#rather than how a character would react to their new situation

[manofthepipis]

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if another Addison somehow went down the spamton route and become a puppet. Like Clicks or something. The pink one witnesses the horrors.

you know i think about that too however i'm cautious about "role swaps" in fandom cuz i'm so used to like the personalities of characters being swapped rather than the roles that were intended

cuz like spamton is the best target for what happened to him. He's beyond desperate, he's the black sheep, he's smaller and isn't successful, whereas the rest of the addisons are the opposite of those things. If the roles were swapped and another addison got picked, I think they wouldn't fall for what they'd think is a "too good to be true" scam, seeing as they're cons themselves. They may doubt it when they see what happened to spamton, but truly they wouldn't be swayed.

OR in the event of one of the addisons ACTUALLY getting to "big shot"dom, top of the mansion, untold riches, etc, they'd fall back when the irons get too hot (like they wouldn't pursue more knowledge, spiraling into religious insanity, but would just focus on sales and their profit/reputation). That, and if their benefactor left, they'd be able to hold their ground (or at least somewhat) while spamton is destined to crash and burn because he just is a really obvious con and his businesses fail regardless.

like, spamton lost the idea of the value of money, instead favoring the things that can make him [[Big]] like the Soul. As soon as he had everything in the world, he wanted more, and I believe this hubris is unique to him because of how much he stands out. He's never satisfied, and will continue to be unsatisfied until everything that was meaningful to him has lost meaning in the pursuit of something grander.

What would be REALLY messed up is that, if that happens and one of the other addisons is chosen, I still believe spamton would end up failing big time, since he was found at the end of his rope presumably (but this time he doesn't have Heaven as a motivator). Thinking of him being the little white addison in the streets nobody associates with, and he's still doing his whole "garbage living" thing except while relatively sane and still his ol addison self. He's bitter and down on his luck, going to shadier means of making a name for himself, and it's not great to see

[papiliotao]

꒰ 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 ✩࿐

pairings: alhaitham, diluc, kaeya, and zhongli x gn!reader (separate)

content: hurt/comfort, fluff, established relationship, arguments (unspecified reason), reader and character live together

summary: after a heated conflict with your boyfriend, you decide to sleep on the couch instead of together on your shared bed. how does he react?

a/n: shockingly, i'm not writing for any anemo boys this time. that's mainly because this is a gift for @spiritingawaytoanime for @favonius-library's gift exchange event! i hope you enjoy!

The sound of the front door closing is the only sound that can be heard as ALHAITHAM steps into your living room. An ocean of pitch-blackness threatens to drown him. The space lacks illumination. Darkness floods into every crack and crevice of your home, invading an otherwise peaceful space.

He breathes out a sigh as he walks down the hallway of your shared apartment. Alhaitham doesn’t bother flicking on the lights. He knows you’re probably asleep already, and he’d rather not disturb you, especially since you were in a foul mood earlier. So unpleasant, in fact, that you got into a petty argument with him. However, Alhaitham isn’t really that worried. He knows that in the end, you’ll be able to sort out your differences.

But when he enters the bedroom, he immediately feels that something is off. The air feels colder than usual, biting his skin with the ferocity of a thousand cuts. It’s unsettling and especially disturbing to Alhaitham because such feelings don’t often overtake his frozen heart. It almost feels as though the atmosphere has the ability to thaw his emotions, awakening a sentimental side of himself that doesn’t often show beyond his rational demeanour.

When he approaches the side of your bed, he instantaneously realizes what’s wrong. You’re not here. You’re not here. An unfamiliar feeling drives pinpricks into his heart. The sensation is strange, irritating, and it won’t go away. He hasn’t ever felt this way before. Perhaps this is another emotion to add to the list of new feelings being with you has caused him to experience.

Alhaitham sighs. It’s not like he wasn’t expecting this outcome. He had been far too cold earlier while you had been far too emotional. Ice and fire would never coalesce into a single being.

The feelings that accompany the situation are all a complete mystery to him. Nonetheless, he buries his emotions so that he can focus on finding you, maintaining his logical front in the face of such a precarious situation.

As your lover, he knows you well, so he’s almost entirely sure he knows where you’ve gone. Alhaitham shakes his head. He should have checked right when he entered the house. After all, the couches were right by the door.

Once again, Alhaitham walks blindly through the darkness, taking it step-by-step without so much as a stumble in his gait as he makes his way down a hallway that has long engraved itself in his memories. It’s odd. Alhaitham doesn’t usually go out of his way to become involved in the affairs of others, much less memorize details about their lives. But with you, everything is different. He remembers every single intricate thread of information in the web that forms your identity.

And perhaps that’s why he feels a sense of calm wash over him like cerulean waves on a pristine summer day as he approaches your sleeping form. As he takes in the sight of your silhouette against the backdrop of night, he notices that you appear to be shivering slightly. You don’t have a blanket on.

“Typical [name],” he whispers under his breath. 

Although his words sound rather harsh and slanderous, he utters them with hints of a small smile gracing his face.

Quietly, Alhaitham walks over to a closet in which you keep a multitude of blankets. He takes his time selecting one — after all, he’s in no rush. Eventually, he settles on a velvety blanket that feels soft to the touch. Although Alhaitham can’t exactly picture it in the dark, he knows that it will be sufficient.

So with an insurmountable level of care, he drapes it onto your body. Even though he can be insensitive at times, Alhaitham knows that you most likely want some space for now, so with a gentle ghost of a kiss to your cheek, he leaves the room.

The silence that fills the house rings in DILUC’s ears, shrieking in a manner reminiscent of thousands of crystal glasses shattering into pieces. It’s deafening. The space feels as though it is full of nothing but misery and doubt and yet it’s so, so empty at the same time.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The sound of a clock’s arms snapping into place in one second intervals is the only sign of life within the building. Every space on the canvas of night is blank as if awaiting wonderous stars to fill the nothingness with inquisitive light. However, the illumination doesn’t come. Tales of galaxies serendipitously brightening worlds are simply idealistic fantasies from the minds of children. In the real world, things seldom end so well without any intervention.

So he decides to slowly get out of bed, leaving the warmth under the covers — a heat that feels far too stifling without you — in order to search for you. But as the abyssal air of night brushes against Diluc’s skin, he feels a shiver run down his spine. Nothing feels right without you by his side. He needs you. Now.

Diluc knows you’re sleeping on the couch. He saw you there when he was going to bed, but at the time, pride and petty emotions whispered words of spite in the depths of his soul, phrases that prompted him to ignore you.

As he navigates the dimly-lit hallways of your shared home, a wave of regret washes over him. If only things hadn’t gotten so heated when you were still immersed in the waking world together. Now you’re asleep, and he’s lost any chance he has of making things right today. If he wants to apologize, then patience will be crucial.

However, at the same time, Diluc wants to check up on you. So when he finally makes his way through the doorway of the living room, his eyes immediately land on your figure, burning with the light of a thousand fires, almost as though they are casting a glow upon your silhouette. The moonlight illuminates you, caressing every strand of your hair and highlighting every dip and curve of your features to make you look absolutely ethereal.

As Diluc approaches you, he notices that you’re barely covered by a thin blanket, and despite the feeble layer of protection, the frigid atmosphere of night seems to permeate your soul. He shakes his head slightly, sighing as he stares at you. No matter how angry he was at you during the day, Diluc can’t just leave you here to freeze.

So with bated breath, he picks you up while you’re still immersed in a universe of dreamy fantasies and carries you to your room. He thanks all his years of training with a claymore for giving him the ability to lift you. Although you’re not on the best of terms, Diluc is sure that you’ll make up once morning comes, and thus, a vibrant new dawn will overlook the horizon for both of you.

Shivers wrack KAEYA’s body as he tosses and turns restlessly in a bed that feels far too large and far too empty for his liking. It’s peculiar. The cold rarely bothers him, yet now, without you by his side, the frigidness of the night air is far too potent for his liking. Tendrils of night creep under the covers overtop him, wrapping around him with an icy fervor, and no matter how hard he tries to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he can’t.

It’s as though the brighter part of himself has faded away with the radiance of the sun, giving way to an indescribable melancholy that settles into every inch of his being, taking all that he has and becoming all that he is. The cold is so much more unbearable without your warmth, and it doesn’t take long before he realizes that he won’t be able to close his eyes peacefully and drift into a tranquil world full of glacial wonderlands. Instead, he’ll lie awake, alone in your freezing bed — a place that feels far too desolate without your presence.

Hours stretch on and on, twisting and turning in a way that morphs them into a neverending story. As time goes on, the unsettling embers that had once singed the pit of Kaeya’s stomach grow until they blaze brightly, morphing into a raging fire. It’s unbearable, and he knows that he has to do something or else his mind will continue nagging at him for the remainder of the evening.

With cautious movements, he sits up and climbs out of bed. It’s awfully quiet in the house. Usually, flirtatious remarks and passionate displays of affection fill the void within your home, transforming it into a utopia overflowing with wonders. However, at the moment, none of that exists. Perpetual darkness and transient flashes of anxiety are the only things present at the moment. However, he manages to carefully make his way down the hallway without much issue. The creaking of the floorboards is the only noise that cuts through the silence hanging in the air.

As Kaeya enters the living room, his eyes land on a figure lying on the couch. It’s you. He breathes out a sigh, approaching you. Kaeya can see the rising and falling of your chest, hear your gentle breaths, and feel you exhaling once he leans in to examine your face. You look as though you’re at peace — a stark contrast to your earlier demeanour, an act fueled by feelings of rage and spite.

A small smile tugs on the corners of his lips. You look ethereal, although slightly pitiful, your face tinted with the light of the moon. His heart breaks. You appear lonely without his arms wrapped around you. Kaeya feels the urge to pull you into his embrace, hold you tight, protect you from the unknown monsters of the night.

But instead of doing anything, he simply stands there. After your explosive argument, he’s still hesitant to touch you. However, upon closer examinations, Kaeya sees you shaking like a leaf in an intense gale. You’re freezing. And that’s the final straw.

Your boyfriend finally breaks under the weight of your needs and his desires. With steady movements and a fragile touch, he lifts your body just the slightest bit — barely enough for him to climb onto the couch under you. Gradually, he sets you down, laying your head down on his chest. His fingers graze over your features as he eyes you with a gaze full of admiration.

“Sweet dreams, babe. We’ll figure everything out once the sun rises.”

ZHONGLI sighs as he settles atop the plush covers of your shared bed alone. It feels cold — far too frigid for his liking as darkness encroaches, and although he glances out the window in hopes of seeing a single shard of fragmented starlight, he is greeted with nothing more than the sight of an endless abyss devoid of radiance. 

A chill permeates every bone in his body, gnawing at him in a way that serves as a perpetual reminder that you’re not beside him right now. It’s strange. For once, Zhongli feels restless. He’s usually so calm, so composed. But at the moment, he can’t help but worry. 

You’re not here with him. Instead, you’re out in the living room, curled up alone on the couch. Zhongli can picture you in flawless detail — every dip and curve of your troubled face, the shadows that shroud you in a cloak fashioned from midnight, and the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe in and out. He feels a longing that he hasn’t felt in centuries. He wants to be beside you to trace your features, to prevent the glacial fingers of night from creeping down your back, and to feel your breath fanning his face.

However, he knows that no matter how hard he wishes, his hopes and dreams will have to be put on hold for now. In hindsight, it was a bad idea to let you escape into the land of slumber without trying to work things out with you first because now, Zhongli feels as though he won’t get a wink of sleep. At least, not without you by his side.

Eventually, he caves to all the thoughts running through his head; guilt threatens to swallow him whole. So instead of continuing to chase sleep, Zhongli gets out of bed, and although the night air sends a shiver down his spine, the sensation is nothing compared to his need for you. Quietly, he makes his way into your living room, trying to keep his footfalls light out of fear of waking you up. His eyes have long since adjusted to the darkness, so he navigates the house without any real trouble.

When he arrives at his destination, his gaze immediately zones in on a silhouette lying on one of the couches in the room. Although obscured by darkness, he knows that it’s you. Cautiously, he bends down to observe you. Zhongli raises his hand in order to caress your cheeks, his touch feather-light as if he’s afraid that you’ll shatter.

He wants nothing more than to wake you right now and talk things out, but he doesn’t want to disturb your slumber. You seem so peaceful despite everything that happened earlier, and besides, Zhongli is sure that with time, the two of you will make up. Your love for each other is much stronger than any form of false resentment fostered by petty arguments. After all, the illusions created by a deceptive heart are far too easy to dispel with feelings of everlasting passion and affection.

So instead of rousing you from the oneiric realm of dreams, Zhongli sits down on a couch beside the one you’re lying on. Although his mind has not completely settled yet, it feels less perturbed with you by his side. As a master of patience, he decides that he’ll wait for you to wake up. He’ll wait for the first rays of light to grace the face of the earth in order to greet you with a smile and an apology once you open your eyes.

Thank you for reading!

[mochinomnoms]

I can't stop having Jade thoughts so I'm gonna throw them at you.

I know people have talked about PTM yuu playing into Jade's dirty thoughts to get a rise out of him, but I really just... I can stop thinking of Yuu just giving Jade sudden and subtle compliments. Like they hear his thoughts and there's an insecurity he doesn't talk about and Yuu makes a comment to try to make him feel better. Or Yuu doesn't even have to be subtle in compliments. Maybe Jade did something different with his outfit or maybe is trying a new perfume to hopefully get Yuu's attention and Yuu didn't notice it but they overheard Jade's thoughts so they comment on it and Jade gets so happy.

Or Jade has thoughts of how he's trying to act cool or handsome but Yuu calls him cute or pretty instead. Like he wasn't expecting to hear that and now he's a blushy and having to hide away to get his act back together.

Also a kinds related but also not really thought. If Yuu ever comments how they can tell Jade's fake smiles vs his real ones how would Jade react? Luke his fake smile doesn't show teeth but his real one does or something. And if Yuu said they likes his real smile more or comments that his real smile is cute then what? Would he die?

Aaaaaa you can always send me Jade thoughts I love my darling Jade!!!

Would you all be surprised to hear that it's actually the sweeter things that make him fall further in love with Yuu and not just the more risque scenarios (tho he does love those too).

Jade as a character is always performing a certain way, not necessarily to please others but to get what he wants out of them. We can see it in other's perceptions in the game, his classmates know that Jade is just as unhinged as his brother and manipulative as Azul, but others don't. Trey thinks Jade is like him, trying to just placate situations and being a pushover to his housewarden and brother, when Riddle points out that it's very much not the case. Vil gets unsettled when Jade is able to perfectly perform every single task he's given, no matter how impossible. Even when his perfect image as a soft-spoken, polite man is shattered once others find out just how mean and condescending he is, there is still a general notion that he's capable, intimidating, and almost a miracle maker. In fact, he revels in how unsettled he makes others, finding it funny.

But he doesn't want Yuu to see him like that, he doesn't want them to be put off by him. But the reality is that they've already have been looking at that way, and it's been a whole year for them to develop their own notions of Jade as a person.

It's a deep insecurity he has regarding them, a fear that Yuu will never see past that image. Maybe it's why he has such vivid daydreams, ones skipping right over that roadblock and immediately turning into one where he's already won their heart, rather than fighting for it. He's a bit of a coward, he hates to admit it, the fear of not being capable for once stumping his development.

Of course, Yuu knows this, and as much as they don't want to admit it, they've grown fond of Jade the longer they hear his thoughts. He is so firm in performing a certain way, it's nice to hear how open he really wants to be with them. (It's also the fact that it's only with them he wants to be open with that makes them a bit pleased, even if they don't want to admit it.)

But it's a bit hard to do outwardly experience that when Jade is so firm on being be person he thinks they want, and the Seven know hat they won't make the first move, so they try what they can to pull him out.

"It's so rare to see you smile like that, I kinda wish you'd do it more."

"I like your hair when it's pushed back, makes you give off a different vibe...huh? What kind? Aaah, nothing important..."

"Come on, I see the gears turning in your head, you have a joke? Tell it, I don't mind!"

"I remember this! Epel's grandma really went all out with your clothes. Haha, you look kinda cute with that hat..."

It helps, Jade becomes less concerned about being a certain way around Yuu, but does become more preoccupied with trying to get them to say more things about him.

He's hoping, with how sweet their words are, that a slip of the tongue might bring out a confession. Yuu is hoping for the same. I suppose it's a matter of who will utter those three little words first.

[seraphinitegames]

The Wayhaven Chronicles—Update 19/July/2024

Some really fun scenes to write this week!

One of them being a major villain POV, which I just had a blast with, hehe! :D

As I was writing, I wanted to make sure this villain’s main strength was obvious, and how much it contrasts with some of vampires, who definitely don’t have this strength. *cough*A, N, and M*cough*

Adaptability.

Having someone who can adapt and react to situations, especially ones they are SO unfamiliar with, incredibly fast is a surprisingly strong—and terrifying—trait for this villain and something a bit different! But they really do it very well :D

I also got started on the scenes for the different Units, and the MC gets to interact with a different Commanding Agent of the three available depending on which one gets rolled up in the random selection for that scene.

Writing the different ways those characters approach those moments—all different but with the view of a leader—definitely shows why they were picked from their teams to be the ones in charge! It was great fun writing the choice sets for the MC and working out how these characters would respond to that, especially some of the more intense choices!

I also FINALLY made the very last decision on the new stats that are going in that relate to your character’s new role as an Agent! It’s taken a looong time as well as a lot of reworking, but I’m finally happy with them and think they will have impact needed. Stats aren’t really my thing, so I wanted a selection that would actually add and enhance the choices and variations rather than just simply adding in things to add points.

Also got those coded in, as we’re coming up to the section where you start really pushing forward on those! The stats your character has gathered so far will still play into narrative, it’s just these will help add a different element for the more Agency-focused career your character is now a part of!

So yeah, a seriously fun week of really getting to some awesomely fun scenes with characters I can’t wait for you to interact with and meet, hehe! :D

It looks like we’re still on schedule for the late July/early August release of Chapter Two in the demo! Will keep you updated on how that is going too as I get comments/edits back.

Hope you all have the most amazing weekend! We’ll be offline as usual, so I’ll update you all again next week! <3

[temis-de-leon]

Shy gn!reader goes to their first date with the Dateables

Characters: Diavolo, Barbatos, Solomon and Simeon (x reader, separately)

Masterlist

Part 1 , Part 2 , Demon Brothers version

Romance Anon: Could I request headcanons for Diavolo, Barbatos, Solomon, and Simeon react to shy gn s/o who asked what he would like to do for their first date because he made them happy by accepting their confession so they want to make him happy?

.

A/N: wrote this while my upstairs neighbors were doing the nasty, so I got a little distracted

.

Diavolo

He feels somewhat conflicted, to say the least. Growing up having everything his way, you could believe this would be easy for him, but you would be wrong. On the contrary, it’s precisely for that reason that he doesn’t want to be the only one organizing the date.

Still, you asked him directly, so he’ll humour you.

He asks Lucifer and Barbatos for ideas and he’s left with even more questions.

He could go big, book Ristorante Six so it’s just the two of you and hire a string quartet to set the mood; or he could literally go home, as they say, ask his butler to cook a special dinner and make the garden look pretty.

There’s also the possibility of going downtown, share some ice cream and take a stroll in the park or the busy avenue.

His indecision doesn’t come from a lack of interest, but rather from cluelessness.

Should he do all of that? Should he make another plan? Something more extravagant? Something tamer?

He’s completely lost. You made him happy when you agreed to go out with him as well, so there’s no need for letting him decide everything, especially for your first date.

He wants to be with you, talk to you, have your whole attention and let you have his as well, so, in the end, he settles for the most private option.

Hopefully, you both will have time for more.

Barbatos

There’s a contradiction in your interests.

He’s immensely glad you’re happy upon going out with him, but what he wants the most is to know you more than anyone else has ever done before.

Therefore, his idea of a perfect first date is to know what’s your ideal first date and to make that a reality.

Do you like big gestures? He can take you to the opera or to a luxurious dinner, maybe even both.

Or perhaps you prefer a more intimate setting, which would be most preferable.

He excels in tea parties after all, something the both of you know, and he can use the opportunity to try new recipes and impress you. Maybe even use the tea blend he prepared just for you, a part of his efforts he deeply hopes you like.

Barbatos is perfectly aware that serving his date as a first date may not seem like something one may do for his own enjoyment, even when you were the one to ask him what to do for your day out together, but you have to understand, MC.

In his eyes, the best path towards your happiness is the one where he is the cause of it.

Solomon

At first he thinks of cooking something for you, maybe ask Luke to bake dessert beforehand, and have dinner at Purgatory Hall, but his roommates’ immediate refusal confuses him.

He just wants to impress you!

But, hey, if his friends insist on changing plans... There’s plenty of other things to do anyways.

Why not get out of the Devildom for starters? A change of scenery sounds like a good idea and it’s not like you’re going to be away for too long. Plus, you can forget the brothers for once and he gets the opportunity of having your sole attention for a whole day.

It’s a win-win situation.

You’re going to be a human couple spending time in the human realm doing human things.

And what’s more human than the sun? The warmth, the light… He could take you to a coastal city and sunbathe in the beach or to a small mountain town and walk through its green pastures.

Do you know how to make flower crowns? You could learn with him!

Take advantage of your human curiosity! What better companion than him?

Sure, the brothers and the royals could sweep you off your feet in many different ways, but if there’s something only he can give you is understanding.

You’re going through so much, learning and improving, saying goodbye to the person you once were, he’s the only one capable of comprehend the change in your humanity.

Trust in him to take the weight off your shoulders.

Simeon

He knows exactly what to do.

While he would love to have a traditional date with you, dining in a nice place before going for a stroll and take you home, he knows Luke wouldn’t understand the concept of a date per se.

And as much as he loves the kid, he wants to be just with you for the night.

So, he does just that. He invites you to go out for the night while Luke is sleeping.

There’s a spot in one of the rooftops of RAD and he has visited it enough times to know it’s the perfect place for your date.

He asks Belphie for help and Diavolo for permission, borrowing books and asking simple questions about the sky, the constellations and the legends behind it.

It’s not about studying as much as possible about the stars to impress you, which he’d prefer happening in a more natural setting, but rather having you discover the wonders that surround you with him.

Just the thought of keeping you close, shielding you from the cold of the night and staring at the dark sky with your fingers tightly intertwined with his, sends an involuntary smile to his face.

He wants to spend time with you, it’s as simple as that, but why not make it even more beautiful?

.

.

[cjrae]

Tragedy of the Jade Nightingale. Or: My thoughts on Vol. 11 of the Apothecary Diaries.

Given that this volume just came out in English a few days ago, spoilers under the cut!

I usually think of the Apothecary Diaries volumes as pairs - usually two volumes make up an arc. If so, Volume 11 will be the first half of the arc with 12, but it also functions beautifully as a tragedy in it's own right.

** I will be only discussing information appearing officially through Vol. 11. Yes, I have read the fan translations of the web novels, but given that details can change, until it appears in official English translation, I won't yet be including it here.

The Hero

Gyoku-ou. Talk about someone who thinks he's smarter than he actually is. We knew this guy was a threat all the way back in Vol. 8, with how Gyokuyou reacted to her brother's letter and his veiled insult of sending a younger version of herself to catch either her husband's attention or the Imperial Brother's. Now we get to see him in action and he's scary - right up until he's not.

This man is charismatic as anything - he understands what makes people tick on both an individual level as well as a social level. His ability to wield a mob effectively makes him extremely dangerous, but I'm oddly put in mind of Lakan's initial impression of Fengxian. "This woman is strong, but she only knows how to fight in her own, small world."

The world Gyoku-ou inhabits is a very small, petty one. You can see it in his conspiracy theory about Jinshi's birth.

Jinshi is one of two people Gyoku-ou fails to read. When he brings Lakan and Jinshi to his puppet council to gauge support for attacking Shaoh, he thinks he's got a young malcontent in his hands, someone who wants power and is prone to the flashes of temper and insult that often drive young men. Someone who is easily manipulated. Instead, Jinshi mops the floor with him in that meeting, cutting Lakan's support out from under Gyoku-ou and making it clear that his priority is peace above war.

This doesn't take away from Gyoku-ou's political genius - this meeting teaches him that Jinshi has to be maneuvered around, rather than maneuvered directly. If the Imperial Brother doesn't want to play his part, then too bad. Gyoku-ou will see to it that Jinshi is hedged in all directions except where he wants him to go - which is to war. And even then, he's got a fight on his hands as Jinshi fully takes advantage of Empress Gyokuyou's information to undercut Gyoku-ou's support within his own family.

It's a mark of Jinshi's political skill that Gyoku-ou's move in that family council is to flirt with treason. If he can't maneuver the Imperial family through Jinshi, then he shifts tactics to turn Jinshi (and the rest of the Imperial Family) into the villain of his piece - a prince born and raised into utter depravity.

Let's just sit with what Gyoku-ou suggests to the rest of his siblings (minus the Empress) in that meeting. He implies that the Emperor impregnated his own mother in order to produce an heir. A son that he loves so dearly (and unnaturally) that he would willingly look the other way while Jinshi murders his other children in order to make sure that his brother-son-lover succeeds the throne.

This is a brilliant examination of how the bare facts of the situation can be construed by people with very different motivations to fit whatever worldview is most convenient for them. I'm a fan of the palace politics in this series because they feel very real.

Gyoku-ou doesn't lie once. But boy does he create a narrative that suits his purposes and dares anyone (namely Rikuson) to tell Jinshi. He is escalating the situation and he's doing it fast, while also challenging the legitimacy of the Imperial Family. A fact which, if it does get back to Jinshi (or the Emperor), could get the entire new You Clan wiped out just as fast as the Yi Clan was. This scene functions as a microcosm of Gyoku-ou's two fundamental character flaws; his short term thinking and his utter self-absorption.

Becoming The Wind

Since Rikuson was introduced in Vol. 5, he's been a mirror for Jinshi. He's a "pretty boy," calm under pressure, fundamentally kind and decent to other people while also being extremely competent at his job. Unlike Jinshi, he's also a bit older and more mature. He also clearly admires Maomao and sees the qualities that make her exceptional, despite her various masks.

As it turns out, Rikuson mirrors Jinshi in another important sense too - he also has a secret identity. The Yi Clan were the de facto royalty of the Western Capital and Rikuson is one of the direct survivors of the clan. He was never in the line of succession given the Yi Clan's matrilineal structure. But they were quick enough to save some of the children, namely Rikuson and Empress Gyokuyou's three ladies in waiting, Haku'u, Koku'u and Seki'u.

Rikuson, who was Gyoku-ou's excuse to trick His Former Majesty into giving him the authorization to destroy the Yi Clan. Rather than truly being an bastard Imperial prince, he's a young pawn in Gyoku-ou's hands to whip up an armed mob to hunt Rikuson down - and his mother and sister give their lives to ensure his survival - not for vengeance, but so that the Yi Clan's mission of protecting the west will live on even if the named clan itself dies. So, like Jinshi, he is dedicated to the welfare of the people above all else.

The trouble with relying on an unruly mob is that it's sloppy. Gyoku-ou left multiple survivors and they have absolutely no love for him. He's left weapons at his back.

Rikuson is the other person Gyoku-ou utterly fails to read. He spends well over a year back in his homeland, working for Gyoku-ou as an aide ostensibly from the central region, patiently waiting for an opening - even as Gyoku-ou, who knows that Rikuson has to be assigned to the west with some kind of ulterior motive, is so blind that he thinks he must be a secret member of the La Clan, rather than the Yi boy he tried to kill seventeen years earlier.

Rikuson represents the culmination Gyoku-ou's short term thinking in that he doesn't bother to think about the threat of any surviving Yi clan might pose to him.

He will not insult his mother's memory, or his sister's. But if his mission of protecting the west coincides with vengeance for his family? Sure enough, Gyoku-ou's insistence on going to war (and dragging the Imperial family's legitimacy into his motivations) gives Rikuson his opening; especially because he isn't a vigilante.

He is acting under orders.

The New You

Rikuson's point about Gyoku-ou's life being a tragedy hits home when you consider Gyokuyou's thoughts of how she knows her father loves her - but would also abandon her in a heartbeat if she is no longer valuable to him. Unlike her older brother, she has a very clear-eyed view of how their father operates and focuses on making sure that her value never drops in his eyes.

Gyoku-ou's value to Gyoku'en plummeted the day he destroyed the Yi Clan - Gyoku'en's family. He was given a second chance to show that he could still perform the single function of the men of the Yi Clan - to protect the west. When he endangered it instead, Gyoku'en sent the weapon he'd spent seventeen years preparing (Rikuson) with an execution order.

By first destroying the Yi Clan and then following it up with a proposed invasion of Shaoh, Gyoku-ou proved to Gyoku'en that he was no son of his. Given how desperate he was to be his father's son, this whole book is a tragedy in the classic sense. The Jade Nightingale was so desperate to reinvent himself as a Jade Eagle that he destroyed himself in pursuit of the one thing he never lost - his father's love. But, to be his father's heir, what he needed was Gyoku'en's trust and respect, not his love.

And he killed that seventeen years ago along with the Yi Clan.

Ironically, the foreign born girl that he despised and attempted to undermine at every opportunity, emerges as their father's true heir and mother of the nation, with the rest of the surviving Yi clan as part of her loyal retinue.

In her triumph, the Yi Clan is reborn as the You Clan as Gyoku'en, a Yi man, is given a clan name on the strength of Gyokuyou's role as Empress. So much of their history has been lost, down to the matrilineal succession and family records, but their mission lives on through the Yi men who will continue to protect the west, no matter the personal cost to themselves. There is no room for self-absorption here, therefore Gyoku-ou has no place in their new clan.

Also, a parallel to pay attention to is how the destruction of the Yi Clan and the Shi Clan are mirroring each other with the children being saved. The Yi Clan is reborn with a new name, which leads one to wonder what the consequences of saving those Shi children will be long term.

A Dagger In The Dark

Gyoku-ou sucks up a lot of air in Vol. 11 because he is driving the action - Jinshi, Maomao and their party are all stuck reacting to him, except for one character; Chue.

We see Chue attach herself to Maomao starting with the ship and it's not difficult to guess that just as Lihaku is serving as a discreet bodyguard for Maomao on Jinshi's orders, Chue is also there as protection. Chue doesn't try to conceal that she is clearly trained in espionage either.

Rikuson's proposal to Maomao is not a serious bid for her hand, but nor is it a joke - it's a message to Chue that Jinshi needs to tighten security around Maomao. As he puts it, he knows the "hyper protective" elements around her will close ranks. Because he's foreseen a strategy that may not have yet occurred to Gyoku-ou (who tends not to pay attention to the bit parts of the play), but if it does would almost certainly push the country into war.

Maomao is the lever that could move both Lakan and Jinshi.

All he has to do is kill her and make it look like a foreign attack. Lakan's instinctive ability to read a situation and Jinshi's formidable investigative skills would likely be dulled in the face of their rage and grief. Especially since they are technically Gyoku-ou's guests and don't have freedom of movement to push the issue.

Rikuson seizes his opportunity before Gyoku-ou can continue to escalate, but he realizes quickly that Chue arranged the stage and was there as both spy and backup assassin. (I think it's safe to say that Gyoku-ou's conspiracy theory AND that Yi family ledger will be reported, given that we know there were ladies-in-waiting at the meeting and that's how Chue was disguised - and she didn't actually promise to dispose of it).

Gyoku-ou doesn't bother to think that while the Emperor may be far away and the Imperial Brother is a manageable threat, that the people surrounding Jinshi may not be bound by his strictures. Hence, Chue was on standby. No matter what, Gyoku-ou was never going to make it to that ritual. He was never smart enough to realize that his crossing the line would be never be forgiven.

While Jinshi would order an execution if necessary (and has in the past), he would never order an assassination. Therefore, it's evident that Chue reports to someone else. Who that someone is, we don't know, but there's only one person further up the Imperial tree than Jinshi, so it would be reasonable for Rikuson to assume that the Emperor has placed additional protection around not just Jinshi, but Maomao.

Exclusive: Baby Swap!

Jinshi's birth is not a secret to the audience and while Maomao doesn't have confirmation, she's pretty certain of her suspicion. This volume made it patently obvious that there are others out there who are perfectly capable of putting the pieces together, even if the details are twisted.

Let's return to Gyoku-ou's conspiracy theory.

He's put together all the correct pieces. The Emperor's attitude toward Jinshi makes no sense in a traditional palace setting - a much younger, handsome, charismatic and competent brother? That's a threat to the Emperor and his direct line. But Jinshi is never treated that way - instead he's indulged on many fronts.

He's allowed to duck most of his official duties as Ka Zuigetsu (except for a few he can't, where he appears masked).

He's allowed to pretend to be a eunuch for six years and run the Rear Palace.

When he finally reveals himself to the court to put down the Shi Rebellion, he's described as "hale" and "just as proficient in the military arts as the administrative." (More proof that Jinshi is NOT the best judge of his own abilities). He emerges fully formed into court politics - a perfectly trained Crown Prince - only to have a newborn given the title instead.

Gyoku-ou deliberately put the worst possible spin on these facts. I suspect the rest of the You siblings are going to keep their mouths shut about Gyoku-ou's ugly theory, but if he could think of it, if Maomao could think of it with just seeing Jinshi standing next to Lady Ah-Duo, then so can others.

Maomao can be mad about Jinshi branding himself all she wants, but it's currently looking like an absolutely BRILLIANT move on Jinshi's part. Whatever doubts Gyoku-ou managed to plant about Jinshi and the Emperor's motives with the rest of the You clan siblings, Empress Gyokuyou is not likely to entertain it.

Also, it got the Emperor to essentially "banish" Jinshi to the edges of the Empire shortly after his new Crown Prince was born, which makes it look to other members of the court like the Emperor is taking steps to rein in his younger brother and balances the factions that have to be forming back in the capital.

This is not a secret that can be kept forever. No matter how careful Ah-Duo and Anshi were, the information is starting to leak out around the edges, as we see that the Empress' ladies in waiting that were dismissed clearly had eyes and ears - and in at least one case, a loose tongue.

The next arc is being seeded and Jinshi is inching closer and closer to that throne. He ran the Rear Palace for years (essentially managing the nation in microcosm) and as of the end of Vol. 11, he's now stepping up to govern a province and gain actual ruling experience while also having suppressed a war.

I've said before that Jinshi ascending the throne is the bad ending - if there is a single person who is more trapped by the palace than the prince, it's the emperor. We'll see what happens!

[parvulous-writings]

Did you get another request? It's headcanons for Astarion, Gale, and Halsin react to his shy gn crush confessing to him before running away because they're scared of being rejected. Thanks!

Okay I DID get the original request, but accidentally published it when I meant to put it in my drafts, apologies! I'd like to thank the Down By The River Music Box Version for giving me the focus I needed to do this in one sitting! XD Also these three are my BOYS I LOVE THEM

Warnings: None! (besides fluff)

Notes:  My requests are currently open! My pinned post (found here) contains both a list of characters I write for, and a masterlist!  Original character list - please request for these too!

Astarion

Before you even start the conversation with him about liking him, Astarion knows what this is going to be about. He just knows - he's been through this enough times to recognise that look on your face.

It's an easy conclusion to come to - to him, it's a thought of... 'who doesn't like him?' He's hardly known someone that he couldn't tempt, one way or another.

As you approach him, his lips are already curling up into that familiar sultry smile of his. He knows exactly how he wants to play this: "Well, well... If it isn't my favourite travelling companion... What brings you to my tent, my dear?"

You feel your cheeks burn as soon as he opens his mouth, your gaze casting aside as the words hit your ears. He always seems to know how to take someone's breath away.

You blurt out your confession as fast as your lips can manage, nothing more than a mash of words, hardly understandable - but Astarion understands with ease. He's been through this a lot, he knows the dance all too well. Before he can let a chuckle leave his throat, you're gone, leaving naught but a cloud of dust in your wake.

Nevertheless, had you been within earshot of the elf, you would have heard a rather dry laugh from his lips. To have someone turn tail from him, it's new. Something about the situation speaks to him though - it shows that, even after he's seen two hundred years of nothing but shadows and debauchery, there's still innocence in the realms. And he sees that it lives on in you. It's almost... endearing to him. Almost. Unfortunately it takes a lot to make his undead heart stir, anymore.

Unlike most, Astarion doesn't chase after you - he doesn't even consider it. In his past, he's never been one to chase after someone who likes him, he's always a magnet for them. He stays comfortably in his tent, eagerly awaiting your return. He knows you will, no matter how shy you are, or how long it takes.

Such a sweet thing... I'm sure they'll come around to speaking more openly eventually. Astarion's thoughts echo all that he knows from his past - one way or another, those who are charmed by him come back; though, he must admit, he does quite like the idea of playing this little game with you, whether you realise you are playing or not.

Gale

Gale doesn't really label your timid nature or actions as 'shyness', he sees it much more as an air or aura of mystique about you - which he absolutely loves. His scholarly instinct tells him to dive in, to explore all there is about you, and to uncover all of your mysteries. However, he knows you are your own person - if you wish to tell him any secrets you have, he's going to let you do so mostly at your own pace, only nudging or prompting once or twice.

When you approach him one evening, he's so over the moon to tell you about something he's recently figured out, relating to a problem you've been trying to solve outside of camp, that he doesn't initially notice the rather skittish demeanour you've adopted. He's so quick to launch into his little pre-planned speech that he hardly notices you talking to him, until you've already run halfway back to your own tent.

Gale just... Stands there, in stunned - almost offended - silence. Had he done something? Was it his recent discovery? Had he launched into it too quickly - given you too much information all at once? All these thoughts go through his head one after the other. He hadn't even caught what you had said, and that worried him the most: He had no clue whatsoever what you had said to him.

So it isn't long before he's practically marching towards your tent - determination in his eyes. He will find out what you had tried to tell him. He clears his throat to get your attention when he gets close enough, folding his arms over his chest in a rather defensive position. "I suppose you have a reason for running off like that whilst speaking to me?" He questions, quite tensely. As you begin to shakily explain your feelings for him, his arms drop to his sides again.

He's very pleasantly surprised to learn that the only reason you ran off mid-conversation was due to embarrassment, rather than anything that he had done. He would hardly have been able to live with himself if that particular question had gone unanswered. So, he settles himself down in front of you. "Alright.. How about we try this again... With you having my full attention this time?"

Halsin

Halsin could tell by the look on your face that whatever you wanted to tell him, it was important. Of course, true to his nature, he wasn't about to force it out of you - he's much more content for you to take your time in telling him.

So, he just sits with you, in a peaceful silence, waiting for you to work up your courage to ask him. And when you finally do, Halsin can't say he's shocked by the words - it's not always easy to hide attraction or love from someone who's been alive for over three centuries. What does surprise him, however, is the fact that you're so quick to flee the encounter. Though, he finds it quite sweet that you, unlike him, still have embarassment hinging around socialising - particularly when it is centering around matters of the heart. He doesn't think any less of you for it, a skill like that takes years of practice, and he's had three hundred and fifty years to hone this skill of his.

Throughout all his life, and his many lovers, this kind of thing has happened to him only a handful of times, so it still catches him off-guard most of the time. Thankfully, he knows how to handle the situation.

He gives you some time to yourself, allowing you to collect your thoughts. He knows that if he tries to approach you too quickly, you may become more frazzled, spiral more in your mind. And that is the last thing he wants. If you two are to be with one another - which he hopes is the outcome of the situation - he wants you to have a clear head, and know what you want.

When he does decide it's the right time to go to you, the first thing he does, is ask if you are alright. "How are you faring, my heart?" He takes a chance with the nickname, and he can just about see with the way your head whips round to look at him that he's certainly caught your attention. "You seemed... Out of yourself, before. Perhaps you would like to discuss it?" He moves to sit with you then, and even as he kneels , he towers over most. "At your own pace, of course..." He offers you a smile. It's a kindhearted smile - one that you can tell is straight from his heart. You feel a little more comfortable, and though it is a slow conversation, you get there before dawn.

[vigilskeep]

avoiding most reviews like crazy for fear of spoilers, however I’m scared that some have said that rook can do no wrong even when picking the most aggressive impolite options, there’s never any social consequences for *choosing* to be rude, or even dismissing others worldviews and beliefs.

i will say a lot about inquisition, but at least it let the player have complicated relationships with the party by not having everyone agree to everything they say as the word of god

us getting to have complicated relationships with the party in dragon age inquisition is, frankly, news to me

personally i’ve seen more of people suggesting you can’t be as rude in the first place, than people saying the game doesn’t react when you are? to which i have to say, yes, interactions with the party are going to be different in veilguard than in previous dragon age games. they’re writing a protagonist who the plot requires to be more of a hero type who chose to join this venture, every party member is essential to the main plot, and they’re openly going for a “found family” dynamic, which (i would strongly argue) they’ve never done before. the group is intended to work as a whole, to be people who all care about each other, rather than simply being tied together by your player character. you’re not going to have a situation like in every other game where companions can get thrown out or betrayed or aggressively belittled by the protagonist, because this party simply would not work if you were doing that to certain members. the story they are telling this time would not make sense

however, i’m yet to see that that means we can’t have complicated relationships with the companions? in fact, we know it allows for main plot choices with lasting, drastic consequences on our relationships with certain companions. we know you can disagree with characters and still progress your relationships with them. there are new opportunities that we never had in previous games for all companions to be closely involved in what’s going on, and thus for all companions to have opinions that matter on all of rook’s decisions. i’ve already seen footage of companion commentary absolutely not holding back on challenging even relatively small choices

i think challenges from this style of companion can be very compelling in their own way. if all these companions are considered equally good-aligned by the narrative and care about each other, and they still sharply disagree, it suggests fewer conflicts with simple right answers. i think that could be a breath of fresh air from previous dragon age games which have often and regularly fallen into the trap of “obvious good answer” and “the answer your slightly evil companions will like”. there’s a reason so many worldstate decisions and quest endings are overwhelmingly popular, right? isn’t it possible it will be just as interesting to engage with a story where you are definitively written as good-aligned, but that means you get real choices between options just as justifiable as each other—or as bad as each other?

it’s a change so it’s by nature not going to be for everyone. you’re not going to be able to play certain kinds of character that you could in previous games and if that’s what you were looking for in another da game, that’s a disappointment. but i don’t think dragon age should necessarily be restricted by that forever? like i don’t think it’s necessarily conducive to good storytelling to always have to input evil/mean options and reactivity just for the sake of it. and i completely understand why it would be detrimental to the game they’ve chosen to make this time. their primary selling point and concept is the complex team dynamics. can you imagine the sheer bulk of writing it would take to have these companions as thoroughly invested in each other’s lives as they seem to be, and let you be horrible to particular ones? for how many players’ benefit? for what story coherency, when building these relationships is the plot of the game? i don’t really see the point

that’s how i feel about it idk. i’m optimistic. i also don’t rlly think jumping to conclusions at this point is worthwhile. the reviews are largely positive. it’s coming out in a day and a half. let’s just wait and see?

[sweet-as-an-angel]

Hello there! I've been a fan of your work for a while now and let me just say, your original works and characters have me absolutely captivated! (Your yandere outlaw is one of my top favorite fictional characters! And your yandere cult leader is rapidly rising in the ranks 👀) You put so much detail into all your writing and you really delve deep into the psychology and personality of every one of them so beautifully, not to mention how diverse they all are from one another. Each and every one has such dimension and they're so believable in their actions and reactions! (And can I just say I think it's very clever that your yandere!Milf/Dilf's names start with the acronym's initial)

And your MCs are also quite vibrant and while they remain easily relatable they still have distinct traits that the characters get attached to. Thank you for making and sharing these amazing stories and characters with us, it really makes my day whenever I see you've posted something new.

Now, I know this ask is getting pretty lengthy (sorry about that ^^" I tend to ramble) but I was going through your Yan!Dilf works again and I wanted to ask, how would Dominic react if his darling was someone who's maybe dealt with manipulative people in the past or is highly emotionally intelligent and observant who could tell he wasn't being entirely genuine? But instead of pulling away from him they try to understand what he wants from them and was open about it? Would he ever even become obsessed with someone like that or allow that kind of situation to happen or is he too cautious for it to be possible?

I know you've had a lot of asks so please don't feel obligated to answer this! But in any case thank you again for sharing your works and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful day! 💖💫

My Lovely, you have positively touched my soul with your endearing sentiments ! Truly, you have made my day and I cannot thank you enough for being such a loyal enthusiast of my work, your time is valued more than I can ever hope to express <3.

Your question is an incredibly fascinating one, my Dear; thank you for sharing it with us ! I wish you the happiest and most prosperous of days, Sweetie ^^

TW: Manipulation, Dominic Being Dominic, Vulnerability, No Pronouns Used For Reader Except 'You'.

♡ Dominic is, as you suggested, initially extremely cautious around you. However, he knows he can't just drop you like a sack of potatoes; it would be far too obvious to the people around him, which would surely cause others to find him out as the serpent he is if they ever went digging around his character.

♡ But, when you show him, gradually, like a keeper feeding a feral animal, that your endeavour is not to oust him as an un-human but rather to understand what made him like this in the first place (and all the lace and frills that come with such a monumental task), he regards you...differently than he did before.

♡ Sure, he thought you were very attractive and that you could offer him something other than the resplendence his life is steeped in, but now...

♡ He feels exposed. Seen. Vulnerable.

♡ All things he tries to push back against. Things he tries to bury beneath a grandiose tale of a childhood spent in the most accommodating of educational establishments, lavish mansions and the lap of luxury.

♡ He tries to lead you a merry dance down a version of his life that he wants you to see, rebuttaling your attempts at making him crack.

♡ You tell him you can see past that. He, feeling his eye twitch, believes you.

♡ It will take a long, long time to get Dominic even close to admitting a scintilla of how his psyche works. Or, rather, doesn't work.

♡ And it's only if you manage to grind away at his need to hide his most precious secret - the parasite that wears his skin and controls his mind - that he'll open up.

♡ Fractionally. Piecemeal. But he opens up, nonetheless.

♡ He'll grow to love you in ways unfathomable even to him.

♡ If you thought he was bad without having a background in combatting the manipulation of others, he is insidious now.

♡ You become to him what he could never be for himself; a safe haven. The only person from which he does not hide.

♡ Sure, he keeps the more...dangerous aspects of his personality hidden for a lot longer than others, but you can topple these columns, can shake Dominic from his perch forged from the ivory of a devil's horns.

♡ You can tame him in ways unimaginable. You have only to see him for who - what - he truly is.

Reblog for more content like this! It helps creators like myself tremendously and it is greatly appreciated :-)

Masterlist Yandere AI Masterlist Masterpost

AO3 Wattpad Tumblr Backup Account

[donutsupremacy]

Genshin men reacting to F!S/O accidentally burning her hands

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Summary:

"HCs of Genshin men reacting to their Pyro wielding!F!S/O burning her hands on accident while cooking"

Warnings / Spoilers:

Written during 4.2

Playable characters only

Reader has a Pyro vision, but the weapon choice is irrelevant

Reader is not traveller

Reader is their [S/O]

Female reader (I used as less pronouns as I could and still refer to as [S/O])

Short HCs

Sorted by region and in alphabetical order

Includes all currently playable male characters as of 4.2

Sweet petnames uwu

Ahhh so fluffy uwu

100% SFW because n o.

100% Ooc

Reader is aware of the archon's true identities

A/N: This is a requested fic— Not much specifics mentioned, so I decided to let loose a little.

Most of these HCs are rather generic and calm, I hope you don't mind, [Requester]. I see most of the genshin men we've encountered are actually mostly calm and polite gentlemen in game— yes, even Itto, but he's still Itto lol

I'll do Mondstadt, Liyue and half of Inazuma first, the rest will be done in a seperate post

P.S. yes i know there's a lot of spelling mistakes. and yes my poems, pick-up lines and jokes are utter shit, i am not a Kazuha/Venti kin :>

[Part 2 | Inazuma, Sumeru and Fontaine men]

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A hiss erupts from your throat as you quickly withdrew your hand from the fire.

Your singed hands trembled, examining the dark spots that had littered across your palms and even your knuckles and fingers. You clicked your tongue, regretting the decisions to cook without your gloves. If only they weren't torn from that expedition two days ago... you should really get new ones.

You hear the door open... "[Name]?"

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Mondstadt

Albedo

Immediately notices your hands getting burnt, nothing escapes the alchemist's observation skills. Plus, he knows how people react when accidentally burnt themseleves. His team works with chemical substances that require boiling and heating, after all. (And it's always Timaeus getting hurt while he's busy daydreaming about Ying'er while on the job lol)

"Here, allow me to have a look." Albedo murmured calmly, his gloved hand taking hold of yours, careful to not touch any areas that may have been made sensitive from the fire.

"It isn't favorable using your Pyro vision without your glove." He sighed, telling you to stay put as he wastes no time to treat the burn on your hand.

Albedo gently wiped your burned hand dry with a damp cloth, giving you a reassuring kiss on your forehead whenever he accidentally pressed too hard on a sensitive area.

Later, he applies a type of natural ointment that would supposedly heal your burn and hands you some medicine to take that would soothe the pain whenever it stings randomly.

He has you sitting on top of the counter, helping you finish cooking whatever you were trying to make while following your instructions— totally not a reason to spend more time for you. Nope. Haha. Totally not at all :>

"There we go... is this what you were trying to create perviously? *Chuckles* My dear crystalfly, next time... you can just simply ask for my help, you know I would always set my duties aside to aid you— no matter the situation."

Bennett

As expected; The first thing this poor boi does is blame his luck :(

He was practically on his knees, apologising frantically— he would rather get struck by a bolt of thunder from the Shogun herself than to accidentally inflict pain on his [S/O] who had stayed by his side despite his misfortune.

He's too afraid of possibly harming you more, even by a tiny little sting. Of course, he'll get you anything you asked for; A damp cloth, bandages, anything.

So he stands as far from you as he could, but still kept you in his eyesight, watching you patch yourself up as you calmly reassure him while he continued apologising. Poor boi.

At first, he was planning to go on an random expedition, so that you wouldn't end up getting hurt again because you were both under the same roof. But when you told him he can stay, wanting him to accompany you even risking your safety, he melted.

"You... Y-You do?... Ah, [S/O] are you... sure?... I-I really don't want to... Wha— H-Hey! Was that flour you just threw at my face?... Hahahaha! Oh, is that how you wanna play? It is on!"

Diluc

Prolly too busy in his office doing his work, but when Adelinde came in to his office, saying u got burnt, he dropped his work and ran straight to u.

The first thing he did was sigh in relief when he saw the burn mark was less severe than he thought

At first, Adelinde insisted to treat your wounds, but Diluc was just as insistent to take care of your wounds himself, only brushing her off and requesting for her to just bring some medical equipment before leaving the two of you alone.

Once she was gone, he lightly reprimands you for not using your glove. When you explained that you had accidentally torn it, he immediately took out both of his gloves and slipped it onto your hands, regardless of size he refuses to let you take them off if you wanted to cook.

He stays in the kitchen, watching over you and accompanying you as you cooked. If he sees you still struggling to cook because of the gloves size, he'll leave the easier tasks to you, while he takes over the more difficult tasks you couldn't. Not that he thinks you're incompetent— it's because he doesn't want to see you getting hurt again. Because seeing you in any form of pain hurts him more than it hurts you.

"Hm? No, there's no need to get the maids involved— we can finish this, quickly and smoothly. My work can wait. No more excuses, i'm finishing this recipe with you— I don't take 'no's or 'but's. Now, pass me the lid, love."

Kaeya

He'd probably chuckle at the sound of ur hiss first and at the pouty look on ur face, it's cute lol. But he'll help u soon after.

"Cooking using your Pyro vision without your glove isn't an ideal situation you would want to find yourself in, princess." Kaeya purred as he wraps your hand in a damp towel, carressing your cheek to soothe you with his free hand.

He decides that you should take a quick break— an excuse to cuddle you as he wraps his arms around your waist from behind and forces you to sit on his lap as he rests on the couch.

Kaeya peppers you with butterfly kisses all over your face as he keeps one arm wrapped around your waist while holding your hand that you burnt.

He uses a small amount of his Cryo abilites, lightly cooling down your injury— Even placing a kiss on your knuckle, which caused your skin to tingle and numb the pain greatly. Did this sneaky bastard use his Cryo vision to enhance that kiss?

"*Chuckles*, I know that face, princess... are you suspecting me of being up to something again? I'm just as pure and innocent... Although— mayhaps I am a little guilty for abusing my vision slightly. I'm not justifying my reasons, but to be fair; I only abuse it for you. What can I say? I love making you melt~"

Mika

Mika has experience treating burn injuries for his peers while going on that long expedition with Grand Master Varka, so the first thing he does when he sees u hurt is...; p a n i k.

You're the one calming him down as he tries to treat your burn— smooth and effecient, as expected for someone like Mika.

Save for the little frantic 'sorry's he squeaks out when he accidentally tightens the gauze a little too hard or brushes his fingers against a more sensitive area.

Once he was done, he offers to take over the cooking, wanting you to take a break. He's persistent when it comes to pampering you, Mika doesn't want to risk you getting burned— again. (Doormat Mika is persistent to u only when it's for ur own good uwu)

Even when he's done, he doesn't make you lift a finger— he even feeds you. You always baby him, now it's his turn to baby you. Blowing on the food if it's too hot, pouring a drink for you, wiping away the crumbs or stains on the corner of your lips. Everything.

"A-Ah! No, no— let me get that for you... There's no need to worry, I really don't mind. Here, let me pour your another cup... Would you like it cold? Or hot? Ah— w-wait, don't use your vision to light up the stove again!... Please just let me use a match instead... I want you to relax..."

Razor

I think he'd try to lick ur burn or kiss it immediately lol

Probably doesn't actually know how to treat a burn properly, so he'll likely just gently kiss around the burnt area, making sure to avoid the sensitive patches

He gives you cuddles— lot of kisses, even has his Lupicals allow you to pet their soft fur. Anything to cheer you up.

He'd likely get you some meat to eat instead. But if you're a vegan/vegeterian, he'll go straight out to hunting your favorite berries in Mondstadt and bring back a whole potato sack of it

While you're resting, he sneaks off to see purple teacher lady and requests that she teaches him basic first aid training. It's just in case, but it hurts him that he doesn't know how to take care of your pain— so may Barbatos bless his soul because he's determined to learn anything complicated to ensure your safety <3

"Wait... no— n-no touch... it's too sharp. I don't want you to... risk hurting yourself. Again... Hm? No worry? But... seeing [S/O] almost hurt herself... not happy. Promise to me... you won't accidentally... hurt yourself again? You... mean too much to me...

Venti

I feel like he would drink those alcohol bottles that are specifically meant for numbing and disinfecting wounds. Yeah he def would. Canon.

He uses Anemo to lightly blow and cool down your burn, numbing the pain for you enough that a light kiss wouldn't sting. But he forbids you to continue cooking until your hand fully recovers.

After treating you to lunch (You paid), he sets you down on your couch, making you lay your head on his lap as he holds your burnt hand while carressing your head with his free hand.

If it still hurts or numb, he'll get a damp cloth and gently wrap your hand in it. To distract you from the uncomfortable feeling, he sings you various romantic and cute songs, even making short poetry (That he thought of immediately while staring at your pretty face)

"A cry of pain, shrieks of agony— Voices that conquer even the rumbles of thunder, and it's stories of tragedy— Flames that burn, brighter than light— But also inflicts harm that causes fright— Save your tears, my lucky windblume... Let your one and only make that sweet smile of yours bloom~"

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Liyue

Baizhu

Infinite/10 treatment. Get a doctor as ur [S/O] ladies

After Changsheng chides you for your carelessness— Baizhu shushes the snake and comes over to examine your wound, he doesn't take long to reassure you that it's not too severe.

Health comes first as he always says— so he carefully treats your burn, chooses the most effective medicine that wouldn't risk a single side effect.

He's got it all for you; Ointment that soothes burns, herbs that relieves pain and even butterfly kisses all over your face that never fails to put a smile on your face— kissing away any tears if the pain stung you gravely.

Once he's done with treating your wound, he has you sitting down and takes over your cooking— even making a remedy that can help alleviate numbness. He even spoon-fed you your own meal.

"Ah, you have a bit of a something at the corner of your lips. Let me get that for you, dear. *Smooch*... Hm? Your face is red! Have you been affected by a fever? Let's see... warm, bright red cheeks, eyes avoiding mine and the corner of your luscious lips trembling... I see now... *Chuckles* Maybe it was my kiss that got you like this~

Chongyun

Poor bby got overwhelmed with panik when he heard ur yelp and ran over to see u near f i r e

Luckily for you, he has that popsicle stash of his to cool and numb your burn, even giving you one to munch on. It was to cheer you up... but it doesn't really have flavour.

Once your wound has numbed, he tries to finish your for you— but the need to make it a perfect dish for you overwhelms him and he almost burns himself as well.

Still determined to cheer you up, he'll later treat you to lunch, bringing you to Wanmin restaurant and let you order your favorites. He'll treat it as a date.

You'll meet Xiangling there, cooing when she saw the two of you on a date. Luckily for Chongyun, he still has his popsicle before Xiangling's cooing could overwhelm him.

If you ordered something hot and spicy, he obviously can't share with you. But is willing to take a small tiny bite or sip for you, he'll even feed you if you'd like. If it's something cold, he'll definitely enjoy sharing the dish with you, letting you eat more of it if it's your favorite.

"Are you satisfied with today's date?... I hope I didn't look forced or nervous like last time. It's not that I don't enjoy our dates, my love... Oh, y-you seem to have caught on. Was I bad at hiding it?... I don't need to make everything perfect for you?... Ah, th-that's a little hard to adapt to, you can't blame me for always wanting everything to be flawless when you're quite perfect yourself, no?... *Shy chuckle*"

Xiao

U don't even need to call him— he hears u yelp, he goes "You called?" "AAAAA—"

Immediately reprimands you for thinking this was a good idea, even adding that it was pointless to cook when all mortal food tastes flavourless. But to make you feel a little better, he (quietly) compliments that your cooking at least has some flavour in them compared to the dishes other chefs made.

He's insistent on making you rest, claiming that you'll only burn yourself again, or worse, set your house into flames. You didn't even sucessfully light up the stove!

While you're busy treating your wounds, he vanishes without another word— secretly, he visited Yanxiao in Wangshu Inn, who agreed to make the dish you were making, only because he didn't want to upset the Adeptus and that he knew how much you meant to the Vigilant Yaksha.

It didn't take long for him to return, and if he caught you trying to light up the stove again without your gloves, he'll drag you away from your kitchen— Locking the door to it if he has to and quite literally carrying you over his shoulder like a potato sack, not a single peep of complain regarding your weight. He's strong for a reason.

He places you down on your couch and then offers you the dish, but was caught off guard when you said you wanted to share it with him. At first, he wanted to decline, saying that it won't have any taste... but that resilience of his crumbles immediately at a single 'please?' from you.

So there he sat with you, only taking a few small bites just to please you... and to see that cheeky little smile on your face. He doesn't peep a complain, only enjoying your quiet company and vice versa. Although he secretly cringes at the bland taste of the food, he finds it tolerable around you. He hopes you didn't catch his cheeks tinted a bright shade of red.

"...Another bite? If you insist... Hm? No, I don't have any comments or suggestions to this dish— it doesn't concern me... I-I'm not upset at you, it's just... I don't have a reason to eat mortal food, let alone enjoy it. This was honestly a waste of time... Oddly enough, I do find eating anything with you... quite sweet. Stop looking at me like that, i'm making this an exception just once... Can you feed me another bite...?"

Xingqiu

*Proceeds to splash the fire out with his vision*

You feel a pair of arms wrap firmly around you before you hear the voice of your boyfriend whispering sweet nothings into your ear, soothing you as he plants gentle butterfly kisses on your cheek.

He treats your injury like normal, having you rant about what happened to your glove while he quietly and patiently listens, just letting you speak to take your mind off the burn injury that he was healing.

Once he's done, he'll just have you rest your head on his lap, saying he'll ask Xiangling to cook for you later. As he does this, he'll read your favorite story, whether it be a fairytale, a history novel or even one of my oneshots. He uses a more gentle and calm voice, carressing your head every now and then.

However, as soon as he sees you fall asleep half way through thanks to his lullaby-esque voice, he sneakily plants a kiss on your lips... and proceeds to write a short story about you the next day; Of a young warrior who got defeated by a stove and was later cared for by their partner who happens to be their enemy. He loves writing private short stories for just the two of you, mostly made to tease you.

"How do you find the story, my liege?... Hm? Why does the main sound exactly like you? Haha~... What a curious question you have there in that pretty little head of yours. Riddle me this; How do you think the main character's love interest treated them? It's quite romantic, no? I'd say i've improved my writing with this story!... Well, maybe I exaggerated with the part where you fought a stove and lost~"

Zhongli

*Sends meteor towards the stove*

Does the same thing as the other; treat your injury with love and care, wrapping you around his arms as he carresses your back with gentle strokes, just overall enjoying eachother's presence.

At first, he suggests going to Xinyue Kiosk... until he was reminded that Childe was still healing in Fontaine after receiving a letter from him saying he got thrown into jail and fought a whale. Plus, Hu Tao is off to who knows where? Doing Archons knows what? He sure doesn't know.

Instead, he brings you to one of the Adepti's abode. Though, it's incredibly tedious as the journey itself is long (You're travelling up a mountain, duh). Halfway through, regardless of whether or not you're tired, he has you wrapping around your arms loosely around his neck, chest pressed against his back with his arms hooked beneath your legs— giving you a piggy back ride. Doesn't complain at all, he loves being this close to you.

There, he meets Cloud Retainer, who welcomes you to her abode (And chides you for your small injury like the mother she is), allowing Zhongli to use her 'Supreme Cuisine Machine' to make Bamboo shoot soup for you and it thankfully doesn't take long.

Cloud Retainer allows the two of you to have your little date on Mt. Aocang in peace, secretly watching over the two of you as Zhongli feeds you, with a fond smile and eyes that held affection towards you, the both of you enjoying eachother's company and the view on top of Mt. Aocang.

"Careful, it's hot... How does it taste? It is no trouble at all, [S/O]— this view is worth the journey, if it means I get to share it with someone I hold dear to my heart. Be it minutes or centuries, I cerish each moment with you, this one especially. Now, would you like another spoon?"

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Inazuma

Arataki Itto

*Proceeds to use sand on your injury* "...They said sand can put out fire! And that's what hurt you, didn't it???????"

Definitely doesn't know how to treat your wounds, but he does get Shinobu to help tend to your burn injury. Meanwhile, she not only lightly reprimands you for your recklessness... she full-on scolds Itto for not looking after you.

He pouts and whines, saying he was busy collecting lavender melons for you to cook with— although, he does feel really terrible for not being able to help. Who knows what would've happened if he had left for a little while longer?; You might've accidentally chopped a limb off, maybe even unintentionally cause a wildfire, or worse; accidentally putting his beetles in the soup!

To make it up to you, he... tries to sing for you. At least, he tries to 'up his game'. He gathers up his gang and Shinobu, makes them pamper you (Shinobu just has a nice conversation with you while the other three does Archons knows what), and that was when he does a very dramatic grand entrance as he starts to bellow out in the worst voice you've ever heard.

After shattering your eardrums, he shoos away the rest as he just wants some cuddling with you now. Singing takes a toll on him surprisingly enough. So now, there you sat on your couch, Itto's beefy arms wrapped around you as he tells you a story about a group of 'bandits' he encountered while collecting lavender melons for you.

"So there I was; Arataki 'The Unstoppable Force' Itto, surrounded by a group of bandits wanting to steal my hard earned stash of lavender melons! The nerve of these newbies, trying to steal my stuff meant for my 'One and Oni' señorita— I stood there, my weapon in hand and ready to make them wish they should've chose to play TCG with me instead of an all-out brawl!... Eh? What? You're saying those were just kids with mask because of their height and voices that I described?... You're not telling this to Shinobu, riiiiiight?"

Gorou

Very calmly puts out the fire... while sending barrages of 'ARE YOU OKAY?' towards u

He's a general, he knows the basics of treating small injuries like this... but his hands are noticably shaky, afraid of inflicting even the smallest sting on you by accident.

Whenever you winced just the slightest bit, the way your nose scrunched up at the most uncomfortable touch, your brows furrowed and eyes narrowing a little, he stammers out apologies after apologies.

Once he finishes treating your wound, his ears flattened against the back of his skull, tail curled up as his shoulders drooped, mumbling that he should've taken more of those first aid training so he could ensure your safety. He's already lost too much on the battlefield, he doesn't want you to get hurt... even if it's just a small burn.

Ironic; You're supposed to be the one needing comfort, but you're the one comforting him instead, letting him lay on your [lap/chest] as you ran your fingers through his soft brown lockes, effectively calming him down by scratching the back of his ears and massaging his scalp with your fingers. Though, petting his soft and perfectly-groomed tail was enough to soothe your worries.

The two of you just simple laid there on your couch, his tail lightly wagging side to side as he curled up into you— he can feel vulnerable around you.

"Yes, my love... it feels so... so much better like this. Don't worry— i'm on break at the moment... Although, I might have to return to my post soon for my duties... Uhm... b-but i'm sure my peers can cover for me a little longer... I really need this..."

Kamisato Ayato

Boba

First thing he does is wrap his arms arouns your waist, pulling you into a gentle hug, you face resting against his chest as his gloved hands carressed the back of your head, cooing and lightly teasing you for being impulsive while cooking.

Has Thoma patch you up since he's more qualified and careful for that. Ayato has you sitting on his lap, cuddling you with that calm puppy-like smile of his while Thoma is the one scolding you for burning yourself on accident.

But after that, he brings you out on yet another date; Strolling around Inazuma City and by the beach, then bringing you Uyuu restaurant for lunch— letting you order your favorites. He even buys a drink and asks for 2 straws, wanting to share it with you (and so see your flushed cheeks when the two of you were drinking, noses nearly touching)

This is for those who like reading any type of books; After filling your bellies, he takes you (a little begrudgingly, but he loves you) to Yae Publishing House and lets you buy another book for your collection. And when he finds you reading a romance novel, he rests his chin on your shoulder, arms wrapped around your waist as he teases your flustered reaction— saying there's no better love story than your story with him.

"Were you satisfied with today's date? Ah, perfect... I see my method with making you forget that little injury of yours worked. A win-win for the both of us; you get to forget about your embarrassing moment and get to have your favorites— and I... deserve this for all my hard work; *Smooch*~"

[dinarosie]

Hey there,

I just wanted to say I appreciate what you have been writing about Snape and the leveled approach you have towards his character. It’s given many different perspectives I haven’t considered, and thank you for the care you have taken in writing out your points. I look forward to reading more :).

I wanted to add some thoughts to the convo. I think he is, and has always been difficult to appreciate for people because of his more reprehensible behavior and his more frequent appearance/impact on the plot of the story. His poor qualities are more present and readily accessible— while also being limited to the narrative perspective of the story giving glimpses of him. It’s an uncanny valley of incomplete presence.

Personally, I find it sad when his character isn’t considered humanely because his incredibly flawed nature makes him one of the most realistic characters in the series (imo)— and even as a kid I appreciated that. His bitterness and shortcomings in the way he would react to certain situations is something we can all be guilty of through out our lives, no one’s a saint, but he still tried to correct the error how he was capable of doing so with where he was in his life. That messy journey to doing better or correcting a wrong is real. Being a hot mess while you try to do it over time is real. I think the reality of how awful our behavior and flawed our choices can be, in various stages of life and in times of good intentions, is uncomfortable to recognize. As a result, it’s easier to aggrandize his entire character to awful rather than be confronted with how we have very much faulted and erred through out our lives— at times egregiously— and be able to appreciate the journey to redemption and betterment, no matter how messy.

That may be off base, but wanted to share.

Again. Thank you so much for sharing all of your thoughts. 💕

🐦‍⬛

Thank you so much for your thoughtful message! 💖

It’s incredibly rewarding to hear that the effort I put into exploring Snape’s character resonates and brings new perspectives to the table. I really appreciate that you took the time to reflect on his complexity in such a nuanced way.

Your points remind me of Laurie Kim’s analysis of Snape, which perfectly captures why his character has such a lasting impact. She describes Snape as “painfully human,” noting how he is neither purely good nor purely evil but rather someone who navigates life’s challenges with a mix of failures and successes. In her book Snape: A Definitive Reading, she writes, “Snape’s journey is compelling precisely because it is so raw and imperfect. He stumbles, holds grudges, and carries deep scars—yet ultimately strives to overcome his worst qualities. His story shows that redemption isn’t a clean process; it’s messy, uncomfortable, and incomplete.” This nuanced view really resonates with why many fans, myself included, find him relatable despite (and even because of) his flaws.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts! It’s these kinds of reflections that make discussing Snape’s character so meaningful, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to explore it more deeply.

[mysadcorner]

Hello love! I hope this new year is treating you well! May I please have headcanons of Jason’s reaction when his s/o says Red Hood is their favorite superhero? Like they have no idea that Jason and red hood are the same person so they’re always like, “wow red hood’s so amazing! But not as amazing as you Jay!” Thank you 🙏 💕

Jason Todd x Reader That’s A Fan Of Red Hood Headcanons

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- Credit to the images owners - Please be specific about characters wanted in headcanons -

Masterlist Navigation

• Jason would definitely be surprised when you mention your passion towards Red Hood, or at least the fact that you like him. This surprised reaction from Jason wouldn't leave either, whenever you have anything good to say about Red Hood then it'll be as if he's hearing something shocking for the first time all over again simply due to the fact he hardly hears comments about himself that aren't negative. He seems to be quite controversial around Gotham.

• As he probably didn't meet you through being connected to other vigilantes, and was presenting himself as being as much of a normal person as could at the time, then he definitely didn't tell you about being Red Hood. And he would try his best to keep it that way, almost always brushing off your concerns about his injuries or bruises, and even his disappearances, through the regular use of sarcasm.

• One of his main reasons for hiding this from you would be him being scared of your reaction. Despite being tough and cold on the outside most of the time, he actually cares deeply about what you think of him and is pretty self-conscious about hoq you view him. In his mind, finding out about him being Red Hood may give you a reason to leave him on op of all of his other not so great qualities, even if this was just a projection of his own fears rather than how you actually would have felt.

• After you express your fondness of Red Hood he starts to purposefully pay close attention to your schedule and knowing whenever you go out later on in the evening. The last thing he wants is for you to accidently stumble across him as he's patrolling the streets, so he plans ahead to do his best to avoid you, and hopefully preventing you from figuring out who his is by stopping you from seeing Red Hood up close.

• The longer you express positive feelings about Red Hood for the more he starts to get paranoid and feel guilty about being around you. He knows that since you're just a normal person that a villain or someone with bad intentions could get a hold of you whenever he isn't around to use you against him, it also means someone could follow him to where he meets you or to where you live just to find out his identity. There are plenty of ways that things could go wrong if he isn't constantly extremely careful.

• Deep down he does actually like the fact that you approve of Red Hood and are somewhat of a fan of him, if you were a bit of an obsessed fan then he would still enjoy that you were although being slightly concerned. He may even bring up the topic of Red Hood just to hear you talk about him which also helps him feel better about himself and what he's doing without expressing it.

• Realising that he wants to act better knowing that you're watching the reports on his activity and looking forward to any mentions of Red Hood being sighted around Gotham, he purposefully goes out of his way to be on his best behaviour whenever the situation allows for it (more that Bruce could have ever convinced him to).

• After a while, Jason may try to test the waters to see how you may react about seeing Red Hood in real life, and this may help him see that you finding out who he really is won't end in a bad way. To do this, he may stage a little run in with you on a quiet night just to see your reaction, and not hanging around long enough for anyone to stumble across him interacting with you as the Red Hood. Putting up with your reaction and constant mentioning of it in the days afterwards won't be something he's irritated by, and will actually help fuel his comfort about you finding out.

•When he finally tells you, he's going to be his usual dramatic self, and you'll probably think he has something absolutely terrible to tell you when he sits you down for the conversation. But once he does tell you, he feels the burden instantly lifted from him. He'll still be concerned about you, but at least now he can be honest with you and not stress over making up lies or trying to hide things from you.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Crazy Cars

Debut: WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!

I hate cars. Wretched contraptions! Wretched infrastructure! Far too dangerous for any average schmuck to have total control over. Thankfully, WarioWare has asked the question of "what if cars were sillyfunny instead? What if they were goofy? And what if they were trying to kill Wario and nobody else?". And they made a bunch of wacky cars! And now I will share them with you, using the updated sprites from Gold! Sorry it the wheel placements are a few pixels off. It's ok.

Shark Car is the main character of the funny cars! You've heard of shark faces painted onto warplanes to make them more intimidating (which is hilarious. If that intimidates someone then they would be fooled by a moth's eyespots) but this car is an entire shark, upon some wheels! A speeding car would be a very bad thing to be struck by, and potentially even worse if that car is a shark. Imagine such a high speed chomp! Jeepers! But also imagine it hits you with its nose and gets a little disoriented after you get sent flying. It was having so much fun driving its self!

Next is Hot Dog Car! Or maybe a different kind of sausage, because it's so girthy. What's so funny? Stop laughing! I didn't mean it like that! I would never say "penis" in one of these posts. This Fast Frank is very endearing to me for how it looks like a novelty car for a hot dog vendor to drive! You just know a hot dog vendor in Bikini Bottom would drive one of these babies.

My favorite of the original trio! Potato Car! This is the tallest of the three, but also the shortest in a width sense. For whatever reason, some cars get regular green wheels, while others get yellow wheels that squash and stretch like a cartoon. Potato is always a splendid and funny thing to see in any situation, including barreling down the road to kill you! Shark, Hot Dog, and Potato are an interesting trio. Shark and Hot Dog are both made of meat. Hot Dog and Potato are both basic foods. Shark and Potato both have a bunch of little dots (potato eyes, and ampullae of Lorenzini). And what do all three have in common? Wheels!

WarioWare Gold added three NEW funny cars! The first is Lightbulb, which is honestly the least interesting to me, so instead I will use this paragraph to say that the funny cars can be Tricky. Sometimes instead of just driving, they will jump! It is very hard to react to. But sometimes, the usual "Dodge!" prompt will be replaced with "Dodge?" and the car will suddenly stop, and then either reverse or stay still for the remainder of the time. I hope that if you thought these funny cars were simply being pushed from offscreen, you now believe that they have free will.

Teapot Car has a trick up its spout...! Sometimes, it will stop, but rather than reversing, its lid will open, and spit out a smaller teapot car! The previously discussed cars have all had tiny versions that can spawn, but Teapot Car is the only one that releases its baby into the world before our eyes. Maybe the others come out of funny car birth canals off screen. Tiny cars will just bounce of Wario if they touch him, giving this microgame quite a few unloseable variants! I don't care about the challenge, though, I care about the funny cars! And I've saved the best for last!

This is not just "Door Car". This one has been given a name, as it appears in the Wario Kard minigame as an opponent. This is Door to Nowhere! A door is already a pretty silly thing to be hurtling toward you dangerously. Just move to the side a bit. But are you forgetting about Door's Special Attack? Door can open! And this door can stop rolling, but then open, and release another car out of itself! I really love the concept of portable cartoon passages like this. I don't see it often, and the only other one that comes to mind is the portable hole teleport feature from ToonTown, but it is so whimsical!

That is all for this post! Good bye! *enters a door that then drives away*

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Was thinking about how, when asked, ST2 Killer said he “dislikes everything.” Got me thinking how he struggles to feel genuine joy or happiness by much. But also how he’s a dissociative character with complex trauma, and how his triggers might seem “small” and his reactions would appear disproportionate to the situation to those who don’t know his trauma history.

Like, he probably eats food and doesn’t actually feel anything about it—it doesn’t inspire joy unless it’s something he’s never tasted or seen before, until the buzzing dopamine of “something new” wears off—it all taste the same most of the time to him, even if his body reacts differently.

Things like ketchup and chocolate can get his body reacting to just the smell of it, trembling and sweating; flashbacks and throwing up if he tries to consume any of it. He avoids those steadfast, his body clearly remembering that anything associated with those things—with Sans—is a big, big, big NO-NO. (The aching in his bones is suddenly so sharp, the stinging pain of a knife digging in between cracked ribs, willing to painstakingly take him apart if he questions his maker further.)

But I wouldn’t be surprised if his body reacts that way to most food; simply because it’s used to either being forced to go without any, or being forced to take more than it can handle. And I doubt ST2 truly stops to care about any of that.

He won’t eat if he doesn’t have to, he’s not attached to the body and doesn’t much care if it starts lagging behind—apathy drowns out nearly every sensation. If Nightmare orders him to, or if Chara did, he’d do it in a rather robotic fashion because it’s an objective to be completed—not seemingly noticing the way his body shakes with every bite of food and how he has to force his jaw to unclench.

Somatic flashbacks, I suppose. Every time he eats, his body instinctively wants to gag it all back up—phantom sensations of claws (nails, nails that felt like claws) digging into the jawbone to keep the mouth open, the throat burning. Sometimes they would crack under the strain of trying to keep them clenched together, prevent anymore from going down.

But despite how strange it could be to watch Killer eat and physically tremble, he still does it as if he isn’t quivering in his seat—probably doing something like scrolling on his phone as he eats, his eyes dead and his grin empty, clearly just dissociating and not actually aware of it.

But he doesn’t stop until the food is all gone or until Nightmare tells him to, even if some of the food might be thrown up later. He’s unlikely to remember much of meal times when thinking about it later, especially if he’s eating alone that evening.

It might get easier to adapt once his body slowly comes to realize that its intake isn’t going to be violently denied or enforced, but it’d likely tremble and shake anytime someone has to order or convince Killer to eat for his own good.

Especially if anyone’s watches him eat too intensely, because his mind and body register it as a command regardless and he instinctively wants to shut down and retreat inside whenever he feels like he has no choice but to do something he doesn’t want to do.

(To anyone else it isn’t that big of a deal, but to someone who had no choice for most of their remembered life, he’s hypersensitive to signs of authority. He’s just gotten good at managing to convince himself that he wants it too; to sink into that apathetic, blank state and convince himself he doesn’t care and to just get it over with.

But it’s best to be careful not to put too much pressure or make him feel cornered if you aren’t Nightmare, that’s a recipe for triggering ST3 if ST2 doesn’t view you as someone he takes orders from. AKA, if you aren’t Nightmare.)

It’d be a lot easier if there’s people around for Killer to make conversation with while he eats, allows him the dopamine kick whenever the topic breaches onto a topic he’d never discussed before—which in turns allows him to actually taste and enjoy food, which keeps the good sensations of “something new” going in loops for a bit. All in all; just don’t let this man escape into his own head when eating, and don’t point how his hands are uncontrollably shaking.

I’d imagine that he actually has an easier time caring for the body while in ST4 for extended periods of time, performing routine maintenance, simply because ST4 views the body as belonging to Chara and its ‘killer’ programming doesn’t allow harm to the body that doesn’t come from Chara or those affiliated with them(heart locket.) Keeping sharp and ready for whatever fashion Chara intends to wield their weapon.

[unclaimed-garbage]

My First Impression Rant on S2E8: “The Full Moon.”

SPOILERS FOR S2E8 “THE FULL MOON” OF HELLUVA BOSS

[Things that I liked about the newest episode]

The Art/animation:

The art/animation was super good as always. The fight scene were choreographed rather well and it was just awesome. (Shoutout to the effects team as well).

The music and voice acting:

The music and voice acting were also really good (though at some points, certain characters didn’t sound right??? Like there was one scene where Moxxie confronted the Cherubs and his voice sounded COMPLETELY different. Aside from that though, the emotion in Blitzø’s voice for example where absolutely STELLAR.

Unfortunately, I don’t have many good things to say about this episode because tbh, it was a HUGE let down for me.

[Things I didn’t like]

The goddamn plot:

The pacing here was fucking atrocious and especially bad this episode. The goddamn cherubs and Dhorks got more screen time than Stolas and Blitzø, which shouldn’t be the case given that the episode is titled “The Full Moon” and should’ve been about Blitzø and Stolas’ “deal.”

It was also incredibly strange because why in the world would Vivziepop hype up this episode only to have it barely feature the main storyline. Sure, it was nice to see less of Stolitz, but when you market an episode as being a Stolitz-centric episode that’s supposed to be where they break up, you should expect more focus.

Instead though, we got more of Dhorks’ and Cherubs’ rushed Alliance that went nowhere and was the A plot, while the most important part of the series was shafted as the B plot.

Speaking of shafting the B plot, the pacing was another issue:

The pacing was (once again) another huge issue for me. Blitzø and Stolas’ talk about their “deal” was EXTREMELY quick. Though it was incredibly well done both voice acting wise, mood wise, etc, the pacing just went too fast and it would’ve been nice to see more buildup.

Not only that, but with The Cherubs’ and Dhorks’ situation, the fight went on way too long when it didn’t even affect the actual plot or story. It just meant nothing narrative wise and just felt like a waste of time tbh.

That leads to my next issue, the stakes:

The stakes of this episode were meant to be incredibly high. This was the episode where Stolas and Blitzø were theorized (and confirmed) to break up. Despite this high-stakes moment that’s been forever in the making, with the Cherubs portion of the episode (that took up more screen time than the supposed main focus), the stakes were incredibly non-existent most of the episode and then quickly hit you like a brick in the final five minutes where the most important part comes to play.

Like sure, some may argue that the stakes and tension hitting you was supposed to be like that, but it just felt like bad writing to me.

This leads into the next issue which is tone/tonal whiplash:

This episode suffers from pretty bad tonal whiplash imo. While a good portion of the episode was used to bring Dhorks and Cherubs back into relevancy, there were moments where Blitzø went out (and met Fizzeroli later on) to buy new stuff for their monthly fucking.

Despite the audience heavily suspecting this episode would be Stolitz’s breakup episode, there was little to no buildup. In the beginning of the episode, we get Stolas and Blitzø’s duet talking about the full moon and whatnot. We know that Stolas will give the asmodean crystal to Blitzø, but we don’t know how he’ll react.

We see everything on Blitzø’s side going wonderfully, he’s buying stuff for their “deal” and whatnot making sure it’s perfect (because it’s heavily implied Blitzø is worried that Stolas is getting sick of him). On the other hand, we see no buildup on Stolas’ side. No buildup whatsoever. After the duet, he’s completely gone until Blitzø meets up with Stolas. I think that works against the episode and it’s intentions. So, it went from Blitzø being happy, to things all going to shit with little buildup imo.

The Episode’s intentions:

Honestly, this episode really rubbed me the wrong way, especially when Blitzø finally confronts Stolas about everything. It truly seems that they’re trying to paint Blitzø as the villain, when that’s furthest from the truth.

In scene one (which I’d previously screen recorded, but you can only upload 1 video from camera roll), we see Stolas asking for the book back. Permanently so he can give Blitzø the Asmodean crystal. Blitzø’s reaction here is VERY telling, as he automatically assumes he isn’t doing good enough in their “deal” and thus is jeopardizing his business and his employee’s livelihoods. This is just one example of the gross power imbalance in their “relationship” and like it or not, this scene alone proves that Stolas has created and upheld a gross power imbalance.

Scene/video two ALSO showcases the gross power imbalance in this situation. Blitzø is literally CRYING and BEGGING to keep the book because (as of this point in the episode), he is unaware of Stolas’ intentions and truly believes that the deal is being revoked and he’ll lose his business, job, and cost his employees’ jobs and livelihoods.

Scene/video three truly bothers me in more ways than one because STOLAS was the one who suggested the “deal”. STOLAS was the one who suggested they meet up on the full moon for sex. So WHY is he acting so surprised that Blitzø expected it to be about sex when that was the standard STOLAS set? It really does feel like the narrative is trying to sympathize and make Stolas seem like the victim when Blitzø is merely upholding the arrangement hess. been confined to.

Scene/video four REALLY REALLY grinds my gears after Blitzø rightfully goes off for being blindsided and given no chance to process what the hell Stolas has told him, Stolas is yet again treated like the victim while Blitzø is made to be the villain. Blitzø literally mentioned in the scene before this that he needed time to think things over and couldn’t have this thrown at him like that (and also rightfully goes off on him for seeing him as lesser and being toyed with).

Not only that, but it’s just misguided at best and downright malicious at worst that Blitzø’s trauma and abuse from Stolas is either completely swept under the rug or spun to make Blitzø be the villain in the situation when he’s merely fighting back against the abuse he’s faced.

The final part, The Hype:

Honestly, this episode was REALLY disappointing. It didn’t even reach the 30 minute mark and was the same/similar length as every normal episode, yet it was supposed to be so much more important. We were promised a good episode where Stolas and Blitzø would discuss their “deal,” yet it was shafted to the last five minutes and felt incredibly rushed and victim-blamey tbh. The hype for the episode didn’t really match what we got imo and I’m more disappointed with this episode than I’ve been with the other episodes in season 2.

Overall, I really hate Stolitz as a ship because of portrayal in the series and the episode heavily suffered because of it and also suffers from the usual issues due to the lack of proper pacing and the fact that it wasn’t even longer to allow for more time.

Rating: Tilts between a three and a negative infinity tbh

Maybe I’ll make a much more in depth/thought out say since this one was kinda a heat in the moment one I made while on my way home from Walmart. 💀

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1 REACTION

This reaction is for the season 8, first episode “Buzzkill” which originally aired on September 26, 2024. The episode was written by Molly Green and James Leffler and directed by James Wong. 

The 118 is back, baby, and you won’t bee-lieve what shenanigans our faves are getting into in season 8 opener. Previously, my reviews have been a bit long-winded as I tried to react the episodes in their entirety. For this season, I thought I’d try something new. Rather than doing a scene-by-scene recap, my plan is to have four segments that I comment on. Those segments will be:

Best plot

Best emergency sequence

Episode MVP

BuckTommy Corner

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's start with our best plot.

Best plot?

It was fun checking in on all of our first responders. In case you for some reason didn’t watch the season 7 finale, Bobby left the 118 and was replaced by former captain Vincent Gerrard (Brian Thompson). This leads me to the best plot of the episode. We’ve seen glimpses of what life was like prior to Bobby becoming captain in the episodes "Hen Begins" and "Chimney Begins". There’s only a handful of characters who have worked under Gerrard. Unfortunately, Buck is not one of those characters.

Captain Vincent Gerrard is still just as terrible as he was back then. Hen, Chimney and even Eddie, our three minority members of the 118, seen to hate working for the man but they seem to take all of his microaggressions in stride. Not to get too deep on racial politics but if you’re Black, Latinx, or Asian living in America, you probably know all too well what it’s like to encounter someone like Captain Gerrard. Buck, however, hasn’t had to face as much adversity as his colleagues and it is this reason that he’s the most outwardly resistant towards the interim captain.

Nothing Buck does seems to please Gerrard, and I imagine this reminds Buck of his own fragile relationship with his dad. Buck truly saves the day, twice, when he suggests using smokes to disperse the bees and later on uses Eddie as bait to distract the bees. Gerrard, however, isn’t impressed and only sees Buck’s good ideas as acts of defiance.

At the end of the episode, Buck gets chewed out by Gerrard and for a moment I thought he was going to snap. What happened next was very unexpected. A saw blade flies across the firehouse and nearly skewers Gerrard. Buck manages to intervene and saves the captain’s life. We end the episode with Captain Gerrard lying unconscious in his own blood. Will Buck’s act of bravery be once again misinterpreted, or will Gerrard be grateful for his lifesaving intervention?

Best emergency sequence?

We had a handful of emergencies this episode but the one that sticks out to me is the one involving the mother Julie (Marisol Sacramento) and her daughter Reyla (Nora Harriet) both of whom are deathly allergic to bees. Now I’ve never been afraid of bees. If I see one, I usually get out of their way. I know how important they are to the environment, so I just let them do their thing. With that said, if I ever saw that many bees in one spot, I would probably have a panic attack. When the bees surrounded their vehicle, all I kept thinking was, what would I do in that situation. 

Watching the 118 respond to the accident was quite exciting. Once again, Buck’s quick thinking saved the day. I’m always amazed by how all of the seemingly useless information stored in Buck’s brain ends up being extremely useful during their emergencies. Aside from Hen, I truly bee-lieve that Buck is one of the smartest people on the show. It’s unfortunate how some of the other characters right him off as being an idiot at times. 

Okay, I’m not trying to be rude but, if you and your daughter are both deadly allergic to bees, why would you only have one EpiPen??? Speaking of smart characters, kudos to Maddie for thinking on her feet and having the mom reuse the EpiPen. I’ve given myself many injections before and I didn’t know that some of the medicine is left in the pen. I’m sure someone will remind me that this is something fabricated for the show but if this is true, that’s pretty awesome. 

The last thing I’ll say about this emergency sequence is RIP to the guy driving the bee truck. I don’t know why he thought it was a good idea to get out of the vehicle, but I guess his fight or flight kicked in. I hate that he got stung to death. Oh, and how disgusting was it when Chimney sucked all of those bees out of the other guy’s windpipe. Blech!

Episode MVP?

This was hard for me. I was really impressed by Buck’s heroics this episode, but I have to give Episode MVP to the queen badass herself, Athena Grant. I love how this show is constantly building off of its own lore. One of the best episodes of the series (and the saddest) is season 3’s “Athena Begins”. In this episode, we learn that Athena had a fiancé named Emmett. Emmett is the one who got Athena interested in law enforcement. Unfortunately, Emmett was gunned down by a man named Dennis Jenkins (Glenn Plummer). In that very same episode, Athena solved her late-fiancé’s murder and Emmett was arrested.

Athena finds herself reliving the trauma of Emmett’s murder when she is instructed to do a prison transfer. Apparently Dennis has some tea on his deceased jail mate and in exchange for that information, he will get an early released. Athena is not exactly enthused about the assignment, but she truly is the best person for the job. When she arrives in Arizona, she is accosted by an assassin looking to take Dennis out. She whips out of her gun Dirty Harry-style and commands him to get in the trunk of his car. Her and Denis manage to escape and get to the airport. Athena is smart enough to book an alternate flight back to Los Angeles in hopes of avoiding any additional attempts on Jenkins’ life. However, that decision will prove to be disastrous as we see at the end of the episode a small plane collide with the passenger jet Athena and Dennis are on. 

BuckTommy Corner

And now we’ve made it to our last segment. I wasn’t expecting to see Tommy this episode even though I know he will feature more prominently in the next few episodes, but we did get a pretty sweet and heartbreaking scene with him, Buck, and Eddie. Less we forgot, Eddie’s relationship with his son Christopher is extremely precarious since Christopher walked in on his dad with a woman who looks exactly like his late mother. Christopher is back in El Paso with Eddie’s parents and Eddie is doing everything he can to win back Christopher’s trust. 

It's Christopher’s birthday and it’s so strange to see our little man as a teenager with a deep voice. I feel like we’ve watched this kid grow up and he’s gone from the adorable little kid to sullen teenager in the blink of an eye. With Christopher with his grandparents, Eddie decides to celebrate his special day via FaceTime. The connection is spotty but that doesn’t seem to dampen the spirits of our three partygoers. While Eddie chats with Christopher, Buck and Tommy hide behind the sofa. They’re both wearing party hats, the kind you wear for a little kid’s birthday party, and Tommy tells Buck that he’s a vision in a cone hat. That was so sweet. I love how much is said without saying all that much. These two are still just as smitten as they were at the end of last season. They seem so comfortable with each other, and I can’t wait to see more of them this season.

Well, that’s my reaction! How’d I do? This episode was so fun and 9-1-1 is best when it gives us these multi-episode disaster episodes. It’s so good to have all my favorite characters back on my television screen. Most of all, everyone looks like they are having fun. I’m seriously looking forward to what happens next. Until next time …