#just a little parallel I had noticed and hadn't seen pointed out

[wingfooted]

In his eyes...

[skania]

OnK 153 or all the ways I can tie this back to Akane and Aquakane

I won't try and write any theories about the Revenge Plot™ because, like I always say, Aka will just do whatever he wants however he wants to do it 😂

As the Akane Fan that I am though, I must say that a lot of what Kamiki said this chapter felt like it could've been said by Aqua after Chapter 97 if Akane hadn't caught onto it. So that's what I'll be focusing on below!

I am SO glad we're getting a flashback from the actual Kamiki rather than from Aqua's movie. I'm sure that Ai's feelings were portrayed more accurately in the movie than in Kamiki's self-loathing, skewed view — but it's still nice that we will get to hear Kamiki's thoughts straight from the source.

But that's the first key thing here, I feel: Kamiki's self-loathing. The way he talks about himself and of his relationship with Ai, completely downplaying Ai's side of the equation to make it sound like he was the one one-sidedly clinging to her reminds me a whole lot of Aqua with Akane.

Kamiki felt like he was the only one relying on Ai because he is convinced that Ai never loved him. Similarly, we once saw Aqua feeling guilty for relying on Akane and questioning whether or not she even harbored any romantic feelings towards him.

Granted, Aqua is the one who breaks up with Akane (to protect her), while Ai is the one who "dumps" Kamiki (for unknown reasons). But... all of the things Kamiki says here feel like things Aqua could've said about Akane if she had allowed things to get to that point.

After all, Aqua tried very, very hard to shoulder his burden on his own, but as of Chapter 97 he was breaking under it. Meanwhile, here Kamiki was breaking under it and keeping himself together thanks to Ai and Ai alone.

Kamiki hasn't put it into such words yet, but it's very obvious here that he felt saved by Ai and by his connection with her. Just like Aqua felt saved by Akane.

Even the way Kamiki talks about the burden he carries automatically evokes Aqua/Akane because... that's exactly how Akane has always referred to what Aqua was going through. As a burden that he was trying very hard to shoulder alone, one she wanted to help him carry.

@meruk0 in the Akane server even pointed out that these two panels are framed very similarly, so I wouldn't be surprised if Ai once said the same words — or something close to them — to Kamiki.

The ingredients were all there. So it feels like in Chapter 97, Aqua was well on his way to grow as emotionally dependent on Akane as Kamiki was on Ai. Thankfully, Akane realized it and gently encouraged Aqua to make his own choices, reminding him that if they were to grow dependant on each other, it wouldn't be a healthy relationship.

In all honesty, I can't help but wonder if Ai unceremoniously dumping Kamiki may have been her very, very clumsy way of trying to protect him from being so emotionally reliant on her (if Ai couldn't even be sure that she loved him, I could see her fearing that staying with Kamiki may eventually break him). It's hard to say because we have sadly gotten very little insight into the real Ai and into her relationship with Kamiki, but if Aka pulls that, then that would confirm that all of these parallels are very much intentional.

Regardless of Aka's intentions and of where this may be leading though, it's very very hard to read this and not notice that this chapter contrasts two different kinds of romantic attachment. Those based on superficial aspects like the person's looks, and those based on deeper things like feeling understood and seen by that person. And like I've been saying over and over again, it's also kind of very very hard to not contrast the way Aka has been writing Aqua and Kan@ with the way he wrote Aqua and Akane. But I digress!

One possibly plot-related thing that caught my eye though was the color of Kamiki's stars.

They were white before Kindaichi's words triggered his trauma and changed his view of the world into something much more suffocating, and then they become black and seemingly stay that way. His stars were black during the break-up and he kept talking about wanting Ai to help him carry the burden, so when exactly did he and Ai actually stop seeing each other? Because I believe most of us have been assuming that Ai and Kamiki were already over by the time the twins were born, but they were already born when that funeral took place.

Oh well, no point thinking too hard about it since Aka may answer that next week 😂

All in all, the anon who called that Kamiki/Ai would have parallels to Aqua/Akane exactly a year ago may have been right on the money. I hope you see this, anon!!

[ascendanceseriesveteran]

A future with you (part 1) 🌹

Ascendance Series Fanfic

Next chapter

Potential multi-part fic. Depending on how it is recieved.

First "chapter" here may be a bit of a bore. I have some ideas for next chapters but unsure if I will be able to commit.

Excuse spelling and grammar errors.

⚔️⚔️⚔️

"WHAT THE DEVILS IS HAPPENING?" Roden screech. I completely understood why as I pushed myself up onto my elbows, surprised at how weak I felt. Nothing made sense.

I crawled to Imogen as she stirred, pulling her into my arms, "Are you hurt?"

"Of course she gets your concern. What if I'm hurt?"

"Shut up, Roden," I raised my brows at Imogen as she came around.

"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy." She cupped my cheek and tilted my head to the side, "You have a small cut there."

"That's not new."

Her frown didn't last, only until she took in our surroundings. "Jaron, what's happening?"

"I wish I knew."

Tobias coughed as he woke. It didn't take long until he was on his feet with his eyes wider than dinner plates. "What the... Jaron, are you seeing this?"

"No, Tobias, I'm blind."

"What?"

"Sarcasm." Everyone was on edge, only for once I wished it were in the literal sense. We were still on the same field, though this time it was missing shrubbery and trees. Just empty and endless, rolling, green hills. The sun had risen up above the plains and was currently adding excess sweat to my growing list of problems. A few hundred meters away, down an exposed slope, was a town like none I had never seen. To add insult, the town itself had suddenly appeared in the time we were kocked unconcious. Which shouldn't have been possible. I wasn't sure what had caused us to sleep. But I sure as hell knew we weren't out for long enough for an entire village to be built, rivalling the size of Drylliad and certainly redefining housing.

It was at that very moment the ground started to tremor. Lightly at first, I almost didn't notice it. But when the shaking was accompanied by a loud thumping, we realised it wasn't just an earthquake. I pulled Imogen to her feet. Just a few metres away from us lay two metal beams that seemed to stretch beyond the horizon in either direction. Like parallel swords, wider than my thigh and connected with wooden planks. I hadn't paid much attention to them until they started shaking as well.

"Everyone move away from that. Now!"

Tobias and Roden scurried with us to a higher vantage point. I dared not let go of Imogen. To our right, planted on those beams, a building was getting closer, moving quickly. Getting louder, bigger. Scarier than anything I had ever seen. And... shiny?

The sun glinted off its surface as it barrelled towards us. We had made it barely ten metres away when it let out a sound that made my hands dart to my ears. The force of the wind that followed nearly knocked us to the ground as the massive structure shot past us faster than I could make out what it was. Wheels in their hundreds were attached to its base, using the poles to guide them forth. Within seconds, it was gone, and I could breathe again.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" I don't think I had ever heard Tobias swear before. Imogen had well and truly cut off the circulation to my hand from how tight she squeezed, but at least it reminded me I wasn't in some twisted dream.

"Jaron, what was that?" Roden asked, voice betraying his fear.

"How would I know?"

"You know things! Is this another one of your stupid jokes?"

I glared at him, "You think I'd endanger any of you for a joke?"

"Enough," Imogen commanded, gathered herself, "Arguing will get us nowhere. We need a plan."

Everyone turned to me expectantly. I supposed I should have been used to it. But something had fundamentally changed and I wasn't sure what. And for once I was at a lost for what to do. So I offered up the obvious, "We'll go into the town and ask around."

Tobias blanched, "Are you sure that's a good idea? What if they are invaders."

"They're our best shot."

"Well we have to cross that first," Roden gestured towards the metal planks, "And I don't have a death wish."

I huffed and sauntered back down the plain, intent on getting a closer look. Imogen followed behind with a tight hold of my arm. When we reached the beams, I took in the pile of rocks it was mounted on and the rusting bolts that were probably as big as my fist. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I went to step over it only to be aggressively pulled back.

"Are you out of your mind?" Imogen snapped.

I completely understood her worry. My own hands were still trembling after that building came powering by us. So I placed my hand over hers and kissed her cheek, "We don't have a choice. If I make it to the other side and everything is fine, then you will cross."

"There will be no if's. I forbid it."

"Imogen-"

"No."

"We have nowhere else to go!"

"We will find somewhere!"

"Where?" I yelled, gesturing at the barren landscape that spread in every direction. The only hint of civilisation shimmered like a mirrage ahead of us.

"I don't know, Jaron. But you're not touching that."

"Someone has to."

"Jaron," Roden said, but I ignored him.

"I will un-marry you."

"You can't do that."

"Watch me."

"Jaron," This time he sounded more urgent, so I let my gaze find Roden's voice, standing with a newfound confidence on the other side of the structure.

Imogen's jaw dropped, anger slowly fading into relief. I would be hearing more from her later though, I was sure of it.

"What happened to not having a death wish?"

He shrugged, "Imogen was starting to look scarier than this and I wasn't exactly going to allow my King to risk his life for us again."

"So you didn't feel it move or anything?" Tobias had been quiet for a while.

"I didn't touch the metal bits, but no, it was absolutely fine."

We had come to know each other well over the years. Well enough that everyone seemed in-tune with each other's emotions, at least to a degree. We gave Tobias time to come to terms with his trepidation. I squeezed Imogen's hand to reassure her as well, but she held her head high, hair in loose waves down her back.

We had been journeying to Nyrinrad on my yearly tour of every Carthyan village and town to be more in touch with our people. They were all eager to meet the new Queen of Carthya. And we needed to make sure that the Prozarians hadn't wreaked any unknown havoc during their invasion. Now, those plans were put on hold for the forseeable future.

Thankfully, no moving building came crashing into us as we stepped over the metal. I almost wished it had, of only to wake me up from this dream.

Y'all guessed it... 🚂🚂🚂

Time travel fanfic

Next chapter

[melop-sia]

for @elphabaoftheopera

WOOT WOOOOOT!!! TO CELEBRATE THE FINAL CHAPTER BEING RELEASED, ME AND MYSTIC THOUGHT OF A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS TO ANSWER IN REGARDS TO LFAY!!!!!!!!!!! TO SHOW OUR GRATITUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What was your overall experience / journey reading the fic?

esper / melop-sia: when i started reading, i was instantly hooked. i genuinely don't think i have liked a fic this much as this one. i loved it so much that id actively check my gmail inbox every hour or so to see if a new chapter was posted 🥲 the most chapters i read in a row was 6, and that was when i first discovered the fic!!! after, i became a slow reader and soaked up every little description you wrote because i didn't wanna miss anything– thats probably why i noticed so many parallels 😁!! doing that also let me take it your writing and it's awesome! even awesome enough to get me back into reading stuff! hell, this fic was a reason why i bought gregory maguire's wicked novel 😅 it lit back a love for reading that i hadn't seen for a few years at least! and back to parallels, they were undoubtedly a key part of enjoyment in my journey with lfay! i always got so excited when i found one and wouldn't hesitate to kick around all energised 🥳🥳 im so glad that you went the extra mile by adding the parallels, it vastly improved my reading experience!

mystic / mystic-oni: Okay I've gotta admit I'm not usually the romantic type but they r so cute omgggggg 🥺

I think if i could change anything about the story or my experience reading it i would leave everything the same. It was just something fun, exciting and immersive i could go to after a rough day and although I am guilty of sometimes having one or two chapters stacked up after forgetting to read 😅, I was never finding myself not wanting to read it unless I was trying to savour it for a time when I would need it most. Plus gave me something extra to talk about with esper/melop-sia 😁😁😁

Especially if we were both reading a chapter at the same time. O ye and the characters are so well done and like the ones we all know so sometimes i just forget i'm reading something fan made because it's that good. I actually sometimes finding myself just melding the two together on accident (i mean thats probably expected considering i'm still somewhat new to the wicked fandom but still it wouldnt be possible if the characters weren't portrayed accurately)!

What about the AU stood out to you (in comparison to the adapted material)?

esper: i think what really stood out to me was how much more you fleshed out each character in comparison to the musical. i loved how you gave everyone another layer of personality along with the ones already set by the musical, yet keeping dialogue and interactions so on point 💓! one thing that is so important to me is a character's personality being accurate. i have so much less enjoyment with a fic when characters are written completely different to their "source", so it was a relief and delight to see the consistent characterisation ⭐️⭐️⭐️!!! a bit off topic but i also really liked how you included some references from the book!

mystic: Well, i've only seen one of the musicals on yt (so far, might read the book cuz esper has it and she said she could lend it to me after they had finished it 😁😁). I really felt though from my experience with wicked (not much but anyways 😅) it really fleshed out more of the characters, like how elphaba has nyctophobia cuz it just added another like, obstacle and really added to her character and existing challenges. Also like the letters were a crucial part of moving this fic away from the original material, im rlly proud of myself because while it was in the part of the story where letters were most important, i noticed a lot of familiarity with something but i couldn't figure out what. Then i remembered i had seen the movie "You've got mail" and it was one of the inspirations which i love and made me enjoy the story even more just because it felt familiar in a way.

What was your favourite chapter? Why?

esper: wooof that is a hard questionn 😯😯 i have a few favourites, but ill try to limit it to one or two...... after a bit of thinking, i think i have to say 11 and 19: each for pretty different reasons admittedly 😅. for one, i loved 19 particularly because of how sweet the fiyeraba date was!!! it was the [infodumping gf] and [polite listening bf] dynamic that i lovee so much 🥺🥺🥺 it was so cuteee!!!! the angst was saddening to say the least, but i really enjoyed how you wrote their dialogue and how they finally came to an agreement.

and. onto 11. that chapter was just insane /pos. it was so good i reread it multiple times and thought about it for a while and, at the same time was utterly speechless. i can say one thing though: the yearning. THE YEARNING!!!!!!!! the yearning was so good dudee!!!!!! i usually don't even like yearning but it was just wild how caught up they were both getting and the suspense was palpable. it was so impactful and therefore one of my favourites. close runner up for most favourites is 9 i loved how it finally broke down the established initial barrier and tension between elphaba and fiyero in an engaging way!! another runner up is 21 for an awesome sequence of scenes that made me feeeellll 🥺 soon to be elaborated on!

mystic: Oke im gonna be honest, in order to answer this question i found myself skimming over a lot of chapters that i had remembered i liked and i cant decide on one because they were all so great or had an important event that i couldn't compare to other chapters. I was planning on going into specifics but since i'm so torn im gonna save it for the moments question 😭

Tysm for the indecisiveness cuz all ur chapters are soo good u should be proud. Also it gave me a reason to look back to try and find my favourite and although i didnt get a clear result it was really refreshing reading the older chapters again.

What was your favourite scene or moment? Why?

esper: I HAVE A FEW FOR THIS ONE TOO!!! the first one that comes to mind is fiyero getting to kick jozsef's ass 😁 i absolutely loved how he got back at him after so long and im just a sucker for people getting what they deserve 🥳!!! it was an awesome inclusion and i was so satisfyed with how that turned out. alsooo i loved fiyeraba's bickering pre-museum break in, it definitely wasnt the first or last time i audibly laughed at something in this fic! and elphaba playing go fish with dorothy was hilarious and not near anything i expected for the last chapter of the main story 😅😅😅 that as well as her warming up to dorothy was simply amazing to me!

onto a more wholesome moment, i loved the dance between fiyero and elphie in the empty ozdust, it was such an intimate and romantic moment between them and i couldn't help but love them more after 🥺 following that, the scene of glinda and elphaba making up with each other and becoming friends again! it was just amazing and all around so pleasant to read!!! another few follow ups, glinda confronting fiyero and forgiving him, as well as starting the party! it was a nice flow of funny to touching and then hopeful!

mystic: oke for me its gotta be those bits where elphie does something cool or funny, like in chapter five when Jozsef was tryna splash her with water and she just dumped it all back on him, like that was pretty badass. Also the petition bit in chapter 7 had me dyinggggggg 💀💀💀 (especially the intimidation and fear, i found it pretty funny and also smart how they used that to get people to support their cause). Also the closet bit in chapter nine was really memorable, and exciting to read and I think most people really liked that part. Just the awkwardness and tensionnnnnn aaaaaaah!!! 😁🥲👏👏👏

Okay, and im sure the Ozdust in chapter 13 had everyone on the edge of their seats (Depending on whether u were sitting 😅) when all the secrets were revealed and the truth was spilled everywhere. Ending with quick escape and a great cliffhanger that kept everyone wondering about the chapters to come. There are so, so, so many more but I end up forgetting where after I try to reread (maybe i should have written notes or something idk 😆). Once again thank you so much for making these truly ✨magical✨ moments for people to enjoy.

Thoughts on the ending / last chapter?

esper: i know i already wrote my thoughts in a comment before, but now we have the epilogue so i can talk about that too!! for one, i don't think i would've had the ending any other way. 34 just had a great balance between presented aspects: it was heart-warming but bittersweet. not to mention such a satisfactory read after keeping up for the last month or two!

honestly im so happy about 35!!! honestly after the roller coaster of the "act 2 chapters" im glad we got a tonn of fluff. it was a wonderful peek into fiyeraba's new life and it was sooo cute 🥺🥺 genuinely loved it so much, another one of my favourite chapters❣️ im glad their story got to continue on into a fulfilling lifestyle for both of them 💗💗💗

mystic: Perfect. I didn't think too much about the last chapter before I read it because i didn't really want to go in with a predetermined idea of what I thought would happen because I just knew it might ruin the experience although I was very excited for it and did ponder for... maybe a minute or two 👀, and I came to the conclusion that I wasn't really sure where they would be next, but the fact they got to be together in the end without disturbance was good enough for me. I feel like the mood and especially the dialogue at the end of the chapter and just everything was more than I could have wanted, it was really good and never did I expect she would still be able to help the animals even after she moved and decided to try and just live a quiet, worry-free and normal life with Fiyero. Also just about the chapters before the epilogue, which i also really enjoyed, like how well Elphie got along with Dorothy, how she ultimately beat her final obstacle - her enemy since the beginning, the dark. Also Glinda in charge and Morrible in prison 😈✨🥳 yayyyyy 🎊

Final thoughts

esper: i thank you so much for this fic, it has really helped me through these few weeks and i commend you for making a fic worth all the praise given and more!!!!! im a little sad to see this journey over now, but im glad i was able to be part of it and get my friend into it too! ill likely be rereading as well as consuming some of your past content in waiting for your next project!! i really hope to experience that too 💖 sending much love and support

mystic: One of the only times that I can't help myself from writing "also" way too much because there are so many things I loved about this. Love, Fae & Yero was an adventure that I really felt apart of, and I hope I'm not too attached to let go of it now 😭😭😭

Me and esper spent a while writing this and they and I really want to thank you for your hard work, we tried to have this finished by a certain time and spent a while thinking of our questions as well as the most important things we should say. Hope we weren't too late 😅

AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WRITING!!!!!

FROM ESPER AND MYSTIC 💚❤💖

[bixxelated]

It's gotta be for all these acts of violence, and I would love to see 4, 5, 7, and 9!

aaaa thank you! <3

(ask meme for my fics)

(all these acts of violence | stranger things fanfic)

4: What's your favorite line of dialogue?

this one:

Implying that Will has other reasons to forgive him? Like what? Mike doesn't think he's done anything particularly special for Will since their argument… “Okay… okay. Good. And...” he takes a deep breath, “and about the other thing I said, at the garage. Y-you know I’m sorry about that too, right?” Will’s eyes soften. “I know.” “I didn’t—I don’t want to pressure you into saying anything. You don’t owe me, or anyone else, any sort of explanation, whatever you are okay? Especially if you’re not comfortable with it. But I hope you know I’ll always have your back, no matter what.” Will reaches for his hand, and squeezes. “I know, Mike.” “Okay,” Mike says, willing his racing heart to calm back down even as he squeezes back. “Good. So long as you know… good.”

love me some soft supportive almost-coming-out scenes. i always thought it was interesting that mike's outburst ("its not my fault you dont like girls!") while horrible and with some pretty awful timing... seemed to imply that... what? he noticed will has no interest in girls? he realized that it wasn't just that will was a late bloomer but something more? theres a lot of subtext there i really wanted to dig my claws into

will's always been the target of homophobic bullying as seen in previous seasons, and altho we never see the kids comment on queerness one way or another, so it seems like there HAD to have been some serious math going on mike's bratty little noggin about will's sexuality at one point? but despite growing up in a family that most likely would have frowned on those inclinations, to say the least, mike kept his questions to himself and kept being will's friend, whereas someone else might freak out, or be more confrontational or simply slowly stop being around a suspected gay person without an explanation. so playing on the dialogue after ("look, im not trying to be a bad guy" or something along those lines) i sort of wanted to expand on that headcanon a lil and kinda lean on mike wheeler's "screw the rules, i can have more than one best friend/ i like you so i will now die for you" personality

5: What part was hardest to write?

the last chapter right now I'd say part 1 of the epilogue (aka chapter 13)! mostly because it explores an aftermath that we didn't see in canon, with a bunch of ideas i had that were pretty vague and hard to make cohesive, and season 4 hadn't been mentioned much at that point so i had no idea what to expect and was kinda stressing out about deviating too much from canon. but i really had a lot of fun with putting all the scenes together and im really proud of it now

7: Where did the title come from?

from a song called revolution by misterwives! particularly the lyrics, "all these acts of violence, ripping this world to shreds/while I'm trying to sleep, oh how could I sleep?"

i thought that particular verse was pretty fitting to the whole theme of the fic (esp the whole ripping the world to shreds bit as a metaphor for the gates opening hehe) and so thats why i made it the title!

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

kjhgjb uh not really? from the start acts of violence was always meant to be a fic that was going to run parallel to canon bc i do not have the energy to go fully canon divergence with this particular idea and wanted to work on some other projects like wavelength besides. akdfjdsdkgjsd it was always meant to be a sort of practice fic, almost!

but i will say that for chapter 13 there was a moment where i wanted to make mike's awakening with nancy and karen (and sam owens) to be in a military base away from hawkins, on the basis of his leg being infected with extradimensional alien bacteria that a normal hospital would have no idea how to treat and the government would want to keep a close eye on. that however felt like one plotline too many to introduce and resolve when the fic's so close to ending so i cut it out and only left some of those bits in (ie: karen's confrontation with sam, mike developing an infection, etc)

thank you for the ask!

[the-badger-mole]

How would you think Zuko would react when he realized Aang’s parenting is paralleling Ozai's?

Well, first of all, I'm not entirely sure that Zuko would see it. The impression I get from what little I've read of the comics, and LoK, Katara and by extension her children, wouldn't see much of Zuko. Bryke can't have any lingering chemistry between their NoTP after all. So the chances of him seeing the dynamic between Aang and his prototype kids is slim. He might question why Aang only ever seems to have Tenzin with him, but if he's relying on Aang's reporting on what's happening with Katara, Kya and Bumi, he'd probably assume everyone was deliriously happy and he probably wouldn't have much reason to doubt the report.

That being said, if he did get a chance to see the family all together, and see how Aang favors Tenzin over Kya and Bumi, I'm not sure he'd immediately recognize the dynamic for what it is. Aang wouldn't be as blatantly evil towards his family as Ozai was, but Zuko might recognize enough to make him uncomfortable. It probably wouldn't hit him until he really saw how Aang treated Bumi in particular, the kid that's not only not an airbender, but not a bender at all. I think Zuko would probably recognize himself in Bumi before he recognized his father in Aang, honestly. Aang has a lot of parallels to Ozai in the ways he neglects his family, but I think Ozai would have been a lot more obviously abusive. But in Bumi particularly, Zuko would probably recognize his own desperate struggle to receive the approval of a father who just isn't interested.

I don't know if Zuko would approach Katara or Aang first, but eventually, he'd probably tell Aang what he'd noticed about Bumi, and try to explain what his own childhood had done to him... And then Aang would be pissed at the insinuation that he's anything like Ozai as a father. After all, he'd never burned half of his kid's face off for speaking out of turn. That would piss Zuko off, and the more that Zuko tried to explain that neglect of a child doesn't necessarily have to include physical abuse, the angrier Aang would get. I think the conversation would pretty much end whatever friendship was left at that point.

Some good could probably come of it, though, even if Aang didn't change how he parented (or didn't parent) his older children- and let's face it, he probably wouldn't. Katara would probably be more conscious of how Bumi and Kya (and especially Bumi) felt about Aang. I don't know enough about how she was as a mother, but assuming she hadn't noticed before, she would notice now that two of her children felt unloved by their father. Maybe she'd even leave Aang. Bumi and Kya (most especially Bumi) might also come away knowing that their pain was seen by someone outside of the family, and feel validated. Maybe it would lead to them having a closer relationship with Zuko, and they would finally have a father figure worthy of the title.

[reachfolk]

❥ prompt: tree + glow (for TES Cheer)

✿ tags: brelyna maryon, college of winterhold, homesickness but not really?

❥ word count: 1.2k

✿ summary: it's not easy being away from home, especially on the holidays. a new friend makes the day a little easier on adeline

❥ author's note: this is just me projecting the international student feel on adeline and brelyna. note that none of this is actual serious headcanon about reach holidays, i'm just talkin outta my ass here <33

✿ taglist: @korvanjund

Adeline collapsed back onto her bed in the Hall of Attainment with a heavy sigh. She supposed she shouldn't be all too surprised that her research proposal was once again rejected by the Arch Mage, but it still stung. She'd had the audacity to let Colette's support get to her head, and she was certain her preliminary experiments would provide an adequate reason to justify further work.

It was infuriating, being seen as little more than Colette's apprentice. Not that she didn't have a mountain of respect for Colette's work, but it was clear that few others here seemed to care much for their department, and Adeline faced some… unique hardships that her mentor couldn't quite understand, no matter what support she offered.

In spite of her best efforts, Adeline found her mind constantly wandering back to the Solstice feast that she would once again be missing, for what must have been the fifth year in a row. She loved the Solstice, and she desperately hated to think about it. It brought a pain to her chest that she never could cure, year after year.

But here it was, haunting her thoughts. Eola would no doubt be bringing another new member to the coven; she always did have a knack for drawing people in. Adeline wondered if her cousin Esme would be in attendance this time, and the mere thought was enough to give her some relief that she herself would not be joining.

Even if it meant spending the Solstice alone. Again.

It's not that bad, she convinced herself. The Nordic New Life festival was similar enough, and there was an air of companionship that she enjoyed at this time of year, even on the outside.

As she attempted to justify her stay, a knock sounded at her door.

"Come in," she called, and the door cracked open noiselessly. Behind it was Brelyna, one of the newer batch of students here at the college.

"Uhm, hello," she started nervously. "I hope this doesn't come across as odd, but… would you terribly mind some company? The festivities on this day tend to elude me, and I noticed the same of you."

Adeline felt her cheeks flush as she gave a sheepish grin. "Is it that obvious? I swear I try to keep a pleasant face on, if only out of politeness."

Brelyna laughed in turn. "It works well enough. But I do the same. Takes one to know one, as they say."

"In that case," Adeline said, patting the empty space beside where she lay on the bed. "I'd love some company in the un-festivities."

Brelyna's nervous disposition brightened at the invitation. She shut the door and approached the bed, lying parallel to Adeline. "I appreciate it," she said. "I hadn't expected being so far away from home would be so…"

"Complicated?"

"Yeah. Complicated." It wasn't quite the right word, and Adeline knew that, but there were no better ones. "I can't quite tell if I miss home. I wouldn't go back even if I could."

"But you miss not feeling like an outsider?"

"Exactly." Brelyna sighed. "How'd you know?"

"I've been away from home for five years now," she explained. "You get quite familiar with the feeling after so much time."

"So it doesn't get easier?"

"No, it does," Adeline quickly reassured, feeling a twinge of guilt for worrying her classmate as such. "You just have to find ways to bring home to you."

"Oh? How so?"

Adeline sat up on her bed, pointing to the potted juniper tree in the corner. Hanging from the branches were little bits of bone and other parts she'd gathered from the little game she could hunt in the area. Bear claws, hawk feathers, elk bones, and even a few sabre cat teeth. "My people decorate juniper trees with remains of hunted animals over the course of the year, as a way of honoring the land and giving thanks to the Hunt Father for his guidance," she explained. "Decorating the trees was my favorite part of the Solstice. It's not the same without family, but it works well enough. I suppose."

Brelyna hopped off the bed and made her way to the tree, thumbing at the leaves and the small berries just beginning to fruit. She observed it closely and with intent, and Adeline found herself suddenly feeling a bit self conscious over it.

"It's only part way done," she explained in defense as to why it still looked so bare. "I still have to add the lights."

"Lights?"

"Mhm." Adeline stood and walked over to the tree. With a circular wave of her index finger, she created a small orange magelight and pushed it close to the branches where it rested. "We use little magelights to light up the trees, then charge them with a soul gem so they last all day."

"Can I help?" Brelyna asked. "It sounds fun."

Adeline's eyes widened at the question, and she tried to suppress her excitement lest her loneliness show too clearly. No need to scare off a potential friend, right? "Of course," she said, as nonchalantly as she could. "I usually do rows of half circles."

"Do the colors matter?"

"Not really. Orange is my favorite, so that's what I always choose," Adeline said. "What's yours?"

"Green."

"Perfect," Adeline said. "Let's use both."

After some discussion, they decided to alternate colors with each half-circle of lights along the circumference of the tree. They'd spent the next twenty or so minutes adding the magelights by hand, one by one. The polished bones shimmered in the light, and by the end, the tree looked almost like the ones Adeline would so often decorate back at home.

She grinned with pride at the end product. "It looks so much better like this, yeah?"

"The top feels a little bare," Brelyna noted. She looked about the room, but only found piles of books and research materials scattered on Adeline's desk. "Is there anything we can add to it?"

"Usually we'd add a centerpiece relevant to our respective clan," Adeline said. "For mine, that would be a Dwarven gyro, but I doubt Arniel would be willing to spare one of his."

"We could ask Enthir," Brelyna suggested. "He's able to get his hands on just about anything."

"Knowing him, he'll end up blackmailing or scamming Arniel to get it."

"That's a good point, but…" Brelyna glanced back at the tree. "I do really want to see it complete. I'm invested now."

Adeline couldn't agree more, and she found it harder and harder to rationalize leaving the tree incomplete the more she stared at it. "… We could always return the gyro after the Solstice, right?"

"Exactly!" Brelyna agreed cheerfully. "We can't be held responsible for simply asking a fellow classmate to help us get some research materials. So long as we don't ask questions."

"You make a strong argument," Adeline conceded with a laugh. "Let's go find him before nightfall. And hope Arniel doesn't see us with him."

"Last I saw, he was heading to his dorm upstairs," Brelyna said.

As the two silently made their way upstairs, Adeline noticed the painful feeling in her chest had subsided. Not gone, but less pronounced. Watching her new friend so excitedly share in her traditions made her wonder to herself if, perhaps, there was a place for her here at Winterhold. Not home, not belonging. But something worth staying for.

[yandere-wishes]

Eight Tries //Obey  Me Yandere! Asmodeus x reader //

Thank you so so much for this wonderful prompt @feedmestraycats​. Icon made by the lovly @bbelphie​!

TW: attempted suicide, mention of rape/noncon, gore, murder, cheating

This was getting old, he still wasn't home and there was no point in pretending that he was just running late. No, you knew that your husband was not coming back home tonight, maybe if you were lucky you would find him passed out on the couch sometime in the late afternoon once you returned from the marketplace. 

There was no reason to spend the dreary and dull night alone. If that spoiled hero you called a husband could be spending such a gorgeous night, out with some prostitute from the slums then you could also be having some naughty fun~

--To call your current like a nightmare was an understatement. People awake from nightmares, they could open their eyes and be back in the safety of their warm beds, next to the person they loved. But the second your eyes opened you entered a hell on earth, there wasn't any escape, no freedom...and the worst part was that there was not a single soul to comfort you--

Five red candles set in a circle each one a blase with a tiny passionate flame. Two twigs inserted parallel to one another, caging in the dried corpse of a scorpion. Next is the demon's sacred seal written in the summoner's blood, elegantly and delicately. Sprinkle it with salt and state the ungodly words. "Oh, great Asmodeus lord of love, aviator of lust, I become thee come forth to me, I offer you my body and soul"

--You had been born to a noble family in a small and rather poor town. Despite the town economical standpoint, the natives were tremendously kind and neighborly. Everyone shared whatever little of anything they may have had. Your family, in particular, was the most charitable. Giving and giving as much as humanly possible. When it came time for you to chose a husband, your father requested you marry someone from the town, someone you truly loved disregarding how poor or wealthy they may be. Marry for love he insisted but keep it in the family. Regardless to say that's what you did. You found a man and fell in love, married a month later in a joyous celebration in which the whole town had been invited to....but then HE came along--

The circle in front of you puffed with a cloud of thick pink smoke. It invaded your sense, plunging into your mind and sending waves of ecstasy. It was a rush pure lust was infected into your entire body...

but then it stopped, neglecting your corpse and leaving you you confused and sweaty. It was in that eerie moment that the demon decided to manifest himself. He stood tall in all his glory, petite bat wings spread out. If it weren't for the dark shadow and uncharacteristic bitter frown spread thinly across his face, he would have looked as beautiful and perfect as the first miserable night you played eyes on him.

--In the dead of night Asmodeus had murdered your husband in clod blood. He had made you watch as he shredded your lover's corps leaving only a messy pile of blood and organs on the bed. But that had not been enough for the lord of lust. On that same blood-soaked bed he had defiled you,  raped you and stolen what was meant for the man who's blood you now laid in, a weeping mess reeking of that demon's stench. Your parents had found you the following day. They were sent into an accentuated frenzy. How could such a horrifying thing happen? By the following year, you'd been wed again, only for Asmodeus to return on the night of your marriage and decimate your new husband. By the fourth accurations, the townsfolk had deemed you cursed, at first they tried all that they could to save you from this dreadful beast. But all too soon it had turned into a competition. "Who could marry the nobleman's daughter and survive the next day." Desperate to wed you off your parents accepted any challenger who arrived....and each was dead by the morning of your marriage. By the sixth time, the townsfolk had already tried to kill you on multiple occasions. The sweet and caring town you knew had been annihilated replaced by this bitter, angry village of unkind and untrusting residents. And Asmodeus? Well, he'd made a game out of this, each time he'd find a new grisly way to slaughter your new husband and a new repugnant way to rape you. By the seventh husband, you'd already attempted four suicides. All resulting in fallierur, by some black miracle that dreadful demon was always able to save you and keep you alive. All hope was lost or so it seemed.--

"He's out again..." Was there any need to explain why you'd summons him. Over the last two years since your wedding to the "hero", these summonings had been almost routine. 

"Of course he is darling~ did you really think you were enough to satisfy him? hm?"

The words stabbed your heart like a million needles at once, the reality was all too fragile and could come crumbling down at any given time. You had never been enough, this was a well-known fact at this point. You had never been enough for your lovers, parents or town's people and now you weren't even enough for your own husband, the man that had saved you from all your miseries. 

"Love, he's a hero. Hero's don't settle down and live domestic lives with their loved ones and children. They need the torture of missions and anguish of journeys to feel alive. When they leave it all behind they wind up as hollow husks filling out the rest of their existence with alcohol and street women."

--After having prayed to God for too many days and nights to count, he's finally sent you a hero. Tobias was sent to vanquish the demon Asmodeus and merry you as a reward. At the time you'd all thought he had succeeded, that the avatar of lust was really dead. The thought had brought you joyous days and depressing nights. A part of you was beyond thankful that he was finally gone. The other half missed and longed for his lips on yours, for his hands brushing against your skin, the feel of his honey-colored lock tangled in between your fingers. You missed your tormentor...

At first, you and Tobias had been like any young couple so in love to notice the conflict of the world around you, so in love to disregard each other's sharp edges. So in love, until you were no longer. The first year had been sweet and peacful, every day was a harmonious dream...but then Tobias started coming home late, neglecting your presence. Some nights he wouldn't return at all and you'd run into town finding him in some pub drunk and with some random woman clinging to him. You spent those nights crying yourself into fitful revolting dreams of happiness and death. The old pre-suicidal habits had returned. One night the blade slipped and slashed a vain to deep, mentally exhausted you simply laid there waiting for the blood to run out. That's when you saw him again. Over the years he hadn't changed one bit, flirty smile and reddish-yellow eyes still playful and dark. He'd brought you back again and stayed with you until morning. The occurrence repeated it's self like clockwork until one night it was no longer dying and talking but summoning and...more. It felt right to feel him all over you again. His toxic presence made you feel complete, filling up holes in your soul.--

Asmodeus stalked closer, arms slinging in that all too causal way. You didn't dare take a step back, having played this game enough times to know every result before it even sprouted. 

"(Y/N) why won't you listen to me! How dense do you have to be to repeat the same mistake eight times! Eight freaking times before it dawns on you that you are wrong! You will always be wrong! No worthless human or "holy hero" can ever love you as I do. I'm the only one. I'll always be the only one!" 

Your brain screamed that he was wrong, that you could have had a prouspoures, dazzling life had he not killed your first husband or second or even third. Ir was his fault that your beloved town had been plagued with riots and corruption. He taught your people to sin, to ignore the words of God and his angels! Yet your cracked heart knew that he was right, no man would ever love you again... hey all married you for some selfish obligation or another. And Tobias....Tobias was the worst of all. He was forced to marry you by the holy on. Thrust into a loveless marriage with the suicidal "beauty" he was forced to save. Why couldn't God have just killed you all those years ago? Given the poor "Miss wanna die" her sole wish. He was right, this MONSTER was had always been right! No one loved you. You were less than the rubble under people's feet. Even noble god had turned his back on you...but he, this evil demon...Asmodeus had always come back for you. Hw stole your innocence, your purity, your life! your destiny was forever ruled by him. Maybe that's what you were so constantly in pain and isolation. You were trying to outrun your furutre. Why? What was the point of escaping your inevitable faith? Let it go, submit,  your miserable life would finally become less of a burden. Give up, hand over the crumpled misery you called life to Asmodeus, let him take over. It would all finally be over. No more pain, loneliness, the misery would come to a sweet end!

In a daring, insanity driven moment you lunged yourself forward gripping Asmodeus' toned shoulders with all your strenghth. Fingernails digging deeper and deeper into his creamy skin. Crashing your lips onto his, trying to let the kiss speak for you. Begging he would comprehend your actions, praying he would accept your submission. In no time he took over, dominating the kiss, slipping his wet muscle into your mouth. Running his larger hands to your lower back. Dipping lower and lower, squeezing anything he could get his hand on. He was the one to (shockinly) break the kiss. He slowly pulled away leaving behind a thin string of saliva. His lush lips were pulled into a smug smirk, his eyes were lightening up with the most joy you'd ever seen. Forcefully he pulled you closer to his chest. Holding your head where his heart would have been. 

[butterflies-dragons]

That was a heartbreaking read :( Enlightening tho, TY!! While I was aware of the parallels between Marillion & hound's attacks, I hadn't noticed the recurring themes leading up to the hound's attack. I've seen others speculating about nightmare wrt Jonsa and IA with you that nightmare is Sansa's way of processing her trauma. But I also think it could be part of the "Jon is a foil to Sansa's false beasts" motif. Two men with scarred faces forced Sansa onto her bed & assaulted her, but the 3rd 1/2

Hello Anon,

Many thanks for your words.  Here is the post for anyone interested.

About scarred face men around Sansa, Jon wouldn’t be the third, in any case the forth or even the fifth, but Sansa could meet others before her reunion with Jon, a man from the Mountain Clans of the Vale for example, like the Burned Men.

So far we have:

Ilyn Payne has a scarred face (pockmarked).   

The Hound has a scarred face (burned).

Tyrion Lannister has a scarred face (noseless).    

I also suspect Lothor cut Marillion’s face while saving Sansa.

Illyn Payne didn’t try to rape Sansa but his interactions with Sansa are surrounded by rapey and phallic imagery... I know, it’s disturbing...

Sansa always feel naked next to Ilyn Payne:

“The king is gone hunting, but I know he will be pleased to see you when he returns,” the queen was saying to the two knights who knelt before her, but Sansa could not take her eyes off the third man. He seemed to feel the weight of her gaze. Slowly he turned his head. Lady growled. A terror as overwhelming as anything Sansa Stark had ever felt filled her suddenly. She stepped backward and bumped into someone.

(...)

There was general laughter, led by Lord Renly himself. The tension of a few moments ago was gone, and Sansa was beginning to feel comfortable … until Ser Ilyn Payne shouldered two men aside, and stood before her, unsmiling. He did not say a word. Lady bared her teeth and began to growl, a low rumble full of menace, but this time Sansa silenced the wolf with a gentle hand to the head. "I am sorry if I offended you, Ser Ilyn," she said. She waited for an answer, but none came. As the headsman looked at her, his pale colorless eyes seemed to strip the clothes away from her, and then the skin, leaving her soul naked before him. Still silent, he turned and walked away.

—A Game of Thrones - Sansa I

This line: “His pale colorless eyes seemed to strip the clothes away from her” sounds very rapey... And the reference to his “pale colorless eyes”  next to this line: “and then [strip] the skin, leaving her soul naked before him”, sounds like Bolton imagery, colorless eyes and flying skin.

Also, Ilyn Payne having Ice has a powerful and disturbing phallic imagery:   

The serving girls tried to talk to her when they brought her meals, but she never answered them. Once Grand Maester Pycelle came with a box of flasks and bottles, to ask if she was ill. He felt her brow, made her undress, and touched her all over while her bedmaid held her down. When he left he gave her a potion of honeywater and herbs and told her to drink a swallow every night. She drank it all right then and went back to sleep.

She dreamt of footsteps on the tower stair, an ominous scraping of leather on stone as a man climbed slowly toward her bedchamber, step by step. All she could do was huddle behind her door and listen, trembling, as he came closer and closer. It was Ser Ilyn Payne, she knew, coming for her with Ice in his hand, coming to take her head. There was no place to run, no place to hide, no way to bar the door. Finally the footsteps stopped and she knew he was just outside, standing there silent with his dead eyes and his long pocked face. That was when she realized she was naked. She crouched down, trying to cover herself with her hands, as her door began to swing open, creaking, the point of the greatsword poking through …

She woke murmuring, "Please, please, I’ll be good, I’ll be good, please don’t,” but there was no one to hear.

—A Game of Thrones - Sansa VI

Ned used Sansa to kill Lady, Sansa’s direwolf, a part of her soul.  So, in a way, Ice has cut Sansa already.

Later, Ilyn Payne used Ice to kill Ned, Sansa’s father.  So Ice is painted with Lady’s and Ned’s blood.  And a bloody sword is also a metaphor of a phallus deflowering a maiden:

"Brandon loved his sword. He loved to hone it. 'I want it sharp enough to shave the hair from a woman's cunt,' he used to say. And how he loved to use it. 'A bloody sword is a beautiful thing,' he told me once." 

"You knew him," Theon said.

The lantern light in her eyes made them seem as if they were afire. "Brandon was fostered at Barrowton with old Lord Dustin, the father of the one I'd later wed, but he spent most of his time riding the Rills. He loved to ride. His little sister took after him in that. A pair of centaurs, those two. And my lord father was always pleased to play host to the heir to Winterfell. My father had great ambitions for House Ryswell. He would have served up my maidenhead to any Stark who happened by, but there was no need. Brandon was never shy about taking what he wanted. I am old now, a dried-up thing, too long a widow, but I still remember the look of my maiden's blood on his cock the night he claimed me. I think Brandon liked the sight as well. A bloody sword is a beautiful thing, yes. It hurt, but it was a sweet pain.

—A Dance with Dragons - The Turncloak

In contrast to Ned cleaning Ice after using the sword, Ilyn Payne keep it bloody:

Sansa had not even seen Ser Ilyn return to the hall, but suddenly there he was, striding from the shadows behind the dais as silent as a cat. He carried Ice unsheathed. Her father had always cleaned the blade in the godswood after he took a man’s head, Sansa recalled, but Ser Ilyn was not so fastidious. There was blood drying on the rippling steel, the red already fading to brown. “Tell Lady Sansa why I keep you by us,” said Cersei.

Ser Ilyn opened his mouth and emitted a choking rattle. His pox-scarred face had no expression.

“He’s here for us, he says,” the queen said. “Stannis may take the city and he may take the throne, but I will not suffer him to judge me. I do not mean for him to have us alive.”

“Us?”

“You heard me. So perhaps you had best pray again, Sansa, and for a different outcome. The Starks will have no joy from the fall of House Lannister, I promise you.” She reached out and touched Sansa’s hair, brushing it lightly away from her neck.”

—A Clash of Kings - Sansa VI

Sansa even dreams having her wedding night with Illyn Payne: 

“Once she dreamed it was still her marrying Joff, not Margaery, and on their wedding night he turned into the headsman Ilyn Payne. She woke trembling.”

—A Storm of Swords - Sansa II

So I think we must count Ilyn Payne in the scarred face men with rapey/non con connotations surrounding Sansa list, next to the Hound, Tyrion and Marilion that later also lost his eyes. 

And in AFFC Sansa meets another scarred face man: 

The gaoler Mord came with him, a monstrous man with small black eyes and a lopsided, scarred face. One ear and part of his cheek had been cleaved off in some battle, but twenty stone of pallid white flesh remained. His clothes fit poorly and had a rank, ripe smell. 

A Feast for Crows - Sansa I

Sound familiar?

Anyway, let’s talk about Jon now.  

Among all these men, Jon’s scar in his left eyes, a gift from Orell’s eagle, is almost nothing.  He is not disfigured like the Hound (half face burned), Tyrion (noseless) and Marilion (lost his eyes).  But there are theories that he could lose an eyes, like Waymar Royce his look-alike, an Jonnel ‘One Eye’ Stark, his ancestor and almost name-sake.   

Also, among all these men called beast in figurative sense, Jon’s beastly status is about him being a warg, a skinchanger.  Jon is both Beast and Man. That’s why there are theories about Jon’s soul living inside Ghost after his physical death.  

And finally Jon is the only hidden/secret prince that is a very significant parallel with the Beast from the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast.” 

You can read more about jonsa and “Beauty and the Beast” in the following links:  

In the original fairy tale ‘La Belle et la Bête’ written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, Beauty and Beast/Prince are cousins.

There is a version of Beauty and the Beast where the Beast is a white wolf.

Other ship questioning jonsa and its connections with Beauty and the Beast.

Other ship questioning jonsa and its connections with Beauty and the Beast II.

Other ship questioning jonsa and its connections with Beauty and the Beast III. 

I agree that Jon won’t assault Sansa and that she will probably sing to him spontaneous and willingly.  Also take note that the Beast from “Beauty and the Beast” was very courteous, he needed to court Beauty and make her see him beyond his beastly appearance, in order to break his curse.           

Even in GRRM’s favorite version of the tale, the 1946 French film “La Belle et la Bête” directed by Jean Cocteau, “The Beast invites Belle to dinner, where he tells her that she's in equal command to him and that she will be asked every day to marry him. Days pass as Belle grows more accustomed to and fond of the Beast, but she continues to refuse marriage”.

So, Jon won’t be part of that long list of butchers around Sansa. 

I got your point, you made sense, don’t worry.  But I refuse to associate Jon with traumatic Sansa’s nightmares.  I wish for him to be A Dream of Spring.        

Thanks for your message.

[aros001]

Going in blind: Watching season 4 for the first time. Random thoughts.

I never said anything about it before but I love Shadow Weaver's DCAU Batman eyes. They're so expressive.

Episode 1: Okay...I wasn't expecting Catra to do that. I mean, it makes sense. If she has leverage over Hordak then she's basically in charge of the Horde and that's what she's wanted (or at least believes she wants) since episode 1. It's an aspect that made her a good antagonist, that she's not blind to the evil of the Horde, she just doesn't care as long as she herself is secure. Which naturally begs the question, when the rebellion and the princesses are crushed, when the Horde is on top, when Adora is dead, when Catra finally has everything she's ever wanted...will she actually finally be happy? Somehow, I have my doubts.

I definitely feel for Glimmer in this. When you go through as big a loss as she did you need to be able to feel and vent if you're ever going to get through it. It doesn't have to be right away but everyone doing everything in their power to avoid the topic entirely can make you feel like you're going crazy. It'a especially bad for her since it unintentionally makes it feel like everyone is acting like it doesn't matter that Angela is gone when it clearly means everything to Glimmer.

Episode 2: I actually had a potted cactus plant once. Accidentally forgot about it and left it outside for an entire winter. Once the snow was gone the cactus looked like it had melted.

I kind of want to see what an interaction between Double Trouble and Clayface from the Harley Quinn animated series would look like. I'm guess Catra was just testing how good Double Trouble was as a doppelganger because it doesn't seem like she did anything while Adora was being distracted, though I suppose that could be a reveal in a later episode.

Not much to say except that I love how buff Huntara is while still clearly being a woman. Like, women can have a variety of different body types, as this series and Steven Universe show, and Huntara's build isn't just, like, Bow's body with lipstick and ponytail and the animators calling it a day. No, she looks like a freakin' jacked adult woman.

Episode 3: I didn't figure out the Flutterina = Double Trouble twist until a minute before it was revealed, so good job there. Before that I was wondering if Flutterina was some fan's original character where they won some contest where their OC got to be in the show for an episode. She was giving off some weird self-insert vibes. That twist made it all work though. It's honestly not a bad plan. Shapeshifters haven't really been a thing in the series before now so there's no reason to suspect it. Even if they did they'd probably be expecting it by way of magic or technology, while Double Trouble's seems to be a natural ability.

I like that even though Bow is definitely the goofier one of the trio he is still consistently shown as competent. That's never in question. He was very heroic and reassuring to the villagers this episode. I get why those kids idolize him so much.

Catra's having guilt over what she did with the portal and to Entrapta and her response is basically to just double-down. She doesn't know any other way to be. Not going to lie, I am kind of hoping we get another moment in the show where Adora just completely overwhelms Catra with the sheer power of She-Ra. I'm not saying like brutalize her or anything but just something where Catra is made to realize just how powerful Adora is and that she could just destroy Catra if she had a mind to do so.

Episode 4: Well, I was saying I wanted Adora to do it but I guess I don't mind Glimmer being the one to get some good shots in on Catra. Like I predicted, Shadow Weaver's moving in to become her teacher like she was with her father. Honestly I like that that was more Adora's problem than Glimmer using her as bait, which she seemed to get over pretty quick. Yeah, it was kind of a heartless thing to do but it was an understandable tactic and she clearly outright told Adora that she did it and why afterwards, which at least means she's still being honest.

It occurs to me that Glimmer and Catra may be the ones running parallel right now. Both are basically leading their respective sides of the war. They both have lost someone very important to them. And both are trusting someone they probably shouldn't. Both even have outfits that've been updated in the intro. The difference is Glimmer's just trying to deal with a bad situation while Catra's is entirely self-inflicted.

Minor thing but I like Glimmer's new outfit this season. I'm sure this is the intention but it makes her look older and more mature. A little more muscular in some shots too.

Episode 5: Heart of Etheria project. No idea what that is but assumedly whoever's a part of it doesn't like Light Hope and Mara being friends. Sounds like it's very much interested in She-Ra being just a warrior, and perhaps a tool, for the greater good. It does make me wonder though how much Light Hope remember from when she was rebooting. Even if she deleted the Mara memory she could potentially still have the memory of her and Adora watching the Mara memory, as well as Adora asking to be her friend.

Episode 6: Yep. Scorpia; definitely favorite supporting character. There is something kind of funny about her whole "Scorpions are loyal" line when you remember the story about the Frog and the Scorpion, where it stings the frog despite it meaning death for itself as well simply because that is its nature. But finally we're having someone go save Entrapta, and I can only assume at some point Scorpia's going to access the power of the Black Garnet.

The parallels between Catra and Hordak are definitely at their max here with that speech of hers to him. She's basically trying to convince herself that she doesn't need anyone, the timing of which is appropriate since she just drove away Scorpia and now truly doesn't have anyone. Not that I blame Scorpia, obviously. Like Adora before her, however good you believe someone can be and that you can help them, at some point you just have to cut the toxic people out of your life. You have the right to be happy too.

And man, Bow is just the best. He saw something was wrong between Adora and Glimmer and defused the situation like (snap) that, pushing them to talk like any sane person would.

Episode 7: I'm sure it is just because I've seen way too many TV shows and movies (both animated and live action) that don't do it but it is just such a relief to have a show where the characters just TALK and LISTEN to each other. It doesn't solve all their issues but they're at least not being stupid and freakin' petty. It helps the drama feel a lot less forced and contrived.

Episode 8: A little bit of amusement in Bow thinking at first that Glimmer and Adora didn't even notice he was gone despite them coming to his rescue very shortly afterwards, given Catra is only now realizing Scorpia has left and assumedly she did so a while ago. Bow and Sea Hawk hadn't been gone for that long so it's not unreasonable Glimmer and Adora wouldn't be worried about their absence (Bow was literally talking about "me time" when they last saw him), while Catra is only noticing Scorpia's absence now and it was because she wanted something. Like Scorpia said, she's a bad friend.

Kind of ironic given that a lot of Catra's issues are the direct result of Shadow Weaver giving her very little love growing up but it does seem this tough love is probably what'll get through to Catra the best. She might finally stop making bad decisions and lashing out if she's forced to live with the consequences of them, like Adora told her last season.

Glimmer gets a bit of slack from me since she suffered through a huge loss, that being her mother, and then was immediately thrown into being queen right after. It'd be hard for anyone to be 100% on their game and well-adjusted in a situation like that, and I buy that she was on some level resentful of Adora for coming back instead of her mother, even if unintentionally so. What definitely helps is that Glimmer very clearly and immediately regretted what she said to Adora. Like Catra she's lashing out but unlike Catra Glimmer recognizes some of the damage she's doing and knows, at least in this case, that she went too far.

Episode 9: Now that I can see the design in color I definitely prefer Mara's She-Ra with pants to Adora's She-Ra with shorts. Honestly, while the differences are pretty minor, I do think Mara's She-Ra design is overall a lot better than Adora's. Sharper shoulder guards. Bigger cape (especially the cape, I love capes). I don't know, there's just a lot that clicks with it and I wouldn't mind Adora getting a similar outfit later.

Madam Razz definitely had a Yoda feel this episode. I was very much expecting her to start wacking Mara with a stick over the sugar like Yoda did with R2. Though while that was Yoda acting crazy, for Razz it's because she experiences time out of order, and I don't think I've ever seen that concept taken to this extent, or at least done this way before. There are characters like River Song from Doctor Who, Professor Paradox from Ben 10, or even the Reverse-Flash who interact with other characters in time out of order but those characters are still on a linear path from their own perspective, even when travelling through time. Razz is just bouncing around her own timeline, seemingly not even any real reason or cause to it like Subaru from Re:Zero. Clearly she's not just remembering things oddly because her talk about things of the present are heard by people in the past and have an effect. I wonder if maybe the reason why is because Razz was at ground zero of Mara's actions and this is a side-effect of pulling Etheria away from the rest of the universe.

Bringing more Star Wars into this, it basically sounds like the Heart of Etheria project has turned Etheria into a magic Starkiller Base; storing power that'll be unleashed to destroy whole planets. And jeez, I think this was the first time I really felt creeped out by Light Hope when she was talking to Mara.

I'm looking forward to seeing what it means that the First Ones only made the sword and that Etheria made She-Ra. If that's the case, why is only the sword able to bring out the She-Ra form? Is it like MCU Thor's hammer and the weapon was just meant to help him control the power he already had? Or is what we think is She-Ra not actually She-Ra and that form that Adora and Mara take is just a stand-in for the real thing?

Episode 10: It didn't even occur to me until now but Double Trouble's capture is another blow to Catra's circle of "friends" too. They were at least able to make her laugh. One less person for her to talk to and just...really just distract her from her thoughts.

It's a good dilemma this episode presents about what to do with the Heart of Etheria. The safest and probably best option is to just dismantle it, like Adora and Bow want, since it could easily lead to the destruction of the entire planet if it goes off. Not the mention there's so little they know about it and what it was intended for and the one person who can potentially tell them, Light Hope, they were warned not to trust. But it's not hard to understand where Glimmer is coming from in wanting to use that power to fight the Horde. They're already losing the war and now she knows Hordak Prime and his FAR more powerful forces are on the way. Tapping into the Heart is a huge risk but she's not seeing any other paths for the rebels to win. It's a really good dilemma, with good arguments presented from both sides, and I buy this widening the schism between Adora and Glimmer.

Episode 11: I have mixed feelings on King Micah still being alive. On the one hand there's a lot of good potential interactions we can now have with him, primarily between Glimmer and Shadow Weaver, and he is a fun character. But on the other I can't help but wonder if this kind of lessens the impact of what Angela gave up to overcome the false reality. Part of what made it so emotional was that she had to accept the person she loved was dead and not coming back...except now we see that he wasn't dead and now he is coming back. Yeah, their family lost out on years together and that does still carry some emotional weight but I was already also half-expecting Angela to come back later in the series because she's stuck between dimensions, meaning there's a chance she could still be alive. If both Glimmer's parents come back then that really feels like it takes a lot of weight out of her story. But I guess we'll see what happens.

Also, why did the Horde exile him to Beast Island? Why not just kill him?!

Episode 12: So the Horde exiles Micah to Beast Island instead of killing him. The First Ones protect their secrets by sending their bad tech to Beast Island. Does no one know how to just destroy things in this world?

Ohhh, I am so looking forward to next episode. While it's debatable whether Glimmer should be going through with her plan she is at least being smart with how she's going about it. Double Trouble was being paid by Catra to work for the Horde, not out of any sense of loyalty. Glimmer has the resources of Bright Moon at her disposal so it's reasonable she could pay them more to switch sides. Double Trouble was very good at sabotaging even a group as tight-nit as the heroes, so Hordak and Catra are probably easy pickings with all their issues.

Episode 13: ....WELL THAT AIN'T GOOD!

I'll admit, I had a little bit of an unintended laugh. After all we've heard about Horde Prime, like this shadowy all-powerful monster, I wasn't expecting the fabulous flowing dreadlocks and smoothness. Credit where it's due, man has charisma and charm, which goes a long way in helping your big evil world conqueror not be a very flat character, because it's doubtful he's going to have the same kind of sympathetic motivation as Hordak or complexity as Catra to keep him elevated.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Double Trouble kicking at Catra while she's down. Adora and Scorpia were honest but they never wanted to hurt Catra. Not so much with Double Trouble and they just shove reality into her face. Everyone leaves Catra because of Catra. She's the common factor. It's her fault and no one else's. Again, I don't know for certain if Adora and Catra get together at the end (Catra would have a LOT to make amends for regardless) but Double Trouble was definitely implying Catra had feelings for her with the way they put Catra's hand on "Adora's" cheek while talking about how she left her.

I like that we see Glimmer's plan actually working at first. The princesses get a massive power boost and decimate the Horde forces. But the minute it starts going wrong she immediately admits Adora was right and she tries to stop the energy flow. I imagine having her there with Catra was intentional by the writers. Despite some parallels, Glimmer can actually accept her failures and work to try and fix things. Unlike Catra, she didn't blame Adora for things going wrong.

So the sword allows the First Ones to control She-Ra and the energy she'd be absorbing from the planet. Assumedly that means there are at least some parts to She-Ra that have nothing to do with the First Ones and thus maybe Adora can still use some of those powers without the sword.

Season 4 verdict: Yeah, the show keeps getting better, though I will admit last season's finale had me more emotional, but that's a bit of an unfair comparison given everything that happened in that finale vs. this one. This is definitely the series hitting its darkest hour, where it feels like EVERYONE lost. Not just the rebels but the Horde as well. The sword and Light Hope are gone and She-Ra (for now) along with them. Glimmer and Catra are basically prisoners. Hordak's probably going to have his personality stripped away. The Fright Zone is in ruins. The only one who's gained anything is Prime.

Really looking forward to what the final season has in store, especially since there seems to be the implication that Catra just saved Glimmer's life.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrincessesOfPower/comments/o1j5gk/going_in_blind_watching_season_4_for_the_first/

[inessencedevided]

The Untamed, episode 43 - watching notes

The sun is setting on this show for me and I'm not ready to say goodbye yet 😔

(As if I will! Ha. Imma blog about nothing else the next ... probably years)

Last time on Sophie watches the untamed: We're still in the restricted section. The twin love-struck idiots of lan and wwx found the Collection of turmoil and suspect Jin Guangyao of intentionally bringing about Nie Mingjue's qui deviation.

As much as I love the "hihi. Wwx is wearing his boyfriend's underrobe" aspect of this, I also like the visual incorporation of lwj's colour scheme into wwx's clothes. (Not just through the undertone, his black tone also has slight grey seam.) It's as if now that they are finally fully committed to each other, wwx is displaying it for all the world to see

Jin Guangyao tore out a page to hide the evidence. That's not how to do that!!!

My heart is breaking for Lan Xichen. He looks like a man standing on a train track and watching the light speed towards him in horror while he's unable to move away

Feels like exactly no one on this show is getting their happy ending

*thinks about yi city and cries forever*😭😭😭

"Wangji, Jin Guangyao,in my eyes, is a totally different person from how you and other people see him." And we all know that lwj knows exactly what that's like

PARALLELS! 😭

(Sorry, I have a thing for those)

And lwj looks so pained

Thinking about it, it's now the man lwj loves against the man lxc loves (in whatever way. I still ship them. Not sure if its "canonically" romantic though). They can't both be right, so ... one of them is going to get their heart broken

Great, first the Yunmeng brothers, now the lan brothers are breaking my heart 🥺

Lwj says he's visiting "Grand Master", that's Lan Qiren right? What happened to him anyway? Haven't seen him in ages

I love how, even though it is wwx's word against jgy's right now, lan Xichen is still genuinely kind towards wwx

The whipping scars! I hadn't even thought about those anymore 😳

I'm probably going to get my heart ripped out soon, but before that

"You are not qualified to talk to me."

Sickest. Burn. Ever.

Also, no disrespect to the actor, but that's a backpfeifengesicht if I've ever seen one

(Backpfeifengesicht: "German compound word for a 'face that should be slapped'. Ex:. When GWB smirks on TV, my German friend Uwe tells me that he sees a 'Backpfeifengesicht'." Urban dictionary)

He went to burial mount after wwx was killed??? 🥺🥺🥺

I've noticed something with lwj. When he's distressed, he won't look people in the eye or not even at their faces, just in their very general direction. To me it seems like he almost... can't? Any thoughts on that? Cause I'm intrigued but I can't think about it too much right now cause I'm already writing half an essay in this commentary again 😅

Oh fuck YOU Jiggy!!!

Holy shit ... holy shit

Lan Wangji 🥺🥺🥺

He fought against everyone?

This is how he showed his grieve???

He went to the place wei Wuxian had called home and ... what? Protected or ot so they wouldn't desecrate it? To search for him? To ... what?

Oh god, Wangji! 😭

That image... I'm speechless. It's so powerful

He's half-mad with grieve and kneeling in the ruins of his dead loves home, having fought himself to exhaustion and I'm... not okay 😭😭😭

He had to repent for THREE YEARS??

Oh no, you don't

Holy ...

Holy shit

How can my heart break and be so full at the same time 💔🥺

Lan Wangji ... my love

I'm ... so proud of him and yet so sad

Here he is at his lowest, finally standing up to the orthodoxy he knows to be wrong

This is inhumane 😳

The corporal punishment of the lan sect always was but THIS

Fuck them

Or Lan Qiren specifically

That's his nephew. How can he even look at himself?

"Eradicate evil. Establish laws. Than goodness will be everlasting."

IT'S NOT THAT FUCKING EASY!!!

WHAT EVEN IS "GOODNESS"? WHOSE VERSION OF GOODNESS? DEVINE EVIL! HOW FAR REACHING INTO THE PRIVATE SVERE SHOULD THUSE LAWS BE? DOES IT STOP AT "DON'T STEAL FROM PEOPLE OR AT "DON'T PICK YOUR NOSE AT DINNER"?

what I'm saying is: there are about 200 ethical question ls being raised by this rule alone!

And now lan Wangji had 3 tears to contemplate them

Wwx asking "why would he bother ...?" BECAUSE YOU ARE LOVED YOU GODDAMN IDIOT!!

Ohhh! We're getting their parents' story 😱

Oh this IS a Lan episode 💙

So another Lan falling quickly and never looking back?

I'm sensing a pattern here 🤨

Wait what?

Let me get this straight:

Their father loved a woman who DID NOT love him back and then killed one of his teachers

(And I hope we find out why. That sounds like there is a REALLY interesting story there)

Then he takes her to cloud recess and DESPIT HER NOT LOVING HIM, marries her, fathers two children with her (um... how voluntary was that????) locks her up (as punishment for the murder?) then locks HIMSELF up and then fucks of and leaves his children with their uncle

What kind of disaster human being was their dad????

Did he do the right thing WHEN HE MARRIED AND PROBABLY RAPED A WOMAN WHO DIDN'T LOVE HIM???

NO!!!

The fuck kinda question is that ??

If you have to marry her against her will and then lock her up, guess what? That's not love, that's wanting to possess someone

I hope that maybe the connotation is different in the og Chinese,but I'm not holding out much hope

That explains why Qiren is such a lovely character through 😒

But god, my heart breaks for lwj and lxc :'(

Little Lan Wangji!!! 🥺🥺🥺

Oh darling ...

Oh no ...

Look at him look at his crooked little headband😭😭😭

He went there every month!!!

Oh Wangji 💔💔

Stubborn, steadfast, loving Wangji!

That seals it. I KNEW why he was my favourite character

He isn't so passive all the time, because he feels too little! He feels entirely too much!!! 😭😭😭

And that explains why lwj was so worried about wwx's demonic cultivation harming him!!! 😭

Oh god, it was such an old hurt for him. I had no idea 🥺🥺🥺

All of these characters need a therapist

Lxc playing the flute to what ... deal with his emotions? Express his grieve? Remeber their mother? (And god, do I want to know more about her!!) Either way, It's making me tear up 😥

"It's so difficult to determine others personalities depending on our perspective." Welcome to the human condition, my friend 💙

And that's love

I ... wish I could show you my face right now

I'm smiling through tears right now

It's so utterly beautiful

He looks so vulnerable here! With his hair (almost) down

And given what we've just learned, that's remarkable!!!

He closed himself off became the immovable stone-faced second Jade of Lan and yet, somehow, wwx wormed his way into his heart and sure, both of them needed to overcome a lot, but here they are, vulnerable and open,not letting their parent's fate decide theirs

I'm... *sniff*

I can never get enough of lwj with his hair like this!!

It's so domestic, so soft

And look at his face! 😭

And mister "alcohol is prohibited" is now serving it 😭

Oh my god this scene is so beautiful

I'm speechless

Was the second flute Jin Guangyao as well?

At this point I'm just expecting more plot-twists

He looks so young! 🥺

Both of them are exhibiting so much growth in this episode!! Wwx realising that the fact that the cultivation world had always looked for a scapegoat and that he himself was just the most convenient target, that it's not to any personal failing of his, that's HUGE!

And I'm so proud of him :')

Lwj starting to play in the distance :')

This is so utterly peaceful

My heart is bursting 😭😭😭

The music, the scenery ...

Also, both thinking they have a clean conscious!!! 😭😭😭

Again, it's them holding the same morals that's important! I cannot tell you how happy that makes me!

(But wwx still cannot drink like a normal person :D)

The contrast to lxc sitting alone couldn't be starker 😔

Wait, why are there puppets at burial mounds again?

Are we going back to burial mounds? I'm weirdly excited 😅

Aaand Jin Guangyao just proved to them that he's lying. Poor Xichen

Yup, I'm pretty sure his heart just snapped in half

Little Apple!!! I've missed him 😁

Gosh, they're laying it on thick with the domestic husband bliss this episode and I'm here for it.

I love lwj's soft smile when he looks at bunnies so much!! 🥰

Bunnies, bunnies everywhere

It's the invasion of the bunnies

Who ever is the show runner *banging pots and pans together* IT'S GAY!! cab you all hear me? These two love each other! It's G - A - Y!!! Gay!!!

Probably

Lwj's shocked look when wwx says that he's not popular with little animals, as if to say "how dare they!" :D

Holy shit ... HOW MANY SCENES CAN THEY INCLUDE IN THIS EPISODE THAT MAKE THEM LOOK SO GODDAMN MARRIED???

Is wwx sitting side saddle?

Wwx plays wangxian :')

He finally remembers how lwj recognized him :')

Sneaky, show, very sneaky :D

Wwx about to casually steal some melons, lwj *wordlessly takes out money* ^^

MIANMIAN!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!

I'd given up hope that we'd see her again!!!

I'm so happy I could burst!!!

Lwj's little exasperated head-shake before he stands up from crouching behind some hay 😂

Aww, look at her family! 😍😍😍

She build her own live :')

And look at this badass woman protecting the ones she loves!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME WEI WUXIAN??? You don't remember her???

You better remember my wife!!!

Aaand another freeze frame. But I'm willing to forgive it because THIS EPISODE WAS SO GODDAMN BRILLIANT!

It made me realise why I was so drawn to lan Wangji as a character. Of course he is mu favourite character! He ticks every single box

Let me explain. My favourite characters almost always share the following characteristics: seems either cold and distant or ethereal and aloof, as if they are above such puny human things like feelings™️(bonus if they're actually not human and their argument is "I'm [insert species]. We can't feel [insert emotion they are definetly feeling very strongly]"). then, over the course of the story, we (along with they themselves because they were in denial) discover that it's not that they feel too little, they feel entirely too much. They're a sea of emotions so deep that the surface is calm, but don't you dare be near them when the storm is coming because all hell will break loose. (extra bonus point if that storm involves them rebelling against the oppressive society they were born into and adhered to until then because they realise their consciousness won't allow it any longer.) afterwards they realise that making themselves vulnerable once in a while is actually a good thing and they proceed to fuck the Rebel™️ who they've secretly been in love with the entire time, a feeling they only now allow themselves to act on

The last part sadly isn't always canon, but who has ever had time for that?

You know what this episode made me realise most of all? The Lan sect are just as human as the rest of them. In fact, they seem to be especially prone to acting rashly on strong emotions. (I don't remember the exact story, but didn't the founder of the Lan sect also have some kind of tragic love story?) It should be obvious, but the impression you get is that they are so detached from their wants, so rigorous and disciplined in their righteousness, that they are almost super-human. But no. Thise 3000 and some rules? They weren't born out of some enlightened mind that had the secret of live figures out, they're a crutch. Abiding by them without question rids one of responsibility to make even the tiniest moral choice for oneself. But that won't work because a) they're bounty to contradict each other at some point and b) that's not how human beings work. They're messy and unpredictable and beautifully complicated. The way Lan Qiren choses to apply them, he completely disregards that. At that point, the rules aren't there anymore to grant a harmonious society, but simply for their own sake. (Or maybe as a wall to hide behind)

@sweetlittlevampire @fandom-glazed @elenirlachlagos @allhailthedramallama @luckymoony @kyrrahbird @i-love-him-on-purpose

I think this liveblog has been the longest so far. I'm sorry for going on so many tangents, but lwj's backstory hit me really hard. I hope you guys weren't too bored 💚

(I also apologise for the mountains of typos that probably accumulated in this post. I'm too tired to check.)

[badboysdoitbetter]

— winner | sc

pairing: takeshi wakatsuki x reader

fandom: kengan ashura

genre: angst, fluff; friends to lovers!AU, mutual pining!AU, fighter!reader, dense!reader

tags/warnings: a little violence, some L bombs, a disgustingly cute ending (this ones kinda cringey ngl), not much else :)

word count: 1.5k

synopsis: takeshi is in love with you; the only other fighter who’s been in the kengan tournament for as long as he has. it’s a shame you’re too oblivious to realize it...

        "This next fighter needs no introduction, but I'll give it anyway!" said Sayaka Katahara, a girl you'd gotten to know over your many years in the Kengan matches. "With a record of 308 wins and 5 losses, she's been the longest-standing female fighter in the Kengan Tournament!

"Her signature move is knocking out her competition before they even see her coming! Although, with that body, it could be seducing her competition into submission."

You blushed and began fixing your skin-tight outfit, pulling down your spandex and adjusting your bra. "If you haven't heard of her, which I highly doubt, here's (Y/N) (L/N), better known as the 'Angel of Death!'"

Running into the view of spectators, where cheers immediately erupted, you held out your arms out beside you, so they were parallel to the floor like you had wings.

It was like the crowd got impossibly louder, and you even saw people standing up in their seats and pumping their fists in the air. Smirking, you knew your signature move would get them riled up.

"(Y/N)! (Y/N)! (Y/N!)" You stopped in the middle of the field, greeting your opponent.

This is going to be an easy match.

It was. Within the first three minutes your 6'3", 390-pound brick-of-a-man adversary was on the ground, unresponsive.

"The Angel of Death strikes again!" You stepped away from his limp body, limping to where the other fighters you'd met waited to greet you.

"That was awesome!" Cosmo Imai, a 19-year-old boy you considered your child, wrapped his muscular arms around you. You winced when he pushed you back a little, as you'd stepped back with your injured foot. "You were like whoosh, and then you were like BAM, and he went ah! and then it was over! Can you teach me how to do that?"

"Stop bothering her, idiot! (Y/N), I gotta admit, you look pretty good in that getup!" Takeshi Wakatsuki smirked at you, and you blushed hard.

Why does he tease me every chance he gets! Doesn't he know how I feel about him already? It's like he wants me to know I can't have him.

"Thanks! I work really hard, so I'm glad it's paying off!" Giving him a bright smile, you shook off your thoughts as you began limping away. You may have beaten the human-brick, but it didn't mean he was weak. "Sorry, but I have an interview to get to!"

"So, (Y/N), how does it feel to be one of the longest-standing competitors in this tournament?" Your interviewer, you'd forgotten her name as soon as she'd said it, asked inquisitively.

"Well—"

"Alright," She cut you off, ignoring the fact that she'd just asked you a question. "I think we all want to know what's going on with you and the other longest fighter." You raised a brow.

"Who?"

"You know! Your old pal Takeshi."

"Huh? Oh, Takeshi and I are just friends, Miss!" No one looked like they believed you. "I swear!" Holding your hands up in front of you, the interviewer took one look at your closed-eye smile and replied.

"Oh really? We've got some clips of you two that tell us otherwise. Roll the tape!"

As the tape began to play, you and Takeshi appeared on the screen.

When were they able to capture this?

The two of you were training before one of your biggest matches that had a high reward for your company, and you were about to shit yourself out of pure nervousness. Takeshi was across from you, calm and collected, sparring with you so could practice your hits.

You went to attack, and he could have knocked you out right then and there, but... He didn't. Instead, he took one of your "Angel Kicks" right to the face, giving you a sore foot and him a minor concussion, but it did wonders in calming you down. You hadn't known it then, but you won your match because you believed that if you could beat the "Wild Tiger," you could beat anyone.

The next clip started to play. This time, it was after another big match, and it was your 5th loss in total. Disheartened, you sobbed as you ran from the crowds, all of whom were cheering for the real winner, one of Metsudo's "Fangs."

Takeshi took you into his arms as soon as you were past the crowd. He didn't break away as you tried to shove him to get by or let you leave as your body wracked with sobs. He held you in his arms and told you to keep going, to keep fighting, and you did. That's what got you to where you were today.

He does that to all of his friends, I bet. I'm not special to him, although I wish I was...

"(Y/N)? Hello... (Y/N)?" A hand waving in front of your face pulled you out of your trance. "Don't even try to deny it anymore. There's obviously something happening there, and I want to know the deets!"

Overwhelmed, you stood up and limped out of the interview as fast as you could, trying to wobble as far as you could to get away from there.

Why can't he love me like that, the way I love him?

"(Y/N)? Oof—" Falling onto someone while you weren't looking, you were met with steely blue eyes staring back at you.

"Takeshi, what are you doing here?" He saw your black and blue leg, and he noticed that you were stuttering through your sentence, but what killed Takeshi the most was the tears staining your otherwise-perfect cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Your eyes widened.

"Um, yeah, why?"

"You don't look it..."

"Well, I'm fine. If that's all you came to ask me, I need to get to my room." You went to move around him, but he stopped you.

"Oh, how'd your interview go?"

You sobbed even harder.

He doesn't even know that I'm crying about him.

"It went fine. Excuse me." This time, he moved out of the way and let you pass him, watching as you quickly turned the corner of the hallway to get your hotel room.

The only thought Takeshi Wakatsuki had as he walked towards your room was that you were an idiot.

He watched the interview, and he'd seen the way you reacted to his caring attitude towards you. He saw the longing in your eyes when you denied being anything more than "friends."

Takeshi wasn't cocky, or overly-confident, but he was observant. He knew you liked him back and didn't understand how you didn't realize he felt the same way...He thought it was pretty obvious.

Hearing a knock, you opened the door to see the man you were crying over.

"What are you doing—" Not waiting for you to finish, he pulled you towards him and locked his lips on yours. Not waiting very long, he could feel you return the kiss with just as much passion.

As he pulled away, he told you what he came here to say.

"You're an idiot."

"What?" You looked at him dumbfounded.

"I take every possible moment we're together to can to show you how much I love you, and you can't even figure it out when another person points it out to you? (Y/N), I let you give me a concussion because I wanted to be happy, for christ's sake."

Your mouth was agape, and you couldn't bring yourself to reply. "Now, I don't even know if you like me, but it sure as hell seems as if you do, so this time, I'm going to make it as clear as possible.

"I LO—"

You put a hand over his mouth, stopping him from finishing his declaration. As you pulled away, he went, "Why'd you do that?"

You smirked, regathering your thoughts as you let out those three little words.

"I love you."

Time seemed to stop between the two of you, and you almost cackled when Takeshi realized what you did.

"Seriously? You had to say it first, didn't you? Even though you wouldn't have confessed if I hadn't figured it out before you did—"

"Takeshi," You started, "Did you seriously think I'd lose to you again?"

"You know what, (Y/N), the scores 2:1, and I'm winning."

"What do you mean?" He laughed as your face went red, "You won during our fight, and I won now! Since when was it two to one?"

"That may be true, but I won something even better." You scoffed.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?"

"You."

[gunnerpalace]

"Rukia's relevance as far as Ichigo is concerned hadn't been the central factor of [Bleach] since SS arc ended." They were saying that friendship was the only thing that connected the both of them, hence, the farewells and reunions that came after. But, this was also the case for HM arc when Ichigo's mission was to save 'their friend' from the hands of the Arrancar. Saying that there was no romance by the end, what makes the two different in the "rescue nakama" POV?

Ichigo went to save Rukia because of the depth and nature of their relationship. (He “owed” her, but it’s obviously more emotionally complicated than a quid pro quo transactional deal, because she saved his life, in far more ways than one.)

Before we get to the question of Orihime, one has to ask: why did Ichigo continue to associate with Soul Society after the end of the Soul Society arc? Why did he trust them? Because Rukia sided with them. That was enough for Ichigo to decide they were vouched for, when all was said and done. He had no knowledge of how bad Aizen was other than that he had orchestrated a conspiracy that threatened Rukia’s life, and he had seen how powerless she was when he pulled the Hougyoku out of her. He could’ve just killed Hollows on his lonesome. He didn’t. He could’ve asked them for help with his “inner Hollow.” He didn’t. He didn’t do it for any personal gain, he did it because Rukia trusted them and he trusted her. On more or less that basis alone, he continued to work with the Shinigami and prepared for the war.

Orihime gets kidnapped. Ichigo goes to rescue her because she’s a friend and no one else believes in her. On the way there, sensing Rukia’s reiatsu fade, he totally abandons the mission to go to Rukia. Only once Grimmjow, who hurt and tried to kill Rukia twice shows up, does he decide to put that aside to settle the score. He encounters Rukia, who has to remind him why they’re there. When he comes back down from the most traumatic experience of his life, he saves Rukia first. When he’s talking to his dad, he remembers Rukia’s words. When he meets his friends after the fight with Aizen, his focus is centered on Rukia. When he’s losing his powers, his focus is centered on Rukia.

Lost Substitute Shinigami is about Ichigo being totally miserable being human and wanting to get his powers back so he can be a Shinigami and see Rukia. (His Fullbring is activated be a mental image of her, like, holy shit, how much more fucking obvious can it be?) Literally everything in that arc is about getting back to where he was. Surprise, he instantly trusts Rukia even when he thinks everyone is against him and had moments prior thought it was his dad stabbing him. Orihime is bawling her eyes out because Ichigo is fighting Tsukishima something even Byakuya can see through.

Thousand-Year Blood War is about Ichigo helping Soul Society because they’re Rukia’s people. Orihime spends most of it being useless, chilling out in Hueco Mundo, and being useless.

Literally every major plot point directly involves Rukia or his relationships established with her as their bedrock. Ichigo cares about Soul Society because Rukia. Ichigo is friends with Renji (and yes, also Byakuya) because Rukia. Ichigo was always possessed of an instinct to protect, but the one who showed him he could extend it to everyone was Rukia.

Ichigo does, but Rukia is. Pretty much everything he does revolves around her. Anyone who can’t see that wasn’t actually reading the manga, and I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with them, be it literacy, reading comprehension, analysis, dementia, or delusion, but something is. There is no Bleach without Ichigo and Rukia’s relationship.That is the fundamental and core reason why Bleach exists.

Also, Rukia is the only reason Orihime is even fucking relevant, and it was because she was wandering around with the Hougyoku stuck in her activating people’s deep-seated desires. Hey, you know what? That means Chad’s love of Ichigo is just as strong as Orihime’s!

And guess what?! They both doubt him equally. Neither Chad nor Orihime help out Ichigo prior to Xcution’s arrival. Neither Chad nor Orihime see through Tsukishima’s power. Neither Chad nor Orihime have faith Ichigo won’t run away if he’s allowed to do what he pleases in TYBW. Neither Chad nor Orihime do anything of relevance against Askin, nor against Yhwach. I mean holy shit, look at this, they’re making the exact same fucking face:

Where are the IchiChad shippers going on about how much Chad loved him? Where’s “This power in my fists was gained for Ichigo’s sake?” Nowhere. And the joke is, he’s just as entitled as Orihime, because he parallels her at. Every. Single. Step. Nobody else is as consistently useless as the other of their little pair.

But not even the Hougyoku could get Ichigo to notice Orihime. “[…] this will not happen unless the subject inherently possesses the power to fulfill their desire.” He obviously just didn’t have it in him. Guess that was why the best Kubo and whoever could do in that trash-ass novel was that milquetoast line.

You know what else? Most of the people (other than Kisuke) who do develop the greatest, most unerring faith in Ichigo, like Byakuya, Renji, and Ukitake? They all do it having trusted Rukia first. Kisuke seemed to appreciate both as a pair, as did the people in contact with him (e.g., Yoruichi). Everybody who just “accepted” Ichigo, be it Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, and even Yuzu and Karin, didn’t accept him to that extent. (Byakuya had more faith in Ichigo than Yuzu and Karin did! Think about that the next time you read a fic where Byakuya hates Ichigo!)

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