#i mean even beyond my beloved mutuals

[tls123]

begging my gifmaking mutuals to use also the theuntamededit tag for their cql sets because i forget to check the cqledit tag so i keep missing your posts 😭😭🤧

[fckmini]

Hii, im new to your blog and I love your work!! I was wondering if you could do a thranduil x fem elf reader who is the princess of nature so she can control nature etc and they could of met when they were younger and they were arranged to marry and fluffy ending please and thank you :))

I hope you like this @chocotacobread ! thank you SO much for requesting and feel free to send in any more that you have! :) im sorry it took so long!

—————————————————————————

Spring - Thranduil x fem elf! Reader romantic fluff

I’m sorry if its too waffly but i wanted to write something pretty! 

Thranduil x reader relationship - fluff and romance :)

my masterlist is here - please check out some of my other work if you can!

As always please give me some feedback and please send requests <3

this is written as a part 2 to this request!!

mutuals and ppl I think might be interested: @in-darker-dreams @tolkien-fantasy @the-messy-nessie @blairsanne @aceofatook @lilunoakes @shrimpsthings @the-nerd-procrastinator @khazdith @glorfindelridesagain @therealsomajesticdonki @catnip-and-caprice @blairsanne @leafycasper @ur-gucchi-im-crocs @thelifelemonsgaveyou @emptyspace008 @iactuallyshipeveryone @zemosboy @theelfmaiden @i-did-not-mean-to @gossip-guy-of-middle-earth @catnip-and-caprice

—————————————————————————

It was finally spring. Its arrival had always been a cherished event in the Woodland Realm, and this year was no different. A homely warmth seeped into Thranduil's skin, embracing him tenderly. The royal garden, awash with the tender hues of spring, was alive with the soft whisper of cherry blossoms. The sun’s tender touch enlivened soft petals that danced in the wind. They swirled, fluttering gently to the ground like the delicate brush of eyelashes in the morning. The King stood, a spectator to the seasons, his thoughts drifting back in time. 

Many springs ago, this very garden witnessed the first meeting of Thanduil and his beloved wife. It had been an arranged marriage, as is custom for elven royalty. The sun had been gleaming with the same fond brightness as it was now. It cast a golden hue that glittered in the iridescent dew that adorned the grass: nature's pearls. He was waiting with bated breath to meet his betrothed when she floated in. A breath of life. A sigh of sunshine. Ripples of grass blossomed beneath each step she took, leaving a constellation of wildflowers and daisies behind her.  The air was thick with pollen, heavy with the promise of new life. Otherworldly, even amongst elves. Her very essence seemed intertwined with the earth, and the elven king had been entranced from that first moment. 

“Thranduil,” her voice had been soft, melodic, “it is an honour to meet you.”

“And you, my lady,” he had replied, bowing with a grace befitting a king, though his heart had skittered like that of a newborn deer. His eyes of starlight met hers, the deep hue of the sun at dawn. Sunshine incarnate, flowers bloomed before her, but none more so than the elven king. Her smile made the world itself seem dim, her laugh was purer than the tinkling of a rushing stream. He had worn his finest robes, plaited his silver, moonlight, hair in traditional braids. Yet, hers was ornate beyond compare, decorated with a rainbow of blooms, as opalescent as an aurora. 

In that moment, two souls had entwined, as is common in elven life-bonds. Once a sapling, their marriage blossomed into a bond that neither could have anticipated. The famously icy temperament of the king thawed beneath her touch and gaze. He melted before her. Their hands, desperate for the nourishing affection of the other, would reach out, hopeful, longing like ancient roots seeking water. The time in his life before her was but a shadow of a memory, too distant and too dark to recall. 

"My King," a loving voice broke his reverie. She approached, eternally radiant, still leaving a trail of blossoming flowers behind her.

"My queen," he replied, his voice thick with warmth and reverence.

She joined him. "It is a beautiful day, is it not?" she asked, her hand slipping into his, fitting perfectly as it always had.

"It is." He replied, their eyes met, twinkling with the same light that had captivated the other all those years ago.

Together, they stood in silence, watching the cherry blossoms continue to dance in the breeze. The soft murmur of spring stirred around them. The garden, once a witness to the beginning of their love, now stands testament to its enduring strength. Its growth, how they had flourished, was much like the nature that his queen so cherished.

As they stood there, enveloped in the beauty of spring, they both knew that their love would continue to bloom, season after season, for all eternity. 

[violetasteracademic]

Why do you think elain is a better fit for azriel than gwyn?

Hi anon!

I've said this before, and don't mind saying it again and again million times; I ship story and theme, not characters. I'm not particularly quiet or shy about the fact that I absolutely love Gwyn and Lucien, and I've been met kindly and with respect from my mutuals who absolutely despise those characters or at best find them boring and don't care about them. So- I hope this doesn't come off as sarcastic, because I truly don't mean for it to be, but I don't think I even have the words to express how little I sit here comparing Gwyn and Elain as women and why one of them might be more "right" for Azriel than the other. I don't consider Gwyn as she pertains to Azriel, because I don't believe that she does pertain to Azriel. The story and themes I imagine for her are beyond Prythian, and it literally thrills me to think about what might be in store for her.

I am a huge Twilight of the Gods believer, and I think Gwyn and the Valkyrie are going to play a huge role in it. I actually ship Gwyn with Fenrys, in a borderline this is not a crack ship I really seriously believe it kind of way, and Fenrys is my second fave ToG man to Dorian. Whenever my bestie wants to make me cry randomly (in a good way), she'll send me blinks throughout the day. Iykyk.

And I love shipping Gwynrys (just made that up, open to work shopping for better ship names 😂) because they thematically and story wise make sense to me and excite and deeply move me.

They both are twins who had to witness the other half of their soul be murdered in front of them, then were horrifically SA'd afterwards. They both responded to that trauma with absolute silence- Fenrys remaining in his wolf form because he could not bring himself to speak, and Gwyn remaining silent for five months after returning to the library. If they ever met and discovered they share the same tragic past and they both overcame it to be strong, loyal, and beloved friends- omg. I just got chills typing this. They could stand to connect on that deep level that Feysand shares, that Rowaelin shares, that I obviously think Elriel shares. They could see that depth and pain within in each other in a way no one else could understand, then would be the first to volunteer to stand at the front lines in a war against the gods.

I process SJM's couples as being deeply and thematically connected, and I see that with Gwyn and Fenrys and truly believe side characters who haven't gotten their HEA's will do so in the new series. They had complete arcs that became very cherished by the fandom, and though their emotional and character growth in service of the main characters were complete, their story simply didn't feel quite finished.

Anywho. Now I'm turning this into a Let Me Tell You Why I Ship Gwyn and Fenrys seminar 😂 but honestly, I couldn't say that I don't think Gwyn and Az aren't right or good for each other. They could be if these were real people and we were trying to matchmake character traits. I just don't know what they would be together in the story as it stands now.

Whatever their story would be- it would have to be dripping with more sexual tension and angst and longing than Azriel and Elain have. It would have to be more powerful and more interesting than the Cauldron being wrong, going up against fate, and discovering that the Cauldron has in fact been corrupted. Their partnership would have to do more for the women of the world (as both Nesta and Feyre did in their stories with restoring female High Ladies in Prythian and warriors in Illyria) than what Az and Elain stand to do- get to the bottom of the corruption done by the Asteri, which is likely why unhappy and poorly matched mating bonds exist in Prythian, and fix it. Thus freeing not only themselves, but every woman who stood to be a pawn or an object and forced into a lifetime of misery with a man she didn't love lest she risk violence or spend the rest of her life wondering why she didn't love her mate and if she made a mistake.

I don't personally vibe with or agree with the (admittedly few, I stay out of the G/wynriel space not because I hate the idea of the ship but to protect myself from the conversation surrounding women's birthing abilities making them viable love interests) ideas I've heard about Gwyn and Az. That she will save Illyria- absolutely not. That belongs to Emerie. That she will be a sidekick in a new Nesta POV book. That sounds terrible to me. SJM has spoken on how freaky and hot Azriel's spice is going to be, and I'm supposed to just not want the woman's half of the POV because she's a side character in Nesta and Azriel's story? No thank you. No one has presented a story that I would want to read more than Azriel and Elain's, or a story that I believe makes any sense and is worth erasing all the work put into Az and Elain as far as this year 2024 in HoFaS with confirming the problems with the Cauldron.

Look, I'm still pretty new. I joined this online fandom, my first time ever doing so, this spring after HoFaS left me spiralling with thoughts and ideas of the future of SJM's books. Then I started writing fanfic. Then I started analyzing the text to comfort people who had the same experience as me- being someone who couldn't wait for Az and Elain's book and came online to a shocking, Elain hating bloodbath.

I do think that this shipwar is a very strange phenomenon born of an extreme dislike for Elain, whether people want to admit it or not. Elain and Azriel have all the same elements Feysand and Nessian had to set up their romance, but suddenly narratives that have never happened in the history of SJM have been created to explain it away. The "just lust" narrative literally does not exist in the SJM codex. It's not a thing. But it's a thing now for people who don't like Azriel and Elain together to try to erase Elain's existence and convince the world how it is completely impossible for her book to be next or for her to be with Azriel simply because they don't want those things to be true.

I do not care about whether or not ships are even canon. I could go on and on about all my favorite non canon ships, and times I thought the canon story was dead ass wrong 😂 It just so happens that when it comes to Az and Elain, I ride SO HARD for the canon text. People who ship G/wynriel will likely continue to ship them, and that is what fandom is for. I don't mind that they exist. I do wish everyone, on all sides, was kinder.

To me, the only love triangle exists between Azriel, Elain, and Lucien, which is why most of my theory or analysis posts center around them. I think Gwyn was an incredibly successful (maybe too successful) red herring. My opinion is that the bonus chapter was meant to re-touch on and shine light to her powers, and also create little question mark so it wasn't too obvious Elain and Azriel are endgame when she still hasn't formally rejected her mate since she hasn't had her book yet. Instead, it lit a wildfire for a group of people who were already primed and ready to erase Elain and replace her.

Maybe Gwyn and Azriel as characters removed from this story and put in a different one would be great together. In fact, I'm certain they would. They are great characters and I'm sure they could be written beautifully. I prefer what Az and Elain have got going on, but that's personal preference. I think Gwyn already had a complete arc, and I loved it, and now I'm crawling out of my skin with excitement for Elain's story.

I hope that sort of answers your question. I'm just not really interested in pitting Gwyn and Elain against each other for Azriel's attention, and I don't believe the books actually created or intended that.

Pleaaaase let me know if there are any fellow multiverse shippers out there 🙏 cause we are thinking too small focusing only on ACOTAR!

[dollfaced-erin]

can i request something about jing yuan being domestic with your dc!reader and yanqing 🥹 like maybe he comes home to his seemingly empty house and he reminisces on the many years he spent alone after the hcq fell apart + reader fell into a deep slumber until he spots you both in the garden, with yanqing asleep on your lap/shoulder and you basking in the silence and jing yuan realizes that even though things will never go back to the way they were before, he'd be more than glad to start anew with you and cherish all the time he has with you (+ yanqing who you've both taken under your wing!!)

A/n : -

HELP THIS IS TOO SWEET ? I CANNOT BRAIN ?!?! i have finally finished my exams and is now a free woman for a month WEEHEE ! i'll do my best with catching on withthe requests and the current storyline ! have you guys played penacony ? i only played a bit and whoa was it BEAUTIFUL ?! btw, Dan Jia was subjected to her shell before Dan Feng's molting rebirth, and cracked not long after Dan Heng was exiled from the xianzhou.

Taglist : -

Day by day passed, and he felt as if not one of them held a single significant meaning to his soul. He had long died in the past, though his body lived on in a shell immortal to time and corrosion…

He had long felt joyous emotions before those dreaded days approached. The days…where he had lost his comrades…one by one without a shred of mercy from any deity with powers no matter how much he begged, cried, broke at the demise of his loved ones.

What use was a large house when there was no one to brighten it up...? To him, it was merely a structure, might even be considered a store where he keeps all valuables and merely comes to rest before leaving, day after day.

He couldn't bare to remember the pain he felt deep in his heart when he heard of the news of the passing of his friend. In a long, arduous and almost fruitless battle against the Denizens of Abundance, his friend had sacrificed herself in summoning the deity…The Hunter of Worlds…Lan. Being struck down by one of the divine arrows raining from the sky, all that was left was mere droplets of blood…and a tuft of her soft lavender hair.

He couldn't dare think about the betrayal he felt in his heart, etching deep within his being when he realized the sins his friends had committed. An arrogant man…colluding with the proud dragon in creating a life of he deceased, even sacrificing their mutual beloved in the process.

He didn't ever endure nights without nightmares, where his own companion was infected with life beyond death, tainted with the curse of immortality from the flesh of an emanator of abundance. The pain of the sounds of bones cracking and flesh tearing to recreate the man in his younger ages time and time again, before he fled the lands to a planet barren of life…

He couldn't forget the feeling of burden on his shoulders, watching as his legendary mentor be reduced to a mind insane in plagued with rampaging mara that caused her to commit crimes beyond her comprehension, reducing her title from the General to a mere felon that had escaped in the night where the moon was high and full above their heads, pale like the color of her hair.

He could never forget the burden he felt slumped on his shoulders, a full world on him as he upheld the position of his mentor, and sentenced his own friend to molten rebirth, listening to the cries of the dragon who yearned for the body of his sister, injured and subdued due to his own stupid and selfish actions.

He couldn't ignore the searing sensation he felt in his chest when he brought the limp body of the woman he loved, who had grown alongside him, who had been with them through thick and thin in the shadows, back to her shell to heal and reform anew.

As he trudged through the silent halls of his home, feeling somewhat empty, his tired golden eyes wandered around. He looked at the beautiful ornaments and art that decorated the house, that was until he noticed an open door on his right, the sliding door that led to the courtyard of his manor.

He was a little confused at first, before his golden eyes shone with remembrance and a tugging at his heart that led him to walk towards that opening. He didn't know what he'd see there, but he had a feeling he knew.

The general of the Luofu leaned against the doorframe as he admired the sight before him.

A sight he would give anything to protect. A sight that he would never forsake or take for granted with every fiber of his being. A sight that he would never dare forget no matter how much Mara would strike him in his future years...

He knew deep in his heart that she would be different when she was reborn…and the same goes for her brother. Perhaps they would lead new lives, lives that would never intersect with his ever again.

He thought he was ready to forget her in his memories, but that would be as if deleting a piece in the complicated puzzled. Incomplete.

That was until her shell broke again, where the Pearl Keepers immediately contacted the Seat of Divine Foresight…

"This…cant be." Jing Yuan gasped softly as he knelt before the body that was hatched from its shell.

Upon normal circumstances and past experience, the body cracked from the Vidyadhara pearl would conceive a new individual, where the waters would wash away their past and their sins as they carried new names and led new lives…

But this wasn't it…

Before him was a young woman instead of a child, bare and naked in front of him, eyes closed and unmoving. He reached a hand, and felt that her body was deathly cold, but he felt warmth from her nose as she inhaled and exhaled softly.

She had the same horns…the same skin tone…the same feel…the same size…!

It was her…Dan Jia. Dan Jia had been reborn in a shell similar to her past, almost similar to Dan Heng who had intentionally underwent Molten Rebirth and attained his younger form, not being reborn as a full grown adult !

"This must've been the result of the lacking process of the Transmutation Arcanum…" One of the Preceptors noted. "Before his demise, Imbibator Lunae Dan Feng had already announced his heir, a girl in the future named Bailu."

The egg was still small, not yet of its time…

"An abomination, lacking the Dragon Heart…" another elder said, shaking his head. "The heart was already ripped out of Saltator Lunae Dan Jia, so why is she still retaining the form of her former self ?"

Little did Jing Yuan know that they had messed up the Molten Rebirth, resulting in a flaw in Dan Feng's incarnation, and automatically jeopardizing the rebirth of Dan Jia. Those two were still connected, even in near death…

"Bring her to the jurisdiction of the Ten-Lords Commission." Jing Yuan said sternly, holding Dan Jia's reformed body in his arms to preserve her modesty, as if he hadn't let loose the tears he had been keeping in for so long.

His eyes were red rimmed as he embraced the body of his beloved, tears still trickling down as the aftermath of him crying in joy, knowing he wasn't quite alone in this life.

That...was the first change that had happened through his dark days.

Though his life was slightly troubled with bidding off an old friend formed anew, wishing off the young teen a happier life, away from the mistakes of his former incarnation.

The teen too wished him happier and brighter days. He wished he could say the same for himself, and the universe seemed to be smiling upon him after the challenges life had thrown to his shoulders.

Everyday seemed to be better now, routine, even. Ever since Dan Jia was released from the Ten-Lords Commission, a room was built for her, in tribute to the sleeping dragon that never stirred awake. She was hovering between life and death, with no actual signs of waking up, but also no signs of succumbing to death. She was just...in a dormant state.

"Perhaps the shock of suddenly taking away her heart had really hit her with the blow she didn't expect..." One of the judges said, looking at the young woman's body that rested in a room similar to a display room one would find in a museum, housing only the most valuable and precious items.

Which...was partially true.

Jing Yuan looked around the large room. It had red pillars holding it up, and banners with celestial wordings scribed into them, giving a light golden shine. The path from the door was carpeted with a precious red fabric, leading it up to a small platform, a couple steps high.

And there...lay a large glass box, with beautiful ice flowers filling it's depths, illuminating the dark room with a calming shade of blue, a lighter color of the horns of the individual resting in the coffin.

This...was a beautiful box, Jing Yuan thought as he reached a hand in, and gathered silky locks of (h/c) in his hand, bringing it close to his lips as he kissed it.

Everyday...he would go to work, then stay with (Y/n) for a while, talking to her about everyday, having lunch or dinner by her side as he basked in the peaceful silence. Then he would return home for the day, and the cycle would repeat.

That was until one fateful night, where he had heard knocking.

As he groggily trudged his way to the door, he was aware of his surroundings. Who was it bothering him such late into the night...?

And there he saw it...a young child crying softly in its bassinet, little arms reaching out towards whoever had stumbled upon him.

Jing Yuan's heart melted, wrenching in guilt and sorrow as he bent down and collected the little child in his arms. The little infant soon stilled, finding the beating of Jing Yuan's heart in his chest soothing and comforting and lulling the young child to sleep.

He honestly didn't know how to deal with the child, even after days of exhausting his resources to find the boy's parents.

"I don't know what to do, Dan Jia." Jing Yuan sighed as he leaned against the coffin, closing his eyes as he pondered about his choices and decisions.

"I know if it were you...you'd find it in both mind and heart to bring the child in, adopting him..." Jing Yuan said, trailing off before the idea actually struck him in the chord.

"Adopting...him...?" He repeated softly and wondered to himself as memories came back flooding to him. During the days where his own master brought him in to train him as a child.

His...very own retainer. Just as he was for Jingliu...

But would he be able to do it...?

He'd just have to give it a try. Besides, there were people around him that were able to help him, like the Foxian servants that lingered in his manor. Perhaps he could also task them with taking care of the child.

"But...what should I name him then ?" He wondered again, lifting his head off the edge of the beautiful box of eternity and looking at the young slumbering woman inside, the very definition of elegance and grace with traits of altruism and devotion.

"I wish he would have the same poise and patience you do. And at a young age...I will teach him the ropes of becoming my retainer, destined for greatness of someone with position and power. I would teach him to never abuse his power, to be kind and honest like you..."

He reached a hand in, stroking her cold cheek that was still soft to the touch, thinking of possible elements he wanted to name the young boy as. Something...something special...

Something like (Y/n) and the ice flowers around her. Something that connected both of them. Something they had in common. Something only he would know the reason behind.

Then it hit him. The general smiled warmly as he gazed at the sleeping dragon, a brilliant idea coming to mind.

"It's official." He said lovingly, smiling warmly. "I'll name him Yanqing. Yan...after your elegance, and Qing after our matching high-ranking official titles."

Thus was born the child of frost, named Yanqing. The son he raised by his own, keeping Dan Jia's principles close to his heart to raise a young man that had inherited both their traits.

He smiled warmly, crossing over his arms with a chuckle leaving his lips as he watched (Y/n) lean against the ancient tree that sprouted tall and high in the middle of the courtyard, her horns perched on her head shining with the light that passed through the shade provided by the tree's thick canopy of leaves. She was sleeping, her beautiful eyes closed as she rested against the tree, a young child curled up on her lap.

Yanqing had laid his head on (Y/n)'s lap, probably exhausted from another full day of training and mastering the art of ice with (Y/n) and the power to control his swords with his mind. His blonde locks fell and covered his forehead as he snuggled close to (Y/n), a hand of the dragon lady lovingly placed on his shoulder as he rested on her lap.

Another hand of (Y/n)'s was perched on Mimi's thick and luscious mane. Mimi was curled on (Y/n)'s other side, finding solace in the young woman's cold presence from the smoldering heat. The proud feline placed its head on its paws, large head nuzzled into the side of (Y/n)'s thigh, purring softly as it lounged around with the duo.

Right...he wasn't alone anymore. All those years of loneliness and darkness were gone, left behind him.

These two before him...were his light in the darkness.

He smiled warmly at the duo before him.

Jing Yuan knew that he was happy in his past, where the High Cloud Quintet were prime in their era. But he would do anything to live in this moment, gazing at his beloved who held his child close, caring for him like her own kin.

Though things would never return to as they were, he was more than glad to tread on his future days with the woman he loved and the child he raised.

"I love you." The white-haired man whispered as he kissed (Y/n)'s forehead as he caressed Yanqing's golden hair.

"I love you both so much."

[deeper-x-deeper]

I've recently had a surge of new followers, and hit a new personal milestone, so I have something to confess.

I think it's about time you all know exactly how deep my research into hypnosis goes.

and what that means for all of you, my dearly dedicated followers.

especially those of you who find yourself fantasizing about what it would feel like to go deeper than you've ever felt with the gentle guidance of my words.

because, you see, I've been watching all of you for a while. taking notes, from your notes.

even if we aren't mutuals, that doesn't mean I don't see you.

that I don't pick up on the patterns between things you like and things you reblog.

I read all of your tags.

every. single. one.

commentary within them gives me a peek into what kinds of things catch your attention, and why.

even seeing the tags you use to organize them within your own blog is helpful, showing me the things you associate with my words.

and to my dear, beloved mutuals?

well. I see everything.

interesting how, the deeper down I go in your posts, I can see the ways I've affected you.

the ideas I've subtly planted in your minds to sprout into larger fantasies, simply by describing my own.

I see the way they inspire your own posts, and maybe expand the range of the things you reblog from others.

it gives me a little peek behind the curtain of your collective minds, telling me not just what you're into, but also why you're into it.

the why is the most useful part, you see.

if I know that the reason you crave to drop deep to my words is because you love the way they slip and sink into your mind

if I know the reason you enjoy dropping into obedience is because you know it will make you feel a purpose beyond yourself, even if that purpose is to be an entertaining toy for someone else

or maybe you'd rather be something more useful than just a toy.

perhaps, you'd like to be my test subject.

I think you'd enjoy the way I bring you up just to drop you deep

over and over

going so much deeper every time

simply because I'm interested in testing the limits of exactly how deep you can go into trance.

perhaps one day I do things slowly, dropping you little by little throughout your day, until eventually each trance builds on itself enough to make you instantly plunge into the abyss

instantly mindless with a single word.

on a different day, maybe I'd see what happens if I spent hours fractionating you into oblivion, only letting you have a handful of moments of consciousness until you've been dragged up and down so many times that your mind itself becomes the pendulum that swings

back and forth

between waking and trance

until the gentle rhythmic sway of it causes you to keep going deeper

and deeper

no longer needing any input from myself to continue the process of fractionation.

then, slowly, you piece yourself back together, back to consciousness

ready for the next round of my experiments

because testing your limits of how deep you can go was only the first stage of my research.

the truly fun part has yet to begin.

[nrdmssgs]

John Price x reader (friends2lovers) part 1

Masterlist

Part 2

Pairing: Price x civilian afab reader

Summary: you were friends for god knows how long. Johns` caring nature makes him want to protect you from any stress: be it an excessive amount of work and burnout, or his own intentions going beyond your friendship. It's your Bday, and he wants to give you a few days of peace and quiet away from work. And take you to his country house.

Warnings: smut (under cut), intercourse without clear consent (dream sequence), there is age gap, but the reader is absolutely legit adult

AN: I am a sucker for friends to lovers, mutual pining and slow burn, a simple "lets write smut for our beloved Cap" thought has turned to slow fluffy comforting story. Although, Price gets his fare share of nsfw in the next part.

“Put it away, will you?” John grunts, noticing you pulling out your damn documents and a pen. He picked you up from work to take you out of town and celebrate your birthday in peace and quiet. He should have suspected something was wrong when you, who usually stayed in the office until night, agreed to leave with him in the middle of Friday so easily.

“The deal was: I don't work in your house. In your house, John. This is your car, and we are yet to spend here an hour or so. So I might as well work, till we're there.” Your voice is distant and patient, as if you're explaining something to an annoying kid and not to a man much older than you. And it drives Price mad. He doesn't want you to be patient, professional and composed with him. You are almost always that way. He wants you relaxed, silly and grumpy when he is around. He wants you to feel safe, to take a breather, to not hold back. But here you are, going through your papers, as he drives you away from the town. He murmurs something crabbed under his breath and turns on the radio.

When you get out of his car and look around in an absolute awe, he can't help but smile. As you slowly approach the open wooden terrace before his house, he takes the bags from the trunk. “H-how do you have such a gorgeous house and don't stay here permanently?” You ask, as he opens the front door. “If I were you - I'd never left this place!”. “If it wasn't for my work…” he pauses and thinks, “and I could keep you here…”. But he knows better than to scare the living daylights out of you. He is your safe place, and he will never ruin this for you, even if it means keeping a friendly distance.

After leaving your belongings in the guest bedroom, you go downstairs and find Price in the kitchen. You offer to help, but he has something other on his mind. He wipes his hands and turns to you with a smirk. “I have a very important task for you.” He chuckles and leads you out of the house, picking up a blanket from the sofa along the way. A hammock awaits you on the terrace. You may have forgotten about it yourself, but John remembers how you told him half a year ago that on your birthday you just dream of getting a couple of hours of sleep during the day. You tried to protest, but it is useless with Price: when he decides something is to happen - it happens one way or another. 

So as he finished tucking a blanket around you and was about to leave back to the kitchen - you caught his hand. “Price, this is just unfair. It's my Birthday, I know, but still. You get to do all the work, and what am I supposed to do here?” He leans down and raspy whispers in your ear, “If I get to do all the work - you lie back and think of England.” And walks away with the most shameless shit eating grin, you've ever seen on his face.

He finds it amusing. How just a few words change your face from distant and calm to absolutely furious. In a second, you snap from that always professional cold personality to his friend, that would gladly kick his ass if there was such an opportunity. Furthermore, such moments just help him blowing the steam off. It reminds him, that he is there to make you smile, not to do all those things, his body aches for, when he thinks for too long about you. But deep inside he admits, that this joke was a bit too much…

The sun starts slowly setting down, when John hears your steps on the stairs. “I'm going to shower. And it smells delicious here!” He hears your voice and his heart swells with joy. Quiet peace of his cabin, your voice finally sounding relaxed, food looking good, cozy warmth around him - this all feels so right. Feels more like his Birthday, not yours.

When you are back on the kitchen, fresh and changed, John is somewhere else. You go to the stove and take the lid off the saucepan to take a quick sniff. “It needs a final touch,” says a deep, familiar voice behind you. You turn back and shudder. John was not into any really fancy clothing and usually preferred to keep it simple and practical. So seeing him in a dark blue shirt, emphasizing his body so perfectly, was quite unexpected.

“Good Lord! Who are you, and where is my friend Price? I wasn't expecting to dine with the duke of—”. Your voice was a bit shaky of surprise. “Cut it out… Next time, I'm wearing pajamas on your Birthday.” John smirked and went to the stove to put the food on the plates. You mutter under your breath, "Well, next time I'm taking photos then," and head to the table under his reproachful look.

John was a pretty decent cook, but this time, he's outdone himself. You were almost moaning after the first bite. He just sat back, appreciating how you're squeezing your eyes shut and shaking your head, approving everything he cooked for you. “If you ever consider retiring from your service - I'm hiring you as my personal chef!” He chuckles at your words, his eyes never leaving your face. He silently revels in your delight, taking in every word and little smile. This is exactly what he wanted: your little holiday, not interrupted by work, by other people, by a bustle of the big city.

When you are both done eating, he cleans the table and takes out a bottle of your favorite whiskey. "I thought we agreed that I would do without gifts." You sigh a little frustrated. "It's not a gift, take it easy," he grins as he opens the bottle. "I'm just sharing good old Islay malt with a friend, that can appreciate it and not just pour it down. The bottle stays in this house, so if you ever want to drink with me again... you'll have to come over here."

"Now you're luring me in with alcohol. Very graceful of you, Price." You laugh, then take the glass, he hands to you and sniff its content. “M-m-m, there is such a strong smoke and sea salt in its aroma… I think, I want to try it outside.”

“Goddamn connoisseur.” His voice is croaky as he follows you out on a terrace.

You lower yourself onto the deck and dangle your feet off the ledge. John stands at a distance and silently watches you. There was no trace left of the cold, detached, professional you. You are enthusiastically talking about something, but he just looks at you and smiles.

"Hey, sit next to me, I'm cold." You turn to him. Price walks up to you and sits, letting you snuggle against his warm chest. He puts his glass away and turns to you, breathing in the scent of your hair as you continue to talk to him. He does not want this evening to end, he is ready to sit the whole damn night like this as long as you lean on him and keep telling him anything, coming to your mind. Anything, that happened to him before meeting you, feels small and not important.

John slowly melts against your back, his breath tickling the top of your head, when you say, “Ok, I'll help you clean the kitchen and go sleep.”

Of course, he doesn't let you lift a finger. Not on his kitchen, not today. You are sent to your bedroom, and he is left alone. He just needed something to keep him busy, to drive away unwelcome thoughts. Desires, rolling down his spine, like a lightning, inexorably taking over his body, paralyzing and taunting his mind. He pauses cleaning up and steps out of the house. His lighter clicks and a cloud of cigar smoke escapes into the dark, cooling air. The awakening beast in the back of his head grumbles and hides away.

It's only when he closes his eyes, his mind spirals down a feverish dream, that he can't fight. Your head thrown back, spine arches with every his move. Your lips, swollen from his kisses and bites, gasp for air. Oh, he knows that this may be the end of your friendship, that you may not want to see him ever again, so he's not going to stop. He will make you remember, his cock is going to zero out your whole world save for that painfully hard thrusts. He will make this night count, his fingers glistening with your release, but never leaving your overstimulated clit. “Don't you dare hold back. I'll drag it out of you one way or another”, he's almost growling in your ear. There is not a single trace of friendly and respectful distance between you two left. You're in his hands, on his lips, around his twitching cock… So you bite down your lip and hiss his name loudly. 

That's when he wakes up. The sensation of his dreams fades away in seconds, giving a way to the recoil spreading through his body. John curses under his breath, looking around him: it's still dark outside. How can a dream fill so good and so terrifying simultaneously? Thank God it was just a dream, and you are sleeping safe and sound in the guest bedroom. He's just going to take a cold shower and try to not think about this nightmare. You are safe with him, he'll make sure of it, no matter, how hard it gets.

When Price leaves the bathroom, he notices a light on the first floor. Going down the stairs, he finds you perched on the couch with a stack of documents on the table and his reading glasses on your nose. As much as he finds it endearing, he has to interrupt you.

[lovelykhaleesiii]

Angel of My Dreams.

PAIRING: Chubby!Aegon ii Targaryen x fem!Reader

WORDS: 1,410.

SUMMARY: Aegon ii finds himself doubting his worthiness for your love and devotion, and yet you prove him otherwise. 

WARNINGS: fatphiobic comments, low self-esteem, degradation, swearing, angst, fluff.

A/N - surely you knew this was coming lmao, I am obsessed and will die by the hill that chubby!aegon is in fact real. Siri play SZA Big Boyyyy. p.s let’s just pretend they’re all one big happy fam, and that Aegon ii is the one to inherit the throne. 

Aegon, your dearest beloved, was perfection in your eyes. You’d both grown acquainted with one another mutually, and shared a mutual fondness and understanding with one another. Despite Aegon’s status in the realm, he was very much to himself, and unfortunately was known for having a notorious reputation amongst the ladies of the realm. What you’d heard through whispers and gossip, you found skeptical to believe, as Aegon showed a side to himself that you believed no other being saw. He was quite shy upon talking to you, after building the courage to introduce himself, and realising how warm you were, he opened up to you naturally. 

You’d come to realise, that was never an easy case for Aegon. The expectations not only his family, however the entirety of the realm held on him was beyond fair. From the moment of his birth to the man he'd become today, he was criticised for absolutely everything, down to the last minute thing. Much to your dismay, even his appearance. 

Most people had widely disapproved of how Aegon would present himself. Many agreed, that looking at Aegon’s physicality, no one would believe he'd be fit nor considered suitable to reign as King. Especially, when his younger brother, Aemond, had proved otherwise. When comparing the two sons, Aemond was favoured by the council. 

Regardless, most of the time, comments like this often encouraged Aegon to look how he did. 

“People have convinced themselves already that I am incompetent, why the need to disprove their claims?” He would succumb to. It took you what felt like a lifetime, for him to fight this battle, and yet you did the impossible.

For this, his mother, Alicent had noticed and took a great appreciation for your achievement. 

Before you'd met Aegon, he sought and often bought the lust and attention from elsewhere, a frequenter to the Streets of Silk and the brothel houses that established themselves in the region. Much to your satisfaction, your existence also put an end to these needless trips. 

Aegon would always exclaim how lucky he was to have found you, the angel of my dreams, he'd whisper into your ear late at night, as you wandered off to sleep in his strong, soft arms. He was aware of the terrible things he’d succumbed to since his youth, and having met you, you were the awakening of his regret. 

“I do not deserve you, not in the slightest, but the Gods work in mysterious ways,” Aegon would proclaim. 

And no matter the countless of times, you’d try to persuade him otherwise, that he saved you, it did not matter. His thoughts were set in stone, for he succumbed to pessimism since he could understand the meaning of words, as he was moulded to be the ‘perfect king’. 

It was impossible, you’d believed. For everyone had flaws, you knew this and yet so much weighed on his shoulders regardless. 

During the initial stages of your relationship with Aegon, he was weary of the nature of your affections. He struggled to decipher himself if they were genuine or had some hidden agenda, although you asked nothing of him ever. When he’d confront you of your love and intention with him, many a times you threatened to leave him if that's what it took, to the point where he stopped. At one point you held a grudge and offered silence, in return he followed you around every where pleading for forgiveness, as means to show that you did not care for any prize being with Aegon... Only that the love you as you did him.

In comparison, you’d questioned whether he merely saw you as a faint object of sex, not wanting anymore than a night of pleasure at his beckoning call. 

It was hard to believe, the future King of Westeros would want you, and yet here you laid by his side from night to night, in return he never left nor neglected you. 

Although, people allowed for their imagination to roam free, and had their own narratives created in their fickle minds of your relationship. 

“Mayhaps the young prince has impregnanted her, trapped her with his godforsaken child. Gods be good, they spare us from another Aegon. Terrible, he did not inherit the good qualities of his predecessor who bears the same name.” 

“It seems most likely, he has forced the poor girl’s hand in marriage, having taken her maidenhood without proper practice.” 

Regardless, of the gossip whispered, the most agonising of it all, was how many commented how ill it seemed that a beauty such as yourself be seen with Aegon.

Over the years, Aegon much like his father to his resentment, was a larger man. Growing up spoilt and royal, he was offered the finest delicacies across the 7 Kingdoms, and he found indulgence as an escape. He had a terrible habit of being gluttonous with most things, whether it be food, wine or women, from his previous bachelor days. These habits had been hard to overcome, before he had stumbled upon the gratifying reason of you. 

He found that, during the relentless and agonising dinners and feasts held, eating kept him busy, avoiding conversing with others both strange and familiar. Growing from child to a boy to now a young man, it was inevitable that his appetite grew to accustom his natural development. 

Much to his distaste, he would continue to combat train, and much preferred riding Sunfyre for he was in his own company (still persistent in convincing you to join him), he remained fit and strong. Although, his edges were soft and tender, and you did not mind it one bit. It never even occurred to you, that there would be any matter in question, regarding how you both appeared to the general public. Their opinions meant absolutely nothing to you, and you remained ignorant to it all, although Aegon struggled as he always did. He was only ever accustomed to hearing criticism and scrutiny, and struggled to block it. 

He had a subtle double chin that you would adorn with kisses, his arms muscular although hidden beneath a layer of fat, and his stomach plump and stout, protruded just a generous amount over the waistline, it was evident beneath his clothes. Although your favourite, was his legs, in particular his thighs. The way he'd prop you up, cradling you as you sat atop his solid build, his appearance was never questioned by you, and he knew that, no matter how much he’d deny it. 

And yet, he found himself the hot topic of countless, discrete conversations, especially with the young knights and men of the realm. Many found your warmth and welcome compelling, and became infatuated with your beauty. You had gentle, soft features, your mother a renowned beauty herself in her youth, many found it no doubt you inherited her vision. 

“I bet he’s somehow forced her into this godforsaken union. Needs a knight in shining armour to save her from that horrid, drunk beast.” 

“He doesn't even try to stop himself nor fix his pathetic ways, have you seen the way he gorges himself? The poor girl must suffocate with him.”

“Mayhaps Y/N is smarter than we think, and is not actually in love with Aegon, for who could love a fat bastard like him, and to think in a few years he’ll be King.”

It infuriated him hearing such words, words from some men he’d thought he could entrust as friends. Once they'd come face to face, they would act as though no dishonesty was committed. 

Treason, Aegon thought to himself. He'd made mental note of it all, and knew when the time was right, justice would be served by his own wroth. 

Often at times, as means to retaliate, he’d appear with you publicly, whether it was kissing you in public, or merely holding hands, or insisting you feed him grapes or cakes to him as you sat ontop, he relished the bitter looks on their smug faces. 

Ever since Aegon had met you, his confidence had grown, and he was eternally thankful. You’d become such a light for him, that he saw himself in a manner, most people denied him.

“You, you my sweet girl-”

Aegon would softly whisper, as he embraced you tightly in his large, tender arms, before releasing you. His hand reaching over to your face, placing a misplaced strand behind your ear, his thumb then gently tracing your lips. 

“You are everything to me, I love you.”

[makoandharu]

many of my mutuals post rinharu, so i wanted to ask your top 10 makoharu official art to lighten my dash?

😭😭😭

Okay I'm definitely gonna post more than 10 bc i have a lot to say lmao bear with me

This one is my fave of all time, not just mh. But the thought of Haru stroking the cat's head and then lifting his hand to stroke the back of his fingers on Makoto's cheeks? My brain short-circuits

Now which one of us survived these two arts? Certainly not me. The fact that these are set post-canon, showing not only how their bond is stronger than ever but that Haru is the one initiating the contact, and the fact that it's proof beyond doubt that Makoto is SO significant to Haru's journey as a swimmer (when we already know he's significant - see: most important - in every other aspect of life outside the pool), the idea that he only got this far bc of Makoto, "it's meaningless without you" and "i appreciate you being here for me" walked so these arts could run. Thank u kyoani for canon makoharu visual guide.

I remember when this spoiler dropped it was just so 😮‍💨 honestly what makes this scene so peak for me is Ikuya walking past, watching them being gay and is like... u know what not my circus not my monkey. He's so valid for that. But overall the fact that Makoto knows Haru well enough to help here even when he's not his coach, the fact that Haru trust him when his body needs to be in peak condition. Stop it. Their trust and respect for each other just gets me.

Any art where other things are going on but Haru just has eyes on Makoto is peak (and there are an abundance of them). But art where Haru's precious water is splashing so beautiful and Haru's STILL only got heart eyes for Makoto? Pure gay nonsense.

MAKOHARUTOKYO MY BELOVED FOREVER!!!! The way this shit BROKE tumblr, nothing will ever compare again. They went to Tokyo together. THEY WENT. TO TOKYO. TOGETHER. I'm eating my hat.

Makoto being gay. What else is new. I like to think this is the exact face he makes when they go through their baby pics and Haru flicks his forehead for being moist (even tho he's being just as mushy inside)

Y'all remember when Makoto was studying too hard for finals and Haru came to make sure he didn't over do it, drapped his coat over a sleeping Makoto and fell alseep with him????????? Bc???? Helloo?????? Insanity.

As IF the art of them sharing a pair of gloves whilst they hold the other to keep warm wasn't bad enough u mean to tell me there's a drama CD to go with it? Will my suffering never end??

Last but not least (until i reblog this with more) this cute ass pic of them from the free calendar hanging out with the twins and cats. The domesticity of it all...

Hope u enjoy, stick around for more lmaoo

Also @ moots and other mhs pls reblog this with your own fave arts thank u

[idiotic-b-gilson]

The Prank Theory: Or, Why Toby won't make an explicit announcement that Kris' pronouns are they/them despite that obviously being canon.

Disclaimer: people who use they/them for Kris are NOT the butt of the joke here. Although calling it a prank might be a little misleading to begin with, you'll see why.

I know for a fact, judging from my dashboard, that I am not alone in being mad at people misgendering the humans of Undertale and Deltarune (although, I will admit I used to be part of the problem up until quite recently). And we all wish for Toby to just go out and publicly announce that Kris, Frisk, and Chara use they/them only, that Mad Mew Mew is canonically transfem, etc., just to stop all the misgendering. It would certainly be nice and very helpful for the LGBTQ community. However, after giving it some thought, I've come to the conclusion that it most likely cannot happen, and the reason why is the Prank Theory. Treat it as an explanation, but not an excuse.

I came up with Prank Theory over something that's completely unrelated to the above, funnily enough. You see, I have this headcanon that Asriel Dreemurr is not cisgender. I'm not entirely sure what his gender is, but he's not cis male for sure. And I've seen a variety of different takes on this concept. For example, AUs like (Ask) Fallen Royalty by @starlightshore present Asriel as having transitioned in a more feminine direction ((A)FR specifically describes her gender as feminine nonbinary). Others still write Asriel (chiefly the Deltarune one) as transgender male (I've mostly seen that take in NSFW fanfics on AO3, which is a shame cuz it has great potential beyond that. Please tell me where I can find more). Other others still, like my beloved mutual @sukifoof, have proposed that Asriel might be agender. And, let me be clear about something: those are all great ideas, and I love them. But I started to wonder, which of these ideas is the closest to canon? Like, if we also factor in authorial intent, which of these options would fit under it, and which ones wouldn't? That was when I came up with Prank Theory, as a way to kind of imagine at least one aspect of said authorial intent.

Spoiler alert, according to Prank Theory any kind of transfeminine Asriel is incompatible with canon, but again I want to make it clear that that doesn't mean I think they're "wrong" or "bad" or anything like that, and I want to reiterate my endorsement of writing Asriel this way. Besides, my theory could be completely wrong, so...

So, after all that stuff, what does the Prank Theory actually say? Well, in summary: Undertale and Deltarune are some of the most "woke" video games ever made, but conservatives and reactionaries don't seem to have realized that yet, funnily enough. Now, calling it a prank is a wee bit misleading, since it implies that tricking right-wingers into loving a video game with a very progressive setting and message was at least part of what Toby intended. And I don't believe that's the case. He simply makes video games he wants to make, and they just happen to reflect his views on the world, and these views just happen to fly over the heads of some people.

This in and of itself would probably not make it a huge problem for Toby to put in one of his newsletters, or even in an X (as in, former Twitter) post, a correction regarding the genders of his characters. However it does start to become a problem when you factor in that the UTDR community has hundreds of thousands of people in it (although as of the March 2024 it might be a rather liberal estimate), and many of them would be quite pissed off if the video game they like had "suddenly" "gone woke" (ignorant of the fact that both it, and its main creator have been openly "woke" the whole time). And that is a problem in the current environment, because it means that Toby, as well as other people on the UTDR dev team, would be at a significant risk of hate and harassment, which in the Year of Our Lord 2024 could lead to Angel knows what.

On a more cynical capitalist (and much more speculative) level, attracting political controversy this way could sour Toby's relationship with big video game companies which have (as far as I know) played an important part in why Toby's got basically unlimited resources to work on the game of his fever dreams. They saw the widespread, universal acclaim that UT, DR1 and DR2 received, and drew the conclusion that DR3-4 (and the future chapters) will also get a similar reception, and they will get great returns no matter how much money they pour into it. This belief could be shaken if Toby attracted the ire of his transphobic fans by correcting their misgendering of his characters, and thus limiting the reach Chapters 3 and 4 would otherwise have (but again, this is pure speculation, I'm not an economist, nor do I know how much companies like Nintendo have actually invested in Deltarune. So I could be, like, way off).

And that is, in the end, why I believe Toby Fox will not make a statement regarding the canon gender of any UTDR character, at least not while Deltarune is still in development. After it's finished I think he might feel free enough to take that step. But we'll have to see.

Now, I don't know if I'm right. I feel pretty confident in my own theory, but there's a good chance I missed something. So, if I did, please lemme know. In the meantime, let's hope Toby will disprove my theory soon and set things right. And I'll see you around.

[ya-killin-me-smalls]

A while ago you made some Deimos x Teammate headcanons, and they were all absolutely WONDERFUL

Would it be possible to get some Hank x Teammate headcanons? 👀

absolutely!!

headcanons under the cut

2BHank:

obviously gotta start with these two, respect for the elderly and all that

- divorced but it's complicated

- they started out as roommates while Doc was in college and Hank, unbeknownst to Doc at the time, was just getting started at being a menace to society

- they were close. a little too close. but nothing ever came of it aside from a mutual pining

- when Doc began working for the Agency/Nexus it drew a hard line between them. both believed they were doing what was right and that the other was a lost cause

- it turned into a physical fight and Hank did in fact leave Doc for dead

- he got better dw

- fast forward a few years, Doc has swapped sides and is incapable of admitting he was wrong

- Hank is not even a little bit sorry because in his mind it was deserved at the time

- they're different people now though and they both know that. the past is in the past. the world keeps turning

- their relationship has moved beyond platonic since but it's still complicated. they don't have the luxury of deep "what are we" conversations or quality time spent together unless Hank is injured

- regardless, Hank spends whatever downtime he does have in Doc's personal space. he's the type of guy that will just loom over you silently while you're working and patiently wait for Doc to pay attention to him

- Doc still keeps things professional for the sake of professionalism. his guard is only ever truly down when they've retired for the night and he can give Hank every drop of attention he craves

- Hank finds physical touch grounding so on days when his head is a mess and all his thoughts sound like they're underwater, he'll drape himself over Doc's shoulders and try to map out the sensation of him for a while

- "Wimbleton" is as close to a pet name as Doc will ever get. if he uses Hank's first name it's usually when he's mad/annoyed

- Hank doesn't necessarily bite Doc but he's got this weird form of cute aggression that makes him want to put his teeth on him

Hankmos:

yeah I already did this in the last post so what

- their first meeting was the equivalent of finding a wet kitten at the scene of a car accident

- Deimos hadn't yet made a name for himself but was well on his way, torching every stitch of AAHW property he could get his hands on (pyrokinesis Deimos my beloved)

- Hank was sent to raid a cloning facility when it happened. the entire place had gone up in flames and was little more than smoldering debris by the time he got there. he was there to kill everything that moved so of course he had to parse through said debris for any survivors

- what he found was a scrawny fucked up little dude passed out at the center of it all, completely unharmed, the only sign he'd been involved in the fire being the singed remains of his clothes

- interesting enough for Hank to not kill him despite being visibly a clone. instead he wraps Deimos's tiny ass up in his trenchcoat and brings him back to base

- Deimos still wears said trenchcoat because he's a fanboy and nothing will change that

- which also means he glues himself to Hank's hip from day one, not being a nuisance but always in the vicinity, tags along on whatever missions he can, asks Hank to train him in CQB

- and of course Hank grows fond of Deimos. how could he not? his rambling is pleasant background noise that helps keep Hank in the moment, he has a nice smile and laughs a lot, and it doesn't take long for him to become a worthy opponent for Hank

- a lot of their communication is done through body language and micro-expressions. Hank is incredibly perceptive of those subtle shifts and for Deimos it comes naturally

- Deimos goes out of his way to impress Hank. whether that means making stupid jokes to try and get a laugh out of him or showing off on the battlefield at every opportunity, his efforts know no bounds. it makes his heart flutter in a weird way whenever he gets those little signals of approval

- neither is keen on eye contact which works out perfectly, Hank because of the 'tism and Deimos because it feels like someone is trying to square up

- I feel like romantic cannibalism in the literal sense but as a metaphor would suit them so well. there's so much want between them and it's like they can't ever satisfy it. simply touching isn't enough. they need to grab. they need to hold. they need to squeeze. they could become each other and it still wouldn't be enough

- on the outside they play it cool for the most part obviously but the tension is always there. everyone can feel it

Hankford:

woefully underappreciated

- these two have the same vibe and demo and soldier tbh

- Sanford's whole thing is blowing shit up and setting things on fire

- Hank's thing is killing people in increasingly dramatic and violent ways

- combine the two, what more could you want out of a ship

- most of their initial bonding happens over explosions and combat tactics, as well as the inherently homoerotic act of patching each other up during battle

- after a particularly high risk/high reward mission, standing amongst the rubble of what was once a weapons factory and still high on adrenaline and dopamine, Sanford grabs Hank by the lapels of his coat and kisses him

- oh to make out with someone in the aftermath of an explosion

- these two lack a balancing factor. neither needs to be protected by the other. neither has ever been chill a day in their life. both are itching to destroy something at any given moment. they hype each other up and egg on every OSHA violation in the book

- Hank does feel protective towards Sanford because that's just in his nature, but he doesn't feel like he needs to hover or have eyes on him constantly. Sanford has dragged his sorry bleeding ass out of trouble more than once, after all

- Sanford is the king of PDA and they have to establish pretty early on that Hank isn't comfortable with others seeing that much of his private life. holding hands is as far as it goes if others are around

- alone? Sanford can't keep his hands to himself. his favorite thing is to dip Hank when he least expects it just to make him blush

- Hank isn't sure how to reciprocate at first. his hands are meant for crushing and tearing and Sanford is so gentle and tender. it's a learning curve and the way his hands shake when he's excited doesn't help

- they work it out over time together though, Sanford making an effort to lead affection and letting Hank sort out what he likes along the way

- Sanford is Hank's weighted blanket I take no criticism on this

- Sanford calls Hank "Doll". Hank incorrectly interprets this as sarcasm because he can't imagine someone associating him with something delicate or cute

- neither of them is allowed anywhere near the kitchen. not because they can't cook but because neither of them has any impulse control and the microwave will be blown up "for science"

- Sanford, ever observant and a little obsessive, begins mapping out Hank's behaviors and mental state as best as he can. he isn't surprised that Hank is a little fucked up, but there's a lot more going on in their than expected. and Hank, uncharacteristically, does open up to Sanford about the dissociation and memory problems

- Hank has outlawed the word babygirl because it makes him flustered angry

[midnightanxietytm]

Carve my wounds (lick them clean)

Summary: Lamb thinks over the cannibalism trait, ends up liking it a little too much, Narinder encourages it.

WARNINGS: Cannibalism, semi-graphic depictions of violence, CANNIBALISM again just in case you missed it, mutually obsessive relationship.

A/N: Rejoyce, Narilamb be upon ye! Once again i was possessed by the spirits (hyperfocused) and these are the consequences. My lamb is a fucked up little thing and everyone is into it, apparently. Also, if you catch me switching from they/them to he/him for the lamb you can just ignore it, I was writing wangxian b4 this and my brain scrambled, but I think I corrected most of those cuz I just prefer to use they/them for the lamb.

The Lamb's fingers run through the words that describe the ritual in their grimoire with a certain reverence. Outside, the wind and heavy rain rage on, the farms prosper, and there is really no need for an extreme ritual such as this one, but the leader is a curious one.

The deity that looks over them knows of that curiosity, relishes in it, and encourages it. “My lord..?” Comes the awaited call as the Lamb removes the crown from their head and places it in front of them, looking into its eye, knowing there is someone beyond to listen. “Why did you recommend such a ritual? We are not going through famine, I don’t see any other need for it…”

There is no answer, not really, but a shiver runs through their spine, and they hum, leaning back on their chair. “How would it generate devotion? I mean, sure it’s a way to dispose of bodies at least…” Suddenly, the crown startles, floats up and settles on their head. “Oh, should I visit?” They smile oh-so brightly, standing up from their chair, little lamb tail shaking excitedly. “It's been so long since you asked!”

A dagger is quick to be fetched, merely a decoration item, but it would work. And the Lamb looks around, searching for a place where their temporary death would be less messy. They settle for the fountain, where the water would dilute their blood quickly. They remove their fleece and get into the fountain, not minding their wool getting soaked.

The dagger is driven through their heart, by their own hand, without hesitation, and their mind is quick to accept death.

When they open their eyes, they are laid down, curled upon the pentagram on the stone like they had been peacefully sleeping there all along. They sit up, crossing their legs and looking up at their beloved Death.

The One Who Waits had grown to appreciate how eager his little vessel answers to his call; how unafraid they are when their consciousness starts to drift and their vision to go dark. They perk up so easily too; quick to offer a smile, a greeting and to bleat until their little mind can’t even come up with a new subject. It's not everyone who treats death with such casualty.

“You were asking about the ritual Consumption of a Kin…?” He reminds them, his voice reverberates even in the infinite space of his domain, but his lamb no longer flinches upon hearing it.

“Oh! Yeah, I was wondering how it would help with devotion, maybe it’s because I’m herbivore, but I don’t really see it…” Says the lamb, swinging their body back and forth slightly, the bell around their neck jingles softly with each movement.

Death laughs, a heavy sound, deep and gravelly, reaching their hand to completely envelop the little lamb, then carefully picking them up and bringing them up to his face. “It’s different from simple consumption for nutrition, my little vessel.” The vessel in question leans back on his hands, making themselves comfortable, ready to hear. “It’s to feel closer to something, someone, to make them… part of you. Besides, it’s literally taking something dead and using it to fuel new life… Do you understand, Lamb?”

“I think I do… It’s all about a deeper connection with death, right?” They hummed, curling up on their god’s palm. Said god only nods in agreement and hums, rubbing his thumb over his vessel’s soft wool. “Have you ever tried it? I mean, have you ever eaten someone?”

Their teeth ache and itch, a gift from their deity, begging to be tested. Try it raw, says a faraway voice inside their mind, and they hesitate, but slowly lifts a bloody hand along with an equally bloody piece of meat into their mouth.

“Once, during a banquet.” Said death. “You should do it, little lamb… Maybe I’ll give you some predator teeth to match…”

...

The moon shining through the windows is their only company as they carefully drive the knife through the still-warm body on the counter, the process requires focus; they rip through skin and cartilage, separate tissue and then finally start separating each piece.

Their new teeth rip through it with ease, and a metallic taste fills their every sense, the texture is foreign, and blood drips from the corners of their mouth. It’s amazing. They hastily cut another piece, bring it up to his mouth, licks the spill on their hands, hum in pleasure and their eyes roll back as they chew.

Narinder is honestly surprised this habit has lasted until now.

The crown watches as the soon to be god of death indulges their newfound need, for death must consume everything eventually.

...

He watches with feign boredom as his usurper brings the raw meat up to their lips as if it is the most delightful thing they will ever taste, their sharp teeth easily tearing the piece of flesh, pearly white being tainted by the crimson blood that drips down to their chin and trails down to their throat before they wipe it off with a hand.

It’s a quiet night in the temple, the remains of the banquet served that night were wiped away, the followers gently coaxed to their shelters, and only the Lamb and their darling disciple remained.

“Are you sure you don’t want any, Nari?” They asked, honeyed words coated with the blood of their lips. Their legs were nonchalantly thrown over the arms of their mighty throne.

“No, I’m saving for the main course…” He answered, using his claws to mindlessly pick at the pomegranate on his plate.

“Oh?” Hummed the Lamb. “And what would that be?”

“Lambchops.” An empty threat, as were the many others he had thrown at them though the last half a century.

Still, the Lamb laughed with gusto for a good few seconds. “Come on, My Lord,” They said with a smirk and stood up, bringing their plate over and sitting on the arm of his chair. “You suggested that I eat in the first place… Maybe take it as an appetizer; It’s not as tasty as me, but it should do, right?” And they brought a piece of flesh, dripping with blood, up to his lips.

Despite all the talk, Narinder took a bite, and it was just as tasty as he remembered it to be, flavor melting in his tongue. The Lamb giggled and smeared a bloody finger over his lips. He swallowed and licked the blood before roughly pulling the cheeky lamb onto his lap and claiming their lips.

Indeed the Lamb’s taste was far better, Narinder thought as he bit their lip and was bitten in response, their blood mixing in their mouths.

A/N: For the first time in forever, Hozier was not involved in the making of one of my fics. Cheers to that! Anyways hope yall enjoyed this, my asks are open, byee!

[rosesradio]

may i ask why ppl hate caleo so much? I'm reading ToA rn so idk if it's based on stuff that happens there, but in HoO I didn't really catch anything that would make it this "don't touch with a ten foot pole" ship, yk?

/gen

Hi !! Thanks for sending this in. I feel like I and others have kinda gone through some things in the anti-caleo tag, but I'm gonna go through some of the reasons with as much textual evidence and objectivity as possible. (minus my inevitable unorganized rambles, they're contextually relevant, stop looking at me--)

That being said, this is completely a matter of opinion, as all shipping is. I don't mean to say that you are "allowed" to ship or that you're "stupid" for shipping xyz, I couldn't care less what you ship--let's all just be nice to each other.

That being said, let's start with the two most common reasons why most people dislike caleo:

1.) the age gap

2.) their "bickering to lovers" dynamic is not written well/they seem to dislike each other/etc

The easier one to start with would be the age gap. Now (warnings for rent-lowering gunshots around my blog), I meant what I said when I said I don't care about ships. Most of my beloved mutuals ship the nastiest shit imaginable, and I am very anti-censorship (but that's several other posts). I generally have preferences for healthy ships when it comes to a Fluffy Endgame (dark fics with toxic ships are different to me).

That being said, I don't typically enjoy ships with a large age gap, and most other people find them unappealing as well. I could be persuaded with some (nipollo and rachel/apollo, i'm looking at you), but caleo just kinda grosses me out in this regard, probably due to other aspects of their relationship.

(Some people say she's "mentally fifteen", but I don't really buy that--if she were like a faerie or something, maybe, but I see her more as Edward in Twilight--looks young but has wisdom beyond her years. There's no definitive answer on this so it's not something I would like to debate (none of this is lol) but I thought I would mention it anyways.)

Although your question is about ToA, I'm only going to cover HoH through the first ToA book, because I'm still reading through the ToA books (though I know the big spoilers). I know caleo takes on a bigger role in the second book so i might come back and do a part two to uh...complain about their dynamic more? lol

so, without further ado--

The House of Hades

So, this is the first impression we get of Calypso from Leo's perspective--the highlights to keep this from being 1 million years long (it still will be lol)--

"She looked maybe fifteen, about Leo's age, and, sure, she was pretty; but with that angry expression on herface she reminded Leo of every popular girl in every school he'd ever attended—the ones who made fun of him, gossiped a lot, thought they were so superior, and basically did everything they could tomake his life miserable.Leo disliked her instantly.

---

The girl clenched her fists. Leo was pretty sure she was going to march down the crater and punch him in the face.

---

"Show yourself!" the girl yelled at the sky, completely ignoring Leo. "It's not bad enough I am exiled? It's not bad enough you take away the few good heroes I'm allowed to meet? You think it's funny to send me this—this charbroiled runt of a boy to ruin my tranquility? This is NOT FUNNY! Take him back!""

--pg 213 of The House of Hades pdf.

Now, keeping in mind that I read this for the first time at 13 and he was my book boyfriend (Or Whatever), I was not a fan of this, but even now that I've grown out of that, this still rings unfavorable to me.

He compares her to his bullies, the ones who made fun of him and created insecurities within him. And, making no effort to clear her name from this association, what is one of the first things she does? Screams at the gods for sending someone so conventionally unattractive. One of Leo's biggest insecurities in the books is not being as conventionally attractive or built as the other guys in the seven. One of his other insecurities is not having a girlfriend when everyone else is coupled up. So the solution is not to have him learn self-love and/or the love of friends, but to instead give him a girlfriend--the build-up time of which is short and intense. Not only that, but his love interest insults one of his biggest insecurities.

We're off to a great start.

Of course, I can't really blame Calypso for being pissed about the wreckage and about being sent another hero instead of being freed from the island. I would be pretty pissed, too, but she still treats him pretty badly, seemingly because he's not the "right" hero.

(For this next bit I am going through their time together in House of Hades and just noting anything that rings as a red flag to me--which is not a stretch as it's pretty much every other line lol. The brackets [] add context for dialogue, the parentheses () is my commentary, though most of these speak for themselves imo)

""Oh-gee-gee-ah." The girl pronounced it slowly, as if Leo were five years old.

---

She looked like she was about to answer but stopped herself. "It doesn't matter. You'll be gone soon. You're obviously a mistake."

That was harsh, Leo thought.He'd spent enough time thinking he was a mistake—as a demigod, on this quest, in life in general. He didn't need a random crazy goddess reinforcing the idea

---

"What am I supposed to do, then? Sit in the sand dunes until I die?" [Leo asked]

"That would be fine...." The girl threw down her trowel and cursed at the sky. "Except I suppose he can't die here, can he? Zeus! This is not funny!"

---

She looked the same age as him, but he wondered how old she really was. (age gap thing, delicious!)

---

"Would you be sweet," [Calypso said], "if they laughed at you by sending another hero, but a hero who looked like—like you?"

---

"Three thousand." Leo's mouth felt tingly, like he'd just eaten Pop Rocks. "Uh, you look good for three thousand."

---

"And now...the worst insult of all. The gods mock me by sending you." [Calypso said]

Anger bubbled in Leo's stomach.Yeah, typical. If Jason were here, Calypso would fall all over him. She'd beg him to stay, but he'd be all noble about returning to his duties, and he'd leave Calypso brokenhearted. That magic raft would totally arrive for him. (heartbreaking to hear about leo's insecurities but also...he is so gay for jason jdskjfs--)

But Leo? He was the annoying guest she couldn't get rid of. She'd never fall for him, because she was totally out of his league.

---

Despite the gifts, Calypso obviously didn't want to see him. One time he poked his head inside the cave and she freaked out, yelling and throwing pots at his head. (how to treat an abuse survivor 101)

Yeah, she was definitely on Team Leo. (this honestly just reminds me of the Echo scene and, honestly, I'd ship him with Echo Big Time over calypso)

He ended up pitching a more permanent camp near the footpath, where the beach met the hills.That way he was close enough to pick up his meals, but Calypso didn't have to see him and go into a pot-throwing rage.

---

"They are completely fireproof," Calypso promised. "They'll stay clean and expand to fit you,should you ever become less scrawny." (the prev part about her repairing the clothes was actually sweet in a platonic way...could have gone without the body-shaming !)

---

Then he remembered that this annoying fifteen-year-old girl was actually the immortal daughter of a Titan."

--pages 214-227 of The House of Hades pdf

Now, at this point I'll say that their relationship actually becomes quite sweet once they get past the frankly horrible section of time where they want each other to die. They're both lonely, they come to some understanding...I suppose this is a matter of opinion, but the romance aspect does feel forced. Time is different in Ogygia so it's hard to say how long Leo was there, if I were to estimate I'd say 3 weeks, but given that it's like 19 pages (and the text is larger on the pdf copy lol), it does feel rushed. Man do I wish they went for the platonic angle, but Richard could never.

The Blood of Olympus

Everyone's favorite book! lmao.

Now that our lovebirds are in Lovebird Territory (i guess), the amount of toxicity dwindles, but let's bite:

"'Sit tight, Sunshine,' he told Calypso's picture. 'I'll get back to you, just like I promised.'

Leo could imagine her response: 'I am not waiting for you, Leo Valdez. I am not in love with you.And I certainly don't believe your foolish promises!' The thought made him smile. (I guess this is supposed to be sarcastic, but way to reintroduce the concept of her really not liking him?)"

--pg 64 of The Blood of Olympus pdf

So, most of this book has mentions of Calypso from Leo's pov, and I gotta say (forgetting entirely that this doc is supposed to at least try to be subjective)...they neutered my boy. I often don't reread past MoA because of the caleo content, though what glimpses I've seen shows that his pov has experienced a massive shift. I think having so little page time and such an intense relationship buildup causes some readers to dislike how fundamentally she alters Leo's pov.

Additionally, I've seen some posts about Leo's suicide ideation. That is not something I want to go in depth about on this post, but I did want to draw attention to this excerpt I caught:

"Now the Argo II was approaching the end of its voyage. Leo's whole life – his childhood with Tía Callida; his mother's death in that warehouse fire; his years as a foster kid; his months at Camp Half-Blood with Jason and Piper – all of it would culminate tomorrow morning in one final battle.

He opened the access panel. Festus's voice creaked over the intercom.

'Yeah, buddy,' Leo agreed. 'It's time.'

More creaking.

'I know,' Leo said. 'Together till the end?'

Festus squeaked affirmatively.

Leo checked the ancient bronze astrolabe, which was now fitted with the crystal from Ogygia. Leo could only hope it would work.

'I will get back to you, Calypso,' he muttered. 'I promised on the River Styx.'

He flipped a switch and brought the navigation device online. He set the timer for twenty-four hours.

Finally he opened the engine's ventilator line and pushed inside the vial of the physician's cure. It disappeared into the veins of the ship with a decisive thunk.

'Too late to turn back now,' Leo said.

He curled on the floor and closed his eyes, determined to enjoy the familiar hum of the engine for one last night."

--pg 224 of The Blood of Olympus pdf

I'm not going to draw any definitive conclusions on the subtext of this or his plan with the physician's cure, but I will say Leo definitely needs therapy and the support of his friends over his want of a girlfriend. (And I'd say this regardless of ships--even if it were my beloved valdangelo. If Leo's mental health isn't addressed, it just makes it seem like a lazy fix-all)

I'm not going to pretend to be the best writer or understand character arcs better than our good friend Richard, but I think one of the reasons why Leo's character arc failed in this final installment is that Leo got what he wanted instead of what he needed. The best character arcs will display what a character wants, but by the end of the journey, a character will realize what they really need.

For example, in Gravity Falls (great show btw), towards the end of the series, Mabel wants to stay in a magical bubble created as a trick by Bill Cipher so she can stay in Gravity Falls forever. In the end, however, she realizes that what she really needs is to go back home to California with her brother, where they can get through high school with the support of each other.

If Leo had undergone an arc in which he really wants a girlfriend, but later realizes he needs to love himself first, that would have been really great and nice for kids to see that they don't need a significant other to make them whole.

Additionally--surprisingly--there were no glaring red flags for the rest of this book. They have a general vibe of "she doesn't really like him and he's a silly little guy" that I feel like is just rick pulling a "can I copy your homework?" with percabeth but it came out Wrong, but that's a matter of opinion.

ToA: The Hidden Oracle

""Here you go." Leo handed her a glass of lemonade. His expression seemed darker and more anxious, as if...Ah, of course. Leo had rescued Calypso from her prison island. In doing so, Calypso had lost her powers. Leo felt responsible."

--pg 239 of The Hidden Oracle pdf

This seems like something they'd have to work through, which is possible, but also a very intense thing to put on a relationship between an already traumatized 16 year old (and his over 3000 year old girlfriend, etc.) I suppose if this was written through in a thoughtful way I'd understand, but it's kind of one of those things that makes me look at them and go...realistically, at best I see them lasting 6 months to a year.

(tbh a lot of the ships outside of percabeth don't seem to have that...well, percabeth longevity--i mean just look at how jiper broke up. not that Richard would break caleo up atp, of course...unless...)

Final Thoughts (unless I return after finishing ToA but no promises)

And so, we conclude. I think I learned some stuff by revisiting canon instead of just remaining amongst online fandom & my memory of canon. Honestly, I can see why people would like this ship--I still hate it the most out of any pjo ship, but I gotta admit it had its sweet moments. Just as I pointed out red flags and had opinions stated as subjective, other people could point out what they consider green flags and why they think the ship is great.

To conclude (my English teachers quaking in their boots rn), myself and other caleo haters dislike the ship due to the age difference, the rushed nature, and the enemies to lovers dynamic being written in a way that ultimately gives the energy that our love birds do not like each other. I hope this dive into the foundation of their relationship clarifies some of these things for you, and thanks for the ask!

[the-rebel-archivist]

kissy picrew

Thanks for the tag @theluckywizard!

Rules: make your ship(s) in this adorable picrew, then give me their song. Tag some friends to share too!

Tagging @askweisswolf, @magicmissiled and @sandcastlekings

Naturally Frederick Amell and Morrigan, my sun and stars, my beloveds were the first I had to make. Frederick is bright, hopeful, melancholic, and devastatingly romantic in a tragic poet sense and speaks to the side of Morrigan that lies beyond her endless list of expectations thrust upon her. For their song, honourable mention to Inkpot Gods but I think I need to be basic with this mashup of I Was Made for Loving You / Please Don't Say You Love Me because it feels like a dialogue between them in keeping with her views on love and how they alter over time, along with the impression of what love is that Frederick maintains over the Blight before it deepens into something far more purposeful

Frederick: I was made for loving you / Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through / Every bone screaming I don't know what we should do / All I know is darling I was made for loving you Morrigan: Please don't say you love me 'cause I might not say it back / Doesn't mean my heart stops skipping when you look at me like that

Next up, Raynda Lavellan and Cullen Rutherford, the OC who brought me to the DA fandom to begin with! There's a lot of recognition of the self in the other between them, though their experiences are so vastly different. A bit of mutual brokenness and needing to restart and rebuild. One of my favourite songs for them is Someone Who Loves Me by Sara Bareilles

I'm the worst I've ever been / Afraid of almost everything /The skies are clear but storms are always coming / Your gift to me is just to be bracing for the winds I always summon / My home, my heart / Thank God you are someone who loves me

[llawlieta]

What’s your most unpopular DN opinion? (It can be about canon, fanon the fandom)

This is a hard to answer question for me because I don't know that I have many unpopular opinions, or any at all?! So I'm just going to ramble a little bit at you. I hope this is the quality content you were looking for.

I am FAR from confident that my own characterization of Light and L is right, but I sometimes feel like my view of them is an unpopular one because I see different sides of fandom taking certain traits and pulling in totally different directions - Light is either dramatic with a hair-trigger temperament and ready for Violence OR he is very soft and fluffy. (Or, he is either constantly openly and shamelessly putting women down or actually a #feminist.) Same thing with L. L is very soft and gentle and full of angsty feelings, or (and I think the following is a view that some people have adopted as a rejection to the Uwu L ™ characterization that was king in the early days of the fandom, sjsksjd) he is a confident asshole with almost no consideration towards other people beyond what is useful to him to be able to solve a case.

But then of course I know this is a bit like saying nothing because all fandoms will do this to their blorbos, and all characters are more complex than you'd think from a cursory search through their Tumblr tag. I was discussing this with a beloved friend and she illuminated me by mentioning that fandom... just loves Drama and Heightened Feelings... People consume the source material and want more Feels out of it (especially media like Death Note, I'd imagine, which really doesn't spend more time than necessary dwelling on anyone's feelings) and so they take... Light having a yelling fit and make it a very prominent trait of his personality. Or L having a soft moment and fill him with soft feelings that are coming out all the time. Which is a reasonable instinct to have! even though I think the interesting part of those moments in canon is precisely the fact that they are extraordinary in some way.

So I AM saying nothing and this does happen in every fandom, and contrary to what that cursory search through any fandom tag would tell you, a lot of people certainly treat the characters with subtlety and pay careful attention to all of their dimensions. I mean, evidently, most people do it much better than I could ever hope to do!! (In my defense I have to say that if I stress myself out with writing Light and L properly in-character I will drive myself insane, so not doing it is Self Care for me). But, ah! hopefully this is still some sort of answer, anon!

The L thing bothers me more, because he is my beloved boy and because I think people insist a bit too much on the view of him as confident asshole who doesn't give a fuck. Cleverer people than me have discussed this, particularly in the Lawlight server in which I am, but L does in fact Give Some Fucks. I'm noticing it more now that I'm rereading the manga! A lot of soft little L moments are making me sort of understand why people back in the early fandom days really ran with that Soft Uwu L interpretation haha. It's not remotely accurate to reduce him to those traits! but it's not accurate either to reduce him to the opposite ones?

And I feel like the same phenomenon happens with Lawlight, My Beloved Ship. Sometimes it feels like, if people don't portray them as a very soft and fluffy couple, they can portray them as a couple that would be so toxic and unhealthy that they couldn't have a normal, loving relationship without mind games and manipulation always running through the undercurrent of it. Idk we all know these boys are crazy insane but I don't think they'd be quite THAT toxic!!

Rereading the manga has made me have the realization once again that (I think) L and Light honestly just fit together very well, and don't hate each other with nearly as much venom and intensity as one might think, and there's a lot of common interests and genuine mutual appreciation and fun in their relationship. Particularly in a no notebook AU where there'd be no need for 70% of their mind games of course lol, but it's also there just, like, canonically.

↑ they discuss the news and buy groceries together and read different books silently on the couch actually.

[clairedaring]

Okay, I dare not reblog your response to the essay post because the length of it is already too much, so Imma continue/reply through this new ask instead! ---------------

First: Thank you! I'm delighted that you enjoyed my rambling essay so much! And if it's good, it's only because you asked the right questions and gave me this opportunity to yap! An answer is only as good as its question allows it to be, after all!

-----

Assuming that the paper receipt Win found in the last episode implied his missing? dead? dad was also caught up in some money laundering shady business at the temple, I think Win will play some kind of double agent character in S2 where he’s forced into both running shady temple business all the while reporting back to the RDJ-looking cop.

YES! I think Win's gonna find himself in a teeth-clench cooperation with Cop RDJ (and the feelings might be mutual until maybe the two of them reach an understanding as S2 progresses)!

That cop seriously has more things going on with him beyond what we glimpsed. He has very personal goals he wants to achieve—whatever means necessary. Could he actually be a personal friend of Win's father? Or someone who used to work with him? Is Win's father the common thread between Win and Cop RDJ?

I'm very interested in his side of the story, man!

----

To be honest, they’ve ended Monk Dol’s arc so well, I really don’t want to sacrifice his character’s integrity and beliefs for the sake of the narrative but I also badly need him onscreen again as the only character with a moral compass in this series full of peope without it ಥ_ಥ

Sadhu, you nailed my struggle! I know I shouldn't be attached, but bro, I am. Too late!!! Y'all made him too charismatic and earnest in his practice and conduct, and now you created one of the best religious-affiliated characters I've ever met in my personal list of fiction.

Imagine if Monk Dol was a real person I know!!! Yo, I'll do anything to be his kalyāṇa-mitta ("noble/virtuous friend;" Buddhist friendship characterized by camaraderie in helping each other improve while practicing The Noble Eightfold Path. It includes chastising each other for unskillful conduct, etc).

I like to point out that Monk Dol was also written to be afflicted with the Three Poisons (klesa) through his attachment to Dear, so he's actually flawed despite being the best boy person in the series. He showed delusion (moha) such as thinking Dear could ever be with him and that he should disrobe to be with her. He showed attachment (rāga), most obvious in his dream of Dear and that scene in the bathroom. The only klesa he exhibited the least, even when he had grown attached to Dear, was aversion or hatred (dosa), but it was still present—in his quiet resentment and growing regret over becoming a monk at too tender an age. He was growing averse to his life as a monk.

So I think, one of the many functions Monk Dol provided in สาธุ was also about a Buddhist's valorization of growth from mistakes. Instead of characterizing his lapse with Dear as a sort of fall in morality or failure in his religious duty, the emphasis was placed on how Monk Dol overcame his delusion. In Buddhist ethics, moral progress is extolled—more so than moral duty and moral adherence. It's all about effort, striving, and using your mistakes to learn; Monk Dol's character arc exemplifies that. One of the Buddha's lauded disciples was Aṅgulimāla, a serial killer, after all.

Okay LOOK I REALLY LIKE THIS GUY, OKAY

------

Whatever happens in S2, I hope S2 gives me lots of Monk Dol internal struggles, nothing I love more than a tortured gentle, kind soul (@ สาธุ scriptwriters, please don’t use my beloved Monk Dol as a sacrificial martyr though, HE’S SUFFERED ENOUGH) getting a bittersweet, hopeful-ish open ending.

OH SHIT. I... I'm also a sucker for tortured gentle, kind soul!!! Ahhhhhhh!

--------

I LOVE the scene you chose to make your new gif.

Because this Dhamma talk was probably the hardest-to-understand of all. I'll tell you why...

In this one, Monk Dol was explaining upādāna ("clinging; attachment"). However, he wasn't talking about the usual stuff about attachment like "don't be attached to money" "don't be attached to beauty" or "don't be attached to fame."

He's talking about attachment to things Buddhists think are good. Meditation. Making merits. Offering alms to monks. The rituals. He's saying that one should not even be attached to these good things. "It's easy to be attached to things that feel pleasant. But we should not be attached to them, too."

It's very counterintuitive. Buddhists are taught that all of these stuff are good and moral, so why not be attached to them?

Because if you're so stuck in doing them, it will also start to become a burden to your mind, and then it turns into suffering. But there's also more to it!

The Buddha had an analogy for this (I forgot in which sutta/sutra, though. Bruh yapped way too much and had a shit ton of sutta in the Pali Canon). Paraphrasing from my memory here:

The Dhamma is a boat. When you want to cross the river and reach the other side, you use the Dhamma (and related tools). But once you reach it and are now on land, do you still hold onto the boat? No. You discard it, having no longer need it on land. To cling to anything when it's no longer required causes dukkha.

This is what Monk Dol was also saying in that talk. Samadhi ("wisdom") during meditation is nice and pleasant, but true samadhi is knowing when to be detached from the pleasantry of meditation so that the "bliss" of it doesn't distract you from your real goal (of Enlightenment).

And this, I need to stress, was the Dhamma talk Monk Dol was giving in his first appearance. I was absolutely floored and impressed, man, because this isn't something someone with a more pop culture understanding of Buddhism can come up with. Again, fucking props to the scriptwriters and their advisors; they really know their shit!

----

Okay yea I am done rambling ahahhaha. Please, if you cook more The Believers gif set I will EAT THEM SO GOOD. I wish more people are into this shit, goddamn. And I can't wait for Season 2!!!

(You have no idea how happy I am to find a fellow appreciator like you!)

Thank you Lyn for once again blessing me with even more insights into the brilliant writing and details in the characterisation of Monk Dol (i don't deserve this. cries happy tears ಥᴗಥ. months and months of waiting and lurking in the สาธุ tag for fellow สาธุ appreciators has finally come into fruition. i truly have no regrets spending hours screencapping สาธุ. always said they were purely self-indulgent but i must admit i always secretly hope people would come across them and gave the series a chance).

I didn't think I could love Monk Dol more but you have truly proven that Monk Dol is truly in fact best flawed boi monk. In a series with such a sensitive topic, I understand that careless writing could have easily made him a terrible character or cause great controversial or mixed reactions but I do think the writing for Monk Dol was just sophisticated enough and it feels like there's much care in the crafting of his character (my beloved Dol).

Kudos to Pup who plays Monk Dol as well, because I would have never guessed that he isn't a professional actor but the frontman of a rock band (funnily enough i've been listening to Potato (his band) forever but i didn't register that they're the same person until I started watching interviews and they start asking Pup about how does it feel to transform from a rock singer to a monk).

i shall end this ask with a gif encapsulating my exact reaction of Monk Dol's first Dhamma talk/sermon

[nikkiitalks]

Race Baiting - A thoughtument by Nikkiitalks.

Okay.. Here we go.

Firstly, for the sake of absolute transparency, when I was first contacted by @olivaraofrph in a tirade of a novel of a response, my skimming through it had me starting to be swayed in her favour, mostly because of the depths of which her privacy was invaded for the sake of the allegations against her. And in that moment, I prematurely forgave her. Told her I understood. But it turns out, after much more has come to light, that I in fact do not understand. And in turn my forgiveness is recanted.

I did not have all the information. Hell, I had a fraction of it. Natalie and I, we were friendly, but not close. We don't talk every day and we never did. We had, though, stood arm in arm against that moment's hot button issue that I had felt strongly about, and so had she. It seemed. We'd held each other in places of mutual respect, shouting each other out and praising each other's advocacy.

Now, it all feels so... silly. This performative display that I so willingly let be pulled over my eyes. But that's beside the point. That was all I knew of her, really. There are others in this tiny niche of our already tiny community, that were far closer. Those that ran servers, indigenous servers, with her. They weren't even afforded the respect of being given an explanation to, but I did?

I was the one, who when I it was brought to my attention, when I was urged to send a DM which I already had, that was deemed the one to get that? A novel, let me be clear, the contents of which I won't make public upon request. A lot of it had nothing to do, truly, with the issue at hand but served to distract from it in a wall of text. It was overwhelming, and it felt just a teeny, tiny bit, manipulative.

There's so much evidence now, even evidence regretfully obtained, that the only place her advocacy extends to is Tumblr. None of your public, irl facing socials having anything there about it. Your own admission of percentage, (how that had been confirmed as she claims I can't speculate), and other things that don't line up. Those of us in the community affected haven gotten together to compare and talk through our feelings toward it all and there is a consensus.

It fucking sucks.

Just the fact that this needs to be brought up absolutely sucks. It detracts from the credibility of other indigenous creators in the space. Not all press is good press, and Natalie right now, is bad press. Beyond myself and the others being lied to. Beyond the personal offense I take to that. This is what bothers me the most. For all the posturing and all the 'talking in wrong and confusing ways' it makes us all look bad. And for what?

The other personal and religious or spiritual beliefs she believes doesn't mean anything to me. The other racism claims about her I can't confirm, whatever. Talking shit about a beloved creator, real or not. Doesn't matter.

What matters is there is damage done to the indigenous community here on the rpc, and before we came together to discuss it, it was distressing to all of us. There is no such thing as clout on tumblr and I don't know why people can't seem to get that through their heads? What need is there to claim to be something you're not, even through insinuations, half truths and vague details? I don't understand.

Yes, the indigenous community is so willing to accept anyone with any indigenous blood, and it's the fact that this is what was taken advantage of by someone... that really gets me. That's what really makes it sting. It's a blow to every white passing Native out there, in my opinion. That's where my hurt is. It's the fact that there is question of the validity of the claims toward a shared familial and generational trauma to myself. That still impacts my father's side of the family to this day.

I don't even know where I'm going with all this, and I feel like I'm typing myself in circles, but it's all to say that I don't care about all the other stuff that serves to muddy the waters of the real issue. Race baiting does nothing but end up hurting those who's real life experiences you're roleplaying.