#i love the fact that so far my most significant contribution

[artherra]

Hi! Author here coming back from the dead on this dear site to tell you that when one of my friends found this post n sent it to me it genuinely made my day. I was stimming like wild. My life’s quest is finally complete and I couldn’t be happier abt this VGHCVGHD i’m really, REALLY glad you liked it so much!!! :D Also i’ve already gotten a few “i started this as a joke and then it got me” comments in the past and the funny thing about that is that this fic also sort-of started?? as a joke?? because another friend of mine was complaining abt how other “obiwan/one of nemesis why does he have so many” pairings get so much content but obigrievous? doesn’t? when they have So Many Vibes? so i went actually let me give the people (us) what they (us) want and rewatched Grievous Intrique like five times and then uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i had a 30k cosmic horror poetry fic AND a whole au on my hands and was weeping into my keyboard, and now people in my sw circle either know me as that guy who writes obigrievous or that guy who wrote abt obiwan falling into a black hole and honestly? i’m happy with that cvdghscd

Also I’d absolutely LOVE to see some obigrievous fanart there are like 30 of us and we are STARVING PLEASE-- /j

no way i just read the most well-written, mind boggling, beautiful, existentialist fic I’ve ever read in my life and it was fucking obigrievous

[realcube]

PERFORMANCE ENHANCER (18+)

synopsis : while in paris for the 2024 summer olympics, ushijima is advised that ejaculation releases stress and hence boosts athleticism. so, the night before his match, he asks for your help.

tws/tags : ts! ushiwaka, cursing, vaginal, riding, size kink, creampie, oral (giving), rough sex, slight hair pulling, petnames, praise — minors dni!

note : this is for the summer olympics collab by @tetzoro. tysm for allowing me to join <3 fyi studies differ but it is mostly shown that sex has no significant impact on athleticism. also smut is labelled if you want to cut to it lol — wc: 6k

it was never a question as to whether or not ushijima would qualify for the olympics; you knew for certain he was going to be on that team, so the only query that ever crossed your mind was when should you start packing?

usually that kind of mindset leads to disaster and disappoint, but in this case you were right to make that assumption because next thing you knew, you and ushijima were on a chartered flight straight to france, along with the rest of the japanese volleyball team.

you were excited to explore paris — the city of love — with your husband. although you were well aware that this was far from your honeymoon, and in fact more like a business trip for ushijima. hence, training will occupy most of his schedule, and any downtime he may have, he'll likely spend with his long-distance best friend tendou, who you both haven't seen since your wedding two years ago.

having made peace with this fact, you hung around on the main street, poking around in some luxury stores while ushijima visited the chocolaterie tendou works at. his friend was aware that he qualified for the olypmics and would be coming to paris, but it was still astounding to see ushijima walk through the front door of his shop, in the flesh.

with a massive grin, they hug and catch up with each other, discussing all the new things that have happened in their lives since they last saw other. well, tendou did most of the talking, but ushijima did make a couple of brief contributions about his thriving marriage and volleyball career.

"so," tendou hums with his elbow propped up on the table and his chin resting on his knuckles, "how are you feeling about your match against argentina?" he quirks a brow.

"good."

despite his curt response and dry demeanour, tendou can tell simply by ushijima's subtle mannerisms that there is something weighing on his mind. "oh, c'mon, mr perfect. let's get deep!" he urges, and ushijima knits his brows in thought.

what he's experiencing is so complex and foreign, he can't quite put a finger on it. he needs a couple of moments to find a way to describe it. "stressed. representing japan in an international tournament is a lot of pressure." he's been under pressure before though and prospered, so he doesn't understand why this is any different.

"huh, who would've thought? the almighty super ace of the century is finally feelin' the heat?" tendou exaggerates his syllables and narrows his eyes to look at ushiwaka with an amused expression, but all he gets is blank stare in return, so he continues, "well, you've got no chance of winning if you're nervous, that's for sure."

he says it so nonchalantly, it causes ushijima to falter, "what?" of course, that's not his desired outcome, and tendou seems to know what he is talking about, so wakatoshi asks, "what can i do to win?"

"not lose." tendou titters to himself, but ushijima's piercing stare persists. "you need to release the stress! free yourself of all your worldly doubts. luckily for you, my good friend, i know how you can do that."

"how?" ushijima is quick to respond.

tendou smirks and leans across the table until his face is inches away from ushijima's. "you need to beat it."

"beat what?"

"masturbate!" tendou yells, accompanied with an exasperated sigh, as he falls back into his chair. despite how they were having this conversation in the back of the store, tendou exclaimed that word loud enough to cause some customers browsing in the front to tilt their heads. "when you finish, not only does it it release sperm, but it also lets out all your pent-up fears and worries."

ushijima raises an eyebrow in doubt, which prompts tendou to elaborate, "also, when you orgasm, hormones pump through your body that kill all the stress chemicals. that's why it feels so good!"

seeing that ushijima is still suspicious, tendou throws his arms up in defeat, "fine! don't believe me if you want, but just know this information was told to me by a reliable and knowledgeable source: shirabu."

"shirabu kenjirō?"

when tendou hums in agreement, ushijima takes a moment to reflect. last he heard, shirabu is a medical student, studying to become a doctor, and they don't let just anyone into med school. additionally, biology and health is in shirabu's realm of expertise, so it would make sense for ushijima to take his advice.

with a nod of resounding certainty, ushijima declares proudly, "okay. i will masturbate."

"great. glad i could help." tendou grins, leaning his cheek onto his hand, "but you don't have to do it yourself. that was just an example. you should do whatever will make you finish—..."

tendou's voice trails off as he searches for the right word, "hardest. so in your case, that might not be masturbating. i mean, you've got a real pretty wife."

though he wasn't keen on tendou calling you 'real pretty' in that suggestive tone, ushijima kept that comment inside, and instead said, "i think i know what you meant."

tendou wishes he could just leave the conversation at that and move on, but knowing his thick-skulled friend, he had to confirm, "what do i mean?"

"my wife should masturbate on my behalf."

"no!"

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

eventually, ushijima may have understood what tendou was talking about. he was still sceptical about the whole thing but as the game grew closer and closer, he found himself becoming desperate for any solution to cure his volleyball nerves.

so, once the night before his match arrived, he figured there was no harm in trying.

you had just come out of the bathroom with your hair down and dripping, and your salacious body clad only in a short towel that didn't leave very much to the imagination; as your tits were threatening to escape with every movement you made, and the bottom of your perky ass was just peeking out. he watches intently from the bed. it's as though you knew what he had planned.

and perhaps you did, considering how he urged you to get in the shower as soon as the two of you got home from your excursions. due to the fact that he has a very strict sleeping schedule and needs to be in bed by 22 at the latest, which means you guys need to start having sex by 21. he lasts a while.

"(y/n)." the simple act of uttering your name in his husky voice already has you scrambling over to him, kneeling beside him on the covers.

"yes?" you respond with a cute twinkle in your eyes. ever doting and caring: one of the many things he loves about you.

"i am stressed for the game against argentina tomorrow."

you frown, already had the inkling that something was bothering him. "i'm sorry, toshi." you rest your head on his shoulder, nuzzling into him as you stroke his muscular chest, "it's completely normal to feel that way, especially since you'll be competing against your archenemy: tōru oikawa."

he isn't sure what you mean by that — him and oikawa are on decent terms — but he enjoys your comforting words so he allows you to witter on without interruption.

"i'm also sorry that you felt as though you couldn't tell me this sooner; we could've done something about it. still, if there's anything i can do to help now, just say the word."

"sex." he responds plainly, taking your request literally.

"huh?" you stutter, unsure if you heard him correctly.

naturally, ushijima misinterprets your confusion and takes the opportunity to explain what he was told, "tendou and shirabu said that ejaculation let outs tension, so i would like your help with that. tendou mentioned that i could do it on my own, but i would prefer to do it with you."

your jaw hung open and your eyes darted across your husband's face, unsure of what to address first: his sweet desire to make love to you on such a special night, or his impressive use of the word 'ejaculation'.

clutching the fabric of his shirt, you pressed a long kiss to his lips, tasting his minty breath, before squealing, "yes, of course we can!" you throw one leg around him so you are now straddling his lap. he smiles at your sweet reaction and places a strong hand your waist to hold you in place.

while running your hands reassuringly over his arms and admiring his toned biceps, you pout, "oh but toshi, we can't have you waking up all sore in the morning." you point out, however it's as though a solution to your problem occurs to you instantly as you blurt out, with wide eyes and a cheery smile, "but that's okay! i can just ride you, yeah?" you eagerly tease him by grinding your hips against his already throbbing erection.

using his grip on you, he puts a swift end to your antics, and your whole body is no match for the strength in his right arm alone. "that sounds like a lot of effort." ushijima was aware of how long he can go for, and it left him exhausted most of the time, so he can't imagine how you would feel after doing all the work for such an extended period of time. you were just his precious wife after all, deserving of being spoiled and catered for — in bed or otherwise — so riding wasn't an act he ever expected from you.

"it will be, but it's only for one night and i'd do anything for you." he reassure him while laying against his chest, as his hand stroked your back. with your ear pressed against him, you could hear the faint drumming of his heartbeat.

so selfless too, another thing he loved about you. he smiled when you leaned into his embrace, carefully running his hand up and down your spine, as though you were the most fragile thing he's ever touched and may shatter at any moment.

"thank you, my angel."

oh, this man is horny. typically he only calls you nicknames when he is fucked out. even then, they were mostly limited to 'dear' or 'honey'. not that you minded, hearing him call you by your real name was hot, also the scarcity made the times when he did call you petnames all the more sweet.

so to hear him call you 'angel' before you've even started is very telling as to how badly he needs you. more than he lets on, that's for sure. such a stoic man; even after years of being together, you still find it difficult to read him sometimes, but the way he hardens underneath you is unmistakable.

[NSFW]

wearing nothing underneath the robe, you grind down against his clothed cock and he almost winces at the warmth of your bare pussy. so sensitive that he can feel every curve and dip of your needy cunt, and he revels at how your folds kiss his firm length.

in order to supress his bubbling moans, he hurriedly locks lips with you, fixing his hand onto your back so he can pull you closer. the passion from your lips against his is addicting and the heat of your body against his just feels so right. he wants nothing more than for you to melt into him so you can become one.

though he doesn't like how he can't feel your pretty tits pressed against him, only the fluffy fabric of your robe. his hands find their way to your shoulders, where he roughly tugs off your robe in one swift motion, casting it to the side.

the fiery kiss only ends when you gasp at the sudden chilliness that washes over you. the cold is combatted by ushijima's strong embrace as he holds your delicate figure against his own. it's nice to be his strong arms, it makes you feel so secure and you fit into him perfectly.

meanwhile, ushijima is focused on the lewd sensation of your tits squished against him. being able to feel your hard nipples poke him through the thin fabric of his shirt made it difficult to resist flipping you over and fucking you from behind, with one hand messily tangled in your hair while it hits it raw. like he usually does.

his kisses trail from your cheeks, across your jaw and down your neck. naturally, at that point you pull away from his embrace so he can continue lower, until he had your bud locked between his teeth. sucking and flicking it with his tongue while his hand worked at fondling your other tit, slowly falling so he was caressing your waist.

now that you've retracted, you take this opportunity to tug at the elastic of his shorts, pulling at it just enough for his aching erection to spring free. you've experienced ushijima's size before, but it's still baffling every time you see it. how a nice girl like you could take a monster like him.

drool pricked at the corner of your lips at the sight of girth, admiring the beast in your hands. ushijima stopped sucking on your tits when he realised you had let out his cock, and he couldn't help but smirk as he watched you idly toy with it while staring intently.

his poor angel. he knew how nervous you could get sometimes before taking him and he wasn't one to rush you, so he sat in comfortable silence, admiring your gorgeous figure and stroking your hip with his thumb. though the more he looked at you, the more he longed to dive right back into your tits and have another taste. or push you onto your back and explore between your thighs with his mouth.

though his raging fantasies were interrupted as you finally take his cock. not into your pussy, but rather, your mouth. that wasn't what ushijima was expecting, but he'd never complain. not when it comes to your head. how the warmth of your mouth consumed him, and your tongue licked seductively down his shaft. of course, you were never able to take his whole length but that's not your fault; most amateurs couldn't. and he preferred it like this, actually. he liked seeing you with your cheeks puffed out — his coarse fingers brushing your stray hair away from your face so he could witness every lewd detail — and watching you struggle to deepthroat him, coughing and spluttering whenever you'd try. just a reminder of how diligent you are when it comes to pleasuring him.

a layer of your spit shines on his cock, coating him so nicely, as you continue to suck him off. your movements are slow but thorough, gripping him with his lips as tightly as you can when you drag upwards, and ensuring your tongue rubs properly against the underside of his shaft. you were doing so well, as a reward you received the occasional hushed grunt from your husband.

usually this gentle approach would be the correct one, as ushijima prefers a moderate pace to begin with, that gradually builds up into a frantic, hasty one. however, today there was just something so tempting about you that he couldn't resist. maybe it was the obscene way your plump lips wrapped around his girth. or maybe it was how your glossy eyes looked to him for approval after every frivolous attempt to deepthroat. at which, he'd always flash you a brief yet kind smile, sometimes even mutter something along the lines of 'you're so cute' or 'good job, baby.'

regardless, there was an allure about you that he couldn't quite explain, but it is what triggered him to abruptly grab you by the hair and yank you off his cock and into a rough kiss. he just couldn't get enough of those gorgeous lips, and he utilised his grip on the back of your head to pull you in as close as physically possible. he wanted to feel every inch of your nude body against him.

after your initial shock to his actions, you soon melt into the kiss and move your lips rhythmically against his, allowing his tongue to slip past your defences and into your mouth. and while all your senses were saturated by the intoxicating kiss, you almost didn't notice when ushijima's other hand — that was previously groping your ass — sneaked down between your wet folds and teased the entrance of your pussy.

you moaned into the kiss at the stimulation of your needy hole, but despite your longing, you knew it wasn't right. you exit the kiss only partly, and say, virtually still upon his lips, "toshi.. don't. you need to save the energy in your arms."

"i always have energy for you." he counters, as his finger threatens to penetrate you.

"let's not risk it." you smile, pushing yourself back so you are sat upright on his lap with each leg on either side of him. aligning his cock with your hole, you notice he's still slightly damp with your spit, but not enough to make for sufficient lubricant, so you run his dick between your lips, allowing him to soak up your wetness.

he grunted at how your wet folds stroked his length, as his hand wandered up from your shoulder to your face so he could cup your cheek. "can you handle it, (y/n)? it's okay if you can't." of course he's been in you before but in the past, extensive prep is required before you can even fathom the idea of taking him. and on this occasion, you've not undergone any preparation at all. "i don't want to hurt you."

he doesn't mean to sound patronising; that's just how he expresses concern. well, maybe he does mean it a little, but that is only because the bedroom is the place where he gets to be the smart one, considering how quickly you get fucked dumb by his massive dick, unable to speak right or think straight.

"i can and i will, toshi! i was made to fit you." you whine, and you were quick to try and prove it by letting yourself relax onto his cock. however, you reacted by jolting, as the tip alone had your walls stretching and sore. you bit your bottom lip to try cope with discomfort, as your legs trembled at the strain.

"made to fit me?" he smirked, amused by your proclamation and how it was immediately followed by proof of his doubts. the way your body writhed said more than enough. "it's too much for you, sweetheart."

using the back of your hand to cover your tense expression, you shook your head, "no.. it's not." you squeak and mewl as you lower yourself on his cock, the wetness caused by the congestive sensation being just enough to make the descent bearable.

"mmph— too big, toshi." you moaned, and hearing his name fall from your lips in such a dirty manner send all his blood rushing straight to his cock. a part of him wanted to grasp your shoulders and push you all the way down to his base. but the other part knew that he'd destroy your insides if he did that. he'll have to learn to be patient; the burden of having a wife with such a tight little cunt.

your sopping pussy clamping down on him caused a lustful haze to cloud his mind, so he was barely able to choke out, "hurts?"

you nod meekly.

a shaky sigh huffs out of his nose, as he tries to deal with your gummy walls swallow the head of his cock. his eyes were fixated on where you two connect, your hips were quivering yet you had barely covered half of him. slick from your moist cunt seeped down the rest of his shaft that you had yet to take. "you don't have to." he reassured you, a big hand grazing over the silky skin of your stomach, then resting to the side of your tit while he idly thumbed your sensitive nipples.

"but i wanna." you whine, sinking down on his cock ever so slightly, but even taking a couple additional inches caused an intense abdominal pain, resulting in quiet sobs hiccupping from you. it burned and stained your body in such a delicious way. your hungry pussy gnawing at his cock was addicting, and even when it poked you in the most personal and irregular places you still couldn't get enough. in fact, it made you want to fit his whole length even more, because seeing stars is always the goal with wakatoshi.

ushijima swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat while he was admiring your pretty pussy graciously accepting more of his cock. "my beautiful girl.." he cooed at you, paying close attention to the way your face twisted in pain as you sunk further down, fighting to reach the base, although you were getting closer.

more lubricant would've been useful, perhaps it would've got you started quicker like it usually does but a small part of him enjoyed you watching you struggle a bit; it's a display of how devoted you are. "do it." he grunted.

motivated by his firm command, you keep pushing down on his cock, no matter how tough it may be. your eyes are squeezed shut and your husband's strong hand cradles your ass just as you finally made it down to his base. your breathing is already heavy so you pause for catch your breath and marinate in the sensation of his cock brushing your cervix and visibly protruding from your lower stomach.

during this time, ushijima's clutch slipping from your ass, over your folds until he was rigorously palming your throbbing clit. you recoil a bit from his arousing touch, and grumble, "arms.." referring to preserving strength for tomorrow's match.

begrudgingly, he took his hand away. a whole night of sex without putting effort into pleasuring you didn't feel right to ushijima. the way he showed affection and that he cares about you is by rubbing that puffy clit, or letting you lie down while he stood at the end of the bed and ramming into you from behind, not stopping until he had you creaming all over his fat cock. so refraining from pleasing you didn't come naturally to him.

but he must not realise the effect his dick alone has you, especially without much lube — the friction of him dragging against your clammy insides was enough to have you teetering on your first orgasm already.

once you were ready, you braced yourself by placing your hands on his chest and used your knees and arms to supports you while you slid up his length. your insides freeing from his congestion was a relief yet simultaneously so empty, it's as though you craved it as soon as each inch withdrew from you.

"gah!— toshi, feels.." your words get lost in a chorus of your own staggered moans, "s' good."

wakatoshi normally wasn't very vocal in bed at all, so it was very telling that the combination of your tight pussy and unintentional dirty-talk already had him grunting and moaning shallowly under his breath.

as he watched you lift yourself up, he pet your leg soothingly, "that's right, princess— hnn—" he caught himself and clenched his jaw before an unwelcome noise left him, "keep going."

soon you were able to build momentum and start riding him properly. it took a moment to develop a suitable rhythm and to stop your yourself from wincing every time you sunk down on him, but once your hole built more slicker and wetter, it became easier.

it's not long before you're able to glide up and down his shaft with relative ease, whimpers bubbling in your throat from the luxurious satisfaction. at first you went steady, purposefully to savour each and every delicious inch of your well endowed husband.

going at your own rate and slowly bobbing on his cock was practical for you — enough stimulation to have your knees weak already. but your unrushed method wasn't doing it for him. not to say he wasn't entirely entranced by the way your pussy devours him and rubs against his raw flesh, but he need more of you in order to cum. he wants you to be bouncing on his dick until he's completely fucked your brains out and you've milked him dry.

"(y/n)." he states, while you were leaned forward, with your arms holding yourself upright on his chest while your hips got to work in rocking against him. your head hung low because you were concentrated on riding him, and your hair partially fell into your face.

but upon hearing his stern voice, you garner enough strength to lift your head to meet his molten brown eyes. he smiles at the lewd expression painted on your face; it served as a nice reminder that even a dribble of his cock was enough to drive you mad with bliss. he could tell by your watery eyes and your flickering grin that you fucking loved it.

"(y/n)." he repeats your name, though it's more breathy this time and he glances at the place where the two of you connect when he says it then, before he looks back at you expectantly. and of course, you know exactly what to you do.

you let out a deep sigh, drop your head and hope for the best — using your knees and hips to push yourself upwards so you can drop back down onto him at a heightened pace. every time his dick pierced into you, there was a meaty stretch of your walls — a salacious ache that you never could comprehend because as soon as you experienced it, you'd immediately shoot off his cock, then sink back down onto it, over and over again.

you didn't understand what you were feeling down there but you knew for certain was good. your back arched into the filthy euphoria and moans were spilling from you like a flood. "ngh— fuck! stop.." you whine, despite how you were responsible for the sharp jolts of electricity shooting through you; and you were the one hungrily bouncing on his cock like a desperate slut. impaling yourself with his length until your legs were shuddering beneath you.

when it got so fast, the riding became sloppy, you'd hardly touch the base before you'd pull yourself up. likewise, you'd rarely reach the tip before sinking down again. but you were just too eager to pay attention to these small details. alas your movements are no longer deliberate and every buck of your hips is senseless and fuelled by pure lust and hedonism.

it got harder when you could feel your orgasm impending. the pulsing in your abdomen wracking through your entire body, tingling and making it difficult for you to keep bobbing on his cock when your stomach was on the verge of exploding and your legs were ready to give out under you.

but ushijima's intense glare on your exposed, shaking figure brought you motivation to persevere. as well as his protective hands that stroked your trembling thighs, while gazing at you with adoration and desire. he wasn't a man of many words but the way he looked at you spoke a thousand.

and these sappy eyes only faltered when your walls clenching around his dick eventually led to him being knocked over the edge and spilling his first orgasm all into your homey cunt. a raspy groan was torn out of him and his eyes flutter close while his seed pump through your insides; the thick warmth spreading through your core caused your eyes to twist shut, and force of his load pushed you off his cock.

he had made a vulgar mess of his precious girl, your little hole was dripping with cum. to be stuffed with your husband's fluid love was so filling yet comforting — and you were truly stuffed, the volume of his load replacing the mass of his cock. "thank you, babe.." you pant, head still spinning from your frantic bouncing.

"thank you." he corrected, eyes trained on you still sitting atop his flaccid cock, but it hardened with every passing second, at the sight of your pert nipples teasing him as your chest rose and fell, or your pretty lips he longed to kiss passionately. "two rounds is hard-work, dear. i'm impressed."

perhaps you were just to fucked out to count. still, you gulp to clear your dry throat and splutter, "two?"

"yes." ushijima confirmed. though strand of his hair still clung to his shining cheeks and forehead, he seemed to have overcome the post-orgasmic exhaustion already. "so there's one more left."

you groan. you should've expected this considering usually ushijima can go for upwards of four rounds, but it's different when you are doing all the work. "but 'm tired!"

"two ejaculations are recommended to get rid of all the stress." he explains, but from how you wearily hang your head and you're quick breaths, he could tell you weren't listening.

"one more, (y/n)."

"but toshi!.." you whine in retaliation.

"yes, my angel?"

you narrow your eyes at him and although he wears that big, dumb look on his face you tell he knows what he is doing. he is aware of the effect those cute nicknames have on you, especially in his deep, husky voice. how can you refuse? plus a small part of you wants to keep going anyway, and not stop until you forget your own name,

you huff out your nose and lift your hips over his tip once more — which has already fully stiffened — then abruptly drop them, taking his big length in one swift gulp. one that caused you to recoil and squeal, and even wakatoshi to gasp slightly at being enveloped by your tight insides again so fast.

it's easier to fit him this time because your hole is already drenched with his cum and your own, but his dick was still as big as it was a minute ago, and it still strained your walls— having to contort beyond their means to accommodate his girth. " toshi, shhuh.. shit— too big!" you whimper.

"not for my girl." he grunts, a firm grip on the fat of your thigh while you frantically ride him, "make it fit."

"mph, mkay.." your knuckles white as you hold onto his shirt for dear life, mustering every ounce of energy you have to keep thrusting yourself up and down on your husband's mighty cock, but every part of you gave away your exhaustion: beads of sweat budding on your forehead, shaking muscles and rapid breaths.

ushijima could tell you were struggling and that only egged him even closer orgasm. though he was kind enough to offer you some grunts of reassurance between moans. "my perfect girl, go on.."

there were moments when then the bursts of pleasure were drowned out by the futility of repeatedly bouncing on his stubborn erection but you persisted, even when your legs had virtually gone numb and your sore pussy was still being rammed into.

"can't.." you whimper, your knees now beginning to wobble with each bounce, making your position unstable until wakatoshi steadied you by the ass.

"so tight, princess. i need you to." he grits, grabbing your ass to aid you in your staggered movements, guiding you up and down on his soiled length but even then, your aching legs prevented you from riding with any real vigour, "i'm close."

despite his encouragement, you couldn't find the strength to continue and your hips gradually decreased in ferocity until you lay dejected against his chest, feebly bucking your hips while his cock stirred inside your sticky walls.

you mutters all sorts of slurred gibberish that resembled 'sorry', with your face pressed against his chest as he rubbed comforting circles on your back.

"don't be sorry." he says, hands fixing themselves to your hips, "you're still going to help me, angel."

with his tight grip on your hips, he lifts you as though you're weightless and pushes you back down his length, all the way to base which makes you shiver as his tip intrudes your cervix. initially shocked, you gape at the determines look on your husband's face as he uses your weak body as his own little fucktoy, slamming you down on his cock over and over. but it doesn't take long for you to melt into the atmosphere and get turned on by the way he manhandles you, treating you like his personal property.

the power his strong hands hold over you is indescribable. his dick ploughs into your sopping hole at an ungodly pace — so fast and rough your tits shook and it left your limb neck nodding along with each bounce. yet all you could focus on his cock stretching out your insides, hitting all the right spots on your sensitive walls.

your hair thrashed about too, with every violent snap of ushijima's arms, and it wasn't long before the heat pooling at your core came gushing out. "tosh— hhn— 'm comi—" the words couldn't even form on your tongue completely before they were crushed and swept away in a flood of melodious moans and sobs.

as you climaxed, your back arched into him and your coated walls began to convulse around his brimming cock, which served as the catalyst to him shooting his second load into your already filthy pussy.

your tight cunt wrung him dry for every last drop, and even through his high, he held you through yours, as you twitched and screamed with pleasure in his arms from the most overwhelming and satisfying orgasm of your life. he kept you close, wrestling against his own muffled moans — they were hard to suppress when your hole clamped down on him like it never wanted to let go.

soon, the intensity had faded, and you were left lying on his chest, enjoying each other's embrace and listening to each other's heartbeat while he was buried inside you. once you both found your bearings, he looked to you for approval before easing you off his cock.

you hissed at first; the feeling of emptiness had become so oddly foreign to you. and it stung a little but it was so unbelievably worth it.

"thank you, (y/n)." wakatoshi mutters against your forehead, tickling you a bit, "i'm proud of you, and grateful to have you as my wife."

"i'm grateful for you too, wakatoshi." you muse, mind still a bit hazy, "proud of me for what?"

"for lasting so long. that must have been a lot of effort."

you scoff, idly tracing hearts on his chest with your finger, "yeah, right. i didn't even make it through the whole thing, you literally had to carry me at the end."

"that's because you're not used to it." he explains kindly, as he shifts his hand to take yours, stroking the back of it with his thumb, "but it's okay. you will receive plenty of training when we go home."

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

BONUS

tw// oral (receiving)

the whole arena erupted into cheers when japan scored the final point against argentina and won the match! the audience were screaming and the players were all doing celebrations of their own — the atmosphere was simply electric and joyus.

from the stands, you looked at your boyfriend who was standing on the court, staring back at you with a cute little smile on his face. or at least, that's what it looked like from where you were sitting, so you blew him a kiss.

you later realised that it was probably a devious smirk, as that was the moment when the ejacultion hypothesis was confirmed, and he was probably thinking about the new pre-game ritual that had been established.

it's useful though. think of it like this: whenever he has a match, you also get some training!

but of course, you would only agree to take part in this 'pre-game ritual' if certain criteria were met. meaning that after every game, ushijima has to dick you down good and bury his head between your legs, eating you out for minimum ten minutes (twenty if he wins).

[choerypetal]

The Tattoo / Homelander

summary: Both Homelander and you had been searching for your soulmate for years. Then, when you began working at Vought, a mysterious tattoo appeared on your arm, one that matched Homelander's a little too perfectly.

request was from; @chocolate-floof hope you enjoy this short fic!

ps: english isn't my first language so i apologize for any grammar errors xx

Homelander had always been a man of tradition, whether in a romance or friendship settings. He never shied away from both showing the most predictable affections, to pleasing his country. Even when his mind always managed to disassociate from reality, he couldn’t deny the truth that unfolded beneath him, etched into his very flesh: the beginning of knowing your existence.

Meeting Homelander was daunting at first. Luckily, you managed to escape his attention when two Vought employees needed you to prepare Firecracker’s weekly news replacement. Yet, his soft smile and lingering gaze made him realize how magnificent you were to him.

Being a the traditional wife was not what he wanted, even if his values where far from different by the rest of the citizens, there was no surprise he wanted to cherish you differently. In fact, Homelander prided himself on his efficiency that he didn’t need a wife or nanny to subdue his cravings, especially with the opportunity of being with you. He needed someone whom he could be himself, and being the Homelander that he was, naturally his first reasons was for safety measures. And it was from the very first meeting at the Seven, that John’s thoughts were obviously focus in making you as his as fast as possible.

At first, Homelander didn’t think much about pleasing you. During the Vought meetings, he would casually brought you coffee, enough to make Deep and others gasp at this rare act of kindness. He didn’t hesitate to glare threateningly at anyone who dared to comment. You, oblivious to this, made it more delightful for John to watch over you.

The coffee ritual was one thing; sneaking into your office was another. Then came your perfume, the scent that enchanted him whenever you were in the same room. He would lean close while discussing matters with guests or politicians, praising your talent and major contributions to the Seven. His words often brought a light blush to your cheeks, a reaction he cherished.

One night, as you greeted everyone with delicate grace, Homelander saw you as a rare delicacy. His whispered compliment, “You look ravishing tonight,” near your ear, made your hair flinch and confirmed that you too had feelings for him, even if you were too shy to show them. This pleased Homelander immensely.

A few days later, Homelander noticed it as well—the mark on his arm that had appeared since the very first day you arrived. Despite this, he never believed in soulmates or love at first sight, especially for someone like him. Yet, it took enough courage for him to 'accidentally' bump into you one day, knowing you were busier this week. It meant a little more time for him to determine if he was going insane, but his doubts were replaced with confidence.

One day, during a rush, you stumbled into him, covered in sweat and breathless. His arms almost hovered over you as he chuckled, “My, my, Y/N. What’s the rush?” Brushing a few strands of hair from your face, he noticed your oversized blouse slipping down to reveal a tattoo in cursive, saying “Love.” He murmured the word to himself, meeting your gaze as your cheeks turned a bold shade of pink.

“Love…” he murmured again, then scoffed nonchalantly, pushing back his suit’s arm to reveal a matching tattoo that read “You.” “If we bring your arm to mine, I’d say the universe is telling us something.”

Indeed, the universe had brought you together. Though initially, you thought the tattoo was a drunken mistake, you realized its significance when you saw Homelander’s matching mark. He was your soulmate, and you were his. The mark on his wrist was no coincidence, and you both knew it.

Lost in thought, his voice caught you off guard, soft and captivating. As he approached, his shadow hovered over you, his thumb gently caressing your bottom lip as he lifted your chin to meet his gaze. His piercing, loving gaze conveyed everything without words. You nodded slightly, making him chuckle. “You are mine,” he said, his voice hoarser than before. Leaning in, he closed the gap between you, his lips brushing yours before he asked, “May I?” You nodded again, and his lips curved into a smile as he kissed you deeply. His hands cupped your face, and he growled softly, “So delectable,” before leaning in once more, barely leaving any space for air.

From that day on, the two of you became inseparable.

[eroguron0nsense]

Perhaps my brain isn't braining or I'm assigning undue significance to this but I kinda feel like One Piece seemed to shift more toward exploring what real familial love means or looks like after the timeskip? We get Ace's death, the postwar arc, and Luffy coming to the conclusion that despite having lost both of his brothers, he's still got the Straw Hats and he can move forward with his ragtag crew of siblings, Team Mom and Dad, and an eccentric skeleton Uncle, and then right after that, we get several arcs defined overwhelmingly by either the destruction or salvation of various families.

One of the main inciting incidents–if not the inciting incident–of all the political intrigue inherent to the Fishman Island arc is the assassination of Otohime and its ramifications for Shirahoshi and the entire Ryugu Kingdom (not to mention Luffy trying really fucking hard to imitate Ace and be a big brother to Shirahoshi and Surume as a means of processing his own loss).

Dressrossa's where we first see a true perversion of all the lovely found family tropes that have long been established in One Piece (villains have destroyed families but few if any are depicted as having one in the same way Luffy does; pre-time skip villains are more likely to be loners or self-interested tyrants and their followers aren't really referred to as "family"), giving us self fashioned patriarch in Doffy who completed the destruction of his bio family and spent the rest of his life building a grotesque, failed imitation of it through manipulating and indoctrinating a group of followers he doesn't truly care for, only to be brought down by a combination of his brother's final actions, the little boy Cora saved and loved, the bonds of the Riku family he brutalized, the brothers of the guy whose devil fruit he acquired and tried to entrap his enemies with, and an actual Found Family Crew who genuinely love each other and are willing to sacrifice for each other in a way Doffy cannot possibly understand.

The entirety of WCI involves almost every conceivable permutation of multiple families plotting against, exploiting, abusing, and defiantly loving each other, from Judge discarding any hope he ever had of having an actual family that could love him by literally stripping away their ability to do so in the name of facism/conquest, to Chiffon betraying her abusive mom for her loving husband and in-laws, to Linlin being failed by every parental figure in her life and constructing the most bizarre, fundamentally horrifying political/military structure out of her army of bio children.

Wano's main villain is also an abusive father and tyrannical crew leader, and that does, in fact, contribute to his eventual downfall, but more to the point, the arc opens and closes with the initial destruction and eventual restoration of the Kozuki family in Momo, Hiyori, and Sukiyaki, Luffy's kinship with Momo and Tama, circling back to reminders of Ace yet again (for the third arc so far) and Hiyori literally closing out the arc mirroring her father's catchphrase/dying words (and to a lesser extent, plot fuelled by the destruction of the Kurozumi clan). By the time we end what I personally consider to be Part 2 of One Piece, Luffy's family has picked up another uncle, he's been confronted repeatedly with the spectre of his brother and come out stronger for it (also filling the big brother role for multiple characters), he's reunited with Sabo, and has confronted and defeated multiple villains who act as the antithesis to everything One Piece has told us so far about the joy and love and unity that the Straw Hats and their friends and true families exemplify. And by the time he tells everyone his real dream and shares what he'd previously only told Ace, Sabo, and Shanks, it feels like we've finally gotten some closure for Marineford

[elysiansparadise]

heyyy i love ur posts and i wanna ask what u think about 11h moon<3

btw i love the way u set up ur whole aesthetic and how u lay everything out on ur account its amazing and was sooo helpful when i was trying to learn the basics of astrology

Hello, thanks for loving my posts. I appreciate your comment, delighted to know that this helped you somehow. 😊

Moon in the 11th house

Altruistic, gentle and very empathetic with other people. People, even if they just meet them, tend to quickly feel confident with these natives, even going so far as to tell them private things shortly after meeting them. With this placement of the Moon, the native has the ability to be popular, to win the affection of people and to attract friends who give him unconditional support. Now that I mention the word friendship, these natives are great people to have by your side, because the loyalty, affection and reassurance they are able to give are unique. They are genuinely happy for the achievements and happiness of their friends and it is very important to them that they feel comfortable emotionally and to show themselves as they are. People with a sublime and understandable soul, who, regardless of the differences they may have with others, are attentive and kind. These natives may feel somewhat different from their family or people their age, it is possible that they deal with the feeling of not having fit in with a group at some point in their life, the sense of belonging is something very important for them, even if it is difficult for them to verbalize it. 

The Moon being in an air house, makes them very rational people as far as their emotions are concerned, but that does not mean they are insensitive, quite the opposite, by removing the idea that they have the absolute truth, they are able to understand the motives and people's emotional worlds, which gives them great emotional intelligence. In some cases they may deal with the idea of ​​wanting to take care of their friends or the group they feel they belong with out of an internal need to be cared for in the same way. They very much apply the idea of ​​being the support they felt they didn't have when they were younger. They do not tolerate injustice, and can feel a lot of emotional pain when faced with it, so they will always be willing to support the causes they consider. They are typical people who help strangers and give them an encouraging and genuine smile. They can easily improve people's moods and make them feel that everything will be better. It is very likely that they feel some distance from some members of their family, more than they would like, but throughout their lives they can make friends that feel like family.

As I mentioned before, popularity is something quite common with this placement, these people can be very appreciated and recognized especially on the internet, it is quite common to see celebrities with this placement. They have the desire to contribute something to society, whether it be changes, help, knowledge, etc. They may want to do something significant or big. In financial terms, they may have some ups and downs in their income, but they have the ability to handle it. They are likely to make money as teachers, chefs, content creators, entrepreneurs or psychologists. Even if they seem to be very people-oriented people, these natives need to feel autonomous and enjoy their time alone. In fact, it is likely that when faced with a difficult event, they prefer to isolate themselves to process everything at the beginning, since feeling their support back is something crucial for them. The relationship with the mother can be somewhat complex, and the native is likely to feel that they are very different in terms of ideals. In the best of cases, the native feels motivated by their mother to follow their dreams, in the most tense case there may be a lot of emotional distance with her.

-> Go back to the masterlist

[enlitment]

Top 5 underappreciated historical figures!

Thanks for the ask! This one was super fun, but also super difficult to answer. I've purposefully avoided mentioning the ladies of the French Revolution, since I have another question specifically about them lined up.

With that being said, in no particular order:

Fulvia

Anyone in the classics circle likely knows much more about her than I do, but I'm so glad I've discovered her through Tumblr! All of the things I've learned about her so far have been so interesting. It's incredible to see how much political (and military) power a Roman woman was able to yield despite living in a deeply patriarchal society.

(also, the part of me that loves drama really appreciates the story about her stabbing Cicero's tongue with hairpins after the proscriptions and Octavian's atrocious poem about her)

2. Émilie du Châtelet

Also hardly a surprise for anyone who's been following me for a while. Again, the fact that I've only relatively recently found out that there was a female mathematician and physicist in the fist half of the 18th century with such significant contributions to the field makes me almost feel as if I've been lied to.

She is special to me both because she was incredibly smart (she was able to understand Newton like few other people in her time and she spoke so many languages!) but there's also something about her writing that makes her feel deeply human and relatable. I've read some of her texts, and not only are they written in a beautiful prose but they're also incredibly moving. Her view on how to achieve happiness in life is one of the best I've ever came across, and her arguments for the education of women always make me feel so emotional...

...when she says that it was only after she realised that the circle of (male) French intellectuals accepted her among themselves and treated her as equal that she realised she too "might be a thinking creature"... I don't know, there's something about it that always gets to me.

Okay, time to introduce some male historical figures as well! This one is a residue from the time when I was really into the American Revolution.

3. Peter Stephen Du Ponceau

He was probably the only one in Baron von Steuben's original group that was able to speak decent English when they first arrived in the US to join the revolutionary war, which a) makes him quite important b) is kind of funny to think about.

But what I especially like about him is that he was a talented linguist who seemed to have genuine respect for other cultures, which let's face it, was quite rare in his times. While taking part in the American Revolutionary War, he recorded and studied the languages of Native American People. How cool is that?

(He was also potentially queer and I do have a soft spot for queer history)

Okay, guess should bring up someone interesting from Czech history as well. I fully confess that my own country's history is not necessarily my favourite area of study, but for her, I'll always make an exception:

4. Milena Jesenská

Probably most well known as Kafka's (kind of?) girlfriend/pen pal, but there is so much more to her story!

She was a writer and a journalist during the first half of the 20th century. She was really talented and soon made a reputation for herself, which let's face it, wasn't an easy thing to do for women in her time.

After Czechia became occupied by Nazi Germany, she joined the resistance movement and helped Jewish families to escape. She was later transported to a concentration camp, where she worked as a nurse and was said to have been "a moral support for other prisoners". She unfortunately died there when she was only 47. Still, what a life!

5. John Polidori

He's not necessarily my number one favourite person but I'd argue he is one of the most unappreciated figures. Vampires in fiction are massively popular but he rarely gets credited as one of its first authors. (Also the theory that Lord Ruthven, the charismatic, immoral aristocrat featured in The Vampyre is heavily based off on Lord Byron is not only entirely plausible but also quite funny).

Whenever I read something about the Geneva Squad, I always end up feeling kind of bad for him. As a foreigner, someone who was of a lower social status and - since he technically came along as Byron's personal physician - a paid employee, it just seems to me like he was never actually fully part of the group. Maybe I'm wrong, but to me, he felt kind of like a perpetual outsider. Lord Byron also got the credit for writing The Vampyre that should have gone to Polidori.

He was of course far from a perfect saint, with his drug and gambling addiction, but I still can't help but feel that he deserved better.

[warsamongthestars]

( image is taken from Wookiepedia; Rancor Battalion page )

Alright, these are three of the four known members of Rancor Battalion, stationed on Kamino. (As a battallion is a 1000 soldiers roughly, that means we've got several hundred implied to exist. These ones in particular are just the Commanders of the battalion )

Commander Havoc, is the far right in the Blue. Far Left? That's Commander Blitz

But the one in the middle is Commander Colt. You'll know him from Early TCWs, where he was the Commander who graded Domino Squad's performance on their graduation test of the Citadel, and as the poor bastard who got skewered and kissed by Asaaj Ventress.

Now the reason I'm bringing them up because they are CF99 related.

( CF99 "Clone Force 99". Unfortunately I cannae separate my views of the Bad Batch without immediately running into "The Bad Batch" TV Show... which I fucking hate. So this is a case of me just, trying [key word] to focus on the thing I love without having to deal with the published fanfiction about it [by too much], and maybe inspire some folks along the way as once again I scream "I FOUND A THING AGAIN" )

TCWshow is the origin show of the Bad Batch, and that's clear from the cut material of their season 6 arc. (Yes, it was meant to be season 6 in production order. What we got from released Season 6 were actually stuff made for Seasons 5 and Seasons 4 respectively )

That means, to find the backstory we need to move forward, we go through TCWs first.

Let's start.

Commander Colt, on the right, has a full one skull painted face and he primarily favors dark gray and deep red trim.

As we know, the jawless skull is a prime symbol of the Bad Batchers, and most of paint used by Colt are also used by CF99.

This suggests that Commander Colt was actually a prime, if not main, influence over the Bad Batcher's lives. Particularly, Hunter, who has clearly painted half a stylized skull on his helmet. While the CF99 skull is more stylized than Colt's--the Skull motif had to be inspired by something.

And since we're provided with no obvious alternative (and could probably fanfic plenty of alternatives instead)--the most clear connection here, in show, is with Commander Colt.

( This also helps the slow developed parallel between Domino Squad and CF99. Both are "bad batches", both were given a helping hand by Maintenance Clone 99, and were influenced by Commander Colt. Though its pretty obvious that Commander Colt had more hand with CF99 than Domino ever received. )

[ Side Tangent: This also means that the Bad Batch's association with Ventress is out of character and out of place. She murdered their favored Commander from cadethood, and assaulted him as he died via her kiss. ]

It should be noted that most of Rancor Battallion Commanders (nearly) all have gray faceplates, which makes the helmet appear to be or have a "skull".

This is Commander Havoc, wearing the Blue that was been adopted as 501st colors.

( Its pretty clear that Rancor Battalion does not, in fact, follow the paint cultures of deployed legions. They are either semi-following the now defuncted paint-rank system from "Attack of the Clones", or they have decided "Fuck it, we do what we want"... Either works, hell, both can work simultaneously )

The reason I bring Commander Havoc up, is that the CF99 ship is (was) known as the "Havoc Marauder". And it can be just as easily inferred that its not just the act of causing havoc and chaos, but that it was named in honor of Commander Havoc.

( This is, of course, mere speculation... But fuck it, its fun speculation.)

Commander Havoc's most significant story contributions, before being killed during the (third) Battle of Kamino, was defending 99; and that small contribution could've been enough to name a ship after him.

So y'know, more fun to be had.

ADDENDUM:

I know I did a whole a thing about Clone Names, and I'm still kinda confused but also find it really fun, about Commander Colt's name. Like, is he named after the horse? Are there horses in Star Wars? Is there an anime call a colt? Is the baby form of a rancor called a colt? Or is it the colt single action army revolver? I mean, star wars having combustible revolver weapons with projectiles and gunpowder wouldn't shock me... But Colt Revolvers are named after American Gun Manufacturer Samuel Colt. So uh, does--does this mean Mr. Colt was in Star Wars at some point? Is there a planet called Connecticut where he comes from. Maybe its the swedish origin of colt, which means "half grown animal" or "young boy". Is... Is Sweden in star wars. Is there a planet called Swedish. Its stuff like this, which both makes it both confusing and so fucking funny. Cos now we gotta ask some serious questions, that may or may not result in a parody. ( Name things what you want in your fantasy, so that it can absolutely result in confusing sets of questions like this. Simple Confusion is the best part. )

[ninadove]

If the woman next to Nathalie is indeed Amelie and Emilie is still dead, how do you imagine Amelie and Felix will redecorate The Agreste Mansion? (Assuming that they move there since Amelie is now Adrien’s only adult relative left.)

Oh my gosh Anon. That is SUCH a cute ask, but let me tell you, you have opened Pandora’s box and unleashed 50 levels of overanalysis upon the world. Time for me to turn into an architecture and interior design major for the sake of this post.

In order to get a good sense of Amelie’s taste and of the massive work that needs to be done, let’s compare the shared spaces in the Agreste mansion to those in the Graham de Vanily penthouse.

The first thing that strikes me is that the palettes are exactly the same: white and black are the dominant hues, with a pop of colour coming from earthy tones. And yet, the two atmospheres could not be more different! In my opinion, this boils down to a few key elements: lighting, shapes, space, and purpose.

1. Lighting

The most obvious one. Just look how miserable the Agrestes’ living (?) room looks in comparison to the Graham de Vanily’s. There’s an interesting subversion here when it comes to lighting sources.

The Agrestes’ mansion relies mostly on natural lighting, which gives it a greyish, depressing look. Windows are everywhere, and they’re big, but they aren’t meant to let the sun filter through; instead, they ressemble a cage keeping Adrien in.

Sunlight represents the outside world, which Gabriel "No one matters except us" hates. In his mind, whatever looms outside of the mansion is dangerous. Hawkmoth’s attacks always start with letting the light in, the same way he welcomes his victims’ negative emotions; while he keeps Emilie safe in the crypt, as far away from the sun as possible (even when we do see it fully illuminated, it has to come from an artificial source).

Emilie’s cosy little basement, Gabriel’s office and Nathalie’s room — the adults’ world — are the only spaces that get the courtesy of significant artificial lightning. In other words, there is not enough light and joy coming in from the outside, and definitely not enough coming from the inside to compensate. Which is super sad if you ask me.

Now onto the Graham de Vanily penthouse. We do not get many shots of it, and most of them are taken at night time, which I (want to) believe is a very conscious choice on the writing team’s part.

While Gabriel refuses to let sunlight, and everything good it symbolises, into his son’s life, Amelie welcomes the night and the potential dangers it carries with it. The windows make up two entire walls, offering a full view of the outside world.

Notice how the moon and stars are nowhere to be seen in this shot, yet the penthouse remains significantly brighter than the mansion on the sunniest day. The abundance of artificial light in the Graham de Vanily home, light that comes from within, is a symbol of the love they share as a family.

So obviously, we need to get Adrien some lamps, urgently.

2. Shapes

The thing about the Agreste mansion is, it has potential.

No really. Hear me out.

The use of straight lines (vertical in the overall architecture, expanding like sun rays in the minimalistic decor) is reminiscent of Art Déco, which is a very fun style. For instance, it gave us the Chrysler building:

But here, it’s just… Not working. In fact, these same lines are what makes the entire building look like a cage — not just the windows I mentioned above, but the entire structure of the place, trapped between vertical lines like behind prison bars.

On the other hand, the Graham de Vanily penthouse is ruled primarily by horizontal lines, which expand the space instead of compressing it. It’s smaller, but it feels bigger and more breathable.

This difference in structure directly contributes to my third point:

3. Space

More precisely, how it is organised to make the mansion look threatening, and the penthouse cosy.

And by that I specifically mean this AWFUL NO GOOD TERRIBLE STAIRCASE.

It’s the first thing we think about when picturing the mansion; how it towers over the characters and crushes them. There’s a reason Marinette’s act of defiance in Pretension was to rush up those despicable horrifying very very bad stairs to find Adrien; they are a symbol of Gabriel’s power over his world, his fans, his son, his victims.

Interestingly enough, the penthouse is also built on several levels — which we can infer by the presence of a very discreet mezzanine. This implies the existence of stairs, right??? Where are they???

It’s very blink-and-you-miss it — the exact opposite of the Agreste staircase. To the Graham de Vanilys, stairs are just stairs: a necessity for their comings-and-goings, a useful infrastructure in their day-to-day life as a family. Not a display of power and control.

Oh? Is that a transition I sense? Absolutely, for it is time to move on to the last part of our analysis:

4. Purpose

Just like the staircase, every single piece of furniture in the Agreste household serves a purpose. Adrien’s room is the best example of this phenomenon.

On top of the essentials (bed + desk & computer combo), we immediately notice:

- A plethora of trophies, reinforcing the message that Adrien has to be the best at everything he does, always;

- An impressive bookshelf, illustrating the top-notch (and somewhat elitist) education Adrien has been receiving at home.

"But Nina!" you might ask, "What about the fun stuff? What about the arcade games and the basketball hoop and the climbing wall?"

I hear you. Those things look pretty cool, don’t they? Until you remember that Adrien has spent his entire life in isolation. These are all appliances that would normally be found outside of the house, giving him an opportunity to socialise. In other words, they are meant to deter him from seeking enjoyment in the “real” world. If, like me, you were obsessed with N Harmonia as a pre-teen, you might notice some striking similarities to his cage room:

Still not convinced? Say hi to our friend the foosball table!

Meanwhile, on the actually loving side of the family, you get an entire piano and AN ACTUAL ABSTRACT PAINTING:

It’s not even figurative — unlike the portraits of the Agreste family members or the statue in the garden, constantly reminding us of Emilie’s absence. It’s art for the sake of art, which makes a massive difference. Things are allowed to be there for no reason other than Amelie and Felix like them.

So now that we’ve established that

How would they redecorate the mansion if given the chance?

1. Lean into the Art Déco aesthetic for a much needed dose of actual (yet elegant) fun. There are so many lines and curves to play with to get rid of this feeling of imprisonment we get from the pillars!

2. BLOW UP THOSE FUCKING STAIRS. No, really. We can find a much cuter, less pretentious alternative to whatever kind of power trip that was.

3. Get rid of the stupid bars on all those windows. Replace them with literally any other option that doesn’t make you want to choke on a pancake.

4. Also, get some lamps. Lamps EVERYWHERE, on the walls, on the ceiling, on the furniture. The resident vampire is GONE, we can have some goddamn light in this goddamn place.

5. Indulge in the pleasure of buying things just because they’re pretty. Trash the paintings and put up some actual art (abstract or not) instead. Exorcise Emilie’s ghost and Gabriel’s tacky tastes out of this place. This process has already begun, given that the statue in the garden is now gone!

6. Let Adrien decorate his own room, and have fun with it. This part may be tricky because our boy doesn’t know what he wants, but you know what, it’s part of the process! Giving him total creative control over his own space is a first step towards his making bigger decisions for himself, like choosing what he wants to be when he grows up. As requested by my ✨ awesome girlfriend ✨ @paracosmicfawn, he can also redecorate the entryway, which carries sooo much trauma for him. Maybe he can put up some cute cat statuettes along the new staircase, or something equally cheesy.

7. Build a pool, apparently

8. Last but not least, block all accesses to the basement and the attic. Hide them behind these new Kandinsky paintings they just bought. Pray to Gimmi Adrien never finds out (he will).

And that, my friend, is how you take a prison and turn it into a home full of secrets!

[essayofthoughts]

canonically, is percy the type of person that’s too embarrassed/stuffy to say “i love you” or show pda to vex in public?

You seem to be asking for a straightforward ruling and sadly, I cannot give you one because you're assuming the factors in play and assuming, so far as I can tell, wrongly.

Percy is a very private person. He's hesitant to show affection to anyone, even Keyleth - his best friend and one of the only people he reliably accepts hugs from in the whole group. Even Vex's kisses to his cheek make him blushy and stuttery before they get together, but it's not really about him being embarrassed or stuffy - it's upbringing and trauma.

The man was tortured, remember. He has every reason to be incredibly iffy about touch, especially non-consensual touch, from relative strangers and people he doesn't like or trust.

Additionally, Percy has said before "We didn't touch in my family," and Taliesin has elaborated that he was kind of riffing on a British/Prussian idea of stoicism and not showing affection much even within family. Percy isn't really that opposed to physical affection, he's just more used to verbal expression of affection and gift-giving, and was probably taught that needing physical affection was childish - everyone else's liking for it (aside, notably, from Vex) probably contributed to his feeling like the only adult in the room.

He rarely initiates hugs - usually only when he's drunk or highly emotional or both and usually with Keyleth - and rarely initiates physical affection at all - other exceptions being things like the kiss with Vex - and has been known to recoil from physical affection with certain people - Tiberius after the Slayer's Take; one can point out Percy was recovering from injuries, but he did also accept Keyleth hugs then despite that. We also know that when in a bad mood with someone - Keyleth, after he got blinded because of her - he can be more standoffish, because Percy is a prickly bastard sometimes, especially when he feels hurt or betrayed.

I mean, why wouldn't he? The most significant time he was hurt and betrayed, his personal tutor betrayed his whole family and he was tortured. What started out as probably a mild teenage defensiveness has been drastically amplified by severe trauma.

Further, Percy has his own self-worth issues; combined with his upbringing he is very unlikely to impose his desires on others especially where they relate to affection. It gets easier the longer and better he knows someone - hence his increased ease hugging Keyleth over the course of the campaign, and how he's perfectly comfortable going arm in arm with Vex at several points.

And tying back to what I said earlier - Percy is fine with verbal expressions of affection; it's actually the thing he's most comfortable with - and even sometimes tips his hand with, because he can be so verbally expressive. Who here remembers "Never forget you're my favourite and I'm so sorry"? Verbal affection is far and away what Percy is most comfortable with, closely followed by gift-giving. His awkwardness around physical affection isn't stuffiness or embarrassment - it's his upbringing and his trauma. He gets more affectionate as it goes on and while his sense of privacy means he clearly has some ideas of what is and isn't appropriate - "This is a deeply inappropriate convincing mena-mechanism and it is working" when Vex is holding his face in front of everyone to convince him to come with her to Elysium - he also has no compunctions being sickeningly cute with her verbally and kissing her in public - remember the debate over who gets death ward? And the fact that, when told to "Just kiss already" both Laura and Taliesin just went "we do"?

So, TL;DR: It's not embarrassment or stuffiness that makes Percy hesitant with physical affection, it's his upbringing and trauma, and over time, he gets increasingly at ease with it when it's people he likes and trusts. Verbal affection, meanwhile, is absolutely one of his most preferred ways to express affection, and he is absolutely unstinting in it.

He's never going to be unable to say "I love you" to Vex in public - when fighting Thordak he goes out of his way to reassure Vex that of all the things he regrets, being with her and showing his love for her is not one of those things. Percy is deeply considerate of his loved ones (if not always the most reliable about it with others and people he's drifted from, see: Cassandra) and, knowing her self-worth issues, he is never going to let Vex doubt he loves her. He may have compunctions about certain forms of publicly shown affection, due to his upbringing and the etiquette he was raised with and his sense of privacy, but he also knows how easily some of that could, for Vex, butt up against her feeling unwanted or like something to be ashamed of and hidden, and he will never ever contribute to those feelings. Percy loves Vex, is aware of her self-worth issues and the trauma she gained from Syngorn, and will do everything in his power to reassure her and help her feel loved. Even if that means he feels uncomfortable - before Umbrasyl, the soot facepaint, Percy refusing until Vex draws a line down his face and his only response is "I feel violated but thank you".

Percy has his hangups, but he will always end up doing all he can to set those aside if he thinks they'll hurt Vex. He loves her and the last thing he wants to do is hurt her.

[tenabrye]

Hi! I’m so glad that I’ve stumbled upon your blog! I’ve read everything and I loved it soooooo much 💖💖 can I please ask for headcanons on Wolfwood and Vash (reboot versions) noticing that the reader has crush on them (can be if they afterwards reciprocate reader’s crush or decline or ignore or whatever you feel like writing)

Thank you so much! 🥰

I'm so glad you've enjoyed everything so far. This is a very niche fandom, so there's not a whole lot, yet, but hopefully my contributions help. ☺️

Vash

It's not that he's dumb, but he's just the type to accidentally think that their extra niceness to him is just them being extremely friendly, to which he is happy about. But when he actually learns that it's all because of their little crush on him? The man is ecstatic. Immediately accepts their feelings with open arms that are quick to envelope them, picking them up and gently swaying them around with a smile on his face.

He'd be curious as to when it all started. Very curious. What made them fall for him? It's the most common question on his mind, to which he immediately grins at the answer they give him. Oh, so it wasn't just his good looks? He kids, he kids. He actually likes the fact that they love his personality before his appearance. It shows what kind of person they are. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel the same, but the man is the definition of CONSENT. He's not doing anything until, I do mean until, he knows they feel the same AND they're okay with it. That being said, they better prepare for what comes next.

Cue the hand holding, lots of it, the onslaught of hugs, face peppered with soft kisses, etc. Oh man, and don't get me started on the loving glances he sends their way. If people thought he was soft before, oh boy, just wait until they catch him looking at his crush turned significant other. If they ever catch him looking at him with such softness in his eyes, he just casually smiles at them before letting a little "I love you" slip out.

To be fair, he most likely would have had a crush on them first, but due to not knowing if they felt the same, or having already decided early on that they didn't feel the same, he would have tried to push his feelings down. At least as best as he could. Except they just come out after the little realization of his crush's feelings. They really don't know how happy they've made him with their confession.

Wolfwood

Luckily for him, he can tell when someone likes him, and I mean really likes him. He's quiet about it, though, observing them, making sure his eyes aren't deceiving him. He doesn't trust himself at times and often second guesses things, hence his actual look of surprise when he realizes that everything he's been noticing about them and their own feelings towards him are real.

He's very different when it comes to someone liking him and vice versa. See, when someone likes him, he wonders about the reason. Why do they like him? What about him draws them to him? Considering who he really is and what he really does as opposed to his side gig, yeah, it's only right he'd think such things. BUT, it's a relief when they confess to him, because he now knows that he was right. His eyes didn't deceive him this time. He doesn't grin, but boy does he have such a cute smirk on his face, the cigarette in his mouth having been moved to one corner of his mouth.

He has DEFINITELY thought about doing stuff, but it's not like he would without consent. The only thing he has ever done without his little admirer's knowledge was steal glances at them. But when they confessed their feelings to him, it was as if that was really all the consent he needed. Of course, he'll have them pulled close to him, eyes half lidded and staring intently into their own as he asks, "Can I kiss you?"

In all honesty, the man probably felt something for them after some short time travelling together with them. Hence the extra niceties and protectiveness, but y'know, that's about all it was from him. And stolen glances. It's a big relief when they confess to him, it really is. He doesn't have to hold himself back anymore, and he hopes they won't tell him to.

[ladygwyndolin]

You're clearly a great fan of Murcielago's villain protagonists, but what are your opinions on the antagonists?

well you can't send me an ask like this an expect me not to rate each of them individually, but i assume you knew this. crafty, glasses! I'm gonna rate the primaries here but I'll rate the secondaries next. Only up to Silver Scent.

Arc 0: Unnamed Serial Killer

Cringe loser, no swag, no style, unmemorable, no standards. Died in an accident. 0/5.

Arc 1: Tasuku Iimura

Just kind of a big brute, somewhat sad backstory but doesn't really bring anything to the table. This arc isn't really about him though. 1/5.

Arc 2: Hyoue Satori

Total patsy. Basically irrelevant as his only real contribution was bankrolling a cooler, sexier villain. 1/5.

Arc 3: Takeru Asagi

We're starting to get somewhere. He's still fairly meh, but his MO and backstory are way more interesting than the previous villains and his genuine care for his daughter gives him a bit of heart. OFC, he pales in comparison to how amazing a character said daughter is, but I'll give him a point for trying. 2/5.

Arc 4: Gold Marie

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOO!!!!!! I LOVE GOLD MARIE. Absolutely horrible and irredeemable monster, twisted in fun and unique ways, tragic backstory, gay, disgusting, and, well. Y'know. She's got. uh. well. Anyway, one of the best in the series, no question. 5/5.

Arc 5: The Rainy Day Killer

Hands down the most terrifying villain in the entire series and it's not even close. I get the creeps just looking at him. It takes a lot to be a monster in a world as monstrous as Murcielago's, but boy oh boy does he do it. Great backstory, too. Gonna give him a 4/5 just because of how SCARY he is.

Arc 6: Marie Misaka

Meh. This arc is more about Kuroko herself being the villain rather than this chick, so she barely gets any screentime and doesn't have much to offer. 2/5 cuz there's some implied gay shit at least.

Arc 7: Toukichirou Higaki

Mostly a vehicle for more interesting side characters. His fighting style is cool, but his ultimate goal of dying in battle doesn't have any real weight to it. Pretty forgettable. 2/5.

Arc 8: Shin Tatewaki

Boring villain from a boring arc. 1/5 cuz i think his scar looks cool.

Arc 9: Cobalt Conrad

A very solid mad scientist archetype. I think his relatively friendly and calm demeanor persisting throughout both arcs he's in is great and I like that he came back as a villain in the first place. His ultimately plan is pretty simple and I feel like more could be done with him, but given that we haven't seen the last of him I think there's a chance we'll get new stuff from him too. 4/5.

Arc 10: Kurono

YEAH BABY YEAH BABY LET'S GO!!!!!!!!! I LOVE KURONO!!!! Cool split personality ghost with probably the best fight in the entire series (due to the fact that Kuroko is hilarious throughout it) and sympathetic motivation make her extremely memorable. A lot of people rank Master Swordsman as their favorite arc, and while it's not my personal pick, scenes with Kurono make me understand exactly why so many people love it. 5/5.

Arc 11: Rose Marie

Best boy with one of the best arcs. I looooove TTDUP and how fucked up it is, and this weird conjoined cannibal queen is what makes it work. The second most unsettling villain after the rainy day killer as well. Easy 6/5, I would love if we got more villains like him in the future.

Arc 12: Comedy Writer

Easily the least threatening major villain and thus one of the least interesting. This is another arc where Kuroko eclipses the actual antagonist by a significant margin, so his only real noteworthy moment is when Kuroko kills the shit out of him. 1/5.

Arc 13: Hazuki Sendou

Gross. Loser. Doesn't deserve Zenpachi. Keep that in your pants, loser. 1/5.

Arc 14: Yuusuke Arima

A deeply tragic and sympathetic villain, and one who we get to know as a person far more than most other villains. Serial killer or not, I just felt really fucking bad for this guy. Not huge on his sudden double evil turn at the very end so I've gotta dock him a point for that, but I'm overall a fan. 3/5.

Arc 15: Mineko and Ayako

Honestly it was tough for me to decide which one of these two was the "main" villain so I ultimately decided to just go with both of them because hey, it's my list. My verdict is that they did literally nothing wrong and should not be held accountable for any crimes whatsoever. 5/5.

Hopefully that answers your question!

[elektrischemaidchen]

Lisztober #11: Symphonie Fantastique

Madness has taken hold at the Maidchen court. What always comes across as so easy here, is a real challenge, which unfortunately also takes its toll. I now have a real coffee problem by now, so I sometimes have heart palpitations at night. Then there's the incredible time pressure to present you with something cool that has to be ready in less than 24 hours.

If anyone asks why we're sitting in a three-person cell in a asylum by November, tell them it's because of absinthe, reading too much Lautréamont and hysteria. Please.

And that brings us right back to today's topic. Yesterday we escalated. Really. So much so that one girl is hoarse and the other is on the verge of tinnitus. Additionaly, one of our speakers died due to the volume and overdrive. Here you can listen a true masterpiece by Maidchen standards. We had to stop in between, because of laughing over and over, again and again. Both while writing and during the recording itself. Even while cutting. And even more so when the neighbor simply started practicing the tuba for unknown reasons. I didn't even know he had a tuba. It must be new. Totally surreal. But luckily, he didn't call the police on us. And you wouldn't believe how many takes we “indulged” in. (There were 26. 26!) I hope we can convey these moments of pure joy. PLEASE LISTEN TO THE WHOLE SONG TO GET THE VIBE! ;)

The reason for this was our contribution for today, Berlioz “Symphonie Fantastique” aka probably the creepiest piece of classical music that has ever existed. And thank you so much, @franzliszt-official for giving us this opportunity.

So, here’s our plot summary:

We really always wanted to write something about this masterpiece of brainf***, but unfortunately we didn't have the right idea - and you see: With a gun to your head, even the muse must speed up. Let’s see how far we can go with this. The plot of the symphony - just like the story before and after it - is so obscure that it has become a kind of running gag for us. Life (and art) can't write better stories. Never ever. And before I tell you the whole story, if you don't know it yet: there's a wonderful YouTube video with a short summary that I highly recommend you watch (the whole channel is amazing!!!). WTF, Berlioz, really, WTF.

Oh well, it's still about Liszt. Liszt was a huge fan (Really, Franz. I love you, but why? WHY?) of this symphony, just like Wagner (but nobody here give a shit about Richard‘s opinion anyway)  Franz may not have been directly involved in the creation of the “Symphonie Fantastique”, but his piano transcription and his interpretations made a significant contribution to this work becoming one of the most important works of Romantic music. Liszt made it accessible to a wider audience, interpreted it and developed it further, thus having a lasting influence on music history.

That's why we originally wanted to deal with the “Dies Irae” theme, but let's be honest… everything stinks against the main story.

And then there is the “Idée fixe”, the central theme of Berlioz's symphony, the beloved, who appears again and again musically as a motif and ultimately drives him mad. You could also apply this to the Maidchen. Fun fact: 97% of all our lyrics have a hidden hint to Franz. Sometimes so well that Lacelove doesn't even notice ;) Whoever finds them all: Get in touch. You'll get an exclusive shirt and your own song written. I promise.

Oh, dearest, dearest love, you surely will never know that I’m gonna write to you A symphony of love  in just one night Oh, dearest, dearest love, I only dream of you and in my longing I wish you were here Oh, dearest, dearest love, Where have you gone? You dance with a hundred others You erase me from your mind Oh, dearest, dearest love, Fate is not fair My sky, full of violins But my heart, it's so heavy So heavy I try to forget you On noble pastures The shepherds who soothed me Make their songs known But then I see you before me With a smile like a sword You belong to someone else now You're...not worth it That's why I'm whistling opium now And will just kill you. DIEEEE! DIIEEEEE! OH GOD! JUST DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE God alone knows, I will be judged for everything I have done and none of the heavenly angels will weep at my grave And so I see your face One last time before my face Oh, dearest, dearest love Why don't you save me? Oh, dearest, dearest love then it comes back to me You spawn of hell You are the queen of the witches. ORGIES! DAMN ORGIEEEEEEES! OH GOD! ORRRRRGIIIIIESSSS! Oh, dearest, dearest dearest, will you be angry with me? I invite you on the day of the premiere To find out Oh, dearest, dearest love then you'll be my wife Otherwise I'll threaten you with my own s*i*ide You know that very well IF YOU DON'T MARRY ME, I'LL K*** MYSELF! I'LL K**** MYSELF! AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!!!!! YAAAAAAAAA! And then, she actually married him.

[the-lincyclopedia]

On healthy relationships

Recently, I saw a post about how “healthy relationships are built, not found,” which I mostly agree with, but a lot of the advice in the post didn’t resonate with me. I’m not sure if that was because it was bad advice, or if it’s just that humans have different needs and preferences and there are multiple ways to build a healthy relationship, with different ways that work better for different people, or something else. 

Regardless, I’m a little over two months into a relationship that is so far the healthiest I’ve ever had, so I figured I’d share some factors that I think are contributing to things going so well for me at present. A lot of this comes back to the fact that I decided before this relationship started that I would rather deal with a fundamental incompatibility by breaking up than by putting either of us in a position of trying to cram ourselves into a place we don’t fit. That feels essential to me, and I also haven’t seen it talked about much when it comes to relationship advice. 

So yeah, here’s what I’m very consciously doing because I want my relationship to be healthy if it’s going to exist at all: 

1. I’m not pretending to be anything I’m not. This isn’t to say I have zero filter--if an unkind thought pops into my head, I still try not to say it out loud. But I’m not pretending to like things I find boring, or to be okay with behavior I find ethically dubious, or to be more relaxed or cool or whatever than I am, or any of the other many types of pretending that are all too common in the early stages of relationships when people are trying to impress one another. My significant other can take me or leave me as I am, but I’m going to be me regardless. 

2. I’m bringing up potential deal-breakers early, in both directions. Before my current significant other and I got together, there was a lot we didn’t know about each other, so after I told him I liked him, I made a list of questions that I needed answers to before making a final decision about whether to date him. (I did this after telling him I liked him because most of the things on the list would have been none of my business if dating hadn’t been on the table.) 

But I’m not just asking questions of him; I’m also answering his questions and telling him things that aren’t going to change about me, because there’s stuff about me that I don’t want him to be surprised by later. These have ranged from “I’m asexual” to “the metro area I live in is really important to me and I’m not leaving, even though you live elsewhere” to “I don’t want to have kids” to “here are some things I’ve done in the past that I’m not proud of that you might have feelings about.” I may be going overboard on this, but I would much rather we know these things about each other before we make big commitments to one another than wind up with a nasty shock later. 

3. I’m saying no when I want or need to. I was raised in a family where saying no was not encouraged, and because of that, I got into a pattern in relationships where I would do whatever was asked of me, even if I found it exhausting or traumatic--and then, often, I would get upset about doing something that was so hard on me. In recent years, I’ve realized that it’s better--both in romantic relationships and in much of the rest of life--to say no if I’m being asked to do something that I’m going to regret or resent. Depending on my reasons for saying no, sometimes I’m willing to negotiate and other times I’m not, but getting out of the habit of immediately saying yes in all circumstances has been really important for my ability to have healthy relationships. 

4. I’m speaking up when something bothers me. My family of origin doesn’t deal well with conflict, and I was very much raised to graciously accept whatever love was tossed my way, regardless of how it felt for me or which of my boundaries it crossed. Reacting with anything other than gratitude and humility was considered ungrateful. But shockingly, that’s not a good way to have a healthy relationship! Even more shockingly, a good partner will want to know when they’ve hurt you or even just bothered you. It has been hard to learn to speak up after a lifetime of being told to hold my tongue, but I’m doing it, and my relationship is so much better for it. 

I’ve said here before that becoming the best version of yourself--learning to communicate well, respect people, and handle conflict maturely--is the best way to position yourself well for a healthy relationship. This very much only works when both people are putting in the work. Everything I listed above could be twisted, punished, or taken advantage of in an abusive relationship. This is not a list of tips to keep yourself safe from someone who means badly or is less emotionally mature than you are; it’s an incomplete list of actions that can help you flourish if/when you do hit the relationship jackpot. 

I really hope you hit the relationship jackpot.

[synergysilhouette]

Plotting out "Night and Day" (2008)

Check out my post about the summaries of the post-renaissance era here. Note: I may change them to better fit my fleshed-out posts later.

Background: Wanting to do adapt another Hans Christian Anderson tale, Disney eventually settles on "The Nightingale," though that it may not be interesting enough makes them shelve it. Eventually, someone mentions an interesting take on the story: to set it in Korea. Deciding that letting the story take place in China would bring about comparisons to "Mulan," Disney greenlights the project, bringing Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise on as directors due to the variety they bring having directed Disney movies with a variety of flavors, and thus believe they can bring something unique to this story. They ask James Newton Howard to conduct the score, and while originally planning to hire Stephen Schwartz to do the music, the Korean-American community speaks out on Disney involving East Asians in the production team, so they opt for a Korean American songwriter instead. While Linda Woolverton is the primary screenwriter, several people of Korean heritage contribute to the script as well. Additional research is also done into the history and culture of Korea, with Park chan-Wook's work having significant influence. A notable source of contention is what time period to set the story in. Despite being fictional, it's soon decided that it would be wise to be close as possible to cultural accuracy, and while some argued that the film should depict the Joseon era (a popular era for Korean films and dramas), the Silla dynasty is soon decided upon due to it's reputation as a golden age of Korea and an "Ancient" feel that could make it comparable to "Mulan." They also made a somewhat controversial change of making the bird a magpie (in reference to a Korean fairy tale involving a sky bridge made of magpies) instead of a nightingale. And possibly the most divisive change was to remove hyphens from certain character's names and pronounce/spell them as one name. Sci-fi elements of the story were originally pitched, but when they felt it was straying too far from the initial story and the fantasy vibe, breaking the world in a sense, Disney cut it.

(Note: several visual aids used are from media post-2008 and are serve to give the audience the idea of how the characters would look/act, rather than the influences Disney would use in the early 2000s.)

Plots

In the Kingdom of Seora, all is not well. Emperor Taejo, the overseer of a golden age, is stricken with a seemingly incurable disease. While the country prematurely mourns the beloved monarch, his second son takes matters into his own hands by vowing to find a bird of legend said to cure disease and even resurrect the dead. However, the bird herself is not quite as magical as one thought, but she does have Death's ear. She takes the prince on a journey to visit the one who all will see in time, but the prince finds that both in his home and on his journey, dark forces plot against him.

Characters

Sujin (Su-Jin)--Cursed to take on the form of a bird by her cruel stepmother, she is a mature and patient woman (at one point, anyway) with a glorious singing voice. Her curse has given her longevity, and her voice became one of legend, and it is said that even Death himself cannot resist when she calls for a favor. When the Prince of Seora finds her to ask for Death's favor, she guides him to find Death itself. However, she realizes that her relationship with Death does always deliver on her favors; in fact, she worries that it may need to be a trade. And as she continues to fall for the prince, she's terrified that he will accept it.

Prince Jiyu (Ji-Yu)--The middle son of the Emperor and called the rabbit prince for his wit, he is one of the few people at court not so depressed by grieving that he is able to realize what he needs to do. Having heard of a magpie with a song so lovely that it can heal the sick and revive the dead, he ventures to find her. However, he soon discovers the myth was embellished, but that she does hold Death's favor. So he asks her to take him to find "Grandfather Death" to ask for his father's safe health. While he comes off as a slacker with no self-motivation, Jiyu is quite crafty and a slippery thing, a rabbit not so easily caught. But Sujin may have done so without even trying.

(Note: the picture of Park Jihoon in 'Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency, as the title states, is set in the Joseon era, but I included the picture to demonstrate the vibrancy of the colors and patterns he wears as something Jiyu would wear. In fact, I'd probably put him in pinks and purples to contrast with Sujin's more mature magpie colors. And I know Lau is Chinese, but I was imagining him as influencing Jiyu's personality)

Yunseo (Yun-Seo)--Prince Jiyu's uncle, who stands to inherit the throne if Jiyu dies on his journey, as Jiyu's older brother was imprisoned for staging a coup and his younger brother and sister are too young to rule, allowing him to rule as regent. While he has a family affinity, those closest to him stoke his ego until he allows himself to believe that the kingdom would be better off without him and with Yunseo as Emperor, and considers either discrediting his young niece and nephew, or removing them from the line of succession in a more...substantive way.

(It's noted that Daniel Dae Kim was a visual inspiration. Perhaps he even played Yunseo.)

Songs

The Sun Never Sets--A ballad of the glory of the Kingdom of Seora, how it was brought into a golden age by the emperor. But in the past year, a great illness has set into his body and mind

Rabbit Eyes--The mischievous second son of the emperor is set to inherit the kingdom if his father dies, but while plans are made for him, he refuses to give up, deciding to venture to find the mythical magpie.

Songbird--Jiyun attempts to persuade Sujin to heal his father, but she cannot, and he eventually convinces her to guide him to Death in order to ask them personally for a favor.

Abandoned--While regent, Yunseo contemplates the idea of being permanent ruler. Having been young when his brother's children were born, he never truly considered becoming Emperor, but he eventually comes around to the idea that him as emperor would be beneficial for everyone.

Connection--Sujin, having grown closer to Jiyun during their journey, tells him about how she became a magpie, and Jiyun reveals how he wants to heal his father out of duty rather than familial ties; his mother died when he was small and his older brother staged a failed coup and was imprisoned. All this made his father emotionally distant, and thus Jiyun feels more like his subject than his son.

Death's Favor--Upon finally meeting Death, they are not as moved by Sujin's pleas as usual, as the emperor is already at Death's door. Jiyun is willing to trade his life for his father's, but Death says that to bring his father to full health, the cost is much steeper: if he wants the emperor healed, he must fade from the minds of everyone, forgetting who he is and all forgetting him. He must lose his very identity in order to restore the golden age of his kingdom.

Hope you enjoyed the original films from my take on Disney's post-renaissance era! Lemme know if you have any questions.

[techramonic]

ALSO your reply was really interesting....not that it's the same, but for like a couple days in a row, I kept having reoccurring dreams about being in a school shooting. I only really had them once or twice, but it was so...much more scary this time?? The feeling of impending doom setting on me was just awful. Especially living in America too, where I've had a scare of it actually happening in middle school. (Also! Someone got stabbed in front of my middle school. Yay!!!) Not to shift the subject too much, but remembering hiding in a closet for an "active shooter drill" in the second grade was just..crazy to me. It just dawned on me, (not for the first time, obviously) that nothing has really changed ever since columbine happened. I just think it really started a domino effect (well, yeah, the columbine effect is a thing) and how America has really just, adapted to it isn't of addressing the problem fully and in a logical manner. you know what I actually fucking loathe? people who say "oh but this is a violation of my second amendment. Don't take muh guns1!!1!" When the topic of gen reformation gets brought up. Like holy shit, you actually value firearms over human life? And the only other topic that also gets brought up with gun reformation, is mass shootings. It's like that shit is interchangeable. so these gun loving fucks really have no regards for any other human life except their own. No one is even outright saying "Ban all AR-15s" or whatnot, but just an observation, it's crazy to me you can buy a firearm before you can legally drink/smoke in the US. it's eye opening, really. Oh, and another thing, one thing I hate is when people use the rebuttal "oh but the focus shouldn't be entirely on guns, mental health is a huge benefactor, too!" And then the same people do fuck all when it comes to young adults/teenagers getting better access to those resources. Like yeah buddy, go ahead and give the next mass shootings victims your thoughts and prayers already, cause you don't give a fuck about them at all.

If I made any grammatical mistakes, sorry. I'm too embarrassed to reread it 😭

second grade? that's awful. it's sad to see temporary fixes that do not properly adress the root problems because most of the time, the problems will just reoccur overtime. that's why a lot of people die because of gun-related violence. you're right with the adaptation instead of adressing to overcome the problem and that's the sad thing. the people value their possesions, it's their liberty after all — but when you trample and destroy someone's life trying to preserve your own selfish "freedoms", is it really worth it?

there's an unwillingness for the congress to take action and reform laws because of the significant power and influence guns have. loopholes are easily exploited, and even the media encourages consumption: military propaganda, extremists, violent and glorified media. the teenage mind is the frailest thing that's easily molded, which is why it's such an appeal to the younger audience to be drawn to them because they've been sensitized. guns are now a trend rather than an epidemic.

in tom mauser's words:

“It would be easy to simply blame the powerful NRA and all the gun lobby for America’s failure to pass federal legislation.  Yes, that’s true.  The NRA has influence that defies the fact it only has a membership of about 4 million—far from the total number of American gun owners.  Yes, the NRA pressures politicians, makes plenty of campaign contributions and does the dirty work of the gun industry.  That’s a given. The reality is that the NRA is effective at what it does: strong-arming elected representatives to respond to their “anything goes” agenda. They know how to use the democratic system to their advantage.”

not only is it the government's stuborness, it's also the various factors that encourage and influence the people to push for the unwillingness to change. if no one takes accountability and pushes for a reform, nothing will be achieved. only shallow attempts of trying to change by adapting to the problem, which doesn't allow the people true truly see the problematic effects. there's a stagnation in the process of innovation, and more or less, the temporary solutions have low stability and higher risks.

when a problem is so deeply embeded in society, you have to restructure it piece by piece and start off from a fresh start. when a problem penetrates through the system and widely affects the nation so deeply, it takes a whole reformation to make things change and make things right.

that's why i respect gun control activists like tom mauser so much, because the time you go out to a crowd of people and start talking, advocating for the hopes of better change and achieving peace, and people would rather not listen, that's the time when you truly know something is wrong.

[waitingforsecretsouls]

Encouraging people to check out reddit user Genghis/Kazoo’s asoiaf meta. Even if you end up not agreeing with some stuff, it offers interesting new perspectives (compared to popular/accepted fandom opinion on the issues in question) and certainly revitalized my interest in the asoiaf lore, so you might find it thought-provoking or just plain fun nonetheless! Some of my favourites include:

1. Mance Rayder woke the Others on purpose, to gain personal power and further the interests of an Asshai'i conspiracy . What it says on the tin, an alternate perspective on Mance and the Others both that fits GRRM’s stated goals for the series as well as its themes far more than the popular ‘everyone vs the (maybe not completely evil) Others’.

2. The Stallion's Revenge: How Mirri Maz Durr Ruined Everything. If you have strong Mirri opinions the title might sound a bit inflammatory, but basically the meta deals with the true nature of Azor Ahai and the way Mirris well-intentioned but ultimately utilitarian prevention of his incarnation in Rhaego led to a far worse alternative, because prophecy in asoiaf cannot ever be useful except in hindsight (and no, it does not involve Dany as Azor Ahai or the ‘Great Darkness’).

3. The Grey King = the Pearl Emperor = the first Hightower: Decrypting the mythology of the Grey King, GEOTD, Oldtown, and the Seven . Connecting some dots in the Dawn Age lore between the Great Empire of the Dawn, the Ironborn, and the Hightowers/Oldtown, all highly relevant for the series plot-thread regarding...the Ironborn, Azor Ahai Reborn and Oldtown.

4. Invasion from the Deeps, Part 2: Beyond the Eldritch Apocalypse. Similar in flavour to the above in that it examines the Dawn Age history of the Ironborn and why the connection to some sort of fishy precursor race or a sort of ‘Deep Ones’ is misguided, particularly regarding the series endgame.

5. The Jade Compendium and why Lightbringer is a genuine goddamned superweapon . What exactly is the deal with Lightbringer and why is it so dangerous? Hint: It’s because it’s not three adolescent dragons. You’ll wish it was as tame as that.

6. Brightroar, the Black Bazaars, and a Big Boom: A New Theory on Who Sold the Lannisters Their Sword and Blew Up Valyria. An investigation into one of the most consequential events in asoiaf history, with a side dish of explanation as to the above-mentioned ‘Asshai’i conspiray’.

6.5 Lightbringer "went critical" and caused the Doom of Valyria. With an    addendum of Lightbringers potential involvement.

7. How Sam the Slayer is being forged by the narrative into the ultimate weapon against Euron. Predictions regarding Sam and the Reach and Euron. Or: Why the Reach is doomed to become part of Sams tragic backstory (...2!) and fuel for his at the least significant contribution to Euron’s defeat in the series climax.

8. Ten reasons nobody should trust the Azor Ahai prophecy. Arguably a bit ‘basic’ after all that, but a valuable little summary nonetheless, since it’s far from  the universally agreed upon perspective (despite the fact that GRRM is not subtle about it).

9. The Bloodstone Emperor and Azor Ahai both sound eerily similar to Ineluki the Storm King from Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. More Azor Ahai ‘lore’. If you’ve read some or all of the previous theories you’ll probably already have seen it come up, but here’s a salient collection of their parallels.

10. Euron is definitely Azor Ahai reborn. I had to put it on the list, despite the fact that it will have appeared in multiple of the theories listed above. I just love the core-concept of it. So. much. ’Euron’ endgame material for real.

11. No, the Five Forts aren't the Wall of Essos. Another deconstruction of a widespread fanon and it’s implication for the series endgame.

12. Qarth is the Gnostic false Eden, and Highgarden an imitation thereof. The First Men originated in Qarth. Moving away from my beloved Ironborn, an interesting theory about the origin of the First Men!