#needless to say neither of them know how casual affection works

[carbonateds-oda]

the first time dazai ruffled atsushis hair he was rlly confused abt it so he just ruffled dazai’s hair back and then they both just stood there staring at each other like 🧍‍♂️

[silversiren1101]

19, 33, and 40 for Regill and Mino!

19. How do they feel about PDA?

It starts off as an absolute 'No' for Regill- they're Commander and Lieutenant, they at least have to maintain the façade of professionalism... despite the fact that everyone knows and neither of them lie about their relationship when asked.

Mino is... well she's cuddly, and very loving. Ganzi tails tend to have a mind of their own and act based on emotion, so unless she's actively minding it and keeping it suppressed, that tail will reach over and rest against him rather quick if they're within distance. Usually it will rest against his boot or heel, but it does brush against him if she walks past and likes to slither into his hand sometimes (and is given a quick squeeze before being dropped).

Kissing is reserved for private situations, BUT caution gets thrown to the wind when life and death is on the line. The troops at Threshold get to see quite the smooch before the final assault!

LATER ON

Few would have the guts to say anything about the Lictor and his wife's brief touches and displays of affection in the halls of Citadel Darvhage, especially when his wife is a demi-goddess and former Knight Commander.

Loving touches on the arms or shoulders, a passing kiss on the cheek, soft glances...

They are very much a mature, married couple in that regard. No one would doubt their relationship status seeing them pass by one another in the hall.

33. Who's the better cook?

Aha, I love this question. Since WOTR correlates cooking with the World skill and Regill has a pretty high one in my canon... Well, fun thoughts there.

As for this actually though, I do headcanon that Hellknights serving out in wilderness stations are taught basic survival and cooking classes. They're not about indulgences or anything, but the basic morale boosters needed to keep you from absolutely losing it (aside from just knowing how to forage and hunt, lol).

So! Both are BASIC cooks. Mino is good at simple, hearty, tasty meals like stews, roasted meats, eggs and potatoes... nothing fancy. The kind of food that doesn't need a recipe but you can throw together based on intuition. On the other hand, Regill CAN cook, but because he doesn't care about the taste of food ("It's sustenance") he is rarely allowed to. If he actually cared and tried, he would put together a very very good meal.

Good luck with that though.

40. Who has an insatiable appetite? And what does the other do to help?

I don't know if this is a horny question or actually about food so I will answer it both ways, lmao.

FOOD: Regill doesn't care about the taste of food, as mentioned above. It's sustenance. He eats what he needs to to keep up muscle mass and physical performance. There is only one exception to this, and it's good quality coffee. As Hellknights, they're used to shitty barracks coffee, but when Regill achieved rank (Maralictor) he definitely acquired a taste for better coffee. Mino asks Wilcer Garms to secure a specific type of roast she remembered him really liking (which was like 80 years ago), and since Regill has been in the Worldwound for decades he hasn't had it in probably 40-50 some years? He recognizes the smell of it immediately and is... struck quiet. This is before they confess their feelings for one another too, so he is quite surprised by this "needless favor"... and appreciative.

Mino is mostly the same regarding food... but she is a fiend for seafood, particularly fried shellfish. She grew up in Westcrown as a poor orphan, but special meals for holidays and such would involved things like whole fried softshell crabs, shrimps, mussels, etc. On the cheaper end of seafood but absolutely delicious, a special meal for peasants and working class. As such she craves it pretty often, which is a challenge being all the way up in Sarkoris... Regill casually slips such information to Drezen's procurers and chefs, and soon regular shipments of crayfish start to come in from Chilly Creek. Mino has no idea why there's some more shellfish options (he certainly says nothing), but she is VERY happy about it.

HORNY: There's no way around this, they're terribly horny for each other at all times. Indulgent? Absolutely, I don't care. She's been pining after him for almost a century, him not as long but he's been completely repressing it to the point where he never consciously noticed. They have a lot of lost time to make up for. It's rare a day goes by where they haven't pounced on the other.

Link to the Questions

[thekpopcloud]

Seungmin as your boyfriend

requested by @uwuitsjungwoo

this series is finally done! what shall i do next?

(GIF not mine! Credit to owner! I found it on pinterest)

~

confession:

out of all the boys, i feel like seungmin would be the most confident

the two of you grew up together, he knows you better than you know yourself.

so he was confident he wouldn’t mess up

but the boys just weren’t helping him.

‘are you sure they like you?’ ‘i thought they liked Felix’ ‘they told me they liked Hyunjin’

so seungmin, fed up with their idiocy, decided to tell you how he felt

partly so the boys would shut up

and because he really wanted to ask you out

so on one of their days off he texted you, asking to come over because he needed to ‘talk to you’

he left the dorm without telling the boys where he was going and headed to your house

you greeted him with a tight hug and the offer to watch a movie.

“maybe later...i really need to talk to you now- before i talk myself out of it”

“alright then...what’s up?”

seungmin hadn’t prepared what he wanted to say - he had no idea and decide to just let the words flow.

“i’d be surprised if you don’t already know but i have a crush on you- i have for years. I really like you and want to go out with you but i’ve never said anything cause i wasn’t sure you felt the same but-“

he was cut off by you leaning up (causes he’s a tall one) and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

out of shock seungmin spluttered, gaping like a fish out of water. “wha-what- what was that”

his confident demeanour dropped so quickly it made you chuckle.

“i like you too, loser.”

“loser? wow, i feel loved”

needless to say seungmin went back to the dorm that night grinning

first date:

cafe!!!

there’s a nice little cafe by han river that he’d been wanting to visit for ages but never got the chance

so he took you there on your first day instead

he brings a camera and turns the day into a mini photo shoot as well - taking candids every chance he gets

at the cafe he picks a nice window table with a lovely view of the river

brings you a bouquet of your favourite flowers (if you’re allergic to flowers they’re fake or chocolate ones)

pays for everything you order and refuses to let you pay

compliment compliments compliments

after the cafe you take a walk along the river, pointing out random little things

and petting every dog that passed

seungmin takes loads of pictures while you’re not looking and happily admires you

the two of you spend the entire day out and once it gets dark you do one of two things

either star gazing in a park near the river

or

going to the nearest street market and buying all the street food you can

he walked you home and left with a kiss and promise of another date soon

first ‘i love you’:

the first time he told you he loved you it was an accident

it was the middle of the night and the two of you were cuddling in bed

he was absolutely exhausted from a long day of recording and rehearsals

you were still awake, reading a book you needs to finish for class, one hand gently running through the tired boys hair

and in his half asleep daze seungmin pulled you closer and buried his face into your neck

then in the quietest voice, he whispered. “I love you, baby...”

it was so quite you barely heard it, but you did and froze.

a smile making its way onto your face when you look down at his sleeping face.

“i love you too, minnie” you whispered back, knowing he couldn’t hear you and kissed the top of his head

before casually going back to the book

you brought it up the next morning and he stopped for a good few minutes, like a frozen sim

“i...i didn’t- well i did but i didnt-“

his rambling was cut off by you gently kissing him and repeating with a grin.

“i love you too, seungmin”

first argument:

angry seungmin is intimidating

the two of you would rarely get into real arguments

usually it’s just petty little disagreements that are resolved super fast

but actual arguments could take a while to be resolved

because silent treatment

the first time the two of you had a real argument it was over something stupid

you were both stressed, him from his career you from work, to the point where anything little things could set you off

he did something small, like misplace a notebook or leave something in the sink and it set you off.

and because you went off on one so did he. the argument quickly turned into a screaming match

the argument dragged on and you decided to end it, being the bigger person isn’t that situation, and walked away from the argument.

he walked after you, but got a door slammed in his face.

that’s when the silent treatment started. awkward, tense silences in your home. neither of you wanted to break and apologise first.

it wasn’t until the rest of skz got fed up with him being huffy and forced him to go apologise.

he didn’t want to admit it but he missed you and wanted to apologise the second the door slammed in his face.

so that evening when you were out, he gathered up a bunch of blankets, pillow and your favourite food. he set up a projector on a blank wall in the living room with your favourite movie on the screen.

you got home to a darker house, fairy lights leading the way to the living, where a nervous seungmin stood shuffling on his feet.

the second he noticed you he flashed a small smile, walked over and gently grabbed your hands then proceeded to rant off an entire apology speech.

you cut him off with your own apology, that slamming the door in his face was a bit much.

he cut you off with a kiss, effectively ending the argument and the silent treatment.

and a night of cuddles, good movies and good food was in order. the two of you falling asleep cuddled up on the couch

kisses:

oh my does he love kissing you

his favourite subtle form of affection

pressing a kiss to your cheek as he passes by, or to the top of your head when your cuddling.

or kissing you to distract you from something.

when you’ve spent wayyyy to long working he’ll walk up behind you, set his hands on your shoulders and press a kiss to the back of head.

or trailing kisses down your neck/shoulders to distract you from your work.

sometimes he just wants your attention and kisses are the best way to do it.

isn’t too bothered by PDA, though it isn’t his favourite thing on the planet

he’s way more comfortable with PDA around friends even if they take the piss out of him for it.

will 100% kiss your in front of someone to show them that you’re taken.

hugs:

he’s especially cuddly when he’s tired

if he’s laying across the couch/bed and you pass by he’ll grab you and drag you down into his arms.

and once you’re there, there is no escape.

one of his favourite things to do is sneak up behind you and hug you from behind- sneak attack.

or bear hugging you and collapsing back onto something soft.

in public he’ll wrap his arm around your waist or over your shoulders and pull you into his chest.

if he wants to cuddles and your busy he won’t hesitate to pick you up and carry you away from you work.

cuddling in the studios when he has to stay behind and rehearse.

one time you we’re cuddling on the couch in the dance studio after the boys’ practice and it slowly turned into a whole stray kids cuddle pile.

jisung started it, jumping on the two of you jokingly, and slowly each of them joined too until it was one huge cuddle pile.

overall:

seungmin best boy

he’d be an amazing boyfriend

[sugar-petals]

Cuddling With SuperM

↳ ❤︎ CARO’S NOTE: their concept is all about badassery i know but we’re dealing with seven angels so let’s talk about that shall we

warnings ⚠️ some light teasing, innuendo

length: 1.5k

taeyong

am i really telling you something ground-breaking with this:

so this guy’s truly adorable

turns into a baby what else is new

draws his knees to his chest and just enjoys the ride with his eyes closed

you can do whatever the hell you want

back rubs, head pats, foot massages, caressing the neck or underneath the chin which is particularly sweet

and a whole lot of tickling he’s kinda obsessed with this

excellent chef he is, taeyong enjoys preparing snacks for a set cuddling time or movie night

so what if this turns into feeding each other basically are you ready for that

this guy’s impossible face up close is hard to bear for the faint-hearted just mentioning that in passing here

because… he has that one yearning expression and his eye contact is very steady

bit of a duality here huh

but worry not because taeyong’s tiger inside is more of a cat actually, tyongkitty behavior guaranteed right there

he does do friendly head buts and yeah the eye contact is also a cat thing now that i think about it… it all makes sense now

ten, baekhyun, lucas and taemin are pretty cocky types of cuddlers, taeyong leads the more subdued fraction in super m

it’s the kind of cuddling that needs rainy weather and a cup of tea

ten

quality time right here

banter is always included ofc

or at least a lot of talk because with ten, conversation and cuddles go together

likes pets joining, three’s a party, a cat can always make a snuggly contribution

add a ball of wool to play around

like. a-you, a-me, and a cat right in between ya see

music is always playing in the background, always

ten’s body is very sensual… you can tell he’s a dancer by the way he’s adapting, how he’s feeling it, how he moves in general

the reflexes are just so different he has great feeling for what you wanna do next it’s his bodily intuition and he just goes along with it

what you gotta tell him though is to keep it lowkey with keeping his jazzy outfits on

a hoodie cuddles better than high fashion and spiked jackets

plus he looks adorably small in it so two birds with one stone

never forget ten is really tiny that sure makes a difference

reluctant little spoon, he keeps it face-to-face or sleeps on his back

ten is glad to be approached with hugs he’s not always doing the initiative

shy thailand angel ikr

but don’t complain if he farts because he absolutely will

goddammit chittaphon

kai

if it’s without a plushie something’s going wrong it always needs one

his favorite teddy’s gotta participate y’know he’s a social creature

in this home we don’t discriminate against plush bears

and yeah, his bear ear hoodie likewise he is sure to put it on

jongin tends to be rather taciturn because he wants to enjoy the body-to-body sensations

meaning, don’t interpret his frequent silence as awkwardness he’s just observing

is not above teasing… if his outfit is showing some skin he’ll invite you to touch the area

also enjoys you putting your hands under his sweater

he’s laughing like crazy and kicking his legs all giggly if you put your head underneath it and let it roam oh la la

yeah nini likes some wit to it for sure, and some steaminess in the mix it’s just a natural byproduct if we’re honest

dim the lights down low for this one…

but also light the candles alright

cuddling is more of a soft and steady thing there’s not much position changes going on

this is the couch not the dancefloor your honor

while we’re talking about that: jongin is a buff biatch my god

prep a water bottle to chug when you’re cuddling this guy is effortlessly hot

also know that kai will almost definitely snap a picture of you huddled together for the memory of it

baekhyun

unlike his memes, baekhyun’s cuddling behaviour is entirely predictable

will snuggle against your shoulder by default pretty much that’s his favorite area

stays glued there for two hours if you’re not busy

im not kidding

needless to say he needs a partner who can handle this level of clinginess

baekhyun can’t keep his hands to himself in general

neither can you

it’s groping x cuddling these two are a dead sure combination

keen to snuggle casually while he’s gaming, cross-legged on the ground with you massaging his back

likes to lay his head into your lap, too.

baekhug i mean back hug enthusiast. something inside his face has an inbuilt magnet that sucks him into the space between your collar bones

especially when you’re at the stove cooking

caution: love bites. lots of them. does this count as cuddles? probably. it’s not like he’s eating you or is he. oop—

what am i saying all he does is nibble alright

and oh yeah bring on the sweater weather. he can’t stay still in bed it’s gonna be a pillowfort building session though

you gotta exhaust him until he naps off lmao!

energizer bunny bf

mark

enjoys being fed watermelon during the process how else could it be

wait until this guy hears what harry styles’ watermelon sugar is all about his world will never be the same again

anyway

he’ll look so cute in his striped shirt and his round glasses awh

cuddling is his favorite way to show his trust and affection before all else

his favorite time to cuddle is before going to sleep

he usually hugs pillows so you can tell how clingy he winds up as

mark really sleeps and dreams better if you do that it has an astounding effect. cuddles are his perfect recharging if you will it’s just that he’s actually calming down through it whereas he can be nervous throughout the day so he needs that downtime

spooning is a given

what he enjoys the most about it is the warmth

markie easily gets cold sometimes he just needs that tune-up with you he’s like blink blink there goes my dose of daily heat beep beep

what the fuck

anyway again

talk about tune

just like ten he’s very talkative all the way verbal stimulation and mark lee just go together

if you compare him to taeyong there’s not much of a transformation going on mark lee on two legs is the same mark lee during cuddles it’s all copy paste

all in all a delectable experience, extremely cute and heart-melting, super m truly has a super mark

taemin

much like xuxi he has that permanent smile on his lips that tries to make you laugh

in fact taemin is hard to stop with his puns and his humor

ffs he is a true brat

taems can’t help but try to escalate this into a playfight every time

not that he doesn’t enjoy the calmer types of cuddling but he needs some action in the sack

enjoys praise along the way who are we kidding

the clothes you both cuddle in are very important alright, the fabric in particular

taemin keeps it expensive here it’s just the way he rolls

satin my dear

it’s just so satisfying to the touch

but also beware of his most lethal clothing choice which brings out his innate maknae charm the most

THE FLUFFY TURTLENECK

gyeahh

which he will use during special occasions to turn you into a cuddle monster ready to pounce him

give it up for shinee my loves they taught him well and sent him out to fluff up the world

what else is there okay we also gotta mention that cuddling consists of many little kisses here and there

taemin wants to get absolutely peppered

he is and stays a prince

lucas

ideal body type for cuddling except that it needs the right place, not the environment but the spot i mean, you can imagine

lucas can explode any smol-size couch or bed

don’t even think about trying to cuddle on regular chairs my god why would you live so dangerously

king size por favor

there is a lot to cuddle against it’s really a whole wonderland

those big ole thighs are practical cushions for anything really.

and his face is just so amicable it has to be kithed

his hands… his hands! you will feel maximum protection with those giant baby fingers around your hips i’m telling you

admittedly yukhei is hard to properly hug around the shoulders obviously that’s a drawback but hey his waist is lithe and tiny so hello there, very inviting

oh, that infectious smile.

serious cuddling: 0 — funny cuddles: over 9,000

and tasty cuddles because foodcas brings some fried rice every time oh yum

hates to go to work he really prioritizes you and cuddles go on for long long hours especially when you watch your favorite series

xuxi goes the extra mile, he will touch your hair a lot, just gently combing through it

and he doesn’t mind it when you do the same, he’s got the most angelic blonde locks after all

lu calls you beautiful all the time the cheesy mf is really pulling the standard compliment alright

cue jonas brothers sucker for you

ugh, boyfriend

mlist

[malfoymuch]

“Rivals Don’t Look At Rivals That Way” [draco x reader]

Pairing; Draco x Reader 

Genre; ANGST with some fluff?

Prompt/Inspiration: (Song) “THAT WAY” by Tate McRae 

Word Count: 2,650+

A/n: Hey, hope everyone’s doing okay so far? I also hope everyone stays safe and does well!!! I’m currently back for the time being, so we’ll see what happens. I might make a part 2 but I’m not really sure? Anyway, thank you so much and I hope you enjoy it!!!

Please note that I did skip a chunk of the song, other than that hope you like it!!

-----------------------------------------------------

Run me in circles

Like you always do

Mess with me on purpose

So I'll hang onto you

-----------------------------------------------------

You didn’t know when it initially began, but something was brewing between you and Malfoy, you could feel it, and it wasn’t the excessive squabbling and resentment the both of you had since first-year. 

Being in your fifth year now, you managed to hold a title for yourself, of being a refined, young individual; a wizard with a bright future amongst themselves. The impression of you given to the younger years had made you smirk from time-to-time, being someone to never double-cross. It came in handy often.

That, and your long-lasting quarrel with acclaimed Slytherin Prince, Draco Malfoy. Everyone knew about your needless banters, leading to a decent amount of detention in Professor Snape’s classroom. Honestly, you were quite surprised you had such an incredible influence given the number of times being punished for your careless actions in class with the Slytherin classmate. 

Weirdly, the two of you couldn’t exactly pinpoint when things began to form into something else… something new. 

-----------------------------------------------------

I know what you mean when you act like that

You don't know it's breaking my heart

Said that it was just never gonna happen

Then almost kissed me in the dark

-----------------------------------------------------

It was a blur. 

It was an accident. 

It was something that wouldn’t lead to anything good… 

You tried to convince yourself for days, weeks… 

You didn’t know what it was, maybe something that happened in the heat of the moment… but you distinctly remember being up at the astronomy tower and gazing at the stars, while the rest of your house was getting into serious trouble with the others. 

But out of nowhere, you saw Draco sitting next to you, nonchalantly. Not one sarcastic comment or insult, just the two of you admiring the starry night sky. Carefully exchanging short little glances at one another, not saying a word, but noticing the reflection of the luminescent specks on the two of you. 

Then, it happened. 

You both happened to look into each other’s eyes, and the world seemed to stop. Neither of you had turned away, just continuing to heavily stare into the other’s alluring irises, and began to lean closer to one another. Slowly, centimeter by centimeter, the two of you continued the action until you were merely an inch away from each other’s lips, noses brushing the others. 

The barely noticeable spots across Draco’s face made your face tint, the tiniest imperfections were magnified being so close to him-- but to you, they weren’t blemishes, it made him normal. And sometimes normal was exceptional; time seemed to stand still for who knows how long, but it was something you weren’t sure whether to push.

It was like a sudden spark was about to be lit, a flame awaiting to kindle. 

And then just like that, it diminished. 

A sudden creak of the door broke Draco out of the trance and move backward, pale and wide-eyed as he stared at your figure. He bit his lip and opened his move in an attempt to say something, but closed it shut moments after. His captivating eyes had a subtle glare, making a feeling growing inside of you that perhaps, it was more than a rivalry. But just as you were going to question him, he ran. 

Let’s say you were both heartbroken and confused that night. 

And maybe he was too. 

-----------------------------------------------------

Every time we talk it just hurts so bad

'Cause I don't even know what we are

I don't even know where to start

But I can play the part

-----------------------------------------------------

Since then, it was hard to stand seeing him at all. Walking through the corridor, teasing the other houses with his colleagues, working in class, and especially when he was chatting with Pansy; watching as she clung to him. Through all your years of seeing them, you would’ve thought that Draco felt suffocated or trapped with the action, but now, it looked like he lived for it. Openly accepted her gestures of affection, ones he used to immediately refuse… 

He even returned her actions sometimes, casually wrapping his arm over her shoulders, or greeting her politely in the evening as they walked to the dining hall. 

You came to the conclusion that you liked him, a lot. Maybe even loved him. You didn’t know what was the difference between the two, but you didn’t think having a simple crush would’ve affected you this badly. To notice his little quirks that made you grin-- the way he ruffled his hair when he was frustrated-- when he had a hard time in class he’d sometimes puff out one side of his cheek or bite his lip-- or the way his eyes glint with strong emotions constantly. 

His insults didn’t always happen anymore, instead, it was more of a war of silent expression (facial/body posture). When they did come, you still returned with a curt, wise response… but it wasn’t the same. ‘Cause it seemed that the little things he began to insult you with started to affect you.

Not vastly, but the occasional twist and tug of your heart did hurt. 

Especially when you knew that maybe it was true. 

-----------------------------------------------------

We say we're friends 

But I'm catching you across the room

It makes no sense 

-----------------------------------------------------

Next thing you knew, another incident happened. You would feel his stares from across the classroom. Now, most people would say he was just sending a glare and not paying attention, given he might snap at them next. 

But you knew differently. 

Not all stares were vicious, menacing glares. In fact, a lot of them seemed to just be of him staring at you, lost in thought. Hopeful. Doubtful. Guilty. 

They all ranged and altered so quickly that it was impossible to identify the logic in his mind. After some time of you staring back, he seemed to always recover seconds later, flushed and staring back at the professor. Or muttering something under his breath before sneakily harassing another student. 

You would’ve confronted him for it, had it not been that fleeting thought of what it could’ve meant. And confronting him in the matter might’ve shattered both the thought and you (again). 

-----------------------------------------------------

'Cause we're fighting over what we do

And there's no way 

That I'll end up being with you

But friends don't look at friends that way

Friends don't look at friends that way

-----------------------------------------------------

It was announced suddenly. Draco and Pansy had gotten into a nasty fight with one another, leading up to Pansy striking Draco across the face and screaming utter nonsense for the next few days. To be fair, you didn’t know she had the will to actually hit him, but surprise surprise. 

Weirdly, Pansy didn’t seem eager to proclaim to the world why they broke up suddenly, letting students just create their own impractical outline of their relationship. The biggest being swarmed around was him cheating or having another sidekick, though Draco dismissed them. 

Hope entangled your mind. The possibility was now an option, it could be a reality. Constantly fighting with your anxiety, a never-ending struggle with your mentality. In the end, anxiety won. It seemed to always win these days. 

Draco may no longer with someone now, but that didn’t mean he’d go for you, now did it? 

Didn’t mean you had a chance… didn’t mean he would suddenly take interest in you either. 

You’d brokenly laugh at yourself afterward, thinking about how hypocritical it was to be picturing yourself when him and then being disgusted with other students for doing it as well. 

Just what was becoming of you? 

-----------------------------------------------------

You stared at him longingly, causing your house to interrogate your sudden fascination with someone (they didn’t exactly know, but had a clue). One thing led up to another, rumors among you and Draco began to stir like no tomorrow. 

You became the talk-of-the-town even more, as well as Draco. Students would randomly question you about your relationship status as you passed by them-- asked if you fancied Draco or were going out with him-- hell, even the professors questioned your day and life. It was much too hectic for you, especially in a time of complete and utter stress.

It was too much. The attention didn’t make you happier, because, in the end, you know, the person who they talked about wouldn’t care, or be with you. 

But you still denied all allegations, wondering what dreadful response Draco would’ve made towards you in comparison. Probably a crude, rude response that would’ve left any person cry right then and there. So for the time being, you managed to deflect people’s questions and Draco’s responses to them.

-----------------------------------------------------

Can't even tell if

I love or hate you more

You've got me addicted

And I can't tell who's keeping score 

-----------------------------------------------------

Soon it seemed things returned back to normal in a month’s time. The rumors died down and Draco’s bantering increased per usual, the two of you were at it all over again as if your agony never occurred in the first place. Displaying a mask upon your face seemed to be a normal occurrence nowadays. 

Students soon neglected the idea that Draco could possibly be infatuated with you, considering how much the two of you bickered in all of your shared classes. To the world, it seemed that everyone and everything had returned back to normal… 

Though on the inside, you were slowly crumbling away. It seemed really stupid to you, an over-exaggeration of feelings infusing together-- and you just didn’t know how to calm your paranoid nerves.

-----------------------------------------------------

We say we're friends 

But I'm catching you across the room

It makes no sense 

'Cause we're fighting over what we do

-----------------------------------------------------

You had a little randevú with Dean Thomas, and to be completely honest-- it made you felt absolutely wrong. Dean Thomas was an extremely good-looking student, with an awestruck personality (believe it or not), but it just didn’t feel right. And you were almost positive he felt the same, considering while talking to you, he’d occasionally bring up another girl he’s been crushing on for ages. 

So one thing led to another, you two ended up like best friends, secretly discussing and plotting scenarios of how to get the other one (though most of the time, you were helping Dean). In a way, Dean became a noteworthy therapist, expressing your hindrance was beneficial. 

But someone else thought a lot differently about the two of you.  

-----------------------------------------------------

And there's no way 

That I'll end up being with you

But friends don't look at friends that way

Friends don't look at friends that way

-----------------------------------------------------

Things seemed to become weird again. Honestly, at this point in time, you were wondering if this cycle was going to become a normal routine. This time, Draco stopped with mocking and just stared; a mixture between ogling and a glower… you couldn’t stand it anymore. 

As your last class finished you darted across the room and jerked Draco out of his seat, hauling him around to who knows where; anger seemed to only raise more as the students around began to stir trouble, whether teasing or whispering to themselves. With a deadpan stare, most students’ voices died down only instantly. 

“(Y/N), where the hell are you taking me?” 

You couldn’t answer, because you didn’t know. Scanning through your options, you realized most options wouldn’t be best, considering the amount of blabbing students were roaming. Frustration only seemed to grow before the conclusion came to mind that the library would suit best. 

It wasn’t specifically a place of solitude, but it wouldn’t be swarmed with different houses, just a series of Ravenclaws you were too engrossed in novels to realize what was happening-- or a Hufflepuff studying. To be fair, you’d much rather let a Hufflepuff overhear anything among the two of you than another chatterbox (especially Slytherin and Gryffindor.)

Giving a final yank, you gazed at the Slytherin Prince stumble forward and back to his feet, before scowling. 

“Bloody hell, (Y/N). If you wanted my attention you could’ve just asked. Didn’t need to make a scene,” he fumed, staring at his surroundings. You would’ve made a remark about him for the look he gave being in a library but held back. That wasn’t important, what’s about to happen definitely is. 

“Shut up, Malfoy. You deserved it anyway, after all of the nonsense I’ve had to go because of you.” You retorted, shocked that the words just slithered from your mouth. Bad habits seem to die hard. Draco didn’t seem happy at all with your statement. 

“Because of me? Me? Darling, you don’t even know the amount of trouble you’ve given me…” he spat back, “And then you throw this little stunt that’s sure to bring me more trouble than ever--” 

“What are we?” You blurted out accidentally, the question that’s been racking your mind finally spilling out of the blue. Draco seemed to freeze at your question, stunning him from forming any coherent sentences to come through. 

“I mean it, Draco… what are we at this point?” Staring at the ground, you flinched when Draco gained consciousness of the situation, erupting in laughter. 

“What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind, (Y/N)? Must’ve hit your head, ‘cause there is nothing between us. We’re nothing more than rivals--” 

“Rivals that caught each other’s stares from across the classroom? From across the foyer? The garden?” You queried, examing for a definitive emotion stirring up within him. 

“Right, before we throw insults at each other--” 

“Do rivals stare into each other’s eyes?” 

“Of course, it’s called a glare--” 

“Do rivals almost kiss?” Draco’s breath hitched at the question, turning away and running his fingers across the spines of the books. His bangs seemed to cover his eyes as he looked down at your figure, a sinister smirk on his face. 

“It wasn’t a kiss.” He said brazenly, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning against the bookcase for support. You huffed annoyedly, “Oh yeah? Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t think anything of me. That that night, wasn’t going to lead to a kiss, and we really are just rivals…” 

“I don’t think anything of you, we weren’t going to kiss and we are just rivals--” 

“Look me in the eye and say it Draco!” You demanded viciously, taking a step closer to him. “Look me in the eye, and tell me truly if I mean nothing to you.” 

“Why are you so keen so knowing what I think of you? Shouldn’t you be asking Thomas this? Perhaps asking him these types of questions?” You did a double-take at that statement, blinking a few times. 

“This has nothing to do with Dean, Draco. We aren’t together. I just want you to tell me the truth--” 

“The truth is we’re rivals! Maybe even considered friends! Always have been! What led you to become so determined to discover what you mean to me--” 

“Because rivals (friends) don’t look at rivals (friends) the way we do!” You barked at him, water threatening to spill from the corner of your eyes as you rammed a hand to his chest. 

“Rivals don’t look at rivals that way… rivals aren’t supposed to feel jealous when the others dating someone else…” you droned on, ignoring the look of astonishment Draco had. “I don’t think we’re rivals, because if we were, then I’ve read everything wrong. And so are my feelings…” 

So you looked back up to him teary-eyed, clutching his robes and pulling him closer to you. 

“Tell me the truth, I want to know whether or not there was a possibility we have something… tell me if you feel absolutely nothing so I can stop-- there’s no point of me continuing on if nothing’s going to happen so tell me, Draco. Do rivals look at rivals that way?”

---- 

part two?

[studiopoprocks]

Fluff alphabet with Hawks??? Yes please

Hawks/Keigo Takami Fluff Alphabet

*in adudible screatching* Hawks/Keigo Takami is probably my favourite character in the whole BNHA universe!🧡❤️🧡❤️

A - Affection (How do they show how much they care in their day to day lives)

Hawks would say that he’s really into extacagent things, like adventurous anniversaries, and getting you the same number of roses at the age you are for your birthday. But that’s cuz he doesn’t realize how amazing he is in everyday life. He thinks about you constantly, which always leads to a text on your well being of some sort. Sometimes he’ll even fly over to your work during his break just to see you. On the off chance he has a day off without you, he’ll bring you lunch, then follow you throughout work like a lost chicken puppy.

B - Before (How did they act before the relationship/ what was the relationship like?)

Hawks had always been a tease, so he flirted left right and center. Unknowingly to you, he had stopped flirting with everyone else except you. He seemed the exact same from when you were kids, but when a coworker pointed it out that’s when you started up. It was only competitive flirting until you two started dating. Afterwards it seemed like all his flirting turned into normal compliments, and went so much deeper then his old ones.

C - Comfort (How they act when their S/O is sad)

You try your best to be strong around hawks, he’s dealing with so much that you don’t want to be a burndon. So the first time he notices your sad, it’s a big shock. ‘Hey, don’t cry’ he’s so quite that you’d bearly noticed him come in. He’d just hug you, burring your head in his chest as he uses his wings to rub your back. He won’t pressure you to talk, mostly because his mind is racing, trying to figure out what happened. The next few days, he’s so lovely dovy just because he wants you to having something good in everyday.

D - Dawn (What are mornings like?)

You tend to wake up in a curtain of wings. It’s definitely your favourite way to start off the day, as you lazily brush your fingers through the red feathers. They are surprisingly warm, so you usually have to manoeuvre the blankets off of you somehow. By this point Hawks would already be awake, but he’d pretend to be asleep so you two could keep cuddling. Then you both need to rush out of bed, because you spent too much time laying there instead of getting ready. Just like every other day

E - Embarrassed (How does their S/O make them flustered? How do they return the favour?)

You’d bet money that Hawks goal in life was to embarrass you. He especially likes to do it when you’re not expecting it, like last month at the hero gala: He introduced you as his ‘love dove’ to everyone, then proceeded to comment on how cute your red face was. However, you were the one laughing when you pretended to whisper, and instead kissed him right infront of Endeavor.

F - First date (Were did you go and what did you do for your first date together)

Your first date was more like a competition. ‘Aww did ya miss me?’ ‘You wish. You’re the clingly one Hawks.’ ‘Sureeee, if I was your boyfriend, you’d have a hard time staying away.’ ‘I’d be a way better girlfriend then you!’ ‘Wanna bet?’ ‘Oh it’s on bird brain’ and this you too spent the next couple hours doing super classic dates. Going for coffee, a horror movie, and going out to eat afterwards. Needless to say, you both won.

G - Gentle (How Gentle are they with their S/O? Or do they like to rough house with them?)

Hawks won’t hurt you, but he won’t treat you like you’re made of glass either. Most of the time, he’s very soft with you, aside from the rougher kisses. However he’s developing this evil thing where he’ll throw you up in the air as your flying with him. It’s never for too long, but you screamed so loud that another pro came to check up on you too.

H - Habit (What do they repeatally do in the relationship?)

We all know Kei’s wings are strong. But Hawks has this habit of wrapping his wings around you, and not letting you go. So being unable to deal with the strength of his wings, you’re kinda stuck. The worst is when he’ll fall asleep like that, and you’re in desperate need to use the washroom or something, and you. Can’t. Move. You’ve talked to him about it before, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy the hugs.

I - Intreating (What do they find fascinating about their S/O? And vise versa?)

He loves how interested you always are. As curious as a kitten he likes to say, before caving and telling you all about his day. For some reason you find his day facingating, and just how he lives his life. Hawks never understood it, but he loves the way you listen so intently to his stories, and give your own opinions. Especially on your borderline conspiracy theories on the LOV.

J - Jealousy (How easily do they get jealous, and how do they deal with it)

Honestly Hawks doesn’t get jealous, he fully trusts you and he doesn’t want to be an overbearing boyfriend. He does however, get self conscious when you seem to be enjoying another mans company. So expect him to give you his famous hug from behind, and quite a bit more attention then usual. He’ll talk very politely with you and the other guy, he just wants to be in the picture, beside you.

K - Knick Knack (A random momento they still have from their S/O)

You had found a cute pair of bird earrings, that sat ontop of a little red heart. You had to buy them right away! But instead of wearing them like you were supposed to, you turned them into little pins. It was simple, you just replaced the backs. Hawks almost cried when you game him one. He called it you, and you had him. You never see him wearing it, but he keeps it in his pocket, pinned to the back as to never loose it.

L - Location (Favourite place to go on dates)

Anywhere high up, duh. It’s nice and relaxing, and neither of you have to deal with fans. 9 out of 10 dates you’re above the clouds at some point. The other ones are you two going out to KFC, or anywhere with gooood chicken. But by far his favourite dates, is going to this family run chicken place, then heading on top of his agency’s building, and having a picnic while looking at the clouds.

M - Movie (What cliché movie trope has actually happened in the relationship?)

Childhood friends to lovers. Keigo and you were kinda friends when you were little, he liked to tease you a lot, but he never took it too far. But like all cliches, you two had been split up around the beginning of middle school, and only reunited once he was the number 2 hero. You could tell right away that it was him, because the first thing once he saw you was a flirtatious joke.

N - Nickname (What do they call their S/O?)

What He calls his S/O:

‘Love Dove’

‘Chicky poo’ What can I say, he loves his bird puns

‘Cutie’ likes to use this one in interviews

What his S/O calls him:

‘Kei’ confuses everyone because not many people know his name

‘Undercooked chicken nugget’ this comes up a lot more often then you’d realize.

‘Loveable goof’

O - On Cloud Nine (How they act when they are in love/ Is it obvious to everyone around them?)

This boy wears his heart on his sleeve. Of course at the beginning of your relationship, he had to act as though you two barely every talk. However there were many people who speculated you two because of how so dam obvious he was. He won’t realize how close he is, or how long he’ll be staring for, but once you mention it he goes stone cold. It’s kinda scary how quickly he can hid his feelings.

P - PDA (Do they like showing off their s/o, or are a little shy to kiss in public)

Your relationship had to be under wraps, as much as it broke Kei’s heart. If he could tell the whole world, he would. You both however, do end up going public after one of his fans starts bad mouthing you, and he shuts them up by kissing you right infront of everyone. Now he’ll talk about you any chance he gets, especially in interviews.

Q - Quirk (A random ability they have, that’s helpful in a relationship)

Due to his goofy nature, he can always make you smile. Of course if you want him to, he’ll listen to your problems with open ears. However sometimes you’re just in a funk, and he’s the guy to bring you out of it. From puns, to tickling, to complimenting you, nothing is off the table. He hates seeing you sad, but being the thing that makes you smile always warms his heart.

R - Rearly (Something they love to do, but it doesn’t happen often)

Absolute favourite thing in the world is when you preen his feathers for him. It basically feels like a more intimate massage, and is probably the most relaxed he will ever be. You always cover every inch, making sure every feather is cared for and properly in place. Sadly it takes so long, and really tires your arms out. So Hawks only gets this special treat on holidays or if he’s had a particularly rough day.

S - Special (Something that only them and their S/O do together)

Late night flights. When ever one of you needs a break, you dress in comfy cloths and jump out at window. Hawks will fly you above the clouds, and casually fly as you two talk together about whatever is on your mind. Anything from heart felt conversations, to jokes, to full out make out session. It’s a special thing you do for eachother, that high up in the clouds, there are no distractions, and no stress, only eachother.

T - Together (How often do they spend time with their S/O?)

Even through so much of his time is taken up by hero work, or dealing with the LOV, he still somehow manages to make lots of time for you. It’s likely because he skips out on a lot of his hero duties, or Dabi doesn’t want to listen to the boy rant about how he misses you. It’s actually really sweet that he makes sure to spend at least a little bit of time everyday with you.

U - United (In which way does the relationship become a whole? Marriage?)

Hawks likes to put up a front, he has to for the public. In the beginning of your relationship, he found he was even doing that with you. You knew something was up, and just wanted him to come to you in his time of need. It will be hard, but once he knows you genuinely love him, flaws and all, you’re relationship will sky rocket. He won’t keep any secrets, and will never put up a front for you, you could see through that anyways.

V - Value (What do they treasure the most in their relationship?)

Definitely the Truth and Honesty. He’s finally found someone who he can be 100% himself with, without the fear of being judged or ridiculed. Around you he can lower his guard, and the walls built around his heart. He honestly never thought he’d find someone like you, but now that he has, hell amber let you go.

W - Wish (What do they hope will come from the relationship?)

Keigo just wants a happy life with you. He wants to grow old, and not have to deal with the stress of hero work. He’s had to prioritize all of the world, but honesty he doesn’t want that weight, if he could choose, he wants to prioritize your relationship. He’s dreamt of being one of those old couples who still go on coffee shop dates, and brings flowers for eachother. But for now, he just has to wish.

X - XOXO (Favourite types of kisses and hugs)

Hawks adores hugging you from behind, while his wing encase you together. It makes him feel like he’s protecting you, and that you’ll never disappear. This position also traps you in his assault on your face. He’ll kiss any part of your face as long as it’s in his reach. Forehead, cheek, nose, mouth, he loves them all. He’s such a goof.

Y - Yearning (How do they cope when they're missing their partner?)

With how busy Hawks is, he takes being away from you very well. It’s almost to the point where you feel like he doesn’t care that much. However all those negative thoughts melt away the second you step foot into your shared apartment. No matter how many times you’ve told him not to fly in the house, he always zips right to you. Picking you up and half cuddling you, half flying you to a comfortable spot.

Z - Zeal (Will they go great lengths for the sake of the relationship? What kind?)

Like I said, he wants to grow old with you. He’s even physically told you that he’ll live for you, and keep doing his best for you both. Of course he’s lazy and if you ask him to get you a drink when your closer, no way. But if you asked him get you something when you’re actually upset, or in pain in some way, he will fly anywhere in the world at a drop of the hat.

[tev-the-random]

Why I Love... Lord Shen

Warning: it might sound a bit comedic, but that’s how I generally sound when I’m excitedly exposing my discoveries.

Warning 2: I took about 99.9% of the images directly from the film, most of them are for illustrating whatever I’m affirming, I DO NOT OWN THEM AT ALL!

Warning 3: this is long. Reeeally long.

 Kung Fu Panda 2 has a special place in my heart: one of my favorite movies, possibly my favorite animated movie ever! Everything in this movie is downright amazing: the animation, the score, the relationship between the characters, the development they had from the previous movie, all the fight scenes, the way they treat certain subjects of family and identity, the new characters... And, of course, the villain.

Let me tell you, Lord Shen is quite the antagonist. The peacock was quick to steal my heart and become one of my favorite characters. That struck me as odd: what makes him so fascinating? I was determined to find out, so I started analyzing! And oh boy: this is one complex character. Much more than I initially thought! 

 I re-watched Kung Fu Panda 2 three times in a roll: first casually, second with production commentary, and third with my own analytical look. I might have a problem.

 Here you have my notes from that adventure:

First of, he’s Gary Oldman. Gary Oldman is an impeccable actor and the voice he gave Shen was simply perfect, so yeah.

“He isn’t obviously physically strong, but he’s very cunning, very smart...”. Let’s give it to him: he’s got to be really intelligent. He created his own massively destructive weapon from scratch, he orchestrated this whole plan by himself, he’s (almost) always one step ahead of everybody... And he couldn’t possibly have all those wolves and gorillas working for him for years if he at least didn’t know how to convince people.

He’s a leader. He’s a boss. He’s an emperor. He knows what needs to be done and he expects it to be done.

But hey, even like that, he still believes in hard work and doing things on his own - say what you want, but making strategies actually takes a lot of work. We can also say that he acknowledges there are certain things in life only he can do for himself.

He has this “peacock thing” where he’s “sort of proud, entitled (...) in spades!”, like a person who would say ‘Don’t you know who I am?!’ upon meeting someone. He has this sense of importance. He thinks his goals and himself are so important, Heck, he literally likes to tower over the city!

(couldn’t find many GIFs, but oh well. The camera backs away from him to show the full perspective of this freaking peacock on the top of the tower, towering over the city)

 “He doesn’t have to hide”: He’s a big, theatrical, dramatic show-off. He just comes back to Gongmen from his exile and takes “his own tower” thinking ‘Ok, I’ll make my entrance right through the front door at a moment when all the masters can see me and know for sure that sh*t’s going down, but I’ll be completely calm and collected as I do so.’ Even when he’s supposedly won, as he’s crossing the city with his boats full of weapons, he clearly enjoys making quite the scene.

(Look who’s talking!)

So much of a show off, his cannons are actually designed as this fire-breathing demon, so people would know to fear him and the kind of power he had. It’s intimidating in a ‘LOOK AT MY CANNONS!’ kind of way.

He’s a perfectionist. No other words needed.

He’s also tremendously arrogant. Because he created this “unstoppable weapon” and has all weaponry at his command, he thinks he’s outdone everyone else. He thinks that his plans are fail-proof; he underestimates everyone.

Despite that, he’s not completely stupid to assume he can do everything on his own. He knows he needs help to succeed sometimes, even though he will take all the credit; that’s why he has his little army.

His arrogance also shows when he tries to get the Soothsayer to tell him his fortune, and yet, he still insists that she’s wrong - even when she’s clearly oh so right! Although, this also shows his fear of the prophecy and how he won’t admit his own mistakes (more on that later).

Speaking of the Soothsayer, he does seem to be rather fond of her. Even if he tries to insult her and breaks her fortune-telling-magic-smoke-bow every now and then, he did keep her around mostly for company and for being petty proving her wrong. He didn’t harm her or lock her up like he did with the masters; he put up with her mannerisms even if they were annoying; he reflects at least a little on her words, which he doesn’t with anyone else; and he even “sets her free” when he’s about to begin his crazy conquering scheme, giving her time to settle somewhere safe. I mean, as far as things go with this peacock, this is really sweet.

Still about the Soothsayer, she said something quite interesting at one point: she said Shen wanted more than just ruling Gongmen City... What did she mean? What more? Did he want to conquer more territory? To innovate the city? Was he doing this (whatever she meant he was doing, specifically) for his own ambitions or only to impress his parents? Maybe both? I honestly can’t answer these specific questions...

Another little important something the Soothsayer said: she could never have foretold that Shen would do something like that, to massacre an entire people... Seeing how this was a very unpredictable move on his part, I find it safe to say he wasn’t like that when he was young; he wasn’t this completely violent, ruthless peafowl we see now...

We can say that Shen is a rather curious peacock: he tried to find something different about the fireworks; him finding about how dangerous they could be might as well have been some sort of breakthrough for him, some new, fascinating theory to be explored... Besides, he did want to have the Soothsayer tell him his new fortune, now that he “proved the old one wrong”.

The guy thought he had everything right. Finding out there was still a panda alive was like... getting punched in the face... really hard.

He’s terrified of his own destiny, really.

Shen’s expectations about Po before meeting him are terrifying, specially as he thinks - with reason - that this panda is here only for his neck.

Needless to say, he was kind of disappointed with the result of the meeting. And relieved. But really disappointed, he was ready for a fight!

For most of the time, he’s a no-nonsense kind of guy, but he has his fun.

 (Gotta love how he just cracks laughing and swiftly gets back his composure. Gary Oldman, ladies and gentlemen)

Much like any other villain in this franchise, he is quick to underestimate Po due to his silliness. This does give our panda some advantage.

Some adjectives the production crew gave to him: “very twisted, demented guy”, “intense”, “intimidating”, “really cruel” and “so mean!”. He doesn’t hesitate to hurt people physically or emotionally. So, even if he regrets his actions a little bit - again, more on that later -, that doesn’t keep him from being amused around others’ pain. He’ll use whatever means he can to achieve his goals.

I’ll say it: the years of exile made him quite the sadistic b*tch. In a way, he just wants to see it all burn, like ‘blood, heck yeah!’.Yeah, he’s a goddarn maniac for the most part.

What makes him more remarkable as an antagonist than Tai Lung or Kai - don’t get me wrong, I love  them both! But I’m setting a perspective, just bare with me here - is that he makes this personal in a much deeper way. Neither Tai Lung nor Kai had anything against the protagonist personally; they had something against the Dragon Warrior, which so happened to be Po. But Shen? Oh no, he didn’t give a crap about this Dragon Warrior thing, he wanted Po.

Not only that, but Po wanted him. Our sweet big panda had no personal correlation with the other two antagonists: he was out to stop them mainly because it was right - and to protect his friends, of course. But when it came to Shen, he had something Po desperately needed to know, he directly and indirectly affected Po’s life. Shen makes this a personal mission for the protagonist and for himself.

Once he’s finally managed to emotionally throw Po off - which makes it all so much more amusing for him - he gets “more out of control” and he’s “growing in his instability and sense of power”, which makes him mad and excited at the same time. He starts to sound like me when I find a really good plot idea for a story, but then a PANDA COMES AND RUINS EVERYTHING, so he notices he has no more time to fancily fool around and they need to ‘GET TO WORK NOW!’

At this point in life, he clearly mocks his parents’ memory. ‘F*ck the tapestry, f*ck the throne, f*ck the tower, f*ck their eternal peace after death.’

He is a walking contradiction: he’s nostalgic, yet he mocks the past; He wants to tend to the future, yet he’s stuck in the past...

(You know how he says scars don’t heal? I believe he looks at his “scars” a lot...)

He desperately wants to prove himself. To himself. And to his parents. And to his opponents. And to the Soothsayer. Ok, he wants to prove himself so bad, he actually needs all of China to know what he can do.

This all means a lot to him. Even if he plays some of it as a dark joke, it really means to him almost as much as it means to Po - albeit with different meanings.

He did his whole genocidal thing at the beginning solely to stop the prophecy from happening. This, however, had many intertwined objectives to fulfill:

It would guarantee he could keep doing his firework research - what other fascinating things could he discover? Apart from “fireworks can kill”, that is.

It would quite literally save his life - for all he knew, “defeated by a warrior of black and white” could mean anything from getting his gunpowder taken away from him to actually getting murdered. I’d say he took it as the latter.

It would, at least in his mind, make his parents proud - I can see him getting back from the panda village with something similar to ‘Mother! Father! I cheated destiny! I cheated death! I led my men to success, I shall be a great leader, one that can’t be stopped!’. Yes, he was proud of what he did back then.

This does not change the fact that it was ruthless and brutal and horrible, but is his perspective, he was on a mission. In his mind, he wasn’t wrong. His parents didn’t want to listen to him, they were being unfair! He truly believes he’s been wronged, and now the world owns him something.

This led him to believe - probably along with other past conflicts - that his parents absolutely hated him, their only child, and that he was banished as to be gotten rid of. It hurt.

 He won’t admit it, but he doesn’t know what he’s doing anymore. I mean, he wants to prove a point, but he has no idea where to go next. He lost himself in his pursue for power and vengeance, when actually...

... He’s hurt. He’s felt betrayed for a long time and he bases himself on that to justify further mistakes on his part. Thanks to the Soothsayer, we get to see that he knows he’s made mistakes, he knows the path he’s following is not the only - and probably not the right - way for him to go, he knows  he can change his course right here, right now. But he won’t do so...

The moment he learned that his parents actually loved him and that he actually misunderstood their actions, it throws him off balance. This is him realizing - and still not admitting - he’s hurt, he hurt people who cared about him and that it was his own actions that brought him to that. Right at this moment, with the Soothsayer extending her hand, he’s faced with a choice.

He had a choice. He chose this path. He’s so far gone into his own hurt, revenge and fear, he won’t ever admit he’s the one who’s been wrong this entire time. He takes a path he knows is wrong because he can’t admit his own fault, he has to blame someone else.

He doesn’t want to be redeemed, he wants to be justified.

After he’s consciously made that choice, he sort of comes to terms with it. That’s his goal and he’s going to see it to the end, he’s not going to stop.

He learns from his enemies, so most of the time he knows what to expect from them. When he learns from Po, he gets confident and doesn’t even try to put that much of a fight; he knows Po is basically fighting himself - although, Shen will try to give him a hand at it whenever possible.

(With the wings behind his back, what a beast...)

Hey, he knows what he did, and he won’t hesitate to use it against Po, as, once again, he learned from their previous encounter.

(’Oh, does my tail disturb you? Cool, I’ll make sure to keep that in mind every time we meet.’)

He projects. When he claims to Po that “Your parents didn’t love you”, he’s actually talking about himself and his own pain in regards of his own parents. He wants to hurt Po by saying that, yes, but that’s one of the first times he’s actually been able to “put voice to what he’s been feeling” until now.

Once he thinks he’s finally won, he gets waaaay too excited. And waaaaaaay too confident. He rubs his victory in everybody’s faces! Now, he sure is peacocky, eeeeey!

That seems to be a constant characteristic of him: he gets too confident when he’s winning and absolutely desperate when he’s losing.

Either all people are with him or against him, and whoever is against him shall perish, even if they were previously on the same team - the only exception to this, maybe, being the Soothsayer.

(He freaking killed his own second in command just because the guy refused to fire at their own men!)

He takes what he can - again, he’ll do whatever it takes to reach his goals: ‘Can’t fire? Send the armies! My armies are losing? I’ll fire on my own! They’re destroying our cannons? Well, do what, KEEP FIRING! Everything went down in literal flames? I’ll fight until the end!’

If he sets his mind to something - be it revenge, killing Po or conquering all China - he won’t give up until he’s either victorious or dead (he went for the latter).

“See, that’s the thing, Shen. Scars heal.”

“No they don’t. Wounds heal.”

I believe what Shen really means here is that some problems are too harmful for people to let go of them. He thought his problems were a scar that could never be healed, so he had cope with the pain by himself with revenge, but he could never find peace. He thought the problems he caused Po were a scar that couldn’t be healed, too; he thought that Po, too, would seek revenge to deal with his pain, that Po, too, would never find peace. But he did. And Shen found himself amazed... and afraid; more afraid than he was of  Po’s vengeance.

A little something before I say my final notes: let’s quickly analyse Shen’s fighting style, because the animators deserve attention for their wonderful job - also, it connects to the next note, so...

He uses his opponents moves against them;

He uses height as an advantage;

PROJECTILES!

Use them weird bird knees for some curious yet efficient movements;

He uses his sword - which is actually a weird looking yanyuedao/guan dao - a lot;

He uses his claws a lot, too;

Block-attack movements;

He uses his tail as both distraction and a defense in quite the clever way;

It’s like a dance: agile, swift, smooth, precise with a lot of twists.

He fights more for self-defense than anything. He has cannons and an army, why bother taking offence on his own?

The exception to this is during his last battle with Po, where he attacks on close combat: here, Shen lost his mind completely. He starts attacking recklessly, he loses precision, he uses every last bit of strength he has in him. He’s just... He’s really mad.

(I’d have to put the whole fight here to illustrate exactly that, but unfortunately, there’s not such GIF... Oh well, I’ll trust you know what I mean)

One final note to this analysis, about Shen’s last moments:

I’ve seen lots of people discussing what his final scene meant, when he closes his eyes and quietly accepts his death - he even turns to face the falling cannon in the last second - and most of them seem to think that that’s Shen finally finding his inner peace. But I don’t think that’s quite it. Taking everything I described here, it doesn’t seem to align too well...

What I think happened - and of course, I could be totally wrong - is that this is when Shen finally takes the blame for himself. Here, to his face, is the final undeniable proof that his actions can have negative consequences for him. He’s been facing those consequences for years, but only now can’t blame someone else. He cut all the strings that held the cannon. It wasn’t Po, it wasn’t the Five, it wasn’t his men, it wasn’t his parents, it was him.

It’s all over: his men are dead, all his cannons just exploded, he can’t win anymore, even if he kills Po. He caused his own defeat already, why keep fighting? So now, as the last thing he does in his life, he’s facing consequences forward in the most honorable way he can in those few seconds; either that be a way of saying sorry and finally admitting he was wrong or a way to set his own destiny, not defeated by a panda, but by himself. It’s a bit of both, I think.

So, why do I love Lord Shen? Between his mannerisms and evilness, he’s a very complex, deep character with an underestimated mind and, like any person, his own issues to be afraid of. Yes, he screwed up really bad, but I think he just made the wrong choices...

(Besides, he’s Gary Oldman, come on!)

[still-heta-trash]

What Hetalia Means to Me

Howdy folks, Lady here.

Hetalia was the first fandom I was actively in and the fifth or sixth anime I'd ever watched and from the very first episode I knew it would consume my life for a very long time.

Suddenly, it was my everything.

My room at the time had several posters and scrolls adorning the walls but I had two very large ones that combined would've taken up a whole one: The Great Wave of Kanagawa and that god damned Paint it, White! poster I bought at my first Comic Con for a criminal price, but to me it had been completely worth every cent. I did so many things to earn good girl points to get my parents to take me to Hot Topic to buy more Hetalia shirts than I really needed (and most of those I still have!) I had a Hetalia wallet (it's pretty busted now and I'm saddened to say they stopped making them) and had even worked on my own casual cosplays. Needless to say, I was very heavily invested.

While it most certainly made an impact on my wallet, Hetalia affected my life in many other ways as well. Drawing fanart and even creating my own Nyo! America AU ask blog (if I remember correctly she was a fallen angel, and although my art was absolute crap at the time she'd gotten pretty popular) led me to discover art, which was something I had zero interest prior to and is now a big part of my life. Writing self insert Hetalia fics pushed me to get better and better at writing and has led me to realize my passion and dream to become a publisher author. It gave me drive when I had none.

But the biggest way Hetalia impacted me was definitely socially.

I had a really, really, really difficult time maintaining let alone gaining friends. Still do, to be honest, but I made so many friends throughout the years because of Hetalia.

The people I want to talk about most are Ton and Tay.

I was a new student at a school in a different area than what I was used to and living with my mom and her new boyfriend and his son (neither of which I really got along with) and was really nervous. I had given up all of the few friends I had had for years at my old school and was so scared that I would be alone for the rest of the school year.

Then Ton, who was basically class representative, took me on a tour of the school.

"Hey, um, I don't know if you knew this, but that's a Soul Eater necklace you're wearing. Would you by chance be an anime fan?"

You bet your ass my face widened in to the biggest grin.

I had confirmed that I was then brought up my all time favorite at the time, which, I really don't think you need me to say again.

And like that we were best friends.

I went over to her house all the time after school and even dated her older sister for a bit (my first lady friend btw, who was also a Hetalia freak) and most of our conversations were centered around the show. Of course, that wasn't all we had in common, but it was a big one.

Skip ahead maybe a month or two in and Bam there's another transfer student. A boy this time. With pale blond hair, soft blue eyes, dark blue rectangular glasses, great with computers, kinda serious but laid back at the same time- yeah we thought he was just really in to Estonia and was playing the part but the closest thing this kid had ever experienced with anime was seeing a DBZ poster in his cousin's room and maaaaybe an episode or two of Pokémon. This dude even had the haircut down and for a while I was convinced he was a mega fan and was just screwing with us, but nope. Was just a really weird coincidence.

And of course, we never left the poor guy alone and only ever referred to Tay by his actual name when in reference to him to other people. Surprisingly he was cool with being called Estonia all the god damned time, especially after we showed him a couple clips of him. As far as I know he never got in to Hetalia, but he thought it was kinda funny how close in nature and appearance they were so he let it slide.

Of course, that didn't mean we didn't annoy the crap out of him in general, but every single time he'd attempted to hang out with another boy in our grade and/or below, he just came back to us after a bit. I think he secretly found us rather endearing but was way too embarrassed to admit it (he was a tad bit "tsundere-ish", as Ton had put it) I mean, as much as he complained about Ton and I, he always made sure to stick around and defend us if someone said anything. Not gonna lie, I had a tiny crush on him. Looking back he most likely had one on me too but at the time I thought he just didn't like me as much as Ton.

So he was our Estonia and Ton and I had decided that I was Lithuania (since I had always worn my hair in a long side braid and looked relatively similar to his Nyo counter part) and she was Latvia because she was ridiculously short and sweet and also because he was the only one left. Unlike poor Tay, we were still Ton and Lady, but we made lot of weird fanfics with the concept.

For the rest of the year this would be my gang. We did pretty much everything together and we'd all helped each other grow academically. We loved each other more than any other non family member any of us had ever known at the time.

Unfortunately after the school year endee we all split up and never heard from each other again.

My mom dumped her boyfriend and I went back to my old school district. Ton lost the password to her Paigeeworld and Wattpad (both of which I was forced to delete because of a rather unpleasant grounding) so after a week or so in to summer. Last time we would ever talk was the second week of school via my mother's phone. As for Estonia...

Ton and I honestly had no clue what happened to him. He was supposed to attend the same school as her, but he just disappeared without a trace. Ton had his address but he wasn't there. He was just... Gone. No note. No final goodbye. Just... nothing. And like that, nearly a year of friendship had vanished with him.

It still saddens me to this day about what happened, but I don't regret a single thing (well, except maybe finding out Tay's email) but I can say I owe it to Hetalia.

Hetalia gave me passion. Hetalia gave me skills. Hetalia gave me friends. That's why even though I hadn't really given it a second thought until recently, it will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you, Hetalia.

You're more than just a silly little webcomic or anime to me.

And thank you, the one who read this stranger's story till the end.

Stay frosty, folks.

[augmented-beauty]

Cuban sass

Another drabble cause Alex is a queen and she deserves her spotlight. Again, the first time that I came up with such a thing was with @adam-jensens-sunnies (who’s gonna be the cause of my death probably), and I regret nothing. Little spoiler: Alexandra is not really fond of someone for many different reasons. While writing this I’ve been listening to Break the rules tons of times (that song fits Alex so much it hurts), so, maybe you can consider doing the same as you read.

You can also find this on AO3. 

Words: 952

It's the end of my shift, and Isabelle just texted me: she's gonna get out of SI in about thirty minutes. I go to the locker room and change back into my camo tank top, one of my best leather jackets, a pair of skinny cargo pants and high-heeled combat boots, then I wear my aviator sunglasses, get my helmet and my motorbike's keys and step out of the police station. Frequently, I go and pick Isabelle up after the end of her shift, since our workplaces are relatively close by. It's a bit early, but I'm heading to SI anyway. As I get there after the usual brief ride, I barely park, getting the prop stand out only not to tire my legs too much, and take off my helmet, shaking my head a bit to fix my hair as good as I can. I decide to remain seated on the saddle as I wait for her, ready to go as soon as she arrives. I lean on the passenger seat, palms against the leather-like surface to keep my body up. It doesn't take me long to surrender to the heat of the approaching summer, so I unzip my leather jacket. After a while, somebody gets out of the building, and I'm still glad even if it's not Isabelle. I look at Adam from the bridge of my sunglasses and smile as I greet him. I get up from the back seat, switching to a basic sitting position.

"Looks like someone is already in a summerish mood." he says, clearly referring to my tank top

"Of course I am, and I'm actually wondering how the hell you aren't melting on the spot. That thing here looks heavy as fuck. A cotton shirt and a light jacket would be enough."

"Your concern is fluttering Alex" I know this voice tone, he's gonna say something to tease the fuck out of me "but let's talk about you. When are you finally going to become a Commander? It's been a while since your last promotion."

"What should I do, kill my own commander? Last time that I checked murder was illegal."

He makes a fake-surprised expression, and I would probably punch him in the face if I only didn't care so much about him, but I gotta admit that trying not to laugh at this is pretty difficult "Wow, the infamous Alexandra Maribel Montgomery follows the law?!"

"I'm a SWAT agent, duh."

He raises an eyebrow, still trying to tease me "Really? Would never have guessed."

I roll my eyes and lightly push his shoulder, but this time I can't hold back a smile "Oh, shut up."

My gaze falls behind him for a second, and I see Megan getting out of her working place. Thanks to the black lenses in front of my eyes, Adam didn't notice her, and I can play around a bit. I lean on the back seat again just like I was doing before, an innocent gesture at his eyes, but same can't be said for Megan. We never liked each other, and even if she never admitted it, she never liked to see me around Adam. No matter if the whole world knows how loyal Adam Jensen is, and neither matters if I am taken. She always was jealous, and she still is, even if they're not a couple anymore. I know she won't like to see me seated like this, since that I'm essentially showing off a bit, and that's exactly why I'm doing it. Actually, I think Adam's discretely taking a brief peek at my cleavage, but maybe it's just my imagination.

"How's the eyes augs upgrade doing by the way? Did you got used to the smart vision and its energy consumption?"

"Yeah, switching from regular vision to smart one and vice versa doesn't feel so strange anymore, and it does not require so much energy in the end. And let me tell you, the flash suppressant is the best thing ever. I'm also thinking about activating the Retinal HUD, but I'm not so sure about it." I shrug, actually thinking about such an option for a moment "Retinitis may be a bitch, but this does not stop me from spoiling myself a bit."

"I actually wonder why you didn’t get it sooner."

We don't have a chance to talk any more: Megan "casually" gets closer to us and asks Adam if they can talk about some details linked to the Washington hearings. As they walk away a bit from me, she gives me the biggest death stare, and I can only reply with a smirk and a blown kiss to express all my affection to her. Needless to say that all of this happens without Adam noticing even the smallest bit. Isabelle saw it all though, or at least that's what her expression makes me think. She's more sneaky than I thought, or maybe I was just too distracted to notice her getting closer to me.

"Seriously, sis? Was that really necessary?" she asks me as I handle her the second helmet

"I just showed her some affection, what's wrong with that?" she's trying to keep a straight face to scold me somehow "That was funny, admit it. You're trying to suppress a smile right there."

"That was indeed a smart move, that's true."

"Ah, there it is!" I tease her as she's wearing her helmet

I take her example and do the same, moving forward to get the prop stand in again and starting the engine as soon as she gets on the backseat. Before actually leaving, I wave my goodbye at Adam, slowly approaching them before giving some gas and heading to our shared apartment.

[emeryst]

➰ ( PARK JIMIN, DEMIMALE, HE/THEY ) *✧.:°░｡ —- is that EMERY STEELE?! you know them, right? they are the 227 year old SEELIE !! they’re known for being WHIMSICAL & COMPOSED - but i'd be careful if i were you because they’re also SHREWD & EGOTISTICAL.

*peeks in* hello it is I, ghost of the past here again. asdnf ok for whoever even remembers my very brief venture into this rp with this muse um sorry for disappearing life kicked me in the ass but here’s for round two!! ;; I’m actually superrr excited to get to do stuff with Em and yall pls come plot uwu

I’m gonna keep introductions to minimum-- I go by Fany, 26 years young, she/her most likely playing overwatch if you don’t hear back from me for a while. constantly melting from this damn heat my last 1.5 brain cells are doing their best O K

that’s good right.

.

.

.

yes.

so.

I’ll work on pages as we go don’t @me 

I’ve revamped this muse juuuust a tiny bit. here’s what you should know

looks 22 he’s stubborn and clings to youthfulness. sue him

tbh partially also bc people keep underestimating him and. that works to his advantage oops

goes by ‘em’ sometimes, or if you fancy using that to emery he honestly doesn’t care. some may only know him as ‘gemma’ but more on that later..

most important thing perhaps is to make it clear that emery is by no means his real name ( neither is steele ), nor the only one he has taken to using over the years, simply one he’s settled for currently. for the past, oh, 90 or so years anyway

no one knows his real name beside his mom, and the seelie queen I would assume. unless there’s a seelie ( or even a merperson ) who was around when he was residing in the faerieland

speaking of, he was born in the faerie realm and lived there for the first 20 years of his life with his mom ( 1790-1810+ )

never saw his dad much, for reasons I’m not disclosing here other than the man being an unseelie & involved in some shady dealings >_>

mom wanted to move back to korea where she had lived part of her life, naturally emery followed along mostly just to help her settle down and to see what it was like, ever the curious soul

she got her hands on some land and started a small business making lavish traditional clothes which ended up getting her a hefty sum of money over the years, while he was mostly helping and doing his own things on the side, going cross country for mundane as well as seelie business.

spent some good 30 years there before he decided to start travelling across globe. which is more or less what he been doing since then, not settling down for more than a max 10 years at a time really. now he’s been living in wilshire for a good 2 years

I don’t want to name a specific timeline for where he’s been when cause yo if anyone wants to plot something that happened in the past in whatever country/city, I’m down! mostly boy’s been in europe tho. that said he has been in wilshire before too occasionally so a past plot based around the city could be done ( as long as it’s some 30+ years into past )

oh ye he’s LOADED

how he’s maintained that is another thing. from early age he’s been extremely interested in gemstones and their qualities and all that, how pretty you could polish them & adding his own magic into the mix he begun experimenting with making sort of charms out of them in the form of jewellery and soon found a genuine passion in the craftsmanship ( mean he went to work as a proper apprentice for years and all, under different people too ) and he’s amassed a pretty nice following of people who vouch for his ‘product’ being of highest quality and materials. or at the very least have heard of him by the name ‘gemma’. we’re talking of a sort of legacy garnered along 150 years of him doing this so.

word has gotten around within the downworlders circles as much shadowhunters, everything is custom made so you wont be able to just say oh I want this kind of thing and expect him to have it on the go oh no. it would take minimum 2 weeks. and he’s a strict perfectionist so even if you were fine with him applying some shortcuts while crafting pride alone would have him refuse

first of all you have to get in contact with him, which is harder than it should be these days since he’s not exactly advertising, though has been giving out business cards to select few cause they’re fun. so unless you specifically know him as the jewellery/charm maker ‘gemma’ honestly your best bet is to ask around the shadow market and someone might direct you to him

in addition to all that, he’s made a name for himself in the mundane world too by having lines of jewellery sold in boutiques all over for the last 30+ years. rumour is he’s retired - which is true - but nothing’s confirmed cause he’s an ass

no one knows it’s emery tho now cause with that whole thing he heavily altered his looks as well as what name he slapped on that entire thing when handling business. as far as mundanes know ‘jon kim’ has disappeared off the face of earth and he ain’t doing a thing to prove otherwise

ok so

lives close enough to wilshire in this huge ass 5 bedroom house legit cost him nearly 3 million oops

but listen, he needs the space for work ( has one room just for that ) and other stuff and a decent sized yard for gardening cause he’s growing all kinds of flowers & shit. some illegal but shh

actually no he legit has a whole lot of stuff some warlocks might need so ring him up aye. nothing comes free tho jsyk ;)

also may or may not have subtle glamours and all kinds of wards set around the property but don’t you worry about those

likes his peace and quiet too but is a highly sociable person. lives off gossip no lie. mostly bc he just borED

loves going out and just having fun with people in general, experiencing new things and sights, taking in the nature etc

does still visit the faerieland often enough to know what’s happening over there, though he’s a little removed from the inner circle of the seelies’. beside visits to the queen. he yet remains loyal to her and their people regardless how close or not he is to them now ( no but give him a seelie friendo someone pls ;w; )

he actually has come back to that realm several times over the years and in between travels, usually when there’s a war going on in the mundane world and he’s just. not in the damn mood to deal with that

now he’s also just. kinda unbothered by bloodshed?? doesn’t like participating personally but has witnessed enough in his lifetime it doesn’t really phase him

sometimes to the point of being unnerving like

during these past events/plot drops you bet he’s the one in a corner still sipping a drink and watching it all go down with mild interest, and annoyance bc thanks for ruining the party. again. wont lift a finger to help either. until there’s a weapon pointed at own face. in which case better start praying.

will prob try to stare them down first bc excuse you want me to ruin this outfit you absolute heathen

see he’s been trained to fight too although he’s def not the best among faerie kind but can hold his own. it’s less of fighting more just whole lotta evading and letting his opponent tire themselves out like an idiot. bc that’s more fun

actually has no problem with seeing the clave burn down. might be aiding in that in the shadows ( has some.. questionable connections ) but like. not. directly. not in anyway that could ever be traced to him anyway

doesn’t necessarily want an all out war tho. that’d be just a hassle but he’s tIRED of shadowhunters and their righteous asses and superior attitudes. will still play nice with them ( most of the time.. some of the time. ) cause gotta keep up appearances and hey the more allies he can make the better

doesn’t have much of a problem with other downworlders. might clown them but means no ill I promise. had one nasty run in with a small group of vampires in europe back in the day which at the time left him on the verge of death and kind of shaken over the whole ordeal so. gets stupid tense when there’s more than two vampires in the same room

he’s the kind who acts being ( tentative ) friends with most everyone who he meets but no one really knows him. very guarded about his past & secrets and keeps everyone at an arms length, tho it might not feel like he’s doing that cause. yeah. it’s not out of ill will or anything. well, most of the time. he’s just careful over who to blindly trust– which is no one

likes messing with people but can be kind too. it all depends what mood he in and what energy you giving him

not exactly charitable, with money or anything but if you need help he most likely will agree to lend a hand. tho again, may not be for free

deep deep down wishes he could trust people, even one person enough to just be real with them and open and shit but also is well aware how dangerous that could be so. chooses not to act on those impulses of affection or whatever when they rise. tries not to at least

pansexual as hell. also stupidly picky so good luck with that

doesn’t do relationships anymore *addareyousureaboutthatgifhere* but who knows. prefers to keep it casual if anything does come to fruition either way

probably has a handful of enemies cause uh. kinda may have stabbed some people in the back along the way but in his defence they totally deserved it so. meh.

ANIMAL LOVER. THEY CAN DO NO WRONG.

a hoe for quality fashion don’t even get me started. his style itself is all over he place but if emery is wearing it, safe to assume it cost a fortune

needless to say he wears a ridiculous amount of jewellery too most of the time you can hear him coming a mile away. avid fan of arm bracelets

as most seelies he also has a tattoo on his face. lets just, pretend it looks something akin to the shadow curving down his cheek an trailing along left side of neck and further down collarbones in this pic aight

tho a lot of the times it would be at least partially covered by makeup, which he uses regularly anyway

has a weird obsession with the ocean, and by proxy the merpeople so any of you guys out there hmu

tech-savvy. has all the latest stuff. also plays computer/console games cause why not, mundanes never cease to amaze him with their creations. not that he’s necessarily all that good but it’s for fun who cares

kinda all around restless and needs something going on at all times, even if it’s reading a book, attending to the garden, any small things

for him the whole bond thing seemed intriguing as well as spelled trouble but emery’s all about that also he was deathly bored aight plus may have a personal mission to carry out and any chance to fuck with shadowhunters is tAKEN THANKS

bonded with @urslashdw :  the chaotic gays™

wasn’t too happy to know the bond would last longer than a couple weeks, but has turned that into an asset. well, as much as it can be one. totally using her as an excuse to get to snoop around and may or may not be mildly manipulative towards her and using the connection to own advantage when possible but. ya know. has grown attached as you do so is a little torn over it.

I’m stopping here jesus take the wheel thanks bye!

so ye if any of you wanted to plot come at me~ don’t have any proper pages up yet bc i’m tired and lazy just ask me if you wanna know something. seriously, I love rambling about my muse I promise it’s no problem at all

guess there’s a few roles I wouldn’t mind seeing filled so here’s a bullet point list if anyone gets an idea or wants to brainstorm specifics!

friends ( very broad term )

old friend/acquaintance ( someone he goes waaaay back with )

business acquaintance ( whatever it may be )

old flame ( could have ended on good or bad terms, should have taken place a good while ago. bonus points if they still have a piece of jewellery em made for them )

booty call ( for convenience sake :p )

enemies/frenemies ( i feel this is just him with most shadowhunters?????? maybe he betrayed/tricked you and you’re just endlessly bitter. but look, it’s your fault for trusting him at all. em probably feels bad about it now???? or just classic hating each other’s guts )

literally anything??!

actually gimme someone who was in europe during the whole vampire attack shenanigans and helped him out ( em would feel indebted. )

also someone who may also be okay with bringing down the clave and they lowkey vibing. but in secret.

idk man the messier the plot the louder i get for declaring my love for it so bring it babes~

also omg if I had a plot with you then you’d want to actually.. you know.. put in action now I’d be okay with that lmao

[hot-mysticc-mess-blog]

rfA and minor trio react to mc being falsely accused of a crime?

Casual disclaimer that I found it not nearly as easy to locate South Korean arrest process and law details as I did American and UK arrest laws (thanks uk.gov) and so, uh, this head canon set is lowkey in a fantasy land where the only thing fantasy about it is the mishmash of arrest laws

My Masterlist

Yoosung

You’re, humiliatingly, with the entire RFA when a police officer arrives, arrest warrant in-hand

Yoosung immediately gets vocal about your innocence

“Causing a scene isn’t going to help her, Yoosung.” Jumin tries to explain. Needless to say, it doesn’t work

Zen has to physically restrain Yoosung just so that he doesn’t get arrested as well

He believed Rika was innocent, and she actually started a cult. No one would ever be able to convince him that you of all people did something bad.

Looking back on his experiences with Rika, he could at least see some of the bad things in his memories, now that he knew what to look for

But you? Not possible.

Is the most obnoxious and insistent that the RFA do something to help

Everyone is in agreement on this, but any effort they make is deemed as not enough by Yoosung

Zen snapped at him on more than one occasion for acting like a brat, but everyone else is, mostly, forgiving because of the circumstances

Showers you in affection constantly once you’re released (thanks to Jumin’s lawyer), and only lets up when your name is cleared

Jumin

He tries to quietly diffuse the situation on site, but it doesn’t work

He is skeptical that you would do a crime at all to begin with, at least not one bad enough to warrant public arrest

So he calls a lawyer immediately, and has Driver Kim take him down to the station

After some evidence gathering, he is able to confirm for sure that you  had not committed the crime

You are out of the police station with all charges dropped in less than an hour

He then sues them for all the trouble they caused

Jaehee

The neighborhood your cafe is in is up-and-coming. The crime rate is a little higher than ideal, and there’s a lot of new building construction and re-modelling going on

You get the occasional cop in the cafe on their break, and you guys are more than happy to serve them.

…until one pulls you aside and arrests you

At first she is horrified that you’re being arrested, watching with wide eyes as you plead your innocence

She convinces you to go quietly out the back, but assures you she will have you out as soon as possible, instructing you not to say anything until you have a lawyer present

Turns out you match the description of a masked robber who hit up a nearby jewelry store…and the same watch Jaehee had given you for your birthday was among the items stolen.

She has to take a minute to compose herself. You two were just building your reputation with the cafe. Would this hurt your business?

She calls Jumin for a lawyer recommendation and advice

Jumin takes over the process entirely, insisting that it was merely his duty to keep the RFA name from being tarnished.

Your name is quickly cleared by Seven and C&R’s resources

When they let you out of the holding cell, Jaehee yanks you into a suffocating hug

The two of you run a couple of drink specials at the cafe, just to be on the safe side with your business

She gets skittish whenever a cop comes into the cafe now, and insists that she serve them instead

Saeyoung

You were late coming home from the store

…so he hacks into the security camera footage to try and check up on you

Most of their store isn’t actually videoed, there are about 10 cameras total in the entire supermarket

He nearly misses you, assuming the camera named room_1 wouldn’t have you in it

But there you are, wide eyed with horror and trying to explain yourself to the manager

They thought you stole something?

He runs back through the footage as quickly as he could, following you back from the entrance to the store

Luckily, the moment some dumb kid got scared and slipped a stolen set of headphones into your purse is on video.

He sends an email to the manager with the video, and then gives you call. You answer with a shaky voice, but he persists despite the pang in his heart.

“Defender of Justice 707 is here MC! He wants you to tell the manager to check his email!”

It took some convincing…and the manager was suspicious about how you had gotten access to the security camera footage

Saeyoung made you put the manager on the phone with him. Whatever he said had you out the door with $10 worth of store credit less than five minutes later

Zen  

You get stopped by police just as you are about to enter the backstage area after one of Zen’s shows

Reporters and cameras are everywhere. What a scoop!

The door had just opened for you, and the extra commotion draws Zen to look out. Your eyes are wide with panic as two uniformed officers escort you away

He parkours over the velvet ropes to get to you, just in time to watch an officer guide you into the back of the police car, hands cuffed behind your back

He wanted to make a big scene…but everything happened so fast, and among a sea of fans and reporters it would have been career suicide.

He watches all the way until you’re out of the sight, when the reporters start getting particularly rowdy. Security guards usher him inside quickly, and he is left pacing frantically in the green room

He went through a bad boy phase and had a couple of close calls, but you? You were perfect, you would never commit a crime so serious you would get arrested

Should he call Jumin? No way in hell is he calling Jumin.

He calls Seven and does an absolutely terrible job of explaining the situation to him. Luckily, Seven is a genius.

“I’ll take care of it,” Seven assures, sounding more sincere than Zen had ever thought possible.  

“Great I’m heading down to the station–”

“You need to stay right there! Jaehee and I would never forgive you if the paparazzi got photos of you outside a police station.”

Zen growls in response, hanging up the phone before falling back onto a nearby couch, torn between wanting to protect you no matter the cost and the reality that Seven was right, he couldn’t be seen down there. It would make everything worse for both of you.

His phone rings with a call from Yoosung not two minutes later. Zen reluctantly takes the call. Yoosung starts talking before Zen can say anything, panting and out of breath as though he’s been running

“I’m on my way to the auditorium! Seven let us know what happened! We’re gonna get MC out of there, so don’t worry.”

Yoosung stays with Zen at the studio, keeping him from rushing off to the police station and ruining his career, just in case.

They do face masks while they wait and neither of them will ever admit to it for completely different reasons

You are released from police custody in the early hours of the morning and walk out to a sedan with heavily tinted windows

The driver rolls down the nearest window so you can see him, letting you know he was sent from C&R to bring you back to your home

As you hesitantly open the backdoor and slide in, a hand reaches out and pulls you close. You recognize the scent of Zen’s cologne.

“I’m so glad you’re safe, Jagiya. We’re going to get this taken care of. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there sooner.”

Saeran

He handles the actual phone call you give him from the holding cell pretty well. He is clearly a little nervous and stressed but he says he’ll figure out a way to help you.

Then he hangs up the phone, and the panicking thoughts at the back of his mind become his only thoughts

Was this Rika’s doing? Was Mint Eye coming back to haunt you after it had already put you through so much?

Or did the police know about your brief and unintentional involvement? Were they out to get you? How dare they arrest you in the first place

Or maybe you had done it? Maybe you lived a secret life he never knew about, the way Rika had, the way his mother, and Saeyoung, and everyone else in his life had

He was sad and he was angry and he was…afraid. So many feelings. All at one time. He couldn’t take it. He didn’t know what to do.

When things used to get like this he would check out. Someone else would take his place. Now he was here feeling everything all at one time again and he would give anything to ‘dissociate’ as his therapist had called it.

He slowly makes his way to the computer room. He’s supposed to knock, but he just opens the door, causing Seven to whirl around with wide eyes, expecting the worst.

“M-MC is in jail.” Damn it, he hadn’t meant to stutter

“She what!?” Seven looks his twin up and down, trying to find some hint of a joke. Instead of humor, he finds his brother on the edge of a breakdown, fingers trembling and unable to make eye contact.

“MC. is. in. jail.” Saeran repeats, voice sharp and harsh, lashing out against the rising anxiety in his chest. “We need to get her out.”

He has no idea how to do that though. After a minute of silence, Saeyoung figures that out too and motions his brother over.

“Grab a chair little bro! Defender of Justice 7-0-7 will fix this in no time!”

Saeyoung shot a quick text to Jumin, jubilantly narrating all of his actions to try and help Saeran calm down. If he was a good enough actor, maybe Saeran would be convinced this was just him being obnoxious rather than an attempt to soothe. You were the only one who got away with outward coddling without one of Saeran’s tongue lashings.

It was not no time, but Saeyoung was able to get the police data from your arrest warrant and track down evidence to prove you had not done it.

Jumin’s lawyer takes care of the rest, and Saeyoung takes Saeran to get you. You have to hug him first, trembling hands grasping at his sweater, but it takes all of a second before he is returning the hug, squeezing you so tight it feels like you can’t breathe

You let him keep going, because you can feel his entire body shaking.

V/Jihyun

When the police come to the door for you, he makes sure to ask for the charges on the arrest warrant

Does his best to keep the situation quiet. The entire apartment complex seeing you get arrested could end up being far worse than actually being arrested.

He calls his own driver the moment you’re gone to take him to the station. Then he calls Jumin on the way.

Jumin has no problem taking care of the legal side of things to make sure you’re able to get out as soon as possible, as well as updating the chatroom on what happened.

Seven is the next call, to make sure none of the remnants of V’s involvement in Mint Eye would be able to come back to bite you.

He waits in the precinct well-into the early hours of the next morning for your release. He goes into the chatroom all of once, interrupting Yoosung in the middle of complaining about V not coming to tell the RFA himself.

I see you’ve all heard about MC by now

Please, do your best for them

I know they appreciate all the support you are giving them

When you get let out, he puts one hand on the small of your back and leads you immediately out of the precinct

He spends the next several days doting over you, and tries to keep you from any of the legal business you do not absolutely have to be involved in.

Vanderwood

Technically, you did commit a crime. It was a minor traffic violation.  Except when you got to the police station, the questions you were asked seemed entirely unrelated.

He answers the phone call after you’ve been arrested, thinking it’s a contact or someone from the agency

“Hello.” Sometimes he could be curt or cold with you, but it was nothing compared to the complete and total apathy, bordering on displeasure that he answered the phone with now.

“V-Vanderwood?” Your voice cracks and tears prick at the corners of your eyes

“MC?” His tone warms up immediately.

Genuinely relieved when he finds out you’ve just been arrested. Given his old life, and his old connections, he’s terrified you’ll end up in the hands of people he used to work for.

He’s too deep in the agency to help you via legal means, but the cops are a lot less dangerous than some of the people he knows

He comes to get you as soon as he can. In the car on the way home, his first attempt at conversation is unusually professional-sounding.

Oh no? Is he angry? Why would he be angry?

“Do you have someone to cover up the evidence? I have a contact who can help if you need it.”

“I…What?”

“…You really didn’t do it?” His eyes flick from the road to you for a moment, wide with surprise.

“When would I have possibly started up a criminal enterprise you didn’t know about!?”

He gives a non-committal grunt

The entire incident seems to disappear entirely once you pay your traffic ticket, though Vanderwood will never tell you if he did something in order to make that happen

[calculatingcarefully]

Secret Valentine

@sukebunnis @drvalentines

Hello! I was your secret admirer for this, and wrote a fic of some of the characters from your favorites list. I hope you enjoy!

  Shuichi Saihara opened his eyes. He wasn’t entirely sure what’d awoken him, but judging by the dark ceiling above him it was still night. He was about to chalk it to a bad dream, when he noticed the two figures standing at the foot of his bed. Shuichi instinctively scrambled to turn on the lamp on his bedside table, and made a decidedly un-manly sound of surprise. In his haste, he managed to fall out of his bed- taking both his blanket and the lamp with him. He looked up to see the two people one would least like to see looming over their bed in the dead of night.

 Korekiyo Shinguuji and Angie Yonaga were unsettling enough on their own, what with the former’s near constant creepy aura and the latter's cheery-bordering-on-obsessive religious ramblings, but put together the pair were a whole other matter. They’d both watched his miniature panic attack impassively, with Angie smiling serenely. What were they doing here? Shuichi was certain he didn’t have, “Hangout with Kiyo and Angie at two in the morning,” Written anywhere on his planner .

“Wha- Kiyo Ang- How di- It’s the middle of the fucking night!” He managed to stammer out.

“Oh! Shuichi’s awake!” Angie chimed happily, doing nothing to answer his question, “We’re here to go on an adventure! Even Atua agrees it should be just divine!”

“Do you know how late it is?” He asked incredulously, “How did you even get in here?”

“Kokichi gave us the keys,” Korekiyo answered, “I don’t have the faintest idea as to how he acquired them himself, but he seemed happy to give them over to us.”

Shuichi groaned. Why wasn’t he surprised Kokichi had managed to break into his dorm, and had agreed to give his keys away.

“But why?” Shuichi asked again, “You seriously want me to go on an ‘adventure’. What does that even mean?”

“Yup!” Angie replies, clearly her peppiness wasn’t affected by the late timing in the slightest, “Kiyo found a good place to explore! I thought it’d be fun to bring along more friends!”

“It’s field work, essentially,” The boy in question responded, “While Angie has accompanied me on several ventures, she’s decided to extend the invitation in this particular case.”

Shuichi groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

“As much as I want to go on a field trip at god-knows-what-o’clock in the morning, I think I’ll settle for getting enough sleep for the night.”

“But Shuichi has to go! Atua said so!” Angie’s voice was sing-song, but the bare inkling of a threat was present. “He owes Atua a favor, remember? I helped him with that big art project a few months ago, you even said “I owe you one.”

Of course she’d remember something like that. It’d been one of the rare graded assignments the teachers at Hope’s Peak assigned, and it’d been to create a banner for the upcoming school festival. Shuichi, who had no artistic talent to speak of, had asked Angie for assistance.

“Can’t I just do something else for you?” He asked. Preferably something that didn’t involve any ‘adventures’.

“Wellll I’ve actually been running low on blood sacrifices for Atua so I would be happy t-“

“Fine! I’ll go! I’ll go.” Shuichi said quickly, “Ah- where exactly are we going?

“I’ve finally managed to locate the remains of the Caged Dog village. It’s a site I’ve been very interested for quite some time,” Korekiyo explained, the excitement was clear in his voice, Shuichi somehow found it even more unsettling than his usual tone, “It’s anthropological value is immense, truly, I am lucky to have found it.”

“...Right.” Shuichi replied. “I’ll get ready, I’ll only be a bit.” He couldn���t exactly leave in his pajamas.

“Good, Good! Atua is so happy Shuichi’s coming!”

Angie clasped her hands together

Part of him wished he’d attempted to get out of the situation more, but the other part of him was too tired to think further on the topic. As the pair prepared to leave his dorm a thought occurred to him.

“Hey, earlier you said you were bringing ‘friends’ along? Is there someone else coming?”

“Oh, yes, yes! Miu’s in the car now!” Angie responded.

Miu? Of all people... This was going to be a very interesting night.

By the time Shuichi left the dormitory, Angie’s car was already parked near the entrance. It was rather hard to miss, given the glow-in-the-dark paint splashed all across it, along with the multitude of, undoubtedly self-made, decorations hanging near the front of the vehicle. Shuichi had half a mind to just leave now before it was too late, but he doubted he’d hear the end of it. He sucked in a breath and braced himself, before opening the door. Unsurprisingly, Miu was the first to greet him- loudly.

“Oh hey, it’s Shitichi! Thought you’d have yourself a little fun while you kept us waiting, huh?” She laughed raucously at her own joke. She seemed to be wearing a more casual outfit. consisting of a simple t-shirt and jeans, than usual, though her rather ‘unorthodox’ boots were still present. There was a backpack sitting on the floor of the car, presumably Korekiyo’s.

“Hey, Miu.” He grumbled a greeting, and sat down next to her.

It seemed that Korekiyo was driving, with Angie riding shotgun.

“Hello!” Angie chirped, while Kiyo simply tipped his hat (Christ, did he ever take off that outfit?). He examined the odd group that was present here. Korekiyo and Angie were...friends? Acquaintances? Whichever it was, they often spent time discussing whatever dark matters a death obsessed anthropologist and aspiring cult leader got up to in their free time. This left Miu and him as the outliers. Miu was loud, foul mouthed, and, questionably, genius. He hadn’t seen her have any particular interest in matters of culture and history, so he could only assume she was dragged her for a similar reason as himself.

“So, exactly how far away is this place?” He asked

“An hour, at minimum, though I suspect traffic will be sparse.” Kiyo remarked, “And assuming we don’t run into any troubles.”

“Atua says we better get going now, if everyone’s all good and ready.” Angie turns.

“Ah, yeah.” Shuichi said, shifting in his seat.

“Then let’s fuckin’ go already!” Miu leaned back, putting her hands behind her head “You’ve got some balls inviting this gorgeous girl genius out on a date then keeping me waiting!”

  He swore he could hear Kiyo muttering something about this not being anything remotely similar to a romantic gesture under his breath. He placed his head against the window as the car began to move and wondered exactly what he’d gotten himself into. He’d heard about some of the ‘fieldwork’ the anthropologist had done in the past, and it was safe to say he didn’t want to partake into anything vaguely resembling it. The question as to why he and Miu in particular had been invited still lingered. He wasn’t particularly close with Kiyo or Angie, they were friends sure, but he was certain Angie preferred Himiko’s or Tenko’s company to his own and he knew for a fact Kiyo wasn’t a fan of Miu and her…’antics’. Whatever the reason was, there was no doubt this was going to be quite the car ride.

    The ride, surprisingly, began with minimal trouble along the way. Aside from Miu’s usual jipes, often pertaining to everyone’s romantic or sexual prospects, it started as a relatively peaceful ride. The road, as Kiyo had predicted, was blissfully empty for the most part- aside from the occasional passing car. Of course, Shuichi should’ve known it was only a temporary relief. It all began when Angie innocently suggested they turn on the radio (“Atua says he wants to hear some music to pass the time!”) and began searching through radio stations.  After a few moments, she settled on a station, smiling serenely as she found it. However, the same could not be said for anyone else in the car. It seemed the girl had settled on one of those religious...pop stations? Why that was something people even enjoyed listening was anyone’s guess, but after a record time of thirty seconds listening to instructions on how to let the lord into your heart, backed by upbeat guitar it seemed Miu had had enough.

“Jesus fuck! You actually listen to this crap!” She unbuckled her seat belt and leaned into the first front seats to attempt to change the station.

  This did not end up well for anyone involved. Shuichi winced as Miu kicked him, whether on purpose or on accident, while trying to reach the dial. Neither Kiyo or Angie seemed pleased, with the former shifting his entire body to avoid touching her.

“I’m going to have to ask you to return to the back seat, lest you cause us to crash.”

“You’re going to incur Atua’s wrath if you keep acting so foolishly!”

“Miu, can you please stop?”

“Hey, shut the fuck up! I’m putting on some good ass music!”

“Atua thinks this music is perfect, though!”

“How about something that doesn’t make my fuckin’ ears bleed huh!?”

“Miu, if you do not stop creating such a needless ruckus, I swear to whatever powers may or may not be watching down on us, whether it be Atua or some other unnamed deity, I will throw you out of this vehicle and leave you here for the night.”

Kiyo hadn’t averted his eyes from the road, but his cold anger was clearly there. Miu seemed to take the threat seriously, as she immediately yelped and recoiled, nearly crashing into Shuichi along the way.

“H-hey cut it out,” She mumbled, buckling up her seat belt again, “I’m t-the life of the p-party y’know, can’t have your little forest orgy w-without me, i-it’s why I’m here, huh.”

“Actually, Atua thought you’d make a good guest because you’d be easy to get blood from, in case we needed any along the way!” Angie supplied, which didn’t seem to help Miu feel any better.

“T-the fuck! You’ve really got something wrong in the head, if you wanna b-bleed me dry!” She responded loudly, then added in a quieter tone, “I’m d-done bleedin’ for the m-month anyway.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t think we’ll be needing any blood sacrifices while we’re there anyway!”

The strange argument continued for quite a while. By the time it was finished, at the very least, everyone had decided turning off the radio was the best option for everyone.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, they arrived at the abandoned village sooner rather than later. Well, rather, they arrived at the forest surrounding it.

“I don’t recall ‘dark and foreboding forest hike’ being on our agenda for the night,” Shuichi muttered bitterly.

“It’s not as dangerous as it looks, though, I’d advise sticking close together.” Kiyo warned, handing everyone one of the flash lights they’d brought for the night. The boy had shrugged on the backpack from earlier, seemingly prepared for a longer walk.

“How’d you even find this fuckin’ place?” Miu asked incredulously, turning on her light.

“One of my colleagues had a favor he owed me, he knew of my desire to perform field work on the Caged Dog village, and upon finding it relayed it’s relative location to me.” The anthropologist answered.

Shuichi didn’t know, nor did he have any desire to know, what the context of that ‘favor’ was. For what seemed to be the hundredth time, he regretted letting himself become roped into this.

“Atua says we better get going! No use standing around, right, right?” Angie shifted from foot to foot in excitement.

He still wasn’t sure what she was gaining out of this venture, but he was at the point of no return, there wasn’t any time to mull it over.

 “Let’s go,” He said in agreement, flicking on his flashlight. This was going to be far from pleasant, but at least it wasn’t going to be dangerous, he was one-hundred percent sure...well maybe more like a solid fifty. Shuichi followed Kiyo and Angie into the woods, with Miu close behind them.

They’d soon left the side of the road behind, and the car disappeared far from sight. Shuichi anxiously scanned the treeline with his flashlight, in fear that something could jump out at him at any second. Miu seemed to be in a similar state to him, muttering something under her breath and looking around frantically. Angie and Kiyo were both in the front, with the former skipping along as if there wasn’t any place she’d rather be than trudging through dark woods.

“H-hey Shuichi,” He nearly jumped as he heard Miu speaking quietly from behind him.

“Gah- what is it?”

“You don’t b-believe in any of that ghost bullcrap tall dark and kinky over there talks about, right?”

“What? No, of course not. I don’t believe in that kind of stuff.” “Yeah m-making sure ‘cause you’re a pussy, and all that.”

Despite her statement, Miu didn’t seem sure of herself in the slightest.

“Miu- are you scared of ghosts?”

“W-what no, I don’t believe in that shit!” She whispered fiercely.

“Why’d you agree to come here in the first place?”

“I dunno! Angie started saying something about blood sacrifices, and how I owed her something,”

Did everyone in this class have some sort of debt to pay to the artist? “It’s just some old ruins, you know the stuff Kiyo usually does field work in,”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up,” She hissed, “Fucko.”

Fucko? That was a new one. Shuichi returned his attention to the walk. His beam of light didn’t fully illuminate the area, though he supposed he could trust Korekiyo to find the village without much trouble. He somehow felt the anthropologist was more acclimated to the dark anyways, like some sort of nocturnal animal. As if on cue, the pair in front of him stopped in their tracks.

“What is it?”

“I believe we’ve found what we were looking for,” Kiyo sounded excited, Shuichi wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not.

He peered over Angie’s shoulder, indeed, he could make out the vague shapes of buildings, if you could even call them that. They looked more like hollowed out shells, some with caved in roofs or walls.

“Oh! Atua says we have, I’m sure he made sure we got here safe and sound!” Angie said.

“Uh- Kiyo, what exactly do you want us to do here anyways?”  Shuichi didn’t know the first thing on how to perform field work, not of an anthropological nature anyways. The other boy seemed to consider this.

“While I will be doing the bulk of the examinations, it will definitely be helpful to have multiple people assisting me. If you see anything peculiar, I implore you to alert me.”

Shuichi neglected to bring up the fact that practically everything in this place looked peculiar, even from a distance, and nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, got it. Just wanna leave this dusty ass place anyways.” Miu interrupted, “Can’t believe I agreed to come.” She grumbled under her breath.

It seemed the nervous girl from earlier was gone, leaving Miu Iruma, bold as always.

“Should we split off in pairs?” Shuichi asked, “I think that’s safest.”

“Oh good idea, I’ll take Miu!” Angie announced.

“T-take me?” Miu squeaked slightly, before clearing her throat, “Of course you want to, guess you do have some fuckin’ taste.”

“I suppose that leaves me and Shuichi, I have no problem with this.”  Korekiyo said.

Shuichi shrugged. “Alright.”

Kiyo made him uncomfortable, to say the least, but he would probably be the most knowledgeable about the Caged Child village.

Both pairs went off in  their own separate directions. Shuichi and Kiyo had agreed to search the west wing of the village, with Miu and Angie examining the east.

“Ah, where should we start?” He asked

“Well, there are a variety of options,” Kiyo stated, “A residential area would provide an inside look into the day to day lives of villagers, but due to the state and age of the buildings it’d be hard to determine where those might be. Of course, the area where rituals may have been performed would be the most appealing to me, though, I’m not sure how intact that will be either, or how we’d identify it.”

“...Right.”  

“We can start here, I suppose.”  Kiyo made his way over to a small structure. The door was long gone, and the only thing that remained off the roof were rotted planks. It definitely smelled like it’d been abandoned for years, making him wrinkle his nose.

“Are we looking for anything in particular?” Shuichi asked.

“Anything, really.” Korekiyo said, “Ah, I never imagined I’d be able to perform field work here, this it’s truly fortuitous I get the opportunity to.” It sounded more like he was talking to himself, rather than anyone else.

 Shuichi took a step in, and began shining his light along the walls. If there’d been anything hanging there, it was long gone. The floor beneath his feet was overgrown with moss, and plants were growing through the cracks. There was definitely lots of mold and dilapidation, but nothing he’d describe as interesting. He was ready to give searching up as a lost cause, when something caught his eye. He approached the corner of the room, and squatted down. He brushed away some of the dirt, pulling out a small object that had been buried there. Shuichi directed his flash light in it, and found that it seemed to be some sort of child’s doll. It definitely looked like something that’d been here for a long time, he could hardly make out any distinguishing features. Black yarn seemed to have been used for the hair, and the cloth it wore, however torn, resembled a dress.

“Uh, Kiyo?” He held up the doll for the other boy to see, “I think I found something.”

“Oh?” He looked over.

“It’s some sort of toy...doll...thing…”

Shuichi held it out, offering it for Kiyo to inspect. He took it with a bandaged hand, and turned it over. For a long moment he simply stared at the doll. Shuichi was about to ask if he was alright, when Kiyo spoke himself.

“Yes, this is most exciting,”

“What?”

“I don’t think you quite understand the importance of what we’ve discovered here, Shuichi.”

“...Kiyo, it’s a doll.”

Shuichi was slightly offset by his tone, it seemed to have gone up an octave higher in a matter of seconds,

“No, no, not just a doll. My, my, I do wonder who this belonged to. Yes, even simple children's toys can be indicative of a place’s cultural identity.”

“I’m glad you’re excited, but we should re-”

“If it even is a children’s toy. In various rituals, a doll was sometimes used as a medium to host spirits, did you know that, Shuichi? Oh, it’s truly a shame I couldn’t examine it when it was in pristine condition, even identifying the clothing it wears would’ve been immensely helpful.”

Shuichi sighed, deciding to give up on attempting to halt Kiyo in his mini-lecture.

“It’s truly fortunate you managed to find such an artifact, I suppose as a detective you’re quite used to scoping out smaller details?”

“Yeah, I guess. Though I don’t really have much experience with this,” He made a vague gesture in the air.

“Either way, I’m glad you accompanied me on this venture,”

He reached back into his pack and drew out a small plastic bag. Kiyo slipped the doll inside, presumably to prevent it from sustaining any damage during their walk or during the car ride, and put it safely into the backpack.

“Now, should we continue searching?”

Shuichi nodded, and made his way out of the small house.

  By the time the group had reunited at the exit, the beginnings of the day were showing themselves on the horizon. They’d ended up gathering an odd assortment of various items, to Korekiyo’s delight. He was surprised they’d managed to survey the entire area without much incident. A notable exception to this was when they’d met up with Angie and Miu near the center of town, where Kiyo and Miu had gotten into an argument on whether something the inventor had found was a knife or, as she’d proclaimed, “An old-ass dildo knock off,”. The whole debacle had ended with Kiyo threatening to tear out Miu’s nerve system, and Shuichi considering whether or not they’d all return in one piece. He wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about the whole event. On one hand he’d been awoken in the middle of the night, almost-sort-of kidnapped, and made to explore a village that wouldn’t look out of place in a horror movie, but on the other hand, he couldn’t exactly say he’d learned nothing from it. It was a stretch to say he’d enjoyed it, but he hadn’t quite hated it.

“So, is everyone ready to leave?”

Kiyo asked.

“Fuckin’ finally! I’m tired of this dusty ass ghost town!”

“Yup! I’m all good and ready to go!”

“Ah, sure.” Shuichi sighed, relieved to finally be done. He hadn’t realized just how exhausted he was, he’d probably have to take the entire day off to rest.

“Then, we should depart with haste, I have to record my findings as soon as possible.” He took a step forward, then paused, “Does anyone happen to remember the way back to the car?”

A chorus of ‘no’s’ met him.

“Kiyo,” Shuichi said slowly, “You do have some sort of map right?”

“I’m afraid not, we simply found our way here by wandering.”

Now that he thought about it, he’d never seen them using any directions.

“So how the fuck are we supposed to get back?!”

“Atua will guide us, I’m sure.”

“There’s no need to panic, finding our way back should be simple enough- most likely.”

This was definitely going to be an interesting morning.

[milothebastardman]

If it's not too much bother could you do radmond confession? I wonder who would've been the first to come to terms with their feelings and confess

Here ya go Nonny! Hope you enjoy

They’d been tiptoeing around the issue for weeks, neither of them able to muster up the courage to admit what they felt for the other. For starters, Rad was the worst when it came to dealing with emotions that were considered to be unmasculine by society. Sure, he could read all the articles on why crying was healthy and why it wasn’t a weak thing to do, but it would take more than a handful of articles urging him to open up before he could actually do so.

Then there was Raymond, sweet, egotistical, “Nobody could ever meet my impossibly high standards” Raymond. For the record, Rad met every single one of his standards. And that was scary. Incredibly scary. Part of the reason it was scary was that he had no clue as to what Rad’s standards were, so what if he didn’t even come close to meeting them? What if Rad only liked aliens of his own kind? Or what if he wasn’t interested in a mechanic being as himself? Welcome to Existential Crisis 101, folks, with Instructor Raymond.

So, it goes unsaid that the two were painfully awkward when it came to even considering the possibility of confessing to the other. So the silent dance around the subject continued, fights between the two always involving an easily detectable tension that Enid recognized from her Angst Daily magazines. KO, as innocent and oblivious as he could be, was even able to sense that there was something off with the two. So it should be of little surprise that he was the one to try and help them fix whatever was wrong with their relationship, or in this case, the lack thereof of a relationship…

“Do you have a crush on Raymond?”, KO asked, forgoing any pretense of subtlety in a move that normally would leave the turquoise alien full of pride. Since the probing question was directed towards him, though, the pride was quickly drowned out by embarrassment and panic. The soda can he’d been drinking from was quickly crushed as he tensed, the cheap metal giving way and spewing artificial colors and flavorings onto his work uniform. In between trying desperately to clean up before it dried (he’d learned the hard way that you couldn’t remove intergalactic soda stains from clothes), he stammered out a response that was telling enough for the tiny hero.

“You DO have a crush on him!”, KO exclaimed, bouncing up and down excitedly as his best friend managed to choke on air. Rad coughed harshly for a moment, turning purple in the face as he struggled to breathe. KO was actually going to be his cause of death, he thought, then shook his head. No, having a stupid as heck crush on a dumb, evil robot was going to be his cause of death, he mentally amended. “Oh man, I can’t believe it! Well, actually I can, you’re good at all kinds of stuff but you aren’t very good at being subtle.”, KO continued, giving his alien pal a giant, 1,000-watt smile.

“… Please don’t tell Enid.”, Rad whispered, daring to glance over at the inattentive cashier. She had her nose buried in another one of those weird comics of hers, the kind you had to read all backward like, right to left instead of left to right. She didn’t even look up from her comic, she just snorted loudly.

“Rad, everyone and their mom knows about your giant, dorky crush on Raymond.”, she commented, causing the poor stocker’s heart to beat in a way that he was sure couldn’t be healthy.

“Yeah! My mommy thinks it’s like one of her old romance novels!”, KO added cheerfully, getting a little laugh from Enid.

“See Rad? Literally, everyone and their mom knows! Except for Raymond, obviously. He’s just as clueless to your feelings as you are to his.”, she finished, turning her attention away from Rad’s love life and back to the love life of the charismatic lead in her graphic novel. The alien let out a sound that was somewhere between a hysterical laugh and a sob, the idea that everyone knew about his stupid affection for a stupid robot beside the stupid robot in question proving to be a little too much for his brain. KO poked him hesitantly, unsure as to why Rad had suddenly decided to let his head bang against a shelf rather roughly.

Mr. Gar shook his head, grumbling to himself about his best stocker getting a concussion on the job just because he couldn’t buck up the courage to confess. Fully unaware of how hypocritical he was being, he retreated to his office so he could mentally rehearse ice breakers in case he ran into Carol anytime soon.

Meanwhile, things at the large factory across the road weren’t faring much better…

KO had recruited Darrell to assist in his mission of getting his favorite alien and his favorite sports loving robot together, something that everyone needed to happen already. Shannon was so close to retiring her own auditory sensors just so she wouldn’t have to process the constant stream of sincere compliments followed by half-hearted insults geared towards her least favorite Bodega Baby. Lord Boxman, evil as he could be, was still very invested in the lives his robotic children led, and simply wanted the baby of the family to be happy. Darrell was more than happy to assist his hero buddy, especially since it meant he got to play matchmaker for once.

So here he was, standing outside of Raymond’s room patiently, waiting on his youngest sibling to open up the door.

“Raymond! C'mon, I know you’re in there! Just let me in!”, he called, leaning against the metal sliding door lightly. He could hear the tell-tale signs of mechanical life, the rustling of silk sheets (honestly what else would do for the Prince of Panache?) and metallic clank of his feet on the plush carpet. The door finally slid open, a rather weary looking Raymond appearing in the doorway.

“If you ever dare to reference that blasted children’s movie again, I will personally destroy every copy of it that currently exists, and set fire to any factory that hopes to produce any more copies.”, he threatened flatly, giving his older brother a tired glare. Darrell pretended his favorite movie wasn’t just insulted and stuck a grin on his face.

“You really need to let it go.”, he commented, ignoring Raymond’s little indignant screech. He pulled the mopey robot from his room, a surprising strength to his grip as he forced the younger robot to start walking down the hall with him. “Seriously dude, you need to relax just a little bit, and handle your thing with Rad.”, he added, now dragging his frozen brother along.

“I have no idea what you could possibly be referring to.”, Raymond eventually replied with, attempting to school his face into a calm, cool mask of indifference. However, the internal panicking managed to seep into his metal features, ultimately betraying his facade. “Oh god it’s really bad Darrell!”, he cried, throwing an arm across his face dramatically. “He’s just this stupid alien with a stupid crop top and power point high heeled boots and good GOD where did he get the NERVE to pull off pink pants, black heeled boots, and a blue crop top?!?”, he ranted, huffing loudly when Darrell began laughing.

“Jeez, you really do have it bad!”, he wheezed out, patting his baby brother’s shoulder spike affectionately. The two were in in the living room now, where the majority of the robot family had gathered. Shannon was wearing quite the snazzy business outfit (Lord Boxman had secretly had a field day making his daughter such a professional, evil outfit), and was stood next to some sort of projector.

“Ugh, it’s about time you brought the Drama King here. I’ve been waiting for way too long just to give this dumb presentation.”, she griped, adjusting her skirt before she started up the projector. After a couple moments, a power point presentation titled “How to Ask an Alien on a Date” displayed on a nearby wall. Raymond let out a loud groan when he read the title slide, his face flushing as Shannon started going through the slides, using a new laser pointer feature Lord Boxman had installed on her pointer finger to draw attention to key points.

Needless to say, Raymond felt every bit as embarrassed as Rad did. While they weren’t aware of it, they were connected by the crippling waves of anxiety and mounting panic as the day wore on. Now that they knew that everyone else knew, they felt prompted to act. The big issue still remained, though: How would the other react to a sudden confession of pesky feelings? It was Rad who picked up his cell phone first, hesitating and wasting nearly an hour over what to do before he finally gave Raymond a call. As his luck would have it, of course, it went straight to voicemail. He left a quick message telling the robot to meet him in the park at 5 p.m. sharp and hung up immediately afterward.

He actually got to the park about an hour early and decided to shut his phone off, just so he wouldn’t spend the next hour or so checking it frantically to see if he’d gotten even a message back. Five eventually rolled around, and Rad was well into chewing off the nails on his left hand before he saw Raymond casually stroll into the entrance. He jumped off his branch excitedly, forcing himself to try and play it cool in an attempt to not seem too eager. Didn’t want to come off as desperate as he felt, am I right?

“Alright, so what is ever so important that you just had to drag me away from my work to this park?”, Raymond drawled, smirking as his confidence kicked into maximum overdrive.

“Oh shut it, bolts for brains. It is something very important, I’ll have you know.”, Rad retorted, leaning against his tree nonchalantly. He examined the nails on his right hand, managing to look fairly disinterested despite the inner turmoil that his brain was in. “I think we should go do something, together, like together-together.”, he suggested, glancing up after a few moments of silence to see how Raymond was reacting. His face was blank, revealing absolutely no emotion, and that was only slightly terrifying to the teen.

“… Are you asking me out..?”, Raymond replied with, his voice shaking only a little bit. His circuits felt like they were going to explode, and he could hear the sound of his cooling fans turning on as he began over heating. Rad nodded, swallowing roughly before he took a deep breath.

“Yeah, I guess… Well, I know I am. So like… Maybe we could catch a movie this weekend?”, he elaborated, every nerve in his body ablaze as hormones surged through his blood. He got an armful of excited robot in response, a choked squeak passing his lips as he was pulled into a near violent hug.

“I would absolutely adore that, darling!”, Raymond sang, pulling away from the hug with a starry look in his eyes. Rad let out a nervous giggle in response, feeling the stress and worry melt away. “I’ll pick you up around six on Saturday, alright? I’ll leave the movie choice to you, frankly, I could care less what we see.”, he continued, seemingly unaware of the tension that dissipated. No, he was too busy planning the first of what he hoped would be several stellar dates! Truth be told, Rad was too busy trying not to faint now that he realized he actually had a date with his crush. He was going to need all the advice Enid could give! Maybe her comics could help him…

[buttercream-imagines]

Notice Me || Joe (pt 2)

all masterposts found here

pairing - Joe x reader [ft Zoe Sugg] word count - 2,032 warnings - fingering, male/female sex A/N -

summary - The one where you’re Zoe’s friend from Gleam, part two

(part 1)

--

Almost two weeks passed since you first met Joe and he never texted you. You knew you could text him first, but you didn’t want to seem desperate, which was stupid. You should’ve just done it. You just couldn’t get yourself to click his contact.

Needless to say, when you were laying in bed on a Thursday night watching Friends and your phone went off, you didn’t expect it to be him.

Hey (Y/N), I know it’s been a while, but how would you feel about going out tomorrow?

You tried to find a casual way to respond where you didn’t sound like you had been waiting by the phone for two weeks.

Yeah, I’m free, so that’d be great!

He texted you the rest of the details and you fell asleep, excited about what tomorrow would bring for you and Joe.

As you were getting ready for the date the next day, you couldn’t help but call Zoe. You had just gotten out of the shower and wrapped a towel around your body. “(Y/N)!” Zoe said cheerily. “Getting ready I take it?” Of course, you had told Zoe about the date the minute Joe asked you.

“Yeah, that’s actually why I called,” you said. “Look, I know it’s weird because it’s your brother, but I don’t know what to wear. I’m torn between two dresses.”

“Text me pictures and I’ll help you,” she said. You did so then pressed the phone back to your ear.

“What do you think?” you asked.

“Black one,” she said immediately.

“Awesome, thanks,” you said. Then, half jokingly, you added, “Got any tips for me?”

Zoe sighed teasingly. “I really wish I didn’t, but Joe reveals a lot when he’s drunk,” Zoe said. “So I’ve heard my fair share of things from him that have been traumatic for my ears but will most certainly benefit you now. Keep in mind, I’m very uncomfortable saying this out loud, but I’m doing it for you.”

“Okay,” you laughed. “Shoot.”

“Wear lipstick,” she said. “He has a thing about lipstick stains on his neck and stuff. Loves it.” You could almost hear her shudder. “This is so weird. Okay, anyway,” she laughed, “your hair. Wear it up. When he gets handsy he goes for the neck. Grab his hair, he goes on about that when he loses his filter and decides to tell me in explicit detail about his sex life. Oh, and don’t wear heels.”

“I’m not that tall,” you protested.

“I know,” she said, “but the taller he is than you, the happier he’ll be.”

“Got it,” you said. “Anything else?”

“That’s all I can think of,” she said. “Have fun, God please wear protection.”

“Zo!”

“I’m serious!” she laughed. “You may be my best friend but I don’t want you to be all pregnant with my little brother’s baby.”

“For your information, I’m on the pill,” you said with a grin on your face.

“Ahh okay I’m gonna go before my ears start bleeding,” she laughed. “Have fun tonight, honestly.”

“I will.”

You got dressed in the dress Zoe picked, did your make up (not forgetting to apply your favorite red lipstick), and sat on your couch to wait for Joe. It didn’t take long for him to text you that he had arrived. You let him in to your building and waited for the knock at your door. When it came, you went to the door (not before doing a once over in the mirror) and opened it. Joe was wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a camouflage bomber jacket. Joe had his phone in his hand but when you opened the door, he looked up. His eyes flickered over your body for a moment before meeting your eyes. “You look great,” Joe said breathlessly.

“Thanks,” you smiled. “Not too bad yourself.”

“What, you can see me?” he said with teasing wide eyes. “I thought this was camouflage.”

“Ha ha,” you laughed sarcastically. Joe grinned and stuck out his arm for you to take it. You did so after locking your door and walked with him down to his car.

The two of you went out for dinner followed by a bit of clubbing. Nothing too dramatic and you had a lot of fun. Dinner was lovely and Joe paid. There was hardly ever a moment of silence between the two of you and he always kept you laughing. Even though you had only met each other once, you talked like you had known each other for ages.

Things took a turn when you went clubbing. Not a bad turn, just a drastic one. Neither of you had too much to drink, but you supposed it was the atmosphere. Everyone else was grinding up against each other, practically shoving their tongues down each others throats on the dance floor, so why shouldn’t you? Joe’s hands were on your hips, your ass pressed to his front. When he wasn’t letting out low moans in your ear, he was kissing along your neck (you mentally thanked Zoe for telling you to put your hair up).

It wasn’t too long after that until you left the club. You could tell Joe was eager to get back to his flat, and it was an unspoken assumption that you were joining him. You could see how tightly his fists were gripping the steering wheel and you couldn’t help but smirk to yourself. “Are you alright, Joe?” you asked innocently, laying a hand lightly on his thigh. If it was possible, Joe gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“Do not do that,” he said sternly. “I will crash this car.”

“Sorry,” you said with a dramatic sigh, moving your hand slowly away from his thigh. Joe’s breathing was loud and heavy and you couldn’t stop smiling to yourself, knowing that it was you who had this affect on him. He was practically putty in your hands.

Or so you thought.

When you and Joe got up to his flat, he wasted no time and pushed you into his flat, shoving you against the wall and pressing his lips to yours. You grinned beneath the kiss and Joe just gripped your hips tightly in his hands. The two of you fumbled your way to the bedroom where you collapsed on the bed. Joe was hovering over you and immediately attached his lips to your neck. He would stop every once in a while to pay closer attention to a certain spot. You didn’t even care about the numerous hickeys you were going to wake up with in the morning. You grabbed Joe’s hair in your hand and tugged your fingers through it, earning a groan from his lips. The noise was so hot to you that you couldn’t help but tug at it again just to hear the sound and feel the vibrations against your skin.

Joe suddenly grabbed your hands and pinned them to the bed above you. “Knock it off,” he said sternly, his lips hovering teasingly over your skin.

“You don’t like it?” you breathed out.

“I like it too much,” he said, his voice low. You grinned to yourself only to moan a moment later when Joe nibbled a sensitive spot on your neck.

Mustering up all your strength, you pushed Joe off of you and rolled over so you were on top. You were both fully clothed still, a fact that was bothering you greatly. You abruptly stood up causing Joe to look over at you in confusion. It didn’t take long for him to understand what was happening though as you quickly undid your dress and let it fall to your feet. The dress was completely backless so you weren’t wearing a bra. Joe grinned and pulled his own shirt over his head just as you took off your panties. Before Joe could take off his own pants, you stopped him, crawling over to him.

You pushed him back onto the bed and kissed him with full force. He tried to reach out and touch you but you held his hands down to stop him. Once you detached your lips from his, you started to kiss down his body, working extra hard to leave lipstick across his skin. Once your lips got close to his pants, your pace tauntingly slow, Joe seemed to have had enough. He flipped you both over again, taking matters into his own hands. He pulled off his own pants, letting his boxers quickly follow.

Before doing anything else, Joe brought his fingers down to your core and smirked. “So fucking wet,” he said. Without warning, he dipped a finger into you, quick to add another. The shock caused you to arch your back and let out a soft moan. You had your eyes shut but peaked them open just long enough to see Joe’s other hand pumping his shaft, his eyes on your naked body and his lips parted in pleasure. Finally, he couldn’t take anymore. He started to get up to grab a condom, but you stopped him.

“I’m on the pill,” you said. Joe grinned and climbed back on top of you, quickly teasing you with his tip. Just when you were about to beg him to start, he pounded into you causing you to let out a cry of pleasure. His thrusts were strong and steady, even as he brought his lips down to kiss your neck again. You knotted your fingers in his hair and this time he made no attempt to stop you. You could feel his staggered breathing against your skin as you tugged your fingers through his slightly damp hair.

You could feel yourself getting closer. You wrapped your legs around Joe’s waist, lifting your lips to meet his with every thrust. “Fuck,” Joe groaned against your skin.

“Joe I’m so close,” you said, your head tossed back on the pillow.

“Just a bit longer,” he said. “Wait for me.”

“Joe I have to-”

“Fuck, (Y/N), don’t you dare,” he said, trying to keep his voice sounding stern. “I need you to wait.”

You held off as best as you could, gripping the sheets beside you in your fists. Suddenly, you felt Joe’s thumb on your clit. The added pressure combined with his steady thrusts was all it took. You knew you couldn’t hold it off any longer. “I’m there baby,” Joe groaned. “Let go.”

And so you did. You called out Joe’s name, arching your back off the bed, as you and Joe both rode out your highs.

You were breathing heavily still as Joe pulled out of you. You had your eyes closed, trying to catch your breath as you heard him doing the same. You couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen now. Did he expect you to leave? Was he only interested in you as a one night stand? You didn’t want to ruin anything by asking, but you had had fun on your date and you wanted to know if he had too.

Breaking apart your thoughts, you felt Joe wrap his arms around you and pull you closer to his body. You couldn’t help but pepper soft kisses across his body, smirking and tracing your fingers over the lipstick stains you had left on his skin. “I don’t know what Zoe told you,” Joe suddenly said, breaking the silence, “but I didn’t do this for a shag and run.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, burying your face in his neck. He sighed almost contently and you felt him trailing his finger up and down your arm.

“Sometimes I think she thinks I’m only interested in hooking up,” he said. “I don’t want you to think I’m using you for that. I really had a great time tonight.”

“So did I,” you agreed, letting your fingers trace patterns on his chest.

“So this isn’t the last I’m seeing you?” he asked.

You smiled, “I don’t think so.”

“Good,” he smiled back.

“Good,” you repeated. Joe was quiet for only a moment before he spoke again.

“So Zoe didn’t talk to you about anything?” he asked. You smiled to yourself but shook your head.

“Not a thing.”

[mild-lunacy]

I start with a characteristic of individual men, a kind of (powerful) taste, a significant desire for physical intimacy (of one or another kind — cuddling and kissing, body play, various sorts of genital sex acts, whatever) with other males, and in adult men, significant arousal by (some) other men (what my friend Steven Levine calls DHL — dick-hardening lust). Call this Taste Y (Y as in Y chromosome).

On the other hand, there is a related social category, a recognized kind of person in our culture, a kind of social identity (well, probably, several kinds, but let’s keep it simple). We view some set of men with Taste Y as constituting a class for social purposes. Call this Category G, and call a member of Category G a G Man. (Yes, I recognize that these are desperate, unlovely labels. But we need to get away from the usual labels, because they’re used in diverse, even contradictory, ways by different people on different occasions, and the concepts in question are frequently confused.)

People suppose that G Men will tend to share properties beyond having Taste Y and that they will fit into society in certain ways. G Men will tend to believe that are in some significant ways like (many) other G Men. (These are the ways social categories work in general.)

The existence of a Category G is a historically contingent fact. It’s reasonable to claim that in Western culture in general Category G is a fairly recent development, that before some period there were no G Men.

Ordinary language is generally very poor in distinguishing properties of individuals from social categories.

I ran across this post on Arnold Zwicky’s blog about Brokeback Mountain, and it really made me think about the use of these categories in fandom. On the one hand, you could say this is totally different than slash, because Brokeback Mountain is canonically about gay men. However, Jack and Ennis don’t ‘identify’ as gay (and neither do Ronan or Adam in the Raven Cycle; needless to say, John Watson emphatically doesn’t in BBC Sherlock). In fandom, we like to say so-and-so is ‘gay’ if they show signs of Taste Y or even demonstrate too much affection for another person of the same gender pretty easily. Being ‘gay’ is just an expression of identification, a social category. You can pretty much include anyone-- any person and any character-- into that category, given you use the right frame. The same cannot be said for having Taste Y: you either have it or you don’t.

I was thinking particularly of John’s denials of being gay. It’s interesting how fandom has sliced it and diced it, and it’s undeniable that it’s sliceable. That is, you can certainly mean a number of things if you say you’re ‘not gay’, and a number of them have nothing to do with lacking Taste Y. You could argue that John meant it differently than Jack or Ennis would in Brokeback Mountain, but that’s a supposition. It’s an axiomatic statement for which there can be no proof. If the word ‘gay’ itself has contextually shifting meaning, saying you’re ‘not gay’ cannot definitively be said to refer to homosexual attraction in and of itself. This is simply a problem of language. You have to know what the person or character means. There’s only one way to really know, and that’s to share that person’s cultural context, as intended.

An old fandom friend of mine once told me that she thinks casual fans are inherently more likely to get the intended meaning from a competent enough show, ‘cause fans tend to be too invested in certain characters and/or interpretations. A casual fan might understand plot and characterization more shallowly, but overall they avoid huge diversions from canon plausibility. The intended meaning or context is almost certainly going to be broad. Aside from the prevalence of heteronormativity, the simplest and most obvious interpretation is always a good bet in TV. That’s just how communication generally works. This is the general cultural context we’re talking about, that gives the words and concepts their meaning.

Obviously, casual fans will also miss plenty of deeper shades of meaning in dialogue, most obscure references and even a lot of in-show continuity. Of course, the benefit of intense attention to the text can also be a flaw, as my friend said, since what starts out as an axiomatic frame for analysis (say, John has Taste Y and is actually bisexual) can become a set of blinders. You certainly see that in Sherlock fandom a lot these days (and in any fandom, anytime).

I do think that overall, though, casual fans of an average intelligence do tend to get the gist correctly if the show’s relatively well-written. With that in mind, there’s something to be said for the heteronormative reading, in that it’s usually right, as far as intent. So most people don’t parse language super-closely. They simply understand that Jack and Ennis (or Ronan, say) are G Men (gay) because they act gay, or act like other ‘G Men’. This is performative queerness. It doesn’t depend on the characters’ internal identity; in actuality, it becomes irrelevant. Characters essentially become ‘gay’ as soon as they act on queer desire; if you don’t (or won’t) act on it, it doesn’t exist for your average casual viewer unless the character declares themselves gay. Conversely, John (and Sherlock) aren’t G Men because they don’t perform it, or participate in the social category. Instead, they both conform to the boundaries of heteronormative behavior, which are really, really broad. 

This sort of outside-in approach is hard to avoid in film and TV, which essentially chronicles the external actions and reactions of a set of characters. Usually it is enough. Of course, that’s only usually.

But there can be problems. People can slip easily from the question of whether someone is “gay” to the question of whether they have a “gay identity”.

Jack and Ennis deny a gay identity, and there’s no reason I can see not to take them at their word. But it seems to me that they are unquestionably men with Taste Y, at least for each other (and in Jack’s case, rather more generally), and there’s some evidence that they are both Y Men.

That’s interesting, and probably only possible in a certain historical context. This situation wouldn’t really work in present-day America, not even out West. Still, it’s worth keeping in mind the separation between attraction and social identity, although both are aspects of identity. Most people prioritize their social identity in real life situations, and in character analysis, there’s more of a tendency to psychoanalyze.

This is a situation that really only exists and is only understandable in the context of fiction, because of the degree that we know the characters, in a manner we could not if Jack and Ennis were real people. We can agree or disagree with the self-identification of fictional characters, ‘cause we can see inside their head (to varying degrees). Besides that, with fictional characters, we can see them as a part of their narrative, with all the mirrors and metaphors and parallels that entails. Queerness isn’t just a social category but a textual one. Rather than simply using behavioral evidence, we have access to subtext.

That’s where it all gets muddled and complicated, of course. As Grace once said so succinctly, ‘you don’t interpret a story the way you interpret real events’, full stop. That’s analysis, though. In real life, casual viewers may use the context they have most readily available to understand the surface of the text, and it’s usually enough. You could also argue a story is meaningless without the addition of real-life context. For example, as @s-l-martin said earlier, in reality, most ‘ambiguously gay duo’ type couples are actually gay. If people give off ‘gay vibes’, it’s almost certainly not platonic. At the same time... well.

Some people say that it was entirely “natural” for Jack and Ennis to express their love for one another through sex. This is profoundly silly. If by love we mean a relationship to someone else characterized by intense pleasure in their company (probably accompanied by elevated levels of certain hormones), desire to spend time with them, admiration and respect for them, a feeling of being a better person when you’re with them, feelings of trust and support, feelings of simultaneous likeness and complementarity (Jack and Ennis are wonderfully paired on these two dimensions), etc., then there are plenty of straight guys who love one another. They call each other “best buddies”, or have no name for their relationship at all. But they’re very important to one another. Almost never do these relationships involve physical intimacy, even at the cuddling and kissing level. And that’s because these guys don’t have Taste Y. For them, there’s no natural progression from love to sex. Jack and Ennis do have (heretofore unrecognized) Taste Y, so they’re soon going down that slide into fucking.

Like Zwicky says, there’s ‘no natural progression’ from having any sort of feelings (even ‘romantic’ feelings, that being a fuzzy category) to sex. If you don’t have Taste Y, then you simply would not progress to queer behavior no matter how close you are with someone of the same sex or how much you love them. Not to put too much of a fine point on it, but it’s true that no matter how much John loves Sherlock (and vice versa), it doesn’t have to have anything to do with sex for either or both of them. There’s no limit to feelings. A character can literally have any kind or degree of feelings and not have them turn sexual, because one can simply fail to have Taste Y. That is (probably) what John’s supposed to be saying with the whole ‘not gay’ thing. Of course, that’s exactly what Irene dismisses at Battersea, but my point stands.

The problem is really contextual and narrative in nature, and that’s what makes it queerbaiting. In other words, there are certain conventions and tropes, certain kinds of coding in stories that signal queerness without having to actually show two dudes doing the do, like in Brokeback Mountain. This is how we used to have our heteronormative cake and eat it too. But it’s certainly one bitch of an unsatisfactory situation, so to speak.