#no point to this post other than to say just how much i loved this series ;-;

[cheftsunoda]

no im not in love — ln4

smau

lando norris x !best friend singer reader

yn and lando have been best friends for years— they have also spent those years doing things that ‘best friends’ don’t. morning cuddles, stealing kisses, sleeping together, getting jealous when the other is spotted with someone else. yn releases a song and fans pick it apart…noting it to be about lando. will this cause the two to finally admit that they love each other?

obviously based of the tate songgg

fc : madison beer and various pinterest girlies

⚠️not proofread! slight angst, gets a tiny bit steamy, blah blah⚠️

draft for yall while I proofread and fix part 4 of heal your heart

—

“swear im only sleeping at your house— six times in one week— cause its convenient.”

f1gossipgirls

248,275 likes.

f1gossipgirls : Singer YN LN leaving Lando Norris’ place six days in a row this week — coincidence or something more? The longtime best friends, who’ve known each other since their early teens, have fueled romance rumors for years. With this kind of consistency, fans are wondering if the ‘just friends’ label still applies…

—

username00 : lando! blink if your in love

username10 : she is always there…I don’t think this is out of the ordinary for them. she always pops up in his streams so we kind of know she is there

username5 : he was seen at a restaurant with magui last week too so idk

username7 : 6 days…in a row…this is more consistency than I have with my own employer

username17 : me pretending to be shocked while I’ve had a wedding pinterest board for them since 2019

username20 : the greatest situationship of our generation

username22 : that man is in love I will not elaborate

—

“are you coming over later?” lando asked over the phone and i chuckled to myself.

“i might as well move in at this point,” i said, and felt a smile creep onto my face.

“already made that offer and you said no,” he said, a teasing edge in his voice.

i rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling, my heart doing that annoying flutter thing it always did when he got like this — casual, but with just enough meaning to keep me spiraling.

“well…”i trailed off, biting my lip. “that was before you started bribing me with morning coffee and back rubs.”

“you forgot the part where i let you pick the movies and stick your cold feet on me,” he added, smug.

i laughed. “okay, true. honestly, i am starting to think you want me to move in.”

there was a pause — not awkward, just weighted — like he was thinking about how honest he wanted to be.

“i do,” he said simply. “i like having you here.”

that shut me up real quick. for a second, all I could hear was the sound of my own pulse in my ears.

“well,” I said, voice slightly higher than I intended, “guess I’ll start bringing more than just an overnight bag.”

he laughed, soft and warm. “good. ive already got a spot cleared out in the closet.”

—

“Only kinda dressing like you now— ‘cause your clothes they fit me — and that’s good reason.”

yn_ln added a post to her story!

seen by alexandrasaintmleux, lando, maxfewtrell & 2,376,299 others.

lando : looks so much better on you anyways

liked by yn_ln

alexandrasaintmleux : hmm…still at his place…in his hoodie?

liked by yn_ln

yn_ln : yes mum 🙄

liked by alexandrasaintmleux

alexandrasaintmleux: that’s funny…same thing I do with Charles WHO IS MY BOYFRIEND

liked by yn_ln

yn_ln : speaking of charles- tell him to stop being nosey

liked by alexandrasaintmleux

alexandrasaintmleux: WHAT HE SAY FUCK ME FOR - charles

—

i wasn’t planning to steal it.

but there it was, draped over the back of his couch — navy blue, soft-looking, and very obviously worn in. his favorite one. definitely the one I always “borrowed” and conveniently forgot to give back.

i glanced over my shoulder. lando was still in the kitchen, humming to himself and completely unaware of my criminal intentions.

i grabbed the hoodie and pulled it over my head. it smelled like him — some combination of expensive cologne, laundry detergent, and whatever shampoo he used that I secretly liked more than mine.

just as i was admiring myself in the mirror by the door, arms swallowed whole and sleeves dragging over my hands, i heard him behind me.

“oh, really?” he said, amused. “that’s your hoodie now?”

i turned slowly. “possession is nine-tenths of the law.”

he narrowed his eyes. “you are unbelievable.”

“and yet,” i said, tugging the sleeves over my fingers with a grin, “you still like me.”

he rolled his eyes but crossed the room and stood in front of me, eyes flicking down to the hoodie.

“i liked that one.”

i stood on my toes and kissed his cheek. “you still do. you are just sharing it now.”

he gave me the look — the one that meant he was annoyed, but also very clearly melting.

“you know you’re not getting away with this, right?”

i shrugged. “too late. ive already imprinted on it.”

—

“every friend of mine—I told them the same— no im not in love”

“so,” alexandra said, sipping her mimosa with an innocent smile, “how’s your new apartment been?”

I blinked. “My new what?”

Kika leaned forward, chin in hand. “lando’s. six nights this week, babe. we have a group chat. we have been counting.”

i nearly choked on my drink. “okay, first of all, you have way too much time on your hands. second, we are best friends.”

lily raised an eyebrow. “friends who do what, exactly? morning cuddles? sleep together? kiss each other? share clothes? share socks?”

i gaped at her. “that was one time—he had cold feet!”

kika smirked. “he has cold feet, and you’re in love.”

“i am not in love,” i said, louder than necessary, which of course made all three of them lean in.

alexandra tilted her head. “sure. you just smile at your phone every single time he texts you and you wear his clothes like you don’t have a whole closet of your own.”

i opened my mouth. closed it. opened it again. “its a nice hoodie!”

lily grinned. “and he’s a nice man. who makes you pancakes and lets you sleep in his bed.”

kika raised her glass. “to yn and lando— her completely platonic live in boyfriend.”

alexandra clinked hers with a laugh. “who she’s not in love with, of course.”

i groaned and dropped my face into my hands. “i hate all of you.”

“lies,” lily sang. “you love us. just like you love—”

“don’t say it.”

“—landoooo,” all three of them said in unison, full chaos energy.

i sighed. “you are impossible.”

kika winked. “so is pretending you’re not head over heels. just admit it, and we’ll buy you matching mugs.”

—

“And I don’t hate every girl your eyes go to.”

f1gossipgirls

284,265 likes.

f1gossipgirls : After weeks of swirling rumors, YN LN and Lando Norris have finally stepped out… just not with each other. Lando was spotted getting cozy with model Magui Corceiro, while YN was seen out with none other than Magui’s ex, footballer João Félix. Coincidence? Petty? The plot thickens.

username00 : be so for real right now. there is no way this isn’t intentional. YN OUR PETTY QUEEN.

username5 : yn really said fine you want her?? ill get with her ex

username7 : I need to achieve this level of petty bitch some day

username14 : i know alex and kika are somewhere screaming rn

liked by alexandrasaintmleux and kikagomes

username00: OH they r CREEPING

username22 : call me delulu but this could just be for pr

username15 : this is so iconic im screaming

—

yn_ln

liked by kikagomes, charles_leclerc, joaofelix79 & 4,285,257 others.

yn_ln : life lately

—

kikagomes : you are so hot come kiss me

liked by yn_ln

yn_ln : on my way!

charles_leclerc : Floki and Leo play date sometime soon? 😌

liked by yn_ln & joaofelix79

yn_ln : absolutely!

joaofelix79 : a mais linda😻

liked by yn_ln

username00 : damn she really said lando won’t commit?? hard launch

username7 : her and joao lowkey look so good together

username14 : no lando like…that is how you know he is pissed

username15: I went through 5 years of her posts and this is the only one with no Lando like

pierregasly : who is that beautiful woman you are playing chess with??

liked by yn_ln and kikagomes

yn_ln : my girlfriend :)

liked by kikagomes

pierregasly: should’ve known I’d get that response

—

“you didn’t have to post that photo,” lando said, not even looking up from his phone.

i glanced at him from across the room. “what photo?”

“the one with João. the one where he’s practically breathing on your neck.”

i rolled my eyes. “it is called posing, lando.”

“oh, so now it’s posing?” he scoffed. “looked cozy to me.”

i crossed my arms. “right…because you’d know all about looking cozy. how is magui, by the way?”

his head snapped up. “don’t bring her into this.”

i laughed, bitter. “oh, I’m sorry. was that hitting a little too close to home?”

“you are being ridiculous.”

“and you’re being possessive for someone who swears we’re just friends.”

that shut him up for a second. Then he said, quieter, “m’not possessive.”

“really?” i said, stepping toward him. “because you’re acting like I cheated on a boyfriend I don’t have.”

he stood up too, jaw tight. “maybe i wouldn’t care if you weren’t acting like you’re suddenly in love with João fucking Félix.”

i stared at him. “and maybe i wouldn’t care if you didn’t light up every time she laughs at your jokes.”

“you know what?” i muttered, grabbing my jacket. “this is dumb. you do whatever you want. do whoever you want.”

“already have been,” he snapped. “and so have you.”

i was halfway out the door when he called after me, voice softer but stubborn. “you’re the one who said we were just friends.”

i paused, turned slightly. “yeah. well. maybe that was a mistake.”

neither of us said what we really meant. the tension in the air said enough. touching.

—

“I’m not bothered looking up your exes — Matter fact we could probably be friendses.”

twitter!

f1gossipgirls : Oh? YN LN hanging out with Luisa Oliveira — Lando’s ex — in Monaco today? Did not have that on my bingo card.

username2 : guys calm down— her and luisa have stayed in touch since her and lando split. they are always interacting online

username5 : no bc if my ex and best friend were having a meeting about me id cry and never been seen again.

username7 : giving “we both survived the same man”

username10 : forget the drivers. the wags have taken over the season.

username8: yn pls drop a selfie with luisa with the caption “his taste is consistent” PLEASE

—

—

“we got the same taste that ain’t my fault”

it supposed to be a solo coffee run. no drama. no tension.

i pushed open the door to the little corner café, the bell chiming like it always did, and stepped inside—only to immediately bump into someone coming from the opposite direction.

“oh—sorry, I—” my voice caught.

lando.

he froze too, holding two takeaway cups, one already half-spilled from the impact.

“hi,” he said, blinking like he wasn’t sure i was real. “i—wow. hi.”

i swallowed hard. “hey.”

we both stood there, awkwardly, in the narrow doorway, neither moving. my heart thudded. this place — this stupid café — had been ours for so long that it felt wrong seeing him here and not being with him.

“i didn’t think you still came here,” he said, voice low. “not without me.”

“yeah,” I said quickly. “i didn’t. not really. just—craved it today.”

“guess we still have the same taste?” he said and looked down.

“and I just spilled one of yours. cool.”

i couldn’t help the small laugh that slipped out. “you always did have terrible coordination off-track.”

he gave me that sideways smirk i hated how much i missed. “says the girl who once tripped literally just over air…many times.”

“that was one time.”

“it was three.”

the silence after that wasn’t heavy like before. it felt like it always has.

“i miss this,” he said suddenly, glancing around the café, then at me. “i miss you.”

i looked at him then — really looked. the tired eyes. the nervous thumb tapping the side of the cup. the way he kept stealing glances like he was afraid i might disappear if he blinked.

“i miss you too,” i admitted.

he exhaled. like he’d been holding his breath for weeks.

“i was stupid,” he said. “about the fight. about João. about everything.”

i bit my lip. “i was too. i didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“i know,” he said. “i didn’t mean to lose you.”

A pause.

“so don’t,” i whispered.

he looked at me like the world tilted back into place. then held out one of the remaining coffees — the unspilled one. my usual.

“still how you like it?”

i nodded, smiling. “perfect.”

and for the first time in weeks, things felt right again — no explanations, no drama. just us. at our table. in our café. where it all began.

—

“if i slip and i somehow say it — you should know in advance, im wasted.”

the bass was shaking the floor. lights pulsed, the air smelled like overpriced tequila and victory, and someone — probably charles — had just climbed onto the DJ booth screaming “he finally won one!”

lando was glowing. sweaty, flushed, champagne-soaked, still in his tee with a medal crooked around his neck. everyone was celebrating like it was the first time F1 had ever seen a podium. maybe it felt like the first time. especially to me. he found me through the crowd, grinning, eyes already glassy with drunk adrenaline.

“there you are,” he said, stumbling slightly as he pulled me in with one arm. “did you see me? like actually see me?”

“hard to miss when you were standing on top of the world,” i yelled over the music.

he laughed, messy and wild, like it was pouring straight out of his chest. “could not have done it without you.”

“lando, i didn’t even—”

“you were there,” he said, serious now, crowd and noise fading behind us. “you are always there. i look for you first.”

i froze, heart stuttering. “you are drunk.”

“yup,” he said. “but not wrong.”

and before i could say anything, before i could stop him or stop myself, he leaned in and kissed me — champagne-flavored, heat-drunk and reckless.

it was a little too fast. a little too desperate. but, it felt right. like something we’d been circling for too long.

he pulled back first, eyes wide like he couldn’t believe it either. “was that—?”

“stupid,” i said quickly.

he nodded. “yeah. super stupid.”

then kissed him again.

—

lando and i barely made it into his hotel room before his hands were back on me, clinging to the zipper on the back of my dress. his lips sucking on my neck and i let out a light moan. he gently pushes me back onto the bed and crawls on top of me.

“ive wanted this for so long.” he admits before his lips brushed against mine.

“me too.” i stuttered as i felt his hands explore me.

before i knew it — we were both undressed and pressed against each other.

“you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked.

“please- lando. i want you.” i said and a smirk appeared on his face. i feel him inside of me and his lips are attached to mine again.

“i-i love you.” i muttered through my moans—not fully realizing what i said.

“i love you more. always have.” he whispered in my ear, driving me crazy.

—

my head was pounding and i could barely open my eyes but as i did i noticed lando beside me. this obviously was not rare but he was…naked. i gasped to myself and looked around the hotel room. our clothes mixed on the floor. i stared at myself in the mirror and noticed hickeys from my neck down to my mid chest. i sighed— trying to recall the events of last night.

last night.

the win. the club. the kiss. the aftermath.

his hands. my shirt on the floor. my heart in his hands.

the words — god, the words.

“i love you.”

i said it first. then he said it back. too fast, too real, too drunk.

but also… not drunk enough to lie.

i carefully untangled myself, trying not to wake him, and grabbed the nearest hoodie i could find — his, obviously — before tiptoeing into the bathroom. i was halfway through drinking water straight from the tap like a gremlin when i heard his voice, raspy and half-asleep behind me.

“you left the bed.”

i turned. “you were starfishing.”

he gave a lazy smile. “you didn’t run.”

“nope, still here. still processing.”

he nodded, rubbing his hands over his face. “same.”

“we said somethings.”

“yeah,” he said blinking at me. “we did.”

“im sorry- i don’t- know. i was drunk.”

“don’t apologize. i meant it, yn.” he said.

“so did i.” i said with a sigh of relief.

“i love you, yn.” he said and pulls me into the bed holding me.

“good because if you said you didn’t i was just gonna throw myself off the balcony from embarrassment.”

“so dramatic, even hungover.” he chuckled, kissing my head.

“consistent…and in love with my best friend apparently.”

“good to hear…I’ve been in love with you for ages.”

—

f1gossipgirls

523,377 likes.

f1gossipgirls : Lando Norris and YN LN caught getting rather steamy in the club after his most recent win.

—

username00 : the audacity to make no im not in love about him and then DO THIS

username2 : well this is one way to make up with your friend after a fight

username5 : me pretending I’m happy for them when really I’m pacing my room like a victorian widow

username7 : You KNOW Lily and Kika are already planning the wedding. Alexandra’s making the guest list. Soft launch era is over.

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, kikagomes, lilymhe

username8 : CAUGHT CREEPING AGAIN

username14 : I don’t care about the driving anymore— need a whole season of this

—

yn_ln

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, lando, carlossainz55 & 7,205,210 others.

yn_ln : okay I lied im in love with my best friend but stream no im not in love about your situationships!!!

—

username7 : girlie we been knew

alexandrasaintmleux: never tell me im wrong ever again— but im so happy for you bb!

liked by author

lilymhe : good thing I started planning the wedding like 3 years ago

liked by author

kikagomes : lost my wife 😭😭

liked by author

yn_ln : you still have me mamas

lando : ive loved you since i first laid eyes on you

liked by author

charles_leclerc : I catch a stray for being nosey when you literally LIED

liked by author

yn_ln : haha sorry charlie…😀

—

lando

liked by yn_ln, maxfewtrell, oscarpiastri & 2,373,289 others.

lando : she loves me so much she made a song to convince the world she didn’t 😎

—

oscarpiastri : good im tired of seeing you mope around the paddock

liked by yn_ln

lando : now you get to watch me smooch yn all the time

oscarpiastri : goodie

maxfewtrell : took you both long enough

liked by yn_ln and lando

carlossainz55 : im glad you both remembered the next morning bc I couldn’t break it to you if you didn’t

liked by yn_ln and lando

—

🐞💐🌺🦋☀️🌷🌞🌟💫🌻⚡️

[alchemistc]

Post finale crack treated seriously. Ravi "Who's Tommy" Panikkar stirring shit up for his new friend.

red string

"You know you guys are like, weirdly interconnected, right?" Ravi asks, like Buck hasn't spent the last ten minutes admitting he doesn't know how to reach out to Tommy.

"How would you know?"

Ravi has the grace to look a little squirrelly for half a second. "Okay so I know a lot of people at the LAFD. Because of the Academy stint. And - well, a lot of them know I own rentals."

"Thanks for letting me do month to month, by the way."

"Yeah you sure did remind me that you saved my life a bunch of times before I agreed to that. I had to send in a special request with the company that runs that apartment building."

"Your life is way more important than a special request, Ravi."

Ravi looks like he has something else to say about that, but.

"You're veering off the point. I'm trying to tell you you two have like, a weird red string thing going on and it's kind of driving me crazy that you won't just figure it out and go live in his house month to month until you figure out your crap and like, elope like the crazy people you are."

Buck takes a second to let that sink in. "Have you been asking all your LAFD buddies about Tommy and me?" His narrowed eyes don't seem to have the same effect as Hen's. Ravi stares back at him like he's making a stupid face.

"In my defense, I did try to ask you but you spent weeks trying to find a way to pull his pigtails."

He's not touching that with a ten foot pole. Nice ammo for when he gets home, though. "So you, what, put together an itemized list of reasons we should be together?"

"Gross. No. I gossiped, like a normal person."

"Lists are important, Ravi."

"If you don't do something on your own I'll get his number from one of the guys at Harbor I know and tell him about all the baked goods you foisted on me for two solid months after he dumped you. And about all the pining I've had to put up with since -."

"Evan. Hey."

Buck is the sort of person who always wants to play it cool and never quite manages. The table jumps when he cracks his knee against it.

And there he is, in all his glory. Date night chic, four buttons undone, hair perfectly tousled, probably that aftershave that always made Buck want to live in the junction between his neck and shoulder.

"And that's my cue," Ravi says, and does a terrible approximation of a wink as he scoots out of the booth. "This is a setup. I set you both up. Tommy, this beer is yours, please sit. Don't make me do this a third time."

And then he's gone.

Tommy slides in, and it's familiar in a way that Buck doesn't enjoy.

Ravi reappears. "I already had his number, that was a decoy because I saw him walking in. Please, for the love of God, talk this time."

They stare at each other for a long, long time. Tommy has this way of looking at him that always makes Buck feel like he could run through a brick wall. Like Tommy would take care of him after even though it was a dumb thing to do. Like Tommy would thank him for the opportunity to take care of him.

"So Ravi has a theory," Tommy says, after they've taken their fill of staring in silence.

"I kept interrupting him but it kinda sounded like he's been spending way too much time dissecting our lives."

Tommy's smile lights up this dingy sports bar like nothing else. "Kinda reminds me of you, if I'm honest."

"He doesn't even like spreadsheets, Tommy."

"God, I love you."

It's a terrible place to start.

It's an excellent way to keep going.

[1thesewordsaremyown1]

I remember there was an interview with Oliver (I think back around season 7?) where he mentioned that Buck so far had fallen easily into relationships, and he wanted Buck to have to work for it a bit.

And we all thought "oh, here it is with Tommy." Because Buck flubbed their first date, decided he needed to fix things, so he called Tommy and asked for a second chance.

And ever since, that work has stopped. Buck essentially became a passenger both in the relationship and after it. The man who decided to treat Abby to a hot air balloon ride to impress her on a date didn't think to buy Tommy a gift for their six month anniversary, even though he said himself that it was a special occasion. When they broke up, he talked over and over about calling Tommy, yet he never did. Sure, the 118 took his phone at one point, but that was one minute out of one day - there were plenty of opportunities when he was by himself where he could have just done what he wanted to do and called him.

It was Tommy who suggested getting back together. And it was Tommy again who let Buck know he still cared for him with "and for you." And yet the only time Buck thought to actually call him was to ask for a favour (poor Tommy, seems the only time the 118 ever want to contact him is to ask for help). Oliver said that he wanted Buck for once to have to work for a relationship, and here was a perfect opportunity for it post break-up, yet the show let him (and us) down. In fact, the only time they let Buck have ANY fire this season was when he was getting pissed over people accusing him of being in love with Eddie. Rather than have him fight for his relationship and give us something to be invested in, they dragged it out with a Buck who just couldn't do anything for himself - not without approval first anyway. It was comforting to think that Tommy meant so much to Buck that he couldn't get over him with the baking, but as it kept going it got to a point where it was like "it has been MONTHS, just DO SOMETHING, since you are clearly miserable."

And look, I get that with Bobby's death and with the grieving it wouldn't have been the right time to talk about their relationship. But the show has made Buck passive about pretty much EVERYTHING this season. They let him just accept Tommy's breakup without a fight and wouldn't let him call him and instead had him bake for MONTHS. They let Eddie walk all over him, treat him like shit and then have BUCK apologise to HIM. They had Chim basically telling him what to do, that he wasn't allowed to transfer (and I'm assuming we'll be coming back in S9 with Buck still at the 118).

Hey show, how about you let Buck make his own decisions? Why don't you let him fight for what he wants? In regards to Tommy, you had him say over and over again that he wanted to call Tommy... and then you never let him do it! You are making him look immature and INCAPABLE of handling a relationship at this point, so unless you are actually going to CONTINUE Buck and Tommy's story next season (and if you don't you have left one MASSIVE dangling thread, because so far their story appears to be unfinished) I don't see how he can be in a new relationship in S9. The Buck we have now, I can't see fighting for a new relationship to survive. Not when he won't even fight for Tommy - the man he wanted to move in with, the man he all but said he was in love with, the ONLY one he has ever brought up the idea of marriage with. How they hell are we as viewers supposed to believe that any other relationship would work?

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

butterflygirl738 (7)

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, power imbalance, sickness, medical bills, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You love butterflies and your mother, but life isn’t that simple. As life gets complicated, and expensive, you find yourself in need and an unexpected miracle presents itself.

Characters: Steve Rogers (CEO/Sugar Daddy)

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Asking for more or putting ‘part 2?’ is not feedback.

Love you all. You are appreciated and your are worthy. Treat yourself with care. 💖

“You were right about the mac and cheese,” you say as you wipe your mouth with a napkin. 

S glances over with a smile. “You liked it?” 

“Sure do,” you tap the side of the plate. “But it’s too much for me. I could save the rest.” 

“Sure,” he gets up and crosses the room. He moves the cover back over your dish. 

“Oh, thank,” you say as you set the used napkin on the tray. You quickly catch a yawn in your hands. “Oof, I’m sorry. Woke up early for the doctor.” You rub your eyes and blink at him. “I’m not very fun company, am I?” 

“You’re... calming,” he says. “All the people I deal with... they’re always performing.” He tilts his head and gives a sardonic look. “It’s been nice to get away.” 

“Must be. Even to somewhere like here,” you swallow another yawn, blinking big until your eyes water. You flick away the moisture. 

“You made it worth it,” he lingers close. “If you’re tired, lay down. I don’t mind.” 

“That’s not fair,” you try not to show how tempting the offer is. “Coming over just to knock out.” 

“Go ahead. I’ve barely used the bed,” he points to the open French doors that lead to the bedroom. “I tend to sleep in intervals.” He clucks. “Buddy calls it strategic napping.” 

“Can’t be very restful,” you say. 

“Guess not but sometimes I don’t have eight hours to spare,” he taps his toe. “Please, go lay down. You look beat.” 

You give a sheepish smile. Why does he care so much? Another thorn digs in. 

“S?” 

“You been caring for your mom. Let me care for you,” he puts his hand on your shoulder and squeezes. He slowly draws away. 

You look down, “twist my arm.” You stand up slowly. “Don’t let me sleep too long. Just an hour or two.” 

“Alright,” he agrees. “I’ll get some work done.” 

You hesitantly move around him. It’s awkward. It’s just another thing you’re taking from him. His bed, his time... Won’t he get tired of that sooner than later? 

You stop and turn back to him. 

“S?” 

“Yeah, sweetheart,” he glances at his phone, his eyes crinkling at what he reads. 

“Can I... give you a hug?” 

He puts his phone on the table and faces you. “You don’t gotta ask.” 

He opens his arms. You slowly unfold yours and step closer. It felt like a good idea but now it’s a bit... tense. You wrap your arms around him and he closes you in his. You shiver at the warmth seeping from him into you. 

“Thank you,” you press your cheek to his chest. “Really, I can’t say it enough.” 

He keeps one arm firmly hooked around you as his other hand rubs your back. The soothing motion makes your skin prickle. He squeezes. 

“No problem, sweetie.” He rocks you slightly. 

You stay like that, too embarrassed and too afraid to break too soon. 

“Alright, I think... I might fall asleep on my feet,” you ease from his hold and his hands brush along the robe as he pulls back. 

“Yeah, go, sleep,” he pivots away. “I gotta answer this before he sends another damn email.” 

He snatches up his phone and turns away. He mutters under his breath. You back up and watch how his shirt tautens across his shoulders. You spin and tiptoe into the bedroom. 

You can worry when you wake up. Right now, you’re just too tired to keep track of all your doubts. 

🦋

You wake with a start. You’re on your stomach, arm beneath the pillow you have your face buried in. Your head is cloudy as you lift it and your lashes stick together before you can pry them apart. You roll over and the sight of the dark window sends you into a panic. 

You kick away the blankets and scramble out of bed. You hurry to the doors, the left one left open just a crack, and you pull it open. S sits at the table, a pair of glasses on as he has a laptop open. You have no time to process the seen as you scurry out. 

“S, it’s late,” you cheep. “Why did you let me sleep so long?” 

He calmly looks up and smooths the creases from his forehead. He pushes his shoulders wide and takes of his glasses. He puts them beside the keyboard of the table. 

“I tried to wake you up,” he says. “You were so tired. I could get you to do more than roll over...” 

His voice trails off as his eyes fall down. You follow his gaze. Shoot. The robe hangs open, exposing your naked legs. You quickly pull it around you, hot from your accusation and accidental flash. 

“Um, I’m sorry to... I didn’t... I...” You sputter. 

“You slept heavy. Probably a bit disorienting waking up here. You’re not used to it,” he shrugs. “I really did try but... seems like you needed the sleep.” 

“Right, I... it was nice but...” 

“You can call your mom. Let her know maybe you got backed up at your new job?” He suggests coolly. He’s a fast thinker. You’re a terrible liar. The type that adds too much detail when a simple explanation will do. 

“Sure, I can let her know I’m gonna be home soon.” You agree and look around. 

You find your phone on the arm of the sofa. You don’t remember leaving it there but you can’t really remember when you last had it. You take it and head for the bedroom. 

“You can always stay. It’s pretty late.” 

“What would I tell her? I’m working overnight?” 

“You’re an adult, aren’t you?” He challenges. 

You flinch. 

“Sure, but... no, I should go home. She needs me.” 

“Uh huh,” he picks his glasses back up and exhales. “Well, now she’s not the only one that does.” 

You blink as your brow crinkles. You turn away before he can catch you chagrined expression. You go into the bedroom and lean on the bed as you dial out. 

Your mom doesn’t pick up. You sniff as the tone for the voicemail beeps. “Hey mom, sorry I didn’t message sooner. I got tied up. Anyway, I’ll be home soon...love you.” 

You hang up and drop your arm. You stare at the window. You don’t remember anything, not even your dreams. Not even him trying to get you up. You’re embarrassed to hink about that. 

You go back out. 

“Um, I’ll need my pants,” you say sheepishly. 

“Hung them up in the bathroom,” he says without looking away from the computer. His posture is tense. 

“Look, I’m sorry if... i wasn’t meaning to accuse you--” 

“I’ve been really honest with you,” he says. “I’d say extremely. Not a lot of people would be so transparent. You know, a guy like me, he’s supposed to have an easy life. Well, it’s not.” 

“I’m... I’m sorry.” 

“You don’t need to be sorry, I just wish you would trust me.” 

You stand in static silence. The guilt ripples over you. Not only has he been honest, he’s been so generous. You think of today and how he so easily promised all of that money. Even after when you showed him the pamphlet, showed him how tedious it would all be. He said yes. 

“I will. I do,” you say at last. “Um, one sec.” 

You cross the room to the bathroom and dip inside. You open the robe and hang it and pull on your pants. You can still feel the residue of rain in them. Oh well. 

You come back out. “I can call a cab. You seem busy.” 

“I’ll drive,” he assures you as he closes the laptop. “Told you, I’m taking care of you. Of everything.” 

“I know. Thank you so much.” You clasp your hands together. “Really, S, I can’t say it enough.” 

He slides his glasses off again and stands up. He puts them in the case behind the computer and snaps it shut. He stretches his arms over him. 

“Come back tomorrow,” he says. “I made us some reservations.” 

“Reservations?” You repeat. “Well, S, I... I’ve been calling in and... if I keep doing that--” 

“Quit.” He looks agitated. “You don’t need those jobs. That’s the deal. I’m gonna cover everything.” 

You nod as your stomach stirs. “Oh.” 

“Oh?” His mouth slants. “It’s what we’ve been talking about. You working all the time, well, I got a lot going on. We’d never get to see each other and I mean, I’ve already missed a lot too.” 

You chew your lip. “I’m sorry. I misunderstood.” 

“It’s new. For both of us. I get it,” he softens his tone and comes closer. “You’re so used to working and doing everything, it’s hard to let go. I’m the same way.” 

“Yeah...” you murmur. “I’m really sorry if I upset you, S."

“You didn’t,” he assures you as he reaches to caress your arm. “You can’t. I just... I get in work mode and the boss face comes out.” He chuckles and slips his hand across your back and angles you toward the door, “let’s get you home. I promise, I’ll try to get more than just a few hours before tomorrow.” 

🦋

You watch the streetlights pass, the glare tinging your eyes, tweaking the fatigue still nestled behind them. You yawn as the car whirs softly. It’s almost peaceful in the empty streets. 

S drives smoothly through the town. He knows it better now. He keeps to the speed limit, taking his time. Or maybe he’s just tired. 

He rolls up to your building and shifts into park. He sighs. “I’ll miss you.” 

You look at him, “really? I feel like I kind of overstayed my welcome.” 

“Trust me, you can’t,” he puts his hand on the back of your seat as he twists in his. “You not having fun?” 

“No, of course, it’s just new and... I guess I’m not used to it yet. The... trying not to worry part.  My mom is still...” you shake your head. “I’m going to stop that.” You look at him. “S, thank you. Really. I did have a good day even if I slept for most of it.” 

“You needed that,” he says as his hand slips onto your shoulder. “You, more than anyone, has every right to be tired.” His thumb rubs you. “Sweetheart, we’re just adjusting to each other and that’s fine.” 

“Sure,” you flutter your fingers in your lap. “Right, just... gotta be patient.” 

“Yeah, patient,” his hand inches closer to your neck. “Sweetheart... can I ask you something?” 

“Okay,” you try not to focus on his touch but your skin is all speckly from it. 

“Can I have a kiss?” 

Your lips part slightly. You close them quickly. You’re surprised but you shouldn’t be. Deep down, you know it’s inevitable. Despite what he says, you have that gnawing certainty in your head. You can’t just keep taking. And it’s going to be more than just a kiss, isn’t it? 

Right now, you can do a kiss. 

“Um,” your cheeks tauten and burn. “S-sure. I can--” 

“Only if you really want to,” he pets your neck with his knuckles. “But I can tell you I really, really want to.” 

You take a breath and undo your seat belt. You’re slow and deliberate in your movement as you angle around in the chair. His hand opens and cradles your jaw, fingers framing your ear. He leans in and you meet him across the space between your sets. 

Your lips meat and his heat floods into you. His fingers curl against your head and he hums. His tongue pokes out gently and you resist. Your chest is somersaulting. 

You part and sit back in the chair. You put your hand to your chest. “I’m sorry, it’s just—been a while.” You look down and cover your mouth. You drop your hand. “Was that... okay?” 

“It was... great,” he rasps. “And uh, been a while for me too.” 

“Really?” You glance at him, face alight with self-consciousness. 

“Oh, sure. Like I said... haven’t been out on the dating scene much. When I’ve tried, well, It’s just not... genuine, you know?” He clucks and pokes his tongue into his cheek. He smiles and looks you in the eye. “That was perfect. I’ll be thinking about it all night.” 

“You will?” 

“Of course,” he winks. “What about you?” 

Your cheeks pinch and you smile. It’s been a long time since you felt anything but anxiety and doom. That was something else. You can’t quite explain what. It just wasn’t as scary as you thought. You need one thing that isn’t utterly terrifying. 

“Yeah, I think...” you look away. “It’s... it was nice.” 

“Good,” he drags his hand down your arm. “Well, have a good night.” 

“You too,” you grab your purse and pull on the door handle. “Oh, what time tomorrow?” 

“Let me know, sweetie, I don’t need you til noon,” he answers. 

“Cool, um, bye.” 

You get out and walk towards the yellow light above the building entrance. You stop to look back. He’s still there. You’re glad. You hate being out this late. 

You enter the apartment quietly. The front room light is on. You put your stuff down and sanitize your hands. You find your mother on the couch, sleeping as she hugs a pillow. 

You hope she wasn’t waiting up for you. All that fuzziness fades. The dull weight settles back into your chest. 

You tiptoe around, careful not to wake her. You know she doesn���t get as much sleep as she should. You retreat to your room and flick on the light. 

You plug in your phone as the battery flashes. As you pull off your shirt, you hear something. A soft whisper. You go to the hamper and peer through the mesh. The butterflies. Two of them have hatches and they’re happily fluttering around inside. 

You smile. A real smile. They’re so beautiful. Black, red, and white. And they’re alive. It was taking so long, you thought they wouldn’t break free. 

You’ll have to find some fruit in the fridge to leave in there for them until you can release them. First, you’re going to take a photo. Everyone will be so excited to see. 

You get a good shot through the top before they try to escape. You’ll have to go down to the cafe to post in the morning. You really can’t wait to show S. 

You sit on your bed and watch the butterflies. It’s a sign, isn’t it? Not everything is dead. It’s not over. Maybe, things are just beginning. 

[074calicocat]

✮⋆˙ LIKE YOU'RE HIS...

cw: fauxcest but not really (you'll see), aftermath of piv sex, cockwarming, creampie, reader is me (gulp), reader has daddy issues 🥀, suggestive ending

notes: hello. I put my tears and cum into this so here is your formal warning. I just really want di Leon to be my dad 💔 also if I lock in I want this to have a second part. IF I lock in. Also not proofed in the slightest yikes

"If I was your dad, you know I would never have screamed at you. Right?"

Note to self. Block your dad's number.

You're so sweaty you're surprised Leon hasn't outright called you disgusting. Your hair plastered to your forehead and you're more than sure you reek of that non-so-romantic post sex funk.

"I would love you forever and ever. You'd be my little girl for life and I would never say anything mean about you."

But Leon holds you anyway. Keeps his softened cock nestled in your spent cunt as you lay on his chest, scratching your head like you're his pet. Your hips ache, your head aches, your chest hurts like a bitch. Your eyes sting and your throat is raw from how much you've cried and honestly, you've outdone yourself because you can't think of any other person who can sob themself dry and ride dick like no tomorrow.

Just one of the many womanly charms you possess.

"...yeah, I know," you mumbled, sniffling and wiping the tip of your nose against Leon's chest. Turns out chest hair makes good tissues and you've been wiping your tear-stricken face against him for the past half hour.

You can hear him sigh and his hands slide from your hair down your spine, pulling you all the most tighter against him. He actually smells goods during sex, like musk and aftershave and whiskey. It's not fair he ended up with you: some mopey girl who can't even remember to take her meds on most days to avoid episodes like this.

"You know I love you, right? More than anything?" he whispers to you, so softly it's like he's breathing life into his words.

God dammit it.

"Don't make me cry again, oh my god-" your voice cracks as the tears well up in your eyes again, your face promptly ending back up buried in Leon's chest. His chest rises as he softly chuckles, cooing "dont' cry, baby" at you like you're his...

his...

"I just wish you were my dad sometimes, Leon."

Bingo. How does that one song go? Parades me 'round like his fucking daughter...something, something, it doesn't matter. The point is that's exactly what you want from Leon, even if he fucked you stupid just before and was swearing up again down he was going to give you a baby. And as you raise your damp face away from his body and stare him down, the silver in his beard only makes you more sure of your wishes.

Leon had all the right to push you off, send you to take a shower, and order you to take your meds. Because who actually says things like that? But there's a reason why Leon is dating you even if you're a total square because his eyes light up like you've just flashed him a fancy new bottle of whiskey. "Oh yeah?"

He has that shit-eating look on his face when you say something he really likes and it's like the gates of heaven open up to you. You're like an overeager puppy as you start to nod, the two of you laughing together.

"I'm your man, baby," Leon hums, his hands drifting down to cup your ass. "If you wanna play house, we can play house." His lips drift to your forehead and he lays the most gentle kiss onto your skin, easily distracting you from his cock getting hard while still buried inside you.

Insane work.

"Besides, I always wanted a daughter to spoil like this."

[yooahoo]

❤︎ᬼ A HEALING KISS | mark ‘invincible’ grayson x healer! reader

warnings: none! just pure fluff with some mentions of mark’s misadventures

a/n: my first ever post on tumblr and of course I had to bring my current obsession with me ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪ and this probably might suck since i haven’t write anything in a long time, but I hope those who find it to enjoy as much as I enjoyed writing it.m

your eyes watch how the stars align on the sky, illuminating the darkness of the night as you wait for mark to come back. sitting on the roof of his house has become something that you always did with him since you were children as a way to talk and point to the constellations to discuss about them, but now? it has become a more intimate experience for the two of you.

it didn’t much time for see a familiar figure descending from the dark sky, his new black and blue suit becoming visible to you as he takes a seat next to you. mark quickly removes his mask before pulling you even closer to him, laying his head on your shoulder after a long day of fighting criminals and villains.

“I missed you,” he said. “like, i couldn’t stop thinking about you, always on my mind when fighting criminals and dealing with another attempt escape at the prison.”

“I missed you too.” you replied, staring at his dark eyes and smiling at your boyfriend, how lucky you must be to be with someone as precious as mark? you don’t have the slightest clue. “but I don’t think it’s healthy in thinking about me every single moment when you are busy dealing with the bad guys.”

he smiled.

that damn smile of his that easily makes you melt, the very same one that could easily blind anyone in the house—in this case, outside.

“well, I think it’s pretty normal for a boyfriend to miss their cute and sexy significant other…” mark kisses your check, making you blush as he holds your chin closer to his, preparing you for another kiss. this time, he plants one right at your lips. “and why i shouldn’t think about you? my incredible and wonderful [name] who is one of the best people to be around and is an incredible healer? like, you are probably one of the best thing that ever happened to me. did I ever told you that?”

a giggle comes out of your lips, only to intensify his love for you. mark never fails to make you feel special, even after the long hours of studying and long hours of healing others heroes of the world, he still manages to sparkle a little bit of energy inside you to stay awake for him.

your hand cradle his face, brushing against his skin until you see it—a faint cut on his cheek. almost unnoticeable, barely there, a tiny wound on his cheek. he probably earned it from the countless fights he’s thrown himself into today. he hasn’t even notice it. but you did.

“stay still.” you said.

your voice is soft, but firm as you hold him gently, touching him almost as featherlight. then, pressing your lips just above the wound, you leave a fleeting kiss—too brief for mark’s liking, but enough. the cut seals beneath your touch, vanishing as it were never there.

for a moment, he says nothing. then, he absentmindedly drag his thumb over his cheek—where your lips has been, where the wound was before—he exhaled. his smile grows bigger when pulling you to his lap, caressing your skin when planting a kiss at your lips, this time more deeply than the one you gave him prior.

mark doesn’t waste time either with his hands, holding your waist closer to him, and not letting you break the kiss apart before taking a taste of your lip balm.

and it’s only then when mark pulls away, but not before stealing another kiss of you when pressing his forehead against yours. his hands holding your cheeks and caressing the sweet apples of your face.

if only time could stop right now, you won’t wish for anything else but to look at his beautiful eyes for eternity. the very same ones that made you fall in love with him ages ago.

“I love you, [name].” he said. “you are one of the greatest things that ever happened to me, you know that, right?”

mark looks at you expectantly of your answer. he already knows the answer, knows what you feel for him since the first date he took you and since the moment he told you about being the famous hero knows as invincible. and despite all of it, mark still the lovestruck man just for you.

the smile never left your face, only increasing when kissing the corner of his lips. “of course, mark.” his hands went lower to your waistband, already holding it like his life depends upon it. “I love you and I will always love til my last breath.”

that’s it.

hearing those words makes him fully energized, already forgetting about the long hours of figuring crimes against dangerous villains and arguing with others supers.

the argument he had with cecil early today has already been dismissed from his mind. he doesn’t need to think about that catastrophe from his failed attempt to have a conversation with the GDA, not when mark has his emotional archon with him right now.

and it’s you. of course.

mark has voice many times and will continue to do it so, but he can’t just be quiet about how much he loves you. even that makes other people already feeling tired of hearing another hour of him blubbering about his perfect and incredible significant other.

he is a guy in love, and he can’t help himself from falling harder for you.

[dalishious]

This is an excerpt from my work-in-progress large meta examination on thet qunari from DAO through to DATV. But since that is taking a long time, I thought it might be worth it to post this piece alone now, since it works on its own as well.

-----

The Qunari Design

In Dragon Age: Origins (DAO) the qunari all had the same brown metallic skin. This is because the developers only bothered to make one skin tint for the use of Sten, the qunari companion. They gave this skin tint to every other qunari NPC as well. This is also why there is only the one hairstyle that Sten uses for qunari, with the few NPCs either being bald or using his same hair. Essentially, Sten was the blueprint for all qunari, originally.

No qunari have horns in DAO like they do in the rest of the franchise. According to developer David Gaider, the qunari were always meant to have horns, but did not in DAO because it would have meant Sten couldn’t wear a helmet. This led to the lore decision that some qunari are born hornless as a rare genetic quirk, to account for the later change in design.

Dragon Age II (DA2) saw a drastic change in how the qunari look. Unlike the elves, humans, and dwarves in DA2, the qunari do not use head morphs allowing for individual designs; they have standardized creature models. (The only exception in the base game is the Arishok, who has his own special model.) The qunari moved from having Sten’s brown skin to grey metallic skin, their eye sclera was changed to black, and they were given the horns the developers originally wanted.

It is a well-known fact that DA2 was under immense development restrictions that led to all kinds of cut corners. However, it is worth pointing out the negative impact of choosing an entire race’s design functionality as one of those cut corners. The qunari in DA2 are, for the most part, treated like nothing but unthinking monsters for Hawke to squish, no different than giant spiders or darkspawn. Making them all look the same adds to this effect; they are stripped of any sense of personable traits.

A medium between DAO and DA2 was reached in Dragon Age: Inquisition (DAI), through introducing the player’s ability to make a qunari protagonist. DAI allows the player to choose between few brownish and a few greyish skin colours for their qunari character. The black sclera was changed to white again, as the qunari use the same eye texture and colouring functionality as all the other races. The character creation works just the same for qunari as it does for any other race, allowing for individual appearances left to the player’s imagination. However, as far as NPCs go, there are no qunari in the base game of DAI, making Iron Bull as a companion the only qunari presence until the Trespasser DLC. This does not leave much room to judge the appearance of other qunari characters.

DATV is just like DAI in its character creation capabilities, with the one expansion being the player can make their character have black sclera like in DA2 if they so choose. For all DATV’s faults with the qunari, at least we can say that the character creation is great. Taash and their mother Shathann also have lovely, unique designs. Where things become uncomfortable with the qunari designs… is in the Reavers.

It is established lore from the previous franchise installments that Reavers gain their special powers through drinking draconic blood, though these Antaam Reavers have been altered by Ghilan’nain. My personal assumption is that blighted dragon blood was used. Regardless of how these Reavers came to be, they are unprecedented, horrific monsters, and it is only ever qunari that we see subjected to this kind of disfigurement. This really doubles down on turning them into standardised monsters like in DA2.

Going through all these qunari design changes can make a player’s head spin. But I believe it is an important, visual example of an overarching theme with the qunari: the developers have never really cemented what they want them to be. The writing throughout the years suggests the same.

-----

Stay tuned for the full piece sometime in the future, where I will get into the writing!

[theshadowsingersraven]

Kind of adjacent to a post I saw earlier and I think this is similar to a point the OP was trying to make but moreso I want to make.

I hate how much people can at times act like Azriel's romantic potential starts and ends with Elain. I get having a bad taste in your mouth after the BC since he was using unhealthy coping mechanisms. But Elain is also avoiding the reality of her mating bond, and I've personally always interpreted Azriel and Elain to have the same depth of feelings.

I believe they're both using each other.

I don't really think Azriel hurting Elain in that moment or using his attraction to her as an unhealthy coping mechanism is really that much of an indictment on his character. I also don't believe that Azriel would become a "player" or "scummy" for projecting whatever lingering feelings he has towards Mor and the idea that they would be mates onto Elain now only to end up with Gwyn in the end. Especially if we don't know if Elain is doing the exact same thing he is, consciously or unconsciously. And even if it was that deep or if Elain harbors hurt or resentment, characters hurt their love interests all the time, even when they don't end up together. (Chaol, Nesryn, & Aelin being immediate examples that come to mind).

So I don't really feel like it's fair to center Elain and their BC interaction in how Azriel is characterized around romance as a whole when we have books worth of him pining over Mor from a distance.

We have him volunteering to go dancing with Mor (something we learn he later does enjoy all on his own in the HOFAS BC). We have him acting on the desire to protect her despite laying on the floor bleeding out before Hybern, for example.

And even his platonic interactions show his kindness and overall thoughtfulness, particularly with Feyre, Nesta, and Gwyn. But I want to showcase the moment that, in hindsight, made me love Azriel as much as I do:

“I don’t really know where I fit in anymore,” I admitted, perhaps only because the wind was screeching around us and Rhys had already winnowed ahead to where Cassian’s dark form flew—beyond the wall. “I’ve been alive almost five and a half centuries, and I’m not sure of that, either,” Azriel said.

This line didn't initially stand out to me at first until we get into ACOFAS, where Rhys says this about Azriel:

Azriel studied the map for a long minute. I gave him the silence, knowing that he’d speak only when he was damn well ready. As boys, Cassian and I had devoted hours to pummeling Az, trying to get him to speak. He’d never once yielded.

To me, this categorizes Azriel as a character that is never kind out of obligation or expectation, but simply kind and thoughtful out of the conscious choice to be this way. He chooses when to speak, when to take action.

Does that mean he's without flaw or that people are always going to like him? No, absolutely not. No character is going to be universally loved. And I understand that favoring characters has so much to do with personal preference on top of it, which is never truly going to be "right" or "wrong".

My post isn't really to try and convince people to like Azriel, it's more to acknolwedge that Elain is but one brief aspect to his overall character's romantic (and subsequently healing) arc and shouldn't be the only lense through which we view him. Azriel has been alive for over 500 years, and Elain has only been in his presence for two of those years. Mor has been around for all of them.

I think it's more prescient to view Azriel's romantic potential through more than just the lense of how he interacted with Elain.

[mallory524]

Hello!

Bob meeting reader at a bookstore where they reach out for the same book and the conversation goes from there! :) The rest can be up to you!

Take your time and thank you!

(This is adorable)

something new

bob x reader

tags- thunderbolts spoilers*, occurs months after events of thunderbolts, bookstore meet cute, kiss on cheek oooo, the thunderbolts are a nervous wreck (and kinda nosy)

word count- 1513

notes- past few days have been crazy so that’s why posting has been scarce

The bookstore’s such a nice break from the loud chaotic streets Bob just walked along to get there. It’s warm and peaceful inside, and some songs that Bob recognizes are playing softly over the speakers. He could stay here for hours.

Bob walks up and down the rows, occasionally pulling out a book and sitting on the carpeted floor to read the description and maybe a chapter or two.

He’s made it to the back of the store, in the furthest corner from most of the other customers, when a book with a light blue cover and an intricate little design catches his eye. He reaches for it, but so does someone else.

He looks up to apologize and he ends up just saying nothing for a few seconds. This stranger, whose hand he’s still touching by the way, is gorgeous.

He pulls his hand away. “Sorry”

You just smile back at him. “Don’t worry about it.”

There’s another beat of silence.

Bob doesn't know exactly what to do. Why are neither of us walking away or anything? Why are we both just standing here? What am I supposed to say? I have to say something-

Luckily you break the silence for you both.

“You take it,” you say, gesturing to the book.

“Oh, uh thank you. I’m... just looking around and checking stuff out, you know,” he tells you. He's trying to sound casual, as if his heartrate isn't starting to pick up just a little.

You try for that energy, too. “Yeah, yeah same.”

You look at him for a moment. This guy’s really cute, what with his soft oversized sweater and dark curls. It's weird, though. He’s really familiar...

"I feel like I know you. Maybe I've seen you around town?" you suggest.

Bob knows it’s pretty likely that you recognize him from that day Valentina introduced the group as the New Avengers, and all the ensuing press coverage, but he doesn't want to talk about any of that right now. He just wants to talk to you about something normal.

"No, probably not. I don't get out very much," Bob tells you, and then immediately worried that that sounded too cold.

It's true, he really doesn't leave the tower much unless he's with the team. They all tell Bob to go out and do something fun while they're off on some mission he can't go on, but he always insists he loves hanging out at home- which he really does. It's nice. However, today felt different for some reason. He really felt like getting out there and trying something new. Now he's really glad that he did.

“Hm. Maybe I was wrong,” you say, “but I’m meeting you now. What’s your name?”

“Bob” he answers, extending his hand with a little smile.

You introduce yourself and then take his hand in yours. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Bob.”

Bob feels the energy shift just slightly. He doesn’t know how so - and he doesn’t know why - but something’s different.

This is where conversations with strangers are supposed to end. But he can’t. Your words and actions seem so... intentional. The way your hand gently held his for a second longer than you typically would for a handshake. The way you’re looking at him, with so much care ... you're making it impossible for Bob to walk away.

He tries to keep the conversation going - super casually.

"It's really nice outside-"

"Bob do you want to grab something to eat?" you say, pointing at the little cafe on the other side of the store, effectively cutting him off.

His eyes widen just a little and you try not to smile. You clearly caught him off guard with that one, but you knew what he was doing; he was trying, but he wasn't about to make a real move.

"Yes. I would like that."

The two of you sat in there, happily snacking and chatting and getting to know each other for a long time. You talked about your friends, your favorite movies, your favorite books, what books you both think should’ve never been adapted to movies, your favorite places to shop, and on and on- You’re there for two hours before Bob decides he’d like to check out a thrift shop you'd mentioned.

You go and mostly just walk around the store looking at stuff, but Bob does end up buying a few things.

"What do you think of this sweater?" he says, throwing it on over his clothes. You reach out and touch the material, and it's the closest you and Bob have stood the whole night.

"I think it looks really nice on you. It's soft."

You look up and meet his eyes, and just then your phone starts loudly ringing. "Sorry, I've gotta take this."

You step outside for a moment, and Bob realizes he never took his phone off silent after leaving the bookstore.

He really should’ve done that earlier. 8 missed calls. 22 new messages.

He only has to read the last four texts in the group chat to understand that the Thunderbolts got home and didn't see him and now they’re getting frantic.

yelena- bob im so serious where did you go

bucky- If you’re out doing something fun, don’t stop on our account. Just let us you’re alright

john- you’re freaking us out. yelena’s about to search the entire city

john- call us

bob- sorry guys, I’m good don’t worry

yelena- oh thank god

john- WHERE WERE YOU

bob- i met someone and we’re out right now and my phone was on silent. I’ll be home soon

ava- ooooo you met someone??

yelena- WHAT

john- you’ve been ignoring us for 3 hours because you’re on a date?

john- but seriously congrats buddy

bob- it’s not a date

yelena- are you sure??

You come back and he puts his phone back in his pocket without responding to Yelena.

“Sorry I had to answer that. I was talk to someone from work about something we have to do tomorrow.”

Bob smiles, “Ah, don’t worry about it.”

Since you have work in the morning and Bob has 5 people waiting for him to get home, you decide to call it a night.

You’re walking along the city streets and taking in all the sights and sounds of the night. You notice the Watchtower in the distance and stop walking. “It really is pretty when it’s all lit up like that,” you say.

Bob decides now is probably the time to tell you the truth.

"It’s funny, that’s- that’s actually where I live. Those "new Avengers" are my friends. I didn't want to bring it up because ... it’s all so complicated, and I didn't want that to be the only thing we talked about. I should've mentioned it earlier, though."

He looks at you, waiting for some kind of exaggerated response (or for you to not believe him at all) but he’s just met with a sweet smile.

"I know," you say. "I figured it out a little while ago. I realized I'd seen you on the news… Plus, when you were telling stories about your friends, you kept referring to them by their names."

"Oh, well I'm sure that was a big clue," he says, laughing a little. He's glad you know - and he's especially glad that it doesn't seem to matter or change dynamic at all.

“I was more interested in hearing about you, Bob,” you tell him, taking a step closer to him. He’s looking at you like he’s trying to figure out if this is real. If you’re really standing in front of him and speaking to him so sweetly.

“Uh, I had a good time today. Would you want to do something again?” he asks, praying he didn’t misread this and this could be something that actually happens again.

"I thought you’d never ask. I’d love to. Can I have your phone?" you say, and proceed to add yourself to his contacts, with a little ":)" next to your name.

A minute or so later, you successfully hail a cab to share. You reach the tower, and as Bob is about to get out, you stop him and quickly kiss him on the cheek.

“Thank you for a nice day. I had a good time.”

Bob nods and steps out, and the cab drives further and further from sight, but he’s still just standing there. Totally shocked.

He gets in the elevator and savors the quiet moment. It’s warm and the only sound is the faint hum of the elevator lifting him up to floor the Thunderbolts are on.

He knows that when he steps out of that elevator, they’re going to say "you scared us to death!" and "please do not ignore your phone like that again", and then they’ll have a thousand questions about you. He’ll have to tell them that they were right: it is good to get out and do something new every once in a while; sometimes you meet really cool people.

[toning-seros]

selfless to self-care: reki's character development summarized into one track

i think one of the most underrated aspects of sk8 the infinity is its soundtrack. as a (totally sane and normal) fan of the anime, i've been listening and relistening to its soundtrack to the point where its become a little game of mine where i guess what track plays in a portion of an episode i'm rewatching.

anyhow, the choice of music that plays in sk8 also holds a deeper critical meaning besides it sounding cool. and i wanted to discuss about that today with my home sliced bread sliced no. 1 all-time favorite redheaded kin of all time: reki kyan. because upon rewatching episode 5, i recognized a certain track that played during one scene that also plays later on during one of the most iconic scenes nearing the end of the series, and i don't think enough people are talking about it.

early on in episode 5, reki drops hints that foreshadow his disregard for his own wellbeing (that later gets addressed post-beach episode), prioritizing langa's safety above everything else, even though it was him that was physically recovering and experienced trauma from ad*m. from his unserious attitude when he exited the ER, to him just flat-out saying that his own problems don't matter, he selflessly ignores his own problems to focus on others.

then in the middle of the episode, reki reveals that the reason he's so protective over langa is because his unnamed childhood friend got seriously injured from skateboarding--an event that traumatized both of them, to the point that his friend quit skateboarding, and presumably caused their close friendship to fall apart.

judging from reki's constant need to protect others, his lack of care towards himself, and most notably what he says here as he averts his gaze with a look of guilt on his face, it can be theorized that whatever happened to his friend that caused him to be hospitalized, he was atleast in some way involved in it. maybe he pushed his friend to do a really sketchy trick or something? (i hope this gets addressed in season 2 im begging) whatever it was, it dramatically changed reki's beliefs of himself and his self-worth that made him want to completely ignore his own problems in exchange of helping everyone around him. (until they inevitably build up and come crashing down on him [i.e episode 7])

but we already knew all of that. what i'm really here for is the music that plays in the background during the flashback scene. and the track that played, interestingly enough, was none of than…

change our lives

now, for the more seasoned viewers, you might have already recognized the name of the track as it also plays in a later episode. but if you haven't, then give it a quick listen and tell me if it sounds familiar to you…

that's right, it's the same track that plays in episode 10, when reki and langa finally began talking things out with each other after falling out, and they realize how much they meant to one another in a late night skate session that is the second gayest scene to ever come in a sports anime. however, since this is a reki-centered essay(?) and i'd already yapped enough, i'm only going to explain about how this scene meant for reki (forgive me, langa).

from manager oka (the goat) telling him he was special in his own ways and how it's okay to focus on his self-worth too, even if it feels like doing so would only drag him down even further, to when reki argued with tadashi about how skateboarding is about having fun and persevering through the rough patches because the hard times are what make one appreciate the progress it took for them to get where they are now, episode 10 was about Reki coming to terms with his own problems and allowing himself to address them, and learning how to move forward from them by firstly learning how to love and take care of himself.

so why is this relevant, you may ask? why compare two drastically different scenes from the series that seem to have no connection with each other?

well, it's because the track both scenes were used in serves as a symbol for reki's arc in the series. it highlights reki's character development from being unhealthily selfless, to realizing he needed to love and prioritize himself too in a way that comes full circle. even from the name of the track itself, "change our lives", it signifies how reki's life has been changed twice, both in a harmful way and in a positive way.

in episode 5, "change our lives" marks reki's shift in his mindset pre-series, putting others first and protecting them all the while disregarding his own well being, all because of the hospitalization of his friend that traumatized them both so bad that it caused his friend to quit skateboarding entirely, and leading him to question his own self-worth.

contrastingly, in episode 10, "change our lives" marks reki's realization that his wellbeing and health (mentally and physically) matter just as much as everyone else's, leading to him being more willing to appreciate himself. and he couldn't have done that without langa shower him with compliments that affirmed his self-worth.

two scenes, two people reki loved the most who changed his views of himself, all tied together with one track.

[peatbogbody]

MINGI

MINGIMINGIMINGI

oops this took me a lifetime to finish

Mingi was actually the last ATEEZ member whose face I was able to consistently put to the name, I have to admit it was right after I bought my tickets for their concert last year that I was like "...I should probably know who all of these people are 😳". TBF since I started listening to them in late 2022, up to that point, I'd been mostly just listening to their music and watching a few of their MV's and familiarizing myself with The Lore a bit, and hadn't really dove into their performance vids or side content much at all. From their music alone I'd already placed them in my top 3 groups, but I finally fell deep into the rabbithole of everything else in the couple weeks after the concert when I was laid up with COVID that I'd gotten at the concert (😳) bingeing instagram reels. (tbh I am ECSTATIC that they're already having another tour bc although I LOVED the last concert, as soon as I realized how much I didn't know about them, I was immediately like HI I NEED A DO-OVER NOW)

this bit specifically awakened many things within me.

However, it's been a long time coming but especially now since I started this series and also have been reading work by other ATEEZ meta writers, I feel secure in declaring that Mingi has ascended beyond bias-wrecker status to fully-fledged double-bias. (I maintain that all other members are still S-tier wreckers though. Having a bias in ateez is HARD. i keep thinking i'm set but then every week a different member comes waltzing by wiggling their fingers at me and its SO RUDE. anyways).

this has to come with a lot of defensive caveats of NOT LIKE THATTT bc of certain...stereotypes surrounding mingi ults. i mean it's not entirely NOT that...i do have eyes...but it's also so much MORE than that. i swear.

It's so hard to put things in words (extra LOL at this like 6 weeks later) but here goes.

oh i can use readmores lol

Okay so. The Duality. It can be more than a little cheesy when kpop fans crow all day about ~THE DUALITYYY~ like yeah. first off everyone has duality. you're not the same person in the crowd at the show as you are at your 9-5 on a monday. imagine if idols who had intense concepts just like. walked around in character for those roles 24/7 like what in the daniel day-lewis.

but sometimes the discrepancy between the different "modes" of a performer can still be impressive to see and fun to compare. and wow there sure is a discrepancy here.

mingi's on-stage/performance, FIX ON energy has been heavily discussed. he's got a way of working a crowd that's awe-inspiring, a way that's known to incite "bringing a pen to the concert just in case there's an NDA that needs to be signed" type moods. the way he can get an entire stadium of people BARKING LIKE DOGS, literally, with just a flick of his fingers? enviable. (and potentially terrifying to the uninitiated.) OKAY i was going to say this but i just went to a day6 concert and it turns out that fans will just Do This without any prompting. i stand by mingi still having a particular Way of doing it though and overall a power over crowds that's kinda scary.

poor day6 were so confused it was hilarious

but actually, to my eyes, it's like Fix On is SO over-the-top it's bordering on camp? (i stole this observation from someone (although i'd kind of independently registered it) but forgot who it was. if you wrote about this speak up!). but yeah it's like. almost veering into drag king performance. male impersonation type shit. it's a full on character. this may be one of the secrets behind the mysterious mingi/seonghwa synergy, in the way they get so deeply immersed in character onstage. i'd probably be a little or maybe a lot scared to run into either of them immediately post-performance (but also 🥵).

and then we get moments when this persona will be "broken" by something suddenly and mingi just bursts into that big cheesy smile and it's SO CUTE.

about that cuteness.

ymmv ofc but seeing this guy...

stalking around pelvis-first (I can't find it but that clip of the members making fun of the way he does the driving dance sums it up) on stage, then turn around and INSIST that he's actually Princess Minki, baby chick, aegyo world champion, just intensifies the cuteness. it's the way he's so emphatic that he's CUTE that makes it inherently true, but not directly as a result of the aegyo itself, rather it comes from the intention. if fixed-off mingi really wants to make us believe this, l'm making the decisive choice to take the bait and take him at his word. clown makeup ON, peace and love on planet earth.

who the FUCK are you to deny this man his god-given right to be cute as fuck? get outta town.

to name one example of a behavior that draws me to him in a very leftatlondon "haha, i do that...🥲" way: the way he'll do what I think of as kinda, vocal stimming? with song lyrics (like this whole video oh my god). idk if that's what it is but like, I ALSO sing a lot as self-regulation like when I'm anxious, bored, waiting or a combination of those things.and settings where i see him doing this fit the bill of moments when I would probably be doing the exact same thing. for instance, if i was doing a live in front of thousands of viewers and had run out of boyfriend-RP material and vague platitudes to give but still had time to fill. i would probably also resort to random asmr/vocal percussion. anyways i just Know he paces around whispering various words and phrases to himself.

sidenote, i have to say from experience that the kind of earworms you get when you've been practicing and performing pieces for a concert/etc especially when you do more than one show, are unlike any other kind. they are insidious. i cannot IMAGINE doing this for dozens of shows on a tour or a comeback. i'd lose my mind. idk how they don't end up utterly sick of title tracks by the end of the comeback period. so anyways we do see other members randomly singing a lot, but I haven't really heard anyone playing with the words in the way Mingi does.

i'm not gonna directly comment on the neurodivergency thing but will just say, i See Behaviors 👀. i won't outright say there's Nothing going on.

others have commented on mingi's apparent lack of interest/ability to self-censor his speech, actions or affect even in very public settings. excuse the possible projection, but i recognize this behavior not as coming someone who doesn't know or care about social norms, but due to whatever reason is unable to perform Normal Behavior consistently enough that they've developed a strategy of pointedly abandoning the public pretense of even attempting to do so. if you fuck up at being a person it's because you weren't even trying and you don't even really care :) (but actually you DO care, a lot and you WERE trying).

leaning much more extraverted than myself, mingi seems to do this more automatically and externally than i do.

this type of attitude can have both healthy and unhealthy applications but in mingi's case it seems to be working out pretty well. i'd be interested in seeing a comparison of his persona over time, especially pre- and post-mental health break.

but yeah basically us socially weird and anxious babes yearn for the days of lol random xd tacos. mingi baby u would have thrived in 2007.

and he just comes across as super sweet and sincere and the members clearly adore him. and mingi laugh attacks (a la this vid at around the 14:40 mark heyy look foreshadowing for jonghoposting) are truly soul-cleansing, skin-clearing, crop-watering etc.

i adore this like default awkward closed-mouth smile/grimace he does it's another very "i do that...." thing

anyways also mingi's super captivating to watch onstage and a fucking fire rapper and musician. not just onstage. i LOVE his singing voice too. but i can't spend a second more on this post and i have a whole musical analysis series planned where i'll definitely touch on this stuff more.

just an example of the power of Mingi. this is a challenge for sb19's own fucking account but it's actually impossible to keep your eyes on anyone but mingi

okok shhh don't cry here's a close up version

anyways i've been sitting on this post for far too long and needed to remind myself that these were never supposed to be comprehensive character dissections, just off-the-cuff impressions based on vibes and THATS MY OPINION. so i'm ending it here bye i will be writing about our dear wooyoung next.

again im not gonna discuss ship stuff on these posts its TOO MUCH

[four-loose-screws]

Would you say Tharja is more abrasive in English than Japan? I don't see people talk about it but everytime I see Japanese tharja she just seems more chill? I dunno if it's cherry picked lines or something. Like she says she loves noire versus English where she adds that "don't make me say it again."

I know Rhajat in English is more abrasive but I'm wondering if the same was true of Tharja.

This question was a bit harder to answer than I thought it would be! How a character’s lines come off actually depends a lot on the person reading the support. What feels abrasive to one person, might not to another.

In short - Overall, Tharja is abrasive, and sometimes just downright cruel, in the Japanese version as well. That being said, there’s definitely examples of the localization playing it up as well, and those examples do have some impact on her overall character.

This post got very long as I found more and more things I wanted to point out in Tharja’s supports, so I broke it down into several parts! Consider it a general analysis of Tharja’s character at some points, just as much as it is an answer to the initial question from Anon.

Part 1: The Tharja / Noire support

Since it’s the one direct example Anon gave in their Ask, let’s talk about the Tharja / Noire A support first. First, I’ll translate the last chunk of it.

From Tharja / Noire A:

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…未来の…私の気持ちが、

…わかってしまったからよ。▼ (...Because I know… my future self’s feelings.)

[ノワール]  (Noire)

未来の…母さんの気持ち？▼ (Your future self… Mother’s feelings?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…母親のことを信じて疑わない

無垢な我が子に…▼ (Her innocent daughter, who trusted her mother and did not doubt her..)

呪術なんて覚えさせたくない… (She did not want you to learn hexes.)

呪いは…とても危険なものだから。▼ (Because hexes are… very dangerous things.)

きっと未来の私も… (Surely my future self also…)

同じだったんだと思うわ。▼ (was the same, I think.)

[ノワール] (Noire)

私…愛されてたの…？ 母さんに…ちゃんと…▼ (She… loved me…? Mother… really…?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…そうなんじゃない？ (...She did, didn’t she?)

今の私が…そうであるように。▼ (Just like… the present me does.)

[ノワール] (Noire)

うぅ…母さん…▼ (Waaah… Mother…)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

つ、つまらないことを言ったわ。▼ (I-I said something so absurd!)

それより…呪術は教えたくないけど (More importantly… I don’t want to teach you hexes, but)

ほかに仕込むことがたくさんあるわ。▼ (There are many other things for you to learn.)

しっかりと…ついてきなさい。▼ (Come with me… and don’t fall behind.)

[ノワール] (Noire)

は、はい！　母さん！▼ (Y-Yes! Mother!)

Localization:

Tharja: ...I think I've come to understand the motives of my future self.

Noire: What?

Tharja: I don't want you dealing in hexes. The dark arts carry with them tremendous risks. My future self knew as much...

Noire: You think that she was worried for my safety? That...she loved me?

Tharja: Can't say. Not about her, at least. ...But I love you, if that helps.

Noire: Mother...

Tharja: Just don't expect to me to say it often! ...Or maybe ever again. And just because hexes are off the table doesn't mean I have nothing to teach you. There are more ways than hexing to skin a cat. ...Or other things. Heh. So pay attention, and try to follow along.

Noire: Oh yes, ma'am!

The localization changed what Tharja says after she tells Noire she loves her. Let’s see how each version measures up to the other! 

I actually think the Japanese might be even more abrasive than the localization.

This is partially because Anon remembered the localized line a bit incorrectly - Tharja doesn’t say “don’t make me say it again,” she says “don’t expect me to say it often … or ever again.” The connotation difference between “make” and “expect” is pretty big. Saying “I love you” rarely, or not at all, doesn’t make someone a worse parent necessarily, so long as a secure bond is made in other ways. Some people think less is more when it comes to expressing love. Sometimes people are not openly affectionate parents because that’s just not their local culture. Tharja’s tone in this context does still feel a bit harsh, but it’s not inherently a bad thing to not express love often. 

So what about the Japanese? Tharja describes her declaration of love as “tsumaranai.” I translated it to “absurd” in my translation above, but “tsumaranai” can have some other connotations depending on the context. I see it most commonly used to mean something is “boring.” It can also mean “useless” or “unimportant.” So it was tough to pick one word to use in my translation, but no matter which definition of “tsumaranai” we apply to Tharja’s line in this support, she is dismissing her expression of love as something not meaningful. I’ve got no alternate reading for that, like I did for her localized line.

So I think deciding which version comes off as more abrasive, really depends on how each person reacts to Tharja’s Japanese vs. localized line. 

Part 2: Lines that I think summarize Tharja’s personality the best, and how they differ in Japanese vs. localization

While I was reading all of Tharja’s supports in Japanese, I found a few snippets of dialogue that I thought described her personality very well in a nutshell. Did the localization translate these lines more directly, or change the meaning a bit too much in my opinion? Let’s find out!

This is from Tharja / Ricken A:

Japanese:

[リヒト] (Ricken)

サーリャさんも誤解されがちだけど、(People just tend to misunderstand you, but,)

意外といい人だよね。▼ (you’re actually a surprisingly good person!)

不気味に見える行動にも理由があるし (And you have reasons for your actions that seem creepy,)

体を張って呪術を教えてくれるし…▼ (And you put yourself at risk to teach me hexes…)

笑うとすごく綺麗だし…▼ (And when you smile, it’s really pretty…)

もっとサーリャさんのいいところを (More of your good side)

みんなに見せればいいのに。▼ (you should show it to everyone!)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ふふっ…理解は求めていないわ。(Fu fu… I do not seek understanding.)

私は私のしたいようにするだけ…▼(I merely do as I want…)

Localization:

Ricken: People are all wrong about you, Tharja. You're actually really nice! I mean, even though you seem creepy, you let me practice on you. Maybe you should show more of that side instead of the doom and gloom. I mean, your smile is pretty, you know? You should show it more.

Tharja: I like the way I am.

I think the exact meaning of the Japanese was lost from Tharja’s dialogue here, and it’s unfortunate in my opinion. In the Japanese, Tharja doesn’t respond to Ricken by saying she likes herself the way she is, but that she does simply as she wants/ pleases. I think this describes her very well in a nutshell. Sometimes she’s a cruel dark mage who has no qualms about hurting others if it means she can master a new hex, but other times she will go out of her way to help people. How can the same person act so differently from one situation to the next? Well, that’s an easy answer! She simply does whatever she wants, and the feelings of others are secondary to how she feels. Even when she’s helping someone else, her own feelings are her primary motivation. I think that nuance that I picked up on is totally lost in the localized line, and it’s unfortunate.

This line in the localization also portrays Tharja differently from the Japanese. The idea that Tharja is protecting her reputation as a dark mage was newly added. In Japanese, she only says that she wanted to repay Donnel’s favors.

From Tharja / Donnel A:

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…勘違いをされては困るからよ。▼ (...It would be a nuisance if people got the wrong idea.)

[ドニ] (Donnel)

勘違い、誰にだべ？▼ (Who would get the wrong idea?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

貴方にも、他の連中にも…よ。▼ (You, and the others in the army…)

私は貴方が願ったから

儀式を行っただけ…▼ (I only performed the ritual… Because I asked you for favors.)

連中を助けたいという善意で… 

やったわけじゃないわ…▼ (Not at all because of the goodness of my heart wanting to help them…)

Localization:

Tharja: People might get the wrong idea.

Donnel: Whatcha mean?

Tharja: They might think I did it for some kind of...common good... Or out of the goodness of my heart. *shudder* I only did it to thank you for the help you've given me. If people think I've gone soft, I'm finished as a dark mage...

While those two examples are different in localization vs. Japanese, this little line that gives insight into Tharja’s personality (and Henry’s) is pretty much the same in both Japanese and localization. 

From Tharja / Henry B:

Japanese:

[ヘンリー] (Henry)

ん～…味方とか、よくわかんないな～。(Hmm~… I don’t really get this stuff about “allies” and whatnot~.)

悪いと思った奴と戦うだけじゃダメなの？▼ (Is it bad for me to just fight guys I think are bad?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…別に、駄目とは思わないわ…。(...I don’t think it’s bad, not really…)

私も、そうやってこの軍に来たのだから…。▼ (Because that’s the same reason I came to this army…)

Localization:

Henry: Aw, I don't get into politics. I just want to toss fireballs at bad guys.

Tharja: Interesting. That's the same reason I joined up.

Part 3: Examples of the Japanese and localized supports portraying Tharja the same

Here’s some examples where I think Tharja is equally abrasive in Japanese and localization.

S Support w/ Frederick: When she gets annoyed with Frederick, Tharja has no issue with telling him right off.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

その確認…もう五回目よ…。(I’ve confirmed that to you… Five times already…)

ちゃんと出るって言ってるじゃない…。▼ (I told you for certain that I am coming, didn’t I…?)

本当に、どういうつもりなの…。(What are you really planning…?)

貴方が去らないのなら、私が去るわ…。▼ (If you do not leave, I will leave…)

Localization:

Tharja: I've promised you five times already! Surely that's enough. Look, what do you really want? If you're not going to leave, I will.

C Support w/ Virion: Tharja minces no words in ordering Virion around, whether in Japanese or localization.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…くだらないことを言ってないで (...Do not say foolish things, and)

向こうの小川に橋でも架けなさい…▼ (go build a bridge over that stream over there…)

Localization:

Tharja: Enough chatter. You've got chores to do. Sputter and spidge... Build me a BRIDGE!

C Support w/ Stahl: Stahl’s reaction is so flustered in this example, that it shows just how curt and abrasive Tharja was being with him. 

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ひとつでじゅうぶんよ…▼ (One is enough…)

[ソール] (Stahl)

そ、そっか。ごめん、もしかしたら (G-Got it. Sorry, I thought maybe,)

君が遠慮してるんじゃないかと思って。▼ (you were holding back.)

窮屈に思うことがあったら (If you ever think you’re in a tough spot,)

なんでも相談してね。▼ (talk to me about anything, okay?)

Localization:

Tharja: One is enough.

Stahl: Right. Got it. Well, I guess I'd better, um... Yeah. Just let me know if I can do anything else for you, all right?

B Support with Kellam: In Japanese as well, Tharja threatens to curse Kellam for the mere act of accidentally sneaking up on her. And she also gets creeped out that he was worried about her family - which seems to me like a pretty normal thing for Kellam to do.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

きゃっ！？▼ (Kya!?)

あなた…今度いきなり話しかけたら (You… If you suddenly start talking to me next time)

呪うわよ…！▼ (I’ll curse you…!)

(skip a few lines)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…まだいたの？(...You’re still here?)

人の顔をじろじろ見て…悪趣味ね。▼ (Staring at a person’s face… is disturbing.)

[カラム] (Kellam)

ご、ごめん… (S-Sorry…)

僕も、気になってたから…つい。▼ (I was worried about them too… It was an accident.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

どうしてあなたが私の家族を (Why are you, about my family)

心配するの…？　おかしな人…。▼ (worried…? What a strange person…)

でも、まぁ…そうね。(But, whatever… I’ll tell you.)

みんな元気でやっているみたい。▼(They all seem to be doing well.)

あなたの家族はどうなの…？(How about your family…?)

返事はちゃんと届いた…？▼ (Did you receive a response from them…?)

Localization:

Tharja: Agh! What did I say about sneaking up on me like that? Next time, I'll turn you into a newt.

(skip a few lines)

Tharja: ...Are you still here?

Kellam: I was just anxious to know the news.

Tharja: Why do you care about my family? It's kind of creepy. But if you must know, it's from my parents and everyone is just fine. ...And your family?

C Support with Gaius: Tharja has no qualms about threatening to curse Gaius just for refusing her request, then proceeds to use him as a test subject throughout the rest of their supports. Though the wording is a bit different between Japanese and localization, the core of what Tharja does is not any different.

Japanese:

[ガイア] (Gaius)

なにやら怪しげだな。(Something seems weird about it.)

よしておいた方がよさそうだ。▼ (Seems best if I sit this one out.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ふぅん…やってくれないの？▼ (Hmm… So you’re not going to do it?)

[ガイア] (Gaius)

ま、そういうことだ。▼ (Yeah, that’s what I said.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

だったら…貴方から呪うけど、(In that case… I will hex you,)

それでいい？▼ (if you don’t mind?)

Localization:

Gaius: Um, yeah. I don't usually take sinister chuckles as an answer. Sorry, kid. Go find someone else to help with your weird hobbies.

Tharja: This is not a negotiable request.

Gaius: Oh? And what are you going to do about it, Sunshine? Curse me?

Tharja: Yes.

C Support with Libra: Tharja is about as blunt as can be in both versions when she tells Libra that she would not like to be bothered while preparing to cast her latest hex.

Japanese:

[リベラ] (Libra)

記憶を操る…そんなことが (To control memories… Such a thing)

本当にできるのですか？▼ (can you really do it?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

わからないから…研究してるのよ。(I don’t know, that’s why… I am researching it.)

…邪魔だから、向こうへ行きなさい。▼ (...You’re bothering me, so please go over there.)

Localization:

Libra: Is such a thing even possible?

Tharja: Well, I'll never know if you stand there and bother me, will I?

B Support with Lon’qu: Tharja is not suspicious of Lon’qu, because she is more curious about the possibility that a curse is causing his fear of women. She still can be pretty sassy with him though. While the localization and Japanese lines are a bit different, I think she’s pretty equally sassy with him in both accounts.

Japanese:

[ロンクー] (Lon’qu)

サーリャ。▼ (Tharja.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

あら…女嫌いの貴方が (Oh…? You, who hates women)

私になんの用…？▼ (what business do you have with me…?)

[ロンクー] (Lon’qu)

…………▼ (............)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

黙っていたらわからないわ… (If you remain silent, I won’t know…)

と言いたいところだけど…うふふ。▼ (Is what I want to say, but… Ufufu.)

察しはつくわよ… (If I had to guess…)

呪いを解いて欲しいんでしょう？▼ (you want me to dispel the curse, yes?)

Localization:

Lon'qu: Tharja.

Tharja: I'm not going to move across the room, if that's what you want.

Lon'qu: ......

Tharja: Okay, I have better things to do than watch you stand there with your mouth agape. You want me to dispel your fear, right?

C Support with Gregor: Tharja’s directness in saying that she does not want to talk to Gregor at first, is equally blunt in both Japanese and localization. 

Japanese:

[グレゴ] Gregor

よーう、サーリャ。(Yooo, Tharja!)

ちょっと訊いていいかい？▼ (Can I ask you something?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…お断りよ。私は今、忙しいの。▼ (...I refuse to answer. I’m busy right now.

[グレゴ] (Gregor)

つれないねぇ。おじさんの相手は (How cold! To an old man)

してられないってか。▼ (you cannot stand to make company?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

年齢なんて…どうでもいいわ。(Age… does not matter.)

単にあなたの相手をしたくないだけよ。▼ (I simply do not want to make company with you.)

[グレゴ] (Gregor:

おーっと、こいつぁきついねぇ。(Oh my, you are so harsh!)

加齢臭を理由にしてくれたほうが (If old person smell is the reason)

まだ救いがあるってもんだ。▼ (that will still save you.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

異臭には…慣れているわ。(Strange smells… I am used to them.)

でも、あなたの相手はしない…▼ (But I will not make company with you…)

Localization:

Gregor: Ah-ha! There is Tharja! Gregor is needing to ask question. Is all right, yes?

Tharja: I'm busy.

Gregor: Ah! You are not wanting be seen talking to old man like Gregor.

Tharja: Age has nothing to do with it. I'm just not interested in talking.

Gregor: Oy, little girl have tongue like snake. Very full of evil. Tharja could pretend to not liking old-man smell at least. Then Gregor is less insulted.

Tharja: You could smell like roses and fresh-cut grass. It wouldn't matter.

C Support with Donnel: Tharja mostly treats Donnel the same in both versions, taking full advantage of his willingness to help her. 

The S support is very directly translated as well, with Tharja asking Donnel to become her lifelong servant in both Japanese and localization.

Japanese:

[ドニ] (Donnel)

コウモリなら (If it’s a bat, then)

洞窟の中にいるだべさ。▼(they’re in the caves.)

サーリャさん、(Tharja,)

コウモリがほしいんだべか？▼(do you want a bat?)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ええ…呪術の儀式に (Yes… for this curse’s ritual)

どうしても必要だから…▼(it’s absolutely essential…)

[ドニ] (Donnel)

なら、おらが (Then I’ll)

ひとっ走りつかまえてくるだ。▼ (rush to go catch one.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ふふふ…私が儀式に使うと言えば (Fu fu fu… If I say I will use it in a ritual)

ドニはどんなものでも手に入れてくる…▼ (Donnel will go get anything at all…)

なにか望みがあるんだろうけど… (I wonder what he wants from me, but…)

ずいぶんと役に立つこと…▼ (he is quite useful…)

望みはそのうち聞いてあげるとして… (As I will ask what he wants sometime later…)

しばらくは利用させてもらおうかしら…▼ (I shall use him for a while yet…)

Localization:

Donnel: Shucks, they mostly live in caves down by the ol' fishin— Er, beg pardon, ma'am, but...did you just order me to go fetch a bat?

Tharja: Yes, I did. Sometime today, please.

Donnel: Well, all right then! I'll just toodle on down to the caves and flush one out!

Tharja: ...I can't imagine why that hayseed keeps following my orders. I haven't even had a chance to place a curse of servitude on him yet...

Part 4: Examples of the localization making Tharja more abrasive

Next, here’s some examples where I think the localization makes Tharja more abrasive.

C Support w/ Kellam: In Japanese, Tharja did not imply that she did not kill or turn into an animal the last person who snuck up on her. Nor is she sarcastic when Kellam offers to help mail her letter. In fact, she takes him up on the offer, if he doesn’t mind that it is going to Plegia.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

きゃっ！？▼ (Kya!?)

まったく気配に気づかなかったわ… (I didn’t notice your presense at all…)

あなた、呪いでもかかってるの…？▼ (Are you under a curse…?)

(skip a few lines)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

ペレジアに届けて欲しいんだけど、(I want it delivered to Plegia, but)

だいじょうぶかしら？▼(Is that OK?)

Localization:

Tharja: ...! The last person who snuck up on me like that isn't a person anymore. How do you stay so quiet? Is it a spell of some kind?

(skip a few lines)

Tharja:

...I know how to mail a letter. I just hope the postmen are still going to Plegia.

A Support w/ Kellam: While the B Support threat of Tharja cursing Kellam for sneaking up on her is in the Japanese as well, the A Support continuation of it was not.

Japanese:

[カラム] (Kellam)

サーリャ…。▼ (Tharja…)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…！▼ (...!)

[カラム] (Kellam)

ご、ごめん…。(S-Sorry…)

なるべくそっと呼んだんだけど…。▼(I called out to you as gently as I could, but…)

Localization:

Kellam: Hey, Tharja?

Tharja: Argh! ...That's it. Newt time for you.

Kellam: I'm sorry! I tried not to startle you! I clanked two pots together and everything! P-please don't turn me into a newt.... 

B Support w/ Vaike: While their Japanese support chain is also about Tharja telling Vaike to leave her alone as she stalks Robin, the localization plays up how aggressive she is towards him. In the Japanese B Support, she threatens to curse him for spying on her, but she certainly does far less than consider killing him, like the localization implies.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…いい気分に浸っていたのに… (...I was just getting into a bood mood…)

なんなのよ、突然。▼ (What do you want all of a sudden?)

まだ…私がルフレに (Do you still think… I’m)

なにかすると思ってるの…？▼ (doing something to Robin…?)

[ヴェイク] (Vaike)

いいや。今まで見張らせてもらったが (Not anymore. I was watching over you until now, but)

お前は悪い奴じゃなさそうだ。▼ (you don’t seem to be a bad gal.)

もう心配はしてねぇよ。(I ain’t worried anymore.)

…疑って悪かったな。▼ (...It’s my bad for doubting you.)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

そう…これ以上じろじろ (I see… if you were going to stare at me any further,)

見られていたら呪っていたわ。▼(I was going to curse you.)

Localization:

Tharja: ...Or perhaps I'll end my day by killing a man. What do you want, you great sack of suet? Are you spying on me again?

Vaike: Nope! Well, I mean, I WAS for a while, but I trust ya now. I had to make sure ya weren't up to any witchy business with my pal, Robin.

Tharja: If I catch you spying on me again, I'll turn you into a toad.

A Support w/ Vaike: At the beginning of their A Support, Tharja is dismissive towards Vaike, but the insult to his intelligence by implying that he throws his food waste on the ground was added in localization.

Japanese:

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

どうして…こんなところにいるの。(Why… are you in a place like this?)

食事の時間でしょう？▼ (It’s mealtime, isn’t it?)

Localization:

Tharja: Shouldn't you be off eating dinner with the others? I hear they're having lamb. You can throw the bones on the ground and everything.

C Support with Ricken: Tharja has very good reason for rejecting Ricken’s request to teach him dark magic, and she has to be aggressive about it, because he won’t take her first no for an answer. But the Japanese didn’t have her condescendingly tell him to go practice something else, so the localization is a bit more aggressive than the Japanese I think.

Japanese

[リヒト] (Ricken)

興味だけじゃないよ！ (It’s not just a whim!)

僕は真剣なんだ！▼ (I’m serious!)

僕、もっともっと (I, more and more,)

みんなの役に立ちたいんだ。▼ (want to help everyone out.)

そのためには、もっと成長しないと… (To be able to, I must grow more…)

広く、深く、もっともっと！▼ (I must learn more things, learn more about what I do know… more and more!)

[サーリャ] (Tharja)

…貴方が真剣なのはわかったわ。 (...I know you’re serious.)

でも…あきらめてちょうだい。▼ (But… give it up.)

Localization:

Ricken: I know! This is serious business! Super-deadly serious business! I'm trying to get as strong as possible so I can be a key part of Chrom's army. I'm studying fencing, wyvern riding, and even butter sculpting! ...You know. Just in case.

Tharja: Hexes and curses are a different animal. A wild, untamable beast. Now forget we had this conversation, and go practice your butter sculpture.

Part 5: How Tharja’s voice acting affects her portrayal

In addition to her dialogue itself, Tharja’s tone and voice type can also come off very differently in Japanese vs. localization. Her JP voice is soft, quiet, creepy, and trails off in an unsetting way (This is represented in text by her sentences nearly always ending in ‘…’ ). Her ENG voice is deeper, and unsettling in a dark villainess kind of way. I think both her voice types fit a dark mage like her perfectly, just in different ways. But without the soft and quiet aspects of her Japanese voice, her English voice type comes off much harsher.

I think that contributes a lot to how abrasive Tharja is in English vs. Japanese. Granted Awakening has limited voice acting, so the impact isn’t as big as in the fully voice-acted FE Warriors for example, but even the few words and sounds she does have in Awakening set Tharja’s tone a lot.

Part 6: Conclusion

And that’s all I have to say! 

As you can see, the localization did write Tharja to act more abrasive in select conversations. With her being abrasive in general, the overall change to her character is not very significant, but the change is definitely there.

If anyone has any follow-up questions, or questions about other FE characters in Japanese vs. localization, feel free to send me an Ask! I’ve gotten a lot of Asks so far this year, so I’m pretty backlogged, but I always get such interesting questions that I’m happy to answer them in time!

[usagi-chwan]

First meal with the in-laws, it goes wrong? (BSDxReader)

🌸 Characters in this post: Chuuya, Dazai, Atsushi and Oda.

🌸 Spoils: none, read without fear! This is a request from a reader on AO3.

So, here we take a look at what the BSD characters' first meal with their in-laws is like... Who, however, don't speak the same language.

I wish you an excellent read ;)

Chuuya

- He is anxious about many things, when it comes to meet his in-laws for the very first time. 

- First of all, like most people in his situation may feel: what if your parents do not think he is up to their child's standards, what if they think he is too much of this, not enough of that...? 

- And so, Chuuya finds himself dressed in all his best (and most expensive) clothes, to the limit of what is reasonable... But then you quite rightly point out that your parents are not going to be mean enough to reproach him for the way he dresses... And that his usual style is already magnificent. 

- Chuuya finally opted for a much more mundane and passe-partout suit ensemble, forgetting the bow tie too... Which was a bit too much, if you ask me.

- But he is also worried about a second thing: the fact that his work might not be to your parents' taste, which is understandable. On this side, for the moment, you and Chuuya have decided not to reveal your boyfriend's real job, and to simply say that he was an executive in an important company, without elaborating further. "As for the details, we'll see later," you told him with a reassuring smile. Which worked out rather well, by the way, if you ask Chuuya.

- But there was one last worry, and not the least. The language difference.

- Since his in-laws do not speak a word of Japanese, he is even more intimidated than usual, and you are forced to translate every sentence, which makes him a little guilty of making you "work" during all the evening like this.

- But when his now father-in-law brings out the wine bottles, the two men suddenly manage to get along and understand each other without a care in the world, and as if they have known each other for years too. It is a well-known fact that alcohol has the wonderful power to loosen tongues, is it not?

- (In moderation, of course ;))

~

Dazai 

- A little more at ease than Chuuya, or he keeps his cards close to his chest very well, which could also be the case. Or both solutions could be true, who knows.

- At the start of the meal, he is a little lost, even if he does not let it show, and lets you translate quietly, conversing with your parents through you with increasing ease.

- He eventually understands some words, and then his budding genius brain finally understands everything, even if he still needs you to translate what he means most of the time.... Even though he did not speak a word of your mother tongue at the beginning of the meal, or almost. 

- Your parents are blown away, of course, and Dazai leaves them with a pretty good impression... At least on your mother's side. 

- Because your father did not take too well Dazai's hand-kissing while greeting your mother. Oddly enough.

- Well, the truth is, even though your boyfriend seemed more than at ease throughout the meal... It is still weird for him to go through the whole "meeting your other half's parents" thing, because until now he had never experienced that, and had always ended his relationships before he could even begin to discuss meeting his in-laws. Which just goes to show how much he cares about you and your love!

- He is nevertheless a bit stressed, but only you can see it.... When you put your hand on his in the middle of the meal, he gives you a grateful smile, and everything unfolds like a fairy tale... Especially when your father finally forgets about the hand-kissing.

~

Atsushi

- He starts to panic just as your parents invite you over for the first time... Weeks before, so the poor boy is not out of the woods . Especially when he realizes that he does not speak the same language. 

- He stays glued to you the whole time, and turns to you with pleading eyes when your parents ask him questions he obviously does not understand... 

- And when you momentarily slip away, for example to go to the toilet....? It is the end of the world for poor little Sushi. So do not take too long! 

- He is convinced, in his little head which sometimes thinks a bit too much (and not in the best of ways), that he has messed up and that your parents do not love him... But it is actually quite the opposite; they have found him very cute and extremely respectful: the best son-in-law they could have, in short!

- And they do not hesitate for a moment to invite you both back... And, little by little, Atsushi finally puts aside his anxiety and fears, and simply enjoys the wonderful time he has had with his new family.

~

Oda

- The perfect example of someone who does not worry for a second, especially if you are there to translate for him. Otherwise, he can always use translators on his phone, so why stress?

- Honestly, if there was a contest for the best first impression, I think he would win it hands down. Your parents are so taken with this calm, well-mannered, thoughtful young man that they would almost want to make him their own son... But is it not kind of the case now? Do not feel too jealous!

- They are all the more touched when they learn that Oda takes care of orphans, too!

- But, as with Chuuya, you had both decided not to reveal Oda's real job, and you were content to say that he was an handyman in a big company... Yes, the exact opposite of Chuchu X)

- Otherwise, there is not much more to say... Apart from the fact that everything worked out for the best, even better than with Dazai. We call this the Oda syndrome, more specifically... Everything seems so simple and obvious that you cannot help but get caught up in it too!

[epiphanyepica]

Thoughts on Captive Prince

So, fun fact! I did not do chapter-by-chapter thoughts on Captive Prince's first book. I did send some of my reactions and scathing opinions about Laurent to my friend, though! So, I figured I'd share some of that with those of you who like these posts!

A few things to note is that most of these were texts, but I've reformatted or adjusted the wording on some of them to be better suited as reactions. I've also omitted the responses my friend sent to my texts, so some things may seem like they're apart of a conversation.

Now... be warned... I was not the biggest fan of Laurent in the first book.

...

Okay, so my first impressions of Captive Prince so far include:

1. I think I should give lesbian books a chance because this book described a woman in a seductive light one time so far and I immediately felt intrigued 🤣.

2. I love how Damen's type is pale, blond(e), and probably blue eyed, and guess what LAURENT IS.

Damen just called Laurent PRINCELING. My Kadolin heart is feeling like this is infidelity. A blond prince and a tan man who is beneath him, socially 😭 calling him 'princeling'.

I've gotten far enough into Captive Prince to begin questioning whether or not Laurent is redeemable or if I can really ship him and Damen.

Laurent, from Damen's POV anyway, and from his ACTIONS, is nearly just as bad as all the other power hungry, sadistic rapists in that court, to be honest.

Like, I'm sure he has backstory that explains it, but it does NOT excuse the fact that while he won't rape anyone himself, he'll have someone else do it to punish that person.

As it stands right now, I want Laurent to get his ass fucking kicked so badly. He's coming across as spoiled and sadistic and I deeply dislike it.

I also personally think he's a horrible person. Like I get that there's a backstory here that Damen doesn't know and Laurent grew up in Vere and they're practically all sadists there, but as it is, he's nearly just as bad as the rest of them because he not only doesn't do anything to change things, he perpetuates them.

I don't know if I'll ever like Laurent. He literally had someone raped to prove a point because he was acting like a spoiled prince not getting his way.

Laurent is a compelling character. I just hate his actions.

The whole situation is messed up, but I'm more on Damen's side because he doesn't turn a blind eye to the sadistic torture these slaves are enduring.

I'm like 50% of the way through book 1 currently, by the way.

I do have hopes for Laurent's character to improve, but right now, he's pissing me off so badly.

I'm not over here trying to debate whether or not Damen is in the wrong for his own participation with sex slaves, but that Laurent's handling of him seems worse than what Damen would do to a palace slave.

Damen goes on about how the palace slaves in Akielos are meant to be treated better and are trained to be treated better, but that they are being wildly abused in Vere because Veretians are so much more violent in this respect.

So far, I just want to punch Laurent, and to be fair, regardless of the backstory, I still thinks he deserves a punch or two.

Okay, I have things to say...

I have a love-hate relationship with Laurent because, right now, Damen has a love-hate relationship with him.

Anyways, Damen going outside and realizing that the other prince was FLIRTING with Laurent and he just randomly, without thinking about it, interrupted the whole thing. Like hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Also, Nicaise is THE REGENT'S PET AND HAS BEEN SINCE HE WAS TEN/ELEVEN YEARS OLD?

That man is a fucking pedophile.

And Damen respected him, too 😭.

And it's just giving me really bad vibes because of how Laurent interacts with Nicaise and it makes me wonder...

Like the Regent is a full on pedophile, and when they have nephews or nieces, those are usually their number one victims.

I love Erasmus. He's so sweet 🥺.

The pedophile Regent going on about how Laurent used to be such a "lovely boy" NAHHHHHHH.

RED FLAG 🚩 RED FLAG 🚩 RED FLAG 🚩.

The Regent took his sweet time with planning to kill Laurent and it's making me wonder if, perhaps, that's because he was useful to his uncle when he was a boy. NOOOOO 😭😭😭.

...

BONUS:

I have spent the last 45 minutes or so looking into getting other library cards for free to get Prince's Gambit sooner. None of the options were working for me and then BAM.

que maniacal laughter

...

PS: When I do a reread of this series someday–depending on how I feel about it once I finish it–I might do reread notes for Captive Prince and the rest of the trilogy for funsies. I think it'd be cool to react to my old theories and what not.

[httpssturns]

Blue Brimmed Hats ..featuring, gravity falls!Matt, gravity falls!reader, and a whole lot of nostalgia.

"God, I haven't been here in forever"

That's the first thing Matt said when stepping foot back into gravity falls. But, in reality, nothing has changed. Gravity Falls still has the same eerie croak of crickets in the night, the 'S' of shack is still hanging off of the sign, waiting for repair, and it's still so mysterious, like it has a gravitational pull on Matt's heart.

What is different, is the new girl that works at the mystery shack. Maybe now the shack has a real mystery other than the random spewing oil that comes out of Goldie, or his sister's cute but obnoxious pig, waddles.

When he first walks into the shack, he catches her eye and almost passes out. 'she's beautiful..' he catches himself thinking, and he has to shake the thought out of his head.

Matt eventually finds everyone but Wendy, the girl that he had the fattest crush on during his summer three years ago. 'I wonder where she is now...' he thinks to himself, with a feeling not of butterflies, but more of fondness and friendship he can't even explain.

Ever since she rejected him at thirteen, which was reasonable, they had built a more meaningful friendship of living in the moment instead of being so nervous that he didnt even remember what they did together. The more they actually stayed friends without all the mushy love feelings, the more he realized how much he missed out on while trying not to screw up in front of her.

'Wendy should be about eighteen now, maybe she doesn't work at the shack anymore..' the thought saddens him, and as happy as he felt seeing all of the nostalgic people and items, he can't help but have mixed feelings at the thought of not seeing Wendy anymore.

"Hello, can I help you with anything?" a female voice murmurs, and when he turns around he can't help but notice how shy she looks.

"No, I uh, I'm actually just here because.. Stan is my great uncle and I'm spending the summer here.." He says with a chuckle and a scratch of his head.

"Oh, yeah, you two kind of look related," She laughs softly, her voice smooth and shy.

"You know what? I'll take one of those hats." He says with a point of his finger. Her eyes travel to where he's pointing, and smiles as she sees the blue brimmed hat with the pine tree.

And as she grabs the hat for him, ringing it up and handing it to the boy, she can't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, they'd be seeing more of each other in the future.

୨♡୧ @bernardsbendystraws for the dividers ୨♡୧

✮ Soph's notes: ruining the 69 posts with this but ok, please tell me if yall think this is ass 😞

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[bloopitynoot]

Reading TGCF: Chapter 107

For those who don't know, I am reading TGCF for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag Bloopitynoot reads TGCF. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read BUT if you followed along with my SVSSS read, the rules and vibe are the same.

Today was draining day, but I was very glad to cozy up with this chapter and a lovely apple and apricot tea.

You can tell I was not mentally present with the dyslexia kicking up in the notes and the character oops LOL

Sorry in advance!

Let's get into chapter 107!

Thank fuck for rain master, since none of the others thought to call for help LOL p45

This statue is the love child of Hualian. You cannot tell me otherwise; I love this for them. p46

SO nefarious. White No Face teleporting the vengeful ghosts into cities. p47

I love how much Hua Cheng appreciates Yin Yu- he's competent with direct instructions. Being social is just hard. p48

Ignore my previous point. I did in fact confuse Yin Yu with Quan Yizhen RIP. Contributing to Yin Yu's trauma with that one.

Hua Cheng fully laughing at Mu Qing's pain LOL p50

omg. Jun Wu knew Xie Lian's preceptor was suspicious and didn't even say anything. p52

AWAKEN WHAT?! p53

JEEEZE

Jun WU. He knew what was happening and never thought it might be a good idea to inform Xie Lian about any of it.

What is the state preceptor who is older than time itself trying to awaken???????