#i know none of these are particularly rare colors but i love them all

[warlordfelwinter]

look at my dinos (aside from lucky bc the tumblr app only lets me add ten pictures)

[neofelis----nebulosa]

Saw a yellow-bellied sapsucker and a pileated woodpecker for the first time today

[candycandy00]

Love + Potion - A Yami x Reader Fanfic

You work at a bar Yami frequents and so you’re nearby when he decides to try a potion that turns him into a werewolf for 24 hours. It also happens to make him extremely horny. 

Smut. 18+. Fem Reader. Yami becomes a werewolf. Oral sex. Regular sex. Size kink.

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more and @drizztdohurtin.

“Another.”

You look up from the bar, where you’ve been wiping up spilled beer. A few seats down sits your favorite customer, Captain Yami of the Black Bulls. 

He comes to this tavern often, a few times a week unless he’s off on a particularly lengthy mission. When you began working here a year ago, you found him intimidating. He’s huge, he’s gruff, and his squad is rumored to include all sorts of ruffians and even criminals! But you quickly learned that Captain Yami is nothing like you expected. 

He’s never made trouble for you. He’s respectful even if his tone can be impolite. When he spills his drink, he actually cleans it up himself! He’s broken up several fights before they could damage the bar, and on the rare occasion he gets involved in a scuffle, he takes it outside to avoid causing problems. 

One night a drunk customer got irate and threw a glass at you. Yami caught it in midair before it could hit you. Another customer tried to get handsy with you, and Yami literally dragged the man out and tossed him on the street. Some nights, when he stays until closing time, he even walks you home.

You’ve never seen Yami dead drunk. Tipsy, yes. But actually drunk off his ass? Never. No matter how much he drinks. It must be a stamina thing, because it’s obvious that Yami has stamina for days. 

Sometimes you catch yourself wondering if he has that much stamina in the bedroom. 

Yami is an attractive man. It’s well known in the kingdom that several women have their eyes on him, but so far he seems oblivious to their interest. You know you have no shot with him if the powerful beauties around him haven’t been able to bag him. But still, it’s fun to entertain silly fantasies. 

Tonight, he’s laughing and enjoying himself as he talks with another patron, a potion maker who often boasts about the strange, magical concoctions he’s created. This time it’s a potion that turns a person into a werewolf for twenty-four hours. 

Yami doesn’t believe him. No one ever does. The man has bragged about lots of different potions but has never let anyone try them. 

“I’m telling you, it really works!” the man is saying. 

Yami claps him on the back as he takes another drink. “Sure, pal! Whatever you say!”

The man’s face reddens. “Fine! If you’re so sure it won’t work, why don’t you try it?”

Yami pauses, sitting down his drink and looking at the man. “You have it with you?”

The man nods, digging around in his leather bag and producing a clear glass bottle with an amber colored liquid inside. “Here it is! Drink it and apologize for doubting me!”

Yami picks up the bottle and examines the liquid. “You say it only lasts one day?”

“Yes! One full day! Then it wears off and you go back to normal.”

“What are the effects?” Yami asks, seeming more sober and focused now that he’s considering trying it. 

The potion maker straightens in his seat. “You’ll turn into a half man, half wolf. Your teeth with get sharper and your senses will be improved. You’ll probably crave some meat.”

“That doesn’t sound bad,” Yami says. Oh no. Is he actually going to try it? You think it’s a terrible idea, but it’s none of your business, so you keep quiet and listen. 

“Oh, and you might have the sudden desire to mate,” the man adds. 

You freeze, the rag going limp and still in your hand. Yami… wanting to mate? You glance over at him, curious about his reaction to that comment. 

“Will I still have control over myself?” he asks. “I’m not gonna hurt anyone, am I?”

The potion maker laughs. “Oh, of course! You’ll have complete control. It doesn’t affect your mind. Just your senses and instincts.”

Yami finishes off his drink then picks up the potion. He pulls out the wooden stopper and smells the liquid, then shrugs. “Bottom’s up.”

As you watch, Yami downs the amber liquid in one big gulp, then sits the empty bottle on the bar and wipes his mouth. “Tastes like shit,” he says, and starts to offer another comment before he suddenly groans and holds his stomach. 

You step closer. “Captain? Are you alright?”

He looks up at you and forces a grin, even though he appears to be in pain. “I’m fine. Just need… to go to the… restroom.”

Yami stands up and staggers toward the back. You’ve seen him hurry to the bathroom before, but not like this. He’s stumbling over chairs, crashing through the place like a literal bull. 

The door to the restroom slams shut, and the whole bar falls silent. Many of the other customers heard the conversation, and you see them whispering to those that seem confused. Before long, everyone in the bar is waiting to see the results of the potion. 

You hear Yami grunting and groaning from your spot behind the bar. Then he screams out in what sounds like pain. The scream morphs midway into an ear splitting howl, and a chill runs down your spine. What’s happened to your beloved customer?!

The door to the bathroom swings open, and Yami walks out. Under the lights of the bar, you can see the changes clearly. He’s a little taller, his hair a little longer, and there seems to be a thin coat of fine dark fur all over his exposed arms. His eyes are keener, taking on a blood red color with strangely shaped pupils. When he opens his mouth, you can see that his teeth are all razor sharp. 

A few people hoot and hollar, clapping and cheering. Yami grins at them. 

“How does it feel, Captain?” someone shouts. 

“It felt like hell for a minute there,” he says, and the crowd laughs. “But now? It feels pretty damn good!”

He makes his way back toward the bar, answering a few questions along the way and even letting a curious lady touch the fur of his arm. When he takes his usual seat, he looks at you and says, “Give me whatever you serve that has meat in it.”

“R-right away, Captain,” you say, flustered by the intensity of those red eyes. You serve him a pork roast sandwich, then watch as he devours it in seconds. 

“Are you really alright?” you ask him. 

His eyes shift to your face again, then slide down. He’s never looked at you this way before, not even once, but now his gaze seems to be lingering on your chest. 

“I’m good,” he says, eyes moving back to your face. 

The night wears on, with Yami drinking and ordering more meat dishes. He seems to be in good spirits, and even buys the potion maker a drink, an apology for doubting his work. 

The guests begin to thin out, and by midnight, only Yami and the potion maker remain. 

“It will wear off tomorrow, right?” Yami asks. 

The potion maker puffs out his chest. “Of course it will! My potions are perfect!”

With that, the man leaves, and Yami is the last person at the bar. Even the other employees have gone, leaving you to lock up the place. 

Yami glances at the clock on the wall. “About closing time, huh?”

You’re sweeping the floor, moving chairs as you go along. “As soon as I finish cleaning up,” you say. All night you’ve been feeling his eyes on you, seeming to track your every move. 

He leans over onto the bar. “I’m not lookin’ forward to going home. My squad’s gonna have a lot to say about this.”

You don’t look up from the floor. You’re afraid he’ll notice how flushed your face is. “Oh really?”

“I know a couple who are gonna freak out and call me reckless. At least one will want to fight me in this form. And a few will probably wanna pet me,” he adds with a laugh. 

Without thinking, you say, “Well your fur does look very soft, Captain.”

Oh no. Did you just say that? Out loud? You keep your back turned to him as you lower your head. 

“Wanna touch it?” 

You freeze at the sound of his voice. Slowly, your turn to look at him. Your eyes meet his, and they look… hungry. 

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” you ask, stepping closer. 

He holds out one arm toward you. “I’m sure.”

Hesitantly, you reach out and touch his arm, your fingertips brushing over the fur there. It feels like velvet, and soon your whole hand is rubbing his arm, from his shoulder to his wrist. You can feel the taut muscles beneath the silky fur, and you feel something within you tighten. 

“So?” he asks. “How is it?”

His eyes are locked on yours again. You swallow and say, “It’s as soft as it looks, Captain.”

“Yami. Call me Yami.”

Your hand is still on his arm. “Yami,” you repeat, feeling heat creep across your face. 

A moment passes between you, then you withdraw your hand. “If you really don’t want your squad to see you, just stay here tonight. There’s no bed but there’s a bench in the back.”

“You wouldn’t get in trouble, would you?” 

You smile. “I don’t think the owner would mind. It’d be like having the best security guard in the world for free.”

“Thanks,” he says. “I think I’ll do that.”

You take your time finishing up the cleaning, suddenly being in no hurry to leave. When you’re finally done, you walk back over to the bar. “The bench is in the back. I’ll show you before I leave.”

He looks at you, that same hunger in his eyes. “You’re not staying? I might get lonely.”

“Uh, well… I…”

He breaks eye contact and looks away. “Sorry. I don’t know what I’m sayin’. This damn potion is makin’ me act weird.”

“I don’t mind!” you blurt out, then instantly regret your honesty when he looks at you again. “I mean… I don’t mind staying here tonight and keeping you company,” you add, hoping he doesn’t pick up on your embarrassment. 

“Are you sure? You’re probably tired from workin’ all night.”

Ahh, his eyes are so intense right now. His voice is even deeper than usual. And you’re standing so close to him, you can feel his body heat. 

You can feel something else too. A growing wetness between your legs. 

“I’m positive,” you say. “How about another drink? Or another sandwich?” 

You start to step away, but his big hand catches your wrist. It’s a gentle grip, but it stops you in your tracks. He leans closer to you, and… sniffs? 

“You smell good,” he says. Then his eyes widen slightly, as if he’s just realizing something. He focuses on your face. “Are you…?” Then his eyes trail down your body, pausing below your waist. 

Wait, can he smell your arousal? When his eyes move back to yours, you know it’s true. The unfinished question lingers in the air between you, and his hand is still holding your wrist. You stare at him for a moment, mentally debating what you should do. You’ll probably never get another chance like this, to be alone with a horny Yami. How many women in the kingdom would give anything for an opportunity like this? 

So you decide to throw caution to the wind and go for it. You lean closer, locked in his gaze, and ever so slowly kiss his parted lips. He doesn’t pull away, which is a good sign. When you part from him, he says nothing at first, only lifts his cigarette to his mouth and takes a drag before putting it out in the nearby ashtray. After exhaling the smoke, he quickly pulls you closer and kisses you back. 

This kiss is different from the one you gave him. This is all heat and tongue and his free hand sliding into your hair. His fingers are tipped with sharp claws, but he’s being careful not to scratch you. 

You lean into him, your hands pawing at his thin white shirt, trying to drag it up. You’ve wanted to see him shirtless for as long as you’ve known him, and now you can’t get it off fast enough. 

He breaks the kiss long enough to slip the shirt over his head and drop it to the floor. His muscular chest is also coated in a thin layer of that velvety fur. It becomes thinner as it goes down his torso, becoming almost invisible by the time it hits his waist, save for a thicker, narrow patch trailing from his navel down to beneath his belt. Does it go all the way down? You can’t wait to find out. 

His hands move to the front of your dress, untying the laces of your simple corset. With it loosened, the fabric of the dress beneath it slips down, your breasts spilling out. Yami wastes no time squeezing one while his head dips down to take the other into his mouth, his lips sucking the tender nipple. 

You sigh in pleasure, one hand on his head, fingers raking through his hair. His touch is hot, burning with a desire you never thought you’d feel from him. One of his arms circles around your waist, holding you close, and you can smell a strong, woodsy musk. Yami’s scent. It’s intoxicating. 

He stands up from the stool and lifts you onto the bar so that you’re sitting on the edge, facing him, legs dangling. He pushes your dress up to your waist, then slides your modest white panties down, under your ass, and off your ankles. With them discarded, he parts your legs, and leans his face in. 

Yami devours your pussy the way he devoured the pork roast sandwiches, like he was starving, ravenous. His big, warm hands are on your thighs, holding them apart while his tongue laps at your dripping cunt. And when his lips wrap around your throbbing clit, you gasp and shudder, your hands flying to his shoulders to have something to grip. 

“Captain…” you moan out, then, in an even more breathless tone, “Y-Yami!”

It feels so good, you think you might simply dissolve into a pool of goo. He’s always seemed somewhat indifferent to women, so you assumed he wasn’t one of those playboys with tons of experience. But this is clearly not a man who has never pleasured a woman before. He’s too good at this, his tongue pressing into the exact spots that have your whole body jerking. 

When you cum, your thighs quivering in his grip, you find yourself squirting for the first time in your life. The intensity of the orgasm has you panting as Yami licks up every drop. 

You barely catch your breath before you notice Yami unbuckling his belt and opening his pants. You stare in anticipation as he pulls out a monstrously huge erection, leaking from the tip and seeming to twitch in his hand. You’re already drenched, slick with your fluids and Yami’s saliva, but taking his cock is going to be a challenge. 

Is it so big because he’s a werewolf now? Or is it always like this? Either way, you spread your legs even wider and lean back on your elbows, looking up at him expectantly. 

He grins at you. “Think you can take it?”

You smile back at him. “If not, I’ll surpass my limits,” you say, using the phrase he was famous for in the kingdom. 

He laughs heartily, then leans over you. “Ready?”

You nod, your heart racing with excitement. With his improved senses, he can probably hear it. He definitely hears your breath catching as he begins sliding his cock inside you. 

He goes slowly, carefully, giving your body time to stretch and accommodate him. You feel so full already and he’s only halfway in, but you weren’t kidding about surpassing your limits. You want him all the way inside you. 

Your legs wrap around him, pulling him closer, you slick pussy drawing him further in. God, he’s so big, so warm, you want to stay like this forever. He grunts as he finally bottoms out, his tip smushed against your cervix in a satisfying way. 

For a moment, he doesn’t move, as if he just wants to enjoy the feeling of being fully sheathed inside you, of your soft, slippery warmth wrapped around him. 

Then, he begins lightly thrusting into you, watching your face for your reaction. When you cry out in pleasure, reaching up and throwing your arms around his neck, his thrusts become deeper, harder. 

You can feel his fine fur rubbing against your bare chest, and it drives you wild. You bury your face in his neck, whimpering his name as he pounds into you, your body nearly lifting from the bar with each thrust. 

He’s breathing hard, a sheen of sweat on the parts of his skin not covered in fur, intensifying his scent. You want it to seep into your skin and mark you forever as his. His toned abdomen, with its trail of soft hair, is rubbing your body, creating the friction you crave, making your breaths come shuddering and rapid. 

With a loud cry, you climax again. Your entire body, from your arms to your legs to your silky pussy, clenches him tightly. He fucks you through it, his own muscles seeming to spasm as he suddenly groans and plunges in deep. He stays that way, absolutely buried inside you as he cums, shooting his entire hot load directly into your core. 

For several moments, the two of you remain tangled together. Then you slowly separate. He helps you down from the bar and you stand on shaky legs, not moving until you feel steady. 

Quietly, the two of you clean up, and you pour Yami another drink. 

“I hope I’m still welcome here tomorrow night,” he says, seeming just a little awkward as he lights another cigarette. 

“Of course you are!” you tell him. “You’re my favorite customer!”

He looks at you and smiles. “Oh? That’s funny. I come here all the time because you’re my favorite bartender!”

You laugh at that remark, thinking you’ll have to thank the potion maker the next time you see him. His werewolf potion may as well have been a love potion! 

[microwave-core]

If I asked you to give me some wedding Leon headcanons, would you? Pretty please 🥺

This is from July 4th I'm so sorry anon. Leon wedding headcanons be upon ye.

Jesus I wrote this in my drafts and hit save and it didn't immediately update and I just thought I lost it and would have to rewrite it

Alright, first things first. Leon wants a small, private wedding. More than half of his life has been spent in the spotlight. Privacy is a rare commodity for him, and he'll fight tooth and nail to keep the most important day of his life hidden from the public eye. It's about him and you, baby, not about the paparazzi or tabloids.

The guest list will be small, just family and friends. Probably in a small place in the countryside, away from the public's prying eyes. He's a farm boy at his core, reconnecting with his roots.

Despite his desire for privacy, it's only a matter of time before pictures get out. The public already knew about your engagement, and are incredibly disappointed that they won't be privy to, what they describe as, the wedding of the century. Thankfully for them, a certain social media addict is in attendance-

Yeah, Raihan ends up leaking photos from your wedding. It's not on purpose, prommy. It's expected, and as much as Leon wants his privacy for just one day, he loves Raihan too much to cut him from the invite list. Thankfully, the only photos that get out look good.

Honestly, Leon doesn't care that much about the décor. He knows his sense of style isn't... the best. He doesn't mind that fact, it's just how he is. He cares about getting married to you, that's all. He'll give his opinion when prompted, but he's more than happy to let you pick whatever you want. You could pick the gaudiest color scheme, the most abysmal floral arrangements, and the worst venue known to man, and he'd think it's perfect because it was all hand picked by you. Man is down bad.

Again, his only real input is having the ceremony at a small venue. Somewhere outdoors in the country side, or maybe in a barn. The specifics don't matter to him.

Raihan would definitely be his best man, followed by Sonia, his childhood bestie, and Charizard, because it's Leon what else do you expect. They hype him up, especially during the leadup to the actual ceremony. He won't admit it to you, but he was sweating bullets when waiting. He knows you love him dearly, but can't help but worry, you know?

In terms of attire, he dresses rather normally. Just a simple white suit, likely with a yellow tie. I saw someone headcanon yellow as his favorite color once, and it stuck with me. He even ditches his hat for the day, his hair instead braided elegantly.

You could literally wear a trash bag for your attire and he'd love you all the same. It doesn't matter how you're dressed-whether you wear a dress or suit, traditional or out there-he'll find you breathtaking all the same. He tries his best to hold back his tears when you walk down the aisle, only letting a few fall. He's so unbelievably lucky to have you.

The reception doesn't particularly matter to him, either. He does enjoy himself, being surrounded by the people that matter the most to him, around his loved one's without putting up a face for once. It's liberating for him, actually, but his eyes always find their way back to you, as if trying to sear your image into his mind.

Perhaps the best part of the whole event, aside from getting married to you, obviously, is the fact that none of his friends make fun of him for how hopelessly in love he is. On any other day, they would poke fun at him, teasing him gently for the warmth in his eyes and stupid grin that comes onto his face when he spots you, but his wedding day is different. He's more than allowed to think of nothing except for how much he absolutely positively adored you, on lookers be damned.

He's got two left feet when it comes to dancing. He's bad at it. Laughably so. And no amount of practice can truly fix that fact. He'll stumble, step on your toes a few times, forget the next steps more than once, but he can't be bothered to feel embarrassed about it. Slow dancing with you is a dream for him, makes it feel like there's no one else in the world but the pair of you. He might cry again, holding you in his arms, having officially tied the knot. Wipe away his tears with a gentle touch, and he might somehow fall for you even harder.

In general, Leon would pretty much let you do whatever you want for your wedding, both ceremony and reception. He doesn't care, tailor it to your preferences, it's already going to be the best day of his life, knowing you're happy with everything just makes everything so much better.

Your ring can be whatever you want it to be. Leon doesn't have a budget, no amount of money is too much for him, not when it comes to you. I imagine his ring would be pretty plain, a simple gold band. If he's still champion, he ends up taking it off fairly frequently, not wanting it to get dirty and smudged during battles. In his chairman era, it's on 24-7.

Make no mistake, though, he will let the public know how much he loves being your husband. If he had the choice, he would talk about you in every single interview, simply gushing with praise. No force on Earth could ever make him feel ashamed for loving you.

Similarly, the honeymoon can happen wherever you want. As long as he's with you, he's happy. He is restricted by time, however, he can't be gone for too long, unfortunately. You can stay in Galar, or go to any other region, to do any activity your pretty mind could dream of. (Although, if you asked him where he wanted to go, he'd probably say Alola.)

I can't promise he won't get into battles on the actual trip. I can actually almost guarantee that he will. He can't help it, battling is his passion in life. He does spend most of the time glued to your side, though, wanting to spend as much time with you as humanly possible before having to go back to the regular grind of life.

I do think Leon and Cynthia are a bit similar, hence why I think their weddings would be similar, with the shedding of tears at the altar and whatnot. That is to say, on your wedding night, you will be getting dicked down. Lovingly. Leon just wants to show you how much he loves you, and, after a long day surrounded by other's, professing his love directly to your face, the best way to do that is with his action. Specifically, action involving his dick-

[chirp-a-chirp]

Clavis Lelouch • Clavis x Emma • Tags: Fluff; Crack; Pranks; Mischief; Cat-puns • Word Count: ~1900 • Triggers: None • Brief appearances by Chevalier, Cyran, and Sariel

Title: Cat-astrophe

Description: It’s Clavis. Of course there’s chaos! This time, in feline form 😸

For @katriniac as a part of the Ikemen Prince Exchange hosted by @ikemenlibrary and @saeyoungs-sunflower 😊

Cat-inspired Clavis drawing (aka Catvis) done by @aide-falls

…

“This doesn’t look like a good idea.”

“You’re right, my dear. It’s a perfectly wicked one!” Clavis flicked a finger at the glass bottle he was holding. The bottle contained a light purple liquid that bubbled and fizzled like champagne. It appeared benign, even pleasant looking, until one looked directly above at the ceiling and the soot that covered it. Emma opened a window to let out the plumes of smoke that lingered.

“Most liquids don’t spontaneously burst into flames.” Emma coughed pointedly, moving her hands in a fanning motion to push the smoke outside.

“Unless Licht is cooking, haha!”

“Will you tell me what it is you’re trying to make at least?”

Clavis put down the bottle. “And where would the fun in that be?” He smirked, a look of utter delight on his face. “I DO have the antidote to this—well, most of it.” Clavis gestured to a second glass bottle with a light bluish tint to it. Emma’s eyes widened.

“Could it be that my lovely lover is worried for me?” Clavis tweaked Emma’s nose playfully. “It’s not as if this liquid will make me disappear or anything!” His eyes flashed, with a hint of challenge to them. “And even if it did, I’m sure you’d find me.”

…

The next day, Clavis was gone.

His disappearance had not been noticed until late morning, when a terrified palace butler was forced to wake up Chevalier instead of Clavis. None of the princes seemed particularly bothered at this development. As Emma made inquiries, their reactions were varied—relief from Yves (Licht and I can have a tea party uninterrupted!); mockery laced with pity from Nokto (you’re getting a day off from him; isn’t that a good thing?); and the equivalent of a princely shrug from Leon (I haven’t seen smoke since yesterday, so I’m sure he’s fine.). But, they all agreed on one thing—they hadn’t seen Clavis.

Emma entered Chevalier’s private library hoping he’d know what was going on. She placed a rare romance book from Jade on a side table near where Chevalier sat reading. There was an approving nod as elegant fingers picked up the book. He offered a rather unusual hint.

“My fool of a brother lost one of his nine lives today.”

Emma tilted her head. “Can you elaborate on that?”

“Do you have the next installment of this book?”

“It won’t be published until next month!”

“Then our conversation ends now, Simpleton.” The corner of Chevalier’s mouth lifted as he placed the book in his lap. As Emma left the room, she heard Chevalier say one more thing.

“He’s not complicated. He needs something from you, but cannot bring himself to admit it.”

Chevalier’s words echoed in Emma’s head as she headed toward Clavis’ bedroom. She took out a key from her dress pocket, heart lurching at the breach of privacy.

The room was virtually the same as it was when she was with Clavis yesterday. Emma knew he saw this place as a shrine to his failures, a testament to mediocrity. But, she saw much more—it was a place of studiousness, ingenuity, and childish delight. Books on law, pharmacology, science, and philosophy were neatly arranged on his bookshelf. One of the middle shelves held a cup with the phrase #1 worst emblazoned on it—a gag gift Emma had bought Clavis when they first became a couple. She grabbed a book at random and noted with a smile that the book was highlighted in numerous colors, with notes in the margins about various herbs that could be used for different smoke traps.

Emma placed the book back on the shelf and glanced at various pieces of paper attached to the wall above his writing desk. The papers contained lists with the number of traps discovered by other people. Various palace staff and princes had tick marks next to their names, each tick mark indicating a trap they had fallen into. Yves encompassed one entire sheet of paper by himself, and to Emma’s surprise, Chevalier had one mark next to his name. She’d have to ask Clavis about THAT story.

But Emma had to find him first. She sat at his desk chair, feeling lonely. She looked down at her hands—Clavis had held her hand so often in their adventures; she now felt empty without it.

I know you feel like you’re not enough Clavis. But you are. Where are you?

“Meow?”

Emma turned her head at the sound. A beautiful long-haired cat emerged from behind Clavis’ couch. Its paws, the tip of its tail, and its chest were light grey while the rest of its body was purple. The cat’s eyes were golden and sparkling with mischief.

“Are you lost little one?” The cat jumped in Emma’s lap, nesting between her thighs as if it thought it belonged there. “You’re not the only one who likes that spot. Though your touch is gentler.” Emma chuckled, scratching the cat behind its ears. She then noticed the cat wore a dark purple necktie that looked remarkably familiar. Embedded in the center of the necktie was a tag containing a name—Catvis.

Catvis leaped onto the desk, its tail bristling (Emma corrected herself…the cat was decidedly male). He pushed a drawer open with a paw and fished out a gold-chained necklace with his teeth. The necklace held two golden medallions—one reading “Catvis” and the other “Accomplice”. Emma swore she saw the cat smirk as he dropped the necklace in her lap.

A notion so absurd it bordered on ludicrous flitted into Emma’s head. She reached out her hand and patted the cat on his head. “Clavis, is that you?”

The cat practically pranced with joy. He head butted Emma’s hand, leaning into her touch, before jumping deftly onto her lap again, exposing his belly.

Emma shook her head in disbelief. “The things you do for attention are ridiculous Clavis.” The cat nipped Emma’s finger, causing her to pull her hand away. “Oh, excuse me. Do you prefer to be called Catvis while in this form?” Emma’s words were dripping in sarcasm, but the cat purred contently and licked the finger he bit.

Emma recalled the pharmacology book she glanced at earlier. “You were working on a polymorph potion, weren’t you?” Catvis beamed and extended his body so that he was standing on Emma’s lap, his front paws on her shoulders. He rubbed both sides of her cheeks affectionately.

“You really are ridiculous. Ridiculously amazing.” Catvis blinked, not expecting to hear that. “A polymorph potion has never been successfully made until now. A mere Chevalier would not—could not—think to do this.” Emma blushed at her words—expressing her honest feelings was easier with him in this form.

Catvis nuzzled against Emma’s face. He craved this attention, this affirmation. Needed it. Emma’s heart trembled at the realization. She held him in that standing pose in her lap for a while, letting her guard down. After a while, her eyes drifted to the bottle of blue liquid Clavis mentioned yesterday on a table. “We have to change you back eventually, you know. What ingredient is missing from your antidote?”

Catvis jumped back on the desk, finding a pen and fitting it into his mouth. With his head at an incredibly awkward angle, he wrote out two words on a piece of paper: Black rawhide.

“Wow, I can READ this!” Apparently, Clavis’ eighth wonder was legible handwriting without opposable thumbs. “There’s no rawhide here, so we’ll have to look for it. Come here, let me carry you as we search for some.”

Catvis went back to Emma’s lap, his head pushing the necklace into her hand. “I am NOT wearing a cat collar.” Catvis pouted. Emma felt a pang of guilt at his expression. “Well, maybe just this ONCE.”

A few moments later, Emma came out of the bedroom, with Catvis perched on her shoulders. As Emma walked down the palace stairs, she spied a familiar plume of fiery red hair.

“My Lady!” Cyran ran to Emma. “What news of our missing charge?”

“You’re not going to believe this.”

“Try me. Nothing about him surprises me anyone.”

“You MAY want to reconsider that statement.” Emma turned her shoulder and gestured to Catvis.

“I didn’t know you owned a cat.” Cyran sniffed loudly.

“WE own a cat. A very naughty one at that.” Emma smirked and bopped Catvis on his nose.

AAAAAAA-CHO!

“I’m highly allergic to cats. Especially naughty ones.” Cyran’s eyes watered. “So, no, I do NOT own a cat.”

Emma gestured to the “Catvis” button on her feline companion. “Actually, we do. Clavis created a polymorph potion and here are the results of THAT.” Catvis grinned broadly—it was a grin Cyran knew all too well.

Catvis’ ears twitched at a sound down a nearby hallway. He jumped off of Emma’s shoulders and sprinted away.

“Catvis, wait!” Emma began running after him, but Cyran erupted into a violent coughing fit, one so strong it made his cheeks blaze as red as his hair. A maid was tasked with fetching him a glass of water as Emma slapped his back.

“I-I’m fine!” Cyran collected his breath. “Were you serious when you said that cat was—“ A shriek from the maid carrying Cyran’s water interrupted the conversation. A furry purple and grey blur darted past her. Catvis ran up the stairs, carrying a black rawhide whip in his mouth. The whip crackled in the air as Catvis flew past Emma and Cyran. Sariel came bounding from the hallway, violet eyes narrowed with rage. “It is enough to have one Hellcat among us. I did not think we had a second living in the palace.”

Emma looked apologetically at Cyran, her hand pointing at Sariel. “Cyran, can you handle this?”

“I…do not get paid enough for these shenanigans, My Lady.” AAAAAAA-CHO!

“At least you get paid.”

…

With a piece of Sariel’s whip, the antidote was now complete and consumed by Catvis (he lapped the potion from Emma’s #1 worst cup). The antidote would take a few hours to be effective, so Emma laid down on Clavis’ couch, a blanket covering her legs and Catvis perched in his proper spot—between Emma’s thighs.

Emma couldn’t remember falling asleep, but she must have done so, for she woke up to the pre-dawn hours to a heavier weight on her body and something touching her face. Emma’s eyes slowly opened as she felt an arm—a human arm!—encircle her waist, and roaming hands caressing over her clothes.

“Ah, you’re awake my lovely lover. How wonderful.” Alluring golden eyes shone brightly in the darkened room as Clavis’ lips traced a trail down Emma’s neck.

“Hmmm,” Emma’s fingers carded through Clavis’ hair.

“Are you so delighted you’re at a loss for words? Cat got your tongue?” There was a purr to his voice as Clavis leaned forward and presented a cheek to be kissed.

A cheek was not enough. Emma pulled Clavis down for a kiss, her lips capturing his. “You’re an absolute cat-astrophe, darling.” As she pulled away, Emma’s quiet laughter tickled Clavis’ ear.

“But you’re my cat-astrophe. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

[flyiingsly]

Dress

Square : Cody

Pairing : Cody x f!jedi!reader

Warnings : None, drinking champagne and being a bit drunk, Padme and Anakin are terrible at hiding their relationship, idiots in love, fluff

Wordcount : 5.6 k

Summary : You are send on a very special undercover mission to ensure Senator Amidala’s protection. It was unexpected, but at last it gives you opportunity to spend some time alone with your favorite Commander afterward.

A/N : My thirteen submission for the @clonexreaderbingo ! Oh well, this one turned out to be longer than expected, I got a bit carried away I guess ! Not gonna lie, I had this prompt on my mind for a long time now, and it was the perfect occasion to bring it to life 😄 (Also, I was greatly inspired by Dress by Taylor Swift for this one, because the first time I heard this song, I immediately went "OMG ITS FITTING THAT PROMPT SO PERFECTLY AND THE VIBE IS INSANE 😭😭" so yeah, I listened to it a lot while writing this ahah) Enjoy ❤

Disclaimer : I'm still struggling to understand English grammar properly, English is not my native language and even if I have proofread my writtings several times, there is probably still typos in it. I'm very self conscious about it and I apologize for it in advance, but I'm doing my best to do better and I'm actively working at improving my writting skills !

So if you spot a typo, feel free to point it to me so I can correct it, it will be much appreciated :)

Today was a very special day for Senator Amidala. An important treaty has just been signed with a previously neutral little planet from the Outer Realm in order for it to join the Republic, thanks to her. She personally negotiated it with the head of their government, a close friend of her from when she was Queen.

As a tradition to celebrate the friendship between the two nations as well as the signature of the treaty, a special gala was organized on Coruscant that night, in one of the reception halls of the Senate. Numerous Senators were invited alongside the Chancelor himself as well as the planet’s delegation members and their families.

Unfortunately, the Trade Federation wasn’t really pleased to hear about it. Such a decision meant that the opportunity for them of taking advantage of and privatizing the planet’s rare resources was now ruined, and all on the fact that said planet had very close bonds with Naboo. So now both the Senate and the Jedi Council were concerned about the Federation sending some bounty hunter to attempt at Padme’s life as a revenge.

You, too, were particularly worried about the security of your dear friend during this event. But despite the understanding between the Republic and its new ally, its people still weren’t very fond of the Jedis nor the Clones. They agreed to trade their resources and to follow new laws, but not to engage in the war. So its representatives especially asked that no armed forces showed up at the party, and they made it a serious business.

That’s why you had to found some less conventional solutions to ensure her safety.

***

“Ho, wow ! This one looks perfect on you !” Padme lets out enthusiastically as soon as you get out of her suite’s bathroom, wearing a long, close-fitting, flowy burgundy dress with a square neck and long puffy transparent sleeves.

“Are you sure ?” you hesitantly ask.

“Of course !” she excitedly answers, “Every dresses that you tried suited you, you know, but this one, it really accentuates your figure, you’re stunning in it ! Plus, the color matches with mine, I think it will add credibility to your cover !”

You walked to the big mirror hanging on the wall of the room and paused in front of it. You stayed still for a moment, before turning around several times, running your hand across the heavy fabric, examining the unusual attire from every angles.

“Yeah, I think you’re right, it’s beautiful … Ok, I choose this one then !” you quickly conclude, smiling cheerfully.

The idea came from Anakin. In his opinion, the best possible person to protect the Senator can only be a jedi. He was very frustrated about the fact that this person, in this situation, couldn’t be him, for his face was already known as part of the Order by the planet’s delegation, and his presence would only create a huge diplomatic incident.

That’s when he suggested sending a jedi that the representatives had never met before, a woman preferably, and pretending that she was one of the Senator’s favorite handmaidens. It was public knowledge that Padme was very close to her companions, and often brought some of them at events along with her, so it was the perfect excuse.

Ahsoka was too recognizable to, and as you were close friend with Padme and a complete stranger to the guests, you ended up being the chosen one, much to the Nabooian’s joy.  

You were nearly the same height and size as her, so she happily offered you to borrow one of her many dresses. You weren’t used to that kind of fancy and expensive outfits, for you were rarely letting go of your conventional jedi robes. It was a unique experience for you. You were nervous as ever, a bit uncomfortable, but excited at the same time. Each piece of Padme’s wardrobe was a work of art, and being given the opportunity to wear one of them was a huge privilege.

She was really supportive with you, trying her best to make you feel beautiful and comfortable. You both knew it was supposed to be a protection mission as well as a diplomatic event, but at the same time, you both internally knew that it was the perfect excuse to spend some good times together.

Once the trying on was done, you still had a couple hours to wait before the beginning of the party. Padme had a few meetings to attempts with others senators until then. You didn’t had anything much to do, so after dressing yourself back into your usual clothes, you decided to go visit General Kenobi and Commander Cody, who you knew were just back from their last mission.

You didn’t get the time to see them yet since they returned, but you heard from Anakin that the mission had been a success, and that only a few and minor injuries were reported. It was a really reassuring news, for you were spending most of your time with Obi Wan’s battalion, and just like him, you grew very fond of these men. Especially Cody. You couldn’t help but worry about them when they had to go on a mission without you, like for this one.

When you entered the aircraft hangar, you soon met a few troopers who greeted you warmly and told you that their superiors were in the commanding room debriefing the mission. When you entered it, Obi Wan was the first to notice you, smiling at you instantly.

“Hello there (Y/N) ! I knew that you were going to find us soon !”

Cody rose his head from the table to look at you, and his face seemed to suddenly enlighten when he saw you.

“Hey” he gently addresses you with a soft smile.

“Hey ! I’m so glad to see you ! It seems like an eternity since the last time you’ve been here … I heard that the mission was a success, congratulations ! I hope you’re planning on celebrating that !”

The cheerful remark made the two men chuckle.

“The news is fast to spread as I see !” the jedi amusingly replies, knowing perfectly well from where you got the information.

“Yeah, of course we’re gonna celebrate ! We have at least three days off until the last departure, and our men really deserve to take a break and relax.” The Commander was looking at you in the eyes, and his voice was reflecting his relief to be back from that mission safe and sound. And most of all, he was glad to finally be reunited with you.

“But first,” he adds in a more bored tone, “for the two of us, there’s plenty of paper work to do, that report is gonna be a long one, and I don’t know when we’re gonna finish it …”

“Actually, not today Commander.” Obi Wan suddenly interrupts him, starring at him with an insistent and meaningful look.

“Ah, yes, obviously ! I nearly forgot about that !”

They soon noticed your confused expression, to which the jedi answered with a grin.

“We heard that a party was hosted at the Senate tonight, and we also heard that you were taking part of it, for a professional purpose, of course.”

Your raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, the news is really fast spreading, indeed” you mumble, knowing perfectly from where it was coming from as well.

“Oh, you noticed that too ?” he sarcastically lets out before pursuing, ”It’s gonna be a really big event, and since most of the Senators will be gathered here in the same place, the Chancellor asked a part of the 501st to support the Senate’s guards. I’ll be there too. We’re not allowed to enter the ballroom where the party will be hosted nor the main access corridor, but we’ll be all around the building and the senator’s quarters to ensure that no unexpected visitor could break inside. We will watch over the senators and escort them to the main hall, but not after that point. We’re gonna need to be discreet to not bother our guests.”

“I’ve always wondered why they are so uneasy around jedis and clones …” you whisper to yourself.

“Cody and Anakin will escort you and Padme from her quarters to the main hall.” he adds, “You’ll wear an earpiece in case you’ll need to contact them, they’ll stay near in case of something happen or you’ll need help. The Chancellor still gave us the permission to step in if something go wrong.”

“Great then, we have nothing to worry about with these two courageous men by our side !” you say, looking at Cody with a teasing smile.

His eyes widened and he blushed slightly, looking away quickly from you as a little nervous laugh escaped his mouth.

Then, you got closer from Obi Wan, and mutter in his ear quietly enough for Cody not to hear.

“Let me guess, Anakin volunteered for that, didn’t he ?”

Of course, he did, you knew him well enough to know that, and you knew about him and Padme for a long time now.

In fact, Obi-Wan and Rex knew too, probably half of the Jedi Order had noticed it, and you were pretty sure that a lot more people were suspecting something. You couldn’t blame them, they were two of your best friends, and the last thing you wanted was to cause them trouble. You knew the Jedi Code like the back of your hand, but after all, they weren’t doing anything bad, and they seemed happy together, and that was the only thing that really mattered to you. Plus, you knew way too well that not getting attached was a hard thing to do.

“Well”, he mutters back, “they both volunteered.”

It was your turn to widen your eyes. You briefly glanced at Cody, who didn’t seem to understand what it was all about.

“Ho really …” you muffle, looking back at a mocking jedi who apparently found your surprised expression very funny, “that’s great” you add, trying not to look too flustered.

Yes, not getting attached was very hard, even for a jedi. Obi-Wan had learned it the hard way in the past, and he couldn’t help but unconsciously notice the little signs of growing attachment in anybody he was close too by now. The little exchanged glances and smiles, the little attentions, the complicity … He could sense the worries and the fondness for one another, the bonds getting stronger. He witnessed friendships turning to love many times. He was very good at feeling that kind of things.

So of course, he knew for a long time that something was eventually going to happen between Cody and you.

“Well, I have to go, I need to meet the council, they want to see me before tonight.” He turns toward the officer, ”Commander, I’ll join you in your office later, we’ll still have time to at least start that report before your special mission !”, then he looks at you with a teasing smile, “(y/n), I’ll see you tonight, I can’t wait to see you in civilian clothes !”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be a real special occasion for sure !” you laugh, ”See you later !”

He greeted you with a nod before escaping the room, leaving you and Cody alone.

The clone quickly turned toward you with a questioning look, getting closer in an instant.

“What exactly did you whispered to him before ?” he asks with curiosity.

“Ho, nothing, just jedi’s things …”

“Yeah, jedi’s things, of course …” he repeats suspiciously, not buying it.

“Hey,” you let out after a moment, in a more serious yet soft tone, ”how are you ? That mission was a long one, you must be exhausted …”

“It was long, indeed”, he sighs, “but I’ll be fine. As long as my men are safe, everything will be fine now.”

“Are you sure it’s gonna be okay for tonight ? I mean, it’s gonna end very late, and waiting here for hours will be exhausting too … You can still ask to stay in your quarters, you know. The 501st and the Coruscant Guards will be here, and I’m sure that Obi Wan will understand, he could replace you … Maybe you should take some rest, you deserve it too.”  

Although you now knew that he volunteered, you were still worried about him. He looked tired, and you didn’t want to make it worse.

“It’s gonna be okay, don’t worry. As the General said, we have a couple of days off to rest, and nothing except some paper work to do tomorrow. I’ll be able to sleep for the entire morning, and even for the next one if I want !”, he tries to reassure you, “Plus, I don’t want to miss out the opportunity of witnessing your theatrical skills at playing the senator’s handmaid !” he adds with a mischievous grin.

“Stop making fun of me, I didn’t ask for any of that, and I’m sure that your “theatrical skills” are no better than mine anyway ...” you grumble, rolling your eyes and feigning annoyance.

“You’re right”, he chuckles, “I’ll be completely frightened if I were you, but I know that you’re gonna make it, and I’m sure that you’re gonna look great wearing something else than those robes ...” his grin has turned into a fond smile as he was speaking, and the feeling of his gaze settled on you made your heart beat faster.

“Well, thanks, I hope so …” you briefly answer, praying for your cheeks not to start blushing too much.

When you left the commanding room soon after, your chest was pondering with a mix of nervousness and excitation. You couldn’t help but replay his words about your evening’s outfit over and over again in your head. You were impatient for him to see you in that dress, but at the same time, it was making you very anxious and self-conscious. What if you weren’t that good looking you thought ? And what if he’ll find it disappointing ?

As you were trying to get rid of those poisoning thoughts, you didn’t notice the long and desirous look that Cody was sending your way as you passed the door. Whatever you were going to wear this evening, he knew that you will be beautiful anyway.

***

There were now just a couple minutes left until the moment you were supposed to attempt to the party. Padme and you were finishing to prepare yourselves, adjusting your clothes, styling your hair and applying some makeup on. You had never been one for the makeup before. Although the eccentric dresses had always intrigued you, makeup wasn’t that appealing to you. But Padme did a great job at corrupting you into at least wearing some mascara and lipstick, to accentuate your “beautiful lips and expressive eyes” as she said, and you absolutely bought it, allowing her to apply those on you herself.

You were looking at you in the mirror, fully dressed up and ready to go, when a knock ringed against the door. You jumped in surprise and felt your heart starting to race, thinking about what was waiting for you on the other side. About who, more precisely.

“Come in !” Padme’s joyful voice answers the knock, causing the door to immediately half open, revealing a smiling Anakin.

“Are you ready, Senator ?” he asks, trying to sound as formal as possible, but still wearing a smitten look on his face at the sight of his beloved.

“Yes, we’re ready ! Just a minute, please !” The door closed again as she came toward you, gently settling her hands on your shoulders, squeezing them slightly in a reassuring gesture.

“There’s no need to be nervous, you’re beautiful ! I know you’re supposed to be on a mission, but you still have the right to enjoy the night, you know.” Her smile was so warm and kind that it instantly made you feel better.

“Thank you, Padme, I’ll try !” you chuckle.

“Great then, if you don’t mind following me ...” she offered you her arm with a wink, and you took it without hesitation.

“Ready ?” she asks, a hand on the doorknob.

“Ready !” you let out enthusiastically, taking a deep breath.

The door opened in a muffled swoosh, showing a couple of blue armored clones forming a guard of honor on both side of the corridor. Your eyes widened at the view, and you looked around you in surprise. You weren’t expecting that much attention. In addition of the troopers were, on the right, near you, Obi-Wan and Rex, and on your left, near Padme, Anakin and Cody.

Your eyes instinctively went in search for each other’s, and when they met, everything and everyone that was around you seemed to disappear. It was so intense that you could nearly feel his look piercing thought your skin, for he was devouring you with his gaze right now, completely mesmerized by your gorgeousness.

Obi-Wan’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts when he called your name, and you barely catched it up on time to answer him without looking too distracted.

“ … right, (y/n) ?”

“Yes, of course !” you nod, without even minding what he was talking about, breaking the eyes contact with his Commander.

“Great then, everything is on point, let’s escort you to that party, Senator !”

He opened the way, leading the group toward the main hall. You threw a last look at Cody, that he returned with a soft and encouraging smile, before putting his helmet back on, just in time to cover the heavy blush that was starting to appear on cheeks.

You went down the corridor in a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere, and even if you were all trying to keep it as professional as possible, you still caught a few fond looks between Padme and Anakin, not knowing that, carefully hidden under his bucket, Cody was sending you the exact kind of enamored glances.

“That’s where we leave you.” Obi Wan says when you reached the entrance of the hall. “You’re in charge now, (y/n)”, he told you, looking at you right in the eyes, ”you know what to do if anything happen.”

“Of course I do, General Kenobi !” you mockingly exclaim, causing him to roll his eyes.

“I should have asked Padme to keep an eye in you instead of the contrary.” he teases. You only answered was a tongue out, which made everyone around you cackle. It had always been that way between the two of you, teasing and affectionately bothering each other.

Cody internally flinched at your bold gesture, wondering what it would be like to taste your lips, if only he could try right now ... But he couldn’t, so he just bites his own instead, trying to brush off all the unholy thoughts suddenly taking over his mind.

As you headed toward the entrance of the ball room, both you and him were thinking about the same thing : the moment when the event will finally be over and when you could see each other again.

***

The party was amazing, it was like entering a whole new world, and you were doing your best to act as natural as possible with the other guests. Even if socializing never really was your thing, you still managed to have lots of very interesting conversations with very interesting people during the evening.

But the most important thing to you was that nothing appeared to be threatening Padme’s safety. And by the end of the night, when everyone was starting to go back to their quarters, you were among the last ones to still be here.

As you and the Nabooian crossed the main hall again to head toward the corridor leading to her room, you soon caught a glimpse of a jedi’s robe and a clone’s armor waiting for you just around the corner.

“Hello there !”, you greet them enthusiastically, “Where are the other ?”

“Rex is out there securing the main entrance of the building, and Obi Wan is watching over the senator’s quarters aisle.” Anakin replies you, “So there’s just the two of us left to escort you now, if you don’t mind !” he adds with a grin.

“Haha, no, I think that will do !”

“So, how was the party ?”

“Well, it was great, nothing strange or suspicious to report, anything happened just as it was supposed to, except that I am a bit thirsty now.” You joke, looking teasingly at Padme, who was a little tipsy from the several glasses she had, while you had to stay sober to keep your reflexes and senses fully functioning.

“Oh, it’s not that late in the night ! You could still try that champagne, there’s plenty left in the Senate’s kitchen, the Chancellor always orders too much drinks for that kind of events, and I’m pretty sure that nobody will notice if a bottle or two goes missing !” she giggles.

“Ho really ? Sounds interesting !” you mischievously commented.

“Sounds like you’re trying to encourage a jedi into stealing from the Republic, Senator.” Anakin lets out with an amused smile.

“Me ? Really ? How dare you ? You know that I’m absolutely incorruptible !” you took a falsely offended expression, giving him the most outraged look that you could possibly do.

“Well, Senator, I think it’s time for me to take you back to your room, don’t you think ?” he then declared, still chuckling from your remark, looking at her with a not so subtle meaningful look.

“Yes, I think you’re right, Ani, I’m starting to feel a bit exhausted to be honest.”

“Commander”, the jedi turns to face Cody, “I let you escort (y/n) to the Temple.”

“Yes sir !” the clone answers, trying not to let his still visible happiness show too much.

As Anakin offered his arm to Padme, he looked at you with a smirk “And please, make sure that she’s not gonna rob the senate’s kitchen on the way !”

You gasped, looking even more insulted “How dare you, again ! What a shame !” you placed your hand on your heart to emphasize your shock, as if his words had awfully hurt you.

They both laughed at your imitation, before wishing you a good night and disappearing behind one of the corridor’s walls.

You smiled as you watch them walk away. They were cute as hell together, you thought.

“So, what do you want to do now ?” a voice pulled you out of your thoughts, “I bet you don’t really want to go back to the Temple already, don’t you ?”

He was right, you weren’t tired, and you still wanted to enjoy what was left of the evening.

“You may be right …” you look at him right in the eyes, grinning, “To be honest, I’ll gladly try that Champagne, don’t you ?”

***

“That city is definitely more beautiful at night …” you sigh, before taking a mouthful from your glass, eyes lost in the field of artificial light spreading in front of you.

After sneaking into the Senate’s kitchen to borrow a bottle, you both agreed to climb to the building’s roof to savor it. It was your idea, for you knew it was the only place where nobody was going to bother you, and the view was spectacular from here.

“I’ve never liked big cities”, you go on, “I’ve always had a hard time dealing with crowds … It’s kind of impressive, right ? Being in the middle of so many people, it’s nearly frightening … I get overwhelmed pretty quickly when I’m surrounded by so many moving bodies …”

“But you appear to be one of the best generals of the GAR at the same time, how surprising … You have to deal with thousands of men on stressful situations, and you’re doing absolutely great, who could imagine that crowds could make you so anxious ?” Cody jokes, looking at you with a playful smirk on his lips.

“Are you making fun of me, Marshal Commander ?” you reply, raising an eyebrow at him, trying to sound as serious as you could.

“Me ? I could never !”

“You di’kut …” you spit, bringing your glass to your lips and turning your attention to the city again.

He started to laugh at your harsh word. He knew it was affectionate.

He took a sip too, eyes still locked on your face. You looked beautiful as ever, just as he expected. He had always found you beautiful, even in a full set of armor, with exhausted features and blood and mud on your face after a battle, even in your large and not suggestive jedi robes, you were always beautiful to him. Whatever situation you appear to be in, you were always the most mesmerizing being he had ever seen.

The alcohol had started to strike at you and you were both feeling dizzy by now. You liked that sensation, it was blissful, and the context made it even more pleasing. It was just the two of you, finally sharing some time alone together with a bottle of one of the best champagnes in the galaxy. What could possibly go wrong ?

A blush passed on his cheeks as he thought about how all of this could end if he was courageous enough to make the first move. But he quickly shook his head, pushing the idea away. He may have been brave enough to lead an army, but that kind of things was beyond his abilities. Plus, the possibility that his feelings could not be mutuals was scaring him.

“You okay ?” you ask after noticing his flinch.

“Yes !”, he answers with all the composure he could gather, “Of course I am, I couldn’t have whish for a more perfect way to end that night !”

You looked at him with a sympathetic smile on your face. He sounded nervous, and you noticed that something seemed off with him since you were on that roof, but you put the blame on the alcohol and his tiredness.

“Well, you’re right, and the best thing about it is that the night is far from being over.” You whisper, making him blush even more.

A silence fell upon you as you both stared at the wall of buildings in front of you. The night wasn’t usually that dark due to the various street and traffic lights, but the Senate’s roof was high enough to be above the light pollution that was blurring the sky. It was bright enough so you could see each other, but still very dimmed, creating an intimate atmosphere around you.

As you were both pouring yourselves another glass, while cheerfully relating to each other your silliest and funniest mission’s stories, Cody couldn’t stop to think about what you had just said right before, not sure about the implied meaning of it.

Was that an invitation ? An encouragement to make his first move ? Or just a meaningless remark stating the fact that it wasn’t, indeed, that late in the night ?

When another silence grew between you, his heart started to race in his chest. He couldn’t take it anymore, and with a little help from the disinhibition caused by the alcohol, a sudden rush of courage hit him. “Kriff it” he thought, for it probably was his only opportunity to try something without being disturbed by anyone else.

Ignoring his apprehensiveness, he slowly stretched his arm toward your hand, that was settled on the floor and on which you were leaned on, your other hand being busy with your glass. He did his best to stay furtive, only throwing little side glances your way without turning his head. And even though you felt that something was about to happen, you kept your eyes locked on the horizon, your own heart slowly starting to beat faster in anticipation.

He hesitated for a second, trying to keep his ragged breathing and trembling limbs as steady as possible, before finally crossing the remaining gap. It was only a slight brush at first at the tip of one of your fingers, and it was still possible to go back, still possible to pretext a clumsy movement if you ever came to ask him about it.

You had fully noticed the contact, but you couldn’t move, completely frozen on spot, waiting for what could happen next, desperately hoping for it to not be a bad move.

Another brush met your skin, but this time, his fingers stayed on yours. Now he knew he couldn’t turn back anymore, and with a strike of confidence, he started to gently caress the back of your hand.

Your eyes were still lost on the city, but they couldn’t see anything anymore, for you were deeply focused on the sensation, overwhelmed by the feeling of his touch.

Still without saying a word, he slowly took your hand in his, squeezing it softly. You carefully squeeze it back and time seemed to instantly stop. Nothing else but the warmth of his hand on yours mattered to you anymore in that instant.

It took you a few moments and a deep breath to overcome your shyness and find the courage to look at him. When you met his eyes, they were glowing, and you suddenly felt like if he was staring at your very soul.

You were only a couple inches away from each other, and without a warning, he leaned toward you, closing that space to gently place his lips on yours. Your eyes widen in surprise before closing as you answered the kiss.

All you could do when your lips parted was to look at him in awe, stunned and a bit lost, not really sure if what had just happened was real. You both stayed quiet for a while, unable to move at first, awkwardness and embarrassment plastered on his blushing face as he was suddenly realizing what he had just done.

Without taking your eyes off of him and without really thinking about it, you slowly settled your glass on the ground to free your other hand and wrapped your arm around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss.

You felt a relieved sigh escaping from him as he instinctively slid his arm around your waist, pulling your body closer to his. It was more intense this time, and you both made it last longer than the first one, savoring every second of it like if you were afraid that it could never happen again.

He only broke it when he came out of breath, panting and the beating of his heart ringing through his ears. Then he rested his forehead against your, looking at you with sparks in his eyes like if he was looking at the most precious thing in the whole galaxy.

“Did I told you how beautiful you are in this dress ?” he softly whispers.

“Thank you …” you mutter, felling the heat raising to your face.

“Can I tell you a secret ?” he then nervously asks.

“Of course, you know you can tell me anything.”

“I’ve been waiting for that moment for months to be honest … But I wasn’t sure about how you’ll react, I was afraid that every little thing I’ve took as signs of affection toward me were just you being the kind and thoughtful person you are … But still, a part of me wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was chance that it could be more than that, more than just friendship between us, so … I wanted to ask you, was I wrong about it ? Did I misread the signs ?”

His fear of rejection was so strong that it was palpable through the air, and it was breaking your heart.

“No, you didn’t …” you whisper, “To be fair, I was hoping for all of this to happen someday too, but I didn’t know how to make you understand it. I’ve never been very good at expressing my feelings so … I’m sorry if I failed to deliver the message correctly !” you chuckle anxiously.

“But now that I got the opportunity, I think that I need to tell it to you once and for all …”, you paused, gathering your courage, before going on with a shy and trembling voice, “ I … I love you, Cody, and I may not know how to show it properly, but I don’t want you to doubt it anymore.��

He gasps at your answer, emotion taking over him and overwhelming his tipsy brain. He couldn’t say anything, but instead, he leaned toward you and crashed his mouth against yours once more. His whole body was shaking, and his embrace was tight and warm around you.

“I love you too, mesh’la, more than anything !” He finally breathes out with watery eyes and a wide enamored smile on his beautiful face.

You stayed on the roof for one more hour at least, cuddling and kissing in the fresh night air, before he invited you to spend the rest of the night with him in his personal quarters at the GAR building.

You didn’t hesitate a second before accepting his proposition. You weren’t the only one to not sleep at the temple anyway, and you knew that nobody will notice your absence. That undercover mission had been a real challenge for you and you were both exhausted by now, but it was worth it.

You weren’t expecting the event to turn out that way, but after all, he was right, that night couldn’t have ended better than that.

[the-cu-genswap-au]

originally I wasn't going to make proper refs for these guys but I decided eh screw it, they're notable enough

every school has its very own gang of bullies. These four are Jerome Horwitz's.

- Tara Ribble is the head mean girl at JHES, sarcastic and impatient and with a talent for digging up the worst dirt she can on her fellow students and using it against them. Apart from being a master of petty insults, Tara is also incredibly perceptive, catching on quickly to other kids' insecurities and using those to hit them where it hurts. She's not popular around school by any means, but her reputation means that the other students at the very least know to stay in line around her.

- To her teachers, though, Tara is the perfect student, academically gifted and a treasure to have in class. Tara is one of the top students at Jerome Horwitz, a status she's not afraid to flaunt to her struggling classmates.

- Design note: I actually prefer Ribble's purple color scheme from the books/movie, but I ended up giving her the orange color palette from the show since I'd already decided that purple would be Meaner's color

- Kenny Meaner is Tara's right-hand man and muscle, the brawn to her brains. Tara tells him which kid is annoying her this week and Kenny will gladly rough them up for her, and he doesn't particularly care if it's a fair match, either. Although he is at least cautious enough to never actually hurt anybody; the adults at this school are always vigilant....

- Kenny is also one of the star athletes at Jerome Horwitz, flaunting his head jock status the same way Tara flaunts her test scores. There's.... really not much to him besides sports and bullying, really. Lucky he has Tara to tell him what to do.

- Edith Anthrope (not to be confused with the other Edith) is the closest thing Tara has to a best friend, but even Edith herself will admit that the two mostly tolerate each other at best. The two girls were brought together by their shared disdain for every other idiot kid in Jerome Horwitz, and now they stick together to avoid falling victim to the other. Fun times!

- In contrast to Tara, however, Edith is much more of a stoic, not outright malicious the way Tara is but more like brutally honest, never holding back her real opinions on people no matter how hurtful. She's perfectly content to take a backseat to Tara's schemes, preferring to help behind the scenes and make sure no one gets in Tara's way.

- Design note: this magenta color scheme is completely arbitrary; I just wanted to give her something distinct from both Tara's and Kenny's palettes

- Morty Fyde is a bit of an oddball here: he doesn't really like hanging around the others, and none of them really like him either, but somehow he managed to weasel his way into their good graces and now he just has to be careful to not upset them too much and he can be safe from them. Again, fun times!

- Morty really doesn't have it in him to be truly mean, but he reluctantly goes along with the bullying anyway because he just desperately wants to be accepted, even if it's by the worst possible people. The other three, for their part, mostly just let him tag along and largely ignore him unless they need him to do something for them. In the rare times when he manages to get away from this influence, Morty's actually a really sweet, if awkward kid with a love for comic books, gardening, and (secretly) all things science.

[siflshonen]

Trauma Doesn't Make Someone Right or Wrong but It Does Make Them Easier to Manipulate: Tomura Shigaraki and All for One

I decided I should talk about the MHA villains more, particularly Shigaraki.

BNHA presentations masterpost

BNHA presentations on Ao3

Let’s mosey under the cut.

The color key is not necessary, exactly, but I will be referencing my other posts with similar color keys. I thought it would be helpful to give a quick visual refresher to what they are. I’m going to referencing the other stuff I’ve written a lot in this one when it’s time to get into the details, so please be aware of that.

Regular white text can also be neutral and mean none of these things, but I think you’ll see what I mean by including All for One on here when you see the graphics.

There is Tenko Shimura and there is Shigaraki Tomura. One of them is the scared child who looks like the perfect victim in need of saving. The other is the obstinate, stubborn, short-sighted and naive social deviant shaped by his trauma and grooming. The only thing he seems to exhibit individuality over is his love of video games and which kinds he prefers.

They are the same person. Traumura Shigaraki. Tenko Traumura. 

Shigaraki is sometimes hard to pin down as a character because his individuality beyond his PTSD is rarely allowed to shine. However, I do believe that there are common threads between Tenko Shimura and Tomura Shigaraki. He sincerely wants to make connections, and he sincerely wants to do right by those that accept him, though his own desires and emotional responses often get in the way - as do the desires of another teeny, tiny influence upon him.

His fucking Master, All for One.

Part of what inspired my initial Bakugo presentation was showing how he breaks down the tropes of “hero”, “antihero” and even “antagonist” in shonen manga. The entire cast of Heroes and Villains (remember, they are also social designations and legal definitions in the world this manga) are doing this to some extent. Shigaraki, in particular, is headlining how there is nothing inherently special that makes someone a villain or hero. The determining factor is the perspective of the observer (or affected society.)

Shigaraki may be an antivillain in this story, but to him, that makes him appear the hero of his own story - all while still wearing the self-determined label of “villain”.

Arguably, the actions he chooses to take as a result of his trauma and fear of rejection also make him the villain of his own story at the same time, but we’ll get into that later.

Deku also has at least one mentor (in the Second User) that makes no bones about telling him that his life and well-being is less important than achieving the goal of stopping All for One. But at least he is honest, I guess.

Still destructive, though.

Most of the characters act truly heroically not in moments of glorious victory, but moments of pain, suffering, or even failure (Early-series Deku does this a lot, like when he falls to earth after heroically saving Ochako in the entrance exam. Bakugo, who is sent crashing to the ground in the ironically-named “Katsuki Bakugo: Rising” chapter after putting himself in harm’s way to save someone else, also has a habit of doing this over and over again), which is not the expectation for an archetypal hero in a storybook or comic.

Shigaraki’s glorious rise with cape, model hair, and awesome suit is likewise a moment that does not bode well for him, though he doesn’t know it in the moment.

I don’t make a slide for it, but as he ascends, Shigaraki becomes, well, ethereally beautiful. As his post-family-death amnesiac self, his suffering made him more fragile, frayed, and conventionally ugly in appearance. But after going through All for One’s training and modifications, he was given a new, beautiful facade.

But he was still on the fast track to misery either way.

This discussion isn’t super duper political, but this is your heads-up that many of these “big presences in power” characters also stand in for political ideologies or even entire countries, in some cases.

Endeavor is, roughly, the Japan before modern foreign influence. I’m sure Horikoshi could give us the specific party or movements he had in mind, but he’s not the focus of this post. If you want a more in-depth breakdown of Endeavor and the Todoroki family, please see this post. 

The Kirishima Presentation post I made has the most relevant information to the topic of Westernization’s impact on Japan’s attitudes and military power, though it isn’t quite for the same approach and purpose.

All Might, the “band aid” on the My Hero Academia society, is a Japanese guy wearing the appearance of the West while wielding a power that was given to him by someone else, and at seemingly random from an outside perspective. While Toshinori’s true heroic qualities have nothing to do with his nationality (and neither do the features and purpose behind One for All or All for One, when all is said and done), it is important when understanding what Toshinori represents to Endeavor and how he views him.

Both the Heroes and Villains in this series make an entire journey and daytime soap opera of fucking themselves over, honestly.

All for One doesn’t just want to be a dictator or tyrant or king. No, he wants to be the ultimate evil and unapologetic about it. He is the big bad and he is reveling in it. He is going to make himself a cartoon, and then he is gonna rule this cartoon world. Why? We’ll find out eventually. But maybe we’ll never know! I don’t really care. He’s meant to be a static evil.

Naruto tried to be real cool by having their big bad talk about how they were gonna take over the world through hijacking the economy and using that as their in to take over all the Ninja Villages and be real fascists or whatever, but My Hero Academia jumps over that angle by taking a more emotional and universal storybook (or comic book) approach. I greatly prefer it.

I also prefer that the story is blatantly framing the movement it opposes by calling it out as a fucking cartoon villain, though there’s also a twist to this that I think Horikoshi has very intentionally performed.

Fascism most recently swept over Japan as a result of influence from the West. Bam. Easy. So it’s no surprise that, regardless of where he is from, All for One doesn’t just look like a white guy, but like fine art of a white guy from the West. Pretentious. But it’s also kinda funny since he looks like a Greco-Roman god and is trying to flatten his marble curves into lowbrow comic form.

Nazi Germany and the Italian flavor of fascist regimes dressed snappy and loved their high art. Surely y’all know how Nazi Germany defined and tripped all over themselves at the idea of an Aryan race.

Meanwhile, American comic books are a Jewish invention. Superman and Captain America were staunchly anti-Nazi, anti-fascist, anti-all that. For All for One, icon of the type of art branded as “Aryan”, to do what he’s doing in the form of a comic book and saying he likes them is... oh, it’s truly disrespectful of him, to put it mildly. It reminds me of the discussion and fallout surrounding Captain America being part of Hydra for some issues.

Anyway, All for One is rebranding again to sneak into the hearts and minds of those with more modern sensibilities (read: “lowbrow”) to do his same routine. It’s truly villainous, selfish, and disrespectful. Fuck this guy. Rip him apart.

...All of this is a compliment. A hateable static big bad is a good thing when it is what the story wants to achieve.

One could split hairs and say, “All for One’s approach doesn’t resemble fascism! It’s like X!” And if you want to do that, great. Pick your poison of specific flavor of awful Authoritarian or Totalitarian movement that causes extreme suffering. Go nuts. I chose this one because I think a broader approach is more applicable - All for One is a timeless, recurring evil with worldwide reach.

I’ve taken the qualities of Ur-Fascism, or “Eternal Fascism”, listed above from this article, which is also an abbreviation of a longer work on the topic by Umberto Eco. I don’t want to regurgitate the whole thing here, so I encourage you to read it. I did incorporate two of the 14 qualities into other items on this list, but I think you’ll find that All for One checks all of these boxes.

If you read the article or essay, please pay attention to language used like “in the name of liberation”, or how these movements tend to start in another movement with one similar ideal or begin to absorb other movements. Think about how that relates to what happened to Re-Destro’s group and ambition, and the fate of the Liberation Army as it was absorbed into Shigaraki’s/All for One’s. Think about how fascism is contradictory in many ways, but still considers itself a single movement.

For more further reading - @transhawks​ hits the nail on the head regarding what the League of Villains are in relation to Hero Society and All for One. They’re not really revolutionaries or a unified band of anything standing against their evil government for ideological reasons. They’re being used. If you want to enter a more extreme political pick-apart or commentary of this series, this is a good place to look and a crucial thing to understand.

It would be real cool if the USA was truly a well-meaning, if hasty, rude, and entitled do-gooder superhero, but, well, this is a comic book. Y’all know that Star and Stripe is meant to be the idealized USA rooted in Democracy and Liberty and all that stuff, right?

But even the superpowered and ideal version of the USA can be corrupted. The USA has neo-Nazis (and a total shitshow political scene, particularly conservatively but not exclusively limited to that party, currently) and stuff, too. The “We Are All for One” sign in the My Hero Academia panel of violence and chaos in the United States’ establishing shot is a good way to represent how the conditions for All for One to take control can come about anywhere.

This dude, and the fascism he represents, is a parasite.

Anyway, that’s all big-picture stuff. Let’s talk about All for One’s specific approach to getting his hooks into Shigaraki and the League of Villains.

Public opinion is one of All for One’s most important tools, especially when starting out.

Again, All for One is a parasite. And I think the moth wings Shigaraki sports in figurative representations in the manga are meant to suggest the lower two of a Death’s-head hawkmoth, which has an association with death in Japan and some other cultures. I’m not totally sure about this, though.

As for me, personally, I am familiar with this genus of moth because I grew up with the Five-Spotted Hawkmoth’s larvae, which we called tomato hornworms, in the garden. Parasitic wasps like to lay eggs in the backs of the hornworms and then the larvae in the eggs eat the hornworm from the inside out before maturing. I don’t know if Horikoshi had those in mind when he made this manga because I think they’re only in North America, but, well, I thought about them.

My point: Shigaraki was an easy target and a natural choice for All for One.

Tenko fucked his whole family over when his quirk destroyed everything. The damage was not limited to his father. His family may not have stopped his father and maybe could have done more to try and stop him (and Hana could have not sold out Tenko and blamed him for their intrusion into their father’s office), but killing them didn’t exactly help anyone.

As @transhawks​ pointed out, the message of “destroying the existing system (house) to root out the existing power causes more sacrifice than it is worth” is a comparatively moderate one.

But for a boys’ manga series, the major idea that, “hey, maybe try to help one another and don’t act in negative emotion - and DEFINITELY don’t become a fascist ‘cause it’s a trap” is perhaps a more immediately relevant one for that audience than a more complicated political critique. The readership of a boys’ manga is at (or about to be at) high risk for becoming the vulnerable youth Shigaraki, Spinner, and perhaps even Dabi or Toga represent.

Sometimes, things can be as simple as the story of a shitty dad doing shitty things to his family because he sucks. Sometimes, this story can also be an allegory at the same time, if it helps your cause. Dabi certainly thinks about it like this!

Shigaraki seems to flip-flop between these hikikomori and NEET categories.

The Kirishima Presentation post talks about this in great detail with more articles.

When I think about this turn of phrase, I think about Princess Mononoke and how the musket ball inside the boar god is what turned him into a monster and sent him on a rampage, and then infected Ashitaka. There’s a lot to unpack here about that, but this is long enough.

It seems that quirks, while not a definite indicator of what a person is like, has an impact on these characters’ individuality, themes, and preferences in the story.

He rises from the ashes always, it seems. And this isn’t even his final form.

“I hurt, so I want YOU to hurt!” If you don’t know much about folks affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, well, Shigaraki is pretty much a perfect textbook example.

And you could have it all... my empire of dirt... I will let you down... I will make you hurt!

People are individuals. Degrees of and conditions for suffering are all unique. But the end result of trauma upon people is the same. They hurt.

So, I think now is a good time to link to this discussion regarding Tenko’s name.

I don’t know if this alike-sound is obvious to the Japanese readership or not, or if it’s just an English speaker’s ear making the observation in similarity between words. Sometimes, what sounds like a pun to an English speaker is not a pun to a native speaker. I really do not know because I am not a native speaker. But even without knowing that for certain, it’s interesting to think about and good, relevant information regarding some of Japan’s general history. If anybody knows, please let me know.

For the longest time, I thought his name was ironic because “ten” sounds like “heaven/sky” and “ko” like “child”, so he would be named “heavenly child” or “child from the heavens”, which contrasts with his “villain” status, though remains accurate because of his incredible, otherworldly power and appearance by his transformation’s end. But it’s not written like “heaven child”. I asked. But I still think it’s funny.

Anyway.

This is a story, so I literally cannot do anything about this situation except say that I am certain that a hero will come for him. I know it’s a cop-out and I am no different than the old woman who left Tenko on the street, but, well, that’s all I’ve got.

I hope they reach him soon.

[mitspeiler]

Cheriville Love Ask Game Hogstyle

@cervicrazed and @fvriva here you go you wanton hogs. I am doing Cherise and Neville together, because by doing one I would have had to do the other eventually anyway

How does your character view the idea of romantic love?

Cherise is enamored with the idea of love and has been ever since she was a child, when she had a dream of a beautiful boy dressed in blue waiting for her under a streetlamp. She wants a storybook romance and a lavish wedding. She sees love as an incredible and wonderful thing, but rare and to be treasured.

Neville sees love as a vulnerability that people can exploit you with and is very careful about sharing his heart with anyone and at the beginning of the story would really prefer not to.

2. What was your character's first heartbreak, and how did it influence their approach to relationships?

Cherise has never had her heart broken. Perhaps she will experience heartbreak of a kind later on but her and Neville are endgame so whatever hurts their relationship causes will heal. On a lighter note in earlier versions of the story she dated Gabriel Foxblade before Neville, a super chuuni edgelord type of guy. She had thought he was her type (dark hair, sword fellow) but unfortunately he turned out to be a lame conversation partner. this did not disillusion her on seeking out love though, it just made her think that perhaps not everyone is destined to find it, and that she definitely should not go on dates with the first handsome swordsman she meets on the street

Neville's heart was broken in his first relationship the previous semester, with Mindy, who was very needy and manipulative, using her vampire mesmerism on him to the point that he gained immunity. It really made him wary of meeting new people, particularly women and girls and vampires,

3. Does your character believe in soulmates, and why or why not?

Cherise absolutely does, mainly because they exist in all her favorite courtly romances. the fact that many of them end in tragedy doesn't matter.

Neville doesn't because soulmates and prophecies contradict the theological concept of free will. unfortunately he has a prophecy about his soul mate

4. What traits does your character find most attractive in others?

Cherise, Physically, she likes people taller than her (easy to accomplish), dark curly hair, big hands and physical strength. Aside from that she loves people who match her idealized image of chivalry, as well as emotional intelligence and knowing many skills

Neville likes long, well maintained hair, colored eyes, beauty marks. Non-physical traits include intelligence, shared interests, and after Mindy, the ability to make him feel at ease. as a bonus he realizes that he's attracted to people that make him laugh after meeting Cherise

5. What does your character fear most in a relationship?

Cherise is afraid of being let down, that she will invest a part of her soul into a relationship only for the other person to not do the same, or to turn out not to be who she thought they were.

Neville is afraid of Mindy's brand of one-sided dependence, and he is afraid in a more general sense that he might have to go through the same rigamarole of meeting someone, opening up to them, showing them his scars, and then it not working out and having to start all over again with someone else. best to just not

6. How does your character handle jealousy or insecurity in relationships?

Cherise thinks a bit of jealousy and insecurity is natural, especially at the beginning, a growing pain that you grow out of

Neville is very insecure generally. He doesn't particularly feel jealousy very often but he is wary of other people expressing it

7. What past relationship still impacts your character's current life?

None for Cherise unless I bring back the Gabriel date. As for Neville, I've already said

8. How does your character show love and affection?

Cherise is a quality time gal, but she also likes giving compliments.

Neville is a gifts kinda guy, particularly things he makes himself

9. What significant change has your character experienced in their understanding of love?

Cherise is going to learn that it's not all impassioned declarations and big romantic gestures.

Neville is going to learn that it's worth the risk of a broken heart

10. What sacrifices has your character made for love, and were they worth it?

The plan for the great Cheriville romance arc is that they're mainly just gonna be happy and together, drawing strength from each other during the course of the story, which I feel doesn't frequently happen in a lot of genre stories that have a romance plot. they always hinge it on the Will They/Won't They and I'm not about that. This is a long convoluted way of saying that, while I don't think making sacrifices for their relationship is off the table, I don't currently have plans for it to happen. It might and perhaps even will for some good drama but I've got no current plans.

11. How does your character's cultural or familial background influence their views on marriage and relationships?

Cherise is French, Catholic, and was raised in a castle by her family, all members of a knightly order that defends the mundane world from magical threats. So she is very big on the passion and the big romantic gestures but also on the concept of getting married and having kids

Neville is American, Jewish, of mixed heritage and was raised by a family that, despite being part of the magical community, are also big on living in the mundane world. He has a more modern view of things and a cynical view of the dating game.

Both of them have parents that are happily married, but while Cherise sees it as aspirational, Neville is worried that he'll never find something like that. Additionally his paternal grandparents had their own epic love story and it's hard to live up to that.

12. Does your character have a relationship that everyone else misunderstands?

There will be a period of time after Cherise and Neville confess their love that they will be doing the long distance thing. People who know Neville but have not met Cherise will assume that he is pretending to have a Canadian European girlfriend

13. How does your character handle rejection or unrequited love?

Cherise would be heartbroken if she were rejected because she would only go after someone that she is already hearing wedding bells over. But she does sort of romanticize pining over an unrequited love and has practiced laying about and sighing.

Neville would never be rejected because he simply would never make the first move. He assumes all love is unrequited until informed otherwise. So he'd just be sad about it. but regular

14. What lesson about love is your character still trying to learn?

Refer back to question 9

15. How has your character's professional life affected their romantic relationships?

they're both starting this little arc as teen students so it's not really a "career" they have going on. Neville definitely suffered academically after his breakup with Mindy, though it was toward the end of the semester so he was still mostly fine. Cherise has a revenge arc lined up after meeting Neville but she's not sprung enough to put it on hold for him (well, except in The Long Sunday where she was also stuck in San Francisco so it wasn't feasible).

[rayquaza-is-falling]

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

I will be the first ti admit I was skeptical going into the game. I was SUPER excited about it, but one of my friends played it before me and actually returned her copy. She said it was janky, repetitive, and unimagined. It was super disheartening to hear because she is also the biggest Avatar fan I know, if she didn't like the game then it must be bad.

But I kept it on my Christmas list and old Saint Nick delivered, and boy am I glad.

I literally love it.

Here's why:

- The world, the nature, PANDORA in all of its glory... it looks INCREDIBLE. The world feels so alive and vibrant compared to other games of the genre and even other games by the developer (Ubisoft)

- the characters, the NPCs, specifically Etuwa are all fantastic. They have interesting dialog, dialects, accents, mannerisms, looks, etc. I'm particularly fond of the "Crush" sidequest.

- The combat. The combat is nothing new for ubisoft, but this definitely feels like the best execution of this style they have been working on in a while. Absolutely love the two bows. And throwing bombs at RDA.

-Customization. At first the customization is very underwhelming, bit as you play you unlock hairstyles, paint patterns, all that fun stuff and I like to think of it as my character "growing" as she goes along her journey. Being able to "disguise" armor with the appearance of other armor should be mandatory in every game here on out.

-The ikran. Very rarely do games have a GOOD flight mechanic in them. They are always so junky (looking at GTA) and don't feel good. The Ikran flight however... fantastic. It feels so immersive, and you can really feel that this is a living thing you are flying and not a machine. The scenery is beautiful and even the air is filled with interesting things. No game has given me the adrenaline rush that jumping off of the Ikran nook and taking flight has given me.

- I could go on an on, but I will end it with design. The characters, the world, the biomes, the weapons, the animals, everything. It's vibrant, colorful, and alive. You can tell someone put a lot of detail into every aspect and it's awesome

CONS:

- There have been complaints the game is buggy. I personally haven't experienced any game breaking bugs, but I have had enough npc's not showing up to be considered annoying

- the player character voices. I'm sorry, I'm sure that the actors are talented, but none of their voices fit the player character. All of the Na'vi NPCs have unique voices and Na'vi accents. Even the Avatar characters have better Na'vi voices. The Serentu who is known to be closer to the human word, Teylan, has more of a natural voice. I cringe every time I hear my character speak. I will give them credit for having a nonbinary voice and character option tho (the NB voice is also the most tolerable by far)

- the game doesn't really add anything new. It is a very standard RPG, Ubisoft doesn't really explore new techniques and gimmicks all that much. It feels very much like a reskinned AC odyssey. Which isn't inherently a bad thing, I like AC odyssey, but I would like a little more innovation.

- you have to pay for the DLCs, even if you pre ordered. I can tell they released "half" the game and are essentially making you buy a "DLC" to get the other half. It's a single player RPG (mostly) enough with the pay-per-use and "season pass"

So TLDR: if you like Avatar, and Pandora, and exploration, this game is for you. If you want to fly around, taking down helicopters and help restore the planet, you will love this game

If you are looking for the next Elden Ring, or fill-in for Baldur's Gate, you will find it underwhelming, and plain.

Rating so far

8.5/10

[wannaremember]

I saw @homosociallyyours and @jlf23tumble post theirs and felt like doing this since I can't sleep. I am not the best at picking answers to things but i will try.

Relationship status: Single. I don't know if i see myself ever being anything else. So in that way its complicated, my view of what I want, what I can have, whats possible and whats not. I try not to think about it though. I'm also kind of bitter about some things which sours my thoughts on relationships.

Favorite colors: is it okay to say every colour? Like i am so bad at picking a favourite thing :/ but if i had to pick right now, I'd say red. The answer could be different at any other given moment though 😅

Song stuck in my head: at the moment there is none. I dont think my brain has the space for it at the moment. I also can't think what the last song stuck in my head would have been but I do remember Happier than Ever being stuck in my head somewhat recently.

Last song I listened to: Bad friend by Rina Sawayama. I feel like anytime i do these things I'm always mentioning the same artists lol but really blame the spotify shuffle algorithm. Anyway i do love the song so I'm not mad about it.

3 favorite foods: once again picking a favourite is tough but for this its easier because I do have my ultimate favourite food in mind. Khausey, its like this noodle and yellow curry dish. Googling it probably won't be very useful and theres often different variants of it depending on what your cultural background is. So i usually think of the version I've grown up eating. I can never make it as good myself and its a lot of work to make the curry so I rarely make it myself. But god its the best. Second is halwa puri. Again something i can't explain but i love it. It always tastes best when you get it from the street. I think I'm going to start listing out all the street food i miss from back home as well as other foods i miss that i just cant get here, atleast not as good as they are back home so ill pick something different for the third option lol. Nutella, im not going to call it food per se and its not even that i think its particularly great but its a comfort thing for me where i just eat a few spoons of it on its own when I'm feeling low, or pmsing or anything, it takes very little excuse.

Last thing I googled: Moonlight, the movie, i saw a mention of it in a fic i was reading and googled it.

Dream trip: there's not really one place i would pick, like a world tour would be ideal and i could just go to all these different countries and explore different neighbourhoods, try out different food, do some activities, etc. If I had to be more specific, I'd go for Europe, though. I still get sad that I didn't get to travel much when I was there, and I can't really go back anytime soon.

Anything I want right now: more friends. People who i can talk to, who will get me and i wont have to worry about censoring myself or not being able to be myself completely. I feel like its a pretty big constant in my life though to want friends but never doing enough to make them. Idk but yeah also people in peron like that especially but even online closer friends that aren't just on messages and arent just fandom focused in conversation. I dont know whats tougher for me though interacting with people online or in person, they're both scary. Anyway i am trying but yeah friends was the very first thing i could think of to answer this.

I don't know who has done this already so i might tag someone who has already. I'll tag @bigxrig @uhoh-but-yeah-alright @suesheroll and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it!

[rhythmicmeow]

TIMING: CURRENT LOCATION: The Siren's Song PARTIES: Leticia @rhythmicmeow & Gael @lithium-argon-wo-l-f TRIGGERS: none SUMMARY: Gael and Leticia plan to meet up at a karaoke bar. They play a game of twenty questions before it's their turn.

Gael had no idea this place existed, but he was glad he found it. The professor had rarely taken a trip down Amity Road but he decided to chance it that evening and he was glad he had for he laid eyes on a bar that seemed small but well-designed to fit more people than the eye originally could perceive. He sat at the tall oaken bar, the wood inlaid with beautiful spirals of seashells as he nursed his second tequila sunrise but he wasn’t looking forward at the line of colorful drinks that decorated the shelf behind the diminutive bartender. No, Gael’s attention was turned steadily behind him at the platform near the back of the building, a man on what seemed to be a cutely-lit stage holding a microphone and stumbling his way through a song he either didn’t know the words to or he had temporarily forgotten them in his drunken stupor. That’s right babes, this was a karaoke bar, and one that Gael wasn’t aware that any existed in this town. He thought that rather strange considering how many college kids populated Wicked’s Rest but now that he actually found one, he wasn’t complaining. Not that he was before. He also felt just a little pull to get up on that cutely-lit stage himself and try a number - the waiting list wasn’t very long, fortunately, and he was sure he’d have been far from the WORST performer out there. Gael supposed it was a matter of time before his pride would’ve forced him on stage regardless - the man was shockingly shameless when it came to how the public perceived him nowadays, not that he was ever particularly worried about that. As of right now, though, he was content to just watch the entertainment and he took another sip of his drink, content.

-

Leticia had never thought to doubt the existence of a karaoke bar in Wicked’s Rest, it was a college town, after all. What better way to draw in a crowd than to let the people put on a show? It was an experience that, while not the same as being on stage in New York, gave her the same tickle of performance. And this was the closest she was going to get to doing the thing she loved again. It might not have been making her own music or have the same atmosphere as a stadium, but it was close enough. And hopefully, it would dampen the craving. 

Gael had been the one to pick the location, but the Siren’s Song had been on her list of ‘must visit’ places for a while now, Leticia just didn’t have an excuse to go. She stepped inside, and took a moment to look around, the theme, despite the name, was far more… mermaid than she was expecting. But regardless, the vibe was excellent. Even with the man at the mic struggling to keep up with the tempo of his chosen song. Everyone was either too drunk to care or too busy with their conversations to make any comment. That was, aside from the person she was looking for. 

Spotting him quickly, Leticia approached from the side and rested her jacket on the back of the chair next to him. “Gael?” She questioned before offering him a smile, this was what he had said he’d be wearing, but there was always a shadow of a doubt, especially since this was her first time actually seeing him. “Leticia - sorry I was running late. One of the kids accidentally deleted the playlist and I had to walk them through how to fix it. It’s all fixed now but-” she waved her hand in the air as she sat down, sighing. “Did you put your name down on the list yet?” 

-

So amused Gael was by the… interesting pace of the singer on the stage that even though he heard movement next to him, he didn’t actually turn until he heard his name. He turned to see a dark-haired woman with a smile on her face and though he wasn’t on edge before, he lightened his expression to give her an unspoken energy that he was happy to see whoever she was. He swiveled in his chair to face her as she introduced herself as Leticia - the woman he’d met online and subsequently curated this particular engagement for. All the better. He kept his eyes on her the entire time she spoke and only offered a small shake of his head in immediate response when she asked if he’d signed up. “I haven’t; I thought I’d wait to see you before I went and made a fool of myself,” Gael laughed. “It’s nice to meet you, Leticia. And no need for apologies… kids are the future.” In fact, assuming it was true then the professor was rather glad that a kid needing her help was why she was late; it gave him the impression that she cared. Maybe he was reading her wrong though. He paused and took a small sip of his drink before raising an eyebrow and jerking his head towards the stage. “I did take a look through the catalog though. Found a couple duets if that was more your thing or I can, y’know, go first and show you how it’s done,” Gael exhaled as he spoke, his tone obviously joking as he flexed one of his arms casually. He knew she was a much better singer than he was and he hadn’t even heard her sing yet. He was just hoping she could pick up jesting in person like how she could online.

-

Grinning, Leticia found herself immediately at ease. “Oh? You saved the best part of the show for me?” She put a hand on her chest dramatically, pretending as though what he had done was the most thoughtful thing anyone could have done for her. “I would have hated to miss it.” Getting comfortable in her seat, she waved down the bartender, assuming she had some catching up to do. 

The comment about kids took her off guard. Most people would have shrugged it off and changed the subject or even complained about having to share any amount of space with anyone younger than twenty-five. Leticia found herself looking at him more directly and nodding. “They are,” she agreed. This wasn’t the topic of conversation she had foreseen, and not the comment she had expected, but there was something inherently kind about it.

Looking away from him only to take a sip of her drink when it was finally presented, Leticia let out a laugh. It was good, she thought, he was as funny here as he had been over text. Whatever tension she had been holding onto was quickly melting away. “Absolutely not, the last thing I need is for you showing me up by going first.” The question of what song though gave her some pause. “Anything can be a duet, if you have two people singing it,” she said, tapping the tip of her nose before shrugging. “Are we feeling classics or something more in the Pop Top 40?” 

-

Ah, she got it. Gael kept the smile on his face as she reacted positively. He wasn’t worried before but now he got it in his head that tonight, even if it ended up being a wash, wasn’t a waste of his time. Not that he often found himself thinking that, he was pretty flexible. Her direct look at him also helped to ensure that he possibly didn’t get the wrong idea about her when it came to the “helping a kid” thing.

The professor tapped his chin as he thought on her question for a moment. “Well I don’t know about you since you don’t look a day over 26 but I’m old and haven’t really kept up with the mainstream music scene,” Gael admitted, looking sideways at her. “You wanna go look through the list?” There was another brief pause. “And don’t worry; this is only my second drink.” A nail dinged on the glass gently. “So I can still carry a tune and keep the tempo,” He laughed.

-

“So we’ve moved on to blatant flattery?” Her tone was teasing despite the serious expression she was trying to keep up. It didn’t last for more than a few seconds, before the humor bled through and Leticia was covering her mouth trying to hold in a laugh. “Listen, ma might not have trusted me with the family recipe book but she spared no expense in teaching me proper skin care. But I appreciate it.” 

Returning her attention to the music, Leticia nodded her head and stood up from her chair. “So, T Swift and The Biebs is off limits?” It was a joke, mostly. While music was deeply important to her, people didn’t often carry the same feelings towards it as she did. They were casual listeners who enjoyed moments filled with music, and Leticia couldn’t imagine her life without it. It would be bland, boring, and sad. “What about ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go’ if they have it here? Or, no wait, wait.” Leticia snapped her fingers, her expression turning more conspiratorial. “We could rick roll the whole joint.” 

-

Gael took his eyes off her, unable to keep himself from smiling sheepishly himself as her facade cracked - he knew they were gonna get along and he was so very happy that they spoke online. “Well, the laws of equivalent exchange function for a reason. I ended up with neither a cookbook OR graceful aging– well, that’s a little bit misleading.” A pause. “As in I’m cookbookless but.”

The rest of the sentence didn’t really matter, that was the point of the light comment Gael was making and he furrowed his brow in thought as he straightened in his chair. “I do not understand these words but let me try to interpret them - those are… Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, right?” He asked slowly, partially to himself, his gaze trailing up to her as she stood. “Don’t let me stop you, I might just end up doing backup dance moves to the beat of whatever song you pick.” But then she actually suggested a song he knew. Okay, okay, he was getting a feel for what she probably knew, which was much more expansive than his own mental music collection.

The man subconsciously and instinctively tilted his head when she snapped but of course he didn’t wonder why and instead his eyes went to her face as her tone changed and she suggested the beautiful, the iconic, the dreaded Rick Astley. “You’re a madwoman,” Gael breathed. “And a genius. My suggestion was gonna be ‘Take on Me’ but I like your idea a lot more,” He nodded enthusiastically. “Wanna take bets on whether or not we’re encouraged to leave the bar after our song choice?” A look crossed his face. “...Iiiiif it even IS a song choice?”

-

Leticia leaned to the side, getting a better look at his face, pretending to appraise him. “Wildly unfair that you didn’t have to fight for your life in the kitchen over tamales and yet you’re out here looking like this. Really cashing in on the male child privilege.” She could only tease him so many times about that, but she planned on getting some mileage out of it regardless. 

He was guessing, but he was right, which only caused Leticia to pause and arch a brow before nodding, impressed that he had figured it out as quickly as he had. “So you do know some of the artists.” Even with the wild nicknames she had used. “No, no.” She shook her head and put a hand on her hip. “This is supposed to be a two person venture, though I am sure your dance moves are impeccable, it’s too late to fade into the background like that, sir.” 

But they had navigated their way to a song that they could both enjoy — and with any luck, the surrounding patrons would get a laugh out of it too. “Take on Me would be an excellent choice, maybe second song if we survive this round.” Leticia shrugged and glanced at the bartender who wasn’t paying attention to them, so if it was on the list, they weren’t going to be persuaded to change their minds just yet. “If it’s on the list they can’t kick us out, I bet our bravery in our choice will land us those free drinks.” Gael was right, they were doing a lot of song consideration without looking at the list. “Let’s go look at that list and see what trouble we can get into.” 

-

“I’ll take that bet,” Gael replied, getting to his feet himself, taking one more sip of his drink then casually making his way over to the thick binder. Fortunately for him the songs seemed to be grouped up by decade so he shuffled over to the 80’s hits but he didn’t realize that while he was looking for their particular songs and he got lost in all the options they had that he rather liked, he was thinking more about Leticia.

He should probably ask her how old she was. Was she offended that Gael didn’t break more ice with her first? He’d offer to pay for her drinks, of course but he didn’t want to seem like the guy that was like ‘great you’re here time to sing’ or anything. Granted, he was fortunate enough that they were able to get along easily and he did know a few things about her, and yet… “This is a good one, too,” He mused aloud, pointing to one of the many songs on the list. “Sorry, I didn’t even ask - what type of music do you like? Like, if I was just an inebriated spectator, what would you want to sing?” He asked, glancing over at her.

-

Flipping through the pages, she only slowed down when Gael started speaking again. Leticia had been so quick to dive in head first into the songs that she hadn’t paused to actually talk to him outside of the short apology she had offered about her tardiness. It seemed that she had forgotten the most basic reason for going out and meeting people was getting to know them. For a moment, she was flipping the pages without looking at any of the songs, questioning herself - what would she pick if it was just her.

“Do I know you in this scenario?” Leticia joked, glancing toward his face before clearing her throat and returning her attention downward. Performing had always been about the audience for Leticia, the mood of the room or what she had been told to sing. She always loved singing but doing it for herself was limited to the private moments in her home. Of all the questions to throw her off, she hadn’t imagined it would be this one. “Memories by Maroon 5,” she finally said, forcing herself to look back at him, a practiced smile on her face this time. “Question for question? You asked me about my work but we got distracted by all of this before I could ask the same, what do you do for a living?” 

-

Gael didn’t respond to her joke with anything but a chuckle but he kept his dark eyes on her as she looked down, seemingly in thought. It wasn’t a glare and he didn’t realize if he was making her uncomfortable. That being said, he leaned back slightly when she snapped back to him, his eyes staying on hers and a smile crossing his own features - he wasn’t sure if he had any idea what that song was. He liked that she liked it, though. “Ooh, that’s a good one.

“Oh, I uh…” It was Gael’s turn to look off though his expression stayed light as he very temporarily forgot what it was he did. “I’m a chemistry professor at the university,” He replied. “But I moonlight as an alcohol connoisseur,” he added lightly. “Apologies if I’m responsible for any of the college students you might throw out of your store,” He laughed. “Okay, okay question for a question; I like that system if you wouldn’t mind indulging me just a little more,” He looked at Leticia, his brow raised slightly in curiosity. “Then–” He pointed to the infamous Rick Astley song. “We make our mark on this establishment.”

-

Leticia let out a light laugh, “It wasn’t supposed to be a gotcha question,” she teased. He was a professor. Hopefully, he’d never find out how little she knew about science - barely scraping by in school only touched on how out of sorts she was with any subject involving math or experiments. “I can help you with one of those things,” she replied brightly before crumbling under her words. “The other one might be far out of my reach. I’m sure you can figure out which.” Not blatantly admitting what she lacked, but hopefully avoiding any pop quizzes later. She’d hate to be the buzzkill by being confused by something he was excited about. 

Though, as long as he was willing to explain, it wouldn’t be too bad.

She was already overthinking it and they had barely gotten started. “Don’t worry about it, they’re usually well behaved. I sort of invited them into the store when I teamed up with the arts program to give their students a chance to have some real life radio experience before they went out to the big leagues. Hardest part of this industry these days is breaking into it.” There was a considerable line for the mic. Leticia added their names to the bottom with the song number and then looked back to Gael, nodding with a smile. “I find your terms agreeable,” she said with some theatrics. “It’s your turn for a question then.” 

-

“The biggest difference between my chemistry and yours is just which elements we use, right?” Gael noted her joke and he was still getting accustomed to how he should’ve worded his profession better… He wasn’t used to saying it without worrying about how the other person felt about not being in that field. Perhaps it was more of his own projection that made him assume that other people wouldn’t mind. “I use… water and oxygen and you use vocal chords and an instrument.” Nailed it, did really well at lightening some of the tension (if there was any). “I can imagine with the market the way it is nowadays that there are a lot of kids who want to get into it but the need isn’t nearly as big as the population,” He mused, offering for them to go take a seat again until their names were called. 

“Er, that wasn’t my question,” He added hurriedly. “I mean, it COULD’VE been but I don’t think it was so,” Gael crossed his arms, a mock pursing of his lips crossing his face briefly, childishly but on purpose. “Okay, okay, actual question.” About ten floated through his mind, none of which were as important as he thought they were and also none of them incredibly armor-piercing or ice-breaking, depending on how one looked at them. “Okay, where are you from?” He asked before pausing. “And of course you can opt out of answering any question if it’s uncomfortable; this isn’t an interrogation.” He chuckled.

-

He was making a chemistry joke, and while she had been fully prepared to be wildly confused, Leticia did laugh. “Did you pick the easiest elements you could think of so I wouldn’t get confused?” Even if he had, she was still smiling. It was unexpected, but appreciated. Gael managed to make her career sound more eloquent than she ever could, and that put her at ease. If he had any issue with her not being at his level science wise, he wasn’t showing it. “Different combos for different people. Like pizza.” She scratched at her hairline and pretended that what she had said didn’t feel as embarrassing as it was. “Music is really cutthroat,” Leticia agreed sadly. It didn’t just ask for sacrifices, it demanded them. No matter what path you were taking into the industry. 

Following alongside Gael, they made their way back to their seats. She settled back into her seat and this time was nursing the drink instead of trying to catch up. “Noted. Skips are okay,” Leticia repeated. “Other side of the country. California, Central Coast area, I grew up on the beach. The weather was also remarkably better.” She had remembered a time when she was younger and wanted to see snow. Now? Anything to avoid it. It was pretty from afar. But the chill? Horrible. “What made you pick chemistry? Was that your first choice?” She wrinkled her nose. “Just the first one,” she amended quickly.

-

“Exactly! Just like pizza.” Gael said enthusiastically, glad that she didn’t feel condescended to. And he didn’t consider himself wrong; everything was a matter of perspective and logically, it checked out to make such a comparison. So she was from California. It was further west than he’d been from when he moved to the states - and she wasn’t the first person he met from there. Gael wondered what was here that made everyone move from the literal other side of the country. “I can imagine; there’s a lot more snow here than I’m used to, too.” It was safe to say that he was ill-prepared for when he actually moved up to Wicked’s Rest, himself. He then ruminated on her question for a brief moment, as though the answer didn’t immediately come to him again. Gael had a practiced response for this one, though, as he’d received this question many times. “Y’know, it actually was.” He laughed, tapping his chin in thought. “When I was a kid and figuring out what I could do with my time, I caught myself making up chemical equations out of boredom so it kind of sorted itself out.” He scoffed at himself. “N-not that… I don’t know. We don’t know each other but I’m just gonna hope that you don’t think I’m this know-it-all or something.” His turn to overthink the situation. “Sorry, I’m still figuring out how to say things without–” He cut himself off and rolled his eyes. “Sorry, forget it. Um, my turn for a question.” Gael cleared his throat, taking a sip of his tequila sunrise and looking at her keenly. “You got any hobbies aside from music?” He asked, hoping she wasn’t too put off by his short, sudden burst of insecurity before it was smothered once more in his laid-back demeanor. Leticia, admittedly, had felt nervous the second he mentioned being a chemistry professor. She didn’t find herself lacking in intelligence, but barely scraping through high school and then having a career solely in music didn’t sound as amazing as professor did. Part of her wished she had spent more time growing up outside of the limelight and taken some time to round out her education. It felt a little too late for that, but there was no judgment in Gael’s tone. 

Maybe it didn’t matter to him as much as it mattered to her.

-

“Exactly,” Leticia replied, shaking her head. “Our seasons were like shades of the same color. Slight differences but you could wear shorts in winter and it would be normal. Here? I’d get frostbite.” When Gael started talking about his work — something that he was clearly passionate about — it was impossible not to notice how much he cared about his work. Even with the minimal details, he spoke about his work like she spoke about music.

“Don’t apologize. I get the same way about music,” she explained with a light shrug. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed or ashamed of being passionate about something. If I had half a chance to talk about music nonstop I would, and I have.” Leticia tapped her fingers on her glass, her attention still focused on Gael. “You just might have to talk a little slower for me. And explain a lot more.” She had silenced herself a thousand times before just like Gael did now, pretending to be less excited about what she was talking about to give room for another subject. And now she had gotten so good at censoring herself that it was like second nature to hold back. She didn’t want to add to that feeling if she could help it. 

Scratching the back of her head, Leticia looked away from Gael. “Comics?” She said sheepishly. “I didn’t get super into them until after the Marvel movies hit. And running. Not sure if that counts as a hobby or not though.” Taking a sip of her drink, she nodded her head before continuing their game of twenty questions. “Okay, so very serious question.” She paused for a moment, adding to the drama of it all. “Favorite fictional character?” 

-

“Oh yeah, it’s really easy to get into whatever you’re passionate about,” He agreed with a smile; he always seemed to find himself surprised when he met people who let him share his interests the way he encouraged them to share theirs. He wondered how many more times he would be surprised before he’d just allow it without going through this repetitive loop of thought. Gael also gave her a brief look when she mentioned having to explain things to her - he was sure she was plenty intelligent and he really did just consider their strengths to be those. “Okay but only if you do the same with song artists and current bands.” He raised one of his eyebrows. He could only imagine what listening to these drunk people singing off-key sounded like to someone who was so intrinsically tied to music as Leticia seemed to be. Comics, eh? There was something Gael DID know a thing or two about. Granted, not nearly to the extent of one of the youngins around town - he was more into novels and nonfiction books - but he did know some of the characters. “Of course comics and Marvel movies count; people turn ‘going to the movies’ as a hobby in itself.” He assured her before catching her serious expression and he himself straightened up only to deflate with a laugh as he leaned back in his chair when she actually asked her question. “It’s– I actually have two,” His laugh tapered. “It’s cheating, I know but I just can’t pick one. I like Luke Skywalker and Nightcrawler from X-Men.” Gael explained before realizing that she said she liked comics; of course she knew who Nightcrawler was. “Just so that– I mean with that one movie that came out also called Nightcrawler, I have to differentiate now so that’s fun,” He added casually. Nailed it. As he finished his sentence, he heard another name get called up and he leaned in. “We’re up next,” He said excitedly. “So one more question for ya before I inevitably disappoint you with my singing.” He joked. “What is your favorite animal?” He asked.

-

“Exactly!” Leticia said brightly. There might have been a hiccup there in the middle, but they seemed to be on the same page about a lot of things. It was almost too easy to find herself in that same rhythm they had online. Any easy conversation without any judgment, even with the insecurities that sprinkled through. “That is one of my favorite things to do.” It was an easy agreement, though Leticia wasn’t sure how much chemistry she could mentally absorb, but she could listen. She was good at that part. “I will give you the best songs and references to really mess with your classes. Your students won’t know what hit them.” She promised, extending her pinkie to him. 

“You’re right,” Leticia admitted with a softer laugh. He was different from the people she had known all her life, even back in school when she had first embarked on her musical journey in a more serious way — every hobby that had involved music had been something to be laughed at. Something boring that everyone did. And he was sitting next to her, reminding her it was something that people enjoyed and that was okay. It was strange to find someone outside of her family so immediately supportive. But it was still an amazing feeling. 

“Oh, yeah… that was a movie for sure. I remember being excited about it and then you know… it was what it was.” Leticia signed and made a face before taking a drink. “The choices are top notch though.” And like every other question he had answered flawlessly, Leticia knew that she had more in common with Gael than the simple circumstance of living in here. Rolling her eyes, Leticia bumped him with her elbow. “You’re not going to embarrass me.” The question he asked was met with zero hesitation. “Cats. Best animals out there and no I will not be accepting arguments.” She finished her drink and waved for him to do the same, just in case this was their last drink here. “Either free drinks for the rest of the night, or we are kicked out — but also winners either way because we will not be forgotten. Ready, partner?” 

- She didn’t judge him too harshly for not being familiar with music despite that being one of her favorite things, and Gael was very appreciative of that - so often, he’d mention that he wasn’t familiar with a song or a band get a loud, obvious response of ‘YOU’VE NEVER HEARD IT?’ Leti didn’t do that, which obviously tends to be better-received to people and he gave her a nod. “I love surprising them so you got yourself a deal,” He locked her pinky in his, feeling her warmth and he subconsciously valued that little pinky promise they made. “Yeah, I’m right there with you.” Gael laughed. “Oh cool, a movie about Kurt Va– that’s not Nightcrawler.” He imitated his thoughts from when the movie was first announced. “Thank you though! I’m a simple guy, I like heroes.” He shrugged sheepishly. “I also LOVE cats,” He added with a new tone to his voice and his eyes widened with excitement. “Cats are amazing, I love them so much especially when they’re liiiiiittle bitty balls of fluff!” He held up his hand to accentuate the size he was talking about and his smile turned into a dopey grin. “Ah, that’s amazing. I knew I liked you,” He fidgeted in his seat, finishing his drink with a loud gasp of air. “OKAY,” He popped his neck and glanced at his singing partner. “I’ll get melody, you take harmony,” He raised his eyebrow. “We shall go down in history.” He got to his feet and offered a hand for Leticia. “Shall we?”

[victoriousscarf]

If it is not too much troubles, would you mind sharing some of your chicken misadventures? Chickens look totally cool but I probably will run away if they approach me in their coolly dominant manners 😭😭.

At first I was like what? And then I remembered I just reblogged a post about chickens and I assume this is in reaction to that.

So I was looking for photos of our chickens after I got this ask and found this gem somehow, which is probably the most aesthetic photo of my family's chickens ever taken. Mostly because usually we have a way less color coordinated flock, as dad and I both tend to pick out one or two of every breed that catches our eye that season.

First I have to say I have very rarely met a chicken that I found particularly scary in any way, most of them are sorta affably dumb... and then I remembered the Bennet sisters which were 5 white Brahma chickens we had, and they were like the meanest mean girls we ever ended up with. And there were five of them. So maybe if you see five big white chickens coming at you... that's when you book it.

But for the most part, chickens are pretty funny to me. They've all got their weird little personalities, and some of them are quite beautiful.

Now we kept chickens for laying purposes, not meat chickens. (Every once and a while my dad tries that before remembering he like, doesn't like slaughtering animals at all). We've also had Indian Runner Ducks, and a few breeds of Turkey. Over the years a lot of them have blurred together but some weird highlights:

We had this one chicken that I named Leaper who like, was a fainting chicken. You know those fainting goats? She was like that. She'd just randomly topple over and lay there, no matter where she was in the yard. None of the other chickens wanted to hang with her in the flock, because like she was weird. But this little bantam rooster named Patsy had a messed up back (Like his spine curved? I've never seen it before or since but he was also a weird little guy) and he would hang out with her. We'd often look out in the yard and Patsy would be standing over Leaper, watching her while she was in one of her fainting spells.

There was also the chicken Zelda (Who I think was named after Zelda Fitzgerald, not the video game) who was the most successful broody hen I've ever met. She would regularly surprise us with whole flocks of like 10, 12 chicks. She was also a bantam (which means they're smaller than average) and she would gather eggs from the whole flock, so her kids would be the weirdest mix match of breeds and sizes, and most of them ended up towering over her. Every time she went missing we started watch for when she'd next show up with a brood. We thought she was dead like 3 times. We found clutches of her eggs in an old stump, under the chicken coop, in the greenhouse, and under the porch. Every time dad discovered one she moved again.

The coop in question where she came up with a whole clutch of chicks one time.

I had one friend too, who has this huge white rooster that she loved more than life. She would regularly carry him around in her arms and he had a special diaper to come into the house. One Easter we used some sort of dye on him to make him blue and green (I honestly cannot remember what kind of dye, but she would not have done anything to hurt this guy so it must have been safe enough). Just imagine the biggest rooster you can with a full on fashion dye job. He did not really forgive us for that one for a while.

Of course the downside to chicken owning is you have to deal with the death and predators. We had a Bald Eagle get caught in the chicken run wire one time, and I remember the whole family standing in the doorway, realizing just how BIG an eagle is, when it's caught its talons in your chicken run (the chickens were fine, and it did eventually free itself, while we were still trying to figure out who to even call).

And we had an owl serial killer one time, where it took the heads and left the bodies stacked in a pile inside the coop door... That's a wild story no one believes when you bring it out at parties.

[pokemonxhyperfixation]

Peeker's Woods

"One of our larger exhibits and also one of our main attractions here is the Peeker's Woods, named for it's primary inhabitant you'll meet shortly. This is a great evergreen forest home to some rather odd species.

Before meeting the residents, meet the people in charge of them, Shingyoku and Reisen. Shingyoku is a relatively new hire for us, and works here largely out of her own very poor choice! Reisen is our resident Rake expert. She's training her coworker here in how to not get violently torn apart. Don't worry about Reisen's rifle, she only has it in case of some freak emergency (and it doesn't have any lethal munition to the habitat's residends anyway).

It's only natural to start with the star of the show, and exhibit's name sake, The Peeker herself. Rakes are a highly dangerous and demanding species of largely anti-social animals that most zoos don't even attempt to house. We are not most zoos. But color us surpised when-

Peeker settled in and a second Rake (which we named The Watcher, or just Watcher) turned up. After some behavioral and dna analysis, we found these two to be siblings (Peeker the elder sister and Watcher the younger brother). Them being as buddy-buddy as they are is incredibly atypical of their species, so we took an invested intrest in housing them together. Peeker was aquired through an animal rescue we did, saving her from some people who wanted her dead. Apparently Watcher was also hiding there and followed us back here. Watcher loves the attention from people here, Peeker does not. If you see a Rake at all in this exhibit, it is probably Watcher.

Rakes are not the only species of strange primate we have here however, as we have also come into possession of a small group of Sasquatch. Pictured here is one of the females we named Squana. We put them together with the Rakes not only to fill space, but also due to the fact that Rakes and Sasquatches have been known to cooperate with one another when their ranges overlap.

Sasquatch have many strange attributes as a species, none of which I'll get into here, but one of the least strange is that their troops are lead by a dominany male (in this case, Wuto Raclor, the male Sasquatch pictured here). While Wuto is the most standoffish creature in the habitat, he never picks fights with Peeker, almost as though he knows who the real owner of this forest is.

At the pack of the exhibit, peeking out of the fence is a small, man made cave made as a den for the Rakes. While Peeker does use it very rarely, watcher never uses it, opting instead to sleep in the trees. If anyone is inclined to use it, it's a couple of the female Sasquatch.

I almost forgot to mention the last guy in here! This is our Treeper Spruce! You can probably guess how we aquired him. (We mistook him for a tree.) While our two primates in here only tend more towards night activity, Spruce is ONLY active at night, wandering around the south side of the fence. He's not really visible from the viewing vents, but he's visible over the fence so does it really matter?

While all animals have been covered, I'm personally just proud of how this body of water for them to drink from and bathe in came out. No one even frequents it really, it's just pleasant. Since the Rakes mostly tolerate the staff unless feeling particularly irritable, I've taken to coming to this place to relax.

While we are not yet open to the public, some folks have been let in as test guests. The Three Fairies of Light are some examples, and Sunny has taken a liking to the Rakes. And rather concerningly Peeker has taken a liking to her... Look her with her little chocolate bar! So cute!

We hope you visit the Peeker's Woods, an exhibit you'll find nowhere else! Also, pay no mind to any scraps of paper visible within. They just showed up one day, and both Peeker and Watcher get agressive if someone attempts to remove any."

-Dr. D Clownberg

So, this was quite literally THE FIRST thing I built in this world. Yeah, I have not posted the first exhibit until just now. As stated in the previous incarnation of this exhibit, the name The Peeker for one of the Rakes is taken from

this here video (which is really good and you should watch it). In the Peeker's story, it is said that some people misinterprited it as having a second creature that comes with it called the Watcher, and that is where Watcher's name came from. Fun fact about this exhibit: The original creatures living here with the Rakes was not actually Sasquatches and a Treeper (as neither were in the pack yet) but rather the Cocketrice from the Aether and Creeper Overhaul's Mushroom Creepers. Neither felt fitting and were removed. None were killed tho, they're just sitting in storage waiting to be re-homed. Back to mob names, Spruce's name is genuinely just a generic Trevenant name I felt was fitting (because fuckin look at him), and while the female Sasquatches have completely random names, Wuto is named after something from the story me and a friend are telling on a Bedrock Realm we're apart of. So yeah. I wonder what those pages are about?

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

066 of 2024

The Red Survey ❤️

by joybucket

1. Do you like the color red? Yeah. Particularly together with black. 

2. List three things you like that are red. Strawberries, sunrises/sunsets, rubies.

3. Would you rather shop at Kmart, Target, or Macey's? We have none of these in Europe, so no idea.

4. What is one thing that makes you angry? Injustice.

5. What is your biggest passion? Trains and radio signal identification, can't choose.

6. Which of these words would you say describes you best: strong, determined, easily angered, passionate, or bold? Determined. And probably strong.

7. Name three things you can see in the room right now that are red. Can of Coca Cola from my husband, glue stick, grocery bag from Kruidvat.

8. Are you wearing anything red right now, and if so, what? No, not at the moment.

9. Do you like tomatoes? 🍅 I do, but I rarely like them raw. I love tomato soup, though.

10. Do you like cherries? 🍒 Yes, but I prefer sour cherries over sweet cherries.

11. Do you like red apples? 🍎 I've never been a big fan of apples.

12. Which of these cartoon characters do you like best: Minnie Mouse, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Elmo, Mr. Krabs, or Lightning McQueen? Minnie Mouse. I barely know the rest.

13. Would you rather eat spaghetti 🍝, sweet and sour chicken, or cherry pie? All of these sound good. Can't choose.

14. Would you rather eat red velvet cake, strawberry shortcake, or a raspberry snowcone? Strawberry shortcake.

15. List three random things you own that are red. My tablet (the cover is red), a small gift box that I use to keep stuff in, star-shaped candle holder.

16. Are you a fan of Taylor Swift? No. Honestly, I don't understand the hype.

17. Would you rather travel to Japan 🇯🇵, Morocco 🇲🇦, or Denmark 🇩🇰? Japan. I've been to Denmark already :D

18. Would you rather travel to Kenya 🇰🇪, Canada 🇨🇦, or Mars 🔴? Canada, definitely.

19. Name one celebrity you like who is from Canada. 🇨🇦 Keanu Reeves, hands down. The most genuine famous person ever.

21. Do you think you look good in red? Probably better than in orange :P

22. What is your favorite shade of red? Cherry, ruby, amaranth.

23. What is your least favorite shade of red? Brick red, probably.

24. Would you rather celebrate Valentine's Day or Christmas? Christmas. I'm not romantic :P

25. Which of these cartoon characters do you like best: The Cat in the Hat, Ariel (from The Little Mermaid), Sebastian (from The Little Mermaid), Bob the Tomato, or Mickey Mouse? Ariel, I think.

26. Have you ever driven a red car? 🚗 I don't drive, but I've been a passenger in a red car.

27. When was the last time you wore red lipstick? 💄 I've never worn a lipstick.

28. What are three things you dislike that are red? Apples, rhubarb, watermelon (it's red from the inside right?).

29. Do you like tomato soup? I love tomato soup. The Belgian way with little meatballs, or the Polish way with either rice or pasta.

30. Did you ever play the game Red Rover at recess as a kid? No, and I don't think we have such thing as recess here in my country.

31. Which of these cartoon characters do you like best: Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Cupid, Mario, or Spiderman? Mario <3 definitely.

32. Which of these names do you like best for a girl: Passion, Ruby, Cheri, Apple, or Rose? Ruby or Rose.

33. Which of these words would you say describes you best: loud, proud, attention-seeking, loving, or strong-willed? Proud, loving, strong-willed.

34. What was the last thing you ate that was red? Strawberries.

35. What was the last thing you drank that was red? Probably cranberry juice.

37. List three of your favorite Arby's menu items. I don't know what Arby's is. Never heard of it.

38. When was the last time you ate at Arby's? See above.

39. Which of these names do you like best for a girl: Valentina, Garnet, Robin, Lacey, or Crimson? Probably Lacey.

41. If you're female, list 3-10 words you could use to describe your period. 🩸 I'm not female.

42. Have you ever donated blood? No, I'm not allowed for medical reasons.

43. Which of these careers sounds the most appealing to you: firefighter, Santa's elf, paramedic, wedding planner, or flamenco dancer 💃? Paramedic.

44. Do you like ketchup? I do, but I not always fancy it.

45. Have you ever seen a total lunar eclipse (aka blood red moon)? 🔴 Quite a few times. Pretty spectacular.

46. When was the last time you shopped at Kmart? We don't have them in my country, but hey, at least I now such a shop exists :D

47. Have you ever lived in a red house? Yeah, red bricks. Even my current house is made of red bricks.

48. Do you know anyone who is colorblind and can't see the color red? My husband has some trouble distinguishing red from brown, but otherwise no.

49. Do you own a Raggedy Ann doll? Never heard of them.

50. List three things you like that haven't been mentioned already that are red. Cranberries, bell peppers, beetroots.

[sporadic-gremlin]

Mercy NSFW HCs

First off she’s a doctor and she can’t risk bringing a child into the world while she works for OW, so she’s a heavy advocate for safe sex. You’ve tried all types of condoms but of course, she’ll steer clear of those that can fuck her pH balance up. Very rarely does she allow you to fuck her raw but when she does, enjoy it.

Angela is more of a slow, sensual type of woman, y’know? She doesn’t always get the time to appreciate the things you do for her despite the field she works in so she wants to kiss and mark up your body while riding you. Slow but deep strokes that hit all the spots, hips elevated, rub at her clit. Make her feel good. She whispers into your ear about how much she loves you while running her fingers through your hair.

Although sometimes, she’ll want a quickie that’s nothing but rough touches and harsh bites. Come to her office and pin her against the desk while you fuck into her, hips slapping against her skin and leaving red marks. Pull her hair (not too hard) and whisper dirty words in her ear. These people stress her out and you’re more than willing to help her relieve it, hopefully.

Angela is very vanilla, she doesn’t indulge in harsh kinks or BDSM, but she does like a little bondage. Sensory play is something that’s big for her since she let go and relinquish that control. Doesn’t have to think, give orders, none of that. Just feel. But you have to be together for at least a year for her to open up to you about that. Angela is big on trust.

She likes lingerie. Angela will get pieces in your favorite color and ones that you can have sex in without you having to take most of it off. She likes garter belts, the feeling of them on her skin and the way they look on her make her feel sexy, confident. On a date night, she’ll wear a specifically nice set just to surprise you.

A big no for her is doctor-patient role play. She’s already afraid of losing you and sexualizing her work force makes it even worse. Do not call her mommy. She’s very caring and loving but she doesn’t like being called mommy or any other name. Her first name, Angela, is just fine or her nickname.

Angela is more on the giving side than receiving. She’s doesn’t find herself sexually arousing so you don’t force anything she doesn’t want on her. Angela will gladly give you head and she knows what spots to pinpoint because she’s studied the human body for so long. She’ll have your knees shaking while you pull on her ponytail.

I see Angela as more of a sub than dominant. Socially, she’s the dominant one but in the bedroom, she prefers for you to take control. She’s hasn’t really had too many experiences and more than likely you’re her first long-term relationship other than Genji(?) But with time, she’ll get more confident and start to boss you around.

One thing Angela finds very hot but she would never tell you about is your back. She likes feeling the muscles and leaving marks on your skin so she can see them the morning after. When you wear tight shirts, the definition makes her blush and she imagines you picking her up and taking her somewhere to fuck one out.

Her favorite positions are ones that allow deep penetration and as a doctor, she has researched what positions are the best (don’t ask why). Although she does like taking it from behind so doggy is your to go.

Angela has a normal sensitivity to her erogenous zones but her sensitivity to clitoral stimulation is particularly heightened. Maybe because she doesn’t masturbate or because it doesn’t get touched if you’re not doing it but, she falls apart to it pretty quickly. Angela isn’t a child, we know that, but the way you bring her to orgasm just feels so different.

So in light of that, you’ve taught her how touch herself the way you would do yourself. You’ve lived in your own body for quite some time, you know what makes it sing and what doesn’t. Angela thought it was so attractive to how attentive you were to every move she made, she was so wet. How your fingers circled her clit, how fast she liked it, how hard she wanted it, when you curled your fingers just right…She came in just under a minute.

Angela keeps in pretty clean down there. Even if the hair is there to keep unwanted things away, finds it easier and more comfortable to move around in her suit when there’s less hair. She takes your opinion into consideration too so if you want hair, she’ll grow it out but if not, then she’ll keep shaving.

She’s not a very sexually active woman, even with you. You’ll maybe have sex two times a week maybe more, maybe less but yeah, Angela’s sex drive is below average. When she’s on a well-earned vacation, it does increase but she doesn’t want sex to run your relationship. After sex, she’ll ask you about your day and you’ll ask about hers but rarely does she go to sleep after sex. She goes to work on something or cuddles with you.