#she may even flirt with some of them! she may be in a canonical relationship at some point on the server! be regular about that

[whitmore]

are we excited to approach qniki with nuance

[writing-in-the-impala]

Secret Smokes

Pairing: Teacher! Remus Lupin x Reader

Series Summary: When the reader bumps into the new DADA professor on the bridge in Hogwarts she begins to build a friendship with him all thanks to their shared feeling of not belonging and love for muggle cigarettes. Their friendship blooms while they both fight internal battles deciding what is wrong and what is right leading to a lot of fluff, angst, flirting and a rollercoaster of emotions.

Warnings: Swearing, Drinking, teacher-student relationship (but like it’s all legal chill), SLOWburn we’re in for a long ride

Word Count: Just over 1k

A/N:

This story takes place in a AU where Harry's parents are still alive so Remus Lupin still has all his friends and there is no war however that doesn't make him any less angsty. Everything else is pretty much the same as the canon universe! Enjoy!

MASTERLIST  | SERIES MASTER LIST | Part 1, Next Chapter

The wizarding world and the muggle world have always felt like two completely different worlds, maybe that's why Witches and Wizards who are muggle-born become outcasts. It's hard adjusting to a school but adjusting to a whole world at 11 is even harder. Even in your last year of Hogwarts you still didn't feel like you belonged, each summer going back to the muggle life that you have always known, working a summer job at a coffee shop and hanging out with muggles rather than wizards. You had friends in Hogwarts of course, some closer than others and even though it helped you feel more at home you knew that after Hogwarts you'd end up working a muggle job.

Maybe that's why entering your last year at Hogwarts didn't seem as intimidating because at the end of the day it didn't really matter what results you got in your N.E.W.T.S. Still in its own way you knew you'll miss the castle and the life you've lived in it. So your final train ride to Hogwarts felt a bit bittersweet. One thing didn't change, once again a new Defence against the dark arts teacher got introduced, this time one called Remus Lupin. He looked a lot kinder and nicer than the last one.

Your first week went by extremely quickly, quidditch practice hadn't started yet so you had more time to just hang out with your friends. All your lessons were easy so far as everyone was settling to being back. The new profesor was quickly becoming everyone's favourite due to his friendly nature, he seemed to befriend every student something no other profesor really did. You didn't really get to interact with him too much one-to-one during lessons as whenever he had free time the girls with a crush on him would jump onto the opportunity. You didn't really care about DADA as you wouldn't need it in the muggle world but you did understand why everyone was developing a crush, you had your own brewing for him.

It didn't take long for you to get home sick, homesick for the muggle world. Nothing really felt right to you, not even the food it just never tasted as good as what your mother would make, you missed your parents terribly it was a lot harder sending them owls than sending owls to wizard families, they didn't really grasp the concept. The twins could see that you were getting down again, they knew this happened every year after summer, and they've always tried to help lift your spirit. "Y/N we were thinking it was a good time to plan the first prank of the year what do you say?" Fred said. "Y/N is in her last year, she can't be participating in your silly games." Percy answered for you. "Who invited him?" George snapped back.

"Percy might be right I can't get in as much trouble as I did last year I don't want to get suspended, I'm on thin ice with old Minnie after the last prank we pulled before summer." You admitted, maybe you didn't care about your exam results but you didn't want to get suspended. The debate continued and you ended up agreeing to planning a prank that you may or may not help with. After dinner you decided to take a quick detour to the covered bridge, at the end of your fifth year you discovered it was empty in the evenings as it didn't lead to anywhere people would go at that time of night, it instantly became somewhere you would go for peace, and once you discovered smoking, it also got added to the list of secret smoking spots.

When you approached the middle of the bridge you saw a figure standing smoking a cigarette, you felt a bit gutted someone was using your spot but also excited at the idea of someone being so alike you. You approached them and they quickly put out the cigarette. "Don't worry man, I'm not a teacher I won't snitch." You claimed as you walked up to them before you could make out who it was.

"I know but I am." The figure replied, you were now close enough to make out that it was Professor Lupin. He was no longer leaning over the edge but standing straight with his hands in his pockets.

"I won't snitch if you won't?" You said pulling out your own packet of cigarettes. And his face turned to a gentle smile.

"I really shouldn't-" He protested. "Oh come on, you're new. This is normal." You preached. "Yeah Minerva and I do this all the time but don't tell her I told you." This got a laugh out of him.

"I may have believed you up until that point Y/N. But that's where you've lost me." He remembered your name and for some reason it made your heart skip for a second, he had so many students that he's met in one week and he still managed to memorise yours.

"Come on I'll give you a smoke if you don't tell anyone?" You reached out the pack to him "Camels?" He questioned while taking one. "You know them?" You took one out the packed for yourself before putting it away. "They're muggle smokes." He stated nonchalant, there wasn't any hate in those words which was rare around these halls. "I like them." You pulled out a lighter to light your cigarette while he snapped his fingers and it was instantly lit. "How did you do that? You instantly snapped back . "Do what?" He smiled while holding the cigarette in his mouth, he was attractive in the moon light. "Light it with a snap." You replicated his previous action. "It's a simple arson spell, just a small flame. I used wand less magic." He explained "If it's wand less why did you snap your fingers? Surely you could've just done it." You pressed. "Yes. You've got me there." He admitted. "So you were just trying to impress me?" Slipped out before you realised how those words could sound flirty, you barely knew the man. Truthfully if he wasn't your profesor and this was an interaction with a student you would be developing a stupid crush on them.

"You could say that." He said, with half a smile on his lips. "I'm the new profesor who you've just caught spending the evening by himself smoking, I don't want you to tell everyone I'm boring now I seem impressive."

"Or insecure." You shot back and he bit his lip and shook his head in disbelief at your words. He decided not to reply, instead went back to leaning over the bridge looking out into the darkness and smoking his cigarette and silence fell upon you both.

"I like the camel ones, just because the camel is cute." You broke the silence after a while, you felt bad for calling him insecure and wanted to kill the awkwardness. He laughed at your comment. "You know smokings bad for you? Even if the camel is cute." He said flicking the butt of his cigarette into the darkness. "I know." You quietly replied.

He checked his watch before standing up straight"Curfew has already started so don't stay out here too long as Snape is the one on duty today." He began to walk away. "Professor-" He turned around at your words. "This didn't happen right?" You questioned nervously. "What are camels?" He replied with a wink. "Have a good evening Y/N."

"You too Professor."

NEXT CHAPTER

[roguishcat]

Augustarion Day 14 – Protective

Day 1 -🍓, Day 2 - 🌊, Day 4 - Mythologies, Day 6 - Cream, Day 7 - Underwear, Day 15 - Shirt that goes hard

Pairing: female reader (You) x Astarion

Tags: angst and eventual fluff, PTSD as a result of past sexual assaults, panic attack, post-confession relationship, some canon-compliant violence

Word count: 2.7k

Excerpt: “Why?” he said in a gravelly voice.

You could barely focus on his face, but you lifted your hand and touched his cheek. It felt wet.

“I’m sorry, ” you managed a pained smile.

“Sorry? What are you even sorry for! Do you understand what you have done, you foolish creature! Why? Why would you come for me at all?”

“It’s like you said. I'm a complete fool. Fool for you, my love.”

A/N: In spite of me attempting to treat the subject matter with utmost gentleness, this one-shot includes themes that some readers may be uncomfortable with.

Astarion wandered blindly, not caring where he was or where he was going. There was no chance you would forgive him now. Not after he acted so abhorrently.

He stopped when he realized that he long passed the outskirts of the city, crashed through the bushes where houses were beginning to get swallowed up by the forest line and was wondering through the woods aimlessly. He didn't know why he still kept going, but it made sense in a strange way. He felt lost and he was lost.

Very fitting.

Soon  after, the elf fell to the ground, pushing himself up to lean back against a tree, and allowed his mind to drift.

He didn’t know what possessed him yesterday. He said such disgusting, cruel things to you. It was unforgivable, especially considering that you did absolutely nothing wrong.

There was a human girl at the tavern.  She was quite beautiful, stunning really. Long red hair and soft hazel eyes. And it was second nature, instinctive really. To slip into the role of the rake, to try to charm yet another faceless victim. She sat there, at a dimly lit table at the back, daintily eating while other patrons around her tore into their food and gulped down drinks like complete heathens.

He took one look at her and had a thought flit through his mind.

Easy.

So, when she gave him yet another furtive look under long lashes, he sauntered over to her and struck up a conversation. Astarion was not even sure what exactly he said, couldn’t remember for the life of him. But some sick sense of obligation encouraged him to pursue her. And pursue her he had.

She laughed and flirted a little clumsily, inexperienced and giddy to have his attention. He replied with some tired lines that she seemed to enjoy well enough. Leaning closer to whisper something into her ear, he moved a long, wavy strand of hair out of the way to breathe in the scent of her skin, nose touching her neck, hearing her heart speed up at his proximity.

That's when he noticed something different about her scent. It was wrong, all of this was very wrong. He felt sick to his core and shook himself, as if trying to wake from a nightmare.

And then he looked up, the blurry images in front of his eyes slowly coming into focus and saw you. Just standing there with a frown on your face, looking at the scene unfolding in front of you with confusion. Your mouth moved and you said something, but he didn’t hear any sound come out. Pushing past you, Astarion fled the tavern and hid himself in the back alley, on the edge of dry heaving as he felt wave after wave of disgust and self-loathing. He heard a gentle voice as cautious steps approached him and slapped your hand away when he saw it from the corner of his eye.

“Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare!”

And then more words came. Cruel, biting and hurtful, each one a dagger that cut deeply. He wanted you to say them back, to have evidence for his suspicions that you never saw him as more than a body, more than a handsome face.

But when he looked up, there was hurt, but there was also caring in your eyes. And he couldn’t bear it. It was too much.

Astarion pushed away from the wall and ran, streaking through the city as fast as he could, casting Misty Step to put more distance between you and him.

He was confused, disgusted and ashamed. Not being able to explain exactly what happened for the life of him. That was hours ago. He ran until he could run no more.

Astarion rolled onto his side, getting dirt and pine needles on his clothes. He just wanted to rest and be done with the whole mess. His eyelids felt heavy, and although small stones cut into him where his skin was exposed, he could not move. Astarion knew that instead of trancing he would probably fall asleep, a rarity among elves unless they were at their limit.

He realised that falling asleep here was near suicidal, he was vulnerable while he slept. The numerous enemies that your group managed to make could attack him easily, he would not wake in time and have no defence against them.

He would rest, and in his weakened state, he would be easy prey. Astarion knew full well that they were being constantly watched. Although he didn’t fancy himself the most formidable warrior of the group, the easiest way to defeat them would be picking them off one by one. If it was him, he would use this opportunity and strike.

But he didn't care anymore. It just didn't seem worth it. He was already broken beyond repair, existing on borrowed time. If he slept here, instead of pushing on to return to the city, at least he wouldn't have to see the hurt in your eyes again.

Of course, you would be upset for a while after he disappeared, but that would pass. Someone else would comfort you. Someone worthy. Someone who could reciprocate your love and would be able to give you everything that you deserved. He was sure of it.

And thus resigned to his fate, Astarion closed his eyes and let himself rest.

You walked through the woods, looking for your runaway vampire. You were not sure how exactly you were meant to find him, but you were determined. You had plenty of supplies and all your weapons, so you just decided to keep walking until you located him. Halsin said that there were signs that Astarion went in this direction, a piece of fabric snagged on a tree here,  a footprint by the wet ground of a shallow creek there. Other signs, like the telltale scent of bergamot and brandy, could only be picked up by the druid, who would change direction slightly from time to time, as Astarion apparently zigzagged through the woods. In spite of weeks of walking, you were starting to feel a little winded, Gale and Shadowheart were hot on your heels, the cleric fairing better than the wizard.

The others stayed at Elfsong in case Astarion returned there. Lae’zel was not exactly thrilled at the whole ordeal, feeling that if Astarion decided to do something as incredibly stupid as run off when they were on the cusp of a great battle, then the only thing he could do was die an honourless death somewhere far where the elements would claim his flesh and bones. Wyll assured you that Lae’zel didn’t mean it, but you both knew that she was sure that you were simply too soft to let nature take its course.

Your scowled and tried to push yourself to walk faster, though it was almost impossible to keep up with Halsin. Your mind kept replaying what had happened at the tavern, although you didn’t quite understand what was it that you witnessed. You saw Astarion flirting with a pretty, busty redhead, which you were not exactly thrilled about, but old habits die hard. Or in his case, 200 years of being put through torture unless he did anything and everything that he was told to do. Including flirting with sweet things in taverns.

 In hindsight, you felt that you could have handled it better. Instead of giving Astarion space, you followed him into the alley. Maybe if you just let him process it in his own time, he wouldn’t have run away at all, and you wouldn’t have this wild goose chase in the middle of the night.

“I sense Astarion nearby,” Halsin said softly, making your heart squeeze with worry and hope.

You heard voices and immediately signalled the others. Shadowheart nodded and tapped Gale on the shoulder, making him switch course. And then as you got closer the malicious, taunting voices got louder, but luckily, they seemed to be moving in a different direction, towards the city.

Following Halsin, you reached an opening in the trees and saw Astarion on the ground. You ran to him, wondering if he had been injured. He appeared to be fine, just exhausted beyond belief. You held his face in one hand and lifted his head gently off the ground with the other, placing it on your lap.

“What should we do?” Gale said in a low voice.

“I think we should make camp here till morning. It would be more dangerous to try to get back to others now,” you replied. “With some luck, we will be able to rest a little and set off at first light.”

Gale nodded and started to prepare a small camp. The night was turning cold and despite not wanting to attract attention to yourselves, you had no choice but to start a fire. As you were putting the last of the rocks for the fire-pit in place, you heard a growl revibrate through the bushes behind you. Stalking slowly, gnolls and other Absolutists emerged out of the darkness.

You stepped in front of the tent that currently housed Astarion, putting yourself between the attackers and the tent, making them turn their attention to you.

"I'm sorry, but this is a private campsite. You'll have to find accommodations elsewhere," you ground out, eyes hard.

You saw others getting ready for battle in your peripheral but did not break eye contact with the cultists.

The gnolls growled, baring their fangs, and hunched down preparing to pounce.

Swiftly, you brought your arm up, an arrow already notched. Electricity infused the tip of the arrow, the sparkling, crackling glow illuminating your scowling face.

"You caught me on the wrong day, you bastards."

A grating, insistent sound in the back of his mind began to rouse his consciousness. One by one, Astarion’s senses began to come back on-line. He kept his eyes shut, but the noise got louder, followed by an inhuman, vicious roar. It was a familiar sound, one he had heard before, he just couldn't place it.

A voice called out, "Go ahead and try me, you bitch, I'm tougher than I look!"

That voice, it awoke something in him. The events of last night came flooding back in a rush of humiliation.

But why is she here? I left. I left her. I should be dead.

His eyes snapped open, and Astarion sat up quickly, realising that he was in a tent. He rubbed his head, and tried to figure out what was going on. He realized what the sound was. It was the roar of a bear.

"Halsin, look out! Shadowheart, he needs healing!"

That roar sounded again, but was cut off abruptly as it turned into a pained whine. Astarion realized he was sheltered from whatever was going on outside, and it sounded like a full-on battle. Pine needles and leaves covered the ground, but someone placed him on a bedroll. Crouching, he pulled the tent flap aside, squinting as the last rays of the evening sun hit his eyes, making him realise that he must have slept for at least half a day.

At the edge of the clearing stood an enormous ogre, much larger than the one they fought against at Moonrise Towers. The creature focused its eyes on its sole opponent – you. Shadowheart was desperately trying to heal Halsin with what appeared to be the last of her magic, Gale blasting an attacker with Eldrich Blast before falling on his knees in exhaustion.

The ogre roared and charged forward, the earth pounding with each footstep as she picked up speed.

"I warned you, you unwashed goblin's backside! This ends now!"

Astarion turned and saw you, looking dishevelled and bloody, armour cracked. But you were not some pathetic girl to be pitied. You stood proud in the evening light, sunset framing your defiant stance. You stood there unafraid, protecting your friends. Protecting him.

Astarion took an involuntary step towards you as you stepped out of the ogre’s way, the weapon smashing against the ground with such force that you would have been dead if you didn’t move in time. Enormous body still folded in half gave you the opening for you to make your move. You thrust your sword into the ogre’s neck and twisted. An inhuman howl tore through the air, but you didn’t let up, pushing on it with all you had until the weapon was all but buried in flesh. The ogre fell to her knees and then slumped to the side and its last breath came out with a choke.

Your breathing was laboured as you tried to pull the sword out but had no luck.

"Shit," you realized that there was no getting it out, "will have to come back for that later."

Then you turned and your eyes met.

“Star…” you took a step forward and faltered.

Astarion rushed towards you and caught you just before you hit the ground, cradling you to his chest with shaking hands.

“Why?” he said in a gravelly voice.

You could barely focus on his face, but you lifted your hand and touched his cheek. It felt wet.

“I’m sorry, ” you managed a pained smile.

“Sorry? What are you even sorry for! Do you understand what you have done, you foolish creature! Why? Why would you come for me at all?”

“It’s like you said. I'm a complete fool. Fool for you, my love.”

Your head lolled to one side and your hand fell away from his cheek as you gave in to your exhaustion. Astarion was very still, your words rendering him immobile. It felt as if someone sucker punched him. He just stared at your grimy, blood-splattered face in disbelief and shock. Then he blinked and forced himself to focus on the issue at hand. He had to get you to safety and fast.

Looking up, Astarion surveyed the clearing. It was littered with bodies of the fallen, fortunately there were no familiar faces among the dead. Shadowheart, Halsin and Gale seemed to be at their limit, but they were alive and in much better shape than they should have been, considering the sheer number of enemies the group was up against.

Astarion gripped your body tighter and stood, carrying you with utmost care, exchanging words with others in a soft voices. You all needed to get away from the clearing. It was unlikely that more cultists would turn up now and yet… It was better not to push your luck.

Gently laying you down on the bedroll, Astarion began to pack up camp.

He still could not believe that you came for him. And not just you, the rest too. He felt himself tear up again and wiped at his eyes with a jerk, hands moving and putting things away quickly. The others seemed in a terrible shape, but alive and, after some potions, well enough to make it back to the city.

At first, he was ashamed to look at them, but then felt Halsin’s hand on his shoulder and saw something warm and gentle in the druid’s eyes, and felt some tension leave his body.

They could never understand what he went through. What he was still going through. But they could accept him, faults and all. And you…

Such a fearless, unstoppable warrior earlier, standing proud over the bodies of defeated enemies. So vulnerable and defenceless in his arms now.

You were a fool for trying so hard. For fighting for him. For loving him. For forgiving him. For apologising to him when you had done nothing but try.

But you were his fool.

Astarion felt his mind drift and focused on your breathing, your warm weight in his arms, the way your hair tickled his skin. There would be good days and there would be dark, terrible moments when he wished he could claw himself out of his own body. But he was not alone. He had you to anchor him. To protect him and need his protection in turn. You were good for each other. Partners. Equals.

He prayed to all the gods in his 200 years of slavery, and they never answered his pleas. But perhaps they did send him you. And so, he resolved not to give up. Not when you wedged yourself so firmly in his undead heart and showed him how messy, difficult, painful, and truly wonderful life could be.

💖 Tag list 💖:

@ninty900, @ayselluna, @dajeong, @ravenswritingroom,

@misscrissfemmefatale,

@clazberryk, @anukulee,

@preciouslittlebhaalbae,

@sh3rl0ck, @mellowenthusiast2299,

@fleetstreet78, @starlight-rogue,

@obsessedwhyyes, @arzen9

[okkotsuus]

jjk + domestic acts !

featuring: yuuji i. megumi f. nobara k. yuuta o. maki z. toge i. satoru g. suguru g. toji f. kento n. sukuna r. choso k.

contents: short head canons. fluff. established relationship. 900 words.

yuuji cooks for you. whether it be making you dinner when you come over for a date or making your lunch for school. he would be the type to make super cute bentos with the pictures made with seaweed. he also cuts everything into the sizes you like. he always waits to take the first bite so he can better see your reaction when you do. the smile and glow in your eyes fill him more than any meal could

megumi walks to the side where cars come from. whether it be walking on the side of the sidewalk closer to the road, closer to the middle lane in a parking lot, or walking between you and oncoming traffic when crossing the road. he always has a hand on you too just in case, usually, he prefers to rest it on the small of your back, but he also wraps his arm around your waist.

nobara buys things you like or she'll think you like them whenever she goes anywhere. she loves bringing the spoils of her travels back to you, a metaphorical tail wagging. she also gets things that remind her of you, like something from a show you watched together, or the candy she saw you eating before she left. like a crow who collects shiny things to bring back to the nest.

yuuta waits up for you when you get home late. if it's you coming back late from a mission, he'll be in the common area. if it's you coming back from a home visit, he'll be on the porch to help you with your bags. if it's you coming back from class and he gets back first, he's waiting outside your room. if he knows that you'll be gone overnight he sleeps in your room, not very peacefully, but it allows him to at least get a few hours.

maki orders for you. whether its placing reservations, ordering your food, or making a complaint for you, she's got it handled. she knows that these things can make people nervous and she doesn't every want you to feel like that if she can prevent it. whenever you go out as a class and she can't, she makes panda or yuuta order for you. because toge kinda can't.

toge leaves you notes. he leaves them on your bag, on your pillow, on your door, anywhere you have to look. usually they're a little compliment (ex. "your hair looks really pretty today") and a little doodle of him, you, or some random thing. he writes them on these little note cards that have onigiri designs along the border. it's how he makes up for not being able to say sweet nothings to you.

satoru carries your things for you. unless it's a cursed tool or something that you may need in a moments notice, it's in his hands. when you go shopping he is happily trailing behind you with all of you things. if you're going on a trip he carries both of your suitcases, he tries to carry all carry-ons as well but if he can't he'll give you the lightest one(s). he carries all the groceries in one trip too.

suguru always drives. if you need to go anywhere he's got his blacked-out benz's keys twirling idly around his finger. he puts his arm behind your headrest so he can turn around fully when backing out. puts his arm in front of you if he has to suddenly break. keeps his hand on the center console so you can hold hands. you get the aux, he likes your music.

toji doesn't pay attention to anybody but you. whether it's some random person flirting with him from across the room, he doesn't spare them a second thought unless you bring it up. sometimes he doesn't even notice cause he's too busy watching how the amber glow of the dying sun highlights your face and makes your eyes sparkle when you turn to him.

kento does the mundane things for you. if you're complaining about needing to fill your tank, he'll do it and pay for it. he starts you coffee for you so that when you wake up it's already made and cooled down. he starts the bath for you when you get home. he lays out your keys, purse, and other things on the table for you before he leaves.

sukuna scares away any and all danger. curses, humans, sorcerers, you name it; none of them with bad intentions dare to even look at you with him around. if they think you're alone and try to take advantage, he's already behind them. sometimes he disposes of him while you look away from him, he's back intact by the time you've turned around, a small splat of red on his cheek? its surely just the jam from the crepe you bought him.

choso listens to everything you say. he listens intently, his eyes never leave you except to briefly blink or if he sees motion. he looks at you like you're preaching when you're talking about this cloud that you saw that looked like a turd. nods intently and lets out soft 'mhm's while his elbows rest on his knees. leaned towards you like plants lean towards the sun.

okotsuus 23

[pupmkincake2000]

So, after finishing Gale's origin, I think I'd play Astarion's. Don’t get me wrong, but it’s interesting for me to watch the romance with Gale from Astarion's POV, from the very beginning to the very end, because after reading some fics, I realized that I had never seen such a plot before. I mean falling in love with Gale right away, and not after all the events are over. That would be an amazing slowburn.

What do I mean, you ask? I noticed that when people write about this couple, it often comes up like this: Astarion is usually in a relationship with Tav, but when he/she/they reject him (remember the opportunity to remain friends with him, right?), Gail, according to the plot, usually invites Astarion to settle down in his tower and feelings arise later. Even if they flirted with each other before.

And although such stories are well written and interesting to read, I can’t help but feel that there’s a certain… wrongness in such a relationship? I mean, Astarion gets everything right away without doing much, home, a handsome lover who takes care of him and will do anything for him, yet Astarion himself does nothing to get anything of these after the game ends.

People usually justify this by saying that he has already suffered enough and deserves all the best. And I agree that yes, he really deserves it. However, I believe that in this case he achieved nothing on his own. He saved the world, yes, he killd his master, yes, but still... it happens when he has his friends around who would support him and a lover who he seduces for this particular purpose.

Of course, by this point he may already be in a full-fledged relationship, but it all started with a specific goal, right? And don’t think I hate him, I don’t, as I don't blame him for anything, anyone in his place would do everything to get at least some protection and hope for something better. I don’t know if I can explain what I mean in a best way, but I'll try.

Astarion simply moves in stories from under the protection of one lover to another. And usually in such cases, Gale insists that Astarion doesn’t owe him anything… and here I also agree, but in this case the question is: what did Astarion himself do to deserve all of this? Past suffering, it seems to me, is not a sufficient reason to give him everything at once and it doesn't mean he has to suffer more or anything. That is, as soon as Tav breaks up with him (or he with Tav), Astarion falls in love with the one who turned out to be as kind, more generous, who never demands anything in return. And there is, it seems to me, something not quite right in this.

What am I getting at? I would like to see Astarion's story, from a POV of a person who undergoes development, not just getting everything the best as a reward for his suffering. For example, I would like to watch the story from his point of view, when he falls in love with Gale, and for the sake of this love he begins to change, fight his traumas, outgrow them, because he realizes that, perhaps, for the first time in his life, he has fallen so deeply in love.

Without a relationship with Tav (I don’t like it at all when Tav is in the plot, they seem too unnecessary), but independently decided to change. And I want to say right away that by the word “change” I don’t mean anything bad, since he still changes when the player has a romance or friendship with him.

But for me, for example, it would be interesting to observe these changes, this growth, the struggle with traumas because of his love for Gale. Because there is someon who he cares about, not just about himself.

Let's be honest, Astarion is more a taker, Gale is a giver. Sometimes such relationships work but not always. Some people love to give, some people prefer to take. But I do not think it would work for them.

I see them as equals. Or at least are trying to be.

And yes, it can be love from the first sight (why not?), or the relationship can begin quite like in canon: with manipulation and seduction (tho I've never seen a fic in which Astarion falls in love right away), but then the realization comes that this is not just a hook-up that means nothing, but a connection that means, and not just to get someone as an ally who would help kill Cassador (after all, you can kill him simply by being friends with Astarion).

Although love at first sight from Astarion's perspective would be quite interesting, since Gale does not seem at all like a person who is easily manipulated and seduced.

There is something incredibly attractive about experiencing the whole story of this love from beginning to end (and despite the slowdown, they can still sleep with each other), and only then, when the final battle is over, they can go to Gale’s home together , but not because Astarion has nowhere to go and he again risks being left alone, but because by that time he and Gale will already be in love and confess their feelings to each other (I think it will be even more interesting to watch from Astarion's POV), and therefore they will no longer imagine their life without each other.

It will all look even tastier if it all happens long before the final battle, because Astarion will already have something to lose.

I want Astarion to try as hard on the relationship as Gale usually tries in fanfiction to heal his injuries. But I have almost never come across stories where they both worked on the relationship and healed each other equally. In most stories, unfortunately, Astarion gets much more, with almost no effort (we are not to talk about his past suffering), and this is just frustrating, as if he is not able to build his happiness on his own.

Someone may mention his traumas again and I understand perfectly well that not everyone can overcome their nightmares alone. But that’s why I mentioned that I would like to see how both work on relationships. In the game, Astarion is the one who takes, and Gale is more the one who gives (which I've already mentioned), but I would like to see equality, so that both give and take equally. And from Astarion's perspective, this would be incredibly interesting to watch, mainly precisely because he is the one who takes, he isn't used to give, but for his beloved, at least when he realizes he's in love, he would want to do more. To be more than just a taker.

You don't have to agree with me. But this is how I would like their relationship to be.

Oh, one more thing

I see Astarion as someone who tops, I do not mind switching, but top Astarion and bottom Gale sounds nice♡( ◡‿◡ )

[fishing-lesbian-catgirl]

There are times I think about playing Arknights just to see if it's as gay as your posting makes it seem.

Actually it's probably better just to ask it here. How gay is Arknights?

Well. The answer depends on how willing you are to read into subtext. If you’re the type who only cares about extremely explicit gayness to the degree of them literally saying it out loud or to have their relationship with another woman described in text as a relationship, then I guess the answer would be not that gay. There’s Tomimi who professes her love to Gavial in The Great Chief Returns event, and there’s Scavenger whose operator file describes how she was in love with a woman but they got separated, and by the time she was able to return to her her partner was dead. I think that might actually be it from the “turn to the camera and say ‘I’m gay’” level of gayness.

The reality of Arknights is that, despite all the things it does well (and there are seriously a lot of those, that’s why I’ve become kind of obsessed with it for better or worse), it is still a gacha game. And when the profitability of a game is tied directly to how much you can convince your audience to spend money to get the characters they want, it unfortunately makes them make so frustrating decisions to avoid any potential loss of profits. Specifically I’m referring to how characters are not allowed to be in relationships in text, as self-shippers are a potential revenue source (despite the fact that a character having a girlfriend vs a character being single is a much smaller roadblock to dating then the fact that they’re not real). Also it suffers from the very common problem of lack of body diversity and skin colors, fanart that you see that seems otherwise is likely fanon.

But if you like queer subtext, there’s quite a lot to work with. Especially since so many characters and their relationships with each other lend really well to lesbian readings with fascinating dynamics. Women will straight up flirt with each other in text somewhat frequently depending on the characters. Some women have relationships that are really really hard to read as anything other than lesbian (but people will always find a way, usually by not reading in the first place). It very often turns into a “there is no heterosexual explanation for this” situation. And the important thing to know is that ~80% of the characters are women, a lot of whom are very real characters with stories and everything that is well written and respecting of them (with a few exceptions). The majority of their interactions are with other female characters. If you’re picky about it any only want heavy subtext with minimal reading into it, you’ll have a number of good options of characters and relationships to enjoy, like Margaret Nearl and her two very obviously girlfriends/wives (depending on your interpretation), or Skadi and Specter, or Franka and Liskarm who got an official manhua dedicated to their relationship as mercenary partners that was so gay that the scanlators who put it on mangadex tagged it “Girls’ Love” only for the official translation to make it gayer.

It really is a your mileage may vary situation. If you’re like me and can read into the potential yuri in even the slightest interaction, it’s an unending feast. But if you’re only in it for the explicit canon then you might want to look for something else. Regardless, it is a gacha game but also it is a game with a majority female cast of usually well written characters in stories where they are the focus. Seriously, the first like 6 chapters of the main story only have a few men, most of whom are nameless npcs or antagonists, and even the main antagonists get to be fascinating women a large portion of the time. I know it might sound like I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel here but misogyny is an extremely present force in storytelling and the bar is really low. I can elaborate more if you want me to, but as you can probably tell I’m not good at being succinct, and any further elaboration would be as long and rambly as this

[mellarked-katnisseverdeen]

Still, slowly making my way through rereading. I promise one day I am gonna finish. But I have a thought I think I've shared before but feel like it's worth mentioning. I actually don't think Peeta is *that* much more experienced that Katniss when you take Gale into consideration.

Peeta says that he's noticed just about every girl, but Katniss is the only one who made a lasting impression.

What this means to me is that yes he might have attempted to form other relationships, other girls did turn his head but it never shook his interest in Katniss. I think he probably kissed a few girls, maybe even got a little touchy before as well. In that way I do see him as slightly more experienced. There may have been one or two of them he really did connect with, even. That he could have been happy with. But they were never Katniss, who he couldn't shake. Peeta KEEPS noticing Katniss even with these possible girls, that is fairly directly stated in canon.

And I just don't see Peeta as willing to go further than that with anyone when his thoughts and heart kept returning to Katniss that way. Yes he is a flirt but as kind as he is I don't think he's lead anyone on or play games like that. Ultimately, I think that is actually probably what ended those relationships. Peeta not being willing to lead anyone on like that.

Shockingly, that's not terribly different that Katniss and what she tries to explore with Gale. Albeit, emotions like guilt and outside pressure effect Katniss and her dessiion making. She also doesn't go beyond some tame kissing with him. But it's the same thing, at the base. The bond Katniss and Gale had made Katniss wonder what a life choosing him would look like, and she even as she does, she keeps coming back to Peeta.

[tavyliasin]

Raphael - Archduke of Asexuals

Welcome to another essay from Tavylia! We need some words about the handsome devil himself now, darlings, do we not? Because there's something very Ace about him - and I don't just mean "what a nifty guy", strap in (but not on) because we're going on a deep dive on...

Why Is Raphael the King of Asexuals and What Is It About Him That Draws So Many Of Us To Him Like He Is Made Of Garlic Bread: Another "Short" Essay by TavyliaSin (Who Frankly Rebels Against The Idea Of A Concise Title) ((Because This Is More Fun)) (((I Might Have Some Volo In My Family Tree)))

((Side Note - Ended up discussing more of Asexuality in fandom in general, but that's cool, right?...Right, well, the sections are marked, read as you so wish~)) Alright, this time we're not going to go too heavy into any darker topics, but there will be a deep examination of character, lore, asexuality, and a large heap of headcanons. There will also be a lot of microlabels, so I'll pop a short glossary at the end and some resources.

Also, please remember that no headcanon of mine is ever intended to override canon, or anyone else's HC - each HC is true and valid to the head it lives within~ that's the beauty of them, they are ours, and even when shared they remain our own to enjoy too.

What in the Hells is Asexuality Anyway? Aka, is Lia really trying to say the man she writes so much smut for is not sexual at all? (A brief overview of Asexuality)

Asexuality, in the most basic definition, means quite simply: "Experiencing limited or no sexual attraction." Now, look very closely. Some Asexuals, or Aces as we are sometimes called (and will be in this essay) experience absolute 0 sexual attraction. Some experience a very limited amount, or only under specific circumstances. It's also about Sexual Attraction and does not necessarily include feelings towards Action. I find this is best explained by the Split Attraction Model: Sexual Attraction - Attraction with a sexual component. Romantic Attraction - Attraction with a romantic component. Libido - Arousal, physical desire to act on arousal whether alone or partnered. Sex Drive - The desire to engage in partnered sexual activity, with or without arousal. A lot of people might look at those criteria and think "but those are the same thing", and for many that would be a fair assumption if they tend to be experienced simultaneously. But many among us only experience some parts, or they're not connected. The key is that whilst some Asexuals may experience little or none of any of those four, the only one relevant is the first, and an asexual with high libido or sex drive is no less asexual than any other, there's just no person attached to that libido or drive. So there are asexuals who enjoy sex, who have sexual relationships, and there are also asexuals who have no interest in any of that - the best part is, we're all valid!

Alright, But What Does This Have To Do With Raphael? The Devil Who Seduces In Every Other Sentence?

Right, see, here's the thing. He does flirt, but it never goes further. Seduction is just another tool that he uses, the same way he uses intimidation, promises, and bargains. It would be foolish of him to ignore the potential to bend someone to his schemes when he notices the colour rise to their cheeks when he talks, his goals need a lot of pieces to fall into place. None of it feels genuine. Raphael simply needs people to agree to his terms, and if the promise of sex secures a signature then so be it - besides, he has a hungry incubus at home who can fulfil that side of the deal without him ever having to lift a finger~ It isn't uncommon either for asexual people to make innuendo, lewd jokes, or to flirt without intention - some may even find that it's very easy to do this when there's no attraction or expectation. So for that... He reads as very Ace to me, it's all a part of the manipulation and the grand scheme. There's no actual attraction there. Interest? Certainly, the player character can be a very useful tool in his needs.

What About Haarlep? How Do They Fit In If Raphael Is Asexual?

Haarlep is an extremely sexual being, by their very nature they feed on sex and sexual energy, and we know by what they say that Raphael does indeed sleep with them. The canon would lead one to a logical microlabel when looking at Raphael and Haarlep together: Autosexual - This means experiencing more sexual attraction to yourself than to anyone else. This is a rarer microlabel, but still under the Ace umbrella as "limited sexual attraction" which can mean "attraction is very infrequent" and/or "attraction is only experienced under specific circumstances". And, of course, the HC territory can veer into Haarlep feeling like a safe enough option to deal with Libido and Sex Drive without having to find another partner or worry about attraction. You can also, if you really want to, bring in the canon that so many Anti-Raphael people love to scream about, "Haarlep says Raphael is bad in bed". Perhaps he is, perhaps he's just not into it beyond the simple release of tension and need. I'm not judging him for that, even if my HC is wildly different.

Why Is It Asexuals Like Him So Much? Is It Just Because He's Ace Too?

Well here come the deeper theories, based more on my own personal angle than anyone else's, so please do not assume this is the "only correct interpretation" nor the only way an ace may adore him. Plenty of aces don't feel any sexual or romantic attraction to Raphael, they're simply very fond of him as a character. He's interesting, oddly non-threatening because that flirtation is never pushed too far, never acted on, it's just there, a part of his clear interest in the player character (and he is obsessed, in his way, those diaries read like self-insert fan-fiction Raphael, my love, I see you). There's depth, intrigue, and the same things I've talked about before with villain fandom. So we can look deeper. Flirtation can be nice for anyone to feel, and oddly enough as an Ace I have often preferred characters who are open and overt in their attempts to seduce. This isn't necessarily true in life, real people and fiction are very different (hello, fellow FictoSexuals, good to have you here darlings~) but there is something appealing in the casual manner and clear tone. We also might have more of a draw to villains in general, but I've covered some of that in my last little ramble~ Reciprosexuals may also feel more for Raphael as he's initiating the flirtation, expressing potential attraction. Demisexuals are also likely to find that getting to know him is what draws them in. There's an element of "Forbidden Fruit" at play here too, in the way there isn't a romance for him (Haarlep does not count, they are their own being, a different personality). Then, of course we have kink.

Aces In Kinky Spaces

Here's the controversial one, loves, but I do ask that you approach this with understanding and compassion~ Not all aces are kinky. But there are a good portion who are. Kink is not always sexual, although it very much can be there are some people who enjoy, for example, "subspace" in BDSM - this is where a submissive reaches a kind of blissful inner peace as a result of being made to submit, their senses brought to focus on bondage, pain, or following orders. It varies from person to person, but it often described as a floaty feeling, freeing, relaxing, deeply satisfying without necessarily including anything sexual at all. Of course, kink can be sexual too, which you will find in a whole lot of my writing, don't think about it too hard darling let me have this one~ This can be helpful for someone not experiencing sexual attraction, but instead finding sex drive and libido from kink instead, allowing them to engage in sexual relationships and activity in a manner they are comfortable with and enjoy. There is also the safety of trust and rules with kink play. So the obvious reminder goes here: Consent is key Safe words and signals are binding and must be instantly respected when used Nobody should be shamed for safe word/signal use Aftercare is important and not optional Negotiation needs to happen before a scenario, not during/after When I write with Raphael, there's almost always the kink angle because he so naturally falls into D/s and Power Play tropes. On the surface you have a very Dominant personality, so it's easy to see him continuing that role in the bedroom. But then there's the other side, Raphael as a sub, not only because of what Haarlep says (and do remember "sub" and "bottom" are not the same thing), but because people who are often in control and making decisions in their daily life find freedom and enjoyment in giving over that control to someone else, not having to worry about anything but enjoying the situation while another takes on all those decisions. So he fits very well with plenty of kinky ace themes, and I quite like that feeling of "he's not just going to get into bed with someone who is pretty, there's going to be a genuine interest and desire there that's beyond the surface, a deeper need and longing for who they are". That's rather nice, honestly.

Aces and Spicy FanWorks

Alright going to draw this in to a close now loves we are running long with this one! FictoSexuals will be more aware of this than most, but fictional characters and works often have more draw because there's a layer of disconnection to it. There's no actual partner with expectations or needs, you can step away from fiction at any moment. You can close the app/browser, scroll past the art, stop reading, save and exit the game - there is complete control in how and when you engage with the content, whether consuming it or making it. So there are a fair few of us, playing around with those fantasies in art and writing, things that are fun and comfortable in our own ways, and I'm grateful that we have this space to do so~ I've met more than one fellow ace in the creative side of fandom and I'm simply never surprised by it. We aren't defined by our attractions, and we are collectively rather talented at this little hobby of ours~ The fun theory there is that when we don't experience much (or any) sexual attraction, we are looking that much closer when writing about it. We don't tend to skip it, we analyse what is attractive, where it comes from, how it might feel, why it feels that way, and that can present itself as deeper and more detailed fictional works. Whether that's in the posing and expressions of visual arts, or in the narration and dialogue of writing, we are paying attention to trying to get it right, whether it's an experience we can ever relate to personally or not.

Alright, Is This Thing Ever Ending?

It really should, you're so right~ Raphael Fandom, and other more niche characters, do have a fair amount of Asexuals for all the reasons above and likely a whole lot more too. I love that for us, and I love talking about it because there is so little Asexual visibility sometimes that people take many many years to even know they're ace because it's simply not an option they're aware of. So hello to all of you who slid down the OverCompensating Bisexual/Pansexual -> Asexual pipeline because you thought "feeling the same way towards any gender" was all that meant and didn't realise "feeling nothing towards any gender" is actually different and its own thing, oops. We're here now, and that's just fine~ Take care, beloved Aces, regardless where you are under the Asexual Umbrella, or what microlabels you wear.

You are valid, seen, heard, and loved.

^ Raphael realising he's not Bi/Pan, he's Ace and owning it, like the king he is. Or perhaps not king... Archduke of Asexuality~

---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ASEXUAL RESOURCES AND MICROLABEL DEFINITIONS ---------------------------------- ----------------------------------

Asexual - Experiences little to no sexual attraction Greysexual/Grey Asexual - Experiences limited sexual attraction Demisexual - Only experiences attraction after an emotional bond has formed or knowing the individual well on a personal level Fraysexual - Sexual attraction is brief and does not last once an emotional bond is formed Fictosexual - Experiences sexual attraction towards fictional characters (art, writing, film, games, other media, but not real people) Autosexual - Attraction is towards the self more than to other people Reciprosexual - Only experiences attraction after attraction towards them has been clearly expressed --- This is not a full or comprehensive list of microlabels! Nor should people feel a need to use them. They are there to help us understand ourselves and to relate to others in the community. None have to be strict, and it is perfectly valid for your sexuality to shift during your lifetime for any reason. --- For more information and resources on Asexuality, I strongly recommend seeking out Ace communities, even on places like Reddit, and this website:

Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) Website

[honeycreammilkshake]

Hi.... If you don't mind me asking, can I ask, what are your top 7 favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series) and your top 7 favorite ships (can be canon or non canon) from any media ? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this questions before......

omg i've been wanting to answer a question like this for such a long time, thank you so much for asking! (you can always ask me about anything <3)

it's hard to talk about why i love these without giving a few spoilers, so i hope you don't mind that.

1. Jujutsu Kaisen & Sukuita

I first got into JJK because of Sukuna edits, but I started reading it more seriously when I fell in love with Yuuji (one of the best protagonists ever!) and got really invested in more of the other characters (Nobara, Mai and Maki, Nanami, Shoko, Yuki, Hiromi, and Uraume being my favorites <3) as the story went on.

Although I'm generally not interested in a lot of action manga, I fell hard for JJK because there were just so many good things about it. An anime protagonist that actually cares about saving other people but is still kind of unhinged and comparatively weaker than a lot of his peers? Bodily possession and an ancient god of chaos obsessed with the unworthy brat he's trapped inside of?? Scary monsters and scarier humans who fight them off???

But if I'm being really honest, my main reason for loving JJK is almost completely Sukuita.

These two are my #1 otp and I'm rabidly obsessed with them (almost as much as they're obsessed with each other). I could go on forever about why I adore this ship, but to keep it simple, it's really because they're one of the most dynamic and overlooked protagonist/antagonist relationships I've ever seen.

As a ship, they really have it all: enemies to lovers, hero x villain, bound by fate, bodily possession, virtually soulmates, matching each other's freak, yin and yang, toxic divorced couple/possessive exes energy, incest (if you're into that), and even opposites attract.

I see them as an inseparable matched set that share basically the same soul and see through each other but they'll never fully understand or accept each other, and it's beautifully heartbreaking in every way.

I first started shipping them when I read a lot of different ship fics with Sukuna, but the only one I ever really got invested in was Sukuita. My favorite ship trope of all is enemies to lovers, so I couldn't really resist them, and overtime I just fell deeper and deeper. Now I personally can't ship them with anyone but each other, but there are still so many more amazing ships to be found in this fandom, though a lot of my JJK otps (Nobamai, Makimai, Nanahito, and Gojoken) aren't very popular.

2. BNHA & Togachako

I'm not going to lie... I'm really not very invested in BNHA as a series, but I'm totally devoted to some of the characters, mainly Himiko Toga. I love kawaii yandere villains so much, and Toga is my favorite autistic bi disaster girl. I also love Dabi (one of my very first anime crushes), Ochaco, Bakugo, Deku, Shoto, Mirko, Eri, Overhaul, Mina Ashido, Kuin Hachisuka, Beros, and Twice.

Some of the quirks are really cool so I always love when they explore the different kinds both heroes and villains can have, and I love all the amazing fight scenes where heroes and villains get to go all out using their quirks, but my #1 reason for watching BNHA is for these two.

My top otp in BNHA is Togachako, of course, because I adore doomed yuri, especially the hero x villain kind, and I will never stop crying over how these two deserved so much better.

I shipped them almost as soon as they first interacted. The chemistry between them was beautiful and I love how Toga went all out with her yandere-style flirting with Ochaco, saying she had the same scent as her, that she wanted to be like her, from the very start understanding so much of Ochaco's character, her need to be heroic and save as many lives as she could, like Deku wanted to. Toga sees a lot of similarities between Ochaco and herself, and I love a villain that obsessively connects to the hero they're always at odds with.

I especially went crazy during that scene from season 6 where Toga had Ochaco pinned down and started crying out "What are you going to do to me? Are you going to kill me, too?" There was so much feeling and pain inside of that scene, Toga coming to terms with how heroes kill villains (like they did to Twice) even though they're human too, and knowing she could be next.

Yet later on we see how Ochaco accepted Toga despite all the things Toga had done. Because she understands that Toga is more than just another monster. All her childhood, Toga had been forced to suppress her own nature, but there Ochaco is... loving her not even despite it, but because she finds Toga herself, as the person she is, the cutest girl in the world. Just what Toga always wanted to be to someone, loved for her real self.

That just... really got to me.

My second main BNHA ship is Toyasho, or Dabisho.

They hit all the good tropes: hero x villain, twisted family, reconnecting, and lots and lots of angst. It fascinated me how they went on two different paths after experiencing abuse from their father: Dabi craving vengeance and resenting the world around him while Shoto largely isolated himself from others and tried to be indifferent about things. Dabi indulged in being ruthless, depraved, and even sadistic while Shoto tried to be "frozen" both inside and outside, yet he was learning to slowly open up to others and have hope for forgiveness.

They share a lot in common - being arrogant, getting overly emotional, wanting to do things alone, their way. But overall they have two different perspectives and Shoto considers Dabi to be his "cross to bear" since Dabi is his brother.

They still try to reconnect with each other in their own ways, especially at the end, where Dabi does regret a lot of what he did to Shoto and Shoto forgives him by asking what his favorite food is.

Togachako and Dabisho are my main otps for this fandom, but I also really like Shigadeku, Bakudeku, Meilissa, Saimomo, Togatsuyu, Momokendo, and Miruhawks because they have amazing chemistry as well!

3. The Locked Tomb & Griddlehark + Harryanthe

I first read Gideon the Ninth about a year ago and fell in love with it. The series reminds me of those weird sci-fi fantasy paperbacks that I would find packing the shelves of thrift stores and old book stores, but even better because of all the toxic lesbian angst and unhinged necromantic freaks who are the most unreliable narrators.

I like the writing style, the worldbuilding, the scientific feel to all the different necromantic theorems, the House politics, the beautifully complex characters, and the strange humor.

I love Griddlehark for all the angst, the enemies to lovers, the sad "you're the only friend I ever had so don't forget me, I'll even sacrifice my own life for you" from Gideon's side and the desperate "don't leave me, I'll erase all my memories of you because I can't bear to let you die" from Harrow's side. When we're first introduced to Harrow, from Gideon's POV, we think she's a heartless monster only concerned with herself. But soon we learn Harrow is weighed down heavily by her burden to handle all Ninth House affairs largely on her own and also by the nature of her very birth. Harrow has a deeply romantic and tragic side that Gideon is the first to discover, proving all her previous assumptions about Harrow wrong, and Gideon also proves herself to be more loyal, dedicated, and caring than Harrow thought she was. And even though they started out hating each other, they become each other's first true friends and can never let go of each other.

I also adore Ianthe's (mostly) one-sided obsession with Harrow, the way she acts like she just wants to manipulate Harrow and break her heart but unintentionally caught feelings for her along the way. They can't stand each other but they're forced to rely on one another and it's perfect, especially when Harrow (reluctantly) starts to feel somewhat close to Ianthe overtime. They're opposites in many ways, but they are both driven by their overwhelming sense of ambition and by their deep love/obsession for the people closest to their hearts (Harrow for Gideon and Ianthe for Coronabeth).

Harrow is my favorite, and I love her dynamic with both Gideon and Ianthe, so I can't choose between either ship. They're my ot3 really, since I also enjoy Gideon/Kiriona's interactions with Ianthe and how they sort of warm up to each other because of how they first "connect" over Harrow.

I have a lot more ships in this series too, namely Alectostasia, Pyrrha x Wake, Jarpedon, Augustine/Mercymorn/God, John x Alecto, Halecto, Corona x Judith, and Corona x Ianthe.

4 . The Summer Hikaru Died & Yoshikaru

I am a BIG fan of eldritch monsters developing codependent and destructive relationships with the mortals they become fascinated by, and this manga delivered that amazingly.

I've been following this story obsessively for about a few months but it's quickly becoming one of my most favorite manga ever. The dynamic between "Hikaru" and Yoshiki is perfect — the way Yoshiki can't really reject "Hikaru" because he craves the closeness he used to have with his friend but overtime he starts caring deeply for whatever "Hikaru" actually is.... Everything about them is so beautiful and tragic, it hurts physically but I love it.

The art is gorgeous and fits wonderfully with the summery horror atmosphere, and I like that's it set in the rural country, since I don't see as much of that in manga or anime as I would like to.

It has some elements of mystery, some of horror, lots of the paranormal, and plenty of chemistry between the mcs, all of which makes it so interesting and unique.

Yoshikaru is my main otp but I also love Asako/Yuuki, because they're so cute together.

5. Alien Stage & Mizisua

This series ruins me. The music, the story, the emotion. All of it makes me feel way too much.

The character designs for the humans are so good but I particularly like the aliens because I want to know more about their cultures and how they ended up imprisoning humanity.

One of the most central themes of this story is longing: the longing for freedom, the longing for love and friendship, the longing for something to put all your faith in even during the darkest times. And for Mizi and Sua, they put all that longing, that faith and hope, into each other.

Despite the fact that they know only one of them can survive that first round, they still sing almost every verse together because they refuse to give the other one the edge. They want each other to survive, even if it comes at the loss of their own life, but they were also hopeful that both of them could have tied. But Sua understood that this was unlikely and she chose to sacrifice herself to keep Mizi alive.

During the song Mizi narrates how humanity has forgotten gods and religion, but Mizi still believes in something that transcends all her suffering and longing, and that is Sua — her god, her universe. Even in the final moments of their round, as their fates are being sealed, Mizi looks over to Sua and smiles at her, because despite everything she's still happy to be with Sua, to sing with her and not against her, to find comfort even at the end. But she's still shocked and horrified when Sua dies, especially because of the fact Sua died to protect her.

And Mizi was never able to get over Sua's death. It's why she lost composure during her round with Luka, who relentlessly used her undying feelings for Sua against her by singing far too romantically.

Mizisua is my main otp in this fandom but I also love Ivantill, Hyuluka, and Hyunamizi.

6. Kakegurui & Yumedari

Even though it's arguably not as intelligent or coherent in its matches as I first thought it would be, I love pretty much everything else about this series, both the live action and the anime. The craziness, the color schemes, the focus on exaggerated body movements, even how thrilling the gambling scenes can be. Not to mention so many amazing characters and shipping possibilities, and my personal favorite ship of this series is Yumeko and Midari.

They get a lot of hate for being a toxic ship, which they are, but what exactly in Kakegurui is safe or sane in any way?? These two have such an interesting and compelling dynamic and from the start Midari is impressed and obsessed with Yumeko. And despite Yumeko's intolerance for Midari, they have a lot in common.

They're both compulsive gamblers who don't care about winning money or social status when they play. They're both addicted to the thrill, really skilled, impulsive, and quite smart too.

What made me start shipping them was, of course, their match during episode 7. The way Yumeko so expertly predicts Midari's moves to prevent an outcome where either of them are actually shot, how Midari comes to understand more of who Yumeko is through their game, the fact that Yumeko knew that Midari wanted her to win and was angry enough about it to deny the other girl that outcome. Yumeko despises cheating to "win" instead of fully indulging in the thrill of the uncertainty, which is what she lives for, and if Midari had maybe not resorted to cheating, I think Yumeko would have more respect and even enjoyment for playing with Midari.

What also really interests me is how polar Yumeko's actions are with Midari. She screams that she hates Midari, she finds her pathetic, she can't stand to be around her. Yet she has this almost soft moment with Midari before they begin playing, if only to keep the other girl from harming Ryota.

Yumeko also grows more tolerant of Midari as the show goes on, but it's by no means warm or loving in any way. And I think that's what I like about them. They're so alike but will never fully "fit together" because of it. It will always end up with either Midari wanting Yumeko to be the one to cause her pain or death, while Yumeko hates any kind of predictable outcome or rigging of the game.

I also have a lot of other ships in this fandom, mainly Yumary, Kirisaya, Meariri, Ayadari, Riridari, Naodari, Ririsaya, and Yumemika.

7. Monster & Tenjoh

I don't even know where to start on this one, really.

I've known about the existence of this series for a while and even tried to start it, but all I could could get into initially was edits of Johan Liebert. I kept meaning to pick it up eventually, since I'd heard that it was one of the most popular seinen manga and that Johan was also one of the best manga/anime villains.

But only recently I have I started watching this series, and I don't know why I didn't sooner.

I cannot describe everything I love about this series without writing a whole other post, but to put it simply - it's extremely well-done and very thought-provoking. And as someone deeply interested in psychology and criminology, I found this to be a brilliant exploration of both. The characters are so well-developed, especially the twins and Tenma (who is honestly one of the most underrated protagonists I have seen) and though I was first off-put by the older animation style, I have actually come to like it a lot since it's very unique and suits the setting and atmosphere perfectly.

There are so many different layers and themes that I will never tire of trying to analyze them all, and there's especially a certain thrill to watching how all the pieces of the puzzle connect together, especially when we get an understanding of how Johan perfectly manipulates others so that they essentially follow the designs of their own downfall.

But one of the very few people to resist Johan's plots and to even come close to destroying him is Tenma.

Tenjoh is so fascinating, both as a ship and only as their canon interaction, because of how deeply personal and complex their relationship is.

Tenma saved Johan's life years ago, a choice that essentially ended his career for him and led to his life being significantly altered. When Johan returns, revealing himself to be the person responsible for so many deaths, Tenma feels guilty for "creating" the monster that Johan became. However, even though Johan kills everyone who knows about him, he spares Tenma as both a sign of respect for the doctor saving his life and because he wants to drive Tenma to kill him, therefore proving Tenma's ideals that every life has value wrong.

Not only is there something darkly poetic in Johan wanting the doctor who brought him back from the brink of death to be the one to kill him, it's also just as suiting that Tenma at first wants to be the one to kill Johan, feeling it was his burden to end the monster he'd "revived." But despite many opportunities given to him, even by Johan himself, to kill the evil mastermind, Tenma still couldn't do it.

I have so many thoughts on them and would love to write a meta about it someday, but all I can really say for now is they're quickly becoming one of my top ships ever.

[lenaperseveranceoxton]

Listen, I know I said in this post from June 15th that Emily is perfect as a civilian, and I was vindicated when the Invasion story missions dropped and showed that Emily is holed up in some bunker in King's Row with omnics and bigots alike.

but Blizzard, PLEASE, I need more Emily content. I am starving. She deserves to be given a canon voice like Iggy in the Underworld mission. She deserves to have a canon last name. She deserves the world.

It's so infuriating that the Lena and Emily spray even gets censored in Play of the Games and highlights. I mean, I get why (and you can ask the winners of the 2023 Overwatch World Cup if you don't) but damn it!

I am SO sick and tired of seeing people ship Lena with men, whether it be self-ships, generic nude models in Blender, or male playable characters. (If you fall into one of those categories, please let me know so I can block your disgusting ass.)

I need the cishets to know- to have it absolutely drilled into their skulls- that Lena is dating Emily Overwatch. Give me a voice line about her in the Hero Gallery. Give me a weapon charm version of the Lena and Emily spray, or at least a weapon charm of an orange heart that says "Emily" in the center. Give me a victory pose where Lena is bridal-carrying Emily. Anything.

Also, this is going to sound very weird, but the "Caught you staring!" voice line still makes me uncomfortable every time I hear it in game. I get that Lena is a playful person, but did we learn nothing from the Over the Shoulder controversy in 2016? (Even the current Over the Shoulder victory pose makes me uncomfortable. It's one of the few victory poses I don't have favorited in the Hero Gallery. Why would Lena be striking a pose from a WW2 pinup poster?) I remember hearing complaints that it's unfair that Lifeweaver, Baptiste, and Mauga get to flirt with each other while our lesbian characters don't get to flirt with women, but Lena is in a loving relationship. I think she should be able to express an aesthetic attraction towards female characters (like Sombra saying "You're cuter up close" to any gender like the bisexual icon she is when getting a melee kill), but she should not be alluding to her butt whenever you use all three Blinks. The internet is so quick to objectify Overwatch characters, and it's disappointing to see Blizzard fueling those flames.

Rant aside, I also want to point out that Lena tells Emily to let the omnics in the bunker know about Null Sector.

I remember joking in a Discord server with friends who don't go here but know Lena "Tracer" Oxton is my lifeblood about the idea of Lena having paparazzi that write articles such as "The Rumour Come Out: Does Tracer from Overwatch is Gay?" after seeing them casually plan to meet Emily at the pub in London Calling Issue 1. Does everyone in the bunker just know Emily is Lena's girlfriend? Either way, I love to imagine the conversation that would ensue.

"So, omnics, I've gathered you here today to discuss some important matters. As you may or may not know, Tracer from Overwatch is my girlfriend, and uh... A majority of the omnic population in Toronto has been abducted and possibly even had their minds wiped. Overwatch was late, so they couldn't do anything about it. Sure, Null Sector could very well be breaking into this bunker in no time at all, but Overwatch is prepared now! We're going to be okay... I think."

I'll finish this off by saying that, if she can't come to Watchpoint: Gibraltar, Emily should at least be added to the Miscellaneous section of the Intel Database.

Thank you for listening to my TEDTalk.

[straightbaittournament]

may the best bait win! propaganda under the cut:

bellamy and clarke:

They start off as a rivals-to-lovers kind of arc, the actors are married and have a kid in addition to (allegedly) being friends with benefits in the early seasons They have multiple intense romantic moments even while they're with other people, the actors were told to play them romantically and have spoken up about it, and are now married, they once won a "sexiest moment" award despite it just being him pushing her hair back, they get married in the books, they constantly tell each other that they need each other, and call themselves "the head and the heart"

they get married in the books the actors were told to play them romantically for seven years, but in the final season, clarke KILLS bellamy because the showrunner hated his teen girl fanbase. they also had multiple almost-love confessions, and constantly said things like "i need you" and called themselves "the head and the heart"

"m/f pairs who have some kind of weird fucking thing going on that is never explicitly named platonic or romantic" "couples whose romance is teased but never confirmed as such" No matter how much the showrunner tries to deny it, it was quite obvious from the beginning that Clarke and Bellamy were supposed to end up together. But then Clexa happened, and the massive backlash to Lexa's death (understandable) pretty much killed any chance they could manifest that romance. I'm okay with that, because it allows Bellarke a complexity that most straight pairings don't have. But the chemistry, and the chemistry was strong - so strong that the actors got married!

They're canon in the books the show is based on, and their plot seemed like it would be a slow burn enemies to friends to lovers, but the producer actively made fun of fans for shipping it and ended the series with clarke killing bellamy.

janeway and chakotay:

Janeway is the Captain of a Starfleet ship lost so far from home it will take decades to reach. Chakotay is the Captain of a Maquis (rebel) ship also lost there. They decide to work together to get home and combine their crews when the Maquis ship is destroyed, and Chakotay becomes her second-in-command. Because of the seriousness of the situation, Janeway feels that she cannot afford the distraction of a romance and so they never get together. They have NO personal space and look longingly at each other quite often and one episode has them forced to abandon ship potentially forever and they live together in a little house and he builds her a bathtub because she complains about not having one and they share a romantically charged massage where he tells her a made up story about a warrior and the woman who inspired him which he openly admits is made up and actually about them. Also he holds her while she cries about their chance of going back to the ship being destroyed. In a different episode she “dies” and he cradled her body while weeping about it. They also have candlelit dinners regularly and she lent him a copy of the book her ex-fiancé gave her, and every time the show conspires to make one temporarily unaware of the other, they flirt hardcore. An episode designed to show how they wouldn’t work as a couple only makes more people ship them. Also a young version of Janeway meets older Chakotay via time travel and asks him if they’re together in the future despite her being engaged at that point. He declined to answer directly.

they have a lot of Tension thruout the series & a very deep relationship, but Janeway has someone waiting for her back home & Chakotay ends up in a romance plot with another person in the last season (that I personally felt came from out of nowhere but whatever) I rooted for them! I rooted for a str8 couple! I did not care that Janeway had someone waiting for her back home even tho I usually do! but I did not care! they deserved to fuck!

[diakittyau]

Theme of Kuchizuke's story.

Hello. (￣▽￣)ノ I wanted to talk about the themes, personal experiences and fears I put into the first part of Deluding Moonlight AU, Kuchizuke.

First of,

! spoiler warning for the animation ! Please watch it before reading.

And second, the topics that I'm going to cover, as well as some scenes from animation, may be unpleasant to some people. I'll be covering: abuse, unhealthy relationships, depression and death.

With all that out of the way, let's begin.

Here's a fact: I'm not into shipping, even though the story of Deluding Moonlight is heavily tied to one character having an infatuation for another. I don't care about fanon romanization, kissing stuff or anything like that. I have favorite duos, such as Sonic & Amy, Knuckles & Rouge, Shadow & Maria, none of which I see in the romantic relationships and just enjoy their canonical dynamics. Some of them are funny, some comforting, I don't need to see them kissing or something. So if that's the case, how did I get to making this story? At first the idea of vampire Rouge just randomly came to mind when I listened to the song "BUCK-TICK — Kuchizuke". I thought it might be an interesting idea to make an animation of it. But since the song is heavily implied of love, obsession and passion, I had to think of a plot line that can accompany it. When it comes to characters, for me it's always important to keep their initial characterizations without significantly changing it. I probably should add that I'm only into Japanese Sonic, so I'm staying true to their original Japanese characterizations. Not including anything from the American side, as comics, tv shows and even dubs. And yes, there's no official Sonic couples (I'm talking games only) and I'm not going into fanon. What should I do? Well, there is one thing I can work with, and that is one-sided love. And thankfully, Rouge has it. On multiple occasions she's shown to have interest in Knuckles, flirting and mocking him. And as I said, I enjoy their fun dynamic.

So now on to building up the story. We're talking vampires, so deception and no mutual love were main points that I focused on. And that's where my personal stuff comes to play. The first one is:

Fear of abusive relationships.

As a child born in Russia, in a typical fashion I saw the horrors of dysfunctional family. I never got physical abuse myself from it, but I've been neglected by one parent and saw the suffering of another. Since the early childhood I didn't have normal ideas about love and relationships, because I simply didn't saw any. My psyche was affected, and I live with the trauma and fear ever since. I've never been in a relationship. All my life I could only analyze it by looking at others, which gave me an idea about what love is and that entering into a relationship with someone was a very important step. This cannot be neglected and done haphazardly. This is a union of two people, and understanding, compromise, and consideration of personal interests are important in it. Otherwise things can end up pretty badly.

Isn't that right?

And that's the part of me that's been reflected on Knuckles, but more on that later. First, we need to understand what parts of me were reflected on Rouge, and it was:

Depression.

I was in a depressive state for at least seven years. While depressive episodes have occasionally faded away, they reached their peak two years ago. That's when I succumbed to seclusion, intensive self-flagellating, imposter syndrome, feelings of rejection and uselessness. And for the first time I felt desperate for love. I have had a difficult time understanding my own feelings before, but back them it just got 200 times worse. I didn’t understand whether I felt love for the first time or was it something else completely? Did I really want to love, or did I just want someone to pity and comfort me? Do I really have friends and people I can trust, and do they accept me or just use me? I didn't know myself anymore. It's been hard and long way of figuring myself out, and only the huge possibility that I had autism explained everything that had happened to me throughout my life. That's when I accepted myself and was able to climb out of this deep hole that seemed bottomless. There's also another thing that really bothers me since my early years:

The fear of time passing.

I don't like changes, I don't like growing old and fading, I don't want to lose something or someone because their time has come. I fear death, future, the unknown. I never wanted my video-game characters to die and my own stories have always been stuck at one particular time without much moving forward. That's why I have always had a deep connection with vampires. That and the aesthetic, of course. That's should be all the main point, now let's see how all this falls on the characters. Starting with Knuckles.

Now I should mention, that out of all the Sonic character I can relate to Knuckles the most. His worldview, his social skills, his dedication to his life's work, his short-temper and so forth. And this is perfect, since it is so much easier for me to stay true to his character. Back to the personal stuff: several times I was in situations where some people wanted to date me. The thing was, I hadn't felt any attraction to any of these people, it was simply beyond my understanding. Not to mention I didn't know them for a long time, but after a few short conversations it seemed like they were seriously considering me their girlfriend. I treated them quite indulgently and friendly at first, but very soon I caught myself thinking that they just irritate me, and my attitude towards them was already beginning to border on hate. I just wanted them to leave me alone with their imposition of relationships. That personal experience pretty much resonates with Knuckles' role in Kuchizuke. He's been forced to fall in love with Rouge by her dark magic, and the latter didn't even took his own feeling into consideration. And his personal boundaries were not taken into account either.

To Rouge, Knuckles just been the possession. This approach to getting his love only led to hatred and ended up in the tragedy.

I kept Rouge's mysterious nature with her own goals and ways to achieve them. Back to the personal stuff once more: as I established before, I have a hard time understanding my own feelings, and at the peak of my depression I didn’t know how to deal with negative emotions at all. Perhaps that's why I felt the need for a soulmate for the first time. But was it love? Now it seems to me more that my special interest simply fell on a certain person who filled the voids in my soul and brightened up the endless stream of negative thoughts. Even so, I find my past self quite selfish, because I only wanted my own happiness with that person, even though the feeling obviously weren't mutual. However, it is also worth clarifying that I didn't have enough courage or social skills even to make any moves, most of the times simply living in my own world of illusions. But when I got out of depression, this not-love of mine simply vanished. So, this is were the theme comes from. Obsession and the desire to be with someone who can fill your mental emptiness. Of course, regardless of the opinion of this very person. The romanticized scenes of a "dream date" were mear delusion, having nothing to do with the real feelings of a person she loved.

I will explore Rouge's character more in the future, so keep in mind some of the stuff I said.

In conclusion.

Through this tragic tale of one-sided love I really wanted to say something simple yet very important:

Love is not a fairy tale.

and relationships are a very serious step for both parties, where understanding, compromises and trust are important. Love in this story is a complete self—deception and manipulation, with selfish motives and a sad outcome.

[nevermorgue]

Hello, love your stuff. I was wondering what your headcanons are for Annabel and her crew in your Modern Au. Especially the relationship between Annabel and Lenore? Are the two groups still rivals? How did they meet? Are Lenore and Annabel secretly dating?

Thanks for reading.

Kind regards~

Hi anon!! Thank you very much~

I actually had to sleep on this one. I can’t imagine them being rivals in a setting that has no conflict. Like if they were students or something I could use the excuse of rival schools, but in this case I’m unsure how to make the groups go against each other.

We could potentially keep the Annabel/Lenore friendship plot line sort of like canon? Perhaps after the fire Lenore had to stay in the hospital for a while. Annabel, who was there frequently, ends up befriending her- oh I just got a fucked up idea.

I’m sorry I have to do this: Ada. ADA. You know her terrible taste in men. When Annabel and Lenore first met, Annabel was frequently visiting ADA in the hospital after a particularly bad encounter with her last boyfriend. Of course, she doesn’t tell Lenore this. She keeps her reasons for being there brief.

But one day she stopped visiting suddenly. No contact information was given or anything. Lenore was hurt and kind of betrayed. But then everything in her life started taking a turn for the worse, so she had to push her thoughts about Annabel to the side and focus on living.

And now with her new roommates and friends, she’s in a comfortable spot. Well, she’s still job hunting but she’s happy and safe. NOW she takes the time to try and find Annabel online. Her university achievements from some school in London come up. (She has not graduated yet. More info in a second) She manages to find her email.

They meet up in person and have a little small lashing out. Lenore, mad she stopped visiting without warning- and Annabel, who was apologizing but ends up saying something like “I have a life too, I was stressed and I am sorry that you were not my full focus” in a bitter way.

And with THAT setup out of the way, let’s move on to Annabel’s group.

- Annabel met Prospero through school. She transferred from her uni in London to…wherever this is. I know it’s not New York because that’s where Lenore RAN from. Imagine some other state on the east coast. She probably shares a Gen Ed class with him and that’s how they officially met. They met before Lennabel did.

- Annabel met Ada before classes even started. Ada probably saw her in public and thought, “Wow. I have to be her friend. She’s perfect” and just kinda…latched on. Annabel was irritated but played along for multiple reasons. 1) She needed American acquaintances who may know the area better. 2) she needs acquaintances in general. 3) Ada isn’t ALL that bad. Usually.

- Ada starts hanging around Annabel and Prospero more frequently. Prospero is tired of her very quickly. She gets attached to him quickly, still vulnerable and hurt from her last relationship

- Potentially meet Montresor + Will through clubbing. Annabel does NOT want to, but Ada drags her along for a night. They unfortunately meet Monty, who tries to flirt with them both. Annabel, finding him entertaining and a way to make her stay in America more interesting, decides to keep contact. And Will too, I guess.

- Montresor and Will are a package deal. They’ve known each other for about two years.

- Then it’s pure chance that Monty + Will find Annabel and Prospero hanging out one day. Now all the group has met and they are all a sort of group. Prospero doesn’t like them, only tolerates them at best. It’s a very fine line these guys walk on

- And then it’s just fate that the two groups frequently run into each other in public places. the town isn’t all that big and they frequent the same places. At first, Lenore and Annabel are kinda bitter/awkward with each other but they slowly start to make up as time goes on. But by the time they go, their groups kind of already hate each other. So once they’re back on gay terms, Annabel suggests they keep the facade going for ‘their sakes’. Lenore doesn’t see the point in this, but this can be another plot point later I think

- more info: Will, out of everyone, knows the area the best. I think he’s been here his entire life and just kinda knows where everything is. Everyone uses GPS and google maps anyway, even when he tries to explain the shortest routes.

- Prospero is in the medical program. He’s gonna start interning at the hospital soon!!

- Ada and Morella used to be friends a whiiiile back. Like a while back.

- Will works in a movie theater. Did I steal this from my own fic? Yes.

- Prospero’s a rich kid. His parents pay his rent, but he STILL works at a bakery anyway. He likes the free stuff. He has a sweet tooth

- Monty uses Will’s tiny ass apartment for his escapades. Whenever he kicks Will out, he ends up at Prospero’s. The two have a silent agreement to let him sleep on the couch.

- Nobody knows where Monty even lives. Not even Will knows.

Im gonna have to start tagging this as my own modern AU at this point!! i’ll just call it “nevermorgue modern au”

[the-goddess-of-mischief-writing]

nah cause wait price and the reader fucking in the bathroom of marissa’s bar……idk if she’d do that to her friend marissa but still it’s lowkey hot as fuck 😭😭😭😭

A/N: Oh anoooooon this is sinful in more ways than one🫠 A little filler until the next part of the main sunshine!universe chapter is published.

SUNSHINE UNIVERSE MASTERLIST

—Okay, so I definitely think sunshine!reader and Price would be apprehensive to sneak off and have some ehm... fun during normal hours and when the rest of 141 is there, ’cause you know, you wouldn’t hear the end of it from Marissa and Price would probably not take such a chance with his menaces' of mates around for a similar reason

—But just imagine you're helping Marissa for the night, stepping in on her late closing shift, as she and Johnny have a date planned (bc after my last request regarding those two, it's canon they're dating now) and you and Price are well into your relationship

—You dress up in something that you're not too afraid will be damaged, stains and whatnot something you'll have to count on behind a bar, so after rummaging through your closet, you settle on an all-black outfit, suit pants and a short-sleeved slim turtleneck

—When you step into the pub, you immediately greet some of your co-workers for the night, all of which you'd met previously and got along well with thanks to your friendship with Marissa and sometimes helping out at the pub, like tonight

—You fall into your old routine quickly, flashing smiles and mixing drinks, putting on a show for whoever came up to the bar and ordered something that wasn't a beer or plain drink

—Imagine Price coming towards the end of your shift, about an hour or so left

—You spot him when he steps into the bar, a quick glance to note the new customer only to be pleasantly surprised by him, seeing you hadn't thought you would see him until after closing, as he'd said he would come get you after the shift

—As he sits at the end of the bar, you're by him in an instance, greeting him swiftly, deciding against leaning over the bar to plant a kiss on his lips in favour of professionalism

"You're here early". Your hand are clasped together, leaning on the bar, his finger brushing yours as he sits similarly on the other side of the counter. "Decided to come and keep you company". You smiled at that. It was getting late and the pace was slower. In the past 30 minutes, many of the customers you didn't recognise trickled out, only the regulars still around, and you'd called out goodbyes to more and more co-workers. "Well you don't hear me complaining", you reply and he chuckles at that. "Didn't think so".

—You and Price fall into a conversation about how both your days have been until one of the older men rises from his seat and you excuse yourself, knowing he would order another round for his mates

—It's something about the way you talk to the man, and anyone else that comes to order afterwards, that makes Price transfixed, eyes always on you rather than the glass of coke you put in front of him just out of hospitality

—You don't flirt with them, of course, even if some may drop a flirty comment here and there. You're all smiles, some are more genuine, while others are, what he comes to recognise, your service smile. And still, there's always the same glint in your eyes when you pitch a pint or mix a drink.

—Price finds himself sitting with a smile as he follows you, but something grows in his belly, a warmth unfurling as blood slowly gets diverted further south, he knows what it is but can't do anything about his desire flaring to life, it's just something about you at the moment that urges the reaction.

—And he can't help himself from perking up when he catches you informing the patrons they can enjoy their drinks in peace if you can start some of the closing procedures, the old chaps are all jovial laughter and appreciative smiles as they reassure you that it's fine, they'll be out of your hair when you return.

— When you come back to him, this time on the same side of the bar he sits at, kissing him on the cheek and saying you'll be back in a bit, swiftly disappearing down the corridor towards what must be some staff backroom, Price can't help himself to stand from his seat.

—He tries to convince himself he follows you because he wants to offer his help, but the uncomfortable tightness over his crotch calls bullshit, especially when he sees you bent over, shifting some boxes of bottles, the glass clinking together.

—In a few large strides, Price is swiftly standing behind you, instantly hooking an arm around your waist, hauling you towards his chest.

—He feels you stiffen, hand gripping his lower arm, instinctively trashing until the two of you stumble through the door he'd push you towards, the staff bathroom, and you see him in the mirror.

—He isn't a fan of quickies, he likes to take his sweet time with you, taking care of you good and proper, the foreplay as exhilarating as finally bottoming out inside your pretty and wet cunt.

—But in this instance, Price can't help himself, thinking with his cock throbbing for release rather than his head, something about you tonight making him lose all semblance of the control he likes to keep, thankfully he at least remembers to lock the door behind him and that there still are people down the hall.

"We gonna do this quick". His face is pressed close to yours, blue eyes locked with your wide eyes in the mirror as he husks the sentence straight into your ear. "Be a good fuckin' girl and stay still". You shiver as John let his hand fall, swiftly joined by the other, hands jerking your pants open and rucking them down the swell of your ass. 'I adore when you're sweet on me, John, but I-I also like when you're rough, just, you know, take what you want sometimes'. He remembers your words clear as day despite it being ages ago you'd uttered them. He wouldn't try this otherwise. Even so, he remained attentive to your reaction for better or worse.

—As your panties joined your pants around your lower thighs, neither pair cared about being pushed down any further than needed, Price would swiftly start circling your clit, wasting no time teasing you, making you jolt against him and whimper.

—His hand would shoot up, covering your lower face and mouth with his big paw and whisper into your ear, 'gotta be quiet for me love', as he uses all the knowledge he’d gathered about your body to make you feel as good as possible

—While working your core into a weeping mess, he would be rutting against your ass, hard as a rock, making you grow even wetter as your head hangs, basking in the sudden onslaught of pleasure 

—He would pull away suddenly, stepping away from your body, making your head rise. As you watch him in the mirror, you catch some of his hurried movements following the sound of his zipper

—He would swiftly step into your body, pressing you tight against the sink, its edge pushing into your lower abdomen. His cock press against your upper thigh, hot and throbbing

"So fuckin' pretty tonight I couldn't help myself", you're mindful enough to silence your moan into a forced breath through your nose, lips in a tight line as he grips his cock and runs it up and down your slickness  ”John”, you whine when he runs his cock up and down your slickness, immediately earning the muzzle of his palm again. He hushes you before pushing into you, both of you grateful he’d covered your mouth, seeing how the lack of proper stretching makes you moan unabashedly against his palm. Your breath is a hot, dragged-out puff of air and Price feels your mouth hanging open beneath his hand, your cunt clutching tightly around him at what he know is a burn-like pleasure from the stretch. And he can’t hep himself from harshly kneading your bared hip as he fold forwards, lightly biting your shoulder, eyes scrunching together in concentration to not make a noise hhhimself as you feel like a wet, hot vice around him.

—Price would work himself into you as slowly as possible concerning the time pressure, but as soon as he bottomed out, he would start rutting against you

—Your clothes silenced the slap of skin, but if anyone would pass the door, they would undoubtedly know something was going on inside, which only made Price thrust quicker into you, the situation dawning on him in a mix of concern of being caught and thrill induced pleasure

—You would go slack as you felt his thrust get harder, brushing against something making your lower belly tingle and legs quiver, forehead resting against the mirror that swiftly fogged from the proximity

—Price would lift himself slightly, changing the angle just a smudge in his thrust in his now upright position, immediately catching how the vibrations forming beneath his hand increased and your back arched the best you could from being bent over the sink

—And then, just imagine when Price’s orgasm would rush up on him, he just need to see your pretty face so he grips your jaw rather than cover your mouth, forcing you to look up and into the mirror

"Come on, love, smile for me like you've done all night", he taunts through a grunt, thrusting into you harshly enough that you only stare back at your reflection a muted uh, uh, uh sound punched from your lungs. Your mouth is hanging open, cheeks pushed together by his fingers digging into your flesh. "Ain't you a fuckin' sight", he can't help but groan, your eyes unfocused, pleasure written across every feature. Your brows are harshly narrowed, creases littering your forehead and the space between your brows. John would feel you flutter in that easily recognisable pattern that always pushed him over the edge, knowing you were close too.

—You're so close you can taste it when Price suddenly slumps against your back with a moan, stopping all movement as he remains nestled deep as his seed coated your inside.

—You whine, writhing against him, but Price stills your hips with a firm grip on them and then he does the worst thing he ever could, he pulls out and tugs your panties up and in place, covering your throbbing clit and clenching pussy, the fabric catching some of his cum dribbling out.

"Keep you nice and warm until gettin' home to yours", John pats your cunt through the lacy material, making you jolt and whine, head raising as he pulls your pants up your legs. Any sight of your orgasm has faded and when your gaze locks with John's in the mirror again, you know he sees your frustration as his head ticks and he grins. "Don't be poutin', love", he steps up close behind you as you stand straight, legs wobbly from what just happened and your robbed orgasm rather than a weakened pleasure state. His hand previously on your hips slide forward, now zipping your pants up and doing the button so they're kept up by themselves. "Just gotta lock up and I'll take my sweet time with you when we get home". "Better be a promise", you say, turning to face him. His chin falls, a big palm coming to cover your jaw and upper throat, his thumb brushing against your cheek. "M'gonna takes such great care of you, spoil you rotten, hm, what so say 'bout that eh?" He hummed, dipping his head to slot his mouth over yours. "Well deserved", you breathe in return when he steps backwards, amused eyes locked with yours util he opened the door to take a peak out the corridor. "Go on then", he cocks his head towards the door he now holds open, deeming the coast clear. When you pass him, he gives you a cheeky slap to your arse. When you jolt in your step, you send him a look, only to be met with an arch of his brows and a smug quirk in the edge of his mouth.

—Price would feel such a fucking possessive pride in watching you scurry out of the bathroom, trying not to shift your hips too much from feeling his spend still inside you as you rush through the closing procedure and attempting to keep a straight face when bidding goodbye to the last customers

A/N: And yeah, I think I died somewhere along the way of this🫠

[petrichor-idyllic]

Ok, I have a request based on your new prompt list. The names got me thinking, and I was wondering if you could do just the Gladers x Fem!Reader who joins them and is a total badass, and has a title, like in the books, and she’s “the warrior.” And she’s named Joan after Joan of Arc. Could be a fic or just headcanons, whichever is easiest for you. Thanks!

Ooo this is a really fun idea. I'm gonna do some headcanons simply because that is easier for me to do.

Also, not my normal headcanons with separate sections for each boy - this is about your life in the Glade and relationships with the Gladers.

Also, fem!reader, so no romance with Newt as specified on my masterlist, but y'all are buddies.

And I've decided to use another one of my ideas, so you're even more of a pain in WICKED's ass :).

THE WARRIOR

MASTERLIST | MULTI-CHARACTER MASTERLIST

SUMMARY: See above. Book based fic.

WICKED stole your name and called you Joan - and there's a good reason for that. You were a test Subject and WICKED prodigy that broke into the Maze to help your friends - and WICKED couldn't really do anything about it.

(If you're actually called Joan, congrats, this is for you, I guess.)

WARNINGS: Inappropriate language, actually follows the naming canon so no (Y/N), awkward Glader flirting. I fully don't how I'm gonna write this so prepare for me to butcher this prompt. This is a bit of a different layout so I decided to have some fun with it.

LOADING SUBJECT INFORMATION

SUBJECT NUMBER: A3 "The Warrior"

BIRTH NAME: (Y/N) (L/N).

SUBJECT GIVEN NAME: Joan.

NOTES: Subject A3 shows signs of rebellion and aggression. This is not surprising considering the means she went through to enter the Maze Trails. Though, her efforts may have been beneficial. Due to being the only female Group A Subject for the majority of the Maze Trails, she is volatile and untrusting. However, A3 does display close relationships with several other Subjects.

LOADING GLADER EXPERIENCE

You had an eventful first week in the Glade.

As eventful as a first week can be, really.

Initially, you freaked the fuck out.

You woke up in a dark box with nothing but your name and the smell of burning oil.

And then the Box opened up and you weren't the only one freaking out.

Surrounded by a couple dozen boys - no one knew what to do.

Unbeknownst to you, not only were you the only girl the Gladers had ever seen - but you'd also shown up between Greenie days.

They weren't due another Greenie for another week and a half.

Confusion spread through the Glade like wildfire.

The first person you met was Newt.

He seemed to be one of the few boys that weren't going absolutely savage at your presence.

He offered you a hand, which you refused to take at first.

Until the Box jolted again, and started to move with you still inside it.

"Oi, come on! Jump!"

"What's happening?!"

"I don't shuckin' know! Jump!"

With the help of several other pairs of hands, you decide to jump, and Newt yanks you up.

And you see the the Glade for the first time.

And the opening in the Walls.

You don't even have to think about.

When Newt tries to talk to you, you clock him square in the face and book it towards the exit.

AKA. The Maze.

Which results in a kind of stampede as you rush to escape.

Which, is where you meet Minho.

It's late in the day and Minho has finished his route early so he's coming back to chill out for a bit.

Except that doesn't happen because you come whizzing past him.

"Minho! Stop her!"

"What?"

"Stop the shuckin' girl!"

Admittedly, you are faster than he expected.

But not faster than him.

You manage to get around a corner before he tackles you, rugby style.

He manages to restrain you, and Alby and Newt come to help and wrestle you back to the Glade.

You're put in the Slammer.

Bummer.

The Gladers use the time you're locked up to figure out what to do.

Alby puts a very strong no touching rule in place and threatened to Banish anyone that dare break it.

After that, he goes out of his way to try and calm you down and explain what's happening here.

Eventually you oblige.

And Alby shows you the place.

He introduces you to people of note - Winston, Zart, Gally, Frypan and the other Keepers.

And he reintroduces you to Newt and Minho.

You learn things about yourself over the next following weeks.

You're feisty and forward.

You have a short fuse.

You're somewhat skilled at hand to hand combat and could probably put up a good fight against most of the Gladers.

You're sarcastic and quick witted.

Though, you remain level headed and fast thinking.

You try out all the jobs.

You settle on being a Builder for a while.

Which Gally is thrilled about.

You, surprisingly, actually get along with Gally quite well.

Sure, he's a bit of a dick and has far too many opinions.

But, he's a good boss.

He's strict and hard-working; pushing his men to the bets of their ability, and in your opinion, what they need.

This lands you in Gally's circle, which includes Frypan.

Gally isn't well liked.

Which is fine with you.

It means the boys leave you alone.

And, you get the opportunity to build your own little hut.

You like working as a Builder.

This also leads to the first of the boys developing a crush on you - Gally.

Frypan is quick to second that.

The third is Minho.

It's not like the pair of you are particularly close, but after Newt suggests you be a Runner - that changes.

You're fast and resilient; both of which Minho is looking for in his men.

You decide to try out, which makes Minho your boss.

Gally isn't very pleased, but you work where you're needed.

It's not that difficult, the worst part being not getting lost.

But Minho isn't going to leave you alone until you're ready.

Spending time with you, he learns you have a similar sense of humour.

And you've forgiven him for flooring you.

So, he starts crushing on you too.

As in my other headcanons, Alby really doesn't care about you.

Well, he does.

But just as another Glader.

Though he does appreciate the hard work you do, and the fact you keep the majority of his most problematic men distracted.

Newt is probably the person you're closest to.

Mainly because you never catch him staring at your ass or tits.

He's respectful.

And not attracted to you.

Because he's gay.

You're a fully fledged Runner by the time Thomas shows up.

You don't really think much of him at first.

Because absolutely no one did.

But he admired you.

He thought you were cool and skilled, very much the same way he looked up to Minho.

You were devastated when Thomas, Minho and Alby got stuck out in the Maze.

Gally tried his best to comfort you, but he didn't get very far.

"If anyone can survive the Maze; it's Minho."

"No one survives a night, Gally - we both know that."

Frypan's attempts weren't much better.

Newt was too busy figuring out how the heck he was going to run the Glade without Alby.

Yet, somehow, they both survived.

You don't think you've ever hugged someone as hard as you hugged Minho when you saw him.

Everyone's jealous of Minho for that.

Oh yeah, Teresa.

She showed up the day after Thomas.

You were thrilled to have another girl.

And then she wasn't conscious.

Bummer.

You kinda forgot about her after that.

Until she woke up, and everything went wrong in the Glade.

The sky disappearing, the Doors not closing, Grievers taking someone every night.

Including Alby.

And Gally disappeared.

A devastating blow.

You became one of the faces of the escape.

Cracking the code wasn't easy, but you all managed.

Thomas and Minho's theory about jumping into the void had you skeptical but you didn't have anything better to do than throw rocks off the Cliff for hours.

Thomas then gets stung.

And once awake, tells you how you were never meant to be in this Maze. You broke in, presumably to help your friends.

No wonder Newt and Minho wanted you to become a Runner.

Anyway, you escape.

Gally pops up again.

Kills Chuck.

RIP.

Thomas flips his lid.

And you escape.

Definitely not my best work but I really didn't know how to do this.

I'm stressed and I tried my best lmao.

Hope you're cool with that. Kinda.

:))

[aceofnace]

Nancy’s Feelings for Ace

Nancy told Ace that the first time she realized she had feelings for him was during the dreamscape with the wraith, because that was her official “oh” moment, but as a viewer we know she had feelings for him long before that, even if she didn’t know it. The first real signs for us were her obvious jelly feelings as she watched Ace flirt with Amanda in 2x07 and her mind immediately jumping to Ace when she heard the sentence “the one with the pretty eyes” in 2x08. But really, it goes even further back than that.

Nick asking Ace in the last episode if it was ever really only friendship and nothing more between him and Nancy got me thinking back to the very beginning. And to be honest, I don’t think it ever was only friendship. For either one of them.

We know now that Ace had a crush on Nancy in high school. So naturally, when she started working at The Claw, that crush returned right away (even if he also had a crush on Bess at the time). And we know Nancy met Nick and it was lust at first sight and she immediately embarked on a physical relationship with him soon after. This all happened before the show began. What else happened before the show began and it’s one of the first things Nancy tells us about Ace when her narration introduces us to him?

The smoke break.

Upon first viewing, it feels like an unimportant throwaway line. A piece of information that could just as easily have been left out. But it wasn’t. Why? Because I think that smoke break, a moment we’ve never gotten to see, was when Nancy’s feelings for Ace actually started.

Think about it for a second. We know that Nancy has always found Ace attractive. When she hears the term “pretty eyes”, she’s like “Who, Ace?” When she’s under the spell of a lust dress, she lets it slip out that she’s always imagined how soft his hair would be. In as early as episode 1x02, she’s placing a hand on his shoulder for no reason while she talks and she doesn’t let go until she’s done. He may not have necessarily been on her radar in high school like she was on his, but he certainly was as soon as she started working at The Claw.

So, now that we have obvious physical attraction out of the way, that smoke break. We know very little about it. The most of what we do know about it is made up from the minds of countless fans who’ve written their own fan fic version of it (myself included). But the one canon thing about it, the thing Nancy told us herself, was that he didn’t judge her for tanking her grades after her mom died. And how did he even know about that? Because she told him.

Nancy Drew, who at the start of the show was the queen of high emotional walls who didn’t like divulging personal information to anyone, divulged some pretty personal information to this boy she barely knew (and even though it’s never discussed again, there’s a pretty good chance that wasn’t the only smoke break they ever spent together). Meanwhile, she was hooking up with Nick and even sorta calling herself his girlfriend, but any time he tried to get her to open up and talk about anything, she shut him down immediately.

I feel like this is something that should be discussed more. The fact that she was able to so quickly and comfortably share stuff like this with Ace and nobody else is a huge deal. And in the beginning, it’s completely overlooked because Nancy’s love interest was Nick, and then after they broke up, Owen was next in line. For most of season one, she did not outwardly show any significant interest in Ace as anything more than a stranger–turned–co-worker–turned–sleuthing buddy–turned–close friend. But that interest was there.

And why wouldn’t it be? As I already mentioned, Nancy was always physically attracted to Ace. She knew from before the show began that he was a good listener and easy to talk to. And then early on when she learned about his hacking abilities, she saw how smart he was. Soon after that, she learned how loyal and dedicated he was. The boy risked his entire future to break her father out of prison, and he did so without her even asking him to. He willingly drank what could’ve been poison to prove she was right and to keep her from getting arrested. Every time she called, he answered. Every time she needed help or needed a favor, he delivered. How could she not possibly fall for him?

So, she did fall for him. Most likely even in season one. It was evident during the library scene where they were reading Ryan and Lucy’s emails out loud. Hearing Ace say things like “I think I love you too” and “I want to be with you, I don’t care what anyone else says” made her feel something, hence the look the two of them share afterward. But here’s the thing: if Nancy recognized that feeling at all, she would have shoved it down so far and so fast because that feeling was something real. Something more than she was used to feeling. And that scared her.

Nick was a distraction from the grief over her mother’s death. Owen was also a distraction from that grief, as well as from her break-up with Nick. Ace wasn’t a distraction. He was a friend. A confidant. Someone she could rely on. Someone she could count on under any circumstances. This kind of relationship with a guy was one she wasn’t accustomed to. And she knew that it could someday lead to something more serious—something she most definitely wasn’t ready for.

In 2x10, while under the spell of the lust dress, Nancy theorized out loud that perhaps the dress was intensifying feelings of attraction she already had but was repressing, and she said it while turning and looking directly at Ace. Keep in mind that (somehow) 2x10 in the timeline is not that far from where they were in season one, so to assume those repressed feelings started in season one is not that much of a stretch. And looking back, even starting within the first few episodes of the series, you can clearly see she has always been drawn to him in a very subconscious way. She would always stand so close their arms would almost touch. She would lean closely over his shoulder when he was on his laptop, their faces sometimes only mere inches apart. She would practically bump into him while walking side-by-side. She’s always had this unrealized need to be near him. To be close to him. And he’s the only one. I challenge anyone to find scenes that show her casually existing so closely next to Nick, Owen, Gil, Park or even now Tristan. You can’t. Because they don’t exist.

And this makes sense. Canonically, they are soulmates. And that would explain why Ace could simply see her make a volcano erupt in high school and develop feelings for her. It would explain why since day one, Nancy has had a bond with Ace that she’s never had with anyone else. And I know the writers say that Nace wasn’t the plan from the beginning, and I do believe that, but somehow, they inadvertently set it up perfectly for these characters to end up in the situation they’re in right now: desperately in love and desperate to be together. They are each other’s person. And they always have been from the very start.

To go back to what they were before would just be staying the same. They’ve never been just friends. And the sooner Ace can admit that to himself, the sooner they can get back to trying to break that curse and securing their future together.