#i just want to see them bond over their shared plight :(

[beevean]

Hector: Young Master...

Alucard: Don't call me that. You obey one master already. My voice holds no power between these walls.

Hector: ... I understand how you feel. Then, how shall I call you?

Alucard: Alucard.

Hector: I... did I hear that right? Alucard?

Alucard: Yes. My father named me Adrian, as his son. I reject him and his desires for me. I stand opposed to everything he is.

Hector: ... very well. Then, may I ask you a question, Alucard?

Alucard: You may.

Hector: Why did you oppose your father from the very beginning?

Alucard: He wants to honor my mother, who dedicated her life to helping people, with death and misery. She would be distraught to see what he has been doing in her name. I believed that he would stop out of love for her. I was wrong.

Hector: I thought... that destroying that village was reasonable, after what they did.

Alucard: Yes, I remember the thirst for blood in your eyes. My father raised you well.

Hector: ... I... I'm sick of bathing in blood, Alucard. I fear that it's too late for me.

Alucard: Hector. Why are you here?

Hector: I wanted to talk to you--

Alucard: Why are you here in this castle?

Hector: ... I wanted power. I wanted to live.

Alucard: Did you find what you sought for?

Hector: Yes.

Alucard: Are you satisfied?

Hector: I'm breaking into pieces, Alucard. This is not the power I wanted. I am no longer a living being! I'm-- I'm a mere sword, stained with the blood of innocents!

Alucard: That's not true. You're standing, breathing and thinking. Hector, this is not the place for you. You aren't cut from the same cloth as Dracula or Isaac. You can still do something. Take that power that you gained, and use it as you wish.

Hector: What about you?

Alucard: ... Dracula's blood flows in my veins. I will always be my father's son. You don't have to be.

[brain-rot-central]

I can't help but think that Astarion would kinda favor Karlach over the others, besides Tav, because I don’t really recall him saying anything snarky or backhanded about her like the rest of the party. (I’m going by memory I could be wrong). I think that he might relate to a lot and her situation, even though he not really a sympathetic person. And that he finds her adorable in some way.

Oh for sure. I think he bonds easier with Karlach because, in many ways, they share the same story. They were both enslaved and are fighting for their freedom. They share intimacy issues; Astarion is unable to let his mind quiet down, Karlach can't physically touch another person. Both want nothing more than to be close to others. Astarion is undead; Karlach IS actively dying.

Karlach is "safe." She's seen some shit.

He respects her, because he sadly understands her plight, to a degree. He was like her, once. Probably fought just as hard as she did to escape servitude, was filled with just as much piss and raw vinegar. He's probably inspired by it, no doubt. His flame was extinguished after Cazador sealed him within the tomb for a year. It probably helps him reconnect with it, to a degree.

I love the idea of them being insanely close friends (basically a trauma bond with the thickest, most industrial-type cement), but I see the argument for them as lovers. They would make one another better. Not to mention they're just hot together too, idk.

[aayakashii]

omg THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD AYA ❤️18 or 32 with haku pls 🙏🏻🙏🏻

❤️18 A kiss while laughing

❤️32 A kiss while someone watches

Ritsu was following you, for the 4th day straight. It was a new record. Usually he would follow you around for two days and disappear for a while, probably to creep someone else out.

You had no idea what was so interesting about you that had the paralegal so hooked on noting down your every step. Maybe he thought he could get good information about your curse if he followed you around?

You didn't see the reasoning behind his actions. It's not like stalking you gathered actual scientific information about your plight – maybe if it was Yuri or Jiro, you could make some excuses and say they were observing you like a little lab rat.

But all that Ritsu managed to do was annoy you to no end.

So you sighed heavily, scratching your head in frustration, while the Haku glanced at you with a genuinely sympathetic look on his face as you two walked towards your dorm.

“How long has he been doing that?” he murmured, subtly glancing behind his shoulder and towards Ritsu, who stood some meters away from you both, overtly following your steps.

“I don't know” you rubbed your face with your hands “I think for like… 2 months? Ever since we met at Sinostra.”

Haku widened his eyes.

“2 months? Why? Is he in love with you?”

You scoffed. Haku had a penchant for making everything into a shitty romcom plot. If you didn't know Towa and him already talked to each other sometimes, you'd probably introduce them so they could bond over their obsession with romance.

“No, he just wants to record my every movement” you said, knowing all too well that Ritsu probably heard you and wasn't ashamed in the slightest “Apparently he thinks it'll help his investigations somehow…?” you trailed off, not buying his excuse at all.

Maybe he was just a creep who liked stalking people and you were his favorite target. Who knows, at this point.

Haku hummed thoughtfully.

“Sounds to me like he's in love with you and doesn't know how to express it.”

You deadpanned.

“Haku, no. He's not.”

“How can you be so sure?” he side-eyed you, with a playful smirk tugging on his lips, and you shook your head.

“He's not.”

“Hey, he wouldn't be the only one, you know?” he winked, and you thought for a moment that he had been spending too much time with Rui for his own good.

You playfully pushed his arm and he chuckled, barely moving at all. Sometimes you forgot ghouls had superhuman strength.

After a few moments of silence as you two leisurely walked, he suddenly leaned towards you, a glint in his eyes as he covered his mouth, just like a child excited to share a secret.

“You know what we can do to embarrass him so he'll stop following you?”

“What?” you asked, fully intent on playing into his game.

“Kiss.” he replied with a smug and satisfied smile, his eyes quickly darting from your eyes to your lips, making his already clear intention even clearer.

You snorted.

“Is this just an elaborate plan to kiss me?”

Haku gasped dramatically and closed his eyes, putting a hand over his chest.

“You wound me, honor student. I am just looking out for you and I have your best interest in mind.”

“Pfft! Yeah… Totally no hidden intentions at all.” you rolled your eyes.

“None at all” Haku's eyes were locked into your lips.

You stared at him.

Truth to be told, you've harbored a crush on the man beside you for a very long time. You just weren't very sure if every word he told you was truthful, or if he just flirted with the first person that gave him attention.

The thought of him openly flirting with someone the way he did with you would always cause a pang in your heart, and this only worsened once Zenji raved about how Haku was a charmer.

Part of you wanted to be special, different. You wanted to be the only one in his mind, the only one to listen to all those honeyed words. You wanted to know he had truly fallen for you before you could ever allow yourself to give in to your repressed feelings.

Another part of you just wanted to say fuck it and accept the attention he was offering without thinking too hard about it.

You decided to listen to this other part of you.

“Okay.”

Haku snapped his head towards you, eyes comically wide.

“‘Okay’?!” he asked again.

It was your turn to smirk.

“What, didn't think things through before asking to kiss me?” you raised your eyebrows at him.

The surprise weaned off quite quickly and he leaned towards you, his voice getting huskier all of a sudden.

“Not at all. I've been thinking about kissing you for long enough now.”

You felt your cheeks tingle. Haku was insufferable. You wanted to give in to him so bad and just let your feelings run wild, but the fear that it all could consume you quicker than your curse still bound you in fear.

“Then do it for once, you tease.” you huffed, cheeks puffing and brows scrunching as you tried to appear annoyed.

Haku just chuckled.

“Aye aye, captain” he murmured, holding your chin so he could tilt your head upwards.

His lips gently brushed yours before he dived into the kiss, and you could feel his smile as he nibbled and sucked on your bottom lip – it was contagious. You giggled as you wrapped your arms around his neck and ran your hands through his green hair.

The feeling of your fingers threading through his locks made him sigh and his hands circled your waist and pushed you flush against his body. Haku hummed into the kiss, delighted, hands drawing nonsensical patterns on your back as he tried to have you as close to him as possible.

Soon enough, however, you broke contact, gasping for air. Haku grunted, dissatisfied, still pursuing your lips.

“W-wait, wait.” you managed to mutter, putting your hand over his lips. Haku opened his eyes and grinned devilishly as soon as he saw your figure – face flushed, breathless, and disheveled.

“I could get used to this.” he muttered, nuzzling his nose against your cheek, still firmly holding you in his arms.

In your daze, you looked around, searching for nothing at all as you breathed deeply and tried to calm your racing heart, when you locked eyes with a figure hiding behind a tree.

Ritsu was red as a beet while he watched you, disgust and embarrassment quite clear on his face.

“I don't think he left just because we embarrassed him.” you said, licking your lips, blatantly staring at Ritsu's comically aghast expression.

“Who? Oh.” Haku said, briefly forgetting what even started the whole situation.

He smirked, side-eyeing Ritsu for a second before turning your attention back to himself. He held your chin upwards and caressed your bottom lip with his thumb before bringing his face closer to yours once again.

“Then I think we might need to kiss again and again until he gets the memo.”

Full masterlist

[morallygreychaoticneutral]

That's what he said!

I was thinking about what my Tav would have said to Astarion after the Halsin proposition. I was sad to know we didn't have the option to tell Astarion we told him no. I feel like that would have been a great trust bonding moment for them. So i wrote it. Or, I attempted..im not an expert writer.

“You wouldn’t believe the conversation I just had with Halsin.” She says to him in a gossiping tone.  

Astarion laughs loud and openly.

“I was wondering when you were going to ask me about this.”

“Did he talk to you about it?” she asks, slightly confused by his reaction.

“I guessed. The man can’t stay quiet about “enjoying the freedom of natures gifts”. Ha ha, I bet he outlaw clothing if he could.”

His pantomime of Halsin calms her nerves.

“Funny you would say that. He did mention something along those lines.”  

An awkward pause hangs in the air.

“Well? Don’t keep me in suspense darling. What was said exactly?”

“Well, He uh,  said that I stirred his heart and he wants more than to just sit by the fire with me.”

The heat was creeping up in her face. It was one thing to have heard it from Halsin, but to repeat it to Astarion had her embarrassed.

He smiles at her.

 “I can’t say I blame him. You are quite unique and alluring, darling. And he’s been eyeing you since the grove if you haven’t noticed.”

She had not. She was so wrapped up in helping everyone with their own plights she didn’t even consider it.   

“So? What was the outcome of this conversation?” He asks, quickly looking at his nails to distract from the anxiety that flashed across his eyes.

She sees it. Her heart hurts with the idea he thinks she might have agreed. He knows me better than that, doesn’t he?

Desperate to erase that look she reaches for her default disarming tool. Humor.

“I told him to stuff it.” she says, crossing her arms and throwing her nose in the air in a haughty manner.

Astarion’s eyes shift to her as he lifts a brow at her sudden change of attitude.

 She smiles wide, nudging him with her elbow. “Get it?! Stuff It. You know, because he’s a bear.”

Astarion rolls his eyes dramatically but smiles despite his attempt to seem annoyed.

“But then...” she says, bringing her index finger to her lips as if deep in thought. “Maybe he thought I wanted him to stuff me…oh no.”

Astarion huffs before leaning in and issuing a warning.

“Best to stay clear of the woods for a bit then.”

Aloria laughs. Pleased to see the anxiety leave his gaze.

“You know I would never do that to you, right?” she asks quietly, throwing every ounce of care into her eyes for him to see.

“If that’s something you want to explore we can. But I’m not making decisions like that without knowing your heart better.”

His face softens at her words for a moment, before darting his eyes past her to check to see if anybody is watching.  

“I know. I was being foolish. But thank you for saying it.”

These types of moments are difficult for him. He loves the adoration she lavishes on him but does not like to share it beyond their own private world. She notices his discomfort and redirects the conversation back to playful banter.  

“I mean, not after all the hard work you put into scent marking me.” she says, closing the distance between them, walking her fingers up his chest and gently tapping the end of his nose.  

His nose scrunches in response.

“What?”

“Halsin said your scent lingers on my skin. He says I smell like you.” She rests her chin on his chest. Her eyes hold his lovingly. 

“I….well..you do tend to steal my shirt to sleep in. It’s hardly my fault.”

Aloria runs the backs of her hands lightly over the fabric of his vest. “Do you know what you smell like?”  

He stares down at her, confused about the odd choice of topic.  “Of course I am aware of what I smell like. I make it myself.”

“No, not your perfume, just you.”  

Astarion’s face scrunches again. “Undead, obviously. What are you getting at?”

Aloria grabs him by the lapels. Quickly lifting on her toes and pulling him forward to bury her nose in his neck and takes an obnoxiously loud snuff of his skin.

Astarion barks out a clipped giggle before clearing his throat and feigning annoyance.

“What are you doing?”

She hums against his throat. “Mmmmm danger, and sweetness and ..wait ..is that a hint of arrogance? Or is that sarcasm?”.

She makes a show of snuffing him again. “Ooo, I think that is definitely sarcasm. Spicy!”

Astarion begins to playfully push her away, but not before she quickly presses her lips close to his ear. Whispering this time so no one nearby can catch what she says.

“You smell like the air after it rains on parched ground. Like the deep earth of a root cellar. Like ancient undiscovered places. Quiet and metallic.  I like it. I like it very much.” Driving the message home by gently running the end of her nose along the edge of his ear.

Astarion’s shoulders drop as he turns his head to catch her eyes as she pulls away. The seriousness of her confession understood under the guise of playfulness. These moments were theirs and theirs alone.

She smiles wide, then smashes her lips against his cheek, kissing him with an audible smack.

He tuts, resuming to push her away and wave her off with a flourish of his hands.

She begins to walk away, but turns, jutting her hip out and running her hand dramatically over her ass and biting her lower lip at him.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, darling.” He says salaciously.

She laughs and walks away to check on the other companions for the night.  

“Hey, what’s burning?!” she shouts loudly watching as Gale scrambles to check the pot that is in fact, not burning.

[feliciasharpclaws]

✯ 𝑶𝑵𝑬𝑺𝑯𝑶𝑻

call it what you want | a. leclerc

arthur leclerc x fem! american actress! oc!

faceclaim: lola tung

a/n: hi :) english is not my first language, it's actually spanish, so there are most likely spelling errors. also, this was completly rewritten, i had already posted another 2 parts of basically the same story but i never wrote the part 3. so i rewrite it and i really hope you like it.

warnings: spelling mistakes, intentional lowercase

a while ago, adeline summers was the darling of the silver screen, adored and admired by fans all across the globe. however, her blissful stardom crashed down like a castle of cards when she ended things with her popular boyfriend, who was also an actor. she was soon the subject of crude internet drama and hated by all faces of social media. driven to despair by the constant hate and backlash, she decided to take a break from the spotlight. she slipped away unnoticed one night, leaving behind the world of glam and paparazzi, to find peace and solace in the unseen corners of the world. adeline found herself in monaco, a warm haven tucked away from the hustle-bustle. she spent her days strolling along the coastline, reading books, avoiding any forms of media, and getting lost in the magnificence of the endless azure. she was healing, slowly perhaps, but surely.

one afternoon, while she was quietly sitting on a park bench, a guy approached her. dressed in casual attire, there was a serenity about him that immediately caught adeline's attention. the guy, who introduced himself as arthur, was also escaping the prying eyes of society. arthur was a formula 2 driver, whose love-life had become a free-for-all, as his relationship with his current ex-girlfriend had ended on bad terms. burnt out by the media's relentless scrutiny and rumor-mongering, he found solace in solitude, just like adeline. it was refreshing for both of them to find someone who understood their plight.

after a few friendly encounters in monaco, arthur suggested that they take a spontaneous trip to lake como in italy. hesitant at first, adeline finally agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to further escape the social storm back home. as they spent time on the serene shores of lake como, away from the world's view, mutual comfort turned into attraction and eventually into a deep affection. they found solace in each other's arms, their simultaneous heartbreaks healing in sync. days that started with watching sunrises over the lake and ended with the sharing of deepest secrets under the moonlight were etched in their hearts.

together, they indulged in italy, taking boat rides, picnicking amidst the lush grapevines, and sipping wine as the sun kissed the horizon. it seemed both were meant to meet, meant to heal, meant to fall in love, at a time when they despised the world the most but needed companionship the most. months passed, and the internet could only speculate about adeline's whereabouts. little did they know she was no longer the same woman. she was in love, completely head over heels, in love with a guy who knew her for who she was, not the superstar she was painted to be.

adeline and arthur decided to try the public life once again, but this time united. with a bizarre twist of fate, the same public, who once hated them, welcomed them back warmly. the internet which had once been a cause of their isolation, now flooded with wishes and love, celebrating the very bond they despised before. after all, adeline had found love in the most unexpected place, with the most unexpected guy, but at the perfect time. it was her disappearance that led her to find true love and acceptance. it wasn't an easy ride, but it was worth it. the american actress, who was once hated, made a spectacular comeback, not alone, but with the love of her life by her side.

[lixenn]

@mimiruku

Getting surprise attacked not by this question! Thank you so much for stopping by Jojo!

Edit: I fucked up and posted this on accident when it wasn't ready yet. So I deleted it and made it a seperate post. Sorry about that OTL

I'll try my best to answer it 🫡 (Disclaimer: the time line here is a bit of a mess. Since Housekeeping AU is pre-canon most of tenth gen would be itty bitty but for the sake of this ask just assume I'm talking about the canon versions)

Dan

Squalo (romantic) Squalo and Dan simply vibe. The Captain and the Chief. Loud and quiet. Co-parenting the assassin nutcases together, complaining about the latest stunt some idiot pulled, despairing over Xanxus throwing stuff habit. They are comrades in suffering, your honour. Their bond is forged with blood (not theirs), ink (from all the paperwork) and alcohol (because they need it), it's unbreakable trust👍(beware the bickering though because there's lots of it when these two get going).

Xanxus (romantic) Now, while Squalo and Dan share similarities, Xanxus and Dan are pure contrast. Xanxus is one of the few people that can really rile Dan up, for some reason he knows how to press all his buttons and regulary breaks Dani-boy out of his shell. Squalo brings calm and rest, while Xanxus brings fire and passion. And lots of swearing.

Lal (platonic) Lal and Dan are a great duo. Both competent, both no-nonsense, both sick of training idtiots and dealing with their bosses. They would get along great, quietly exchanging stories over a glass of wine while their partners off doing stupid shit (which they are steadily ignoring). Their friendship would get so much done, they would terrify anyone into submission with a soul piercing stare, it'd be fun!

Fon (platonic) These two haven't met and I don't know if they ever will but they would chill togehter, drinking tea. Just relaxing. Dan would appreciate Fon's zen and ability to kick ass, because he values competence in all forms.

Tsuna (platonic) Dan truly understands Tsuna's plight. Surrounded by chaos, constantly dragged into nonsense... When you just want some godforsaken peace and quiet. They would bond over the craziness that is their life and Dan would teach alll the ways to cope with the chaos (there may be alcohol involved).

Dave (all platonic cause Dave is on the aro spectrum)

Lussuria Sharing a passion with fashion and gossip, Dave and Luss get on like a house on fire. They regualary meet up for spa sessions where they exchange the hottest tea and bitch about Chief not taking care of himself. Sometimes they fuck, sometimes they just giggle and paint each others nails, it very much depends on the mood.

Reborn Chaos gremlins stand united! Dave and Reborn are two peas in a pod, living for the trolling, making everyone's life hell just for the lols. Chief's chaos sense will go haywire should they ever meet and he will instantly cash in all his vacation days at once, cause he ain't dealing with the clean up no sireee~

Bel Another litlle shit going on the list. Dave and Bel are competing over the top spot of: driving Chief to homicide and let me tell you it's a close race. Davey-boy and Baby-Bel love getting up to mischief together, with Dave trying to hold back some of Bel's murderous tendencies. (Dave prefers pschological torment and he's not really that much of a fan of corpse clean up). You could see their relationship as brotherly but if you mention it to either of them they will probably hiss and bite/stab you.

Haru Dave would find Haru adorable! Look at her! Designing funky custumes, eating all the cake and chasing after love. How cute! Dave approves! They would bake cake together, talking about boys (while Dave gives all the wrong advice because he doesn't know shit about romance actually).

Chrome Dave takes on look at Chrome and instantly takes her under his wing. He'd see the look in her eyes, her shy demeanour and thin figure and feel like he's staring into one of these fun house mirrors. Like recognises like. He'd try his best not to spook her, soften his edges a bit and then get some food in her. They'd cook together with Dave showing her the ropes, telling her funny stories all the while, trying to make Chrome laugh. Their relationship would have a bittersweet taste but with a satisfying finish at the end.

[9haharharley1]

I'mma keep it coming with I wanna see your head canons for Danny tbh I wonder if we're similar about the boy. So I guess 002

How I feel about this character:

I love him, I really do! I had such a crush on Danny when I was a teen, made worse (or better, idk) by the fact that when the show aired, I was also just entering high school. So it was one of those, "oh look! A socially awkward teen also has to deal with the stress of living! He's just like me fr (minus the ghost powers on my part)!"

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Romantically? Vlad, Valerie, Clockwork, and Dan, but mostly Vlad.

Want to see him get railed and ruined and crying? Dan, Nocturne, Skulker, Wulf, Walker.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Tucker and Sam (provided Sam can get over some of her holier-than-thou attitude)

My unpopular opinion about this character:

This boy doesn't have a dominant bone in his entire body. I don't like reading top Danny fics, my boy deserves a break, and I'm also not a fan when he's taller and beefier than Vlad either. I stan a short king and I will take no criticism.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

It's a kids' show, so I know this was never gonna happen, but I would have loved to see him have a full psychological break. I'm talking an entire episode dedicated to Danny having a complete and total panic attack, Batman the Animated Series style. Parents want to catch and study him, one of his best friends keeps pushing him to do the superhero thing, parents and peers are pressuring him to date said pushy friend, he's failing in school, he can't retaliate against his primary bully, his future is screwed if he doesn't watch himself, the ghosts keep coming and they won't fucking stop, his sister keeps giving him these worrying looks like she's worried, why should she be worried? He's fine, everything's fine, he's only half-dead, what's the big deal?

Danny eventually has that panic attack the closer he gets to graduating, unsure of his future, scared he's gonna fail and never be able to leave Amity Park, terrified that all he has to look forward to is fighting ghosts and running/hiding from his parents. His future is forever uncertain because the alternate time line, and his friends can't understand, even if they're trying, but they just can't know what's going on with him, and he sees the fear in their eyes every time he brings up that dark future. He could go to Clockwork, but Clockwork will only give so much advice. He doesn't share more than is necessary to keep time in tact, so he eventually breaks and goes to Vlad. Who else could possibly understand if not the only other halfa in existence?

Basically, I would have loved to see him become increasingly overwhelmed until he had no choice but to run away and go to Vlad's. They make a temporary truce long enough for them to bond over their shared plight.

my OTP:

Pompous Pep, of course (you will pry this ship from my cold, dead hands)

my cross over ship:

None

a headcanon fact:

Danny totally had a crush on Vlad the first time they met. He thought he was handsome and charming and all that gross first crush stuff, and he actually enjoyed talking with him, even if him hitting on his mom was super fucking weird. Danny could look past that because he knew his mom wasn't interested, was happily married, and when Vlad wasn't focused on her, he could be pretty cool. Too bad he had to go and ruin it by revealing his evil intentions.

[chintara]

Klance one-shot idea

Lance learns that Allura’s gift makes him live longer than the Average human lifespan. Coran tries to calm him down by letting him know it’s not as long as a full blooded Altean would live, but Lance doesn’t want to live to see all his friends and family die. Kolivan comes with Keith to visit the Atlas (where Lance is acting as Coran’s bodyguard/diplomatic intern) and lets slip that Keith will live slightly longer than humans, but not as long as full blooded Galra. Lance and Keith bond over their shared plight, and eventually start a romantic relationship.

Flash forward, Lance and Keith look just about 40 and elderly Voltron stand beside the two on an altar, it’s their wedding. After, Shiro pulls Keith to the side and jokes about living long enough to finally hear Lance stop complaining about when Keith would propose. Keith gets emotional and expresses his feelings about having to see watch his Voltron Family age before him. Shiro says, “it might be my age talking, but the time I’ve had is enough for me. I have some regrets about how I spent some of it, and I still feel the loss of the years I spent in captivity and missing. None of that can compare to the joy and warmth I feel that the rest of these years, I’ve spent them with a loving family, amazing friends, and loving my husband. Now it’s your turn, you lost so much of those happy years as a child, and then spent most of your teen years fighting in a war. Take this opportunity to live the life you’ve earned, with a husband who’s earned your love.”

*free for anyone to use as long as I am credited

[rcress232-blog]

Battle trophy

My army had been routed by the all-female warriors, and it was our own fault for our overconfidence. As the battle lines broke, I called for a retreat and took off myself, as the man next to me was tackled and quickly bound by female soldiers. My horse had run off, panicked by the chaos, and I was nearly at the tree line when suddenly my path was blocked by a beautiful young member of the opposing force.

"Planning to leave, Commander?" she asked, her sword still sheathed but her stance ready. "I think your presence is required here. After all, you should share the fate of your men."

My shoulders fell. It was all over - the dreams of conquest and dominance vanished before my eyes, trampled beneath the feet of the all-female army who had vanquished and was now capturing us. I dropped my head and she moved behind me quickly, disarming me of my sword and pulling my hands behind my back. She tied me up tightly with leather cord, checking the bonds.

"You are taken prisoner," she told me. "And I know my Queen is waiting to see you."

She put me on my knees and I was forced to remain there as the rest of my army was captured and bound. It was all my fault - these men had lost their freedom because of my incompetent command, and now we were all captives of these women.

My beautiful captor marched me to her horse, and I was thrown across the saddle in front of where she'd sit. "The Queen will want to see him immediately," she announced. "Rope the others together and march them to the city. Strip them naked."

The horse moved, and the woman held me in place during the long ride. Finally, we arrived, and she took me off the horse and walked me into an ornate palace, stopping just outside of a pair of golden doors. She drew a knife.

"No male sees our Queen in his clothing," she told me. I stood still, tightly tied up, as she cut off my clothing, leaving me naked in the corridor as other women closed around us. I bowed my head in utter shame, never dreaming defeat in battle could lead to such humiliation.

"Now you're ready to be seen by Her Majesty," the warrior told me, taking hold of me and marching me through the doors and placing me on my knees at the feet of the young Queen.

"Here's their commander, my Queen," the warrior said. "He's captured and stripped naked for your viewing."

I kept my head and eyes down, but heard a female voice command me.

"Gaze upon your new Queen, prisoner," she told me.

I looked up into her face, her expression showing satisfaction at my plight.

"You have foolishly engaged us in battle," she told me. "It will be the last thing you ever do as a free man. From this moment, you are my personal slave, and your men will be imprisoned and sold to members of my army and Court. The life you knew is over."

I dropped my head in shame, and realized she was right - I was nothing but a spoil of battle, a trophy for her to possess and control, a slave captured and bound before her.

Source: Bing AI Image Generator

[angelicyoongie]

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THE RECENT CHAPTER OF LOVESICK WAS SO GOOD I 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

Like it was so cute??? And brUHHHHHHHH, the explanation of their whole yandere behavior as being Lovesickness??? I see what you did there 😎😎

I was genuinely intrigued by the lore of the soul bonds and how they worked throughout history. Random question: is there a special event that happened in the year 1783 and that’s why you chose that year? Or was it just a random year lol (Fun fact: the American revolution happened to end during that time so 🤔🤔)

ANYWAY

Ok even though it makes sense as to why the boys behave the way they do, like I can definitely feel the MC’s internal conflict over this info. If you act a certain way because of something that’s out of your control, it’s only natural to sympathize and try to work your way through it with another person. HOWEVER, because of their extreme cases, it’s really tricky to try and sympathize with their plight. I GUESS though, in order to really help them get better, it would only make sense to be as close as possible with them to be able to “cure” them. Although that might make it even more difficult to try and escape because escape could mean reversing the effects and making their conditions even worse??

Those are my academic-type thoughts on this, but the Yoongi kiss was so cute 😭😭😭

IMMACULATE AS ALWAYS QUEEN, CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER AND THE SMUTTTTTT RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 🤩🥵

- K

KKKK!! 💖😭💖 AAA i'm so happy you enjoyed it!! 🥹

Hehe I had to work in the title somehow! I'm glad you found the lore interesting, I was trying so hard to make it sound somewhat realistic (in their world at least) lol 😭 I just picked that year completely at random but it's cool that it actually lines up with that 👀

Yes, exactly!! Like you want to be understanding and help someone get better BUT it's so hard when they've made your life a living hell. It's difficult to seperate the person from the illness sometimes. Well.. Yes! Just based on the info we have so far, it would seem that the MC running away would actually make their condition a lot worse. Though I suppose it depends on whether the bond "settles" before a possible escape.

Lol thank you!! I had to make the kiss with Yoongi sweet, I just couldn't help myself 😭

Thank you so much, my friend!! 💖 I hope you're well and I can't wait to share the next chapter with you in a few weeks!! 🥹💖

[ghostofskywalker]

How about a loki ficlet where you are on a mission to find this bookshop but it doesn't appear on Google maps and loki has to help you find it?

(Get some desert to go with that wine bby you deserve it!!!)

i definitely didn't skip getting dessert today, don't worry! this is more platonic than romantic, but i hope you enjoy it :)

words: 633

loki laufeyson masterlist

A City Adventure

Not even bothering with a greeting (or a knock), you stepped into Loki’s room and found him sitting on his bad, an open book in his hands. “You have magical powers right?” 

Understandably, he didn’t want to answer your question right away. “Why?” 

“I need your help.” 

He looked at you like you had three heads and echoed his earlier sentiments. “Why?” 

“I need to find this bookshop, and it’s not coming up on my phone.” Normally you would feel weird about asking a literal god to help you with an errand, especially a god that had tried to take control of the city just a few years prior, but you weren’t afraid of Loki. In fact, you had been growing closer to him as of late, and the two of you have bonded over your shared love of books and quiet spaces to read them. You were confident that once Loki knew the reason of your plight, he would lend his skills to your aid. 

That, and he wasn’t usually allowed out of the tower, and you could only imagine how cooped up he was feeling, so any chance to leave would be a golden opportunity. 

“Do you have the address?” Clearly you had caught the god’s attention now. 

You nodded. “Yeah, but my phone says there’s nothing at that lot when I look at the directions.”

“Why don’t you just use a map?” 

“You know, you’re being awfully resistant to the one person that can get you a few hours outside of these walls on a fine spring day,” you said, eyebrows raised. 

Silence. That’s how you knew that you were right, but he didn’t want to admit it. “Fine, I will accompany you and aid in your quest to find this bookshop.” 

“Great!” you said, and soon the two of you were walking down the streets of New York City. You nodded down towards the piece of paper in your hand, that displayed the supposed address of your holy grail bookshop. “Do your thing.” 

He stopped, a skeptical look on his face. “My thing?” 

“Yeah, you know, your magic!” 

“I’m sorry, do you think part of my ancient magical gifts involves an intergalactic positioning system?” 

Okay, maybe you were goading him a little. But in your defense, he was cute when he got a little annoyed. “I asked if you could help, and here you are. Are you saying you can’t do anything?” 

He sighed, and then waved his hand at the piece of paper that held the address. 

Nothing happened. 

“Great work,” you said. “This has been so much help.” 

Slowly, you started to see the realization dawn on his face that you weren’t being rude to be rude, and he started to loosen up. “Well, you haven’t exactly been a shining help either.” 

“Touché,” you said, a smile on your face. “Why don’t we just head in the direction of the address and see what we can find?” 

About fifteen minutes, an impromptu stop for lunch, and a near-death experience with a cyclist later, you and Loki were finally standing in front of the window to the bookshop. It was not only exactly in the place where you thought it was (and the address you had was completely correct), but you still had no idea why the map on your phone refused to show it. 

You may have had to endure a clear “I told you so�� look from Loki and a muttered joke about you needing his help to find your way out of a paper bag, but you didn’t really mind. This afternoon had been more fun than you’ve had in a long time, and Loki was more relaxed than you’ve ever seen him before. Both of things were worth more than a little teasing anyway.

- the end -

[beevean]

feel like elaborating a bit on my new Helia thoughts, using this post by @legendarybelmont as a springboard (sorry bestie if you don't like this lol)

I'm starting to feel about it in a vaguely similar way as I do for Lenector, as horrible as it sounds. Let me explain: NCFV really wants you to think N!Hector and Lenore are good for each other because they sass each other and understand each other's plight in a world that doesn't respect them, right? But it conveniently glosses over all the unhealthy aspects like the massive power imbalance, Lenore's past abuse and promises of using him as a sex slave, Lenore's current self-centeredness, and even N!Hector ruining Lenore's life with his plan that lead to the destruction of the Styria council. So the story is uncomfortable to say the least, but if someone cared, they could appreciate it as a massively toxic ship built on shared misery and trauma bonding and ignore the canon ship tease.

Helia is kind of like that, except ofc that Julia did nothing wrong :P but similarly, the story does make sure to show you how good Hector and Julia are for each other: their personalities mash well (Julia is delightfully witty but still empathetic, which makes for a nice combination with the comically serious, angery but also polite Hector), they are both connected to Isaac, they are both familiar with a life of shunning, they both end the game grieving (the same person too, allegedly), and you can imagine them supporting each other and understanding each other like no one else could - I love Rosaly, but I pointed out that she simply can't understand Hector's past and nature, only accept it.

But then you remember that Hector is still grieving Rosaly when he accepts to live with a woman who looks identical to her. You remember that he tried to let himself die - the second time in the span of three years. You remember that Julia is grieving the man Hector wanted to kill, and indirectly killed. You remember that Hector completely ignored Julia's pleas to try to save her brother, her only family, and as extra spite he simply willed himself to not be cursed. You remember that Julia has the tendency to hide her feelings behind a polite smile, and Hector may not be as socially blind as Alucard, but he's also rather self-centered.

Now, I don't really like the trope of projecting your lost love onto a living one, a big grievance I have with the series as a whole lol - but it's one thing when Dracula does it, because he's centuries old and highly self-centered as well and you can make the argument that he didn't really respect Lisa if he went on a human killing rampage in her name :P there's no intended moral ambiguity with Hector.

But we can go beyond the intentions of canon, and have fun deconstructing the unhealthy parts of their future relationship. Somehow, they're both so good and so bad for each other, in a very unique way: they understand each other but they might feed into each other's trauma and be constant triggers. I'm sure they can eventually reach the part where they heal from their past, but it's going to take a long time.

(personally I'm not too keen on doing this because Hector suffered more than enough by the end of CoD, and if I wanted to see him suffer and develop all sorts of mental illnesses in a relationship I can stick with Draactor. But it's just me. Sure let's have fun with unhealthy m/f ships too lol)

[safyresky]

Hello, it me.

I'm bothering you yet again so that I can hear you talk about your amazing characters >:)

This time specifically The Season Sisters! Spring is in FULL SWING where I'm at and I just wanna know more about them tbh. I'm craving fun facts about each of them, anything you can tell me I will gladly consume like the finest meal. Please and thank you.

Well THIS is gonna be fun!

As much as I WANT to start with Summer, I'll start with Spring since you're right! Spring IS in full swing! Everything is BLOOMING and my nose is so runny every morning on the way to work I hate it :)

And of course, obligatory read more bc this. got out of hand. OF COURSE.

Spring

Tries way too hard. WAY too hard. While her other sisters came to being outside of Mother Nature's Garden, Spring formed there!

Because of that, she had a front seat to all of Gaia and Tara's business leading up to the Call, and even though NEITHER of them EVER said anything like "EVERYTHING IS UP TO YOU" or "YOU MUST BE THE BEST AT EVERYTHING YOU DO" or "YOU'LL TAKE OVER FOR US ONE DAY SO MAKE SURE YOU'RE WORTHY OF IT", she fully believes sentiments like this and will go above and beyond to please Mother Nature and the other seasons

Despite all of them telling her to chill out for 5 seconds and Mother Nature never putting more weight on her shoulders than any of the other seasons.

She doesn't think she's good enough ): And doesn't think she should be the season to take over if Mother Nature ever retires ):

What she doesn't know is that all three sisters were ADAMANT that Tara pick her over them bc they felt she was best suited! Her sisters love her very much! Even Winter!

Spring gets a lot of shit from humans about allergies during her season, so she totally sympathizes with Winter's plight of runny nose complaints (unless it's March/April or August/September. then they're beefing. No room for compassion when ur FIGHTING TO THE DEATH FOR UR DAMN SEASON TO TAKE OVER FOR IT'S DESIGNATED TIME SLOT)

Is very intense, especially when it's someone she really loves (see: the invasion of PLANTS in Frost Manor)

She just cares a LOT and of course, goes way over the top to show it, disgruntling Winter and Summer a lot!

She and Summer bond over florals! Summer can also do a bit of floral work (some things bloom in summer, not spring, after all) and she and Spring have fun times hanging out making flowers and petals and such!

She is the smallest season at about 5"0-5"3 (152-161cm)

Hair is constantly shedding flower petals :\

She's very good at embroidery!

Her love language is DEFFS gifts (see: Winter's plant filled house, yet again)

We know she BEEFS with Winter when they switch seasons, but what about the season after her? Well, she and Summer do NOT beef as much, but Spring is always perplexed at how sudden Summer weather tends to creep in

"It's May, and it's 27 degrees," Spring says, low key annoyed.

"I know about as much as you do, sis," Summer says with a shrug, just as perplexed but not terribly upset about the heat

Summer

LOVES the heat lol, the hotter the better

Is very upset about climate change for all the obvious reasons AND bc it's giving heat a bad name and, as previously stated, she likes the heat

Is the tallest Season Sister, at about 6"0 ish, 6"1 ish

Is BUFF! Is NOT a gym buff tho, lol, she just does a LOT of sports. every sport. Loves sports. Plays all the sports. She is a VERY ACTIVE SEASON, always somewhere doing something, helping out somewhere, even on vacations she's pretty active!

Vacations every year with Winter! Usually in May! On occasion in October :)

Wishes she could have all of September but is fine with sharing it with Autumn, really, she swears (does not care as much for February. Thinks September is a Neat Month)

She swears, as an aside. Likes the F-Word a normal amount

Is everyone's favourite Aunt! She's just really laid back and chill and the most extroverted out of all 4 siblings!

Was the first of the seasons Mother Nature and Spring found post-Call! Spring did not need to be found bc Gaia and Tara knew she was floating around for the longest time lol

Summer found Winter post-call :)

MN really wanted to go check on the Princes bc she had NO IDEA if The Call took the King and Queen as well, but she needed to find the Seasons first, so Summer went let's divide and conquer, I'll go North, you go not North and North ended up being on the money

Summer is very good at compromise but rather leave it to Autumn who is very good at being level-headed. Not that Summer isn't level headed; she's just a little sassy and very blunt and is not afraid to speak her mind. And sometimes. Does not think before she speaks.

Or thinks and goes "fuck it, imma say this thing! if this person can't deal with it then that's their problem!"

Is TECHNICALLY, in body, the oldest season. When MN "adopted" (found) them, Summer was teen-sized. Spring and Autumn were kid-size. Winter was toddler-size.

Summer absolutely ADORES all her niblets, yes, even the (formerly) evil one, and is always happy to teach the what she knows! Blaise has got it, but Summer LOVES teaching and he knows and appreciates the help (both he and Winter do tbh)

Would always happily take the kids from Winter to give her and Blaise a break. She has the BEST sleepovers

More often than not, Spring and Autumn partake in these sleepovers too. Summer's FUN and has a great way of making you feel at ease and okay and carefree and not worried!

When Fiera goes to her upon turning 2000 to ask her to give her the full summer sprite curriculum she almost cries she's so happy

Taught Blaise the full Summer sprite curriculum since his parents didn't actually go that far and she thought it was a DAMN SHAME the only other summer sprite she knew of didn't know ALL the things!

(Blaise doesn't do the sunlight thing though as he doesn't want to cross into her domain :)

She can also make it rain! And THUNDER. She's great at thunder and lightning, makes Mother Nature proud lol

Has a green thumb for fruit trees and fruiting plants! Makes GREAT wine (has a personal preference for reds)

Is my favourite of the Season Sisters (don't tell Winter I said that)

Autumn!

She is very level headed, laid back but in the opposite way from Summer (Summer is extrovert laid back; Autumn is introvert laid back)

Except for one time of year: HALLOWEEN

October comes and she is on some next level of energy, my god. Scares the shit out of Summer by creeping up on her a LOT, usually with decor or costumes or weird shit in general

Summer takes it with a grain of salt lmao

Outside of Halloween, Autumn does have a bad habit of sneaking up on most people. Not on purpose, of course! It just happens!

She always kinda creeps into Summer like this meme:

Apples are her favourite fruit (all of them)

Makes a great cider!

She's got the veggie green thumb, but her pumpkins are AMAZING.

Is the most introverted out of all four siblings

She is also very wise; very inquisitive. She's like a quiet learner, and often will shock people with what she knows

And shocks people as well, sometimes she gets a little static-y

Can ALSO make it rain! Her rainstorms are weirdly calming sometimes?

Can ALSO do a bit of Frost! Winter had fun teaching her that :P

Would have silent competitions with Jack with frosty designs on grass, windows, etc. (he won more often than not, after all, it's his SPECIALTY and he does most of the Frost, Autumn only does a little bit :)

Her range of powers also includes the ability to make things decay. It was a hard one to get the hang of when she first formed, but she got the hang of it easy enough!

I'm not saying that she could touch someone and kill them dead, but I'm not...not saying that 😶

She's very good at puzzles!

Has too many books to read ):

Lives in cozy sweater dresses

Has offered to help Spring not shed petals everywhere (since she had the same problem with Autumn leaves), but Spring declined bc she actually likes raining petals and low key does it on purpose (the aesthetic!)

She's plump and is about average height (5"6-5"9, I'd say)

Loves farming! Her crops are BOUNTIFUL which checks out as one of the sprites responsible for her creation was known as Harvest :)

She, Spring, and Summer worked together closely to get farmlands/crops/food production to boom after the monarchy was disbanded, post Civil War

Like Spring, she is a planner! Instead of vacationing with her opposite season, the two of them get together weekly in the off season for hot chocolate and tea and such, and planning sessions for their next bout of season-ing!

Autumn works closely with the animals, anthropomorphic magibeans, and forest dwelling magibeans on the daily

May have a fling of sorts with a Faun 🤔

Likes astronomy a normal amount

Winter

Ha. Bet y'all thought I wouldn't go off about Winter Fucking Frost, eh?

Since she has the MOST content so far out of all her sisters?

gUESS THE FUCK AGAIN

Winter is the baby of the family so you can see why all three seasons were so. Hover-y after the Day of Darkness

She's also always been the most motherly out of all of them, weirdly enough! You'd think, you know, given being the embodiment of the coldest, most barren, HARDEST season, she'd be very cold herself, right? WRONG. Winter's always been very motherly.

Winter falling in love and getting married kind of shocked all of the Seasons AND Mother Nature? None of them had thought about any of the seasons "settling down" so this was a very brief moment of "oh, wait, that's a thing?" followed by "oh of COURSE that's a thing!"

After Winter got married and moved out, the other Seasons found/made their own places!

MN was sad to have the Garden empty but also, kinda enjoyed having the place to herself again, and found she quite liked when the kids or her son in law or her grandkids would pop in suddenly for visits!

Winter is the most chaotic out of her siblings. She mellowed with age, but it is still there. Brewing. She will do chaotic things if the need arises, and Blaise deffs does NOT discourage her unless it is not a workday

Summer joins in on the chaos. Spring activates it unintentionally and gets mad about it. Autumn diffuses the chaos.

Winter was lanky as a kid but filled out when she was older; is weirdly lanky and curvy at the same time. It is perplexing. Second shortest season clocking in at about 5"4.

Weirdly enough, she seems to have a penchant for growing evergreen trees. This confuses her quite a bit given that winter isn't really known for being a tree growing season, and yet!

She loves the sunrooms in her house because plants can bloom in it! One of the traits you pick up when your Mother is Mother Nature: appreciation for flowers and plants!!!

Her vibe check is always accurate. If someone is iffy, she knows

Knits!

And some fun facts about all the seasons:

Spring lives in a little cottage in a lovely meadow exploding with wildflowers on the edge of Quartz Forest, in the Western Province

Summer has a cliff side, beach side villa way up the hills in the Southern Province

Autumn has a nice chalet in the Eastern Province, surrounded by apple orchards and pumpkin patches and sunflowers and cornstalks and just on the edge of the Scar, aka, the Forsaken Forest, which got it's name bc Mother Gaia scorched the earth, cursing the land to never grow.

Autumn low key guards it

Spring, Summer, and Autumn's power domains overlap quite a bit; Autumn and Winter's overlap a tad as well.

They all kind of overlap given that seasons do overlap on occasion and they could all, in theory, become Mother Nature

When Blaise asked Winter to marry him, the other seasons worked together to make a beautiful ceremony THAT NIGHT since Blinter was so excited they committed crime just to get married right then and there

Spring planned a big wedding bash for them later in the year. Blinter was very relieved when they had to leave it ASAP bc baby #1 was upset about not being at the party and decided he was gonna come then and there ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Spring immediately attempted to plan a baby shower, despite Winter saying NO, and had to be tackled down and talked down by Summer and Autumn (in that order)

ANYWAY I hope these were some fun fun facts! If ever you want any deets or me to elaborate please don't hesitate to ask! (This goes for EVERYONE :D). I think the Season Sisters are some of my most underdeveloped characters, and asks like this really help me think about them and what they like, what they do, how they interact, etc :)

And of COURSE, as ALWAYS, ty for the ask Andie!!! I love and appreciate every one and will wallpaper a room with them if given a chance to do so 😍

[rhysdasior]

Roland’s waspish responses to be expected in a time of heightened emotional vulnerability and though the urge to respond to every jagged remark with an equally embittered response out of an instinctual passive aggressive need that Rhys could only thank his mother for inheriting and passing down the family tree, the witch kept his jaw clamped shut as he listened, going as far as consciously keeping his expression compassionate so as not to stumble any further into already rocky conversational territory. As Roland’s hand settled into place over his, Rhys felt himself relax by the slightest amount; a reciprocation of the gesture was always a good sign.

Listening closely as Roland divulged the messy details of a more strained siring bond, Rhys tried to empathise and sympathise with the plight presented as best he could. Of course, he couldn’t claim to understand the intensity and complexity of the relationship between a sire and their fledgling, nor could he claim to be thrilled about some hanger-on apparently now wanting to cling to Ro after having more decades on this earth than Rhys had been alive spent having, apparently, minimal contact. Rhys’ hold over Roland’s heart had tightened without him even realising and he loosened his grip on Roland’s shirt with a faint noise of embarrassed realisation at such a clear display of his emotions getting the better of him – the only godsend (and potentially the only time Rhys would consider it as such) was that Roland had been so entrenched in his recollection that he’d failed to notice a second of it. Or, at least, Rhys could hope such observations proved correct. Sharing wasn’t a concept the witch had ever been fond of; whether that was a byproduct of being an only child or the fact that for the first time in a long time, Rhys had found someone he was genuinely scared of losing, of becoming dull to– he was getting ahead of himself. Stay in the present, Dasior. 

The purposefully vague ‘other reasons’ were concerning by themselves and the nagging pull of Rhys’ clairvoyance was growing stronger by the second – he couldn’t pretend the news wasn’t concerning in its own right and the need to see the problem for himself so that he could begin to figure out a workable strategy for all involved felt almost overwhelming. Taking another breath to steady himself, Rhys let himself be pulled closer as Roland’s account came to an end, the defeated words and pleading stare that followed fully exposing just how much the entire ordeal had worn Roland down over time. “You know just as well as I do that sweeping things under the rug for the time being isn’t dealing with them, Ro,” stroking a soothing circle against Roland’s heart, Rhys’ expression softened as he considered his words carefully. “And as much as I’d love to suggest you hold the tw– Aneirin to his word and see how long he crumbles considering you both have eternity at your disposal, it’s probably not going to last as long as you think it will – grand declarations in heated moments usually don’t carry the weight they seem to. Also, he’s your fledgling. Histrionics run in the bloodline.” 

With a tense sigh, Rhys averted his gaze to focus his attention on the wall behind, pleased to be met with a vast expanse of nothing as opposed to the emotional agony still present in Roland’s eyes. As unfortunate as the Aneirin and Gwyn-related incidents had been, Rhys was struggling to tap into the full depths of his empathy – whether it could be blamed on the stressors of balancing two exceedingly demanding jobs, the lack of consistent sleep, the come down that refused to shift (and that he stubbornly refused to heal through any magical means) or whatever, Rhys couldn’t be sure, but what he did know was that it wasn’t making a discussion of this nature particularly easy to have. Returning his gaze to meet Roland’s, the witch gave him a small, reassuring smile and mentally willed his tone to sound as upbeat as he needed it to. “Probably for the best if we call it a night on the topic, though. Instead, why don’t you continue tidying the bedroom, maybe neaten up a few things around the kitchen, empty a bin or two? I’ll be done in here by then – then we can turn in for the night. Tomorrow’s a new day; we’ll deal with the finer details then. That work for you?”

Reassurance always seemed to work wonders on Roland. No matter how wounded, angry, or defensive when Rhys reassured him of how strong their bond was or that he'd lashed out unnecessarily, it almost always seemed to soothe Roland. Such was the case as Rhys promised that it hadn't changed anything between them and Roland finally felt like he could truly let it go. What a relief it was, too. It was unlike him to hold on to such a sickening feeling of guilt. The regret and self-loathing was practically foreign to him and he was only too eager to toss it away and go back to normal. He wondered, again, how Rhys somehow operated with that feeling on a daily basis. It was stifling. "I'm glad. Consider it forgotten, then. I'm happy to let it go." It did make him feel lighter, knowing and believing that it hadn't poisoned anything between them. It was a mistake and it wouldn't happen again.

If only the good feelings could've remained for the rest of the evening but that apparently wasn't to be. The Aneirin problem was distressing in a different way than his recent transgression with Gwyn. Roland recognized it was his fault, that he'd made a mess of things, and he desperately wanted to fix it but could still see no way around or through it. Aneirin demanded things he couldn't give, wanted him to bend the few boundaries he had around his relationship, and Roland didn't want to do that. More and more, however, he was wondering how much it would really harm him to just...let Aneirin adore him the way he seemed to want to even if Roland couldn't return it the same way. Rhys' callousness certainly hadn't helped, though the witch seemed to realise that almost as soon as Roland reacted to it given how quickly that apology came. "It was most certainly uncalled for." The vampire confirmed, rather more sharply than he'd spoken before, though it was very much in his nature to lash out when he was hurt and Rhys should've been familiar with it at this point. Rhys tried to comfort him suddenly and Roland was torn between letting him and pulling away more. Being called 'uppity' certainly didn't incline him towards the former.

"How fresh can it be when it happened weeks ago? This was before you left, just before, in fact." That certainly hadn't helped matters, that he'd argued with Aneirin, been seemingly cut off, and then had Rhys abandon him practically the next second. "Your name calling isn't helpful either." Roland's tone was peevish but he sighed when Rhys touched his shoulder, melted even further when the witch's hand pressed against his heart. It was second nature to put his own over it to hold and keep it there. "It wasn't, not in the least. Our contact has always been sporadic and I hoped that with us now in the same place it would be better. I've missed him. But....it became an argument, partly to do with you partly for...other reasons." Their history that had no closure. Perhaps he should've told Rhys that Aneirin still loved him but he feared how Rhys would react to that and he truly didn't want more strife between them, not when Rhys had just gotten back. Roland closed his eyes and leaned into the hand on his jaw even as he shook his head minutely at the advice. "He'll take too much time. I need to fix it somehow but I can't see a way through. He's already said he wants nothing more to do with me and whether that's really true or not he's stubborn enough to keep to it." He opened his eyes but kept his gaze downcast, though he did drift closer and wind his arm around Rhys again, the other still holding Rhys' hand to his chest.

Letting out a slow breath, he looked up and met Rhys' eyes again, something like a plea in them. "I don't want to discuss it anymore. I'm so very tired of pain, cheri, it's been constant for weeks. I just want to be happy that you're back, to enjoy our reunion. Can't we do that instead and leave all this for the time being?" There'd already been too many painful interruptions to what should've been their joyous reunion and Roland was sick of them. His heart had ached enough these past three weeks, he wanted it to be light again.

[ameliterature]

A new AnderPerry Analysis

I will never get over the fact that instead of the OG screenplay's version of Neil being overly sour when he and Todd were alone and Todd being overly self-pitying, that (romantically or platonically), the movie version didn't make them project their worst traits onto the other as much.

(btw I never read the book sorry)

The "No <3" scene's main argument could've easily went on about Neil getting pissed at Todd for telling him to ask his father, that he wasn't just letting him be. The IMPORTANT moment, was right after seeing Todd afraid of Neil, the latter had that LOOK of REGRET.

OG script (no mention of Neil's regret/expression)

Todd and Neil basically ignore each other and Neil's protectiveness of Todd at the end is minimized :(

Movie Version

Properly displaying their current character flaws:

Neil: Hidden/Obvious resentment towards his father affecting his mood

Todd: Todd's reluctance to speak out more (esp after being shut down)

Fear, anxiety, shame

Regret, shame, frustration

This version of Neil knows he sounded like his father, he knows what he said was something damaging to Todd's motivations, he knows he doesn't wanna be like his father.

This version of Neil has empathy, which is why during the flying desk set, RSL and Ethan made a better effort to write a new Friend-bonding moment to bond over their shared parental neglect; rather than the OG 5.98 line

OG Script: Todd being self-pitying, Neil not comforting him properly.

Movie: Neil actively shows his character and tries to cheer up Todd <3

Neil actually understands Todd's plight, and rather than brushing off Todd's experiences, he decides to provide Todd with the paternal friendship he wished he got in his moments of doubt.

That's why before I even shipped these two, my natural instinct WAS to think they were best friends. Platonic soulmates that needed each other to validate their doubts, albeit Neil was the one who acted upon it first.

That's why it hurt more that Neil took his own life, because you literally see way more progress and hope for Neil's character compared to the OG script's heavily complacent or resentful Neil Perry.

Maybe, in Tom Schulman's mind, the OG Neil was always planning to end things this way, but for the movie version of Neil Perry that Peter Weir and RSL made had more to lose, more pain, was more lost and trapped because even after finding something that visually makes him happy, it was taken away from him.

[Side Tangent]

In my own way, it was harder to also accept that THIS version of Neil would want to take his own life because you'd think with a better perspective in life, with a greater friendship he could have with Todd in the future, that he would opt not to end things this way... but that's the point :( You can never tell who's really in pain, people may appear cheerful and happy on the outside, but depression is the same pain for all those affected by it.

[Tangent over]

The importance, again, of the Neil and Todd of the movie? They were far better friends/partners in the movie because they were actively improving each other. Neil and Todd, platonic or romantic, needed to have met each other. They deserve each other. To either lift up, improve, find someone else to understand and worry about than themselves. To have a friend you really needed.

Bonus:

The Dock Practice Scene didn't have "God I love this" "What, me?" lines lmao Ethan and RSL just shoved that in there to be fruity /j /lh

See? Don't ever say all we do in this fandom is mindless shipping, I think about this movie constantly <3 The themes are *chef's kiss*

taglist:

@yellowwood-roads @iori-utahime

@poetrusicperry, @poetofthedyingstars , @time-plus-night @auxctor @tuskofthyme @sapphicnoel @theluminoussunflower @she-nuwanda @maisietheweltoncow @sweetnessbythesea @cupiiid @nik-knacks @justarandompjofan @emilythefern @inahallucination @iguanamuppet @nocturnalnewsiestrash @matthewmurdockgf @palinoic-poet @toddtakefive @gerardpitts @chloe-octavia @feathers-arts-52 @pelicanchaos @spaced-out-state @nothing-gonna-wake-me-now @finding-an-angle @flustered-flux @anderperryshit @noelliza @babo0shka @sweatytootheddeadpoet @quartz-forest @poets-achilles @moose-blogs @srj901 @samnyangie @boy-wonder-oncologist-fan @plagg-wants-cheese

[the-chicken-or-the-banana]

I always wondered how the foxes would react to finding out that it was andrew that "hit on" neil first (specially Kevin, since he was just standing right there while that happened)

(now, i don't think they would willing just talk about it but if one of them slip up...)

Btw: i absolutely adored the goodbye kisses series

AHHH sorry for being so MIA lately but i'm absolutely loving this! also i'm realizing that i'm very bad at actually getting to the point so enjoy a shit ton of irrelevant exposition :)

read it on ao3 here

— ··· —

Kevin didn't understand why they had to come to the zoo. It was smelly, there were kids screaming everywhere, and he'd nearly been stepped on three times in the past 10 minutes. He much rather preferred exy to this.

Team bonding sucked.

He trudged along beside Aaron as Dan, Matt, and Nicky actually tried socializing with the new Foxes. Normally, Kevin would jump at the chance to talk about exy with these recruits, but also, normally he didn't feel like he'd just just rolled through a flaming dumpster filled with screeching, pooping monkeys.

Kevin let out a sigh as they passed some sort of mildly interesting snake exhibit. He nudged Aaron, who was on his phone with a red face, which meant he was either texting lovey-dovey things to Katelyn or blasting an idiot in his Ochem class. You never really knew with him.

"Aaron."

Aaron just scowled at him. Kevin sighed again. Conversing was always so much more exhausting than he anticipated.

"Snakes."

"What."

"Do you want to... see the snakes?"

Aaron blinked in confusion. "Okay?"

Kevin led them to the snakes.

There, they shoved past some families and made it to the front of the glass enclosure.

"Well?" Aaron asked. "Now what do we do?"

Valid question, Kevin thought. He hadn't really considered what they were doing. He just wanted to see snakes.

He told Aaron as much, who rolled his eyes aggressively and went back to his phone.

Kevin felt a tap on his shoulder and twisted around, coming face-to-face (well, more like chest-to-face) with some sort of tour or information guide.

"Hi!" she smiled all too brightly. Kevin wanted to cover his eyes. "How are you enjoying the exhibition?"

"Um," Kevin gulped eloquently, then remembered his media training. "Oh yeah, it's great!"

"Awesome," she beamed. "You know, there's a snake feeding session in about 5 minutes if you and your son are interested."

Kevin's face contorted in confusion. He whirled around, assuming some tiny, lost child was latched near him, but when he turned back, the lady — Sandy — had her gaze intensely focused on the only other small person near him: Aaron.

Oh dear.

Aaron seemed to come to the same conclusion as Kevin did because his eyes widened comically and he hissed "I. am. not. his. son."

Sandy blinked owlishly. "Little brother then?"

Aaron threw his hands up. "I am 21! Leave me alone." He then proceeded to stomp out of the enclosure, dragging Kevin along and leaving a very flummoxed old lady behind them.

"I can't believe it," Aaron kept muttering. "Your son. Your son! I hate life."

Kevin was a bit miffed that he hadn't actually been able to see the snakes, but he figured Aaron's plight was slightly more significant than that.

After a few moments of silent walking (Kevin) and angry grumbing (Aaron), Kevin realized he couldn't see any of the Foxes anymore. He glanced around, instinctively searching for Andrew.

"Hey, do you know where Andrew and Neil went?" Kevin asked.

Aaron scoffed. "They're probably making out somewhere."

"Who's making out?"

Aaron and Kevin both gave unholy screeches as they turned around to find Nicky standing between them, a wide, innocent grin on his face.

"What the fuck," Aaron complained. "Don't do that again, you bitch."

Nicky waved him off. "Shut up. Who's making out? Might be able to close some bets."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "We just can't find Andrew and Neil anywhere. Aaron seems to believe they're off deflowering a zoo Port-A-Potty or something."

"Well then, we wouldn't want to interrupt them, right?" Nicky winked. "Anyways, we're all going to the butterfly exhibit right now so y'all have to join us. I'm not taking no for an answer."

It seemed that they had no choice, so after sharing a resigned glance, Kevin and Aaron trudged behind an overly enthusiastic Nicky while he babbled on about some parrots that he saw. It really didn't seem as interesting as Nicky was making it out to be, but Kevin didn't want to say anything lest he was expected to participate in the conversation too.

They finally reached the butterfly exhibit where the other Foxes were waiting for them. They entered as a mass of loud, mildy buff, smelly athletes and got more than a few glares from the parents of young children who moved out of the way.

But in all this movement, the path cleared and Kevin found... Andrew and Neil? He was about to turn to Aaron and tell him that they evidently not making out, until he noticed how still Andrew was standing and the glee on Neil's face.

Nicky's gaze caught onto them a second later, because he squealed and grabbed Kevin's arm, jabbing his finger at the sight.

"Oh my God," he whispered. "Is that a butterfly on Andrew's nose? That is adorable."

Kevin squinted, and yes, that's exactly what it appeared to be. Nicky's outburst had caught Allison's attention, and she began marching over to Neil and Andrew, the rest of the Foxes in tow.

Kevin could already tell this was going to be a mess.

When they finally reached Andrew, Aaron was the first to speak. "What the fuck?" he asked flatly. Andrew glared at him. Slowly, as to not move the butterfly, he raised his hand to gently flip off his brother.

Nicky immediately started cooing. "Aww, don't worry Andrew! I think you look adorable."

Andrew began slipping out a knife.

On Allison's left, Kevin saw Dan practically shaking with laughter as she pulled out her camera and snapped a picture.

Neil opened his mouth, probably to tell off Dan but Nicky rushed in to talk to him.

"Soooo," he waggled his eyebrows. "I didn't know you could see the future, Neil."

Neil stared at him blankly and turned back to Andrew as he pulled out a map, but Nicky rallied on.

"Like, you must have been able to predict that one day Andrew was going to be this adorable. That's why you asked him out, right?"

"What?" Neil asked distractedly. "I never asked him out."

Kevin blinked in surprise. After a moment's consideration, he realized that considering how utterly oblivious Neil could be, it really was no shocker that Andrew had to ask him out first.

"Wait wait wait," Matt shook his head. "So Andrew asked you out?"

Neil waved them off as he continued squinting at the map he was holding. "Yes yes, just go ask Kevin, he was there."

All eyes turned to Kevin. Kevin was very lost.

"What the fuck," Aaron repeated. "I'm so confused."

"Me too," Kevin muttered. "Me too."

— ··· —

After their long day at the zoo was over, the Foxes finally began the trudge back up to their respective dorms. The younger Foxes dozed off immediately, but the older Foxes gathered in the girls' room to drop off the bags they had borrowed for the trip.

In all the commotion, no one really noticed Andrew and Neil leaving together. But right before they slipped out the door, Renee caught sight of them.

"Good night, you two!" she called. Neil turned around and gave her a tired wave, his body slumped on Andrew.

"Wait!" Nicky scrambled off the sofa. "Before I forget: Neil, how did Andrew ask you out?"

Neil blinked sleepily. "Well," he slurred. "He asked if he could blow me."

The room went silent.

Andrew heaved a sigh and dragged Neil out the door, leaving seven wide-eyed, very much awake athletes in their wake. Slowly, everyone turned to Kevin.

"You!" Allison weakly jabbed a finger in his direction. "You knew about this!"

Too late, Kevin realized what Neil's statement meant. Andrew had asked out Neil in front of Kevin. By offering sex. Nothing could have possibly ruined Kevin's night as much as this information had.

He met the Foxes' eyes slowly. Even Renee looked a bit surprised at Neil's admission, but she was clearly biting back a smile. "Trust me," Kevin groaned. "If I had known this had happened, I would have won myself so many bets."

"Damn," Nicky sighed. "I wish Erik and I had such an iconic story. Who knew the quiet, stabby cousin was such a horny gay bastard?"

"I," Aaron announced hotly. "have never wanted to forget a conversation more than this one."

"But Aaron. Andrew asked to blow him."

"Nicky, I swear— "

"OH MY GOD. They're probably having sex right now! Kevin, could you— "

Aaron put his head in his hands. "Please shut up now."