#now all he has to do is take on another serious role with THIS SPECIFIC LOOK

[etherealmelodys]

Kang Dae-Ho

NSFW ALPHABET

A - Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Have yall seen how this man acted in the show? He’d definitely be a master at aftercare. Thanking you for allowing yourself to be at your most vulnerable with him, making sure you’re not in any pain, hot bath, whatever you wanted this man would do it for you asap. And trust when he’s done making sure you’re okay? Immediate cuddles and praise.

B - Body Part (Their favorite body part on you and themselves)

I feel like for Dae-Ho, his arms or hands would be his favorite body part. The arms he uses to cradle you in your most intimate and vulnerable moments, keeping you safe at all times. His hands are so much bigger than yours as well, always making you feel so so good. For his partner, I don’t think he’d have a specific body part he likes about you more than the others. Everything about you is perfect, so why should he have to choose one thing?

C - Cum (Anything to do with cum)

He’s definitely a big fan of cumming inside you. He sees it as a way to be more intimate and closer to you. If you’re not a fan of that, he’s always down to cum on your stomach and thighs. The way the milky substance coats your abdomen and thighs really gets him going.

D - Dirty Secret ( Self-explanatory)

He’s really into you taking the more dominant role in the bed room. It’s not that he himself doesn’t like to, but the thought of you bossing him around and using him for your pleasure really gets him hard.

E - Experience (How experienced are they?)

I think he’s relatively experienced, not as experienced as someone like Thanos, but he knows what he has to do to get you to cum as much as he’d like.

F - Favorite Position (What positions do they like the most?)

He’s definitely the type to love any position that gives him a good view of all of you, and welcomes as much eye contact as he can get. The best for these would be missionary, rocking horse, or the happy scissor.

G - Goofy (How serious are they in the moment? Do they tease you?)

Dae-Ho would try to be as serious as possible during the act. He sees it as one of the most intimate acts you can have with another person, and he wouldn’t want you to think he doesn’t take it seriously, or you serious. Now if his partner is more playful during the act? He’s all for it.

H - Hair (What’s the hair situation down there)

This might be me being bias, but I think he has quite a bit of hair down there. Now it’s not a jungle mind you, but he just doesn’t feel the need to go bald when nobody’s complained about it before. For his partner he does not care at all. You could be as bald as a Siamese or as hairy as a rainforest, he still gon eat!

I - intimacy (How romantic are they in the moment?)

I feel like regardless of his mood, he’s always going to bring that romantic energy. Whispering praises in your ear while he slowly thrusts up into you, holding you so close to him to the point you can feel each other’s heart beats.

J - Jack Off (How often do they touch themselves?)

If he’s with somebody, he definitely jacks off more than he would if he was single. Just the thought of you gets him so hard and whiny, he never feels the need to jerk off to porn or anything like that when he has you.

K - Kinks (What are their kinks?)

He definitely doesn’t have any crazy kinks, he’s pretty vanilla. Praise, overstimulation, and hair pulling, while be it lightly, are his major ones, he’s not a fan of anything that could harm you in any aspect.

L - Location (Where do they prefer to have sex?)

He’s not into anywhere public, he’s too nervous about potentially getting caught, most importantly anyone seeing you that vulnerable. The bedroom is where he’s the most comfortable at, but anywhere ranging the shower or couch is fair game too.

M - Motivation (What turns them on?)

Just seeing you in general gets him going. Whether you just got off of work, sweaty and exhausted from the days events, or if you just woke up in the morning, bed head and all groggy. He thinks you look sexy no matter what state you’re in.

N - No (What are some things they’ll never do?)

He would never do anything to intentionally hurt or degrade you. Being raised with sisters really instilled his respect for women. Degrading, choking, anything similar to that is out of the question.

O - Oral (How do they feel about oral? Do they prefer giving or receiving?)

He definitely prefers giving to receiving. While he loves the sight of you on your knees gagging on his dick, what he loves even more is the sight of your arched back and fucked out face as he licks and sucks at your clit for hours. He’s definitely a service top, putting your pleasure above his own.

P - Pace (How fast/slow are they?)

He definitely prefers a slow and sensual pace compared to a faster one. He just loves the face you make, one of pure bliss feeling him slowly fill you up and pull himself back out again, the way you look at him as if he hung the stars in the sky, and the way you thank him for making you feel so good.

Q - Quickie (How do they feel about quickies?)

He’s not the biggest fan of quickies, he prefers to take his time with you and wants to make sure you feel good to the fullest potential. But if you’re desperate and beg him for it? Who is he to deny you.

R - Risk (How willing are they to experiment? Do they take any risks?)

Like I said before, he’s not a big fan of taking risks, or anything that might get you caught. He is however game to experiment in the bed room, but he’ll never initiate it himself, you’ll have to do that.

S - Stamina (How many rounds can they do? How long can they go for?)

Due to him being an ex-marine, I think his stamina would be extremely good, at least above average. Expect him to do at most 2-3 rounds before he starts to get tired. But before he does, it’s always his top priority to make you cum as many times as you can handle.

T - Toys (Do they have any toys? Are they willing to use any?)

I don’t think he has any of his own toys, but he’d always be down to experiment with the ones you have. He wouldn’t go out of his way to purchase any, especially for himself seeing that he has you already, so what’s the point?

U - Unfair (Do they tease you? How unfair are they in the bedroom?)

Just a tad bit, he loves you too much to do it excessively, but that doesn’t mean he won’t do it at all. Just when you guys are in a more playful mood does he really get into the role of teasing.

V - Volume (How loud are they?)

He’s fairly loud, he doesn’t do a lot of grunting, mainly whining and moaning. He’s always encouraging you to be as loud as you want as well, telling you the sounds you make are so pretty, telling you how it makes him wanna fuck you for even longer just to hear more of you.

W - Weird Fact (Self-explanatory)

He’d definitely want to try pegging, just once to see if he really is into it. But only with a partner he’s been with for quite a while.

X - X Ray (What’s it looking like in those pants.)

Dae-Ho is around 5’11-6’0 tall, and he’s quite beefy. He’s definitely above average, but he’s not huge. I’d say he’s around 6.5 inches, considering the average size in Korea is 5.3 inches. His tip is definitely a reddish pink color, about #EE9B9D, with a slight curve to the left. He had a few veins running along his shaft, noticeably a thicker one on the underside of it.

Y - Yearning (How high is their sex drive? How often do they have sex?)

He doesn’t have a super high drive, it’s about average, about every other day. He’d prefer doing other intimate acts with you, such as cuddling, watching a movie together, or just being around you in general in a non-sexual context

Z - Zzz (How fast do they fall asleep after sex?)

He usually falls asleep after a little bit of pillow talk, and of course making sure you’re comfortable and content with his performance in bed. He’d only be able to rest after making sure you’re fulfilled

(Thank you guys sm for waiting on this, I lwk fell asleep due to being sick half way through but I pulled through! This will be my first fic on this app so enjoy😼)

[ifwebefriends]

My thoughts during “The Sign” [SPOILERS!!!!!]

ID in ALT

More thoughts under the cut

So I think most of us can agree that this is the best episode of Bluey so far. It was so emotional and satisfying in ways that are kinda new for Bluey. It answered so many questions while giving us a few new ones. I’ve been waiting for this episode for months and it did not disappoint in any way.

This is just a Chekov’s firing squad of an episode. As in a lot of stuff that was set up in earlier episodes all pay off in this episode. I kinda understand why people love soap operas now lol. I will say that this episode was a tad overwhelming for me in the best way possible. As in I had to pause and rewind every 30 seconds or so so I could emotionally process what was happening before moving forward (but that’s a me thing). There was just so much going on and I’m happy about that.

Now onto individual thoughts about specific things:

The callback to Baby Race (“you took your first steps in that house!”) really got to me because Baby Race was the first episode of Bluey that I watched and it immediately made me fall in love with it so it just got to me.

When Chilli said “Frisky and I came up here as teenagers to…um…think,” my mind started racing immediately with “what the FUCK happened at the Lookout?” “Who hurt Frisky and/or Chilli?” And I’m just so curious about what made Chilli say that line like that but we’ll probably never know what happened.

So yeah that scene at the end when the music was playing and Bandit ripped the sign out of the ground and Chilli tackled him to the ground ABSOLUTELY CHANGED my brain chemistry y’all. I can’t articulate my feelings any more than that.

I know some people were upset that Brandy ended up getting pregnant but I thought it was great for her! I’m happy for her! And I think that even though she got what she wanted in the end doesn’t negate the feelings she had about her infertility earlier. But I think we’re all wondering who the father is and I don’t know if the show really needs to answer that.

The whole message of “we’ll see” in terms of if something is good or bad is such a mature message that I never really thought of like that so I will be taking that philosophy forward in life. Congratulations Bluey, you managed to teach a 22-year-old childless person something new and insightful about life that I don’t think I’ve learned from another show.

I want to know more about what Bob was going through and feeling and why he went to India, but again, we’ll probably never know.

I just love how the wedding photos were beautiful but imperfect. Like of course we’re not perfect and nothing will ever be perfect but it’s beautiful and worth remembering anyway.

So many little jokes and moments were so funny in a mature way (I.e. “are we allowed to do that?” And Nana thinking there was about to be a baby announcement) were just so funny and memorable.

I think some people would say it’s a cop-out to end up not selling the house after building it up for 2 episodes but I don’t know, I think it works. I think Bluey and Bingo learned a valuable lesson and Bandit (and Chilli kinda) learned it’s not always about making their kids lives “perfect” in their eyes. Also I’m just personally glad they didn’t end up selling the house and I also kinda like that it wasn’t entirely their choice to keep it.

On a more serious note I think this episode has some interesting commentary on like gender roles and gender relations in straight relationships. In this episode Chilli and Frisky (both women) have to deal with their male significant others pressuring them to move with them far away from what they know and love. In the end they don’t end up moving and the men didn’t seem to have like malicious or selfish intent with it, they were just kinda basing their choices off their jobs instead of what’s best emotionally for their loved ones. But I think it’s interesting to have this conflict where gender is kinda brought up in a way (“because your husband is making you”). It kinda plays into the traditional idea of like men are the breadwinners and the family has to move with them regardless of what they actually want. And this episode kinda like deconstructs that and says “no, it’s not always about the job or money, it’s also sometimes about connections and emotional attachment.” And I’m not saying that you should never move or whatever, but really weigh your options. I just thought that it was interesting that this episode kinda touched on that.

So yeah that’s kinda the main thoughts I had on this episode if you made it this far thank you for reading my rambles and have a good one!

[hoonieyun]

the snake ₊ ⊹

pairing: lee heeseung x reader genre: angst, romance, betrayal, strangers to lovers warnings: religious themes, kissing, profanity, skin ship, alcohol, cheating, manipulation, toxic relationships, suggestive, talks about losing virginity and sex but not explicit, yn has an anxiety attack, 18+

synopsis: your simple life takes a turn when meeting heeseung, a handsome stranger turned boyfriend who shows you all of the finer things in life; making you question your desires and temptations.

hoonieyun notes: guys im gonna be honest i wasn't expecting this to be this long so please don't expect the others to be as long or idk they might be im not sure LOL but im also going to say i dont think this is my best work, i think i got a little too in my head when writing this but i hope you enjoy it nonetheless!!

wc: 8567

the garden of eden

once a stranger that you had met on a sunday at church, you never knew how big of a role he’d play in your life. 

it was a bright and windy spring day. 

april 13th, a few clouds were in the sky, hugging the sun, when you had finished church. the day was still early but there was so much to do. your family wasn’t anyone important in the church, although the pastor made it a point to mention that everyone who steps into the home of jesus was important, you and your parents weren’t anyone who had a strong impact. 

you simply went to church on sunday at 10am and would leave at noon. on most days you’d have lunch with your parents at a seaside diner a few miles away but on this specific day, the pastor had spoken with your parents beforehand and discussed with them on how you should join their youth group, specifying that they had groups of all ages. you weren’t particularly opposed to the idea, it gave you something to do on sundays instead of spending it laying on your bed scrolling through your phone or procrastinating the homework you had for college. 

your parents had said yes before you could respond and although it rubbed you the wrong way, you chose not to fight it because you weren’t necessarily sure if you cared enough. that’s how you found yourself in a dimly lit room, somewhere in the back of the church, with several empty tables surrounding you. 

the air was stale and the sun barely shone through the curtains of the windows. if it was any other scenario, you’d probably find it quite eerie but you barely had enough time to let that unsettling feeling creep into your stomach because someone else was entering the room just as you began to wonder if this is where you should be right now. 

enter: heeseung. 

he was tall, light brown hair swept across his forehead, and an unsuspecting smile was plastered across his face as he walked into the room. 

“yn, this is heeseung. heeseung, yn. you two are the newest members of our youth group. i’d introduce you both to everyone but i thought since they all know each other and you two are new, i’d let you both get to know one another first before throwing you in with the other kids.” the pastor says and you and heeseung awkwardly exchange glances at each other. 

was it that serious? 

you still aren’t sure but for the next hour or so, you and heeseung bonded with one another in ways you haven't bonded with anyone before. a stranger at that. 

heeseung was sweet and kind, he found ways to help you open up about yourself in the short hour that you hadn’t even opened up to your friends. he made you laugh and not the type of laugh that had your eyes squeezing shut and your head thrown back, but the type of laugh that felt like it was reserved for a specific person. 

those 60 minutes felt like eternity with heeseung. not because it felt long and grooling, but because it felt like time stopped. for the first time, someone understood you in ways where you didn’t feel like you were putting up a guard. heeseung had this ability of just grounding you and you found yourself melting into him. 

that hour with heeseung on a random sunday turned to sticking by his side every sunday and eventually, becoming his girlfriend. 

he introduced you to all of the different things in life that you hadn’t experienced before. life before heeseung felt bland, mundane, and like you were a vcr constantly being played back and being forced to relive the same boring day over and over again. 

you didn’t have much to live for, aside from your parents and your small dog, life was just… life. 

heeseung showed you so much more than just life. 

but you knew to trust him. 

later that night, heeseung picked you up in his beat up cadillac. it was black in color but because it was so old, one could describe it as grey instead. he got it from his grandpa last summer who said that if he could fix it up and get it running, it was his. if heeseung was going to do one thing, it was get what he wanted. 

the party was everything you expected it to be, loud music, crowded rooms, and faces that you didn’t recognize except for a few people you knew from church. you didn’t expect to see anyone you knew, let alone some of the girls and their boyfriend’s from your church. heeseung’s hand didn’t let go of yours not once the whole night. he was there by your side from the moment he parked his car and the moment the night ended. 

that night was a lot of your firsts. 

first college party and party in general. 

first taste of alcohol, even when you turned 21 you had no desire to try it. 

first kiss. it sounds weird to say that you and heeseung were dating for a few months but he made no move to kiss you or any other advances. until that night, he gave you a few drinks and because you trusted him, you accepted the cup and drank what was inside; heeseung mirroring your actions. it didn’t take much to have you drunk and slurring your words so heeseung took that as the sign to take you home. 

you didn’t want to go home though so heeseung took you to his place where you’d end up spending the night. when heeseung carried you to his room, he gently set you down on his mattress before going to his bathroom. he returned with a purple item in his hands that crinkled when he fidgeted with it. 

“close your eyes..” heeseung whispers and you do as such. a cold and moist feeling meets your skin and you realize that he was taking your makeup off. such a tender and simple yet intimate moment between two people. his fingers on your skin were gentle and it only amplified your feelings for him. 

accompanied with the alcohol in your system and heeseung’s pretty face in front of you, your eyes traveled from his doe eyes to the plumpness of his lips. you blinked several times as you studied the shape of them. how pink they looked despite his room being fairly dark and how soft they looked even though you’ve never seen heeseung carry or use lipbalm in the time you’ve known him. 

“you alright, yn?” heeseung asks and you’re taken out of your thoughts as you look up at him. his tall stature stood way above you as you sat on his bed. heeseung smirked at the way you looked right now, looking up at him with wide and soft eyes. you looked so delicate and he was starting to struggle keeping to himself. 

you nodded, swallowing the dryness in your throat after heeseung's hands found them on your cheek; lightly caressing your face with his thumb. “i’ll get you some water and i’ll be right back, ok?” he says, softly patting your cheek before heading out of his bedroom. 

while heeseung is gone, you decide to take a look around his bedroom while you wait. the room was definitely one of a young man, clothes lazily thrown on various surfaces, a guitar was propped up in the corner of the room next to his dresser that had clothes peeking out, and several music and movie posters plastered on the wall. 

you got up to look at the photos on his desk, a frame that separated into four that contained pictures of him as a baby, a high school graduatone of the many times that heeseung brought something new into your life was when summer break began shortly after meeting him that spring. university was beginning to get busy during the spring with the semester soon being over so the both of you barely had time to see each other. once summer had officially started, heeseung took the first opportunity to see you and have some fun. 

“you really haven’t been to a college party before?” he asks, a smirk on his face. he was filled with intrigue at the idea of you being so sheltered and innocent, not to anyone’s fault but your own as you chose to stay away from those things. your parents didn’t restrict you from living a normal college life, they even encouraged it by saying all you have to do is be safe, but you took safety a little too seriously and chose to stay in all the time. 

you shook your head in response, a small pout on your lips as heeseung’s smile spread even wider. he had convinced you to come to a first day of summer party one of his friend’s was throwing. it was at the other university in your town and you were nervous about not  knowing anyone besides heeseung and that worried you. 

ion photo, and the other two of him with his parents. the pictures made you smile, heeseung still looked cute as ever and you could see the similarities of his features as a baby grow into the features he has now. you set the frame down and your eyes soon focus on a leather bound book open on his desk. you had met heeseung at church but his faith and the house of god was rarely a topic the two of you discussed. 

maybe it was because neither of you wanted to waste your time together with something already occupying your daily lives. you lean in closer to take a look at what page his bible was opened to, curious as to what heeseung has been reading but the opportunity quickly fades when heeseung’s voice gains your attention. 

“what are you looking at?” he asks, not in a way that felt like you had just been caught but one of genuine curiosity. you tell him that it was nothing, just admiring his baby photos and he just blushes while grabbing your hand and giving you the water he brought. the water is cold and almost stings your throat as you swallow it, like it was burning the scars that the alcohol had previously created. 

“feeling better, angel?” heeseung asks and you nod as you finish swallowing the water, thanking him for taking care of you. the low light in his room doesn’t allow for much to be seen, a lot of vague shapes and shadows as the night progresses further into darkness. what you can see clearly, however, is heeseung. he’s got his eyes glued to your face, taking in your features. the way your cheeks were still flushed from the alcohol he gave you, the way your eyes drooped and how you tried your best to keep them open, and the way your lips would pout as you tried to bite away the dryness of your lips. 

heeseung just loved watching you and he loved it even more knowing you were by his side. 

“can i kiss you?” 

the question hangs heavily in the air and for a second you just blink at him, unsure if you had heard his question correctly, but when heeseung asks again; you pull him close by the collar of his shirt and press your lips against his. the kiss sends a shock through your body, you don’t know where the sudden burst of boldness came from but it soon crumbled away when heeseung reciprocated your actions with even more passion. 

he kissed you back with so much desire, like he had been waiting for this moment for so long. his hands find a home on your waist and hips as he pushes himself over you, your body slowly falling onto his mattress. heeseung was now on top of you, devouring you into his mouth like his life depended on it. 

you were too embarrassed to tell heeseung that this is the most you’ve ever done with anyone, hell, you hadn’t even had your first kiss until now and it’s feeling like tonight was full of firsts for you. however, when heeseung begins to take his clothes off, pulling himself off of you for a second to shrug off his jacket, you take the moment to stop it before it goes any further. 

it wasn’t particularly because you were scared.. well, maybe you were. but you weren’t sure why. 

you had always been told of the sins of premarital sex and right now it was feeling a lot like that. had you even sinned before this moment? the question makes you recall all of the other events of the night and you come to the conclusion that you had sinned several times in one night. the guilt eats you from the inside out and you can't bring yourself to keep going. the way the faint light from outside of heeseung’s window cast a shadow across his face made him look almost unrecognizable. 

his eyes were the only thing that was easily identifiable but even then it didn’t feel like his eyes. like they belonged to someone else. heeseung’s eyes didn’t look bright or soft like they usually do, but instead were sharp; like a predator hunting its prey, stalking it in the shadows and waiting for the right time to pounce. 

temptation was something you never had to worry about. that, paired with desire, you knew it was a dangerous thing and although this specific moment felt good and your body reacted the way you expected it to react, you couldn’t help but think about how this is what you were told would happen. how you’d hear the whispers of heavenly causes and fondness when you were closest to sin. 

 when heeseung leaned down to continue kissing you, your hand flew to his chest to stop him, “hee.. um. i’m tired, maybe we should sleep.” it came off more as a suggestion but you didn't know how to tell him to stop. you could barely make out the expression on his face but you could feel the disappointment. he doesn’t say anything, heeseung just nods and gives you a smile, one that doesn’t reach his eyes. 

heeseung pulled you close against his body, his warmth was enough to lull you to sleep, but the soft humming of his voice made you fall asleep even quicker. you were grateful that heeseung wasn’t upset about your decision and maybe it was a sign that he was the right one for you. you couldn’t deny that you were enjoying it but you’re just not ready for it and heeseung understood that. 

just not in the way you’d want him to. 

he didn’t fall asleep as fast as you did that night. he was staring at the back of your head for a while before he moved to staring at his ceiling; all the while his arms never left their place around your waist. heeseung was disappointed, he’s wanted to taste you for so long and he thought it would finally play out tonight. the way you tasted against his lips, the faint flavor of alcohol that clung to your tongue, how his own tongue fit into your mouth perfectly. it was like heaven to him, but heaven was short lived. 

matthew 4:1-11 jesus’ temptation in the wilderness  

after that night with heeseung, you hadn’t seen or heard from him in a few weeks. you were beginning to worry that your decision to not go any further drove him away that night and it made your chest ache. had you really been this dispensable to heeseung that any moment of resistance would create a wedge between the two of you. 

it made you regret your decision that night. you didn’t know how important heeseung was to you until now. no text or calls until 3am like you usually do, you didn’t even see him at church on sundays, and when you’d try to approach his parents; they’d just tell you that heeseung hasn’t been feeling well. you were beginning to feel so much guilt that your own decisions led you to losing him and you just wished you could go back to that night. 

what you felt that night wasn’t bad and although you had been told your whole life that it was, you couldn’t help but feel for heeseung the way he felt towards you. you were a virgin and for a while, you believed you’d be one until marriage; but heeseung showed you a type of love and desire that wasn’t anything you had felt before. 

the way he treated you felt good and maybe you just needed to admit to yourself that you were ready for it and to stop being afraid. 

when you were a child, you were really afraid of going on the swing set at the park; you had a fear that you’d swing so high up that it would catapult you into the sky and you’d never be able to come back down and see your parents ever again. 

the irrationality of that fear didn’t exist in your mind because the fear was so pervasive that you couldn’t think of anything else besides that. when you had finally gotten on the swing after confessing to your mom why you were afraid, it was nothing like that. it was fun. the breeze that blew past your face and the warmth of the sun on your skin as you swung upwards felt like a hug. 

maybe it was like that. 

being afraid for no reason and when you finally got to the point of doing it, everything would be fine in the end. 

after church on sunday, you decided that you’d walk home, telling your parents that you needed some fresh air and would stop by the park and head home after. your parents didn’t say much besides the usual “be safe and don’t be home too late”. thankfully, they were never overbearing and allowed you to have some semblance of freedom. 

you couldn’t say the same to a lot of the other girls at your church. you had it easy compared to them, they had parents that didn’t allow them to wear certain clothes if it showed too much skin, their hair was always down because putting it up would reveal their necks, white shoes in the church would always be paired with white frill socks, and by no means, at all, should they ever mess around with a boy– and yet… they all seemed to have so much more experience than you did. 

the three girls who were in charge of the youth group, all around your age, were all dating someone from the youth group. good and respectable boys that their fathers approved of but when heeseung took you to that party, you saw all of them. 

drinks in hand, hands on neck, and necks on display. it was as if the way they appeared at church was just a facade and this was who they truly were. it came to you as a shock that the way the girls and boys at your church presented themselves was drastically different. like they lived completely opposite lives to the ones you assumed they lived when you’d see them walk through the big wooden doors of the chapel. 

maybe they appeared that way for the approval of their parents because it definitely wasn’t for the lord’s approval as he’s been witness to the sins that they’ve committed. you saw the same three girls head to the back section of the church where youth groups met and just a few feet behind them were their boyfriends. you would’ve never guessed that the sweet smiles and kind gestures they offered to the elders at the church were their ways of protecting who they really were underneath the tight pleated skirts that stopped just above their ankles and the soft wool fabric of the sweaters the boys would wear over their white dress shirts. 

you walked right past them and decided to exit, not wanting to attend the youth group because it only reminded you of heeseung, “not attending today, yn? we haven’t seen you in a while.” one of the girls said, a bright smile on her glossy pink lips. you shook your head in response and continued walking but halted in your steps when a thought popped inside of your brain. 

“do you- do you know where heeseung’s been?” you ask her as she’s about to shut the door to the room, she gives you a small smirk; like she knew exactly what you were getting at and better yet, she knew what you and heeseung had been up to prior to his disappearance. just as you saw all of those people at that party that you saw regularly at church, they saw you too. 

“try looking at eden park. there’s a little garden in the back east of the park; it’s covered by a lot of trees but there’s like a red sign there. you’ll know it when you see it.” 

you thank her before heading off, surprised that she had given you any information at all because you two weren’t necessarily friends with one another. 

the walk to eden park wasn’t long but it felt like eternity as you ran through the different things you’d say to heeseung if he was even there. did you have any reason to trust her words, no; but you also didn’t have any reason not to trust her.

you were beginning to think that doubt was a normal thing in your life. or maybe more so curiosity. curious if heeseung would be there and curious if her advice would ring true. curious where heeseung has been and why he’s been ignoring you. curious on what would’ve happened if you didn’t stop heeseung that night. curious if heeseung still felt the same about you. as you walked through the short patch of forest at the back of eden park, twigs snapped and leaves crunched underneath the soles of your white shoes. you were beginning to think you had been lied to but that was until you stopped at a tree to catch your breath and contemplated turning around when you saw a wooden plank hanging from a branch just a few feet away. 

just like she said, the sign was covered in red paint and had words in black paint. 

“garden of eden” 

you blinked several times at the sign as you walked closer, staring at it as if it was a symbol of something but you couldn’t quite put your finger on why it seemed like it was of importance. as you pondered, you soon could hear several voices emerge from behind a group of trees– following the voices, a clearing of grass welcomed you and you finally saw him. 

heeseung is sitting on a wooden bench, surrounded by three guys who you didn’t really know but recognized from your town and occasionally at church. heeseung had a cigarette in between his fingers, smoke flowing from his lips as he took a drag and exhaled. you looked at him for a moment, had he gotten more handsome since you last saw him? 

your heart began to beat a lot faster at the sight of heeseung. you missed him dearly and his absence in your life has had a bigger impact on you than you could imagine. 

“hee?” you say, your voice is soft but effective because it catches the attention of all four boys. the boy that you recognize as jake was the one you were most familiar with. he had been showing up more frequently in your neighborhood because he started seeing the girl that lived next door recently. the other two you didn’t know much. 

heeseung’s big eyes shoot upwards and catch your gaze. heeseung would be lying if he said you didn’t look beautiful because the way the sun was peeking through the leaves of the trees and the light brush of the breeze in the air made you look ethereal. his voice gets caught in his throat because he isn’t even able to say anything. 

“you know her, heeseung?” one of the boys with thick eyebrows asks and he just stares at you. he’s not sure if it’s because he doesn’t know what to say or if it’s because your beauty has him stunned. truthfully, heeseung has been ignoring you because he was disappointed you didn’t want to have sex with him but after seeing you now; he’s feeling like an idiot. you looked so beautiful, the way your eyes seemed to sparkle under the sunlight, the way the sun cast a shadow on your face but perfectly highlighted your lips, and how your hair effortlessly blew around your face– avoiding obstruction of your beauty. 

heeseung stutters a small no and it breaks your heart. that small crack in your heart grew and a sense of betrayal strikes through your chest. did heeseung just act like he doesn’t know you? you’re stunned by his words, your eyes continue to glisten but this time from the tears threatening to spill and your lips fall into a frown. you swallow the dryness in your throat and don’t even know what to say– this was the last thing you expected to happen. 

“what’s your name, pretty?” the other unknown boy asks and heeseung’s jaw tightens at his question. he sends him a glare from behind that only you notice but not even that could help how you are feeling right now. without a second thought, you turn on your heel and run out of the garden, out of the small forest, and throw eden park. 

tears have made their journey from yours down to your jaw, not even bothering to wipe your face as it begins to blur your vision. there were so many emotions running through your mind and the aching behind the boned cage in your chest was getting unbearable. it was like you could faint at any moment– you clutch the fabric of your yellow dress as you continue to run. the fabric crumpled under your tight grip but it didn’t provide any support. 

your chest was tightening and your breathing was getting sporadic. 

is this what death feels like? you thought to yourself as you got closer to home, bursting through the back door and ignoring the calls from your mother that dinner would be done soon. she doesn’t pay much attention to you and doesn’t realize the state you’re in. stumbling in your bedroom and locking the door behind you, you tear off the clothes confining your body, scratching and palming at your chest and neck as you begin to struggle even more to breathe. 

the walls of your room begin to spin as you try your best to crawl to your bed, barely pulling yourself up from the floor onto the plush mattress. you try to steady the dizziness in your head but the pressure behind your eyes was taking over and you didn’t know why this was happening. 

a white light flashes over your vision and a high pitched ringing floods your ears. 

a cool breeze wakes you from your slumber, eyes fluttering open as you’re met with the bright blue sky with a warm yellow ball kissing your skin. you aren’t sure what time of day it is but the only thing on your mind is the fact that you woke up in a field of grass and flowers. you palm the grass near you and reach for the white petaled flower, “lily of the valley..” you murmured. 

you looked around the field and it stretched yards and yards around you as small white flowers were sprinkled throughout the endless sea of green. confusion fills your mind as you squint at your eyes when a tree off in the distance comes into your vision, you hadn’t seen it prior when you first looked around. the tree had just suddenly appeared and it was like the tree's roots had emerged from underneath you. breaking through the dirt and wrapping itself around you as you find yourself walking closer and closer to the large tree. 

the tree’s branches and leaves swayed as the wind blew. there was a faint ringing in the air as you looked at the bark of the tree, its lines and abstract patterns reading in your head like an optical illusion. 

that light-headed feeling you’ve grown familiar with is starting to return and when your knees almost give out from underneath you, a pair of strong arms catch you before your body meets the earth beneath you. 

you look up to find heeseung staring back at you, a small smile on his face as he pulls you upright. eyes rapidly blinking as you process the boy standing in front of you. similar to the tree it seems like he just materialized. “what’s wrong, honey? you look like you’ve just seen a ghost.” 

it was hard to come up with a response when nothing made sense, heeseung and this tree randomly emerged and when you felt like it was just a mirage of sorts from being awoken; everything felt so real. you reached out to grab heeseung’s face and the soft plush skin under your fingers only solidified how real heeseung was right in front of you. 

“take a seat, you look like you could faint at any moment.” 

heeseung guides you to the ground, carefully assisting you in sitting next to the tree; resting your body against the rough bark. “hee, where are we?” 

he doesn’t respond right away, eyes travelling from your exposed knees, over the curves of your lips, and landing on your eyes. the sun was shining just right and it was illuminating your eyes and making them appear as marbles. the colors are piercing and so striking, “it doesn’t matter where we are, all that matters is that we’re together.” 

the moment feels warm and touching, it was like all of the worries and issues you previously had with heeseung had just disappeared and there was nothing getting in the way of what you have now. you smiled at his response, resting your head on his shoulder as his arm wraps itself around you. it was times like this that you shared with heeseung that felt a lot like heaven. a type of luxury that you couldn’t always afford. 

“hee?” you ask, turning your head to face him, eyes directed upwards. 

“how did you get here?” 

you can hear him swallow his response, his heartbeat slightly speeding up at your question. 

“you look a bit sick, are you ok?” 

“im fine– can you answer me? i’m not sure how i even got here, then you just appeared..” 

“honey, you’re looking faint– hold on.” heeseung gently pulls away from you and stands on his feet. your eyes follow him as you watch him reach for an apple from the tree, one that you hadn’t noticed prior. your eyes travel to the hem of his shirt, his skin peeking out slightly as the fabric rises a bit higher than where it usually falls. heat rises to your cheek at the sight of heeseung’s skin being on display. 

things suddenly appearing with no explanation was making it a lot easier to identify real from fake– and right now; it was all seeming fake. “that apple wasn’t there before, i– here eat this. you look sick and you’re worrying me.” heeseung interrupts you, cracking the apple in half with his bare hands and bringing it close to your lips. 

you look directly into his eyes now that he’s crouched down. you hesitate to take the apple, wondering why heeseung was avoiding your questions. your eyes falter under his gaze and land on the apple itself, the soft hue of the inside of the apple slightly glistening from its moisture. when you reach to grab the apple, heeseung pulls it away, your eyes flying upwards with a confused expression on his actions. 

heeseung simply shakes his head and raises the apple back to your lips, you open your mouth slightly and heeseung gestures for you to keep going, raising his eyebrows with a small smirk to encourage you to take a bite. the cold fruit makes contact with your lips as you take a bite, a soft crunching as the fruit breaks off and falls into your mouth. 

“good girl.” heeseung says, pulling the fruit back and gently patting your head with his other hand. “feel better?” 

you wanted to say yes but that feeling of lightheadedness was starting to creep back in and heeseung, who was at some point just smiling at you, has now tripled in your vision and it was beginning to be difficult to keep your head from rolling to one side. 

“oh, honey. you don’t look so good, just sleep now… ok?” heeseung says, pulling you into his arms; hand gently rubbing your back as the heaviness in your eyes has become too hard to fight off. you rest your head on his chest, heartbeat lightly thudding in your ears like a lullaby. heeseung quietly hums you to sleep as he smiles down at your sleeping figure. he brushes a few strands of hair away from your face to take in your sleeping state. 

“so beautiful..” he mutters to himself. 

“and all mine.” 

the last memory of heeseung on your mind before falling asleep was his smiling face as he fed you that apple, grateful that he cared enough to ensure you had sustenance inside of you– heeseung cared about you so much and his worry that you were falling ill only showed his love. unbeknownst to you, something changed inside of heeseung when he watched you bite from his apple– a smirk growing wider with hidden intention. 

heeseung continued to watch you sleep in his arms, bright red and fiery eyes with dark elliptical pupils down the center. a low hissing in the air as he gently runs his fingers across your exposed neck. 

a rhythmic melody rings throughout your head, getting louder and louder, and when the sound becomes unbearable like it’s playing directly inside of your head at the loudest volume– your eyes fly open. a gasp rips through your chest as you lurch upward, a thick white blanket covers your body and the cold wind from your window sends chills up your body. 

the sky was completely dark and you weren’t sure what time it was, a sense of deja vu washing over you. you suddenly remember that your phone is ringing, the vibrations on your bed aiding you in finding where it was. when you grab the phone, the bright light causes you to flinch and when you squint to adjust, heeseung’s name is written in bright white letters across the screen. 

you stare at his name on your phone a bit too long and the call goes unanswered. your mouth falls slightly open when you realize you were too stunned to answer the phone but his name reappears just as quick as it does disappear. 

“hee?” 

“love? hey.. you answered…” his voice sounded hoarse and a bit slowed– like he had been drinking. 

“i’m outside, can we talk, i know it’s late but i just really needed to see you and– okay. i’ll come down in a second.” you cut him off from rambling because quite frankly; you wanted to see heeseung and confront him about what had happened in the garden earlier in the day. 

the events of your dream are nowhere to be found in your mind as you throw on a sweater over your body and quickly tiptoe outside, making sure not to make any noise so as to not wake your parents. 

and just like he said, heeseung was outside, waiting in his beat up cadillac. the low rumbling of his car gets louder as you approach and when you’re close enough, you can see heeseung’s eyes light up when you come into his vision. 

he reaches over to unlock your side of the door and it makes a squeaking sound when you pull it open, “hey..” he says, just above a whisper. something felt different about heeseung and you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. you weren’t sure if it was because he may have felt guilty for how he treated you in front of those boys or if he truly missed being around you. when you take the seat next to him, he’s quick to grab your hand and place a kiss on your knuckles. his lips staying on your skin for a bit longer like he’s been away from you for too long. 

“hee- i missed you so much.” heeseung says before you could get anything out, continuing to pepper kisses across your arm. the moisture from his lips leave goosebumps rising on your body quicker than you can react to heeseung’s actions. 

he was indulging in you and although you wanted to talk and give him a piece of your brain, the feeling of him on your skin feels a little too good– clearing your thoughts instantly. 

“c’mere.” heeseung says against your skin, pulling you forward and onto his lap. his lips move from your arms to your neck– something that you know better than to keep exposed. you should be afraid of heeseung was going to leave marks but you didn’t care. the kisses burned as he left small wet spots on your neck. you missed this. 

being so close to heeseung and having his body against yours. 

the only thing in your mind was heeseung. 

when he pulled away from your neck to look into your eyes, there was an unspoken conversation happening between the two of you– an agreement that felt like you were able to connect with one another just through a simple gaze. 

heeseung’s hands travel through the flats and curves of your body, over your sweater, and onto the back of your neck. he pulls you forward with ease and for the first time in a while– heeseung presses your lips against his. the electricity that shoots through your body is enough to power a whole town. 

you get lost in the kiss, hands roaming across your body as you place yours on his chest and shoulder for support. the feeling of his hands ghosting over the hem of your sweater and making it’s way under the 2 layers of fabric covering your body. 

right now, your brain, veins, and heart are filled with heeseung. 

and you were content with that. 

the following few weeks after the night with heeseung in his car was filled with sunshine and rainbows. as cliche as it sounded, you were in heaven whenever you were with heeseung, your lips were always formed into a smile and your cheeks always ached from how much he made you laugh. 

you didn’t think life could get any better when you had heeseung by your side and you were so happy to have finally let go of the fear and sharing that moment with heeseung. you trusted him and although there was a low rumbling from inside your chest, you knew that it was just your heart getting used to the new yet exciting experiences that heeseung brought to you. 

tonight would be another one of those nights and you were at a party with heeseung. you had soon learned those boys from the garden that day were his friends jake, who you knew, and jay and sunghoon. you were cordial with them but didn’t bother to get to know them because heeseung always kept quite the short leash on you. 

heeseung didn’t like when you were too far away from him and he made sure to keep you near at all times, except for right now. 

you were making your way through the crowded house of people dancing and drinking to get to heeseung who was patiently waiting for you to return with more alcohol. you had grown quite the habit of drinking and partying when you were with heeseung but you didn’t mind because he taught you to have fun and indulge in these kinds of things. 

when you return to the living room, where you last saw him, you’re stopped in your tracks when you spot heeseung with a girl you didn’t recognize. you weren’t the type to get jealous, at least you didn’t think so, but his hands were dangerously low on her hips and his thumb rubbed circles on the exposed parts of her waist. 

it infuriated you to see him like this and even more at the fact that you weren’t even gone very long and he’s already found some other girl to keep his body warm. warmth was an understatement when describing the fire inside of you now. 

you were furious. 

you stomped towards heeseung and the unknown girl, eyes like daggers as you got closer, and before you could think– the contents of the cups in your hand emptied on both heeseung and the girl. gasps fill the room as the cold liquid makes contact with the girl and those close enough to feel the small fraction of anger inside of you. 

“what the fuck, yn?” heeseung exhales with disbelief. 

you just stare at him, lips pressed into a thin line and arms crossed, head tilted to one side as if you were challenging him. this made heeseung angry even though you were the only person who had every right to be upset right now.  

heeseung roughly grabs your arm, in contrast to the usual gentleness that you were familiar with when it comes to heeseung, and he’s dragging you to a random room on the second floor of the house. you did your best to root your feet into the ground but heeseung’s strength easily overtakes yours as he pulls you into an unfamiliar bathroom. 

“what’s gotten into you, huh?” frustration is clear in his tone. 

he looks at you with sharp eyes, so piercing you couldn’t bear to look into them so your eyes travel along his face. the usual softness of his features disappear due to his anger; his jaw is clenched and the vein on his neck is starting to make an appearance. you scoff in response, not bothering to give him a proper response because he should know exactly what’s gotten you so upset. 

“you wanna act like this?” he was testing you, trying to push you to keep going because he knew that in the end you’d submit to him. his eyes were boring into your face, you could feel the heat on your skin from the alcohol but mostly from the intensity radiating off of heeseung. you had never seen him this upset before and in any other situation maybe you would’ve already apologized; but he was flirting with some random girl at a party that he took you to so you had every right to be angry. 

he was lucky you didn’t do more than just spill some drinks on them. 

“don’t act like i’m being like this out of nowhere, you were practically pushed up on that girl like some needy victorian man.” you huffed, rolling your eyes and crossing your arms. you had never been this way with heeseung. everything is usually so sweet and soft– but in this moment; you’re brought back to all of the times where he’s pulled you to different ends. 

sure, heeseung introduced you to so many joyful things that felt like heaven. things that made you feel so alive and have something to look forward to; he opened your eyes to all of the things you had been missing out on and he brought out a side of you that you never knew lived in the depths of your soul. 

in a lot of ways, he made you the way you are now. 

as often as heeseung showed you heaven, like clockwork, he showed you hell. 

the happy and bright moments shared with heeseung were always followed with a type of low that felt like your body was plummeting through the earth’s crust and sending you to the heated core of the planet. 

like he was able to bring heaven and hell to you at the snap of his fingers. 

“is that what this is about?”

it earns him another scoff. heeseung had a habit of dodging accountability, like when he had promised to take you to the fair during summer because you had been wanting to go and it would be ending soon and the day that you were supposed to go, the last day of the fair being in town, heeseung ghosted you. 

something about how he was caught up with something and when you told him that a simple text would’ve been fine but instead he left you hanging the whole day, he got angry. he accused you of not being considerate of him and how you were so demanding, making you question your actions toward him. forcing you to believe that you were the one in the wrong in the situation and you should be more grateful to have him by your side. 

“you’re jealous over some girl? i don’t even fucking know her name!” 

“and yet you had your hands around her waist, heeseung don’t try to fool me. i know what i saw.” 

heeseung wipes his face in annoyance, small droplets of alcohol flying off of him when he swipes his hand. the argument goes on for what seems like hours. that tiny bathroom at this party was able to block out anything and everything that wasn’t on your side of the wooden door. heeseung had never yelled at you this way and you hadn’t ever spoken in that way before so you sounded unfamiliar to yourself. 

you couldn’t even recognize yourself anymore. the mirror behind heeseung casting your reflection that was slightly obstructed by his broad shoulders. 

your skin was dull and sunken in areas that casted a large shadow. your eyes didn’t sparkle the way they used to and it felt like you were withering away. like your body was showing you the consequences of your actions by turning you into someone you didn’t recognize. 

maybe that was why heeseung was with another girl. 

you weren’t as beautiful as you were the day he first laid eyes on you. 

heeseung was in the middle of ranting and letting his frustration out but you had long drowned him out. your reflection in the mirror garnering all of your attention and before you could let that unsettling feeling sink into your chest, you turn on your feet and exit the bathroom, leaving heeseung stunned by your actions. alone in that bathroom that was starting to suffocate you. 

you ran out of the house before heeseung could follow you, not wanting to give him a chance to catch up, so you push through the endless crowds of people who know nothing of the chaos brewing inside of you. 

the night was still when you stepped outside, like all of the events happening in this tiny house was suddenly gone and it was just you and the dark of night. 

the walk home was long but you weren’t completely alone. 

you had your thoughts to accompany you. your thoughts that continued to spin like a spindle and weave your thoughts into something destructive. spiraling your mind with each step you took that brought you further from heeseung and closer to the comfort of your bed. 

maybe you deserved this. you knew all too well all of the sinful things that you’ve committed since meeting heeseung and he only encouraged them. it was ironic that the two of you first met at church and you hadn’t even attended sunday mass for the last month or so. it was like you were losing track of time and had to rely on heeseung solely to guide you through this land. 

but here you were now, walking through the streets at night, like a mindless zombie yet you were so absorbed with the countless things swimming in your brain. several thoughts overlapping with one another, anxiety guiding the thoughts to the front of your head and dread holding them firm. 

the black ink of the ivory pages told you of this. 

that temptation and desire worked hand in hand in corrupting the least suspecting people. 

heeseung came to you in a time of your life where you had nothing. your life wasn’t bad nor was it good, you were merely just living to live and it showed in your everyday routine. heeseung came to you as something you didn’t know you even desired to have. 

you didn’t realize you were crying until a gust of wind blew past you and you felt the chilling sensation of moisture on your cheeks. you wipe your tears away with a sniffle and see the back of your hand was now covered in runny mascara. 

was it always going to be like this with heeseung? 

you were exhausted and you didn’t know if you could get through it. heaven was so close when you were with heeseung but hell was always in the shadows. he knew how to bring the best things in life to you but it was like he knew how to break you just as well. 

the more you realized you didn’t recognize yourself anymore, the more apparent it became that all of these unfamiliar things were laced with heeseung’s temptation and desire for you. he introduced you to your first taste of temptation when he reached his hand out for yours and promised that what he had planned for you would be something you’d grow addicted to. 

heeseung was your temptation and your desire was infecting your mind and soul. 

you had been walking for so long yet home still feels so far away. as you pass a small field, a singular tree at the center of the field calls out to you, like a siren’s melody luring in a fisherman. you find yourself resting at the tree, a sense of deja vu washing over you when you feel the jagged exterior of the tree’s bark. 

when your head falls back onto the wood, an apple falls into your lap, slightly startling you. 

you look at the apple with confusion as it lays in your hands, turning it over and dropping it with a gasp when you see the underside of the apple has begun to rot. a caterpillar burrowing through the apple and taking it all for itself. the caterpillars' desires are tempted by the sweet and addictive taste of the apple. 

a low hissing noise circles you, unsure of where the noise is coming from, you try your best to find where it’s coming from but with the current state of your body and mind paired with the darkness of night makes it difficult to see anything that wasn’t right in front of you. 

in the shadows, not too far away– a green snake stalks your body. eyes red and fiery with dark elliptical pupils down the center. waiting for the right time to mark you as his. 

ᡣ•.•𐭩♡ @pagemiah @jiiyen @jnysaln @xh01bri @rairaiblog @laurradoesloveu @manaah02 @zorange13 @firstclassjaylee @kristynaaah @17ericas @heeseung64 @leipforggy @enhastolemyheart @starcandybby @bussolares @lovelymelon

copyright 2025 - present © hoonieyun all rights reserved all writing here is fiction & not in any association with characters mentioned. if you enjoyed reading this please consider reblogging and following <3

[sailorblossoms-rankane]

I have talked about Akane's insecurities with femininity before, but I want to add another element now: maturity. Her crush on the doc informs a lot of her behavior in the manga. (We all know about the hair = expectations of femininity so I'll skip that)

Part of what embarrasses Akane here (and part of why Ranma is good for her) isn't just that she's acting in a way that's not considered "feminine" in front of the doc... but that she's acting like a kid.

She's responding to Ranma's energy (who begs for her attention like a kid)

That's part of why the suitors are never real threats to Akane, not even in terms of "self-worth." Stuff like bust size comparisons and cooking contests are kept between her and Ranma (childishly!) the other girls are not ever meant to be used for beauty contests or related.

The girls bother Akane by being homewreckers and invaders (seen in Ukyo trying to run the show or briefly moving into Ranma's room and Shampoo literally wrecking the house or jumping ranma when he's washing his ass) (outside of Kasumi, she has no model of ideal femininity. Shampoo and Ukyo don’t have those roles for her. struggles against them are about behavior, control, power… not beauty or femininity contests)

She gets jealous, but what really gets to Akane with the other girls is that they might have control over her relationship with Ranma (is he going along with Shampoo's antics? Is Ukyo a closer friend? Can she have a say in our engagement?) (these girls get to Akane's pride and competitive side, but serious shit about image and fears of losing love is kept between Akane and her SISTERS, and Akane and Ranma… it’s kept within her home)

"Lucky you, she's a cute girl!" is Akane being a clown about her jealousy, comparable to Ranma's "you must be having fun on your little date" even though they both know the other people are nothing but trouble. They're being CHILDISH, it turns off their brains

When she gets competitive with the other girls is always very childish (which, again, is part of making it unserious) "he's mine, let go of him" type of shit

(this is part of framing Ranma's popularity in the manga as undesirable btw, besides him obviously not having a good time: that it doesn't use them to TRULY unsettle Akane in terms of self-image) (the old anime tends to do the opposite)

I've mentioned that real fears about losing love are kept between her and her sisters (who are often the ones putting fears into Akane's head...) and I think part of it is that they're OLDER than her. Akane is seriously (and not "childishly") affected only when Nabiki "confesses"

Here's the thing about growing out a pixie cut: it takes a long fucking time. Kasumi is Akane's model of femininity not just in the present, but in terms of who she is supposed TO BECOME as she grows up. In this context, even love implies a future (becoming a wife)

(growing hair = growing up... I didn't even think about it like this when I started this but growth implies the passage of time. To be "more like a lady" and less tomboy also implies "to mature." Girls are expected to mature faster than boys)

This is what unsettles Akane with Hinako the most, even though she doesn't see her as "a real threat" like the other girls do. Hinako is "more mature"

We see Akane "reacting childishly" but hurt in a very SERIOUS way whenever she feels like she's being compared to "an older woman" and "is coming up short" (it's not spelled out like that with Nabiki, but being the baby sister is part of why Nabiki is fucking with her in that arc)

This is part of why Akane is so sensitive in the bust arc (where Ranma unknowingly picks on her insecurities when he teases her because he doesn't get why she's lashing out and to downplay his attraction) her body is developing so she's *feeling* more mature

"Growing up" is a big theme here: childish behavior (familiar ground) conflated with grown-up attraction (ranma) and a wish to be feel more mature (and desirable for Akane, but specifically for the person she's in love with)

Nodoka is a big source of stress for Ranma but she provides the validation Akane doesn't get from the older women in her family (who mean well and will be on her side always but they can also just be.. clueless jerks lol you can see how not having her mom affects her still...)

(...because even though Akane's sisters are older than her, they are not exactly mature women, Kasumi is just 19, even if she shows more maturity than most ppl in that house, which we can attribute to having to grow up faster and take on household's chores)

You leave Akane alone and she can be pretty sensible and reach the "right" conclusions, whereas Ranma lacks emotional intelligence and needs to be pushed. She's good for him because she makes him grow...

At the same time, Ranma is good for Akane because she shouldn't grow up too fast. It's good for her to be able to relax and be a little clown, in ways she's not free to be with everyone. Ranma provides safety in multiple ways

(you could also say there is a struggle in where to be childish and where to be mature in some of their conflicts... Ranma is not good with words, so conflicts are often resolved with him SHOWING his feelings after a childish fight)

(the other thing that can really "break" Akane is "am I being a burden to Ranma?" but that's another conversation...)

(this was brought to you by me being reminded that the dead husband was the main girls' high school teacher in Maison Ikkoku, and you see the doc already liked Kasumi when she was wearing her fucking high school uniform in that flashback 😭)

(Akane can get hurt because of Ranma's immaturity sometimes, but going from molding herself after her older sister because she crushed on an older man to liking Ranma, who likes her as she is, and being herself, is the best thing that could have happened to her there. Akane was vulnerable)

(this is also brought to you by me being extremely annoyed by people thinking Akane is looking for models of femininity in the other girls when she’s not, which I’m blaming on the old fucking show, resulting in not enough people paying enough attention to the manga to pick up any of this stuff)

[sunnysidesevenup]

Some Neige headcanons because I’ve written him a lot at this point and I have THOUGHTS

- I’ve talked about this specifically before but when he was first starting out in his career it was basically his livelihood for him and his entire family so!! He was VERY conscious of his image and trying to not cause any trouble.

- this led to not speaking up about problems he was having, bad working conditions, always feeling like he needed to keep up a cheerful image. His career is very secure now but he still struggles with anxiety over it.

- still struggles with expressing negative emotions and advocating for himself. Fans can get especially pushy with him and he’s not sure how to set boundaries.

- that being said if someone ELSE is having a problem, he will 100% take care of it, fight for them, etc.

- he gets spoken over a lot by interviewers and management, and tends to get treated younger than he is.

- wants to play more serious roles!!! He thinks it would be SUPER fun to play a villain!! (his agent very much disagrees)

- tends to do all the chores around the house even when he’s had a long day.

- struggles to keep up with school work sometimes since he has to miss class for work. luckily RSA is pretty accommodating.

- I feel like he’d secretly be a horror fan but wouldn’t be able to handle any of the jump scares. The type that clutches at someone’s arm the whole time but then is like “wow! that movie was great! let’s watch another!”

- handles the cold really well (he lives somewhere near Harveston after all!!!)

- speaking of that, he probably ALSO has an accent!! I headcanon that he sounds similar to Epel but his hometown has less slang. (I think this would be an interesting motivation for Vil to dislike Epel’s accent too 😭)

I have more (with ship specific stuff) but this is all for now hehe

[amalthea-13]

hello this is more fandom + headcanon related than a serious thing

I wanted to ask your opinion on stolas's powers + his role, like he had two roles in life 1.have an heir 2.read the stars/be a prophet (i may be misremembering)

we know he can turn people to stone and can create portals both w/o his grimoire. what other silly spells do you think could occur? also what do you think/would want to happen with the whole stars thing?

personally, i love the idea that stolas memorized the spell how to turn other creatures, specifically imps, in to human disguises because of that episode where blitz jokes abt it

ohh i think it'd be fun to see stolas teach IMP about other spells that they wouldn't have known bc they only focused on traveling to the world + i think seeing flashbacks of stolas teaching octavia would be nice

My Thoughts/Headcanons on Stolas and His Future

Casually pulling myself out of bed from writing a 9 page essay that's due tomorrow because I haven't had a good ask in a hot minute! However, hello all, it is I, Amalthea, the Ultimate Stolas Kin and Stan and let's get into some more chill stuff so I can relax my brain a bit! TYSM!!

Stolas's Powers

When it comes to Stolas's powers, I have been very, very passionate about my desire for him to have his powers back in some way in the future. To other Stolas Stans or Stolitz Fans this may not be a top priority, but I am a writer myself. Between fanfics, my personal novels, poetry, and song writing, if someone cut my hands off and I couldn't write, they may as well kill me.

I have a big issue with Stolas not having his powers since he is often shown expressing himself with them and emotionally relieving himself through them. Outside of Blitz, Stolas's powers were one of the few other safe places he had and to see that robbed of him???

As an artist Mastermind made me physically ill with grief just because I knew what it was like to have your craft stripped from you. As a child, I was often grounded from writing or my personal box FULL of my manuscripts would me taken away from me for days at a a time.

As I said earlier, I would rather die than not be able to write. That's just an impossible reality for me.

However, I have cried over this topic long enough.

Personally, I do think Stolas could have spells and such memorized for the sake of utility. In Truth Seekers that fucker got to Earth as fast as possible and in the very first episode of the series we see Stolas see Blitz in the human world through the bubbles in his tub.

Headcanons

When it comes to head canons I do not have very many for Stolas, but I think he's a lazy fuck sometimes lol. I feel like he enjoys floating things to himself to avoid leaving a place of comfort or his bedroom.

Now for Stolas to read prophecies he has to be either on Earth or use his grimoire to his lil pocket dimension to view the stars up close as we see he does with Octavia. Personally I think if Stolas gets back to Earth he could read the stars with or without his powers due to him having been at this for years now.

I think if anything it'd be oh so cool to have him be the only one aware of an incoming threat and fighting for his life to inform Andrelphus. Blitz and Loona being confused but Stolas literally doing everything in his power to inform the other royals, but like as he is about to, Andrelphus somehow gets to him and they have yet another fight.

I think it'd be neat to see Loona learning from Stolas how to do magic, but I don't think it'd last long. Stolas is to fragile to metaphorically adopt and mentor her. Even if Blitz asked he just would feel guilty for enjoying himself. I don't think Stolas will want to take on a paternal role for Loona until Octavia is back in his life.

I think he'd teach Loona about human disguises then teach her nothing else unless absolutely necessary. I do think there will be a wall between them every time where he ignores her not to be mean but to punish himself.

I do hope this all answers your questions! <3

[parentsday]

Hiii! Since you asked about headcanons/analysis stuff:

There's a common interpretation on the fandom about Max's treatment of David in the early episodes coming, at least partially, from trust issues regarding adults/authority figures. And I've seen push back against it, too. People who say it's just because David is annoyingly positive. Nothing else.

And sure, I can see that. But Nikki also acts in a cheerful manner and mostly enjoys camp, and Max doesn't treat her with the level of rudeness he treated David in season one. This could be due to her being his little partner in crime, but idk. I always interpreted it as him thinking that David is some fake nice adult who will just let him down if he allows it.

And, while I was thinking about this, I realized how this interpretation of Max's behaviour towards David adds another heartbreaking layer to Parents day.

Max's perception of David started changing after Order of the sparrow, specifically after the "Somebody fucking has to" moment. For just a moment, the annoying, overly positive persona drops, and Max is able to see a nuanced human being. And it's clear that he starts understanding David a little more, because in Cult camp (literally the next episode), he allows himself to be brainwashed and trusts that David will save the camp (btw, we as a fandom don’t talk about this aspect of this episode enough).

So yeah, his perception of David changes for the better.

But then, parents day happens.

And David spends most of the episode being an absolute jerk, even if he doesn't realize it.

He pushes SO HARD to try and make the day perfect, basically ignores Max when he states that his parents aren't coming, gets way too serious about playing the role of Max's dad for the day, forces Max into the activities and then, at the end of a day that was already shitty for Max, he yells at him.

I think the context of Max's opinion on David finnaly becoming more positive makes this episode so much sadder.

Because it ceases to be just about Max's neglectful parents.

Now it's also about the closest thing he has to a trustworthy adult making him uncomfortable, ignoring his feelings and then yelling at him and telling him that he "has a bad attitude" and "brings everyone else down instead of trying just a little bit to have fun".

(Which are things he must have heard from adults before, if he behaves the way he does at camp in school and other places)

Remember in Friends like these when he said "Life's just one dissapointment after another. I can't belive I let myself forget it"? I think he might have had the same train of thought here: "I can't believe I let myself forget David is an asshole that only cares about impressing Campbell and making this stupid camp look good". Or: "I can't believe I let myself forget that every single adult thinks I'm a bad kid and a lost cause."

And I know it gets fixed quickly, with David apologizing shortly after, but still. I think the idea of Max being dissapointed at David in Parents day, even if it was just for some moments, is so good.

I also think this is the episode that comfirms to Max that David is genuinely a good person trying his best. He spent the entire day having to think about the fact that his parents suck, and then there's David, who is kind, apologizes for upsetting him and takes him to eat pizza and have a little heartfelt talk.

When was the last time his parents apologized to him, or cared about what he wanted/needed, or talked to him so gently?

The contrast between his parents and David is so big, and I think that's what makes Max finnaly go "Yeah, this guy isn't actually that bad."

(Sorry for rambling, omg.)

hi first of all thank u for an ask and such insightful one at it too !! this was an incredibly pleasant read and a lot of the stuff you say i personally find very good analysis of the show and agree with, however i do have some stuff to say abt it soo here we go ^-^ (this will be a long one so sorry about this in advance)

as i said in some previous reply, max is an incredibly peculiar guy when it comes to the way this show treats his trauma and the way he himself behaves as a result of it, and that’s by design! a lot of the thing he says and does in the first two seasons when it comes to david are there for reasons of narrative set up, and are later masterfully recontextualized by parents day later, leaving very little room for interpretation when it comes to how and why he operates. im gonna go out on a limb and say that i don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that most of his actions towards david in the early show stem from the childish born-from-trauma need for attention and also from his need for societal reinforcement of his own ego’s right to exist. when it comes to the first one i see most people agree (bc it’s a basic child psychology fact), but turn their noses in reference to the second one.

contrary to popular belief, max being in need of constant affirmation that he, as a person with little self value, deserves to exist next to other people is something that we see examples of constantly and is not a terrible part of his character that needs to be ignored. max is a neglect victim who from our knowledge is given very little attention by his parents, as a result of it he is a pessimistic asshole kid whose ego suffers from the very thing that made it this way. its in his strained relationship with nikki and neil, its in him arguing with david to put himself in the position of an adult, its him putting himself above others when it’s not needed and its in him putting his own egos safety first when time comes to accept that things are moving forward (two final episodes from both s3 and s4 are good examples of this). its not an inherently positive trait, but it is one okay for him to have by the virtue of being a young abused child with no support system, and denying it will leave him devoid of this characterization. in freudian (ugh) terms, we cannot separate his character’s superego from his id in a way that won’t harm the way he was intentionally written. Id, ego and superego are all influenced by our relationship with our parents, the amount of nurturing of a child's emotional and psychological needs parents does will result in the child’s psychological state forming a certain way, max as a character who is heavily reliant of his lackluster relationship with his parents is not devoid of this and it affects his relationship with david too. and the reason i’m saying all of this is exactly due to this.

david, when put in most simple terms, is a character who’s an adult figure present and mature enough in max’s current social position that it allows him to treat max as a child, something max is not used to. not used to to such an extent that it puts a strain on his ego in the process. david feeds his need for any form of attention, positive or not, just as much as he clips away at max’s need to be seen as socially important and in a position of an adult. it’s arguable if both of these are good or not but the main thing they are in relation to is obvious: max feels that being an adult who meets both of his psychological needs in ways that are unfamiliar to him makes david an untrustworthy person, thats exactly where you interpretation comes in clutch.

max and his behavior towards david cannot be separated from david being an adult, that is made clear with the way he treats nikki as an equal just because she is a person his age, despite her sharing a lot of david’s traits. going through the episodes you mentioned, order of the sparrow episode lets max see david perspective for the very first time. max is allowed to peek into the reason why david acts the way he does, however it alone doesn’t make him see david in a good light, if anything it makes him appear genuine in his actions. it also lets max have something for david that he didn’t have before: trust. it ends up being used in cult camp as a confirmation of it being something david can live up to (you are absolutely right, we really don’t talk abt this episode and it’s narrative weight enough). all of this has been adding onto the way max himself perceives david, parents day, however, lets both of them internalize the sentiment of mutual understanding towards each other together. parents day does this by lampshading max and david parallelism, making this whole episode consist of max seeing his parents in david just as much as david sees himself in max through the whole show and putting them in each others shoes by the end of it. the episode ends with david choosing max as a priority, he is still acting selfishly (once again david is an asshole) but choosing to do so towards max because the situation allows him to understand max the way s1 finale let max understand him. and with the final turning point in their dynamic, max understands that both his ego and need for attention can exist without them being reinforced by an adult treating him like he is an adult too. max was chosen as a priority for the very first time and that alone made him feel of more value than the treatment he initially yearned for would have. above all else parents day makes max see david as someone he can look up to as a person in emotional way, not only in a life or death situations, the shot of david from his perspective in the end making sure that we don’t miss it.

most of this is not me disagreeing with you, on the opposite i think a lot of the arguments you make are nice and are mindful interaction with the media. gold star for enjoying meta analysis to both of us i guess ⭐️. my main problem is, however, the fact that using all of this to basically say ‘maxs parents suck so he has a distain for david because of it’ is a heavy oversimplification that you somehow go against in your initial statement too and that i, personally, just don’t enjoy. this alone does not make your interpretation wrong though, if anything just reinforces your general idea into a more concrete argument rather than a collection of bits and pieces of evidence pointing to it. hope all of this made sense

tldr; man idk no summing up this one as to not take away from the overall statement im making with this. read the post 🫶

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

Just struck me that I still don’t know whether the Veil should be taken down or not.

For ten years, I’ve read Solavellan stories of Lavellan fighting tooth and nail to prevent the Veil from coming down. These stories were from the very reasonable perspective that “What’s done is done. Modern Thedas has problems just as the Pre-Veil world did. You need to let go of your regrets and live with the consequences. You can make change here and now in the present.” In pretty much every Solavellan story that tackles this topic of Past v. Present, Lavellan is using her political influence to secure serious change for elves and greater protections for the Dalish especially. These stories are not in favor of preserving the abusive status quo. Rather, Lavellan convinces Solas that his place is at her side teaching the elves the truth of the gods and the past and using his Wisdom to change hearts and minds as he always wished.

There’s also the obvious “Why are you risking the mass deaths of all these people? Is there really no way to take down the Veil safely? Safely-er???”

But for people who want the Veil to be taken down, the arguments can be summarized as the Veil being the status quo, and its continued existence is perpetuating it. The world was meant to be magical; the Veil must be undone to bring the world back to what it normally was. The elves deserve their power and magic back, etc. etc. One could argue that Solas keeping the veil up is him still bound to his past decisions, and worse, folding to the pressure of the status quo and betraying his role of rebeller.

The biggest point of contention for me is that it is not made clear in the slightest what exactly will happen if the Veil is taken down, and while I’m all for the destruction of oppressive systems, when it comes to something like literal MAGIC, I feel like I’m well within my right to be skeptical and apprehensive since Solas is pointedly vague about the specifics. In Trespasser, he says, to paraphrase “..even if this world must die”. The word die is not expounded upon. Die, how? Are we talking the abstract, metaphorical meaning of the word “die” (i.e. the French monarchy ‘died’ and a republic government was born from it), or do we mean a more visceral “die” (i.e. it’s gonna be like a nuclear reactor meltdown and people are going to keel over like they stepped into the Elephant Foot room in Chernobyl because of the sudden tsunami of magic re-entering the world), or do we mean both?

Solavellan fics have taken this to mean what is essentially a global genocide that will destroy most people, and thus the arguments with Solas over the years have been, to sum up a few examples, “You killed a world. You would kill a second world to bring back the first?” and ‘We *are* just as real as the ancient elves were. You need to accept that we are, and accept that the Elvhen empire is gone.” and “We are (elves) are not lesser than our ancestors, we are different. This world is no more broken than the one before. You had all the magic in the world and the elves used it to enslave and kill one another and tranquil the Titans. In this world we have far less access to magic and similar issues with slavery and the Chantry and Tevinter mageocracy. The suffering is just as widespread, but the magnitude is lesser by several degrees (the difference between the devastation and suffering incurred from medieval warfare v. modern warfare).”

The contention of not wanting Solas to tear down the Veil hinges on this ambiguity, and of Solas not seeing the modern elves as real or his people.

Now we can argue: “Solas is lost in the sauce of regret and more than a little blinded from culture shock and nostalgia in his motivation to tear down the veil since half of it stems from his wish to bring back the eminence and power of the ancient elves.’ —-From this we can only surmise what his intentions are here, even. Does he mean elevation and equality (elves will be more powerful but not necessarily treated as superior to the other races—separate but equal), or does he mean ‘the elves were far more powerful and superior to other races in their own way, and we are restoring that’, with the implication that, like elves in other fantasies, they’ll have powers and eminence that could overshadow the other races, and that is simply how nature intended it to be (read: sneaking in some soft social darwinist essentialism))—-‘but yes, the Veil does need to come down because the byproduct will be that elves and mages get more power’.

And beyond that resides a semi magical ecological reason: his wish to see magic and spirits meld with the world once again since that’s how it originally was. The Veil, he states, is unnatural.

What is also confusing is between Trespasser and Veilguard, Solas remains inconsistent on who “the people” are. In a memory he says “the people need me”. Veilguard makes it out like he’s somewhat quietly accepted the modern elves as his people. Probably lesser or somewhat rendered inferior by their supreme distance from the elvhen empire and their lack of magic, but still his responsibility, the living legacy of his mistakes.

I suppose the thorn in my brain is that

The ironic thing is that I’m all for the destruction of the status quo and oppressive systems so long as there’s a clear, cohesive game plan. Fucking go nuts. But when it comes to change in fictional worlds, I get really nervous, probably because most people don’t know how to write or plot out massive societal change in a way that’s believable or well-thought out since fiction can’t ever competently account for the infinite fractals of perspective and experience under such tumultuous events. There is always going to be some glaring oversight since fiction authors are forced to cram a thousand different affected elements into a single narrative, and you will always end up with a story that either leans pro-revolution or anti-revolution, even if it’s a 51%/49% split. Someone is going to be unhappy with the argument made by the text in question. Someone is going to argue that it doesn’t account for X, Y, Z…

Where am I going with this.. Yeah I’m conflicted about the “to tear down the veil or not” because it is so wrapped up in one man’s personal emotional journey. Liberals like to inexplicably twist and weave individual stories into revolution narratives in order to 1) humanize a large abstract political movement but also 2) Use the character as a personification of the movement, with their personality and morality a direct reflection of the morality, and thus validity, of the movement.

It’s an ouroboros of logos and pathos ethos. We can sympathize with Solas because of the cause he champions. By way of literary device, our view of the cause is (deliberately or unconsciously) meant to be influenced by Solas’s personality: the face of the Rebellion and of elf emancipation, a thoughtful, somber, conflicted man with many huge blunders and misjudgments under his belt. He means well, but will his plan work? Perhaps it’s best that everything be left alone. He’s the one with the power to pull it off, but how many of his plans have backfired? This along with the aforementioned ambiguity of what will happen to the world when it’s torn down leaves us with a discordant uncertainty. We want elves to have rights, we want mages to be more free, we want spirits to not be so easily corrupted.

The writers clearly want the Veil to be kept up. It’s “the right thing to do” because tearing down the Veil will mean the “death” of modern Thedas. The fact there isn’t an outright statement of “yeah this is what will happen during this ‘death’” is used as a discouragement, but I feel like that sticking point was written in a day and age when people had fucks left to give about the system, when there was still a healthy fear of unknown risk and a preference for a theoretical scenario where change is slow, regimented, monitor-able, with casualties all but 0.

The game peddling this same fear of change in 2024 is being given to a world that is now more and more commonly scoffing at reluctance to implement systemic change for fear of the unknown. “Who cares, elves deserve rights.”

But is the world Solas is promising actually possible? He has done so many things that have resulted in disastrous, world-changing, life-ruining, unintended consequences. We simply don’t know how modern bodies will react to a sudden global influx of magic to the atmosphere, how many benign spirits will become corrupted when they’re suddenly in direct contact with mortals who are just stewing in their negative emotions that will be undoubtedly heightened by the apocalypse. There are bubbles of the Veil that act all funky and get Veil jumpers killed all the time. Those are simply bubbles.

Varric: People are dying

Solas: That’s what people do

All art is political. It all has a message. Unintended, intended, subliminal, explicit, personal, popular interpretation, weird tinfoil hattery.

The cognitive dissonance, or discomfort I feel is that Solas’s story exemplifies two simultaneous arguments: One, that you need to move on past your regret. You need to live here, now. Life is making mistakes. You may make the largest mistakes, you may work every day to atone for them, but at a certain point you need to accept that this is what life is. You can mourn, you can grieve, you can even still feel pangs of guilt and shame, but you have to be more than that, more than a martyr. Some people are not meant to be the hero. You should focus on putting good into the world now, changing it for the future, not to seek out the past.

That is a beautiful tragic sentiment, especially when the sorrow and guilt are magnified a thousand-fold by the knowledge that your actions have led to the death and suffering of so many in your sincere pursuit of protecting people. When does the sense of responsibility and duty become a spiral of self-destruction? When is the time to stop when all of your efforts make things worse and worse? Solas was a man who took action when action is clearly not in his wheelhouse because the grass is always greener for him. He cannot live with making huge pyrrhic choices because he empathizes so keenly with all sapient life and the tragedy of “what could’ve been”…

But then the second underlying argument posed by the upkeep of the Veil, if you’re Epler: Revolution is bad. Change even for a good cause is bad. Live with the shit rules you have.

idk I’m just getting my thoughts down. I guess I’m still pro- preserve the Veil solely because my personality forbids me from committing to such a choice without knowing the full list of side effects, which Solas (or maybe the writers themselves) haven’t thought out. And again it’s really weird because I don’t have these same reservations about real world social justice and progress. 😶

[rakubalka]

How Time and Fate playing chest with one specific mortal as the prize caused more than a few timelines to spawn . And how the og timeline would have looked

@karlithemuse sorry it took so long it turnned longer than originally planned

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

We start with Astaroth(I'm calling him Time to save time(pun not intended)) . That include his motive , plans and ending result

His motive is simple , he wants Sage(the Jusus like oc who is Asta’s previous life) to come back to life . So he starts planning ways to try and do it . And what his planing makes him do is look into the futures and try and find one that allows for any chances of Sage’s resurrection . While looking what does he see ? Asta . The same Asta whose body is makes him a perfect vessel and host for any and all spirits and devils exactly because of his lack of mana (having foreign mana in ones mana veins/stream can cause serious medical implication and not wanting to deal with that most spirit at least search for someone with a very compatible mana or at least someone sharing the same base element , Asta’s lack of personal mana means he can act the role of vessel for even the most rare type of element with absolutely no problems) . So what does Time do again ? Starts looking for ways to make him his vessel of course . 

Unfortunately for Time , og and most timelines Asta only makes guaranteed contact with 2 demons . Those being a genocidal maniac who will end up killed and his brother with whom he will reunite (Of course there is also the husband , however said husband refuses to gamble the lives of those he cares about so no more devil summonings for him to be expected) . So Time’s chances of being summoned and offered a contract are zero .

And you would think any sane person would give up after that , unfortunately time has not been sane since Sage’s death . So he takes the next “rational” step to resurrect Sage . That being create a situation that either forces Asta to make a contract with him or take over Asta with strength . Problem however is that Asta uses his brain and is not just going to agree on a contract with an unknown devil , especially when he already has multiple different contracts with powerful great spirits (a few of which he also follows as a believer of theirs)

So what does Time decide to do ? Take Julius and Zenon offer for a contract and start working from there . Which is actually the reason the “canon” we know starts

One of the biggest changes he makes is being sure Zara Idiale dies , wich jokes on him he created a martyr people even thousands of year in the future will look up to

Also i think i should mention this but whatever “future sight” Zenon has is fundamentally not perfect . Mainly because 1) why should Time show to those idiots why Asta is so valuable and 2) reading the future is not Time’s strong suit but rather Fate’s

Now we have Fate and her meddling with how events go and play out .

A surprising amount of events were actually accelerated because of her . Asta getting Libei’s grimoire on the spring equinoxes for example . Accelerating the elf situation with Asta being stronger than in the og timeline .

And let me just say , so many people were born because of her medeling . And so i will be counting them :

Yami - he wouldn't even be born and on the off chance he was he would have stayed in Sun Country if not for Fate using her connection with Ocean to get him to clover

Dorothy - She wouldn't be born for at least a few hundred years

Fuegoleon - Only Inferno(aka Mereleona) was supposed to be born in that day and age but Fate convinced Forest Fire to also get a mortal form

Finral - Space wouldn't have even be mortal if not for Fate’s request

Vanessa - Fate knew she needed to be in moral form to do more than only create opportunities so she made herself mortal

Gray - Change had to be pushed a little but it happened in the end 

Charmy - yet another being that would be in Sun Country if not for Fate’s meddling , granted however the dwarf-human couple who were trying for a baby wouldn't succeed if not for Fate meddling so at least they got a child out of this

Yuno - Spade wouldn't even have a heir , the High priest Of Air would be a different person and Asta would be a weaker if things were like the og timeline with Yuno still getting cleaned of his would be life as half-elf if not for Fate screwing his reincarnation a little , in a result of not properly completing the cycle Yuno has two magic types

Noelle - While the soul was ready for reincarnation there simply aren't parent powerful enough to give a proper vessel , in fact the closest to come to it would be Pechiks’s child

There are probably other people who I'm forgetting at the moment , but you get the vibe . A lot of people are missing of what we know and that changes how the story goes a lot . And in all honesty it could be an AU of its own with how different it is .

So lets start :

First of all , with Conrad not having his fall orchestrated by what is one of the core principles of the universe makes it so he is also alive . And wanting to make his good friend Zara's life a little easier (and also harder to discriminating against him) he gets given the position of squad capitan . And with no Time meddling Zara idealle lives and still inspires Charlotte , Merolona and Jack to become Magic Knights in his footsteps . With said future captains joining his squad , that also got him the niche the bulls have . Demanding a name for the squad the two of them and Lovilia come together and decide on White Phoenix with white in honor of his good friends’s squad color and phoenix in honor of the immortal bird symbolising the rebirth Zara is currently causing on the whole system .

Years go by and Conrad wants to retire from active duty to build a home with his wife and focus more on his political career , so he choses Zara as his successor . And considering how many small factions and one big faction (The Vermilions) supported him enthusiastically and also having the Shamrock in agreement of his choice , the transfer of title and power was largely uninterrupted even if not exactly everyone was happy about it . But that's how we get Zara Idealle as the 28th Wizard King and the first peasant Wizard King so down in history he will go .

However , as I'm sure you remember , the crowning of a Wizard King means the dissolving of the old squads and the creation of new ones . And in an ironic twist of fate around half of the current captains come from his squad . That being Mereleona captain of the Crimson Lions , Charlotte captain of the Blue Roses , Jack captain of the Green Mantis , William captain of the Golden Dawn , Henry captain of the White Bears and of course Morgen and Naucht of the Black Ravens .

Because do you really think that without Yami to distract Morgan he isnt to put his whole undivided attention on his brother ? Yeah no . Nacht barely gets his demons before their family gets busted by Morgen the moment he hears them trying to let his twin in such danger . He even uses his conections to make sure those who dare even try to hurt his twin face consequences . And if someone says this “isn't like canon” , name one mentally stable person Yami is friends with . There isn't . The man is a catnip for mentally unstable magical prodigies . So no Morgan isn't a saint , the man is far too bloodthirsty .

There is also some small thing happening in the au causing differences in it . Like Gauche and Mary being taken by an uncle of theirs after their parents death ,  that uncle being Conrad . It does make it so gauche gets it into his tick head that there are people who care for him . And also after getting his grimoire he gets scouted by the Ravens making him a member of theirs and then at autumn come for the official magic knights exam and becomes part of the White Bears (jailers) and starts developing a crush on his squad’s vice-captain , that being Gordon .

Another small thing that adds up is the lack of Fluedoleon . More specifically , without him Mereleona doesn't have someone who she can throw the title and responsibility of The Heir Of House Vermilion to . As a result Mereleona is forced to stay in the human realm making her a lot weaker than she would otherwise be . Then there is also the fact she and Charlotte also meet a lot earlier in life . Again Charlotte doesnt find she has a crush for quite a while , and is in a arguably worse position than the one with Yami . Nor because of densens mind you , as Mereleona caught the small building feelings and returned them almost immediately . The problem lies in that even with Leopold existing , Mereleona is still expected to marry and continue the family line as its head . So the political fall out of the heir of a royal house turning gay was to be dealt with .

And the resulting rumors were not kind to anyone they touched , but the rumor that grossed Mereleona , Charlotte and Jack is the one of the 3 of them sleeping with each other . Jack is especially grossed out as 1) Charlotte is his big sister in everything but blood as far as he is concerned , 2) Mereleona is one of if not his best friend , 3) Mereleona is his sisters gf and finally 4) He currently dating a silver haired birdy royal so he has 0% interest in the burning lioness .

There is the fact that Rebbeca(Remember she is 1 year older than Asta) having the financial stability and also help from other adults to look after her siblings follows in her uncle and cousin steps in becoming a magic knight (Conrad and Lovia get even more kids to look after ) . She joins the Crimson Lions as a rune and trap magic specialist and also In no time she earns the nickname “The Arsonist” .

I'm probably forgetting other things and people at the moment but we're moving .

So we finally meet Asta . For a difference of the world in which Fate meddled with , with no Yuno Asta isn't motivated to be a magic knight . Mainly because of the Light Triad it's only Yuno that is motivated by fame (Everyone deserves flaws and even then in this situation is less of a flaw and more just a small quirk that helps him improve) so Asta doesn't get pushed and continuously motivated , as a result Asta is actually weaker physically and not as far in his medical studies with no rival and brother around . It's still a happy and fulfilling life for him to be a small village hunter and doctor and when the situation calls for either a “true magic knower” or a hero to help those in the surroundings . 

Fate’s madeling did however make it so Asta has a grimoire so he is clearly seen as an adult , because that's what grimoires are to the population , an identification card that means you're at least 15 . With no Fate messing tings the chain dude doesn't come , ands even and if he came Asta wouldn't be in or around the tower as he 1) suspected he won't get a grimoire so why make an idiot of himself by going there and 2) even if he got a grimoire the book would come to him anyway so why waste time when he can do minute preparations and hunting for the party that will happen anyway . So there was never a need for Libei to come out and allow himself to be used by Asta . Istedea few weeks later he is visited by a goddess , and not just any goddess but one he follows as his teacher . That being Divana who wants to make a contract with this follower of hers so had looked after for a few years already . So she gives him a task to accomplish toi cement the contract . With that task being “create or find something to give to me and only me” (fun fact the reason it might fell or look similar to a contract between a human and demon is because it's the same , more specifically this is one of few rituals and “true” magic that survived even with the grimoires existing , it did fall out of fashion with spirits overall however as grimoires made it a lot easier to make said contracts happened and also make sure they are equal ) . And what did Asta do ? He carved a mask out of birch wood of a sighthound , symbolising her and what she is the goddess rather well . So the contract was made with both parties rather happy , and with Devana starting to mentor in the use of magic . More specifically wind magic , and also how to deal with the resulting mar induced migraines . Thankfully at hw only need to figure how to power up the anti-mar medicine and not how to make it so small mercies . He also rather quickly becomes an even and if tumbling from time to time still even more proficient hunter .

Things happened however and  there is a sudden influx of Flame Boars who creating some serious problems for the local ecosystem , Especially since while migration can happen the amount he had to deal had suddenly been upped by the dozens and he could barely keep up . Thankfully the chef of Rayaka wrote a letter to his nephew complaining about the monstrous boars that are mainly detail with by Asta and some help from other hunters but even they java problems keeping up ,  so he also nudging his nephew yo replay at least one of his debts to the kid who has been rescuing from the local leshy since he was an apprentice hunter . So Magna , having read the letter and having heard capitan Charlotte complaining about the idiots in charge of the food budget because of whom they might need to cut off meat for both of the squad . So he fills the documents for both a subjugation mission and a possible business deal and hands it in . To no one's surprise it gets approved immediately and he gets handed an ice elemental mage , money to buy the meat and even a few magic items to help transport it back . What he wasn't expecting was for captain Jack to decide a hunting trip would be fun . So they go on a hunting trip .

When they finally get to the place after going to Rayaka and visiting the chef they get oriented to go to Hage as 3 of the most capable hunters were there and taking the brunt of the migration . So they go there except Asta isn't there but only his sister and apprentice Recca who was renewing the traps , the also witness caching a few of the boars with said traps with a little help from a swordsman that has been hanging around for a few months already that has been in exchange for helping with the boars allowed saltare in the village  . After this they get instructed to go to Sosshi as they requested help not being able to keep up with the sudden influx of boars and Asta eager to help only took food for 3 days and as good as he is in managing it its been 5 days and they have meat to get rid of as fast as possible least it rots as it is summer . So they are handed food for both him and himselfs , threaten to finish it or at least eat some of the meat and are sent on their way . Jack laughed at the situation of them grown magic knights  commanded by a 13 year old that's half his size and goes along with it .

So in no time they get to Sosshi and the surrounding forest . They accidentally meet a swarm of boars who immediately attack them , and are beaten in no time by jack after he sent Magna to scout in a way of trying to train his vice-captain in scouting . Unfortunately while running back he almost gets his head sliced from his body by Asta . Asta who just stopped before accidentally committing manslaughter before the authorities . 

Asta immediately starts to apologize to Magna . Jack is ready to commit mured , because that's his vice-capitan . The ice mage is hyperventilating on almost having her superior die . Magna however is in the most shock , as he just and even now can mar Asta with mana . 

Magna immediately starts asking Asta of when he got his magic and where is his grimoire . Asta had to deliver the news of the mana being that of a spirit he made a contract with , more specifically one of the goddesses he follows . Jack is still suspicious of the “wind mage” but they don't have time for more speaking . Why ?

Because Jack and Asta felt the creation of an ice shield too big to be from one of the villagers and the lack of fire signatures can only mean someone is either taking the village hostage or directly attacking it and leaving no witnesses . So the group immediately bolts .

Before them was mist but with 2 hunters and one goddess of hunting navigation was easy , the brier even more so as one slash from Jack and it was down . After that it was a lot more straightforward . Asta even proved himself very capable in Jack’s eyes with his skills with the bow and was offered to take the magic knights exams in a few months if he wanted . Then they fly back to Hage (with Asta on magna’s broom as he is still rather new to the whole flying ting)��

Having made a deal for most of the boar meat and hides with sister Lily as the main merchant(useful noble society skills she still uses) and attained the “bandist” the Magic Knight leave to report and give time to Asta to think . He hesitates for a while but after talking with a lot of people , he decided to show up and see how he does . He is chosen , he is chosen and if not , oh well .

—------------------------------------------------------------

As this is getting very long I'm posting this(also why is it around the same lght as a chapter in the book i'm writing ???) and then starting to write the next part . Or maybe I should just make it another au or really a timeline of an au . 

What do you think of mtwfmte og tl au ?

Ask any questions you want im happy to answer !

[thecourtoflionsandwolvess]

Reacting to The Vampire Lestat - Part IV (with a bit of spoilers)

Lestat's narration has gotten so much better actually. I mean, I still don't care when he talks about stuff that doesn't have an effect on him, but when he describes things/people that actually do? It's great. It's just so vivid, rich, colorful, sometimes even abstract that simply makes me giggle and kick my feet. When he gets really thoughtful about life, vampirism, existence, religion, morality, feelings, theater, music etc, it feels like borderline insanity, but in a brilliant way? Feels like I'm tasting some crazy drug and tripping, but it's so good? It activates a very specific part of my neurodivergent brain and I love it because I'll also be having those crazy thoughts all by myself with nobody to talk to and Lestat just gets it.

I also love the excess of exclamations on this POV haha.

Sometimes it just feels like a naive child telling things and is kind of endearing.

ARMAND!

Armand in Lestat's words: he was beautiful, ethereal, sublime, exquisite, delicate, soft, perfect, a Caravaggio painting, a Da Vinci painting, an angel, I found myself in him, the possibility of him, I didn't pay attention to [whatever] because I was looking at him etc etc.

Basically calling him the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, really.

Like, I legit MEMORIZED some of them. Lestat was THAT repetitive lmao.

I don't know if it's because the words were so superlative or because Lestat had it that bad or because I have it that bad just thinking about it, but yeah.

I'm not even kidding when I say I need to take pauses because this is kind of unsettling.

I'm so serious, but I feel like reading Lestat's description of Armand has a bigger effect on me than the prettiest person I have ever seen in freaking R E A L L I F E? What the hell, WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?

Lestat, tone it down, I'm begging you.

Been told Armand is really that gorgeous and every character talks about him that way, so apparently he isn't exaggerating... I'm gonna lie down, bye.

It's even worse because I just picture show!Armand because he's even more handsome there so it makes me dizzy.

Also because Lestat won't miss an opportunity to talk about his beauty? He LITERALLY says it EVERY SINGLE TIME he sees Armand. I'm not joking, I swear on my own life. I'm like, OKAY, WE GET IT? ENOUGH!

Armand (Lestat's version) on season 3 will be insufferable and I'm so ready for it. But also not ready yk.

At this point I'm basically just drooling over him and I don't care.

PERFECT casting with Assad. He incorporates Armand like no other. Everyone on the show is talented and I can see them as their characters, but there's one thing or another that I imagine differently sometimes? But not Armand, like, my Armand looks, walks, moves, talks, stares etc the exact same way Assad does it on the show. Every single time. The others are like, 90% or something for me, but Assad is 100% my imagination? It's like he traveled in time, stole my 2024 thoughts, went back to the past, auditioned, got the part and then played it exactly the way I see it today. It's crazy.

Wouldn't be surprised if that's the case, they already have all these possessions going on, what's more to our little satanic show lmao.

Also, great casting with Assad because no man with red-ish hair has looked this good ever. It just doesn't make sense, I'm sorry.

Armand is a beauty God, but also a really good character and I love his lines. Even when I don't agree with him, I just find him fascinating, the role he has on the story, what he represents, the way he moves the plot, whatever the effect he has on Lestat etc...

Armand's moments are never boring. He'll probably piss me off later, but right now I'm having a great time and the book has never been better.

Lesmand's/Armandstat's moments are always heated. The tension is always there. I'm not telling you what kind. Actually, I don't even know it myself. Do THEY even know?

Sam said something about how you're never sure what they are and I think he's right? At least for now. Let's see it after all the books.

They also act like they've known each other forever, have this crazy history that goes through centuries and they already can push each other's buttons... But they actually, like, only know each other for 5 minutes? CHILL?!

They're sort of soul ties/mirrors/foils/two sides of the same coin-coded in an appealing way.

I guess I can say Armand is my favorite character right now. I always read it faster when he's there, I'm always looking forward to seeing him again, I'm fine when I don't see Gabrielle or Nicki, but I'm always like, BRING HIM BACK. I don't know if I should be worried I'll grow into hating him when stuff happens or if I'll just be an Armand apologist lol. I'm scared. But let's wait to see it.

Samssad on season 3 will be delicious. Specially on the 1700s flashbacks. I'm expecting almost, if not EVERY scene of them there to be INTENSE. Great acting potential there.

I really want to see a moment with Armand and Lestat in a church like on the book? Let's take their angelic faces and curls to the next level. Put them in a church, surrounded by religious figures, stained glasses, candles etc. I don't even care what the context will be. They can be talking, silent, killing each other, doing something else, doing all of it, but give me the heavenly visuals. Actually, if they want to film the entire show in a church they can, it would be so aesthetically pleasing. Bonus points if they use Gothic churches because I'm extremely obsessed with them. Bonus points if they use Sainte-Chapelle because I'm kind of even more hyperfixated on that. I mean, it would never happen, but it should *shrugs*.

Btw, the mess Armand made in the house and the way he was reading the books is very neurodivergent of him.

The way he prefers to talk telepathically instead of speaking out loud is very neurodivergent of him as well.

Nicki is soooooooooo doomed by the narrative, omg. Anne didn't even try to hide it.

I'm not really sure how I feel about Nicki except that he needs therapy...

This is probably the silliest comment so far, I'm no longer thinking clearly after Armand's introduction. Sorry, guys. It will happen again.

The next chapter has his name so I'm scared, but also excited.

P.S. Nothing is permanent, opinions might change and this is based on Lestat’s narration, which can be unreliable. I’m reading the books so I can find out more about the characters, what potential events might happen in the show, what I can expect etc. This is my favorite show in the universe, so I want to be as informed as possible. I have no idea if I’ll become a legit fan of the books or not, but so far I’m enjoying it. I’m posting these comments only for fun.

[sapphic-agent]

Let's Talk About the Sports Festival

*Note: this is a long one so strap in*

Oh boy, here we go.

I did touch briefly on this in my first ever post on here and I mentioned it a few other times. But I've got a few thoughts and I think this arc deserves a little exploration as it plays a crucial part in setting up our characters for the rest of the series.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Sports Festival overall. I think it does well for some characters, not so well for others. I'd like to take some time to break down how some characters benefit and how others don't and really evaluate the arc as a whole.

Uraraka

I think Uraraka's a great place to start. Now, in my Bakugou analysis I did say that I was unhappy with the match, mostly because it panders to Bakugou to make him seem better than he was. And I stand by that, the narrative was trying to shove a "positive trait" of his down our throats since all we had seen from him up to this point was all negative. It was Horikoshi's first attempt at subverting expectations, I think.

However, I actually do think this fight was good for Uraraka as a character.

Uraraka isn't the fastest or strongest or smartest in 1A and previous to this that was fine because being those things wasn't her goal. She wanted to be a rescue hero and provide for her parents, she didn't set out to be particularly ambitious like Izuku or Todoroki or her other classmates. However, this proved to be somewhat of a hinderance to her succeeding as we see in the Cavalry battle. She pairs up with Izuku because she needs to rely on him if she wants to stand a chance of winning. And because of that, she feels like she can't fend for herself.

I think pairing her up against Bakugou was a good thing. Not because he treated her with "respect" or as a serious opponent (because he didn't), but because it pushed her to her limits and forced her to think outside of the box. She refuses Izuku's help because she knows she can't use him as a crutch going forward so she devises her own plan. And even though she loses, she still gets to shine and prove herself (we'll get back to this point with a certain character later). It also acts as a hallmark for her character, that she has to really push herself if she wants to be able to stand with (or even against) her stronger classmates.

Now, whether or not this setup pays off later is for another post, but I think Uraraka is one of the only characters this arc really does justice.

Izuku

If I'm being honest, the Sports Festival is far from the worst arc in the series for our beloved main character.

The race was great, of course. Because he can't depend on his quirk like everyone else, Izuku has to put all his critical thinking skills and strategic prowess to the test. The race is actually one of my favorite parts of the show because a kid from the bottom of his class (at the time) rises above everyone else and absolutely no one (including us) saw it coming. He has a major disadvantage and still comes out on top. It really ties in well with All Might's advice to stand in front of everyone and say, "I am here."

Now, the Cavalry Battle is a different story. To be fair, I don't think it really hurts or helps Izuku's character all that much. He has to think on his feet and strategize carefully, but he already did that in the race. His leaderships skills aren't really displayed all that much either (it's present, but Bakugou, Todoroki, and Monoma take much more of the limelight here). They could have taken more time to develop this role for him, but it's nothing really major to complain about.

The tournament is a little different. Obviously, Izuku couldn't win because if he had it wouldn't have been realistic. But his fight with Shinsou shouldn't have happened. The only reason they're matched up is for Izuku to break out of his hold with One For All. It doesn't do anything for his character (I might even say it hinders it because Ojirou specifically told him what to do and he ignored it) and really only serves as Shinsou's introduction, which could have been done with any character.

(Bakugou should have gone up against Shinsou. It would have humbled him; he would have lost to an "extra," one of the very people he talked down to. It would have also taught him that having a strong quirk or a weak quirk isn't what makes a hero and that power isn't everything)

However, the Todoroki fight does do Izuku's character justice. Because Izuku has always put helping others over winning or being the best. It's what makes him a true hero. He still makes Todoroki work for it and gives his all in the fight, but he does it with the genuine intention of helping. And that's what it means to be a hero. If the race was showing off his skill, then the tournament was showing off his heart. Those are the two sides to being a hero after all.

(If only the pro heroes had any semblance of sense to realize that)

So overall I am split on if this arc is good for Izuku or not. It does well with some things, poor with others. However, I do think that if Horikoshi had kept a similar approach with him throughout the story, it would have done him a lot more justice.

(At least more than whatever Dark Deku was supposed to be)

Iida

I don't have much to say on him other than that I think it would have been beneficial to showcase his skills a little more. He's supposed to be the second most intelligent in 1A and he got fourth on the quirk apprehension test. It would have been nice to show him off a little more like they did with Todoroki and Bakugou.

However, I do understand that his performance in the Sports Festival is meant to take a backseat to what's going on in his personal life. And for the most part that is done pretty well. The tension build up his actually really good and it sets him up to shine in the Stain arc.

I also appreciate his approach towards Izuku. He respects him and sees him as a friend, but also knows that Izuku is still an adversary. It's a unique approach to rivalry in anime and also sets up his role in the Stain arc well.

So it's not a terrible arc for Iida, but it could have been better for him too.

Bakugou

I know, I know I don't want to either but let's just get through this okay?

Obviously above I said what I said about how he should have fought Shinsou. And I stand by that. The Sports Festival was the best way he could have been humbled and taught humility. Having Bakugou fight Shinsou and lose could have aided his redemption in the long run.

Now, one thing that bothers me about the Sports Festival is that it seems like the narrative constantly goes out of its way to make him look better. Oh, Bakugou meets his match from a student with a copying quirk who rightfully calls him out and catches him off guard? Let's have him overcome the (truthful) assumptions and beat him and still qualify even though he was completely focused on the wrong things. Oh, the crowd thinks Bakugou is being overly harsh on someone who clearly isn't on his level? Let's have Aizawa vehemently defend him and tell everyone he's showing her respect when he obviously isn't (and even doubles down after the fact). Oh, Todoroki has just embraced a part of his quirk that's more than enough to beat Bakugou? Nah, let's have Todoroki throw even though he just had an epiphany about how his power was his and not his father's.

You see where I'm going with this? No matter what, this arc absolutely bends over backwards to portray Bakugou in a positive light. Where our other characters lose, struggle, and get put through the wringer, Bakugou is handed a win (literally and figuratively) multiple times. It's part of what pushed me from genuinely enjoying the Sports Festival to somewhat disliking it.

Bakugou is never allowed to struggle unless everyone around him is struggling too, most of the time worse than he is. This is a pattern that persists throughout the series. And it started in this arc.

Todoroki

You know how I said that Uraraka was one of the characters that this arc did justice? Well, Todoroki was the other one.

His set up in the Sports Festival is fantastic. Before this arc, we knew he was important. He was strong, aloof, and the only one who could intimidate Bakugou. The way they ease us into his character is very well done from his little mannerisms to revealing his backstory.

I know most of us agree that he should have beat Bakugou. However, him winning or losing the final match never really mattered. What mattered is that he made peace with his quirk and his trauma. And through Izuku he opens himself up which not only leads to him being a loyal friend, but also makes him a better hero in the long run. He is undoubtedly the character that develops the most.

(It's also through Todoroki that we get a bit of world building. Endeavor is the first example of a corrupt hero we see and we're introduced to the concept of quirk marriages)

Unfortunately, like Uraraka, this setup doesn't pay off that well later, but again that's a story for another day.

Yaoyorozu

An unfortunate flipside of Todoroki is that Yaoyorozu's character goes through the opposite.

A pattern with Yaoyorozu is that Horikoshi seems to fluctuate between wanting to treat her as a serious character and going out of his way to screw her over. In the race, she's a victim of Mineta's perversions (there's also the cheerleading bit, but that happened to all the 1A girls so it doesn't pertain to just her; it's still shitty though). She's barely present in the Cavalry Battle, only serving as a support prop for Todoroki's team.

And then the tournament is the final nail in the coffin. Yaoyorozu before this was shown to be calm, collected, and intelligent. She also- by the Quirk Apprehension Test results- has the most control and prowess over her quirk in 1A. So it's odd that she lost to Tokoyami so easily.

Not to say that she necessarily should have won, but for her to not realize what Tokoyami was doing was out of character to say the least when she was shown to be very observant. And if Horikoshi was going to add this insecurity aspect to her character in the Sports Festival, she should have gotten more attention beforehand. At least then it would have made a bit of sense. But to give her this vaguely hinted emotional moment out of nowhere was... weird. She has barely any screen time and no growth or development to lead us into this point. And she barely gets any after this moment. There's almost no payoff or point to this.

(*cough* maybe focus less on Bakugou and give other characters a chance to shine *cough*)

Yaoyorozu might have been the character screwed over the most in this arc.

Shinsou

Wasted potential. Like I said before, having him take down Bakugou would have really hammered in how dangerous his quirk can be. It shows him as an actual threat. Having him get ringed out by Izuku in the first round doesn't do anything for anyone's character. It makes his entire introduction lackluster.

Final Thoughts

So yeah, those are my thoughts on the Sports Festival. Good for some characters, not so much for others. I always like to read fics where it gets rewritten because so much could have changed for the better. What do you guys think? Did I miss anything?

[myobsessionsspace]

Hello!!!

It's great that you're open to Jikook questions 😊

There's something that's been hunting me since I first saw it.

What's your interpretation of Jimin's reaction during the Vminkook live in Dec 2021- I'm referring specifically to Jimin's reaction after V said he was going to release a song with Jungkook? His reaction was super interesting, and so was Jungkook's.

We now know that V was playing around, and his statement wasn't true. Nevertheless, I think it caught Jimin by surprise, and my take is that he was a tiny bit jealous 😅 bless Jungkook, I think he was in a little bit of trouble there 🫣

Youtube link here:

https://youtu.be/5ufxVvjNbL4?si=UCbXNJxUfkz0c7i6

The moment I'm talking about starts around minute 45:00.

Thanks 💜

Hi Lovely!

This is a great ask, it’s something I’ve had convos with my friends about before! I’ve always found it highly entertaining when any variation of vminkook are together and get into skit mode or when Tae & Jungkook tease Jimin just to get him to go into super cute mode!

It’s what they do and have been doing for years.

This live was so chaotic VMinKook style from the jump. If anyone hasn’t watched it please do **everyone please watch original content**

It was chaotic because it was initially Tae’s solo live but he said how nervous he felt doing it alone and asked for staff to get Jungkook to join him.

NB: all image are gifs unless stated otherwise, please watch as they are there to support statements made. Original links to lives are at the end 💜

Jimin then came as he heard Tae needed company and Jimin had been with Jungkook. Jungkook eventually joined later.

Due to nerves on Tae’s part and it being an unplanned live that Jimin & Jungkook didn’t intend to be having there were many times where they didn’t know what to do or the purpose of the live and would defer to Tae for direction. Tae had a running skit with Jimin about being the host of a show (the vlive) and Jimin and later Jungkook being his guests.

Not a gif. Still picture

They also had funny moments where Tae would name drop different brands (this was funny as the group had contractual obligations with brands and they know in their profession they can’t name drop brands without consequence).

TMIs, games and more skits.

credit: onlyluvkpop. Some of the fun and teasing they were having

As I said the live was fun, chaotic but also at times stilted due to its unplanned nature of it becoming a trio live and nerves.

There was a point where Tae whilst trying to engage Jungkook tried (in my opinion) to run a joke with JK on army? I’m thinking he was hoping Jungkook and Jimin would catch onto it with him?

But cutie Minie Jagi was losssstttt 😭

Jimin’s face in the live side by side with confused Jimin face from post Hobipalooza live

VMinkook love their role playing and teasing and even if Jimin hadn’t caught on, I do think nothing was done to intentionally exclude any of the three. All three tease each other in different combinations

So no, not jealousy in my opinion, Jimin has absolutely nothing to be jealous about. But confused and slightly lost, as to if it was another skit or really work related that he didn’t know about.

Maybe a tad annoyed with it being live and no hints that he was catching on to, to work with, giving a look to Jungkook like ‘are you guys serious? Why aren’t you giving me a hint on the joke’ or ‘why am I hearing about a song for the first time in a live? You guys aren’t making sense’ and Jungkook’s kinda like ‘I’m as lost as you are’ or ‘what did I do? I’m just going along too!’

Maybe he was probably also thinking to himself when did Jungkook have a chance in between eating chicken together, working out together, Jungkook coming to his room all the time?? 😂

Not a gif. Still picture

Also Tae literally talked about a Christmas song earlier on in the live when it was just Jimin and Tae

Normally though, when V & JK are teasing Jimin, he knows it, and loves it 😂

But Minie was lost that time and he told us so

Tae & JK sometimes find a lost Jiminie, to be a cute Jiminie

Original Source: Weverse

Ultimately (in my opinion) Tae was mixing some facts together, which had JK quicker to the draw in playing along, but JK too was also confused at the beginning of their skit. When Jungkook caught on, he too teased Tae a bit and tried to get an expensive gift promise from Tae

Reached my media limit so ss the transcript instead, but like always, please watch the original lives for yourself

I’m assuming that the two had been vibing together and having fun making little play songs and singing, which is why JK said “what is it?” And “How can we release that?”

Tae did have a Christmas song in the works, just not with JK.

But for anyone that wanted a Christmas song from Jungkook, that’s ok, don't worry, him and Jimin have already done one together!

Not a gif. Still picture from Dynamite Christmas remix MV

Original source: BANGTANTV

I really appreciate your ask @irmi3454, I had fun!

💜

Original Weverse Links for Live

Live Part 1

Live Part 2

Live Part 3

[z-nightshade]

For Kim Dokja centered stuff

He and Vivi wouldn't get along very well I don't think. Kim Dokja thinks she's too naive and she thinks he's too uncaring. Their personalities clash uncomfortably is what I'm trying to say. It especially annoys Dokja when the running gag of the Strawhats coming across something dangerous and Vivi saying "oh, I should've told you earlier but..." Especially with that sacred catfish thingy...

This isn't to say that they don't like anything about each other. Vivi finds him too very reliable. And Kim Dokja, despite his dislike of her naivete admires how much hope she has. He also thinks that she'd be a great ya heroine.

Ace is a breath of fresh air. He isn't a child, he's very polite and respectful. A good role-model for Luffy (and Cass).

And then Dokja leads that Ace is on a one-man manhunt against his former brother who killed another one of his brothers. And his target is coincidentally the guy who absolutely trashed Drum Island. And with the way Cass is acting... Kim Dokja is oblivious, not stupid.

So when he does go on a deep dive of informing himself on who tf Marshall Teach even is, he falls down the rabbit hole of being the most informed about the world they're in.

He can understand having only one continent, but how the fuck do the Calm Belts even work? Why do the winds just stop? How does the planet regulate temperature between the Blues? Why the hell is the Red Line so tall?

And that's only the geographical stuff.

Like what the fuck do mean that the World Nobles own slaves?? What do you mean there is racism against fish people. And don't get him started on the whole "learning a(n ancient) language is illegal".

On the bright side, he now knows what an Emperor is and why specifically a betrayal against Whitebeard is straight up moronic.

Kim Dokja has some serious questions for this Blackbeard guy.

(Cass definitely reads through his notes and even helps with them to find a solution for Ace's death)

Kim Dokja thinks of Crocodile as a Scooby-Doo-esque villain. His plan would've worked if it wasn't for the trio and their meddling kids. He also voices that opinion, which definitely doesn't earn sympathy points from Vivi. Kim Dokja doesn't care all that much though. Kim Dokja was also one of those bullied for not being sentimental at Vivi remaining at Arabasta.

He likes Paulie... Until he calls Nami an immoral woman for wearing a skirt. And as for CP9... He's acutely aware. And they're not lying about the boat But hey, not his circus not his monkeys.

As for Franky, he doesn't hate or dislike him at first, even with the Usopp situation. Kim Dokja is acutely aware that it isn't personal and Franky really doesn't know about their situation. Later on when he actually meets Franky, he can't help but respect the guy who found a job and home for everyone who needed one, a guy who when faced with rock bottom, started climbing back up instead of digging deeper like Dokja did himself.

Sorry this took so long to answer. I was out and mobile wouldn't let me

Vivi and Dokja are on, like, the opposite sides of the empathy spectrum. And while I do believe the two would clash, I think Vivi would probably remind Dokja of Yoo Sangah on some level

The "I probably should have mentioned this..." things would be hella annoying

Ace is nice, though I'd be much more interested in Yoo Joonghyuk's reaction to meeting Ace given his opinion on what Cass is doing

This is also around the time he'd meet Sabo too!

Also, I cannot stress this enough. Cass is being so fucking obvious that something is going down with Ace. Frankly, if they could outright say Ace was going to die, they would. Just not in front of Luffy

One Piece is wack and Kim Dokja finally gets a taste of that. He and Cass can bond over plans and how batshit everything is

I would like to say, Cass takes advantage of their own emotional distress when Luffy gets dragged back into the desert to hug Dokja. He tries to pawn them off to Yoo Joonghyuk but they are insistent on hugging him in particular

Waters 7, Usopp crashout over the Merry and Ennis Lobby are going to be wild, especially with Cass and the disaster trio thrown in the mix

Also love Dokja's complete lack of care for anything that doesn't affect him

Mild spoilers for Waters 7 in An Oracle's Odyssey below the cut

So, Cass definitely tries to defuse the situation only to get lashed out at in turn

I won't say what Usopp says to them but it does cause them to shut down pretty much completely. And I mean that

(I will say what Usopp says has something to do with their knowledge and ability to do anything)

I can only imagine how Joonghyuk will take his children fighting or how the other two will deal with the emotional fallout

[nofomogirl]

Metatron's manipulation step by step

Part 3: The Entrance

Part 1 - where I discuss the significance of the coffee.

Part 2 - where I take a look back at season 1

Ok, time to actually get to the promised "step by step" part and look very closely at what Metatron is doing, from the moment he appears on Earth to the very (heartbreaking) end of the episode (and the season, and the story so far). Well, in this part I'll stop when he sends the Angels away but we'll get to the very end eventually.

We first see Metatron on Earth when Crowley is escorting Nina and Maggie out of the bookshop. He's standing in line in front of Give me coffee or give me death, waiting for the shop to open and I think we should really stress the significance of that. Not his purchase of coffee and conversation with Nina - though they are important too - but the sole fact that he's there, in the street, in the queue, and NOT IN THE BOOKSHOP.

Gabriel has just gotten his memory back. His affair with Beelzebub has just been brought to light. Michael, Uriel, Saraqael, Dagon, Shax, and Furfur are shouting over each other about what should be done with them, while Beelzebub and Gabriel hold hands. They're still there! Nothing is decided yet.

But apparently, Metatron was more interested in buying coffee than confronting the Archangel who escaped his judgment.

I mean, I don't think anybody ever doubted that Meteron traveled to Earth specifically to talk to Aziraphale, and that was his top priority. It's not exactly a revelation. But it still baffled me just how little he cared about Gabriel's fate. Even at the point when he still might have influenced it. After the second rewatch I started drawing my conclusions from that about Metatron's personality and taking notes, but after the third time, I realized I was missing the point. Metatron's decision to stay out of Gabriel's business wasn't informed by how much he did or didn't care about it. It was all about how it would make him look if he was seen involved.

Aziraphale already had a rather unfavorable impression of him from their previous encounter (season 1) and now our beloved dorky Principality got himself involved in Gabriel's case, risking his safety to protect the Archangel from Heaven. And it was Metatron who was presiding over Gabriel's trial and decided Gabriel's punishment would be to have his memories erased.

Entering the bookshop while Gabriel was still there, while his fate was still being discussed, posed a serious risk of exposing Metatron's role in the whole mess. Entering after it all blew over meant that Aziraphale didn't have a chance to make a connection.

Now let's look at the exact circumstances under which Metatron did enter the bookshop.

He came in at the exact moment Michael was threatening Aziraphale to erase his existence just so he could put a stop to it and chastise the Archangels. He immediately steps into a role of a savior and a voice of reason.

Let's dissect it a little.

Michael's exact words are "I am authorized to remove the name of anyone who helped Gabriel from the Book of Life".

But Metatron insists she "doesn't have the authority to do anything like that".

That begs the question: if Michael really was wrong and never could use the Book, where did she get the idea that she could? True, Michael is portrayed as particularly dim and vain this season. She does attribute herself to more power than she actually has. But her phrasing strongly implies that it was a one-time thing. Michael doesn't think she can use the Book at will, at any time, against whomever she pleases. She believes she has the authorization to use it in this specific instance. That's a strange thing to be confused about, don't you think?

Another glaringly strange thing is how Archangels don't seem to know who Metatron is.

The only person to recognize him immediately is Crowley, which makes sense, considering he had just watched Gabriel's trial. He says the last time he saw the guy, he was a giant floating head, and that triggers Aziraphale's memory, which again, makes sense. In season 1 it was clear Aziraphale had never seen Metatron before - he asked if he was talking to God, and Metatron needed to introduce himself - and it's been a couple of years since then. He hasn't forgotten him but he needed a little tip to recognize him in a different getup.

It's the Archangels' reaction that doesn't make sense. They had all been present at the trial. Saraqael had seen it again at the same time Crowley did. There's no logical reason why they should be so oblivious.

There are quite a few theories about this, the most common being that Crowley recognizes Metatron because he used to be such a high-ranking angel before the Fall, and from all the supernatural entities in the room he knew Metatron the best. And while I am inclined to believe Crowley indeed used to be a big shot in Heaven, I don't think it's a satisfactory explanation for this situation. If that was all there was, there would be no reason for all three of the Archangels to not connect the dots at the same time Aziraphale did. But they didn't. It's only when the Metatron is explicitly called the Metatron that they finally see it.

Personally, I think Metatron is responsible for both things - Michael's misguided belief she had the power to use the Book of Life & and all Archangels suddenly not recognizing Metatron's face, voice, and presence.

Why?

Because it made the Archangels look really bad.

How would it benefit him?

Well, answer honestly, when Metatron first appeared and started scolding the Archangels like they were misbehaving kids, wasn't that satisfying? Didn't you like him just for that short moment?

I sure did, and I believe that was the point. Except that the performance wasn't for our, the audience's sake, but for Aziraphale's. He makes a whole performance of exposing how incompetent the Archangels are and how outraged he is with that.

And what's even more interesting, right from the moment he enters Metatron speaks like Aziraphale! I didn't notice it at first because he is played by Sir Derek Jacobi and old-fashioned language certainly becomes him. But he doesn't speak this way in Heaven! He doesn't say things like "balderdash" or "piffle" or "spit spot". That's Aziraphale's gimmick.

In other words, Metatron says things Aziraphale very likely always wanted to say, and to boot, he says them in the exact manner Aziraphale would actually say them if he had the power. He plays out a fantasy for our poor Principality, who most likely was never backed by anybody in Heaven, and his issues with Archangels were never validated by anybody.

Metatron draws a very clear line between himself and the Archangels. He shows that they are the problem, they are incompetent, they are unreasonable. Not him.

Which is the first step in convincing Aziraphale that maybe he's worth listening to at least.

Continued in Part 4: Putting on a human face

[pickastitch]

Hai i want to listen to you talk about gem again. Any thoughts on empires s1 gem ? (If u already told me then tell me again plz n thank u <3 )

confession time, the s1 e!gem that is always brainrotting is pretty different from canon s1 e!gem (from what i can remember) so i'm going to talk about my pantheon au version of gem

i like to think gem would say, "it's free to be a hater" after sausage or fwhip does some stupid shit. on a more serious note, i feel there has to be some genuine resentment towards them two for dragging her into their bs, even if it's not a lot it is there. gem killing sausage in that one important lore bit was so cathartic to her

gem really admires katherine mainly because of how non involved she is with everything. she always feels the need to help everyone (see my gem character analysis post), and the fact that katherine just steps back is enviable to her

in my head, gem also uses a lot more fire magic than she does in the series; this contracts nicely with katherine's nature magic. gandalf, her cat, will decide if they like a person or not, and that will be gem's first impression of a person. it's quite hard to break from it too

now i'm going to dip in to some hc s8 territory, but it will come back to esmp s1. at the start of the series, gem has no clue she is bi and false is actually her gay awakening. gem looks up to her a lot, and she watches her run away and leave her friends behind. this leads to her reaction during the rapture (season ending), where she only takes fwhip because he directly asked, instead of helping out everybody. like come on, they both fly away on their base defining organic

fwhip and gem were royalty, but because gender roles, their parents were forcing gem to be king (trans roseblings tust), gem felt like her only option was to run away. when she finds out about the crown made by fwhip, she is a little uncomfortable with the concept but doesn't say anything. though when others try to convince her she should get it gem is beyond pissed

before she ran away, pearl showed her all about rifts (it has something to do with amethyst shards, but that's a whole different post) and offers to take her to hermitcraft, which she refuses. until she wants to run away and then goes to the place she wants to set up her village and then goes to another world while everyone is searching for her

gem's relationship with shrub is very unique because she so wants to just yell at them for bringing xornoth to the overworld and then spreading it across her place. on the other hand, she sees herself in them as someone who also ran away from home. but then that gets ruined when she is infected with xornoth via shrub

when she still lived with her family, pearl and sausage lived in neighboring empires, and they all grew up together. gem and sausage dated a bit when they were really young, so they are exs on technicality. most of her romantic feelings have gone away, but whenever sausage firts with her, a crush appears for a day and then goes away. she hates this more than anything else. then they grow up, and gem realizes she likes women and then realize she likes pearl specifically. and then pearl and sausage get together (actually qpr, but gem doesn't know that), and she swears off of romance

and the connection to the void and the end and all that stuff is a pretty important part of this au but ehhhh y'know

[emotionalcraney]

Too Careless

Pavitr Prabhakar x gn!reader

Word Count - 1.3K

Genre - Stablished platonic relationship, pure angst

Warnings - Fighting (Oh no the horrors), feeling under appreciated, surprise ending cliffhanger???

Summary - You instantly knew who was behind the mask of the new hero appearing in Mumbattan; and of course it was your best friend Pav. This didn’t cause any problems in your friendship, at least at first. This ‘discussion’ was a long time coming, you just didn’t wan to admit it.

A/N - *Slaps roof of car.* This bad boy has so much angst, you probably can’t even imagine, Hey guys, so I found out the hard way that I really really like writing angst. Who would have thought? Anyways enjoy! 💖

It was just another sleepover with Pav.

Also known as your best friend.

And also as Spider-Man.

That’s what you both always did. You were hanging out with Pav in his room after school, doing your nails, and telling him all the gossip you heard in school that day.

“Yeah, to be honest, she’s got no way of getting out of this one. I mean who even sleeps with their best friend’s boyfriend?” You said as you filed your nails, preparing them for nail polish.

“Yeah, no idea why people even do that,” He responded as he scrolled his phone, looking for something very specifically.

“So, Pav, you hear about people trying to ‘unmask’ you at school?” Trying to make air quotes at the word unmask, you playfully brought up.

“Uh-huh,” Pav quickly and dismissively replied.

Noticing his ignorant behavior, you decided to test him, to see if he was purposefully not looking in your direction.

“They got some pretty good suspects, like the jocks, gym rats, even acrobats in our school.”

“Yeah.”

“No one suspects you.”

“Of course.”

“Except me, who already told the newspaper president to unleash the news to the world.”

“You’d never do that.”

“So you are listening! What gives?” You shouted frustrated as you got up and took his chin to make it face you, away from his stupid phone.

“Sorry! You know I love listening to you! I just heard that the city wants to award Spider-Man with a ceremony soon and I wanted to be the first to know! Mostly ‘cause I would be the guest of honor, you get me right?”

“Pav really? That’s amazing! Let me see! Let me see!” You quickly decided to sit next to him in his bed, waiting to see the exciting news.

He was absolutely correct. Mumbattan wanted to thank Spiderman for all his work in saving civilians, being a role model, and an overall bright person by giving him an award. The ceremony was to take place in about a week from now.

“See Pav? All your hard work is paying off! I’m so proud of you!” Giving him a sudden reassuring hug, you told him.

“Well, it’s nothing really.”

“Pav, no, I’m not letting you under-appreciate your efforts. You earned this!”

“I’m being serious! I just show up and things just kinda work out on their own.”

“Ok, Mr.Humble, you can stop now! Take it in! Enjoy it!”

“No! I’m being very serious right now! Ever since I became Spider-Man, people have been telling me about how hard and how much sacrifice I must be putting in, but that’s not true.”

Then he just stared at you, a serious and almost disappointed look in his eyes. His life had currently felt so carefree, so relaxing, so easy.

He didn’t really feel like a true hero.

Sure, there were times when he thought he might not be able to save everyone. But things always turned out okay.

Always.

Now, he was scared that one day, that might not be the case. And then, he wouldn’t know how to save someone.

“I’m sorry, Pav. I didn’t mean to be pushy,” You finally responded after a long pause.

“No, I’m sorry for snapping at you. That’s not cool, especially when the person I’m snapping at is you,” He said as he went up to you and held you by your shoulders.

“Okay. But, Pav, why didn’t you tell me before? You know you can talk to me about anything.”

“Sorry, I just… I didn’t really know how to talk about this one… you wouldn’t get it.”

Those words stung deeply.

Here you were, his number one fan, his support since day one, but…

You wouldn’t get it.

“I wouldn’t get it huh? What happened to, ‘we’ll face everything together?’” It truly made you unbelievably frustrated.

“It’s you and me?

Against everything that could possibly get in our way?

What about me?”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. You guys had been childhood friends forever. So close. Never apart. Always together.

How was he supposed to respond?

You had felt it too.

This year was the year that things started to crumble. Even if you didn’t want to admit it.

You guys did everything the same. Always going through the same motions. But that spark, the one that always made you wanna give your best into the friendship, it was gone.

It only made sense. After all, a lot of things had changed that year.

You wanted to put the blame on a lot of things, because, you didn’t want to admit the probability that you and Pavitr were changing.

No. Not yet. Please.

You sniffled.

Talk about pathetic…

He had no idea on how to comfort you. You’d never acted like this. With just the start of a common conversation, he now had you upset to the point of having you almost crying.

“Pav… I’m sorry…”

“No, it’s okay, I didn’t know that’s how you felt.”

“I didn’t even know how I felt… don’t blame yourself..”

Silence was all you could both muster for a second.

“Hey, I know things have been weird lately but-“

It had to happen. Just as you were both ready to share your emotions with each other, his phone rang with an alarm.

A robbery in progress.

All the way across town.

How did it come to this?

You looked at him disappointed for a moment. But then, you remembered what you promised him. To be there for him and to always encourage him to do good.

Those people were in danger.

You could wait.

You always had, so what was the difference?

“Pav… you better go. Or should I say Spider-man?” As you composed yourself, you tried to lighten the situation.

He looked at you in shock, not expecting this reaction from you. You were right, and he knew that. But he couldn’t help but feel guilty for having to put aside this very important conversation with you.

He was frozen in place.

So, you did what you knew best.

You gave him a little push.

“Hey, hurry up! Mumbattan needs you!”

That snapped him back to reality. Soon he got up and ready to embark into his next mission. He couldn’t place the reason, but he felt that something was off. You were acting as you’d always had, but something about your smile bothered him. It looked genuine, but it was hiding something, and he couldn’t figure out what it was.

He decided to let it go for the moment and he later found himself about to jump out of his window.

But, he turned back to give you one last glance.

“Go!” You simply whisper-shouted as to not alert aunt Maya.

But, behind his shiny and bright mask, he had a sad glint in his eyes. And very softly and gingerly he said:

“Thank you.”

And just like that, he jumped out into the busy streets of Mumbattan.

Those words meant more to you than he could ever know,

You knew the reason as to why you didn’t want your relationship with Pavitr to become distant. It was all his fault really.

He was the brightest, most lovable, most kind guy you’d ever met.

You’d fallen for him.

And he had no idea.

Instead, he was moving on. Moving on to loving someone else.

How long would you be okay with this?

How long would it take for you to accept change?

How much longer could you endure having him not know how you felt about him?

You had absolutely no idea as to how he couldn’t have figured it out before. It was as if he didn’t even care.

But that was okay.

Because for now, you were okay with that.

Okay with just waiting.