#she and Eugene platonically love each other and that’s enough

[i-am-befuddled]

Finally finished Tangled the Series. I get it. I am distraught. Cass and Raps are so gay for each other it’s not even funny

[dustandshadows8]

Why I think Wednesday is demiromantic or greyromantic 

(None of this fan art is mine I found it on Pinterest so credits to the og artists your talent is incredible.)

First, of all for all you beautiful people who have forgotten or didn't know these two definitions, let's take a look:

A grey romantic person:

is a person with a romantic orientation that is somewhere between aromantic and romantic.

For example, a gray-romantic may:  -Experience romantic attraction but not very often.  -Experience romantic attraction, but not desire romantic relationships.  -Desire relationships which are not quite platonic and not quite romantic.

A demiromantic person:

is a person who cannot feel a romantic attraction to someone until a strong emotional connection is established. The emotional connection can be any number of things from a prolonged talking stage to a sexual relationship turning to more. It depends on the case and all people are different on how they feel emotional connections with others.

At the beginning of the show Wednesday says that she does not have any interest in being like her Mother and falling in love and getting married. (Just like to say the proud aroacespec positivity I got form hearing those words...)

First of all this indicates that Wednesday does not consider herself a allo person, she has romantic feelings and has decided to never act on them or she has never experienced romantic attraction before (demiromantic/greyromatic?).

However as the show progresses we can see her form what can be interpreted as romantic bonds with two people.

(And will be by a wider straight/cis/allo audience who might not understand the aroacespec coding in the show.)

But, more importantly, she also forms a possibly stronger platonic bond with Enid.

Wednesday's relationship with Enid progresses in a healthy way. They get to know each other. At the beginning of their relationship they have a tape across the floor which nether of them cross, even at the end when Enid thinks he's saying goodbye for ever she does not hug Wednesday because she knows she doesn't like it. They respect each others boundaries.

Across the show we see their friendship deepen and Wednesday begin to more openly return Enid's affections.

One of the most important things to take from this is the speed of, said, progression.

It takes the whole show for Wednesday to be comfortable enough to hug Enid, which shows he level of trust she has gained for her new friend. She doesn't even accept affection from her family.

And, just as importantly, there is still room for a lot of growth in their relationship.

How does this tie into the grey/demiromantic theory?

Well, as Enid and Eugene are the only two people who Wednesday willingly calls her friends (correct me if I'm wrong my memory is shit) and Enid is the (potential?) romantic interest in the situation, she has obviously formed an emotional connection with her and only after she has formed an emotional connection will she allow Enid to hug her.

It ties pretty perfectly into the Demi category.

Now we have to address something else.

The boys.

First of all, especially as an ace (maybe grey or Demiromatic?) person myself, the relationships with both of them seem very rushed and forced.

It seems to me, that she only uses them to find information about the case. The whole show, everything, even the kiss all looked like a ploy for information.

After she suspects Xaviour she turns on him pretty quick. Would she do that if she really cares about him? And she has no problems with being against Tyler in the final.

All through the show her interactions with them are abrupt and harsh, she often forgets about them to continue her investigations, she frequently appears to have no regard to their feelings.

Why would she treat them so badly if she cared about them?

And why would her reserved personality allow her to progress two relationships so fast?

So how does the grey/demiromanticism link into these situations?

It's her extreme awkward and unusual reactions and treatment of both guys that leads me to think that a) she doesn't romantically like ether of them and b) she truly doesn't know how to interact with someone she has a crush on.

Sometime, when your feelings have deepened from some previous emotional connection, it is a lot easier to ignore them.

And Wednesday has never formed such a connection before Enid.

How would she know how to act and show romantic affection?

The stuff you see on T.V looks stupid. People meet each other, go on cute dates, have an mis-communication, get back together, kiss in the rain.

Where is the realism in that? Where is the emotional bonding the inability to understand emotions? The questioning of feelings?

Is this just how allo relationships are portrayed in the media or do people really just know if they like someone, that easily?

I genuinely don't know if some people just know if they like someone without months of questioning.

And Wednesday probably wouldn't ether.

Which is why she tries to make her relationship so like that, quick and easy, even though the emotions (that I'm assuming allos manage to feel after like two weeks or something) aren't there. Instead it's just the words and actions without any feelings.

So, it's the build up of her and Enid's relationship, her reactions to the boys advances especially in the cliche development of their relationships that feels so forced that and doesn't suit her personality at all that leads me to think that Wednesday is ether grey or demiromantic.

As for the ace part in both.

Maybe I'm just self projecting. But does that girl really appear allo to you?

Really?

[chipmunkfanno1love]

Favourite Ship Tag Game

Since tag games are so popular around here, I thought I’d give it a go and make my own. :D

Choose 4 romantic ships (fictional couples and/or fictional characters you *wish* were couples) you love from any fictional source whether it be books, movies, TV shows, mobile/video games, etc. Please also reference the fictional source they come from. The list doesn’t have to be in any particular order.

Give your reasons why you love this couple and/or why you think they’d *make* a great couple. If you can, please include a picture or GIF of the couple.

Tag 5 of your followers to share this game with. You may choose to tag more or less if you wish, but I do recommend choosing 5. No pressure, just please share this game with others for the sake of spreading the word. 

Please be respectful of others and there opinions. No abuse please. :( Also, have fun. :D

*Warning*: Story spoilers ahead.

1. Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert/”Flynn Rider” from the Tangled franchise.

I love these two because they are beautiful example of a healthy relationship. They love and support each other selflessly in their goals and dreams and never try to pressure the other into doing what they aren’t ready for. They are always there to support each other and build the other up to become the best versions of themselves.  

Rapunzel helped Eugene find the selfless, loving man underneath the selfish, vain thief, while Eugene gave Rapunzel the courage to live her dream and break herself free from the manipulative Mother Gothel’s control and find the truth about her real parents and her being the lost princess. They’re each others New Dream and I love that about them. :D

Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi did amazing in these roles. 

-

2. Branch and Poppy from the “Trolls” franchise

I love these two because they are adorable examples of opposites-attract. Poppy is the bubbly, endlessly optimistic princess turned queen of the Pop Trolls, while Branch is the grumpy but realistic former hermit with a heart of gold.

Poppy helps Branch to see the bright side of things and helps him to find his true colours, while Branch keeps Poppy grounded and realistic when she takes her plans too far and is always there to help her out when she needs him. 

I hope these two marry some day and Branch becomes Poppy’s king consort. They make a great team - romantically, plantonically and just generally as trolls.

I also love Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. Their singing voices are amazing. :D

-

3. Callum and Rayla from “The Dragon Prince” 

A great example of the enemies to friends to lovers trope (though they’re currently on the outs romantically). These two have a beautiful bond that grows naturally over the course of 3 seasons. Despite being estranged due to 2 years apart in Season 4, the two are slowly and naturally repairing their broken bond and I hope in time these two will not only repair their friendship but eventually fall in love all over again and get back together as a stronger and much more mature couple. 

-

4. Simon and Jeanette from the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” franchise

The adorkably nerdy pair and *Smart Ones* of their respective musical trios, The Chipmunks and The Chipettes. Despite being similar in their intelligence levels, the two are still different enough from each other that aren’t clones of the other. Jeanette is more shy and compassionate in temprament to Simon’s more snarky, deadpanned wit. He’s always there to catch her when she falls (most of the time literally, lol) and she’s always there to support him and cheer him up when his inventions are ruined (mostly by his irresponsible brother, Alvin).

Though they are still a bit young and shy to start a serious relationship with each other, it’s obvious this adorable pair were made for each other. They do and will make an adorable pair - romantically, platonically and acemedically. 

-

I tag @16magnolias , @briarosabelle , @creativefictionlover , @psalm40speakstome and @travelinglighttoday . Though anyone can feel free to play if they wise to. Have fun! :D

[cairt]

Evelage college AU thoughts part 1

A collection of art and thoughts for my Evelyn and Mirage met in college and had a really emotional friendship that had not crossed over into being a relationship and then met again after Evelyn went to prison and Mirage started working for the NSA fic.

I will probably never actually fully write the fic but I like the ideas.

Mirage in college is immensely concerned with fitting in and very anxious about school. (I was thinking that she might be home-schooled or there on scholarship and insecure about not fitting in with the people around her)

Evelyn is dealing with the loss of her parents and taking care of her brother, Winston. Mirage is very very devoted to her studies while Evelyn probably would not still be considered enrolled if not for her parents connections/having donated a lot of money to the school, despite knowing a lot and being naturally talented.

(I do love the dynamic between naturally talented kids/hard working kids at school, yes this is also something that I think goes for my Wendy/Alice shipping)

They have some classes together (similar tech focus) and Evelyn is obnoxious in class, while Mirage is very focused and respectful and while Evelyn does not dislike Mirage per se, Mirage definitely does not like Evelyn because Evelyn is a disruption to the class.

I think that Mirage may have befriended Winston first, he helps her to be more socially confident as a sophomore and basically infers why Evelyn is like that from him and gains respect for her by seeing how important she is to Winston. They share a lab together and actually become close friends, perhaps closer than people who start off kind and gentle towards each other can be because Evelyn drives Mirage into honesty and speaking on her own thoughts and Mirage does the same.

I think that they had an intense friendship break-up though later on, because of Evelyn's interest in Mirage not being platonic, and Mirage going on dates with men because she's very interested in fitting in and socializing with her classmates effectively as an attractive young woman.

Mirage is pretty comfortable with using men's feelings towards her own ends and flirting/dating does not necessarily coincide with emotional feelings. I am unsure of if she would be aware of her own sexuality in all of this, or just excited to be accepted enough within everything to have access to popular handsome men and be able to use them to her own ends.

I think that there's some elements of comp-het going on even if she is actually attracted to the men she's dating, Evelyn has been ruled out as a romantic interest because of Mirage's own interests at the time: blending in and being accepted into wealthy powerful social circles.

Evelyn is not very mature and I do not think that she would handle herself gracefully or understand and care about Mirage's perspective in this at this time.

She's a dismissive and petty lesbian and I love that about her.

TW for the next section: SA mention.

I have spoken about Mirage's motivations being really unclear before but I think that something had to have happened to allow her to condone serial killing supers. There are several superheroes [x] [x] in the NSA files on the Incredibles bonus feature disc who have some unsavory characteristics that were taken out by the Kronos program.

The files also indicates that the NSA believed that Gamma Jack needed to be monitored closely, which tells me that something happened with him. What if Mirage is one of his victims? The phrase 'originally known as "handsome Jack"' line is kinda haunting when combined with the belief that he's part of a superior race and preference for only saving women. It gives heavy eugenics and SA vibes. Many men who are known to be Casanovas are serial rapists just like Casanova was.

I'm not sure that Evelyn would have known but if she does, she finds out without Mirage wanting her to, and this intensifies her anti-super attitude and does not fix her relationship with Mirage, because again, Evelyn is not emotionally responsible.

part 2 will focus on them meeting up again.

[captain-crackship]

Just finished Wednesday. My thoughts.

This might be a little too spicy for Tumblr, but some of you didn’t finish the first season. You watched, what? A couple episodes? And made a judgement call on that? So I will debunk a few of the rumors going around Tumblr about the show. Namely, the queerbaiting and racism claims. This post will be sectioned off so not to create a huge wall of text on people’s dash.

Starting with the first issue: Queerbaiting. Who better qualified to discuss this than a queer person?

Your first complaint was that the dynamic between Wednesday and Enid were clearly hinting at a sapphic relationship that was never confirmed. This was not the case. Enid’s romantic interest from the start was a male character. Wednesday I’m willing to believe is on the ace spectrum, at most demiromantic. Would they be cute together? Yes. They’re one of my newest ships. But believe it or not, two people of the same gender can just be friends and love each other platonically. You need to learn what a headcanon is and stop making it everyone’s problem. This issue runs rampant in another fandom I’m in and I’ve seen it enough times to recognize it.

Your second complaint with queerbaiting was Eugene’s moms. A major supporting character had two moms that are minor characters within the show. They didn’t appear for a split second in one episode. They appeared at least twice across two episodes and had spoken lines and dialogue with the main cast for both appearances. In your hyperfixation on Eugene’s moms you missed the other minor queer rep at the Rave’N. There was a sapphic couple at that dance but they were background extras with no spoken lines. Neither of these instances are queerbaiting. Queer normalization at best, and tokenization at worst.

Contrary to what conservatives may tell you, we’re not out to force queerness into your everyday lives and indoctrinate your children. We are regular people. We are also vocal minorities with active communities. You will see more queer people in a city like Montreal than you ever will in a small backwater in Vermont because we gravitate toward our communities where we feel safe. I live in a backwater in the Deep South. I have one other friend here who is a lesbian and I hear people talk shit about her all the time. If there are more like us here they’re closeted for that very reason. It’s not safe to be openly queer in rural communities.

The second issue you had with the show is racism.

I will not defend Tim Burton. He is a racist. He has said egregious things about Black people and the Black community and he is notorious for casting Black actors exclusively as antagonists in his works. That is not the case with Wednesday.

Bianca may have started out as a bully but she became friends with Wednesday as the season progressed and helped her to defeat one of the season’s villains-- a white colonizer who burned outcasts in a barn. She has also been given a backstory as a troubled teen whose mother is in an MLM-slash-cult.

Lucas? Sympathized with the outcasts at Nevermore and had remorse for his actions at Pilgrim World and the Rave’N. Also became friends with Bianca, who steered him away from his mother’s MLM. Even his father was ready and willing to work with Nevermore to solve the murders around Jericho. These are realistic characters with redeeming qualities, not the one-dimensional villains Burton is known for like Crackstone and Thornhill-- who, let me reiterate, are white and racist toward the outcasts of the show. Outcasts that could reasonably be seen as stand-ins for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC.

In conclusion: The Tumblr Wednesday discourse is an excellent example of why critical thinking skills are important and to not be terminally online. Also Wednesday is a good show and you should watch it.

[verytiredblob]

My reviews on Manhwas

Alright so, recently I've began to fall into the great Manhwa hell, as if I didn't have enough fandoms.

But I neither have friends to chat about this with, nor a Discord chat where I can fanby about it, so I just decided to throw it in here.

These are both Manhwas I recommend and my opinions on them. If there are any spoilers, They will be striked through and in blue for anyone that wishes to avoid them (if anyone even reads this lol).

1. The Villainess Reverses the Hourglass (악녀는 모래시계를 되돌린다)

Premise: Aria was a terrible person and was sentenced to dead by being beheaded. In her final moments, she discovers her step sister, Mielle, actually manipulated her during her entire life just so she could get Aria killed. She then is beheaded, and wakes up in the past, in her child body. So now, she must work to both survive and get her revenge on her sister.

Lovely story, and my first Manhwa. The art is simply stunning, and all the characters are very flashed out and developed. Aria (MC) is the pettiest person alive and I'm here for that.

Also, I noticed a trend where, even though the manhwa has "Villainess" in the title, the MC is usually a total angel. Well, not here. Aria is egotistical and a total Diva, she has her goals and one of them is her revenge and by all that is sacred she'll get it.

Mielle is a great villain, she has grown a lot in her own pettiness and tactics since she was a child, and I really like that. Also, watching her suffer for being a terrible person is delightful.

The Male Lead (Asher) is also really cool, I like how he's both witty and friendly, and how much he truly admires Aria and her achievements.

The side characters are also pretty good, and they get a lot of focus because of their interactions with the main cast.

Again, The art is S T U N N I N G. Look at this:

Literally all panels are drawn like this or better, I'm in love.

All in all, an awesome read, 10/10, I love this a lot.

2. The Monster Duchess And Contract Princess (괴물 공작가의 계약 공녀)

Premise: Leslie's life was terrible, and always centered on her big sister, Eli. After a failed attempt of her family to grant Eli her sister's skills and knowledge, Leslie searches for the feared "Monster Duchess" in an attempt to survive.

Another one with incredible art AND incredible characters. Leslie is an absolute angel, and seeing her grow as a person is awesome.

The gender envy I feel with the Duchess is unbearable, she's utterly perfect. And the entire family is so dotting and loving and sweet, my little grinch heart can't take it.

She's perfection, really.

The plot keeps getting more and more mysterious, and I'm here for it!

I love each of the main characters a lot, and even the villains are well done and fuel your hatred.

Also, Eli Sperado and her Dad can choke on those black flames for all eternity.

Another 10/10, although I must warn anyone that wishes to read this that the translations sometimes are very spotty and messy, so it can be a bit annoying.

3. I'll be the Matriarch in this Life (이번 생은 가주가 되겠습니)

Premise: Firentia was a girl that died in Korea in her past life, and was reborn into an influential family as the illegitimate daughter of the third son. Her life was pretty terrible, with in the end, her family ending up in poverty and disgrace because of her uncles and cousins, while she was exiled from the family. After another accident, she wakes up in her past, now with a goal: Become the Lombardi matriarch and stop the other family heirs from bringing it to ruin.

Awesome art and Awesome plot number 3! This is so good, genuinely. Firentia is such an awesome plotter, and her goals and actions are very well developed.

The Male Lead is my baby and I shall protect him, and the side characters? Utterly stunning.

The twins are the cutest fucking shit, seriously. Like, look at these two?? I'm dead. Although, all the children are very, veeery cute.

I like how Firentia subtly manipulates things around her to get what she wants. It's similar to Aria, but she's much more mature and knowledgeable, and has a much less petty goal.

Guess what? 10/10. Yeah, I know, I'm terrible at grading, sue me.

4. The Twins Siblings' New Life (쌍둥이 남매의 뉴라이프)

Premise: Arien and Arjen were a pair of twins that died in Korea, and were reborn again as twins and as the Emperor's illegitimate children. Now, with only each other to trust, they must do their best to survive.

My current obsession. I really like this one. The art is not on the same level of pure Awesome like the ones before, but it's pretty good nonetheless.

The plot is pretty nice, but I must warn you: DO NOT expect them to act like adults. Honestly, just forget they're meant to be reborn in this world. They're just normal children and that's it. They act like children, and they think like children. Honestly, I think the author just wanted to make this story about them as children and their producer went and said to make them reincarnates because that Isekai shit is popular nowadays (And to justify they having memories of their newborn days). Seriously, just ignore it, the experience reading will be much better.

Other than that, the story develops nicely. The characters are all very good and the plot is very mysterious. I am holding myself back to not spoil anything, aaaaa.

There is also only one another thing that disappoints me: Arien is very clearly the MC. The story is told by her eyes and we only know what Arjen thinks or feels when he says it 9 or by subtext). I really wish it was more balanced, because they're both different people and have different perspectives, and also I really like Arjen.

I have absolutely no idea where this plot is gonna go, and honestly? I like it. It's very rare when I don't know how things are gonna develop because of other stories, so it feels very fresh.

The brothers are freaking awesome. I was so scared they were going to hate the twins and be petty, because of other manhwas that are like that, but they're so loving and sweet?? All hail these idiots. Also, Daddy is the biggest dumbass of all, this poor clueless man.

An 8/10, because of the complaints above. Still a good read, and I really like it, even with it's defects.

4. I'm A Stepmother, But My Daughter Is Just Too Cute! (계모인데 딸이 너무 귀여워)

Premise: A seamstress dies of overwork in Korea, and wakes up in the body of Abigail, the vain Queen, and the evil stepmother to the princess Blanche. Yes, It's like she stepped into the world of Snow White, and she must now do her best to live and.. Dote on Blanche with toys and dresses as much as possible?

Again with the awesome art and nice plot. Why are there so many manga with awesome art?? I'm so envious.

May all hail this crispy, delicious art.

Abigail is a whole mood, and I enjoy how she is inserted into the life of someone who had already lived and had a reputation. Her actions baffle a lot of the characters, as do her motivations, and I'm here for it.

The King has also an amazing backstory that's very tragic and yikes. I enjoy it, really. Not something you see in men's backstories that much.

Also, I'm kinda saddened by the fact the MC and the king are bound to become an actual couple. They would be such good platonic friends stuck in a political marriage. I was robbed, y'all.

Abigail greatest ambition is to get to design a dress for Blanche and have her wear it, and you know what? Good for her! Sometimes, it's good to have an MC that is not plotting against world at large.

Also, her mirror? Verite is simply perfect, I love this guy. I non-jokingly ship him with Abigail more than her with the King.

Blanche is a sweetheart, she deserves to be in my "adopted children" wall.

For now it's more of a Slice of Life than anything? But I also don't know what happens in the novels, so I'm just going to wait.

For the current lack of a grater plot, this gets a 7/10. Still pretty good and entertaining, especially for when you just don't feel like trying to understand deep plots with lots of elements.

5. Beware of the Brothers! (그 오빠들을 조심해!)

Premise: Another one of those "I lived my life and then wake up in the past." Hari was adopted by this family after the death of their only daughter, and although her parents love her, her 3 older siblings very much don't. She lives a miserable life in their hands, and when it's the night before she is to get married and finally escape her brothers, she wakes up in the past, and has to deal with them all over again.

Another nice art one, and the background characters are very nice, as is the MC.

But for me, it has a big problem. And that problem is the main ship. It's Hari with her eldest brother, Eugene. Even though they are not related and yadda yadda yadda, they were raised as such, and thus it bothers me. Also, Eugene is as plain as white bread and just as generic when seen as the Male Lead.

I ship Hari with Johan, even though I know it's not gonna happen, Ugh, the pain..

For me, the main point in this is Hari's relationship with her other siblings and the other background characters. I'm here for that wholesome sibling interaction. Her relationship with Erich, specially, is awesome. I love these two so much

It also kinda lacks a plot? Other than the relationship development and their story as a family, but again, I have no idea how they will develop this.

Also, pet peeve? Why do they keep using Oppa instead of translating it properly as brother? I get honorifics and stuff, but it's so annoying.

I give it a 6/10. Good characters and good relationships outside of the bloody incest thing, and it's a good enough way to pass the time.

There are two more that I've read, buut it's like 4am and I'm sleepy as all hell, so I'll just add it in a reblog or attached post later, and I plan on doing this for other future manhwas as well.

Do you have any recommendations or comments or just wanna talk about any of these manhwas? Hit me up!

[greensword101]

This is for @barely-nok. I’m sorry it took so long to get some Obake content out for you to consume. I hope you find it tasty lol.

Obake never drank on principle. He needed to keep a clear head and heads were meant for thinking. And thinking meant he could create what he wanted to the limit or even beyond that.

But even sober, his brain would...fizzle if Kei ever so much as blinked at him prettily. Or pouted. Or cheerily threatened to sing “I’m Henry the Eighth , I Am” if he didn’t agree to take a break and - urgh! Just acknowledging the phrase made him feel filthy - spend some “quality time” with a coworker.

Personally speaking, Obake would have preferred the term “expendable” or “replaceable” or “unpaid intern that wasn’t getting extra credit or the merits of knowledge.” Oh, but he would pay anything to get DeciBull out of his sight! And hearing range.

Then again, hearing range would be preferable. Wild cards like Kei were acceptable. DeciBull - or Wil as Kei had casually greeted him by to the former’s chargain -  was more of a Jack; weaker than Obake, but still a threat nonetheless.

If Kei hadn’t taken the car and driven off to God knew where, he would have stormed out of the bar and left that arsehole behind. Maybe steal his glasses and see if the chubby man with a guitar gimmack could find his way back home without falling off the pier.

Wil had barely touched his first bottle and was glowering at his phone for the past half hour. This suited Obake swimmingly, if not for the fact that Kei would know that they hadn’t made any attempt at all and would be tormenting him with that song again! And she would enlist Noodle Burger Boy this time, he was certain. And possibly Trina, though he was certain she would be directed towards Wil instead.

Obake collected himself and recited the longest formulas in the Periodic Table before he rigidly glanced over to Wil.

“I’m surprised you aren’t taking advantage of the karaoke here.”

Wil yelped and fumbled with his phone - mumbling apologies to the bartender as he passed - before gaping at Obake.

“Interesting...” Obake murmured.

“What?” Wil asked bemused.

“You almost looked like an intelligent being for a moment.”

Wil scowled, “Funny.” 

Then a smile crept onto his face. Obake stiffened. He knew he could take the man, he was slimmer and certainly wasn’t sluggish, but bars were always tricky to maneuver around in. Inebriation, sympathizers, or anyone looking for an excuse to be aggressive would make Obake beating Wil up...troublesome.

“Something amusing to you?” Obake took a sip from his own glass to appear ignorant and casual.

“Just thinking how whipped you must be if Kei could make you spend time with me,” Wil leaned in conspiratorially, “Tell me, does she make you sleep on the couch when you misbehave?”

Obake sputtered and and gave Wil a hard stare. Wil stared back undaunted.

“Shut your mouth and have your bloody drink, why don’t you?” Obake snarled and took another, deeper sip from his glass. He was used to dealing with the aggressive and almost territorial behavior Wil demonstrated back at the base. He did not want to be sober to process that Wil was capable of having bloody cheek.

“How can I have my ‘bloody drink’ if my mouth’s shut?” Wil asked innocently.

“Test my patience and we’ll find out soon enough,” Obake growled under his breath. He could do it.  One stab between the ribs and he could slip out in the noise and confusion. He just didn’t want to put up with Kei pestering him when he got back and possibly annoying her with a potential murder.

Wil sniggered and had another swig of his beer. He went back to his phone, but he barely seemed to be reading what was on the screen.

That was...unexpected. But it was a better alternative to dealing with a feral monkey by himself. Obake found himself enjoying the Manhattan more than he expected and finished it off. He was beginning to fish the cherry out when Wil spoke up again.

“Was it good?”

Obake groaned and glowered at Wil, who was starting at his empty glass curiously. What didn’t that fool understand about having a little peace and quiet?

“I don’t typically drink myself,” Wil mumbled into his bottle and drank. He sputtered for a few moments and continued, “I just stick to a beer once in a while.”

“Thank Heaven for small miracles, then,” Obake narrowed his eyes and waved the bartender over, “Another one, if you would be so kind.”

“Me too,” Wil smiled at the bartender and held up his empty bottle. Amazingly, the bartender smiled back and came back moments later with their second drinks. Wil called after him as he walked off, “Thanks, Jim!”

“You frequent this place often?” Obake ventured and helped himself to his second Manhattan. Screw sobriety, it had been so long since he had anything that tasted so good touch his lips.

“I used to,” Wil admitted, “Just for a bite and maybe a bottle. That’s kind of how me and Kei met, actually.”

“A little nip before beddybye?” Obake cooed mockingly at him.

“Crime and I have something in common,” Wil smirked, “We rarely sleep.”

“Tragic,” Obake chuckled and raised his glass in mock salute, “To your insomnia, I suppose.”

Wil raised his beer in kind, “And to good company if I ever get any.”

Now, they both laughed for real. Obake noticed for the first time how pleasantly red Wil’s face had become. Was it the alcohol or the first genuine spark of life he was expressing? If it was the latter, that would mean Kei was behind it somehow.

Suddenly, the good feeling popped like a soap bubble and Obake hid his displeasure by finishing off his second Manhattan. Wil gawked at him.

“You should slow down, Kei is gonna freak if she has to pick us up from the ER because you got alcohol poisoning or something.”

“Kei this, Kei that, you haunt her like a lapdog!” Obake spat out. Damn that woman and her silly, childish notions of fun and damn that boulder she decided would make good company!

Wil blinked and leaned back a little. A moment later, he was glowering back with that familiar hostility, “At least I don’t treat her like a nuisance like you do! Do you have any idea how much she cares about you?!”

“Cares?” Obake snapped his fingers at Jim for another glass and leaned closer to Wil’s face. His nostrils flared and he could feel Wil tense inches away from him. “Why would she have to care about me? If that’s what you call pity, then I’ve no need for it! She can pretend all she wants that we’re all supposed to be some family, but in the end, that’s all it’s going to be. A stupid dream! Why would she care about making me ‘socialize’ with the others or spending ‘quality time’ with her silly boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?!”

Obake jabbed a finger into Wil’s chest, “Don’t play coy! I know you think I’m a prat to her! And I know you won’t believe that she can almost make me feel human! But you don’t have to worry about me getting in the way, Prince Charming! She’s all yours, so you don’t have to worry about me -”

“I’m gay.”

“And I’m Bob, the pleasure’s all...what.” Obake had to take a moment to process Wil’s flat retort.

“Gay. I like guys. I love them. I love kissing them. And I’m already taken.”

Obake opened his mouth and closed it again. He noticed that his third Manhattan had arrived and wasted no time downing it. Wil didn’t repeat how it wasn’t safe to do this time, and he was thankful for that. 

Suddenly, he felt someone standing right behind him and stilled.

“Is he giving you problems, Wil?”

“No worries, Eugene,” Wil smiled at the person behind him, “Just clearing up a misunderstanding over here.”

Obake felt a little dizzy and pinched his nose, “Let me understand this correctly. You have never had feelings for Kei?”

“Platonically, yes. Romantically or otherwise? No.”

“And this whole time, yo - you’ve...” Why couldn’t he find the right words? “You’ve...acted harshly because...?”

“Because she’s one of my best friends and I don’t want her to get hurt,” Wil said firmly. He pointed at Obake with a fiercely protective look, “I can’t help who she wants to connect with, but I won’t stand by and let her get hurt. She’s gone through too much to deserve that.”

“Alright, I’m just going to butt in for a moment here,” Eugene moved from behind Obake and stood to Wil’s left, wrapping an arm across him protectively. He was pleasant to the eyes; tall, broad, dark brown hair and a scruffy goatee. He looked at Wil, bemused, “You weren’t here scooping for another cutie, babe?”

“Wh...why...why would he...?” Obake’s tongue felt like lead. Dear Lord, he could barely speak, he was so embarrassed.

“Because this is a gay bar?” Eugene supplemented as if it weren’t obvious. Obake blinked. Come to think of it, it was rather odd no one had come to bother them when they came in. Did...did that mean...?

Somewhere in San Fransokyo, Kei was laughing herself silly. Obake was certain of it. 

“Everything alright over here?” Another voice, deeper than Eugene’s mischievous and light tone asked.

“Hey ‘Nan! This is an acquaintance of mine,” Wil helped himself to his beer, “and apparently he thought I was stealing his girlfriend until a few moments ago. Bob, this is Kanan. My other boyfriend.”

“Other...” Obake’s head was swimming. This was too much to process...

“Yeah,” Wil said shyly, “We’re...we’re kind of a poly sort of thing.”

As if to prove his point, Eugene promptly gave Wil a deep kiss on the lips that was eagerly returned. Kanan came into view and Obake noticed how dark skinned he was and the ponytail before he decided he was too sober to handle this all right now.

He made to stand and tripped over his stool. And a moment later, his Manhattans returned and splashed all over the floor.

In hindsight, he should have checked how much alcohol was in each glass...

It was about a half hour later when Kei found all four of them outside the bar with Obake being supported by an irksome Wil and amused Eugene. Kanan looked torn between disapproval and laughter.

“Was it fun?” Kei asked hesitantly. Obake took one look at her and sighed. It was his own fault for drinking too much.

“It was something,” Wil supplemented as he helped buckle Obake into the backseat, “And educational, apparently, so that’s a plus.”

“We were there at the tail-end,” Eugene added helpfully, “It was kind of entertaining.”

“You sure you can take care of this?” Kanan asked Wil.

Wil looked at Obake and sighed, “We’ll be alright. Thanks, anyways.”

“See you at the next heist meet, babe!” Eugene blew a kiss.

“Tell Raps and Hera I said hi!” Wil called back as they drove off.

“And here I thought I’d be picking you up at the police station for a bar brawl,” Kei half joked.

“Stay with me, Bob!” Wil shook Obake gently, “Don’t go to sleep. First rule in treating alcohol poisoning.”

“Piss off...” Obake slurred.

Wil sighed and let his head sink against the headrest for a few moments. Why didn’t he just become an accountant like his parents wanted?

“Wil...” Obake said sluggishly, “In..in the...event...I survive this with my memory intact. Would you...do it again?”

Wil blinked in surprise and chuckled weakly, “Only if you watch what you drink next time, lightweight.”

“Momma’s boy.”

“Evil Brit.”

“Four Eyes.”

“Nnnnnnnnnnneeeee~rrrrrrrrrds!” Kei cackled as her passengers bickered with each other without any former hostility from before.

[kingreywrites]

it's weird because in tts they show platonic affection with lance and eugene, they hug and stuff which is super rare to be shown between two men, but Rapunzel barely gets any platonic ones which is so weird. She hugs Cass a few times but I think like 80% of those are just Rapunzel hugging Cass and Cass either doesn't reciprocate or is shown to be "annoyed", which fits her character but its sad :( I guess they didn't want her to hug lance because they didn't want to imply romance (which is stupid because a man and a woman hugging is not automatically romance). Rapunzel is so so people focused and having people willingly hug her rather than her hugging them is something I can imagine being a huge growing point for her. Gothel only hugged her to get her hair close, and Eugene + her parents definitely hugs her + that's good!! but the platonic aspect is so important and for a series focused on Rapunzel's social life outside of the tower they really don't show things like this which would show her development and reiterate how wrong she was treated :( sorry for the rant it kind of hits close to home lol, maybe one day someone could write a fic of her just being hugged

I mean, as I said I do think that the whole storyline with Cassandra, and about how Rapunzel pushing her boundaries constantly until it fractures their friendship is... good, and even needed, in a way. Recovering from abuse is not all sunshines and rainbows, and Rapunzel did learn a lot of behaviours from Gothel, so it's normal that she struggles, and it's also important to talk about. She's not owed hugs by Cassandra just because she grew up like she did, and it's fine that their relationship is complicated and not easy for Rapunzel to navigate. I think the most frustrating thing about it to me is like, how s3 ended with the show ignoring all these issues and acting as if everything was fine from the beginning ghsjdkd I'd Give Anything is like "remember when rapunzel and cass were Best Friends and Cass loved being her lady in waiting and giving her hugs and it'd be better if everything went back to that perfect time 🥺" when this is just?? false??? sigh

i lost my train of thoughts but basically it's not that she has "negative" lessons about boundaries that bothers me as much as it's that she never really gets a counterpart to that. She doesn't get to enjoy them, she struggles because she doesn't understand them at first, and when the series ends, guess what? she's more or less at the same place socially as she was in the beginning, which is "I have a deep connection with Eugene and Cassandra, also sometimes I hug my parents" + she has some new friends too but they don't get that much attention. The problem with Lance isn't even that they're not allowed to hug (i don't know if it's a problem about romance like you said though afhsjdjd), it's that they're barely allowed to TALK TO EACH OTHER. He's here during the three seasons and most of the ideas I have about his relationship with Rapunzel are headcanons because canon just doesn't address it

And like, it's crazy but in a way, most characters in TTS feel lonely to me. They're allowed like two meaningful relationships each and these relationships aren't even allowed to intersect gjsjdkkd it's even more upsetting with Rapunzel because like, she's the protagonist who grew up isolated from everyone and you want to see her finally be part of the world (but it never truly happens), but even in general they don't get to be a group of friend imo. Rapunzel is friend with Varian, and Eugene is friend with Varian, and they all are friends with each other but they never truly interact as a group, you know?

I don't even know what's my conclusion here or if that answers you at all but ghsjskd I always wished that in general TTS gave Rapunzel more friends than what she got. I don't really draw a hard line between platonic and romantic because like, Eugene being her friend is an important part of them loving each other and I don't wanna dismiss that friendship because it's not purely platonic, but the problem stays that only having two or three developed friends isn't... enough, for me

[cyberfairyblog]

Some more stuff about Vanessa Marbles or marble idk XD

Contains spoilers for a 30+ year old show ft. My fancharacter Vanessa Marbles-Whittaker. Rambling, oc x canon (romantic and platonic), some meddling with canon events, and j*ll*an m*rsh*ll bashing

- i'm thinking about her placement in Odyssey & I'm entertaining the thought of having her "debut" be in 1989 bigbrainmeta

- She arrived in town like right after Connie and Eugene got fired

- So that makes her older than Jason in terms of episodes; she appears a whole 3 years before him 😂

- That first year she did genuinely like her nunnery but didn't really interact with her fellow nuns much keeping them at a distance

- It wasn't until year 2 she started having doubts. Nothing bad happened it just that there was a nagging feeling that she tried to stifle

- Vanessa is afraid of heights that's why she travelled by train instead of plane. She gets nervous by bridges & mountains even a tall hill is enough to make her stomach churn

- She got the job at Whit's End to help herself learn to befriend people & because the show needs more responsible adults lol

- For a time there was rumors about her being a vampire which she took in stride because having sensitive skin she walks around with an umbrella

- Eugene helps her with technology and how to operate the Imagination Station

- "Is that a time machine?"

- "No it's a holographic imagery generator meant to emulate time periods from prehistory all the way to even the future! Well not the future future, still has to figure out how to predict outcomes but I'm working on it."

- Vanessa dead ass got lost at the generator part

- She legit said that she was surprised they didn't blow up Odyssey given how powerful that machine is this around the Novacom arc

- Jason was a total enigma to her like 'who is that crazy fellow' and someone tells her that he's Whit's son & she's like oh. OH John didn't tell me he had kids smh

- They didn't get along at first and had poor communication though Vanessa really did try to be fair

- The funniest moment was when Jason accidentally revealed himself to be NSA and Vanessa revealed herself to be a Blackgaard - THE Blackgaard's daughter

- "Wait so you're mad at me for being a spy but yet you hid THIS from us?"

- "Well yes but actually no, at least you have the entire government on your side everyone literally hates my family jason!"

- Vanessa is very protective of her mother and Uncle Edwin

- She's a somewhat decent actress, she has stage fright sort of but swallows it in order to help her uncle get his play off the ground

- Despite switching to Protestant she still upholds a lot of Catholic values since she was raised as one

-She doesn't have much contact with her mother's side of the family due to strain from her parents divorce again divorce frowned upon in strict Catholic families

- She did give jason a gift for his engagement to Tasha but after that fiasco he tried giving it back to her and she told him to keep it

- In an alternate universe (let's call it marbleverse for future reference) jason proposed to her (having already broke up with Tasha years ago) and she declined not ready for marriage. they hurried up after novacom tho lmao

- Vanessa inherited a Blackgaard Castle located in Connellsville which she retooled as "midnight manor" a haunted house/vacation home

- Vanessa prefers Eugene with his hair down because seeing his eyes creeps her out

- "Six feet apart j*ll*an, six feet apart." Vanessa like everyone else with a brain dislikes villain marshall

- "Hello again it's me Vanessa! Double-S Vanessa, Double-T Whittaker!" She jokes this after she meets j*ll*an the second time

- Vanessa doesn't interact with child characters all that much but a part of her character arc is becoming a cool aunt to jason's cool uncle

- Some kids and connie helped set up a date for jason/vanessa totally not suspicious they knew what was going on and decided to play along; discovered they actually enjoyed each other's company

- During his time as The Stiletto Jason left roses and candy and other tokens around for her to find, which she eventually figured out was a sign of him being alive

- She was mad, relieved, overjoyed at his presence & the rare time you see her cry

- Only other time she cried was when Tom Riley passed because she admired the man

- Meta-wise Vanessa prefers jason's old look though she likes all of his designs

- Vanessa did get her own public access show which was crucial to the novacom arc

- Afterwards she suggested the idea of reforming the boxes into teaching tools, using them as art projects

- Vanessa was so sus of Monica Stone like "you think im not watching you lady?? Think again! I know you, i am watching you!"

- Vanessa and connie are like sisters considering she's an only child; in fact connie waa another close friend she made in odyssey

- If Chris (the narrator) gets sick or unavailable Vanessa fills in for the intro and such is introduced in her workshop painting

- She canonically has a guardian angel named Mariposa who sometimes appears; Mariposa works under Malachi and her human disguise is Posie

- After leaving the nunnery the first thing she did was buy a trendy wardrobe like miniskirts, boots, she was happy she didn't have to were ultra-conservative attire anymore

- She has a pet doberman named angela who ironically hates everyone in town

- If vanessa wasn't with jason her next choice of love interest would've been Richard Maxwell

[polymathart]

PolySpeaks: Cassandra x Rapunzel

“Plus Est En Vous” has left me a lot to think about. The love that Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cass all have for each other are just so special. I do not think I have ever seen or read of any story that illustrated such a deep level of love. I’ve always been cautious to see Rapunzel and Cassandra’s love as romantic. But I also have never been able to just label it as platonic or sisterly. I think I’ve finally come to terms with just exactly what the Series has shown me. It’s shown me a loving relationship deeper than most seen in media or written in literature.

These are all my own thoughts and don’t reflect the opinions of anyone else. I’m open to discussion, criticism, whether openly or privately.

Eugene: I think Eugene is pretty much straight. I don’t think I have seen much to indicate he has interest in anyone other than women. But he is confident and is not squeamish about close contact. He just has that suave, charming character that loves to flirt but not always in a romantic way.

Cassandra: I think I’ve finally been able to agree that Cassandra is bisexual and maybe demisexual. I think she just has more attraction and is more comfortable with women than men. I don’t think she is indifferent to men. I can see her liking a man with a big heart and a fearless soul. (Yes I ship Cassarian still but that’s not the focus here.) She definitely has affections for Rapunzel she has not yet fully recognized as romantic. But at the very least she has more love for Rapunzel than she does for anyone else in her life. When she started out, she saw Rapunzel just as someone who shared her struggles of making friends. She disliked Eugene not because he was with Rapunzel. She 1) had a job to do 2) thought he was nothing but a free-loading two-bit hood and 3) she just really liked hanging out with Rapunzel��possibly her very first real “friend.” As the Series goes on, I think Cassandra is not hurt or let down by Rapunzel considering her a “sister.” But she still feels like something just does not work right with that word, “sister.” By this point, she is not head over heels for Rapunzel, but she is extremely attached to her friend. She wants something deeper than “sister” but still does not call it romance. She just cares so much for Rapunzel in a soulmate-like way. Following her betrayal, Cassandra misses Rapunzel. She understands now that she does indeed have something in her heart for Rapunzel that is more than just “best friend” or “sister.” When she reconciles with Rapunzel, she does not call it romance but she definitely feels a love between her and Rapunzel that was even stronger and closer than she thought she would ever feel. She is not obsessed with Rapunzel in an unhealthy way, but she realizes that Rapunzel has truly become a huge part of her. She is in love not solely in a romantic way, but in a way that crosses definitions and levels of love. She just loves Rapunzel so much that she cannot name it. When she finally says “I love you, Raps,” I do not hear it as her flat out admitting she is romantically attracted. To me she just sounds like she is saying she loves Rapunzel, but the love she feels for her is too great to even specify as between her and her sister, lover, or best friend.

Rapunzel: Finally, I see Rapunzel as being pansexual, or maybe to be mor specific, panromantic demisexual. I doubt that when Rapunzel was growing up in her Tower, she ever saw gender as a part of romance. Rapunzel is naturally just so loving and so affectionate and so desiring of closeness that she does not care about gender. There is just so much love in her heart that she cannot direct it to a single type of person or relationship. That is why she is so quick to latch onto someone or sit next to someone or dance with someone. She had never grown up shy towards anyone. Yes she has shown some shyness when she met the Pub Thugs, but she casts it aside so very quickly. She does not value her own personal space as most people would do for their own. She is bursting with love and happiness that she cannot help but extend and share it with whoever she meets. I do not think she truly feels romantic attraction towards Cassandra as she does to Eugene, but she definitely has special affection for her. Similar to Cass, she knows that there is something more than just a sisterly, romantic, or even friendly love. She knows there is a deeper love she has for Cass than she has for most other people. And this is not to take anything away from Eugene. I believe she has just as much love for Eugene as she does for Cassandra.

Conclusion: I do not think Rapunzel or Cassandra value romance over genuine friendship. I still don’t want to use the word soulmate for the kind of love Cassandra and Rapunzel have for each other. I personally think there is no word to describe the love the two have for each other. There is just so much love they have for each other that romance is not enough to describe it. They both just love each other so much in such a deep way.

There is a word for this kind of love—the greatest form of love: unconditional. Not in a “no matter how awful you are, I will let you off the hook no matter what” kind of way. Instead, I think of their unconditional love as more “I love you so much. You have no clue how big of a part of my life you are. I love to the ends of the Earth and I just cannot stop loving you despite everything that happens. I want to enjoy life and experience everything this world has to offer with you. I want to share every last bit of joy and sorrow with you.” The way I see it, the love Cass and Raps have for each other includes romantic elements but ultimately goes far beyond just that. There’s just so much love they have for each other in their own special way. In a way, they are whole by themselves, but being together makes them even more whole.

TLDR: Cassandra is bisexual and more attracted to girls than guys but not opposed to guys. She is also slow to admitting feelings but quick to subconsciously showing feelings. Rapunzel is pansexual and is just full of so much love that she does not associate any specific gender when she thinks of romance. She is naturally open about her feelings and just as naturally open to showing her feelings. Cass is touchy around people she trusts. Rapunzel is touchy around everyone she values.

One more time: These are all my own personal opinions. This isn’t ghost written by anyone. I am open to any and all conversation about this topic. I am okay with criticism and discussion publicly or privately or anonymously.

Dominus vobiscum,

Polymath.

[wexhappyxfew]

For Thirsty Thursday, what has been your favorite character relationships to write?

JULIANNE!!! hello!! i hope you are doing well and that your day has been lovely :) 💛

so, for this im going to pull 2 from sunshine soldier, because currently i dont want to give anything away for the soldier of stars!! :) thank u for this!!

Sunshine Soldier

Sunshine Soldier was my first ever fic I published anywhere, and it holds a very special place in my heart as does Charlotte Tarvers. Throughout the context of the story, there are many different relationships that Charlotte has with members of Easy Company, but I have to say my 2 favorites are her relationship with Ronald Speirs, and her relationship with Eugene Roe. Now, this was when I just had ideas and was just going with it and it worked and stuff, but she was a combat medic 🥰

PLATONIC - Eugene Roe and Charlotte Tarvers: Charlotte became a combat medic in Easy Company and her and Gene connected almost instantly because Charlotte was born in France before her parents decided it was only right to leave France and come to America for a better life. So, Charlotte grew up speaking French, and that is initially what bonded Gene and her together as well as Charlotte’s love for the medical field and saving people whether it be physcially, mentally or emotionally. She was always putting others before herself, she’d grown up that way.

Gene and Charlotte are my favorites for the platonic relationship of the book mainly because by the middle of the story, it is clear that they just get each other. Such as knowing when one is upset, or when they are genuinely, purely happy.

A pivotal scene is in Bastogne [Episode 6] where Gene has come back from Bastogne, hearing Smokey was paralized and he is sat upon a tree, doing that 1,000 yard stare. Charlotte herself is also struggling like Gene, but she puts Gene in front of her own worries, even as she grows sicker just to make sure that he is okay. She makes sure he eats, and he sleeps and he’s warm and that, without even having to talk, she tells him that she’ll always be there for him. Their relationship was very deep, personally to me, because they could respect each other, and get work done, but they also had fun together and Gene felt himself around her, because she was the Sunshine and had that effect on everyone. And they also brought out the best sides of one another, which I loved!!

Gene and Charlotte just truly were the people who didn’t need to be at each other’s side all the time to know what the other was thinking. One look and they read each other’s minds. In a way, their like Yin and Yang, completely each other, with the head and the heart. Gene was the head of the operation, firm, determined, soft-spoken with a quiet demeanor, while Charlotte was the heart, truly using her emotions to express herself and truly emote who she was but staying strong as a female and a woman who was looked up to as someone who saved lives along the front line.

I just really loved their Head/Heart relationship that ran together so well. I adored that :)

ROMANTIC - Ronald Speirs and Charlotte Tarvers:

THESE TWO. They were literally so fun to write and honestly so adorable to write.

Charlotte first met Ronald Speirs back in Toccoa when Sobel put her on night patrol the same time Speirs was on night patrol. And Charlotte, being Charlotte, was not one to listen to what others said about people, she figured everyone deserved proper first impressions instead of what was said. There was automatically that sort of chemistry that people kept looking back on it seemed.

Throughout the course of the war you see these two in different situations with each other, long enough to notice, like, oh so he’s admiring her righ now, or oh that was a flirty comment. Just little things like that bits of admiration, where you could see that Charlotte’s general attitude and character impressed Speirs to many heights. Even with just little moments of them passing by, or catching each other’s eye contact, they were always in the backs of each other’s minds, but war didn’t seem the place for romantic feelings.

Their relationship was very much a slow-burn, as it took the entire book really for them to acknowledge their feelings for each other, but they saw each other at their highs and their lows and still respected one another and were devoted to each other, which I adored because they complimented each other really well.

Like, Charlotte, a combat medic with a fever, running through Foy with a gun because she thought someone oughta save their asses. Ronald Speirs energy right there.

But they bring out different sides of each other. You want soft Speirs? Sunshine Soldier will give you soft Speirs. Charlotte brings out that gentle, cuddly and soft side of Speirs that I feel isn’t talked about widely. He may be a tough guy but he needs some love too :)

Speirs I feel brings on that even more loyal and trustworthy side of Charlotte in a way. Charlotte never believed any of the rumors about Speirs and she told him straight up, because well it’s Charlotte and she’ll be blunt. And Charlotte remained loyal to and continues to remain loyal to Speirs no matter what anyone else says because she knows who Speirs is, and she trusted him wholeheartedly, not matter what really.

Even though they are strong together as a couple, with high respect and loyalty and trust and caring love, they were strong alone in their own ways which I feel made them work. They had established to each other that they were strong and were worthy leaders, that were willing to let their guards down for one another. That led to them having a good relationship together because they knew themselves and became stronger together, which I LOVE!!

—————-

thank you julianne!! this was really fun, i was able to show my thought process, a shortened one, of two of my favorite relationships from sunshine soldier. maybe i can do one for the soldier of stars soon!! :) 💛💛 lovely question!!

[rainyday-deer]

One more question... What do you like about Hector and Rapunzel? 😍💝

As a ship?? OHO BOY

So like-- First off, I do try to make it pretty obvious about why I like them in the lil scribbly scenarios I do for them, and the kind of dynamic I can see them having. Most of what I do isn’t even explicitly shippy, and can easily be read as a friendship. Which is a big thing for me, tbh. I want to make it seem plausible that these two could be friends, and then have them grow into something else.

I will be forward-- I really enjoy Heroine/Antagonist ships, especially for Rapunzel. Anyone who has followed me long enough, or knows me well enough, knows this to be true. I enjoy enemies to friends to lovers. It’s a very fun dynamic, and figuring out how it could work is a fun past-time lmao

A lot of this is based on context clues, speculation, and headcanons though, since Hector wasn’t touched on in depth in the show. C’est la vie.

Hector’s pretty interesting too, since while he’s an antagonist, he’s not necessarily a straight up bad guy. He’s doing what he thinks is right, even if it’s in an incredibly extreme manner. He believes he’s helping to keep the world safe, by keeping the moonstone a secret, and keeping everyone away from the dark kingdom. He could not have given less of a shit about Rapunzel, or the fact she MIGHT be the sundrop. Hell, he looks INCREDIBLY unimpressed with her when he finally gets close.

That said, when he shows up again, he’s still willing to fight on her side because it’s the right thing to do. It kind of reiterates that NO, he’s not a bad guy.

And that’s kind of the crux for me. Rapunzel has won over arguably worse people. The Pub Thugs were unapologetic thugs (and remained that way, even when chasing their dreams). Rapunzel won over Stalyan, who wasn’t above letting her father poison someone so she could force Eugene into marriage. Var and Cass both kind of count too; She forgave them after they BOTH committed treason and attempted murder because they were angry with her. She’s a very loving person who wants to see the best in people, and I don’t think Hector would be an exception.

And like-- They’re actually kind of similar. They’ve both got the long periods of isolation thing going for them. They both love animals (Did you see how Hector was comforting his Rhino?? He loves him, end of story), and they’re both incredibly loyal to the people they care about (arguably to extreme lengths). All these traits manifest in different ways, but they’re there. Sort of like a strange reflection of the other.

Even visually I kind of feel like they contrast against each other in a really pleasant way-- But that’s more of a personal opinion.

Also! There’s one subversion about them that is interesting (to me personally):

Rapunzel is technically more caught up in the world than Hector is. Rapunzel’s had about 2-3 years to learn about the modern world around her. New books, inventions, politics. She knows about most, if not all, of it. Hector’s knowledge is outdated, given his longer period of isolation. You’d think he’d be the more worldly one, and in some ways he is, but that doesn’t change the fact that Rapunzel is the one most up to date, so in a weird way, a little more knowledgeable.

Not about everything, mind you, but it’s an interesting note imo.

On a more emotional side: It’s pretty well regarded by Hector stans that he’s touch starved. Arguably, he’s a little socially and emotionally stunted too-- And so is Rapunzel! BUT, she’s a lot more willing to reach out and be compassionate. She’s genuine about it, and given their few similarities, I do think Hector would be willing to at least hear her out. And she does get it, which in turn, means he gets her too. I feel like they’d be able to notice easier if and when the other is overwhelmed.

(Also also on the touch starved thing: Rapunzel is a cuddlebug. She’s touchy. Hector would get SO many hugs, arm touches, kisses, etc)

Striking on the opposites thing though-- Hector is probably standoffish and grouchy with strangers. Rapunzel wants to be everyone’s friend and be liked. I feel like they’d help each other balance it out. Rapunzel would encourage Hector to try and make friends, and he might try to help her let it go and chill out if someone doesn’t like her (Because, lbr, she does struggle with it a lot.) Rapunzel is very forgiving. Hector is arguably more stingy with forgiveness and earning trust back (Not that he can’t-- He didn’t kill Adira, after all). They’d have a yin-yang dynamic, I think.

So I guess the bottom line is just... I think they’d have some interesting interactions, and I think their dynamic could be a lot of fun, be it romantic or platonic.

[flystrue]

⌠ aubrey joseph. cismale. he/him. ⌡❝ — well, look who’s just arrived ! if it isn’t the one and only eugene lane. though, around here they’re known as the obsequious. don’t tell ‘em i said this but the twenty two year old mechanic kinda has a reputation of being self - critical and acquiescent. but y’know, they can be magnanimous and conscientious too. typical aries. anyways, welcome home and stay safe gene ! ❞ 

let’s  rock  &  roll  buckerOOS  here  is  a  v  long  intro  bc  i  got  rlly  !  excited  !  abt  this  rp !  i’m  nae  (  twenty  ,  she /her  ,  acst  /  from  good  ol’  australia !  )  and  i’ll  be  playing  eugene  lane  ,  whom  you  can  learn  more  abt  below  !

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬.

full  name  :  eugene  anthony  lane .  

nickname  /  alias  :  gene . 

age  :  twenty  two .  

gender  /  pronouns  :  cismale  ,  he /  him .  

sexual  /  romantic  orientation  :  bisexual  /  biromantic .

hometown  :  born   &   raised  in  misty  hollow  ,  connecticut  ,  babey  !

occupation  :  mechanic .

could  be  compared  to  :  grizz  visser  from  the  society  ,  monty  green  from  the  100  ,  rio  from  money  heist .

𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲.

eugene  lane  :  you’re  born  in  a  run - down  trailer  ,  broken  blinds   &   shattered  kitchenware .  born  to  two  parents  ,  one  of  which  is  nothing  but  an  absent shadow  in  your  life  ,  and  another  who  carries  an  edge  like  knives   ━   you’re  born  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  tracks  ,  but  you’re  not  born  there  alone .  you’re  sister  is  born  several  minutes  before  you  ,  and  she  will  stand  steadfast  by  your  side  throughout  every  up  and  down  ,  she  will  always  be  there  to  be  your  pillar  of  strength  ,  and  that  is  more  than  enough  love  to  survive  on   ━   you  are  brought  up  rough  ,  and  not  just  in  that  busted  up  trailer  park   :   you  blend  into  the  back  of  classrooms  to  avoid  all  the  sneers   &  pestering  ,  but  teachers  see  you  ,  they  remember  who  you  are  .  they  say  you’ve  got  a  decent  brain  in  that  head  of  yours  ,  something  valuable  ,  something  to  be  harnessed  into  greatness .  they  say  all  your  opportunities  are  waiting  for  you  just  around  the  bend   ━   it’s  a  nice  dream  ,  although  you  fail  to  see  your  own  potential .  for  now  ,  you  have  your  gadgets   &   odd  science  experiments  ,  selling  exam  answers  &  reports  to  students  under  the  bleachers  promising  A’s  ,  and  that’s  enough .  

the  household  is  a  tense  one  ,  and  your  mom   &   sister  fight  A  LOT   :   your  mom  is  intolerable  and  cruel  ,  and  your  sister  is  a  spitfire  that  is  easily  ignited   &  not  easily  extinguished   ━   you  do  your  best  to  keep  out  of  your  mother’s  vengeful  path  ,  even  if  it  means  looking  away  when  your  sister  needs  you  most  ,  even  if  it  means  cowering .   you  are  not  a  fighter  ,  you  do  not  raise  your  fists  or  your  tone  :  you  prefer  the  road  less  bound  for  conflict  ,  to  speak  softer  &  use  gentler  palms .  your  father  ,  when  he’s  around  ,  has  said  this  is  weakness  :  too  passive  ,  too  eager  ,  but  gene  can’t  see  a  fault  in  being  kinder  than  most .  

highschool  graduation  is  a  sigh  of  relief  ,  no  longer  hassled  &  tormented  by  peers  that  you  tried  and  tried  to  gain  respect  from .  BUT  NOW  WHAT ?  you  are  at  the  very  bottom  of  the  food - chain  ,  and  you  have  been  brought  up  with  nothing  but  the  tendency  to  only  see  your  faults   ━   somehow  ,  you’re  offered  apprenticeship  at  a  local  automobile  mechanic  in  exchange  for  free  labor   ━   not  ideal  when  you’re  seeking  to  pull  your  own  weight  in  that  new  apartment  with  your  sister  that  neither  can  really  afford .  but  you  make  it  work  ,  you  take  up  odd  jobs  wherever  you  can  find  them   :   drip  ‘n  dry  laundromat  ,  the  hollow  diner  ,  even  your  very  own  from  home  computer  repair  business  that  never  really  takes  off  ,  but  it  pulls  enough  to  get  by  until  you  can  navigate  your  way  under  a  hood  ,  enough  to  say   :   THIS  IS  ALL  ME  ,  eugene  lane  did  this  !    and  that  is  enough .  

𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲  &  𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 .  

first  and  foremost  ....  he  Baby   .....  GOD  he  really  does  have  a  big  heart  !!!!  cares  abt  people  a  HECK  ton  !!!  everything  he  does  is  for  his  sister  +  those  he  loves  /  befriends  !!!

v  self  critical  of  himself  tho  like  ...  he’s  constantly  doubting  himself  and  his  ability's  even  though  !!!!  he’s  v  smart  !!!  if  u  ever  need  help  with  anything  techy  ,  he’s  ur  man  !

loves  his  job  ...  sm  ...   he  fuckin  LOVES  tinkering  with  stuff .  although  he’s  really  only  been  an  official  automobile  mechanic  for  abt  a  year  or  so  ??  will  flip  out  over  cars  tho  ..  he’ll  ramble  ALL  DAY  abt  his  opinions  on  different  manufacturers .   

he  gives  off  grandpa  vibes  ...  he  hardly  curses   &   he’s  in  bed  by  9 ...  yes  he  watches  soap  operas  in  his  spare  time  ,  and  what  abt  it .

will  Never  snap  back  at  anyone  EVER .  he  will  100 %  always  back  down  from  confrontation .  the  only  time  he  has  ever  stepped  !  tf  !  up  !  was  when  he  was  in  his  late  teens   &   he  ...  lost  oop .  he  got  rlly  badly  injured  (  permanent  hearing  loss  in  his  right  ear .  ) 

strangely  tho  ??  he  is  weirdly  CALM  abt  all  this  murder  stuff .  he’ll  be  like  ‘  yeah  that’s  kinda  Freaky  ,  huh  ’  but  then  5  mins  later  he’ll  be  out  Walkin’  down  dark  alley’s  or  taking  in  hitch -  hikers  : /

but  he’s  also  this  vine  when  it  comes  to  anything  Creepy

𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬 .

gonna  get  my  homies  mood  rings  so  i  know  when  they  need  a  hug  :  bad  boys  bad  boys  .. .  whatcha  gonna’  do  .. .  whatcha  gonna  do  when  they  come  4  u .... i  want  a  BROTP  for  him  !!  YESTERDAY  !!  bonus  points  if  it’s  like  a  dumb  boy  band  squa d  

u  was  my  fuckin’  cinnamon  apple  :  ok  i’m  kinda’  picturing  that  ....  on  /  off  type  relationship  ??  they  are  constantly  a  are  they  /  aren’t  they  situation  bc  one  second  they’re  all  over  each  other  and  the  next  they  refuse  2  speak  to  each  other .

a  strictly  platonic  gal  pal  :  just  a  gal  that  he  is  genuinely  friends  with  ?? not  to  get  my  nerdy  pants  on  but  .....  hermione  granger  /  harry  potter  type  deal  ?? pls  he  needs  it  ...  I NEED IT

break  his  heart  i  dare  u   :   he’s  such  a  sentimentalist  that  he  grows  attached  to  ppl  v  quickly  so  mayb  it  was  first  just  a  fling ??  or  mayb  a  highschool  crush  gone  wrong ?? maybe  he’s  CURRENTLY  crushing  on  them  and  they’re  gonna’  try  and  let  him  down  easy  BUT

a  GIRLFRIEND  /  BOYFRIEND ??  :  just  gonna  throw  it  out  there  ...  bc  who  knows  !  he’d  be  a  good  boyfriend  ...  he  would  open  doors  4  u   &   giv  u  .....  all  his  undevoted  love  and  undivided  attention  ALWAYS .  

a  bad  influence  :  gene  is  a  goody  goody  ,  so  this  person  would  probably  be  pushin  him  outside  his  comfort  zone ??  ━  maybe  they’ve  manipulated  him  in  a  way ??  got  him  to  do  their  bidding  ??  or  mayb  he’s  just  followin  them  around  &  tryin’  to  keep  up  w /  their  shenanigans ?? 

let’s  tell  each  other  secrets  ,  ill  go  first ...  i  Hat e  u  :  kinda  picturing  someone  he  clashed  with  in  highschool  ??  but  mayb  even  someone  who  just  gives  him  a  hard  time OR  MAYB  the  person  he  fought  with  that  last  tim e ??

and  literally  anything  else  !!  pls  plot  with  me ... i  lo v  e u 

[rinusagitora]

The love, lead, and the undead.

Fandom: Monster Prom

Characters: Vicky Schmidt, Damien LaVey, Brian Yu, Oz, Zoe

Pairings: Brian/Damien/Vicky, Oz/Zoe, platonic Brian/Oz/Zoe

Words: 3.9k

Summary: Canon divergent. Chapter 2/?. WARNINGS— smut, alcoholism, depression, mentions of csa, childhood abuse, medical horror; After Damien and Vicky share a night of passion, trouble brews.

Home was supposed to feel cozy and lived-in.

Vicky vaguely remembered her childhood with her mom and sisters. That was home. She remembered her biweekly visitation with her dad too. His home was cold and smelled like dog urine and beer. His car smelled like cold metal, and then it smelled like a gas fire after he wrapped it around a pole. She remembered the smell of her dad's breath as he screamed at her to buckle up, like putrefaction. She remembered what her blood smelled like when her head collided with the dashboard.

Since the accident, she hadn't felt at home. Gary was the man who reanimated Vicky. His lab was hard and cold. He was never really affectionate towards her. Once Gary died of mercury poisoning, his brother Eugene took her in, and that was never home, not after the things he did to her. Even Vicky’s apartment wasn't home.

She wasn't ready to stay in a place so hollow.

"Can you stay the night?" Vicky asked. Damien walked her home after they loitered on campus several hours after the school day ended.

"Yeah. My dads won't mind."

Vicky guided Damien inside and he kicked off his shoes by the door. "This is cute," he complimented.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Booze?"

"Wassail?"

"Is… is that booze?"

Vicky forgot he didn't celebrate Christmas. "I'll get you some whiskey."

"Thanks, babe."

Vicky returned with two glasses of single malt whiskey. When she sat next to Damien, he crossed his legs and gazed upon her. "So, bank robbery. What got you into that?"

"I like being independent. It'd hard juggling school and my social life when I need to pay rent. Robbery is a huge payout every couple of weeks, so I can cover my bills and have plenty extra to play around with," she explained. "Vera is a fantastic partner as well. I wouldn't get half as much as I do without her."

"Are you guys, like, friends? Does Vera even have friends?"

"I feel like she’s my friend," she said. "If we’re asking questions, though, why are you going to a public school? You're the motherfucking prince of Hell. I'm sure there are a plethora of academics at your dads’ disposal that could instruct you better than any of our teachers. You’d probably learn stuff that would be more relevant to ruling over Hell.”

"I wanted to go to school up here. It's not that I feel out of place, but it's refreshing not constantly feeling like people are sucking up to me up here for their own benefit. I prefer being sucked up to for being feared."

"I'm sure you'd rather be sucked off."

His face darkened with his blush. "Well, yes, but… God, you are forward."

Vicky was pretty forward. As curious as she was about Damien's other love interest, she hoped to avoid those heavy topics so soon. But she was bored, and she was a whore, so the obvious solution was to fuck.

She set her whiskey aside, and Damien downed the remainder of his. She crawled on top of him. She kissed him, kissed across his jaw, and scraped her teeth against his earlobe. Damien purred. With one hand, he pulled her back to his lips. He licked her lips with his broad tongue. When he slipped inside, he massaged the roof of her mouth. He pulled her shirt up to her shoulders and she pulled away from him to undress and discard her clothing.

"You're gorgeous," he said. He stroked the underside of her breasts. Vicky bit her lip and smiled down at him. "These are amazing. No wonder you're so popular," he told her with a fistful of her breasts in hand.

Vicky pried Damien's hands off her chest and kissed his neck. She kissed down his neck, his collarbone, his chest, his belly. His hips bucked when she licked his erection through his pants.

"Fuck," he groaned. He unbuttoned his pants, and then lifted his hips so Vicky easily slipped his pants off. She held his erection in one hand as she languidly licked up his shaft. She tasted his precum on his head. When she slipped it into her mouth and lapped at the opening, his fingers combed through her hair. She swallowed him down to his base, where she smelled his sweat on his bladder. His breath rattled in his lungs. She only bobbed a handful of times before he grasped her chin and the back of her head, which effectively pinned her in place, and fucked her face. It touched her voice box, she gurgled, and it was delightful. She held his thighs to prevent from touching herself.

His thigh muscles quivered as he pulled out. Saliva and precum dripped onto Vicky’s chin. She smiled up at him. “You’re a freak, babe,” he hoarsed.

“Fuck me,” Vicky mewled. Damien vanished her pants and underwear like a magician. He dropped her legs over his shoulders, and held one of her quads as he positioned himself. Vicky’s moan echoed through her apartment. He was so long, he continuously massaged the nerve endings inside of her, and it made her legs spasm around his neck.

“God,” he groaned, “you’re amazing. I’m gonna fuck you into oblivion.”

“Like a toy?” she whined. Like a pretty doll he took everywhere. She wanted to be wanted by him so badly.

“Like a toy,” he concurred. He grabbed the arm of her sofa and pounded her unmercifully. It was like he hammered heat and bliss into her gut and it crept up to her chest and face. Her chest heaved. She ran her fingers through Damien’s silky hair. He kissed her palm, and when her hand drifted down his jaw, he caught two of her fingers in his mouth. He parted her pointer and middle fingers with his tongue and licked the webbing between them like he did when he wanted to be a crass, nasty bastard. As juvenile and stupid as it was, it pushed Vicky closer to the edge, like all he wanted was to lay between her legs and eat her like a lollipop.

Damien grunted. His thrusts became sloppy. With his eyes glued to her, he pumped her full of his seed. She watched him finish with a patient smile. He was so cute when he climaxed.

“Holy shit,” he breathed as he pulled his flaccid cock out of her. His cum coated him. It oozed onto her thighs. He pulled her lips open and watched it flow. When he looked back up at her, he had that awful, shit-eating grin that always went straight to her groin, and then said, “I’m gonna clean you up, baby.”

Vicky was helpless against his whims. She only whimpered as he scooted down to her pussy like a dream come true.

First, Damien licked up her. She covered her warm face. Already, he was so wonderful, overwhelming, fantastical. Three licks into his prize, a prize because Vicky felt as golden as a trophy, his pointed tongue pressed on. He lapped up his cum like a hungry cat, he even plunged inside and sucked it out. When he finished, he did a slow, torturous victory lap up to her clitoris that made her beg.

She grabbed his horn and pulled him against her crotch as hard as she possibly could have. He seemed to enjoy it. Damien pushed his fingers into her, and then he hooked them against the roof of her canal, and in conjunction with his oral treatment, it made her squirm and press herself against him, unable to conjure the means to tell him to go harder, faster.

“I love you, Damien,” Vicky finally gasped as her fingers ran through his silky hair, “please keep going!”

Damien picked up the pace. Her legs clenched around his impish ears. Vicky was helpless, because Damien was a fucking expert and her own whorishness worked against her. Her chest locked up. It was like she was overcome with a tidal wave of heat and loveliness.

Vicky helplessly laid as her chest heaved. Down and down she went, until she finally rolled her eyes forward to meet Damien's face on her chest. He wiped cum off his chin and then kissed her. "You're pretty metal, babe,” he said, “you held out for awhile."

"I have experience," she said. "Can we go lay down? This isn't the best place for post-coital snuggling."

Damien pulled Vicky to her feet. Inside her bedroom, she fell onto her bed, blissful and sated, secure in Damien's arms. Vera told her time and time that her relationship with men wasn't healthy, and Vicky knew her self-esteem was fueled by whoever her partner happened to be. But Vicky was an addict. She couldn't help herself.

"I love you, Vicky," Damien told her, as his fingertips traced her side.

She smiled. "I love you too, Damien," and all was well with the world.

---

Vicky and Damien went to school together, hand-in-hand, until Vera and Liam caught them together, and whisked her away to gossip.

“Sweet mother of god,” Liam said as they power walked to the back of campus, “did you guys spend the night together?"

“Yes,” Vicky replied.

“Like, in your bed?”

“... yeah. He’s my boyfriend. The loveseat isn’t long enough for him to sleep on to begin with. That’d be like stuffing a banana into a really tiny tupperware container, or a croc in a storm drain.”

“Where the hell do you come up with these comparisons? You know what? Never mind, I don’t want to know,” Liam said. “Let’s rewind. First of all, I wanna know how all this happened. I’ve known Damien for a couple of years now and I don’t think he’s been with anyone who he’s come to school with.”

“Oh boy. I’ve been trying to get this to happen for awhile now, so I’ll give you the condensed version. Apparently, we liked each other, and were just too stubborn to talk about it until Vera made us talk about it yesterday.”

Vera sighed. “You know that’s not it.”

“Well, we did it last night,” Vicky replied.

"Wait, what? Mother of God, you two work fast. Was it any good?"

"It was fantastic," Vicky sighed wistfully. "He lasted forever, first of all. But he was so good. He finished in me, and then he got in there and cleaned it up with his mouth."

"Oh. Oh wow, that's hot," Liam mumbled.

"That… that is actually really hot, but that wasn't what I meant."

“Vera, are you talking about Damien’s polyamory?” Liam asked.

Apparently everyone but Vicky knew about it. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. "When we talked about it yesterday, it really stressed him out."

"Vicky…" Vera sighed, "I understand you don't want to make him uncomfortable, but you need to ask him about this. You deserve to know."

The way Vera talked about it, like Damien was a diseased whore and Vicky needed his bill of health, put her on edge. "We can talk about it when he's ready. I don't mind sharing Damien, and if it's someone likable enough, I might even partake myself. But this is something that really upsets him when he has to talk about it."

Vera stopped in front of Vicky, arms crossed over her chest and a look as stony as her victims. "You're his fucking girlfriend," Vera said. "I don't care if it makes him uncomfortable. You deserve his honesty. He doesn't get to pull the mysterious boyfriend shit like he's the love interest from a young adult novel, you two are partners, and he has to behave as such. No secrets. No beating around the bush."

"You're not being fair to Damien. He's not trying to hide things from Vicky. He's not the brightest, most socially skilled guy, but he's a good friend," Liam said.

"Is it fair to Vicky that she has to wonder who this other guy is?"

"That's enough," Vicky snapped. "I see your point Vera. I'll ask him about who else he's interested in, but I'm not gonna push. I know you're implying he might be keeping other partners a secret. But I trust Damien. He hasn't given me a reason to distrust him in the last year I've known him. He's sweet, he's just more awkward than he likes to let on, like Liam said. But I know you guys are just looking out for me, so I'll keep you guys in the loop. We'll talk about it if there's something that's setting off alarm bells for you."

Vera gritted her teeth. "Fine. Out of respect for you, I'll stand down. Just remember you deserve only the best."

"Thank you," Vicky replied with a grateful smile.

---

Oz’s goo churned. He wondered what made him so nervous. Everything was so peaceful, and Zoe hummed atonally as she scribbled in her notebook.

“Zoe,” Oz whispered, “do you feel like something terrible is going to happen?”

“I don’t feel like much of anything right now,” she replied. “Are you okay? Oz?”

He exhaled. His eyes went dark.

And then Oz was in a lab. Rather, it was like he watched through a fisheye lens from his chest. He folded saran wrap around kilos of cocaine. He didn’t care much for coke, he certainly wanted nowhere near a coke house to begin with.

“Put your fucking hands up!”

His head whipped up. Oz saw the spiral of the rifle’s barrel and then a flash.

He trembled. He tasted cotton candy and he was fucking exhausted.

“Oz!” Zoe bled into his vision like water color. “Oh my god, Oz, are you okay? You started convulsing and speaking in tongues, and as hot as that was---”

“Stop, Zoe,” Oz groaned. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Fuck, my head hurts.”

“Oz, what the fuck was that?”

“I don’t know,” he said as he massaged between his eyes. “I was… I was in this lab wrapping drugs, and then I think I was shot point blank.”

“Oh my god, that’s horrible,” Zoe said. “That’s so vivid…. I thought you were just having a seizure because of my awesome fic. I think you had a premonition, though. At least that's how my premonitions have been happening since I've inhabited this form. Our friends could be in danger, we have to investigate this.”

Oz held his head. Zoe was right, but he was scared. What if they were too late? As old as Oz was, he wasn’t omnipotent.

---

For hours, Vicky pondered Vera’s argument. Vera, of course, was right. She didn’t know much about Damien’s love life to begin with. The more Vicky thought about it, the more it seemed like something that they should have discussed from the get-go.

Still, she was nervous. She picked at her dinner. Damien had already gone through three servings and the only thing Vicky had done with her food is turned it into a weird, macerated pile of pasta and beef.

"Are you gonna eat that?" he asked.

Vicky pushed her plate towards Damien. "No. You're welcome to it."

"This stroganoff is fucking awesome. Why don't you bring your own lunch? Fuck, I'd stab a dozen of our classmates for this shit. This is almost as good as my dad's cooking."

"Really?" she said. Damien nodded as he shovelled more pasta down the hatch. "Y'know, I'd like some help with the dishes."

"Sure thing."

They stood next to each other, and Damien happily whistled an army cadence. "You know," Damien began, "I never really thought I'd like this domestic shit. I know my dads defrag at home, where everything is simpler than impending war. I just didn't think I'd be like them."

"I assume you're a lot like your dads. You got your sweetness from somewhere," Vicky said.

"Same goes for my violent streak." They wrapped up. Damien flicked his wet fingers into the sink. "Y'know, I've been wondering how you died for awhile now. You're so… I don't know, homely, I guess? But you're stitched to shit. It's like someone popped your head into another body."

"That's pretty much exactly how that happened. My dad drank heavily. He got into a car accident and I wasn't wearing a seatbelt. I don't remember much after that until my dad's great uncle, who was a… geneticist, I think, reanimated me."

"How come we've never met him? Actually, why do you even live alone? You're only in high school."

"Gary, the man who reanimated me, died six years ago."

"So you've been living on your own for six years?"

"No." Vicky's talons sunk into her wash cloth. "Gary's brother Eugene took me in. I moved out two years ago."

Two years too little. Eugene still felt close by. She still felt his hands on her shoulders and his cum on her clothes. Her backside stung. She wanted to throw up.

"Vicky?" Damien's voice sounded distant. She rocked in place, the entire world oscillated. She wobbled over to the couch and laid down.

Vicky was still dead in a lot of ways. She had a home, and was still homeless. She had friends, yet she had no family. Vicky was happy, on the outside. On the inside was a violent maelstrom of taint and cum and self-loathing that violently pummeled her.

"Vera, I don't know what to do. Vicky and I were talking about this Eugene guy and she completely checked out. I-I don't think she can even hear me right now…. Yeah, I'll pass you over. I just need a second."

Damien clasped Vicky's shoulder. "Babe?" he said, "Vera wants to talk to you."

Vicky gingerly held his phone against her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, sweetie. Are you safe?"

"No."

"Who hurt you?"

"Eugene is still here," Vicky said. "He never left. He recycles everything in my dreams. I wish I had died that day."

"Where is Eugene now? Is he still at your place?"

"I don't think so."

"Did Damien help him hurt you?"

"I don't know who Damien is."

"He's a friend, okay? You can trust him. I need your help, though. Can you breathe with me for a minute?"

"Okay."

"I'm going to count to seven. Inhale for me." Vera counted. Vicky breathed in. "Hold it… now exhale until I count to seven." Vicky exhaled. "Now, rub your arms, Vicky. Rub the couch. What does the couch feel like?"

"It's kinda coarse. But not in an itchy way."

"Okay. What color are Damien's eyes?"

Vicky's eyes met with Damien's. They were gold, in a sad way. He looked worried. "They're yellow," she said.

"What else is yellow there?"

"The throw pillow. The one that's got braids on it. The kitchen has a yellow ladle. Well, the handle is yellow, the bowl is stained since I didn't rinse it off when I had tomato soup a couple months ago."

"Gross," Vera laughed. "Okay. One more thing. What do you hear?"

"I think my ears are ringing. No, that's an ambulance. Did you call an ambulance?"

"No. They're just passing by. How do you feel?"

Vicky sat up. "Present," she said.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

She looked into Damien's eyes. He seemed reserved. Vicky got the feeling he was conflicted. She hadn't had an episode like that in months, and Damien deserved an explanation.

"I do, but I'll fill you in later," Vicky said.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later."

Vicky returned Damien's phone. "What the fuck was that?" Damien asked.

"Look… I have issues left over from the accident. Sometimes, I think back to it and I completely implode."

"Implode is about right. Is all that really from your accident?"

Vicky frowned. Why did her issues have to be so apparent that she had to bare her soul to everyone? All Vicky wanted was peace. But no, Damien had to pick and pry and fucking prod.

"It's in the past. I don't have to talk about it."

"You don't--- fuck, it's clearly not in the motherfucking past if you're still freaking out about it!"

"Fine!" Vicky snapped, "you want to know the truth? My dad beat the living shit out of me. I got three broken ribs, a broken finger, and a concussion before they divorced. Despite all this evidence, my dad managed to bail himself out and get weekend visitations un-fucking-supervised. He drank like a fucking racoon, and when he got drunk, he got madder! He unbuckled me and threw me against the dash when I was giving him lip. When I struggling to get away, he swerved into a fucking pole and I went through the windshield!"

"And of course, his damn uncle is a freak and had to bring me back for his precious research. I was tied to a table for years before he died. I was gonna starve on that table. But then Eugene saved me. But everything comes at a motherfucking price. I had to make sure his house was clean and he was jerked off. Day after day, and nobody helped me! No, you all just think this is an amazing survival story. I'm dying inside, and you all get to sit down and forget about it the second you leave my company. So I don't want to fucking talk about it anymore."

Vicky was so mad, her vision blurred. Her hair stood on end, and she shook like she clung to the ceiling of a steep fall. Damien was taken aback. He was probably mad. Vicky just wanted him gone, though. He was like everyone else. He picked at her wounds.

"Vicky," he whispered.

"Leave!" she boomed. "You're like everyone else. You don't care about me."

"Don't you ever say that!" he screamed. "I love you so much, it hurts, and it hurts even more knowing the pain you've been through." He grabbed her by her shoulders and threw her into his embrace. "I would kill hundreds of people if it made you happy," he said.

Vicky tried to shove him off her. "Let go of me," she barked, "get the hell out of my house!"

"No. I'm staying here."

Vicky hit his kidney. Damien's hold loosened as he crumpled to the floor. "No! You don't get to pick at my wounds and keep your own damn secrets. Get out of my house, you edgy, self-absorbed bastard!"

"Fuck!" Damien cursed. "It's Brian, okay? But that doesn't fucking matter to me right now. You're hurting and it's at least partially my fault. You're fucking right. I'm not the most sensitive guy, but I love you so much, I would do anything for you, absolutely anything. I'm going to fix what I did wrong. I'm going to stay with you, even after you move past this."

Vicky was at a loss for words. She began to cry. She joined Damien on the floor, and then she lifted his shirt to look where she hit him. There was a fist-sized bruise there, the color of blueberries. "I'm sorry," she wept. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Damien sighed. "I'm okay." Damien sat up a grunt, exhaled harshly, and then hugged her like she was tiny and fragile. "It's okay. We're okay, baby."

She held him so tightly. He was slender. He was sturdy. "It's not okay. I said terrible things. I hit you."

"It's fine. It gave me wood, so we're even."

Vicky laughed. "Okay." She wiped her eyes. "I love you. I was just scared. And it hurts. It always hurts."

"I want to make your hurt go away. I know that I can't though. I'm here to comfort you, though. I'll always protect you."

Damien held the back of her neck. It seemed like forever that she stared into his eyes. Time was weird for Vicky. But she didn't particularly care, because Damien kissed her like she was sweet and fragile and priceless.

[tshepiso-reads-books]

I Fully Understand The Hype | The Diviners by Libba Bray

Started: November 16th, 2019

Finished: November 24th, 2019

Despite the fact that it took me an unbelievably long time to finish I had a rip-roaring time reading The Diviners [Goodreads} . This spooky paranormal read was filled with equal parts atmosphere and charm and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun YA read.

Our primary protagonist in The Diviners is seventeen year old Evie O’Neill, a whip smart flapper with her eyes on notoriety. After an unfortunate incident in her hometown of Zenith, Ohio Evie is sent to live with her bachelor uncle, Will in Manhattan. Almost immediately after her arrival Evie worms her way into the hunt of an occult serial killer Naughty John and uses her skills of psychometry and boundless charm to unravel the paranormal mystery.

The Diviners is filled with great characters. While Evie is the primary protagonist of our narrative, we also closely follow five other characters: Memphis Campbell, Theta Knight, Mabel Rose, Jericho Jones, and Sam Lloyd. All of these characters are richly rendered and compelling enough to carry their slice of the narrative. What’s great about Bray’s character writing is her ability to capture the unique vulnerabilities that make the core of all our characters. I was able to easily connect with each of them because of their engaging personalities and depth of their characterisation. While Bray didn’t spend equal time with each of the teens (that would have made for one hell of a slog) she still managed to create six memorable characters, which is  a feet deserving of praise

I adored the relationships developed in this novel (both platonic and romantic) . The book was filled to the brim with hilarious dialogue that made every group scene a fun time. I appreciated the quiet moments between characters; those scenes in particular revealed interesting facets to our protagonists and made me believe their growing friendships. My favorite character interactions were definitely between Evie and Mabel, I adore these two’s friendship so much. I wouldn’t go into The Diviners for romance because it’s certainly a background element to the plot (though shout out to Theta and Memphis for having the most adorable meet-cute). I can tell Bray is setting up a lot of romantic conflict so it’s gonna be a fun time watching that unravel.

The mystery in this novel was intensely compelling. Because we get the concurrent perspective of our antagonist, Naughty John, The Diviners isn’t hinged on figuring out the mystery of who the serial killer is. The atmosphere works to build a sense of pure dread and anticipation in the audience. Bray establishes the ominous tone throughout the novel so well because of her omniscient third person narration. She intersperses asides that have a birds eye view of the conflict that both give her story scope as well has imbue the story with a sinister presence.

I adored how deeply political this novel was. The Diviners is often praised for its diversity in its cast, we have a fantastic plethora of minorities in this book including black, jewish, immigrant, and gay characters throughout. I don’t often see people talking about how integral a refutation of bigotry is to the plot of the novel. The racism and xenophobia of 1926 is baked into the plot and setting of The Diviners in a way that never felt like lip service or set dressing, but pointed and relevant. The fact that the antagonist of this story is supported by a rising white supremacist movement hits hard in the context of 2019. I’m not even capturing the depth and breath of this but the thesis of Bray’s point can be summed up in this one quote:

“When the world moves forward too fast for some people, they try to pull us all back with their fear”

The 1920s is an often glamorised period of history, people love the flappers and the cinema. Bray brings to light the ugliness of the time in an important way and reminds us that the 1920s was also a time of eugenics and xenophobia and in bringing that to light speaks to the bigotry of America today.

Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Diviners was pure joy to read. I fully understand the hype and I will promptly be binging the rest of the series once King of Crows comes out in February.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Content warning: sexual assault (IPV), animal abuse

[upperstories]

quasimodo! and/or rapunzel!

Both? BOTH! Both is good. 

Soft Headcanons for Quasimodo and Rapunzel!

what they smell like

-Quasimodo smells mostly like Notre Dame; stone, dust, cantles, etc. He also smells faintly of wood varnish, cedar wood, and chestnut, from all his work carving. 

-Rapunzel smells like lavender, paint, and hazelnut. She’s not too fond of eating hazelnuts, but after nearly 18 years of hazelnut soup, the smell never really comes off her. 

what their favorite smells in the world are

-Quasimodo loves all kinds of smells. After spending nearly all of his life in Notre Dame, many things are new and exciting for him, especially morning markets. Filled with people, sights, sounds, and smells. He especially loves passing by bakeries, filled with fresh bread and pastries. His favorite smell though, ironically, is the early morning fresh air that breeze through the belltowers. It’s especially refreshing after a rainstorm or after finishing his before-dawn chores. 

-Rapunzel has always loved the smell of home-cooked meals, but nothing quite beats the moments she’s caught Eugene cooking breakfast. They smell especially wonderful when he surprises her with breakfast in bed. 

what pajamas they wear/what they wear to sleep in

-Quasimodo doesn’t have many worldly possessions, both because of his faith and because Frollo just… failed to provided above the bare minimum of care, so he’ll either just sleep in his green tunic from the day before (sans the belt, tights, and shoes, or… he’ll sleep in the buff. He might still be self conscious about how he looks, but at night there’s no one around to see his disfigured form, so it’s not so bad. 

-Rapunzel has a wide variety of nightgowns to choose from now that she’s a princess, but more often then not, she prefers to steal one of Eugene’s tunics and sleep in that instead. 

my favorite ship (if applicable) and a cute hc about them

-Quasimodo and Rapunzel because this kind of applies to both of them lol: I actually like quite a few ships with Quasi! It’s hard to pic a fav. I like QuasixEsmerelda, QuasixPeobus, QuasixRapunzel, QuasixEugene, QuasixClopin, QuasixEsmereldaxPhoebus, and QuasixRapunzelxEugene. I just general love imagining Quasi getting a lot of love ;u; Soooo here’s some headcanons for all of them!

-Quasi/Esmerelda: Esmerelda likes to accompany Quasi through the morning markets or festivals, and always encourages him to go without his hood over his face. It takes a few tries to get him to show his face, but in the end Esme wins out. She always rewards his courage with a kiss on the cheek. 

-Quasi/Phoebus: Phoebus likes to bring Quasimodo out drinking with him and watching the fun enfold, not because he likes Quasimodo get drunk, but because he likes watching the hunchback out-drink other poor haughty sods. Since Quasi grew up around communal wine, he can basically hold his own for ten rounds before feeling it, something most other stubborn fools don’t expect from the quiet little guy. 

-Quasi/Rapunzel: They’ll spend hours together, working on personal craft projects, quietly focused. Rapunzel is a lot more fidgetty and openly affectionate than Quasi allows himself to be, while Quasi will usually stay in one seated position for hours on end, and he’ll get so distracted with his models or mobiles that he won’t notice Rapunzel’s been painting little murals on his arms until she starts giggling. 

-Quasi/Eugene: When Quasi made a wooden figurine of Eugene and Rapunzel, Eugene was completedly and utterly shocked that Quasi actually got his nose right. (Quasi later admitted that it took him several tries, as he kept accidentally chipping the nose off.)

-Quasi/Clopin: Clopin likes roping Quasimodo into his various schemes, especially if they involve his routine street puppet shows. Since Quasi is good friends with one of his regular customers (the little girl in the purple dress, who I’ve named Agnes), he’ll have Quasi sit in the crowd with the children all piled around him like he’s a big stuffed animal. The longer Quasi sits there, the more children sit with him, the bigger Clopin’s audience becomes. But Quasi doesn’t mind. He likes the attention, and is very gentle when having dozens of children hang off of him. 

-Quasi/Esmerelda/Phoebus: Whenever the three of them sit or lie together, Esmerelda and Phoebus always insist that Quasi sit in the middle. Because he’s so short, it’s the only way they can all be sort of leaning on each other/touching each other. Quasi tends to fall asleep when embraced between the two of them, since he’s so used to just going months on end without physical contact, he just gets so relaxed. 

-Quasi/Rapunzel/Eugene: The three of them (well, mostly Rapunzel and Qausimodo) enjoy jumping and sliding down the cathedral together, but since Eugene has no monumental strength or magica hair to speak of, he’s often left clinging to Quasimodo for dear life while the trio parkour their way from column to tower to buttress. 

my favorite friendship (if applicable) and a cute hc about them

-See previous answers lol. I prefer platonic love to romantic love overall.

a song that reminds me of them

-Quaismodo: When She Loved Me / Sky’s Still Blue / En Bas 

-Rapunzel: Her Morning Elegance / Endlich sehe ish das Licht / Heaven’s Light

what animal i think they would be if they were an animal

-I think Quasimodo would be either a Ram or a Boar. Something seen as wild or ugly that can be easily domesticated with enough care and love. 

-Rapunzel would probbaly be eithe a pony or a deer. Something seeminly cute but badass if threatened enough 

what position they sleep in

-Quasi has to sleep on his front of left sit to keep from hurting his spine too much. He doesn’t move a lot in his sleep , but can be woken up very easily because he doesn’t sleep very soundly/has a very hard time staying relaxed.

-Rapunzel will sleep in pretty much any position. She also tends to move, kick, roll, and steal the sheets while she sleeps, and it takes a very loud alarm to wake her up if she has to be awake before dawn. 

their favorite drink

-Quasi prefers wine, but won’t turn his nose up to mead or beer. He also really loves hot cocoa. The first time he ever tried hot chocolate, he cried and tried his best not to chug it so he could savor it. 

-Rapunzel loves pretty much anything she tries and is very open to trying new things. She loves tropical fruit and oranges especially, but if she lived in the era when mint julips and mimosas were a thing, those would be her favorites.

a gift i would give them if i could

-Quasi: my undying love and like… a million hugs. Or just one long, reeeeeeally tight hug. And also probably a trip to Disneyworld. Just to see how he’d react. 

-Rapunzel: IDK man what do you get a princess who now literally has it all??? The power to eradicate hazelnuts everywhere, maybe.