#it makes for a very interesting and very difficult game of sorts between the two of you

[inkykeiji]

touya-nii is so jealous of everythingggg and you do such a good job writing it!!!! he also seems so needy >,<

aw hehe thank you so much!!! (ㅅ´ ˘ `) ♡ yes!! he is extremely jealous, extremely possessive, and extremely obsessive. this gives way to a peculiar type of clinginess; he needs to know where you are at all times, who you’re with, and when you’ll be returning. he wants all of your attention on HIM, yet he can be stingy with his own—he uses it as a currency for good (aka submissive/tightly controlled) behaviour: if you’re obedient, if you do as he says, he’ll reward you with attention in exchange. he uses it as an incentive, to entice you into complacency (which sometimes backfires, since your misbehaviour almost always garners his attention, even if it isn’t good attention). he can also be physically clingy, always needing a part of your body touching his; his hands on your waist or back or neck, your thigh slotted up against his own, tangled fingers a mess in his lap, etc. he just wants all of you, all the time—even when he tells you he doesn’t

[as-if-and-only-if]

I'm interested in forming a sort of...math & physics reading group network. well, with some very important modifications to the concept of "reading group".

for example, right now, I'd like to learn algebraic geometry, qft, and/or refresh myself on representation theory with someone—maybe just one or two people—meaning that traditionally, we'd pick a text for one of these topics, discuss the material (asynchronously or synchronously?), exchange exercises, etc.

but currently (being Between Institutions), my best bet is posting on tumblr. and that's a pretty good bet, tbh! there are a lot of us here!

though, wouldn't it be great if there were a way to coordinate groups like this across institutions? you make a post proposing a group, specifying your goals and constraints...

even that would be a boon. but I think the concept of a "reading group" itself could be changed in interesting ways. this is what I'm really interested in.

there are variations among reading groups themselves already. sometimes you have directed reading groups, where someone already knows the material and "leads" it; some people are looking for more or less people involved; and there are probably things to explore for making sure that reading groups stick through it instead of falling apart when some motivation flags. default meeting times help with this, for example.

there are many experiments to be done! I think lessons for group-making can be taken from a maybe-surprising source: theater. there are a lot of things that make groups which put on shows more robust and rewarding than reading groups. a sense of building to something; many factors that create informal group cohesion (e.g. such a structure should make sure it creates more-informal "cafe" time in addition to more-formal "practice" time, just as rehearsal in physical spaces facilitates that casual sort of interaction on its periphery); ways to get into the right headspace during discussions (just as warm-ups do in theater; the engagement with this material is an event); clear goals (e.g. "understand ___"); successive shared accomplishments...to that end I wonder if it makes sense to form math troupes, which do successive reading groups together, drawn from its members.

it might be useful to envision some sort of public-facing artifact created as the culmination of this learning, whether a presentation, or an article, or some novel application or research...the crucial question is: how do we choose a goal that we find meaning in?

one idea, for example, is to have a collection parallel reading groups learning different things, and end by presenting to each other! that way we know what we learn will be meaningful to others, too, from the beginning. in general, I think it's important to feel that our own development of insight and understanding can be meaningful to others and to the group. it's nice to participate; it's nice to be able to offer something that is valued. what form can this take? how can you set up the interactions such that everyone has a part to play, and so this meaningfulness is tangled up in participation in the group?

I've also got a couple of ideas for "activities" that let us engage, re-engage, and play with the concepts we're learning with each other, beyond the text itself. how can we give ourselves the opportunity to toss around the concepts we're learning? I believe that the fun ultimately comes from the understanding itself, and therefore that any group exercise which lets us effectively play with the ideas will be fun.

it's a lot to ask people to come up with structure like that themselves, but using a pre-existing structure is not so difficult! sort of like how it's hard to make a TTRPG itself, so simply saying "go off and roleplay" isn't that helpful, but it's easy to use the structure of an existing one to run a game.

you might say, well, the existing form of a reading group is fine. okay! existing reading group structures can be low-stakes, relaxed, and accessible...but they can also fall apart easily (especially when not tied to an institution, in my experience), and you have to get lucky to find a truly rewarding one. I find reimagining our mechanisms of learning pretty exciting, and I think the space of ways to learn math with each other is underexplored at this level (emphasis on the with each other). there's a lot of potential!

anyway! reply or tag with "!" if this is something you could maybe be interested if done well? or if you're at least curious! I'm just taking a temperature. :)

[kaisaerinlover]

if you could describe kaiser in two words you would be forced to use the words mean and conniving, if you even dared to speak any bad about him that is. you darent even have a bad thought about him recently though, because he’s been ignoring you. he was so nice before? what happened? why doesn’t he like you anymore? is he too scared to break up? what’s going on?

kaiser can guess your thought process exactly, it’s funny really. funny how predictable and dense you are; it’s fine though. he doesn’t care, he likes you this way, panicky and anxious that he doesn’t like you anymore. he likes you a lot, that’s why he’s doing this, you know? after all, relationships don’t work for him unless he plays a little dirty with the other. manipulation is a staple of any relationship actually, or any sort of abuse. no one stays without toxicity, that’s not the way of the world. not the way of his world - and as far as he’s concerned, his world morphs into your world. when you choose to date him you unknowingly choose to abide by the laws of life he lived and continues to live by.

i mean, it’s not like he wants to ignore you (he does), it’s not like he wants to see how disgustingly despair filled you are every time he brushes you off like you’re nothing more than a stranger to him (he does), it’s not like he has a choice in any of this, he has to manipulate you, it’s just how life works (it’s not). if you were half as intellectual as he is, you would realise what he’s doing, but he thinks you should be thankful. thankful that he’s putting in this effort and going to these lengths just to ensure you won’t leave him anytime soon. he just loves you too much to let you go now. he let himself get attached to you, so this is your punishment. human emotions and attachments are the bane of his very existence, he hates them. he doesn’t like being so dependant on someone else, doesn’t like the way you affect him and his mood, hates feeling loved and hates knowing he has to give love in return; it’s difficult to learn after everything he’s experienced in life. this is your punishment for getting him so entranced with you. deal with it now, if you wanna date him this is what you get.

he’s a pretentious man, he won’t even label emotions as, well, just that: emotions. he labels them human emotions. he really thinks he’s way above them, knows himself as a god. but then again; it’s the opposite. he’s a subhuman piece of shit. what a complicated mind; any psychology student, therapist or simply just psychology interested freak would have a field day with him. but here he is instead with you. punishing you with his indifference for engraving yourself so deeply within his soul.

poor you, when he dismisses you the last time and goes to leave the house you break and cry. you cry like a baby, and he almost feels bad. only almost, not quite there yet, the face you make when you cry is quite beautiful, isn’t it? why does he do this to you? if he leaves you will he even come back? you can’t take it and you can’t risk it.

when kaiser feels you tug on his arm and hears your crying he smirks to himself before turning around. you’re easy; far too easy. he won. he turns around and stares at you, a stare so hard you swear it pierces right through you like a blade. “come on, d-don’t leave me-“ you somehow manage to sputter out between your arousing sobs. only a sicko like him could find something like this arousing, gross. his mask of nonchalance never slips though, what a crazy man he is, able to control and maintain everything; even his stimuli. control for the most part anyway. “hm?” he doesn’t even bother to give you a real worded answer, you’re not worth it are you?

kaiser is awfully good at mind games, he knows it, he’s enjoying playing with you. messing with your head, it’s even funner when he knows exactly what you’re thinking. you’re in shambles, to say the very least. all you can see in his eyes is contempt towards you. why is he leaving you? you don’t want that, is leaving you really so simple? so easy? such a mundane and effortless task? are you that unimportant he can disregard you and treat you like this without a second thought? is it because other girls are better? they have a knack for something that you just quite never grasped? how is that fair? he’s your whole world, hell you’re struggling right now with him being cold towards you for, in retrospect, a short amount of time. and he is yet to even bat an eyelash at the mistreatment he’s giving you.

his tone is brimming with derision when he opens his mouth next; “what are you talking about? dumb girl?” you feel so embarrassed, what does he mean? no, maybe he’s testing you, it’s a test isn’t it? to see if you’ll beg? you will, you would, you can, you’re going to, you’d do everything to ensure he stays. even if it’s degrading. dehumanising. even if anyone who found out how hard you begged for his love and affection would be disgusted with your desperation and drop you. you would do anything. “j-jus’ don’t leave me micha- i-i don’t even know what i did- please-“ you beg. and you plead. you’re so cute when you’re this desperate, playing right into his hands like putty. you’re priceless, adorable really. he has to put effort in to hide the smirk that wants to show on his face so badly. but then you say something that he’s heard a million times before. he’s heard you say it before too. but right now it pisses him off and makes him sick. makes him angry when you choke out through your tears a weak declaration of love.

“i l-love you-“ he hates it. he’s heard it so many times, from fans and empty headed fangirls, from you as well. but right now it makes him want to vomit. he’s angry, doesn’t know how to react to it in this situation. and it shows on his face. shows in his actions when he grabs you so roughly and smashes his lips into yours. when he pulls away, he’s looking into your eyes so deeply. you’re an idiot, you should know what loving him entails. he thinks you should shut your mouth. your admission made him feel guilty. god he wishes you’d just shut the fuck up; but his eyes are telling you differently. silently pleading for something he’s never allowed himself to want. and you can tell too, stupid as you are, you’re somehow able to read what he desires in the moment from his eyes alone. “micha i l-love you” you sputter out again. he licks his lips as he watches a tear roll down your cheek and feels his insides churn, flutter, disintegrate and whatever else as you confess to him again.

it’s rare, that he feels this way i mean, totally and utterly rare. he feels sickened at your words. filled with guilt. you really love him and he really loves you too, he can’t fathom why he insists on treating you in this way. he really can’t. and he can’t fathom why he feels so much guilt over it, because everything he does is for himself. he’s a self indulgent man; that’s why he’s even more confused when he instinctively reaches out to wipe a tear running down your cheek away. he lives for himself and to make himself feel alive, tending to you doesn’t exactly fit into the equation most of the time, so he’s not sure why is body is subconsciously moving to aid you. he’s not sure why he’s suddenly aching to comfort you. he’s not sure why he’s reconsidering what he did by now. manipulating isn’t nice, only an idiot doesn’t know that, and he’s no idiot. he’s one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet in your life.

and you, sweet you, you’re hardly a victim of this anymore. you’re letting it happen, sitting and letting him do whatever he wishes with you. you’re as disgusting as he is in a way. he might have you wrapped around his thumb; he might be a master of manipulation, but you’ve had so many chances to leave yet you haven’t. because you’re dumb deep down. dumber than what he takes you for. as he dotes on you in a manner that he perceives is against his free will, you instantly feel at ease and better. you forget everything bad he just did to you. forget the weeks you spent having to play guessing games to work out why he’s suddenly giving you the icy cold treatment, you give in to his whims and relish in the attention he’s suddenly showering you in. it’s not that you’re entirely lacking in self awareness, no, quite the opposite actually. you’re just convinced he’s not all that bad, that deep down he’s not mean at all, he’s not evil to the core. and as much as even he would like that to be true, he knows it’s not. he had a rough start in life, a rough childhood, a rough few years. he’s never had it easy - but he can’t pretend that he hasn’t had any chances to change.

as he strokes your hair and feels you lean into his touch, he ponders all of the opportunities handed to him on a platter to rebuild himself into something better. remembers how all he’s ever wanted is to be loved, yet he pushes away or straight up abuses the ones who adore him the most. in a weird self loathing way, but also a display of superiority, to show how everyone around him is disposable, how important he is compared to everybody else. he’s convinced he’s evil down to the very blood courses through him, every cell in his body, and you’re convinced he’s not bad at all. that this is all some weird ploy. you’re not entirely sure, you just don’t want to believe he’s mean.

neither of you are wrong. he’s not as kindhearted as you’d like to believe he is and he’s not as cruel as he hates believing he is. the truth is that you’ve rubbed off on each other deeply. that your empathy and grace has moved him and shaped his person into something new entirely, and how his narcissistic tendencies and manipulative nature have made you more susceptible to his, well, his something. malice? shenanigans? there’s simply not a word in english to describe this man. whatever goes on in the brain of michael kaiser is complicated.

and as he holds you, rubs his hand up and down your back as he finds himself holding you so tightly, he realises he almost regrets ignoring you for all of that time. making you believe he really doesn’t love you anymore when he really loves you more than anything in the world. only almost though, because he enjoys having you like this. vulnerable and cute in his lap, longing for his attention. his beloved girl, only for him, all his. he knows it’s wrong but he has to keep doing what he’s doing to you. needs to keep up the cycle of nonstop manipulation, or you might leave. he doesn’t want you to become self aware and leave him.

and as you listen to his heartbeat whilst leaning your head against his toned chest, feeling some of his hair fall atop your head, you feel content. even if you’re self aware already, even though you know it’s so disturbing and messed up to even feel anything except contempt about this dynamic, you feel at peace. you and kaiser deserve each other after all, you’re just too stupid to realise it. kaiser remembers your earlier affections, the ones he left unreturned. you’re an idiot, he thinks. saying you love him, it has dark connotations. it doesn’t bestow anything but misfortune upon you, but you say it anyway. “meine geliebte, i love you so much” he whispers into your ear, nipping at it. he can feel his heart beating against your soft cheek. he lets out a sigh of relief he didn’t even know he was holding in. he feels tranquil too. this and soccer, this and hurting others, this and hurting you; this is what makes him feel alive. he feels alive. he knows he’s alive.

“love you too micha” you confess back, not like it’s much of a confession anyway, nor a secret. and as he strokes your hair gently and kisses your forehead, gives you these small gestures of love and tenderness in a rare moment of uncharacteristic softness, does these things for you as you confess back; he knows he’s alive.

he knows he’s alive because his heartbeat sped up a bit and he feels tingly inside. because of your words and your devote to him. he wonders if this is how you feel too. being gentle isn’t all so bad, but don’t get used to it.

you know not to get used to it, but even you can’t help but to fantasise about being a normal couple with kaiser.

not that either of you mind this, though. you thrive on the toxicity and uncertainty this dynamic provides, as twisted as it is. and at least you love each other. at least you’re pampered and provided with attention. at least kaiser found someone that makes him feel really and truly alive. someone he knows he can ensure won’t leave.

[skarsjoy]

new interview from Vanity Fair at Cannes:

Alexander Skarsgård Is the Dom, Harry Melling the Sub, and Pillion Their Kinky, Sweet Love Story

The two stars and their director, Harry Lighton, learned many lessons making a movie set in a vivid queer subculture: “It emerges that you can’t just chuck a load of dicks on screen.”

By David Canfield, May 17, 2025

Alex quotes:

Alexander Skarsgård: When I got a little brief from my agents about the project, biker and sub-dom, it just sounded quite intriguing to me…and from our first conversations, he just felt a lot of confidence in me and his vision for the project. I definitely wanted to put on the leather gear and jump into the trenches with it.

In the film, most of the members of the biker gang in the movie are basically playing themselves—they are members of GBMCC. I’m forever grateful and indebted to them for their generosity and support and patience. They told us about their lifestyle, and how they socialize and about these gatherings, when they go out riding together, down to details in terms of the outfits, and the dynamics between the subs and the doms and what that would look like. I credit everything to those guys.

For the actors, what was your comfort level filming the sex scenes going in?

Skarsgård: You can’t just apply the kind of the sub-dom structure to every relationship. I talked to some people who are in sub-dom relationships, and certain aspects of Colin and Ray’s relationship rang very true to them. And others, they’re like, “Well, I know people who have that kind of relationship…” It was just important for us to figure out what worked for us, in between Harry and myself.

I knew that it was going to be graphic, and Harry was very clear on his vision for it—when and how nudity was going to be depicted. I felt that it really served the story, and it made sense to me. I was very, very comfortable with all that. We had a really terrific intimacy coordinator named Robbie [Taylor Hunt] who was there with us the whole way.

Melling: Alex is just the most generous, dreamy scene partner, so what could have been quite a daunting experience couldn’t have been more different, really. When you sort out the choreography of it, which is often the most difficult part—you sort out what everyone’s doing, where their hands are going—and then once action is called, you’re in the world of Colin and Ray.

Skarsgård: I fell in love with Harry from the first second I saw him. He’s just the sweetest, nicest, loveliest human being. I felt comfortable going as far as we needed to go in these situations with him. I also discovered a lot of things about Colin and Ray’s relationship that I didn’t anticipate discovering when we first started working on it. There were these tender, beautiful moments that just happened organically, and some moments that were weird and some moments that were funny. But he was incredibly game, very brave in just throwing himself out there.

Skarsgård: There are orgy scenes in the film, and with a combination of actors and non-actors with different levels of experience in that field, it was great to have Robbie there to kind of help and guide the team.

Skarsgård: The way it’s set up in the script, the audience knows as little about Ray as Colin does, and we kind of maintain that kind of level of mystery around the character. In terms of the specifics of the sub-dom relationship, he’s very clear and very upfront with Colin about what he wants, and that also creates an interesting trajectory for their relationship as the story and the love relationship evolve.

[22ayla21]

Scents Not Found in Books

Alhaitham, accustomed to logic and precision, finds himself in the home of a girl whose spices and kindness awaken in him an interest not only in her craft but also in life itself beyond the Academia.

Her home, like her, breathed simplicity and a certain deep warmth. Located on the very edge of Sumeru, it didn't attract casual visitors. Alhaitham, who disliked aimless visits, suddenly caught himself thinking that his interest in this woman went far beyond ordinary curiosity.

He sat on a low stool next to a large table, picturesquely cluttered with drying herbs, handwritten paper packets, tiny vials, and clay pots. The air thickened with spicy, pungent, and sweet-tart aromas. It seemed the very walls of this house had absorbed the scent of herbs.

"Do you really remember all of this?" he asked, leaning towards a bunch of pale green leaves with a silvery bloom.

"Yep," she nodded, sorting through buds and placing them in a small box. "Each spice has its own character. Just like people. Only these, unlike many, are much more honest. They never play someone else's games."

He didn't object, finding his own truth in her words.

"And this one... what's it for?" he gently poked a finger at a herb that immediately tickled his nose.

"Catuaba. A powerful natural stimulant. Sniff it for a while, and you'll wake up with unexpected questions about reality. Or you'll start sneezing if you're sensitive."

He leaned closer, about to say something, but didn't have time.

"Achoo!" A sharp sneeze burst out unexpectedly loudly. Alhaitham leaned back, wrinkling his nose. "Forgive me."

The girl chuckled softly. "Well, it seems you are sensitive. Nothing to worry about. This herb even made my uncle, a two-meter stubborn ox, drowsy."

He sneezed again, then once more.

"Magnificent," he muttered, taking out a handkerchief. "For the first time, my knowledge leads to... an allergic reaction."

"That's not knowledge," she corrected with a smile. "That's experience. Knowledge can be read, but this scent... it needs to be lived."

He looked at her, slightly biting his lip, concealing a smile. "Amusing. You're making me look at the word 'cognition' in a new light."

She placed a cup of herbal infusion in front of him and nodded towards the door. "We can open it if it's stuffy. Or would you like me to teach you how to distinguish herbs? Which ones are calming, which ones help with migraines?"

He nodded almost imperceptibly, resting his elbow on the table. Despite his blocked nose, it was... good here. Not because of the knowledge or the rare herbs, but because of her. Her calmness, her passion, her voice explaining the difference between berry pollen and ground kiana root.

"Tell me honestly," she said, carefully sorting through flower heads. "Are you really interested in this, or are you just looking for an excuse to visit?"

He looked at her seriously, but without a hint of tension. "Both," he admitted honestly. "It's difficult for me to admit, but your craft is a whole world in which I am completely lost. And, perhaps for the first time in a long time, I don't want to analyze, but simply listen."

She froze for a moment, then illuminated him with a soft, warm smile. "Then listen. And sneezing is nothing. The main thing is to breathe deeper."

He sneezed again, and they both laughed. Alhaitham, accustomed to the strict order of the Academia, suddenly felt that it was in this fragrant chaos and simplicity, among dried lavender and clay jars, that he truly rested. And perhaps, found something that was so lacking in his world of logic and words.

[pennyblossom-meta]

Do you believe L would prefer to be with someone who is smart academic wise or some other brainy smart or would he not mind someone who is “average” but has something outside of academics they may excel at? (history, cooking, art, baking, sports etc)

Hi there anon! Thanks for question. I've actually theorised about this exact topic a couple of times before, and I might actually have an unorthodox opinion about it. But before I start my analysis, I would like to refer you to a few metas that I personally find extremely compelling and which have also shaped my view of L.

Toxic love, by @lunalit-river

An analysis on L's monster speech by lux-mea-lex (lots of great metas in their livejournal)

A short interpretation of the monster speech by @lawlightautismtruther (also check the debate on that one, it's very interesting to see the different opinions across the fandom)

How L and Light judge each other and other people

Just about most of @my-one-true-l 's metas about L, like this one and this one about L's flaws.

@43501 has a great meta about L in a relationship which I agree with wholeheartedly.

Apologies in advance for the length in this rant of mine. I like to analyse L from different angles, as you might've guessed 😛

Short answer:

I think L would appreciate someone who makes an effort to meet him where he's at and accepts him for who he is. Someone he can have a conversation with, but is ultimately kind and trustworthy. These two qualities would be to L like a lifeline, because it's something he's missing on an intimate level. While Watari is loyal to him and cares about his well being, these are different types of relationships.

>>>>>Long answer under the cut

So, one of the things I find that helps me when looking at L from this romantic perspective is to search for clues across canon (manga, anime) and the expanded universe (L:CtW, LA:BB, drama, Spiraling Trap, etc) that explain what's going on in his head and, most importantly, what makes him interested in people.

As per your question:

Do you believe L would prefer to be with someone who is smart academic wise or some other brainy smart or would he not mind someone who is “average” but has something outside of academics they may excel at? (history, cooking, art, baking, sports etc)

Let's approach this in two parts. If we were analysing this from a relationship POV, whether romantic or platonic, I can see two major interpretations:

(Chapter 20: First move) Here's a screenshot of L losing a tennis match to Light. Makes him less daunting, doesn't it? To know even L can lose at not-so-mundane-but-still-quite-normal things he's supposed to be great at.

01: The intellectual allure vs a supportive SO

There's oceans of difference between being a genius and someone who can give L support and companionship, despite not speaking the same "language". This would not be too dissimilar to couples with wildly different career paths (ex: a nurse and a software developer) who meet halfway and actively choose to understand each other. It has to do with common goals and values, your life project together.

Love is something you choose every day. Staying in a long-term relationship is choosing to be vulnerable and to share your life with someone you find kinship with. Unorthodox L may be, but as Fu Takahashi (who plays L in the 2020 musical) said:

(...) despite his superficial image as a smart guy who hates losing, he actually feels lonely and needs affection, I imagine (...) He tries to control his emotions, like the feelings towards his parents, or romantic feelings; that’s why he is sort of dependent on games or battles of the mind.

The above quote is super important, in my opinion, considering how difficult it is to pin down L's true personality. If we go by Spiraling Trap terms, he falls for a main character who pays attention to his (dessert) needs and makes him feel 'seen'. Taken cared of. Someone who is genuinely kind to him and wants to do him a good turn because they care about him. We can extrapolate that this is, perhaps, due to his isolationist tendencies and lack of meaningful contact with the sort who take time to want to know the true L and what he likes. To that kind of person, L isn't just the world's greatest detective or a machine, lacking human emotion --- that person acknowledges that he has feelings, likes and dislikes, and isn't malicious towards him.

Consider that L lies a lot. He'd lie twice saying "good morning" if it suited him, which makes for an unhealthy dynamic. However, for those he truly cares about, I believe he would be far more careful to safeguard the few genuine connections he has in life and thus try to curb some bad behaviours to the best of his ability.

I believe @43501 put it best when they mentioned how L would prefer an [educated, clever partner] but that he'd be drawn to people who are [interesting and offbeat]. I would argue this doesn't mean a double PhD level of intelligence, but rather someone who is curious about the world, who talks to him like an equal (i.e., not as if he's superior or inferior to them). There would need to be something to that person that made them unique to L --- but uniqueness in the context of someone who suppresses their emotions so strongly, and would find themselves to be starving for affection once they found that source of comfort and support, I believe that uniqueness could be kindness.

Accept the man despite his quirks and flaws, in all his intensity, and I believe it would be impossible for L to be indifferent to that kind of genuine devotion. After all, he's been without all his life and likely never thought he'd find it. It's possible that, in his loneliness, a part of him even thought himself to be above such things, but what a tumble it would be, for L to find that he's a man dying of thirst.

...

Now, in manga canon (and throughout the source material closest to it), L and Light find a degree of interest in each other for how similar they are in intellect. This creates a connection, even respect between the two, allowing them to see beyond each other's mask. It's thrilling, a cat and mouse game which they arguably become addicted to. Once L dies, Light even muses how Near is lacking by comparison, undeserving.

However, if we go by what V13:HTR says regarding their relationship, then L does think quite poorly of Light beyond their matching intellect. This is more or less explicit in a couple of scenes in the manga and anime where L muses about how much Light talks, how cheesy he is with his faux morality, putting up an act.

No matter L's interest in the game with Light, he doesn't trust him. Trust is paramount to build a healthy relationship. Theirs would be a toxic, petty relationship standing on foundations of distrust, and a thirst for constant competition.

From this perspective, L arguably wouldn't be in love, but stuck in an addictive powerplay. Very engaging to read about; certainly challenging (and interesting!) to write — but not so good to live through. The best case scenario I can see for such a relationship would be something like the series Vicious with Sir Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi, in which they settle into a constant clash of snark.

I talk here about the prospect of L being 'out of balance' emotionally, which makes him dive into games of the mind to distract himself from his burdens.

02. Appreciation for another type of individual, the average...Sam?

(Chapter 21: Duplicity) Added this one here because this exchange always makes me chuckle.

I'd like to focus on the 2015 drama to establish a parallel with this 'average' Sam concept.

In this adaptation, Light is far more 'normal' than in any other. He diverges from his original canon self in various ways, though the most interesting for me was how the drama tried to show what Light, as a regular young adult, could be if he wasn't an extreme genius, a perfect guy in the eyes of society --- and how this shift would contrast with L.

Drama Light:

Goes to concerts

Is a fanboy

Is clumsy

Gets bullied

He's not the perfect guy with an immaculate reputation. It brings him further down to the ground, like us common mortals.

Both L and Light found solace and appreciation in the differences of their mindset. A more 'average' Light still managed to connect with L, leading to this scene:

If we consider the drama and then extrapolate a few conclusions from these interactions, we can argue that an 'average' but grounding presence in L's life would do him good. An uber genius might be able to follow L's thought process more easily, but they can still become an issue or more easily turn on him for the intellectual competition and to surpass the world's greatest detective.

...

TLDR; I would argue that an average individual would still be a perfect match for L, perhaps far more than an incredible genius. L would value kindness and care far more than super intellect, especially if he was on the receiving end of this kind of genuine connection.

[forsaken-headcanons]

Did you know that I love Coinrush / paycheck? Anyway headcanons about those two losers

- Elliot isn’t the biggest fan of pizza crust, ironically enough. Chance however is! So they’re given the crust from Elliot’s pizza.

^ This has become a lot less common as more time goes on in Forsaken due to Elliot finding pizza to be unappetizing.

- Elliot doesn’t blush easily, however Chance’s dumb flirting always manages to at least get a light blush from him

- Chance isn’t aware Elliot is rich, so he jokes that he’s only interested in Elliot for his money. Elliot plays along, and sometimes jokes that he’s going to steal Chance’s money when they “win big”

- Chance knows how to do card tricks, and puts on a show sometimes! Elliot is always amazed even if he’s seen the tricks a million times by now

- Chance calls Elliot his “good luck charm”

- Elliot sometimes finds a few stray dollars in his room / cabin as payment for healing Chance. He always stashes them somewhere in Chance’s room- When found, Chance returns the money to Elliot. At this point it’s a game between the two.

- Elliot has doodled Chance’s bunny Spade before after listening to them talk about Spade. Chance keeps the drawing in a pocket in his suit.

- They’re both ambidextrous, but when holding hands Elliot prefers the left side to keep his left hand free, and vice versa for Chance, with their right hand.

- Chance has offered Elliot a job at his casino if they ever get out of Forsaken.

- They cook together!!

^ Though Elliot is the better cook, he still loves having Chance help.

^^ Chance usually makes desserts! They’re more of a baker, and make cake the most often after finding out that it’s Elliot’s favorite.

- Elliot is the only person Chance is comfortable taking their sunglasses off around

- Chance can knit, and decided to try embroidery one day. This resulted in the flame and star patterning on Elliot’s clothes

- Chance likes pineapple on pizza. Elliot actively despises this, but his mindset of “the customer is always right” overrides him actually voicing this.

- Chance saves any doodles that Elliot draws

- Elliot has a “lucky coin” in his pocket from Chance

- Chance gets flustered easily and Elliot finds it funny to whistle at him, because it always catches Chance off guard.

- Very much yapper x listener

- Loud noises usually make Elliot anxious / worried because he thinks Chance blew up again

- Elliot is taller!

- Chance would play and write songs for Elliot on the piano if there was one in Forsaken.

- Elliot calls Chance his “shooting star” sometimes

- The two usually hover around each other during rounds

- Chance runs cold, while Elliot runs hot- usually resulting in Chance cuddled up against Elliot

- Chance is aware of how draining the rounds are on Elliot, and the whole “can’t mentally afford to burnout” thing. They try their best to get Elliot to take breaks.

^ this is really difficult due to Elliot’s work ethic and wanting to help people.

^^ Which is another reason Chance tends to cuddle up against him; Elliot is forced to take a break.

- Chance likes to kiss the freckles on Elliot’s face

- Elliot traces patterns on Chance’s arms

- Chance’s love language is physical touch, while Elliot’s is quality time!

^ Honestly Elliot is just happy to be around Chance

- Chance has burned himself trying to help Elliot cook- they don’t realize that Elliot has a high pain tolerance, and has a built up resistance to heat on his hands.

- They both have scars from explosions! Chance from his gun, and Elliot from the few times a coworker put a soda in the oven.

- They actually met before ending up in Forsaken! It was at a party of sorts when they were younger. Neither realize this; they do however feel like they’ve met before. Just don’t know why.

- Chance is aware of Elliot’s dislike towards 007n7- and they’ve heard the rant a few times

- Chance is one of the few people Elliot would let pick him up- he prefers his feet on the ground most of the time

- Elliot has nightmares about not being able to save his teammates. He doesn’t talk about them, but he usually cuddles with Chance a lot after that.

^ Chance never asks why, because Elliot won’t tell him, so he just offers silent support

^^ This is one of the few times Elliot seeks out physical comfort

- On that note; Elliot isn’t exactly a physical person. He’s not a fan of being touched. Chance is the exception.

- The two dance together sometimes!

I have more but this feels like it’s,, too long.

I hope you enjoyed!

- ⚠️

I don't mind the length of headcanons, if you need to talk then talk! I'm your listener! Anyhow, these are some of the cutest paycheck headcanons I've heard in a WHILE, I enjoy these ideas of them joking around and just in general having fun messing with eachother! This is all so wholesome,, they seem like they'd be a very kindhearted couple to eachother oh my stars! If you do wish to speak more, don't be afraid!

Anywho, the idea that Elliot just draws for Chance is WONDERFULLY adorable!! AND the DANCING??? YOU'RE GONNA MAKE MY HEART SQUEAL HERE!!

[gowerhardcastle]

Fun with Achievements

Achievements create this really interesting tempo you can play with.  You read the text, and then, you hit an achievement, and it pops up there at the bottom.  It hits with this ba-dump! tempo. 

It’s like when you read a post here, and then you look down and you see some clever tag at the bottom, it hits you with a one-two punch.  The post, the tag.  That’s what an achievement can you.  You read the text, you read the achievement.

It creates a really fun dynamic.

The very presence of an achievement tells the reader “there is a path here that you might never have considered.  Try it.  There’s rewards there for you.”  You Explored the Dark Cavern without a Light.  You might not even have realized that there was something interesting about going without a light, or that it was even possible.

An achievement, because of that ba-dump! tempo (I need a better way to describe that) can act like a punchline. You make a choice, see the result, and then the achievement pops up like a little snarky editorial or authorial comment at the bottom. It's a moment where I, the author, talk to you, the player in a very direct way. If you take the "Mysterious Benefactor" Sponsor in Jolly Good, the achievement says the following:

An unmissable, or very very easy achievement towards the start of the game gives a nice connection between author and player.  It says, “there are achievements here.  Some will be easy to find, and some, you’ll have to range abroad.  Here’s an easy first one.”

What I don't love is achievements for romantic paths. That always makes me feel like the game is treating the love interests like paths to be achieved and it takes me right out of the feeling of romance.

When something bad happens to the character, awarding an achievement tells the player, you didn't do something wrong. Quite the contrary. You played and experienced a unique path. It tells the player, well explored. It briefly distinguishes the player and the character in this way.

An achievement demonstrates what's important for a player: in Tea and Scones there is going to be scene where a character cannot be saved from a terrible fate. The achievement will note that the player has successfully completed that storyline. The important point is not that it was done successfully, but that the player pursued that storyline to its natural conclusion.

Achievements can acknowledge or laugh at weird little edge cases in which a player tries to do something bizarre, like "sit in a chair for entire cocktail party without getting up" or "get bonked in the head more than twenty times over the course of the game." These are not things you would do if you wanted the best possible outcome, but things that you can do, so why not reward them with a little thumb's up from the writer?

I love achievements that create a whole new game. This one from Choice of Robots is so much fun, because it makes the achievements themselves into a sort of obstacle course that you have to set out to avoid, and chart your course--it's strikingly difficult. It's the rarest achievement in this game!

Consider an achievement that rewards something perplexing. 

You get this achievement if nothing blows up in Chapter Six's ending, which, if you get it makes you wonder what could blow up, and then when you replay, you will start looking around to see what you can blow up. This is my idea of a good use of an achievement.

Come visit the Noble Gases Club here for loads and loads more discussion of game design and musings on the elements of interactive literature.

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

More assorted Joshua Graham x Edward Sallow/Caesar thoughts that didn't really fit in with my post about them from the other day:

Spend a lot of time early on discovering that they share a lot of similar interests and ideals despite their very different backgrounds. Very much the sort of connection where you're pretty much instantly spending all your time together and only talk to one another. There's conflicting information on how many people were in their original party, three or nine, but I hope it was nine purely for the sake of Bill Calhoun, who otherwise would've been the only other person there while these two losers sat up all night, talking about languages and anthropology and falling in big, gay, angst-riddled love with each other. However, both Graham and Sallow claim in-game that there were only the three of them, so I find that more believable than the official game guide's claim of nine. Poor Bill.

In a funny, but sort of tragic way, the qualities that they admired most about one another when they met eventually become the things they hate most by the time their relationship (whatever kind you'd call it) ends. Edward's tenacity and confidence become the foundation of his pigheaded stubbornness and egomania, both of which fuel the fire of his totalitarian mindset. Joshua's dedication to his beliefs and sense of decorum become a shield, a means to keep a hard, cold distance between them that cannot be bridged…at least, not in the way Edward would have it. And with a literal dictator like him, there's no other way for things to pan out.

A solid percentage of Legionaries of all ranks have at least one story of being present when the two devolved into an argument that both felt and sounded like when your parents fight at the dinner table. Graham hates to argue, as he finds it unseemly, but he's also one of the only people willing to stand up to Caesar about almost anything, let alone without it provoking a response from others. This tends to evoke anger in Sallow for multiple reasons, among them being that it demonstrates how many of their charges see Joshua as the more practical (maybe even more respectable) of the two of them. After all, he might be a weirdly religious and terrifying man, but he doesn't spend all day yapping about Hegelian dialectics and the Rubicon to a bunch of guys who (by and large) barely know how to read and are all in pain because he refuses to let them have non-traditional medicine. In response, he often tries to make Josh seem more volatile by needling him into lashing out in anger, which isn't all that difficult when you know someone so intimately.

They both have wet dreams about one another and they have radically different reactions to it. They make Edward feel a deep sense of longing, the empty spot in his bed all the emptier. He'll spend all day staring at Joshua openly, burning every detail of his face and body into his mind and letting himself indulge a bit too deeply in fantasies of what it could be like if things magically worked out between them. Josh, on the other hand, wakes up in a cold sweat and feels like he could cry out of guilt. He's not especially worried about (or even thinking of) Edward in the moment, far more concerned about himself and God. The Malpais Legate already skirts or outright defies plenty of God's laws, and he worries that if he throws this particular "infraction" on the pile, he'll be struck dead where he stands or something. Avoids Sallow like the plague, which only makes the other man clingier in response.

Even if they had decided to fuck each other, it wouldn't have worked out. They're both insane-level control freaks when it comes to sexual intimacy, and neither of them is willing to be vulnerable enough to allow someone else to "dominate" them in any way. Hence, they would both absolutely insist they're tops, and no one would be folding on that front. Edward would expect Josh to bottom because he's in charge in literally every other context already...why not this? Josh would think he was out of his mind to even suggest he'd allow it. They would get into serious arguments about this dynamic multiple times and never resolve anything. The most they'd get around to physically is probably a few super angry mutual hand jobs. Also, joke's on both of them, because they both actually lean bottom and just won't ever know it.

[sleepyficss]

Maybe some One x fem!reader HCs

one headcanons.

one x reader, romantic

authors note:

IM ALIIIIVE, I SWEAR ... im sorry for the super long delay, not to get personal on here but things have been kinda sucky for me, but i think getting back into the groove of writing will help!!

- one is such a lesbian im sorry omg

- since we still don't know a whole lot about her from before her recent cameos with her obsession towards two's powers, i'm about to make a whole lot of assumptions !! lol

- if you are an algebralien, your relationship is going to be a lot different compared to you being an object.

- in the past, you were definitely one of the very few people that she felt she could truly confide in.

- this leads to her being... not exactly 'clingy', but given that you're really the only person willing to interact with her, she doesn't have anyone else to hang out.

- she's incredibly good at going unnoticed and being sneaky, so she makes it a game to scare you by popping up behind you when she's bored.

- she finds it funny, while you just send her a half-hearted glare, "oh, chill out! your face is just too funny when you're scared!"

- (but if you genuinely express your dislike towards it, she'll feel a bit guilty and will stop doing it - the last thing she wants is to lose you.)

- there was a time when she scared you and you reflexively went to punch her, she was able to stop your movements with her powers before you actually landed a hit on her thou :>

- while you apologized, she brushed it off and was moreso surprised that you had it in you to make such a move.

- her love language is definitely acts of service.

- if you have anything to do, she will happily join you in completing it! even something as mundane as household chores or shopping, she'll be right by your side with a broom to clean, or holding your bags while you walk.

- she also really appreciates you doing the same for her,,

- given that the other algebraliens don't exactly like her, she's gotten used to having to do everything for herself without the slightest help from anyone else.

- so, seeing you offer to do literally ANYTHING for her without anything in return? her heart is bursting from her chest while trying to act nonchalant.

- no matter how close you two get, though, she'll always have an uncomfortable pit in her stomach that you'll leave her, that you'll realize the reasons that everyone else hates her, and that she'll be left alone again.

- to compensate, she'll lowkey spoil you and do anything to make you happy.

- she gets so nervous when you're upset, especially if its towards her, but she doesn't know how to work these problems through with you, so she tends to act like she doesn't care as a way to protect her own feelings.

- this can cause bigger problems between the two of you, since you need to be the person to confront the difficult areas of your relationship and force her to talk about it, despite her reluctance.

- however, if the tension goes on between you both for too long without you making any moves to mend it, one will take matters into her own hands (or, uh, her lack thereof).

- except she doesn't really know how/where to start, all she knows is that she hates the lack of YOU in her life since the tension took place, and that she needed to do something about it lest she go insane.

- she might try acting like nothing happened between you two... but when that doesn't work out, she'll try winning you over with items and material promises.

- of course, none of this actually involves sorting out any problems, and she's eventually pushed to apologizing directly to you and offering to work out a solution (after a very long time of putting off this confrontation).

- okok but!! if you're an object and you meet through the power of two!

- it's very different, she won't necessarily care for you at first - you're just another stepping stone to get to her main goal, after all.

- but whether she gains interest in you from observing you during challenges or from a direct interaction while attempting to get you to accept a deal with her,,

- one feels very conflicted.

- at first, she tries pushing them down (her feelings) and pretending that they don't exist, they'll only get in the way of what's important!

- until she can't, unable to ignore the surges of jealousy she feels when watching you interact with other objects, and dampening her mood when it isn't her down there, working through each challenge with you.

- it's enough to distract her from everything else, and one decides that acting on her feelings is necessary.

- at some point between you meeting her and developing feelings for her, you find yourself whisked away to her little domain when the competition is on break.

- since she can't really spend time near the hotel due to risking a confrontation with other objects, you find that her room becomes a second home to you.

- whether you're having a chat over a cup of tea, or simply doing your own things while enjoying the silence of each others company, one finds herself craving your companionship more than anyone else's before.

- however, no matter how deep your bond grows, she can't find herself trusting you with her plans.

- this could easily be a main source of conflict between the two of you, unless you're incredibly oblivious to her actions, but she will end the relationship between you both before revealing anything to you.

- if anything, it's out of fear of you hating her once you discover her intentions. and she can't bare the thought of you breaking everything off with her, so she would beat you to it to save her own feelings.

- BUT in a world where that isn't an issue, where everything is all sunshine and rainbows,,

- she wouldn't go outside on dates with you very often, preferring a quieter, more private, peaceful, and intimate setting with you.

- one acts like she'd rather not partake in any sort of cuddling, but sometimes the feeling of being held by you heals something deep inside her that she doesn't want to think about.

- she gets jealous easily, though, and will go out of her way to stand as near as possible to you when in public.

- if she had hands, she would totally keep one around your midsection (she may even use her magic in place of that).

- but she doesn't like being physically far from you, wanting to keep an eye on you at all times to the point where it may come across as stalker-ish or possessive.

- she doesn't really control you or your relationship with others, however, unless she holds a strong dislike towards a friend of yours.

- its moreso a trust-thing for her, there's usually a reason for her negative feelings towards a person, and she doesn't want to see you get hurt by them.

- i wouldn't sort her as a 'yandere' by any means, but she isn't afraid to go behind your back to threaten a few people if she notices any ill-intentions being held towards you.

- those objects that were constantly making fun of a fear of yours? huh, looks like YOU'RE a fear of theirs now! one says that she has no clue what happened. ..

- overall, she's a bit protective of you, and incredibly stubborn, but believes that you might be the best thing that has ever happened to her.

- she would make a deal with god himself if it meant keeping you safe.

[otakusheep15]

Twisted Wonderland x Wicked

The winner of the poll I posted! Sorry this took so long, I've been busy with school lol.

I didn't mention this in my Hatchetfield post, but this is less of an AU and more of a "What if NRC had a theater program and did this show?" I'll also be giving more explanation this time around instead of just making a cast list!

Elphaba: Malleus Draconia

Where should I even start with this one? They're both green, sad, and lonely. They have physical differences that make them come off as scary to "normal-looking" people and they have powerful magic they don't really know how to control. On the inside, they're sweet and caring and very loyal. They're both very intelligent and observant. Like Elphaba, I think Malleus would fall in love easily if given the chance, both with friends and potential lovers. Both have an issue with anger management and both have complicated family dynamics. The similarites can honestly go on and on but I think I've made my point by now.

Glinda: Cater Diamond

This might be a hot take since I know a lot of people cast Glinda as Vil, but hear me out! On the outside, both Glinda are bubbly and nice, making them very popular among peers. That being said, they are also both vapid and vain, making it difficult for them to make any lasting relationships. I think Cater would react to Malleus similarly to how Glinda first reacts to Elphaba, making fun of him by pretending to be kind. I also think Cater as Glinda makes sense because of Glinda's character arc, as she learns to be less self-centered and open up to others. I also just really like the dynamic between Malleus and Cater and I think they would be good as leads together.

Fiyero: Kalim Al-Asim

This was honestly the most difficult role to cast, as so many characters can fit Fiyero, but also no one really can. I was also considering Floyd, since he has the most similar mindset, and Leona, since I think he could pull off the emotional and romantic parts the best, but after talking with a friend, I think Kalim suits the role the most. Like Fiyero, he has this sort of "why bother trying, let's just party" vibe going on. He doesn't care much about school and he instead chooses to focus on living life and partying. He's closed off about his real feelings, choosing instead to put on a more approachable, laid-back vibe in order to attract people while also keeping them at a distance. He and Cater have a fun dynamic in canon already, and that would translate well to Glinda and Fiyero's dynamic. Malleus and Kalim don't have too many interactions, but I can see it working in the context of this story. I think Kalim's version of Fiyero would be a bit kinder but still joking, and he would kill "Dancing Through Life" better than anyone.

Nessarose: Riddle Rosehearts

Part of me just thought this would be funny because of her name, but after thinking, I do have a few actual reasons. For one, a sibling dynamic between Malleus and Riddle just makes sense to me. Nessarose does also remind me a lot of Riddle, especially in act two. She tends to be self-centered, partially because of favortism growing up, but also because of the resentment she has for Elphaba. I think Riddle matches Nessa's vibe of a somewhat niave person who uses that niavety to be mean. I also think he fits that obsessive vibe she gets towards Boq, and I also think he'd play her well when she becomes govenor of Munchkinland.

Boq: Ace Trappola

This is mostly just me pushing my AceRid agenda, but I think it can work. It's lowkey funny to me for Ace to have a crush on Cater, but I can see it happening in a story like this. He has that same goofy, kind of awkward vibe Boq gives off in act one, but also that anger and drive we see in act two. Ace leading the witch hunt works well, as he's always known to be on the front lines when it comes to a fight. His dynamic with Riddle works well here too, as their relationship in-game is very complicated but still interesting, much like Nessa. I can see him befriending Riddle (Nessa) as a joke/because of Cater (Glinda) but feeling bad about it because, deep down, he is kind.

The Wizard: Dire Crowley

There's always those schools that cast staff as older characters, and I can definitely see NRC pulling this move. I tried so hard to think of a student who could fit this role, but no one can play THe Wizard like Crowley. For one, this fits well with the theory that he's secretly Malleus's father, which makes me laugh. Besides that though, this fits well with other theories that Crowley is secretly behind the overblots like how The Wizard is behind the animal's being mistreated. He's also very eccentric like The Wizard, and he'd absolutely kill when using the floating head The Wizard uses.

Madame Morrible: Mozus Trein

Again, very similar vibe to Crowley playing The Wizard. I think he'd fit that older, more experienced teacher who very obviously has favorites. He's kind and takes care of his students, but he's selective about who he shows this side to. I can see him developing a sweet relationship with Malleus before the big reveal, and I can also see him working with Crowley behind everyone's back. I also think that, out of everyone, he'd be a decent manipulator, especially for someone like Cater.

Doctor Dillamond: Lilia Vanrouge

I almost went with someone else, but I just cound't stop thinking about this. In-game, Lilia is the one to take Malleus in and give him a home. In Wicked, Dillamond is the first person to show Elphaba genuine kindness. Lilia is the oldest of the students, and he's very wise and knowledgable, so him as a history teacher works well. I could also see him playing up the emotional aspect when Dillamond gets taken away. I also think Lilia would enjoy getting into costume for Dillamond, but that's not very important to the character.

[yaut-jaknowit]

Little specific, but an autistic trans-masc reader with vic’tao and uihoy? maybe a little bit of a breeding kink? I think it would be cute with them trying to figure out why their mate keeps making too much or no eye contact at all, keeps suddenly jumping up and down, and what the scars under their chest is

The Eyes are the Window to the Soul

Pairings: Vic'tao (Male Yautja) x Autistic!Trans-Masc!Reader x Uihoy (Male Yautja)

Word Count: 1616

Summary: The two Yautjas are playing their chess-like game with you paying attention. It’s confusing to be honest but you try and its fun to watch them play. When Vic’tao checkmates Uihoy, you jumping excitingly and cheer on the younger Yautja. This is a usual sort for you but Uihoy finally brings up the question. The average ooman’s he’s seen don’t do that. During the entire time, you make direct eye contact with him.

Author Note: Nothing wrong with being specific! I hope I wrote this the way you wanted and didn't step over any lines.

Masterlist

Ao3

On a console in the cockpit, the two Yautjas you’ve grown to learn and love sat in their designated chairs. Serious, thinking expressions were pulled upon their faces. It was cute to be honest. A peaceful smile was etched onto your features as you admired the two.

The yellow Yautja with blue stripes grunted and moved a piece across this game board. Uihoy scoffed and easily countered with his own pawn. A very complicated game of chest that wasn’t all on one board. Parts of the board were vertical and intersecting with other vertical or horizontal pieces.

For the time being, you stood off to the side and watched quietly, learning. It was the smart way to play. Once you learned their tactics, you could join in on their turf. One day, you could possibly even beat them at their own game.

Vic’tao flicked his tongue out then proceeded to swipe off three of Uihoy’s pawns. Your jaw dropped at an incredible move then you jumped excitingly on the balls of your feet. A smug look washed over the yellow Yautja’s face while he looked at his other mate. “The old man can’t learn new tricks,” he snarked and leaned back in his chair, arm resting at a ninety-degree angle. “That such an old play that I bet your ancestors know.”

Despite anger being a normal reaction for Uihoy to fall into. All the purple Yautja did was raised a brow at his Yautja mate. “So, that’s how this going to be? Got one taste of victory and suddenly Vic’tao has gone feral,” Uihoy grunted and rolled his bright eyes. “Like the same way when little hunter allowed for Vic’tao to breed. One taste is all it takes.”

The spit in your throat nearly got sucked down into your lungs. You coughed and stared at the older male in disbelief. He’s become bolder with that statement as evidence.

A snarky look was thrown your way from Uihoy as he played his turn. Yet, it didn’t even steal any of his pawns back nor any of Vic’tao’s. A useless play in your mind.

More rounds of swapping plays and pawn alike occurred over the course of another hour. Interested to learn more, you stayed captured into the game. You decided to sit down between them on the ground and watched from below. Either of them attempted to coax you into their lap but the floor won. Neither took offense. If you didn’t want to, you didn’t need to. There was nothing wrong with that.

Somewhere during the game, Vic’tao requested a pause. The two agreed to stop for now. A pout crossed over your features as you watched as Vic left the room.

With the game paused, you shuffled on your knees up to the console and pointed to a spot on the boards. It was a darker spot. “Why is this place darker than the majority of the circles?” you asked then looked over your shoulder at Uihoy, eyes directly staring into his without moving.

Said Yautja scooted until only his butt was on the edge of his chair. “Well, if a pawn lands there, said pawn transforms into a…” he trailed off, mandibles pulling tight to mouth, thinking. Must be a word that was difficult to translate over or might not even have a translated word. It was about one-third of Yautja and English that don’t mix happily together.

He hissed then looked at you a little lost. “Would it be similar to a pawn turning into a queen?” you offered to him, hoping he knew the basics of human chess. “A queen is one of the most powerful figures on the board.” You decided to add that piece of information, so he hopefully understands it.

Uihoy snapped his fingers and pointed at you. “Yes! Practically,” he exclaimed then glanced at the board then back at you. Your eyes still on him, watching with rapture that he found slightly strange. He didn’t understand why you felt the need to look into his eyes whenever you were speaking with him. Same with Vic’tao. He almost had the heart to tell you that’s a challenge in Yautja body language. But, you were only ooman.

At this point, the cockpit doors slid open to reveal Vic’tao returning. Not empty handed though. Three waterskins and a bowl of fruit. Your favorite fruit. You immediately got to your feet and started to bounce with your arms in the air.

The bowl was handed to you with a waterskin. You sat back down on your comfortable spot on the floor and resumed your attention back on the game. Uihoy was given one as well and thanked the yellow male with a soft head bump. Vic returned to his chair and took a sip from his drink, body lax.

Both hunters resumed their game with vigor, ensuring they each didn’t lose ground in this battle. One would capture three pawns only to lose two of their own, vice versa. Then, they were able to steal back their lost pawns.

A give and pull game that could take weeks with two highly skilled players such as these two to finish it.

The fruit you were gracious given slowly disappeared over the course of three hours. Every once in a while, your two mates would sneak one for themselves. You’d playfully crinkle your nose at them when they proceeded with snatched a treat. They’d treat it as a game so they didn’t get caught by you. Like the hunters they are, they were nearly successful each time.

Later, at the end of the day, the three of you were winding down for the night. The usual of brushing teeth, changing of clothes, taking a shower or bath if you felt the need.

With your shirt off as you cleaned your teeth, Vic’tao came up behind you in the reflection of the mirror. His large hands palmed at the side of your ribcage. The much larger figurer leaned down to lick the shell of your ear. You watched him passively through the mirror even as one of his claws ghosted over the two noticeable scars that lined the bottom of your pecs.

You shuttered against Vic and slightly tensed. The male read the room swiftly and let his hands fall from that spot. He tilted his head and looked at you through the reflection before. “What are those scars from? They look purposeful?” he questioned and rubbed his cheek against yours, eyes soft. You had the opportunity to opt out and set up a boundary about that. But he’s one of your mates. Any knowledge you share with him will be kept safe.

Through the mirror, you find his eyes again. “They are from a surgery I had,” you answered at first ominously. You reached behind you for one of his hands and held it close. “I used to have breasts… but I didn’t like them. They didn’t match the body I was meant to have. So, I had them removed.” Your grip on his hand tightened. Vic’tao carded his fingers through yours and returned the gesture.

“Now, I feel more like who I’m supposed to be. I feel… safer, freer. This is the body I was meant to have.”

There wasn’t many who you’ve talked about this with. You could count on one hand all those you’ve told this story to. That includes the medical physicians you were forced to relay this story over and over until you could get this surgery.

Behind you, Uihoy made an appearance and strolled over to the two of you. The purple elder nudged his cheek bone to yours in a soft, loving greeting. You knew he had heard your words as well. Them and their incredible hearing.

“We adore you and whatever you decide to do. We love and care for you no matter what, our little mate,” Vic’tao chittered into your ear, taking words he knows Uihoy would love to say. Uihoy was happy Vic could translate his words for you into proper English. “You are ours, till the end of time, till our hearts stop beating. We will be here for you.”

Your body filled with the need to bounce as you kept direct eye contact, flickering between the two of them. Somehow, you refrained from doing so.

The love the two of them held for you went beyond anything you knew of. Never in your life have you experienced such adoration from anyone. “I’m incredibly lucky to have ever met you guys,” you whispered, careful not break the soft feeling that’s been created.

Uihoy was the first to smile pressed his closed mandibles to your cheek. “Let’s go to bed.” With your free hand, you grabbed Uihoy’s and lead the two of them to the shared bedroom. The same bed you’ve shared countless times before.

Like the giant he is, Vic’tao settled down and took the majority of the space until Uihoy kicked him. Vic grunted and scooted over, still on his back. Both of his arms and legs spread eagle, again, dominating all the room possible. You rolled your eyes and watched as Uihoy curled up to Uihoy. Last but not least, you maneuvered your body between the limited space they offered to you. A perfect place for you to squeeze into on your side, facing Uihoy.

The purple Yautja threw an arm, over you and cuddle you close to his form. You tucked your curled wrist under your chin and snuggled close to Uihoy’s warm body. Vic’tao slithered his closet arm from underneath your curled body and wrapped it as well around your torso. Both Yautja having a firm grasp on you.

[halliescomut]

Burnin' Tires and Truman Concept Photos

Alright, we got our first set of concept photos. I'm gonna basically do some rapid fire thoughts on everything- this will be very ADHD/mindmap/thought process-y. Not overly considered...if that makes sense.

(AN: Link to second part for Escape and Cinema.)

We got a couple different types of concept photos. I would categorize them as vibes/enviromental shots, duo shots, and 'glamour' shots (meaning they are shots of the members for the main purpose of looking good.)

Burnin' Tires

Our vibes/environmental shots are interesting. The unveil for this track gave us quite a bit of the visual/story and next to nothing of the actual track, so it's pretty easy to place a lot of what's happening. Two of the shots look to be from the dance battle, and one is the fancy car, the slightest bit of Changbin's hands in driving gloves visible, so it's clear that technically the members aren't the focus. They're also a framed slightly tilted, which gives this like feeling of being off kilter, or gives the impression of movement. They all also contain that brighter red between the lighting of the first two and the red paint job of the car, and that does seem to be consistent with the color story of the MV from what we've seen so far.

Our two duo shots are the same are same outfits and I'm assuming from like the same setting within the MV. We've got them in the fancy car, both holding up the tiny trophy. This intrigues me because what we saw in the Unveil was basically Binnie vs Innie in a 1v1 situation, but is there a point where it becomes a co-op game??

The second duo pic though is giving me a lot of questions, most obviously why is Binnie in the shopping trolley? But I also kind of feel like this might not be a screencap pulled from the MV, but like taken during a break in filming maybe. I will say it's somehow giving continuation of the Chk Chk Boom vibe...I know that's a a fairly common aesthetic throughout their career, but again this is an ADHD brained discussion.

Alright, our Binnie glamour shots. Most importantly- he's so handsome. I do feel like we're still going a bit hard on the skin filter, but that would be my only complaint about the InnieBinnie photos.

I do enjoy how cool he feels in all of them while still very much giving cutie which kind of is Binnie's whole thing. I would have liked to see more of the white outfit, we got basically none of that, which is a bummer, but I do very much love the jacket, specifically the grommet and zipper details down the sleeves, and the very bright pop of blue from the graphic on the shirt.

Our Innie glamour shots I think are kind of funny because our first two he's just looking so cutie-patootie, doesn't even matter that he's got fists up. I think it's partly because of the softness of the outfit. It's difficult to look threatening wear a fuzzy white sweater. Also, does anyone feel like his hands look teeny in that pic? Maybe it's just me but after all the establishing of this man's big hands compared to some of the other members I feel like they look quite smol here.

Clothing-wise we can't see much but some of the small details are quite interesting and fun. The hook and eye closures on the black shirt under the jacket bring a different type of visual interest over basic or even fairly fancy buttons. Also the stripes down the sleeves are actually small runs of lace trim, which also adds an interesting texture. Our last solo Innie pic has him looking very cool and impressive and much less baby bread (probably because we can't see his whole face.

Truman

Moving on to Truman and Han and Felix our vibe pics are very interesting. This sort of half-collapsed structure feeds into the vaguely dystopian aesthetic you kind of see through all of the unveils. I know Burnin' Tires doesn't initially seem to fit that aesthetic, but feels isekai-esque and specifically reminded me of Ready Player One where the characters are living in a dystopian future where they use use AR technology to exist in these video game scenarios. (It's a book with it's own issues, but actually pretty good.) But back to my point of this aesthetic being a through line between all of the MVs. It's kind of showing different flavors of dystopian in a way, and that is something that we've seen Stray Kids dabble in in MVs pretty regularly.

The duo shots are very interesting to me because they say a lot, but they aren't quite clear enough for me to come to a definitive idea of the MV's story. We've got Han and Felix in this sort of ram shackled space, there's a fair amount of extras all dressed the same. The fact that Felix and Han are also in monochromatic black leads me to believe at least in the beginning that they're on the same level as these extras. With the title Truman and even the short amount of lyrics we've heard so far I think a Truman Show influence is pretty clear, but only in the most basic "I'm entertainment" way.

Something in me is just thinking it's commentary on them as idols, and specifically thinking of them in the group of others all dressed the same it's actually giving survival show. And then we do see some sort of transformation happening because they end up in different outfits that are blue denim.

Moving to the glamour shots, we'll start with Felix. I think he looks absolutely amazing. We do only get him in the black outfit unfortunately, but it is a fantastic outfit. Vaguely unclear what's going on under the big fuzzy hoodie because that is a deeeeep V. The overall look you can see better in the duo pic above but it's a good mix of textures with the fur-ish interior, the outer side of the coat seeming to be a combo of soft leather and a heavy cotton sweatshirt material, and then the leather pants. I specifically love the leather pant s because they have those fun little belt loops and ties by the knee, that's fun.

The make-up and styling is unsurprisingly impeccable. the semi-slicked back hair with the face framing wisps, it's a little bit mussed- absolute perfection. The touches of silver on Felix and Han both is interesting. It's used almost like a highlighter, but of course is too unnatural of a color to blend in with their skin tone. I don't think there's any specific significance, and I suspect it might be a case of "I think this would look cool", but that's totally fine and totally correct. It also works well with them sticking to silver-toned jewelry.

I do also have to say, I whined about some of the photoshopping of the other pics, but one of the fun little side effects of their make-up teams actually embracing and often even emphasizing Felix's freckles is that they can't go full coverage on their make-up because that wouldn't work, so the base make-up is often pretty natural. and they can keep the whole look natural or go more bold with eye make-up, blush, or lip products. Here they go pretty toned down across the board and leave the silver highlights and pretty dramatic contacts to be the focal point. (I do historically hate the light colored contacts, but I have less of an issue with them for things like MVs where they're more playing a character. It's different to me than them being used for magazine shoots or awards show appearances. Maybe it's splitting hairs, but idc.)

This particular look for Han is fanastic, though again we have the pretty noticeable complexion lightening. (no I will not stop complaining about it.) But his face is of course absolutely stunning. The lip piercing...so perfect for his face structure I think. I love the full denim outfits on both of them and particularly the addition of the pearl beads. It's beautiful and offers a pretty subtle reflect. Part of me wonders if it's the same brand as the pearl-cover denim jacket that Hyunjin wore for the ATE concept teasers??

As a final thought, the leaned back side profile shot, specifically with that hairstyle feels very reminiscent of Bang Chan. Like you can tell it's not him because their nose and jawline are different, but like...it's very Chan.

I'll end this here....since I'm kind of out of things to say. I'm excited to see what we get for the other two songs, though I fear discussing them will be the wildest type of whiplash. Here's hoping I can survive.

[dragonmarquise]

Super Indulgent Canon x OC Ship, Part 3: Rise and Sai

FINALLY the last one of these!! For the first BRC ship I started shipping in earnest, Rise with my own Devil Theory OC Sai! This can be summed up as, “Two people who didn’t like each other start fake dating in order to mess with each other, but then it eventually turns into real dating much to their surprise (and initial denial)”, lol

Like with the others, starting with the long series of events of them getting together. Which will also effectively be an outline for the fic I’m planning for them, if my other two posts are anything to judge me by. :P

Before we really get into it, a bit of a disclaimer, that hopefully I don’t need anyways? But still: This is NOT a “I can fix him/her” type of situation, nor a “I’ll fix myself for him/her”. There is no fixing! It’s moreso them realizing they get along better than either of them expected, once they get some things straightened out on both sides.

Also Sai goes through his own character arc of being a better person (or at least not as much of a jerk like with pre-Algo Devil Theory; accepts that what they did was wrong, not pretending to be a good person just to get people’s forgiveness, etc.) before getting together with Rise. I’ve mentioned that several times before in regards to my Devil Theory OCs anyways! :u

With that out of the way:

Before the events of the game, Rise managed to get permission from Devil Theory to hang out on Pyramid Island. Though only because 3 of the 4 DT members are her fans and follow her online.

The only one who doesn’t already know her is Sai, because he’s not really “into” social media. He also doubts her reputation as a writer, thinking she’s just faking it for views and fans online.

This is actually what makes Rise interested in Sai in the first place. It’s definitely not a crush, moreso her trying to puzzle out how the hell any writer in New Amsterdam could not already have heard about her! Not to mention him not believing she’s skilled at all. She does have a bit of an ego, sure, but she thinks it’s justified given her skills as a writer. She may not be All City material, though mostly because she doesn’t care for it as long as she has plenty of people still respecting her talents.

So anyways, in regards to Sai, she’s taking it as a challenge to convince him she’s a top writer, and make a Rise fan out of him!

Some of her attempts to impress him: Tricks and combos far more complicated than Sai would do, tagging difficult to reach graffiti spots around the island (and not get frustrated by the island’s layout like most others), and even convincing him to help her with an impromptu photo session, similar to her little “side-quest” in the actual game.

By the end of all this, Sai mentally acknowledges that Rise is a skilled writer, but externally he never admits it out loud, and is still very cold towards her. He’s not stupid, he can tell what she’s been doing, and he’s not going to start fanboying over her just because she wants him too.

Rise is frustrated, not to mention genuinely insulted, that Sai still isn’t lavishing praise and compliments on her, like her fans and most other writers would have by now. Not even one compliment? How dare you! At the least, she decides to leave him be (for now) and enjoy her time on Pyramid Island.

Then eventually the events of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk happen!! Rise joins BRC shortly after the whole Project Algo fight, and Sai joins sometime after that. He had originally only joined in order to get revenge against BRC for DT losing Pyramid Island. But they all got that sorted out through the power of friendship! Also no holds barred beatdowns between Sai and Red.

(The previous bullet point is a whole separate fic outline. Also yeah Red and Felix as separate characters! Long story short, that ends up happening due to Felix accidentally finding a mind that’s in need of both a cyberhead and body, while trying to put the Red cyberhead back together to use as his new mask. This is also a whole separate fic, but now I’m getting off topic. :P )

But yeah, Sai joins BRC and becomes a (slightly) nicer person because of the experience. He’s still friends with his DT homies though, just to be clear.

Also him and Red having sparring matches sometimes! Mix of martial arts and wrestling moves, and just in general fighting. Most of the rest of BRC are cool with this, and watch as if it’s an actual event. Bel and Cueball even like to act as MCs for these matches, lol

With Sai now part of BRC, Rise decides to try again with her attempts at converting Sai into one of her fans. Asking him to join her for graffiti sessions, one on one score battles, and even feigning interest in Sai by complimenting his own skills, both as a fighter and a writer.

Unfortunately for her, Sai is still not stupid and sees right through her. At first he’s content with just ignoring her, but eventually starts insulting her. She starts insulting him back, and the two of them are trading jabs and getting more and more frustrated with each other.

Tryce eventually steps in and tells them to knock it off. Either they sort out whatever issues are going on between them, or he’s kicking them both off the crew. The writers of BRC need to be able to work together to keep the crew on top, and they can’t do that if they’re wasting time fighting each other!

Things are quiet between them for a while, but Sai can tell Rise is probably planning something. And that turns out to be true when she approaches him with a proposal: fake dating! If Sai hangs around Rise as her “boyfriend”, he’ll see that he could benefit from associating with her.

Obviously no actual romance will be involved, they’ll just make other people think they’re an item, and then eventually “break up” but still be friends. Even after the fake break up, Sai’s reputation will skyrocket! Or so Rise claims. Not to her own level, but still. The way she sees it, what kind of writer would pass up the chance to have their skills acknowledged and respected by more people?

In truth, this is of course just another attempt to get him wrapped around her finger as yet another loyal fan. She fully acknowledges that, but only in her mind, of course she doesn’t want Sai to know that or he’ll refuse the idea.

To her genuine shock, Sai actually agrees to it! He says Rise has been (annoyingly) persistent, so he figures he could at least give her one chance with something like this. Plus getting more respect/rep from people would be nice, so why not?

Of course that’s not why he’s actually doing this. He’s only agreeing to this because he wants to mess with her and teach her a lesson about bugging him so much. He’s hopeful that this will finallyconvince her to leave him alone for good.

And so the fake dating commences!!

Sai at first considers acting like a gross pervert to chase off Rise, but decides that’s a low trick. Not to mention, harassment like that will just get him kicked out of the crew, since no amount of “I was pretending to be a pervert to make her leave me alone!” would justify it. So he tries to gross her out in a different way, with food!

At first he tries with Latino food, specifically a lot of the Puerto Rican dishes he makes for himself and his DT friends. Most people around New Amsterdam seem terrified of food that isn’t what they consider “normal”, from his experience at least. Too bad for him, that doesn’t work because Rise loves it!

Then Rise gives him a recipe to try and make for her, jollof rice. He makes two batches of it, one that follows the recipe and the other that he’s sabotaged to taste horrible. He meant to give the ruined one to Rise… but then gets them mixed up and gives her the good one by mistake, lol

He does like that Rise is enjoying the food after all, especially the compliments to his cooking skills, but of course he doesn’t admit to that out loud. :P

Then Sai tries rambling at her about video games and anime and manga, thinking she’ll just see it as nerdy crap and want to break things off with Sai to save her own reputation.

She doesn’t have as much interest in it as first, basically just politely listening but not actually paying attention while Sai rambles. But eventually she actually shows some interest, especially once he gets into stuff like sea monsters and ocean/water-themed things (like certain Pokemon and Digimon).

Sai is weirded out that she’s specifically interested in the ocean fantasy stuff, but is moreso just annoyed that his attempt to scare her away with “nerdy crap” didn’t work.

Meanwhile Rise is trying to impress him with her skills and reputation again. She tries to speak to Sai in Spanish, but he can tell she’s mixing up what she probably learned in school (i.e. Spanish with a Spaniard accent, since this is still Europe) plus whatever she managed to get Rave (who is half Dominican in my headcanons) to teach her.

Sai teases her about it, saying, “What, can’t even afford a bit of time with Duolingo or somethin’?” Rise is annoyed and embarrassed by that.

But, he does end up rambling a bit about Spanish, especially the differences between his own accent and others. Even ends up teaching her a few words!

She also shows off her social media, showing she’s got a huge following and tons of interactions on her posts. Sai pretends to not care, though he is genuinely shocked that she’s that popular after all, at least online.

Rise also mentions she sometimes does modeling work. The money she makes off her socials (mostly from fans giving her donations and stuff) is more than enough to live off of. So her modeling stuff is more of a part-time thing for her, she genuinely thinks it’s fun to get dressed up and have amazing photos taken of her. Not to mention the praise she gets for looking gorgeous!

Sai continues to act not-so-impressed and Rise gets annoyed by this. However, he ends up slipping that he admits it’s neat that she’s a model, “I guess”. Rise jumps on that opportunity and shows him a few of her photoshoots!

After a while of looking, Sai realizes, “Wait, shit, she’s actually kinda hot??”, but absolutely does his best to not show it all at. Too bad for him, he’s blushing and Rise has already noticed, hee hee. She tries to scratch him under his chin at this point to tease him over it, but he calls her out on it. Personal space much?! She has the good grace to at least apologize for it.

In another attempt to impress Sai using her status, she invites him to hang out for a night at an exclusive club in Mataan. Sai decides to ruin the evening by getting drunk, even though he actually hates drinking too much. They both get kicked out once drunk Sai starts a scene and gets into an argument with Rise.

Rise decides to just drag him back to the hideout (Sai is too drunk to give directions to where he lives, and he probably won’t tell her anyways) and hopefully sort things out tomorrow.

Unfortunately, during that trip to the hideout, Sai continues to insult her, and actually manages to hit a nerve without realizing it. He points out that, from his point of view, there really isn’t much to her besides status, reputation, fame, getting attention, being popular. Yeah, she’s got great skills as a write and she looks hot, he can (drunkenly) admit that much. But what else is there? Interests, hobbies, favorite things? To him, if you remove all the glamour and skills from Rise, there’s no one left, just a shallow person who cares about what others think of her and using that to her advantage!

This really pisses off Rise, but she tries to keep her temper under control. Once they’re at the hideout, she just leaves him on a couch to pass out.

The next day, Rise tries to get him to apologize for what he said while drunk. It takes him a bit to actually remember what he said, but once he remembers he defends himself.

He asks again, what else is there about Rise? He doesn’t even know about her hobbies and stuff like that, since Rise has been focused on only “sharing” her status and what other people think of her. If he only looks at her socials and how she’s been acting so far, she seems pretty damn shallow. Not to mention petty and egotistical.

Rise gets pissed off at this and tries to force an apology out of him, but Sai continues to refuse. He knows Rise has been trying to make him like her, but she needs to just accept that the way she’s been doing it isn’t going to work on him like it does with her fans. And if she���s still determined to “impress” him, then she either needs to change her tactics or just give up already.

Internally, Sai is hoping this is what finally gets her to leave him alone. He’s also a bit annoyed at himself for not trying something like this sooner.

But to his absolute shock, she does admit she probably did come off as “a bit” shallow. Especially compared to how Sai was at least willing to share with her things like his Spanish skills, his cooking, and even his hobbies with anime/manga games.

(Even though, at least for the latter two he mean to use them to chase her off, and Rise herself has suspicions that he probably meant it like that.)

Anyways, she does decide to share at least one interest she has with Sai, but makes him swear to never mention it in front of anyone else. That interest is marine biology! She starts off slowly, mainly going over facts about starfish. With encouragement and genuine interest from Sai, she starts rambling about other types of sea creatures.

She stops at one point and says if Sai wants to make fun of her for all of this, then he should get it out of the way now. Sai insists he’s not gonna do that. He thinks it’s neat that Rise knows this much about marine biology! He admits he probably won’t remember much of this afterwards, but he can tell Rise really enjoys talking about this kind of stuff.

Also, he says it’s only fair that he listen to her rambling, after she did the same with him and his anime/manga/game rambling. :P

Rise appreciates that he’s being nice/polite about this. She also tries to scratch him under the chin again, but he flinches in annoyance and she stops.

But they do end up having more talks like this! Sai rambling about and showing Rise his interests and hobbies, and Rise opening up more and doing the same with her own interests and hobbies.

Plus, they’re on better terms now! Sort of? They haven’t yet done the “fake break up” yet, but they’re starting to consider each other friends at minimum.

At one point, Rise jokingly bets to give Sai a kiss if he can beat Red in their next sparring match. He ends up surprised at himself when it actually motivates himself to beat Red after all!

Rise holds up her end of the bargain, even if she only meant it as a joke. To Sai’s surprise the kiss is on the lips, with Rise commenting, “What, ya thought you’d get just a peck on the cheek after going all out like that?”

She lets him kiss her back to make them “even”. He kisses her on the cheek, but she teases him about it since he did it so gently she barely felt it!

Other friendship-building activities going on between them:

Rise gets caught by the cops at one point, and Sai manages to save her. Later on he gets his skateboard broken while the two of them are fighting off cops and trying to get away. She buys him a new one as a thank you for last time! She also makes it clear that this is just a thank you gift, and isn’t expecting him to pay her back.

Sai helps her get to a hard-to-reach heaven spot, and Rise asks him to help her with her piece. They start having graffiti sessions every now and then afterwards!

They go see a horror movie together, mainly because each of them assumes the other will get scared, and they think it’d be funny to see it. Not only do neither of them get scared, but they end up just heckling the movie until they get kicked out for it, lol

Around this time each of them realizing how much they’re enjoying spending time with each other. And they both get worried it might be actual love. “No no no, this is just platonic love, right? Right??”

The two of them find themselves holding hands or sitting/standing closer to each other, when neither of them meant to. Also Sai is finally letting her scratch him under his chin, though he tells her not to look into it too much.

At another point, Sai offers to help Rise home after a long day. They almost have, gasp, “a moment” between the two of them, but stop each other at the last second.

Eventually they’re both getting frustrated by how things are going and decide to try and rip off the bandaid. Sai and Rise accuse each other of being “in love” and to just admit to it, but of course neither of them want to confess!!

Sai even leans in to almost kiss, sees Rise’s reaction to it, and points it out as proving his point! She denies it.

They have a huge argument about it, one trying to force the other to confess already, and they “break up” for real.

But of course, that’s only temporary, especially since they both end up feeling awful about how they handled it. They talk things out, apologize, and finally be honest about how they feel.

So then after that they’re officially dating, for real this time!

And now for lovey-dovey activities!~

Okay admittedly they’re only really lovey-dovey in private. The most they do in public is hand holding and quick hugs/kisses, otherwise they kinda act like “just friends” in front of the rest of the crew. Which confuses the crew because of how Rise made a big deal about the apparently “fake” dating, but yeah. :P

Also Sai sometimes effectively acts as Rise’s bodyguard. She sics him on anybody who annoys/threatens her, even if it’s their crewmates, lol

Sai sings for Rise! He mostly likes to sing ballads and salsa songs, both English and Spanish. He’s better at it than most people would expect. That being said, he hates singing in front of other people besides Rise, so he only does it in private when it’s just the two of them.

There’s also dancing! Not like cypher dances, but more like dancing together like with salsa or tango. They both find this a lot of fun, but this is another thing they only do in private (in this case they’d both hate to do this in front of other people).

Rise has a very deep love for homemade gifts, seeing them as something incredibly special and unique. She even cried a bit when Sai gave her a bracelet with seashell charms he made for her!

Sai finds out that Rise has a weakness for puns. He starts carrying around a notebook of pun jokes he can tell her. Rave and Shine (both being Rise’s friends in my headcanons) also contribute to the pun book, along with a few other BRC members who are made aware of it. Rise both loves and hates this.

Also she especially loves puns that can work in multiple languages when translated right. Sai has a field day with this using certain jokes in English and Spanish. Like, where do cats go when they die? Purrgatory in English, Purgatorio in Spanish, lol

Related to the last points, Rise sometimes snorts when she laughs! Inspired by one of @mechanical-magician 's headcanons for Rise, hee hee. Rise thinks it’s embarrassing, while Sai genuinely thinks it’s cute.

The two of them still ramble about their interests with each other, and even sometimes about general gossip/news/movies/shows/etc. Rise rambles about marine biology the most, but then she starts looking into other science stuff too just for the love of learning. Sai doesn’t always remember everything, but he still loves to listen to her being so passionate about something!

Sai willingly cooks for Rise now, and is even teaching her how to cook stuff too! Rise is the type to need very precise instructions and measurements while cooking (“The hell is ‘a pinch’ and ‘a dash’ supposed to mean?!”). But she’s been getting better at it!

Sai also starts teaching Rise fighting moves too. She now knows how to properly suplex people!

Rise is also learning more Spanish between Sai and Rave, and is getting a lot better at it. Especially since she practices by talking with them in Spanish.

Sai tries flirting with/giving compliments to Rise but keeps getting embarrassed by it. Mainly he feels like he’s not making it sound genuine, thus he thinks he’s being cringey. Rise asks him what about it makes it feel “less honest”, and Sai says it just sounds weird in English. So she tells him to do it in Spanish instead, and it works! Sai feels like he’s being more sincere with his love, and Rise gets flustered by it but genuinely enjoys it~

And of course Rise flirts/compliments him back too. Sai is not the kind of guy that’s used to getting compliments at all, so he’s even more easily flustered by it!

They have pet names! Rise calls Sai “wolfboy”, it’s a joke from her calling him “the Big Bad Wolf” when they first met on Pyramid Island. Otherwise, Rise calls him “love” and Sai calls her “amor”. :3

Rise getting more into anime/manga thanks to Sai! But mostly she ends up focused on Pokemon and One Piece the most. Also anything else with mermaids, the ocean, etc. :P

She also gets into video games! Mostly she’s of course focused on ocean-themed/-focused games (Dredge, The Wind Waker, Abzu, Blue Ocean, etc). Sai like to watch her play these sometimes.

And then all the nerdery eventually leads to… cosplay. Rise gets cosplays made for her to wear at local cons, and she has Sai tag along as her personal photographer! Also Rise mostly dresses up as characters that Sai has admitted to having/had a crush on, which is her way of teasing him for it, lol

They do more photoshoots for Rise’s socials too!

Rise is trying to get Sai more “into” social media, to at least promote his own art and get more clients that way (he’s a freelance artist). It does work, and he thanks her for her help of course!

Rise is also trying to improve Sai’s wardrobe. He’s mostly a t-shirt + basic pants + hoodie kind of guy. Sai reluctantly goes along with it, but eventually appreciates the new styles she’s having him wear. It’s nothing too flashy, but still stuff that Sai thinks look cool on him too! She also bought him a really badass-looking leather jacket at some point, and he mostly wears that one for their date nights.

On that note, they usually split the bill for meal dates, unless it’s a fancier (and more expensive) place that Rise picked. In those cases, she covers the whole bill since she knows she has the money for it. Sai feels bad about it at first, but Rise insists it’s fine and he shouldn’t worry about it!

Also, Sai is still not quite wrapping his head around the fact that he has a rich/popular girlfriend now. He sees Rise as a wonderful, smart, and beautiful woman, with “rich” and “popular” being just extras on the side. Rise says it’s better that way, especially since she’s had past exes who were only with her for her money and/or rep. (including Faux, unfortunately)

OKAY THAT'S IT!! I think this is a lot longer than the posts I made for Vinyl x Nunchaku and Cueball and Bō. But tbh, it's mostly because I've been shipping Rise and Sai a decent amount longer than the other two, even if it's only maybe a handful of months difference. There's been more time for the ship to cook, y'know?

Anyways! Finally done with my self-indulgent ship ramblings! Will maybe-hopefully do more BRC headcanon posts as before, but otherwise I'm open to people sending in asks/replies with what they might like to see from me next. :D

[lanternlit]

DASH GAME: BEHIND THE MUN

NAME: Havu.

PRONOUNS: They/them.

MOST ACTIVE MUSES: On this blog, Iris, Cas, Izzy, Will and Hannibal are being the loudest gremlins. Also the Doctor, mostly Thirteen, and Fifteen very much trying but I am sooo intimidated by the thought of starting to write him (me whenever I write a regeneration of the Doctor I haven't written previously).

EXPERIENCE: I started roleplaying privately with friends when MSN Messenger was a thing, in my teens, in the mid-late 2000s. We migrated to private phpbb forums with some friends for one-on-one platforms for more organisation than private messages. I transitioned to tumblr in 2013 when I found out the independent rpc here (I was on tumblr in a generic way since 2010). I pitched an idea for a Doctor Who OC to someone on anon to see if they would be interested in writing with her, I didn't know how the rpc functioned, etc. And then I made a blog for her. That was Iris, by the way, if you can believe that.

From 2013 to 2017 I wrote various OCs and Doctor Who canon muses, namely an AU version of Rose Tyler for a while, and then mainly the Eleventh Doctor for several years (my url was legsyes and later snogboxed but the latter was 2018). I was so unwell I was nearly psychotic around 2015-2017 and I was on the wrong meds etc. so I took a long hiatus of over a year from 2017 to 2018.

A huge part of my recovery process was coming back to the rpc with Cas in june 2018 (waywardfeathered). He was my primary muse for a long time, but I also came up with Jillian around that same time, and had some other muses in their own blogs, so in 2019 I consolidated everyone that wasn't Cas on a multimuse, on this blog (I think it was Jillian, Eleven, Charlie, River and the TARDIS, maybe Thirteen, and I've since retired Eleven). Now you know I recently moved Cas and Thirteen here from their respective blogs, and I still have Shepard on her own blog @dutyworn and I changed my url here from smokedanced to lanternlit.

FLUFF, ANGST, OR SMUT: Angst, smut, and fluff. I love multi-genre interactions, a little bit of all flavours in different threads between the same muses. Fluff is the only one of these I need to balance with something else to enjoy it a lot. I can write angst and smut without craving for something else for contrast.

LONG OR SHORT REPLIES: Both. I vastly dislike focusing on reply length as any sort of an indicator of how good someone is at roleplaying; it makes sense for length to vary. Are you setting a scene with lots of exposition? Are the characters having rapid fire dialogue? The former easily suits novella replies and the latter easily suits a single paragraph. I like dynamic threads where the response length feels natural considering the scene.

PET PEEVES: Relating to the previous one, my ultimate prose related pet peeve is when replies become like... two or even more threads in one thread? Consider:

Muse A asks Muse B, "How have you been?" Thread proceeds to have plot happening, and Muse A's internal thoughts regarding it.

Now Muse B's writer is stuck in a situation where, if they have their muse react to the dialogue before the following events, they are splitting the thread into two timelines, if Muse A's writer wants to be able to have their muse react in any way. This makes incredibly awkward writing flow where you are basically writing two interactions in one thread. I think people do this because they want to write longer replies but it becomes so unnatural and difficult to work with. I've been guilty of this as well. I always try very hard to consolidate a thread into a singular interaction, but sometimes that means I am forced to have my muse react to stuff only internally, or answer to questions delayed, etc. and it can be difficult to justify. And this is so difficult to explain it's hard to bring up with people if it happens because I don't even know what words to use to describe it - I drew a diagram to a friend once XD

Less of a pet peeve, more of a "I am going to block you", but any kind of rhetoric that even HINTS AT judging other people based on what kind of (no matter how problematic) content they enjoy in fiction.

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE: For the most part, I am very different from all of my muses. I think it's because I would make a very boring fictional character, so there simply aren't ones much like myself; I'm very passive, unadventurous, etc. and I have no issue with that, I would rather be safe and comfortable than "an interesting fictional character" LOL. There are some, mostly minor, things, that I can relate to with most if not all of my muses, but these are usually either small quirks or life circumstances, not values or personality defining traits. For example: I relate to Castiel and him having been heavily controlled by other people, in having been controlled/abused by people who had authority over me, myself. I relate to feeling like I am existing as an outsider looking, like Iris (being isolated from society, for her for totally different reasons, for me due to disability) and tbqh many of my other muses. I am aromantic and pansexual, so I relate to Dean being demiromantic and bisexual. I am easily startled, and so is Lucius, so I relate to him in that. And such.

TIME TO WRITE: I don't have a set time that's easier than others, but in general (i say as i type this at 3:39am) my ability to function decreases exponentially if I am not maintaining a sleep schedule. The biggest reason for me going radio silent for weeks is "I couldn't sleep for 1 night and now I'm sleeping during the day and this has made me like 9000 times more disabled than usual".

TAGGED BY: @naitfall, thank you! TAGGING: @qapsiel, @shepcdr, @hellweep, @henosiis, @uselessdevice & anyone who wants to do it tag me so i can see!

[johnkahner]

Omg, i'm so obsessed with your blog and your fics!!! I made this account just to like and interact with you... Sorry is this weird? ANYWAY, i saw a post about you asking for mk1 ideas to write... What you think about the reader being like one of liu kang chosen is a very talented sorcerer but kinda weird, he wears black all the time, its quiet, gloomy and enjoy ritualistic stuff but the other champions who are close to him find him very likeable, funny and kind and of course hes not evil just awkward.

BUT without anyone noticing he nurtures a massive crush on Tomas and is like really nervous when they interact, Tomas actually enjoy spending time with the reader a lot because of how interestingly weird the reader is... And maybe a mutual crush happening?? I dont know im so sorry for my bad english im so obsessed with this game and Tomas especially!

Also sorry if i'm not doing this right i never had a tumblr before hahaha ok sorry i talk to much

AN: Hi! Sorry this took a while. I'm glad you like the blog! It makes my day to see people interact with it. Your English is fine! I honestly haven't used Tumblr much till I made this account. This was also fun to write. I wrote the reader as male because you used he/him. I hope you enjoy it! Not proof read.

Notes: Male! Sorcerer! Reader

To be honest it was difficult to make friends with the people who were fighting for the protection of Earthrealm. Like the other champions and yourself got along wonderfully. However due to the stigma that sorcerer's had it was sometimes hard for you to get people to trust you. Not to mention your clothing color of choice, black, being most of the time considered an evil color.

Most people thought that you're working alongside the Deadly Alliance as some sort of spy, but that's far from the truth.

One day a Monk from the Wu Shi academy was yelling at you for some reason. You don't know what you supposedly did wrong, but most of the time if something bad happened others would blame you.

During the Monk's shouting the Lin Kuei trio were on their way to discuss something with Lord Liu Kang. Tomas approached closer to the two men to see what was wrong, and to find a solution that could fix things.

He sees you wearing a tired frown. Not a moment later you two connect eyes for a moment. It was different. There was no malice that you could feel coming from him.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"This fool was trying to listen to my conversation with Lord Liu Kang. Yet he insists that he isn’t just like a liar would.”

Looking paranoid not only for the false accusations that the Monk is making towards you, but Tomas is the one coming to your aid. Whenever he was near you, your nerves didn’t know how to act. Tomas smiled at you.

“I believe you are mistaken about my friend. He would never do that. Not to mention it’s not very polite to judge someone based on their appearances.”

The monk would argue with Tomas, but decides it’s better to just leave. Well after sending a glare in your direction.

“T-thank you for y-your help, T-tomas. I g-greatly appreciate it.” You bow a little. You really are grateful that he helped you out. He smiles at you.

“You're welcome, my friend. Would you like to hang out if you’re not busy?”

“O-oh! Sure, that w-would be nice.”

The two of you walk in silence for a moment. Enjoying the scenery around you two. After finding a place to sit down, he would ask you what it’s like to be a sorcerer and about some rituals you would perform sometimes. He wants to know almost everything about you and what interests you. Tomas listens very carefully to how you perk up at his questions, and how you ramble on about the little finer details of your explanations.

What you two don’t know is the mutual feelings that are forming between each other. Maybe one day it would blossom into a beautiful relationship.