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tea-cat-arts · 1 year ago

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Ranking mxtx couples by whether or not I think they'd be good parents

(I'm 90% sure I'm forgetting someone)

Yep, next question (S)-

Wangxian: tried and tested good dads. I wish them luck with the whole “trying to get wwx pregnant” thing

They have some shit to work through, but after that I think they'd be fine (A)-

Ling Wen/ Bai Jin: if we're just going off the original publication, I would put them in a much lower tier, but since the revised edition added that thing about them raising orphans together and said orphans turning out alright before unfortunate circumstances, I'm putting them up here. I think they'll be alright once they work through the miscommunication

Xiao Xingchen/ Song Lan: They obviously have a lot of trauma they're working through, but I'd like to think they and A-Qing will be a loving family in the long run

One of them would be a good parent, the other wouldn't be a bad parent (B)-

Jiang Yanli/ Jin Zixuan: there's no canon reason for me putting them this low. Jin Zixuan just gives off a mediocre parent vibe to me (and we all know Jiang Yanli is the best)

Yushipei: Yushi Huang has good mom energy, and Pei Ming has been shown to be a not terrible mentor. I'd want the misogyny fully beaten out of him with a mace before I'd think he should have kids of his own though

Lang Qianqiu/ Little Guy: at the very least, they're making sure Guzi is fed, clothed, washed, vaccinated, and has access to education. Neither of them know what they're doing, but I think Little Guy is good at faking it. I wish them luck in their upcoming custody battle

You know what, surprise me/ I'll hear you out (C)-

Bingqiu: My first instinct is “no, do not bring kids into this,” but then I remembered tharnShen Qingqiu has a surprisingly decent track record? Like, Ning Yingying and Ming Fan both turned out a lot more health than they did in the original novel, and though I wouldn't call him in a good place, Binghe is doing a lot better than Bingge. The wild card for me here is Luo Binghe because I have no idea how he'd be with kids

Quanyin: Yin Yu had a decent track record until he was pushed into snapping. I think rn, he needs a couple centuries of being a babygirl before he's ready to parent again. No idea how Quan Yizhen would do though

Born to “dual income, no kids, rich uncles/aunts” (D)-

Fengqing: Feng Xin is canonically a bad dad. I know he's working on it, but it is what it is. Mu Qing has been shown to be decent with kids, but I think he’d have a melt down if he had to deal with the mess constantly.

Hualian: I mean, Xie Lian has raised three kids at this point and one of them became a god, another became state preceptor and then sorta complicit in a genocide, and one became god AND committed genocide + he babysat a ghost king for months and didn't even realize that's what he was because it was a miracle if he remembered to feed him… so, a mixed bag. Hua Cheng may be schrodinger’s child hater, but I'm intrigued by the idea of him raising kids just because I want to know how his own childhood would influence his parenting abilities. They should probably just stick to babysitting for now though

Mingling: Liu Mingyan is too busy writing gay porn to be dealing with kids, and I just can't imagine Sha Hualing as a mom

Please don't bring a kid into this mess (F)-

Beefleaf: Do I need to explain this one?

Mobeishang: Shang Qinghua should not be put in any position where he has to teach someone about consent (Binghe’s early attempts at flirting being a prime example of why that's a bad idea). I also think Mobei Jun is still working on the whole “why hitting people is not cool” thing.

QiJiu: I think the original timeline is a prime example of how they're just not in a place to be raising kids

Jun Wu/ Mei Nianqing: Xie Lian would like a refund on his adopted father figures. They had one kid and he only made it to age 20 because he was cursed to not die

#heaven official's blessing #tgcf #mdzs #grand master of demonic cultivation #svsss #scum villian self saving system #I'm not tagging every couple because idk all their ship names #hualian #bingqiu #wangxian #beefleaf #qijiu #fengqing #quanyin #yushipei #for anyone wondering about the “schrodinger’s child hater” comment:#HC is shown to be on good terms/likes Banyue and Guzi but in the revised edition theres a scene where HC says he doesn't like kids #but also in that scene he's brainwashed and thinks he's a rich 16 y/o #mentally preparing myself for the Feng Xin stans to explain why mr “behave xyz way or I wont acknowledge you as a person” is a good dad #Feng Xin is less of a himbo and more of a tall/buff Chilchuck and I'd like if the fandom at large acknowledged that #idk what ship I forgot to include but I know its not a Jaing Cheng ship #edit: the Binghe defenders are raising valid points but he's still a wildcard to me because of his trust and abandonment issues #I could see bingqiu being good parents like... 5-10 years after the series end point

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naoke666 · 1 month ago

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Why is Iruma still waiting for Kirio to come back?

Just some of my thoughts in regards to this question, what I think the future holds for them as well as what their story means to me personally.

This question has been plaguing the fandom ever since 304 came out. To many people the answer is clear: because Iruma is too kind for his own good and hopes to fix Kirio. This is also often followed by frustration: why can't he just give up on him? Clearly this guy is irredeemable, heck, that's kind of his whole point. He is a twist on the tired trope of a villain who has a sad backstory to justify his actions and then gets redeemed through the power of friendship. Why ruin this perfectly good thing?

Thing is, I really get it. I kind of hate this trope too, and I love Kirio as its subversion. I think the nastiest part about this trope is that it reflects a specific kind of mindset that a lot of people fall prey to in their personal lives. Some people who end up in toxic relationships may keep themselves in there for longer than necessary in hopes that they can "fix" the other person, that if they just stay kind and patient it will all be alright. But, of course, such self-sacrifice only leads to more suffering. It's important to be selfish, to set your boundaries and, if needs be, cut the other person out for good. Perhaps because mairu is a manga so focused on positive selfishness that this feels extra frustrating to some readers - not only does it reflect this harmful mindset but they also perceive it as going against its own messaging.

So, I truly get it. In fact, I would also probably share that frustration if I thought of Kirio as one toxic guy in Iruma's life and of Iruma's response as expression of that harmful self-sacrifice. However I personally don't believe that that's what their story is about and look at it from a slightly different angle.

Stories and storytelling generally follow certain rules and patterns. There is usually a protagonist with some kind of goal they want or need to achieve, there is some kind of conflict holding them back, 3-to-5 act structure with set up-development-climax-resolution, yada-yada all that jazz. These rules are not set in stone and you can and should break them, but it's also good to be aware of them and understand how they work so you can break them smart.

To me, mairu is roughly divided into two parts: pre-battler arc and post-battler arc. The reason why I split it like this is because initially the battler arc was kind of the deciding point for whether mairu gets axed or keeps running. (I am a little too lazy to add the source for this, but Nishi has mentioned this quite a few times over the years, so it's possible to dig something up with a bit of search. Or you can just check out my previous irukiri essay. In general, i believe it's a relatively common practice for manga that gets published in magazines). So initially the battler arc was written in such a way as to be a good ending arc and nicely wrap everything up, including thematically. Basically - go out with a bang. Hence the fireworks and school bombing. Because there is a clear ending point, I believe that the first part of mairu follows this logical structure of storytelling really well. The second part starts to go more wide than deep as Nishi is incentivized to keep the manga running for as long as needed, and that overarching structure gets somewhat lost. But the themes and narrative set up in the first part still come back and are deeply embedded in the story. That's why I want to focus on the first part.

To me, the story of Iruma isn't just about him getting adopted by a kind grandpa and proceeding to have a happy and healthy childhood and fun adventures with his friends, but rather about his relationship with the new world and culture he got transported into. The way the Netherworld changes him and the way he changes the Netherworld. I would also claim that the core conflict of the story is between Iruma and the Netherworld. Perhaps the reason why this point is so relevant to me is because 10 years ago I moved to a different country in my teens, then went through a long process of becoming its citizen on documents and am still not quite done in my journey of fully integrating. So getting used to the new place and new culture, trying to grow roots in there while growing up yourself and figuring out what your ambition is are all things that resonate with me deeply.

Our set up is Iruma with no parents to support him, with no friends to be by his side, no normal childhood, no dreams and ambitions, no idea of where he is going, forced to survive and only think about survival. When he gets transported to the Netherworld, he immediately defaults to his flight-fight-freeze response. This new place scares him, the demons scare him. God forbid he lets them know about his true identity, or this place will hurt him and eat him and chew him up. So Iruma tries to run away from his fears, attempts to lay low and avoid attracting attention at all costs possible.

But of course slice of life comedy shenanigans happen that make this mindset backfire on him. And in the process Iruma starts to get more comfortable in this new world. The demonic mentality teaches him to think more about himself, to want things, even if these desires seem greedy to him; to work for those desires, to face the challenges head-on and to enjoy them to the fullest. He manages to connect with the demons he was so afraid of before. Slowly, Iruma begins to accept this world and realizes that perhaps he doesn't want to run away from it anymore. Perhaps he wants to stay here.

This is the perfect moment to test his new resolve. Cue Kirio.

Kirio has these two visually distinct "modes": his normal cute glasses I'm-just-a-little-baby harmless mode and his slicked back half bangs gloves on glasses off muhaha-im-such-a-freak evil mode. Funnily enough I think these two modes represent the duality of his role in the story. On the one hand, he is that final thing that nails down Iruma's desire to stay in the Netherworld. Before meeting Kirio, even though Iruma starts to like this new place, there is one last thing that holds him back from deciding that he wants to stay here and its the fact that he is a human. Yes, if he keeps that a secret he won't get in trouble, and hey, not all demons are bad, and at least some of them will accept him if they found out. But as a human he also lacks a lot of things that demons have. Horns, tail, wings, and most notably, magic. And even though he has his gluttony ring and grandpa's mana, it's, well, not his own. In the end, he is still an outsider. So can someone like him really belong here?

In Kirio Iruma sees himself, but also the ideal version of himself, that could live in this world. Because, even though Kirio is technically a demon, he is also an outsider for his lack of mana. But he has things he is passionate about, he has his own ambition, and that ambition involves creating ways to help people like himself level the playing field and be able to walk along everyone else. Kirio is a kind and supportive senpai that instantly makes Iruma feel accepted and understood. In that, Iruma sees an ideal to strive for, and not the Ameri kind of a perfect role model, but rather a more down-to-earth, relatable "this could be me" kind of role model.

It's kind of why I think he looks so Kirio-like in this chapter (214). He is getting closer to embodying his ideal of a kind and gentle senpai figure who can guide others and make them feel like they belong and are accepted.

Because of this, Iruma realizes that maybe he can be one of the demons. He can belong to this world and he can even work to make this world more welcoming to others like him. It's okay for him to want to stay here. It's also perhaps why, after conversation with Kirio, for the first time in his life, he thinks about the future.

Perhaps it's not the most ambitious vision of a far future, but it's a big step for a guy who until recently could only think about day-to-day survival.

But there is the other side to Kirio, perhaps his most important role for the story. It's to test Iruma's resolve to stay in the Netherworld.

To me Kirio is not just one toxic guy that betrays Iruma because he is intrinsically evil. Rather, he is the representation of the worst and darkest parts of the Netherworld. He serves as a vehicle to make Iruma face his biggest fears and to make him see not just the good but also the bad about his new home. It's no coincidence that he is not just simply evil, but specifically a demon returning to his origins, to the state all demons used to be in and have capacity to revert to. What's wrong with Kirio is also what's wrong with the Netherworld as a whole.

Please note Iruma's thought process here:

It's not "oh no I can't believe this guy turned out to be evil and betrayed me". It's "oh. I realize now. This is the DEMON world. These are DEMONS." Paradoxically, Kirio is both a character that makes Iruma feel the most familiar with the Netherworld, but also the character that represents the unfamiliar, the most foreign kind of mentality to Iruma.

The resolution to Iruma and Kirio's conflict in this arc reflects the resolution to the overarching conflict of the story so far.

"Even though there is danger in this world, I have grown to deeply care for it and still love my time here. So I won't give it up - not even its scariest parts."

(sowwy I don't have a scanner)

So here we have a very beautiful and elegant structural storytelling. We start with Iruma who is afraid and who only thinks about avoiding danger and running away and through a series of meaningful developments and final confrontation we end with Iruma who now has things and people he cares for, who has found his home and family and because of that can face his fears and dangers head on.

This brings us to 303 and 304.

As I mentioned earlier, in the center of this story stands the relationship between Iruma and the Netherworld. The first part of the manga mostly deals with Iruma accepting the Netherworld, and the second part of the manga is sort of both about that but also very much about the Netherworld accepting Iruma.

Over the years I've seen a few folks express the theory that Iruma won't actually become the Demon King in the end. This manga loves to go against the reader's expectations, and also, as evident from the Many Ears arc, he seems to be more interested in becoming a Babyls teacher than a King, is the claim. I have even seen people claim that there is 0 foreshadowing for Iruma becoming the Demon King. Due to my thoughts expressed in the paragraph above, I have a hard time agreeing with this view. There is a back-and-forth between Iruma and demons that is evident from the very beginning of the manga. Iruma is becoming a better person by embracing demonic qualities, but demons around him are also becoming better by embracing human qualities and concepts. Time and time again we are shown that even though Delkira improved the Netherworld a lot, there were some things he failed at, and Iruma is doing these things better. So, Iruma becoming a Demon King is simply a natural conclusion of this running narrative to me. Or, to put it better, I think that in the end Iruma will change the Netherworld in a major way that will resolve many of its current problems. I can see the story pulling the plottwist of Iruma not becoming the Demon King, but instead creating a whole new political system; I can't see Iruma saying something like "You know, I don't really care about all this politics stuff, I just wanna take it easy, become a teacher and chill in Babyls forever :)" In the Many Ears arc, Iruma refuses to become a King specifically because he very correctly identifies the root of the problem and understands that to resolve it he shouldn't become another person to rule them, but rather teach them to rule themselves.

So, I think Iruma's and Kirio's conversation has a lot to do with their respective visions of the future of the Netherworld.

In 303 Kirio expresses his vision: a Netherworld fully plunged into chaos and despair, with every demon reverting to their original animalistic state, every improvement and system made by Delkira undone and broken. It's a world that will reject Iruma, the human, completely. A world so hostile to him, that Iruma will literally come crawling to Kirio, who is the only one who will offer Iruma anything close to acceptance - by hurting him, by eating him, by chewing him up. Kirio, once again, fulfills his role of making Iruma face his worst fears by literally reciting them from the recording of his trauma during the Harvest Festival.

And in contrary to the popular perception of Iruma being too soft towards Kirio, Iruma is actually ready to just straight-up murder him. He almost does it. Not out of self-preservation - Iruma knows that Azz will accept his identity should he find out. He does it because he wants to defend his own boundaries, his right to tell when he wants to.

And in 304 Iruma shares his own vision. Opposite of Kirio's world of ultimate rejection, Iruma wants to create a world of ultimate acceptance. Where he, as a human, can co-exist with everyone, where everyone will accept him - even someone like Kirio, even someone who represents everything most unfamiliar and demonic and evil about this place, even someone who literally wants to eat him up. And not only he will be accepted, but everyone can feel welcome and like they belong. So to Iruma it's certain that Kirio will return to his rightful place - it's only a matter of time.

Iruma is not saying that "he can fix this guy". Iruma is saying that "he can fix this world."

And that's a little different.

#mairimashita! iruma kun #irukiri #mairuma #iruma kun #ami kirio #suzuki iruma #welcome to demon school iruma kun #now that my best years in this fandom are coming to a close i felt like it was time to release this thing into the world #its 3 am and i am delirious #haven't read it over either so sorry for clunky sentences and grammar issues #i forgot to write the part about how i think this story will be resolved but like #it's an ultra happy story that will most likely have an ultra happy ending #i am rooting for Iruma's greedy ambitions #also i want to root for myself #if iruma can get the freaky terrorist twink to become his bitch then maybe i can become fluent in dutch

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clowns0cks · 2 months ago

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"the ship between the doctor and the master is called thoschei but I think we're trying to change it into best enemies" is a phrase I've seen weirdly often and I'm wondering how many people think best enemies is a new thing. Like. Know your doctor/master history!! Isn't thoschei a relatively recent ship name???? Yes it got popular but the OG has always been best enemies ???

#I also say this as a recent fan. i have been a fan for just... almost 4 years now i think?? its not a lot #but like im obsessed with them so i did my fandom research #also it was kinda obvious from the doctor calling the master his best enemy in classic who like ofc the older name was best enemies #this isn't me being mad or anything im just wondering why so many peoplw think its a new thing!!! its just my usual ranting nothing serious #but also plsss lets go back to best enemies it sounds so nice and its SO them #or at least lets make it popular again enough to be known as much as thoschei #i have no issues with thoschei as a ship name #but i like best enemies much more and its easier to understand as maybe someone thats just getting into the fandom and has no idea what #thoschei is #night thoughts don't mind me #thoschei #best enemies #goodnight!

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starboybutler · 2 months ago

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i need people to stop trying to rank saltburn characters based on how "horrible" they are. they're all horrible. felix is a self-centered brat with no respect for boundaries that sees himself as a savior of sorts, and treats people like toys- wether it's intentional or not. farleigh is a mean, bratty bully that terrorizes others to hide his own insecurities from not belonging in his own family. oliver is an obsessive and deceptive boy in the sense that he bends himself to try and be what others want him to be because he's got no self esteem or sense of self. they're all awful in their own unique ways. none of them are good people. they all suck. hating a character doesn't make you morally superior to the person that likes them

#needed to say this bc. as small as the fandom is now there's still people that think theyre better for liking certain characters over others #like. hating oliver doesn't make you the better person #because every other character is also shitty #i love felix and oliver sm. but they both have issues they gotta work out and neither one of them is better than the other #farleigh....its love/hate w him #saltburn #felix catton #oliver quick

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phoenixcatch7 · 1 year ago

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Okay so I saw this post about dark percy (really him reaching his Limit and fighting full strength with everything he had) and I was imagining the potential fallout of that. Pretty bad, as you can guess.

The thing is a lot of percys strongest moments happen out of view of the olympians, especially in hoo. The hurricane atop the glacier in alaska, the poison scene in tartarus, bending the depression river and the one in the palace of nyx.

Stuff like the St Helens eruption got him washed up on an inescapable island literally removed from reality until calypso gave him the OK, the achillies curse he got tricked into losing by hera. Smaller moments, the minotaur, fighting ares, the stolen pirate ship, walking on water vs hyperion, freshwater sources, him knowing both Latin and Greek, they're more easily brushed off or at least mostly due to cunning, sword skills and sheer luck and grit.

But basically the olympians don't actually know the full extent of percys strength and divine power. They have hints - percy standing on the throne, winning against ares, his many victories - but what they aren't willing to brush aside in the heat of (an important) battle there have been pretty strong consequences for.

Heck, just look at Frank, he's no prodigy with weapons, he's polite and respectful, but his distant relation to two olympians letting him inherit shapeshifting earned him direct divine meddling and his life force tied to a hunk of half toasted firewood. Man is a honey bear with lactose intolerance and he was punished with a mythical death curse for being too strong.

If Percy's true strength came out, he would risk losing everything. His freedom, most certainly. If he wasn't straight up executed he might wind up in a Greek myth style imprisonment, the way of atlas, prometheus, calypso, or something like the myriad of ways Greek heroes met their end. Good scenario he survives a dozen curses and gets on with life with a dozen new disabilities, best case scenario he's stripped of every inch of divine power and dropped back to the mortal world, not even clear sighted. Total separation from the Greeks and Romans. Oh, annabeth would marry him either way, and his friends would hardly abandon him despite the gods wishes, but they'd hardly be able to see him, and no long range contact without the ability to IM him or vice versa.

All of that to say Percy is hiding his true strength from the gods themselves - maybe not consciously, and it's not even power he particularly wants - but if they ever find out?

It's game over.

But why is he so strong? I don't know. What I do know is that the half bloods of the books are so much stronger than the ones of myth. Used to be that divine blood would get you divine favour and a great fate whether you liked it or not. Maybe some cunning and bow skills. A spot of spell casting if you were really lucky. Achillies got his curse after he was born, Perseus had a dozen magic artifacts, orpheus had something going on but hercules is to my knowledge an outlier. Now? Everyone in camp has some special power. Flight, fire, necromancy, hypnotism, dream walking etc. However it's happening, half bloods are slowly but surely getting a lot, lot stronger every century that passes. Meta? I mean I guess. But.

What no one has done before is something that their godly parent couldn't.

Except.

Except Percy.

Except Percy, in tartarus, at his mental, emotional and physical limit, controlling poison with his mind, overpowering the goddess of poison in her home, making misery choke on misery. Feeling something in his chest crack. Doing something poseidon could not, and doing it better than the person who could.

Down there, hidden away from the gods, he evolved. For that brief moment, he did something, was something new.

And that was how the gods overthrew the titans.

And that's why they must never find out.

#In terms of extrapolating meta 'percy Jackson unknowingly being maybe the first of a new generation of increasingly powerful #Half bloods that would be in line with overthrowing the more powerful but complacent olympians as the next in the long line of toppling #Ancient and established lineages of divinity' has to be one of my favourites. Give it a few more centuries and they might actually be in #Danger lol #And the olympians would NOT be happy but would they solve the issue at its roots and stop having kids? Doubtful :)#Even just three of them who barely had anything to do with land or mortals couldn't keep it in their pants for more than half a century #Hestia and chiron remain the mvps as always lol #I got distracted from a story idea with lore dang it #pjo #pjo hoo toa #pjo series #pjo fandom #percy jackon and the olympians #heroes of olympus #percy jackson #Pjo dod #hoo series #pjo hoo #the heroes of olympus #perseus jackson #pjo meta

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altschmerzes · 9 months ago

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fandoms writ large being unable to comprehend a relationship being interesting or complex or narratively rich or compelling or worth dissecting/making fanworks and meta about or meaningful or pivotal or central or profound or whatever else without cramming romance into it somewhere is so like. aside from being MASSIVELY alienating is also just boring as hell. like damn, skill issue ig.

#gav gab #no matter how complex or rich a relationship is #a fandom without fail is Always going to go YEAH BUT THEY WERE IN LOVE RIGHT #OR AT LEAST ONE OF THEM WAS #ITS ROMANTIC AND NOW I CARE #like please. Motherfucker Please.#SKILL ISSUE!#not even really thinking of anything in particular this time #just the whole phenomenon overall #aro blogging

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leikeliscomet · 1 year ago

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You think Martha deserved better because you think her being attracted to Ten is some moral failing she needed to correct I think Martha deserved better bc the misogynoir in S3 in the show and fandom was so rampant that Freema Agyeman, other Black and mixed actors and fans are dealing with the repercussions over a decade later we're not the same

#I do think Martha deserved better bc she did but it has nothing to do with the crush #i used think the crush was the issue but honestly how it affects “Martha discourse” is worse bc it overshadows everything #there are so many things from S3 to unpack but its everyday “she was obsessed with Ten” like there's bigger fish to fry abeg #martha jones #doctor who series 3 #doctor who series three #doctor who #doctor who fandom #fandom antiblackness #black representation #dr who fandom #dw fandom

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kazucee · 2 months ago

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Self indulgent Dan Heng doodle. He heals the soul. Live laugh love pretty boys.

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moriitis · 11 months ago

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Stalker!Toby Rogers x Fem!Reader PT.2

okokok ill write more,,, also this is very very very inspired by YOU on Netflix and toby's mannerisms very much match joe goldbergs...!!! watch it, its amazing.

this is in Toby's pov! [Y/N] -> your name minors DNI!

tw// stalking, perversion, breaking and entering, murder, obsession, submissive shit.

Doing this for you [Y/N] would get me in some serious trouble, but you know that, don't you? Your morning routines are the same really, surprisingly, you make your bed first and then you go pee. Do you even think to close your curtains? No, why would you? But really, [Y/N], if you don't want any creeps looking at you, you would close them. Okay, that's the first thing we are working on when you're mine. Closing the curtains, locking doors and windows. I'll make sure you are safe. Like a partner should do! Back to morning routine, usually you skip breakfast, which.. is bad. But don't worry! When you fall head over heels for me, I'll cook for you everyday. Granted, I'm not the best cook around but anything to make sure you look after yourself. I wonder if you cook, because I see you order takeout a lot. Hey, I get it, money management is hard. And then there's the best part to your morning routine, watching you undress in front of that window. I mean, do you want everyone to see how precious you are to me? Are you doing this for me? Toby adjusted the cap atop his head, lowering his gaze momentarily as some shuffle of people walk past him. He keeps his gaze down for a moment, staring at the scuffed shoes on his feet before slowly lifting his head and taking his gaze back toward your window. What was I saying? Right, the best part of the morning! You peel the shirt over your body, pulling your hair out from under the clothing to flick the strands behind your shoulders. The morning sun hit you perfectly, you were like something in some stained glass. Turning to glance out the window, Toby quickly dropped his head again and turned his torso to seem busy with something else. Shit. I really need to introduce myself to you [Y/N], so I don't need to do this all the time. Alright, you get dressed and start your day out with a walk. It's not hard to lose you amongst the crowd [Y/N], because you are one of a kind. There's the morning iced coffee, which isn't my favourite but I can adjust myself to you! Man, how much do they charge you for that shit, [Y/N]? You are occupied with your phone, are you texting friends, family? Please don't tell me there's a boyfriend I need to get out of the picture. I'll do it for you, fuck, anything for you! You are most certainly more interesting then when I watch you sleep. The way you talk to people, your mannerisms, you are polite, approachable, which could be a problem.. You don't like attention though, I can see it in your eyes, the way you scan the crowd and avoid stares from passer-by's. Now, I need to introduce myself to you one way or another, so.. where are we going, [Y/N]? Oh, okay, grocery shopping, I could do with some snacks, I barely find time to eat nowadays. I wonder, are you a basket kind of girl? Or will you take a cart? Toby kept a few paces behind, his gaze low so the cap covered his face, hands stuffed in his pockets. You stepped inside and grabbed a basket, peaking his interest more. A basket, okay, only a couple things. Following behind but keeping a secure feet away, Toby then reached down to grab a handle of a basket himself before following behind. It's been awhile since I went grocery shopping, [Y/N]. I'll be honest, been sleeping rough, that kinda shit, you wouldn't care. You pondered by the fruit, Toby sticking close by with his back turned, occasionally turning his head to glance over his shoulder back at you. Fruit? What's your favourite, I wonder. Apples, bananas, pears.. Or maybe you like strawberries? I see you as a strawberries and chocolate kind of girl. But I won't assume, show me, [Y/N]. Tell me what you like. "[Y/N]? Oh my gosh, I haven't seen you in forever! How are you?" A womans voice, but you haven't seen her in awhile..? Old high school friend, maybe? You seem unsure, like you can't remember her name but it's on the tip of your tongue..

She approaches you with a smile, arms outstretched for a friendly embrace. Toby keeps a watchful eye, a packet of spaghetti in his hand as he observes from a distance. His eyes flicker from the ingredients to the two of you. You are reluctant, she's prettier.. Oh, oh, I see [Y/N]! Old high school bully? Popular girl? She won't be a problem if you don't want to interact with her. You hesitate to accept her embrace, the hug was short and it seems the other girl wasn't too interested either. "Heyy, girl.." the words linger on your lips. Your voice, I want to laugh.. It's beautiful. "It's been awhile, how are the kids and stuff?" You speak, your voice wavers as you attempt to seem interested. Toby can see right through it. This girl cannot. She has kids? Fuck, I never wanted kids, [Y/N].. But, maybe I'll consider it with you? The girl forces a laugh. This interaction is so cringe, [Y/N]. Even I can't stand it. Too much small talk. "So well! How are you? You have a partner? Children?" The idea seems to disgust you, [Y/N]. Toby narrows his eyes at you as he turns to put the pasta back, slowly treading down the isle to admire each product but his ears working on the conversation happening near him. "Oh, haha." You laugh, you want a hole to open up and eat you away. This is too cringe. Toby quickly grabs a can of chopped tomatoes, peels the cap off his head and takes a quick moment to fix his messy, brown hair before jogging over to you and the girl. Forcing a warm, friendly smile, he puts the can in your basket. "S-S... Sorry, took me a-... awhile to find th-..." Fuck this. "To find them." He finished, keeping an intense gaze on you. You are confused, mouth hung open agape a little. Come on, catch on to this. There's a lingering silence hanging over the three of us. You let out a chuckle in disbelief, raising your brows and blinking a little in disbelief before quickly smiling. "Right! I needed those, thank you.." Your voice lingers. Fuck, how could I just assume you know my name. Toby turns to the other woman and smiles before holding out a hand, he was trembling a little but that only was because he could smell that scent on you. Lavender. "Toby." He introduces himself to the woman and she is a little surprised, naturally before taking his hand and shaking it. "Angelica." Angelica? Really? [Y/N], what the fuck? You were friends with an Angelica? Yeah, I'm calling on your bluff, sweetie. "Toby! Right," you laugh, extending a hand to snake it around his arm. He stiffens a little at the touch, it was unexpected, a beautiful woman literally on his arm? "I'm sorry, Angelica, yeah, this is Toby." You were telling yourself that more than you were telling Angelica. And now we are no longer strangers. Angelica is a little taken aback by Toby's sudden presence, like him being here was.. unsettling. She's questioning him. Ah, you haven't seen me on [Y/N]s socials have you? She might be a problem, [Y/N]. "He's handsome, [Y/N]! Hold onto him," she exclaims with a laugh. Toby forces a chuckle and shakes his head, disagreeing with her. You laugh to follow the crowd before flushing a little. I'm making you blush already? Angelica's phone buzzes, causing her to shuffle around the little shoulder bag that hung loosely. She pulls out her phone, checking the screen momentarily before sighing. "Sorry, girl, gotta dash, but hey, keep in touch, okay? Nice to meet you, Toby." She exchanges an apologetic smile before turning on her heel. As she walks away, she's occupied with a phone call that doesn't sound pleasant. Toby gives a smile and watches as she leaves before feeling the hand that was wrapped around his arm slip away. Brows raising, he turns to glance back at you. No, no, no, don't let go! You can hold me, I'm okay with it! You're even more beautiful when you're awake, those eyes, those lips.. Toby's gaze linger on your lips before returning to your eyes. You are still flushing a little as you chuckle awkwardly.

"I'm sorry, thanks for jumping in." You are shy. Cute. "It's n-... n-.." Toby purses his lips. "Nothing." His gaze glances at the canned tomatos he dropped in your basket and you follow his gaze, chuckling a little. "Still n-n... need th-.. those? Or ca- can I have them b-.. back?" There's a smirk tugging at the corner of his lip. You laugh a little. "They weren't on my list." You push your hand into the basket and grab the can before handing it back. See? It's love at first sight! Well, my love at first sight was last night while watching you sleep but does that count considering your eyes were closed?

#creepypasta #creepypasta fandom #ticci toby #toby rogers #stalker #stalker au #i have issues #stalkers are hot #only if its toby

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