#i'm a sucker for a 'we both believe that love is the most powerful thing in the universe' trope

[duckuwu]

some thoughts (siphoned from a convo i had on a discord)

thinking about the parallels between the briarwoods and imodina. i'm thinking it's two kids impossibly in love with each other…and just how far would they go for each other. and in this case, especially now, would the group be able to keep them grounded. not that i think they're hellbent on destruction. but i think they've been hurt a LOT and if something else happens to either one of them… the group has a bigger problem than FCG on their hands. yanno?

either one of them could and would end the world for the other. that potential is within them.

I do like the potential fresh take of, like, maybe the powers aren't actually dark. Maybe the power is neutral and the dark/light of them is all down to who controls the power. I love the notion of Imogen and Laudna being these two women who've been so scared for so long about the powers within them, and what if they decide to stop being scared and use those powers to bring about something amazingly good. Not just for them, but for the world.

[teaspoonnebula]

VALL Chapter 1 - The Warning

So as a recap - yes I run this substack. No, I haven't read this novel. I'm really looking forwards to getting to experience new (to me) canonical Sherlock Holmes for the very last time in my life... and I'm going to write a bunch about it, so hold on tight.

“I am inclined to think—” said I. “I should do so,” Sherlock Holmes remarked impatiently. I believe that I am one of the most long-suffering of mortals; but I'll admit that I was annoyed at the sardonic interruption.

LOL I love how we jump right into Holmes and Watson banter. Watson's understated "“you are a little trying at times" reminds me of his reaction to Holmes shooting holes in the walls at Baker Street being "I felt strongly that neither the atmosphere nor the appearance of our room was improved by it."

Of course we don't get any indication of the tone in which he says these things, but I think we can guess Watson is countering with a little acerbic wit of his own.

So, Holmes has received a letter from a mysterious figure known as 'Porlock'

Picture to yourself the pilot fish with the shark, the jackal with the lion—anything that is insignificant in companionship with what is formidable:

This idea of the pilot fish is a very cool metaphor. Unfortunately it is entirely ruined for me because it was also used in the Christmas Invasion episode of Doctor Who to describe these things and that's always where my brain is going to go:

Porlock is one of Moriarty's henchmen or representatives! Which makes me interested in the fact that I've never come across this character in pastiches or adaptations or fanfic - why not?

(Also it makes no sense for Watson to know all about Moriarty but that's a Continuity Thing and we all know Arthur Conan Doyle didn't let that sort of thing get in the way of telling his story - more power to him, honestly.)

“You are developing a certain unexpected vein of pawky humour, Watson, against which I must learn to guard myself.

I JUST SAID THAT, HOLMES.

“May I be there to see!” I exclaimed devoutly.

Well THAT is a sucker punch of a line. No, Watson, you won't be there to see, I'm afraid. See, there will be this Swiss boy... anyway, we're getting off track.

Turns out Porlock is a bit of a mole (I wouldn't quite go so far as to say 'double agent'), and has been giving Holmes information provided he is paid enough. This includes a secret cipher which relates to a particular book, which Holmes assumes will arrive in the second post.

GUTTED I didn't read this book when I was 11, I loved ciphers and would have lapped this up.

“Your native shrewdness, my dear Watson, that innate cunning which is the delight of your friends...

"your friends" Lol Holmes just say "Me" we know that's what you mean - and gosh, he's being so sarcastic with Watson!

Billy the page shows up with the second post and readers, I CHEERED at Billy. Does he say anything? No. But BILLY!!! Alas the letter from Porlock says that he just had an unpleasant encounter with Moriarty (with an envelope addressed to 221b in his possession, whoops!) and so so he won't be sending along the key to the cypher.

I love that Holmes' reaction to this isn't frustration at not getting his cypher, but worry for Fred Porlock, and hope that Moriarty doesn't actually suspect him. THIS is why I love Canon Holmes - I think he is fundamentally kind...

“Perhaps there are points which have escaped your Machiavellian intellect.

Holmes points out that they might be able to work out which book is required for the cypher, and guides Watson through his deductive process - which is adorable. And I loved following along with it too - with my knowledge of Victorian ephemera I was hoping it was going to be a Bradshaw, but as Holmes notes to both Watson and me, the range of vocabulary needs to be broader!

It's a Whitaker's Almanac! But not the new edition - the old one. This is a fun little reversal which gives us a moment of Holmes thinking he's 'failed'.

The message suggests that someone called Douglas who lives at Birlstone House, Birlstone, is in danger.

(Clearly this is a totally different house to Hurlstone, from Musgrave Ritual....)

After deciphering the message, Holmes and Watson get a visit from an Inspector MacDonald. I was a little sorry this isn't one of the familiar Yarders (Hopkins, my beloved...) but I'm going to be interested to get to know him. Alas, Holmes is too late to save Douglas - he has already been murdered.

***

So, uh, I'm having the time of my life reading this, honestly. It's such incredibly good fun. I'm intrigued that whatever has happened to Douglas must somehow be linked to Moriarty.

There's a lot of banter about Watson's intellect which I feel should frustrate me more, a lot of the dialogue feels like it's bordering on being quite patronising to Watson, but I think his reactions suggest this is comfortable back and forth done from a place of security in each other.

[twoautisticboysinatrenchcoat]

So, about the Siren Au(s)

When we made the pinned post, there was only one of these suckers. Then my brain went, "Oooh, shiny!" And now there's 3! So, on this post I'm gonna introduce each of them with what is currently their name and tag for the au.

The post is gonna be long, so under the cut it goes!

A Song For You

tag: A Song For You au

The first! The OG! The name is something of an inside joke, but it's cute also, so win win! This version of the au features Jon as a human, shipwrecked under mysterious circumstances, and being targeted by a siren who really, really wants Jon to get in the water with him.

Jon didn't believe a word about sirens even existing up until meeting one. Those words are running through his mind often now. He doesn't believe they have the sort of magical prowess the myths claim they do; surely he would be dead by now if they did.

Either way, Jon isn't stupid enough to get too close to such a predator... right?

Martin is a very successful siren. He has more than earned his place in the Lukas's pod with his powerful song. So when what might be the most pathetic looking human he's ever laid eyes on resists his thrall without even batting an eye, he is less than pleased.

As so, what was supposed to be a very casual hunt becomes the sinking of an entire ship. And while Martin could just kill the man in the water, he wouldn't really win that way would he? Sure he's have his meal, but one would still have gotten away with resisting his call.

And what good is he if he can't do even this right?

Lost At Sea

tag: Lost At Sea au

As seen above the cut, this version of the au features Martin as a human, shipwrecked while on a voyage following the death of his mother. Martin was already going through a lot, so he's really just done with everything when the siren appears, tearing him a new one for ignoring him, of all things.

Martin wasn't exactly a believer of things like sirens and other fairy tails, but when his friend had warned him to acquire earplugs for the voyage, he'd listened, if only to keep from worrying him. If he ever saw that old man again, he'd owe him thanks, since it seems they had done him some good after all. And now they'd do him even more.

After all, if he can't hear the siren, it can't make him do anything stupid.

Jon isn't exactly the pinnacle of his species. He knows this. He's small, too small, his colours are dull, his song is strange, and unpleasant even to his own kind. He's not a very good hunter or fighter, and relies on camouflage and small prey to keep himself fed. He has only one podmate who he doesn't like very much and little to be proud of.

He can bring down humans, though not as skillfully as others. He certainly can't bring down entire ships, but if he picks one to target he can usually lure them overboard, or at least get a reaction. Except this time, his prey had to go and ignore him entirely. And then, even once he'd convinced Elias to help him sink that ship, the stupid human didn't even have the decency to drown!

Jon might not be able to reach him, but he'll be damned if he doesn't give him hell for ignoring him.

Siren4Siren

tag: Siren4Siren au

No fancy expository Intro for this one, it's mostly for silly, and is likely going to get the least actual development out of the three of them.

As the name implies, both Jon and Martin feature as sirens, albeit different species. They don't exactly get along, at first. (Mostly Jon lmao)

If you made it this far into the post, first of all, I love you, second, please PLEASE feel free to ask questions about any of these! We'd love nothing more than to chat about them!

[malaierba]

There's something to be said about Adam getting along so well and even loving Lute (platonically, maybe romantically? or more likely in a fwb way, doesn't really matter)

From the moment they're introduced we expected cold, stern, rough Lute to dislike Adam's antics, and all of our expectations were subverted when we found out she's actually his right hand, his number 1 enabler, his dangertits.

We know Adam is a misogynist that objectifies most women by reducing them to wether they make his dick hard or not, and we know that Lute is so deranged he even finds her bloodlust off-putting sometimes. At the same time, it only makes sense that such a chaotically lawful abettor of a girl would get along with the guy who for the most part just wants validation from a select group of people.

The fact that Lute can call out Adam when he's being stupid (yknow, when she gets the braincell lol) and the most he does is be vaguely annoyed without retaliating always stood up to me.

I guess I've been thinking about Lute, and her personality, and the fact that Adam likes her and gets along so well with her, in terms of what Adam's relationship with Lilith and likely Eve was like. Here's what I'm thinking:

Lilith: We know they fell apart because Lilith wanted independence and didn't want to submit to Adam. They likely fought for dominance, or at the very least, Lilith often butted heads with him in an attempt to be seen as an equal. From this, we get the feeling that Lilith was a strong personality, likely feminine in image yes, but unafraid to be rougher and exert power in order to get what she wants. We don't know what she's been using her power for as of lately, but historically she did it to maintain a semblance of order in hell.

Eve: Admittedly Eve is a bit more mysterious for obvious reasons. All we know about her is that she existed in the Hazbin verse and that, if the story tracks with the biblical myth, she was created from Adam's rib to stay at his side and be his companion. They did populate earth until they died, so there's a good chance that she was purposefully created to be a more maternal, traditionally feminine figure, and that part of the "success" of her relationship with Adam was the fact that she, by design, probably subconsciously submitted to him and went along with his ideas often.

(I say "success" because I'm a sucker for Eve Angst. There's no way that after eating the Fruit of Knowledge she didn't spend her own life questioning her birth purpose, her innate feelings, the role she was created for. But that's a topic for another day).

I don't know if this was by design, but seen under that light, Lute does say a lot about Adam. As I said before, you'd expect that he'd dislike her bursts of dominance, and her more steady roughness around the edges, her bluntness (so unfeminine, at least by traditional catholic standards) and yet its part of what makes them a dynamic duo. At the same time, he probably wouldn't stay with her if she wasn't his lieutenant: Allowed to keep him in check from time to time, but for the most part following his lead, working with him towards a goal that they both believe in.

I don't know if Adam being accepting and enabling Lute's roughness is something innate in him or if it's proof of pre-canon character development of sorts. What it makes me think is that Adam probably didn't actually dislike the parts of Lilith that pushed her to leave him. Maybe he was even blind-sighted by her leaving him?

I also wonder if Adam ever doubted the genuineness of Eve's companionship. Again, how can you ignore that someone was literally created to stay by your side and follow your lead? Maybe eventually he processed it as "I was the first man, the blueprint, so that's just the way things are meant to be" and just accepted it as a fact of life, but you can't tell me it'd feel way better to find someone who literally choses to be by your side because she believes in your ideals. Every yes you get and every small effort that said person puts towards your shared goals would just be more meaningful.

I also wonder sooo much about Lute. Like, I want so so badly to learn her backstory lol. I can see clearly why Adam found her so special and fun, but what about her? What was the draw? WHY is she the way she is? she's like if a militarized person met teuthonic-adjacent religious ethic and was promptly unleashed onto the world. So it's weird that she likes Adam, right? It's so weird.

And yet there she is, hyping him up when he's being his most annoying self lol. It can't be just "well he's an angel and the 1st man" that kept her besides him for so long, at least her crying at his death makes me believe that there was an actual interpersonal bond, an understanding, something she saw in him that no one else saw before. But WHAT was it.

[otomepeachy]

Mammon Playlist

Link

These can be for the original game or NB. most of them fit for both. I've had the playlists for a while but recently refined them. I hope you like them!

Explanations (Excluding Character Songs):

They Call Me Tiago (Her Name is Margo) - Tiagz

Not exactly a song about him but something I think he'd listen to and I think it fits his vibe. I just really think it fits him.

Go Hard (La.La.La.) - Kreayshawn

A bit unhinged and chaotic which always reminds me of Mammon. Also love that the first line is "I don't have any money..." Big Mammon energy. This poor bitch is always in debt.

Oh Yes (Rockin' With The Best) - Laidback Luke, Keanu Silva

Not only does it give off his kinda vibes but he's also very full of himself. I mean we're talking about "The Great Mammon!" He only comes in second to Asmo.

Jerk It Out - Caesars

Another one based on vibes. The instruments and vocals just give me something I feel he'd like!

Mine - Bazzi

This is 100% how he thinks of MC. That boy is just absolutely smitten with them! He adores them! He might be a bit selfish, careless, and let's be honest stupid but he always does his best when it comes to MC. He's always genuine and open with them! I just love him!

24k Magic - Bruno Mars

We all know if Mammon knew how to budget he'd be living a lavish lifestyle! He loves having nice things! Plus, some of you forget this but I didn't, one of the powers Mammon has is that If he likes someone they're bound to come into money and usually prosper wealth wise.

Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae

Party boy. Loves a good time and letting loose.

7 rings - Ariana Grande

Wants nice things and who can blame him. It's not exactly his style music wise but the lyrics definitely remind me of him.

Sucker - Jonas Brothers

I mean it's literally canon that MC can say one word and Mammon just falls in line. Even Lucifer struggles with that sometimes. He'd do literally anything MC asks.

Check Yes, Juliet - We The Kings

Oh, this is so him! He's so the type to do the cliche throwing rocks at his partners window then asking them to sneak out for a late night impromptu date. Hes also just so stubborn and honestly, we love it. I just feel like this is very much what he'd be like in a relationship.

Hard Times - Paramore

This man is always in the red. He is struggling financially and his brothers constantly belittle him, this man is just living in a constant state of hard times. My fav may not be Mammon but the day I don't immediately jump to his defense in a cold day in the devildom.

Make You Mine - PUBLIC

Once again, this man is smitten! He just loves MC so much and it's so sweet I'm gonna cry-

First Date - blink-182

As much as he likes to show off and brag and act cool he is always a bit nervous around MC. He wants to impress them and look cool but he can't help but blush and stutter when they flirt back. It's adorable.

Treasure - Bruno Mars

I truly believe that in a relationship Mammon would put MC over everything. I know it's a stretch...but I think even Goldie would come second! WHY ARE YOU BOOING ME IM RIGHT!!

Mr. Brightside - The Killers

Jealousy. That's it. We all know Mammon is extremely protective and jealous when it comes to MC. It makes sense for the Avatar of Greed. But I also think the lyrics can apply to how Mammon might feel watching MC with his brothers. Because even if you don't necessarily want to romance Mammon he is still clearly pining after MC.

GOODMORNINGTOKYO! - TOKYO'S REVENGE

Chaotic and unhinged. What more do you need?

[bookishjules]

Hi Jules,

Saw your post about RWBY. I have seen up through V8. PLEASE tell me all your hot takes. (If they’re anything like your sohae analyses then they’re going to be immaculate). <3

omg welcome to the list of followers i know watch rwby!! (it's a small list, but it's also one of my favorites hehe) idk that i have any esp hot takes?? but i'd love to talk about something that's been on my mind a lot recently..?

that thing is the schnee family... i personally am a huge sucker for the mechanics and evolution of family dynamics and how each individual functions within and outside of it. and aside from the belladonnas, whose family web has a third of individual relationships as the schnees, weiss's family is really the only one we get the privy of seeing in totality?? which i think is really interesting considering they are also the most public family of any of our mcs--even pyrrha, who was more known for her own name than her family's.. but i digress.

so much of the character of the schnee family really is based around that public persona, the facade they each present to the world. while we aren't very familiar with the former heads of the family, or of the sdc, i'm still inclined to believe a lot of this attitude was brought to the family by jacques, who has been acting since day one. he acted like he was in love. he donned the schnee name. he dyed his hair white. he swept willow aside, took her family's legacy from her, and then spent the rest of his life pretending like he deserved to be where he was and manipulating people into playing along. and of course behind every facade is something worth hiding. for jacques i think there was a lot of insecurity and fear there--youthful desperation that he was never quite able to move past because of his choice to take the cheater's way to the top.

willow, on the other hand, seems to move through life with a lot more vulnerability--loving jacques. loving their children. i'm sure there's probably an amount of safety and security growing up as a schnee heiress that resulted in her never having to form that shell that jacques did, but that's exactly why he was able to get into the power position in their relationship, and making it so she just gave up when jacques showed his cards to her, bc she didn't have anything up her sleeves.

and i think its really interesting to consider the kids growing up in this climate.. each of them learning in their own ways what parts of themselves to control and diminish vs. which strengths were valuable to play to. even with both winter and weiss stepping out from their father's control, the effects of their upbringing still follows them. they saw the powerless position their mom was reduced to because she didn't demand respect the way their father did, she didn't walk into a room with the air of the most important person in it, at least not within the confines of their family--because why would she? meanwhile, jacques, who viewed their relationship as nothing more than a stepping stool, a business transaction, would have maintained that facade and that attitude no matter how intimate the setting. and of course both girls would notice and internalize that at a young age. we see it in weiss, especially during the beacon arc. and even winter's choice to become a soldier, and then her ability to move herself up to the top of ironwood's ranks... they wanted to escape the pressure of their father's thumb, but they just carried his lessons with them, adapting them to their own lives. school and the army. and then that's something they need to unlearn. or rather.. they need to learn to tap into the heart they inherited from their mom as well, to fight against the fear of weakness and collapse that they associate with softness. it's in much of weiss's arc throughout the series, and we see it in winter as well as we reach the end of the 8th volume and she's struggling between her personal beliefs and ironwood's as he continues to devolve. without the rules and control that ironwood brought, winter is then forced to tap into her heart.

whitley on the other hand... whitley fascinates me. since he was younger than both his sisters, he would have had less time to see their mom as her genuine self before she lost herself to depression, paranoia, and alcoholism. for whitley, the only option was to be like his father, which only makes it harder for him to see the distinction between who he is and the controlled front he presents to others. his relationship with weiss, his small bits of character development we've seen so far, are so important to me, because it really shows the possibility for all three of these kids to grow beyond the trauma that perpetuated within the walls of their icy mansion. even down to the one who suffered the worst of it all by himself. willow once told weiss not to forget about her brother, so i refuse to stop projecting hope in his direction.

[kuriboo]

for the yugioh ask meme: Yudias!!!!! >:3c

YUDIAS! BNUYY BOY! disclaimer: i am only through episode 101 of go rush

tall bnuyy boy

Why I like them/why I don’t

Yudias is in-tune with himself, unfailingly kind. He's a bit stubborn about it, in a good way. He does not stop supporting his friends. He believes in the power of Rush Duels like they're a higher power, which, to be fair, they kind of are in the text. He has a collection of 8.88 million emotional support catboy countrymen who follow him around everywhere in a tiny spaceship (i miss them dearly). He stopped an intergalactic war with the power of card games. Even when he's faced with extinction and genocide, he puts on a brave face for his friends, gives his boyfriend his last wish, and when he breaks down, it's because everything hits him all at once when he witnesses rush duels being disrespected.

He's also got self-confidence issues. I love me a guy with self-confidence issues, because, same.

What I like about their appearance

His human-like appearance would be perfect if it weren't for the UTS orange. I do not like the UTS orange. But. His hair is beautiful. Look at his little horns under his hat. I also really like his hat, when it's not orange. The pink shirt is SO funny. The scenes where he's wearing a middle school uniform are 10/10 in appearance.

Above is a perfect boy.

As for transformed? His shorter hair is cute, too, though I'm surprised I don't prefer it. I usually prefer shorter hair on characters because longer hair characters just remind me how much I hate it when my hair gets too long and it just feels so wrong... Maybe it's the headset that isn't doing it for me. I do love the bnuyy parts of his hair most when transformed, but I do like his hair, just slightly less than when he's not transformed.

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

He's a protag, so... yknow. I will say I tend to type out protag/related names as Yu instead of Yuu, but that's a me thing.

OTP

I know that Zwijo/Yudias is the canon and most popular ship, and I do like them! However! My otp has to be Yudias/Yuhi

Please look at them. That is all. Thank you

NOTP

Idk about this one? I've never seen a ship thrown out there that I like, hated, for Yudias. Oh, wait, I have one

Yudias/Chupataro

If you mention Chupataro in my presence I will eye beam you. I hate that guy.

OT3

Zwijo/Yudias/Yuhi for sure. I am a sucker for ot3's like this and then taking the characters that interact the least and going insane about them. Once I've caught up on go rush, I will be going insane about Zwijo/Yuhi. They are both Yudias' boyfriends.

Tonight the group chat is selling me on Zwijo/Yudias/Yuhi/Phaser. I see the vision. I think it's cute. Let's add more boys to this polycule.

Favourite card they use

Definitely, her. She's gender, she's pretty, she's the moment.

Favourite moment they were in

It's really hard to pick one. Burgalarly was so funny. Any time Yudias uses eyebeams is a classic. I am very fond of the moment he played his new Maximum against Phaser.

HOWEVER, the best moment, on further reflection, HAS to be the galaxy cup finals

PROBABLY THE MOST HYPE DUEL BEFORE EPISODE 100, though 100 may have surpassed it. But god I loved this duel so much. The switching off of Yudias' opponents. Yudias being the guy we're cheering to lose. GOD this duel was insane. I wanna rewatch it again sometime. Cannot wait to rewatch this when it's dubbed.

Least favourite moment

this entire episode can go burn in hell

Would I fuck, marry or kill them

Marry in a heartbeat. He's not my go rush overall favorite (that's Yuhi rn, if we look at Yuga as a sevens character) but Yudias is very high up there.

thank you everyone for listening to me talk about yudias. in conclusion, you should watch yugioh go rush.

[lesser-mook]

Elizabeth Comstock

I hold this character in very high regard.

The way the story smoothly transitioned her into central character focus, after making her retrieval the actual goal/game objective of the first act of the story, then a carefree NPC, then things got more interesting, she started showing more sides to her than just "uwu waifu mode". She was dynamic.

Very slick.

She's a better developed Eleanor, tho Eleanor was also a cool character who pulled strings too.

Actually, deadass?

A lot of the Bioshock ladies one way or another was (co-/independently) lowkey running shit or making moves.

Sofia Lamb, Bridget Tenebaum

Julie Langford, R.Lutece

Eleanor Lamb, Daisy "mfing" Fitzroy

Fuck that "girlboss" shit.

These ladies were beyond that, they were professionals, experts in their individual fields. From Biology, Quantum Physics, to social psychology, to just knowing how to lead.

They were qualified, not strong FEMALE characters, just solid CHARACTERS. Without the derivative labels. Love that shit when it’s done right.

And some of em are npc's, not even that deep, most prolly forgot some were in the game, but they were cool.

Usually you got characters just doing shit perfect nowadays because they:

Believed in themselves

Or somebody told them how special they were all along-

These characters have ***credentials***, Hollywood needed more of that energy in the writers room. Still do.

In a poetic sense, Elizabeth, with all that power+knowledge, was like the accumulation of all of those characters before & technically after her, for both better and for worse.

Cause she, our dear Elizabeth, did some questionable shit to get what she wanted sometimes. Just like Daisy has no stranger to bloodshed, nor Sofia. They're flawed, that's why they're believable. They're not perfect little angles, while they guys look like idiots. Everyone, one way or another, has issues. Welcome to BIOSHOCK, enjoy your stay.

Thus, the beginning and end of Bioshock, Anna Dewitt.

This character is pretty decent.

It's a crime she's not more appreciated on "female character" game lists. Likely too much good writing and not enough midriff, fanservice, waifu mode, D.I.D, & skintight clothes for the peons to project onto.

Infinite didn't vibe with me at first, I actually did NOT like it (Still have my complaints, entirely with the enemy designs) but "Burial At Sea" was just:

Full circle, I'm a sucker for well executed time loops that don't make me roll my eyes.

Probably played BAS: Part 2 more times than I did the first game.

The difference between a girl and woman is "blood", jfc RIP to the homegirl, she was about that life to the end. Won't spoil who tho, if you know, then you know. Play the game.

Since Levine (original Bioshock writer) is NOT on the project (And for a very understandable, even respectable reason to boot) but for some reason the 4th is being made anyway, this is screaming studio mandate than it is an organic "necessity" for the story.

Which is just MATRIX4GREED all over again: Sure the first 3 was a complete story, but WHAT IF? We made a 4th one for no fucking reason at all?

All they gotta do is just fit it in after Bioshock 2 chronologically. But I sincerely pray, and hope Bioshock 4 doesn't fuck up the time loop or the point of the original games frfr.

[lowkeyclueless5137]

So, Idia makes an explanation video. Does he make an explanation video for anything. In any AU that allows him to have some semblance of technology?

:0c gud question.

And I assume this is mainly chapter 7 spoilers(jp side, since en also got a new piece) so imma put a smol read more. :'3

From what I gathered around, Idia did make an explanation video. Does that mean he made the STIX introductory video? Or maybe that was his father, who later taught Idia how to do it too. (kinda like sum papa-son bonding :3)

You may correct me, if I'm wrong, but I believe Idia made his dream a safe space from the blots, until Silver & Co. Came up. And by the rule of the thumb, Dreams have different time-lines. Maybe for our group it took days in Lilia's dream, maybe for Idia it was a few minutes while trying to make the video, maybe it was a few hours, as suggested by the reality plane, where Ortho tried to deck Malleus. :v

So, by definition, we don't really know HOW much time it took Idia to get this. Most likely our group stumbled in just after Idia finished the last touches.

Anyhow, with the aus, definitely Idia would make an explanation video is 2 conditions are met:

1. There's no secret identity/danger situation/hurry.

2. Idia has access to his tech.

The best example in here is the NRSSAB, where Idia makes content revolving around doll repaints. It is a staple of his that he's soft spoken in there and manages to explain pretty in depth. He also makes other kind of explanation videos, but that is smth that the avid visitors of this blog didn't yet find out. ;3

The Demon/Angel magical girl au and the genshin au are, probably, the only 2 exceptions and I'll get as to why:

In the first one (it's a oneshot, mainly revolving around Ace and Riddle), Idia is a reaper. A magical girl whose powers were coming from within, thus he's responsible to handle more delicate missions. Ortho, post his death, is an angel, who tries to get used to this. And while Idia had both the time and tools necessary to make videos abt this + experience from working with angels and their guardians, to help his little brother understand, he has a more practical approach to things. A more warm approach if you will, as a way to help his brother cope with all these drastic changes in nature.

As for the double Genshin Isekai au, in here it revolves around the movie event genshin hosted once. As Fontaine is revolving around steam-punk-ish tech, no doubt they would have vintage movies(Think of the Charlie Chaplin, or if you want sound & color, the ones after the 18th century). But the production is hefty and it takes a lot of time and effort. In here, Idia loves machines and likes to dissect those suckers as a past time. Because, when he was little, he dismembered a perfectly working guard robot, Neuvilette introduced him to the movie camera, per condition that Idia cannot dismember it. The camera opened on the side and it showed all the mechanisms, thus Idia didn't need to actively take it apart. So he took a liking to it and how movies are made. Hence why his burst attack is revolved around the movie setting. And since going to NRC for school(post the oneshot), Idia joined the board game club, too anxious about going in the film appreciation club, but sometimes Furina insists for he 'little brother' to film certain shots. Ortho, as a fellow movie club member, absolutely feeds into the fire. (your honor, they are besties U-Ub)

Basically he doesn't make simple videos in here, but helps in making full blown movies. :v

Yes, Furina absolutely is the main actress in Idia's movies. Big sister privileges, am I right? U-U9

[kimium]

Hi friend, here’s a request: please tell me which are your Top Three ships in BSD and what you like most about them💜🥰

Oh friend! I'm always excited to talk about my Bungou Stray Dogs ships! Here we go!

My Top Three Bungou Stray Dogs ships in order

Soukoku (Dazai/Chuuya)

Without question my favourite ship from Bungou Stray Dogs is Soukoku. There are many reasons why I ship this, so let's start.

First, the second season of Bungou Stray Dogs starts with an adaptation of one of the light novels, Fifteen. One of my favourite scenes is when Chuuya is found by the other members of The Sheep. We soon find out that they're only a threat because of Chuuya's abilities, so they lean heavily on him. When Chuuya expresses that he wants to stay with Dazai and solve the mystery of Arahabaki the two Sheep members try to guilt him.

While Chuuya would 100% fall for the emotional manipulation (he sees them as his only family), Dazai sees it for what it is and calls them out before severing any thing that would force Chuuya to listen to him. This is probably one of the first times Chuuya has been handed autonomy. To me, this shows that Dazai respects Chuuya and doesn't see him as a tool to use or manipulate.

While later on Dazai uses some underhanded tactics to make the offer of joining the Port Mafia Chuuya's only option, to me this reads as "Dazai has found someone he's interested in and doesn't know any other way to get Chuuya to stay with him". Even when Dazai calls Chuuya his dog, I read it as "Chuuya, I want you to give me all your attention and energy because I want you around me".

Next, they're red and blue dichotomy. What can I say? I'm always a sucker for it. They don't get along and bicker like an old married couple the entire time. The series makes several clear examples to highlight how different they are, but my favourite one is their fighting styles. Dazai, with an ability that only cancels other's powers, uses logic and psychological games to trap his enemies. Chuuya on the other hand is a powerhouse and thus he doesn't need subtly. This causes tension when they work together. However, in reality they're the most devastating power couple in the series and it boils down to one thing: trust.

They put on a front that they don't care for one another. They bickered the entire time, but in the end both genuinely believe in one another. I think my favourite example of this is in Dead Apple when Dazai trusted Chuuya enough to 1) Use Corruption 2) Be so Pissed Off that he'd punch Dazai in the face 3) Release the antidote to the poison. That's some 5D chess work there, Dazai. Also, Dazai calls it "waking up Snow White" and we all know Snow White woke due to True Love's Kiss. (And, that manga panel where Dazai cradles Chuuya's face so tenderly?? That's love!!!)

Finally, in Beast AU, Chuuya is still at Dazai's side?? So much has changed, but that's a consistent that remains? I've written enough unhinged 100/51 (KHR) fics to tell you that if someone is still at your side even if you rewrite the entire universe that's Love. (Even if that love is corrupt.)

2. Shin Soukoku (Atsushi/Akutagawa)

First, Atsushi/Akutagawa is a straight "Enemies to Begrudgingly Working Together to Lovers pipeline". That's a dynamic that's just too good.

However, the main reason why I ship Shin Soukoku is because Atsushi and Akutagawa are great character foils to one another. Both are opposites like Dazai and Chuuya, but unlike those two, Atsushi and Akutagawa have completely different morals and perspectives on life. Atsushi is not Mafia Black (like Dazai and Chuuya are). It is this difference that allows Atsushi to show Akutagawa a different perspective and challenge Akutagawa's way of thinking. However, at the same time, Akutagawa can challenge Atsushi and some of his more idealistic perspectives.

Another reason why I like Shin Soukoku is because they can help the other be a better person despite their differences. They're the perfect meeting of the ADA and Port Mafia and it boils down to one reason: Atsushi does not have the same regrets as Fukuzawa or Dazai, who both have committed many crimes.

Finally, and a funnier reason I ship them is because both of them have suffered under Dazai's "mentorship". I laugh every time I think of Atsushi and Akutagawa (after he understands Dazai didn't always have his best intentions at heart and is emotionally over it) bonding over the BS Dazai has put them through in the past (and present).

3. John/Lovecraft AND Ranpoe

No, I am not cheating. These two ships are tied at spot three. I'm not sorry. Let's start with John/Lovecraft.

I can sum up the reason why I ship: they fill my ship dynamic bingo square, "regular human is dating a supernatural creature/monster". Which is always a great dynamic. Absolutely top tier. Everyone go home.

But really, that's the reason why I like John and Lovecraft. Lovecraft is not human and John is. No doubt it was John that had to teach Lovecraft about all the human-things in the world, which is one of my favourite tropes because it can be so sweet and cute.

Also, there was a banner in BSD Mayoi (mobile game) that had John and Lovecraft at an amusement park. They were clearly on a date!

Now, Ranpoe: What can I say? They start out as rivals (well, according to Poe) but they end up friends (and then lovers in my mind). Poe afterwards clearly respects and admires Ranpo, to the point he tries to impress Ranpo with his stories. Ranpo clearly likes Poe and respects the work he does, never belittling Poe's writing and instead encourages him to "try again". Poe is awkward and shy while Ranpo is awkward but he doesn't care because his awkwardness comes from Being Right All the Time. I think they're very cute together and should date.

Honourable Mention:

-Yosano/Kyougoku

[eightmakesonebraincell-replies]

DON'T MIND ME REPLYING LITERALLY A WEEK LATER 🙈🙉🙊 the maknae line tropes were some of my favourite to write (me saying that about all the tropes i write) but i think this was the start of my ✨calling✨ to write angsty endings hohohoho

NOT YOU CALLING ME OUT FOR STARTING WITH STRAIGHT SMUT HAHAHA DON'T EXPOSE ME 🫵🤫

but you're right i think hyung line had the same trajectory from smutty to fluffy oop

san

no hello's no how are you's only i want you's 😍🥵

whatever san wants he gets i'm all his haha ha ahahahaa haaaa

NO FR THOUGH SAN IS LITERALLY THE GREENEST GREEN FLAG TO GREEN FLAG EVER ???? istg there's no other way to depict him in my fics he is just green flag periodt

YOU 🤝 ME 🤝 NEEDING A SAN (or just the san) TO EAT OUR MUSHROOMS FOR US

ugh YES the desperation of yearning and longing for each other when they know they won't have a future together 😭 brb gotta go sob in my corner

until you bear the last name of somebody you will still be san's RAHHHH 👹👹👹

JAEHYUN MY MANN MY MANN MY MANNN AFJKDSGH I JUST NEED BOTH MY DIMPLE BOYS IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR

hehehehehehehehehe san was really like i 👏 can 👏 fulfil 👏 all 👏 them 👏 promises 👏

mingi

ahh yes onto mingi the start of my villain arc writing sad endings >:D

YOU'RE SO REAL FOR THAT mingi could literally brEaTHE in my direction and i'd be like 🫨🫨

i am such a sucker for power imbalances but them wanting to eradicate that imbalance uGH

mingi is just a baby boy cmere i'll sing you all the lullabies give you all the forehead kithes you need 🥹🫶

THOSE FOUR LINES ARE QUITE POSSIBLY MY FAVOURITE LINES FROM THIS AU

THE CONTRAST AND BOTH OF YOU WANTING TO LOVE EACH OTHER BUT KNOWING THAT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE IN THIS LIFETIME PLSSS

oooh yes :D things are looking too good :D how can i change things up hmm :D

HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOH 😈

EATING BRICKS IS LESS PAINFUL I AM HOWLING HAHAHAHA IF WE GONNA PUT IN ANGST WE GOTTA MAKE SURE IT ANGSTS WELL AMIRITE :D

it's okay i don't forgive myself either 🫵😭🫰

wooyoung

i love how we hit woo's au and it's just like yup okay what kinda lovely menace is he going to be this time what's the drill HAHAHA

advisor lee be thinking about retirement erry day 😮‍💨🤧

WE IN CAHOOTS INDEED OHOHOH 😏

no i actually love writing atz cameos bc their dynamics are already established and the comic relief they provide? absolute gold

HE JELLY JELLY HUEHUEHUE get yo gurl wooyoung

gotta show off to everybody you're his 🫱

LORD JUST GIVE US ONE CHANCE WITH POSSESSIVE WOOYOUNG WHO WANTS TO HOLD OUR WAIST TIGHT AND KISS US TO SHOW EVERYBODY WE'RE HIS PLS PLS PLS JUST ONE CHANCE PLEASE 🙏

I WOULD DIG MYSELF A HOLE AND NEVER UNEARTH MYSELF IF I WERE CAUGHT MAKING OUT

jongho

best source of comedy is the person lower on the power hierarchy to be absolutely real about the higher person's stupidity

who cares if you're the crown prince or the king you're straight up an idiot 🤨🫵

you're so real for wanting to be a sack of potatoes no thoughts head empty only being manhandled by choi jongho

RIGHT jongho make up your mind are you trying to bully reader or flirt with reader 😤 aND tAKE THE DAMN SPIDER WITH YOU

AHAHAHAH JONGHO'S AU WAS SO FUN TO WRITE SPECIFICALLY FOR ALL THE CRACK SCENES WITH THE SPIDERS

JONGHO STREAKING THROUGH THE CORRIDORS SCREAMING I BELIEVE THIS IS CANON 🤷‍♀️

Y E S i love you for noticing that he's teasing reader and pretending to be nonchalant wHILST LITERALLY BEING THE MOST LOVING unofficial-BOYFIE GIVING THEM THE BIGGER HALF AND WATER

KDJSGHSK I ALWAYS HAVE LIP BALM COME BACK HERE WITH YOUR CHAPPED LIPS CHOI JONGHO 😍

oh. I OVERUSE THIS SO MUCH FOR THAT LIGHTBULB MOMENT IN THEIR HEADS BUT I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH HAHAH oh. 🫨

GET YOUR OWN LIPBALM AHAHAHHAHA that's true he should buy his own damn lipbalm with his bodyguard pay smh

ateez as royals who fall for you (maknae line)

read hyung line here

genre: royalty!ateez x fem!reader, fluff, angst, smut, crack, a brainrot and smutfest of royal tropes

length: 11.3k

c/w: very nsfw scenes - mdni, explicit language (dirty talk, swearing, insults), death, violence, blood & injuries, weapons, heavy & mature themes (sex work, murder, assassination, execution, mentions of misogyny)

a/n: as much as writing royals was tricky, it's kind of 🤢 sad 🤢 to see this au end. that being said nobody ask me for a pt 2 pls i need to recover from the trauma LMAOO and as always, huge thank you to the queen of royal au's herself @sorryimananti-romantic for helping me finish the fic and for teaching me how to make moodboards using something that is *not* word doc :')

san

pov: you're forbidden lovers

“shh,” san hushes you with a teasing curl of his fingers that are buried inside you. “wouldn’t want everyone outside to know what a dirty little slut the princess is, do you?”

his other hand covers your mouth, stifling the breathy moans and desperate whines that escape your lips as you sit in between his legs, naked and pressed back to lean against his chest

there is the sound of water splashing over the edge of the bathtub when san hooks his feet around your inner ankles so that he can spread your legs wider for him

he presses the palm of his hand harshly against your clit and your back arches with a muffled worship of his name

“or maybe you like that,” he teases “you like the idea of people knowing how good i make you feel with my fingers”

san removes his hand from your mouth and lowers it to pinch your nipple, smirking against your neck as you babble incoherently

he coos as he adds yet another finger into you, “imagine that, everyone knows you as the princess who loves being fucked dumb. and by one of her servants, no less” 

all caution is thrown to wind and you drop your head back to lean against his shoulder, mouth lolling open with unrestrained pleads for more, more, faster as he angles his fingers to hit that sweet spot inside of you

“cum, princess” he demands

you grip bruises onto san’s thighs and arms when the pace of his fingers doesn’t relent even after your orgasm has washed over you

his arms tighten around you as his thighs flex to keep you still in his hold

you let out a choked sob from the overstimulation, teetering between pain and pleasure

“give me one more, i know you can do it,” he coaxes

the hand that has been fondling your breasts snakes down to rub your clit

with his fingers knuckle-deep inside of your pussy and his other hand playing relentlessly with your sensitive clit, the scale tips over and your vision blurs as another wave of pleasure hits you, more intense than the first one

“princess?” and then a knock. “are you okay?”

san slowly draws out the remainder of your orgasm with lazy thrusts of his finger into you

you just know he’s enjoying himself when you have to hide the shakiness in your voice to answer back to your maid outside, “everything’s fine. i’ll be done soon”

“soon?” san smirks, lifting you up by the waist to align your folds with his swollen cock. “then we better make this quick”

because you and san do not have the luxury of time, much less the luxury of love

he isn’t just another one of the numerous servants who serve you

he is everything to you despite how taboo it is for a princess and servant to love each other

his insignificance within the palace makes it much easier for him to slip away; for nobody to take notice

but at the same time, his insignificance is the whole reason why you two must be secretive in the first place

you make sure san has safely snuck out of the bathroom before you finally exit the bathtub and stand on unsteady legs

you allow your maids to come in and help you into the elaborate attire you are to wear for the afternoon

your parents have informed you that you are going to have visitors, thus requiring you to look your best

without much time left until the appointed meeting due to your…escapade, you make your way to the great hall, catching a glimpse of san’s dimpled smile from amongst the other body servants and waiting staff in the room

you have only just settled into your seat next to the king and queen when the guard outside the doors announces the arrival of your guests - the monarchs from the neodonian kingdom

schooling your expression to one of neutrality, you watch as they enter

and then you realise it isn’t just the neodonian king and queen who have come to visit

but the prince as well

he is undeniably handsome and pleasing to the eye with his sleekly gelled hair, chiseled features and tall, sturdy build

the young prince catches you looking at him and breaks out into a friendly smile and-

oh

he has dimples too

the king garners everyone’s attention with a clear of his throat, before he welcomes the monarchs

prince jaehyun, you learn his name is

“after much discussion between ourselves and king jeong and queen jeong, we are pleased to announce our desire for closer relations between our kingdoms,” your father starts, booming voice resounding within the hall

you can’t stop yourself from looking over at him as he speaks with purpose, a strange niggling feeling starting to twist your stomach

the tight smile that your mother passes you from your father’s other side does little to settle your nerves

“as such,” the king continues, “we shall look forward to the engagement between my daughter and prince jaehyun”

there is a roaring sound in your ears, as if you have been pushed to stand under a raging waterfall

engagement

the engagement

you

prince jaehyun

the engagement between you and prince jaehyun

it takes everything in your body not to bolt up from your seat

your hands grip the armrests of your seat with a grasp so tight you are certain you will leave a permanent imprint of your agony

instead, you look around frantically for the one person your instincts are screaming for

where is san?

you are afraid to see how much this is going to hurt him

you are desperate to tell him that you had no idea about this

you are aching to press confessions of love and reassurance against his lips

but just like the insignificance of his status, san is nowhere to be seen

over the two years that you and san have been in your secret relationship, he has gained extensive knowledge of which particular tasks allow him a greater chance of seeing you, which corridors reach you the quickest, and which times during your schedule you have a break

never would you have thought he would use this knowledge to avoid you

it continues like that for the weeks following the announcement

you have no choice but to spend time with your future fiance when your father tells you very clearly to “ensure the prince feels at home”

prince jaehyun is warm and you find yourself getting along with him like you two are friends, but that is it - there are no sparks brighter than friendship

when you spend time with him, you cannot help but compare him to san; san would’ve said this, san would’ve done that, san, san, san

jaehyun engages you in conversation, easily filling in the gaps and lulls with little comments here and there, equipped with a charming laugh and deep dimples

but it only reminds you of san’s dimples and crescent eyes when you two would race through corridors, fingers tightly interwoven as you both run away to a secluded area with hushed giggles

jaehyun points out that neither of you like mushrooms during a dinner and helps nudge the servings on both of your plates to one side

the smile as you say “thank you” does not fully grace your lips because you think about san, who boasts that he will eat all the mushrooms in the world so that you never have to lay eyes on one ever again

jaehyun offers a soft yet sturdy hand to help you down the stairs or when he notices you are walking in heels across an uneven surface

your body recalls san’s rough, calloused hands that leave a trail of goosebumps wherever they touch your bare skin as he worships your body all night long

jaehyun is handsome and he is kind, but he is not san

the night before the king officially announces your engagement with prince jaehyun arrives

and still, you have not had a moment alone with san since he disappeared during that first announcement in the great hall

hurt and longing consume you to the very core

some days it is manageable, a concealed yet incessant thought, like a sticker stuck to the sole of your shoe

other days it wraps around your soul completely like a constrictor tightening as it slowly squeezes the life out of its prey

but you know that you cannot be selfish

what you feel, san feels with an intensity multiplied several times

after all, you are not the one who must stand in the shadows as the love of your life becomes engaged to somebody else, powerless to do anything but watch and poison your own smile with lies

you are lying on your bed when a quick, sharp knock sounds on your bedroom doors

you make no move to acknowledge your visitor, having told your maids very clearly you did not want to be disturbed tonight

your last night as yourself before you become prince jaehyun’s fiance

but then the knocks come a little more urgent, a little more frantic, just like your heartbeat does as it starts to speed up in anticipation

you hold your breath as you hurry to pull open the doors-

and there he is

“san-”

he swallows the rest of your words in a desperate kiss, his hands coming up to cradle your jaw as he walks you backwards so that he can step into your room

he tilts your head and slots his lips against yours again while he nudges your door closed with his foot

it isn’t until you let out a whine as his tongue swipes over your bottom lip that he pulls back to finally look at you, both of his thumbs caressing your cheekbones

you grip the front of his linen shirt, afraid that he will disappear as soon as you let go

“san, i- i had no idea, i didn’t agree to any of this”

he shushes you gently, a painful smile adorning his handsome face

“i know. i know, so please don’t cry, love,” he murmurs softly

you don’t even realise the weeks of suppressed emotions have started making their way down your face in salty trails until san uses the back of his fingers to tenderly brush them away

“i’m getting engaged tomorrow, san,” your voice breaks as reality settles in

you are so afraid

you are so lost

above all, you are so in love with san

“i know,” he reassures again, “but until tomorrow, you are still mine”

and so you spend your last night together

time has always been precious; conversations, kisses and touches rushed and with fervour

but tonight, san takes his time with you

he lays on your bed with you cradled on top of him, limbs tangled together as he savours the taste of your lips against his

he turns you onto your back as he slowly undresses you, leaving tattoos of his love each time he bares another part of your body

he pleasures you with his fingers whilst whispering into your ears, creating a harmony with his praises and the melodious moans that leave your lips

and as he brings you both to your highs numerous times throughout the night like an ingrained dance routine, it is accompanied with confessions of i love you

san holds you against his chest under your blankets so tightly that you cannot tell where your body ends and his body starts

before you drift off, safe and protected in his arms, he murmurs against your temple, “no matter what happens tomorrow, no matter what happens in the future, my heart will always be yours”

“as will mine”

you wake up the next morning to an empty bed and an equally empty heart

restless and drowning in a mix of emotions, you pace the empty corridors of the guest bedchambers

which is where jaehyun finds you as he exits his room

he is surprised but is quick to greet you kindly, “good morning, princess. what are you doing here?”

you pause mid-step

what are you doing?

“prince jaehyun,” you let the words come out of you before you can regret them. “can we talk for a moment?”

he nods, entering his room again as he pulls the door open wider for you to follow

jaehyun closes the door and then offers you a seat on his sofa, before pulling up his own chair and settling a respectful distance away from you

“i hope you don’t feel uncomfortable in my room,” he explains, “i thought that we would be less likely to be disturbed in here…considering most people know of our engagement today”

“actually, i wanted to talk to you about that”

“go on,” he encourages you with a dimpled smile

you take a deep breath

“i’m sorry,” you blurt out

and then you are admitting to the prince that he is lovely and charming and caring, but you just don’t see it working out with him

you don’t want to get engaged with him

because your heart already belongs to somebody else

“good”

“i’m so sorry, i should have been honest with you from the start but- wait, what?” you look up from where you have been nervously picking at your cuticles

jaehyun is smiling at you - a genuine smile that you did not know he had

“i’m actually relieved to hear that, princess,” he admits. “because i…also have someone that i love back home”

and for the first time, you and jaehyun truly see each other in the same light

“who is it?” he asks

“his name is san,” and then you add on, “he has dimples just like you do” 

you ask him the same question

you see the way jaehyun’s expression softens with love from just the mere thought of the other

it makes you wonder whether you have the same look on your face when you mention san

jaehyun jokes, “want to be the one who tells your father we’re calling off the engagement? i don’t fancy getting executed today”

but despite what he says, mere hours later, when you are both standing in the great hall before your parents - the kings and queens of both your kingdoms - he is the one to speak up

“your majesty, we have decided to part ways peacefully and would not like to proceed with the engagement. our kingdom will always be your ally, regardless of marital relations or not”

“what?” you see veins starting to appear across the king’s forehead as he tries to maintain his temper, but the queen and the jeong monarchs seem to be taking the news much better

disappointed, perhaps, but understanding

the queen leans closer to remind the king that they had all agreed to this engagement on the terms that the decision would ultimately be yours and jaehyun’s

you suddenly speak up because this may be the only time you have the courage to

“i have one more thing to say,” you declare. “i revoke my noble status and thus declare nullified all the privileges, rules and traditions that come with nobility. i have someone i love and i wish to marry them as myself, not as the kingdom’s princess”

the king roars furiously, “that is enough! leave!” and he slams his hand against the throne’s armrest

shocked and betrayed by your father’s reaction, you rush out of the great hall with tears welling in your eyes

only to run straight into the waiting arms of san

“oh, princess,” he murmurs against the crown of your head as he engulfs you in his embrace

he doesn’t have to say anything for you to realise that he has heard the whole conversation

but you do not care about anything anymore

you are where you want to be, held by who you want to be with

“how are you here?” you sniffle

“jaehyun approached me earlier. i thought i was going to get beat up,” san’s attempt to make you smile is successful

when you lift your head up to look at him, you realise his eyes are wet as well

then you feel his body stiffen as his eyes shift to focus on something behind you

someone

he immediately steps away from you, bowing deeply as he greets the queen

you turn around to see her face adorning an endearing smile

“it’s fine, sannie,” she says, and you are not sure whether you and san are more surprised by the fact that she knows him by name or by the affectionate nickname she has used

“i’ll, uh, leave you two to talk,” he flusters

she thanks him with a teasing remark, “i won’t keep her away from you for very long”

san waits further down the corridor, back turned to give you two a moment of privacy

and then she is stroking your hair affectionately

“i am so proud of you. you’ve grown up so well and you are so brave,” she says

you don’t understand

you ask, “why aren’t you angry?”

“oh, baby,” she fondly runs her fingers through your hair, just like she used to when you were younger. “before my duties as the queen to my people, i am the mother to my daughter. i love you and all i want is for you to be happy”

your lips tremble with emotion as your mother pulls you into a hug

“does sannie make you happy, dear?”

you nod, “the happiest”

“then that is all i want. now go,” she takes a hold of your shoulders and gently turns you in the direction of san. “i’ll talk to your father”

with one last encouraging squeeze, you race down the corridor towards san

he hears your footsteps and has already turned around with open arms waiting to catch you

you hear him let out an oomph! with how hard you throw yourself into him, but he is then swaying your bodies side to side

san pulls back slightly with an incredulous look. “does this mean we can be together? together together?” 

“i goddamn hope so because i gave up my princess privileges for you. no more carriages, no more assorted sweet delicacies, no more daily massages-” you fold down your fingers as you continue listing things off

he cuts you off with a tickle to your sides as he says, “that’s easy to sort out”

“first, you’ll still be my princess,” he unfurls one of your fingers so it stands upright again

“second, i’ll carry you myself so that you never need to use your feet again,” he unfurls another finger

“i’ll give you a treat whenever you want,” he kisses your lips, nibbling on your bottom lip with a teasing tug

“and, dear princess,” he pulls you flush against his body and you have to steady yourself on his chest to avoid tripping over, “i can give you hourly massages…”

smirking, he starts to lower his head to suck pretty marks onto your neck as he whispers in a low voice, “...if you can keep up”

mingi

pov: you're the prince's maid

for what you are about to do, you could very well be executed should somebody catch you

but desperate times call for desperate measures

and there’s no guarantee that you and all the other staff will not be executed anyway…

not with what has just happened in the palace

you push the door closed behind you with a soft click, using the brief changeover of guards to slip inside the bedroom of the youngest prince, unnoticed

you call out softly but urgently, “prince mingi”

when you hear him groggily murmur, starting to bubble towards the surface of consciousness, you dare to give his shoulder a rough shake

“prince mingi, please wake up”

his eyes flutter open, confusion starting to clear the fogginess in his head as he struggles to comprehend the sight of your face hovering inches from his, deep into the hours of the night

“w-what’s going on?” he clears his husky voice, “are you okay?”

you wish you could reach out and smooth the wrinkles of concern from his forehead

reassure him that everything will be okay until he falls back asleep

but there is no time

“the crown prince is dead and we must leave. now.”

the effect is immediate, like you have just driven a knife into his chest

although you suppose it must not feel very different for prince mingi right now

“the crown prince is d-” the word tastes vile on his tongue, so he asks after his second oldest brother instead. “what about prince eun?”

you must drive the knife into him once more

“he was the one who murdered the crown prince, but he has framed you for the murder. there is no time, prince mingi, we must leave now”

“the court will find me innocent,” yet he lets you tug him out of his bed

you hastily help prince mingi into a dark brown robe while you shake your head, “not when your inscribed sword is currently covered in the crown prince’s blood. we do not know who is secretly working for prince eun. until we know for sure, we do not stand a chance of clearing your name”

he knows that you’re right, even if his heart is hoping that you are wrong

the prince slides his hand into the gap between his bed and wall, pulling out a spare sword and wrapping the belt around his waist

eyes sweeping across his chamber one final time, he locks eyes with you grimly before turning to flee

you follow the prince through a back passageway - it’s not entirely a secret and it won’t be long before the royal guards come for the prince, discover his empty bedroom and give chase

but it is long enough to give you two a head start

he helps you up onto the back of his personal horse before he swings himself up easily onto the saddle behind you

with a nudge of his feet, the prince sends the horse into a gallop

you startle with a yelp, having never ridden a horse before, much less one at this pace

prince mingi presses himself a little closer to you and slots his chest against your back as he leans forward to guide your hands to hold the reins with his

“here,” he murmurs, “just follow me”

he shifts one hand to settle on your waist, guiding your body into a comfortable rhythm that dances in sync with the horse’s movements and his own

when he’s sure you’ve gotten the hang of it, the prince places his hand back on the reins, yet he stays close, keeping you safely encased within his arms to prevent you from falling off

you’re not sure how long you two ride for

but at some point the prince slows the horse to a canter

with the slower sway of the steed, the steady clack of hooves against the forest floor, and the warmth of the prince around you, you drift off to his whispered, “sleep, i’ve got you”

you wake up to find yourself on a scratchy pile of leaves

the events of last night piece themselves together when you spot prince mingi, still adorning his deep blue silk pajamas, leaning against a tree a few feet away

it would have been a sight to see if not for the fact that-

“what are we going to do now?” you sit up, and the prince’s robe, you now register, falls from around your body

the prince gives you a warm smile as you rub the sleep from your eyes with fisted hands

“we’ll head into halsburg. the town is small enough the news should not have traveled that far yet. we’ll replenish some supplies and go from there”

it’s unspoken

the fact that there is no solid plan from there

even if the two of you have managed to escape the royal guards, for how long can you two run?

plus, it will be impossibly difficult to find evidence while on the run, when the answers are within the castle walls themselves

but you push those thoughts aside as you two enter halsburg, the prince’s hood pulled up over his face

you do the bulk of the purchases, less likely to be recognised by the townspeople

it’s mainly food and water for yourself, the prince, and his horse, and a simple tunic to replace his royal pajamas - something you have been teasing him about since you woke up

later that night, hours away from the outskirts of halsburg, you two settle for a couple hours of rest

a small fire crackles away to the song of the cicadas, an occasional pop as the licks of flames cast shadows across your faces

you glance at the prince sitting across from you, who is idly fiddling with his pajama top

specifically, the royal crest of the song family embroidered onto its front pocket

your heart clenches painfully, knowing the death of a family member is hard enough to process without the additional weight of being framed for murder, much less by your own brother who is the real culprit

“prince mingi…” you start, voice low

he glances up at you, eyes softening as he curves his lips up into a small smile, “i’m okay.”

you hesitate for a split second before letting the clench in your gut pull you to your feet, and you shuffle to settle back down in front of the fire, except this time beside the prince

all the while his eyes never leave you, not even when you nudge his shoulder softly and say,

“you don’t have to be strong. not in front of me…”

and he knows

because despite the differences in your social statuses, you are the person he trusts the most

you, the girl who used to trip over the lengths of his robes that you carried, now a woman who holds herself righteously and bravely

you, who chose to risk your own life from the moment you woke him up in his chambers

you, who is still risking your life to flee with him

“only if you stop calling me prince,” he jokingly nudges you back, attempting to make the atmosphere lighter despite the wetness that is starting to paint his eyes. “with you, i am just mingi”

“okay, prince mingi,” you tease

yet, you still extend a hand out to him, palm upturned in a silent invitation for comfort should he wish to seek it, because you can tell that he isn’t quite ready to seek it verbally

mingi laces his larger fingers through yours, tucking your interlocked hands closer to his body as he draws his knees up so that he can rest his chin upon them

mingi thinks that he feels numb more than anything, but he finds he isn’t as surprised as one would expect him to be

perhaps he always knew of his middle brother’s thirst for the throne 

he just never thought it would be enough to spill blood

for now though, he lets himself be distracted by your thumb tracing mindless patterns against his knuckles

he lets himself relish in the heat radiating from your side that seems to warm him from inside out, even as the embers of the fire slowly lose their glow and die out with the darkening night

the days start to repeat themselves

you two cover as much distance as you can while sparing what time you can afford for yourselves and mingi’s horse to rest

mingi has decided to travel to prince yunho's kingdom, an old and trusted ally who may be able to provide you two with protection while he pulls strings to fight back against prince eun

from his calculations, the journey will take at least another two weeks

and although mingi doesn’t tell you this, deep down he does not know whether you two have two weeks left

the threat of the royal guards catching up hangs over the two of you like a hangman’s noose

neither of you have brought up that night by the fire either

but something has definitely changed in the way you seek comfort and reassurance in each other

as if so long as you have each other, everything will be alright in the end

when you feel him tremble as he sleeps curled around you, restless from a plaguing nightmare, you hush sweet nothings and brush his locks away from his forehead until his breathing steadies out again

and when you’re seated on the saddle in front of him, you now having long grown accustomed to horse riding, he still finds himself resting a comforting hand on you somewhere - your hips, thigh or over your own hand

sometimes when he is laughing softly with you, your arms brushing against each other, you imagine a different story; one where you are worthy of loving him

sometimes when you are tucked into his chest, small exhales escaping your open lips as you sleep, mingi imagines a different story; one where he is able to love you freely

because despite the blood running through his veins that has ultimately led to his downfall, you still look at him as though he has placed the stars in the very sky that you two have spent countless nights under

and although he knows the reality is that he cannot, he tries to write his own story, even if just for tonight

you are lying in his arms, legs tangled together, when the question comes tumbling out of his lips

“will you stay with me, forever?”

he feels you still in his embrace, before you’re pulling back a little to look at him with a chuckle

“you should be asking a princess that, prince mingi, not somebody like me”

“you are a princess in my eyes”

you can’t help the endearing look that crosses over your face as you lightly tap his nose, “you know that is not how it works”

“then we can run away. for i am already as good as dead to my kingdom,” he tells you with boyish determination

“you cannot, mingi. your people need a good prince”

“but what prince would i be if i cannot even boldly love you? the person who is dearest to me?”

under his sincere gaze and the weight of his words, you allow him this moment of solace

because perhaps, you want it just as much as he does

“okay, i’ll be your princess,” you breathe out

“forever?”

“forever”

that night, it is just you and mingi - no titles that separate your world from his, no looming threat of death - just two people in love

even as an uneasy pit settles at the bottom of mingi’s stomach, a growing feeling that gnaws away at him into the early hours of the next morning

he is startled awake, your expression frightened, and he immediately understands when he hears the thunderous chorus of hooves hitting the ground towards you two

mingi had known there was not much time left, but he did not think that the inevitable confrontation would happen this soon, only mere hours after the soft kiss he had pressed against your forehead

the desperate attempt to escape once more is futile, the royal guards closing the distance within minutes

left with no choice but to stop, you and mingi demount and the guards move to flank you both in a wide semicircle

when the head of the guards, prince eun, saunters forward, mingi matches with a stride of his own so that he can step in front of you

“you killed the crown prince, eun,” mingi spits at his brother

“running and denying your actions up until your very last moments, i see,” prince eun laughs condescendingly. “and you even took a little dog with you, too”

mingi presses you closer to his back, hiding you from the leering gaze of his brother

prince eun smiles smugly at mingi’s reaction, before he takes out a scroll and unravels it

“for high treason of the assassination of the crown prince, the king hereby decrees the immediate revocation of nobility of his third son, song mingi, and for the execution of song mingi and his maid upon sighting.”

you press your nose into mingi’s back, taking one last inhale of his familiar scent

the bowmen all take aim as prince eun sneers, “any last words, brother?”

mingi turns around, and all you can see in that moment are his warm eyes and dimpled cheeks

“i love you, my princess,” he proclaims

“forever,” you reply

he brings his lips down to connect them with yours, drowning out the distinct vibration of loosening strings and the hiss of flying arrows with the roaring symphony in your hearts

you’re unsure what pain swallows you whole first - the pain as an arrowhead sinks into your chest, or the pain as you realise that this is the end of your short-lived love with mingi

you struggle to keep the smile on your face as you lock eyes with mingi, trying to memorise the loving gaze that adorns his own face

you see his mouth moving, but the pain exploding throughout your body is too loud for you to make out his words

with your last breath, you gasp out your final confession, “i love you too, mingi. we’ll meet again in the next life”

as the world starts to fade away, cold creeping into your limbs, you hope that in another story, in another lifetime, you and mingi will be able to find each other again

wooyoung

pov: you're the princess of a rival kingdom

“absolutely not, advisor lee,” your mother raises her nose in the air

“your highness, i understand but-”

“oh please, do not flatter yourself, queen cho,” queen jung spits out, “you are not the only one who abhors the idea”

you glare at the prince sitting across from you, your own gazes reflecting the tension in the room

advisor lee has suggested that your family and the jung family host a joint royal ball as a grand display of amity between the two neighbouring kingdoms, particularly between the princess - yourself - and their prince - prince wooyoung

there have been spreading rumours in town of the strained relationship between the two royal families

which aren’t entirely untrue

as a child, the two kingdoms have been loyal and steadfast in their alliance and friendship

in fact, it is not uncommon to find you joining prince wooyoung in his kitchen, begging the chefs to let you two lick the spoons

or to find prince wooyoung squatting next to you in your garden as you both look at the ladybugs

but as power imbalances emerge and political agendas start to diverge, a wedge is driven between your families

the relation is now dangerously close to severing completely, but not without the increasing attention of the towns surrounding the two kingdoms

and one of the last things both royal families need is unease and disunity amongst the commoners

which brings advisor lee to look on with exasperation as he tries to do his job - advise

except neither your mother nor queen jung look ready to accept his advice

your father nods slightly at the two of you, “you are dismissed, as are you, prince wooyoung”

you curtsy as the prince takes a slight bow, before you obnoxiously flick your hair over your shoulder and turn away on your heels

you escape to the garden, knowing that the meeting will take at least another hour before you are required to bid the jung family farewell

except, surprise surprise

who do you run into

you narrow your eyes at prince wooyoung as he steps towards you, who has one eyebrow quirked, “a royal ball, he says?”

“absolutely not,” you fold your arms across your chest

“oh please, do not flatter yourself, princess,” he sneers, not dissimilar to the nasally tone his mother had voiced her dissatisfaction earlier with

neither of you back down, daring the other to say something else

before you two break out into giggles, eyes glittering scandalously

“did you see your mother deliberately pass the salt instead of sugar for the tea?”

“and then the face my mother made when she took a sip of it-”

he pulls you to crouch behind an azalea bush as you both chortle like children, out of sight, before he brings you in for a dizzying kiss 

you sigh, resting a hand on his chest

“do you also abhor the idea of dancing with me, prince wooyoung?” a teasing lilt in your voice

“absolutely,” he nods grimly, “why go to all that effort when there is a much grander and longer-lasting solution?”

“and what is that, my prince?”

he sneaks another chaste kiss from your lips, “for me to take your hand in marriage, my princess”

at his words, your smile dampens

“you know that i would say yes in a heartbeat. it is not i who needs convincing, but our parents”

because despite the growing hostility between your two families, the relationship you share with wooyoung has, ironically, blossomed into one of well-concealed adoration, intimacy and love

you two have come to learn that that one slightly lighter stone on the western side of your kingdom’s outer walls comes loose, and is the perfect size for slipping a piece of paper behind it

you two have also come to learn that every fourth week, if you ask your personal tutor enough questions about the plants laid out on the store’s table in front of you during your scheduled lesson in town, you’ll be able to drag it out long enough for you both to just catch a glimpse of each other as he and his escorts cut through the town on their way back to his kingdom

and of course, you two have come to learn the most isolated spots in your own respective kingdoms, like the second stairwell leading down to the cellar in wooyoung’s palace

and amongst the azalea bushes in the back garden in yours

which is exactly how you knew that he would appear, how you knew that he would give you those sweet kisses you have been craving so desperately 

as wooyoung cups your jaw to kiss you once more, one that leaves you wanting to chase his lips forever, he bets you that it’ll only take two weeks of close-quarter meetings between your royal families before one of your mothers blow up and the ball idea falls through completely

in response, you bet him that they won’t even last two weeks - one at the most

except you’re both wrong

the meeting turns into two, followed by several more as the planning goes ahead

sometimes, the meetings are held in the jung palace

other times, their family journeys to your kingdom instead

one thing that stays constant is the malevolence in the air

the parents are sarcastic snipes and saccharine smiles

and on the surface, you and wooyoung are further extensions of your own parents’ simmering loathing for the other

but under the intricately-carved wooden table, you two are playing footsies, jeweled heels and leather shoes engaged in a playful fight

you see how many times you can slide your heels up along his shin, gradually inching closer towards his inner thigh with each coquettish touch

he has you pass him anything and everything under the guise of forgoing the help of the numerous royal butlers and maids around the room to deliberately irritate you

really, it is to accidentally brush his fingers over your hands; to see the pretty shade of rose that settles over your cheeks and ears as you both try not to break out into giggles

and perhaps, during the meals that may take place during the meetings, there have been a couple of peas flicked at each other here and there when no one is paying attention

(unbeknownst to you two, the maids and butlers alike must hide their own endearing smiles)

the weeks turn into months and you practically have a permanent glow radiating from you, now that you have been seeing the prince so frequently

(which also does not go unnoticed)

as you select a necklace from the assortment of choices to emphasise the plunging neckline of your off-shoulder gown, you wonder how the day of the royal ball has arrived so quickly

your personal maid, jihye, carefully fixes the clasp of the necklace around you before stepping back to let you look in the mirror

you smooth a hand over the soft lavender charmeuse of your dress, nervously looking at jihye

“how do i look?”

“stunning, my princess,” she assures you, before adding, “prince wooyoung will definitely love it”

“prin- he- what? i- sorry?” you say unintelligibly, before you try to salvage the situation by tucking a lock of hair behind your ear as you laugh her off

but jihye just looks at you knowingly

meanwhile, prince wooyoung is already at the grand hall, the jung family having arrived two days prior for the final preparations of the ball

he and his friends, princes from kingdoms located further up north and towards the east, are lingering around one of the tables decorated with flower arrangements and elaborate candle holders, ignoring the longing glances of other attendees, women and men alike, thrown at their striking posse

wooyoung is trying to keep his gaze subtle, scanning the vast number of people at the ball without craning or turning his head, searching for one particular face

yours

prince yeosang nudges the others, jerking his chin to motion towards the distracted wooyoung

when wooyoung finally realises he isn’t as subtle as he thinks, all his friends are already looking at him with varying degrees of smirks

“just know that if there were not so many people here,” wooyoung begins with a pleasant smile, “i would flip you all off right now”

before he can try stepping on his friends’ toes in the form of petty revenge, prince seonghwa points towards the entrance as his smile grows impossibly wider

“look”

wooyoung turns around

and like any typical man who is head over heels in love, the world around him slows down

the gushing whispers spreading throughout the ballroom fade into the background

because finally, there you are, gracefully stepping past the threshold of the arched doorway in all your alluring beauty, accentuated by the way your curled locks and flowing gown frame your body

for the briefest moment, you lock eyes with him, and wooyoung feels his brain shutting down on him

“you’re going to catch a fly in your mouth, woo”

“pick up your jaw. it’s on the ground”

prince yunho pretends to dab wooyoung’s mouth with the ruffled sleeves of his cream shirt, “you’re drooling, darling”

at that, wooyoung smacks his lips dazedly before coming to a moment of realisation, blinking hard twice to bring himself back to reality

“god, you’re hopeless. just go up and talk to her,” prince hongjoong snickers. “the whole point of this ball is to show off how ‘close’ your families are anyway”

wooyoung grumbles that he knows, he’s just looking for the right timing

which, unfortunately, does not seem to come

you spend what feels like the next two hours being whisked around, feigning polite interest as you are forced to engage in dull and bland conversations with numerous men of differing royal statuses, all of whom are no doubt trying to make an impression on you in hopes of becoming a potential suitor in the future

not that you have eyes for anyone apart from the one who already has your heart

the very same person who is currently fed up with watching you converse and let your hands be kissed by men who are not him

even if he knows you are pretending, he thinks that you sure are damn good at giggling at all the right times

you are trying not to let your smile turn into a grimace as the older-aged man, lord ryu you think, boasts of his wealth to you, when wooyoung enters your peripheral vision

“princess, lord ryu,” he greets you both, before looking down at the latter, “pardon me as i take the princess for a dance”

lord ryu, visibly irked but unable to say anything to the prince of significantly higher status, lets go of your hand to step back into a bow, “of course, prince wooyoung”

you giggle, this time genuinely, as wooyoung takes your hand to gently lead you towards the center of the ballroom, where several others are starting to waltz to the soft music that is now playing

you rest a hand just below his shoulder, feeling the sturdiness of his muscles flexing beneath his shirt, as he places his other hand to settle on the dip of your waist

a little possessively, you might add

“you look beautiful today,” he murmurs lowly, away from any prying ears

“only today?” you quirk an eyebrow teasingly

his voice drops down an octave, “well it’s not every day that i can tell you, princess”

wooyoung’s eyes flicker down hungrily to look at your lips

you run your tongue slowly over your bottom lip, knowing it will drive him absolutely crazy that he cannot just take you right there and then in front of everybody

and you can see the moment his resolve snaps

“meet me for some fresh air in ten,” bringing his lips as close to the shell of your ear as he dares

and then he’s gone

you become progressively antsy as you wait out a generous amount of time after he leaves for you to also slip away from the ballroom

wooyoung pins you against a pillar as soon as you emerge in the garden, aching to kiss you and fight for dominance until you’re both breathless and light-headed

“you don’t know how desperately i wanted to kiss you in front of everyone - let the whole world know that you’re mine,” he nips at your bottom lip

you rest your hands on his chest, fingers curled around the pleated front of his satin shirt to hold yourself steady as he turns your lips into an artwork of swollen cherry reds

he tilts your head back a little more, your mouths moving in tandem, soft moans drawn out of you, when-

“what in god’s name is going on?”

you and wooyoung startle apart at the shriek

the blush dusting your faces pale almost immediately at the sight of not just your mother, but also queen jung and a few of the royal staff

it’s kind of amusing that of all things for the two queens to have the same mindset about, it is the discovery of you and wooyoung’s secret relationship that unites them, both sharing twin expressions of horror and revulsion

you’re ripped from each other’s arms as you are forced back into the confines of your bed chamber, royal ball long forgotten

your only solace is learned later that night, when jihye brings a trolley of food you have no appetite for, that the jung family have not yet returned to their kingdom

they are still in your palace somewhere

yet that does little to soothe your tears, overwhelmed by the drastic turn of events, and you do not know when you fall asleep that night

all you know is that it is to a bed too cold and a longing in your heart too gaping to ignore

“princess,” you look up to see jihye standing at your door the next morning, almost apologetic, “the king and queen request for your presence in the throne room”

as you approach the room after tidying your appearance, your breath hitches when you spot him just by the double doors

you barrel forwards into his waiting arms, uncaring of the staff following behind you

not that they have the heart to stop you either way

“i thought you would have been forced to leave,” you blurt, unable to believe that wooyoung is right in front of you

“i’m still here,” he chuckles. “i have been summoned by your parents”

your heart drops down to your stomach at his words as you realise what this meeting is about

“and i am glad they did, princess,” wooyoung is quick to interject before your apology makes it past the tip of your tongue. “i am going to ask for your hand in marriage. officially”

“what if they banish us from ever seeing each other again?” worry overwhelms you as your breathing quickens

wooyoung gently laces his fingers through yours, bringing up his other hand to cup your face and run his thumb comfortingly over the curve of your cheekbone to keep you grounded

“no matter what happens today, no matter what the outcome is,” he looks at you with the fierce determination of a man ready to give up anything and everything for your sake, “i will never ever stop fighting for you”

he presses his soft lips against yours

“for us,” he vows

your breathing evens out, and while your heartbeat still pounds inside your ribcage, you know that it marches in rhythm with the man in front of you

this time, not afraid to appear in front of the rulers of your kingdoms - your parents - you and wooyoung nod in reassurance at each other once more, hand in hand, before you both push the doors to the throne room open

together.

jongho

pov: you're under his protection as your royal guard

over the din of volunteered names in the meeting room, jongho steps forward

“your majesty, i will accompany the princess,” he declares

“choi jongho?” your father scans him up and down with regard before nodding in approval, “it is decided then”

“him? surely i need another person with me as well?” you protest

your father quirks an eyebrow at you, a subtle reminder that whilst he is your father, he is also the king

“no, you will need to travel in disguise and stay as discreet as possible. only jongho will accompany you as your royal guard”

your father looks away and starts to address the next item on the meeting agenda; it is quite clear there is no room for argument

meanwhile, jongho sidles up to you

“you trying to catch bugs or something? close your mouth, princess,” he teases under his breath

you nudge him with an elbow, “you’re the only bug i see around here”

he rolls his eyes but you both snicker in unison when one of your older sisters turns around to shush you with a dirty look

regardless, you stay silent for the rest of the meeting

you’re not sure why jongho stepped forward to take on this task

because for someone who is your main royal guard and is supposed to be loyal and obedient, he sure makes it clear that his job is about as gratifying as babysitting

(“you can’t talk to me like that. i’m the princess”)

(“no, you’re not. you’re an idiot”)

in fact, when you had been notified a few days prior that you would be traveling with one other royal guard - who had yet to be decided at the time - jongho had spent every single day gloating that he would finally get a break from babysitting you

and yet here he is

with the opportunity to hand you off to somebody else

but instead, baring his teeth at the other guards who offer themselves up for this scouting mission

he would never admit to it either, but jongho personally spoke to the king years ago about being rostered on as your main bodyguard since he’s “known the princess for the longest and so i can protect her the best”

you don’t want to travel to the border

you’re in charge of maintaining security and defense along your borders and with neighbouring kingdoms, usually dealing with complications remotely through the ministers and advisors who work for you

this time though, there has been recent unrest near the southern borders of your kingdom near denport, a city notorious for bandits and fugitives

the situation has worsened with increased risk of bloodshed, thus has the need for you to survey the borders in person

and as the youngest sibling of five, the king has made it very clear that this is your opportunity to prove your capabilities

jongho makes sure to remind you of this fact when you grumble your way through packing a satchel of essential items to take with you

(“your fluffy slippers are not essential, princess”)

(you listen and throw them back onto the floor of your bedchambers, but stuff in a few paperweights when he isn’t looking out of petty revenge because you know he’ll end up carrying your bag for you later when you ask him to)

it’s a relatively long journey to denport, so as soon as you are ready, jongho having long finished packing his own bag, you leave your kingdom with him at your side

by the time the sun is starting to set later that day, you’re passing through a small town

he suggests calling it a night and recuperating at one of the inns

you wait while he inquires about available rooms and then follow him through a small alleyway to the inn that he has chosen for the night

you take all but one look at the rotting wood and creaking sign at the entrance before you are crossing your arms like a petulant child

“there’s no way i’m staying the night in this sorry excuse of an inn”

he merely blinks

“you’re technically not the princess right now so you better listen to me or god help me, i’ll-”

“you’ll what,” you challenge, nose-to-nose

or nose-to-throat, you suppose

but before you can dwell any further on your height difference, jongho picks you up, slings you over his shoulder like you are nothing more than a sack of potatoes, and walks into the inn without a care in the world that you are screaming bloody murder

you resign to your fate and flop uselessly against his back as he carries you up the stairs

instead, when he throws you onto the bed upon entering the room, you look up at him sultrily and smirk, “ooh, now i’m turned on”

jongho shakes his head with exasperation but you don’t miss the redness that is creeping up the back of his neck as he turns around to close the door shut

“wait,” you sit up on the bed, “we’re sharing a room?”

“it’s safer. i’ll sleep on the sofa”

you scrunch your nose at the arrangement, but you do admittedly feel a little more at ease in the unfamiliar room of the inn

you start to take a shoe off before a thought flits through your mind and you point the shoe in your hand at him like a weapon, “you better not snore”

jongho rolls his eyes as he steps forward to take the shoe out of your hand, and then he is bending down to help slip off the shoe from your other foot

a thank you lies on the tip of your tongue

“you’re the only snorer in this room, princess”

nevermind.

it’s gone.

you’re settled in bed, waiting for jongho to finish washing up and turn off the lights, when you spot it

holy shit

your immediate reaction is to seek his protection

“jongho!”

the door to the bathroom swings open almost immediately as he rushes out, eyes alarmed, alert, and zeroing onto you

water drips off the ends of his hair and you can still spot suds on his exposed torso

“what’s wrong? are you okay? are you hurt?” his voice is laced with restrained panic

you point to the corner of the room and then he sees it too

his body stiffens completely

because, mere metres from the two of you, presence sinister and dangerous…

is a fucking spider

all is quiet and still for a while, your eyes flickering back and forth between your royal guard and the spider in a tense standoff

then, just as you are about to speak up, jongho grabs his bag and swiftly turns on his heels to head towards the room’s door

“where are you going?!” you shriek

he looks at you forlornly from over his shoulder, “to prepare for my execution”

“what the fuck are you on about, jongho?”

“for abandoning my duties and failing to protect you. farewell, princess. you are on your own from here-”

his sentence is cut short as the spider scuttles towards him

and that is how you two, disguised, but still a royal princess and royal guard no less, are given an eviction warning because he streaked through the corridors of the inn half naked and screaming at the top of his lungs

needless to say, the innkeeper ends up having to remove the spider for the two of you

“you’re so embarrassing,” you whisper to him once you two are finally settled in bed and on the sofa

“no, i’m jongho,” he cackles

you don’t humour him with a response, but you know he snickers himself to sleep that night

you can’t help but let the corner of your lips tug up as well

a few days later after leaving the town, you two are resting side by side against a tree trunk when you decide to grace jongho with the opportunity to redeem himself

he’s currently halving a sandwich so you two can share

“if i were trapped in a forest full of spiders and you were the only person who could save me,” you ask gravely, “what would you do?”

without missing a beat, he replies, “prepare to grieve your death and make sure your pet cat is well fed in your honour”

he passes you the bigger sandwich as you turn to look at him with the most scandalised expression

“can you at least pretend to think for a bit?” you grumble

there’s a hint of a smile on jongho’s face when he apologises, “okay, sorry. ask me again”

you hit him with a different scenario this time

“if you had to fight a giant spider who had taken me hostage, what would you do?”

he hums thoughtfully for a few seconds, unscrewing a canteen of water for you and placing it by your side

“i would say, she is all yours, your spidery majesty, and then i would bow and walk away”

“fuck you,” you shove him good-naturedly with your shoulder

he swipes the canteen before you can knock it over and presses it into your smaller hand instead, giving it a quick pat as he dismisses your insult, “sure, if you think you can handle my dick”

“like they say,” you waggle your eyebrows at him as your voice drops down lower, “practice makes perfect”

jongho’s stoic facade finally cracks when you lean in closer and he hurries to stand up and put some distance between you and him

he shifts his legs subtly, clearing his throat to say, “we should go, denport is close”

when you’ve finished off the last of your sandwich, you dust off your fingers and grab jongho’s offered hand to stand up too

“let’s go”

one thing you have both noticed is that the closer you get to the border between your kingdom and denport, the quieter and thicker the atmosphere seems to get

the small towns you pass through have less people roaming around; in fact, most people seem to flee back into the refuge of their own houses, locking their doors and closing their windows when they catch sight of your pair

and then it happens

your plan goes awry

you and jongho are harshly awoken by a commotion outside the small room you have rented for the night

there’s a sickening smell accompanied by wails of grief in the air

when you rush outside, all you can see is a huge crowd of people gathered and your ears strain to pick up on the broken hushes of information being thrown around

“his son is lucky to have been spared”

“lucky to have seen his father slaughtered by bandits?”

“i heard it wasn’t money that they were after, though”

“those damned denport devils are up to something”

that’s all you pick up on before jongho snatches your arm and leads you back into the inn, telling you that it’s too dangerous to be out there; too dangerous for you two to continue traveling

which leads to the very first argument you ever have with him

you two butt heads all the time with your own fiery fronts and hardheadedness but more often than not, he yields to you

you’re facing him in the dim room - it is shadier than that first inn you two made a stop at weeks ago, but you’re both sharing one room just like you two have done at every single inn since

“we need to go check it out!” you shout at him

jongho takes a shaky breath as he tries to keep his voice even, “no, we should go back to our kingdom, report on the situation and call for backup!”

you throw your hands up into the air, “we’re already here - we’re basically at denport! what if something blows up soon? it might be too late by the time we go back”

jongho steps in closer as his eyes narrow

you don’t cower because you know he would never hurt you, but you do step backwards because you don’t think you can keep a clear head when he is standing so close to you, proximity dizzying like the buzz of alcohol

“of all times for you to play hero and do something that you weren’t asked to, why now? why put yourself in danger?”

your back hits the wall as jongho corners you

your chest heaves, as does his, both of you overwhelmed with emotions

he holds your gaze but his eyes are rounded with agony and distress

you don’t understand why he is so against your decision

you don’t know what to say, until your eyes flicker down involuntarily at the movement of his lips parting to exhale-

“damn, jongho, your lips are real chapped. you should use some of my lip balm”

he blinks hard at the absurdity of what you chose to say

he looks at your lips

he makes a decision

“then give me some of yours,” he says, a little breathless

and then he’s pressing his chapped lips against your smooth ones, the taste of coconut filling your mouth as your lip balm smears

suddenly, he pulls back with the audacity to look shocked as if you are the one who kissed him

and then he leaves the room without another word

he doesn’t return that night and you don’t manage to sleep either

you wonder when you started becoming used to falling asleep with him in the same room

jongho clears his throat awkwardly when you open the door in the morning and find him leaning against the wall just by the doorframe

you’re not sure whether he came back not too long ago from god knows where, or whether he was actually standing guard outside all night

you think you know which one it is, even if he doesn’t confirm it

“we’re checking out,” he mumbles, shuffling briskly into the room to grab his few belongings he had left and exiting the room again with you trailing behind

neither of you say much more to each other

you think that he’s going to lead you back the way you two came, lead you back and undo the weeks’ worth of journeying and go back to the castle

but then he’s sighing, deep and burdened, and he gently takes your hand to continue on towards denport

he’s never held your hand before

not like this, at least, tenderly tugging you along with every step so that you are no more than a few inches away from his side

you want to bicker with him and chortle together like usual but you keep quiet, giving him the space that he appears to need even if he is physically ensuring you are tucked right into his side

you two walk until the sun has dipped below the horizon

from what you know, you are right along the southern border and denport will only be another half day’s walk away

jongho makes a small bonfire before he joins you to lean against a fallen log

he shimmies off his coat and drapes it over your legs and then the forest also settles into silence along with you both

it’s now or never

“why are you so against us going to the border?” you ask him

he runs his fingers through his hair

an unruly tuft of hair stays upright and you fold your arms to stop yourself from reaching out and smoothening it for him

he looks at you as he says, “i’m fine with me going to the border, it’s you i’m not fine with. you do remember that i’m your royal guard, right”

“is that all there is to your reason,” you push, “that you’re my guard?”

you both know you’re referring to more than just the argument itself

jongho’s gaze breaks away, looking ahead at the flames of the fire instead

he is silent

for once, jongho is unarmed; no immediate snark or teasing remark to toss back at you

you hear him swallow and take a breath

“i…i don’t know,” he starts. “all i know is that with each passing day, the more i want to keep you safe”

jongho looks at you again, eyebrows drawn down ever so slightly

“why do you make me feel so worried?”

at his words, your heart clenches in an unfamiliar way and you attempt to lighten the mood, “maybe you like me”

“maybe i do”

oh.

with the reflection of the fire dancing in his eyes, it almost looks as though he is about to cry

“please, don’t go to the border, princess,” he begs softly

his plea remains unwavering and you find your heart doing the exact opposite

after a few seconds of silence, you say

“okay, jongho. i won’t”

the tension from his shoulders seeps out and he gently tugs you towards him so he can tuck you into his side once again

“you promise that we turn around and go back tomorrow morning?”

you nod against the warmth of the crook of his neck, then murmur, “do you think father will be disappointed in me? for returning?”

he rubs a hand up and down your arm soothingly

“of course not, princess. you’ve already done so much more than you needed to. he’ll be proud of you”

and then he adds on, “just like i’m proud of you”

this is the first time anyone has ever really validated your efforts; being the youngest of a large family means you are often overshadowed

caught off guard, all you can do is whisper out, “thank you, jongho”

he hums and you feel his smile against the crown of your head

you’ve never been drunk before, but you think that this is the closest you have ever gotten

you are intoxicated by him

“if you’re thankful,” the rumble of jongho’s voice against your cheek is pleasant, “can i ask for something?”

“whatever you want”

he eases you from the comfort of his neck and tilts your chin up slightly with a finger, cheeky grin plastered across his face

“can i have some more of your lip balm?”

[hard-core-super-star]

I don't know how I didn't stop to think that being anonymous actually makes me very mysterious - you just avoided my villain era. Oh yeah, there should be a complaints box, so we could inform and complain about this total mutual discomfort we are going through.

who knew my messy essay would save my neck, thank you for your mercy. I think it could be a result of the second star, the power has gone to my head, I'm going to try to change that😔

now you kind of have to tell this joke or I won't be able to sleep peacefully.

yeah! they actually did a titans show and it looks like it was something like 8 or 80, I didn't watch it either but the reviews are always someone either liking it or hating it, never in between. buying all the comics is my princess dream- but okay, since you're talking about game universes, I agree with you, but tell me I'm not crazy when I say that nightwing completely eat in the Lego games.

that's exactly why I started watching Legends of Tomorrow lmao, they're so silly and chaotic and I love it, not to mention it's the kind of humor that makes me laugh genuinely when I least expect it. OH NO- WAIT In that case I would happily get started for you with an honorable mention to the kiss after their first date and the phrase “I can't be normal” and right after the “I don't want you to be normal” HJSJWKSNDEKK time passes but I'm still stuck in this moment.

they... they canceled the show? haha what? 😀

“slightly traumatized” LMFAO- this shouldn’t be so funny but yeah, I totally get it. I know there's this supercorp thing (I think that's the name) and they are literally the golden retriever gf and the black cat gf 😭 do you still have this blog? asking for scientific research

– 🌟

you're welcome, i'll be here all night [ignore the timezone difference] to remind you how cool and mysterious you are. i would joke and say my inbox is technically a complaints box too but i feel like we'd make one joke about it and somehow add another conversation to our list 👀

i'm not saying i told you so but i did warn you that the second star would be too much. keep that in mind if you ever want to ask for a third one.

honestly, the joke was just going to be the blood-sucker thing which is a direct reference to vampire [both the song and the fic] but then you made the blood-sucker comment for me so my reference is kind of irrelevant by now 😶

i would poke fun at the show for that but i think all my comfort shows have those types of reviews too. i'm pretty sure hawkeye didn't do that well with the general public so i can't hold it against titans. i cannot believe you're bringing up the Lego games because, this is embarrassing to admit but, i was OBSESSED with the Lego Batman 2 game and that's exactly what led me to fall down the DC rabbit hole and eventually the Nightwing rabbit hole. after Lego Batman came Injustice and then the Batman Arkham series which is still my favorite videogame series to this day. even though i never finished origins.

i'm serious do NOT encourage me to talk about this show, i can go on for ages, it's so silly but so important to me and it honestly has the best queer representation of all the Arrowverse shows. [with the exception of Batwoman which was taken from us too soon. and yes that is another rant.] ajksdfhjaghjhdagjh that episode will live in my mind rent free until the day i die! i remember watching it when it aired and i lost my damn mind at the "i don't want you to be normal!" outburst. i love them with all my heart.

whoops, i didn't realize you didn't know. i don't know what season you stopped at but basically, without spoiling anything, Season 7 ended in a cliffhanger and then the news came out that both Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman were cancelled AKA the two shows with the most queer representation. meanwhile, the flash [aka the show with like literally zero rep unless you count subtext] got to do its last [awful, btw] season. as you can tell, i'm still pissed about it.

i have a love-hate relationship with supercorp because i adore them but [to no one's surprise] the CW ruined them and just used their relationship as queerbait since the show was obviously going downhill. the blog is actually still up but i am far too embarrassed to leak it because...yikes.

[honeydewxo]

Please

 Daryl admits his feelings towards Y/n while she's asleep. She then dreams of the words he confessed to her. But was it really a dream? Or a reality?

Fluff/smut

Adjusting to this world hasn't been the easiest. I still remember the first day seeing the sign, “Welcome To The Alexandria Safe Zone. MERCY for the lost. VENGEANCE for the plunderers.”

I didn't want to believe it. I mean who would? After seeing this world turn to shit and the people with it, you can't trust anyone anymore. It’s a sick joke really. But I went in anyway that day. And god was I scared. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. Kids playing, people gardening, doctors doctoring. It wasn't real. When you're on your own for many years out there, these things are just a fantasy. A sick, twisted fantasy. That was also the first day I met Daryl Dixon. He was very intimidating looking, but my god, he was by far the most attractive man I've ever laid my eyes on. I would NEVER admit that to him though. 

He was the first person to even really give me a chance and speak to me.

“What’s your name?”

Daryl could sense you were still skeptical, but he didn't want to stay away from you. The moment he saw you walk through those gates, he knew he'd find out about you. And he vogued to himself he would keep you safe. He didn't even know you, but the power you already had over him was indescribable. The first thing that caught his eyes were those soft, innocent brown eyes. He was a sucker for them. They were like a magnetic pull that he couldn't stray away from.

“Y/n.”

Y/n he thought. Pretty name for a pretty girl. She couldn't even look him in the eyes when he would speak to her. Daryl just thought she must of not been interested, but that wasn't the case for her. She was just nervous. I mean shit, look at him. Who wouldn't be?

FEW MONTHS LATER:

“Maggie, are you kidding me? I can't just walk up to someone and say that. That’s totally inappropriate.” She is actually insane. She really believes if I walk up to Daryl and tell him to fuck me senseless, somehow he’ll feel the same way and BOOM! Happily ever after! 

She's my best friend, but fuck she really has no filter. I guess thats why I love her so much. She shoots shit straight.

“It just doesn’t work that way. We aren't in a porno. We’re in an apocalypse. Besides, I really don't think he feels the same way. I mean if he did, don't you think he would have already told me?” In my mind, I really hope he does. But the most reasonable answer is that he just likes me as a friend. Friend-zoned as they say. 

“First off, it can work that way if you weren't a pussy. And second, just because we are in an apocalypse does not mean we can't find love. Thats the whole reason we are trying to build a new future Y/n.” Fuck. She was right. “And also, theres no way in hell he doesn’t feel the same way about you. The first day you came here he was following you like a lost puppy. You always go on runs together, and you both look at each other like you're both madly in love. Makes me sick honestly,” Maggie said while grinning at me. 

Everything she said was right. Since the first day, we haven't been apart. He's the only person I'm truly comfortable around and trust, but do I want to ruin what we have over an idea I have in my head about us? Thats a big risk to take, and would be extremely embarrassing if he didn't feel the same way.

“Did it work for you with Glenn?” I nudge at Maggie while she's fixing her hair.

“Did what work?” You laugh at how oblivious she is to the question that you just asked her. “Telling Glenn to fuck you senseless so he’d fall in love with you?” You spit out barely being able to even finish the sentence without bursting into a fit of laughter.

She laughs at my question and turns to look at me. 

“No, but thats not the point. You never know Y/n, he may admit to you sooner than you realize.”

You wanted to believe that. You wanted Daryl to come over right now and tell you how he felt about you. But that wasn't likely. It wasn't likely he’d come over and kiss you like you were leaving the earth that day. Or him taking you to his room to show you how much he loved you and wanted you to be with him. To hear him pant out your name in need and desperation. It just wasn't likely.

It had been a few hours since your conversation with Maggie, and you were deep in your thoughts. You were sitting outside of your house, on your porch, watching a crew work in the garden. Should you really just walk up to him and tell him that? 

No. Absolutely not.

You wouldn't even have the balls to even form a sentence with the word fuck. You couldn't stop thinking about Daryl tho. Could he possibly think about you the way you think about him? Did he think about you late at nights when you were lonely? You started to close your thighs in desperation. 

Stop it Y/n. Now is not the time.

“Whatcha thinkin’ ab sunshine?”

Sunshine.

That fucking nickname. Daryl gave you that name after spending many days with each other. Every time you’d both go on a run together, if he needed you, you’d hear that nickname. You never got tired of hearing it come out his mouth. The way it slipped so perfectly out of his mouth. Like that name was made for me. It always made you blush, and he knew that.

You look up at Daryl and give him a soft, welcoming smile and you huff. “Just thinking, nothing important.” You look back to the people working in the garden. You feel Daryl’s presence next to you as he sits. His shoulders almost touch yours, and you hold your breath to make sure you don’t make it obvious by the simple gesture. You turn your head slightly just enough to take a look at his features. He has these little crinkles near his eyes that you’ve never noticed before until now. He was so beautiful. Handsome even. You catch yourself staring at him, so you turn your head back to what you were once looking at.

“Anythin’ you’re thinkin’ about, is important to me ya know? So tell me Y/n, what’s goin on in that pretty little head of yours?”

Daryl wanted to know what you were thinking about. He always did. He could read your facial expressions like a book. But sometimes, he just can’t pin what that head of yours is thinking. But he was gonna find out. He always did. He knew he always got his way with you. He trusted you, so he wanted you to trust him as well. He looked at her and saw her cheeks turn a deep red shade. Was it something I said? He kept his eyes on you to see if you’d ever speak up.

“Do you think Harry Styles is still alive?”

Do what?

That’s what she’s been thinking about this whole time? Harry Styles?!? He couldn’t help but giggle at the simple answer to his question. You always had a way with words. He doesn’t blame you for asking, he knew you were a big fan of the man before the world went to shit.

“Erm I- I don’t know really. I do know this though. He wouldn’t of been able to keep you safe the way I have.”

Shit. That was too much. He looks at Y/n, only to see the biggest smile on her face. He loved seeing her like this. Like there was nothing else in the world that mattered at that moment. He was obsessed. He wanted you to know how he felt, but he didn’t know how to put it. He never has. He wanted you to know he thought about you constantly. He wanted you to know he thinks about you when he’s lonely.

That’s he thinks about you when he touches himself. God he wants you to know. But he doesn’t want to scare you.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. No one could protect me like you have.”

He was shocked to hear those words come out of her mouth. But it felt good to hear. To know that he was the one keeping you safe.

Only him.

They both sat in silence, not speaking a word for a moment while they watched the sunset. This was one of their many traditions. Sitting in silence and taking in a moment that brings peace for once in this world. It was such an innocent, calming act you two loved doing together.

You started to yawn and Daryl took notice almost immediately. He’s so attentive.

“You can put your head on my shoulder. Y-you know if you’d like to of course. It won’t bother me none.”

He was nervous. The stuttering in his voice made him want to mentally punch himself. He wanted you so badly to put your head on his shoulder. He wanted to feel you against him, just for a little while at least. There was never a time he didn’t want you around him.

You take up his offer and you place your head on his shoulder and start to slowly feel yourself drift to sleep. Fuck. You don’t remember getting so sleepy. Moments pass, and you are sound asleep with the sun going down. Daryl takes this time to admire your beauty. The freckles on your face, covering just about every inch of it. He loved them. The curve of your nose, the shape of your lips. He couldn’t get enough of it.

If only he could kiss you, and taste your lips just once.

You were truly stunning. He wanted to tell you that. He wanted to scream to the universe how fucking beautiful you were. He knows how hard you struggle with your self image. He would let you know every single day, how worthy and beautiful you are.

As he keeps his hold on you, he starts to imagine you in his bedsheets with nothing covering you but them. The way your body would fit perfectly in his sheets, like they were molded just for you, and only you. He starts to feel flustered and guilty he’s even thinking of you in that way.

He knows a beautiful girl like you could never feel the same about some redneck. He hasn’t blinked once since staring at your face. He sees your mouth slightly open while sleeping. He smirks slightly and takes a mental picture, so he can remember this moment.

“You have no idea what you do to me sunshine. No fuckin’ idea.” He hastily blurts out. “I would worship the ground you’d walk on, if you let me. I-I think I’m in love with you.” He doesn’t know why he’s deciding now to confess how he feels, but words just keep falling out of his mouth. “I know you probably don’t feel the same way about me, I mean who would. I know I’m not much, but I could give you everything you’d want in a man.” He continues his rant like no one is listening besides himself. “I don’t want to be without ya. You’re on my mind 24/7. You are the only thing that crosses my mind when I wake up in the morning. And those brown e- fuck- those brown eyes Y/n. The way you look at me with them, just makes me want to fuck you right then and there.” He can’t believe he just said that. But he doesn’t care, he knows you’re asleep.

He takes a deep breath in and out before he takes one more look at you. He then decides to take you home and let you get comfortable in your own bed. Probably much more comfortable than laying on someone’s shoulder. He hooks your legs under his triceps and cradles you bridal style into your home. He walks up the stairs slowly and quietly to make sure you don’t wake up. He finally reaches your room and peaks through the door to spot where your bed is. He sees, and maneuvers his way to the bed.

He lays you down gently and tucks you in. He sees a strand of your brown hair falling against your face, so he lightly tucks it behind your ear. He smiles to himself, then faces the door and heads out to go home.

“I- I think I might be in love with you.”

“And those innocent brown eyes Y/n. The way you look at me makes me want to fuck you right then and there.”

You wake up abruptly and very confused. You kept replaying those words in your head over and over again trying to make sure what you heard was right. Did you have a dream about him? Or did he really say that to me? You were so confused, but you wanted an answer. You wanted to know.

As you get up and get dressed, you try to remember the moments right before you fell asleep. You smile remember how sweet Daryl was to offer his shoulder to you after he noticed you yawn. Maybe it was a dream.

“That’s it.” You finally decide to man up and just ask him straight up if he said those words, or if it was in face just a silly dream. As you walked out the door, you see the gates open to Daryl walking inside. He must of went on a run early this morning you thought.

Walking up to Daryl, you started to get cold feet. He notices you walking towards him and starts to put a smile on his face. You see the grin and butterflies immediately go off in your belly. You had it bad for him.

“Hey, you went on a run this morning?”

“Yeah, didn’t find shit tho. Wasn’t really a good run. Got my hand cut for no reason too.”

You take a hold of his hand to inspect the nasty cut that’s appeared on his palm. You need to get this treated right away.

Daryl looks at the way your inspecting his cut. He’s never had someone care for him the way you do. No one ever paid attention or cared when he got injured. Not that this cut even hurt him, but it’s still the thought of you wanting him to be okay.

“Cmon. I got some bandages at my place and I can get you stitched up.”

Daryl didn’t disagree or say no to you. He never could. You were his weakness and he didn’t care. He followed you to your house and into your room.

You say him down on the edge of the bed and you grabbed a chair to sit next to him so you can stitch up his hand.

You weren’t a doctor here, but you knew how basic stitches worked. It wasn’t rocket science.

Daryl watched you as you prepared everything together. He was getting a queasy feeling in his belly knowing you’d be super close to him and touching him. He watched as you finally took a seat next to him and grabbed his hand forcefully.

“Sorry, I, um, didn’t mean to grab you so hard.”

He nobs his head signaling it was okay. The way you pulled his hand towards you, made a slight tightness appear in his jeans.

Fuck.

No. Not now. Please not now. You’re just touching his hand and he’s already got a rock hard boner in his pants.

You start to numb his hand with some cream and begin stitching. Carefully placing the needle in all the spots that are needed. You glance ever so often to make sure he’s okay. He gives you an approval nod everytime you look his way.

He’s so good looking right now, but you really don’t need to be distracted right now. When did his hands get so big? Have they always been this size? You can only image how they would feel around your neck, or grabbing your ass. Squeezing them both. How his fingers would feel in your mouth. Or even inside of you.

Your breathing starts to get a little heavy, and your cheeks start to turn a dark shade. You really hope Daryl didn’t notice.

Oh I notice.

“You’re gonna think that pretty little head of yours off, ya know that?”

“Huh?”

“You’re thinking about something. And I wanna know, so go on, what is it?”

Please tell me.

You finish up his stitches and bandage his palm up. You don’t know what to say to him. He wants you to tell him what you’re thinking but you don’t know how to say it. You get up from the stool and turn to face the dresser that’s near the wall.

You weren’t going to tell him what you were just thinking about. But you decided to finally man up and tell him about this so called “dream” you had last night. You wanted it to be true so bad. You didn’t think you’d actually do it.

“Um, I had a dream last night. A-and you were also in this dream of mine.”

There’s an uncertainty in your voice. You’re nervous. He can tell. But there’s nothing to be nervous about. So what you had a dream about him. That’s doesn’t bother him. He watches you intently, seeing if there’s anything else to add. He’s enjoying how shy you’re acting about this. Did something else happen? Was it something sexual? Is that why you’re being so cautious about what you’re saying?

“You told me you think you might be in love with me and y-you…

Daryl took notice of your stuttering, but he was also picking up the pieces to this dream. It wasn’t a dream, and he knew it. He said this to you.

“And I what?” Daryl doesn’t hold back any questions. He wants to know what you’re about to say. He knows it’s what he told you last night, but he wants to hear you say it. He wants to hear it come out of your mouth only. He was starting to get nervous himself as he sees you pace back and forth.

“You said something about my brown eyes, and then something else but that was it. Nothing important really.”

There it was. That last sentence.

You said something about my brown eyes.

Quiet. Silence. That’s all there was as a few moments passed. Not a word has been said. Daryl sits still on the edge of the bed and Y/n still facing the wall.

“I shouldn’t have said anything about this dream I had. I’m really sorry I brought it up. If I made you uncomfortable Daryl I’m really, truly sorry.” Is she apologizing right now?

“I should go.”

As you being you walk out, Daryl speaks up after the defeating silence that was going on for too long. His voice makes you stop in your tracks and you stare at the door. You know why you admitted about the dream. You wanted to know the truth. You wanted to see if you were dreaming or it was a reality.

“I need to tell you something.”

You turn around to see Daryl staring at you. Not taking his eyes off of you. You gulp at the way he keeps his hold on you. Looking at like you like you’re the only person in the world.

“You know. That dream ya had? It sounds awfully a lot like what I said last night.” Fuck. Why did I just admit that? She’s gonna leave. She’s gonna walk right out the door and think I’m a complete weirdo and creep. Why isn’t she running?

Daryl looks at you, as you slowly start to walk towards him. Walking a little too slow for his comfort. You’re so powerful, and you have no idea. You move in between his open legs, puts your hands to the back of his neck, and you hold. You stare into his eyes.

“Is it true? My eyes? Do they make you want to fuck me right here and now?”

Holy fuck.

The tightness in my pants is painful at the moment. Hearing those filthy words come out of your mouth just did a million things to him. God I want to fuck her so bad.

“Y-yes.”

She smirks at his sudden stuttering. You look down at his lips and back to his eyes. You’ve never been this confident, but you don’t want to stop. You’re enjoying how he’s reacting.

“You’re insane.”

“If you don’t feel the s-“

“You’re insane to think I don’t feel the same way about you Dixon.”

Dixon.

He’s never heard you call him that before. The sudden nickname made his dick twitch in his pants. He’s starting to get anxious at your actions. You’re starting to think she’s just messing with you at this point.

“Please don’t play with me Y/n.”

“I’m not. I swear.”

She pushes his hair from his face and stares deeply into his eyes. He closes them and hums out of satisfaction. This simple act, is making his dick become harder and harder. He’s aching.

“You have no idea what you do to me.” He finally confesses while she’s actually awake. He grabs her waist and softly pulls her into so he can feel her body against him. She’s so soft. And delicate.

“So prove it. Show me.”

Daryl looks into your eyes and licks his lips. He moves his hands from her waist and slides them down the side of her thighs. He can tell she’s being genuine about this. She wants it just as much as he does.

“Can I kiss you? Please?”

Daryl is so desperate for you. He needs to hear you say yes. He needs to hear the words. You nod your head reassuring this is what you want. Daryl makes a disapproving tick noise with his mouth.

“Nu uh. Words sunshine. I need to hear you say it.”

“Yes.”

He is smiling from ear to ear. He can’t hold it back. He stands on his two feet, moves his hands from your waist, and moves them to your face. He leans his face into yours and finally gets to feel what’s he’s dreamed months of.

Their lips connect and they are slow at first. Daryl wants to take in this moment and never let go. The way your lips are molded perfectly into his. It’s like a fucking fairytale. Is she wearing cherry chapstick?

Fuck me. Just fuck me Y/n.

She hums in approval as Daryl suddenly quickens the pace. As they move faster, teeth start clashing and moans start to spill out. Daryl catches every breathy moan you let out into his own mouth. He wants it all.

You pull at Daryl’s hair and he whimpers.

Oh my god.

You know for a fact, that was single handily the hottest noise you’ve ever heard come out of a man’s mouth. And for it to be Daryl’s, you’re losing your mind.

Their bodies are so close together it’s almost suffocating. They’ve never felt like this before ever. While lips are still on one another, they move towards the bed and Daryl sits down with his feet planted on the floor. Y/n contemplates whether or not to straddle him, but she goes for it. She sits down and places her hands back in Daryl’s hands and leans her lips back in. Daryl moves his hands under your ass and grabs. You push your body upwards and hit against something devastating.

A small little whimper pours out of your mouth, and Daryl does his best to keep his calm and not fuck you right there.

He moves to your inviting neck, and starts to nip and pick at the glowing skin. He wants to let everyone know your his, and he wants everyone to know of what you two have just done. He wants everyone to know that only he makes you feel this way. Only him.

“D-Daryl.”

Pathetic.

You sounded so fucking pathetic under his arms, and under his lips. Daryl groans from the way you said his name. He starts to rock your hips back and forth on his very apparent strain in his jeans. He can’t hold back the small little moans slipping from his lips. He grabs the ends of your shirt and suddenly stops kissing at your skin. He takes a moment to look into your eyes. All he sees is lust and need.

“Can I?”

“Yes.”

“Good girl.”

Good girl? You sucked in a sharp breath with the name he just called you. You’ve never been called good girl before, but god did you enjoy the way it fell from his lips.

He takes of your shirt and is genuinely stunned by what he sees. You have the most illuminating body, the most perfect thing he’s ever seen. All he can think about is how this is all for him, and no one else.

Daryl starts to kiss down your neck to your breasts. Your breathing begins to become staggered and labored. He loves knowing your absolute puddy with his touch. He loves knowing he’s making you feel this way.

He finds his way to the back of your bra, and unhooks it. As it falls to the floor, he starts to kiss Y/n in a feverish pace and pushes up against something that he knows needs attention.

He moves his mouth towards your breasts and find his mouth on your perked nipple. He takes one little lick on the hard nub and looks into your eyes. He wants to watch how you react to these actions.

“O-oh my god.” You breath out. This feels so fucking good. His mouth feels like a fever dream.

Daryl growls into your chest, and closes his eyes and keeps licking and nipping at your nipples. He starts to pay attention to the other nipple and does the same thing. He’s watching intently as you keep your eyes shut and head leaned back with pleasure.

“You look so pretty for me right now. The prettiest fucking girl.”

She mewls. She fucking mewls.

Does she get off to my words?

“Do you like when I talk to you like that? Huh, sunshine? Do you like when I tell you how good you look sitting on my lap? Hmm? Tell me baby.”

You can’t do anything but moan a breathy yes. He knows what the fucking he’s doing. And he’s enjoying.

Little fucker.

He wants to hear her admit what he’s doing to her.

“Y-yes. I like when you tell me how pretty- fuck- how pretty I look.”

Daryl hums in satisfaction with her confession. He continues to kiss all over your body and mark what’s his.

Their bodies never stop moving against each other and never stop hitting the spots that they both need the most attention. You’re such a moaning mess and Daryl loves seeing it.

Daryl grabs under your ass, and puts you on the bed so that he’s now on top. He takes a minute to stop and admire the beautiful girl he can’t believe he has. He smiles and dips back to kiss you once more.

He moves his hand down your body to the button of your jeans. He looks up at you and raises his eyebrows to make sure that it’s okay. You nod your head but you should have known that’s not the answer that Daryl wanted. He looks at you and narrows his eyes, to be sure this next you’ll be vocal.

God he’s so hot.

“It’s okay. I want this.”

I want this.

That’s all he needed to hear before he pulls your jeans off your waist. You give yourself a mental high-five for the underwear Maggie gifted you. Black, lacy boy shorts.

Daryl is practically foaming at the mouth with what he’s seeing. He’s in awe. The way your body has his own shape, and the way it’s glowing through the glass window. You are truly a masterpiece.

He sets in between your legs and starts to slowly and seductively kiss all the way from your stomach, to your pubic bone. He makes sure he doesn't miss single spot to kiss. He wants you to feel the way his lips are pressed against your hot skin. He's starting to get impatient, but he knows he needs to take his time. He moves his hand into the waistband of your panties. 

“May I? Im dying to have a taste.”

It was the truth, and nothing but the truth. God, he wanted to know what you'd taste like. He dreamed about this moment, having his head in between your thick thighs. He would die here if he could. Have this as his last meal. He would die happy.

“Please.”

Hearing you say that simple word made Daryls dick twitch. He thinks to himself that you're going to literally ruin him, but he didn't care.

He takes your panties off and takes a moment to really see you. And fuck are you breath taking. He loves the way your body is begging for him. Like he's the last man standing on this earth and your body is calling out to me. The way your face is stained with the blush on your cheeks. The way your lips are swollen and so fucking inviting. He's taking it all in. 

Daryl dips back down and starts to playfully tease you. Kissing at your inner thighs, ignoring the throbbing coming just a few inches from his mouth. 

“D-daryl, please. Stop teasing me.”

He loves to hear you beg for him, but he doesn't want to push his luck.

He takes a long stride against the center of your folds and begins to lightly suck at your throbbing clit thats been begging for attention. Y/n starts to moan, but not as loud as Daryl wants. He wants to hear you scream and plead.

As he’s continuing to suck at your clit, he hits a sensitive spot that makes your back arch and your mouth openly slightly with sound.

God he's so good with his mouth. Why haven't I confessed sooner?

“Ah- oh my god.”

He looks up at you and can't take his eyes off. Fuck he needs some relief. He's so fucking hard for you and doesn't know how long he can behave himself. He unbuttons his jeans, pulls them and his underwear down so that his cock springs free. He looks at the way your chest rises and falls with every suck he makes on your clit. 

You need to grab something. You put your hands into his hair and you give it the tightest pull.

“Fuck Y/n, keep doing that.” 

He continues to suck and lick until his mouth is dripping with your juices. He brings his middle finger up to your entrance and teases his way in, just barely the tip of his finger. He watches your face contort with pleasure as he finally enters his finger fully inside you.

His mouth gapes open with the sight he's seeing. His finger entering in and out of you with your wetness. He wants to touch himself so bad.

“You're doing such a good job taking my fingers sunshine. Does it feel good?”

“Yes, god yes. Don't stop please.”

He takes that as a signal to quicken the pace with his finger and his mouth. He decides to add another finger and finds himself feeling his finger against something squishy. Y/n mewls with the sudden act.

Holy fuck.

His cock is leaking with precum and he can't refrain himself any longer. As he's fingering you and eating you out, he reaches down to touch himself. He wraps his hand around his long, hard member and begins to go up and down. He starts to quicken his pace with his fingers and mouth.

“D-daryl.. fuck.. I'm getting close baby.”

Baby. The way you said baby. He's never had anyone call him that before. It sparks something in him that he's never felt before. He continues his pace and never takes his eyes off of you. He wants to taste it so bad. He wants you to see you lose yourself on his fingers and mouth. 

“That’s it sunshine. You're being such a good girl, ya know that? Looking so filthy and pretty. I want you to come all over my fingers. Do you understand me? And don't take your eyes off, or I stop completely. Fuck, you're doing so good.”

Y/n loses herself right then and there. Daryls words and request set her off as she's screaming and pulling at his scalp. Your body is convulsing and your breathing is like you just ran a mile. Your fingers wrapped so tightly in his hair just so you can have some leverage. You finally ease the pressure and catch your breath. 

Daryl removes his fingers from you and begins to lick and suck at your juices. Its just an exotic moment and you're becoming wet again by the sight. The way he's not letting any drip from his fingers. Like he wants every ounce. 

He moves up to your face and kissing your lips with such need and want. You hum and groan into the kiss as Daryl takes the lead. He parts in between your legs and starts to grind himself against you to relief some pressure for himself. He's a panting mess already. He knows he won't last long, but he doesn't care. Teeth are beginning to clash together again and they become out of breath. 

Y/n moves her hand underneath Daryl’s waist and slightly touches over his length. He gasps from feeling her warm hands grab a hold on his member. You let your hand go up and down just to give him some relief. You start to move your waist towards his own. His throbbing cock only inches away from your own. 

“Are you sure you want this?”

You take notice of how caring he's being. You push his hair out of his face and give him a slow. soft kiss. You look into his eyes to reassure that this is indeed what you want. You’ve never wanted anything more. Daryl sees how vulnerable this simple act was and closes his eyes in satisfaction.

Daryl reaches over, grabs a condom, and groans with the relief he gets while putting it on. 

You stare at his actions and get anxious with waiting. You see how big he is and wonder how much of a stretch this will be. 

Daryl props himself back in between your legs, looks deeply into your eyes and starts to slowly sink himself into you. Stretching every muscle. Youve never felt so full before, but it feels so good.

“F-fuck. You feel so- oh my- you feel so fucking good.”

He’s not even able to properly form a sentence. He's never had anything feel so good for him. He starts a steady pace as he's intently watching your face. Watching how he's making you feel. The way he’s sliding in and out of you so easily. Taking in all the faces you’re making, all because of him. The way your mouth opens slightly every time he hits that one spot. 

You moan his name and grab ahold on his back and start clawing. Daryl groans loudly at this act and starts to go at a faster pace. 

“Sunshine, I love you.” He tells you while pounding deeply into you. He wants you to know he does love you. Fuck he loves you with everything in him. He looks into your eyes to already see you staring into his. He dips his head down and captures your lips while you breath out the words back.

He puts his head in the crook of your neck, and starts nipping at it. You don’t want him there, you want his eyes on you. You want him to see how he makes you feel. How good he’s making you feel this very moment. You grab his face from your neck and you look into his eyes. You lean your face towards his, and you kiss him with every last bit of energy you have. You both moan into the kiss as he starts to fasten his pace inside of you. He grabs your legs and puts it over his shoulders so he can go deeper inside you.

“Ah D-Daryl!”

He locks his eyes with yours, and pounds even harder inside of you. He looks down to see his cock entering in and out of you. Seeing that sight alone makes him lean his head back, with his eyes closed and moan. He looks back to you and see your eyes closed shut tightly.

“God you feel so fucking good. I’m not ever- fuck- I’m not ever gonna get enough of ya sunshine.”

He puts his face back into the crook of your neck and he feels you tighten against him. He knows you’re close. He wants you to come again so badly.

“I’m close baby, and I know you are too. Please look at me. I want to see you. See I’m making you feel this way.”

You open your eyes and look into his. You grab and tug at his hair signaling your almost at your peak. He goes faster and faster into you never losing eye contact. Your legs start to shake feverishly, so Daryl let’s them fall back down from his shoulders and you wrap them around his waist. You scream his name so loud you’re surprised someone hasn’t came in to see if you were okay. He puts his arm under your back that’s arched and starts quickening his pace to reach his own high.

“F-fuck- fuck-fuck Y/n, I’m coming.”

You don’t want him to stop. He feels so good pressed against you. The way he’s losing himself is driving you mad. He looks so good, so sweaty and panting out your name while he reaches his climax. You want to relive this moment over and over again. He shakes and goes at a lazily pace as he finishes inside of you.

His breathing is erratic and head is pouring with sweat. He kisses your neck a few times and turns to look at you. He’s in absolute awe. You look so fucked. But so sexy. This is a image he’ll never get out of his head. Something he can fuck his hand to late nights when you’re not around.

He lays there’s for a second until he finally picks himself up. He gives you a quick peck to your lips and then carries himself to the bathroom to clean himself up. You get a sudden sadness with his disappearance, but it goes away when you see his shyly walk back in the bedroom.

He crawls back in the bed with you, grabs your waist, and snuggles back into you. You both hum in approval with each other’s presence. Both not wanting to let go.

“I love you Daryl. I always have. I’m sorry it took me so long to say it to you.”

“It’s alright. Just happy it happened now.”

You turn your head to look into his eyes, you move his hair from his face and you give him a reassuring smile that you’re never going anywhere. His leans in to give you a slow, meaningful kiss. He knows you love him.

You smile into his lips. There’s nothing that can take away this moment. He puts his head on your chest and you start to play with his hair. His hands are wrapped around your waist, making slow trails with his fingers on your soft, naked skin. Giving you goosebumps.

Daryl starts to suddenly chuckle. What could he possibly be thinking about right now? And laughing? After what we just did? Really?

“What’s so funny Dixon?”

He looks at you and begins laughing even harder. You’re actually confused as to what he’s laughing at. Did you do something?

“Well, what just happened is something you can actually dream about.” He chuckles while looking up at you. He’s couldn’t contain his laughter, but you felt a bit of embarrassment.

You move out of his grasp and huff in annoyance. He smirks and moves closer to you and cuddles into you. He gives you a kiss to your forehead and rubs your back. You both slowly drift to sleep in hopes you dream about what happened tonight.

[dittomander]

I love your posts on magic in EOA. One interesting thing that I’ve been wondering, is can you cast the Malvago spell on somebody by force? Or reverse it in that same manner? We’ve only seen the spell cast and reversed on Victor and Carla, and they were willing when the spell was both cast, and reversed on them. I’ve also However, I’ve seen fanart of Mateo being forcibly turned into a Malvago. Sometimes to the point where it results in the dark magic corrupting and posessing him.

It depends on what theory of malvagoism you subscribe to!

I personally love the concept of someone's magic getting corrupted because I'm a sucker for the classic "I know you're in there somewhere" fight, but it admittedly clashes with my own take on the malvago vs. wizard divide, which is, paraphrased: "they're basically the same thing but cultural taboo causes people to (incorrectly) perceive them as different," which would suggest that all the malvago ritual actually does is give people a tamborita and a fancy new outfit.

Like you mentioned, we only ever see the spell cast on willing targets in the show, so there's nothing in the text that suggests one outcome or another, but this is a fun subject, so let's look at some options!

Malvagos are just wizards in spooky colors: in this case, it doesn't really matter whether the spell can be cast on unwilling subjects or not, since it doesn't cause any fundamental change in their powers, only (as mentioned above) giving them a new tamborita and robes. A lot of comedy potential, honestly, with a "good" character getting this cast on them and then lamenting that well, now they just have to be evil! "But you're not any different-" "No you don't understand, I'm wearing purple!" Cue character trying to be bad and being absolutely awful at it lmao.

The spell has an effect, but requires a willing target: I imagine this one is probably what the writers intended to communicate, since they try to convince us malvagos and wizards are different and then had the ritual be something that takes a long time to cast. In normal circumstances, what would be stopping someone from just... not standing there and letting someone cast it on them? And since a lot of spells seem to have some poorly-explained mental component to casting them, I find it believable that a more complicated (read: triple-hit) spell like this could go wrong because the castee was unwilling, even if immobilized. This would also explain why the amigos never tried to just... unmake the malvagos they encountered. Personally, though, I think this is the most boring option bc the stakes of it are low without even being funny. Besides, there aren't any other spells in the show that require their target to be willing, so this would be an odd exception if it was the case.

Target can be unwilling, but dark magic isn't corruptive: The idea here is that the spell could be forcibly cast on someone, but it just changes the "type" of their magic without anything else fundamental to their being. Like... changing a Pokemon's type without actually changing the Pokemon, you know? So their magic is going to affect different things (i.e. scepter of light vs scepter of night), but they don't have to worry about becoming "evil" unless they walk that path themselves, and the incentive to undo the spell is mostly just principle. I think this one is interesting from like... the chessmaster angle. Like forcibly change someone's magic to dark magic and whoops! Now they can't actually cast that spell that they were about to trounce you with because it's a "light magic" spell. Or it could like, instill that paranoia about corruption, even without that being an actual threat.

Target can be unwilling, dark magic is slowly corruptive: this one presumes that dark magic warps someone's perceptions/morality, and that the longer someone uses/is exposed to it, the greater its effect. This option is tons of fun because of the horror potential of someone slowly losing their sense of self to an untameable, magical force, and the time pressure of trying to reverse it before someone succumbs entirely. I mean, like that's almost like a zombie story or something, except instead of a mindless beast, the person can still think and plan and its just their morality that's being warped... Good stuff. Dangerous stuff.

Target can be unwilling, dark magic is immediately corruptive: hehehe gimme that sweet, sweet, "I know you're in there somewhere" fight. good trope, good trope. This is similar to 4 in concept but instead of the long-term horror of the slow drip, it's an immediate personality re-write, which is fun and scary in other kinds of ways. This seems unlikely since the Delgados don't really seem to change in demeanor the moment they're turned, but maybe since they were already pretty down-to-murder when the spell was cast, whatever affect it had on morality just wasn't obvious on them.

And there's probably more options that I'm not thinking of! Very little of the magic system is actually defined so there's a lot of wiggle room with exploring it, which makes what-ifs like this a lot of fun, at least for me. Anyway, thank you for asking! I'm glad you like my magic stuff, and I hope this was interesting for you, too!

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

#tbh it feels like the show spits on the power of love over a dozen times per season#cant have chat noir tell apart his lady from a sentibug#nor can they have alya not be fooled by sentinino#also cant have djwifi not get taken over by scarlet moths in the s2 finale#love is more often than not treated as a weakness in this show#and me thinks its cause the writing team thinks its cheesey

These are excellent additional examples! Not as bad as love not being enough to save the world, but definitely moments that made me go, "What the hell?" The sentibug one was probably the most painful moment for me because of how bad it makes Adrien look. I don't really blame him for falling for the trick when it's just him and sentibug, but that deception includes this moment:

Sentimonster Ladybug: I've always gone out of my way to hide my true feelings for you, but I just can't do it anymore. Cat Noir: But I thought you said you love somebody else! Sentimonster Ladybug: It's... it's over. After all this time, I've realized that you're always here for me, even when I keep rejecting you. Your feelings haven't changed, and mine are growing stronger every day. I can't pretending anymore.

This is completely out of character for Ladybug and they even let him acknowledge that fact. That should have made it glaringly obvious to him that sentibug was a fake as soon as the real Ladybug shows up, but no. He sticks with sentibug and fights the real Ladybug who then has to come up with a plan to out the deception by revealing Mayura:

Sentimonster Ladybug: We've got a villain to fight! We'll take care of me later. Cat Noir: That's the lady I know! Ladybug: Ugh, I can't believe you fell for that!!! Okay, good job. You win, I am the fake Ladybug, but there's no way I'm letting you Cataclysm my earrings! Cat Noir: You wanna bet? Sentimonster Ladybug: Over to you, Cat Noir Mayura: No, not the earrings! (Cat Noir misses) Ladybug: Hello, Mayura! Cat Noir: Mayura? But... she looks so real!

This totally doesn't come across like Chat Noir prefers a fake just because she's claiming to be in love with him, making him unwilling to accept reality. It just reads like... I don't know, but whatever it is it's so much more satisfying than Chat Noir's love allowing him to identify the real Ladybug. I'm so glad that the writers didn't use that cheesy trope and instead allowed Adrien to be deceived by a cheap trick. That's a much stronger way to write a romantic lead!

That was all sarcasm, btw. I'm a total sucker for the strength of a couple's relationship allowing the real version to be detected in some subtle way. They even kind of did that with SentiNino, but instead of Alya detecting the oddity, it was Ladybug, which was really weird. Ladybug saw them do a cute couple thing once and that was all she needed to see to know that it couldn't possibly be Nino when he failed to do the couple thing on a different occasion. If you're going to go that route, at least have Nino and Alya do their special high five in a couple other episodes to make it feel like Marinette might know they never do anything else! As is, it literally only shows up in this one episode just so that Ladybug can identify the sentimonster.

Both of these instances feel like the writers were so focused on making Marinette seem smart that they missed how poorly the other characters come across. It may also be the result of wanting to do something different than the standard trope but this trope exists for a very good reason! The reason being that it's the best way to play this setup!

It's okay to do things that other stories have done before. It doesn't make you a bad writer. Part of being a good writer is knowing when to use standard story elements because they're the best way to do a thing. You wouldn't call a new car "nothing special" because it has four wheels and a similar shape to other models. That's just the best way to design a car. We look for things like the interior and the mechanics to set it apart from other models. The same principle goes for stories. The question shouldn't be "is Chat Noir going to be able to detect the real Ladybug?" It should be "how is Chat Noir going to detect the real Ladybug?"

That's not to say that you can't do something different from the standard path, you totally can! But you should only do it when you have some grand plan like if you've found a better or more complex way to approach a classic setup - which absolutely can happen! - or if you're doing something like a dark take on a classic setup. A story where people are there to see things go wrong. Even then, you should have a greater plan for why you're making this twist and what it means. For example, the sentibug thing could have been a hint that Chat Noir isn't Ladybug's "true love". If he is her true love? Then this scene makes no sense.

This thoughts still cooking, so it might not make sense, but I think Thomas (Tomas?) Astruc is a very good case study on how being too attached to your own ideas can hinder your story telling.

I don't mean this in a "Thomas's original idea for the series was bad", but rather that he seems so attached to this concept that he can't stand other people having a differing view from him.

Chloe's the titular example here. Some people thought she deserved a redemption arc, and instead of just saying "nah, I don't think so" and continuing to write her the same way he had been, he had to prove them wrong, prove that his idea was the only correct one, and so turned her into the spawn of Satan and let her rule over Paris for some reason.

Instead of making Marinette less stalker-y, he wrote an entire episode poorly justifying it. And, imao, somewhat diminishing what PTSD actually is and does to people.

I'm not saying he has to make any change (though I think making Marinette less stalker-y would be a good change), but instead of 1.) sticking to his resolve or 2.) taking the criticism, he clung dearly onto this perception of his characters and his writing suffered because of how much he had to twist things to "prove" that his original assertions were right. And also that everyone who disagreed with him was wrong and didn't understand

idk if that makes sense, but the concepts been lingering in my head recently

It makes perfect sense! I've had similar thoughts. It's hard to say for sure, but Miraculous may be a case study in "kill your darlings". I'm not deep into the behind-the-scenes lore and I was not here in the early fandom, but I do know that, at some point, a much darker version of the show was pitched. That's why these exist (image source):

[Image description: two sketches styled like comic book covers. Both have the title "The Mini Menace Ladybug". The left cover shows Marinette's silhouette in a doorway. The door's glass and the glass of a nearby window are broken. In the foreground lies a hand holding a ladybug charm. The hand is limp and surrounded by blood, implying that someone is injured or dead. The right cover is Ladybug doing a spinning kick while looking angry.]

We also have this evidence of the darker original concept:

Jeremy Zag then proposed another project... which he was unable to sell to broadcasters... the project was called "Ladybug". No one was interested, as the project was aimed more at an adult audience... Sébastien had to make sure that the project could be broadcast on Disney and TF1.... Thomas wanted to make a series for adults, but at the time, it was very complicated to make a cartoon for adults. What's more, they didn't have enough money to take on such a project. Sébastien finally agreed, but there were some changes to be made, which Thomas accepted... In the end, Thomas Astruc's entire project was discarded, leaving only the love story between the two heroes and the city of Paris, where the story was to take place.

I've been aware of this darker origin story for a while due to Tumblr and, because of this knowledge, I have often had the thought, "are the writers trying to sneak elements from this darker version into canon?" Because that's the most likely explanation for what's going on here.

If I'm right, then I think that was a terrible move on their parts. They needed to let go of the story that they couldn't sell and embrace the story that they're being allowed to tell. It's why "kill you darlings" is such good advice. Many good stories have been ruined by writers clinging to an idea that ultimately doesn't work for some reason.

It's why the sitcom How I Met Your Mother has such a universally hated ending. The show was originally supposed to go for two seasons and so they wrote an ending that would fit the second season. The show ended up running for nine seasons and, by then, the ending didn't fit, but the writers kept it and left everyone with a bad taste in their mouths, which is not what any writer wants. That's why you have to do what's best for the story even if it means abandoning something that you really love.

This early version of canon may also be why the writers are so obsessed with Marinette. My understanding is that this concept had her mainly acting as a solo hero and, oh look! What is one of canon's biggest problems? Marinette being treated like a solo hero even though she has a partner and, later on, a team!

Not saying that this theory has to be true, just saying that it would explain some things. And if they're poisoning canon by trying to include elements from their darker original? Then it makes sense to assume that they're also doing it for smaller stuff. Like I'm pretty sure I've read that the head writer wanted Chat Blanc to be a lot darker originally, but no one would green light it, so we got an incredibly lackluster episode that spat in the face of the genres Miraculous' is trying to be part of while also falling to have the sort of impact we'd expect from an episode like that. It's a good example of a darling that really should have been killed. It just doesn't fit.

(Totally unrelated sidenote, but is your blog name from Tangled? Because that's what I immediately thought of and it made me smile!)

[bitegore]

2 for the fic ask meme, for any of your fics bc I’m so curious about like all of them.

2. How did you get the idea to write this?

There's three different methods that lead to me coming up with an idea and all of them are spawned by someone else, pretty much.

1 - Almost always - someone said something, and I decided to run with it. Almost every fic I've ever written is crack treated seriously, in common parlance, because I'm a fucking sucker for humor and I can't see any reason why (for example) "lmaoooooo wouldn't it be funny if vortex dedcided to get back at onslaught by playing such opaque power games that literally no one involved but him knows what he's even doing" and "lmaooooooooo wouldn't it be funny if the evil helicopter got in trouble for capturing and working over optimus prime because megatron is obsessed with him" -> this is a serious smut fic i'm actually working on that i don't intend to be a joke in any real sense. So that's probably 3/4ths of my various bodies of work right there, springboarded off random shit other people say because I'm really not that creative in a vacuum (because no one is!)

A wip like that would be the Wildrider/Brawl Movie Nights fic that i keep mentioning offhandedly and not posting anywhere because it's not done. The two combiner punchydudes who get no spotlight have a running movie night hangout session, that's the entire joke, that's fucking funny. it's so normal it's humorous.

....and then i think about it because it's funny as all get out to me, and i tell people and they say things that make it funnier to me, and i go "but wildrider can't sit still, i do not believe he can watch movies", and "well, they're actually both pretty confident in their positions and not insecure unlike basically every other decepticon ever, so they can actually get along" and "while wildrider is constantly doing stuff he's actually pretty fucking chill," and "they both like explosions" and "they probably share a taste in movies" and then next thing I knew i had 2000 words in a google document.

and THEN i started thinking about how much Motormaster (beloved control freak, absolute asshole<3) would hate that not only was Wildrider hanging out with Starscream's shitty combiner team but he's also hanging out with the (to his eyes) literal bottom tier most utterly pointless guy in the entire faction who is completely useless for anything other than being a big gun and who has NO ambitions and is going to corrupt his crazy punchydude who at least does stuff sometimes. and that was ALSO really funny to me so i added it. and then I thought about how Vortex is inconsistent but loves causing problems for people and I added it. and now Wildrider and Brawl get together to set off fireworks in the driveway, get drunk, kick over some squishy towns for kicks, and watch about 30 seconds of a movie together during an allotted timespan while the other Combaticons give Motormaster a hard time because they think it's funny and he won't properly leave until he has Wildrider back because he may have agreed to let them have a few hours of hangout time but that doesn't mean he likes it and neither Brawl nor Wildrider have any intention to let him supervise

and of couse this is funny as all get out to me in sum. Terrible guys (affectionate) having good clean fun in the Decepticon Army, as they should.

2 - The others are essentially just me shining a light on some corner of a character I feel like has been ignored. Usually those ones are way shorter. Basically all my drabbles are just "think about this character in some way you haven't yet". It goes further, though, there's like. My fucking magnum opus that I never shut up about because I've never Achieved The Vision so clearly ever again, we became such strangers now, fading out, was me holding up springer and impactor and going "you two are closer to each other than you think you are, now make friends" (and, like all my other fics, spawned from someone else saying something - in this case @honestlyvan, whom is possessed of all the best wreckers takes imo, pretty much handed me this one on a platter and helped me beat it into shape). That's like 3k words long. Ditto for what do you do in the house of flies?, where i just shamelessly gave Vortex my own brain problems and also gave Onslaught some very different brain problems and made them Talk. That's a little under 4.5k. I can't think of any wips that are like this, really, not from the spawning point at least, but that's mostly because I usually just crank those fuckers out as fast as possible or give up NO i'm wrong. i'm wrong!

I have a wip like that. It's tentatively titled "something something metal bones" because I hate titles. The entire fic is a character study of Bulkhead of Transformers: Prime, set on the backdrop of him walking through an ancient, abandoned factory under Tyger Pax on Cybertron during the hotter parts of the war in TFP, trying to strip parts out of the ground to repair his ship so he can get the fuck out with his unconscious pilot buddy. The point of it is thus - the factory is trapped in an eternal twilight, because everyone fucked off or died without turning it off, and it's just going and going forever without end until someone turns it off because it's a part of Cybertron and it's not going to run out of fuel or anything. It's falling into ill repair, and the last time anyone living laid eyes on it was centuries ago, and Bulkhead, who used to work in a place like this, knows exactly how unloved and neglected this place has been. And he can't fix it. He has things that need to be done. Instead the best he can do is turn everything off before he leaves, giving it a final rest. It's also an extended allegory for his fears about the war, especially by the time of TFP, because I like my parallels too much and everything has to be everything else. And the other point of it is thus: despite the pressing unease and how fucking sad this is, Bulkhead is still stripping parts out of the ground because he has more important things to do. He's not fixing it, and he's not even going to try, because he's more pragmatic than all that and he knows how to prioritize better than another character might. He's got the necessary callouses to let him move on despite the fact that he's like uniquely positioned to be the fucking saddest about this out of everyone i've written, because this is like walking into his childhood home and seeing that it's rotting and falling apart at every seam, and choosing not to do anything to it except rip some of the flooring up and hit the road.

......i need to finish that one too but i want it to be good and it's hard to write things well sdjfjsdhfl. one day i'll finish and post it and it'll make everyone cry.

3 - And, finally, sometimes someone says something to me and it just is DRENCHED in dramatic irony, absolutely clotted and choking with irony where you know something but the character doesn't and OUGH but if they only knew...

and I write the FUCK outta those things because I love irony. That's the last subset. It goes hand in hand with the other two, though; I think it'd be more accurate to say that a hefty serving of irony is necessary for me to care about an idea, but if an idea isn't a joke and it isn't some side facet of a character no one else is talking about I'll still be invested if it's ironic enough.

(also this isn't an "ironic enjoyment" kind of thing like. i am not saying sincerity is bad, i like sincerity, i love when you have to dig it out of a character with a hammer and a chisel and a pair of tweezers and it hurts the whole way up. i am very unironic about the things i like.I like it as a plot element, not a lifestyle, i'm not one of Those MFs.)

Questions can be found here :D