#seldom do you see such honestly good friends

[rainoverthewindow]

Best Buds

[save-the-villainous-cat]

Heyo!!!!✨️✨️✨️

You write Hero x Villain so well and I was wondering if you'd be willing to write about a Hero that was kidnapped by the Villain, and Hero is expecting harsh treatment, but they instead wake up in a lavish bedroom, restrained to the bed of course but it's a very nice bed. It turns out Hero had been overworking themselves and Villain was worried about them and had had enough. Maybe Hero tries to argue that they haven't been overworking and Villain goes ballistic.

It was a joke.

It had to be.

The hero looked at the handcuffs (which were their own) and then back at the villain.

"You're kidding." The hero was seldom in the mood for jokes. Most of the time, they didn't understand the references their friends made or ended up explaining jokes which people - apparently - did not like. It was quite hard for them to find anything funny. A cat was funny. A sound could be funny.

But a practical joke? Not so much.

"Honestly, I wish I was. Do you know how heavy you are? I would have never dragged you up here for a joke," the villain said. They were sitting on a luxuriant chair across the room, one thigh on the other. Their foot was dangling in the air happily and they looked well rested as they drank from a coffee cup.

"What time is it?"

"It's ten in the morning." The hero smiled to themselves. "On a Monday."

"What? No. Shit. Shit. Fuck-" The hero was already late to work. They were always 30 minutes early. They couldn't be late. They started struggling against the restraints, tossed and turned, tried to pull and free themselves. But it didn't work, no matter how much forced they conjured.

In the end, their wrists were sore, nothing more.

"Relax," the villain purred. "For some strange reason - which I am not associated with - your workplace has been shut down. Water damage."

"What did you-?"

"Purely coincidental," the villain lied. They shrugged and finished their coffee, setting the cup down on the tiny table next to them. They stood up and once they were in front of the villain, they leaned over them. "You look very good in my bed, by the way."

"Am I your hostage? Is that it?" the hero asked.

"Hostage? My god, do you know how much planning and energy that requires? Too much work, really." The villain tapped the tip of the hero's nose with their index finger. "My love, do you remember when I broke your leg a while ago?"

"Still hurts like shit when I work out."

"Hm." The villain almost looked like they were sorry. "Well...that was a rather harsh method, I have to admit. But a very effective one. Until you started working again, harder this time. I didn't see that coming."

The hero stared at the villain. Initially, they had thought the villain would understand what it was like to sacrifice themselves for their beliefs. The hero was, in many forms, very dedicated to both their jobs. The one in the office and the one outside of it as a hero. No task was too much, no overtime was too long.

Of course, the hero heard the whispers about themselves, they heard how their family made fun of them for working long hours and how they judged them for never finding time to meet up. After a while, the hero had stopped getting into arguments with their parents. You wanted me to have a steady job or my work is important to me were not good enough explanations for them. So, the hero had given up on that.

But they had genuinely thought the villain would know what that felt like. To be invested, to be motivated.

"Is being determined such a crime?"

"Determination and obsession are two different things, my love," the villain said.

"What do you care anyway?" the hero hissed. They were sick of people getting into their business and telling them how to live their life. It was more than exhausting.

The villain was quiet. They studied the hero's face and eventually sat down on the edge of the bed. Their lower back was touching the hero's side.

The hero did not pull away.

"Your hand has been shaking for two weeks now," the villain said. "Do you think I am willing to fight a weak enemy? That is below me. My equal is supposed to match me in combat. Not only attractiveness."

The hero didn't say anything to that right away. They knew they had had...struggled with fighting these past few weeks. But they had not wanted it to be due to their work. It was clearly a coincidence. Some harmless infection or illness.

"Listen...I am fine. I have a good job and I have a duty to fulfill."

"When you go home after work, do you feel like you have accomplished anything?" the villain asked and the hero, despite how sure they were of themselves and their work ethic, knew that the villain was digging into a wound with dirty fingers here.

Because, no, the hero did not feel satisfied, they barely felt relieved.

"Do you feel happy?" The villain's eyes were boring into the hero's. Curious, brilliant eyes.

The villain was quite provocative but this was right out a punch to the gut.

"You are asking unfair questions."

"You don't like them because the answer hurts. You are miserable. What you are doing right now is devouring you. And once that is done, what am I left with? Another one of those broken heroes who dies in their twenties because it's all too much?"

The hero looked at them, tears burning in their eyes. It was their job. It was their chance to prove themselves.

The hero was worth something. They were useful, they were smart. They were good at work. What would be left for them if that was being taken away?

What was the hero without it, anyway?

"Right now," they said, "I dislike you very much."

"Our relationship goes beyond simple fights," the villain explained. They let their fingertips dance over the hero's throat, even let their hand cup it carefully. Goosebumps spread all over the hero's back. The villain could have choked them anytime. But they didn't. "It's a vicious cycle. You and I. We cannot escape. And that is your duty. That is your priority. The objective which demands all your attention. Stopping me is a lot of work and you need to focus on that. If I get too powerful, you know what happens. I want power. I want power over you, over the city."

"So instead of working the usual way, you want me to work because of you?" The hero was quick to blink the tears out of their eyes.

This was simply ludicrous. The villain was wrong. They were lying, manipulating.

"No. I want your attention, I want your dedication. The healthy amount." The villain leaned over them, their lips brushing the hero's ear. "I can be nastier if I want. Right now I could break any bones of yours to force you to rest."

Their fingers glided up the hero's forearm until they found the hero's hand. The villain took it.

"But I saw how much pain that caused. And how disappointing the results were. So. Last chance, my love. Tune it down. Or all of us will suffer."

They pressed a kiss to the hero's temple.

However, the villain had to kidnap the hero three more times until the hero decided to start taking care of themselves.

[makochi-furin]

KAJI REN, NAKAHARA CHUUYA, AND SUO HAYATO RELATIONSHIP HCs

A/N: these are what my hcs look like

WARNING(s): n/a

KAJI REN

—So, every relationship starts with actually getting into said relationship. As Kaji goes to an all boys school and doesn't seem particularly sociable, I feel like you two probably met at a concert, or maybe a party (it's said he likes crowded places), or even through a friend. If you work at some sort of shop or restaurant, then maybe there

—At first, he probably intimidated you a little bit. He seems kind of rude with the headphones blaring loud enough for those around him to hear, and he speaks rather harshly, but let's just say you saw/heard about how he protected the townsfolk, so you knew he was good people

—In fact, maybe you gave him a few extra candies/dessert for free (if you work at a shop/restaurant), and that's how you landed on each other's radars. You were taken by 1) how cute he is, and 2) you admired that he, along with the rest of Bofurin, cared so much about your city and spent so much time cleaning it up and keeping it safe

—I feel like the main thing this guy admires in others is honesty, strength of character, and optimism. With honesty, it's because he's not the "beat around the bush" kind of person. He likes to be straightforward, and likes other straightforward people, because he always knows where he stands with them. With strength of character, it's because he really values always striving to be your best for both yourself and the people around you. Optimism is pretty simple—he's a pessimistic guy who sees a lot of unpleasant things, and it's nice for him to spend his time around someone who views the world through brighter eyes. Not necessarily naïveté, but optimism

—Kaji is probably really cute in the beginning of a relationship, or the crush era. It's not really obvious to you, per se, because he's quiet and isn't really the blushy sort most of the time. It's more like he just always makes an effort to see you. He'll text you seldom, because I imagine he's a SUPER dry texter, but he'll come visit you when he gets done with his rounds, or just whenever he can. If he visits you at work, he's the kind of person who will help you despite not getting paid for it (will clean up other people's messes so you don't have to), and will just kind of hang around at the register/wherever you are

—Please work up the courage to ask him to go do something with you, because it's gonna take him a WHILE. He doesn't even really talk, just stands there and hangs. He'll take his headphones off, though, and listen to you go on about your day

—I feel like a first date with Kaji would be pretty simple, but nice. He's not rolling in money, you know, and in this economy, you're probably not, either. Preferably, you two would go somewhere that prompts speaking, so not a movie theatre, because you don't want to go a whole date without saying anything to each other (and he probably would, lmao). Go to a park, or to lunch one weekend, and accept that you'll spend most of the date talking about yourself. He will chip in, but he honestly just prefers to listen to you. Don't take it as he's ignoring you/uninterested, he just honest to god isn't used to talking much anymore

—In the bulk of a relationship, Kaji is a very good boyfriend, but all your friends and your parents probably think he's rude. He can't help it, okay? He's just a rough speaker when he does talk. Please, try to teach him manners before taking him home. Your parents HATE this mf, yall💀💀

—People have probably convinced you that he just ignores you all the time, but put it to the test. I dare you. Go on and on about your day, and then ask him to recall everything you just said. He will. With the straightest face, he will tell you all of it back, even if you tell him to stop, you get the point, and that you're sorry for doubting him. He will be petty about it. Of course, he listens to you! He's salty you think he just stands there and watches grass grow, or something

—He gives the best gifts. Because he spends so much of his time listening to you, he knows exactly what you want. Kaji is very observational, and he has a great memory, so you better expect that if you mention something you want, you're getting it. As soon as he has the money, at least

—He brings you things that reminded him of you throughout the day, especially wildflowers. Most of the time, he just sort of hands the things to you with a, "It reminded me of you." Sometimes, if he's feeling playful, though, he'll give you a rock and just be like, "It looks like you."

—🧍

—You're like, "Thanks for thinking of me, but what???"

—He's so unserious, but no one would ever know because he looks so serious. Kaji has jokes, okay, and they're MEAN. His sense of humor is very sarcastic, but he sounds so for real. Please, do not ever ask him if you look good in something. This mf will look at you with the straightest face like 🗿

—He's the jealous type, okay? He isn't proud of it, but he is. Here he is, taking his headphones off and all for you, and you have the audacity to be paying more attention to other people? Nope. Kaji will be petty about it. I know it's just hc, but I see him as a petty mf, y'all

—You get pretty much whatever you want. Like, he'll roll his eyes and call you needy/dramatic, but you'll still get whatever it is. Literally is so whipped, even if it isn't obvious to everyone else. Kaji tries to be his best for you, just as he tries to be his best for Furin, and he takes that very seriously. He knows you could go find a guy that wasn't a delinquent, had more money, had better manners, and was talkative, so he really tries to show you how much he values you

—Is the kind of bf where, if you ask him to tie your shoe on the street, he says something like, "You have two hands," but he says it as he's crouching down, so... Not sure what your point it, Kaji, honestly

—Overall, I think he's the kind of bf who genuinely knows you better than you know yourself, and it shows. He knows your little habits, knows what you always forget (so he, of course, grabs it for you before you leave your house), knows what your worst subject is (and tries to help), and can speak to you through his eyes. ALWAYS knows what you're thinking

—Btw, you two definitely talk hella shit all the time. He's such a gossip in secret, I'm telling you. He'll pretend not to be interested in your friend group drama, but he is so invested. Don't let the stoic expression fool you

NAKAHARA CHUUYA

—Imma be so real, I have no clue how you met this mf. Maybe you work at a liquor store, or a high end wine place? Or, maybe you waitress at a super fancy restaurant he conducts business in. I genuinely don't know, but these are my guesses

—My interpretation of Chuuya is... different from most of the fandom’s. I think he's generally a very chill, easy-going guy, and it's just that Dazai brings out the worst in him💀 Like, Chuuya is always so cool and collected, and then does the most when Dazai is around. Keep that in mind as you read these, lol

—So, I think if Chuuya thought you were pretty and nice, enough to develop a crush, he'd probably frequent the place you work more often (and for brevity's sake, I'll just say you work at a fancy restaurant). He'll take more clients there, but don't get it twisted that having a pretty face is all you need for him to have a crush. You probably need to be kind, honestly, and maybe even sweet. I really see him with someone who is gentle, but has plenty of agency and isn't afraid to stand up for themselves, so if he sees these traits, he'll probably have an eye for you

—He tips really well, but you'll notice he tips you better than your coworkers. Also, he talks to you, whereas he keeps his conversations with your coworkers to only polite, "Thank you"s and "Please"s. If he's waiting for whoever he's meeting for dinner with to show up, he might say hey to you, ask about your day so far, etc...

—All you know about him right now is that he's pretty, kind to you, and rich, so if you don't leave your number on one of his receipts, what are you even doing?? But, if you don't, he'll probably write his on whatever the Japanese equivalent of a hundred dollar bill is and leave it on the table before he goes

—He texts you first, but after that the ball is in your court. He really doesn't want to come off as creepy/annoying, and he also doesn't have much free time being a mafia executive (not that you know that yet, lmao). Keep the conversations going, please; it will so pay off for you

—After you've been talking for a while, you notice you mostly talk about yourself. He's very vague about his life, especially his career, and it's a little bit sus, but he sends you "good morning :)" and "goodnight :)" texts, so honestly suck it up

—When he finally asks you on a date, it's going to be at the grandest restaurant Japan has to offer. I'm being so serious. A private room, live music, a menu without the prices on it. You probably get shit scared, knowing you can't pay for it, so you're like, "I think I'll just have water."

"Why?" He's blinking at you like a cat. "This place has the best filets you'll ever taste."

"It's too expensive for me."

—When I say he gives you 👁️👄👁️ this look, I mean it. Then, he hits you with:

"I thought it was obvious that I'm paying, doll."

—Try very hard not to pass out on the spot while heaving a dreamy sigh

—Everything goes well. You talk mostly about yourself, and he listens with a little smile, obviously engrossed in whatever story you're telling. Still, he doesn't talk much about himself

—Chuuya can't exactly just spit out that he's an executive in the Port Mafia, and he knows that, but he also hates the feeling of lying to you. The minute he feels like things are getting serious between the two of you, he brings you to his Pent House, sits you down with a glass of red, and spills it

—If you take it well, wonderful! Relationship continues. If not, he'll be down about it, and he'll apologize for wasting your time. He understands most people aren't willing to be with notorious criminals, and he doesn't blame you for it. Chuuya will call a car to come pick you up, and probably never come to your work place again

—In a relationship, I think Chuuya is a very chill boyfriend. He doesn't have much time, but it's definitely quality over quantity with him. When he can spend time with you, he usually has everything all planned out: your favorite spot, your favorite music, your favorite activity. He'll take you on shopping sprees (all on him, of course. Homie knows he's way richer than you could ever hope to be, lucky for you). He buys you gifts, obviously

—You mention you like that car? It’s in your driveway the next morning. Oh, that dress is pretty. He's already taking out his black card and handing it to you. If you don't like gift giving, please don't ever make an Amazon wish list. He will buy everything off it. He just loves to make you happy

—He's a very affectionate bf, and PDA comes naturally to him. He's not full on making out with you on the street, but he has an arm around you, or a hand pressed to the curve of your back to lead you. When you're sitting down together, you're touching knees, thighs, or shoulders. He doesn't see the issue with it. Chuuya loves you and you love him, so why not love on each other in public? He doesn't get the stigma around it, and frankly doesn't care

—He is SO good with your family. Your mother loves him. Your father loves him. Your great aunt loves him. If you have little siblings, he's amazing with them. Big siblings? Guess who's gonna make sure they get promoted in their careers. Christmas is your whole family's favorite holiday now, because this man is such a giver. He's also incredibly polite and well-mannered, not to mention charismatic. Everyone just loves him, hands down

(Just don't let it slip he's a gangster, lmao)

—Overall, Chuuya is a boyfriend who makes it clear just how much he values you and you being a part of his life. I spoke a lot about money, and I'm not trying to say he throws dollars at all his issues, but as a child, Chuuya was with the Sheep and was very poor. Now that he has money, I hc that he loves to share it with those he cares about

—Just please treat this man well. He's been through too much, smh. Give him your all, and he'll give it back tenfold

SUO HAYATO

—Suo is an odd one, for sure

—I feel like we really don't know much about him, so I'm going by what his personality is in the show/the portions of the manga I've read

—You probably met Suo the same way you met Kaji, but I feel like Suo isn't really the relationship type. He probably doesn't think about it much, and he probably doesn't really ever think about people's appearances, either. I think you're better off being friends with him first, or having some sort of meet cute

—I imagine a person with any general personality (loud, or quiet; outgoing, or shy) could catch Suo's eye, as long as they work hard towards their goals (doesn't matter what the goal is), act kindly to those around them, and I can kind of see him with someone more innocent

—I feel like Suo is definitely self-aware enough to realize he has a crush, or has caught feelings, and is perceptive enough to realize that you have, too. He probably goes about it in a very mature manner, where he asks you to hang out, maybe go for a walk, and mentions that he really enjoys spending time with you. If you agree, wonderful. He can tell just by looking into your eyes how you feel about what he's saying. If he can see you feel the same, he'll probably just come out with it and confess by asking you out:

"Would you like to go on a date with me?"

—He's probably very low key about the date. I doubt he takes you anywhere crowded. Maybe, instead of a rigidly planned out date, you two simply spend the day together. He follows you around to do whatever you want

—Suo moves slowly, I feel like. He wants to be sure of both his feelings and your's before it gets too serious. He knows you both are young and your emotions change like a switch being flipped, but if they don't, great! He's your bf now. Good luck ever getting rid of this stubborn mf

—He's a very private person, so he's not into PDA. Most people, probably even your friends, don't realize that you're dating unless you tell them

—Suo is oddly proud of you?? If that makes sense. Not in a condescending way, but he genuinely is so happy for you every time you accomplish something. He's goal-oriented and a hard worker, and he notices how hard you work towards your goals, too, even if you think he doesn't. These may be some of the only times he's cool with PDA, because how can he not hug you/kiss you after you just did that?

—The living embodiment of "That's my girl" is this guy

—He's so thoughtful. Acts of service are big for him. Because he's so perceptive, he can see when you're overwhelmed/tired/whatever it may be, and he can also tell what you need to get done/dislike doing the most, and he'll just do it for you without mentioning it. For example, say one of your at home chores are dishes, but you hate doing the dishes. If Suo is over and noticed the plates piling up in the sink, he'll excuse himself from your room for a minute, do them, and return like nothing happened. He carries around an extra jacket with him during the colder months if you're forgetful, or think you can deal with it (we all know you’re cold, don't lie)

—He's another one who is pretty busy, but he always checks up on you during the day. He has your schedule memorized, so you probably get a "How's it going?" text after school and after work

—He can read your mood so well. He knows when you need him to back off because you need alone time, and knows when you need him close. Suo also knows just how to make you feel better. If you're an anxious person, he can tell when you're starting to get overwhelmed. Even if y'all are with friends and you'd think it would be embarrassing, he makes the best excuses as to why you need to step out/leave without offending anyone, or hurting their feelings

—All three of these men are protective of you, but where as Kaji and Chuuya are very much "I'll break your fucking jaw," Suo is willing to let you handle it right up until he knows you can't. When you can't, then he'll step in. He recognizes your agency and that you can handle yourself, and that you probably take pride in handling yourself

—He's such a jokester. He's so unserious. He does it with that little smile, though, so it's just kind of hard to tell. Do not EVER prank him. Suo will see it coming from a mile away, and he'll turn it on you SO fast. Just, don't even try... This mf will embarrass you SO bad

—Overall, Suo is a very calm, thoughtful presence in your life. He's always willing to help you think of ways to fix your problems, or just to listen to you vent (if that's what you want). He knows and respects your boundaries, and he's incredibly perceptive

—I forgot to add it up there, but obviously your parents/siblings love him. He doesn't come off as rough as Kaji, and he's incredibly polite to them. Suo can play your mom and dad like a violin, which comes in especially handy when he convinces them to let you do something they normally would yell at you for even suggesting

—Silver tongued bastard. I love him, y'all. I can't—💀💀

[cheesus-doodles]

bro i’m so desperate for a shion fanfic or scenarios like i haven’t seen much shion fanfics and i NEED it and i’m obsessed with your works literally i keep rereading them whenever i cant find any good fanfics 😭

come and get your man shion anon 😤 i got you - have some hcs!

Masterlist

‎‎‎

Yandere BFF Shion HCs

best way to describe this man as a yandere bestfriend would be like having a puppy, albeit an overly eager and rather mouthy puppy

thinking of where you could possibly meet this boy and I honestly doubt you would ever find him within two miles of a school

most likely you two would have met before Shion became part of the Black Dragons, because he would have been too obsessed with the gang and Izana after that

fastest way to anyone's heart is through their stomach, so you probably met him waiting in line for crepes at a food cart, though waiting in line would probably be pushing facts by quite a bit

this blond boy instead would have made his way straight to the front of the queue demanding to be served first because he was hungry and he wanted food right now, and on any normal given day, no one would dare speak up

what was respect and conformity again? not anything that Shion knows or gives a shit about

unfortunately for this delinquent, you were apart of the queue that day, and you were absolutely not having it

marched up to him, grabbing him by his ear and giving it a good twist - asking him what did he think he was doing, if he did not see everyone else waiting in line, and if he didn't think that they were all hungry too

dragging him still by his ear to the back of the line chiding him the whole way, making him join right at the end before returning to your spot in the queue

could hear a pin drop in that area, but it didn't seem like you noticed

everyone else around was sure you were going to be absolutely pummeled after that little stunt - did you not see that he was a delinquent, what with that dyed hair, ferocious face tattoos and multiple ear piercings?

surprisingly enough, against their fear, all Shion did was respectfully wait in line till it was his turn, collected his crepe and then made his way to a bench under the shade of a tree to enjoy his food

you joined him at the bench, your own uneaten crepe still in hand and your huffiness completely gone - you had been waiting for him since you had gotten your food earlier

Shion was no doubt huffy himself now though

just who did you think you were telling him what to do??

but he didn't chase you off since he kinda admired your courage and your no nonsense behavior, and you seemed kinda interesting, so he very kindly let you continue to sit un-pummeled next to him

and that was how the two of you first became friends

Shion found himself hanging around you more and more, mostly because despite the fact that he is loud, rude and lack any semblance of respect, you obviously didn't mind

one of the few civilians/non-delinquents that didn't fear him in the slightest, and he appreciated the normal friendship that he seldom got to enjoy

and of course, he liked that you were one of the few could put him in his place with a good tongue lashing and maybe a twist of his ear when you needed to do so

more like this blond boy let you put him in his place because anyone would get beaten in the ground before they can touch him, but still

he likes it :)

you'll be surprised to find Shion turning up at your school to attend classes, because he isn't a student at your school

but you'll still welcome him to join because you know that your new friend barely attends classes at all, and if it took you being there for him to attend, then so be it

all the other students keep a good distance away from you

the two of you quickly become best friends when you realize both of you shared a favorite show, and the two of you start to invite the other over to catch the latest episode at each other's houses

and you would of course help Shion with his homework (if any), while he just bugs you to do something more fun while you are trying to do yours

Shion has always come across to me as a very insecure person; he looks up greatly to Izana, possibly because he had been trained and chosen to be his successor

depends very heavily on getting Izana's approval to feel good about his work and life in general, but now that you were a part of his life, some of that clinginess gets shifted over to you

and that was when the yandere tendencies start

you were an average student with an average number of friends

and this blond boy absolutely hates it when your attention is off of him for any reason whatsoever - you should be focused on him and him alone

he was the only one that deserved (needed) your validation to feel anything like himself

no hesitation at all to beat into a pulp anyone he feels is a threat to his friendship and relationship with you - after all, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission

you would be no doubt very pissed, but nothing that Shion can't solve

would make up some lie that they were bullies/rival delinquents which you would be very suspicious of, but this baby boy would secretly be pleased that your attention was back on him, even if you were angry and scolding him

definitely introduces you to Izana once he joins Black Dragons, as well as everyone else

yet at the same time, Shion would be so eager to earn your approval, like he did from Izana

shows off his bike to you the moment he got it, his gang jacket, and even his knuckle duster collection

though he will fib a little and say that they were only for collection purposes - you know he fights but didn't think he would use anything but his fists

and surprisingly, his completed homework as well (you were always so impressed when he did those)

would be the sort of wanted to show you off to everyone and anyone that would listen - so proud that you were his bestfriend

100% a crier around you (and only you)

it takes a lot of time and a hell lot more of trust from Shion to ever open up to you, because firstly, he has this reputation he needs to maintain of being the "Mad Dog", and he would never show any vulnerability where there is even a possibility that it could be leaked out

and secondly, Shion is really just very shy about emotions and has bad emotional regulation skills - usually he wildly swings from raging to neutral and back and forth, but obviously with a best friend a wider rage is needed and this boy has no idea what to do

but once he does, this baby boy cannot stop crying, especially when shit happens in his life

morphs into a crybaby the moment you two are alone and in the privacy of your/his room with double locked doors

needs the comfort and attention from you to make the booboos go away

knows that you would never let the fact that he cries on your lap leak out, even though you make fun of him from time to time when no one is listening

would deny, deny, deny, but would never get mad at you for teasing him because he is such a softie when it comes to you

you are the both halves that Shion needs in his life - a firm hand when needed and comforting and kind at all other times

would never want to let you go no matter what - you had earned yourself the loyalty of the Mad Dog that you weren't allowed to ever relinquish

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hello hello friendo! I was wondering if I could request a Wally x wolf puppet reader? the scenario being that the other neighbors are afraid of R (reader) no matter what due to them looking like a big 'bad' wolf, R's appearance is quite frightful; stitches in a few places along with big teeth and claws plus they are on the large size (roughly Barnaby's size, if not a bit shorter). While on the outside they look all mean they are actually really sweet and just want to make friends.

"Do you think I'm doing something wrong, Wally? 'cuz I feel...unwanted here."

"No, no. You've done nothing wrong, Neighbor! What made you think of such silly things?"

"...well everyone's still acting like I'm gonna eat them for breakfast."

"Breakfast?? Why, that's nonsense. Breakfast is composed of bacon, eggs, juice, and toast..not people!"

"Uh, that was just a....nevermind." Sighing, you shook your head as you gave up trying to explain the idiom to Wally. But having this conversation with him over the phone did manage to cheer you up a little.

How you wished it was this easy talking to the rest of the neighbors, though they were all absolutely terrified of you and would've hung up the second they heard your voice.

Fortunately, Wally had recently learned a valuable lesson from Barnaby, who told him that he should never "judge a book by its cover". And he lived by that philosophy every time a newcomer came to town, whether they stayed or left.

You were no exception despite being a rather frightening-looking wolf with large sharp teeth, untrimmed claws, and stitches all over your body that made you look like a zombie. Of course, your clothes covered most of them, yet they didn't fully hide all of the things your neighbors were afraid of.

Of course, it didn't help that you're the child of The Big Bad Wolf...but you're nothing like him! You're not deceptive or evil in any way; all you wanted to do was make new friends.

But that was tough to prove when someone screamed if you so much as smiled at them.

Poppy was understandable, given she was a bird who already had some anxiety issues to begin with. And Barnaby was alright since you're both tall canines (and even then, he was still the taller one). He tolerated your presence and can stand being in the same room as you.

As for Julie, Eddie, Frank, Sally, and Howdy....you unintentionally scared them out of their wits.

For instance, you visited Howdy's bugdega for the first time to get groceries, and he ducked behind the register as you approached. The poor guy sounded like he was in tears as he stuttered that everything was free of charge.

Back then you thought he was having a bad day..but even outside of work, he seldom talked to you out of fear.

How naïve were you..

At least you had Wally, though, considering he's able to have normal chats with you both on the phone and in person. He still kept his joyful tone when speaking to you, and when you left he'd turn around to scold the others for "overreacting".

Honestly, he was growing tired of them treating you this way and not taking his advice. No neighbor deserved to feel so unwelcomed.

You weren't scary at all! He'll prove it!

And now he finally got an idea that he believed would work.

"Say, [y/n]..whatdya think about coming with me to the park?" He suggested. "I'm organizing a little painting lesson, and at the end we're all gonna paint something we like! If everyone's there and sees us getting along, they'll finally see how nice you really are!"

"You think so?" Your ears perked up, a small smile forming on your face as your tail began lightly wagging, thumping against the furniture.

While you haven't done any art since settling into the community, this hangout seemed to be a good place to sharpen your skills and, hopefully, make some friends. If they saw you indulging in a passion, you'll be able to connect with them more.

"Yup! I think it'll work! So are you in or out?"

"I'm in."

"Great! See you in an hour!"

Your smile dropped. "Wait, it's toda-?"

However, you didn't get the chance to finish as you heard the 'click' on the other end, realizing he hung up. You sighed and hung up your phone, too.

The thought of seeing everybody at the park so soon had you feeling anxious all over again, but you tried shaking off your worries, not wanting them to deter you from going. You couldn't disappoint Wally after how hopeful he sounded.

So instead you focused on making lunch for yourself before packing some art supplies together, finding a canvas or sketchbook to bring with you.

And about an hour later, you were fully prepared.

'It'll be fine..Wally's gonna be there..' You told yourself, taking a few deeps breaths, heading out the door with your head held high.

Surely, the neighbors will finally change their mind about you once they see that you shared a similar hobby as them..

Right?

.......

It turns out you were wrong.

As Wally hosted his painting lesson in the park, going over how to paint different figures and scenes step-by-step...most of the gang could barely focus on what he was saying.

Instead, their eyes were anxiously fixated on you as you tried ignoring them and listened to his words. Whenever you made direct eye contact with any of them, they'd quickly look away and shudder, their hands shaking as they pretended to paint or draw.

They kept their canvases close to their chest, as though you were gonna pounce and tear it to shreds if they let their guard down.

Obviously, Wally took notice of this fast and would ask them questions about what he just said, his smile slowly turning into a frown as some stuttered out answers..while others just didn't catch it the first time around.

You only expected this, although you did manage to impress everybody with your scenery of a moonlit sky after accomplishing the final task of painting something you liked.

But it wasn't enough for Wally. They only complimented you because they were scared you'll get angry if they said the wrong thing...he could just tell by their shifty gazes.

They're just pretending.

After everybody eventually left for home, as the sun was going down, you stayed in the park with Wally. He was still sitting motionless on the same flat rock, having already put his supplies away.

You frowned as you approached him, not knowing what's gotten into him lately

Of course this hangout wasn't going to immediately make you everybody's best friend, but you didn't think he'd be this upset.

If anything it should have been you who was upset, though you believed things went quite well considering nobody ran away from you this time around.

Unfortunately, Wally begged to differ, given how he hasn't spoken a word to you since everyone else left.

"Wally?" Crouching down in front of him, you tilted your head. "What's wrong?"

"...I don't get it."

"..look, it's okay-" You went to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, only for him to suddenly look up at you with frustration in his wide eyes. Even his pupils seemed to tremble as he spoke.

"No, it's not okay. I-I..I know they can't help it but..I thought they trusted me, Neighbor. I planned all of this so they could stop being scared of you! And yet...they..." He trailed off, fingers trembling as they curled into his pants. "They're never gonna change...are they?"

"They can. They just need some more time." You tried to reason, yet he shook his head.

"But how much longer will it be until y--?" He started, but quickly stopped upon seeing the flashes of concern in your eyes, shrinking away.

"...until I what, Wally?"

"........"

"Are you...scared that I might leave one day?" You finally connected the dots. "Is that why you're so upset over all of this?"

Given his silence as he looked back down at the ground, that basically confirmed your answer.

Now it all made sense.

"Oh, buddy.." You hugged him close, feeling him flop against you as he rested his head on your fluffy chest. "You don't have to worry about that. It's gonna take a lot more than just a few skittish people to kick me out."

"But..you're so nice...and I don't know why they can't see that.." He mumbled, slowly hugging you back. "I swear I've tried everything-"

"You don't have to do anything more, Wally. I appreciate what you've done, but..you don't need to be stressed for my sake. I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'll even pinky promise it for ya."

After a long silence you felt him nod, and you smiled, relieved that he trusted you.

Soon you let each other go and made that pinky promise, sealing the deal. You could see that lifted a huge burden off his shoulders--one you didn't even realize he was trying to carry this whole time--as his own smile returned.

"C'mon. It's getting late. I'll walk ya back home." You suggesting, slinging your bag over your shoulder.

"Haha..that's usually my job, Neighbor." The blue-haired puppet chuckled as he fixed up his messy pompadour. "But thank you. I'll take up your kind offer!"

[kairiscorner]

hi there!! :)) I saw that ur requests were open again and I wanted to ask if you could do a hc or short fic(?) for like a Hobie x Spiderperson! reader where they've got this vibe that they're dating???

Like whenever anyone asks about it they have no clue and reject the idea since Hobie doesn't believe in labels and the reader doesn't want to be tied down. But! they both get suuuper jealous whenever either of them gets too close/flirts with other people and drags them away or smth huehruehdids

Maybe they confess??? What if one time the jealousy gets too much or one of them got really hurt and the other realizes that they might never be able to tell the other their feelings? Maybe a big kiss at the end bc of the exploding feelings? That's all, thank you and have a great day!!! :DD

HI ANONNNN <33 omg i love so much WHAT i hope i do this justice <:))

(reblogs are greatly appreciated, it helps get my content out there! if you guys like what you see, please reblog it too <:D)

"so... are you two a, y'know, a thing?"

questions like these never fail to keep you quick on your toes, especially since nothing could be farther from the truth. you and hobie were just good friends, really good friends. just a couple of buds that always had each other's back when battles go awry, or when the other gets in trouble for a few stunts here and there. you two were just... very close, is what you would call it, neither of you really used labels to express what you two were to each other.

hobie hated labels anyway to begin with, never believed in them and certainly doesn't want to use them to describe his relationship with you. he never felt the need to, all he was certain of was that if you were there for him, he'd obviously be there for you–even if you never asked for him to be, it was always a given.

you yourself were a free-spirited type of person, you refused to be weighed down by commitment when you already had yourself to worry about. and besides... you didn't feel anything for hobie, did you? nah, you didn't, you just thought that he was really, really cool. and awesome. and inspiring. and rebellious for the right reasons. and so... just, just a lot of amazing things.

you two wanted to make it clear: there was nothing going on between you two. and even though you convinced some of the folks at the spider society, a lot of others were still highly skeptical of you two, not that you guys cared, you two knew each other well. or so you both thought.

though hobie was always your first pick for a partner on a mission, you were being paired up with a lot of different spider people recently. and though it was no problem for hobie, you worried about leaving him alone. "hey, now, don't get all sentimental on me. i never believed in consistency, anyway. you're amazing, of course everyone wants you on their team. i'll catch you on the flipside," he'd tell you something along those lines and just... be gone for the rest of the day.

you tried not to worry so much, but guilt ate away at you sometimes and distracted you. but soon, this routine became more and more commonplace for you two, to the point that it distracted you seldom times when you heard that hobie was okay, he wasn't avoiding you, he was just... off somewhere else, and that much was enough to put you at ease.

you hung around the new people you met more and more often, even when hobie was around. you never meant to replace him, you could never do that; you just had your own life, and hobie... hobie knew. he understood that not every day can be for you two to share together, but honestly, he wished he didn't have to share your attention with these other guys, despite how well they mean, he wanted just you and him together for one more day; one more day, just like how it all was before this new change in routine.

little did hobie know that wish would come true sooner than he thought; for as you two were sent on a mission together, with just you two together, hobie had to admit how much he missed you--how much he wanted for things to be the way they once were. "i know i said i never believed in consistency, labels, and... i don't. but when it comes to you, i just have these thoughts, these thoughts of seeing you smile because of me, feeling your hand in mine after a long fight, getting together to make mischief and getting each other out of it--i really missed that... i missed you."

and you thought you were crazy for hearing that right then and there, because you yourself felt that exact same way. "i... i really missed you, too, hobie." you'd admit, and that was all the admission hobie needed to hear. "if you'll let me, may i... show you just how much i've missed you?" he ask as he brings his hand to your cheek and gazes into your eyes as you become more and more embarrassed about your feelings for him, but so was he when he realized you were, and are, all he ever loved.

you agreed, and in the blink of an eye, his lips were on yours. you felt his piercings, they were cold amidst both of your lips touching each other, but you two fit so well together; you two were each other's missing link, the only one who can right each other's wrongs and make them feel much more... alive.

though you two still refused to give other people any labels when asked about you two--because how was it their business, right?--you two knew just the other meant to you: it was ride or die with you, and only you; nobody else could replace or be the other, you're all he'll ever want, and he's all you could ever hope to love.

a/n: I HOPE THIS WAS GOOD AAAAAAAA, I REALLY LOVED WRITING THIS THOUGH <333

tags !! @thecoolerdor @miguelswifey04 @binibinileonara @ii01vq @k4tsu3 @luvstarrstruck @maxoloqy @fictarian @pixqlsin

[youremyheaven]

I don't know if you remember but a while ago I sent an ask talking about how as a ketuvian I've always felt rejected and that's why I close myself off to people ? Anyway that's was a whileee ago.

But now that I'm in university, I just feel so alone, I've always had friends right but I never ever had a close friend, a confident you know ? And now I just feel like seeing everybody spend time with their group of friends I feel like I missing out.

When I try to make friends at my uni they are never what I expect and it never goes far, ( I fear that I appear as clingy) I just never meet anybody that fits me also I am in my rahu/Venus antardasha so I just feel so obsessed with establishing socials connections which feels very weird for me as a ketuvian and I just feel lost like I want to get this idea out of my head however I can't and everytime I get a friend they just start at one point expressing animosity towards me like 😐 why you're jealous I tought we were twinning?? I just feel so lost and exploited like I try to give out love but it is never matched so I was wondering if you would like to give a piece of advice or some insight on how should I stop the FOMO ? 👉👈🥺

I'm so glad you're back 💓

sorry babe i havent checked my asks in a few months so i must have missed it 💀💀

honestly babe, not everybody has genuine, healthy, meaningful friendships. i say this as someone who knows a lot of people and hangs out with a lot of people. all the people with these vast friend groups and besties they hang out with every day lowkey have all kinds of issues with them and THATS OKAY. we seldom get a realistic perspective on it.

most friendships are complicated if not superficial. the secret to healthy friendships are keeping boundaries.

OBVIOUSLY now there are genuinely good people in this world and good friendships can be formed with them but its all about timing. ive gone yearrrs of my life without having close friends :(((

now i want you to write down what exactly you're looking for in a friend:

is it someone to confide in? someone to have deep chats with? someone who will give you emotional support??

is it someone to hang out and do fun stuff with??

is it a combination of the two??

ideally, it should be possible to have a combo of the two but FRANKLY speaking, in this economy, you can have chill friends you hangout with occasionally (you dont talk to them everyday, you dont really have personal convos etc etc) or you can have a few friends who you can get super personal with

now considering how you've just started uni, your emotional needs are going to be very different from that of a woman in her mid 20s (aka me) for me, i dont really need to share much ?? with anyone?? but i do have people in my life that i can talk to if i need to?? but mostly we all just do our job and then chill and thats just adulthood

university is a whole different ballgame and i understand how isolating it can be without friends :(( 🥺🥺

but honestly its better to be alone than it is to be surrounded by fake asf friends 💀💀so dont worry about that

my university years were horrible because of toxic friendships. i felt alone through most of it and im sooo glad its over. i wish i had a fun uni experience to speak of but :// it is what it is and since it was covid era, not many people my age have a fun uni exp to speak of either so i didnt feel like im missing out on much

ANYWAAYYYS thats enough about me

about FOMO,

its just a part of life. we're all going to feel left out/excluded/left behind etc etc but tbh its not really fun if you aren't there experiencing it yourself. idk if that makes sense??? but like suppose you went to that party that you see all over your friends IG stories, once you're there you'll realise its nothing much, its just some drinks, disco lights, awkward people, pretentious wannabes and ppl with zero personality trying to impress each other. nothing is ever as fun as you see on instagram. so you're not really missing out on much. also company matters a great deal, if you go to fun places with lame asf/ boring/rude/ vibe unmatched people then youll ruin a good thing for yourself!!!

ive been asked to go to goa (its like the ibiza of india for the non desis) with like 3 different friend groups and ive declined them all bc while it sounds fun in theory (dropping acid at a rave) i dont think ill enjoy myself as much bc idrc about those ppl

life is only fun if we MAKE it fun. whenever you feel left out, just remind yourself "i probably wouldnt have enjoyed it any way" ORRRR "i wasnt there so it couldnt have been that much fun" (if youre delulu like me)

another major factor behind fomo is self comparison

i dont open IG, i dont see those stories. idgaf what other ppl are upto. if youre going to see coldplay, good for you. if you're going to iceland. good for you. IDC. i stay in my lane. i focus on myself. i get my shit done and try to check off my boxes.

let them have fun now. your turn WILL COME. and it will be amazinggg <333

just think of this as an era where you're sowing the seeds. learn to enjoy your own company. do things alone. get new hobbies. go on dates.

and there will come a different era which i call HARVEST SZN 😎😎😎where you can harvest the seeds you have sown now and have a blast

nothing is forever in life. spring follows winter. thats the rule of nature. so honestly just keep going.

dont be afraid of missing out because youre not missing out on anything that you would actually enjoy. bc the things that are actually for you, you can never miss out on??? if that makes sense???

idk if this helps 😭😭😭

but youre so smol and so precious. pls take care!!! dont fall into bad habits and dont waste these years by holding yourself back. do everything u want to do!!! and honestly try to get some kind of job. that will also keep u engaged and not leave u with any time to think <333 (welcome to capitalism, u cant have fomo if youre too tired to think 😍)

love,

heaven

[earlgreytea68]

Hello there! I hope you don't mind me bothering you, but I was just pondering a line from GINASFS:

"It's a strange way of saying that I know I'm supposed to love you"

At first, I took it to be a purely romantic line, that Pete feels he was always destined to be with the person in every universe, and that it was only a matter of time until they found each other. But then again, it also feels like it's sort of talking about a relationship built purely out of obligation. Everyone thinks we're supposed to be together, so I guess I have no choice but to stay with this person, even if it makes me unhappy.

Maybe a bit of both?

You're way more eloquent than I am when it comes to analyzing FOB lyrics, so if you'd be willing, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Okay, I am always saying that Pete Wentz is a genius with packing simple words with multiple meanings, like, every time you turn around you uncover a new meaning to what he's saying, I totally get why Patrick says he's still discovering them even years later. He is seriously SO GOOD at this and he's got SUCH a light touch, like, it's hard to do and he really does make it look so easy (doing something so hard, etc.) and I think that's why he seldom gets the credit for how smart he is as a writer, because he's SO good at it that it's easy to dismiss it as an accident, a mistake, unintentional, he didn't see all those meanings, he didn't mean to do that, he just happened into it.

Except nobody happens into so much poetry so consistently.

(and it's true he cultivates the impression by always being so "aw shucks does this even make any sense I have no idea what they're about" about his own lyrics)

ANYWAY. That introduction is my way of saying that yessssss, this is one of my favorite examples of how brilliant Pete is at saying two things at once (or more than two even).

Like, it's funny, this is like a Rorshach test, I always read the line as: "I know I'm SUPPOSED to love you, so I guess I'll pretend that I do," like, to me this is a line all about, tbh, not fitting into a heteronormative role, knowing that you're SUPPOSED to love this other person but it doesn't feel right. And it was only later that I realized the reading that you had first: Ohhhhh, it could also be I'm supposed to love you, like, you're my destiny.

And I just love so much that it works perfectly on both levels at the same time, like, this song is about what you think it's about, basically, and that is just such genius of Pete Wentz packing in those layers. I think you can listen to G.I.N.A.S.F.S. and think, "Oh, this is about a guy falling in love with a girl who's his destiny, how sweet," like, certainly that would be the reading of the guy who wrote the Fall Out Boy autobiography.

Or you could listen to G.I.N.A.S.F.S. and be like, Oh, this is about a guy who's in love with his best friend and actually can't get himself to fit into the expectations of the world at large. He's SUPPOSED (expected) to love the girl. But, wait, he's SUPPOSED (destined) to love the guy. IT'S BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. IT'S JUST SO SMART THIS WAY hahahaha. I will just cherish this reading for all time because it's just so good. And the ambiguity is in the entire song. There is literally nothing in that song that would lead you to believe in any way that it's about a heterosexual relationship. To be fair, there's also nothing that flashes it's about a homosexual relationship (other than maybe the title being a hint tbh). But Pete's songs are always like that. They're only about heterosexual relationships if that's what you bring to them, because he usually writes too ambiguously for that (or Patrick adds a hetero detail in). He walks through the house in your shoes -- that's a line that actually makes more sense if you think the song is addressed to a guy, because probably he's not the same size foot as a woman, although maybe.

But anyway: yeah. That line is honestly everything.

[townofcadence]

Headcanon about Artair and relationships-- CW for mentions of sexual things, though it's just alluded to, mostly.

Artair is complex when it comes to relationships. He's very easy to befriend, and once he's met you, he probably considers you a friend. He loves very very easily, and is constantly looking for the good in people. Even some of the worst people he's met have been given his care and attention, and in some cases, it has swayed them because someone listened and acknowledged their hurt, despite every attempt they made to keep their distance. He loves hard in this way that's both closed off about himself, but so vulnerable about the other, and opens himself up to be hurt, in order to reach someone who-- maybe just needs someone willing to do that.

The area that gets a little different from what might be considered the usual is romance and sex. Artair is a sex-positive ace, maybe demi but it's nebulous, and demi-romantic. He likes people, but he doesn't necessarily think about them in a way that's sexual. He's usually thinking about hobbies or random things or something he wants to do later, or how much he loves spending time with someone he cares about. But the thing is, he likes making people feel happy, and sees sex as a more normal, non-taboo thing where it's something he can do to make someone else feel good. So if a friend or someone he cares about expresses interest-- he'll probably do things with them, however they want and with a focus on their desires and needs, to make them happy and feel good. He doesn't mind doing so, and honestly the way they feel is its own reward for him, for making them feel that way. He doesn't need to know you well, though of course your mileage may vary based on how things go and chemistry. But usually, if they have a good rapport and show interest in him, and consent is there, he's happy to oblige, and center his current partner.

Romance is--- almost impossible, by contrast. It isn't that he doesn't feel it at all-- in fact he has the capacity to end up being interested in someone he's emotionally connected to. But he'll seldom if ever act on it. He loves people, he can be in love with them and yearn for them, but also, he....can't allow himself or them to be committed to one another.

For one, he can't allow himself to move on, while he's still looking for his friends who vanished. Everyone in town is sure they're gone after seven years, but he can't let go, and finding someone to be happy with and commit to... feels like giving up on them, or moving on. Being happy feels like taking away from his role in their loss. So he can't allow himself to move past it, until he finds what he needs.

Additionally, he can't let the other person end up in a relationship with him. He's bad luck, misfortune if it was a little guy, and while he's fine being friends, even friends who do things together of that nature--- he doesn't want them to have any tying commitments to him. He wants them to have the space that if they ever realize they don't care about him, or if they're done with him, or if they find someone who makes them happier (which they will, he's sure) or if he ends up being too much like he's been told, or they grow into much better people and realize how terrible he's always been--- then he's left the door open so they can walk away without needing to say anything at all, and without needing to sever things. They are free, and without any commitment which requires anything of them when it comes to him, regardless of his feelings since-- they're less important in the grand scheme.

Already touched on, of course, but in addition to knowing he's a monstrous thing--- most people who he meets either are just too kind and too good for him from the get-go, or if they're not, they grow, and he sees them become better versions of themselves that are happier and then-- he doesn't deserve them. Not that it's his choice who they decide on, but.... they're too good for him. And he doesn't know how to allow himself to be a choice, when he knows deep down they'd be so much happier with someone else. He will do anything he can to give them support, a shoulder to lean on, what they need, and try to help them find happiness.... but it can't be with him, because he will eventually ruin everything. And if they find better, they'll be so much happier in the long run. Especially if you consider the dangers of what he does and-- ultimately, how dangerous this unknown version of himself he's learning to navigate could end up being.

The closest muses to get to a relationship with him have been-- mildly to sometimes quite worrisome. He's kind of revealed himself to be a masochist in that way. He prefers people who treat him less than ideally, because either it's what he feels he deserves, or because he's broken and flawed, he feels more okay with another person who is broken and flawed and isn't a good person who just thinks that about themself but can be so much more (the fucking hypocrite). But in most cases, those people begin to improve with the right support network and kindness, and then-- he doesn't deserve them either.

It's a super ridiculous and self-sacrificing for no good reason mentality, and few to no one has really gotten past it. Most just end up being romances in everything but name and admittance, a product of the mental gymnastics Artair performs.

[mariana-oconnor]

The Illustrious Client pt 2

Last time we were dealing with a hypnotist, it seemed, who was doing everything short of tying women to railway tracks and twirling his moustaches to show Holmes how evil he is.

Honestly, it's probably a little surprising that it's taken this long for hypnotism to show up in these stories, as it seems right up ACD's alley

And we're about to meet an old friend of Holmes' who has simply never come up before.

...a huge, coarse, red-faced, scorbutic man, with a pair of vivid black eyes which were the only external sign of the very cunning mind within.

"Scorbutic" apparently means affected by scurvy, which I had never come across before. Does that mean his gums are bleeding? The NHS tells me it might also mean red or blue spots on the skin.

Mr Johnson, may I introduce you to the joys of... fruit and veg.

Please stop your gums from bleeding. Please.

...a slim, flame-like young woman with a pale, intense face, youthful, and yet so worn with sin and sorrow that one read the terrible years which had left their leprous mark upon her.

From scurvy to leprosy, once again being particularly flattering in your descriptions, Watson. Though I do love the 'flame-like' here. That's very evocative.

“Hell, London, gets me every time. Same address for Porky Shinwell. We're old mates, Porky, you and I. But, by cripes! there is another who ought to be down in a lower hell than we if there was any justice in the world!"

I like Kitty. I hope she doesn't die. She feels like a parody of a Victorian cockney character. It's beautiful.

There was an intensity of hatred in her white, set face and her blazing eyes such as woman seldom and man never can attain.

I guess women are just better at hating things?

Does it though? Idek, such a weird thing to divide by gender.

"He would speak of someone in his velvet way and then look at me with a steady eye and say: ‘He died within a month.’"

This guy really needs to stop telling people about the crimes he's committed. I get that you're an arrogant dickhead, but surely there must be some room for brains in your head beside all that hubris. Maybe think before you speak? And don't just think 'oh how awesome and evil I am tee hee hee'.

I'm sorry, I just get annoyed when I see bad guys making such obvious, preventable mistakes. At least be good at being evil, if you're going to do it. Do it properly.

"It's a book he has—a brown leather book with a lock, and his arms in gold on the outside. I think he was a bit drunk that night, or he would not have shown it to me.”

Oh for- Do you write it all down? Tell me you don't have a very secret evil diary of all your very secret evil deeds. Please... Please don't be that guy.

I get that this is realistic, because serial killers and horrible people do take trophies. But still...

Also, Adelbert is a name I've heard of before but never actually seen used.

“No good,” said Shinwell Johnson with the decided voice of the expert. “No fence wants stuff of that sort that you can neither melt nor sell.”

Shinwell Johnson here reminding us not only that he exists and that he is a criminal, but also possibly the most competent criminal in this story. Good for him.

“I am not out for money. Let me see this man in the mud, and I've got all I've worked for—in the mud with my foot on his cursed face. That's my price."

Vengeance!!!

Yes. I like Kitty a lot.

"If your head is inclined to swell, my dear Watson, take a course of Miss Violet de Merville."

S-tier line. This is just perfection. I love it.

"I pictured to her the awful position of the woman who only wakes to a man's character after she is his wife—a woman who has to submit to be caressed by bloody hands and lecherous lips. I spared her nothing—the shame, the fear, the agony, the hopelessness of it all."

Holmes going hard. I feel disgusted and I'm just getting the description of the description. This story has a lot of excellent turns of phrase in it. This section is particularly repellent.

"'...you needn't look at me like that, my fine lady, for you may be lower than I am before you are through with it.’"

Kitty is the best and I want her to be in every story from now on. You tell her. Go for the throat. I know it's not going to work, but yes!

"And it did. Their blow fell—or his blow rather, for never could I believe that the lady was privy to it."

So women are capable of more hatred than men, but they aren't capable of things like this. You have a very confused and tangled view of gender, Watson. Who hurt you?

But they eloped, didn't they? But then she'd definitely be privy to that.

"There, black upon yellow, was the terrible news-sheet: Murderous Attack Upon Sherlock Holmes"

Well, I suppose in a way that's better... because clearly he's not dead. And also that means that Holmes will have some sort of evidence against him.

Adelbert really needs to learn not to overplay his hand. If you're so sure that nothing can go wrong, just... wait it out. She'll marry you and everything will be fine. Patience.

[milquetoast27]

Charles Augustus Milverton [LFW]

"And yet I can't get out of doing business with him - indeed, he is here at my invitation."

Another count of Holmes obsessively wanting to be face-to-face with his criminals. Honestly he would be a criminology major if it were an available subject to study. Such a true crimer for real /affectionate

Holmes remarks on this in ILLU!

"I love to come to close grips with my man. I like to meet him eye to eye and read for myself the stuff that he is made of."

SERIOUSLY ARE YOU OKAY 😭

Watson, mentally: Days since Holmes has put himself in active danger: 0 (disgruntled face palm)

Big thing to mention in the beginning of the story, there is a LOT of out-of-character Holmes. But certainly not in a bad way! In a "oh fuck this is serious" kind of way. It's genuinely unsettling and it's what makes Milverton such a scary antagonist. Here are some examples:

• Holmes's rant after Watson asks who Milverton is, STEAMS of his boiling hatred and how furious the man makes him. He calls him not only "the king of all the blackmailers" but also "the worst man in London". We do not often see Holmes this angry 😧

I'll tell you, Watson. He is the king of all the blackmailers. Heaven help the man, and still more the woman, whose secret and reputation come into the power of Milverton! With a smiling face and a heart of marble, he will squeeze and squeeze until he has drained them dry.

What I find interesting about this passage, is that typically Holmes condemns Watson for the "poetry" in his descriptions in his stories. After all, a reasoner must see everything exactly how it is. But when Holmes's blood is boiling and he needs to illustrate exactly how he feels, sometimes only a snake metaphor will do! And after the rant?

I had seldom heard my friend speak with such intensity of feeling.

basically Watson's saying "Oh shit".

Holmes sat motionless by the fire, his hands buried deep in his trouser pockets, his chin sunk upon his breast, his eyes fixed upon the glowing embers. For half an hour he was silent and still.

Holmes was grey with anger and mortification.

Holmes disregarded the outstretched hand and looked at him with a face of granite.

Holmes being cold and antisocial here is very out-of-character in the canon. "Face of granite" is particularly unsettling here, since he is usually stoic and collected. He always knows what to do, and when he's THIS apprehensive, that familiarity of security is gone! He's face to face with simply another person and he's tense! That's how you KNOW shit's gonna get scary. Doyle did everything right here, to make Milverton a terrifying antagonist. 😭

Next point:

"Dr. Watson is my friend and partner." "Very good, Mr. Holmes. It is only in your client's interests that I protested. The matter is so very delicate - " "Dr. Watson has already heard of it."

Both lines said by Holmes, I imagine that it was probably common ettiquette to use the formal name in front of guests/acquaintances, but the emphasis of using the name back to back like that has a more aggressive tone of, "It's Dr. Watson to you." and I just - 😭

Finally, just love this bit. The tension really picks up when the gun's pulled out and there's lots of shouting, and amidst it all -

I picked up a chair, but Holmes shook his head, and I laid it down again.

FOR THE RECORD, WATSON WAS PREPARED TO BEAT HIM UP WITH THE CHAIR. Good old Watson! If I may say so 🥰 seriously such an MVP.

That covers it for LFW CHAS part 1!

[spiritf8x]

Skip and Loafer: Ah, Youth!

Hi everyone! It's been a while!

I've just finished watching Skip and Loafer, a slice of life anime... It's been a while since I've watched a slice of life anime, especially when it's so relatable for me. I have gone through that period of youth with certain thinking, meeting new people with different personalities, and just simply enjoying life!

Although our youth journeys may not have involved certain famous figures or having a specific large scale event such as cultural event(in Japan), I've come to find a few things in common for us, simply as adolescents (whether becoming one, now or past) and as humans through this anime.

*Again, SPOILER ALERT!!*

Our story begins with Mitsumi, a girl who is living in the city, Tokyo, for the first time. The moment you see her, you'd just root for her to the end, because of her funny, cheerful vibes and most importantly, her willingness to pursue achieving her goals relentlessly. I admired her for that, to become a government official to solve the problem of depopulation in not just her hometown, but also the other parts of Tokyo. Sounds big, right?

And then, we have the other end of the spectrum, Shima, who doesn't even know about what he'll do in the future, and with his 'whatever' attitude. Although he seems to be a 'happy-go-lucky' person, deep down it was revealed that he had some unhealed trauma in the past as a child actor. He seldom talk to others about his relationship with his family to even his closest friends. So, he doesn't really know how to interact with people, especially his family.

So, when you put this 2 together, you'll get the both of them being freaking wholesome without having to be a couple!!!

(Honestly that's my favourite part, that a guy and a girl can have fun without having any romantic relationship, and that the plot os not just the girl getting all flustered and nervous while interacting with the guy. They act normal and relaxed around each other, and that's something! Please, this is just my own thoughts and opinion, so please don't attack me on this!!)

Jk, the thing is, they are pretty open to learning about and from each other. They also to begin to understand each other more through resolving of conflict, one that Shima had 'never had since elementary school'. I mean, who would want to admit that they're wrong first with their relationship and their impression at stake? That was what Shima admired about Mitsumi- She has the guts to do whatever she feels right, and she has a good moral compass, so technically that is a good thing.

She also has a goal in mind (please refer to the top if confused), which is also something Shima is envious about. With his past, he finds it hard to be able to do anything freely, and that any way of saying 'no' to people's request is a form of 'rebellion', which would offend people and result them in doing mean stuff to him. That happened in the past, and he didn't want to do it again. Not when his model friend is having such a successful career. He wishes to have the same freedom as Mitsumi did. But because of his habits of doing whatever people wanted, he couldn't seem to being himself to think about what he wanted from himself, not even being able to 'answer the question of what is his favorite food'. So you definitely know that Shima had a character development when he finally declared his thought, that he 'likes going to high school'. That made me realize how much he'd grown as a person, and finding his identity and possibly in the future, what he wants to do.

And hopefully, whether he succeeds or not, Mitsumi would bring him to a place to eat.

On Mitsumi's side, she seems like the person you would definitely want to be friends with. Kind, caring, empathetic and hilarious(on her part, really) and relentlessly pursuing her dreams. My respect for her shot up so much when she told Shima that 'it's ok if I trip or fall, because I know how to get up!' She is the kind of girl who is almost the opposite of Shima-open to people, close to her family members, studious and focused, open-minded... you can name a few!

However, one similarity and that same pitfall she had was running around and taking up all the responsibilities. When this becomes too much for her, she breaks down and cries, because of the stresses of not being able to save every single promise from everyone who requested her of something. Shima sees Mitsumi when she was in her worst state, when they were preparing for the upcoming Cultural festival, and that she couldn't get her comments to her classmates because she was busy with other student council work. While Mitsumi wishes to accomplish many goals, she has the tendency to take too much, and when happens, she gets too stressed. Shima understands this, and wanted to comfort her. By bringing her through the steps of his part, while singing 'My Little Rose ', Shima is doing his part to include Mitsumi into their class's play, which she had been so out of touch from, to assure her that what she had done would not spoil the relationship she has with her classmates, if she talks to them and understands where they're coming from. This little part of the play was shown do much on the screen, but it did show one thing- that their friendship is tied between the trust and fun of 2 people.

So after all this blabbering, what now? What has this got to do with youth? Why do i have to sigh at the start of this blog??

Well, Skip and Loafer took me on an adventure or a historical nonfiction of youth, and the depiction was real and raw. Sudden moments and thoughts weaved together shows as who we are as a person. As adolescents, we were in search of our identities, our dreams and aspirations, our relationships and connections, and the memories built from it. See, it's like crocheting from a ball of yarn to form a scarf. Something that you'd hold on dear to. And that's what Skip and Loafer tells us about. Keep an open mind, experience the bittersweet taste of youth, and keep going.

That's it! It close to midnight on my side of the Earth. So to the person reading this, whenever you are, wherever you are, have a great day, and a great night!!

[hell-much]

Cutting Room Floor - Insidious Intent - V

Relationship Status

This was a cut scene from chapter 16 where Sansa and Margaery are asked to define their past and present relationship status. This was set originally between Sansa dropping the bomb of wanting to keep sleeping with Margaery, and Margaery setting down her ground rules.

.

With the alcohol ebbing down, and that bitter sense of rejection still in her mouth, Sansa is tired like seldom before in her life. Whatever interest she ever had in being an active participant in this is gone, she answers when addressed and tunes the rest out.

The worst is that she can’t even blame Margaery. She treated her like dirt for two days straight. Refused to speak to her. Compared her with Ramsay. And then she announced in front of her lawyers that she wanted some kind of messed up friends-with-benefit-situation, except they weren’t friends, while expecting her to smile for the paparazzi as her girlfriend.

She honestly judges a little Margaery for still being here.

What had she been thinking? This is more stupidity to just blame on a glass of wine on an empty stomach.

“I could feel her shutting down on me. What he said was all logical and more positive than I’d ever expected, I was euphoric but Sansa…”

Sansa blinks up from her coffee when she hears her name. It takes her a moment to realise she wasn’t addressed. Margaery sits with her most professional face, her every attention on Oberyn and Ellaria and something about the sight irritates the life out of Sansa, just for how Margaery somehow managed to turn the table on her, that she’s suddenly the one craving her attention.

“She was adamant about not wanting to go public. I beseeched her. I was at my wits end. And the prospect of just waiting week for week for the trial to come closer. I didn’t think I could do it. Look, it was pretty clear at this point that there wasn’t a future for us like this. But I thought I could perhaps still ensure she had one beyond prison.”

How bloody noble, Sansa thinks. This deciding what was good for her will never not bother her.

“What would you have me do, Sansa?” The sharpness in which Margaery addresses her lets Sansa realise she spoke those words out loud. “Sit there for another seven weeks, hold your hand and pretend I was happy with your decision? I wasn’t.”

Sansa gives a tired shrug. “I never asked you to be happy. Just to accept it.”

“I couldn’t accept it either,” Margaery declares. 

“Did you even try?” Sansa pins her in place with her eyes.

“That wasn’t your last interaction though,” Ellaria cuts in and with that Sansa tunes back out, and wonders if she couldn’t just slip outside for a cigarette. Ellaria and Oberyn have weeks and weeks left with her, they can catch up on any questions they might have then. Margaery is only still here for today.

She forcefully swallows the lump that builds in her throat with the thought of this quite possibly being it. Her last interaction with Margaery. Maybe they’ll cross paths again briefly in the last phase of trial preparation. Certainly they’ll see each other in court. Will Margaery appear for more than just her own testimony? Until an hour ago Sansa would have said yes with utter conviction. Now she isn’t sure.

When Oberyn says that he’s only a couple more general questions left, Sansa isn’t sure whether to be relived or devastated. Part of her is desperate to call it a day, to never see any of them again, part of her can’t leave things like that.

“How would you define the nature of your relationship?”

Sansa stares at him, thinking that her saved the real goodies for the end. To her dismay Margaery doesn’t appear to have a good answer for that either. Not a good one anyway.

“We fell in love,” Margaery says slowly, probing her way forward, and Sansa sees how every muscle in her body seems tense saying these words. “For the lack of a better term you might have said we were dating.”

“We weren’t dating,” Sansa disagrees, despite not having a better answer either.

“I said for the lack of a better term,” Margaery says, almost amicable. “Social terms for relationships don’t really come with a word for what our situation was. Dating seems the closest though.”

“Situationship,” Ellaria says for the first time all day also sinking down on a chair.

Oberyn laughs. “I’d go to prison myself just to see you use that word in front of Lannister.”

“Long distance relationship,” Ellaria suggests then.

That comes closer Sansa thinks, the word relationship feels too much though, while dating sounds like Margaery is someone she met on a dating app and went for a drink with twice.

“I think we would have had to interact a whole lot more to qualify as a long-distance relationship,” Margaery says too.

“Maybe we need to split it up,” Oberyn decides. “We can account for these first eight meetings. They are well documented as part of your professional relationship. Journalist and interviewer. Lines blurry at times, but overall, fairly straightforward. Then you have the shift to a platonic friendship.”

Platonic friendship. That sounds the most wrong of all he said so far. They were never friends. And they were never platonic. She saves herself the protest. They need a narrative that will work in court, and this is one she can live with.

“For what came later, we could say romantically affiliated. On the verge of a more serious relationship,” Oberyn concludes. “That didn’t move ahead due to circumstances.”

Packed into legal language makes it even more depressing that it is anyway.

“Did you speak with someone about your relationship?” Oberyn continues.

“Very briefly,” Sansa answers first because Oberyn looks at her. “With a fellow inmate. But not in many details.”

“I talked with my brother,” Margaery offers. “He was fairly well informed about all that went on.”

Oberyn looks interested. “Would he recall that?”

“Teasing me about being a prison bride?” Margaery deadpans. “Probably.”

“Do you suppose he’d be ready to write his impression of your relationship development down?” Oberyn asks.

Sansa shakes her head quietly. This witness list getting out of hand. She’s never even met her brother. That random collection of evidence can’t be good, can it? It doesn’t speak for a very solid case anyway. But she always knew that.

Oberyn sets on for a new round around the table. “What was your first impression of each other?”

“She—”

“I—”

They start and stop simultaneously. That gets a small smile out of both of them. Leaning back, Sansa makes a gesture that leaves Margaery the advantage. She is curious to hear this. 

“I thought her very controlled,” Margaery says then, her eyes resting on Sansa for a moment longer before turning to Oberyn. “Very conscious of everything she did and said. Definitely experienced in handling press.”

That’s a little bland, Sansa thinks, slightly disappointed.

“And on a personal level? Did you find her attractive?

Margaery look borders on bashful. So unlike her, but of course she’ll avoid giving out any wrong signals. “I’m not blind,” she says simply.

Oberyn takes note of that, as Sansa tries to figure out if that’s a compliment or not. “And you, Sansa?”

Sansa sighs. “She was not what I expected. At all. I’d read her stories and suddenly there was this sorority girl sitting across from me.” She sees Margaery make that face. A toned down version of it. The same face she made when she called her straight-passing or pillow princess. “It emerged pretty soon that she was more than that, within a few sentences really.”

“Did you find that attractive?” Oberyn asks.

Sansa lowers her eyes to not let on how very much even the thought of that combination of all that Margaery presented still excites her today. “I’m not blind either.”

Oberyn has the next question ready in the same second she stopped speaking. “What did the two of you have in common?”

Neither of them speaks and even when she’s not looking at her, Sansa can tell Margaery is wondering the same thing she is: Did they -do they- have much in common? They have chemistry, plenty of that, but is that the same as having something in common? Does having something in common matter?”

“I guess you could say we have a certain stubbornness to us,” Margaery says then, looking at her to see if she agrees. “On opposites end of the spectrum, but still.”

“What attracted you to the other?”

They exchange a quick look, and again Sansa gestures for Margaery to start, who rolls her eyes at having to go first.

She looks to her hands for a moment. “There was so much more to her than her public persona. She had depth, more than I would have ever guessed. She had passion, wit, a wonderfully dry humour. She had genuine values, was genuinely kind. I found her a walking contradiction, because I couldn’t comprehend how a woman who was kind and had genuine values, who was ever so polite, was capable of such a crime. She made me want to get to know her. All of her.”

Sansa hangs at her lips and thinks she might not mind these last round of questions as much as she thought she did. And just perhaps that things with Margaery aren’t as over as she considered them to be. Perhaps.

“Her smirk,” Sansa goes on then. “That slightly crooked smirk, that… drove me crazy.” She brushes a hand over her face. “Wow I sound superficial.”

Across from her Margaery shakes her head almost imperceptible, a hint of that smirk on her lips.

“I admired her perseverance,” Sansa goes on. “Her willingness to make me comfortable by wasting an entire session on asking me silly questions. And her ability to listen, to even smallest details. Her mind and how she build connections those closest to me didn’t make, just by listening. When she gave met that first draft she wrote… she had made correct conclusions that had not occurred to me previously.”

Oberyn pauses and lets the said settle. “How do you feel about each other now?” Oberyn asks.

They both stay silent for a long moment. That is like an answer on its own. Feelings that you had no chance to deal with, have no vent. It’s all still there, in all its heaviness and wonderfulness, and its messiness. It’s pride that keeps them both quiet. For Margaery there is a limit to how often you can tell someone you love them if they’re looking at you like Sansa is looking at her. And Sansa would probably rather lose an arm before admitting she still—

“I still care for her,” Sansa admits. “Half the time I wish I didn’t. And the other half I’m furious over what she did… but yes I still care for her. Very much so.”

There is a weird liberation to having said it. The same that came with the news of the leaked recording. Relief to just have it out there, all while knowing what lay ahead would not be pleasant.

“I do too,” Margaery admits.

[foodandfolklore]

Masala Chai

So how many of you reading enjoy Chai Tea? Now how many of you want to cry out "Chai means, Tea! You're just saying Tea Tea!"

Indeed, Chai does mean Tea. But it's normally just the shortened version of "Masala Chai" or "Spiced Tea" as today it's seldom to see someone from South Asia drink plain tea. The Masala is a spice blend brewed with the tea, and tends to be unique from family to family. Or even person to person. Cardamom and Ginger are popular ingredients, but you can also see cinnamon, star anise, all spice, black pepper, nutmeg; all kinds of stuff.

The Origins of Masala Chai have never been quite pin pointed. Historians can't seem to agree if the Drink is 5000 years old or 9000 years old. It seems to have been a drink developed over time by many people. But there are still some stories to try to explain it's start. One of which gives all credit to a King Harshavardhan, who added Black tea leaves given to him by his Chinese Friend, helping him stay awake and alert. Another version talks of a Buddhist monk taking a trip to china and chewing on some tea leaves. The black tea perks him right up and he goes "Ya know what this would be good in...."

So we do know that early Masala Chai was not made with black tea. That was an addition later. Hard to believe, right? Another addition that was not standard until around the 1990s was milk. Which honestly shocked me considering every time I've had Authentic Masala Chai, it's been like a Milk Tea. But sweeteners were always there from the beginning. Just don't add so much it over powers the spices.

No matter how you make it, Masala Chai invokes hospitality, individuality, and comfort. I actually buy my Masala from the Grocery store like I do my tea leaves. Check your spice isle, tea isle, and international isle. And if you still can't find some, try making your own with ground spices. Start with Ground cardamom and ginger and see where that takes you.

But now let me share a recipe someone gave me after I tried the most Delish Masala Chai at a Diwali celebration and was screaming for more. I've since tweaked it slightly, making it more my own.

Masala Chai

Need: 1 Cup Water -2 Cups Milk (non dairy fine) -1 Tbsp Sugar -1 bag of Orange Peko Tea (I use Red Rose since I grew up on it. You can use Any Black Tea you like.) -1 small knob of ginger, peeled and grated -5-10 mint leaves -1/2 tsp vanilla -1 tsp Masala blend

In a pot, heat your water with tea, ginger, mint, and Masala blend. Let it simmer and step for about 3-5 minutes on high.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add milk and vanilla. Return to a medium heat. Warm your milky tea until you see steam coming off and everything is heated through.

Spoon the tea bag out, and strain the tea. Serve hot, or let it cool and drink cold.

Notes and Tips: You can use other kinds of sweeteners other than sugar. However, I found Honey muted many of the other flavors in the masala.

Use more or less ginger depending on how much you like these in tea. I recommend Fresh.

More flavor of the ginger is released via grating. But you can just cut it up.

If you don't have a way to strain, put everything in a tea ball or cheese cloth sack. Makes removing easier.

[fancy-a-dance-brigadier]

For the ask game: Voyager and SNW

Feel free to do Ahsoka as a bonus! :)

Thank you for the ask friend! And OF COURSE I am going to do Ahsoka as a bonus because my obsession with that show knows no bounds.

Voyager

Favourite character: I am one of the 0.0000009% of the earth’s population whose favourite Voyager character is Kes. She stood out to me from the very start, and that VOICE my god. She’s the perfect blend of kind and gentle and good but also she can boil your blood with her brain and she eats bugs and reads autopsy reports for fun. Nobody does it like her, and I really wished the show had leaned into some of her more horrific qualities (which obviously they never would because this is 90s Star Trek we’re talking about). But she’s a monstrous woman to me and I love her for it.

Second favourite character: B’Elanna! So many of her focus episodes just hit different - she’s easily one of the most complex characters in the cast, and not only that but the writers actually gave her material that makes the most of that complexity. They do such a good job of exploring her inner conflicts and her complicated relationship to her identity right from the get go (I’m thinking about that season 1 episode ‘Faces’. They really wasted no time in making her so interesting). B’Elanna’s episodes seldom ever miss basically. Also I just love her attitude.

Least favourite character: uhh Q 😂 I know he only has three guest episodes in the whole show, but he makes me want to set things on fire. I do not know why he’s so popular, I do not find him charming at all! Even in TNG!!

The character I’m most like: Idk, I always struggle with questions like this, but maybe Harry? Idk a few weeks ago someone in the uni department I work in said I wasn’t a staff member even though I’m literally on the payroll as a staff member and it just felt like I was living the Ensign Kim fantasy.

Favourite pairing: What a surprise! My favourite pairing is between my favourite character and my second favourite character! Kes/B’Elanna truthers if you’re out there, we can’t let their lack of screentime win.

Least favourite pairing: uhh Kes/Neelix because I honestly think a chaotic sibling-type relationship would’ve suited them so much better. Just let them be adventurous spacefaring besties together, it would’ve made things so much less awkward!

Favourite moment: Ok this is hyper specific and I think I’ve mentioned it before, but you know the ending of ‘The Thaw’? Where Janeway literally kills fear itself and there’s that really striking visual of Fear fading into the darkness and you can only see the parts of his face that are painted white? Yeah, that lives in my head rent free forever.

Rating out of 10: Solid 8/10. Highly entertaining, but I’m not feral about it.

Strange New Worlds

Favourite character: Ortegas! Which is incredibly unfortunate for me because the writers just refuse to let her do anything. It’s been two seasons, where is my Ortegas focus episode??? She’s my favourite character based purely on vibes alone, so imagine how much more there will be to love when they. Y’know. Actually develop her backstory and personality.

Second favourite character: Ok this is really bad but I honestly don’t feel strongly enough about any other members of the SNW cast to have a character that stands out as my second favourite 🙈 They’re all lovely! I do generally like them all! But I just struggle to get invested in them the way I do with other Star Trek characters, idk what it is.

Least favourite character: Chapel 🙈 I think I’m mostly just frustrated by the way she’s written - I think the intention was to make her a stronger character than she was in TOS, but I can’t think of a single aspect of her storyline that isn’t directly connected to one of the men in her life. It’s more like she’s an accessory to Spock and M’Benga’s storylines rather than a character in her own right. She had so much potential, because I remember her being kind of goofy and fun and chaotic and unique in the very first episode, and that was great! But I think a lot of that has got lost amongst the pining for Spock and the wartime M’Benga angst.

The character I’m most like: Hmm Uhura maybe?? Just with the whole struggling to make meaningful connections to people thing. Also I too miss Hemmer.

Favourite pairing: I don’t really have any ships for SNW, but let’s just say Ortegas/Una in the Elysian Kingdom because that was immense.

Least favourite pairing: Spock and Chapel, but mostly for the same reasons why I’m frustrated with Chapel’s character in general. I think there are moments where it does work, and I’m not opposed to them existing as a couple. I just wish they could give Chapel more interiority so they could flesh it out a bit more. As it stands, the whole Spock/T’Pring/Chapel thing reads very much like a generic YA love triangle romance. Maybe polyamory could fix them idk.

Favourite moment: The ending of ‘The Elysian Kingdom’ just gets me man. It hits on similar themes as the DS9 episode ‘Far Beyond the Stars’ in that it really centres on the power of storytelling, and I just love how nicely those two episodes fit together (I mean the Elysian Kingdom book was literally written by Benny Russell!! Hello????)

Rating out of 10: 7/10. It’s a good show and I do enjoy it, but I just struggle to connect with it in the same way that I can with shows that I really love.

Ok I’m going to put the Ahsoka stuff under a read more because I don’t want to spoil anything for you!

Ahsoka

Favourite character: This is so hard because I love them all!! But I think I have to choose Ahsoka because she’s just. She’s so good in this. I know a lot of people think she’s out of character, but I couldn’t disagree more. She’s seen some shit! She’s gone through hell! Of course she’s going to be more subdued as an adult than she was as a teenager! She brings such a presence and a gravitas to the show that really elevates it. Basically I’m love her.

Second favourite character: Shin Hati my disaster daughter. I’m fully convinced that Baylan found her in a trashcan somewhere and was like “I want that one” because she just has this slightly feral energy that I’m honestly obsessed with. I’m really excited to see if the show expands on her character, because she’s mostly been running around doing Baylan’s bidding and getting into very hot lightsaber fights with Sabine. Give my girl some development let’s GOOOOO. (Also honourable mention to Anakin because that’s my GUY that’s my BOY)

Least favourite character: I honestly can’t think of one, I love everyone in this show to pieces. Maybe that Empire sympathiser dude that Ahsoka and Hera met in episode 2. Yeah, him.

The character I’m most like: Ummm Sabine because I too am very fond of cats and creatures that look like cats.

Favourite pairing: Does Shin/Sabine have a ship name? Idk if they do, but either way I feel very normal about them. Mostly because of the vibes, since they haven’t done much beyond beating the crap out of each other. I’m hoping they’ll actually get to have a conversation in the next few episodes, especially after what went down in episode 4!

Least favourite pairing: I don’t think I have an answer for this one? Idk I’m not quite deep enough in the fandom side of things yet to know what else people are shipping from this show.

Favourite moment: Because I am a very basic Prequel era/Clone Wars girlie I have no choice but to choose the entire section of episode 5 with Ahsoka and Anakin. Number one television event that makes me want to bite things, I’m still not over it, I’ll never be over it. It’s fan service but it serves a purpose in the story. Anakin was better than he’s ever been in anything ever. Temuera Morrison was there. I have no choice but to go insane about every single second of these scenes. And don’t even get me started on teenage Ahsoka that was HEARTBREAKING.

Rating out of 10: 10/10. It’s perfect. Star Wars hasn’t been this good in ages. I’m actually actively looking forward to each new episode as they release, which is very rare for me.

[subiysu-chan]

Do you have any headcanons about Innocent characters of your choice in a relationship?

Jean-Baptiste:

Would seldom understand, even on a pure cognitive level, the concept of romance and courtship. That doesn't mean he cannot fall in love or experience sexual attraction, just, that he's from a subculture that doesn't really do that and never had the time nor interest to read about it beyond "that thing that gets people to do dumb stuff"Because of his rigidity, I think he's a very loyal spouse. Not necessarely out of love, but because adultary is morally wrong. I think he only loved, romantically, one woman, and that woman was Madeleine Tronson. He never needed to court her, because they were very close friends with an almost fraternal bond even before anything sexual was involved. With Jeanne Berger, he does care about her on some level, appreciates her care and affection and is attached to her, but...I would seldom consider it anything romantic, or even count as love. I think it was probably an arranged marriage with someone who's both young enough to be adaptable and not have children from a previous relationship and thus complicate successions and be moldable to his needs, and with the skillset of someone from a poorer executioner family.

In terms of parent-child relationship, with Anne-Marthe, he is still emotionally quite dependant on her, and, if intriguing is needed, would need her to help him, a lot. That doesn't mean he's dumb or incapable of dealing with rivals himself, but, intrigues are not his strong suit. The subtle art of reputation destruction and doing small gestures to tip everything down. He can fight, he can play mindgames to some extend, but not this. Most men are like that, and while some can be violent and emotionally manipulative, lack the skillset for relational agression. Jean-Baptiste is the most loyal son one could hope for, and honestly, to anyone who has children, I would hope they'd be as loyal as Jean-Baptiste, only more emotionally independant. With her, he allows himself a level of trust and emotional vulnerability like he never does with anyone. Coming from an old dynasty, this marriage to Jean-Baptiste symbolizes his full intergration to his cast.

With his children, Jean-Baptiste is strict and emotionally distant, but doesn't seem to have issues with rewarding what he perceives to be desirable behavior with some praise and headpats. He's more liberal with punishment than reward, and would only show sincere affection beyond "good boy" headpats when they are unaware of it, like dizzy, tortured silly, maybe dead. If they have a medical issue or questions about the world, he's very dependable, even if intimidating. He can cry in front of them, but that's only if he's at breaking point. Jean-Baptiste is in his own way, a very loving father, and a highly empathetic one, but, he crushes his own fluffier fealings, and rarely shows it, unless he's at breaking point. Also, being mentally unstable, a hardened pariah and executioner he would interprate a desire for good reputation and social intergration beyond that of executioner in training, he would interprate it, emotionally, as betrayal and slowly becoming a stranger. Even when he knows it's necessary, he still hates it.

With friendships, because of his lack of experience with it, Jean-Baptiste can be guillible.

Marie-Anne Jugier:

Oh, this woman, despite being over thirdy when she married, and seeing several people experience great hardship, and managing a household quite well, is surprisingly naïve with relationships outside of blood relations. Never having experienced neither friendship nor romantic love before meeting Charles, she had that innocence to her that is very unusual in an adult woman.