, that's not an issue, but perhaps he still thinks that he has a responsibility to do it in order to maintain the status quo of not just his life, but all of their lives. Maybe he sees it as a sort of 'payment', in a way. Perhaps he doesn't even really believe that Alan would be mean enough to revoke those things from him, to do what is his right to by the terms of their deal, but there's a part of him that's secretly unwilling to chance it.

Or perhaps he doesn't even think the deal is active anymore. It's been so many years, after all, and they've ruined Alan's files multiple times (unintentionally) and nothing's happened. It could've long since become null and void.

But from Chosen's perspective, it would likely seem a lot worse than Orange ever thought it was. Perhaps even worse than ALAN realized it was.

Because Alan has put a price tag on Orange's right to even have a place to live. A price tag (potentially) on his ability to see and interact with his friends. A price tag on his nice, happy life. Maybe even a price tag on his very life.

And I think Chosen would be very upset about that. And perhaps even more upset when Orange seems confused about why he's upset about it, when Orange doesn't understand how predatory it looked from Chosen's perspective.

After all, it's not even a very big price tag. It's just a little animating. It's not that bad, and Orange likes doing it anyway, so what's the problem?

But at the end of the day, it is still little more than a ball and chain made of words and letters, binding him to doing what Alan wants him to do with the potential threat of ruthless punishment should he disobey or rebel of cause harm to the computer.

And really, what difference is there, between using a stick figure as a pop up blocker and using one as an animating assistant? Does the fact that he enjoys it really outweigh or justify the fact that you've placed a condition on his very livelihood since the day of his creation?

Yeah. Chosen would not be happy.

[nereb-and-dungalef]

Ok for everyone in the tags who asked for a fic, here it is:

She first looked at me through the bars of my prison, with eyes like coal. Her husband took her hand and dragged her after him. But she looked only at me.

Queen Tar-Míriel. Quiet and plain. There was no fire in her. She couldn't resist my enchantments. And that was my salvation – my chance to escape.

---

“You deserve more than all this,” she told me once.

I laughed. More... Eru knows, I was capable of much more. “What do you have in mind?”

“Become my king. We don't need Ar-Pharazôn.”

“A worthy dream. But for now... we can only pretend, when his eyes are turned away.”

She kissed my neck. “For the night, make me your queen.”

I hated our romance. We had nothing in common besides hatred for Ar-Pharazôn. Every night I spent with her, I imagined Melkor in my arms.

Forgive me, Master. This is all for you, in the end.

---

I did little things to spite her. Bleach in shampoo, tar in mascara. It was the only way I could keep from losing myself amidst deception.

But maybe, in the end, I did lose myself.

I gave Tar-Míriel an oath. A false oath. The sort of oath that returns to you.

Maybe she wasn't the marionette I imagined her to be. She once lay next to me and whispered in my ear:

“Do you really know the secret you promised to tell my husband?”

“I didn't make any promises.”

“So you don't know?”

“I don't.”

“Promise me you don't know.”

I laughed. “You understand me better than anyone, my love.”

“Reveal it to me.”

“I can't. Not now.”

“Swear to me you'll reveal it.”

She kissed me with her sly tongue. And when she had stolen my breath and my mind, I gave my answer:

“I swear.”

---

Tar-Míriel spent many nights in my bed. Too many nights. And at the end of those nights, I noticed the same little evils that I had done to her. One earring from a pair, missing. My tea leaves, mixed together. And at the end of it – a key.

A very, very important key.

How she found it, how I didn't notice, how my servants didn't notice, was a complete mystery. But she found it, I knew she found it. And when I finally wrenched open the drawer, when I finally opened the hidden box in the back of the drawer – it was gone.

---

“Where is it?” I asked.

“Where is what?”

“Don't lie to me. You know what I mean.”

Tar-Míriel smiled. “So I guessed right?” She took the ring out of her pocket – her pocket – and spun it between her fingers. “Do you want to make me your queen or not?”

“Touche, my love.”

“Don't lie to me. You never loved me. You just wanted what I could give you. Now I'll tell you what I want. Make me your queen, and I won't tell Ar-Pharazôn our little secret.”

“If you tell him, it'll be your death.”

“And maybe yours as well.”

I chuckled. The ring couldn't have found a better master. “I underestimated you. Fine. Keep it. Just remember – in the end, you are my queen.”

Tar-Míriel tries to seduce Tar-Mairon so he’ll help her become queen and Tar-Mairon takes this opportunity to seduce Tar-Míriel so she won’t interfere with his plans and they go around pretending to like each other like the opposite of mutual pining

[wingedshadowfan]

⚠️arcane s2 act ii spoilers⚠️

the caitlyn and maddie bed scene needs to be studied because i don't think any animated scene has ever made me so uncomfortable on so many levels (regardless of whether i think of maddie as some manipulative evil mastermind, or a naive good-natured rookie)

not only was caitlyn clearly not feeling it bcuz she was stressed, her thoughts preoccupied by a million other commander things to the point where i don't even understand why she'd even agree to this relationship, since maddie was clearly the one to ask (and caitlyn probably thought it couldn't hurt, that it would be a thing of convenience or a distraction - which, still not strong enough reasons), but also maddie didn't seem to be able to provide any nuanced analysis or comfort to caitlyn with her words or her touch (caitlyn smiled at her once i guess, but didn't look her in the eyes, which is a big thing for caitlyn, and it almost seemed like she was talking to herself a bit).

why did maddie even ask to be together? she's been supportive of caitlyn since the start, but caitlyn must've been like a celebrity to her. i imagined they could become best friends, maddie even having the potential of being caitlyn's right hand. she could fill a spot vi never occupied and it would've been nice to see that friendship blossom (writers could still use it for drama and jealousy though!). and did she really not know anything about cait's previous relationship w/ vi? did caitlyn truly not tell her anything about that? because if maddie knew and still did it despite knowing she'd be a rebound, that's truly so sad and pathetic and reminds me of someone on tiktok i heard say that maddie has no self respect and (quote) "has she called you her name yet? i bet she has and i bet you just brushed it right off"

at one point i fully thought it was just rage bait for the fans bcuz i couldn't see any other reason for why those two characters would be together like i jokingly told a friend "all the writers did was piss me off" but now that ep6 ended with a reunion of sorts, i really dread vi seeing maddie again and i'm scared maddie will innocently drop something abt her relationship with caitlyn and it will eradicate whatever little trust might be left betw her and vi

[y-rhywbeth2]

The Temple of Bhaal, BG1 vs BG3 (aka, my god this place has gone downhill.)

Fun fact about the Baldurian Temple: the Bhaalspawn born to Bhaal's priests were, for the first few years of their life, raised here communally with their siblings by the priests (their mortal parents and guards). Then the vast majority of them who would not go on to be a video game protagonist or their villainous brother were ritually sacrificed to their father here.

Very long post, largely due to screenshots.

First things first:

The Undercity

If you're using the lore from the knife, this is the city Bhaal grew up in. I still cling to my headcanon that it's a former Netherese enclave/flying city.

BG1 (brightened a bit so it's more visible). Elevation didn't really come into play until BG2's maps, so it's a little flat. Still visibly a city. Inhabited by sort-of Bhaalists, lazy bats who don't understand that the temple doors opening is their dramatic cue to fly out, and the armed and bloodthirsty corpses of the formerly living citizens.

Crypts and sacrificial altar to the sides, presumably the altar is outdoors so that the ritual human sacrifice can be appreciated by the common citizen.

Buildings in the BG3 version are a touch more intact. The map is bigger and harder to get a shot of. The bats are still present, and apparently attempts to make them understand the needs of dramatic effect and the narrative were not successful, they're just wherever nowadays. The architecture somewhat resembles the modern city, and now that the temple is active it seems the Bhaalists are decorating. Sadly, all the corpses are immobile and made no attempt to murder visitors. Literally what even is the point.

The Undercity has also acquired mysterious deep crevasses to nowhere, which may contain the ruins of more city who knows.

Now has living inhabitants (no less full of craving for death and blood than the previous inhabitants). Priests are supposed to live in their temples, and in the case of Bhaalists, live a double life with a normal life in the city, but whatever. Let's live in ruins instead.

Corpses everywhere (which are supposed to go in the crypts with the rest of Bhaal's offerings, you messy bastards).

Everywhere we find giant pits going down into the earth into what I can only assume is the Upperdark (assuming we aren't already deep enough to breach the first layer of the Underdark).

The Undercity is still in the middle of a sea cave, or underground lake, or whatever this body of water is.

The designs of the doors reminds me of the Tourmaline Depths somewhat, which could imply dwarven influence. However the scale of the city structures suggests to me it was built by larger humanoids. idk.

---

Front Doors

So the BG3 one is a touch grander in scale. Also gets a bridge over a mysterious chasm that either leads into something volcanic or else Gehenna itself. Or they just enchanted it for effects.

BG1 gets points for having the correct colour scheme (black and purple, being the colour of the ceremonial robes should be his sacred colours).

'...the [sacred] colors of a deity remain the most common minor manifestation. [...] These colors also indicate the most common shades used in raiment by people of the faith, particularly divine spellcasters.' - Deity Dos and Don'ts

'...all Bhaalyn wore full ceremonial robes of deep purple or black with violet streaks...' - Faiths and Avatars

etc etc

We also have no pillars of bones, and I prefer the eerie figures of Bhaalist priests in their ceremonial regalia to whatever the horned things are.

---

The Temple

'Urban temples dedicated to the Lord of Murder were typically dark, spartan dungeons located beneath a city's streets featuring an occasional mosaic or sculpture depicting a violent death. Most contained several chambers of tokens taken from the bodies of murder victims and large crypts filled with the corpses of past victims who could not be left where they fell. (The inhabitants of such crypts were often restless.)' - Faiths and Avatars

I am noting a great deal too many immobile corpses and a distinct lack of tormented enslaved undead victims in this house of death.

Continuing the trend of giving BG1 points for the colour scheme: Purple and black! Golden skull bowls of purple fruit punch abounds. There also appears to be gold trim around, and that rug isn't cheap, so we're losing points on 'spartan.'

Points also deducted because the tears on the holy symbol are going the wrong direction.

Fulfilling the 'depictions of violent death' portion of the descriptions, we have an expensive looking rug depicting the hell portion of Angelico Giovanni da Fiesole's 'The Last Judgement.' Which carries interesting implications for interactions between the priests and Earth. Considering they don't expect to suffer for all eternity, one imagines it was just chosen for the violence.

Also some inexplicable Christian imagery in the form of crosses, which make no sense for Bhaalists.

The crypts should probably be in their own room, but whatever.

The statuary depicts Myrkul, for some reason. Why not line your house with statues of your bestie, I suppose.

-

Ignoring the black smudge where Orin is because just like I did with her father, I'm ignoring the sacred kinslaying duel in favour of running around taking screenshots.

BG3 edition sort of wins points for being spartan (but you look closer and realise it's actually very intricate, just damaged).

We have regressed from the ways of our forefathers: Sarevok's party at least knew how to clean up after themselves.

The gold trim has been switched in for bone decoration:

Ossuary: fuck yeah. Now either put all the other corpses lying around into a crypt or use them for artwork. As it is you all look like slobs, and if somebody trips over a bone or slips in a pool of blood and falls into the mystery pit or cracks their skull on the stone floor it's going to be embarrassing.

Contrary to the mess the Bhaalists have left their room in, the stonework done by the original builders is quite intricate. The various letter-like etchings all graffitied all over the city and temple look like Iokharic, at a half-assed glance over, which might indicate it's Netherese (I'm not suffering from confirmation bias or anything)

-

The Circle of Tears has migrated from the floor to the wall, (so that Bhaal can glare at his Primate/Primistress/Offspring when they are sent to their room.)

You pray to Bhaal by smearing blood over the eyesockets of the skull like tears. I have no idea how we do that in this temple. Water gun? Do we have big ceremonial paint rollers with long handles?

We have the 'several chambers of tokens taken from the bodies of murder victims' which for some reason contains minimal amounts of corpses and offerings. The corpses are supposed to be in large crypts by the way. Just pointing out. It would not kill us to be tidy and organised.

The pit continues. Actually:

These damaged bits leading downwards match the doors found around the city, so I assume that the actual temple complex is much bigger than it seems.

-

We have a dais, with apparently meaningless symbols and we couldn't be assed to light all the braziers for some reason. At least there's a sacrificial altar.

Also still some gold decoration remaining, if you look closely at that square and the braziers.

Also there's Orin and Halsin. Wave everybody.

-

Who decided we needed a library, anyway? I feel like it contains a mixture of the holy texts and the sacred tome (bible-type thing) all temples get, and the rest of it is Grimlark's poetry.

Moving onto the bedroom that wasn't on the original schematics:

Bhaalspawn don't know how to use space properly. The Sims player in me is screaming.

I assume the blood bath near the bed is for ritual purification, because using it as an actual bath would be stupid. I also assume the blood all over the place is kept fresh and flowing via magic, because killing enough people to keep it all replenished would be idiotic.

To the West; a secret escape tunnel for bypassing your dramatic sister and sneaking into your/her room to read her diary and also your diaries that she didn't throw out for some reason.

To the East: the study, where there is a lot of alcohol and corpses.

The rug is the only splash of purple in this temple and it's purely by accident but I'll take what I can get.

Did Orin get this bed for herself, or steal Durge's? It is - unlike the rest of the temple - quite expensive and comes with more gold accents. Considering she complains about Durge not running the temple properly, I am assuming that Durge is at fault for the 'decaying' of the temple, as Orin puts it, and she's in the middle of renovations right now. ...Who did they commission for the gold holy symbol embedded in the headboard? It's also a bit redundant, but now Father has two faces from which to watch you sleep while he visits you in your horrific nightmares...

[poppadom0912]

Congrats on 1k!

🍨 Taste -Sabrina Carpenter

With Adam Ruzek or Kelly Severide please!!

A/N: I chose Adam, hope you don't mind. I also mean no hate to him at all, he just made this most sense. Thank you so much for ordering. I've written this after one of the most tiring weeks of my life so I hope this is up to standards. Enjoy!!

🍨🍨🍨🍨🍨

i heard your back together and if that's true

It had been two months since your break up and you'd been dealing with it better than you had been expecting. You weren't crying constantly and your moping lasted no longer than two weeks.

But just because you were fully healed and over your ex boyfriend didn't mean that you didn't feel some sort of way when you found out he had already moved on with someone else.

And this just wasn't any someone, it was his ex girlfriend, the one he was dating before you, the one he told you to never worry about.

You could only scoff when you saw them together at your local café, your sister holding back her laughter when she caught them first.

You'll just have to taste me when he's kissin' you

There was a sick little part of you that had you thinking that, maybe this new relationship was exactly the revenge you needed on him.

You two had been together for nearly three years, being together for such a long period of time that everyone thought a proposal was imminent.

You had done so much together, had accomplished so many milestones together. Without a doubt, you left a significant mark on him and his life that he could never erase.

And you couldn't help but think that maybe you still impacted his life because certain habits of his were clearly influenced by you.

When they were together out and about, they were doing the things you both used to do. There was no doubt that you were an unwilling third person in their relationship.

if you want forever, and i bet you do

He mentioned it briefly before when you first started dating that one of the reasons he broke it off was because she wanted to get married and he just wasn't ready for that yet.

It seems that even several years later, some things never changed.

And you knew exactly how she felt - to be so deeply in love with a single man that its impossible to ask you not to imagine the rest of your life together.

just know you'll taste me too

You couldn't help but smirk at the way Adam's eyes lingered on your table as they were leaving, his girl clearly noticing as her brows furrowed before huffing and dramatically pulling him into a passionate kiss.

His eyes fluttered closed but hers remained firmly on you.

You continued to smile, waving at her with your fingers before sipping your coffee, your sister now openly cackling.

Her response was to angrily stomp out, her hand clawing his bicep as she dragged him outside.

Every time you close your eyes and feel his lips, you're feelin' mine

You watched from afar as time passed, their relationship developing and blossoming but, your 'presence' weighed heavy.

Every time they kissed, whether it be a quick peck or a long make out session in 'private', she always came out unsatisfied, conflict written all over her face.

Your satisfaction only grew. After the break up, you were now thriving but the same couldn't be said for the two of them.

And every time you breathe his air just know I was already there

You couldn't help but think, indulgently, if there was still traces of you left behind. Luckily for you, the tells were very telling.

Adam still using your portable coffee mug, the Lego figure on his keys, the shirts you gifted him still in rotation and the list goes on.

They were living together at this point, and you had no doubt that wherever she went in his apartment, pieces of you were most likely still laying around, forever taunting her.

You can have him if you like. I've been there, done that once or twice

You couldn't understand her obsession.

At first, you somewhat got it. Even you were like that a little bit at the beginning of your relationship, contemplating on his ex due to your insecurities.

But now, this was slightly worrying. Yet, you couldn't stop yourself from feeling a little bit of pride.

If you could confront her somehow, reassure her girl-to-girl that she could have him. You were happy for her to take him off your hands, then you would, one hundred percent, take up the opportunity.

But you enjoyed being one her mind 24/7. It made you feel ways that Adam never had in all the three years you two were together.

You had been with him for more than long enough and life now was better than ever. If she wanted him that badly, then she could have him, no words needed.

And singin' 'bout it don't mean I care. Yeah, I know I've been known to share

One year after Adam and his new girl getting together, you sat in Molly's with someone new too.

It had only been two months, this was all fairly new but you had some hope that this could be good. You were excited about what your future together could look like, the butterflies in your stomach being very much missed.

Mumbling a quick thanks under your breath, you pressed a quick kiss onto his cheek, your giddy smile hidden by the glass rim as he looked at you in amusement but a soft look in his eyes and the warmest smile.

You could feel both pairs of eyes trained onto you as he sat down next to you, his arm going around the back of your chair, his hand resting comfortingly on your shoulder.

"Everything okay?" He asked, noticing you zoning out slightly.

You hummed, softly smiling up at who you hoped would be your boyfriend.

"Yes." You nodded, this man being the only important person as the other two faded into the background. "Everything's perfect."

Jay smiled, pressing a longing kiss on your temple, making you feel all warm and gooey on the inside before resuming his conversation with his brother.

Sipping your wine, all you could feel was the tingling Jay left behind on your lips. All you could taste was him.

[thatguyisdrowning]

thoughts on arcane season 2

spoilers below

season 2 was definitely giving "trying to wrap up an insanely large cast of characters stories in only 9 episodes" and none of them were really given the care they deserved. it all happened so fast that it was a little confusing at first.

the entire isha thing feels so manufactured. she just appears, "fixes" jinx, then dies/is implied to have died but we don't actually know for certain because we never see her death. and then there's the entire lack of any proper mention of her in act 3. where did she come from? where did she go? where did she come from cotton eye joe? why did warwick survive but not isha if he was the one to actually get shot?

jinx also seemed to mellow out far too quickly, i think if we had a third season and it was spread out more it would feel more authentic. i was expecting her to lose it again in the aftermath of isha's death but she didn't. yes, grief to the point of not caring about herself anymore and just wanting to get vi (the only person she has left) to safety makes sense however it doesn't match up with anything we've seen from jinx in the past. if she'd had a longer time getting to be happy with her family of 4 and healing herself it'd make more sense but she didn't. i think a downward spiral before some sort of realization that she doesn't want to be like this anymore/doesn't want to harm other children like isha/something along those lines would have been more conducive to a well rounded story and conclusion when it comes to the isha/jinx relationship. but for this to happen, we needed more time.

the way jinx's character was written, the way her story played out, it would have made sense for her to take her own life and been a satisfying conclusion. however, because i know she didn't actually die i'm pleased she didn't commit suicide because i like her, her character, her champion, and her story and i want to be able to see more of it all in future projects from riot. and for that to happen the "death" needed to be a little uncertain. the "oh no the metal beam is breaking, guess i better sacrifice myself to save my sister" trope is very overused and hard to do well because of that, but i did like the way they implied jinx was still alive at the end.

jayce and viktor's story was confusing and rushed, while also being the main focal point and the most fleshed out story of the whole show. if viktor knew he and jayce were meant to be together in every timeline, why was he trying to fuck shit up? again, if we had more time in the form of a third season or perhaps longer episodes in season 2, we would have seen their story explored in more depth and had a greater understanding of it.

vi's character was watered down by the inclusion of a single line: "i am the dirt under your nails, cupcake." as something said in passing it wouldn't have held as much weight, but this was one of the last things she said on screen. it essentially boils her character down to nothing but a supporting character for caitlyn when the entire series began and ended with vi and jinx's relationship.

"are you still in this fight, violet?" what fight? against jinx? no, caitlyn seems to have forgiven her and as far as we know vi still thinks she's dead. against noxus? no, mel's in charge (but is she? we see swain make an appearance...) against the undercity? no, they've made peace and sevika is on the council. against singed? no, he's saved his daughter so will live happily ever after now, right? against jayce and viktor? no, they had some weird story conclusion and also died in the astral realm, killing their earthly bodies but realistically they could have survived. i don't want them to have survived, but they could have. all i can think is either she was referring to their relationship OR to their future as enforcers which would make sense in the league lore.

the death of 4 major characters (not including heimer or jinx i'm 100% sure they arent dead) and what it means for the lore and their champions is just??? brushed over??? their champions almost definitely won't be removed but a tiny part of me wishes they would be for continuity and lore reasons.

i wish we were given more insight into what noxus is like now after ambessa's death. mel is seen to be ruling now but in the league lore, swain is the ruler of noxus. it's common knowledge that arcane lore is replacing league lore where necessary/sometimes where it isn't necessary, so it wouldn't make sense but would be easily passed off if we just didn't see any mention of swain, but we do see him (or to be specific, one of his ravens). while i wish we were given some clarity here, i think it was a smart move to not explicity reveal who swain is because to those who know it all but confirms the villian for the next netflix series set in runeterra, but it also leaves the venue open for the story to take an entirely different path, because arcane only fans won't know who he is, and for the league fans it can somehow be passed off as an irrelevant appearance in arcane.

some other points i don't have fully fleshed out thoughts/opinions on:

i would've liked to have seen more of felicia's story

i don't think jayvik should've kissed, the forehead touch was just as, if not more meaningful

the story of singed's daughter wasn't explored as much as it should have been, especially considering it's a huge part of why shimmer was ever created and of the pre-existing league lore

while there are parts of the story i found unsatisfying, i'm totally in love with all of the characters and the artistry. while almost all of the female leads fit perfectly into specific overused tropes, they turned those tropes on their head and executed them well. the women in arcane are attractive but they all have agency. ekko is the best side character ever written. they wrote the "morally grey" characters really well. it's plain to see the writers spent so much time and energy on creating these perfect characters. the artists knocked it out of the park, arcane is the most visually appealing animated show i've ever seen. arcane is a masterpiece in so many ways and i look forward to seeing what's to come :)

if you've read this far, first of all go outside (kidding of course), and second, let me know your thoughts and if you agree/disagree. if you have any theories on what's to come next, let me know!

[daretoassume]

hello, i hope you're doing well. my english is not the best so i apologize. i've been on the loa side of tumblr for some time and one thing that has stuck with me the most is "once you know you've the ultimate power, you will view your imagination as your true reality" and the thing is that i understand his and i understand that we're conditioned to be realistic and believe the opposite of what loa teaches since day 1. but what i don't understand is how do you or anyone who has been successfully manifesting be in *that* state where things happening in your reality doesn't phase you? how do you be so sure of your imagination that you surrender to it? majority of the people i see here view loa as a back up option of some sorts. it's like "if i don't complete this assignment by today, i'll just manifest that the deadline extends" instead of "i don't have to complete my assignment because the assignment is already completed/doesn't even exist in the first place". i really struggle with understanding and being on board with the contradicting opinions and actions of people on the same subject. i've manifested some things but even today in order to be in that state or mindset, i need to listen to a subliminal or do mediation. so, i'm really curious as to how it all comes naturally to everyone. i'm so sorry for the long ask but i hope you can provide your input.

hellooo angel, one thing i always remind myself is that i shouldn't apply logic to something profound. try to take everything you are learning lightly. be so light about it.

1. to be in the state where things don't bother me, no matter what is happening, was a habit i developed over time. i understand that i must constantly choose the reality i prefer, and for me to do that, i can't be phased by whatever is happening outside of me when everything i ever wanted is already done, already experienced, in my inner world.

this was a hard lesson for me (it was tied to my core belief). of course, that's just how i went through it, and i want to be transparent because it's not just about the law of assumption—i mixed in everything i learned about personal growth and loa.

now, i’m not saying you or anyone else has to go through the same process, but that's how i molded my beliefs.

2. when it comes to back-up options, it's all about preference— what you prefer to experience in your reality. some people place conditions or limitations on their reality, so they might choose what feels like the path of least resistance. either way, it's done.

3. if you believe subliminals or meditations help you, and if you think they are the path of least resistance, then go ahead. but you really don't need them. your desires—everything you want to experience—are already yours. it's done, it's solidified. you don't need to impose these unspoken rules on yourself to experience it. you are already experiencing it in your imagination. these unspoken rules and conditions are only holding you back.

i hope this helps you!

[blueberri-blu]

1 Coin, 2 Sides ◉|●

[Rise]autistic!Donnie x gn!AuDHD!reader

~ headcanons

˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖

At first you and Donnie don't see each other often, both not being very good at communicating with others

It takes Donnie rambling about his tech for you two to start talking

You immediately add on to his train if thought, asking questions, and showing genuine interest

Donnie is a bit surprised, often being ignored by his brothers, but he silently appreciates it

After a couple of rants between you two, he may allow you to enter his lab (under the circumstance you don't touch anything)

You take this very seriously, looking at him for approval to sit on the extra chair that seems to have appeared overnight

Although you often times you both act very similar, sometimes your ADHD just seems to... Run rampant

Thankfully, the 2 sides in you seem to balance out, still following the rules, just a little more reckless

Donnie understands you in a way others just don't, and the feeling is mutual

You both seem to understand when the other needs some space

And even if you and Donnie start off the evening hugging eachother and holding hands

By the end of the night you parallel play while your social batteries recharge

You both look out for each other when you're on setting with a lot of stimulus

Donnie's tell is he starts closing his eyes for a few minutes at a time, and his hands start to twitch

He'll also take note (literally, he has a notes page of facts about you) of your tells, whether it be excessively rubbing your hands, furrowing your eyebrows, or loss of appetite, he types it down on his tablet

If either of you ever end up having a meltdown, the other is there, ready to help

I personally headcanon Donnie to have dissociative meltdowns

So when Donnie has a meltdown, he goes into a state of paralysis

He just sort of sits there, motionless

A good way to get him to calm down and come back to reality is to have him touch things

Like his tools, his battle shell, you, SHELLDON, and his brothers

These help bring him back to reality so you two can "talk" it out

Donnie communicates best either through text, or not having to look at you

And when you have a meltdown, he'll do anything and everything in his power to make sure you don't hurt yourself

He'll have a padded area in his lab where he can take you if he sees signs of a meltdown

If you go into a dissociative state like him, he'll try sensory toys, talking to you, anything and everything to coax you out of it so you can talk about what triggered it

Honestly? You two were practically made for each other, Donnie helping you slow down and you coax Donnie out of his shell but in a slow, patient and comfortable way

˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°˖∘⁠˚⁠˳⁠°

Were these headcanons self indulgent? Possibly totally Were they longer than I expected? Yes, but! I liked how they turned out, and I hope you guys do too! I love y'all! <3