#not entirely sure how I feel about this but it exists

[swappermanent]

Freckles (Part 3 - Grandpa's POV)

Life has changed a lot for me in the past nine months. You don’t realize just how much you miss about being young until you’ve got it back. I thought I had a good handle on things, swapping into Dylan every summer like clockwork. A week here, a week there—it was enough to scratch the itch, to remind me of what it felt like to have a strong back, quick reflexes, and boundless energy. But let me tell you, living in a young body for this long? It’s different. Night and day.

Kai—no, Theo now—was right. I’ll admit it. I was reluctant when he first said it to me, standing there in that smug stance of his, shirtless as always, grinning like he had the world figured out. “You clearly get a kick out of being in Dylan’s body,” he said, his tone dripping with knowing amusement. And damn if he didn’t have a point.

I hesitated back then, but looking at me now? I owe Theo a massive thank-you. Staying in Dylan’s body for longer than a week was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. For one thing, there’s a kind of freedom that comes with being young and I’ve been taking full advantage of it.

I live in Berlin now. Thanks to my little caveat—"Feel free to alter your body in any way you see fit during the year"—it was totally in bounds to do something like this. A new life, a fresh start. Berlin seemed like the obvious choice. The city practically begs you to reinvent yourself, to explore every side of who you are, no matter how deeply it’s been buried.

The real Dylan wasn’t thrilled about the move, but what could he do? We all already had Irish passports anyway, so it wasn’t like there were any logistical hurdles. He’ll get over it, I’m sure. Honestly, though, I think he’s secretly jealous.

Besides, this is the perfect place to explore my sexuality. Everyone here is so open—no judgment, no shame. I’ve had sex in all the clubs, even in the middle of Tempelhof Feld. Men, women—it doesn’t matter. And let me tell you, everyone wants my hog and body, which is in peak form.

But the best night I’ve had was one where I wasn’t taking the active role in the encounter.. I’d been getting into leather lately, exploring the scene and one night, I found myself at a warehouse party. Dim red lights, pounding music, the smell of sweat and leather mingling in the air. I was dressed for the occasion—harness, boots, nothing else.

That’s where I met them. A Swedish guy, tall and broad-shouldered, with blond hair and piercing eyes that pinned me in place. And a Bulgarian guy, muscular, his dark eyes smoldering with a confidence that left no room for argument. They didn’t ask; they just knew I would take it.

And I did.

They worked together like a symphony, positioning me between them with practiced ease. The Bulgarian was the first to push inside, his cock thick and unrelenting. I gasped, clutching at his shoulders as he filled me, stretching me in a way that felt like too much and just enough all at once. And then, the Swedish guy. His cock pressed against me, slick and insistent, until he slid in beside the first, my body opening up to take them both.

I’d never felt anything like it—the fullness, the weight of them moving in tandem, their rhythm so perfectly in sync it felt orchestrated. One of them reached around to stroke my cock, his grip firm and knowing, while the other’s hand moved to my chest, teasing my nipples until I was trembling. The pleasure was overwhelming, building in waves that crashed over me again and again, each one higher than the last.

When I finally came, it was like the entire world blurred out of existence. My cock pulsed in the Swedish guy’s hand, the orgasm tearing through me with a force that left me breathless. My legs nearly gave out, but they held me steady, their movements never faltering as they milked every last drop of pleasure from my body. By the time they finished, I was spent, my skin slick with sweat, my heart pounding like I’d run a marathon.

That night changed something in me. It wasn’t just the sex—it was the surrender, the freedom of letting go completely. Afterward, they helped me clean up, their touches surprisingly gentle, and we shared drinks at the bar, laughing and swapping stories like old friends.

And now? Well I think I’m officially a Berliner.

[werewolfcave]

I think generally one of the biggest overall faults of ORV is how much the women are so frequently defined by the men around them.

Jung Heewon is Kim Dokja's sword and a matching pair with Lee Hyunsung. She was sexually assaulted and left to die and only survived because a man saved her. Her connection with Uriel is the most major one she has with another woman, which I cannot understate but it is something we only see glimpses of. The Paradise Arc is one of the few places where we really get to see Jung Heewon's own feelings, outside of just the definition or framework of the men in her life.

Uriel's most notable defining traits that make her more than just WoS Uriel are (in the 1864th turn) her love of Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk and (in the 999th turn) being in love with Yoo Joonghyuk. [This is a bit of an oversimplified and pessimistic view of the way Uriel is presented but I think you guys get what I'm trying to say]

Lee Jihye is mostly defined by Yoo Joonghyuk (the guy who taught her to fight), Kim Dokja (the guy who convinced her live), and Kim Namwoon (the guy who has feelings for her that she doesn't return). She is close with Jung Heewon but we never actually get elaboration on this fact! Na Bori and the kids are like the only things we get outside of the men in her life and even then she is usually just the babysitter!!

Lee Seolhwa is literally only spared because Kim Dokja thought that Yoo Joonghyuk would fall apart if she didn't live! Not because of her extreme medical prowess, not because she is a person, but simply because her boyfriend would be sad. Hell! We barely know anything about her outside of Yoo Joonghyuk!!!

Yoo Mia is also entirely defined by Yoo Joonghyuk! We don't know anything about her besides her connections to her brother!!

Anna Croft is pretty much exclusively defined by Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja! Neither of which have good opinions on her! So she's just kind of framed as a bitch with little elaboration otherwise. There are implications she is more but goddamn if we barely get to see them!

Don't get me wrong, ORV has its really awesome moments. But fuck do a lot of the women not really exist outside of the men for a large portion of the story.

I know this has likely been talked about to death for most of the characters but Jung Heewon was one that particularly stuck out to me as Jung Heewon in the sequel is not only saved by a man but saved by a man who is specifically a fanboy of hers (not sure how it's handled past that tho).

[rei-ismyname]

Teen Jean outs Bobby Drake pt 1

So... Marvel finally decided to confirm that Bobby Drake is gay in All-New X-Men vol 1. I'd forgotten it was a response of sorts to Bobby aggressively performing heterosexuality by objectifying Magik. Not that it makes Jean's behaviour any kind of model for being an ally, but it's easier to see how she arrived at this conversation. It wasn't just out of the blue.

It's clear he absolutely knows he's gay, but he's been closeted for years and I think his persona was built for self protection. A person's openness with their sexuality is entirely up to them (thank fuck telepaths aren't real) and the O5 had grown up in the 60s then suddenly were taken to 2014. Homophobia is still absolutely rampant, but the difference must have been stark. Bobby's parents are also super conservative assholes - given their attitude to him being a mutant he knows they would be awful if he came out to them. Xavier isn't exactly progressive either.

The ice barrier he puts up is him shutting the conversation down while holding back. I'd probably freeze her solid and flee. Interestingly he stops denying it very quickly (not like he had a fucking choice, JEAN) and brings up the headfuck that is his older self who 'isn't [gay.] It really is a unique situation.

I get the impression that Bobby's 'speculation' is spot on, it's obviously the same thought process he had. It's incredibly articulate and thoughtful, which should give an idea of just how much of a performance he has been putting on. Plenty of gay and queer folks date people you wouldn't 'expect' them to. Experimentation is how we figure ourselves out, and heteronormativity is a hell of a drug.

He accepts it pretty quickly, and they briefly discuss the cultural differences compared to their own time.

He accepts it super quickly and allows himself to think out loud about people he finds attractive. Warren, mainly. I don't believe him for a second that Warren is 'too pretty' as I'll discuss in part 2, but I have to say I misremembered the privacy aspect of this. Obviously Jean went to Charles Xavier school of psychic consent (literally) but she at least talks to him privately about this, and assures him 'it's no one's business until you say it is.'

She didn't so much out him as drag him kicking and screaming out of the closet, but she kept it between them and stuck to that. That, at least, is a positive model for supporting queer friends. There's a lot of trust there, and Jean outing Bobby isn't as bad as I remember it. Bobby certainly seems a LOT happier afterwards and while his exploration of his sexuality/dating is awkward as hell, that's true for everyone. I wonder if he's grateful to Jean for this. It feels weird to say it but he probably is. The flipside of telepathy existing is the misery someone who wasn't his friend could have inflicted. There's Xavier, too, who surely must have known, right? He doesn't know the meaning of privacy - what should he have done with this information? We know what he did in canon - nothing. It's such an odd situation that it's hard to judge but if someone in your care is closeted for decades then maybe you didn't provide the best environment.

Thus, the ice twink was born. Next time, Teen Jean and Teen Bobby talk to the Bobby of this time period. That's going to be awkward to write about. Ultimately, it does portray common queer experiences (albeit with telepathy and time travel involved) and emphatically normalises not being straight. It's not perfect, and it wasn't very groundbreaking for 2014, but it's something.

[imagine-darksiders]

AHHHHHHH I stumbled across your writing and art through your transformers fic, and loved your style so much I devoured your other fics even though I’ve never heard of Darksiders. And promptly fell head over heels for it! I don’t even go here but I’m adopting a Horseman or three and every maker. I want to wrap them in warm blankets and feed them cookies.

Death’s Reaper form being unable to keep from showing those subconscious feelings and this giant skeleton’s darkest desires mostly being, wanting to coo over y/n. SOFTY. BIG SCARY SOFTY. Death getting worse at hiding it from everyone they encounter. I can see him blaming Reaper internally to avoid confronting his feelings like “I am a HORSEMAN, I have a reputation, do NOT blow this for us” (Reaper is not listening, too busy mentally frolicking with y/n)

Your fics 😭😭😭 I literally sat in my car and cried over Eideard in CHWH, and I am cackling at Strife and War in Eden’s Heir, the sheer confusion over humans knowing what guns are when they’re living in caves! the mob boss au has me by the throooooat. What would have happened if y/n did actually ask Strife not to hurt the dillweed that bruised her??? 👀👀👀 how would he have reacted

Amazing, spectacular, addictive, 10000/10 I didn’t know I needed this in my life

Absolutely tickled at the random idea of a generally non-spiritual y/n having someone comment about her soul, and just bluescreening because what the hell do you mean, souls are real???? I have one?? Like sure, apocalypse, Horsemen, demons, hard evidence exists, but facing something previously unknown and intangible about yourself is the real terror. Pestering Death or worse, Strife or War about souls and trying to come to terms with that?? Existential crisis on top of existential crisis.

Gnawing on this entire universe but especially your writing of it 💖 Please forgive me for liking your entire tumblr 😂

BELIEVEEEEEE ME, there is nothing to forgive. Spam away. ☺️💕👍🏻

[weirdlynotspecific]

I feel like I make a lot of posts about fandom critiques, so here's some stuff I've noticed in the star trek fandom and fanfiction that I love.

- It's literally the parent of modern fandom. Getting to say that I love star trek is so cool because of the monumental impact it has had on modern media and modern fandom.

- I haven't seen any weird gatekeepy stuff. I'm sure it exists, but the entire fandom is so chill. You could only watch AOS and be welcome or TOS and be welcome, and I really appreciate that.

- I love when people include their headcanons into backstories. In most fanfics I've seen it still aligns with canon, and when it doesn't, who cares. There are alternate realities, do whatever you want. I like seeing the inferences people make as to why a certain character acts the way they do.

- Scenery descriptions in this fandom are next level. The way that some of you describe alien planets and cultures scratches a part of my brain in the best way possible, I have no idea how you all are able to get so descriptive without being long-winded. (And even when you are, the descriptions are so good that I don't care).

- THE BANTER. There is so much fanfiction with solid banter, I haven't been in a fandom where almost every single fanfic I read has such good character interactions in nearly every fanfic.

- The art is also insane. I like that no two styles in this fandom look the same, everyone has a unique take on the characters and the scenes they capture and I eat that up.

[zuppizup]

Rayllum, 10 babies and Xadian family planning

I’m trying to post the next chapter of Dark Alternative, but AO3 is very wonky, so you’re going to be subjected to my rambling thoughts on my new WIP for Work in Progress Wednesday.

So, over my vacation, I’ve been plagued by post-season 7 fanfic ideas. Short fics, obviously. No more than three chapters, as usual.

What’s got me intrigued right now, is how the continent of Xadia, or at least, a select group of people, will manage with living with the knowledge that Aaravos, in some form, is coming back in seven years. How would that affect politics and society, as well as the individual characters and the choices they make knowing that?

The regular folks would struggle to miss that whole eternal darkness and dead creatures thing that happened, but what do they know about exactly what went down?

And what do they know about what’s to come?

You know me, I’m a Rayllum person, so pretty much any fic of mine is a Rayllum fic, and this current idea is focused on how this particular threat affects the next stage of their lives.

Without a doubt, when we last saw Rayllum they were totally committed to each other and are fully ride or die… but how would that devotion relate to their future, in particular, the subject of children?

Now, I’m an angster in my deep dark heart, so while I’m sure many people could conceive of a fic where Rayllum are secure in their ability to defeat Aaravos come round two, that ain’t where my brain was ever going to go.

Rayllum are in love and clearly want a future together. Callum was openly planning a quaint little one in the Silvergrove before they were rudely interrupted by the whole end of the world dealio.

So, where does that leave them now (in my angsty reality anyway)?

In their youth, they both leaned into their more paranoid natures (Rayla leaving without Callum in TTM and Callum getting physical with Soren in season 4), and while they’ve both grown and matured since then, would such a threat as the world ending be enough to bring that paranoia right on back?

Which leaves me with my current fic planning conundrum.

Assuming Rayllum decided to forego the whole having kids thing until Aaravos is imprisoned again, how likely is it that they could plan when to have a family.

I’ve seen people say that the world of The Dragon Prince is in a medieval setting, and so people had children younger then, which, aside from not being the entire story, doesn’t feel like it really applies to a world with magic and dragons, a world that lacks the sexism and gender roles that are also associated with medieval times or other more grounded works set then.

Additionally, looking at canon, I think it could be reasonably argued that some form of birth control is readily available in the setting. In fact, I think it’s likely multiple forms of birth control exist in the world of The Dragon Prince.

From humans to elves, we don’t see large families normally associated with the inability to plan a family via the use of effective birth control. The “largest” family we see are the Sunfire monarchs, with three children. Viren and Lissa had two children only. Sarai may well have had more children had she lived, but Rayla’s parents spent multiple years at the Storm Spire and she remained an only child.

I can’t imagine there’s much in the way of entertainment at the Storm Spire either. Sure, they could abstain or get creative, but oof, hasn’t enough been asked of them?

Even looking at prior generations, we do not see large families. Given the closeness in ages of the siblings we know of, it also seems unlikely to me that children were lost in childbirth or to childhood illnesses.

To me, it seems far more likely that family planning is active in Xadia and would be a tool Callum and Rayla could exercise.

Clearly, no birth control is infallible (or I guess it can be, magic and all) and I assume Miyana’s twins were unplanned.

Personally, I head canon Rayla herself was an oopsie baby in order to further explain the complications of her parents being called away to join the Dragon Guard.

Where am I going with this? I don’t even know anymore.

I suppose, to me, it’s not a foregone conclusion that in seven years Rayllum would have a kid (or indeed multiple). The setting of the world doesn’t imply that it’s particularly difficult to prevent pregnancy. In fact, the small families imply to me that family planning is a cultural norm among elves and humans.

Faced with the imminent threat of Aaravos’ return, would Rayllum plan to start a family? Certainly, people put off having children for far lesser reasons.

We also don’t know how using dark magic, even in that limited capacity, has affected Callum and the potential for him to get possessed again. It was clearly enough to physically mark him, but does that go deeper?

Would imprisoning Aaravos once again result in an inevitable possession?

Not great when Dad gets taken over and abandons the family.

Or worse, Mum has to take him out.

Angsty though!

As usual, I’ll be doing my own thing in my fics, but I’m interested to see where Arc 3 goes with this (optimistically assuming we get it). There are a lot of factors at play to explain why we might see a lot of the characters in a state of stasis. Seven years isn’t that long when you’re facing the world ending, after all. Particularly when you’re likely to play a very active part in trying to stop that returning apocalypse.

So, which way to go? I see the angst potential in both.

On one hand, you’ve got the pain and desperation of protecting your kid from a returned Aaravos, or perhaps worse, a possessed Dad.

But on the other, you’ve got two people who likely want to take the next steps in their lives, but feel the pressure of a ticking bomb haunting them and potentially preventing them from moving forward.

Either way, bring on the pain.

[velvetvexations]

--- somehow i don't think the trans radfem movement thinks aphobia is a fine word to exist

It's almost quaint. Almost.

Why is there a wave of trans radfems defending 4chan boards

I'm going to need to be pointed to this if only because I'm going to get dinged for spreading malicious lies about trans women being "Nazis" otherwise, but lmfao if true.

wtf kind of hill is txttletale dying on now?

I mean she's still a tankie fuck but apparently now she's also getting in on the transmisogynistic harassment campaign game.

isn't "doll" specifically a fetish term? that is really not something people should be applying to other people without making sure it's ok first.

No, it's a Black ballroom term that trans women started running with.

People on this site are taking pissing on the poor to a whole new goddamn level “telling people that this person is/has sexually harassed someone who was a minor is calling everyone with their identity a pedophile”, I’d blame the school system but that really was a choice not to actually read and relay

it's definitely malicious

joan jett in the mv for i hate myself for loving you is like, unbearably beautiful

so true

it’s so obvious that these people choose to isolate themselves in a dimension crafted out of their own self-hatred that they care more about hurting their oppressors (and people who don’t even oppress them) than uplifting people hurt by systems of oppression. sometimes i think i’m bad but then i come across people like that and realise i’m relatively well-adjusted

inspiring innit

post addressed to trans women from a trans woman about trans women –> trfs in the notes: “why are you telling me to be nice to trans men?”

they have their priorities

absolutely wild to say that transunitists are 2010-reddit-style mras and then say things like "afab privilege." yeah those afabs with their wielding of power. and i bet they get free drinks at every bar and their bosses promote them for being pretty, huh.

they get upset at having their logic compared to MRAs because it's implicit misgendering (never mind that they directly call random trans men MRAs and radfems as well) but I'm not sure what they expect when they talk at length about how all of those fucking evil AFAB bitches are just waiting for their chance to screw you over with a false rape accusation

"pick me" is AAVE, and, like all white girls, they're overusing and misusing it until it has no meaning left 🙄

I actually wasn't aware of that. Neat. Disputed? See replies.

a lot of this going on is just reminding me once again of the intense monogenderism that really never gets worked on. It’s super awkward as a multigendered individual and an intersex one

it also just really feels so fucking tone ignorant the way people talk.

society still calls traits of men or masc, some even actively choose to agree while still being a counter to it gender but obviously real trans women don’t so attacking those things would never hurt them, and multigender trans woman who are also men? Obviously fake.

the English language is so fucking insufficient

I honestly wish every asshole who seems to think the ability to mask as complete cis and definitely just your assigned gender is a privilege had to live in my head for the holiday season. I am entirely in the closet with my family because of bigotry I have no other choice than living with my family for multiple reasons I just spent the entire winter holiday pretending to be a woman answering to my deadname being called aunty and sister and daughter and not being able to say jack shit about it without even being able to retreat to the solace of my friends afterwards because they are all busy with their own families. I want those assholes to experience the emotions and thoughts I just went through and come out the otherside and see if they still think that this is a fucking privilege.

Love you anon. <3

that anon telling on themselves so hard saying transmisogynys "far deeper" than transphobia. literally why on earth would you phrase it like that if the point was anything besides "my *special* oppression is way more poignant and meaningful than your boring regular oppression"

lmao right though it's so obviously just trying to mark their thing as having more dramatic flair

do you keep a backup of your blog with a program like tumblthree? there's a lot of valuable posts on it, and tumblr is almost distressingly transitory.

I don't, but noted.

[xxepherr]

hasan blurb/fic idea or request (idk if your taking requests?)

hasan blurb/fic based on the tree decorating stream but reader is very particular about how she thinks tree should be decorated and hasan just sits back and observes her lovingly decorating the tree while chat is saying he's down bad the whole time 😩

.ೃ࿐HEART EYES

summary — in which hasan can't help but sit back and watch with adoration while you decorate his christmas tree

pairings — hasan piker x reader

pronouns — she/her

word count — 736

note — they're not dating in this one but you can assume they're unofficially dating or not yet at the point of sharing their feelings. up to you! (also this is super late but i was away for the christmas period so!!)

YOU'D STAYED OFF YOUR phone ever since you last watched hasan and murat go to home depot with rae, marche and qt. you technically had other things to be doing — for one, finishing wrapping christmas presents — but you also wanted to be entirely blindsided by what hasan would be bringing home with him.

to be fair though, you hadn’t expected him to bring home multiple dog statues. when you knocked on the door to hasan’s house and his dad welcomed you inside, you were hoping that he’d come back with a tree and decorations, maybe some lights that you could string up across the trees in his yard.

the tree you were currently staring at was ugly. seriously ugly. apparently it was qt’s choice ( like the dogs ) to get it, and apparently it was the least ugly according to murat.

YOU stood there in the most disappointed fashion anyone had ever seen. once glance at chat and they all shared the exact same sympathy.

“hasan,” you interrupted his mindless chatter about how he was decorating the tree. you weren’t even sure who he was talking to anymore — it sounded more like he was trying to reason with himself that he was doing a good job. “can i just—“ you cut yourself off, now wanting to sound demanding when you were his guest. “nevermind.”

he had stopped the second he heard your voice directed at him instead of chat anyway, the baubles forgotten about in his large hands. “what’s up?” he asked, all his attention on you.

you blinked. “uh, tinsel and lights usually look better if you put them on first.”

without a word, he scooted the box of baubles away with his foot and pulled the tinsel off from where it was hanging around his neck like a scarf. “then it’s all yours,” he announced, placing the tinsel around your neck like a silver medal.

the atmosphere was different because qt and rae weren’t sticking around for the decorating. you kind of wished they had stayed because the vibes would've been easier to deal with. you hadn't been alone on stream with hasan since the recent . . . development in feelings that had started to bubble up into existence.

the second the ornaments were in your hand, you were in complete control of decorations. years and years of being the designated tree decorator as a kid were coming back full force. you started at the top, walking around the tree to sit the lights in an evenly spaced manner down the tree, and then did the same with the tinsel.

hasan was — uncharacteristically — at a loss for words. his eyes were on you the entire time, capturing every movement you made as if he would miss a thing if he blinked. he had very little commentary, fixated on every aspect of you like you would disappear, slipping away like you were never in his house in the first place.

the chat was not helping his case.

"shut up, chat," he tried to keep his voice low and serious, "i am not down bad. shut the fuck up."

you heard him of course, the space between you not large enough to whisper secrets. that, and you'd felt his eyes burning holes through you, a silent shadow across every one of your movements. every ornament

you heard him of course, the space between you not large enough to whisper secrets. that, and you'd felt his eyes burning holes through you, a silent shadow across every one of your movements. every ornament — all of it. you could only imagine what his twitch chat was saying as he cleared his throat uncomfortably at being caught.

he didn't have the pleasure of staying in the unknown, unable to tear his eyes away from every chat message, peripheral vision on you through the monitor. every down bad, whipped, are they dating? multiplied tenfold, then triple that. and triple it again. he was in for it now, and you were — supposedly — none the wiser to any of it.

you knew, you could tell. heat burnt across your cheeks as you kept your back turned, yapping on about decorations to chat to provide an out to hasan, a way for him to involve himself in the conversation to change the topic.

there was really no use in keeping it a secret now.

[sowrennie]

Okay so I’m currently in Love and Deepspace hell and now it’s everyone’s problem. I may not entirely ever understand what’s going on, but that’s okay I’m still going to give my two cents on what Caleb may bring to the table. Please correct me if I’m wrong😭

LOVE AND DEEPSPACE MAINSTORY SPOILERS AHEAD!

1. Ties to EVER

Hear me out here. I know this is a common speculation but I want to delve into it and lay out the facts where I can see them. We kind of know what EVER’s goal is, we also— according to the notes we collect— know where their investments lie. They play a dominant role in biotechnological developments, aerospace, Evol energy, and international trade. We also know that Caleb works as a fighter pilot for the Deepspace Aviation Administration. He attended the Aerospace Academy in Skyhaven: an artificial floating island above Linkon. From what I gather, Skyhaven is powered by a protocore— and EVER is known for their involvement and use of protocores in modification/advancement. With what is made known to us it’s safe to conclude that Caleb is an affiliate. It’s hard to say whether or not he knows about the aether core, assuming he does though, he knows that upon the experiments— MC is basically immortal. She would be an asset to their research, and goal of extending lives. I wonder if Caleb feeds them this information, but at the same time— I’m just… not fully sure, seeing his particular niche and all. It does feel like they have their eyes on mc, though… I don’t entirely remember, but in awaited revelry, doesn’t Sylus imply that Josephine and Caleb have malicious intentions��? That being said—

2. Caleb’s return..?

I have a speculation that, like many cases we see (albeit some failed ones), he’ll be resuscitated via protocore; EVER can’t lose a valuable asset, after all. It fits thematically, and can further establish Caleb’s character as a character foil to Zayne (who despite his regrets, feels that death is a necessary part of the human existence.) An apple a day keeps the doctor away and all! This is the first ML we know that actively has interacted with another, and I genuinely can’t wait for what this means for Zayne’s story, even if EVER isn’t behind Caleb’s heavily implied return. He’s still facing what should be a dead man, and ugh. I KNOW his emotions are going to pile up. Staring directly at the Mt. Eternal anecdote. This could be a stretch, but— Carter, Xander Sciences trying to rope Zayne into their projects over and over— MC is the perfect bait, and bringing Caleb back may establish MC’s direct involvement and have Zayne be enticed by proxy. Caleb does play the role of the forbidden (potentially), and this could be how that motif comes into play.

3. Snake Motif…

Okay so I have yet to do my research on this entirely, but like— I just think it’s so interesting that they released Sylus during the year of the Dragon, and then potentially Caleb, during the year of the Snake. That aside, though— the clear biblical connection between the snake and the apple and potentially being that lure— what snakes generally symbolize (mystery, deceit…), and I saw this floating around somewhere, but apparently in CN he calls the MC ‘little tail���? I’m so interested in what this could mean symbolically with all his apparent affiliations, buuut that’s for us to see.

I’m looking forward to that livestream and tbh idk if anything here made sense but I’m so normal about this game (even if I likeee barely understand it.) What are you going to do Caleb. What’s happening. I know this is different from what I usually post here but I NEEDED to yap or else I might go insane idk

What are you hiding.

[coyle-and-co]

dolly and franco as kids, i think they would’ve understood each other

pretty much the rest of this post is oc ramblings !! stick around if you find that interesting haha

So obviously i’ve stated in this post that Dolly cross dresses, but i did also say i hadn’t figured out why but now i have !!!

Dolly was born into a household with a single teen mother, his father had left once he’d found out about his existence. His mother had wanted a girl, more than anything, so when Dolly was born a boy she was ,,,, less ,,, than happy ,,, for sure …

Since there was no male figures in Dolly’s life to say otherwise, he was raised for the first 10 years of his life as a girl. He knew no better, he was dressed as one, given girls toys etc. Even learnt how to do makeup. He didn’t question a thing.

Eventually, since his mother couldn’t find a stable enough job he had to be turned over to authorities and was sent away to an overtly more than evangelical local orphanage. Everyone always said how he was rather tall for a girl, but he was naturally feminine so once again no one really questioned much about him. Aside from teasing about his misalignment in his right eye, life was peaceful enough. Until he reached his teens and then you know what bodies do around that age.

He was confused, terrified more than anything about why he wasn’t growing up like the other girls were, and tried his best to hide it, however one of the boys who’d always picked on him noticed and well..it didn’t ,,,go very well for my poor boy 💔he was beaten pretty significantly, no one knew his mother had raised him as a girl so they assumed he was some freak 😞

After that he realized he’d been lied to for pretty much his entire childhood, but now a lot of things made sense, how he never felt like a woman really, but hey, how would he know?

The next few years at the orphanage were horrible, he’d lost any friends he’d had and the staff (given the time period) weren’t very understanding, even if he had accept that he was actually a boy, he was still gay, since he’d never been interested in girls.

Up until the age of 18, he had become recluse. Spending all his time making gadgets with a tool box given to him by one of the few staff members who was actually nice to him, the grounds keeper. He spent hours watching war time films, feeling an odd affection towards the bombs and weapons used.

Of course, he’d never forgotten how he was treated by his peers, and years of that built enough resentment that he thought of just — exploding the building. and well he did, in the end. He was thrown into prison, but his talents didn’t go unnoticed by a certain group (dun dun!! murkoff…)

However, even if he no longer has to dress feminine, he still enjoys it enough and likes to feel pretty:) even if coyle gives him grief about it

anyway ,,, i hope this is as interesting to my followers as it is to me making it, i love to ramble i apologize

dolly’s my sweet boy really, he just needs a friend i think

[free-fart-avenue]

But they also know who he is.

At the end they hear about how he's from "another dimention" and want to know more, what if he meets with Sans briefly and asks if they should share Everything, Most things, or just make things up, then Papyrus and/or Frisk come over and remind them the hell they (almost entirely Geno) went through to just learn the lession that

They can depend on and tell their friends things. They don't have to lie about who Geno is because that would For Sure lead to more isolation.

Maybe Papyrus and Frisk don't even need to be there. Geno and Sans are both very smart and know that their friends, with being so strong already and now having a happy ending, could handle knowing that Geno was Sans. They both talk and figure that, nah, lying and hiding things is how they got here. How Geno got here, existed in the first place.

It could go either way, and would be up to whoever makes this into an actual thing if they do.

The others would have issues though. But maybe Geno's voice is more hoarse? Can you imagine how much he might have cried over.. everything? Watching his family and friends die, not being able to do anything, but he could probably deal with that, he knew something like that would happen long ago. But with how much he tried to convince himself just to be abandoned when his only hope of ending the pain gets taken from him again and again and Again.

Torriel would know Sans and Geno apart the best, Geno sounds sadder, but he puts more effort into talking then Sans does. Geno's voice is more tense.

Once the others all learn about and accept the fact that Sans and Geno were the same person, they can help show Geno how he is an individual, and one who lost all he cared about, just to get it replaced with copies.

Undyne keeps looking at him, he is quieter and he thinks maybe she is trying to see how they are the same, or how they're different, but then one day she approaches and tells him her thoughts.

She couldn't imagine losing all her friends, she'd make sure that'd never happen. But right in front of her, Sans did let that happen, but got everything back by going through hell. She probably doesn't think it was all bad that Geno went through the hell he did because that was what it took for her best friend's brother to actually open up to those around him.

I can keep going with just Undyne's pov, but this is about Geno.

With him trying harder to be open to his friends, he can confide his guilt and shame into them, he can tell them how he feels and what he thinks and they can help.

He probably would spend time with his aquentences more, but if he is able to grieve the loss of his world, his family and friends, and even his own identity, all with the support of his friends and brothers, then it could be a healthy change, one because he is a different person from Sans, and he can have different.

Maybe he gets closer to them first and they help him work through his pain, that seems more likely.

They all have a lot to work through, and I can keep going, but this is getting long and I'm getting tired, so I'll make less sense and say dumb stuff.

do you think geno post-aftertale gets guilty for "replacing" his papyrus with the current one (and by extension everyone else). like yeah there's A papyrus here and he's his brother along with sans but he's still wearing the scarf of his papyrus.

the papyrus he failed to protect.

and like sure since the timeline reset technically the current papyrus IS his papyrus but both geno and sans being here could probably mess with him.

he knows he's here because of determination but maybe sometimes he can't help but look at the scarf he's wearing and papyrus and feel an immense sense of guilt

that's not to mention how everyone will think of him as a stranger. can you imagine they're all hanging out and then undyne tells geno something that sans did. but he already knows that because he did that but that's weird to say. "oh yeah i remember that i did that." they dont know that, you're not their sans.

does toriel sometimes get unsettled by how sans and geno's voice sounds the exact same. how often would she mistake the two at first when they're talking out of sight. how often do they get mistaken in general? and when they do get mistaken do people always assume it's sans and never geno?

like yeah aftertale had a happy ending but there's still so much to explore after it. how does geno adjust to being in the real world again (and on the surface at that). how does geno deal with his identity. does he keep his name? does he explain who exactly he is to the others or does he let that go unspoken? does he sometimes look at sans and get jealous he didn't have to go through everything that he did to get this happy ending and then feel bad for getting jealous?

i think it would be nice for geno to hang out with people that are less familiar with sans but still people he knows, like asgore, mettaton, napstablook, etc. there'd be less of that "i know sans well but you're almost like a stranger". it's simpler with acquaintances because they simply don't know either of them well enough. so geno doesn't have to be worried about being compared all the time, consciously or not

[sea-lanterns]

SINCE YOU MENTIONED READER TAKING SNEZHNAYAN WOMEN TO TROPICAL COUNTRIES, I'M IMAGINING POOR COLUMBIMA MELTING IN THE SCORCHING SUN😭😭😭 She was NOT ready for how hot it would be in comparison to her cool office in Snezhnaya, but now she needs to take it to please her darling!!! She struggles quite an bit, but she does manage to resist the heat in the end. After all, she's an fatui harbinger! It should be expected that she can take the sun glaring down at her face and trying to turn her into crispy chicken nuggets!

Arlecchino would be interesting because maybe she wouldn't be so bothered by it due to her puro vision and etc etc, but perhaps she wouls get extra clingy to reader if they have an cool body, just for the sake of cooling herself off too!!! Or maybe she would avoid going out in general, but still would do it just because she's the father and the face of the HOH, so she needs to put up an example for her kids!!!

For Signora's case, i think she wouldn't mind it too bad because... liquid fire in her body and stuff.. but if we put that aside, there's the point that she is from Mondstadt, and i hc it to not be nor too hot but also not too cold yk? Just that perfect temperature that leaves everyone cozy and warm inside. She would probably be able to grow used to it pretty quickly, but if it got too hot, then she probably woukd use her cryo delusion to cool both herself and reader off (maybe put her freezing cold fingers into reader's pussy, but that's for later!!!)

Sandrone would either not care or care about it too much, in my head. In the scenario where she wouldn't care, i imagine that it would be because she's an puppet and wouldn't be actually able to feel the heat, but then her body might accidentaly overheat and she'd need to cool herself off somehow, but i think she wouldn't be bothered by the heat itself. Yk? In the scenario where she does get bothered by it, i can see her working for an entire day in an portable AC that she can take around to cool herself down (and reader as well!!) Although... i doubt her ass would even leave the house at all.

In my head, the prompt was kinda set in a modern au so their visions don’t technically exist. For sure they would be able to tolerate it because vision holders can withstand the elements a lot better than regular people, but in this modern au where they travel with you to your country…they’re just gonna rawdog it and suffer 💀

Signora and Arlecchino are the type of women to make the mistake of packing dark clothing. And if your home country is extremely sunny they are going to roast very quickly. Sandrone seems like the type of woman to like wearing a lot of layers too, so she will be sweating profusely under her cozy sweaters and long dresses.

Columbina is the type of woman to like wearing a lot of accessories, but that can get very uncomfortable especially when walking around in tropical climates all day. By day 3 of your journey, she gave up trying to be accessorize and just settled for wearing a crop top 😭😭.

On the flip side, I know for a fact that the Sumerian women and Natlan women will be completely fine in tropical countries. Heck, they will be thriving and going out all day, not even breaking a sweat because this is just another day for them in their own country 😊

[draconicred]

Experiences in the Alterhuman Community (and Beyond) as a Fictive

It's a weird experience being a fictional character, especially dealing with fandom, the fact that your source is fictional, and interactions with people based on that--including some of the dehumanisation that's so common toward fictionfolk. I'm gonna go into that here because I need somwhere to collect my thoughts, so this might get long. I'll be talking about my experiences as a fictive, but this could very well apply to anyone who identifies as a fictional being--fictionkin, fictionlinkers, etc.

So, I see the version of me on the screen as an AU version of me, in short. I mean, I'm me, and I don't think I even looked exactly 1:1 with my canon self--so naturally, even though events line up pretty closely, I see my source as... Almost like a fanfic of my life? Like sure, that's decidedly me, and decidedly a lot of the things that happened to me and my friends, but also not me. I'm not that guy on the screen, he's what represents me.

Even though I fully believe I got here by dying in a literal past life, my source media here is absolutely fictional to me and I just... Don't look at it in really any other way. Which I guess makes sense if you put it into my perspective--what else would it be? It really is like reading a fanfic based on your life though, or reading an article about yourself in the news. A bit of a shock, a bit of "why did they include THAT?" sprinkled in here and there, a bit awkward sometimes, and it does tend to resurface bad feelings. But overall, it's not that personal to me. I'm largely fine with it existing.

On the other hand, what is shocking is that people see me as fictional. I'm a fictional introject, from a fictional source, from the perspectives of a lot of people here. But I look at my source and I go well... Yeah, that's fiction of course, but my life is an actual thing that happened to me. Realistically I know that not everyone has spiritual beliefs and not everyone even accepts fictional identities as something "real", but man is it weird to just... Have it be spun in such a way?

I'm used to being in the media, I'm used to having cameras on me and being in the public eye. I'm used to articles and stories and posts on the internet. I'm used to fans even! But this isn't your regular, run-of-the-mill experience of people wanting to know you because you're a hero. This is people who see your life and experiences as a fun story they saw in a book or on TV, coming up to you with the idea that you're their favourite character, and not... A whole entire person. It's so damn weird.

There's still that level of disrespect that comes from people who are a little parasocial with you, but it almost hits deeper here because a lot of the time, you know they're not seeing a hero or the things you've literally done in your memories. They're seeing that guy on the screen they think is cool, and while he represents you, he's not you. And they're treating you like a celebrity because of that weird fanfic version of you on the TV or in that book.

There's usually little acknowledgement of your life or experiences as "real". When you're presenting as your fictional identity around others, you tend to get put into one of a few camps:

Cool Character from Media who I love and adore and want to talk to (and will probably get fanperson excited about it). I will probably get dispraportionally upset if Character tells me to back off a bit because I don't want my blorbo to be mad at me.

Character from Media I'm in love with and will immediately start asking invasive questions to or outright flirting with. Could get real gross real quick.

Problematic Character or Guy From Problematic Media that I instantly dislike because that's so Problematic how dare you show your face. I'm reporting you for being Character, you should change your identity if you want to exist so bad.

Character from Media who is disabled/queer/mentally ill/has any soft personality trait ever and I will now be treating you like a sweet little babyboy cinnamon roll who could not hurt a fly.

Person who identifies as Character? How interesting! I'm going to really pry and question everything from your actions in-source (to get unique perspectives from Character) and question literally everything else. Because this is Science and I'll get mad if you don't tell me everything, you need to tell me everything or you're rude.

Of course there's nuance and there's absolutely times where you'll be treated as a normal person, but the above are... So damn common. I've been here for a few months and I've already had some weird stuff happen to me simply because I'm Kirishima and people feel entitled to give me cutesy nicknames or whatever. Even without knowing me or my system at all beforehand. It's just.. So different from anything I've experienced before? Being treated like a celebrity is dehumanising enough, but being treated like a character.ai bot or just generally a form of free entertainment and not a person is so perplexing to me.

There's also that if you're from a popular source, you see stuff about yourself everywhere. Posters, plushies, advertisements, posts on social media--all of it. Some of that I'm used to already, but it's kind of weird when you're mentally aware that this is all for that twisted-mirror version of yourself and not you. And if you get a little uncomfortable at some fanart showing up out of the blue, or someone making a source related joke... You're kind of just expected to brush it off. Which yeah, I get it! It's about the source, not me, but it's still just... A weird feeling. A feeling of not being allowed to be upset because it's about the source and not literal you.

I think there needs to be a line, maybe. Not saying that fictives should be putting a stop to any media or fandom ever, just.. That maybe respect toward us for being uncomfortable with fan content due to being a fictive or fictionkin should be more normalised. It should be more okay to say "hey, I'm Character, please don't joke like that" to a friend, or "don't send me fanart of this thing, I'm Character and that's weird"--which it normally is! But there does tend to be a sort of layer of "Oh, it's because you're Character. You know that's not you, right? You shouldn't be upset, you need to source separate more."--when if most other people were to set a boundary like that, it would usually be respected. Source separation can be great, but if someone hasn't separated or doesn't want to, why is it okay to still send them material they're uncomfortable with--or at least, why do people tend to argue that the fictive should "just separate from source" instead? It... Just boils down to alterhumisia toward fictionfolk, honestly. It sucks.

There's a lot of problems with basic respect toward fictionfolk of all kinds--hell, even in the alterhuman community where it's meant to be safe. I don't know if this rant is entirely coherent or not, I don't know if there's anything noteworthy to take from it--but if you do take something from it, let it be that fictionfolk want to be treated like people. Source separated, not source separated, canon divergent or compliant, hearted, linker, 'kin or 'tive--we're people. Don't let our identities change the way you instinctually treat us. Let us be openly us, and treat us as you would anyone else.

[chaotictarlos]

16. Taking naps together, from day till night, waking up every now and then to get more snuggles in.

thank you to my sweet friend @this-is-ali for picking this number. here's the list that it's from. if you want me to write one, send me an asks!

couple: Tarlos | word count: 356

It was one of those rare, peaceful slow Sundays that they didn’t get often enough anymore. 

They were both off work for the next two days, schedules aligning for the first time in months - TK was sure that Carlos called in a few favors for that to happen. It was needed, of course, the time to just be together, slow down, and talk. It had been too long, much too long since they got time to be together and just exist in the moment.

TK sighed contently and snuggled deeper into Carlos’ arms. He felt the warmth of the morning sun on his back but it wasn’t as tempting as feeling Carlos’ strong arms around his body. There wasn’t anything in the world at that moment that could convince him to get out of bed and out of his husband’s arms.

“Good morning,” Carlos murmured, and TK felt the words more than he heard them as he rested his head against Carlos’ chest. 

“Good morning to you too, sweet husband,” TK said. His voice was still thick with sleep and he didn’t have any plans to do anything about it. He wanted to spend his entire day wrapped up in Carlos’ arms, weaving in and out of sleep and finding small moments to talk.

Carlos shifted and for a moment TK thought he was going to get out of bed, but he didn’t. Instead, he pulled TK closer, brushing his lips against TK’s forehead, and held him tighter.

“Let’s not get out of bed today,” Carlos murmured, already sounding like he was going to drift back to sleep.

TK smiled, “I like the sounds of that.”

Sure there were people who would say they wasted their day off by napping for most of it, but  TK would disagree. There wasn’t anything better than getting to lay in his husbands' arms and just exist while the world outside of their shared space moved on. It was days like this that he lived for, days that reminded him that Carlos loved him and wasn’t going to let him go - no matter how many rough patches they went through.

[magiclwritings]

"Think someone'd be pretty relaxed if they were in your shoes." Cass' lips turned in on themselves. It took damn near every part of his being to keep him from laughing in Apollo's face at that request. His brow did raise at the concern and it was really clear to him that Apollo didn't have the faintest idea what had just happened to him. His gaze landed on the swing door where both his boyfriend and Isaac were now with that child. "Apollo, I really don't think it's that serious." He brushed him off, not sure where his place was meant to be in this because if he was right in what happened between his best friend and his boyfriend upstairs and he said something? He could count his days of private visitation with him as over. "I think you just got caught up in the moment and you guys had it out. Don't be so in your head about it. We don't care." Well, that wasn't entirely true, Oliver cared. He shrugged as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Mostly because it wasn't the worst thing that had happened in Apollo and Isaac's relationship and honestly, who was Cass to start that shit show for them.

And even saying it he know Apollo wouldn't let it go and so he sighed, his head hanging back as he moved to his friend and placed his hands on his chest. "Aside from your afternoon rendezvous and the kid." He smiled, moving his hands down the right arm of Apollo and he assessed with his eyes and then any sense anything he could on his friend. But how did he tell Apollo it was just their veela boyfriend pissing all over him? "How's your day been so far?" He joked, moving from that side to the other and he moved to his backside, tracing lines down his back as he did. "Didn't have time to pick up an extra family three towns over did you? Pull one from your dad's play book?" He teased, his hands sliding up through the other's scalp and he still found nothing.

"Think that kid's a plant?" He asked low, watching over the other's shoulder to the door. He could hear Oliver and Isaac talking animatedly. If nothing else, Cass was happy the two of them got along. And they did too, very well. It would have been nice if just he and Isaac could. Though after today, they would be having a talk. He could appreciate that Isaac didn't like them being friends after all the bullshit they seemed to always be in and drag both he and Oliver in to. "I don't feel like it's their style but it was the only thing that could make sense. I mean ... did you even want a kid? Surely not." He plowed right through that line of thinking without giving him the chance. "I know we said we'd be done soon and I mean it but ..." He sighed, his forehead pressing to Apollo's shoulder blade for comfort. "This shit is real weird, Apollo. I don't like it."

Feeling the weight of the little boy nestled against his chest warmed Isaac to his very core. All the craziness going on with them and yet there was this child, just simply existing in complete and total knowledge that all of them would work to keep him alive and happy. It was something to feel that sort of trust blindly given. It spoke worlds to the way of the world when it came to them as children and them as adults. It was only looking at his sleeping face did Isaac feel that what he'd done to Apollo was wrong. Well, it was more selfish than anything else. He hugged the babe closer and turned to watch Oliver in his mad dash to find whatever it was he was looking for.

He couldn't help but smile at the sight and think how crazily different he was to Cassio. The name turned his nose up slightly but Isaac scolded himself and allowed the thought to fully process. Because Cass was Apollo's best friend and whatever the two of them had overcome in their childhood, Isaac couldn't relate to and shouldn't be too harsh over. If Oliver in all his big ways and thoughts could find a way to let them live and still be happy, he could too. "'m sorry 'bou' earlier." He spoke, not wanting to talk about hem disappearing or the fact that Isaac was starting to tell the after effects of that session more fiercely just then. "I's been a real lon' day 'n I jus' should ha'e been betta abou' everythin'." He spoke a little quieter feeling the boy move and readjust against Isaac's chest. It was hard not to look down at him and just feel this sense that it was right. He wasn't sure if that hurt more than not knowing who he truly was.

"Apollo didn' say wha' exactly we're doin' an' 'm no' sure 'm happy wit' jus' lettin' this poo' boy be subject ta all sorts of magic." He shouldn't have been so protective over this little one but he just couldn't help it. It felt right to speak up on behalf of him but still want the best for him. What the hell was going on? "'m jus' worried ..." Oliver looked at him then with full arms and Isaac drew in a deeper breath. "'m worried for all o' us."

Apollo had been in horrible situations before. Some were even life or death, but walking down those stairs and seeing Cassio was one of the hardest things he had ever done because he could see it in his best friend’s face. And then their eyes met, and it was gone in a flash. If he hadn’t known the blonde so well, he would have missed it, but Apollo knew Cassio better than anyone. He knew Cassio wouldn’t judge him; he would know Apollo would be harder on himself than he could ever be, but there was still shame sitting in his stomach over what had happened. On the other hand, Isaac seemed to have no shame at all. He waltzed down into the living room and swept Theo up in arms as if they had been upstairs cleaning the bathroom instead of raw dogging it while their friends were downstairs. 

“Yeah, of course,” He said, walking into the center of the living room. His eyes scanned the little boy, feeling an odd tug at his heartstrings over his sleeping face, pressed to Isaac’s shoulder. Apollo had never wanted to be a father and had no desire for kids because of what he had been through. There would always be the underlying fear that he would end up like his parents, that any child he had a part in raising would end up ruined because of him. If Theo somehow ended up being his, he didn’t know what he would do, but he knew the little boy deserved someone far better than him. 

The spell regarding Theo should have been his priority, but going into the boy’s mind would require concentration, which Apollo didn’t have because of what had happened. He was almost positive it was some kind of magical influence and needed to clear that up before he went through with it. Apollo wouldn’t endanger Theo that way. “You know the herbs we’ll need?” Apollo met Oliver’s gaze, and the man nodded. “You can find it in the pantry and I’ll start setting up in here.” Oliver left for the kitchen while Apollo crossed the room to the couch, rifting through his bag. He counted in his head until he heard the man call for help. Then he turned his head, meeting Isaac’s gaze. “Do you mind helping him?” 

Once, he was alone in the living room with Cassio. Apollo stopped looking through his bag and went to him. “I need you to analyze me,” he said softly, urgently. “For any kind of residual trace of magic or a spell, I don’t know. Something happened, and I don’t have time to process it, but I can’t do this spell on Theo if I’m not focused, and right now I am on fucking edge. If I fuck up that toddler because I can’t pay attention, I will never forgive myself.” He felt crazy, wild even,  as he explained all of this in a hushed tone to Cassio. “But we don’t have much time, like a couple of minutes at most, until they realize what they’re looking for isn’t in the pantry.”

[eltheabberation]

Short little thing I typed up

“What is this?”

Yan turned over the small, see-through bag in his hands, brow furrowed as he looked at the contents.

“It’s a gift,” Houji said. “For Valentine’s Day.”

Yan looked up at him. “Isn’t that a western thing?”

“We have in Japan too.”

“Hm.” He opened the bag and pulled out a piece of chocolate. He glanced back over at Houji, eyes narrowed. “I can’t eat this.”

“It’s traditional.” Houji smiled. Yan muttered something under his breath, then sighed and put the chocolate back.

“Thank you,” he said begrudgingly.

“You have to pay me back next month.”

“Or I could kill you right here and now,” he said. Houji chuckled.

“Oh, could you?”

In response, he brought a hand up to Houji’s head and ruffled his hair. Houji narrowed his eyes.

“You are terrible,” he said, running his fingers through his hair, trying to brush the loose strands back into place.

“I’d have to be” — Yan smiled — “to put up with you.”

Houji paused for a moment. Finally, he pressed a kiss to Yan’s cheek.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he said. Yan turned away and closed his eyes.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”