#it's nice how this story makes you think how precious bonds are

[zhuoyichenpretty]

ep 24 commentary (brain fried edition)

my head is a little empty after ep 24 tbh!! brain is not braining after all the zyc hurt no comfort (-:

some scattered thoughts here and there, painstakingly corralled like cats out of my vacuous brain and into a list (spoilers):

ZYZ is really emo this episode poor dude like he is having a hard time keeping it together it seems. Every other word out of his mouth is depressing as shit, which is saying a lot considering how depressing he usually is already (': I kind of wanted this episode to pick his brain more, give him room to emote in the aftermath of all that. But it almost feels like the character refuses to be alone, like he might spiral if he has too much time to get in his own head. I'm still so curious to know, though, what he thinks about the state of their promise in light of how far ZYC went trying to save him. “He has us,” ZYZ said to WX. When the time comes, I wonder how he'll reconcile that with what he’s asked of ZYC.

PSJ and Ying Lei bonding! shenanigans! I did laugh thank you guys. Also, not that the team didn't operate separately before, but I really get a sense of how much ZYC held things together with how apparent his absence is. It's obvs heartwarming seeing how hard everyone is working to save him (PSJ especially for me bc I love their mutual tacit trust and respect and all the ways they're alike and different), but ultimately it's still so angsty (':

Kind of love the couple instances where ZYC has been referred to as fragile/weak/of delicate constitution (depending on how you wanna translate it) like that's a very interesting quality to assign to basically the tank of your team. Even if the comments are made facetiously, it just reminds me of how often we witness his mortality, and of course how everything about the styling, aesthetics, and content of the flashbacks to his childhood reinforce a characterization of vulnerability at the very heart of him. I saw someone mention how the Cloud Light Sword responded to ZYC's tears and to that vulnerability rather than brute strength, and I totally agree. I love how this "fragile" characterization plays into the whole fate weapon deal. ZYC's strength is (imo) unconventional, and it is his sensitivity, his compassion, and his deep capacity to feel that the sword acknowledges, resonates with, and empowers. Almost like it protects his tender heart rather than making it something he needs to overcome to get stronger.

One thing I will never get over is how incredibly they styled TJR as baby!Yichen, adult ZYC, and Bingyi. What do you mean this is all from one drama and not three separate productions. Insane. I'm out of my mind with how gorgeous every change in costuming is.

A tangential note is I've seen people mention (paraphrasing very much here) ZYZ's demon form being nicely subtle in its eerie inhumanity and tbh I have a similar feeling even just about human adult ZYC imo. Especially when his hair is down and he's got that thick eyeliner on and we get a close up of his contacts, if you told me from the start that he's half-demon half-human or something I'd believe it. Along the same vein, baby!Yichen reads completely human to me, and Bingyi of course completely demon. Something something the Cloud Light Sword bridges the gap something. This point is unintelligible and not narratively based but I had to make it because I've been thinking "wow ZYC elven" for days now.

Saw a tag about yuanyi getting us through some dark times but man they are PUTTING me through some dark times rn help?/

Been trying to put off talking about the baby Yichen scenes because wow I cried immediately. Well, no, I was like "yay! I love seeing baby Yichen!" and then they crushed me into demon dust lol. And then WX had to tell that absolutely precious story about when she got sick and ZYZ had to go like "actually ZYC was probably lonely as fuck" and yeah that's fine I didn't need my heart anyway.

Ending on this point so I can put a pretty screencap here: There is so much gravity to just the short scene of Bingyi removing his mask and dropping to his knees with that anguished and fatigued expression. TJR's acting is the gift that keeps on giving (me angst).

so sorry if anything here didn't make sense, i currently have the same thousand-mile-stare as Bingyi the more i think about how this all might end and how long I'm gonna have to wait to find out.

[yuseirra]

Ryoji and MC comic

remembering

[planetsstarsandmoons]

Synastry observations based on (personal) experience, part 5:

I’m back!!!! After months lmao

Moon opposite mars: a big ‘want’. Moon opposite mars is a story. It’s every romance movie/ romcom aspect, and i’ll tell you why. These people see in each other the potential of moon conjunct mars fullfillment that’s actually (way, but opinions differ ofc) better than the conjunction. That’s because in the opposition, each has something the other lacks. This can create for both people the ultimate romantic fullfilment when brought together by effort and acceptance of each other, and this promise is very hard to let go of. Typically, these are couples that fight a lot but find it very hard to let each other go once they know what they can have with each other, because it really is the best. Just think about it, even the thought of people putting conscious effort to be sweeter to one another is precious. That only creates a bond that’s very raw and very real (quoting jewelastrology here). Then combine that with the power of the mars and the moon and the friction of the opposition, keeping things interesting and keeping both parties learning more. You shouldn’t romanticise struggle in a relationship. Too much ‘work’ can just mean you aren’t compatible. THIS aspect is an exception. Just watch out for possible aggression. That’s never okay. One day I’ll make a seperate post about the amount of moon opposite mars couples in literature. The best I can think of now is Pride and Prejudice, with Mr Darcy being mars and Elizabeth Bennet being moon.

Venus twelfth house overlay: sorry y’all, in my personal experience, it’s true what they say. The twelfth house person has a hard time feeling this overlay on their side, or on a very subconscious level. I was the 12th house person. On one hand, I really ‘got it’ so to say but on the other hand, I don’t have a shitty clue of how he picked up on this ‘thing between us’ he thought or picked up on we had. That’s actually the big thing about this overlay. Don’t lose all hope, but you’ll have one person going “you knoww like there’s this thing between us...” and the 12th house person will be going: “what thing?” 😂 this can actually be nice because the 12th house person will get in touch with that subconscious twelfth housey part of themselves IF there are other nicely supporting aspects. Like the venus person’s venus to other stuff. They say a true connection is always mutual. I want to say to you all that don’t be surprised when a 12th house person in such an overlay is not ‘feeling’ this mutually. I literally wrote in my diary: “i might actually like him when it’s too late. Or just never lol i do not know.”

Update: I wrote this observation months ago in like april. It is now october and I’m starting to gain interest in him, albeit slowly and subconsciously, but, yeah 🤦‍♀️😂 i came back to this draft being like “WHATT?? Astrology had predicted this TOO for me???”

Moon trine pluto: you know when the fighting super intense troubled couple FINALLY gets together in this really intense and satisfying time when things are finally going the way they’re planned? Like an end all all good? That is this overlay, but constantly. On the outside, it’s the annoyingly passionate/emotional couple in a series that you don’t get because you haven’t seen them do any work to deserve this kind of intense fan-service scene. It’s because it lacked that kind of character development? It was me watching avengers infinity war with vision and wanda. I didn’t like the couple because i didn’t get it. I didn’t know their history i thought it was just some random very bland peaceful couple being very dramatic about each other all the time. Another example (i’m not shitting on this aspect i swear 😂) when a cartoon shows an example of a ‘romantic movie scene’ where the couple says “i loove you!!” And the other goes “oh bill!!” You don’t swoon because you’re like… okay. You get the oogies/ick because it’s like ‘ew that’s a couple’ anyways what I’m trying to say is that moon and pluto are not typical besties they’re supposed to be two problems kind of, they’re two very intense and bare planets, so harmonious flowing energy between them will feel kind of unsettling? Even. So these people will be kind of ‘gross’ with each other but in a soothing way. It’s how you imagine such a trine to be, but it plays out exactly like this irl too lmao! It feels bland on the outside because it’s always going well. And on the inside it plays in the background, because issues bring moon and pluto stuff to the foreground as a ‘theme’ in the relationship. So this aspect is also is the simple idea-of-a-passionate relationship. It’s the groaning “I’ll never let you go!!” Which doesn’t hit the same way for some people because there isn’t any drama or shit that happened before to deserve this pay off. However, some people loooove this aspect and by that I mean people in real life who like to have a secure and deep relationship where two hidden parts of people correspond and love each other well. This aspect is reaallly hard to let go of lol.

Sun conjunct mars: I call this the ‘spicy friends’ aspect. This is the aspect of two people who get into shenanigans together. I also see this aspect a lot with romantic couples who got together young, because it makes for boy-girl relations where the boy actually gets motivated by the person the girl is and the girl feels understood on the same level by the boy. They don’t get bored and so these people will forever get on or be aggravated by each other. It’s because these are two extremely conscious ‘in the moment’ planets so they easily fire off each other and it doesn’t take a lot of energy to have that interaction. No in between. It creates a certain ‘click’ that really motivates both for each other. Not in a deep/karmic way, but in a way that their behaviour connects easily and the energy gets going. It’s really easy to have good sex and interesting energy with this aspect so it’s a really potent aspect to get people together! Also fast, because conscious behaviour is accelerated by each other. I’m thinking dopamine..

Sun conjunct venus: unlike mars, venus is a cold planet, which is totally okay in a synastry, only the interaction plays out a little different. Sun and venus don’t fire off each other. Their influence on each other is more passive and more ‘internal’. The sun, how basic it may sound, warms venus or even makes them burn. Venus gives the sun person chills. The venus person is responsible for the harmony and awesome functionality that this aspect brings. They will take a step back to fully adore and admire sun from afar sometimes. The sun will run to venus basically when it feels it needs love and beauty and also a kind of sensibility that the sun person misses, like a puzzle piece, and the venus person is Thee person who brings that in their life. Vice versa is the sun person someone who personally signifies beauty and love in the eyes of venus, while it brings the heat that the venus craves. So they become passionate and adoring about who each other is. So venus typically loves every little thing the sun person does and the sun person is just taken by the venus person every single day. Think Oliver (venus) and Loretta (sun) from Only Murders In The Building. This aspect makes for real contentment in a relationship because of the strong loving connection that it brings.

Mars in twelfth house synastry or composite: with this placement, you’re not even sure if the person is actually even attracted to you and if you’re making it all up in your head. This is also typically seen as a ‘synastry/composite of secrets’ which I wasn’t so sure about at the time I experienced this one myself, but now I realise, hey, that man actually had a girlfriend while he was giving me ‘special attention’ while holding back, with me being like ‘what could he mean what could he MEAN’ typical mars in twelfth scenario. One guy I had this with in composite was basically lying to me about his sex life and not having cheated on his previous girlfriend�� and guess what… I had lied about my sexual history too 😭 I even thought to myself ‘why the f*ck did I lie that elaborately??? I didn’t even have to??’ But whatever, it’s the way of the worlds apparently 😂 but you see how this immediately creates distrust when it is not actually what we mean to do or coming from a place of disrespect. Oh and this aspect in composite also created months of us being like ‘🧍🏻‍♀️….🧍🏻‍♂️’ not normal sexual tension, but sexual tension we weren’t sure should be concreticised out loud or in action. We’d only kissed once Monthsss before which is basically nothing in western european student culture. It was like: “does this person know I’m still, in this moment, attracted to/like him/her? Am I making this all up in my head?”

Moon in the 8th house: a lot has been said about this aspect. Just a few things: intensity, yes. Either one will always be a significant person for the rest the person’s lives. It’s not nothing. It’s the basis of real all consuming love that’s a very rare and unique mix between total safety and total rush-like danger, which makes people think it’s a soulmate aspect. It’s actually not, imo, it’s a deeply (deeeeply) karmic aspect. It’s funny to see all the friends with benefits who have this aspect start out as “lol we don’t want a relationship” to “……. Lol nevermind” and end up together. They go back to each other because they’re simply too significant to each other. Fear of being vulnurable is also big on both so they either take that step or they’re just standing there forever. Mutual aspect, but it’s mutual in different ways. Truthfully, I don’t see this aspect so often in relationship charts. I see it with people who are in love with each other and aren’t together, or people who started out casual but still for some reason can’t let each other go after more than a year, or people who have had the roughest most obsessive breakup in history and ask me for advice. Often, people in relationships who have this aspect don’t come to astrologers for advice. They’re too ‘into’ one another to do that, I feel like.

Venus trine moon: cute cute cUTE because the venus loves reassuring the moon person with affection, which makes the moon person feel so safe and endorphined and warm. The moon person simply inspires that in venus! Great for a chart with more difficult aspects !

Moon conjunct jupiter: so if a guy is jupiter and the moon is a woman and they’re married, the woman doesn’t need to worry about jupiter feeling turned off from the relationship by her pregnancy. Moon is the feminine, the nurturer, the mother, jupiter adores and respects her. Jupiter inspires respect, optimism, friendships and all things serotonin. Jupiter will make the moon feel good. The kind of union where the guy will constantly declare how much he lovees her pregnancy glow ✨ the same goes ofc for lesbian relationships but since this is a cultural phenomenon i thought i might touch on it.

Moon opposite jupiter: i feel like this might be the opposite story :/ the girls motherhood and need for support and needs in general will just be the opposite to what the jupiter person finds ‘fun’ and joyful, BUT if they’ve made it this far in the relationship as to have a child together it should be okay. At least the cause of the behaviour would moreso be astrology, not misogyny.

Moon square jupiter: wife jokes, but the ones that are cute and funny.

Moon in third:

Being someone with a moon in third house be like: wow imagine going through something hard and not type 10k words in your notes app about it.

Having your moon overlay in someone’s third house be like: wow imagine going through something and not telling that person 10k words about it

Also: jupiter has such an underrated influence on us in astrology!! Jupiter radiates the most energy out of all the planets in our solar system and may be way more personal and influential than we think in astrology… And in synastry also it’s the MOON

[teenidlegirl]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝓑eauty 𝓞f 𝓣his 𝓜ess ౨౿  ׅ ۟   ֪ 𝓒hapter 𝓕ive

ઇ ˚ ݂ ֹ ꒰ military!miguel 𝓍 fem!neighbor!reader ꒱ ! ۟ ׅ ♡

ׄ   ׅ ྀ 𝓢𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘. the bond between you and miguel grows a little more as you two continue hanging out together. however, things from the past come back unexpectedly.

ׄ   ׅ ྀ 𝓒𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓. fluff, angst, pet names, swearing, backstories (since it’s an AU, george o'hara is a good step-dad in this), brief mention of divorce, mentions of cheating, hint of a crossover

❛⠀ previous chapter⠀⋅⠀masterlist⠀⋅⠀next chapter ⠀❜

getting off work early today was a surprise.

it was a quiet day at the office, not much interesting stories to cover which was very rare in new york. but what surprise you the most is jameson telling you can go home early today. probably the most generous thing he has ever done.

you didn’t question why or hesitate to leave, it was basically a blessing in disguise.

pulling up in the parking garage and parking in your designated spot, your eyes detect a familiar broad figure across the lot. they light up ever so slightly, a your lips subconsciously raised up in a tiny smile.

why not say hi to him? just super quick.

grabbing your purse and exiting your car, you make your way over to him. miguel is kneeling beside his bike, cleaning it with a black rag.

sensing someone approaching, miguel ups look and immediately smiles when he sees you. he worried it would’ve been that annoying neighbor jason from the 6th floor bugging about buying his bike. miguel would never, it’s his precious baby. a huge wave of relief hits him when he realizes it’s you.

he’s glad that it’s you.

miguel quickly takes out his earphones, the wires dangling over the collar of his shirt since he tucked them inside his shirt, and stands up, towering you.

“hey. how was work?” he asks while cleaning his hands with a different, clean rag.

“for once, great. i got off early.”

“that’s good.”

“yeah, it’s just strange because my boss never lets anyone off early but i’ll take it.” you chuckle softly.

“where do you work at again?” miguel recalls you’re a journalist back at the bar with your friends but can’t remember which company you work for.

“the daily bugle.”

“oh, now i see why it’s strange.” miguel chuckles, aware of the company’s, and jameson’s, reputation. “how long have you been writing for him?”

“three years and hopefully more to come.”

miguel smiles softly at your enthusiasm, how hopeful you seem for your future. the sight makes his heart warm. he hopes for more years to come as well.

“so, how long have you had this pretty thing?” you nod your head at his bike.

“7 years, it was birthday present to myself.”

you hum. “my dad used to own a red one.”

“really?” his brows raised up amusingly.

“yeah, it was his first baby but unfortunately had to sell it since he became a dad.”

“must’ve been hard but had to make the sacrifice.”

“he still misses it to this day. he still loves it more than his own damn kids.” you joke.

miguel chuckles at that. “it was a tough sacrifice.” he indulges in your joke. arms crossed over his chest, biceps bulging through his shirt.

“it was.” you laugh. “he’s a big motorcycle fanatic, i think you two would get along well.” a tiny smirk plastered on your lips, arms crossed as well.

for some reason, the idea of meeting your dad seems amusing to him. miguel is curious to know your dad’s preferences and opinions. it would be nice to talk to someone with a similar interest. his buddies in the military aren’t the biggest fanatics nor owned bikes themselves but still managed to talk about them.

“i think so too, looking forward to it.” he mirrors your smirk, mimicking each other’s stance.

the amount of times this man has been able to make your heart flutter is insane yet you adore it.

“is your dad a motorcycle fanatic too?”

you watch his smirk falter a little. the amused expression turns into a solemn one. you recognize it from your last encounter. you notice that whenever you ask or mention his family.

“no, he isn’t.” miguel said solemnly. “he’s more into money and control.” he watches your brows furrowed, a sign for him to elaborate. “he’s a ceo.”

you hum lightly, acknowledging the given information. “which company?”

“the most famous company, alchemax.”

your brows raise in astonishment. “wow. well, he definitely is into money and control.”

you’re aware of alchemax’s reputation, one of the most successful companies in the country. the fact your neighbor is the son of the ceo amazes you. it was something you weren’t expecting.

miguel briefly smiles at your amusement before turning away, tossing the used rag in a small container then grabs the other he was using previously. “we were never close.” he crouches next to his bike and begins cleaning. “my step-dad is more of a fanatic.”

now it makes sense, his parents are divorced. you can’t help but feel sympathy for miguel.

“he owned a harley. i never liked harleys, i was more into yamaha and ducati.” miguel elaborates while cleaning his bike with the rug. “he taught me how to ride, how to clean, gave some tips and tricks.”

flashbacks of those days, george teaching a young miguel about motorcycles in the garage. iron maiden blasting through the stereo george had in the garage as he and miguel endorsed in father-son bonding. sometimes gabriel would join them, learning some information about motorcycles but never grew interested in them like his older brother.

those memories makes miguel smile, ever so slightly.

you remain silent, attentive to every word he says. you yourself imagine a little miguel learning about motorcycles with his step-dad. the domestic thought makes you smile as well.

“he taught me how to do my first wheelie, right in our neighborhood. my mom saw it and she was furious.” he softly chuckles at the silly memory.

you laugh as well. “did you get your ass whooped?”

“no, thankfully.” miguel chuckles. “she said i couldn’t do it again and gave my step-dad shit for teaching me. she was more worried than angry.”

“i don’t blame her.” you snort. “wheelies aren’t safe, especially doing it as a kid.”

he chuckles at your retorting words. “it isn’t a good childhood without busting your ass.”

“alright, fair point.”

you and miguel continue chitchatting when he cleans his bike. you’re in a middle of a sentence when your phone suddenly rings. grabbing it from inside your purse, your face drops at the number on the screen.

you recognize that number immediately.

the one phone number you deleted two years ago.

never thought you’d ever see it again.

your blood sudden goes cold as you stare at the number. phone vibrating in your hand as the ringtone echos through out the parking garage.

it can’t be… there’s no fucking way.

he swore to leave you alone…

he swore to never call you again. well… you demanded him to never call you again, delete your number just like you did with his. you were there when he deleted it, to make he did.

but… he kept it?… these two past years?

that lying, selfish son of a bitch.

the other option would be him redialing by memory.

miguel noticed the sudden silence from you, turning around to see your mortified expression staring at your phone. his brows furrowed. “everything okay?”

his voice makes you snap out of it, quickly blinking away the nasty feeling in your chest. “yeah, it’s fine.” quickly tapping the decline button, you shove your phone back in your purse as if nothing happened.

miguel’s brows furrowed more, confused by your sudden change in behavior. you seemed so mortified, it worried him. whoever that called you, you definitely did not want to answer. as if you were getting a phone call from a serial killer.

miguel did not like seeing you so terrified.

he wants to know who was calling you. should’ve taken a glance at the number so he could dial them himself. if it got you scared like that, miguel wouldn’t hesitate to track the caller ID. being part of the military includes hacking skills.

“are you sure? you seemed scared.” hint of concern laced in his tone.

“no, i’m fine.” you lie, shaking your head. “it was just a scam call, that’s all.” a fake smile painted on your face, concealing your freaking out state.

even if you sound genuine, miguel knows you’re lying. you didn’t stare mortified at your phone for a scam call. his concern level rises even more.

he’s about to ask again but you start walking away.

“luna’s waiting for me, see ya.” you flash him a half-hearted smile before rushing away, entering the apartment building, ignoring miguel calling after you but you keep going, never looking back.

a confused, worried miguel left in the parking garage. he wants to chase after you. he was literally packing away his stuff until he noticed you were long gone, completely out of his sight. vanished into the air like a ghost. his brows only furrowed more.

who the hell called you?

why did you seemed so terrified to answer?

it bothers miguel so much. an uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest. unable to feel relief until those questions are answered.

miguel desperately wants to head over to your apartment. but he figures you wish to be alone, left unbothered. the last thing he wants is to pry. it seems personal and miguel wants to respect that.

but that doesn’t stop the unease sensation bubbling inside him, consuming his body.

with a sad sigh, he finishes packing up and leaves.

⠀⠀⠀⠀𓂃 ୨ ₊ 𓂃 ౨ৎ   𓂃 ₊ ୧   𓂃

it’s been four days since that asshole called you.

you were scared he would call back but thankfully he didn’t. that fucker hurt you, why the fuck would he try to reconnect with you?

two years later? no mames güey.

work has been a distraction but also busy. jameson on everyone’s ass like always. one day you had to pick up eddie after his car broke down. he spilled the beans about him and anne have been talking. two old friends reconnecting in a slow process. it’s a great start for them, you wish them well.

after working endlessly, it’s your day off which means relaxing time. you take luna out on a walk around your block. it’s perfect weather for a nice walk out. rays of sunshine casting down on you from the vibrant sun, relishing the warmth. the sky cleared from clouds, only the gorgeous blue atmosphere.

the sunlight makes luna’s fur glow. a white fluff ball wandering around. her adorable little pink bows and matching leash. yes, you’re that type of pet owner who dresses up and stylize their pets. she’s your baby, you dress her up however you like.

as you’re heading back to your apartment building, a figure slowly approaches you.

you smell it… you smell him.

you know his signature scent from miles and miles away. that fucking cologne you adored. the intoxicating scent consuming your senses.

looking forward, your heart fucking drops.

no no no… it can’t be.

he can’t be here.

that son of a bitch who broke your heart. betrayed you with his disgusting behavior and lies. who pathetically begged you to not leave, said he needed you and couldn’t live without you.

why did he need you when he was fucking another woman? in your shared bed, not to mention.

you never forgot that night.

two years later, it still haunts you sometimes.

your blood suddenly goes cold, just like when you got that phone call the other day. his phone call.

clad in a basic black shirt and jeans. an outfit you loved seeing him wear. the asshole knew what he was doing. dressed up like that running back to you.

the asshole who hurt you.

joel fucking miller.

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓. ♡ @reverieblondie @nina-from-317 @kavimoo @aly29a2001 @marshhbs @lazyjellyfish300 @tojishugetiddies @aphinthestars @novelaaaaaaaa @imamexican @obessgurlll @deputy-videogamer @watertribeissuperior @lovehadlovelost @auiciqa @agoddoesnotplead @saintdiior @whoopwhoppghost @tomalymme @skadiloki @miguelsfavwife @asterrrrose @glossygreene @aefin @youcantseem3 @resident-clown @kutsipie @zuevcs @totorotales-08 @meowgirl1 @sukunash0e @jadeloverxd @sirendyes @leahnicole1219

© teenidlegirl. don’t steal, plagiarize, or translate my work. ♡

[sophiamarieispinkbunny-chan]

SXF Novelization Fave Parts and some Analysis because I love Analyzing (Overthinking) Mission 1

I finally got my Spy x Family Family Portrait Novel and immediately finished reading it in one day, so without further ado, here are my fave parts, lines, dialogues from the first mission which is centered around Anya and Damian and this chapter just gives me diabetes 😭 (I've been shipping Damianya, yes but all this time it was like an innocent ship and it's not like making me feel butterflies since of course they're just children, but here in the novel, I actually got butterflies in my stomach, they're just so cute and precious here ❤️)

MISSION 1- THE EDEN ACADEMY NATURE CAMPING

-Yor thinking she needs to teach Anya a lot of survival things about camping because she's worried if she can handle the woods (Yor is such a great mom, worrying for Anya's safety always and I think this just shows her experience regarding the wilderness revealing that her hometown might've been near the woods and she did experiencing hunting for food when she was young)

-Loid hoping that the trip could bring Anya and Damian closer (Be careful what you wish you for Loid 😂)

"Wonderful! That's my girl. You can do it, Anya," Loid said.

I just love it when Loid calls Anya his girl, for she will always and forever be his little girl.

-Loid and Yor sort of having a gentle argument on who should get Bond's milk 😂

Loid: I'll get you some milk Bond

Yor: No, let me do that for you.

Loid: No, I can do it, just sit there and relax

Yor: You're the one who should relax

They ended up getting the milk together. These two idiots. 😭❤️

They remind of that, you hang up first, no you hang up first couple exchanges when they're on the phone. These two are so good in this married couple thing without even trying.

And then stabbed me in angst in the next paragraph.

Ever since escaping from the facility, Anya had bounce between orphanages and foster homes. But now she'd finally found someplace worth treasuring, and if she could bring about world peace, then they'd all be able to keep happily living here together.

She clearly doesn't know about Twilight's plan to leave them after achieving his mission. I wonder how she would react to that. I've written a fanfic about it so if you can check it out if you're interested😊. Sorry for the shameless fic plug.

But I hope that after the success of Strix, Loid would stay with them. Could he really leave them? Can he really do that? He can't even let Anya go during the first week they've been together and he has the choice to just ditch her, choose another child and it was the practical and safe thing for a spy for him to do when Edgar knew about his location. But he saved her and took her in despite his reservations about endangering her and all. Now could he let this little girl go after all this time?

-Anya reading Damian's mind and seeing his thoughts about him drowning when he, Emile and Ewen went camping with Mr. Green, made fun of him and even acted out his lines when he thought that he was really drowning in that shallow lake (She loves trolling Damian that she forgot that doing that could give her off as a telepath😂)

"Lovey-dovey couples are nice, but there's something extra special about bickering, will-they-won't-they romances."

I gotta agree with Becky on this one. Bickering makes any romance stories a thousand times more investing and entertaining to read. That's why academic rivals to lovers is an s-tier trope for me.

-Becky partnering Anya with Damian to fetch some water. Becky is also a fan of forced proximity trope, I see.

-Anya's telepathy elicited a sensation on Damian and it said that it wasn't the first time. I really bet that Damian would be the first to know about Anya's mind ability.

-Anya being confused about her left and right hand 😂 (I mean kids her age really do get confused about that, I don't blame her)

-Damian being gentle in his way of speaking whenever he sees Anya distressed or in tears. I'll never get tired of Damian being soft to Anya, he's really a sweet kid.

"Hey, keep it together!" commanded Damian as Anya started to sob again. He grabbed her arm and squeezed it tightly, pulling her close to speak in her ear (because the rain is loud). "I saw a small cave a ways back. Let's head there."

I don't know why but this scene, because of the way it was written, gave me butterflies.

-Anya calling for her Papa to save her when she was so scared. Loid said that Yor was the one that makes Anya feels safe, but she wasn't the only one whom Anya considers to be her safe place. He was also his baby's safe place and she trusts that Papa will always be there to save her.

-My favorite moment: Damian holding her hand and comforting her so she won't be scared, even though he, himself, is terrified too. Ugh, if that wasn't love, I don't what is. And when Anya gripped his hand back to comfort him too, he stopped shaking and Anya thought that his hand was warm. Awww, so preciouss❤️😭

-Anya letting herself to get the blame and willing to be punished but Damian not letting Anya to get the blame for them being lost in the forest. These two are like mini Yor and Loid haha, just young, energetic and extroverted versions of the two 🤣

-Anya being ashamed to face her Papa, because she thought her Operation to get close to Damian failed (since after that incident Damian went back to his mean self again but of course she didn't know Damian's crush on her just get massively deeper after that) but Loid wasn't even worried about that at all, nor did her ask her about Damian when she came home. When he had noticed she was sad, he immediately asked if she didn't have fun at their camping event. And when Anya said that she did, he smiled and said that he was glad that she did, because it's his daughter's happiness that's important to him (Because if she's happy then it would be good for my mission, I can imagine Loid telling this to himself when he just genuinely wanted her to be happy and enjoy her time at school since he never had the chance to do that as a kid)

-Yor and Loid preparing food together for Anya's return. Loid telling Anya that the food was safe to consume when she saw her face that is prepared to face death because he helped Yor to prepare. It was peak father-daughter moment 😂 But he let Yor cooked her specialty dish Southern Stew all by herself since she's the one who can make it the best ❤️

I wonder if Anya told him about her and Damian getting lost in the forest and Damian held her hand to comfort her. I wanna see Loid's reaction to that 😂

So that's it for Mission 1. Up next would be the chapter that got me laughing the most, Mission 2, Yuri babysitting Anya

[luis-block]

Can you do some bishop x follower!reader headcanons?? A little nsfw if you want ;)

I got carried away with this lol It is over one thousand words overall. I did put the NSFW content under the cut. And thank you for the request! (this post is tagged NSFT instead of NSFW as it actually shows up)

Warnings: Suggestive themes, Canon typical violence, Naughty stuff under the cut

Bishops x follower!reader headcanons, with NSFW 🔞

Shamura

Depending on your height, they may insist on you sit on their shoulder when out of the temple.  They aren’t undermining your capabilities to defend yourself, but they just worry about you. The upside is you get spoiled AND get to cuddle into Shamura’s shoulder all day, such a win.

Loves to tell you stories when you have trouble falling asleep. They are a master storyteller and can make the readings from the Old Faith’s scripture interest even the biggest of heretics. Their voice lulls you to sleep every time.

Likes to make sure all your needs are met. Whether it be that you have plenty of nice clean robes that match their own, having handmade meals for every meal, or even that you have a piece of jewelry that has their symbol on it, so others know that you are taken.

Kallamar

Being a swimmer is a MUST. So if you don’t know how to swim he will be more than happy to help. It is one of the biggest bonding activities you both do. You will free dive as far down as you can with Kallamar swimming down, collecting shells and bones from dead followers all the same.

He likes to hold you as you two dance. With your stature being smaller than his (even if you are a follower with a tall height) it just makes it easier for you both.

Even if you are out with him, he makes sure you have a weapon on you. What if he lost you and you got attacked, huh? It just gives him a piece of mind that you can defend yourself. It is one of the things he will not let slide.

Heket

She loves it when you collect flowers for her. It is just such a simple act of affection that she will never get over. You have tried to collect enough flowers to make her a flower crown that would fit her. You got a fourth of the way done before it got caught in the wind and blown away.  The sentiment was still there, so it was ok in the end.

Heket likes to walk with you in the fall weather in Anura. The brisk morning air is always refreshing, and watching you jump into leaf piles whenever you pass one is also a big bonus.

Will commission matching jewelry for you both. Part of it is that is to show your strong emotional bonds and deep commitment to each other. The other part of it is to let new and current followers know that you are taken. Some still seem too dense to get the memo, but it has gotten better than it used to.

Leshy

Leshy has a mean game that you both play on the other followers. He asks you if you would like something, you say what you want, and he makes a random follower go and get it! Most of the time you have pity on the follower and ask for something easy to acquire. But if it is a follower known for being an ass to others or has wronged you in the past, you will ask for something impossible for their skill level to achieve. Coming back empty-handed results in an impromptu sacrifice.

 You will get ahold of his leaves that shed from his body and make shawls for yourself. He thinks it is genuinely the cutest he has ever seen. He will collect the leaves he notices falling off and bring them to you so you can make more.

Will not admit it out load, but he has the biggest soft spot for you. Has the biggest crush on you even when you are together. He likes to find cool precious or semi-precious rocks for you. Is still kind shy about it, you blush and giggle every time he does it.

🔞⚠️ NSFW under the cut ⚠️🔞

NSFW headcanons!

Shamura

They are a service top all the way. Wants to make sure you are satisfied. (Or overstimulated, whichever you like more) They will be willing to bottom but prefers to be the one pleasuring you.

Shamura likes to hold you in their hands when you two are getting nasty. It is incredibly intimate  for them and makes them feel close to you. It also feeds you size kink, which is also delightful.

They haven’t mentioned it to you directly, but they love it when you are vocal. You’re not sure if it is a dominants thing, but they want everyone in the temple to know who’s you are. They will often egg you on to be louder if you are ok with it.

Kallamar

Kallamar is a switch that is more comfortable being a bottom. He is worried that if he is on top, he might hurt you, at least that is what he says. He truly revels in that fact that someone who is (or technically was) a follower is having their way with him.

Will do whatever position you want him to do. This man will do the banana splits if that’s what you want.

Would be shy about it but would love to be pegged. Not being in any sort of control would be euphoric for him. And he would be like putty in your hands. Just don’t tell any of his siblings, ok?

Heket

Heket is also a switch but is usually the dominant one. She loves making a mess out of you and will make you say your darkest desires. This is especially true if you show embarrassment, she will double down and she will know by the end of the night.

She isn’t mean in bed but won’t deny that she can be a bit of a bully. Heket can say the nicest things while forcing you to your knees with the best bedroom eyes you have ever seen.

Will call you a “Good little follower” if you are into that. But that also means you will be required to call her your Mistress. But that isn’t really a bad thing in your eyes.

Leshy

Leshy is a top. He has trouble being the bottom, due it his wandering hands that can’t stay to themselves. He also can’t help that you are so attractive to him! You are his kryptonite, in more ways than one. He is also a notorious tease in and out of bed.

His favorite place is in the baren parts of the Darkwood forest. He has an exhibitionist streak that simply can’t be ignored. He is a bit more primal due to him being a bit younger than his other siblings. So, he likes to be more in the open when you too are intimate.

Out of the current Bishops, definitely has a breeding kink. If you don’t want kids, he will respect that. but if you would at least roleplay it with him, he will be a goner. And if you do want kids? Be prepared, you are in for a ride.

[rubykgrant]

How do you imagine Junior's interactions with people other than Tucker? You could do just the Blood Gulch Crew, but others like Freelancers or Chorusians would be interesting too.

While Junior is VERY big and physically intimidating, he's still not an adult, so most people see him and don't realize this is a KID... the Reds and Blues are aware of this, though. If they were in a situation where they have the time to actually think about it (and aren't currently in the middle of something that has everybody all stressed-out/riled-up), they'd try to make attempts to be nice to him (though some of them are so out of practice, they are unsure how to like... entertain children)

-Carolina wasn't good with kids even when she WAS a kid. Once she figures out how to make Junior laugh, she latches on to that, she's going to be the Funny Aunt (she also shows off, doing lots of cool stunts)

-Sarge is like "Hey kid, wanna see me blow something up?"

-Junior remembers Doc, and they're both automatically fond of each other. Doc knows what kind of snacks he likes, and will make it fun by having a whole "pretend restaurant" when they cook stuff together (O'Malley will be the one sho asks "Are any other kids picking on you? Wait, one of the PARENTS made a rude comment? I SHALL DESTROY THEM")

-Simmons is SO out of his depth at first, he's like "OK, Junior is a kid... like, a toddler? No, wait, he plays basketball, he's on a team... is he he in middle school? A teenager?". Once Junior shows any interest in books/building toys, Simmons forgets to be nervous and accidentally becomes very entertaining/nurturing (seriously, he doesn't even realize he's good at it)

-Grif is a big bro, he knows how to be fun. He shows Junior every version of the Ninja Turtles and Batman that exists, Junior thinks Grif is like the EXPERT on super hero stuff

-Tex will just buy him whatever he wants; A new bike? You got it. Oh, the bike broke? Well, I'll get you a heavy-duty MOTORCYCLE. Also, ALL OF THE POKEMON CARDS

-Donut tries to be helpful and warn Junior about "dangerous addictive substances", but also lets the kid drink coffee

-Wash is initially awkward about being left alone with Junior, but once the kid shows Wash what cartoons he likes to watch, Wash is like THANK GOODNESS, they can bond over that (once he really gets to know Junior, Wash is the fussy worry-wart who gets over-protective)

-Kai is the "big event" person, she'll take him to an amusement park or the movies, something really cool like that

-Church has decided he no longer thinks Junior is a "gross parasite", and refuses to admit he ever acted like that (if anybody tries to bring it up, Church just goes "What? I never said that. You're crazy"). When Church realizes Junior thinks he's cool, he takes that VERY seriously. The Fragments also help, they all like Junior a lot (Church definitely doesn't want children of his own, but he's actually very caring and even nurturing... when he isn't trying to be a jerk)

-Caboose is very passionate about telling Junior stories, so the kid will know all about what everybody was up to when they couldn't be together. Caboose will also collect lots of things he thinks Junior will like, putting them into little music boxes (whenever Caboose sees Junior, the kid feels like he's getting a magical gift of precious treasures)

-Lopez likes sharing different crafts with Junior, and teaches the kid how do things that are practical, like work on vehicles, but also creative things like carve wood and paint

-Locus is supremely ashamed of all the horrible things he ever did, he doesn't feel like he should even be allowed to be liked by Junior. He will remain invisible, but still keep Junior safe, and make sure the kid has whatever food or toys he wants. Junior thinks he has a friendly ghost following him around

-Everybody on Chorus either treats Junior like a very important ambassador (which is technically true) or royalty (which is possibly true?), but once people like Kimball, Grey, and the Lieutenants get to know him, they try to be very friendly and acknowledge his needs as a kid (Palomo and Matthews are arguably the best at entertaining him)

EDIT; fixed it, now complete with Caboose~

[blackbloodedisabel]

main characters for your mermaid thing?

>:) thank you (deranged cackling)

arguably some of the characters I've included here are not main main characters but they mean a lot to me and they have important roles in the story ok

I will include a character grid for everyone this is the format of the character grid:

'eyes' just means vibe, jewellery is the main component of their.. jewellery because everyone here has their own unique magic jewellery (part of the magic system/worldbuilding) except Calen who has a crown only because he's king.

Teagan is my lonely human skrunckly goober losing her grip on reality<3 15 years ago her older brother got dragged from a cliff into the sea by a big scary sea monster lizard, her parents blamed mermaids and have been going out monster hunting in their boat for weeks at a time. she went with them until she was old enough to stay at home and now she's going slightly insane from lack of human contact and thinks the wind and sea are old lovers/friends/rivals. she lives in a weird amalgamation of cornwall/north devon/mid-west wales and she's the most ridiculous author insert you've ever seen. she's very nice, sort of a peacemaker figure, she loves rock climbing and the sea and her hair is perpetually crusty with salt/sand. arguably the second main character and the secondary pov character.

Anemone is the shy princess who was the first picrew I made and she has been the main character and number one pov character ever since. she has the biggest character arc and she is SO precious to me. she's not very magically powerful and is horrifically insecure about it which is not helped by the fact that when she attended magic tutoring (because she’s a princess and her family has historically been very magically powerful) her best (only) friend was the most powerful witch for generations. then Ane left really abruptly and they didn't speak or see each other for close to 2 years. precious baby Ane has spent the last 2 years rotting in her room combing her hair and staring out of the window and the story starts when her brother the king forces her to leave and go on quests to help the people because she's the most useless parasitic royal ever and this is when she decides she needs her best friend's help with quests and thus the story starts. she is very shy and very much a pushover at the beginning but her arc is becoming a confident(ish) strong selfless leader <33 she is also so sapphic she rivals the og poet

Selma is that super powerful best friend!! she is arguably the most important character in terms of how she influences the people around her. she is also simultaneously a big weirdo and very cool!! she made her own magic jewellery and teaches at the magic tutoring system. her special interest is the ancient mega-powerful witch so she's obsessed with the magic jewellery/books the witch made and with the witch's descendant. she is very passionate and resilient (sometimes to her detriment) and defeats (almost) all her enemies with the sheer power of her lesbianism and homoerotic girlbestfriendships. she was very hard to name and only got her name when 'Selma' came to me in a dream (I had a different dream beforehand where the name Olympia came to me but I don't like that as much)

Iolanthe is the last living descendant of said ancient witch and Anemone’s thematic foil. this is because she has similarly mediocre magic when she should be very powerful. unfortunately she is in denial about this and still believes she has yet to earn her magic (magic in this world is both inherent from genetics/chance and earnt based on strength/resilience. Ane is very privileged and emotionally weak so she doesn't have strong magic, Selma is much more emotionally resilient so she does have strong magic etc etc). this means Io spends all her time in her workshop paid for by her richass family trying to make the perfect piece of magical jewellery which she can form a conduit bond with (you can magically bond with a piece of jewellery which will massively amplify your power if you earn it, usually done by making it (like Selma, who Io is very jealous of and inspired to make jewellery by), finding it or buying it with money you worked for). then near the end of part one the questing gang (Ane, Teagan, Selma, Mel, Enith and to an extent Isther) show her the jewellery they've collected which was all made by her ancient witch ancestor. she becomes convinced that she needs these specific pieces of jewellery to become powerful, but obviously they're bound to various members of the questing gang. everything spirals from there. she seems really dull and a bit entitled but on the inside she's making such leaps to conclusions that she is my secret favourite

Melyde is a street singer who, at the start of the story, earnt a conduit bond with a necklace made by the ancient witch (someone threw it at her when she was performing). previously she had no magic (quite rare to have NONE most people just have very weak) but after forming the bond she became about the second most powerful witch after Selma. unfortunately she had precisely zero control over it and accidentally lured half the city to watch her perform and give her money, so Selma and the gang (just Ane and Enith at that point) had to step in and get her to join the gang so Selma could teach her magic properly. you can tell Mel and Selma are in love because their colour schemes make up the lesbian flag. melyde's whole shtick is being very brave and stubborn and while she may be the most pointless character of the gang she means a lot to me

Enith (with a VOICED TH) is the gang's navigator and the first person Selma and Ane recruited to join them. she is from the deep ocean and has an unfashionable haircut because she's making a statement! and I love her. she spent her childhood mapping out the cave system behind her house and when she was older she moved to the capital city to run a tour guide and map making shop because she didn't want to work in her parents' glass making business. she's also got no magic of her own. she's very kind and friendly until her parents are killed at the end of part one (spoilers) after which she becomes angry impatient and withdrawn. I got her name by misspelling enid as enidd, which my brain read as enith because of welsh phonetics. love her!!

Isther (isster) has I think the most duality out of the characters. she fluctuates between poor little traumatised baby and lying vengeful murderous little shit. the gang found her when they accidentally got into the huge sealed-off cave where all the sea monsters were imprisoned after the big attacks 15 years ago and for some reason she was imprisoned there too?? how odd. they freed her and she joined the group. she's actually the witch who controls the sea monsters though she doesn't know that until the end of part 1 and she wasn't born murderous.. unfortunately still a liar and she does end up being (one of) the actual villains even if she was manipulated into it a bit. she could've been ok. she could've been ok!! Ane could've fixed her honestly there's something a little jackieshauna about them (pink and green, homoerotic friendship ended by violent betrayal)

Calen is Anemone’s older brother and the king. he's not a main character but I feel obligated to mention him. he has Issues about his mother. probably the closest to morally grey out of all the non-villain characters because he ends up using child soldiers because he can't beat an angsty 17 year old and her 5-6 uncreative sea monsters

that's them!! thank you for asking about my goobers

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Francis Drake Main Story

This is a rough translation. I’ll edit this if I find the time. Expect mistakes.

Drake stopped me, and I followed his lead and got into the boat.

Drake: "On your right is a very nice tower."

Mitsuki: "Hehe, that's the Eiffel Tower."

Drake: "That's right, the Eiffel Tower."

Just as he said himself, he hadn't yet memorized all the sights in Paris, so his tour was a bit clumsy. However, I found it enjoyable how carefree he was.

Mitsuki: "What you see over there is the building of the Paris Expo. I went there before with everyone from the mansion."

Drake: "Yeah, they're having a huge festival-like event."

Mitsuki: "It was fun. Let's go together next time. Vincent's studio is also around there."

Mitsuki: "Okay, next. The theater over there often performs Shakespeare's plays. Wait, why does it seem like I'm the one giving the tour?"

Drake: "Haha! You're amazing. I'm learning a lot from you."

He stopped rowing the oar and narrowed his eyes.

Drake: "This city holds a lot of memories for you and the folks at the mansion, huh?"

Mitsuki: "Yup. I was able to get used to and enjoy the lifestyle of the 19th century, thanks to everyone."

Drake: "Do you like this world?"

Mitsuki: "Yes, I do."

When I first time-traveled here, I was bewildered by the differences in time and culture. But now, the people I've met have become dear to me, and this world has become a place I belong to. So much so that I was willing to live here.

(But…)

Drake: "Then why the gloomy face?"

Mitsuki: "Huh?"

I lifted my slightly lowered face and saw him staring intently at me.

Drake: "Don't you realize? You seem to enjoy talking about this city and the people in the mansion, but sometimes you look a little sad."

(I promise not to feel down, and yet...)

He saw through my expression that I didn't even notice myself. He leaned his elbow on his knee and looked up at me, resting his chin on his hand.

Drake: "If you're carrying something, you can let it out here. You've been around here for a while, so it might be hard to talk to everyone at the mansion about it."

Mitsuki: "........"

Prompted by his gaze, I opened my lips.

Mitsuki: "It's true that I love this world."

Mitsuki: "But the more I think that way, the more I feel guilty about it."

Drake: "Guilty?"

Mitsuki: "Because my loved ones are in my world."

Family and friends. I had left everything from my past behind as I stepped through that door.

I really gave it my all to stay positive, but those lingering attachments and regrets kept dragging me down, making it difficult for me to start over.

Mitsuki: "I felt like I was betraying my world by accepting that I couldn't go home."

(Despite being treated well by everyone, I keep looking back repeatedly.)

(I'm so half-hearted.)

I clumsily let all the worries that had accumulated in my chest out into words, and he listened without saying anything.

Mitsuki: "Sorry you have to hear me talk like this."

Drake: "It's fine."

Drake: "You're ridiculously kind."

Mitsuki: "What?"

Drake: "You're worried that you're betraying someone."

Drake: "I've seen plenty of people get angry and sad because they've been betrayed, but you're different."

He said it as if he were in front of something mysterious.

Mitsuki: "I don't want to betray anyone because it would destroy the precious bond we've built."

Drake: "Bonds, huh?"

Drake: "No matter how strong your bonds are, there's always a chance the other person might betray you."

He looked at me and spoke again.

Drake: "I understand that your world is important, but it sounds like it's become a burden for you."

Mitsuki: "It's not a burden at all."

Drake: "You sure? The only things that come out of your mouth are thoughts of betrayal, guilt, and a sense of wrongdoing."

Drake: "You haven't forgotten or discarded that world. You're continuing to carry it while making excuses about being unable to do anything to comfort yourself."

(.......)

The words he said hit me like a knife.

He straightened himself up, and the wind rustled his hair and the feathers on his hat.

Drake: "If it's really important, even if you're apart and even if you can't meet, those feelings won't change and will remain just as strong."

Drake: "You should be proud that you have many important and irreplaceable things."

Drake: "It's your life. No matter how you choose to live, it won't be a betrayal."

(It won't be a betrayal?)

His straightforward words flowed like water into my chest, making all the worries and hesitations disappear.

Drake took off his hat and gently placed it on my head.

Drake: "Well, unlike you, I've always had this burning desire to get back at my enemies."

He playfully patted my head through the hat and smiled.

Drake: "If you're always thinking about those people and sacrificing your desires, you'll miss out on life."

Drake: "Or are there people among those 'important ones' who would call your way of living a betrayal?"

Mitsuki: "No! I'm sure no one would say something like that."

Drake: "Haha! You said it confidently."

Drake: "In that case, you should choose the path you believe in."

Drake: "In my opinion, living in a way that goes against your own wishes is the real betrayal."

Mitsuki: "Drake..."

(Even if I choose my way of life, my feelings toward those important to me won't change. I won't betray them.)

I traced those words in my heart once more, and my heart felt lighter.

(As he says, rather than being trapped in regret and guilt...)

I should cherish what's important and stay true to my feelings.

I reflected on my feelings and placed my hand firmly on my chest.

Drake: "I just had an idea. Why don't we throw some bottled messages in the ocean next time?"

Mitsuki: "A message in a bottle? The one where you put a letter in a bottle and throw it into the ocean?"

The letter was then carried away by the waves, never knowing when or to whom it would be delivered.

Drake: "Yeah, that. If we use it, the letter won't get destroyed."

Drake: "The ocean goes on forever, after all."

Mitsuki: "That's true. Thank you, Drake."

The smile he gave me was kind of glowing.

I squinted my eyes without knowing if it was because of the reflection of the light on the river's surface or because of my own feelings.

(A message in a bottle, huh? That feels like a dream.)

I hoped that one day I could make it come true with him by my side.

(Talking to Drake made me feel lighter, as if something I had been holding in my chest was flowing away.)

"You're continuing to carry it while making excuses about being unable to do anything to comfort yourself."

What he said earlier really stung. But his typical words and aloof smile freed me from the cycle of emotions.

(It's all thanks to him.)

I tried to thank him again but found him staring at the river.

Drake: "But I think it's amazing that you can think about someone or the world you've lived in."

Drake: "I'll probably never understand that in my lifetime."

He spoke in a hushed, mumbling tone, and his eyes had a cold light in them, giving off a chilling sense of vulnerability.

(Drake?)

Drake: "Well, I’m sure you’ll be fine, so you don’t need to worry about it."

Drake: "Real betrayal is much more merciless."

He suddenly wore a dazzling smile, quite different from before, and casually uttered those words.

(Does that mean he has experienced that before?)

Drake: "Even so, you're quite mysterious."

Mitsuki: "Huh? Is there something strange about me? I think I'm pretty normal."

Drake: "That's what's strange about it. You time-traveled, lived with vampires, and got caught up in ridiculous destinies, but you're just an ordinary girl."

Drake: "You worry, you laugh—you're just a normal pretty lady."

Mitsuki: "........."

My heart skipped a beat at his gentle smile.

Drake: "Maybe that's the sort of person who's destined to make a difference."

Mitsuki: "Drake?"

He suddenly leaned forward, his smile vanishing.

Previous Part ╎ Masterlist ╎ Next Part

[misscammiedawn]

What is your favorite thing about hypnosis?

It's a gateway to emotional connection. There's something so intimate and tender about the level of trust it takes to just give yourself over to someone else's care, to create magic with imagination and forge a bond.

There's something so beautiful about someone making you melt against them with a firm action or ignite your senses with some well placed words. It's like all the swooning and elated highs of Top/Sub Space without like the adrenaline spikes and physical stuff.

Plus it's nice to just let go? You know? Let yourself stop being stressed, to just follow someone's guidance and accept a blissful surrender? To care for a partner and to be taken care of? To engage in an intimate dance of give and take where two hearts just sync up and have a push/pull of emotional exchange.

Our heart just melts thinking about the way Sleepyhead's eyes flutter when she gives that little "oooh" sigh when allowed to go deep or we hear the affectionate growl in Daja's voice when she uses her magic voice.

We love being able to cuddle Precious and feel an emotional bond with any of our partners or to be able to squeeze our long distance love's hand from states away.

It's the closest thing to magic in a world with so very little true joy.

Most of the time we don't really do much more than go in and out of trance and any suggestions we pull on either side of the watch are usually just playing with the method, emotion and depth of trance.

We used to do a lot of guided imagery work but it's lost its allure since all the character stuff we have been fairly outspoken about. We're just content to let hypnosis itself be the fascination now. In a way it's always been about hypnosis itself. The method, the practice, the engaging--

Like, let's go over our origin story. We have said it a bunch on this blog but it always bares repeating because despite the whole tagging system we don't expect anyone other than ourselves to go digging into the archives.

We got into it in our teens because we were like SUPER into stage magic. Can't remember the origins but we watched specials when they were on ITV and there was a hypnosis show on too. British TV has laws against displaying hypnosis on television and someone we knew was at a taping and we were like "TELL US WHAT THEY CENSOR ON THE SHOW!" and it was like the first time we realized that hypnosis was like real? Like we knew stage magic was real (as in, we were fascinated by how it was performed, not that we believed that magicians could fly and disappear and such) too but like, it wasn't deception, it was suggestion? If that makes sense? And I think learning that was super formative for our obsession.

There was also this UK Megalab thing in the early 90s which was formative? Like they were doing tests on if subliminal advertising worked or not with a call in reaction where parts of the nation were shown subliminals and others weren't and we were like SO fascinated by it.

We don't remember the details but remember a similar sort of "glued to the TV" reaction to it?

Anyway. That's why we fell in love.

And we read SO MANY BOOKS after we settled down from the life disruption at 17. We didn't have a lot of entertainment options back then and so did a lot of library reading and living at the local Borders-- those years all blur together but we did a bunch of reading, especially on Ericksonian stuff and then we got tangled with the online community which--- well-- we've typed about the early community.

But eventually we found our people, found our niche and ended up being one of the peoples that really take a shine to it on both sides of the watch. We're never gonna be like Sleepyhead or sleepingirl and we don't really wanna be. We wanna be the only CamDawn and we do pretty good at that.

Every year at Charmed and Beguiled we get reminded that we're part of this community and part of the conversation and that is something wonderful too. Hypnosis is pretty much our biggest lifelong obsession and though there are better things to dedicate one's time and obsession too, we're lucky we have the thing we have. It's who we are and it makes us so so happy!

[lumiereandcogsworth]

and AND okay I saw your screenshots of Maurice and Belle hugging in his castle and it got me wondering, if HE had stayed there, do you think the curse could've been broken? like obviously it might've taken more time for either of them to start liking the other but do you think a fatherly bond could break the curse or do you think adam would just reject him because "gross, fathers 🤮" and keep him locked up/ignore him?

GOSH THIS IS SOOOO INTERESTING!!!!!!!!!! buckle up because i basically wrote the plot of how this goes down and it’s epic >:)

i do love their bond so much. like post-curse? they’re so precious to me. adam is so nervous around him (for so much longer than he needs to be sjdksj) and was so deeply apologetic and respectful and like. gosh i mean how do you justify “i know i imprisoned both you and your daughter and definitely made you think i’d kill you both but can i please date and possibly marry her now? 👉👈” it’s CRAZY. but of course they get well acquainted, much with belle’s help, to the point of being THE sweetest father- and son-in-law you’ve literally ever seen.

BUT WHAT IF THEY JUST ENDED UP KIND OF STUCK WITH EACH OTHER??? sooo interesting. i definitely agree that yeah, adam would absolutely ignore him for a good long while. not even the servants would consider maurice to be an option for breaking the curse (i mean, they know adam is into men too, but they just Don’t Think maurice is his type🤔) but they do still break him out and bring him to a bedroom i think. because they’re KIND and he’s a sickly old man and i think they were legit worried he would die (and if he stayed in that dungeon? he definitely would have.)

i also don’t think anyone would try to force them to have dinner together at first. they’d make sure maurice ate but probably kept him in his room just kinda like “i guess we’ll just take care of him now !!!!!”

adam & maurice probably first interacted when maurice was feeling better. they warned him not to go near the master since he wasn’t Super Happy they moved him from the dungeon to the bedroom, but that he could go walk around if he so chose. so maurice would go on short wanderings around the castle. maybe he’d find the library (and think “GOSH i wish belle could see this”) and adam would happen to walk by and SCREAM at him asking WHY is he here??? GET OUT!!!! and maurice would go very quickly back to his bedroom😳

i think it would take a lot of convincing/wearing down from lumiere and the gang being like “no he’s actually a really nice man! and HEY… maybe if you befriend him… and his daughter returns… maybe something could happen !! ;)” and adam’s like “that’s literally ridiculous. first of all this man is old and dirty and A THIEF? a CRIMINAL? second of all his daughter seems just as foolish and will probably never come back for him. why would she bother?” and they’re like “we’ve been talking to him though and i think he and his daughter… Love Each Other … ?” and adam’s like. that’s sickening. goodbye.

anyway long story short it would definitely take a WHILE. the servants keep telling adam little things about maurice, or he just overhears them talking about him, or to him, and then… perhaps one day, adam finds maurice in the portraits hall. and adam usually never goes in there but he sees him through the open doorway and he’s like 🤨 and begrudgingly goes in. and maurice is like 😳 at first but notices adam doesn’t seem As Angry. and also isn’t Stomping after him. just sort of coming over. and adam keeps his distance and says “what are you doing here” and maurice is like “my apologies… i was just admiring all these portraits! i’m an artist, you see” and adam’s like >:/ (doesn’t know how to hold a conversation) and it’s very awkward and weird. maurice tries to ask a couple questions about the artists of the portraits but adam doesn’t really have much insight. but maurice doesn’t mind this, he starts rambling about his own artistic background, the portraits he’s done, all this stuff. and adam’s just like. okay👍 and essentially leaves.

but that’s the first shift into realizing that maybe maurice isn’t scum of the earth? maybe he’s a kind man? and something shifts in adam because he’s obviously always unconsciously longed for a good father figure, so i think he starts very slowly being drawn to conversations with maurice. even if he has nothing to contribute, just likes listening to this kind man share his stories, somehow sprinkling life advice into it (as dads always do) and that kind of thing. slowly but surely, adam very slightly starts opening up, until eventually they’re having actual conversations. they go on walks, they talk about art, and paris, and horses, and books. maurice talks about his daughter all the time too.

all the while, adam (and the servants!) have this hope that if adam & maurice can just get close enough, and if belle is able to return somehow, (i cannot even fathom the plot reason for why she can’t come back quickly but i’m gonna chock it up to the Castle Time Zone situation. it feels a lot longer here than it is lol), anyway, if belle is able to return somehow, maybe maurice will endorse their courtship, since he seems to have taken a liking to the peculiar beast. it all feels impossible of course, but that’s the hope.

time (castle time) continues to pass, adam and maurice become so deeply acquainted with each other. adam is almost entirely unafraid to share deeper thoughts with maurice, he really learns to trust him, to care about him. somewhere inside… he maybe begins to love him.

and maurice?? oh he’s definitely learned to love this lad. like 100% he adores adam. he grows to have such a fondness for him, i think it even crosses his mind that “in another life” he’d be a suitable partner for his daughter. but he knows they’ll have to get acquainted and be friends, at the very least. but yeah, there’s definitely love in his heart for adam. they were always meant to have this father-son bond!!!😭

i think it would be so sweet if it just happened so randomly. if adam and maurice were sitting and chatting in the library one night. their topic of conversation had taken a slightly more serious route, and adam shares some kind of insecurity about never really having been loved… not since his mother died. and maurice just smiles sadly and puts a hand on his big shoulder and says “oh, dear lad! but i love you!” and adam’s just like :”0 and it’s in that moment that he realizes, For Sure, that he loves maurice too. his heart is fully unlocked, and love is found there. and in that moment, THE BOY STARTS GLOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

crazy wild and shocking. maurice stands and jumps back, scared that something BAD is happening!! but then adam transforms into his true self, and maurice is like WHOAGH!!! :D!!!!! and adam is smiling and maurice says “was that all i had to say?? you could’ve changed weeks ago!!” and adam just kind of laughs in disbelief and maurice goes up to him and hugs him tight and adam just melts into it. and of course before long, all the servants come running in as humans, SUPER confused and partially thinking adam and maurice were romantically in love after all 😭😭 but mrs. potts is like “no you FOOLS. they just love each other. like a father and son should.” and adam is so 🥺🥺🥺🥺 and maurice just nods in agreement, arm still around his dear boy 🥹

and of course that same day they go GET BELLE and maurice is like OH MY DEAR DO I HAVE THE GUY FOR YOU!!!!!!!🫵🫵🫵

the end :)

[robinpixels]

Have you ever thought about how much worse the dynamic between Beta and the Zeniths are, when you do up the timeline and realize she could be as young as fourteen/fifteen? In no way a developed socially adept child because she grew up with freaking holograms and had no positive physical contact?

If you ignore the age bit. Beta probably only knows physical touch through the Specters and maybe some robotics around the ship. The first time she has physical contact that’s nice isn’t even from Aloy. It’s from Varl. And then he gets brutalized and she has no one to hug her or pull her close because Aloy is also socially inept (and possibly 19/20). Zo is trying to deal with the loss of not only the guy she liked but her baby’s dad. The others aren’t even sure how to connect. Though Erend might cause he’s a sibling.

But just. Does anyone else realize how traumatized Beta actually is and how much worse it is for her?

Opinion or your own thoughts? Cause this has me very concerned for how Beta could be mentally for the next game.

oh hello!! haha, god its been so long since i've put my hzd/hfw thinking cap on but i love chattin' shop and opinions and i've a few to toss around

to start around my thoughts personally i've always interpreted beta from the time we know her to be about 18! not from any hard concrete evidence, so this is definitely not a correction, i just gleaned so from initial impressions and from a personal bias in my head how its quite poetic to me if Aloy were staring back at someone that could resemble a version of herself back when she first started her journey. Then lending to her personal frustration when said mirror doesn't in actuality resemble her (or Lis, in her view) at all. its even more devastating to me in this sense too 'cuz what she could have had as a 'childhood' is essentially already all gone. but yeah, long story short - while if i'm honest i don't think she's a child anymore, she is definitely very much so floundering and struggling in her young adulthood (i still stand by how she's depicted in False Negative, like that's just Her to me, Tessa u absolute wonder u).

god, ur probably right about her not having positive physical contact all this time - either violence or nothing up until the point she meets the GAIA squad. the concept of the bond beta and varl could have had always makes me SO sad to think about, it could have been so good, and personally it does frustrate me how they never leaned more into it to the detriment of both varl and beta. they could've had such a beautiful meaningful friendship (please pardon 'Ro is Annoyed at How Varl was Treated as a Character In-Story, Part Infinity, but this does touch upon it). It's undeniable she's been through a whole hell of a lot in that brief span of time she was on Earth and away from the Zeniths - the whole crew has, and as trauma does it's definitely gonna leave them all scrambling.

but in my wholesale opinion i gently pat ur head and assure you she will probably be alright at the end of the day! while FW was imo incredibly garbled in its delivery in places it does make clear that coming together to form a community to withhold against adversity is the goal here, and one everybody at Base recognizes and I feel are making great strides to get there! i have faith in this motley crew - Alva is Alva, bubbly and cooperative as ever; Kotallo's stoic but incredibly warm and well-meaning; Erend is Erend, he's always been good to his friends; Zo as an Utaru probably knows better than anyone the importance of community support and cooperation. as for Aloy i think she's taken that good bopping to the head in regards to learning to depend on people and letting people depend on her - she's got a lot of solitude issues herself as is to be expected but it really did warm me seeing how she's trying to get over them for the sake of everyone around her, and is enjoying finally leaning on that community too. my most precious babygirl. i'm very proud of her

i'm absolutely positive beta is in astoundingly good hands - they're all in astoundingly good hands w one another! it's been so cute to me how post game you can tell she's starting to heal and engage with others, just how the team had done before and after her. While absolutely I think they're all going to have their missteps and stresses and maybe a falling out here or there as they try and adjust, I honestly think the horizon series is at its core all about having compassion and care for your fellow man (albeit taking no shit from them at the same time) and the world you live in, so I doubt any of them will even accidentally leave Beta behind. she's got a sister, a mom, and a wholeass family now!! i adore how all the post-game content has been beta shyly but slowly but surely getting better, determined as she is to contribute the ways she can now.

hahaskdaflj; you were probably expecting an angstier response out of me and oh believe me i love the angst!! but i also have such a soft spot for when horizon goes all Indomitable Human Spirit on us it makes me go all gooey. i think the kids will be alright <3

on a funnier note to an extent i believe in beta precisely BECAUSE she's already a little unhinged. girl came in with the box already banged up and inherently fucked up. yeah miss beta 'let me just knock myself out cold and tear this implant directly out of my head that'll thwart em' sobeck will fit right alongside that hall of madness now known as Base GAIA she'll do just fine and dandy. i've gotten such a taste for unhinged sapphics lately and when horizon delivers it DELIVERS

[browniefox]

Anyway here's a some FFXVI Recs for anyone who's interested.

A Lesser Dragon by ScribeOfReaper

Dragoon's learn many things from their namesake. Many of their techniques and traditions are derived from the dragons. Pride not least among them. A shame that no one told them; pride cometh before a fall.

It's really a shame that so little is done with Clive's Imperial Slave name. Like, what was the purpose of it? Why did it never come up again? How did he get that name? This fic provides answer to at least some of that, and is just a fun and well-written fic!

to kill fate by godblues

Ifrit is not the only thing that awakens on the night that Phoenix Gate burns, and bonds of consciousness manifest in ways Ultima never expected.

Unfinished :( but, still fun to read! I love big messy soulmate bonds, which is more or less what this is - all of the eikons have this kind of mental link to each other. It's inspired by Sense8, which I've never watched but know the general premise of. The relationships I feel are really fun and interesting, including some pairings I've either never considered or liked done in a different way.

Chains of Fate by ScribeOfReaper

In the Aftermath of Phoenix Gate, Anabella finds a most precious treasure. One that will not only guarantee her position as Empress and ensure the preservation of her line, but one that proves the power of her noble blood. For who else can lay claim to being the mother of not one, but two Dominants.

Unfinished but updates ~weekly. A very good and clearly well thought out alternate version of events where Clive is taken to Sanbreque with Anabelle bc she knows he's a dominant. The politics are so fascinating to read about! The different sides only grow more interesting, and the author just very clearly knows what they're doing - my best memory is getting to a part and feeling like ':( man this is hard on Clive I wish he had at least *some* support' AND LOW BEHOLD HE GOT IT RIGHT THEN!

These Things Are True by nightspear

After surviving the tragic fire that killed his father and brother, fifteen-year-old Clive Rosfield moves in with his mother and her new husband, the CEO of Bahamut Industries. Following a report from a concerned doctor six months later, Clive is taken into foster care and sent to stay with a man named Cid Telamon. Injured and grieving, Clive struggles to find his footing in a new home while his mother and stepfather fight for his return.

Top tier. Unfinished but updates ~weekly, and I *think* it's finished, just being posted spread out. One of those fics that could be read by someone with no knowledge of the fandom and you'd still get an amazing read and experience out of it. These kind of fics make me think of BDG's explanation of the commedia dell'arte, where the characters names foretell the role and relationships they'll have in the story, but again you could read this w/o having played FFXVI - And you should! Golden characteriation, relationships, distinct voices for each character, I'm eating this up and every update I am screaming and cheering and tearing through it!

my opus, daughter dearest by shepherd

The girl snuffled, trembling and pale and waiflike enough that Cid half expected that she would be carried away with the fading autumn leaves – and when Cid hoisted her up and placed his hand against the small of her back, it almost swallowed her entirely.

Short but cute oneshot of Cid finding Mid. There's a tragic lack of Mid fics, and it was just so nice to read one about Cid getting wrapped around her finger immediately <3

Second Flight of the Fledgling by Ghostline

As Joshua surrendered the Phoenix to his brother he felt the cold of death upon him, and Clive's fiery wings were the last thing he ever expected to see. He did not expect to wake in his brother's arms 18 years earlier, prior to the Night of Flames. Whether by Ultima, his brother, or Metia's divine grace, he had been gifted a chance to right the wrong that had torn his brother from him.

Unfinished by a couple chapters. There's a great many time travel fics in the fandom, but I am also rather picky when it comes to time travel, and this is the only one that's really scratched the itch I've been looking for. It's told mostly through POVs that are not Joshua, which I feel like works very strongly in its favor. The reactions of other characters is exactly what you want them to be and does not disappoint. Also has a great explanation for 'time traveled character in their younger counterpart, which one are they' that will stick with me forever I think and influence how I write some time travel fics.

Queen of Blood and Snow by AnxieteaAndCake

Jill approached the table, putting on the guise she resentfully called “the pretty little doll”. She walks, she even talks! She rarely thinks for herself, however, and never ruffles feathers! And so pretty! It was a cloak she’d donned many times in her life: in Rosaria, on the Iron Islands, even at the Hideaway before she’d finally become comfortable there. She hated it. It was like putting on rancid animal skins: unpleasantly slick on her skin and cloying in her nose.

A good fic that plays with two things that the game should have and never did: the fact that Gav is also a Northerner, and that Jill presumably still has a family or at least Kingdom that she could visit, if not try to make home once more should she wish. In general, Jill's situation with the Rosfields and how that'd impact her and her family is underutilized. This fic utilizes it! There are some things I'd change or tweak, and I can never get enough Gav, but I still think it's a great exploration of Jill going home - if it can even be called that anymore.

Encore by BrownieFox

Joshua wakes up in the Year of the Realm 860, confused but with knowledge of the future he should not have. With time, he will find that he is not the only one. or One by one, the dominants in the past come to remember a future that will never exist.

Wh-what??? How embarrassing, how did this get here? But of course I'm gonna rec my own fic. Have you ever read a time travel fic and were like 'gee, I wish this only focused on each character remembering the future and their immediate reactions to that kind of knowledge', then you're in luck bc that's what this is! It does have something of forward momentum, as there's a short time skip between each chapter, and you get to see how some things change bc of the Dominants remembering things.

[pennamesmith]

Twin Pattern

Another Masters of the Universe: Revolution story. Hordak confronts Adam, and phones home.

—

The castle was his.

Hordak sat on the great throne of Grayskull and felt the power thrumming at his fingertips — power now safely contained by Motherboard’s hand. He felt triumph, yes, and the thrill of conquest, but even more than that he felt relief. His mightiest enemy lay neutralized. At last, Eternia was safe. He let out a breath.

There was a commotion at his feet. He deigned a glance.

“Keldor! How could you?”

It was the champion. He-Man. Except he was only Adam now, without his precious powers. The boy struggled against his bonds.

“He was your brother! You sold out your family for…”

Skeletor cackled as he lorded over the scene, discarding his disguise before the shocked prince. “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!”

Hordak thought about family.

“That’s right, you boob!” Skeletor gloated. “It was me all along. And you fell for it! You were simply too nice for your own good!”

Adam crumpled in defeat, the spirit draining from his body. Hordak leaned forward. He was watching closely now.

Skeletor made an exaggerated yawn. “Well, this is all terribly exciting, but it’s getting late, so I should probably get my baby nephew here into his playpen.” He patted Adam roughly on the head. “By which I mean the dungeons. I’m going to put you in jail. Only it’s like baby jail, because you’re a baby. That’s the joke. Get it?”

“I got it.” Sighing, Adam struggled to his feet and turned to leave at Skeletor’s prodding.

“Wait.”

They both froze as Hordak suddenly spoke. He rose from his seat and crossed to where they stood, flanked by troopers. Silently, he assessed the young hero, red eyes wary. Adam glared back icily.

“So. You are this generation’s guardian of Grayskull,” Hordak said at last. “What a puny, pitiful paladin you’ve proven to be.”

“What do you know about Grayskull?” Adam replied levelly.

Hordak bared his teeth. “More than you might imagine, mortal,” he growled.

He tried not to think about how familiar Adam’s blue eyes looked. How easy it was to recognize the color of his hair; the shape of his face. It was chance that had determined which crib he’d reached into all those years ago. He could just as easily have taken…

Adam stuck out his chin. “We’ve defeated invaders before. You’re no different.”

“I am singular,” Hordak insisted. He paced a slow circle around Adam, hands behind his back as if inspecting a wayward soldier. Yes, this impudence was familiar to him as well. The fire of Grayskull. He tried to shut out the thoughts that clamored in the back of his mind. The boy was a threat. Perhaps the greatest challenge there was to the future he hungered for, whether he knew it or not.

“You are nothing,” Hordak said, and hoped desperately that he believed it.

“I guess it would seem that way, to someone who thinks in ones and zeros,” Adam countered.

“Bah! This fight is a lot older than you are, boy!” Skeletor cut in. “How about you let the grownups talk for a while?”

“Be silent, acolyte.” Hordak pushed Skeletor away and leaned so close to Adam that he could smell the righteous fury. “It would be so much simpler to succumb, scion. Why do you persist?”

Adam allowed himself a smile. “I’ve died before. Guess I’m just not suited for it.”

“Brave words. But you would not have to die,” Hordak offered. “I am more generous than you may have judged me. The Horde’s order will make a utopia of the universe. Even so rebellious a wretch as yourself could find a future with our family. If you surrender.”

“You’re no family of mine,” Adam spat back.

Hordak snarled and whirled away, his cape an angry wave. “Get out, then!” he barked, careful not to show his face. “Make yourself useful, Skeletor. Put our guest in the deepest, darkest dungeon we have. I don’t care what you do with him after that, so long as I don’t have to witness it.”

He stalked back to the throne, and did not turn to see if his order had been obeyed.

“I live to serve,” Skeletor replied, hardly bothering to hide the sarcasm in his voice. “Let’s go, twerp.”

He dragged Adam away, and the troopers followed.

Hordak waited until they were all gone before he spoke again.

“Motherboard. Open direct communications to the Fright Zone. I would speak with your true master.”

“As you wish, Lord Hordak.” The machine-woman’s eyes glowed, and the room was bathed in purple holographic light. Hordak’s face softened at the image of a cluttered laboratory, and the tireless woman who worked at its center.

“Entrapta.”

The image of the woman looked up. “Hordak! I wasn’t expecting a call. Is the mission going all right?”

“Exquisitely so. Everything is unfolding exactly as I expected. Your marvelous machines have materialized my mastery of these malignant mongrels with miraculous momentum.”

Light years away, in Entrapta’s lab, Hordak was a crimson hologram, large as life. He strode between pulsing engines and crackling instruments. She watched him with laser focus, even as her hands and hair continued fitting parts together.

“Well you don’t have to check in for every little thing,” she said, feigning indifference. “It uses up extra bandwidth to go long-distance like this.”

Hordak drifted closer, eyes piercing. “I can spare it.”

Entrapta shivered. She loved her work. She loved it even more when Hordak looked at her deadly war machines or her technological traps the same way a poet might see the sunset, and praised her just as lyrically. His attention thrilled her. Which was why his next words sent an electric shock straight through her heart.

“Indulge me, Entrapta… are you happy here, with the Horde?”

“What?” Despite being firmly zipped up in her baggy mechanic’s clothes, she couldn’t help feeling suddenly exposed. Unbidden, her hair curled closer around her, the lights in their neural links flashing anxiously.

“I pride myself on employee satisfaction,” Hordak explained. “Does it please you, to be a part of our paradigm?”

Entrapta thought back to when she first saw the dark skull-and-bat banner of the Horde. To the day their troops arrived in her kingdom. To the moment she had looked the mighty conquerer Hordak in his burning eyes, as he bared his teeth for her. She thought of the flames that followed.

“You’ve made my life better,” she said at last.

Hordak might have said something else, but at that moment the door to Entrapta’s lab slid open. A young woman with cropped hair and fierce eyes strode in, crossing straight to the center of the room.

Hordak’s expression changed rapidly — he seemed to grow distant, then suddenly start and remember himself as he warmed into a paternal smile. If Entrapta noticed, however, she didn’t say anything.

Instead, she turned to greet the newcomer. “Ah, you’re just in time, Despara. Hordak wants to know if we’re happy.”

Despara folded her arms. “I’d be happier if you had let me come with you to Eternia.”

“Soon, my child,” Hordak said. “This world is nearly ready for you.

He gestured grandly, and the hologram expanded to show the castle walls and the mighty throne, covered in Motherboard’s circuitry. “See how I have secured the seat of your supremacy. You will rule this wretched realm righteously, once I have eliminated our enemies.”

“You could eliminate them faster with me there,” Despara insisted, but her tone was playful.

“Perhaps.” Hordak rubbed his spiked chin. “Do you desire your destiny so dearly? I cannot fault you for it. It is how I raised you, after all. And I am proud of your progress.”

He looked at her as if noticing something for the first time. “Yes, I daresay I have delayed your deployment long enough.”

Despara and Entrapta shared a surprised glance.

“My lord?” Entrapta ventured. “What are you saying?”

“I am saying I wish to see you at my side. Both of you.” Hordak knelt before the two women and extended a clawed hand. “Despara. Entrapta.”

“Will you join me?”

They returned his gaze with an intensity that transcended words. Of course they would. There was no other way. And this, they all knew, was how things were meant to be.

They would depart with the next fleet. In a matter of days, their family would be whole again. It was safe. Their greatest enemy lay conquered.

Every threat was neutralized.

At the center of the universe, on the Planet Eternia, Hordak stood alone in the great throne room of Castle Grayskull. The communication was closed, and Motherboard was once again diligently downloading data. He breathed in. And told himself that He-Man was no concern of his.

He had the power.

[wasteland-wrecker]

14 year old overboss au

Gage and Gray. Usually seen as Older brother younger brother but after his 15th birthday it's... complicated. Gage is more harsher, more tense, more worried. This kid seems to be growing up too fast. That squeaky voice turning more deep and finally a growth spurt, meaning adjustments need to be made to the power armor. It makes Gage weep a little when he thinks about it, and it makes him feel disgusting for caring so much.

It turns into a father-son type bond. Worse is, Gray slips up sometimes calls him 'Pa' and tries to completely IGNORE that he called him that. Gage can not ignore it though, not commenting on it but his brain is going NUTS.

PA?!?!? PAA?!?!?!?!?" Gage holds his head in his hands, thinking about it all. Is he a dad now??? How long has he been? Even after he swore to never have any kids - ESPECIALLY one as bratty as Gray...

The poor kid feels like he's being disrespectful to his own dad, though. Not to mention after the sight reading he's been haunted by his parents and his last moment with them alive...

"You're mama's precious boy. You wouldn't hurt anyone unless you needed to. I forgive you for your mistakes. You know that. You'll never be rotten to me."

Gray will never forgive himself for what he did to her, or to his dad.

He misses his mom a lot, honestly.

Ahem. This turned sad sorry.

The answer came FAST lol

Awww I’m crying Gage caring so much for Gray 🩶 I hope their bond gets deeper cause it would be such a nice story imo 😭😭😭

And Gray, despite everything, is still a baby (don’t tell him it’s something between us) and he is clearly missing something… 💔

[royallygray]

fic recs (part 2!)

I now genuinely enjoy writing these little blurbs and giving my opinions on fics. I would still like more fic recs :D

Part 1

Frozen Tales Don't Burn by phantom_star739 -- [38/38, 185k] A superhero crimeboys centric au where Tommy has pretended to kill the famous villain Siren and there are a lot of complicated emotions and it's so good. Tommy and Wilbur learn to tolerate each other, Wilbur learns that Tommy has secrets. My favorite part of it is the representations of the people as themes. I don't know how to phrase it, but (spoilers) Ranboo is innocence and Tubbo is knowledge. I love it.

on temporizing by LuckyMagicBelle — [incomplete, 46/50, 237k words] A weird ass time loop fic with plot where you do not expect it. It's just Tommy and Dream being chaotic fucking shits for most of the time, and then like a lore section that leaves you reeling, and then more chaos. Personally, I read it for the absolute glittery chaos that happens. It's an interesting kind of high, being so fucking confused but just vibing.

Penitent’s Rose by WhiteWolfCub (SilverWolfCub) — [25/25, 116k words] cc!Tommy and cc!Tubbo are thrown into the world of their characters and it dawns on them that oh, people actually live these horrid lives that they wrote. It’s now their mission to fix that. I really enjoy this fic. I absolutely adore Techno, and his voices are just precious too.

that’s just how i feel (always have and i always will) by ellis (ellabellachicketychella) — [1/1, 16k words] A twinsduo modern-ish au where Wilbur comes back to America after an attempt on his own life. He bonds with Techno, his brother, and reconciles with some of his old friends. And he starts to fall in love with his own life again. This fic is like a warm hug by the fire when I feel like shit. It makes me feel more like life is worth living.

honey and tangerines by bonesandthebees (bonesandcacti) — [9/9, 82k] A crimeboys centric fic from Tommy's pov where he and Wilbur are ex-stepbrothers, and Tommy needs someplace to stay after finishing high school. He makes friends and finds what it means to be a family.

The encompass series by lightning_anon — [8/8 works, 250k] This is seriously my favorite fic of all time. Nothing has topped this for me. It's a foster au where identity, neurodivergence, and gender is explored and there's so much healing and it makes my soul feel whole when I read it. Tommy gets fostered and learns how friends and actual family works. Then other fics happen and you get to hear the different stories of people and it's really nice :D I fucking love this.

The Stepping Stones series by AdrianaintheSnow —[7/? works, 259k] Okay okay okay. At first. At first. You think this is your normal superhero AU but NOPE. Well. At first it is. In the first fic, there are a few things that just don't quite add up. Things that do add up: Tubbo is king shit. Tommy is a little gremlin who has somehow befriended his captors. Ranboo is chilling. AND THEN. You get a little crisised about how weird the rest of SBI is, and then you read the second one and your brain goes into orbit. Or at least this was my experience. The plot in this is so deep. I also read most of this series in a day, which was the most amount of words I think I'd read in a day, second only to Goblet of Fire. The plot in this is genuinely stunning and I absolutely adore this. The author is a genius imo. Personally, I like the 2nd and 3rd fics more but the first one has the most content of Tubbo being badass as hell.

Ad Astra by Hellenite — [3/3, 86k] A beeduo space au in which Ranboo is a bitch of an Ender prince and Tubbo is just a mechanic that wants to be respected and enjoys the sheer adrenaline of flying a ship in space. There is bonding. There is space. I'm pretty sure they crash land somewhere. Also there's a Sneeg cameo I think. What more could you ask for?

nothing more deceptive than a simple truth by ellis (ellabellachicketychella) — [1/1, 22k] A detective AU where Techno is the Primary Detective™ and Ranboo is the Assistant™ and they are trying to figure out the murder of one J. Schlatt. Very entertaining and funny, because Ellis' writing is generally entertaining and funny (fucking love them), but also keeps you guessing and I enjoy this so much.

Whatever Remains, However Improbable by 7CxRhye — [15/15, 90k] This is another detective au fic (I love well written detective aus holy shit) where Wilbur is like. a proper insane detective and Tommy is confusedly vibing and then the plot evolves on and you get more and more into it and BAM. Shit goes down. It's so good. Words. Are failing me.

Alrighty. Yeah. I should probably not be a summary writer. Outro time wheeeee