#none of the guys are even interested in me

[lascvitae]

❦ — the beginning of an era

synopsis. after landing a main role in an upcoming kdrama, y/n moves away from home to fulfill her dreams. upon arrival, it seems that her co-star has taken a newfound interest in her.

pairing. actress!minjeong x actress fem!reader genre. fluff(?) warning(s). none.

word count: 1.3k

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ katty ᥫ᭡: okay so i wanna make this a mini series and i have a few ideas in mind but if you guys have any scenarios or ideas then please don’t hesitate to send an ask!!



series masterlist.

it was around twelve pm once y/n finally landed in the heart of south korea, miles away from home for one of the first times ever.

almost a month earlier she received a call that changed her life. she had been casted the main role of an upcoming kdrama and while she had to move to a serviced apartment in the city, it was everything that the girl dreamed of doing since the age of five.

ever since that point she had starred in musicals, as background extras, side characters and even the younger version of main characters. yet with all of that experience, it felt like something was missing. something that she had just found.

the countless billboards gave her a glimpse of the bright future ahead— there were tons of famous celebrities, some who she couldn’t even name. but there were definitely a few that stood out the most.

there was jun jihyun, who owned numerous awards for her talent and not too far away was song hyekyo. everyone that y/n laid her eyes upon had a high level of fame and it filled her heart with hope for what was to come.

today was the day she would meet her co-stars and the place that she would be calling ‘home’ for the next few months.

leaning against her luggage as she patiently waited for the vehicle to arrive, a few buses passed by to pick up the other pedestrians. only one bus caught her attention.

plastered onto the side of the bus was one of the most well-known actresses in the industry — kim minjeong. y/n studied the advertisement for a lip balm with an intrigued smile. she could already see her own face on the side of a limousine bus.

minjeong wasn’t only known for her amazing performance on camera but also due to her kind-hearted nature. there probably wasn’t a single/ bad video of that girl on the internet. even if you hated some of her characters, it was impossible to hate her. though, most co-stars would mention that she is ‘slow to warm up’ and can even come off as rude or bratty at times.

a black suburban parked in front of y/n, snapping her out of her out of the mini-daydream, reminding her that it was now her turn to leave her mark on the world.

while y/n strolled her luggage towards the trunk, a man dressed in a black suit and tie cane around to grab everything for her. “let me grab this for you.” the man extended a hand, carefully taking the luggage with ease and securing it into the back. “thank you.” y/n muttered.

once he assured that his precious cargo was settled, the vehicle began to move and y/n let out a breath she had no idea that she was even holding.

all of the buildings that seoul fostered allowed a crumb of homesickness to sink in, wiping the smile clean off of her face. she looked down at her phone, seeing the message from her mother and best friend, aurora.

rory 💓

‘i miss u already 🥺🥺 u better text me everyday!!’

Sent 9:37 AM

my queen bee ❤️‍🔥

‘Don’t overwork yourself, honey. i’m always one call away if you need me. -Mom’

Sent 6:17 AM

my queen bee ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

‘I’m here to support you in any way you need.’

Sent 6:17 AM

the messages resulted in a pout and y/n decided to put her phone away before a tear could form, forcing herself to look outside of the window.

to her surprise, the car came to a stop a while ago and she hadn’t even realized it. the driver was already working at her luggage, opening up the door for her.

“thank you.” she held her purse as she eagerly stepped out of the vehicle, mouth agape from the tall building that stood before her. while y/n had achievements of her own this felt like a new key to stardom, there were even intimidating bodyguards standing at the entrance. there were paparazzi surrounding the building but it didn’t seem like they could get in.

y/n felt a rush of relief at the security system implemented.

with a singular look they granted the two of them access and they were on the way to the elevator.

the interior of the lobby was gorgeous, decorated with long chandeliers and colors along with gold that were visually perceived as expensive. almost every single intricate detail caught y/n’s eye as they settled into the spacious elevator.

“is this your first big role?” the driver, or what he seemed more like, the assistant asked y/n. she smiled nervously. “could you tell?”

he shrugged, not wanting to offend the girl. “a little bit. don’t worry, you’ll love park seonho. he’s a great director.”

her eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

she had only met the casting director so this was news to her — park seonho was one of the directors that y/n had respected the most. it gave her so much motivation for the show that she had to hold back a squeal.

once the elevator ding indicated that they had made it to her floor, y/n followed the man to her new apartment.

“um, how do these work?” she sheepishly asked as the door swung open, her mouth following quickly behind.

the apartment was huge — and it wasn’t short of how luxurious the lobby was decorated. there were more seats in the living area than y/n could have imagined herself needing, she had just moved away from her hometown after all. the only person she knew was the mother of the baby that couldn’t keep quiet in the plane seat next to hers. all she could do was gasp as they walked further inside.

“i don’t have much information on that part. your neighbor arrived about an hour ago. she’s your co-star.” he set down all of y/n’s luggage before heading for the door.

“by the way, you can call me mr. kim. i’ll be your driver for the next six months, miss y/n.” the girl bowed as he introduced himself, and just as quickly as he arrived, he had departed.

the spacious apartment building left y/n speechless and so that she couldn’t procrastinate about it later, she began to unpack all of her bags. her mystery neighbor proved to be a powerful distraction, though.

to fulfill the never ending curiosity, y/n swiftly traversed to the door adjacent to her own. with three knocks, she put on the brightest smile managable.

after a few seconds passed the door finally swung ajar and y/n wasn’t sure of what she recognized first. the short blonde hair, the rosy pink lips or the shirt that revealed a sliver of the girl’s infamous abs.

“hello.” she greeted with a bow, instantly recognizing her co-star. at this moment y/n realized that she was staring, or even gawking at this point. but how could she not? it was none other than kim minjeong.

“h-hello.” she returned the bow, blinking to confirm the girl before her eyes.

curiosity piqued, minjeong’s lips curled into an interested smile. “i’m looking forward to working with you…” she trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

“y/n.”

“y/n. perfect. i’m min—“

“i know who you are, it’s okay! i’m — um, i’m looking forward to working with you too.” the smile on her face widened. “of course.”

y/n chewed at her lower lip. “so, uh, how do these work exactly?” minjeong seemed slightly confused before she understood the question and why you were asking it. “it’s like a hotel. housekeeping will stop by every wednesday and it should already be fully furnished. at least, i hope that was the case.”

y/n wasn’t sure if she was nervous or if she genuinely found her words funny but a light hearted chuckle escaped the lips she had been nibbling at. “it was. thank you, minjeong.”

“no need.” she offered another kind smile. “you know where to find me. you should settle down.” the door closed shortly after that and y/n could feel her heart trying to escape the restraints of her chest, hitting herself in the head a few times.

“why did i stutter like that?” the whispered sentence was only audible to her as she glanced at the end of the empty hallway before hiding inside of her apartment. y/n had just made her first friend in korea. kim minjeong. one of the most talented women in the country.

and they were neighbors.

the next six months were going to be a roller coaster.

perm taglist — @saysirhc @aedollie @prologue-ae

[inseobts]

TRAITOR pt.2

law x traitor!reader

PART 1 ⤳ PART 3

words count: 2.6k

tags: series, enemies to lover(?), traitor reader

masterlist || ao3 || ko-fi

It’s easy to forget you’re lying when they make it feel real.

The Heart Pirates aren’t just a crew, they’re a family. They bicker like siblings, tease each other relentlessly, and somehow, without meaning to, you’ve been pulled into it.

You should’ve kept your distance.

But how could you, when—

“Y/N! HELP!”

You barely have time to register the shout before something massive collides with you, nearly knocking you over.

“Bepo—” you gasp, struggling under the weight of the massive mink currently clinging to you “You cannot use me as a shield... what the hell is going on?”

Shachi and Penguin sprint around the corner, looking absolutely murderous. Ikkaku follows close behind, arms crossed, her glare laser-focused on Bepo.

“There you are, you traitor!” Penguin points an accusing finger at the trembling mink still latched onto you.

You blink “Okay, wow. Let’s pause. Why is Bepo a traitor?”

Shachi glares “Because someone ratted us out to the Captain.”

You sigh, already piecing it together “Did you guys try to smuggle alcohol into the infirmary again?”

“… No.”

“You so did.”

Bepo’s ears flatten, guilt all over his face “I had to tell him! He was going to find out anyway!”

“You snitch!” Shachi wails.

“You idiots,” you correct, prying Bepo off you before he suffocates you with his fluff “Why do you always try to hide stuff from Law? You know he’s just gonna find out and punish you worse.”

“It’s about the principle of it,” Penguin grumbles.

You sigh, rubbing your temples “What was the punishment?”

Shachi pouts “No dessert for a week.”

You stare “That’s it?”

“That’s everything, Y/N.”

Bepo nods solemnly “They’re suffering.”

You shake your head, barely suppressing a laugh “You guys are so dramatic.”

Ikkaku crosses her arms “You’re laughing now, but if Law ever finds out about that thing you did, you’re not getting out of it so easily.”

Your breath catches.

Just for a second.

And then you force an easy grin “Which thing? I do a lot of things.”

Ikkaku narrows her eyes playfully “The one with the—”

“Shh!” You slap a hand over her mouth “Don’t tell them, it’s supposed to be a secret!”

The others immediately light up with interest.

“Oh, now you have to tell us,” Shachi says eagerly.

“I am so telling the Captain,” Penguin teases.

Bepo nods sagely “This is karma.”

You groan, regretting everything.

Despite moments like these, you don’t forget why you’re here.

Deep beneath the Polar Tang, hidden in one of the ship’s most secure rooms, is one of the reasons you really joined this crew.

The copies of the Poneglyphs.

You don’t know how Law got his hands on them, but you do know that your real crew, the one you actually belong to, wants them.

And you’re the one who has to steal them.

The thought makes your stomach twist.

Because despite everything, despite the mission, despite knowing you’re a liar.

You don’t hate being here.

You don’t hate them.

You should’ve. It would’ve made this easier.

But you don’t.

Some weeks later you meet the Straw Hats, and you immediately know you’re in trouble.

Not because they’re enemies, or because they’re a threat.

But because of Zoro. You've met him years ago, and even if your real crew was always subtle that no one actually know them, he knows you're a well known pirate between the bounty hunters, even without a specific crew name on it.

You see it in his face the second his eye land on you. That flicker of recognition... subtle, but unmistakable.

You know that look.

It’s the look of someone who remembers you.

He just doesn’t know from where.

And that’s a problem.

“You look familiar,” he says bluntly, eyes narrowing slightly “Do I know you?”

Your mind races. A dozen different excuses flash through your head, but none of them are good enough.

So you go for the simplest, most believable one.

“You probably saw my bounty poster,” you say smoothly, forcing a grin “I’ve got a pretty face, after all.”

Shachi and Penguin snicker behind you.

Zoro eyes you for a second longer, clearly unconvinced, but Luffy claps a hand on his shoulder before he can question you further.

“Zoro, stop being weird,” Luffy says, grinning at you “She’s cool, right, Law?”

Law, who has been watching the exchange carefully, nods once. “She’s one of us.”

The words shouldn’t make your chest tighten the way they do.

But they do.

And that’s dangerous.

The Kid Pirates are even worse.

Because Kid is loud, brash, and aggressive—but he’s also smart.

And he watches you.

Not like Zoro, who’s trying to place your face. Not like Law, who looks at you like you matter.

Kid watches you like he’s waiting for you to slip up.

Like he knows something’s off about you, but he just hasn’t figured out what yet.

“You don’t fit,” he says one night, after too many drinks.

You tilt your head, keeping your expression neutral “Excuse me?”

Kid leans forward, propping his elbows on the table “You’re a little too smooth, a little too good at blending in.” He smirks. “Like you practiced.”

Your fingers tighten around your glass.

“I’ve always been good at adapting,” you say, keeping your voice casual “That’s what a good pirate does, right?”

Kid hums, unconvinced.

And you realize, with a slow sinking feeling—

He’s not going to stop watching you.

The deeper you fall into this act, the more tangled it gets.

Zoro recognizes you but doesn’t know from where.

Kid doesn’t trust you but doesn’t have proof.

Law believes in you, and that’s the worst part of it all.

Because when the truth finally comes out...

This new alliance between the three is a sign for you, a sign that it's time to make a move and get away before someone finds out who you are.

You knew the time was coming. You knew.

But now that it’s here, a sick feeling settles in your chest.

Because you don’t want to do it.

It’s not supposed to be this hard.

You’ve done this before. You’ve infiltrated crews, stolen information, betrayed captains who thought you were theirs. It’s always been simple.

Get in. Get what you need. Get out.

But this time—

This time, it’s different.

Because you’re attached.

Because when Law smirks at you in that rare, teasing way, it makes your chest tighten.

Because when the crew laughs and drags you into their stupid antics, you enjoy it.

Because when Bepo whines about missing Zou, when Shachi and Penguin bicker like children, when Ikkaku rolls her eyes at all of them...

It feels like home.

And now you have to rip it apart.

You tell yourself you’ll make it quick.

One night. One chance.

Slip into Law’s office. Get informations and the Poneglyph copies. Get out.

The submarine has weak points, small openings where the sea meets steel, barely noticeable unless you know where to look. And you do.

A quiet escape. No blood. No confrontation.

That’s the plan. Fast and easy, right?

So why does it feel like a mistake before you even start?

You wait until late, when most of the crew is asleep, their laughter from dinner still lingering in the halls.

Law is in his office, like always.

You hesitate outside the door. Just for a second. Just long enough to remind yourself—

This isn’t real. They were never yours.

You push the door open.

Law doesn’t look up immediately, focused on some report in front of him “You should be asleep.”

You smile, stepping closer “So should you.”

He exhales through his nose, amused but tired “What do you want?”

You want him to make this easy.

You want him to be cruel, to be distant, to remind you why you don’t belong here.

But he doesn’t.

He just leans back in his chair, looking at you like you matter. Like you’re his.

Your chest tightens “Just… wanted to check on you.”

A lie. A stupid, obvious lie. But Law doesn’t question it. Instead, he rubs his temple, sighing “You’re always worrying about me.”

“Someone has to.”

“You shouldn’t.”

You swallow “Why not?”

“Because…” He hesitates, fingers tapping against the desk “Because if you care too much, it’ll be harder to leave.”

Your heart stops.

For a second, you think—does he know?

But then he looks away, staring at some distant point, jaw tight.

And you realize—

He’s not talking about you, he's talking about himself.

Not you...

Himself.

Law is the one who doesn’t want you to leave.

And that’s when it hits you... He trusts you. Completely.

Even now, when you’re standing in his office, pretending to care while planning to betray him—

He still trusts you.

Something in your chest aches.

You shouldn’t care. You shouldn’t...

But when he finally looks back at you, exhaustion clear in his golden eyes, and says “Stay a little longer”

And you do.

You sit with him. You don’t steal anything. You don’t run. You just stay.

And for the first time, you think... Maybe you don’t want to leave at all.

You keep telling yourself this is the last night.

You don’t want it to be, but you’ve known it for days now.

Law trusts you. The crew… they think you belong.

And that’s exactly why you have to leave.

Because once you’ve broken through their walls, once you’ve made them care about you, there’s no going back.

No matter how much they make you laugh. No matter how much you start to care about them.

You’re not one of them. You’re just a pirate with an agenda. A thief. A liar. And if you’re not careful, you’ll lose everything.

The night now feels different.

You slip through the ship’s corridors, the quiet hum of the Polar Tang weirdly comforting as you move.

You can hear Shachi and Penguin arguing somewhere above deck, their voices muffled through the metal walls, and it almost makes you smile. Almost.

Law is in his office again. Alone. The perfect time.

You reach for the door, your hand already knowing the cold steel of the handle. But just as you touch it, your pulse quickens—an unease settling in your gut.

Something feels… off.

You hesitate, fingers still resting against the handle. It’s nothing. You’re just overthinking.

But before you can turn the handle, you hear it—the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. Quiet but sure.

Law.

You freeze for a moment and then you start casually walking towards him.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

You look up at him, trying to mask the panic in your eyes “Just passing by.”

Law eyes you, a soft, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips “You know, if you keep trying to lie to me, it won’t work. I can tell when you’re lying.”

You swallow, forced to keep your face neutral, even though the tension in your chest is nearly suffocating “You don’t know me that well...”

He steps closer, not threateningly, but with a quiet sort of presence that makes your heartbeat rise “I think I know you better than you think.”

The distance between you two is closing quickly, and you feel a small, dangerous thought flutter in your mind—What if I never leave?

But you shake it off. This has to happen.

You step back, hand sliding into your coat pocket “I think I’ll take a walk. Clear my head.”

Law studies you for a moment, his golden eyes narrowing “You’re not very good at hiding things, you know that?”

You don’t know how to answer that. You don’t know how to lie when it’s getting harder and harder to look at him “I’m going to get some fresh air now”.

You’re standing at the edge of the Polar Tang, staring into the horizon. The sun is setting, painting the sky in oranges and purples.

Tonight, the mission becomes more urgent. The Straw Hats, Kid, and Law’s crew are all moving forward, and you’re running out of time. You know you have to finish what you started.

But how can you betray them?

How can you betray him?

You can’t keep pretending anymore. The lines are blurring. You’re starting to get too close, and you’re terrified of what will happen if you don’t leave soon.

The weight of it is heavy on your shoulders.

But there’s another reason you’re hesitating.

You’ve been hiding your power from them.

Law’s crew doesn’t know what you can do. And you’ve been careful to keep it that way. Because if they knew—if they saw what you could really do—things would change.

And they would fear you... they would all fear you. It happened before. When you’ve used your abilities to their full extent, it’s left a trail of broken minds and empty memories. You can make someone forget an entire conversation, erase their last few hours, manipulate their desires, twist their thoughts—it’s all within your grasp.

And once you start, you can’t stop.

You don’t want to be the monster they think you are. You don’t want them to see you as a tool for their own ends.

So you keep it hidden. You’ve been careful. But now…

Now, you’re feeling the pressure, and it’s getting harder to hide.

You’re walking back to your room, lost in thought, when you hear footsteps behind you.

It’s Law again.

He’s been following you for a while now, and you can feel his eyes on you. You don’t turn around immediately. Instead, you continue walking, your heart pounding.

“You’ve been distant lately.” His voice is calm, but there’s an edge to it—like he’s trying to read you.

You stop, then turn to face him, trying to keep your expression neutral “I’m just tired. There’s a lot going on.”

Law’s gaze narrows. He doesn’t buy it “You’ve been acting weird ever since we got back to the island. What’s going on, y/n?”

For a moment, the weight of the situation crashes down on you. He’s too perceptive. He’s too close to figuring it out.

You take a step back, trying to distance yourself from him, both physically and emotionally “It’s nothing. I just—”

“I’m not asking you to explain everything,” Law interrupts “But if something’s wrong, you can talk to me. We’re... crewmates. I trust you.” He hesitated at that word, as if he wanted to say something else—something much deeper—that scared not only you but himself as well.

You two always had some sort of relationship that started as casual and continued that way, without really talking about your real feelings, as if it were a given.

Anyway his words hit you like a punch. You can’t breathe for a moment.

He trusts you, he likes you.

And you’ve been lying to him this whole time. You’ve been using him. Using his trust to get what you need.

But what if he’s right? What if you do need to tell him?

No. You can’t.

You can’t risk it.

You force a smile “I’m fine, really. Just… need some time to think. I’ll be okay.”

Law doesn’t look convinced, but he nods, though the worry in his eyes lingers “If you say so”

You watch him leave, feeling the weight of his words on your shoulders.

And then—just when you think you might break—you hear the voice in your mind.

It’s your old crew.

The ones who know you better than anyone else, or at least that's what you think.

It’s time. You don’t have much choice now, you have to do it NOW.

[itsacruelsummerbaby]

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒍

The Red Thread of Fate… To your surprise, it turns out Hotch believes in it.

pairing: Aaron Hotchner x reader || tags: fem!reader, bau!reader, soulmate AU || wc: 1.2k || navigation

You put the cup of coffee on the table in front of you, then pick up the Cosmo you left open. Out of the corner of your eye you see the small half-smile that appears on Hotch’s lips at the sight, but he doesn’t say a word, he just returns his attention to the report in front of him.

“I hate these articles so much,” Emily suddenly says in the seat next to yours, pointing at the page you’re currently reading. You send a questioning look her way, and she turns in her seat to face you. “I once took their “signs he’s into you” piece seriously, made a move on the guy, and it turned out he was into men.”

Somehow Derek heard this story over the music he was listening to, because he pushes the headphones down to his neck as he laughs. “Don’t tell me you actually used to believe what they write. It’s all stupid,” he says.

After briefly wondering if you should kick his shin under the table, you decide it’s not worth the fight. “It temporarily shuts down my brain,” you begin to explain. “That’s more than enough for me.”

Suddenly, Hotch lays the report on the table and raises his gaze to look at you. “Good thinking. I would have been disappointed if it turned out you’re the type to consider this magazine as some sort of a Bible for women.”

Derek and Emily exchange glances, and even you raise your brows in surprise. Why is he paying attention to a conversation about such a magazine? Not like you mind, of course, which sometimes truly bothers you. You shouldn’t want his attention this badly, your dreams shouldn’t be plagued with thoughts of him being with you.

It all began when the first signs of troubles with his marriage began to show. You saw that something was eating him, so one day after work you went to his office and started a conversation to figure out why he always stayed late. For some reason, he decided to tell you the truth, going into details that were none of your business.

Is it an emotional affair? Maybe.

Is it bad? Probably.

Are you happy to have even a scrap of his attention? Surely.

“Did you really think that’s a possibility with me? That I’m like that?” you ask hesitantly.

Hotch’s gaze is fixed on you, as it was just the two of you on the plane. “No,” he admits softly.

The way you’re looking at each other piques the interest of your colleagues, and not just Emily and Derek’s, but JJ and Rossi’s too. Lucky to you, Spencer is sleeping peacefully on the couch. To make sure your boss finally stops, you tear your gaze away and gently bump your foot into his leg.

Sadly, Hotch takes this as a challenge and hooks his legs around yours while returning his attention to the report. The others lose interest eventually, hopefully letting this go for now. It’s bad enough that the man across from you is playing some stupid game with you.

This is the first time he makes such an obviously flirty move, which leads you to an uncharted territory. Is he planning to take whatever is going on between you to another level? Because if he is, you’re not really sure if you’re ready for it. He’s still married, even if Haley wants a divorce, you can’t jump into a relationship with him.

When you try to untangle your legs, he subtly glances over at you with a disapproving look, one which tells you he’s not letting this thing between you end anytime soon.

You know for a fact that he and Rossi had a glass or two of whiskey at the airport while you waited for the jet to be ready, but after this case, you honestly couldn’t blame them. Maybe it’s the alcohol that gave him the courage to make a move on you, but you’re afraid he’ll regret it the next day when he sobers up.

It’s your responsibility to be smart, to help him without making him believe you want something from him. He’s handsome, intelligent, competent, and yes, every woman would be happy to have him for herself, but the timing just isn’t right.

Less than two hours later the plane lands and the team disperses to finally head home, and sadly Hotch uses this opportunity to catch you alone. He gently grabs your wrist to make you come to a halt, and when you give him a questioning look, he just shakes his head and pulls you in the direction of a place in the hangar that’s far away from everyone.

“You need to stop,” you tell him right away.

He lets out a sigh and takes a step closer to you, his hand moving up to cup your cheek. “Don’t tell me you don’t feel it. That pull, that goddamn force every time we’re close to each other. Hell, it’s even present when we’re apart, trying to get me to see you again.”

It’s insane; he’s insane if he honestly believes this. “And what is this… pull exactly?”

“It was a mistake to make you forget it,” he whispers when he rests his forehead against yours. “If I hadn’t done that, we would be together now. Maybe Haley and I would have never gotten married, because I would have been waiting for you to be old enough.”

Making you forget? “What are you talking about, Hotch?” you wonder, the conversation making less and less sense to you.

His hand drops to his side and he takes a few steps back. “You wouldn’t believe it, it’s better if you don’t know. Forget I mentioned it,” he says with a small, sad smile.

But there’s no way you’re letting that slide now, you need to know what’s happening, so you reach out for his hand to squeeze it reassuringly. A move that makes him take a sharp breath, as if your touch sent a wave of electricity through his body.

“What wouldn’t I believe?”

“That we belong together. You always found me when you were little, you were honestly getting on my nerves sometimes,” he says with a short laugh. “But… I got scared of what this was, what this could be, so I asked someone to make you forget about me, about that string that connects the two of us.”

This rang a bell in your head. “Like the Red Thread of Fate or something?” you ask him quietly, unsure about the whole thing. He nods, but remains silent, so you go on. “Hotch, it’s… Why would I believe you?”

“You don’t have to. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe you really did forget about this for good, and in that case I'll have to accept that you will never love me back. Unless, of course, you’re willing to give me a chance,” he says softly.

Blowing out the air you’ve been holding in gives you time to think it through. It must be the alcohol, there’s no other reason for this stupid story. But in that case, why doesn’t he look drunk? After another few seconds of waiting, you let out a sigh and give him your answer, hoping he will come to terms with it eventually.

[radsoldier]

you're a bad idea - Part 2

Pairing: Cairo Sweet x Dom!Fem!Reader

Summary: Y/N tries to avoid Cairo while the latter finds herself falling deeper.

Words: 1.1k

Warnings: cursing

a/n: hi guys, sorry for the eternal delay but a lot of shit happened and i'm not sure how i made it out alive but hey! i'm back! anyway, hope you enjoy :)

(poem's "did you think i was a city" by rupi kaur)

part 1

You were never one for gossip. You were simply not interested. Being the center of rumors for as long as you could remember was no fun at all so when all the stories about Cairo hit your ears you were annoyed. You didn’t really care if it was true or not, it was none of your business. But you knew she was bad news and that’s why you chose to let things cool off and tried your best to ignore her. 

You moved here to avoid drama, to start fresh or however your old therapist would like to call it. You knew you were just running away from it all. 

_______________________________________________________________________________ 

A week later, soft rain was pouring as you got off your bike, some students scrambling to get to class before getting soaked. 

You opted for lighting up a cigarette under the small roof right at the entrance. You were already late, might as well enjoy the little time you had outside of the college halls.  

Wishing you had stopped for some coffee, you started walking towards the library, not feeling like enduring another creative writing lecture. It felt like the perfect excuse to keep avoiding Cairo. And you also had to rehearse your piece for the poetry reading later today. 

“Fuck me” you thought. 

________________________________________________________________________________ 

Cairo was annoyed. No, she was outraged. You were ignoring her yet she couldn’t keep her thoughts from drifting to you. It was torture, you were pestering her mind like she had no control over it. She hated it. She hated how you seemed unfazed every time you caught her staring while she had to hold her breath as if even the smallest movement would make you disappear. She had replayed your interaction over and over in her head getting little to no answer as to why you could go from hot to cold just like that. It made no sense to her. 

That’s why when your professor asked for someone to deliver some notes on your most recent work, she volunteered to be the one doing it. 

He told her where to find you, given that he knew about your poetry reading and she began to gather all her things and started walking toward the auditorium. 

She hesitated at the slightly open door, the dim light making her unsure but the sound of your voice coming from the inside was enough to shake her doubts and stride into the room. 

“Did you think I was a city 

big enough for a weekend getaway.” you paused. 

“I am the town surrounding it 

the one you’ve never heard of 

but always pass through.” 

“There are no neon lights here 

no skyscrapers or statues 

but there is thunder 

for I make bridges tremble. 

I am not street meat, I am homemade jam 

thick enough to cut the sweetest 

thing your lips will touch.” you glanced around the room, letting the words sink in. 

“I am not police sirens 

I am the crackle of a fireplace. 

I’d burn you and you still 

couldn't take your eyes off me 

cause I’d look so beautiful doing it 

you'd blush.” Cairo was taken aback by the emotion in your voice. 

“I am not a hotel room I am home 

I am not the whiskey you want 

I am the water you need. 

Don’t come here with expectations 

and try to make a vacation out of me.” 

you finished as the few people in the room stood up, clapping. 

“You never cease to amaze me, Y/N” a young professor started. “Can’t wait to read your small piece for your assignment” he smiled like you were the only one in the room. 

Cairo watched as you exchanged pleasantries with a few peers, looking relieved when someone else took the spotlight. And then you saw her. Doe-eyed and slightly parted lips, she looked like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t. 

“What are you doing here, Sweet?” you spat.  

She tried to hide her disappointment at your cold demeanor but you could see the small changes in her face even if it was just for a split second. 

“Professor Brooks wanted me to give this to you” she said, gesturing towards the folder she held out. “You know, since tomorrow is the deadline and he left some corrections and notes for you” 

“Fuck” you sighed. 

Only then did she look at you, a teasing glint in her eyes, the ghost of a smile over her full lips. You took the folder from her, your hands barely touching. The moment felt charged, none of you ready to break the eye contact. It was almost like both of you were fighting to see which one would cave in first. 

You cleared your throat. 

“Thank you” 

She nodded, not saying a word before leaving the room as you stood there, still reeling from the tingling sensation you felt when your hands touched. 

‘Did she feel it too?’ you thought. 

________________________________________________________________________________ 

Cairo laid awake well past midnight. Her laptop long forgotten on the side of her bed, a cigarette on her lips. Her thoughts kept drifting towards a certain someone. 

You were right: you had burned her, yet she couldn’t take her eyes off you. 

Your eyes haunted her, that piercing stare that made her feel like she couldn’t hide from you even as you were a complete mystery to her. It was unnerving. 

She remembered how your hands moved during your reading. The same hands that held her waist and throat just a week ago. The very same hands she couldn’t stop dreaming about, doing unholy things to her. 

She kept thinking about your low, rough voice and how good it would sound moaning her name. 

God, she needed to get laid. 

It had been a while since she felt this kind of obsession over someone. Last time didn’t end well. It kind of scared her, in retrospective, the lengths she was willing to go in the past. But this time it was different, she could feel it. Or maybe it was just a stupid white lie she told herself so she could avoid the guilt that was slowly eating her up. 

That night Cairo dreamt about you. 

[taag-the-withering]

IT’S OFFICIAL FRIENDS AND FIENDS IT’S WHITEPINE LOCKDOWN TIME

Before it starts, I’m wondering if we are going to see more of our “lovely” detective this episode. Hopefully a little more insight if he is actually inside the estate or a hallucination!

Ooo the changing scenes on beat is a fascinating choice!

“Some of the limbs are fake, we couldn’t restore all of the pieces” DAMN OKAY

Pin of a sunflower? Hmmm

The shots on the stairs feel very intentional- OH okay reference back to the scene between Ivory and the Detective I see

These guys have got to stop sneaking up on my girl I don’t know how many more jumpscares she can take

It’s nice to see some insight on the other members of the estate!

Another confirmation that the current season is fall beyond just the visual indications. I wonder if the seasons will have more to play within the story

The shot with just the painting on the wall is giving me the creeps… I stand by the secret passages thing

Notice the painting on the wall where Serapter picks up the pin. That feels suspicious, the silence, the glancing around? If Serapter is up to something then it would explain how he lost Clown back in ep 4

ANOTHER LONG PAUSE

We already knew the Hemlockes were rich but renting out the entire cathedral sure is something huh?

ANOTHER IVY MISNAME CMON BRO GET HER NAME RIGHT PLEASE

“Who lets the day of the lord get bought out by some rich guy, right?” I’m not fully sure how to think of this statement just yet… other than the fact that it may be a commentary to the present day

GAH I LOVE THE MUSIC SO MUCH

I’m interested with the formation the group has taken up to walking. Oddly enough Serapter is behind Ivory rather than beside her, which is the formation they have taken before when walking

OMG THAT CATHEDRAL BUILD

Imma need to look up the symbolism of sunflowers later because I’m pretty sure Pyro has a sunflower pin like Serapter. But none of the rest do?

I love it when the music cuts off it’s just so good

UM EXCUSE YOU SAY HER NAME YOU PRIEST

DAMN THOSE CREDITS DO BE RIGHT MISOGYNISTIC PRIEST FOR SURE

That felt so wrong, which is what made that scene so good

I can’t tell if the darkened stumps of the trees are a design choice or something intentional…

I wonder why Div would ask that?

Damn they are just straight up dissing the Hemlockes

WOAH DIV

“What everyone knows he’s a little fruity” DID YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT LOUD THOUGH?

I wonder where Pyro is going?

Once again she is drawn to the woods

Now who was that???

Oop Div… going out to the woods too I see

Same cinematic shot that was there when Ivory went to the woods too

Ok yeah to be figured that Pyro would go back to her grave

A few moments sure Ivory

It’s sweet that they are bonding even under their specific circumstances

Awww Maddy

WHAT not enough money for Kantje’s dad? Agreement??

So an argument between Kantje and Ivo…

Oh so Ivo plans on leaving the estate?

Okay what is Kantje’s background?

Ivory please don’t get caught

“If you ever get a chance to get out of here take it” THIS IS SUPPORTING MY CLOWN TRAPPED AT THE WHITEPINE ESTATE THEORY I’M FUCKING WINNING

Okay this is build up to something…

THERE HE IS THAT MOTHERFUCKING DETECTIVE

NOT A HALLUCINATION I REPEAT NOT A HALLUCINATION WHY WAS HE SO CLOSE TO THE ESTATE IN THE FIRST PLACE???

EVENING STROLL? BULLSHIT

“Any of the maids acting strangely or being really anxious” I KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT YOU FREAK

“Great progress on the case” you just think it’s Ivory bro

[fruit-fight]

Oh shit sorry that anon was me! Lmao! I forgot to sign like I usually do, so I get a notification for the corresponding blog. Oops. I was actually distracted while I wrote that, don't remember what I was doing tho.

First of all, hi~ I'm honored to be speaking to you and even more honored you liked my random ass thought. I fucking love your art style, keep it up! You want to use my dialog? Go for it! Just tag me in the update so I can read asap.

Second, omfg YES. KIDS DESERVE CRASHOUTS. I don't see many aus like this, and I thought it'd be an interesting turning point in the kids' relationship with MK, if not the plot. Wukong would be CRUSHED if he witnessed this, but you said shadowpeach's turning point would be after dealing with lbd. So, I thought it would help the kids process the transition in dynamic by starting a little earlier with the problems that can be fixed.

These are all things he needs to hear from his Dad, but listening to MK go on and on about how much Wukong loves each and every one of his kids helps, at least a little. This stranger is just so sincere in how amazing he thinks he is with evidence he'd only know if Wukong told him. If his Dad bragged about him. If there's one thing I know, parents who love their kids like nothing else don't. Shut. Up. I wouldn't be surprised if Wukong, despite not wanting to get close to MK himself at first, can't not slip in to rambling about his kids once MK knows they exsist and unconsciously labels himself as a non-threat to them.

Mk gets to sit through hours of training where Wukong is making comments and bragging about his kids without realizing. "C'mon, kid, ____ had this stance down like two months after they first started, don't tell me you have less balance than a wittle 100 year old" "I'm only 21-" "And mortal. I thought you guys were faster at this whole learning thing." "UGH!" "None of my cubs complain this much either. Even when they need to eat [insert food they equally hate]" He's insufferable. Makes MK's own insecurities flare-up sometimes but in a way that's indigant on the cubs' behalf like, if they're that great, why are you training me???

And now he gets to watch the result of a kid who misses the times with their father that Wukong talks about ALL THE TIME. Knocks down MK's hero worship a couple healthy pegs while they're at it. Monkey King is awesome, but holy shit his mentor is stupid as a dad if he let his cub get to this point. His dadsy and papa never let him feel like less or unloved, let alone get to the point hes taking it out on others, even though Mk was just a random kid that walked into their life back then, too. Makes him feel even worse.

A heart to heart that helps the cub start to understand that neither he nor MK has stake in this conversation and it's entirely the stubborn adult monkeys that need to figure out themselves but until then the kids have each other and need to remember that their parents adore them. Mk assures them that his door, arms, or ears are always open. He's a friend, not a rival.

"You could never be Shadow the Hedgehog" IS A WICKED LINE, especially coming from a kid who's mom is literally your hero and mentor's Shadow(the Hedgehog)! Also unlike MK, this kid isn't running around with "motherless" behavior like a HOOLIGAN LMAO. Fr tho MK do you own no other clothing? You dress in the same thing every day, even train, work, and chill in the same outfit, like a damn cartoon character. 🙄

Wonder how he'll react when he finds out MK actually comes from a loving home with two dad's. Is free noodles actually married in this au? That'd be the Icing on the fucking cake. "Motherless² ass nerd" or more jealousy bc his dad's can't get their shit together.

I feel a potential child of divorce crash out stewing. "You already have your dad's. Why are you stealing mine!? Why are you ripping them apart more! Papa doesn't love us anymore, and it's all YOUR FAULT!(because if it's not, then we're not good enough- I'm just not good enough)"

Monkey in the middle ass kid

That last paragraph really did hit me like oh god what have I done to this poor kid😭

I was gonna say they can all have complicated dads who should be in a relationship but are not, but bro those last liners? They changed my mind real quick

Yes free noodles are married and happy, MK has a happy family

Now let’s have him watch this 13 year old crash out with the impending sense of guilt that he helped that happen

(Don’t mind me as I write down that dialogue,,, anon on what crack were you when you wrote that good job fr😭😭)

Can you imagine MK trying hard to convince this crying kid that his dad definitely, full heartedly loves him, that his dads may not be together but they’re not together because they’re dumbasses who everyone can tell love each other but are too stubborn to see it

And above everything this kid, this kid who keeps curling in on himself making him look even more smaller and vulnerable, IS GOOD ENOUGH, no matter what anyone thinks, he has always been enough and his worth is not dictated whether someone loves him or not, but just him being here and alive makes him enough.

I’m crying at the club gang

Also

I’m definitely using Motherless^2 ass nerd at some point😭

[sznmjun]

Why the hell doesn't this game have gay marriage????

[epiphainie]

i can't with all these "the show is highlighting tommy's jealousy, they're planting seeds that it will cause problems" takes like bffr. he mentioned being envious over the 118's dynamic twice, sure, but in what world (literally how?) would that cause a relationship problem? do yall expect him to be in cahoots with gerrard behind their back and murder buck to take over his life or something?? like even with the hyperbole aside, i genuinely cannot see how they can turn this into relationship drama without going against everything they showed us with tommy so far

[revvethasmythh]

So I went and watched all the possible endings, and it confirmed something I had been thinking, which is that the redemption ending choice is, perhaps, the most immediately regretful one--but that they all come with some form of regret. In the redemption ending, Rook has to knowingly deny themselves the catharsis of retribution (should they desire it, which, at least for me it felt difficult not to) in order to offer Solas one last, painful chance to do the right thing. That willful denial of your own catharsis feels like an immediate regret. Giving Solas the opportunity to pursue atonement might very well be the best choice all around, but it is also incredibly painful to offer that to someone who has done so many terrible things (not a small amount to you personally). Why does he deserve another chance? Especially when so many dead (including a beloved mentor) lie in his wake? Which, I suppose, is the point: he doesn't. But you offer it anyway and it SUCKS ASS, because how could it not?

I don't know how this plays with other story choices (a sacrificed Davrin or a Harding who embraced her anger, for example), but within the context of my own choices, I can imagine an immediate satisfaction to either tricking or fighting him--especially the trick ending, where you can actively name drop Varric--but it feels like the sort of thing that would feel worse as more time passes. Once you've calmed down and are able to ask yourself if that's what the people you've lost really wanted. Varric, in Regret Superhell, didn't want vengeance. He just wanted his friend to walk a better path. And Harding always believed there was another chance for anyone, so long as you kept reaching a hand out for them--even when it sucked ass. So the redemption ending feels like a sort of indignance, an instant regret for not doing worse, for not getting comeuppance, for being forced to eschew satisfaction (related: I wonder if the Inquisitor feels those things as well coming out of this ending, considering how long they've lived under the shadow of Solas' actions). Conversely, the other two endings feel like an immediate satisfaction, because you got to trick the trickster with all the wits Varric taught you, or because you finally got to punch him in the face and it felt really good. But I feel like those endings would come with a creeping regret, something that sneaks up on you later, especially when remembering the fallen and what they would have wanted you to do. Ultimately, because of that, it feels like no ending is devoid of regret. Which I suppose, is rather thematic.

[ratatattouille]

I love your points @elenasalvatore1 ! You put into words why I haven’t been able to really connect with the two big canon romances (and don’t even get me started on Tonks and Remus lol). I view Ginny as a jock, not in that she’s stupid, but that she enjoys status and popularity and she can be pretty shallow. Of course, she’s also witty and intelligent and anti-bigotry—plenty to love about her—but people imagine her much kinder than she is shown in the books. She made fun of Luna with the other kids and fervently defended Harry using Sectumseptra (or however that’s spelled) on Draco. However, I do think it should be taken into consideration that Draco at the time had tried to Crucio Harry so Ginny’s feelings aren’t entirely misplaced since Crucio is an Unforgivable. I still agree that she didn’t treat Harry’s spell with the weight it deserved, either, and it’s a little interesting to me how people imagine so much depth for this fling when a lot of how it was written was convenient (at least, to me). Ginny’s behavior is very fan-girlish throughout all books. I do think what Harry liked about Ginny had to do with how he associated her with “normalcy” at a time when things were getting so bleak for him. But I do think, that while Ginny was a fan-girl, she didn’t completely dehumanize Harry and had genuine care for him to some extent. For example, the scene in Chamber of Secrets where she tells Draco Harry doesn’t care for fame after Draco teases Harry about Gilderoy. It doesn’t disprove her fan-girlness, but it does show some level of sympathy and understanding for Harry. Ginny definitely cared for Harry. Although one could also interpret that scene as proof of how deified and faultless Harry was to her since CoS Ginny had full-blown limerence for Harry (and self-admittedly throughout the books lol). I also don't think that her telling Harry "you wouldn't be happy unless you were going after Voldemort" was her being self-centred. I believe she meant it as in Harry wouldn't be "satisfied" to run and hide and not defend the people he loves and that was what she (justifiably) loved about him. It was genuine and sweet. I also think her saying "at least Harry won't have time to find another girl" was an attempt on her end to lighten the mood. What Harry likes about Ginny, according to the books, is her pragmatism and lack of drama. She isn't weepy like Cho or "shrill" like Hermione. She's the definition of chill. However, as I've said before and I'm sure you'll agree, none of this "disproves" her limerance regarding Harry and it's shaky foundations for Harry, too. Sure she's level-headed (but so is Hermione a lot of the time, not always but often) and chill, so of course she would appeal to Harry when his whole world is drama at that point. But I agree that it's not love and it's a weird way to develop a romance. At the very least, simply not my cup of tea. I'm just not into it, whether or not there's a narrative thread leading up to it.

I also dislike how Hinny fans claim misogyny whenever Ginny is called shallow or a fan-girl, even if she is outspoken and has spine. She isn’t deep just because she hates pure blood supremacists. She very much has a childish sense of “good guys and bad guys” and doesn’t like being challenged on her views—not when it comes to Fleur or what Harry did to Draco, for example. She’s not open-minded. And she likes having it all. It doesn’t mean she’s bad or isn’t brave. She did fight valiantly in the Ministry and the Battle of Hogwarts. And she did share trauma from those fights with the others. This is kinda where hinny shippers get wiggle room. If she was “just a fangirl” the trauma from fighting at the Ministry should have--theorietically--dissuaded her. One can say that she matured after that fight and found that her feelings for Harry became genuine and less idealistic. But in my opinion, it’s not enough to discount the fan-girl interpretation for Ginny post OoTP, either. She could still very much have an even bigger romanticization of Harry’s heroism. A no-nonsense Ginny that Hinny shippers imagine would have sounded (ironically) more like Hermione. If it wasn’t limerence, I reckon Ginny would’ve been more argumentative with Harry instead of Ron or Hermione. She just takes Harry’s side, which to me dampens what’s so fun about her outgoing, outspoken personality. It’s like she turns into a dollar-store Hermione where her and Harry can only mimic (but never replicate) the level of trust and vulnerability Harry and Hermione have with each other. Hinny is honestly so Netflix drama coded to me 😂 sorry to my hinny moots (it’s all love) ❤️.

My biggest issue with Ronmione is how much Hermione’s independent personality was stunted by the romance. Many Ronmione shippers insist that’s the point! She wasn’t acting like herself because she fell in love with Ron! And it baffles me how that is seen as a win! Ships should not cause character assassination or erasure. The good ones at least. But I don’t see why Hermione would’ve fallen in love with Ron, personally. I see why people like the ship, and I have no doubt Ron and Hermione love each other tremendously. But Harry was the tether between the both of them until the outline called for the romance to begin, lmao. Ron didn’t like hanging out with Hermione alone much in the beginning and a lot of their disagreements weren’t “just banter” but based on genuine difference of worldview and personality. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t fall in love because they were so different, just that a lot of their disagreements had real substance to them. Ron was much more inconsiderate than Hermione. And he had 0 interest, as you said, in the Muggle world. I’m going to go on a limb here and say that it’s not that Ron disliked Hermione, but that he found her boring! Brilliant, but a bore! (Literally the two initial moments he “noticed” Hermione were when she punched Draco—exciting!—and when she was with his favorite celebrity—Krum) And that’s one of the worst things you could be to Ron. Hermione was brilliant, as dear to him as a sister (and he looked after her same as he did for Ginny), but Ron had much more to talk about with Harry, same as Hermione and much richer conversations with Harry than with anyone else in the entire wizarding world. Hermione was like miniature Molly for Ron, and Ron acted a lil territorial over her, which, again, not a fan. Not because it's a moral problem for me, but just because I don't find that stuff romantic. It's realistic insecure teenage boy behaviour and can be enjoyed as that, but it won't get me looking for the ships to pull into harbour. Harry was normal about Hermione. Like completely normal about her in such a nuanced and refreshing way, it's one of the most mature teenage relationships I've ever seen in a YA. There was also so much depth there, especially in regard to what Voldemort meant to both Hermione and Harry.

Same thing for Hermione. I don’t see anything that would make Ron interesting romantically to her. It can’t be the times he’s cared for her—because she’s disregarded his care before (and Harry has also shown lots of consideration for Hermione—more than Ron on many an occasion). Again, there's so little we know about Hermione's home life that I simply don't have a clue as to what she finds so special about Ron for herself as a character. I can't connect the dots. I think Ronmione was just a safe option, IMO. Not illogical, but not well-justified. And it baffles me how people see Ron and Hermione have more chemistry than Harry and Hermione just because of the reactions JKR gave them (“Harry had a monster in his chest!” “Hermione cried when Ron left them”) Doesn’t that just make it more melodramatic and cheap to you? More Netflix-y and forced? Guess not. Also, banter alone isn’t chemistry! Outside of banter and being against Death Eaters and being Harry's friend, Ron and Hermione had nothing in common and had little to no curiosity for those differences.

I also think it needs to be acknowledged that JK Rowling has a slight bias more to her male characters than female characters. On average, most of her more developed characters are male and she employs a lot of negative (borderline misogynistic) stereotypes for her female characters. Regardless of who you ship, Hermione and Ginny's personalities become almost ENTIRELY about their love interests. Most female characters are written to be or sound ridiculous, uppity or catty in these books and the two best girls are no exception. You could argue that this is because the books are written through the POV of Harry, but the stories themselves still give less grace to the female characters. So reading the female characters accurately may mean describing them unfavorably regardless. But that’s opening Pandora’s box for HP fandom so we’ll keep that closed for now. 😃

I don't understand why ppl don't want to understand if a couple fell in love , it's just about simply , purely , truly falling in love not aabout- are they perfect , are they compatible, do they create healthy relationship , someone else was more better for him/her , they deserve better and blah blah blah

They fell in love. True Pure selfless love

THAT'S IT

Yes i am talking about canon ships

[aflawedfashion]

I get that a lot of wot book fans don't like tv fans who want Moiraine to stay the central character, but you can't talk me into agreeing with you that it should be Rand because the books say so. It's not about what's in the books. It's about how I feel about the characters. That's all there is to it, and you can't change my feelings by explaining the books.

[gingermintpepper]

Sometimes, I see questions posited that seem handmade for me and my particular interests, truly. So, as someone specifically interested in Apollo and his many affairs (and sub-specifically on Apollo's particular brand of divine love which is, as OP surmises, a bit different from his older counterparts) I want to give my interpretation as well!

There are many different roads to take for this; just as Zeus is the father of kings, Apollo is the father of seers and medics and many of his affairs exist to give legitimacy to prominent figures from these classes; think his affair with Evadne to birth Iamus or his affair with Coronis to birth Asclepius. Apollo is also a civilising force and so often has affairs with women who would become the mother of cities; his affair with Cyrene is a perfect example of this.

There is, however, another thing Apollo was known for and was characterised through his affairs and that's Apollo's nature as monstrous commander - the type to completely subplant, to conquer and erase what remained. Something that is horrendously understated in modern discourse about Apollo - especially the kind that happens on tumblr - is how terrifying Apollo is. The HomHymn is a perfect example of this; the gods all tremble when Apollo approaches, none dare approach him except his mother who loosens his bow and his father who offers him a cup.

(HomHymn to Apollo; trans Rodney Merrill)

Furthermore, when Leto was pregnant with Apollo, no land would shelter her because they were all terrified of Apollo. Leto had to BEG Delos to let her give birth, saying that Apollo would surely honour her and even when Delos agreed, she still said that she was terrified of him, that he would dominate both immortals and men, that he would look upon her, find her ugly and abandon her for dead like all the others.

In this way, there's a serious risk of immortals being completely and utterly dominated by Apollo - of their stories and legacies being swallowed up by his power and this is directly linked to the spread of the explosive spread of the Apollonian Cult and practices throughout Greece and how he moved from a relatively rustic Anatolian hunting god to being the 'most Greek of the gods'. Hyacinthus is believed to have originally been a vegetation and tutelary god in his own right before being syncretised with Apollo, likewise his affair with Melia takes place at a time where Boetia was still early in its adoption of his worship and so his place could be threatened by the gods that populated the wilds which Apollo stamped out with extreme prejudice by murdering Kaanthos. Kastalla and Daphne too were implements of a rule before Apollo - Kastalla was born on Parnassus, a literal embodiment of a spring which becomes Apollonian either through her death (and thus her conquest) or by her willingly choosing to join Apollo's number while Daphne, regardless of one's thoughts on the nature of her tale, ends up as the de facto symbol of Apollo despite her rejecting him onto death in her lifetime.

So basically, to answer the question to the best of my abilities, women ran from Apollo and literally preferred death because the guy was legitimately terrifying, actually and Apollo's love life is so messy because there are three aspects of him represented in it at all times; Apollo, the lover, Apollo, the protector and Apollo, the conqueror which is fitting for a god of so many pluralities.

Jokes aside, what the fuck is going on with Apollo's love life?

I mean, we all know how many tragic romances he has. More than any other god or mortal. He is the only one I can remember women literally preferred death over. I can recall at least five cases when women chose death over sleeping with him, and I have a very bad memory for such things.

So the question is why?

When we are talking about greek gods, it is always about some kind of metaphors, natural forces, symbolism and etc. And that translates to the gods' sexual or romantic encounters. Zeus having so many lovers and, therefore being the father of all so many kings and heroes - the metaphor for rain giving life to beings on earth. Demeter sleeping with both Poseidon and Zeus to symbolize connection between earth and sky, earth and ocean. Aphrodite being involved with Ares as a connection between love and war and so on.

So why is Apollo the god that has such a reputation? Apollo, who simbolizes light, youth and beauty, being the god of arts, music, and prophecies, who is the protector of young boys, father to the medicine and overall representing generally "good" things. Of course, he has other things to be known for, such as spreading diseases or being known as a cause for deaths of young boys, but overall, his domain has more of a "positive" connotation.

So I really have zero good ideas on why he is the one to have so many myths about women choosing death over him because the longer I think about this, the less it makes sense.

I have a couple of ideas. For example, I can try thinking about this as a "boys are supposed to marry only when they are older and not this young" but this sounds really weak even for me at the very least because marriage and sexual encounters are two different things. Maybe you can put this into the "youth can be too passionate arrogant and overwhelming in their love so much it can cause serious damage" perspective, which sounds better but still not good.

So I'm lost here.

[3416]

got this quote on the vid of ppl saying mitch is the most romantic and it cracks me up that people don't consider the transactional nature of some of these relationships or assume monogamy is the baseline of every relationship out there... not that i'm saying oh he doesnt cheat, it's just like fbdkdjdk it happens and people find out and still get married and go on to have relationships and families anyway like... if anything, doesnt it actually make the whole arrangement MORE interesting to think abt.....

also it just doesnt negate being romantic but i digress... ppl need to open their third eyes

[camellcat]

it confuses me when people say they like willow or xander and then get all uncomfortable and condemning about, like... major parts about them. you don't like that they're wildly possessive of which often leads them to acting irrational and awful...... which is like one of their biggest traits? oh, and you hate that they're not fantastic friends to buffy............. which is also like. how they are. pretty much the entire time we know them. okay!

wow, you find xander to be annoying bc he's a dumb dude who seriously needs to unlearn some ideals and really outta treat his girlfriends nicer. I'm dismayed at his typical guy-ness. bummer, we don't enjoy that willow is like totally abusive when it comes to exerting whatever power can get over people. that sure is a bad thing she does.

I just. I like them BECAUSE of these things idk how the hell you could possibly separate these things from them and still enjoy these characters it boggles my mind

[crossbackpoke-check]

find a blorbo (nhl tag game)

RULES: Go through the roster of each NHL team and find at least one player that you can root for.

tagged by @bondedpairs!! when i say too many teams to count and here for the narrative um. i may not have lied. this is not an extensive list of my blorbos but in order to make it not ten thousand years long i made up the rule that i had to do it straight from memory :)

anaheim ducks: as evidenced by recent events i DO like mason mctavish and trevor zegras but i have to honor laura and mention troy terry and beloved goalie gibbie*

boston bruins: oh for sure brad marchand… can i say patrice? one of the charlies got traded but i think mcavoy is still there because gryz is gone, brandon carlo is there still i think

buffalo sabres: cozens & thompson, owen power, rasmus dahlin, ukko pekka luukkonen

calgary flames: is chris tanev still here? is markstrom still here?? noah hanifin?? as a last resort i’ll say blasty

carolina hurricanes: aho & jarvy & teuvo teravainen & brent burns is still playing maybe? i know sepe got traded

chicago hockey: the bedsy narrative is compelling but ANDREAS ATHANASIOU MY BELOVED reunited with tyler bertuzzi… that’s the real story. also i like foligno

colorado avalanche: gabe landeskog, whatever ross colton & miles wood have going on, natemac + jo, mikko

columbus blue jackets: have long been on the merzlikins train, have been swayed to the darkside of umich boys (brindley, kent johnson, fantilli, blankenburg who is now on nsh)

dallas stars: seggy! mush! roope + miro and otter and robo and wyjo (rip ty dellandrea) and harls! etc.

detroit red wings: MOST players. dilly larks, moritz seider, jv, raymond, rasmussen, kitty, lyon, etc except for k*ne

edmonton oilers: mcdrai, ofc. nugent-hopkins, nursey, rip vinny & skinny

florida panthers: tkachuk, reinhardt, sasha barkov, verhaeghe (is there still?)

los angeles kings: adrian kempe… kevin fiala… danault… quinton byfield & alex turcotte

minnesota wild: kirill, marat, fleury, brodes, fabes, boldy, moose, middsy, spurge… god’s perfect idiots

montreal canadiens: going out on a limb here to say martin st. louis but also xhekaj (both), slafkovský, suzuki, my austrian reinbacher, yes fine cole caufield

nashville predators: MOST BEAUTIFUL D PAIR IN THE WORLD GRADY SKJEI AND ROMAN JOSI!! juuse, evangelista, isn’t stamkos there and also someone else who absolutely should not be

new jersey devils: nico… tuna (tatar), dawson mercer, siegenthaler, dougie hamilton, yes the hugheses whatever

new york islanders: barzy, zeeker & marty, anders lee, noah dobson lol

new york rangers: mika & chris, lafrenière & k’andre, shesterkin

philadelphia flyers: frosty & beezer and tk and sanny and the new baby michkov and coots and scooty loots and foerster etc etc. you know the Guys

pittsburgh penguins: the two headed monster but also compelled by rutger mcgroarty, and kevin hayes was there!!!

ottawa senators: timmy stü & brady! josh norris! the evolution of shane pinto! ullmark now and brännström and claude giroux and chabot

san jose sharks: ekky, thrun, mario, borde, logan couture, shakir, that other vaguely blond rookie

seattle kraken: brandon tanev, andre burakovsky! grubauer & d’accord also

st. louis blues: jordan kyrou, nathan walker (is still there?), rob thomas? is parayako still there?

tampa bay lightning: hedman, point, they dumped so many guys after the cup run… is kucherov still there or is he in nashville?? anthony cirelli (notable for being made out with by pat maroon)

toronto maple leafs: mitch, jt, willy, alex nylander, kniesy, dewar, et

utah hockey: crouse, keller, tuba

vancouver canucks: quinn, brock, petey, jt, garly, höggy, i want to say dakota johnson, elias lindholm?

vegas golden knights: brandon montour is here now… alex pietrangelo, so sorry to one i can’t remember who loves the lions it will come back to me

washington capitals: full of love and stupidity. oshie, nicke/ovi, pierre-luc dubois, dowd, vrána, milano

winnipeg jets: adam lowry!! josh morissey and kc and morgan barron, also vladdy my beloved

tagging @stillfertile + @colap1nto + @songsandswords + @moregraceful if they haven’t done it yet, i know they follow at least a couple teams. if anybody else wants to play i love adopting blorbos!!

[goldenguillotines]

Maybe it's hormones and mood but man... Sometimes I feel like a lot of people push a "This character is ultimately the strongest over any of yours" on me and I'm just like //scratches my head// sometimes. Not inspired at anyone or anything just a thought