#literally just try it for five seconds. you might actually enjoy it

[mischiefmaker615]

Innocent Mischief

Summary: Innocent Bets can lead to interesting surprises..

Requester: @michellewgrt

Rating: PG 14

‘’WHERE THE HELL IS IT??”

Tony’s voice could be heard echoing off the walls of the tower, a signal that told you to quickly duck back into the kitchen and slow your steps to make it seem casual.

‘’I told you I could do it.’’ You said playfully with the same smug look Loki had given you after completing his own bet.

He regardless gave you slow clapping with a hidden look that you knew meant you had impressed him while you pulled up a chair alongside him at the island counter. ‘’yes, yes mortal you have indeed stayed true to your word by showing you have been able to keep the Iron Idiot sober for more than an hour. Yet I might have to count hiding to booze as cheating.’’

You scoffed at him and waved a hand, leaning on your elbows as your eyes glanced to the open door like Tony would storm in here right now by hearing that. ‘’please, you cheat practically all the time. If you wanted rules, you should have brought them up weeks ago when we began this.. little thing.’’

For the past few weeks, Loki and you seemed to have amused yourselves by placing bets on who could do what around the tower. Call it.. innocent mischief while you helped him pass the time on house arrest. So far the pranks have been hidden enough where not many would figure it had been you two causing the trouble, and you didn’t exactly plan on sharing a cell with him if you both got found out.

Not that you really minded if you actually was honest with yourself.. your eyes often lingered on him whenever he was around, having countless conversations in your head on just how attractive you found him.. and fun. This had to be the most fun you’ve had in.. forever, and dare you say he seemed to favor your presence too..

‘’okay it’s my turn,’’ you spoke up, gaining his attention to glance at you while he closed his book he had been reading until your return from Stark’s mayhem. ‘’I bet you can’t go a day without calling me mortal.’’

Loki raised a brow and turned more of his body towards you, his knee brushing up against yours but you didn’t dare look down to draw attention to it. He often would tease you on certain things and you willed yourself to hold back a brush while his eyes surveyed yours.

‘’that would be to easy.’’

‘’you literally just called me it five seconds ago,’’ you pointed out- a little dramatic but you bit your bottom lip with the slight nerves that moved in your stomach. ‘’-you know my name right?” you half teased.

Loki gave you an unamused look as if you had just called him stupid but couldn’t help but chuckle ‘’yes Y/N I know your name, the mere… mortal name is simply a habit.’’

‘’habit?” you raised a brow, trying to distract yourself from the warm feeling you got by the sound of your name leaving his lips.

He gave you a smirk and straightened in his chair teasingly. ‘’I used to be a royal, and the customs normally didn’t have us address anyone.. below us- so to speak, by name. because you Midgardians aren’t necessarily peasants because you are not of our kingdom, we address by the simple terms of what you actually are.’’

‘’but.. you know my name- doesn’t terms change when a friendship is formed?” now you let your blush show in which you quickly opted to turn forward again and lean to look more out the door in front of you- a mere excuse to look busy while you felt his eyes on you.

‘’you think us friends?” he teased, a tactic normally used to avoid particular questions while you pulled your gaze away to look at the marble counter. by your silence and your nervous habit of biting your bottom lip he often enjoyed noticing, he decided to ease up.

‘’alright darling, I bet you to not go into work tomorrow.’’

‘’what?-‘’ your eyes immediately moved back to his, knowing fully well it wasn’t that easy when you went in yesterday perfectly fine. ‘’why-‘’

‘’I’d very much like to continue our little game we have going.’’ He smirked while your mind was half distracted on already trying to figure this whole thing out.

‘’we’re been playing for weeks-‘’

‘’and you know that this is the bet I am choosing for you. Unless of course.. you wish to forfeit and give me the win?” he smirked, his chin already resting in his palm while his eyes watch you get up to start nervously pacing while you pulled out your cellphone.

‘’easy for you to say, you don’t necessarily pay bills around here.’’ You mumbled, getting to your supervisor’s cell number.

‘’neither do you Y/N.’’ he pointed out, not obviously using your name on purpose as if to thoroughly show you he was using it.

You gave him an annoyed glance while you held the phone to your ear. ‘’yes, but I have expensive taste-‘’ you explained before your whole voice changed to something heavy and groggy, your body resting on your forearms against the marble while Loki watched from across it.

‘’hello? Yes, I’m so sorry but I was just calling to let you know that I think I ate something bad and it doesn’t look like it’s getting better..’’ you said in the more tired, weakest voice you could muster while your eyes flicked over to Loki, expecting to see his impressed look that you were actually doing it.

However, you only saw his eyes actually lowered and you squinted, trying to guess what he was looking at while your supervisor went on with the usual speech about how you guys needed to be thinking ahead and how you’re lowed staffed, blah blah blah. Yet you finally realized what Loki was looking at and quickly stood back up from your leaning position, placing your free hand over your chest to cover what your shirt did not. Your eyes shot at him while his rose up to look at yours, a non-regretful smirk tugging at his lips while he laced his fingers together and leaned his chin in the middle innocently.

‘’yes- yes.. I’ll let you know as soon as possible tonight if I can’t make it tomorrow, thank you- bye.’’ You said quickly, not sure if they bought your fake voice because how you got distracted in which you set down your phone and placed your hands on your hips. ‘’pervert!”

‘’my sexual behavior is not abnormal nor surprising. You merely presented; I followed my instincts.’’ He said simple while you elected to sit down where you were across from him instead with a scoff.

‘’well if it adds on to your good mood,’’ you said sarcastically and felt the remnants of butterflies in your stomach with that fact that Loki had actually tried looking at you. ‘’I did it.’’

‘’did what?”

‘’the bet.”

‘’no, you did not.’’

‘’what-‘’

‘’you simply told your boss you will let them know if you will be calling off or not, it hasn’t been confirmed yet. Thus, it is only fair if I get another turn.’’ He smirked and your eyes widened.

‘’that’s not- you cheated-‘’

‘’I have not cheated darling, it’s merely strategy by.. as you call them, loopholes.’’

‘’yeah, to get out of something, not to gain something-‘’

‘’we should have went over rules weeks ago, as you’ve said.’’ He smirked and you merely mumbled incoherent words that may have been mildly rude while you crossed your arms stubbornly.

‘’now then Y/N,’’ he smirked at the use of your name, loving the mere sound of it on his tongue while you glanced at him with annoyance at his over exaggerated use of it. ‘’I bet for you,’’ he paused, standing up from his chair, which brought you to your full attention with a dropped expression. ‘’to admit how you truly feel about me.’’

Your eyes widened, finally feeling the redness come to your cheeks while your arms tightened in their cross hold. ‘’..what?”

‘’I bet for you to tell me how you truly feel about me.’’ He said, a bit more serious this time with his expression just as blank as yours.

With each step you saw him take around the counter, the more your body craved to squirm in your seat and you fought to keep your eyes on his because gods knew if you broke eye contact for a second, he knew your answer without you even having to speak.

‘’..since when did the bets involve just the both of us-‘’

‘’they’ve always been about the both of us darling, and I’ve loved every single moment of it.’’ He seemed to purr, a hand gliding against the table while it followed him closer to you. ‘’there is not many out there that crave and enjoy the amusement of mischief, Y/N, and over time I have found myself craving the presence of you..’’ his voice got lower, the use of your name this time gently and almost seductive while your hands moved to grip under your thighs to the edge of your seat, almost as if you wouldn’t fall off the closer he got.

Finally, he stood in front of you, his face patient and gentle while his fingertips slowly tapped one by one against the counter. your thighs pressed together while your body tensed, cheeks red and your teeth capturing your bottom lip. He loved all of it, seeing all of it, causing all of it, and you knew that you couldn’t deny the inevitable even if he literally just answered for you.

Giving up, you lowered your gaze, quickly turning your head towards the table so your eyes hadn’t just made contact with his pelvis before you felt your heart pick up. Taking a deep breath, your fingers tightened and you closed your eyes. ‘’I like you Loki.. a lot.. since you got to the tower and I- I love this.. these moments together.. they’re the most fun I’ve had in a long time..’’ your eyes slowly rose up to meet him, following while he knelt down beside you with his free hand resting on his knee. ‘’I don’t want them to stop-‘’

‘’are you afraid if they do, we won’t see each other?” he whispered, his hand coming up to gently rest on your knee, making your breath hitch and all you could give a nod.

‘’darling.. these games we share aren’t purely what keeps us together.’’ He smiled gently ‘’I enjoy your spirit, your sarcasm, your love for books and animals, how you don’t need assistance on the field because your stubbornness makes you fight harder, how you bit your bottom lip when your nervous, how your eyes quickly look away so you think I didn’t notice your staring,’’ his hands rose to gently take your hands away from covering your face and held them in his.

‘’I love being around you Y/N.. I love you..’’

Your eyes widened, fingers clutching onto his own while held your breath. In a swift motion, your legs moved to the side so you were facing him before you leaned forward, wrapping your arms around him neck to bring him closer. You felt him lean forward, an arm wrapping around your middle while the other rose up to place his hand gently at the back of your head with his face buried in the crook of your neck. Your chin rested on his own, lip quivering at the mere overwhelming sensations of feelings while his hand rubbed your back to soothe them.

‘’I love you too Loki..’’

You could feel him inhale, his hold tightening ever so slightly to keep you close, almost as if you would disappear before he moved his head up to rest his chin against you. ‘’I bet you to kiss me..’’

You couldn’t help but smile and pull away just a little to cup his cheeks. ‘’it’s not your turn..’’ you whispered with a tease, making him chuckle and the hand at the back of your head pulled you forward so your lips pressed up against his.

He was soft, smooth, lustful but in control and the hum that left your lips swallowed up your moan while your hands gripped his shoulders. His chest pressed up against yours, his own hands now gripping your hips while you began to feel your thighs eagerly opening if it hadn’t been for the creek in the floor that had you both looking towards the door way to find Tony, Steve and Nat all amongst the kitchen with the same expression.

‘’told you they were going to get together.’’ Natahsa winked at you while Tony rolled his eyes and passed her and Steve a $20 while your cheeks reddened as much as Loki’s eyes when he glared.

‘’don’t you all have something better to do?” he grumbled, clearly not happy by the interruption while he rose with his hand clutching yours, pulling you up as well.

‘’we do and it finally came to a conclusion’’ Tony chuckled while Steve held his hands up in surrender.

‘’we’re happy for you guys, honestly we haven’t been here that long-‘’

‘’I know you are lying Rogers, you all can leave now.’’ Loki snapped.

‘’it’s my tower.’’ Tony laughed.

‘’fine then,’’ You shrugged and began walking away, pulling Loki behind you while you flashed him a smirk.

‘’I gotta call out anyway.’’

Note: If you enjoyed this one, it reminded me of another one shot i did in the past called "BET"

Tag List: @foxherder13 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @fire-in-her-veinz @nervouseden @kathren1sky-blog @eleniblue @lokiswife-dark-fox-queen @queenofstarsign85 @slytherinqueen4life @soulpiercing

[lu-is-not-ok]

two in one theory... i am listening very intently if you ever feel up to share it!!

Alright, so this is gonna be... as close to an Abridged explanation of the theory as I can make, because if I went off on everything about it I would end up writing a whole dissertation or five hour video essay script on this shit.

There are gonna be three main sections to this post - Hong Lu's Daiyuisms, Hong Lu's Themes of Identity and how that connects to the concept of Two in One, and the Daiyu-Baoyu theory itself.

Strap in folks.

Hong Lu's Daiyuisms

If you know anything about my theories in the earlier days of Limbus, you might know that I'm one of the very few people who was convinced Hong Lu is actually Daiyu, due to some evidence I found personally compelling. This has not changed, as we've only gotten just as much extra evidence to this as we have to him being Baoyu. So let me just speedrun through some of these points.

The Fucking Jade Eye

Ok hear me out. This is maybe the least important piece of evidence but I can never stop thinking about it. Hong Lu's jade eye? Not actually fully blue! If you look closely on most of his sprites, you can see that he actually has sectoral heterochromia, meaning his jade eye is both blue and black.

Daiyu's name, quite literally, translates to blue-black jade.

Now, you could claim that this is merely meant to be an easter egg reference to her, but... is that really Project Moon's style? After all, when people speculated on Don Quixote being Sancho or a Bloodfiend partially based on her appearance all the way back since near launch, they turned out to be right.

Hong Lu's Father

As of now, there is only one instance of Hong Lu referencing his Father in Limbus, and it's a voiceline from his Base Identity:

Now, if you know anything about DOTRC, this should already be raising some flags, because if Hong Lu was just Baoyu, he would not fucking talk like that about his Father.

In the book, Baoyu is consistently shown to be afraid of his Father, for a good reason mind you, as he's his main abuser. Baoyu would not be looking forward to introducing his friends to that man.

Even if Hong Lu was trying to downplay the abuse he's recieved, this would still not fit his pattern of behavior. When topics that genuinely bother Hong Lu come up, such as what could make him distort or how rich people would enjoy gifts made of humans, he immediately pivots and tries to avoid the topic at all cost. He would not bring up his main abuser in such a lighthearted manner, he would avoid bringing him up at all cost.

However, there is a character in DOTRC which does in fact have a more positive relationship to her Father, and would likely be the one with an opinion such as that - Daiyu. Daiyu loves her Father, and when he dies she completely disappears from the story for a bit to attend his funeral. If there was anyone who would be excited to introduce their friends to their Father, it'd be Daiyu.

Lasso Hong Lu's Corrosion

I made a whole seperate post about this, but I might as well mention it here as well for the sake of completion. The design choices made for Hong Lu which are missing for Faust are very, very Daiyu-coded.

For one, not only does Hong Lu completely turn into a flower, unlike Faust, his horse also gains a flower in its mouth. For those whose knowledge of DOTRC is zero to none, Daiyu is a reincarnation of a Flower given sentience due to being watered by the Jade. I don't think I have to be the one to connect the dots between those two pieces of info for you.

The second is how the halters become a noose for Hong Lu. This, too, is a very Daiyu thing - Rose Hunter as an Abnormality represents the inability to escape one's fate, and Daiyu's fate is to die - the Jia Family arranging a marriage between Baoyu and Baochai leads to Daiyu falling deathly ill, which in itself could be considered a part of her repaying her Debt of Tears - the debt she swore to repay to the Jade/Baoyu when she was still a Flower.

The hilarity of the fact that this E.G.O came out in the same update as Hong Lu being called Baoyu in-story is not lost on me.

Rose Sign Abnormality Log

The third Log for Rose Sign ends in a very peculiar way.

There's multiple ways one can tie Hong Lu's odd reluctance to talk about flowers and the petals. One is the obvious "he's being reminded of Daiyu because she was a Flower" connection, but there's another one.

One of the most commonly potrayed images of Daiyu relates to a scene in DOTRC where she buries fallen flower petals, weeping for and lamenting the mortality of the flowers and herself. Hong Lu's reaction here to his fellow Sinners being reduced to nothing but petals upon Rose Sign's death feels like a notable parallel to Daiyu's flower burial scene.

Like literally everything about Kurokumo Hong Lu

The title for this is a bit of an exaggeration, but at the same time. I'm serious. Kurokumo Hong Lu is perhaps the most Daiyu Identity out of all the Hong Lu Identities we have, and the way he is designed to stand out among them further makes me go insane.

Kurokumo Hong Lu's most defining trait is his attitude - he often complains about his position and how authority treats him, though he doesn't really act out against them in any major way outside of making snarky or sarcastic remarks.

This is, frankly, an extremely Daiyu thing to do. Daiyu is one of the few characters who audibly complains about her treatment in the household. For example she complains about not being given as many opportunities to show off her poetry skills as her male peers are, and she recognises how, when all the girls in the family are given flowers, she's the last one to recieve them and thus is stripped of the ability to pick, being only given the leftovers.

Then there's the whole. Everything about Kurokumo Hong Lu's visual design. Because once you realize just how Daiyu-like the Identity is, you realize just how weird he is compared to other Hong Lu Identities. I mean just look how he compares to his other Identities.

He's the only Hong Lu Identity with a blue tint to his hair in the combat sprite rather than the usual purple.

He's the only Hong Lu Identity whose hairtie is a ribbon rather than a jade ring (Liu Hong Lu technically has the ribbon in his post-uptie art, but he doesn't have it in his combat sprite so I'm not counting him).

He's the only Hong Lu Identity to not be smiling in his combat sprites.

And he's the only Hong Lu Identity (and one of only four Identities in the game) whose Idle sprite has its body facing away from the opponent rather than facing towards them.

All of those combine to make him stand out like a sore thumb in a Hong Lu Identity lineup in a way that makes it feel intentional, especially since he's also the only Hong Lu Identity with that kind of notable attitude towards authority. Other Hong Lu Identities are either obedient, don't express any opinion, or just straight up are the authority.

The Baoyu reveal is framed in a very weird way

This is, admittedly, less of a Daiyuism and more of a not-Baoyuism, but I thought it'd be important to mention nonetheless.

There are a lot of things about Canto 7's reveal of Hong Lu's name being Baoyu that are very strange, especially compared to how the Canto frames Don Quixote's own reveal of actually being Sancho.

For one, the timing itself - why is such an important piece of info being revealed so early? Again, compare to Donqui - she was revealed to be a Bloodfiend in the Intervallo right before Canto 7, and the Sancho reveal only came in the second half of the Canto.

For two, the framing - Donqui's reveals are treated as what they are, Major Reveals. The Baoyu reveal on the other hand happens in a single off-handed line, with nobody reacting to it in any way. Neither Hong Lu nor the other Sinners seem to hear it after all.

And mind you, it's not like Limbus is opposed to giving us important information in off-handed lines - far from it in fact. Project Moon loves shoving little bits of foreshadowing and reveals you don't realize are reveals until way later in these kinds of off-handed lines. But the way those lines are treated is still very different to how the Baoyu reveal is treated.

Usually, when there's foreshadowing in off-handed lines, it's usually either vague enough to be something a character could say regardless of context (see Yi Sang getting hung up on the Sedatives bit in Canto 2 or Ishmael's comment about Syndicates pretending to be Families foreshadowing her own history with the Middle via Queequeg) or something that is in the middle of a scene that distracts from what is actually being said (like Hong Lu's distortion foreshadowing being in the middle of an important infodump or most of everything in Canto 2 being surrounded by a comedic tone).

None of this is present for the Baoyu reveal. There's nothing to distract you from this information, as the scene is already focused on discussing Hong Lu, meaning you're already likely to be paying attention to what is being said about him. There's also no vagueness about it, there's no way you can brush it off since not only are Wei and Xichun newly introduced characters, but it's a whole ass clearcut namedrop.

The only way I can justify that reveal being there in the form it takes is that it in itself is the distraction. Think about it. Didn't I point it out earlier that this reveal came in the same update as the E.G.O with an extremely Daiyu-coded corrosion design? Wouldn't it make sense for that reveal to be there to lower your guard, make you think you resolved that mystery, only to later on reveal it wasn't the whole story after all?

Hong Lu's Themes of Identity

So this section is a bit more vague than the Daiyuism section, because Hong Lu is the type of guy to just Say Shit all the time. It's basically just. Anything that I find relevant to the idea of Hong Lu's Identity being more complex than him just being a random guy using a pseudonym, with some (but maybe not all) of them directly tying to the idea of Two in One.

"Which one is the real you?"

There are currently two seperate scenes where Hong Lu muses on the idea of someone's identity being in some way vague or obscured.

Is Dante the person or the clock? Is the dreamer the one in the dream or the one who wakes from it? Which you is the real you? Does it even matter if that you will flutter away in the end?

This idea of there being one true self. That even if there are two, there is only one of them that is actually you. Curious, right?

Face-changing dance

During the Canto 2 scene where everyone gives their reasons for whether or not they'd be a good pick for being the one to dance, Hong Lu says this.

Bian lian is a kind of dance literally translated as "face-changing". It involves rapid changes between various masks and make-up to represent different emotions or characters.

Now, it's no secret that Hong Lu is a great actor, as we see in Canto 4, and Canto 7 shows how the comparison to theatre and actors can be used to symbolize one's performance of identity, as it does for Sancho and her Don Quixote persona.

Mind you, this reveal comes in the same scene as Sinclair's dance invoking the image of a bonfire burning all through the night according to the Mariachis, a clear foreshadowing to Canto 3 and the Literal burning down of Sinclair's home.

Hong Lu knowing bian lian could be further foreshadowing to his own skills in deception, and how he too is a sort of actor, not unlike Don Quixote. On the other hand however, it could also be a more literal foreshadowing, that he (Baoyu) Quite Literally changed his face. We won't know until Canto 8, but it is an option you know.

The HamHamPangPang dish(es)

For those who don't know, here is a list of the Sinner-themed dishes that were available at HamHamPangPang.

Now, chances are, not all of them have deep meanings. I don't think there's much of a deep meaning to Heathcliff and Ishmael's dishes, I think PJM just legit don't know much about British/American cuisine so they just picked something recogniseable.

However, not all of them are meaningless picks either. Ryoshu, likely a mother, has a meal literally called "parent-and-child donburi". Don Quixote, a Bloodfiend, has a garlic-based dish. These were clearly done on purpose.

So, what does it say that Hong Lu's dish is actually two different dishes? That he's the only one whose dish is two different dishes? And it's not like the two are in some way inherently connected, since they're of completely different cuisines. Japchae is a Korean dish, not Chinese like the Mandarin rolls.

And just in case you weren't convinced that Hong Lu's choice of dishes is purposeful - another name for Mandarin rolls is flower buns, and one of the special occasions japchae is commonly served for is weddings. If you had read through the Daiyuisms section and somehow have no idea what the significance of that is, I don't know what to tell you.

The Daiyu-Baoyu Theory (finally)

So. I gave some evidence for why I think Hong Lu could still be Daiyu despite being revealed as Baoyu. I gave some evidence for why I think Hong Lu could be a Two in One deal, or that at the very least there's something more complex going on with his identity. But let's discuss the theory itself, how it would recontextualize certain things, and why I think it's an extremely fitting an thematically resonant direction for Hong Lu's Canto to go in.

The Theory

Here's what I speculate is going on.

Daiyu, just like in DOTRC, is someone who was taken in into the Jia Household rather than born in it, and who strongly connected with Baoyu upon meeting him. The two would end up forming a bond strong enough that they would be willing to die for one another (or, if they're in particularly argumentative moods, to kill themselves just to force the other to have to live a long life grieving over them - this is an actual argument they have in DOTRC and I pray to god this is adapted into Limbus because it's too fucking funny).

At some point, Baoyu either dies or is brought to near death, likely through the same circumstances as in DOTRC - being beaten by his Father. To save him, his memories and consciousness would be transferred to his eye, a process not dissimilar to the one Xichun brings up in Canto 7, and implanted into Daiyu's body, causing them to become a vessel for Baoyu. This would be how Hong Lu as he is now is created.

All of the above is the main basis for this theory. Everything else that I might speculate about, such as the exact nature of the two's relationship, Daiyu's more exact background and personality, how their pre-reincarnation lives could be adapted - all of those are things that are purely speculative and ones that I don't really expect to be actually fulfilled. The only bits that I am sure are likely to be true is what I laid out above.

So... what does it all mean for the future? I'm glad you asked!

The Recontextualization

Here's a collection of just a couple of things that Hong Lu has said or is depicted as that would be heavily recontextualized if this theory ends up being true.

Hong Lu surviving despite claiming he didn't fight back when his siblings first tried to kill him: With the context that he used to be two seperate people, the answer to how he survived is made very simple. Baoyu is the one who wasn't fighting back. Daiyu, however, could have still protected him in turn.

The red ribbon on Hong Lu's weapon: There is only one other Sinner who has a similar decoration on their weapon - Ryoshu, who also has a red ribbon on her sword, which could be easily connected to Yuzuki and her death. With the context of Hong Lu being Baoyu occupying Daiyu's body and thus effectively rendering their self non-existent, the red ribbon could be a parallel symbol - a symbol of Daiyu and their 'death'.

How Hong Lu treats his weapon in his base E.G.O: The way Hong Lu holds his weapon in the illustration is more like he's cradling another person. This could be a representation of how he feels about Daiyu's situation. Likewise, in the attack animation, he's not really attacking with the weapon itself, is he? He's simply using it to direct a ribbon (which in itself is missing in the illustration), the part that is actually the attack. If the weapon in the base E.G.O represents Daiyu, this could be a parallel to how Baoyu feels like he's merely directing Daiyu's body to attack, rather than being the one actually attacking.

The duality of Hong Lu IDs: There is a notable pattern among Hong Lu IDs, and that is the focus on his attitude to violence. When he's in a situation where he's obedient towards his Family, he's either uninterested in violence, bored of it, or otherwise given no other choice but to use it as a reprieve from boredom. However, when he's in a situation where he's disconnected from his Family or otherwise questioning the status quo, he's shown to not only be much more aggressive and violent, but to outright enjoy it. With the context of Hong Lu being composed of two people, this duality could represent each of his components - the obedient and violence-averse being more Baoyu-like, while the questioning and violence-favoring being more Daiyu-like.

So, there's a bunch of stuff that would be given new meaning under the premise of this theory being true. But now, what about the future? What would this theory mean for the themes and ending of Canto 8?

The Resolution

I believe this is how the Daiyu-Baoyu theory will affect Canto 8.

At some point, whether before or during the Canto, it will be revealed that Hong Lu is both Daiyu and Baoyu. There will be an attempt to seperate the two, perhaps to implant Baoyu into a more fitting, more Jia Family-approved Vessel. Perhaps because the 'arranged marriage' from DOTRC could be adapted into something more... let's say Fear and Hunger kind of marriage rather than traditional marriage.

This will leave Hong Lu to be returned to their state as Daiyu, who will be revealed to be a very different person to what the Sinners knew Hong Lu as. There is a non-zero chance that Daiyu will be unable to hear Dante or be revived by them due to the one who signed the contract being Baoyu, and so they could end up acting as an uncontrollable ally unit not unlike Xichun in Canto 7.

The climax would then be Daiyu and Baoyu reuniting and being unwilling to part with each other again, even for the sake of returning to being the fake persona that is Hong Lu, leading to a potential duo boss fight/distortion boss fight/duo distortion boss fight.

The ending would be the two of them deciding to embrace their new identity as Hong Lu and truly becoming one, discarding their pasts and the selves that had been forced on them by the Jia Family. This ending would have a twofold meaning regarding how it connects to the DOTRC adaptation.

One - it would be a direct parallel to the ending of DOTRC where Baoyu leaves to become a monk. By becoming Hong Lu and discaring his previous identities, he'd be leaving behind the earthly attachments inherent to being Baoyu and Daiyu and become spiritually whole.

Two - it would be a reflection of the major theme of DOTRC, that being "Truth becomes fiction when the fiction's true. Real becomes not-real when the unreal's real." Hong Lu, as a person, is a 'fake' persona used by the 'real' Baoyu and Daiyu. However, by discarding those two identities and deciding to just be Hong Lu, the fiction of his existence becomes the truth, while his former real selves become not real.

Conclusion?

I could honestly just keep going with this post, but I think I'm going to stop myself here before I'm forced to find out what tumblr's character limit on posts is. Believe me, I was trying to be brief, and still this post is. This fucking long.

I hope this explains why this theory has been the subject of my brainrot for the past however long, and why I feel like it's surprisingly plausible despite being as deranged as it is.

Godspeed and godbless, I have classes tomorrow and I'm spending my time on this.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

The farmer is a pretty heavy sleeper if even a meteor landing on their farm won't get them up before 6am but what about their spouse? How would they all (sve included if you'd like) react to not only a whole space rock hitting the farm but the farmer reacting with nothin more than a sleepy "oh was probably just a meteor... I'll check that in the mornin."

I had a lot of fun with this scenario, really liked the idea itself. Thank you so much for the ask, and enjoy! 💕

_________________________________________

SDV/SVE bachelors:

Sam said quietly, "Oh, okay," and laid his head back on the pillow, falling asleep again. When morning came, the young guitarist would consider his vague recollection of this conversation a dream. What will be his surprise when he sees an actual meteorite lying not far from their house. "Babe, that could have ended badly..." "No worries, Sammy, but if you want, we'll check it out next time." ...Next time?????

"Did you hear that?!" "Relax, dear, it's just a meteorite..." "Ah, alright... It's a WHAT?!" And the slogan of this Harvey's headcanon: "A meteorite is the best alarm clock! You'll wake up right away!" Although in Farmer's case - they woke up to a fuss made by their worried husband. But you can understand the Pelican Town doctor, too - a bloody piece of cosmic rock fell right into your yard, it's hard to stay calm.

Elliott literally fell out of bed from such a loud sound outside the window, and Farmer continued to snore quietly??? The writer was so confused, he didn't know if he should wake up Farmer or not. "Mmmm... Did'a meteorit fal' again... I'll deal with it tmorrw... 💤" Farmer mumbled, leaving Elliott even more confused. Meteorite? Wha- again? They mean... it's happened before and it's going to happen again?! What is happening?!

"Hon, what the fuck." At first Shane's reaction to Farmer's words wasn't too violent, because he's still sleepy. But after a couple of seconds the meaning of the words reached him, the gyrus in his brain started working and he shrieked: "The coop! Charlie!" The realisation that the animals might have been hit by the meteorite instantly brought Farmer to their feet.

No matter how hard Alex tried - his spouse slept like a dead man, muttering that they would check the source of the noise tomorrow. What do they mean, tomorrow?! They need to check it now! Alex can't just leave it alone, so he goes to check it out, with or without Farmer. Whoa, a real meteorite... Erm, shouldn't they tell Lewis or someone about this?

Meteorite or not, Sebastian remained surprisingly calm. He gave up trying to wake Farmer and went to the window to see what was out there. They were right - it was in fact a meteorite, a real one. And there's light coming from it. So cool. "Sure you don't want to come with me, dear?" Farmer mumbled something incomprehensible in response, and the emo decided to go alone, to look at the cool sky rock. Because why not.

Lance sensed something was wrong before the meteorite touched the ground. Fortunately, the far-sighted gallant adventurer had put up a magical barrier that prevented the space rock from crashing into his and Farmer's house or barns. The meteorite had fallen, all was well. "I take it this phenomenon is not new to you?" He smiled as his spouse mumbled "tomorrow..." in their sleep. Well then, they both can look at the meteorite later.

"Razor!" Magnus jumped up sharply from the bed, casting the spell on automatic. The trajectory of the falling meteorite was reversed, and the celestial stone plummeted into the water, no longer posing a danger to the forest. "Farmer, meteorite." "Mhmm, five more minutes.... I'll look at the meteorite tomorrow...." Magnus wondered how his dearest spouse could even survive as an adventurer with no sense of self-preservation. It's a damn meteorite!

A whole palette of emotions was bubbling up inside Victor, awake from the noise. What was that! A meteorite? A real one! It's probably incredibly hot right now, he shouldn't go near it.... But it's a meteorite! It's so scary, and so interesting! Farmer, don't hide your head under the pillow, but get a flashlight. Victor's taking them out to see the space rock! Well, and make sure everything's okay and no animals are hurt, too.

SDV/SVE bachelorettes:

A meteorite?! A real rock of cosmic origin fell right on the farm? Maru immediately jumps out of bed and wakes up Farmer. It's unclear, however, whether this reaction of hers is simple worry about putting out the fire from the meteorite fall or that the young inventor is thrilled that she and her spouse will see the meteorite up close! Probably both. Either way, Farmer won't sleep well tonight...

"What makes you think it's a meteorite? Maybe it's aliens? Oh, that's so cool! Get up quick or we'll miss the whole thing! And grab a sword, just in case." The force with which Abigail was prancing poor Farmer made them realise at once that their wife was not going to let them finish their beauty sleep. Unlikely aliens in there, but they'd have to check anyway. Ugh...

Poor Penny is in complete shock at how calmly Farmer has reacted to everything. Don't they care what happens to the farm? What if what fell down caused a fire and everything could burn? There's a forest nearby, it would be a huge fire! Penny tearfully begged her sleepy spouse to check it out before it's too late. Farmer had to get up (they hate to see their lovely wife crying).

"Did you hear that, Farmer?" "Yep, meteorite hit again, I'll look tomorrow..." Leah can already see the fire that has travelled from the glowing space rock to the dry summer grass. Oh no, there's going to be a fire now... She wakes Farmer up with one mighty shove and shouts an emergency. And as much as Farmer grumbled over their interrupted sleep - the artist was right. A forest fire is a very dangerous.☝️

The sound of a meteorite falling may not have been able to wake Farmer, but the shriek of terror of their wife Haley sure knocked them out of dreamland. "Shh, Haley, it's only a meteorite..." JUST A METEORITE?! Is Farmer laughing at her? Oh no, they can't go back to the dream realm now - Haley wakes them up again and tells them to look at that fallen meteorite before something else happens. Haley's half asleep herself, but she's scared, so she'll insist on checking it out now.

Before going to bed, Emily read a daily horoscope in a magazine that she would soon "be given a big sign, so make your decision at once." Nowhere, however, did it say that this "sign" was a huge rock from the sky. But at least she made the decision right away, (and the right one) - getting Farmer out if bed, despite their protests, to make sure the falling meteorite didn't destroy anything. No "tomorrow", it had to be now. She hopes no animals were! Her heart couldn't take it...

Claire jumped up in bed, as if scalded by boiling water, at the rattling of window glass and the vibrations throughout the house. Something had fallen on the farm - and that 'something' is very big. She woke and woke her spouse to no avail, who only responded to the terrifying sound with a louder snore. How did they even manage not to wake up from such a noise? And how could they mumbling so calmly about the meteorite?!

Poor Sophia, frightened by a scary sound outside , immediately pressed herself against Farmer, trying to hide. Farmer kissed her gently and told her that it was just a meteorite, that everything was fine and they would protect her. After saying "it's okay" and "I will protect you" the panic inside Sophia was extinguished and she fell asleep again in the arms of her spouse. The meteorite in the morning would definitely be a shock to her (she thought she had dreamed the whole thing).

After that horrible sound, Olivia not only wakes Farmer up, but also gets almost half the town up, making one call to Lewis and claiming that something terrible has happened on her and Farmer's property. Farmer sleepily tried to convince Olivia that a fallen meteorite was no big deal, but she wasn't convinced. How is that - a huge, dangerous rock from outer space - and not dangerous!

[imaginesheaven]

Bar owner!Reader x TF 141

Friendship headcanons

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of injuries, a bit of angst?

This literally turned almost into an Oneshot *haha* I couldn’t help myself ;D Enjoy~

Your bar “Tango Down” is known by almost every soldier and police officer. It is the ultimate spot to meet for drinks after a hard work day or mission. Since your bar has a very good reputation you are also known and well respected.

Of course, the Task Force 141 visits frequently when they are not away for a mission. “Hey, (Y/N)”, Price greets as he enters the bar firstly. To hear his voice once again brings a big smile on your lips, “Look who’s still alive! The usual, boys?” They give you all nods as they take their places on their usual table.

Years ago, when you first opened your bar Price was one of the first customers you had. Still to this day he is your favorite and most frequent one. After the Task Force 141 was built he brought them to this place, where you all grew extremely close with time. Even grumpy Ghost has a soft spot for you.

��Good to see you all. How you are doing?”, you put the drinks down on the table. A flash of fur whizzes between your legs right into the loving arms of Soap. “Bloody Jesus, Cougar! I wish this freaking dog would love me as much as he loves Soap”, you roll your eyes playfully annoyed as the soldiers cuddles your “scary” Belgian Malinois named Cougar.

“Sometimes I believe you are only here for Cougar”, Soap shrugs his shoulders grinning like he isn’t even sorry for stealing your dog away every single time he steps into the bar. “We brought you a present”, Gaz can’t contain his pure joy as he holds out the bottle of Whiskey. “Thank you so much! That goes directly into our cabinet for special events!”

Price started this tradition years ago when he started to visit your bar regularly. Every time he came back from a mission you got another expensive and exotic bottle of alcohol like Whiskey or Wine. John was and is still incredibly grateful to have you at his side after hard missions talking to him, pouring drinks and keeping his mind occupied with happy thoughts. The Task Force 141 keeps this tradition still going. Here and there when there is a reason to celebrate you pop open one of the bottles with them.

“Don’t worry, love, at least Ghost, Gaz and I are here for you”, Price puts his hand on your shoulder smirking as you take a seat with them. Soap is way too distracted to follow the conversation at all. He keeps playing with Cougar. The two of them have an own tradition. Soap gets Cougar after every mission a new toy to play with him.

It’s usually very calm and quiet in the bar due to the high number of soldiers and police officers. They can keep everything in order for you if you need it, but you are actually able to sort it out on your own. Just like this evening…

“What is going on here, Kick?”, you ask your bartender. He rolls his eyes annoyed, “Just a round of men making trouble. They keep talking trash about the soldiers.” You let out a whistle to call Cougar to you, “We take care of it.”

“Guys, your time is over here. I don’t tolerate little boys talking bullshit about real men”, you stand your ground against the five men. They might be taller than you, but it doesn’t intimidate you at all. They start to laugh, “How about no? What will you do?” Apparently, the leader of this little gang takes out a handgun from the back of his jeans.

Without flinching you grab his hand aiming the gun at the ceiling punching with the other against his throat. That leaves him choking for a few moments as you take the gun apart leaving it useless at the table. The guy doesn’t have enough yet trying to grab you. Quite painful you twist his arm as you push his face against the surface of the table. “Leave. Now”, as you let go of the men they bolt out of the bar scared for their dear life.

For a second the silence is deafening in the bar until the Task Force 141 starts cheering. They others follow suit very fast, but you wave them off with a red dust on your cheeks, “Stop it, please.” You store the gun behind the counter, “Drinks on me for everyone … BUT ONLY IF YOU STOP CHEERING!” Within a second everything is back to normal.

“Stop messing with my jukebox, Soap”, you have your back to the machine as you prepare the drinks, but you are sure he is already on his way to turn on a certain song. Soap loves messing with you and getting on your nerves playing one song over and over again until you lose your bloody mind.  

He looks at you with his puppy eyes, “Come on! It’s my absolute favorite song!” Smirking you roll your eyes and make your way towards the table with new drinks. “What did we just witness? You absolutely wrecked this guy”, Gaz stares at you in disbelief. “You were in military, right?”, Ghost recognizes a soldier when he sees one and you were for sure one. You let out a sigh, “Yeah, Special Forces for a few years.” Price raises his eyebrows surprised. “Don’t you dare to take a look at my file, John. That’s the past”, you wink at him grinning. Sometimes you could read him like an open book.

“Enjoy your drinks, boys!” The team shares a brief glance. Every time they are at your bar they learn something incredible new about you. It is like you are a never-ending pit of surprises. It makes them wonder what person you have been in the past. Especially John Price. He might have a look into your file nevertheless.

The night comes to an end. You keep sorting out the rest of the bar alone as the light goes out suddenly. The little hairs on your neck start to stand up and your senses tingle to warn you from the oncoming danger. Upstairs where you live above the bar you can hear Cougar barking. You already brought him up so he can rest. Now you realize your mistake. He would have protected you.

A hand grabs your neck from behind as the first punch lands. The fist collides with your stomach and the pain leaves you breathless. You can’t see their faces in the dark but you are more than sure that these are the troublemakers from earlier. They keep beating you. The pain is just overwhelming until the darkness takes over.

Captain Price enters the bar followed by his team. To his displeasure you are not behind the counter to greet them with your usual bright smile. “Kick, where is (Y/N)?”, Soap asks the bartender. They all feel that something is very off and they don’t like it at all. Even Cougar can’t be seen anywhere.

“(Y/N) is upstairs. Recovering. I’m not sure about company, but I guess you can try”, Kick knows it would be useless to tell them you don’t want to see anyone. They are going to make sure you are okay and no one will stop them. Price makes his way upstairs followed by the others.

They can hear Cougar barking at them coming up the stairs. “It’s okay, Cougar, it’s just the boys”, you say calmly to the dog as you pet his soft fur. Cougar greets them happily when they come through the door. Of course, the dog makes his way towards Soap to beg for some scratches. After a few head rubs Cougar is satisfied and comes back to your side placing his head onto your leg. You have never seen the dog that clingy, but he is ready to protect you with all he has.

John seems cool, collected and focused on the outside, but on the inside he is raging. Just like the others. Your face shows the last remnants of the beating. A black eye, a bloody, split lip and so on. They don’t even want to imagine what bruises your clothes are hiding. “It’s okay. It looks probably worse than it actually is”, you try to downplay the truth, but all of them can see it in your eyes. These troublemakers broke you a little bit and no one was there to protect you.

Ghost takes a step forward and grabs your chin softly to take a closer look at your face, “This is absolutely not okay. They made it personal.” Without a further word he let go of you giving Price a short nod. They know what they have to do.

“Wait! Please be careful. All of you”, you grab Price’s sleeve to keep them from leaving. There is no chance you can stop them at all. You just want them to come back to you safe and sound. John gives you a reassuring smile, “Of course, love.”

With that they went away to deal with the problem. None of the men told you what they did to the troublemakers and you never asked. They would literally give their life to keep you safe. After that everything just went back to normal.

“Johnny! No!”, you try to pry the beer bottle out of Soap’s hands as he reaches over the counter. “You have to be faster than that, sweetheart!”, he celebrates his achievement and takes a gulp from the beer. “No jukebox for you for a whole week! It’s like I’m dealing with children!”, you give up laughing. Price shrugs his shoulders, “Now you know how I feel.” You lean against the counter watching the boys. Gaz and Soap try to out beat each other in darts, while Ghost gives Cougar some head scratches hidden beneath the table. No one should see what a softie he turns into around you and Cougar.

This is literally perfection for all of you.

   Bonus

“Isn’t that the owner of your favorite bar?”, Laswell hands Price the file after he bugged him for weeks, “Are you sure that’s right?” John shrugs with one shoulder not really interested in getting a lecture, “Yes, just making sure who’s serving me drinks. I’ll take that with me.” He leaves Laswell’s office with the file under his arm. John is going to take his sweet time to read through your past.

Laswell leans back in her chair dialing your number, “He got your file, (Y/N).” She almost can hear you grinning through the phone, “Almost everything is classified so John won’t learn much about me. He just could have asked, you know? Thanks for letting me know, Kate. Greet your wife!”

[leifygreeens]

could you write something about your first kisses with the bachelor/ettes? I feel like you're the only blog who characterizes them well ugh

Hey, anon. Sorry for disappearing on you, that’s my bad. I hope this is worth the wait. 

If you're looking for other people who know how to write people like they're people, @maylilithreign, @snailmail444, @babiebom, and @junicult are all great, and I can’t recommend them enough. (Minors do not follow/interact with Jo or Libby, and Bom and Snail don’t want any kiddos interacting with their NSFW stuff, so don’t do that either. Be nice and respect everyone's boundaries.)

Warnings: Cursing (my fault), a little bit of dialogue, and some suggestive moments (also my fault). Enjoy <3

Sam

Out of all of the bachelors, he’s the most nervous

Which is ironic, given the “jump-head-first-into-things-with-no-care-for-my-personal-safety” vibe he’s got going on, but whatever

He refuses to touch you, at first—but not because he doesn’t want to

Sam is an extremely tactile person, so of course he wants to touch you—but he also knows he can be a bit much sometimes, and he doesn’t want to chase you off with his greed or his enthusiasm

So he goes for soft, gentle, and perfectly pliant under your touch as you pull him in

It’s honestly a little jarring, because he seems the type to get desperate (true) and not be able to control himself (also very true)

But this boy is exercising an immense amount of self control to not jump headfirst into getting heavy and fast and yanking on clothes too hard

He does a good job keeping himself contained atta boy, buddy

He thought that once he’d finally gotten a taste of you, maybe he’d finally be able to think about literally anything else

Unfortunately, he would be incorrect

And now that he has experienced it, he’s overwhelmed and dizzy with his want

He keeps his eyes closed and basks in it for at least five seconds after you pull away

He is absolutely heaving, wrecked just from the tiniest chaste press of your lips against his

He’s been waiting for you to do that for weeks

His eyes flutter open slowly, and then his gaze flicks up to you

Licks his lips as he tracks his eyes down your torso and back up

His palm is warm against the back of your neck as he pulls you down for seconds

And yeah, this is more like how you thought it’d be

Does not stop pulling you against him, even though you physically couldn’t get any closer if you tried

Your shirt gets rucked up to your waist untintentionally, because he keeps gripping you and yanking you closer

But the moment he feels your bare skin against his palms, he’s flinging himself backward

Blinks up at you with bright pink cheeks and his hands twitching against your waist

Swallows hard and clenches his jaw

He knows he should let go but he really doesn’t want to

If you lean back in, he drags his hands up slowly, and traces the line of your spine with his fingertips

I’ll stop there lol

Sebastian

This boy. Jesus.

He’s got next to no experience, let’s just get that out of the way now

Is immediately overwhelmed, even before you kiss him

Just the feeling of your palms warm on his jaw as you angle him just so is enough to have him trembling

Stares at your lips through half-lidded eyes until you finally finish closing the distance

Shivers at the slightest brush of your lips against his

He gasps high and can’t even find it in himself to be embarrassed by it

Grabs onto your hips for dear life

He is immensely glad that you decided to kiss him while he was leaning on his bike, because otherwise he would have collapsed at your feet he might collapse anyway

Lord help him if you try to deepen the kiss though

If you do, he might actually pass out

Similarly to Sam, he’s going to get desperate after a minute, but he’ll hold himself back

He’ll have way less success with it than Sam, though

Sebastian definitely holds you a little too tight, and doesn’t give you enough space or time to breathe between kisses

Even if you don’t touch him beyond holding his face, when you pull away, he looks absolutely debauched

Like you could’ve sworn your hands were never in his hair but somehow it’s still ruffled?

Nevermind his hoodie sitting askew on his shoulders and giving a considerable peak at his collarbones

Honestly you don’t know how he managed to do all that, but don’t bother asking him because he is not able to think straight at all

His eyes are hardly open, blinking slowly and zoned absolutely the fuck out while he tries to catch his breath

Homeboy is straight up panting

“Breathe, Seb.”

Whines out a “no” all petulantly, pulls you flush against his chest, and dives in again

Alex

Homeboy spent weeks fantasizing about kissing you before he finally worked up the courage

He wants your first kiss to be special, like something straight off the movie screen

But he’s constantly second guessing himself, convinced that no moment is perfect enough to cut it

He’s hoping that the moment will come when you’re on a date or something, and he’s planning romantic shit left and right with the hopes that something will click and that’ll be it

He’s dropping you off at home after another date, and another failed attempt

He walks down your porch and turns around briefly to make sure you get inside safely

You’re watching him go, a knowing smile on your face as you reach for the handle

“Goodnight, Alex. Get home safe.”

You lick your lips, and turn to go inside

That’s what does it. Because of course it is.

The urge, the determination, the sudden desire thick and pooling in his chest that he’s never felt before—he knows without a doubt that if he doesn’t kiss you right now, he’s going to cry

Fuck perfection, fuck the moment, he just wants to kiss you

Practically stomps up your front steps, breath heaving in his chest as he reaches out and pulls you right against him with a hand on your jaw

Angling you just so, and leaning in to seal your lips together

He breathes a sigh of relief

Finally.

Something like satisfaction settles in his chest, warm like honey dripping into a mug of tea

His touch is firm on your jaw, keeping you perfectly angled for him to kiss you how he wants

You hold onto his arms for dear life, anchoring yourself to him as he kisses you so eagerly that your back actually hits your front door

It doesn’t hurt, but that makes you gasp into his mouth, and oof that sound is dangerous for his sanity

Isn’t really rough about it, but he is firm

Hisses a curse or two between kisses, licks his lips a lot because he can’t get enough

Bringing your hands up around his shoulders, you tangle your fingertips in the short cropped hair on his nape

You run your fingernails over his skin lightly, and he shivers hard

Practically pins you against the door in his effort to get closer

He accidentally presses too close, and the tiniest noise rumbles against his lips from the back of your throat

He knows what that sound means immediately, and alarm bells go off in his head

Tears himself away from you and pants for breath

Drops his forehead against your shoulder and props himself up against the door instead of holding you

“Alex?” 

God, your voice is all hoarse from kissing him and it’s putting dangerous thoughts in his head

“I should go home. Before I…”

You agree, but he doesn’t move away

Your eyes flick down to his lips for a split second, and that’s enough

Just one more, he tells himself, and then you’re swapping the air in your lungs again

With one hand spread against the mahogany and the other gripping your hip, he gives you a few more than just the one

Elliott 

Same dilemma as Alex

Wants it to be special, dramatic, memorable, heart-stopping, all the things

And he tries

He tries so hard

And it almost works. 

God dammit, his picnic by the pond next to Marnie’s almost works

The moment is perfect, you’re smiling up at him with the breeze blowing in your hair and the sun in your smile

Until the sun is suddenly gone and the wind picks up into a howl

In almost no time at all a storm cracks the sky open and you two get absolutely drenched

You run to your farmhouse, practically soaked through as you make it to the safety of your porch awning

The picnic is ruined, and he’s super disappointed because he was so close 

Then he looks at you, and he’s never seen such a beautiful sight

Hair glued to your face from the rain, with a wild grin on your face and your laughter chiming like bells in his ears

He drops the picnic blanket heavy with rain water across the top of your porch bench to dry, and sets the basket down

He needs his hands free if he wants to do this right

He’s stepping towards you, shivering from the rain sticking to his skin

And we all know Elliott is a romantic at heart

Wipes the rain off your cheeks as best he can, all while he smiles softly at you

“May I kiss you?”

You nod quickly, immediately hooking your hands on the lapels of his jacket and hanging on

Kisses you gentle and slow

Cradles the back of your head and neck like you’re made of glass

It isn’t a particularly long kiss—maybe a few seconds at most

Breathes quietly against your lips when you part

Looks at you for a few long moments with all the love in his heart, and doesn’t plan on kissing you twice until you’re glancing at his lips again

Elliott brings his hands to your shoulder blades and presses you close to his chest

But he can’t get close enough

Drags his hands down to your waist and grips you tight

You squeak against his mouth when he does, and that’s when he loses his composure

Starts kissing you a little more firmly, tries deepening the kiss a bit

Shivers and gasps when your fingers tangle into his hair, still stringy and wet from the rain

And he doesn’t stop shivering

You pull away, feeling his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, and then you giggle because his teeth have started chattering

“Cold?”

“Extremely.”

You invite him inside to dry off and warm up

He may or may not kiss you again.

Shane

You’d think your first kiss would be nervous and awkward—no.

Shane holds himself back for at least a few weeks into your relationship, worried out of his mind that one wrong move is gonna shatter everything for you two

So once he’s confident and knows for certain that he’s what you want,

He’s not holding back for shit

Homeboy physically can’t stand the tension anymore anyway, especially with how often he catches you staring at him—at his lips

Pulls you in by the back of your neck and keeps his hand there to hold you close

Even when he pulls away to let you catch your breath, it’s barely enough because you’re still gasping into each other’s mouths

He literally does not let you go more than an inch or two

Your lips are 100% flushed and tingling from how much he nips at them

His other hand is firm on your waist and he does not let you go unless you ask him to

Struggles to choose between looking into your eyes or staring at your lips any time you part

So he does both

His hair is usually a little scruffy looking, but something about a kiss like that has him looking particularly disheveled

Shiny pink lips, bruised and angry red from how hard he’s pressing into you

Eyebrows pinched together and it almost makes him look angry

His hoodie is probably pulling at his shoulders a bit because somehow you managed to push it down his arms

Presses his thumb against the pulse point beneath your jaw, just to make sure he’s not the only one who’s losing it

And he struggles to keep it together when he feels your heart thumping wildly in your throat

Recognizes which direction you’re both going and starts switching to chaste pecks

Rests his forehead against yours as you both calm back down

Gets a little teary while looking at you, and huffs a wet laugh too

He’s so happy with you, and doesn’t know how he got so lucky

Harvey

Softest fucking kiss you’ve ever been given in your entire life

Your noses bump together a little before he’s diving in close

Holds you so delicately, because you’re so precious to him

Gives you a few test pecks before he actually goes for it, and breathes in heavily through his nose when he does

It’s the kind of kiss that has you pulling on each other to get as close as possible

He holds the back of your neck like Shane, but he’s much more gentle about it

Will let you pull away however many times you want, but chases after you every time

His eyes are all hazy and he physically cannot stop looking at your mouth

With one hand on your waist, Harvey will dip his thumb under the hem of your shirt and rub back and forth over your skin

You’ve never seen him as focused as he is when he’s kissing you

Doesn’t move to take the kiss deeper, and doesn’t use tongue—but he doesn’t need to

Just the insistent press of lips is enough to get his point across

If his glasses get pushed up or clink against your face, he’ll pull back to take them off and set them down

The tension is kind of overwhelming

Every time he tries to restrain himself or exhibit self control, it only takes one look at your big eyes blinking at him with a flush on your cheeks and he’s getting right back up in your business

You’ve never heard him curse so openly before, but trying to control himself is nearing painful

Dives in, pauses a centimeter away, swears viciously because he’s failing miserably at controlling himself, and then he’s giving up entirely

Couldn’t resist you even if he wanted to

You’ll have to be the one to put an end to it because Harvey cannot

Don’t call his name while he’s like this though because then he won’t give you a moment to speak again

[solar4seekstron]

Ending 4: B-127

Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Optimus Prime Ending, Megatrons Ending, Elita Ones Ending, Bonus+ Deadlocks Ending

Tf1!B-127 x Cybertronian!GN!Reader

Y/N was working on their battle skills early in the morning as they practice some skills with their swords.

Realizing before they can turn them on to become lasers and not so training is a bit easier. They contnue some cambat moves they saw in a book they found a couple days ago. Wanting a good work out before the start of the day. Just as they finish a big move landing flawlessly they then are a bit startled by a voice.

”Wow! That. Was. Awsome!! You think I can do something like that with my knife hands? I mean not exactly but I think I can make it work I mean how can I not I did just fight in a literal mini war. Or! Or. I do the same move but with my own little spice! Like a spin or a sick back flip or a cart wheel. Or! A spinning cart wheel!!! Wonder how much muscle power that’ll take. I mean I’m a small bot but I- “

He then looks at them. Y/N has stood up and put their swords back looking down at B as they then turned their helm curious if he’ll continue.

He then sighs and put his knife hands away after taking them out for a moment after getting excited.

“Uh sorry. Just got excited and I uh-“

”B. Those are great ideas. Would you like to work together to make at least one ida possible?” They walk up to him as he looked up at them. B would nod and they will go to one of the doors.

”I’ll get us some energon and we can get started. We deserve a day off so might as well try to get stronger-“ Their cervo touching the handle.

“Y-y/N wait. There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“Hm?”

”I-I well I don’t really know how to say this. I know we didn’t get to know eachother that well when joining Ori-Optimus and…Megatron for the Matrix alongside with Elita. But getting to know you for the time after everything. Oh jeez I’m actually at a lost for words..Uh Y/N for the time I have known you-….Well you’re the only one who laughs at my jokes a-and well I just was wondering you know putting together all the time-“

“B….” Y/N has walked up to him and picked him up by the waist and is holding him up as they looked at him with a smile

”B I will love to be your Conjunx Endura. And I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the both of us. Just by watching you fight and the determination you have along with how much you care about others! Hell! How can I not want to be with you. Some one incredible and who can make me laugh!”

They say as they spin around still holding him with their hands. B chuckling as he looked down at them. Being held up high by them

”Well- that was super easy.”

He chuckles and then puts his hands on their shoulders. The two then closing the gap as they close their eyes and kiss. Bs arms wrapped around Y/N as their arms wrapped around his waist. Y/N would then put their hand on the back of his head as the two kiss for a moment longer. Both with wider smiles as the two kiss. Excited for their new found path.

The spark in both of their chests soon glowing between them as the seconds pass.

Sorry that this one isn’t as long as the others but man I enjoyed this so much. I love writing for B and this defiantly was a ton of fun for our best yellow boy. I hope you all enjoyed this and enjoy the other endings!

[artiepoison]

Icorect PJO/HOO quotes from this website :https://perchance.org/incorrect-quote-generator

Thalia: You seem familiar, have I threatened you before?

--------

Nico: The only thing keeping me from running away and hiding from society for the rest of my life is spite. I could disappear forever, but there are some bitches whose downfalls I have yet to witness, and I wanna be around when that happens.

-------

Percy: So according to the cease and desist order I got, apparently you can’t ‘legally’ be a lawyer if your license is ‘cut out of a cereal box’.

--------

Percy: Pros and cons of dating me. Percy: Pros. You'll be the cute one. Percy: Cons. Holy shit, where do I begin-

------

Grover: Yum, thanks!

Kidnapper: *puts more tape over their mouth* I said stop eating it.

-------

Nico: My aesthetic is "would be suspected of witchcraft by small town citizens."

-------

Annabeth in TLT

Annabeth: *trying to buy a Father's Day card at Hallmark*

Annabeth: Excuse me, do you have any that just say "You are my dad?"

Associate: Well, I-

Annabeth: How about "You banged my mom?"

Associate: No...

Annabeth: You know what, I'll just get a blank one.

Annabeth: *writes* You are a father. This is a day. Here is a card.

--------

Leo: I'm a firm believer in "if you're going to fail, you might as well fail spectacularly."

------

Nico: You can't wake up if you never get to sleep.

-------

Piper, opening a Capri Sun: Guess I'll drink my sorrows away.

-------

Hazel: War is heck!

------

Jason: I have yet to encounter a problem where a sword didn't factor into the solution at least in some way.

------

Frank: Well, needless to say. Uh-oh Spaghetti-os.

-------

Will: Can we go to a haunted house?

Nico: What’s wrong with the one we live in?

Will: Wh-what?

Nico: Goodnight, Will.

-------

Percy: Shouldn't get stressed out, it's not good for the baby.

Annabeth: What baby?

Percy, crying a bit: Me.

--------

*The Squad is playing Chess*

Annabeth: *easily beats everyone because they know how to play*

Piper: *doesn’t know the rules, but wins anyway*

Leo: *doesn’t know the rules, and loses*

Jason: *knows the rules, but still loses to those who don’t*

Frank: Actually, you can’t do that, because I said so.

Percy: They named a board game after cheese?

--------

*when the Squad drops food*

Annabeth: Eh, oh well.

Piper: FIVE-SECOND RULE!

Nico: FUCK!

Jason: *just gets more food*

Percy: *drops to their knees and mourns the food*

Leo: *eats the food off the ground*

---------

Leo: Who else is hiding in the laundry room trying to listen to Hazel and Frank's convo?

Piper: Me. I'm in the laundry basket.

Percy: I'm in the washing machine.

Nico: I'm in the closet.

Jason: We accept you Nico. <3

Nico: No I'm literally in the closet.

Jason: Love is love. <3

--------

Frank: Are you trying to give me a frickin’ aneurysm?

Percy: Pretty sure we all are.

Hazel: I wasn't.

Leo: I was.

Jason: I was trying to stop them, for your consideration.

Nico: I just cause aneurysms naturally.

--------

Annabeth: Okay, I’m going to get the wedding cake.

Percy: Perfect, while you do that I’ll check on the ring bear.

Annabeth: ...

Annabeth: You mean ring bearER, right?

Percy: ...

Annabeth: Look me in the eyes and tell me you are not going to bring a dangerous wild animal to our wedding.

---------

Nico: I don't need to go to bed. I'm not tired, I'll be fine.

Will: But, darling, I'll be so lonely without you. Come curl up in my arms so I can feel whole again.

Nico: O-oh. Well. Are you trying to seduce me into healthy sleeping patterns??

Will: Is it working?

-------

BONUS MAGNUS CHASE

Mallory: Nothing in life is free.

Sam: Love is free.

T.J: Knowledge is free.

Alex: Friendship is free.

Halfborn: Self-respect is free.

Magnus: Everything's free if you don't pay for it.

The Squad: ...

T.J: Magnus, that's illegal-

Alex: No, let them finish!

sooooooo yep. Hope you enjoyed

[amazingmsme]

A Little Dusty

AN: Again, I know it’s late but just be glad I’m still tryna pump these out. I’m literally sooo obsessed with Prismo, the flat boi needs to be WRECKED! Anyways, here’s day 14, enjoy!

The Scarab would never admit it out loud, but being stuck in the Time Room with Prismo wasn’t as asinine as he’d first thought. He’s still getting used to his new form, but he manages to get by. And his new roomie was chill, all things considerer. He let him pick out his own room, offered fresh pickles any time he wanted, and most importantly, he didn’t care if the Scarab was actually doing his job.

Despite the hot tub, TV wall, and the computer Prismo introduced him to, he found himself getting bored and restless as the days dragged on. Each day like the one before, more or less. He was starting to understand why Prismo went and made an unauthorized universe. He understood, but that didn’t mean he had to stop cursing the wishmaster’s name for putting him in this mess.

It was one of those days when he longed for the outside world- to hunt down violators across the vast multiverse. But noooo, there was a good chance that might never happen again. He was busy dusting, glaring at Prismo from across the room. He was oblivious to the stare, completely engrossed in his work. The Scarab would watch as he’s hum and giggle to himself before typing away on the keyboard. Some times he wore a more serious expression, typing something out before shaking his head and deleting it. And other times he just stared at the screen, hands unmoving and frown etched onto his face. The Scarab was a little curious what he’d been working on, but he didn’t plan on asking.

He slowly made his way around the room idly dusting at nothing. He’d dusted only last week, but he needed something to keep himself busy. Now he stood beside Prismo, tapping his foot impatiently.

“Could you move? I’m trying to clean.”

Prismo paused and glanced around the room with a shrug. “Looks pretty clean to me Scrabby. Why don’t you take a load off?” he asked, brushing him off and returning his attention to the laptop.

“Unlike some people, I don’t like to leave things unfinished.” Prismo seemed to miss the subtle dig tossed his way and the Scarab huffed in annoyance. “Look, I already cleaned over there, so why don’t you go sit on that wall?” he asked, pointing over his shoulder. Prismo’s gaze didn’t leave the screen. “Prismo!” he yelled with a stomp.

Prismo glanced up for a split second. “Yeah?”

“Move!”

Prismo groaned loudly, looking at the Scarab with annoyance. “Dude, I’m in the zone right now. I just wrote like 10 pages in five minutes!” he bragged, going back to typing. “If I move now, it’ll throw off the whole groove I’m in.”

The Scarab was done.

He threw his hands in the air with an annoyed huff. “FINE, be that way! I’ll just- I’ll dust around you since you won’t move,” he growled out, but Prismo continued to type away happily. It was infuriating, if not cute. Wait, he did not just think that about Prismo of all people…

He resumed dusting with a huff, sweeping the feather duster over his head, working his way down. He was lost in thought and didn’t pay much attention to where he was sweeping, and his general annoyance towards the wishmaster meant he didn’t necessarily care if he dusted him in the process. But he certainly noticed when his duster trailed too close to Prismo’s side, making him spasm and squeal, darting across to the opposite wall, laptop forgotten.

“Wohoah, hey, you could’ve just asked me to move, no need to start dusting me,” he rambled, hoping to mask his nerves. The Scarab just stared at him in wide-eyed shock.

“I did,” he said bluntly. Prismo chuckled nervously, rubbing his neck.

“Oh, y-you did? Sorry, I don’t remember I tend to zone out when I’m busy.”

“So it would seem.” He looked down to the soft tool in his hand and back at Prismo, a sly smirk hiding behind his mask. He noticed that his feet were now resting in the spot he’d previously been, seeing as he jumped to the opposite wall. Now, he wasn’t stupid, he knew what just happened. But he could play dumb.

The Scarab resumed his dusting, humming to himself as he brushed over the tops his feet. Prismo shrieked, yanking his legs away and tucking them close to his chest. He stared at the Scarab with a wide, unblinking eye and gulped.

“You uh-“ he cut himself off and cleared his throat when his voice came out too high. “You scared me.”

“Really?” he squinted at him, walking closer and relishing in the way Prismo was slowly backing himself into a corner. “Because normally, only ticklish people are afraid of feathers.”

He couldn’t hope to contain his nervous laughter or the obviously flustered stuttering. “W-wha whaaaat? N-no way bro, that’s just silly,” he tried to brush him off, waving a hand in the air. “I mean, I’m flat! So, there’s really nothing to tickle, haha! …Right?”

The Scarab arched a brow. “You’re asking me?” Prismo stuttered again and yelped when the Scarab was suddenly standing next to him. Quite frankly, he didn’t know what to say.

“You can go back to cleaning now.” The low chuckle the Scarab let out really wasn’t comforting.

“Okay, if you insist.” Prismo was given no time to ponder before soft feathers brushed over his belly. Bubbly giggles start building up in his chest as he curls in on himself, doubled over where the two walls meet. When the Scarab started swirling the duster in tight circles across his tummy, a loud snort broke the dam, allowing his high pitched laughter to fill the Time Room.

“Scrahahabby whahat are you dohohoing?” he asked, hiding his growing blush behind a hand as he weakly swatted at him with the other.

“I’m doing what you said: cleaning,” he teased in a deadpanned voice, trying to act as though this wasn’t the most fun he’s had since his punishment began.

“Nohohot mehehe!” he squealed when he began targeting his ribs, causing him to dart to another wall for safety. The Scarab tutted and shoot his head.

“Poor Prismo… it would seem as though you’ve nowhere left to turn,” he taunted, twirling the duster triumphantly. He laughed when he noticed him glance at the trap door for a split second. “You’re not really gonna run away from a few feathers now, are you?” he asked smugly. Prismo’s blush grew darker as he failed to speak, crossing his arms instead.

“Well that’s not very nice,” he grumbled.

“Good,” the Scarab said bluntly before sitting down on Prismo’s ankles, trapping them. He barely had enough time to protest before dozens of soft fibers swept over his feet. His giggles raised in both pitch and speed, a few more snorts managing to slip through.

The Scarab had always scared Prismo. He had such an intimidating aura, and everything about him screamed ruthless killer. After living together for a while, he thought maybe he wasn’t so cruel after all, but as he laid there laughing at his mercy, he thought that maybe he hadn’t been so far off with his initial judgment.

[okkalo]

Okie! If requests are still open, I'd like to see what you think of this scenario:

Beach vacay, reader gets a sunburn (can be mild or lobster-y)

How would Ryusei, Reo, and Kunigami help their bbg?

Thank you!

Ps, I LOVED the "ily" hc you posted! They were very cute 😍

hi again! i’m glad u enjoyed the other request! and thank u for another req 🤭 this one hit close to home bc i literally just got a sunburn the other day but anyways i hope u enjoy!!

warnings: reader is suggested to be a girl in reo’s

characters: shidou, reo, kunigami

shidou

- ABSOLUTELY laughs at you.

- and just know that if you get on his nerves he will smack your sunburnt part

- might feel bad depending on how you react

- brags about how he doesn’t burn and only tans after laughing at you

- i would say tell him to shut up or something but once again he will smack your burn

- once he actually sees you upset he will start to care a little bit

- doesn’t really help with the burn though, he just treats you nicer

shidou had just gotten out of the shower, hair damp and towel around his naked waist, when he saw you wincing and breathing out a small ‘ow’ while putting on aloe. his carefree stroll immediately stopped while his posture slumped, his cocky face turning more serious at the sight. he gave another sigh as you winced once again at the pain before walking up to sit in the space next to you.

a small smirk decorated his lips at the glare you send his way, expecting him to start adding more salt to your wound. “hey, hey, i’m not gonna do nothin’. my baby’s in pain and i gotta make em’ feel better.” he spoke with a suave voice, snaking an arm around your shoulders to pull you closer to place a gentle kiss on your neck. as much as you hated to admit, a few kisses from him definitely did make you feel better.

after a few more kisses from him you decided to end it there, your eyes roaming to his still naked lower body. you sighed, giving him a soft kiss on the lips before pushing him away, turning your attention back to your bowl of aloe vera. “go put your pants on, ryu.” he huffed, not wanting to follow someone else’s orders, going straight back in for your neck to pepper some rough kisses on your burnt skin. good luck with that.

reo

- he makes sure to keep your skin protected at all costs

- buys you expensive sunscreen and always tries to bring some source of shade because he doesn’t want you burning

- but it just so happened that you guys had been a part from each other when you got the burn

- when you walk in to your shared place with reo he just sighed, dropping everything he was doing to go get aloe

- scolds you while making you sit on the bathroom counter with him rubbing aloe into your skin

“this is why i should’ve gone with you,” he sighed, scooping up a clump of aloe before gently rubbing it on your thigh, his face in a focused frown. you remember him whining about how he wanted to go with you. you knew the real reason he wanted to go with you was to see you in a bathing suit and get to put sunscreen on your bare skin.

“it would’ve been weird if you had gone.” you sighed right back, tired of his complaining. “you would’ve been the only guy, weirdo.” you stated, watching his brows furrow as he raised his head to look at you with an offended face.

“i can be one of the girls!” he exclaimed, drawing a laugh out of you. you could only rake your fingers through his hair before patting his head. he sighed at the lack of response, eyes dropping once again to focus on your burnt leg. he would come up with another complaint in the next five seconds.

kunigami

- would probably be a worrier like reo except less extreme

- he would always try to put sunscreen on you when you were out in the sun that day

- he gets distracted that day, however, meaning he didn’t get the chance to remind you to put on the protectant

- feels HORRIBLE once he checks back in on you and sees you burnt

- immediately takes you home, occasionally cussing under his breath on the way home for his lack of notice

- starts a cold shower for you

“i should’ve remembered,” he mutters under his breath as he turns shower knob, water immediately following afterwards. he’s been like this for the past ten minutes, constantly muttering something new that he should’ve done.

“ren, love, it’s okay. the burn isn’t even that bad, babe. besides, i should’ve been the one to remember, so stop blaming yourself.” you finally sighed out, voice soft as you tried to comfort him by rubbing his arm. he turned over to you, face still in a frown as he saw your reddened state.

“it’s my job to remember, but i’ll stop.” he let out a deep sigh, bending down to pull you into an embrace. one hand wrapped around your back to rest on your waist while the other rubbed your upper back. “go ahead and get in, i’ll join in a few.” he said after a moment of silence, placing a small kiss your shoulder before pulling away from your arms. you made sure to give his arm an extra squeeze, a reassurance that it was okay, before he walked off.

unedited thanks for reading!

[spockandawe]

I'm going to have full cohesive pitches for these books as individual experiences sometime soon, i swear, but since I 1) just finished rereading thousand autumns (first time where it wasn't a third mtl), 2) am rereading peerless for the first time in years, and 3) am reading sleuth of the ming dynasty for the first time ever, I've been thinking a LOT about meng xi shi as an author and trying to scrape together my thoughts. Because I think she's really stunningly good! She's one of those authors whose skill just SHINES through, even when a translation is weak, and that's always something so fascinating to me.

But at the same time, i have a harder time raving about her books than most of my other faves. Trying to pitch thousand autumns to friends was something I really struggled with! The other two are easier, by nature of their central dynamics, while yan wushi cranks this one up to nightmare difficulty mode. But I think that it also provides an example of what I might be having to recalibrate for.

Like, I'm an easy binch. If Hua Cheng is leaving a necklace for Xie Lian early on, or Luo Binghe is noticing Shen Qingqiu's leaves right at the beginning of their books, I'm hootin and hollerin, I'm drumming my heels on the floor. And Meng Xi Shi is NOT about that instant gratification lifestyle. We're not having dessert before dinner, and there is some INTRICATE plot shit happening in all these books that is not getting muscled aside for indulgent ship time.

I'm absolutely certain it's a conscious choice, and one i respect the hell out of, especially since all of these books have the characters woven in with actual historical figures, which always manages yo take me by surprise. I assume details like keeping a wholeass imperial prince secret until he's five are fictional embellishment, but... nope! Actual history! The SCOPE of these plots and the politics they all muck around with means that there are limits to how much an author could spend time on ship bait without trivializing the central conflict. As much as i enjoyed golden stage, i never cared about the politics. And not caring about the politics in meng xi shi's work would be jettisoning SO much nutritional content.

And, that's not to say that there's NOTHING indulgent for me in the earlier parts! Yan Wushi starts delightedly letting people assume he's plowing Shen Qiao as soon as they start traveling together, Feng Xiao spends the second mystery of Peerless totally disguised as Cui Buqu's wife and fighting with him as "this wife", and Sui Zhou and Tang Fan start straight-up cohabiting POSTHASTE. And then. Meng xi shi makes you wait for it.

This isn't bad! The delayed gratification is very GOOD! The tension is delectable. The feeling of 'oh come on now you're just dragging this out on purpose' is mitigated by having characters drag things out in character. Shen Qiao's sense of responsibility pulls him towards Yan Wushi, and then away from Yan Wushi (and yan wushi is also Helping sfhfgdf). Feng Xiao doesn't move THAT fast, but Cui Buqu will Literally Die before he'll admit he has tender feelings. And Tang Fan is textually scared to lose what he has platonically with Sui Zhou by stepping into unknown territory. I'm still howling OH COME ON, but it transmutes into something directed at the characters, not the author.

And the plots we're making space for like this are hefty bois. All of them have heavy political themes, where in my usual diet, i would reluctantly accept a little politics on the side in my ancient chinese fantasy meal. And each of these books has baited me further into caring about mundane politics 😂 In Thousand Autumns, it's very much a balance between lavishly described fantasy martial arts extravaganza and big politics enhanced by the martial arts extravaganza. Peerless, we're down one martial artist in the lead characters, so there's more non-fighting politics happening (and both characters are secret police commanders), but at least one of my boys floats around playing magic music on his guqin. Fourteenth Year Of Chenghua? Goddamn, I'm reading this thing and I'm in the THROES over ancient chinese imperial office politics, like oh noooo oh my god HOW COULD THEY DEMOTE HIM AT A TIME LIKE THIS, fffff, who can possibly intercede with the emepror now-- And i have NO idea how i reached this point, this is so funny to me.

I do think it says a lot for all three of these that they won me over so hard despite not being as tailored to my personal tastes as something like mxtx! I do love all them to pieces. But it's something like... Digging in at the earlier, slower stages of these books was a hell of a struggle. One that paid off, but i worry about people bouncing off them! Something I've said about thousand autumns (and will say again) is that it's a book that asks for a lot of trust from readers. Some of that is PURELY down to yan wushi, but the structure and pace doesn't make that easy. I do think that the trust is repaid by the end, at least in terms of my reading experience, but it makes me worry! I do want people to read these!

Actually that brings me to the last big strong point I want to mention before i get back to reading: the character writing. Because GODDAMN, the character writing. It both contributes to the slow start in these books, I think, but also MASSIVELY enriches the emotional payout as they progress.

Yan Wushi is one of the funniest, most obnoxious characters of all time! He's also cruel, demanding, and overbearing, and a strong, vivid personality like that takes real time and effort to develop. The beginning of the book looks like it could slip into misery porn + stockholm syndrome healing cock = i guess this is a healthy relationship now. And it doesn't! But it's hard to tell how it WILL go, and that makes it hard to commit to a tome like this. Feng Xiao is comparably obnoxious and hilarious, but Cui Buqu is closed up tight as a clam, and both of them deal in secrets professionally, it is HARD to start accessing any hints of emotional sincerity in either of them. And Tang Fan and Sui Zhou are both junior government officials, early in their careers in a volatile work environment, and they present in a pretty reserved, professional way at first, and the subtler/goofier character notes take time and intimacy to properly manifest. wang zhi on the other hand--

I recommend these books! I really recommend them! I don't want to be underwhelming people with 'oh, you won't like it at first, but JUST YOU WAIT.' Because I did like them at first. They didnt elevete me to the same flailing emotional THROES as some novels, but the quiet rich flavor of the relationships in these are FABULOUS. And the sheer scope of the plots she pulls off, I mean, holy shit. I'm not underwhelmed by these books at all, I'm more likely to get overwhelmed, there's a reason I've been savoring the latest reading experience. I like them a lot! I like meng xi shi as a lot! In the sliver of cnovels that I've sampled, her books are doing some really cool things i haven't seen anyone else pull off, especially with such aplomb. I didn't start out LOOKING for books like that, but I'm still really, really glad i found them, and I do highly recommend them, just in general. I'll figure out how to pitch them individually soon.

*holds probably over 1.5M words of meng xi shi tomes* I Just Think She's Neat

[nogenderbee]

Can I pls request vivid bad squad watching the reader’s concert? Like the reader is also in a different band. You can change out the characters if you have any that you have more ideas for too and hope you’re doing ok! Just ignore this if u don’t want to do it :)

Yes, of course! I know it took me a lot but I hope you'll enjoy this in the end! <3

Kohane, An, Akito, Toya on reader's concert

TagList: @bleachtheidiot @yulikesminori @qxmmi @kuzui5201314 @miya-akane @coffeeykhs

⊱ Kohane is just standing in the crowd absolutely charmed~ and there can be 2 behaviors when she's like this...

⊱ first possibility is that she's so amazed she can't speak and is only looking at you, jaw down, while asking herself in mind how lucky she must've got to be with you

⊱ second possibility is that she's charmed but instead of positive shock, there's a smile on her face as her eyes sparkle and she might even feel confident enough to cheer on for you! But she'll probably blush a bit immidietly after doing so...

⊱ if they're allowing to take photos then you can he sure she'll take many of you and if she switch friends then maybe she'll take photo of them two or they'll take photo of her charmed smile for you as well!

⊱ when you meet after show, she'll make sure to show you all the photos if she could took any

⊱ if not tho, she'll compliment you more and really just express how much she liked your concert and how well she thinks you played

"It was great! I could feel my heart pounding with the rhythm through the entire concert... Y-You're truly amazing..."

⊱ if you meet or talk with An on the next day, you'll hear from her how much Kohane rambled about you last night and that's honestly just so cute~ but when you try to say it to your hamster girlfriend, she'll admit it quietly with small blush

⊱ An is definitely the loudest or one of the loudest on your concert! She'll always scream, whistle or even sing!

⊱ speaking of singing, if your songs include lyrics then she most likely knows most or all of them by memory! So of course she'll sometimes join and sing herself in the crowd, especially if her favorite part or song starts!

⊱ if you won't forbid her from wearing your bands merch then that's what she's gonna do! She's not covered in it but she definitely has light sticks, a hat or something on her head and just maybe shirt as well but that depends!

⊱ definitely is the type to wave at you hoping you'd wave back but she can understand if not, especially if you play on instrument! But at least a small wink or a smile in response would be nice as well~

⊱ after this concert is over, she'll ran up to you and wrap her arms around you while absolutely spoiling you with compliments and affections too if you're alright with PDA

"Y/N, you're literally so amazing! I couldn't be more proud from my amazing partner~!"

⊱ she'll also treat you on any sweet and drink you want. And maybe your bandmates too if you and them are alright with it! But if she's taking your bandmates then she's definitely taking VBS or just Kohane as well to celebrate successful show!

⊱ now Akito may look like he's judging you but he's actually just paying strong attention onto you and your style, he likes figuring out what in your play make him feel like this

⊱ he's not too loud on concerts but he will give of a whistle or applause at the end of each song or beginning of it

⊱ he's also not the type to show he wants to get your attention when he's in crowd at some point but if he happens to get it, he'll most likely give a little wave, maybe a smile

⊱ but if you happen to wink at him... man will actually get a bit flustered but he acts as if it's nothing to him at all

⊱ after show is over, he'll get to location where you two can meet and depending on how public it is, he'll either offer you a high five or a hug while saying some compliments about how well you did on that concert

⊱ if you have some celebration planned with your friend then he'll just wait for them with you and then go his way, leaving you to have fun

"Hey, you ready? C'mon, I have a place in mind this time so we can slowly head there. Why won't you tell me a bit about your experience this time, huh?"

⊱ but if you don't, he'd love to just wander around the town! He doesn't see point in celebrating unless that concert was something you really looked up to. Simple walk is enough for him and it oftens help you relax your mind if it was stressful or allows you to ramble if it was exciting!

⊱ Toya's attention is on you and you alone. It may appear that he's scared to look at your bandmates but he's really just admiring his partner!

⊱ it may come as unsettling if you're not used to his stare as he's really just staring at you with same expression. Which is calm eyes and small smile that's usually caused by pure adoration~

⊱ if you happen to notice him in the crowd and wink, smile or even wave at him, he'd realize how much he was staring and return the gesture with now shy expression and shade of pink spread over his cheeks

⊱ he's not the type to cheer loudly but if you look at him, you can see him cheering quietly with a smile or maybe even gentle handclapping to the rhythm. There's also bigger applause he gives on the end of every song!

⊱ after show, he tries to immidietly find his way to you so he can gently kiss the back of your hand while giving you compliment, keeping eye contact to show he means it even if it's a bit emberrassing for him

"You did amazingly, my love. I expected nothing else but I still was really impressed."

⊱ now you're most likely not getting away from him, he wants to show you he's really proud of you and would love to take you somewhere! But he'll understand if you already have plans and can move your little celebration onto next day!

❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉

[f1-stuff]

omg that part two snippet of girldad! carlos had me literally screaming, the way you write is just so *chef’s kiss* i can’t wait for the to see what happens next

its gonna be so cute when charles starts speaking french with ana and they both start bonding, carlos already has it down bad for this man but he’s going to be in love love with this man when this happens

the idea of the both of them being dads is just so… compelling, we really need more fics of them being dads and being all domestic

im sorry for this ranty ask but i just got so excited when i saw u posted the snippet, i love that fic so much already

and if you don’t mind, could you post the giver au pls :))

sending you lots of love mal, thank you for everything!! <33

Hi! Do not apologize!! Every fic writer hopes and dreams that ppl will get excited about their fic 😭 and I completely agree - we need more charlos dads. They are literally so married and charles wants a kid so badly...

Anyway yes! You can have a snippet of the Giver AU - i've shared a bit of it before, but essentially, the premise is that society requires everyone to take suppressants to dull their emotions, eliminating pain/conflict/anger/fear etc., but also eliminating passion/love/joy in the process...

I'm thinking of doing a major rewrite of this actually...so honestly what you read here might look very different by the time I post it but 🤷🏻‍♀️

“Hola, teammate.” It’s accompanied by a grin and a nudge to his arm. Charles raises an eyebrow.

“Hello, again.”

They’d seen each other not forty-five minutes ago, but Carlos seems to insist on greeting everyone like it’s the first time that day no matter how long ago they parted ways. He also keeps calling Charles, ��teammate,’ like he thinks anyone needs to be reminded of this. 

“What are we doing now?” Carlos asks, rubbing his hands together like he’s impatient to get started. 

Charles doesn’t know why he would be - they’ve been doing promotional obligations all day, and his head is starting to hurt from all the bright lights. It’s all videos and photoshoots for their sponsors and social media accounts. Tomorrow will be the more important agenda - seat and race suit fittings are the first things on the schedule.

“A video for the fans, I think,” Charles says, in answer. “Where we ask each other questions.”

“Ah, so I can discover all of your secrets.” Carlos lifts his brows up and down in a way that Charles isn’t sure he’s ever seen someone do. 

He knows it’s a joke - one of Carlos’ strange ones, where he doesn’t really mean what he says. But Charles still finds himself wanting to protest the remark.

“I don’t have secrets.” Why would he? He has nothing to hide. Carlos rolls his eyes.

“Okay,” is all he says.

Charles has the sense he’s disappointed him somehow. Not that it really matters, but he’s still trying to figure out his new teammate. He wants them to get along, since they’ll be seeing a lot of one another. So far, he feels like Carlos is perpetually amused by him for reasons that Charles can’t determine.

“The questions are prepared,” Charles adds. “They wouldn’t have us ask whatever we wanted.” This seems obvious to him, but maybe Carlos isn’t yet accustomed to how structured things are at Ferrari. 

Practically their every movement is planned by some coordinator on the team - the only time it can’t be is in the car, when the drivers themselves hold the steering wheel. And even then, the team tries to control everything with strategy and radio communications during the race.

Carlos gives him a searching look, which Charles attempts not to shy away from. He isn’t shy, anyway. Poor choice of words.

“Do you ever... Mm- how do you say it?” Carlos takes a second to himself, mulling over whatever it is that he’s trying to ask. “Do you ever go against the script?”

“The script?” Charles frowns.

“The rules. The path. The plan.” Carlos studies him, as he processes the words, like Charles is a bug in a jar. It’s not a sensation he particularly...enjoys, though he can’t pinpoint why. 

“I’m not...” He swallows, unsure of himself. “I don’t-”

“Boys!” someone is saying from across the room, gesturing them over. 

There’s a beat of silence between them, and then Carlos is saying, “Never mind, mate,” patting Charles on the shoulder. 

He walks away then, and Charles is left with a strange hollowness in his chest, like he’s failed at something - like when he’s driven badly or made a mistake on track. But he hadn’t done anything like that. He’d just been talking to his teammate...

He takes a deep breath, then moves to join Carlos across the room.

WIP Wednesday

[ckret2]

youve gotten a few asks about billford before, and your plans for ford's relationship with bill in your fic, but im curious if you personally ship it yourself/*like* it. and, just for the hell of it, if you have any opinion on billdip too, since that one's even more controversial.

I'm gonna put most of this under a cut since it's not only long, but also long about two different topics, but the tl;dr is:

Yeah, I'm a fan of billford. I don't think it's canon, inevitable, or necessary to their dynamic, and I'm still on the fence about whether things will tilt toward the romantic in my fic or if it'll stay platonic, but I do enjoy the ship a lot because it has a lot of (obsessive, weird, unhealthy, angsty) elements that interest me to explore in ships. Billdip, on the other hand, does nothing for me. I don't care about how people ship imaginary characters in their fictional fandoms and I'm not gonna block anybody for liking it, so this isn't a moral stance, here—I just don't like it personally.

One of the things that intrigues me most about a ship is the idea of love that's gone so far it isn't even love anymore but punched out the other side into unhealthy obsession, and "I'll spend the next thirty years of my life hunting you to death" versus "What if I turn you into a gold statue and carry you around to stare at you a lot" sure fit right into "unhealthy obsession." On top of that, some of my favorite ship dynamics are:

the worshiper and the person they've picked to revere as their god, either metaphorically or literally—with bonus points if the person they've devoted themself to doesn't deserve that worship and maybe isn't even all that special, and the worship actually reveals more about the mind of the lover than it does about the (un)divine nature of the beloved

the mad scientist and the muse who gives them ideas and inspires their work (one of my all-time OTPs has a line where the mad scientist says to his ex "we were each the muse to the other"), with bonus points if they both get so caught up in "what can we do together? What dreams can we make reality—" that they plunge into full "so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should" territory—and bonus bonus points if they eventually come out of the haze of SCIENCE and one of them is horrified by what they've done... but maybe the other one isn't.

two people who are wildly compatible with each other (similar hobbies, tastes, worldviews! they fill in the gaps in each other's personalities! they each happen to be the other's type! they understand each other like no one else can! whatever, fill in the blank!), but for some reason one betrayed the other, they've tried to kill each other, and now things are vicious and bloody and painful and raw between them; but if they talk to each other and accidentally let their guards down for even a split second, all that history is still there, they still like the same stupid movies and share the same stupid inside jokes no one else will ever understand and have the same stupid complementary life dreams, they could have been good for each other, but there's no road back to where they were before the betrayal. Their chemistry is like two huge magnets strapped to land mines: the attraction is as powerful as ever but heaven help them both if they ever touch.

or, alternatively, two people that have all that chemistry, but are just really toxic and do bad things when they're together and enable all each other's worst tendencies, even if they don't necessarily do bad things to each other; and they've got to navigate the fact that they might adore each other so much but they are objectively worse people when they're together.

I like ships with inhuman things. As a writer I like waxing romantic about the inhuman things and trying to convince the reader that yes, this too is beautiful and lovable when seen through the eyes of a lover. I will make you take the stupidest love interest seriously for five minutes. I've romanticized a sticky pile of goo, I've romanticized a robot spider, I've romanticized the concept of being a disembodied voice, I've romanticized a pteranodon made out of lava, and I'll romanticize a cyclopic gold-plated corn chip too, don't test me. Who better to adore a sentient triangle than a scientist-artist who sees the beauty in precise angles?

Depending on the headcanons and/or AUs you're working with, you can get all of these pretty darn easily out of Billford.

I like writing Ford as the awed naive intellectual, hungry for knowledge, for the secrets of the universe, for more, who was utterly dazzled and starstruck by this divinity who tantalized him with esoteric secrets—and who's been furious at Bill for thirty years for betraying him, hurting him, threatening his home and everyone he loves, but underneath all that also furious at him for not being what he advertised when he could have been that; and Bill, meanwhile, playing it cool, far too comfortable playing the role of faux god, but privately, secretly distraught that his favorite "student"—the one who takes Bill's "teachings" and gets creative and inventive with them, the one who always wanted to know more, not just about the universe but about Bill personally—his favorite student no longer worships him, doesn't even respect him, doesn't even see him as an equal, but looks at him like he's the scum of the universe, and Bill won't even admit that it bothers him but it's killing him that nothing he does can get his favorite to so much as smile at him again.

That's the dynamic in my head when I write them. You could play it as purely professional, a god disappointed to lose a worshiper like a boss disappointed to lose his best employee or a celebrity disappointed to lose the president of his fan club; or you could play it like platonic friendship, maybe a QPR; or you could play it like a romance. I like the zest added when you toss romance into this already nasty mess of emotions. I like capping off all that heartache with, "—and if things had turned out differently, maybe I would have taken your hand and traveled with you to the ends of eternity, if only you weren't [such a brutal heartless backstabbing piece of shit]/[unable to forgive a few white lies and some light torture]."

Billdip, on the other hand, does absolutely nothing for me. Not even just for the age reason—that does squick me out, but even if I try to look at it like "okay pretend he's aged up" or "stick it in an AU where they're both dumb kids having dumb kid crushes" I just, see nothing there. I don't even see anything there platonically. Like, legitimately—for the fic I'm working on, I've been trying to figure out what kind of dynamic/interactions they'd have beyond just "Dipper scowls at Bill a lot" and even on that level I've been struggling to think of something compelling between them. I look back on the fact that for a good few years billdip was the ship in the fandom and I go, "why? where's the meat? what do they do for each other?"

I'm forced to imagine that the ship must have been based on some combination of "fandoms naturally want to ship the everyman main character with the charismatic fun villain," "a bunch of teens with crushes on Bill were using Dipper as their self-insert stand-in," and "people assumed Bill wasn't lying when he said Dipper impressed him and didn't start revising that opinion until we got to see firsthand that he uses lines like that on everybody." It feels really uncharitable of me to the shippers to assume that their OTP is founded entirely on statistically average fandom trends and character misinterpretations rather than, like, y'know, traits actually present in the characters, so I'm taking it on faith that there's probably more to it than that and I just don't see it because it just ain't my jam.

When I do try to speculate harder on "how would I get them to interact with each other in a compelling way, like, just in a platonic sense?" my brain starts going "well, dipper's a nerd who's into the paranormal, he wants to know about mysterious things? maybe he's fascinated with bill as a mysterious thing? and maybe... idk, why would bill give a hoot about dipper—maybe bill takes advantage of that fascination, tempts him with more information, maybe he's amused by Dipper's curiosity about weird things—?" and that's usually about the point where I go "this is just, the way Bill and Ford met. This is the watered-down junior version of Bill and Ford's first few weeks." In trying to figure out what the heck Bill and Dipper would even talk about I keep accidentally recreating a less interesting version of Bill and Ford's dynamic.

I want and need Bill and Dipper to have an interesting character dynamic in this fic so being unable to come up with something that personally compels me has been actively frustrating me lmfao, but it does serve to illustrate my main point here: man, billdip does nothing for me so hard that I can't even see them platonically interacting.

[voylitscope]

CA: TWS 10th Anniversary Week Ficlets (Day 9)

Daily ficlets for the CA: TWS 10th Anniversary Event @catws-anniversary. With Huge thanks to @sparkagrace and @cable-knit-sweater for running this wonderful event! 💞

Nine | April 3rd | Theme: Cap Quartet | Prompt: Breakfast/Washington D.C. | Words: 500 | Canon divergent | G | No warnings | Steve/Bucky, implied Sam/Natasha, Steve and Natasha friendship, low-stakes fluff

“Breakfast isn’t a date,” Steve says, looking up at Natasha over his refrigerator door. “Is it?”

“First of all, I said brunch,” Natasha says, catching the bottle of water he tosses her. “There’s a difference. Second, yes, brunch can absolutely be a date. And it can be lower pressure, too. I thought that might help.”

“Lower pressure how?” Steve asks, leaning back against the counter.

“Well, it’ll be in the middle of the day. So no worries about the end of the night,” Natasha says, before taking a sip of water. “And Sam and I will be there, so it’ll be like a double date. Always less pressure.”

“A double date?” Steve echoes, eyebrows raising. “Wait, have you and Sam been going on dates?”

“That’s not the point, Steve,” Natasha says, brushing past his question.. She pulls a piece of paper out of her jacket pocket. “The point is, it’ll be low-stress, and I already set up. You just have to show up here tomorrow at 10 am.”

“I don’t know where this is.” Steve looks mildly puzzled as he reads the restaurant name on the paper.

“Yes, you do.” Natasha says, amused. “It’s three blocks from your apartment, around the corner from that bookstore you like. Google it.”

Steve blinks at her.

But he doesn’t question it.

Instead he says,

“I still don’t know about this,” biting his lip.

“It’s just a meal. ” Natasha puts a quick hand on his arm. “And I do think I got it right this time.”

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the thought,” Steve hedges, “but with how much else I’ve got going on —“

“You can take a break from some of that, sometimes, you know. No need for 24/7 on call, anymore. It seems to me like —“ Natasha pauses, trying to be gentle, the way she’s gotten in the habit of being when she’s talking to Steve about Barnes. “Like he’s doing a lot better.”

“He is.” Steve swallows. “He really is.”

(Doing a lot better is a bit of understatement, from what Natasha has observed. And she’s made it a point to do a lot of observing.

“And that’s great,” Natasha says, squeezing his arm again. “So come to brunch. Enjoy yourself.”

Steve’s quiet for a few seconds, and Natasha doesn’t push it.

“This might surprise you,” Steve says, tone dry when he breaks the silence, “but I don’t actually have much experience enjoying myself on dates.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” Natasha says, grinning.. “Besides, you’ll have friends there, if nothing else.”

“I guess.” Steve still sounds wary, but he’s nodding. “Breakfast can’t be so bad.”

“That’s the the spirit,” Natasha says, releasing his arm. She watches Steve shake his head slowly, before frowning again..

“But do you and Sam go on dates?” he asks.

Natasha laughs. She doesn't answer the question.

She does get Steve to promise to show up tomorrow.

On her way home, she sends a text to Barnes, confirming he’ll be at brunch by 9:50 AM.

🎆Eight | April 2nd | Theme: Bucky Barnes | Prompt: Ghost story | Words: 1,000 | Canon Divergence | Gen | No Warnings | Steve/Bucky, Post-TWS, dancing, Bucky Barnes recovering

🎆Seven | April 1st | Theme: HYDRA | Prompt: Project Insight | Words: 300 | Canon compliant | Not rated | No warnings | Bucky POV, implied Steve/Bucky (in a similar way to, you know, the literal plot of CA: TWS.)

🎆Six | March 31st | Theme: Sam Wilson | Prompt: Partners/Missing Scenes | Words: 350 | Canon compliant | Not Rated | No Warnings | Gen, Sam and Steve friendship, a tiny teaspoon of Sam and Riley emotions that you can interpret however your heart desires.

🎆Five | March 30th | Theme: TWS Cast | Prompt: Stunts | Words: 350 | Mature | No Warnings | RPF, Chris Evan/Sebastian Stan, very light/implied sexual content (but throwing this one under a cut just in case), sexual thoughts/tension, intentionally unspecified POV

🎆Four | March 29th | Theme: Natasha Romanoff | Prompt: Trust Issues | Words: 350 | Canon compliant| Not Rated | No Warnings | Gen, Natasha and Steve friendship

🎆Three | March 28th | Theme: SHIELD | Prompt: Surprise Visitor | Words: 300 | Canon compliant | Not Rated | No Warnings | But: very brief Steve/OC (sort of), and, I guess, privacy invasion via audio recording? I don’t know how to tag that. It’s canon that Steve’s DC apartment was bugged. So?

🎆Two | March 27th | Theme: Steve Rogers | Prompt: Guilt | Words: 300 | Canon compliant | Not Rated | No Warnings

🎆 One | March 26th | Theme: On your left | Prompt: The Smithsonian | Words: 250 | Canon compliant | No warnings | Not Rated |

(Ficlets Tumblr-exclusive until all are complete.)

[yarrowleef]

I thought I made a post about the Onestar's SE back in 2022 a couple months before it came out and I found it in my drafts, never posted for whatever reason

anyway, as a "pre-thoughts before reading (more of) it", how I felt was that I wasn't super excited about the idea of a Onestar book.

idk. warriors is funny for me in that even though I like messy morally gray characters in literally any other property i’m into, all of warriors (in)famous morally gray characters are just. annoying to me. in a not fun way.

Like with Clear Sky, narrative misogyny aside (bc I didn't really unpack All That until after finishing the arc) I found it completely impossible to enjoy any of his POV chapters, or...anything about him, really (I’m sure a lot of it has to do with an unwillingness to let him face lasting consequences for anything. I’ll never recover from the pure elation I felt at his mother roasting him and then the stark plummet into disappointment when five seconds later she back pedals into “it’s ok actually, what you REALLY need is to forgive yourself and move on uwu”)

the frustrating thing is, I wouldn't find this character horrible to read about in theory. I feel like nearly every action he took, how quickly he escalated things, how is ego manifests.....If I was just given a summary of Clear Sky and what he did, I could probly fill in the blanks for how he made (most of) those decisions, and I might think “that would be an interesting character to read about, especially as a POV"

and yet in practice it was Not Fun to read Ever

I think erin hunter is just... really bad at believably arguing for their characters

Sometimes it feels like someone got an outline saying “this character kicks a puppy” because that puppy needs to be kicked in order to motivate the plot. and instead of sitting down and thinking through what kind of mindset would lead to someone kicking this puppy, what kind of internal arguments are they making, how are they rationalizing it, instead they just. copy the instruction down in black and white with no expansion. Character thinks “I have to kick this puppy!”, someone else asks “why do you have to do that?? wtf is wrong with you?”, character responds with “they just don’t understand! I have to kick this puppy!” without really any delving into what made them come to this conclusion first, and every obstacle and bad consequence that comes up they just repeat some variation of that same line over and over “they just don't understand why I have to kick this puppy!!” like ok cool but do YOU even understand why you have to kick this puppy???? cause sometimes it doesn’t feel like your writers do, it feels like they are dispassionately following instructions.....y'know what i mean????

Anyway, that’s what it felt like reading Clear Sky’s POV chapters

and I suspect I'm going to feel similarly about Onestar once he enters his Bitchy Leader era. Not that he is anywhere near as bad as Clear Sky, he's not, but just that this particular feeling pops up any time the Erin's try to write from the perspective of someone acting aggressively for complicated reasons. I could envision how the things that happened to Onestar led him down the road he ended up on but I'm afraid seeing inside his head will only make the character way more brainless and shallow then he was as a sort-of background character that we had to piece together on our own

[yakuzacanons]

I have a vision just let me cook

The boys being forced by their S/O to play Minecraft. I need to know how chaotic it would be

Personally I just know Majima would get his grubby little hands on TNT and start going ham

Anon, I see your vision and I love it. Ask and ye shall receive.

Also I know I've got other asks in the inbox rn, I'll get to the rest later today as I'm posting this right before an Oppenheimer/Barbie double feature. So if you've sent stuff in, fret not. I'll get to it in exactly 5 hours. Meanwhile, enjoy this post!

Kazuma Kiryu

His main motivation to play will be from seeing how much the kids enjoy it. Plus, the only thing the kids like more than playing Minecraft themselves is crowding around Kiryu as plays.

Haruka and Taichi will be doing most of the guiding here. Minecraft might've been your idea but the kids always have this magic way of explaining things to Kiryu in a way that he'll get it.

He'll totally say something sappy like "Do you want to see what I made in Minecraft for you?" and will shyly ask you to play with him once he gets the hang of it. You'll also catch him on wiki pages trying to understand what the heck he's doing.

Majima Goro

Doesn't understand a darn thing and doesn't care. Turn your back for five seconds and he's on the other side of the map doing who knows what. It's not that he doesn't want to understand how to play, he just wants to learn things his way, which is often times the hard way.

Lots of exasperated noises when he dies but before you know it he'll be back at it again. Says dumb things like "Oi babe, what's this?" while holding TNT or "Don't worry 'bout me darlin', I'm immune to creepers" before instantly dying.

Actually gets super into decorating. Maybe some part of Majima Construction carries over into his gameplay. He's also very curious about literally everything. He might grumble at first about learning to play "A silly game fulla cubes 'n shit" but he'll end up loving more than you ever expected.

Saejima Taiga

He'll refuse at first because he knows he's completely illiterate when it comes to technology and he's embarrassed to make a fool of himself in front of you. The best way to get him out of this funk is to let him watch you play for a while. Eventually his interest and his desire to do an activity with you will outweigh his nervousness.

He will require the most handholding out of all the boys. However, he will beam with such pride when he accomplishes something himself. He will even hug you with glee when he gets something right. The game is challenging for him but he loves spending the time with you.

Is the most likely to dig a hole straight down into lava and die. Poor guy, he was just excited that he finally figured out how to hit stuff and wanted to see how far down he could go.

Akiyama Shun

Has zero idea what you're talking about when you ask him to play. He'll say something like "Mine-what?!" followed by a very confused look. He's a visual learner so once he sees the game he'll be like "Ohh, I think I get it now."

He in fact does not get it. It's not that he's never played games. It's just that he didn't expect the game to have so much stuff in it. Lots of "Huh?!" or "I can do that?!" while playing.

One of the more eager boys when it comes to playing Minecraft with you. He doesn't get super embarrassed when he messes up and you both get a kick out of building a world together.

Tanimura Masayoshi

Most likely to be an experienced gamer out of all the boys. When you ask, he'll be like "Really? You wanna play video games with me?" in a rather cutesy way.

Having said that, he will still try to impress you by acting super cool in the game. If he messes it up he'll just try to play it off like "Ah, I didn't mean to do THAT".

Will provide drinks and snacks while gaming. Probably some iced tea, chips, or pocky. He's a snacky boy.

Ryuji Goda

Honestly hasn't ever really had time to explore what video games are so he'll be curious to at least give it a shot. You'll both learn very quickly that he has a short temper with games.

He does not understand the purpose of dying in games. It frustrates him. He just wants to smack around blocks and stack blocks, what's dying got to do with these blocks anyways? That's his attitude.

Once you show him the ropes, he'll get a lot calmer and the more he learns the less dying bothers him. He's the most likely to watch let's play videos out of all the boys.

Nishikiyama Akira

His interest in games is about average, as well as his knowledge when it comes to video games. When you ask him to play, he'll say something like "Heh, only because you asked me so nicely, okay?". Secretly, he likes that it's an excuse to spend time with you.

Since his skill and your skill are relatively balanced, he doesn't need much help. He thinks it's cute when you show him something you worked hard on making in Minecraft.

Out of all the boys, he's the most likely to dedicate time to building a whole world with you, down to the last detail. He's a great creative partner in Minecraft.

Daigo Dojima

He's clueless. Someone help the poor man. Last time he had time for games, he was just a kid. Since then, games have changed so much that he feels totally lost.

He uses computers some at work so to him computers are for working, not fun. When you first propose the idea, he'll be like "Games? In my work computer?" but once you show him the basics, he'll be chomping at the bit to try it out.

Daigo works so hard that he doesn't get much time for leisure, so combining that with spending time with you is a golden opportunity for him. Even when he gets frustrated or dies in game, he'll calm himself and get back in the saddle. He really wants to learn how to play this well.

Mine Yoshitaka

He will refuse to play at first, saying something like "You play honey, I'll just watch". It's not that he doesn't find the idea of playing a video game with you appealing, he's just the type of guy who's so used to upholding appearances and his reputation that he doesn't want to look stupid in front of you.

Eventually his interest will get the better of him and he'll say "Okay, show me how this works" and he'll find it cute how excited you get that he actually wants to learn how.

Slowly he'll learn that making mistakes in games are okay and not nearly as terrifying as mistakes in real life. Playing this game with you will become a great outlet for him. Also the type of guy to give you shoulder massages if you play for a long amount of time.