#since people love the coins so much they'd do anything to have them

[syxnewt]

okay this is my valorant oc her name is accord and she is a menace to society :3

i tried something new with the shading here so i hope it looks good

[goldfades]

headcannons of you being a media girl for the team and KK constantly annoying you and pulling you with her to make tiktoks

you cannot tell me that kk wouldn’t be all up in that camera

“welcome to the kk arnold show-“

“ KK GIMME MY DAMN CAMERA!”

𝐔𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍 𝐖𝐁𝐁 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑!𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒

─ warnings | nothing but light banter, pretty much nothing else?

─ taglist | @xocherishxo @iienstein @yazmunson @euphternal and here's a link to my taglist if anyone would like to join!!

─ ev's notes | so instead of like media girl hc's, i'm gonna do manager, it's basically the same thing except manager kinda does everything, it's not limited to photos and social media. it's BASICALLY the same just more of an umbrella term LOL, i hope y'all enjoyed!

you've been the manager for the women's bb team since freshman year and let's just say it's SO chaotic but very rewarding

and yes, you're so right

kk would force you to be in the videos and you're all like force smiling, looking like you're being held hostage

everyone in the comments are SCREECHING cus your answers are always so hilarious and they all love you

"who has the best music taste on the team OTHER THAN YOU?" "other than me?????" "yeah.." "no one, i have the best one"

but people love you sm

i feel like they'd make compilations of you interacting with the team (in specifically the tiktoks bc they're funny af)

eventually people coin the term... "y/n and her toddlers"

you're like the mom of the team (obviously cus ur the manager) but like in more ways than just one

like the freshman first start to open up to you, every comes to you for advice, etc etc

they all just ADORE you

cus who wouldn't?

since you're in charge of the social medias, you FEED the paige bueckers girlies

you take so many pictures of our girl and everyone on tiktok loves u for it

on the buses to games, oh god bless u

especially the really long car rides, everyone will do anything but sleep when the only thing you're tryna do is sleep

LIKE EVERYTHING, they will bring cases of redbull bc they swearrrrr it's team bonding

(they just wanna shit talk everyone they know)

they drag you into everything, especially like if two (or multiple) of the girls are having problems bc you usually know how to deal with them

they adore you yes, but they also fear the fuck outta you

so you make them sit down and talk it out (with you + any seniors at the time to make sure they actually do) then BOOM it's fixed

again, you're like their mom

here's a little snippet of what it's like being their manager 😗

──

"Hey y'all, welcome back to the KK Arnold show! Today we're gonna go interview the mysterious Y/N," KK shouted as she looked at the camera with a smile, beginning to walk to the sidelines of the empty court. She gestured to keep walking until they eventually reach you.

You looked up to meet the camera with a confused smile as you setup your camera. KK couldn't help but let out a laugh, causing you to shake your head in amusement.

"Everyone wanted to have an interview with you, how do you feel about that?" KK finally got out after she stopped laughing, unable to maintain a straight face at your confused expression.

You laughed softly, adjusting the camera before responding, "Uh... well you know, it's part of the job."

KK shook her head dramatically as the camera zooms in on her face, "She hates you guys, Y/N is a D1 hater-"

"No, oh my god shut up!" You laughed as KK gave you a mock glare. "I love you guys."

"How do you feel about the edits?" KK held in her laugh as she glanced back at you then the camera, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Of... Paige?"

KK shook her head, "No, of you."

"There are edits of me?" You couldn't but laugh as you shook your head, taking a seat on the bench as you finished up setting up your film camera.

"Yeah, the people are going feral." KK smirked, clearly enjoying your reaction. "Oh don't act like you haven't seen them, we send them to you on the groupchat."

You glared at KK before she bursted out laughing, putting up her hands in surrender. "Bro, leave me alone."

"No, you signed up for this when you became manager." KK joked as you held in your laugh with a thin-lipped scowl, pretending to be annoyed.

Before you could respond, Paige and Nika walked out to the court and KK waved them over. "Guys, Y/N's being a hater again."

"Aw, be nice to the freshman, Y/N." Paige joked as she joined you on the bench. KK sent her a glare as you and Paige laughed, Nika joining you two on the bench with a grin.

You shot KK a playful glare, though the corners of your lips couldn't help but twitch upwards. " Yeah, freshman privileges only go so far, KK. Don't push your luck."

"Bro," KK sighed exasperatedly as all three of you laughing. "Anyways back to the interview, how do you feel about the Paige edits?"

You and Paige glanced at each other before Paige began laughing. "Actually, as an veteran-edit watcher, they're really good. I don't know about the audios though, they're not very cordial."

"Oh my god, Y/N watched the KK Arnold show confirmed?" KK gasped as laughed loudly, joined by Nika and Paige.

"Bro, I recorded that video."

KK's smile dropped as she dramatically side eyed the camera and gestured toward her neck. "Cut the cameras, cut the damn cameras."

The camera didn't cut, it zoomed on all three of you laughing loudly. KK tried to maintain a serious expression before she sighed dramatically, "the haters are gonna keep hating."

"Facebook ass quote," Paige mumbled as you began laughing even harder, feeling your stomach beginning to hurt as tears began to build in your eyes.

"Oh you really wanna play with me right now," KK joked as she stormed toward you and Paige as the camera cut dramatically.

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[rwuffles]

okay, so, calico cove has gotten me mushy — because of people crying over my notes, me getting emotional over the notes i got, and the community as a whole. blame them for this heartfelt mushfest, i guess; this is an appreciation letter because i can't keep my big fat mouth shut ever!

to the mogai community as a whole: thank you. for, what? i don't think i could get into the specifics if i tried. we are, to be quite frank, a mess at times — discourse and drama and pettiness galore — but god i'd be lying to say i don't love it anyways. i found the community when i was stuck in a really toxic friend group, and when i was starting to hide parts of myself in order to fit in / not get bullied. it didn't really work. but, i found everyone here. people who ided similarly to me, people who also hoarded stuff, and god i fucking adored all of the coining and npt blogs. it's been a really long ride, and i'm still trying to figure myself out as we go along, but i wouldn't be, well, xuân if it weren't for everything that this community has shown me. coining and flag-making have been there for me when i didn't have words to describe how i felt, and when i needed people who'd accept me for being me; it's shown me that i shouldn't settle for anything less than that. everything i do on this blog, really, is a love letter to the community as a whole and me trying to give back everything its given me, and i hope that's clear with how much love goes into everything i create.

and, god, don't even get me started on how much i adore everyone i've met through the community!

some people i'm not quite as close with as i used to be, and some people i don't talk with at all anymore, but i have to be honest when i say that i adore and am grateful towards everyone in the community i've met during my time within it.

to @vampitsm: what sort of appreciation letter would this be if it didn't include you? you've been my friend since, what, one of my old old blogs? it's been one whole year since we've become friends; can you believe that? it was actually right around this time that we started gaia's — or rather, sweetshop. when we first met, i'll be honest and say that i didn't think we'd stay friends long. i'd always held a fairly pessimistic view of the people around me — assuming they'd leave or i'd drop them one way or another. but, you didn't. you'd stayed, you were my friend, you sided with me time and time again. at some point, i found myself wanting to be your friend — even though we already were friends! i'll be honest and say that a lot of the time, when i do things, i hope that i'll make you laugh. you and your opinion mean a lot to me, and i always look forward to the next time we talk.

to @fangpunk: there's so much i could say about you, you little faggot (silly). when i'd first joined mogaiblr, you were one of our inspirations — we looked up to you, wanted to be your mutual, and just generally thought y'all were one of the coolest guys out there. who woulda thought that we'd have the friendship we do today? you're an amazing friend, i think you're one of the funniest people we know and you've always got something to say — in a good way! i love your input on every situation, and especially when izuku isn't scared to put his foot down in our place; you make us less scared to be ourself and encourage us to be less of a pushover. so, thank you!

to @cloverpilled: you're a real dork. my dork, though. maybe i should've realized i didn't quite just see you as a friend when i was vying for your attention and calling you 'my favorite' all the time; but, it worked out in the end, didn't it? everything you make — flags, rentries, layouts, etc. — are always wonderful and i still get giddy seeing you put 'taken' in your rentries and knowing that's me. i've always loved our friendship, and i can't fathom a world without it, especially not now that we're boyfriends. i know you're not the best with words — comforting, being open, all that jazz — and i've never minded it. really, i think you're one of the sweetest people in the world and you always try your best even if it's not in the most forward or obvious manner.

to shua: you. you have been in the fucking psych ward for the past... 4-5 months? i miss you so much, dude; i'm so happy you're going to be out in 2 days. i can't wait to spend the rest of the holidays with you and everyone else in gaia's. you're an amazing person, to be entirely honest, and i miss spending time with you. you've been my friend since before i was here on rwuffles. do you know how fucking long that is? i've looked up to you since forever, and i'm so happy that we're friends. i cherish you and i cherish our friendship as a whole more than i think i could ever express, sometimes i can't believe that we've been friends for so long, but we have! to another year of you & i!

to hadiyah: i have no idea what your current (?) tumblr account is, to be entirely honest, so i hope this finds its way to you one way or another. you're such an amazing person, i think you're so funny and i love talking with you — it's always a treat. sure, you aren't quite as active in gaia's anymore; i don't mind. i still consider you a really good friend of ours. you've been our friend since... the beginning of gaia's as well, i believe? so, really, i couldn't be more grateful to have you in my life and to have had you as a friend for so long! thank you, so much.

to @sevvys: sev. you. you are so cool and awesome and i love talking to you. thank you for being our friend — we don’t even remember how long we’ve been friends for. but, thank you. to be entirely honest, you’re an older sibling figure in our lives and we love being able to hang out and make stupid jokes; i think you’re really funny and i’ve always looked up to you in a way if that doesn’t sound weird? i don’t talk to you as much as i wish i did, and i want that to change, but you’re always super level-headed in my opinion and really good at handling discussions i guess. i don’t know how to express how cool i think you are. you’re just a really reliable, caring person i think

to @rabidbatboy: i think i’ve looked up to you for… an absurdly long amount of time. when you first started coining, you were one of the only people coining less “cutesy” stuff; it was definitely a breath of fresh air and we found ourselves super excited to see any new terms you’d come up with. to be honest? we still love everything you coin, even if we aren’t quite in the fandoms you’re coining for — plus i just think you’re awesome as a person. i love talking to you, as i’ve said to lots of people, you’re super funny and i always look forward to talking to you next! you’re not quite as active in gaia’s anymore, and i know you’re not the best with words, so i don’t expect anything grand in response; i just want you to know that i really care about you and i’ve always appreciated your presence.

to eddie: that’s right, oldie! you get a section, too! because i consider you a really good friend of ours, even if i don’t talk to you very much and you aren’t (?) quite in the mogai community. i really like talking to you and i like our back and forth banter a lot — it feels like you’re an older sibling of ours a lot of the time. i like being the annoying little brother to you, and i really hope that we can keep being friends. it feels really weird being genuine and expressing how much you matter to me considering how often we tend to jokingly butt heads, but i just need you to know that i really love our friendship and i can’t imagine it being any other way. i hope your holidays are good, ya old fuck (affectionate).

and, this section isn't quite for people who are in the mogai community. rather, friends & loved ones i've known since before then that i love with all my heart and that have supported me throughout everything — discovering myself and realizing how much i adore these labels. there aren't enough words to explain how much i love you all and appreciate your staying by my side and not abandoning me.

to elipse, my dear boyfriend: thank you. you’ve supported me through everything — even when it felt like everyone else was against me and i was left on my own again. you are my dearest, my beloved, my forever and my eternity; i’m not scared to be mushy about that. it’s been a wonderful two years by your side, and i hope for it to be many more. you’ve loved me through my ups and downs, my wrongs and rights, my weirdest moments and all the cute stuff in-between. you’ve been my number one supporter — especially when i was first starting to become a mogai coiner — and you’ve remained my number one supporter since. you’re the most wonderful boyfriend i could ever ask for: supportive, sweet, considerate, and amazing. i love you. 

to caelan, my lovely girlfriend: you!! you’ve been my best friend for seven years. do you know how long that is? i’m 16! i was 9 when we met! i’ve almost known you and akemi for longer than i haven’t! that is both a terrifying and wonderful thought: to have someone by your side for so long that you can recall more of your life with them than without it. i adore everything about you, and i’m so sorry if it seems like i’m a bit awkward or not the best conversationalist sometimes; everything about you is amazing and i just feel like a little wet dog near you somedays. i miss you so much, and i hope your break from fronting is going well, and that you know i love you and am so excited to talk to you again when you’re back. 

to akemi, one of my bestest and oldest friends: a lot of what i said in caelan’s note is what i’d say to you. we’ve known eachother for so long, that it’s hard to imagine my life if you hadn’t been in it. actually, i think my entire life would’ve taken a different course if we hadn’t met on that fnaf minecraft roleplay on hypixel — can you believe it? how such little things manage to make such big impacts on our lives and who we are as people? i know we don’t talk as much anymore, but, as i’ve said before, i consider you one of my dearest friends and you mean the complete world to me. so, thank you for having stayed by my side for so long, akemi.

to ice, my amazing sister: you!!! the sister ever!!! you’ve always taken on an older sibling role in my life since we met, and i think you just tend to slot into that role perfectly; thank you for always being there for me and taking care of me. i don’t think i’d have made it this far without you being there and reassuring me every step of the way. we might not be super close, or talk as much as i’d like us to, but i really enjoy your company and love talking with you. i’m just a little bit of an awkward guy. when you send me stuff on pinterest, it always makes me happy and i love checking and seeing that i have a new message from you. i can’t believe we’ve been friends for — how long is it, at this point — six years? i think around that time. that’s unbelievable to me.

to smg, my one & only brother: the stupidest most dorkiest most infuriating brother i could ever have the pleasure of knowing and being able to call my brother. that’s what you are. you and your stupid brainrot and stupid jokes and stupid everything — i could never imagine a world where you aren’t my brother. even if you act like you don’t care a lot of the time, you make sure we know that you do care (even if it’s in your own, stupid little way). i love being your friend and i’m so grateful i’ve had you in my life for so long. you are the first and currently the only online friend who i’ve been able to meet irl, and i hope to be able to see you again sometime soon. even if you never quite got the labels that i’d talk about or ramble about, and even if you might get on my nerves sometimes, you’re still my brother at the end of the day and i wouldn’t want it any other way.

next up, we have people who i don’t quite talk to as much anymore who’s presences in my life i really appreciate. of course, i’m not sure if all of them still have tumblr blogs — most being deactivated — or if they even really want to hear how i care about them. so, really, i’ll leave this brief and say that this part is addressed to: ghost, mimsy, and woodbyne. thank you guys for having played such a large role in our lives at one point or another, and i wish you all the best even if we don’t talk as much nowadays. 

i don’t think that i can dedicate a paragraph to everyone, even if i really wish i could, as i don’t think most people are going to be willing to read through this whole post with the length that it’s getting to. so, i’m just gonna tag a bunch of people? just to let you guys know that you’re loved in every which way even if i have a shitty time showing it to all of you? 

the sillies ever who are so kind and sweet and i enjoy everytime they send me asks, reblog, leave a reply, or just interact with me in general: @ainoshonen @smilepilled @angeltism @zoeynovie

coiners that are actually a lot smaller than i thought they were that i think are so cool and need more recognition: @acronym-chaos @nostalgiagender

OTHER coiners that i think deserve recognition for the things they do and the stuff they create even if i didn’t think they were big at first: @sylviestial @pupcoins @love-letterworm @jiiamp @boingogender @kitsflagz

other BIG coiners that i look up to and have looked up to for a long time — whether we’re currently actually friends (which i still can’t get over), we don’t talk a lot if we do know eachother, or that i haven’t met personally: @idwl @kiruliom @webby-mogai @gender-mailman @puriette-archived @lunentity @the-astropaws @lepus-fangs

everyone who participated in mogai team-up, which, i can’t get over the fact we’ve managed to hit 1k followers because holy SHIT that’s a lot of fucking people, but thank you guys for coming together to help me celebrate it and let this fucking monster of an event (very positive) happen in the first place: @daybreakthing @floraeth @kylertism @robofox-mogai @dragonpuff17 @novaurora @flutteringwings-coining @xyrthemost @catboy-autism @cannibalisticcoinz

if i didn't tag you... uh. our memory is shit, sorry! i tried to remember everyone and i'm literally going to cry if i forgot someone

finally, to everyone in calico cove: thank you. for all of you coming together to help me create a community that’s so loving, so sweet and accepting that it has managed to become a safe space for a plethora of people that i’d have never imagined it to. you’re all lovely, and i’m so glad to be able to share a space with everyone and anyone that’s there. calico cove as a whole just makes me super emotional — cheesy, i know — but it’s essentially one of my dreams come true. it’s been an aspiration of mine to be able to create safe spaces with people wherever i go, and to foster an environment where people feel safe to be themselves without ridicule or fear of judgement. i’m so glad that i’ve been able to create that in calico cove. to hear you guys say or admit that it’s a safe space for you makes me emotional everytime, even if i’m not fully able to convey that to you all. 

thank you to everyone in the mogai community; have a happy holidays!

[svartalfhild]

ooo either 12 or 20 please :3

I'm going to see if I can combine these.

12. nervous embarrassment around them (blushing, fidgeting etc) 20. clumsy attempts at flirting

Rook didn't want to admit it to a single soul, living or dead, but she was completely out of her depth when it came to romance. It had always seemed like something other people did and usually only in novels.

She'd grown up in the Grand Necropolis where romantic love was the purview of the dead or grieving, and even amidst the Mourn Watch, well, she hadn't been social enough to witness romance in action between her colleagues. She'd always been strange, even for a Mourn Watcher, as the elf crypt foundling with ghostly white hair and eyes, and thus she'd always found it easier to befriend spirits than people.

Then she'd been cast out for her own safety. And Varric had taken her in, given her new purpose, and taken her all over Thedas. Even after a year, so much of the world and the intricacies of interpersonal relationships were new to her. She was a quick learner, though, and she liked to think she was a decent actor too, capable of pretending she was normal, even if she didn't exactly look it.

Varric and Harding had helped her a lot at first. They were gentle in correcting her blunders, for which she was eternally grateful. She still winced at the memory of the etiquette teacher she'd had growing up. Of course, that class had been meant to prepare young Watchers for behaving appropriately with the bereaved and the nobility. Common folk were a bit more forgiving, she'd found, as long as you were laid back, kind, and had a sense of humor. It worked really well for Varric and Harding, and it worked really well for her too, especially once she learned to stop casually using what Varric called "gold coin words" and mentioning anything to do with death or funerary practices.

After they'd come to the Lighthouse, though, things had changed. Rook was in charge now. Varric was bedridden, and she couldn't constantly be running off to the infirmary for advice he may not even have the energy to give. Harding was available, but Rook didn't want to disturb her too much, since she had a lot going on with the whole Titan magic thing. Rook just needed to toughen up and learn to handle things herself. She was a grown woman. She should be able to figure out social dynamics on her own, especially now that she knew she could rely on her positive attitude and helpful nature to deal with difficult situations.

Romance, though. That was a different animal, one she'd never thought she'd personally encounter. But then she'd met Emmrich, and all the work she'd done to appear socially competent just sort of went directly out the window. Or perhaps more accurately, right over the balcony of his beautifully appointed tower. He was just so...so...talented and knowledgeable and handsome and caring and dapper and well-spoken and generous and patient and...well, attractive. It didn't matter that he was twice her age. Her brain slid out her nose, skipped away, and left the building whenever he so much as said a nice thing to her. For some bizarre reason she did not yet understand, her gut reaction was to try to flirt with him, even though she had no practice at it, and her understanding of flirting was entirely based on things she'd read in fiction.

That being said, she felt she wasn't too bad at it. He hadn't reacted poorly to her flirting so far. In fact, though he often seemed surprised at first, he was always receptive. That didn't necessarily mean anything, though. For a while, she'd thought maybe he was just being kind and trying not to make her feel awkward because she was failing and he wasn't interested, but he still wanted to be friends with her. But then he'd told her he was interested and flirted with her so expertly that she'd been utterly swept away by it. And then he'd kissed her in the Memorial Gardens, and she knew she was so stupidly in love that there was absolutely no going back now.

So she kept at it.

One evening after returning from an excursion to Arlathan with Neve and Bellara, Rook snuck off towards Emmrich's tower while the others headed for the courtyard. She gave the door her unique little knock, and she heard his distant voice tell her to come in. She slipped inside and didn't see him in the immediate area of the study, so she nimbly climbed the spiral stairs to find him returning some books to the shelves.

"Hello," she greeted, trying to sound soft and a little sultry.

"Ah, Rook! How was your trip?" he responded cheerfully, tossing her a smile before shelving another book. She approached him in what she hoped was a casual manner. Was it always so warm in the tower? She didn't remember it ever being this warm. Her hands were sweating.

"Oh, you know. Magical. Like Arlathan always is." She gave a little chuckle, one which she hoped came across as charming and not nervous. Not that long ago, she would have just launched into a monologue about all the exciting magical phenomena she'd encountered in the forest, but these days, she was committed to being a bit more charismatic than that. "I got you something." She reached into the back of her cinch belt and pulled out a purple flower with a bent stem to hold it out to Emmrich. Her smile faltered when she noticed the bent stem, and she swallowed the swear that wanted to burst from her lips. Emmrich fully looked over at her after quickly sliding the last book into place, and a grin instantly spread across his distinguished features.

"Oh, how lovely! Cyclamen hederifolium! Thank you, darling!" He stepped closer to her and gently took the flower from her, his fingers brushing against hers and making her heart flutter.

"Sorry it's bent. I had to tuck it in my belt and I didn't notice until just now," Rook blurted out. Shit, that was awkward. She needed to find a way to recover. "I saw them while we were walking and thought of you, so I picked one," she added, attempting a casual lean against the nearest bookcase. Sure, that worked.

"How sweet," Emmrich replied, giving the bloom a sniff, his hazel eyes never leaving her as he did so. He then straightened the bend in the stem and swiped a fingertip over it. After a brief glow of green, the damage was repaired. "There. Nothing to trouble yourself over." Wow. She wished she knew how to do that. Maybe he could teach her. Oh, but as she watched him hold the flower, she realized he may not even have somewhere to put it. It wasn't a rose. It didn't have a long stem. He probably didn't have any pots small enough.

"I'll get a cup or something for you to put it in," she offered, straightening up and curling her fingers nervously.

"Ah." Emmrich halted her with the simple sound just as she began to turn to go, and stepped much closer to her, entering her space. "Not to worry, my dear. I know the perfect place for it," he told her softly before carefully tucking the purple cyclamen into her hair.

"O-Oh," she gasped, her ghostly pale cheeks instantly flushing pink. He brushed his fingertips down the side of her face when he was done, and she felt like she was going to melt into a puddle right then and there. Without even meaning to, she leaned closer to him, basking in the adoration that filled his gaze. "But the flower was for you," she said, her voice a little distant as she stared up at him.

"And I would like to see such a beautiful gift adorn the beautiful young woman who gave it to me." She gave him a dreamy smile at this, and her blush deepened.

"If that's what pleases you."

"It does indeed." Emmrich's fingers traced the edge of her jaw before settling under her chin and tilting her head up so he could easily lean down and kiss her.

Rook's last thought before all others abandoned her was that she must being doing this romance thing right if this was the result of her efforts.

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

Watching

Past -.- Next

Author’s note: Just what was he up to get caught in a fisher net? Let’s find out shall we!

Summary: Zadakael, is SO Normal. The Normal-est of his brothers. He’s not totally going to change them into a mer without their knowledge and have them be his spouse without them knowing.

Warnings: Stalking. Lurking. He’s A Bit Yandere. GN reader, None? Let me know if I need to add anything.

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams

Tagged: @sleepyfan-blog, @whorety-k

Zadakael had been swimming with a pod of his younger brothers and cousins, part of one of the mixed shoals that came about due to them landing on Ancient Terra, and he's so glad that he landed in the water, and not on land, because from what he's heard of others that had the misfortune to do that, they were likely wounded in some way, some badly enough to be unable to active the 'swim through air' ability. So landing near or in the water is preferrable, ideal really. He'd just heeded the call of one of their newest arrivals who'd landed on the beach and was badly wounded.

Some of the local humans already noticed the wounded Space Marine and had called for help to arrive, a few of the bonded humans sending messages to their Bonded Marines, who'd gotten into contact with him since he was closest and had an apothecary in training in his squad at the moment. Getting the flailing loyalist (which was Great, and made things usually easier) them being one of the bite-y little bastards aptly called Flesh Tearers had been slightly annoying to deal with.

But after some growling, and the older son of The Great Angel baring and hissing is fangs at the little idiot had the other letting them him and drag his stupid ass to the sea. He'd caught sight of a pretty human in a boat- carefully fishing. He'd put them out of his mind, at the moment. But, it's been several months and he still comes to this area, watching the human as they fish and boat in these waters, they are so lovely, and he hears them sing to themself, or talk to others over the primitive radio. They seemed to be an excellent hunter of fish and other sea creatures.

For some reason, they'd toss back some perfectly good food back to the sea, still, as he sometimes swam closer, making sure that they didn't notice him. The way they worked on the sea, and supplemented their income sometimes by doing tours with people that don't know the ocean as well. It's interesting to watch them talk, he feels something deep within his soul, as he swims after them. He's heard of Bonds and of what the other's feel when they find their bonded for the first time. It takes one of other brothers pointing it out to him with more teasing than he felt was warranted as he retaliated in kind about realizing he was newly Bonded.

He'd swum off, not in a huff, but to go find his pretty human and watch as they fish. He's startled, he hadn't realized he had gotten so close to their boat. He tries to dodge out of the way when their net catches him and a portion of a shoal of fish and he swears to himself as he tries to get out of the net without breaking it, or harming his human and much to his embarrassment, and he is so glad that none of his brothers or cousins are around to see this display of indignity. He hadn't meant to snap at them so, but he had meant to give them a touch of his blood, to increase the bond between the two of them.

He knows that his human will be drawn to the sea, far more than they were as a someone who uses the sea to make their coin. The soft press of their lips against his haunts his dreams for days after. He continues to watch and wait for them to return to the sea, informing his brothers and cousins that he's allied with in the local area of his human and to send him a message if they come back. To his delight they come back, it takes longer, a few weeks longer than he thought it would. He's so pleased that they have come back to the sea, and he swims up and out of the water a bit to talk to his human.

Crooning at them, Blood Angels are sought after, and thought to be highly attractive, and he knows that they had found him attractive, if intimidating when they first met him, and their reactions to him now are most pleasing as he teasingly flirts with his human, curling around their form and speaking with them. It is difficult, and he gives them a couple more kisses, each with yet another drop or two of his blood dripping into her mouth. He could ask them be his, but that could come with a Rejection. And the thought of them rejecting him has his hearts stinging with pain and has him want to curl around them and drag them down to the depths where they would need him in order to survive.

He shakes off those thoughts. No- no, he has a plan, they will be his, he just needs to be a bit patient, and do this slowly, woo them, charm them. It is slowly starting to work, although some of the younger brothers and cousins that he's been given charge of are being curious little shits and have also started talking to his Human, which he allows, after sternly telling them the Rules, and that they are his human, his bonded, which they are happy for him for. The Flesh Terror keeps teasing him about how he's being a love sick fool.

Which he properly punishes the uppity bratling Scout for and makes him learn respect by having the other go through harder training than normal, and without help from the rest of the squad for being a lippy little bastard. His mood almost always seems to get better when he gets to see his human, they are so lovely, so clever and he is getting to know them. He also, does apologize to them properly for scaring them when they first met, explaining that they had surprised him by managing to catch him in a net, and that he shouldn't have threatened them like that. Also, he'd given them an apology gift, made from sea glass and pearls that he'd carefully harvested, with twine he'd found and cleaned. He had been so pleased when his human had accepted his gift, and after a few weeks, and said that they accepted his apology.

[haunted-plush]

Cars + Pokémon au

Doesn't change anything about the canon for the most part, the characters are humanized and just happen to have Pokémon partners that follow them around... I just decided to make this au because I like Cars and I like Pokémon, so why not mash the two together lmao

Lightning: Jolteon that he's had since he was an Eevee named Rush. Very exitable, kind of a prankster and a troublemaker, and likes to give everyone [Lightning included] a hard time, but he can be a sweet little guy for sure [when he wants to be]

Sally: a male and female Meowstic that she evolved from two Espurr. Female is named Silk and the male is named Satin, and she's had them both since she was a lawyer in Los Angeles. They help around the motel

Mater: huge Mudsdale named Carrots that is very stoic and rigid, and intimidating without even trying to be. She does have emotions on the inside, she just doesn't display them much, a big contrast to her trainer, who under exactly what she's feeling without having to try. Her favorite treat is carrots

Doc: Audino named Bee that helps out in his medical office as well as helps him out using her telekinesis to move heavier or large objects since he's disabled

Sheriff: Arcanine named Deputy, he's a very loyal partner and loves making him proud

Luigi and Guido: Sneaky mischievous little Meowth named Bambino who always tries to steal coins whenever possible, or even just trinkets left out. He gets gently smacked with a broom for stealing pretty often, but he still gets gifts of shiny objects to keep him happy. Plus he's very good at looking cute and innocent, even when he often isn't. His bed is made out of an old repurposed tire Mater built for him

Flo: Whimsicott named Pancakes that helps her out in the kitchen and will also go out and serve food, she's very well liked by everyone who comes in. There's also a Vanillite, Vanillish, and Vanilluxe that float around for atmosphere and such. They live in the freezer

Ramone: Grafaiai named Inks, very playful, extroverted and loves to cause a bit of trouble, but still takes their art very seriously. They're very proud of the designs that get made into tattoos

Red: Samurott named Admiral that's a lot more outgoing than he is, standing guard with Deputy a lot of the time and doing his best to look intimidating. He's still playful though, and does his best to help push Red along, although he loses his patience with him a bit sometimes. He's also got some spots along his body as a unique pattern detail

Lizzy: Mandi the Mandibuzz that sits on her shoulder and glares at people. Red is scared of it.

Chick: Haxorus named Tusker, he likes parading him around and using him to intimate people in public. He also has the Pix the Sylveon who he evolved from an Eevee, and he doesn't really show off as much. He secretly loves them both a lot

The King: Arorus named Blue, also has an Archeops named Screech because dinosaur and also Archeops is cool

Other Pokémon: There's a Klefki that lives in the motel, Sally takes care of it being the one who runs it but it was there before she moved in

Lots of ground types living in and around Radiator Springs, plus some rock, steel, and fire types. Lots of Silicobra, Diglett, some Sandshew and Sandslash

Over by the lake there's more grass and water types, with mostly rock types over by Wheel Well before they cleaned it up

Lightning got his lunch stolen that he was eating outside by a Talonflame once

Mater also claims to have fought against the elite four and was even offered to replace the regional champion but he declined [he also claims Lightning was there as well]

If anyone has any ideas or anything they'd like to add feel free to share them in the tags, I'd love to hear anything anyone has to contribute!!

[titlemewickedwonderland]

Love Your Enemy (Dewdrop Ghoul x Male!Ghoul!Reader)

Summary: No one hated Papa's little fire ghoul more then Y/n - a newly summoned ghoul that struggled to find his place in Papa's pack. No one understands why the two ghouls hate each other so much until it comes to light their past - perhaps an intervention is needed.

Fandom: The Ghost Band (Swedish Band)

Pairing: Dewdrop Ghoul x Male!Ghoul!Reader

Triggers: Cursing, slight violence, sexual tension/dirty talk, and well Dew...Dew's his own warning label.

Auth. Note: The portrayal of Ghouls and Papa is from a fandom base and imagination alone; the personas of the band do not have anything to do with the real people behind the masks. I am a fan of their music and respect their privacy so their stage persona is separate from the real-life individuals in my works.

Workshop!

The perks of being Papa's ghoul were the accommodations and respect one got. The ability to be part of something bigger, do things you love, and at the same time find a place within a pack to form an unbreakable bond with each other. It certainly bet Hell by a long shot. Still, every coin is double-sided, and even with the good, there was always that bad side - such as how Y/n was struggling to fit into his new pack. Being a newly summoned Ghoul for Papa Emeritus the 3rd he still had things to learn. Struggling with being topside was always the worst - it had been forever since he'd been summoned by someone besides selfish little teenagers. He didn't have the best rep when it came to being summoned so when he'd crawled from the summoning circle he feared he'd see another eager but terrified face girl at a slumber party or some shit. Instead, he had been greeted by a man wearing skull paint and funny-looking pope robes alongside a few figures clad in black attire and wearing silver masks.

Y/n was a ghoul - he could sense those of his own kind right off the bat and he didn't like it. Fuck it actually had terrified him more than the teenagers. He'd even asked if he'd been thrown into another circle of hell or some shit. But no, Y/n had been topside, and after his contract had been confirmed with 'Papa' he had been carefully whisked away by the other ghouls. He would have liked his stay better if he hadn't realized a little too late who all the ghouls were. Not that it was bad. Quintessence ghoul named Aether was the most welcoming and Y/n felt at ease immediately with him as soon as they were locked behind the walls of the ghoul's quarters. Then there was the multi-ghoul Swiss who's personality was a bit flirty but he gave off a best friend vibe that Y/n digged - he imagined they'd be hanging out a lot together. There was an Earth Ghoul named Mountain who barely spoke but had a calm and kind aura. A Water ghoul named Rain was soft-spoken and a bit shy. Despite being older than Y/n he gave off the vibe that Y/n would probably do almost anything for him. The Ghoulettes were away and he couldn't meet them just then but it was the Fire ghoul of the pack that made Y/n's hair raise on his arms and make his tail twitch uncontrollably. He knew that fucking stance and those eyes even behind the silver mask. He knew his scent before he'd ever fully registered who was standing in front of him. And Y/n knew he was fucked.

It took months for him to get comfortable with the new routine. His own traumas made it hard to connect with people but at least he had music and his pack mates that were patient with him. Except when it came to Dewdrop. The pair were at it every chance they got - their presence announcing each other through hisses and low rumbling growls. No one understood why they were on edge with each other. During practice on stage, Dew would make a show of crowding Y/n as if showing a sign of dominance but Y/n would only return the favor with a headbutt that to anyone else would have looked almost brotherly or affectionate but in fact, made Dew's head vibrate with the force through his mask like two goats locking horns. It got so bad that Rain often had to take Y/n away from the fire ghoul to calm down him while Swiss and Aether distracted the firecracker.

Today was of no difference as Y/n effortlessly ducked as a cup went soaring over his head to smash into glass shards on the kitchen floor. "Fuck you swing like a girl." Y/n snorted with a feral grin behind his mask as he placed the kitchen island between him and the pissed fire ghoul.

"Oh look I think I actually see flames coming out of your mouth there, Dewdrop! And here I was thinking you were just a imp." this caused Dew to snarl and launch himself across the island but before Y/n could meet him across to deck him an arm wrapped around his middle yanking him back just as another grabbed Dew's tail to jerk him backward.

"For fucks sake, it's only 7 in the morning! What's this about now?!" Aether's tired voice growled as he got a struggling Dew into a headlock.

"Fucker ate my last yogurt." Dew spat gripping with claws at his packmate's forearm.

"Yogurt?" Swiss snorted from behind Y/n as he idly rested his chin on top of the smaller ghoul's head. "You're fighting over a fucking tub of yogurt Dew? Really?"

Y/n smirked leaning back into his bandmate and stuck his tongue out at the other who only struggled against Aether's hold like a wet cat ready to claw someone's eyes out.

"Okay, that's enough! What the fuck is this all about?!" Aether boomed shoving Dew down to pin him like a thrashing bull. "You've been at this since the moment Y/n was summoned! It's been months!" he huffed just as Rain and Mountain came in seemingly woken up from the shouting and commotion from the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Rain asked blinking sleepily

"Y/n and Dew are at it again." Swiss huffed taking a playful chunk of Y/n's pointed ear like a nip of disapproval but the action was caught by Dew and the fire ghoul snarled.

"Fucking hell Aether get off!"

"Not until you tell us what the hell is going on! this is ridiculous, you're packmates now!"

"I don't claim that....thing." Dew sneered at Y/n and the latter flashed a cheeky smile in return

"Alright, that's it." Mountain rumbled in frustration as he walked over and grabbed Dew by his scruff as if he weight nothing and then hauled Y/n over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before stalking out of the room with the others trailing behind curiously.

The large ghoul went down to the basement of the Ghoul's chambers were usually their equipment was kept when not in their rooms - a place where they usually just hung out watching movies and playing games together. It was isolated and a large circular room with one door that led in and out. The Earth ghoul dropped the pair onto the carpeted floor before pointing a finger at them in warning.

"You will not leave this room until you sort out your problems!"

"You're locking us in a room together? That's not the smartest choice big guy." Y/n crossed his arms looking away from Dew

Mountain stalked forward until he was looming over the smaller male causing the other to look up but shrink at the look on his face. Mountain hardly ever got mad but that look in his eyes right then made him want to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. He swallowed thickly as he forced down a whine as the other reached up a hand to tip his chin up to look at his eyes.

"You will stay in this room until I see fit that you won't kill each other outside of these walls. Fuck it out, fight it out, I don't give a rats ass but you two are not leaving this room until you are not at each other's throats anymore. Fix whatever shit this is, okay honey?"

Y/n nodded dumbly and watched as the others silently filed out - the sound of the door locking from the outside was loud in the quiet space but neither he nor Dew moved for the longest time until Dew got agitated and shifted further into the room.

"Out of all the fucking ghouls to summon Papa had to summon you didn't he?"

Y/n's head snapped over towards him and his lip curled. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? It's not like I wanted to be summoned, asshole!"

"You took the contract. He would have easily sent you back if you didn't want to join us, dipshit." Dew fired back and Y/n's mouth clamped shut with a click.

It was true, he could have said no to the contract and Papa would have sent him back. But the truth was, Hell was far worse than what his life top side was right now; it wasn't a place he wanted to remember or go back to anytime soon. Sighing Y/n made his way to the couch and sunk down into the cushion staring up at the ceiling with dull eyes.

"Was it really that bad?" Dew finally spoke up and Y/n could feel the burn of his stare on his face.

The ghoul snorted and lowered his gaze to meet the familiar color of Dew's irises he actually once fell for. He shrugged and licked his lips thoughtfully. "Fucking sucked ass, dude....especially after you left."

A heavy silence fell in the room and Dew shifted on the couch he sat on until he was near Y/n. "I didn't want to leave you there alone, Y/n..."

"But you did. You chose your freedom over your mate...and I supposed I shouldn't have blamed you as much as I did all those years. If I had been given the choice...I probably would have taken my freedom too."

Dewdrop's face twisted slightly and Y/n was reminded as he scanned the familiar features why he'd fallen for the spitfire in the first place. He had been so beautiful when they first met - feral and wild like the flames of hell themselves. He was still so beautiful now but there was more ease about him after being on top side for so long. The fire was there still sure...but it wasn't as if either of them were a mindless demon anymore. Still, fuck had it hurt when Dewdrop left Hell to stay in the real world.

"So, you uh...found yourself a family up here then that kept you tethered huh? I mean....I get it. They're great. I probably wouldn't have the heart to leave them either. Or Papa. That eccentric doofus." Y/n's lip curled slightly in an attempt at a friendly smile but Dew's intense stare made it drop.

"I didn't take another mate...Y/n..."

"And what if I did?" Y/n's challenge caused that perfect jawline he remembered nipping at clench as Dew launched himself at the other.

Strong thighs bracketed Y/n's frame as Dew gripped the back of the sofa to lean closer; his nose almost touching Y/n's as their eyes stared at each other. A snarl flashed his white fangs and a long-fingered hand slid up the column of ashen flesh to grip his jaw.

"Then I will have Papa summon that motherfucker, I will force you down until you're gagging on my dick and after I blow my load down your throat I'm going to fuck you in front of them." he snarled lowly feeling the way Y/n's throat constricted in a hard swallow and getting lost in the colors of his irises.

"A-and if that's not what I want?" Y/n panted out against Dew's lips that hovered above his.

"Oh baby boy...you won't have a fucking choice. You're mine. I had you first. my mark...." The guitarist's fingers tugged down the shirt collar to stare at the patch of skin between shoulder and neck before a curse escaped him.

"Fuck~ You still have my mark..."

Y/n whined and arched up into the ghoul straddling him; gripping his slender waist to pull him closer. "Of course I still have it. I'm a demon with morals, you asshole... You honestly think I found dick better than yours?" he let out a shaky laugh but Dew merely pressed his lips to the fading scarred mark on his skin making another whimper escape Y/n lips.

"Dew....Please..."

"Fucking hell, firebug." Dew's fingers sank into the soft hair and yanked Y/n's head back until his mouth parted in a gasp which he took full control of.

Dewdrop's tongue slipped into his mouth to tangle with his mate's and he groaned at the familiar taste of him; pressing down until Y/n felt nothing but the fire ghoul above him. When lungs screamed they parted for air - a string of saliva connecting their panting breaths.

"Fuck all that shit...turn around I'm about to fuck you until you can't remember anything but my name and after that I'm renewing that bloody mark - your mine Y/n!"

~

Rain tapped his foot on the step as he chewed on his fingernail glancing at the others in the stairway. He cleared his throat before speaking his voice at a little higher pitch than usual.

"Did anybody know about...." he trailed off. " I mean should we..."

Swiss bit his lip as he looked towards the locked door when another cry of pleasure sounded from behind it between the snarls. The scent of sex and arousal seeping from beneath the door caused his pants to tighten a bit.

"Know that our Dewdrop had a mate all this time in hell that he abandoned? Fuck no."

"A-ah." Rain nodded and looked helplessly at Mountain who merely shrugged and bent down to pick Rain up bridal style.

"Come on Raindrop." he walked up the stairs leaving Aether and Swiss staring at each other.

"Fuck it!" Aether threw Swiss over his shoulder and bolted up the stairs to his room with a giggling Swiss behind him.

Now it's safe to say the fights didn't end up with any more glass shattering during the mornings or shouting matches over the stupidest stuff. But the Sister who took care of their laundry sure did have to stop by a lot more often than usual.

Taglist: @kattreffic

If anyone else wishes to be on a taglist for future Ghost oneshots or fictions please let me know!

[six-eyed-samurai]

SUMMARY: One day maybe they'd look up and see the musician who's been playing his guitar just for them instead of hopelessly chasing after a love that had long died out. A/N: Yes, it's based off That XX by G-Dragon. Apologies to all Bakugo fans out there for making him the villain... WARNINGS: Quirkless AU where Hitoshi is a street musician and reader has been with Bakugo since high school

I was walking down the street when I saw your man (Yeah, I saw him)

Everyone knew the dark blue-haired street musician who sat by the fountain every day and the person his eyes, outlined by black rings, would always be staring at while some song of longing and life strummed out from his guitar.

I saw that my predictions were right (I told you)

If someone were to ask why he fell in love head over hells for a complete stranger whom he knew nothing about, he’d answer in either two ways: an inability to do so or expound on a very detailed lecture on the fractured glimpses of you he’d caught over time.

Something about the way you clicked with the stray cats who rushed to your side, meowing for attention and you’d give it with no hesitation (would you play with his hair like that one day? he grew extremely flustered at the thought). A fellow cat lover, for one.

Something in that grin you’d send effortlessly to everyone and everything, in the worst of weather, at the most cranky of people, to those pretty flowers turning their head up to the sunshine like you. Everything made you so happy, it seemed. Hitoshi liked that, a stark contrast to his resentful, depressive personality.

Something along the line of how you made him feel seen. Most people just listened to him play and walk on, never bothering to show a little appreciation or acknowledgement, but you’d point him out to whoever you were with, beam at him and toss him some coins. You were the reason he got up some mornings to go there and play.

Or maybe it was simply because humans wanted what they could never have.

He took off the ring you gave him and linked his arm around someone

Hitoshi wondered if you knew him like the people who stopped by to hear him play and toss some spare change did - did you know he was even there, or was he just another struggling nameless talent to you? Did you know how he switches to those pining love songs he used to scoff at whenever he spotted you? Did you know how he's been infatuated with you since the day you threw him a smile and all the cash your wallet had, always trying to figure out a way to convey his need to get to know you through his music?

Did you know how much he wished and prayed and dreamt of being the one to be holding your hand, be able to dedicate his lyrics to you, hold you close next to him and giggle like little kids, flip coins into fountains for meaningless wishes, have you beam that brilliant grin at him like you do to the scowling blond that went almost everywhere with you?

I'll just leave it at that (I don't wanna hurt you)

Whether you knew or not, Hitoshi hadn't a clue, but everyone around him did. It was obvious from his starry eyed gaze boring into you like the celestial beings up in the sky weren’t the center of the universe but you. It was clear from the abrupt changes to the song genres whenever you would walk past his particular street. Hitoshi did a crap job at hiding how he’d glance at you (did you hear him? Were you impressed? Please, please, just stop trying to get his attention, he doesn’t treasure it like Hitoshi would) with adoration and a silent plead for approval, recognition, anything when he’d finish and passersby would clap and tip him.

The old lady sitting at the cafe opposite would quietly chuckle and recall the days of young love. The giggly gaggle of teenage girls would squeal and swoon, rooting for the both of you in the background. Even the parents of the park would smile knowingly seeing him. Between the two of you, there was a definitive, unspoken connection sparking.

But it wouldn’t work out. For as long as Bakugo Katsuki was there Shinsou Hitoshi stood no chance.

But you actually get mad at me (Why?)

He constantly puzzled over how you never noticed how Bakugo didn’t return your affections. How could not see the way his phone was more fascinating to him than you? Maybe you didn’t count the number of dates that got cancelled, but surely at some point it was too much to be considered acceptable? When would you stop interlocking your fingers with him and be sad when he didn’t even return the gesture?

What Hitoshi saw most, however, was how Bakugo would never look at you the way you looked at him. No, he only looked at you with indifference and coldness.

If you only just woke up from the daydream you were clinging onto so hard, you’d see Hitoshi’s eyes were the exact mirrors of yours: full of want and wish and just-

Why? Why not love somebody who’d love you right?

But he’d hurt you if he said anything, pointed out anything, when you oh so pathetically refused to see Bakugo how he saw you, so he said nothing.

Saying that there's no way he'd do that (Sure, you're right)

The first time he met you was about half a year ago - half a year of pining over you pining on someone who clearly didn’t love you as much as you did - when he was trying to tune his guitar and was getting annoyed with the loudmouth who was yelling too loudly into his phone for him to hear what he was doing. Frankly everyone was fed up with the shouter but for whatever reason no one told him to shut up.

Okay, Hitoshi was going to be the first.

He glanced up irritably and immediately spotted him, a spiky blond of average height and piercingly furious red eyes screeching into his phone with language vulgar and noisy enough to have every church in the world plot to wash his mouth out with lye soap. The way he was glaring at everyone as he hung up on the poor wretch gave Hitoshi a rather good idea as to why no one had told him to lower it down - not to mention the way his hand was gripping the phone so tightly.

But he digressed, focus wandering to the figure interlocking arms with the blond, embarrassedly urging him to not get so worked up in public. By the looks of it the both of you were a couple and Hitoshi vaguely felt a little sorry for you.

Especially when he heard how the blond simply brushed you off quite rudely, returning his attention to his phone with a shoulder jerk that shook off your hold.

I became aware of you being upset

So that was how he began to know you, at least at the start, as the submissive puppy of a beau that followed the man around (Bakugo Katsuki, he found out, later on when Hitoshi heard him bellowing it into the phone at some schmuck that had spelled his name wrong), always trying to enjoy the park like any other couple. Hitoshi never paid you much mind at first; to him you were just one of those delusional dream-chasers so high on their convictions of love they never noticed it was never really returned.

Then the day came when he finally watched Bakugo impatiently snap at your light question of whether you’d still be heading to that dinner place tonight. You retracted your hand slowly (he didn’t even notice, but if it was Hitoshi he’d promise to never let go of it) and hesitatingly told him you’d give him some space.

He didn’t expect you to sit by the fountain and absently, miserably play with the spray while glancing hopefully back at your lover, but when it was never returned you gave up. Hitoshi pretended not to notice, pulling at some strings to fill the awkward silence.

And I said I must have seen someone else

“Do you take requests?”

“…not really.” Hitoshi hadn’t expected you to speak either, so the words came out rather rushed and patronizing. He backtracked quickly. “I mean, not usually.”

You hummed in reply.

“But if you want I could.” Hitoshi cleared his throat and like usual his horrible, failing humor would pop up to “lighten” the situation. “Something depressing, I’m guessing?”

“Maybe? I dunno.” You tilt your head and side eye him slyly. “Don’t act dumb, I know you saw everything. You’re not exactly the sneakiest with your staring.”

Hitoshi’s ears turned a shade of red bright enough to rival his sneakers. “…sorry about that, but it’s kinda hard not to hear you guys with someone like him.”

“Katsuki’s always been like that,” you shrug listlessly.

“Why’d you stick around then?” nearly fell out of his mouth, but he swallowed it down. That was too rude, and he’d be lying if he said he’d never seen the affection in your touches and love in your eyes when you were around Bakugo. “So, what’s your request?”

You flashed that angelic, sweet smile at him and it was all over.

Yes, I'll lie for you (I'm sorry)

It started out as a small interest, a tiny crush, the mini blush forming on his cheeks when he’d see you wearing something especially good that day. He held himself back from openly expressing anything or further conversing with you though, not when you were taken and while it was obvious that Bakugo could care less about who you spoke to you yourself certainly wouldn’t look twice at any other man. Hitoshi respected the boundaries and never pushed.

Nothing stopped him from thinking about you 24/7, 365 though.

It really made him feel like a creep. He didn’t even know your name. Or your job. Or your hobbies. Or your interests. Or anything really. All he knew was gathered off staring and hoping you’d look his way (he celebrated internally whenever you did, but it was poorly disguised to other onlookers) every other day and that just intensified his belief he was being a stalker and that made him even more unlikeable. Even the sorry excuse of a boyfriend was the better choice here.

He knew what music you liked though, when you told him the tune you requested came from one of your favorite bands, when he’d observe you brighten when he played a specific genre, when you’d tip him a little extra with something in your eyes that said you were relating very hard to that depressive song of being left behind all too well.

Hitoshi wondered if you knew his too.

Oh, I hate you for not knowing me

Maybe the time when the crush really transformed into a full-blown desire happened about a few months back. He was strolling out of a nearby cafe, guitar strapped to his back and coffee in hand, bending down to pet the fluffy black kitten that had started following him around and of course his morning just had to be ruined when yours was.

You were seated by the window, picking at the cake in front of you while you anxiously glanced out and about, so obviously stood up in the way you were practically begging your phone for a notification (why did you chase after a man who would never appreciate you like Hitoshi?). He paused ins his tracks, wondering whether to go over, talk once more, provide comfort (for you he’d try, although his bedside manner was rather lacking), but just then the bell rang violently, harbinger to Bakugo.

I hate this waiting

Hitoshi turned away in disappointment, content to let you slip away once more until he heard the rushed apologies that didn’t sound as sincere as they should be, the broken, belated assurances of rescheduling your date to another time - for now he had somewhere to be and people to meet. He sees Bakugo leave and he decides, you know what? Fxxk it, it’s his turn.

You look up from wallowing in your misery to see a familiar hand slam down a coffee cup on your table. You look up, but whoever they were had already rushing out the door with an equally familiar guitar on their back. A soft laugh escaped you as you see the sticky note hastily stuck on the cup.

Smile, don’t want your face as bitter as the coffee.

Something long lost and forgotten stirs up in you, new butterflies hatching out of their cocoons and old ones waking from their long sleep as you turn the cup to see a name probably written by the barista during the order.

Shinsou. So that was his name.

Please let go of his hand now

Thinking that was that, Hitoshi let himself exhale and his wingman the cat purred, rubbing itself on his legs as if congratulating him for making a move. What was wrong with him, acting like some silly schoolboy mooning over a new student. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and walked off to his usual perch in the park.

Over the next week Hitoshi continued to see you at the park and the war raging in his head tearing at his heart went on: did you appreciate the drink? Did he accidentally order something you didn’t like? What if you didn’t like him doing this while with Bakugo?

Maybe he was wrong about the last one, for you had started to wave at him. He thought once again that was that, but once again you surprised him when you showed up one day and held out your hand and a breathless “For you”.

When you are sad, I feel like I could die, baby

He blinked and looked down. A guitar pick, blue and purple with a black cat and his name, Shinsou. “Um…what?”

“It’s for you. I mean, you don’t have to take it, I just wanted to thank you for the drink that day, and I noticed you’ve started to play with your fingers instead and that much be painful, so I had a friend who did this sort of customization! And your name was written on the cup, I promise I didn’t stalk it out or whatever, the cat was just because I noticed you petting the stray-”

He cut off your rambling with a brief, genuine smile of his own. “Thanks. I like it a lot.”

(Hitoshi would like anything that came from you, honestly.)

Not a friendship yet, but just a special kind of acquaintance. He’d take it. It was progress, at least.

What does that bastard have that I don't?

Hitoshi had no idea real progress would be coming so soon though.

He’d been trying out a new song that had been trending on social media lately and so far it was bringing him a little extra. The coffee shop had finally brought back his favorite drink and he had finally convinced his dad Aizawa to let him officially adopt the little black kitten, although he and Eri were still arguing over the name. All in all, it was a good day.

But as always if it was a bad day for you, it was a bad day for him.

He spotted you and Bakugo almost immediately as you two came to the park like he did every time, and while it wasn’t uncommon for Bakugo to be frowning it wasn’t normal for you to be. You looked awful, blinking back tears while Bakugo crushed your spirit bit by bit with his blunt words. Hitoshi didn’t mean to listen, he swears, but he couldn’t help it.

Why can't I have you, exactly?

“I just don’t get it, why? Did I do something wrong? I - I know I’m not the best, Katsuki, but if anything - I mean - we’ve been together for so long, why didn’t you say anything?”

“I did really love you at first, but I guess over the years I realized we’re not really suited for each other. You’ll find someone more suited for you and I’ll find someone better for me. This is goodbye.”

“…alright. I’m sorry - I’m sorry we didn’t work out.”

“Me too, but that’s just how things are.”

The song finished and Hitoshi had no heart to continue something anything cheerful anymore, not when Bakugo walked off and you plopped down on a nearby bench to bury your face behind your hands as your shoulders shook. Every part of him strained to go and reach out to you, go get angry at Bakugo for you, tell you everything he’s been wanting to say this past months.

That bastard doesn't love you

But how? What was he even supposed to say? Ask how could you have not seen this coming and saved yourself some heartbreak? Comfort and act sad for you when inside he was simmering with joy and delight that this was his chance, his one and only god damned chance?

Tell you with every day Bakugo fell out of love with you, he fell deeper?

Yet that would just hurt you to know that your pitiful devotion to Bakugo being never returned was apparent to everyone around you, so he said nothing.

…he didn't really have to say anything now, did he? There was another way.

Until when are you going to cry like a fool?

The sudden change of song and strumming startled you enough to look his way with wide eyes.

“Expensive cars, pretty clothes, classy restaurants, they suit you well; but that bastard next to you really isn't it. He smiles falsely next to you, he touches your cheeks and hair - but inside, he is definitely thinking of some other girl.” The words flew out easily, without him really thinking. Sure, it wasn’t the exact truth, but he knew this was the one opportunity he was going to get to tell you how he felt all this time watching Bakugo break you down bit by bit with his vanishing “love”. “How could he do that? It's like a sin. As much as you shed tears, I'll treat you better, baby. The pain you handle by yourself, will you share some with me, baby? Please look at me, why don't you know that your love is me? Why are you the only one who doesn't know?”

The worst thing a musician could hear is silence. Hitoshi stared at the ground, heart thundering away at the lack of response. Did you understand? Did you finally understand who really was the one to eternally be in love with you all this while? Did you know how he was so tired of seeing you being treated like that when he knew you deserved better?

“That's a sad song you're singing.”

Hitoshi nearly fainted right there - thank god he didn't fall into the fountain - as you suddenly appeared to sit down and scoot next to him to smile, slightly dimmed by watery eyes (he'd wipe them away, he'd never make you feel that way, if only you'd choose him). “Sad song for a sad someone from a sad boy.”

Something changed right there and he saw it in your eyes. You used to smile at him so brightly but that spark in your eyes were always directed at Bakugo - now they caught alight at him and he knew, he knew, he knew you finally knew too.

You reach over to rifle through the music sheets on his stand, smile a little more genuine this time. “Well…sad someone wants a happier song now and wants sad boy to duet together.”

Everyone knew the dark blue-haired street musician who sat by the fountain from that day on and the center of his affections his eyes, outlined by black rings, would always be staring at adoringly next to him while some song of a slow burn kind of love strummed out from his guitar.

[karistiltskin]

what if i said "but I would die for you in secret" but imagine merlin and arthur.

peace lyric analysis as merthur:

"Our coming-of-age has come and gone

Suddenly the summer, it's clear

I never had the courage of my convictions

As long as danger is near

And it's just around the corner, darling

'Cause it lives in me

No, I could never give you peace"

OUR COMING-OF-AGE?? okay, listen. as we know, arthur's coming-of-age moment is linked to his coronation. He literally has an episode called "The Coming of Arthur" parts one and two (S03 E12-E13). it's arthur becoming king and merlin starting to finally feel like he's getting somewhere with their destiny because of arthur's crowning. this is our setting. we're now in the after.

"I never had the courage of my convictions as long as danger is near" SHUT UPPPP SHUT UPPPP like actually oh my god. as long as danger is near is so so sick and speaks so loud. merlin absolutely does have the courage of his convictions and just to clarify, collins dictionary [colin morgan ;) ] states it as the confidence to do what you believe is right, even though other people may not agree or approve. BUT when arthur is in danger he does not do the "right" thing. he listens to the giant lizard instead or gaius (still love him) and does anything, anything, to make sure arthur doesn't get harmed no matter what.

rip morgana and getting poisoned.

rip mordred's entire existence.

although arthur attracts danger, merlin attracts just as much. and merlin is magic. (ugh, I'm getting sad and the only reason i won't cry is cause i'm in the middle of a lecture. a nighttime lecture). merlin can never give arthur peace because he is everything arthur was conditioned to hate. arthur can never give merlin peace because he's a king with expectations from Camelot and neighboring kingdoms. aka they can never be peacefully together without the threat of danger from them both and towards their relationship.

"But I'm a fire, and I'll keep your brittle heart warm

If your cascade ocean wave blues comes

All these people think love's for show

But I would die for you in secret

The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me

Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?"

merlin lights arthur fires. that's it. that's the tweet.

merlin is also arthur's closest friend and confidant. he definitely gets arthur to see other perspectives on a situation and makes sure he remains compassionate and fair. for example, that look arthur gave merlin in S05 E11 during kara's trial?? my god. or the episode where arthur killed that one king's son under the influence of his uncle, the sleaze.

THEY WOULD DIE FOR EACH OTHER IN SECRET. NO ARGUMENTS. they've proved episode after episode again that they would no questions asked. people who don't know them just go "he's just a servant" or "you would choose him over your kind?" (ouch) not knowing the depth of their relationship. but yes. yes they would. and they would not have a single regret. they would deny the hell out of it but the proof is in their actions.

but you got a friend in me yes ma'am they do.

and it would be enough. it would. do they need a reminder that they were both born in mind of each other? that it was written since the beginning of time? that both of them have their own personal demons that instead of running away they'd take care of each other instead? that they're the most important person for each other and nothing can split them apart because they've grown to trust each other so much that their souls have intertwined? two sides of the same coin? other half of my soul, as the poets say???

"Your integrity makes me seem small

You paint dreamscapes on the wall

I talk shit with my friends

It's like I'm wasting your honor"

from arthur's pov he knows merlin is better than him. the way he interacts with people, his morals and values, his humbleness, just everything really. he pretends to be mad and upset about it but there's such deep admiration in it that he's actually self-aware.

dreamscape (google) definition: a landscape or scene with the strangeness or mystery characteristic of dreams

arthur finds merlin so strange!! so strange and mysterious.

the walls: i read this one fanfic on ao3 called "The Tragedy of Godhood" by Lilmia_Casand (read it!! it's so good. short, but beautiful) and the summary states:

"Merlin had gotten better at controlling his magic over the years, but it still spilled over, as if he were the source instead of someone calling upon it. It seeped into the castle walls, into the stone floors..."

This was the first thing I thought of (this quote stuck with me, it got bookmarked) and i couldn't have said it better. here's a play by play: arthur lives in a castle. the castle has walls. a lot of walls. he sees these walls everyday. the walls are familiar. the walls stay. the walls are forever. he can't imagine the castle without his walls.

walls = life/the future

magic is part of merlin's mystery because he's essentially hiding HIMSELF.

(does this make sense? no, prob not but bear with me)

there's an air about merlin where when you think about him, you realize you actually don't know much about him. he's a mystery. you know his jokes, you know where he's gonna be at whatever time of day (not the tavern, contrary to what arthur thinks), you know his favourite food. you don't know about his parents, you don't know why he saved arthur at his first feast, you don't know why he stays around.

arthur reflects on this and realizes it one day when merlin starts to become unavoidable in his mind. then he thinks, 'i really know nothing about this boy.' over time, merlin stays by his side, always, and arthur is so dependent on him that he starts worrying if he'll ever leave and if not him, camelot (he has abandonment issues 100%).

also see: S01 E10

hence, "you paint dreamscapes on the wall" is arthur saying, "you're the biggest mystery i've ever met and you make me wonder what every day will be like with you. will you be here tomorrow? and the day after that? until I'm married and have children who will favour you over me? will you be here to see them? to see me? i can't see it through the haze. i can't see you through the haze."

moving on—fuck that was so much longer than it needed to be—arthur and merlin talk shit about each other ALL THE TIME it's hilarious. and they know the one "bad" thing they talk about doesn't define their entire character because they hold each other in such high regard but... well...

(they definitely have regrets after)

"And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences

Sit with you in the trenches

Give you my wild, give you a child

Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other

Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother

Is it enough?"

they both go all out for each other but with a focus on merlin, he goes ALL. OUT. it's war with him. nothing is half-assed. he fights, and fights, and never takes it less than seriously. but he also is there at arthurs lowest moments. when they're losing and when arthur is feeling too much or has too much on his shoulders. he's there. through it all.

merlin will give arthur anything he asks. he's already given him the purpose of his life and has hidden his magic until arthur's dying day because he thought that's what arthur needed and thought he would never accept him as he is so he gave it up.

but he's also given arthur the best thing he has. a friend. understanding. communication without words. souls recognizing souls, so much that the silence may be quiet but words are being exchanged through that same silence.

also, speechless eye conversations that range near the line of sexual tens—

then in the last line, merlin is saying: your people are my people. your burdens are my burdens.

"But there's robbers to the east, clowns to the west

I'd give you my sunshine, give you my best

But the rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me"

this goes both ways!! the only difference is that arthur's is visible and merlin's is hidden. explanation: arthur no doubt has enemies, it's not a secret. being a king and a target from the magic community, that man is almost getting killed everyday. it is not a peaceful life. he knows that. but nonetheless, he has shown merlin his best before—merlin is literally the reason he reaches the best person he can be, like the growth omg—so he knows he can give it but he knows there's a lot of baggage (external and internal) that comes with being with him.

as for merlin, his enemies are a secret. and they're dangerous. arthur faces some of those same enemies but from the product of what they've created, not them personally. no, merlin goes head-to-head with the people who curse/try to kill arthur. and he gives arthur a version of his best (he still has to keep many many secrets) but even if it's limited it's still genuine. although his secrets, his late nights, and his pure exhaustion are a part of him as well. and you can't have sunshine without rain.

okay ,WOW, i'm wrung out. it feels incomplete so i might add additional things later on but for now, enjoy.

once again, thank you if you read this, thank you bbc merlin, and thank you taylor swift.

(notice how i didn't use the word love once)

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Full Thoughts on TDP Season 5

Under the cut, because there are many of them!

Starting off with things I liked:

Rayllum! It was so good to see them on the same page again, and they have a perfect balance between deep, romantic devotion and the shared laughter and gestures of best friends. Their dynamic this season was my favorite iteration of them so far

Janai and Amaya were wonderful as well. I was really bracing for Amaya to leave for Lux Area without telling Janai and a whole bunch of drama to ensue, but no! They communicate! They trust each other! It's so refreshing!

Side note: Lux Area was gorgeous the detail in every shot of the city and Bookery was so good. I want to live there. I will take on the night creatures if need be

I hoped we'd get an apology from Amaya for Rayla, and I'm really glad they took the time to put it in the show instead of a short story or anything like that. It was also cool to see Amaya recognizing the similarities she and Rayla share and acting as more of a mentor to her, I hope we see more of them together later on

The reoccurring message that oftentimes the best way to be strong is by going to other people for help- first Amaya's story, then Rayla trusting Callum, then Zubeia's talk with Avizandum. It's a very good moral

That whole thing with Soren and Elmer! Breaking the cycle of cruelty! I love Soren so much

Callum using dark magic again. I thought I would hate it if that happened, since we've seen a corruption plotline with him and with Claudia already, but the way it was done sort of added a good sense of realism. I like that Callum isn't a Perfectly Moral Mage just because he can do primal magic; it feels deeper and more complicated if he has to recognize that the easier, darker choice is always there, and sometimes he won't be able to resist it, but he has to try each time anyway

So many little moments that I'll probably be going into in separate posts because the dynamic between the characters was on fire. It was so good to see the team really working together, their chemistry was so good

Things I wasn't as much of a fan of:

The problem with the show really relying on people to read all the supplementary material is still present. I was pretty confused about who Kpp'Ar was until I looked him up on the wiki, and again, people who didn't know about Soren getting sick as a kid from the Book 2 novelization really wouldn't have gotten his part of the dream sequence. It doesn't ruin the show or anything but it does make it a little confusing at times

The plotline with the coins is starting to feel a little drawn-out. Runaan's presence would bring up enough complications between Rayla and the rest of the group that he needs enough time out of the coin to give that the weight it deserves, and I'm really hoping he gets out next season so we can have at least season 7 to go into that. Also, Ethari needs his husband back

As good as it was to see rayllum back together, I do still think we needed a scene of them actually talking things through. I'm sure it'll appear in a Reflections story at some point, but again, you don't want your show to lean that heavily on the bonus material

This is more of a nitpick than anything else, but the characters' faces in the early episodes felt really stiff. They'd be having a monologue where you could really hear the emotion in their voices, but their faces just... didn't really move

And finally: too many crabs. This is not a flaw with the season this is just because I personally am freaked out by crabs and I've never been so horrified in all my life as when the true nature of Finnegrin's ship was revealed. It'll haunt me forever

Overall I liked it a lot, and I'm really excited to see where it goes next! Claudia feels like she's on the very edge of the point of no return, if she hasn't already crossed it, and it'll be very interesting to see how she reacts to the loss of her leg and (most likely) the loss of her father next season. I'm also very excited for the nova blade, that sounds like a gorgeous piece of weaponry and seeing whoever wields it (my money's on Rayla) fighting Aaravos is going to be epic. This season has definitely ratcheted up my investment in the show, which I'm very excited about

[raayllum]

Hey, Rayllum. Noni here. I just read your post on Rayla and moonfam Coin plot line. It was really good. There's one thing that I'm worried about. It appears that Rayla's family will get some focus in this season. But I've seen a lot of extreme criticism about how the writers seemingly ignore the fact that all four parents caused Rayla so much hurt and loss.

I've seen some people say things such as "Rayla should never forgive them", "that she deserves better parents," demonizing and villainizing them as deadbeat parents. That they are undeserving of sympathy and unworthy of forgiveness.

While I understand and do admit that all four of Rayla's parents are big, massive screw ups who have horribly failed and massively disappointed Rayla as parents, I would imagine them constantly beating themselves up emotionally, enormously hurting and suffocating in their respective, albeit brutal punishments and in some way, paying the price for the actions and choices they've made. Having to suffer the consequences of how regretfully they let Rayla down.

Even if it takes them a very long time, I truly believe they will find a way of mending and repairing their relationship with their daughter. Which is why I believe they'll have an atonement/redemption arc with Rayla and show her how deeply important she is to each of them and how much they truly love her. Whether it's Rayla breaking these cycles on her own or all four parents realizing how their unintentionally hurtful actions, choices, and damaging patterns contributed to her losses and heartbreak thus committing themselves to showing Rayla how terribly wrong they are, I believe they would never waste that chance to make things right with their daughter.

In your honest opinion, what are your thoughts on this?

Love your analysis. Keep up the great work.👍

So this is perhaps my biggest hot take regarding the Moon Fam:

Lain and Tiadrin didn't do anything wrong.

Maybe this is just because I don't have kids, or don't want kids, but I really do not understand the expectation we put on parents (especially mothers) to not have any goals or obligations that are as important to themselves as their children. And parents IRL put things 'above' their children all the time. How often do parents uproot their entire kids' lives for job opportunities? Or, you could argue, even divorce (although that's its own can of worms).

Lain and Tiadrin could've split the time, but even that would be difficult travel and training wise, and they were both asked to come. Who would be their replacement while they were doing a two-week travel exchange back and forth? And while one would be with their daughter, they'd have effectively no time for their marriage. They could've stayed behind, but clearly felt like this was their life's calling - and it's clearly a good thing that they did, given that they were the Dragonguards that made a difference in the end. As Rayla says, "We're here and Zym is alive, all because of them." This is important particularly in the context of Lain and Tiadrin effectively being elite soldiers in a time of Cold, if not borderline outright, war, especially since timeline wise, they probably left 1-2 years after Queen Sarai's death (or less) when Viren, at the very least, was actively chomping at the bit to try and find a way to attack the Storm Spire and take revenge. So there was more than a solid reason to call them into duty to begin with, and reason for them to go, believing this was crucial in maintaining a world where their daughter could live in relative peace

Although it was undeniably difficult for Rayla and she missed them terribly, Lain and Tiadrin 1) maintained Rayla's usual environment in terms of place and culture, 2) in a space where she could be socialized and grow up normally and 3) with loving, caring parents who could devote time to her for an otherwise pretty stable upbringing, barring the initial Bloodmoon Huntress debacle (which - how was anyone supposed to see that coming?)

Then they 'die' doing their duty to the end. One of the reasons I always thought Rayla was so hurt at the thought of them abandoning their post (and while she says she wishes they were dead, she's also very happy to see Callum's drawing of them even before she knows the truth and still thinks they're cowards - the societal expectations and shaming cannot and does not erase her love for them) because it was like "You left me for this, and then you left this too, so how important was I really?" Then she sees it was Incredibly Important to them, and therefore so was she.

Runaan and Ethari meanwhile, are much more complicated.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I've dragged Runaan and Ethari through the mud for their respective choices (Runaan's behaviour on the battlements and his choice to train Rayla as an assassin in the first place, and Ethari for the Ghosting). I'm also sympathetic and understanding, I like to think, to why they made each decision and the nuance of their perspectives. Runaan, largely, falls into a similar camp that Viren-Claudia-Zubeia (arc 1) do, which is that a world without ongoing war is Unimaginable to him. He passed down his martyr complexes to Rayla, yes, but Bloodmoon Huntress (which makes that passing down explicit) also makes it exceedingly clear that Rayla was already like this. She hadn't had any training or any word from Runaan before her breakdown of "I wasn't strong enough, I wasn't fast enough" or her immense desire to help Suroh; those things, good and bad, were already innate, and led to her making her own choice of becoming an assassin. Runaan then agrees to train her, despite his own doubts concerning the profession for himself (which Ethari reassures him out of, and doesn't that bite all three of them in the ass later, huh?)

Like Rayla begins the show wanting to be an assassin just as badly as Runaan does, and for the exact same reasons, she's just very very bad at it, and quickly defects when she sees there's another way. But it's unsurprising to me that Runaan - who's older, who just got very harshly reminded of Rayla's youth and 'poor judgement' and knows he'll likely pay with his troupe's lives for it - refuses to really listen to her on it, at least as far as the princes go. Why would two humans want to help the son of the creature who killed their mother and is now threatening their father? It doesn't make any sense on paper and outside the context of the story, we, the audience consuming it, know is for children. Much the same way Callum understandably has reservations about Rayla in 1x06 and the boys don't know Rayla hasn't killed / spared Marcos until 1x08 at all in the first place.

Would also not be surprised if Ethari did the Ghosting spell (which, like Rayla, he revokes even before he knows there's a silver lining and that she didn't just seemingly run - which, we see in TTM and in S1 with her lying that Rayla does, routinely, run away from her problems under the guise of running after them) thinking that it was only a matter of time before Rayla's flower sunk, too. There were about 4-5 days in between the rest of the troupe's flowers sinking and then Runaan's, after all.

And again, all of this comes down to harm reduction. Yes, Lain and Tiadrin made imperfect choices in an imperfect world, and yes, Runaan made even worse choices in a decidedly more possibly perfect world, but that doesn't mean they deserve to Suffer in there forever (vs Aaravos whose going through the same isolation, but in a nice cushy prison with books and shit he can control with a wave of his hand). Like being coined is, according to Viren who loves to reduce consequences, canonically worse than death.

So yeah, I think they absolutely deserve to get out. What happens after that, and how much of a relationship they have with Rayla remains to be seen.

However, the idea that the writers are going to ignore how much repair this family needs to do is Absolutely Insane to me. Like just the worst, bad faith, willfully ignorant reading I could imagine. Not only is it judging something that is at least an entire season away (as I'm sure, if they are released in S5, what we'll see is the initial Happiness of the reunion and very little else of a longer aftermath) if not two (S6).

But it's like... the Entire Point of S4, and indeed the arc many characters embark on, is that anger, pain, and hurt are long lasting emotions that don't just go away. Especially when one of the biggest critiques of S4 was that "Rayla left for nothing" when yeah, she did, that was the Point, and she did it - quite clearly if you look at Any of her family dynamics just in the first three seasons - because of her parents. Rayla being able to recognize, more than just "they failed their duty" but that they failed her, that they hurt her, that she's Hurting from everything she's been through since the show started, is crucial in being able to deal with her self worth issues. Like it is the core of her character and absolutely the crux of her development going forward in future seasons. So yeah, pretending otherwise when it comes to her parents is just... Inane and non sensical to me, tbh

Rayla's entire arc going forward, in order to address her emotional needs, is going to be reaffirming that she can make mistakes and be flawed (and fail, like anyone else) and still be worthy of love, protection, and forgiveness. It is the perfect issue and arc to also develop alongside her learning how to adjust and rely on her family again, and in tandem with seeing them change for her in ways they weren't willing or were unable to do so before.

TLDR; the show addressing the Moon fam's failings and personal flaws is something that is crucial to properly addressing Rayla's, which has been confirmed in interviews multiple times by multiple writers to be a plot point in future seasons. Ezran's speech also spells this out to the audience directly to the point it's so on the nose even babies can't miss it: "But… It’s not that easy or simple. Because people are still hurting and they are still angry. We can’t ignore that, or pretend it will go away. Somehow, we have to hold it all in our hearts at the same time. We have to acknowledge the weight of the pain and loss, but open up our eyes and allow ourselves to hope and maybe forgive and love again."

Like it's not subtle. It's happening, lmao

[spicyraeman]

Okay, sober reposting Virren lore this time (cleaned it up and add some extra shit)

-They grew up parentless on the streets of a big city. They'd steal and con and beg for food and coin with a small group of other children, all of different ages. The leader of the group was the oldest, a boy just barely 18. As the group grew into a proper pseudo thrives guild, they began to call themselves the Copper Chain, running cons and stealing regularly from the wealthier areas of town.

-They don't know their exact birth date or day, so they don't know how old they are exactly, but they're relatively young, probably only around their mid/late 20s.

-Ravenrest is less of a last name and more of a title. Since they were a child they had a raven friend that would often show up and perch on their shoulder or head. A buddy in their old group made a joke, calling them Virren the raven rest and the name simply stuck.

-They lost their eye after breaking into a ritzy apartment in the upper end of town. They'd gone with a small group to take anything of worth, and one of them messed with an apparently unstable magical item and set off a fireball. It slammed into the side of their face and continued to the wall behind them, setting off several other magic items, and creating an explosion strong enough to crumble half the building. They would have died had their raven not gone off and gotten their leader.

-Their raven was also the one to get their prosthetic eye. During their recovery, it brought them a small onyx piece to use as a replacement. It holds no magical properties and they can’t see out of it, its purely for aesthetics.

-The burn scar still causes them irritation to this day. Twitches are frequent and colder temperatures cause the scar to tighten, making it painful to move and emote. They have no eyebrow or eyelashes on their left side and only half an eyebrow on their right, they use makeup to fill in the missing bits.

-They’re a frequent pipe-weed smoker (or whatever fantasy weed is called). They took it up to relieve the lingering pain of their eye injury and other injuries they received after the incident. 

-later in their life they got their tattoo over their facial scar, not to cover it up but to add to it. It's not something they can really hide, so they wanted to make something pretty of it, at the least.

-They are incredibly insightful, often knowing more than they'd ever let on. They're curious and like to pry as much as they can get away with. Very rarely is it for leverage, more of it is just born out of genuine curiosity. They love asking lots of questions and getting people to actually think about themselves, their place in life, and the things around them. They know when to stop though, they'd never pry more than someone is willing to give.

-They're gender is fluid, often switching between masc and fem, but never fully leaning into one or the other. They've never really labeled it, they just do what they want and if anyone asks they say their "just Virren". They use any/all pronouns but tend to get he/they-ed more often, if you wanna excite them using she/her or more fem compliments is a sure fire way.

[mumms-the-word]

Wedding ask! Can I ask for your 1, 15 & 18? Any ship that you feel like doing ♡♡

omg you grabbed one of the ones I haven't figured out yet but I really need to lol So some of this is locked down and some of it is me being like "idk! I have ideas!"

Wedding, or something else?

Dani had always considered marriage one of those idealistic things that only happen to madly in love people, or else it was a political arrangement. Her mother never married and her sort-of-foster-dad/mentor never remarried after his wife died, and she didn't expect to ever fall into a long-term romantic relationship. Gale changed all of that and the moment he proposed she realized she wanted nothing more in the world than to be his wife and officially become part of his family.

(Bonus: Freyr never thought about marriage until Minthara suggested that they join houses and take over the world under his name. But he doesn't have a last name/house name. So Minthara gives him one; I wrote about that moment here. That basically becomes their marriage, but who knows, maybe they make things official with a ceremony later.)

Vows and Unity Ceremonies

I'll admit this part is hazy for me, because I kind of hate writing vows for some reason. I've written weddings before, but without an actual liturgical script...idk some of it comes across as campy to me? And sometimes vows can be boring. So this is the one part I haven't figured out fully because I want it to be good.

I do know that Dani and Gale write their own vows to each other. Gale's a poet (a headcanon I have FULLY accepted, thanks to @sorceresssundries and others) and Dani is a songwriter and amateur poet. So of course they write their vows to each other.

I feel like for a unity ceremony, they'd probably just do a simple handfasting. The same sash they use to dance their first dance with is probably also used to bind their hands or arms together during their vows or during a priest's blessing. I'm not sure if they do anything else, since their ceremony is pretty quick. But I could see them doing that much, at least.

I also saw someone suggest a Tymora wedding ritual where the couple flips coins until they both get coins that come up as "heads," and I like that idea too? I want to play around with this part more.

I Now Pronounce You...

Dani 100% takes Gale's last name. Zavrai is her mother's last name, but there's no urge for her or her mother to keep it going, and the minute Gale suggested that there be "two Dekarioses" in Baldur's Gate, it was all over. She dreamed of being Dani Dekarios every day after that. Technically her new "government name" is Meridan Dekarios but Dani Dekarios rolls off the tongue and she absolutely loves it.

(Bonus #1 - Freyr and Minthara share a new house name. At the moment, it's Deviir, because I was using old drow lore books to make a name and completely forgot that Viconia's last name is DeVir, but I might just change it to Daeviir and call it a day. But them both taking it on is the easiest decision either of them made.)

(Bonus #2 - Ardynn and Halsin don't get married because Halsin isn't a marriage kind of guy. That said, she is sometimes referred to in the Reclaimed Lands as Miss Silverbough or Mistress Silverbough by newcomers, and she doesn't really correct them. She answers to both Silverbough and her actual last name, Harrow. Also, any children she has with Halsin take his last name rather than hers, so...there's that.)

I appreciate you asking, friend!!

[bitchfitch]

There's a volcanic island. A scrap of rock and rich soil that was pushed up and out of the ocean by the whims of earthquakes far below the surface of the water. There's only plants and birds and flighted insects on it, few people have ever seen it. It shakes every so often as the ocean threatens to reclaim it. It won't stand for much longer.

Still, there's a building. It's walls are cracked but it still stands strong. Only a few rooms all which were once lavishly decorated but which now stand bare of their drapes and fabric comforts. Some of the wood furniture has stayed, most has collapsed. The cracking of hand cut boards pouring bounties of wealth beyond what most would ever dream of onto the floors already cluttered with golden riches that would make the most powerful kings burn with envy.

Unimaginable treasure. Coins of many denominations, jewelry and finely sculpted gem and metal statues. A dragon's hoard of a pirate's bounty.

Marion and Armel had quested for this place first as scrawny boys playing on their home beach, then as privateers made broad and strong men by time and their constant pushing one and another further, harder, towards some ill defined goal. They followed legends to the very ends of the earth until they at long last had the sealed map. They couldn't open it. Together they hid it and puzzled over it together they picked and prodded and tried and tried until finally it was open in their hands.

The map was coded, but their searching had long since taught them to read the cypher like it was their native tongue. There was more than just a map. It was the manifest of the last ship to go to this near legend of a place. If even a single item from it was still there, they'd be richer than the gods of gilded temples.

The men saw the bounty before them, they saw their life long friend accross the paper from themselves. They both had the same thought. They both knew the other well enough to know they thought it too.

Jaded, cold, ruthless. Bound to each other by a lifetime spent together. Their hearts were one, but their loving was the sort only men who'd do anything for their next pay could know. Fierce, true, and only lasting until their sunrise was on the horizon.

The island would shine like the new sun.

Their parlay had come to an end.

Armel took the map, tucked it back in its box. They could have one last night. He reasoned to himself. Marion walked with him from the hull to the deck. Starlit and on a night so bright they could see each other like it was day. They were heading to the galley, where they knew no one would bother them in this last indulgence. Marion stopped Armel before they could enter. Pushed him back up against the railing, and kissed him with all the passion of the future they would not share.

Marion had always been the brains of their little operation. His memory was prestigious, near photographic. His ability to navigate the seas matched only by the birds who could fly high above it. He'd memorized maps he'd only ever seen parts of over the shoulder of others.

His hands were warm where they fisted in Armel's yellowed shirt. His companions beard scratching against his cheeks. Everytime they parted they'd collide again. Marion struggled against the soft and stupid thing within himself he thought he'd long since stomped to death. Armel would kill him in his sleep. A dagger drawn accross his throat while they still laid together. A kiss against his cheek as he bleed out.

Marion focussed on that image as he trailed his hands down Armel's front. pushing them up under the hem of his shirt to feel the warmth that will soon be gone from his life. His knuckles bump against the hilt of Armel's dagger where it's tucked in his waistband. Armel's hands are tangled in his hair. holding him with as much strength and love as the mountain of a man could pour out.

Armel's breath stuttered. A sharp exhale. The hands in Marion's hair going limp, his jaw slack with shock and expected betrayal against Marion's lips.

His blood gushed hot between them, pouring from where his lover had wedged the dagger under his sternum and into the heart Marion had held captive for so many years.

In the morning no one would comment on the blood stains and Armel's sudden absence. Marion's nails were still caked in rust. money would change hands as bets on which of them would kill and toss the other overboard first were finally settled.

Armel's last breath had left him long before he hit the frigid waters the map tossed in after him as Marion didn't need something so wanted painting a target on him.

The waters churned. The ocean welcomed another into it's embrace. Ruthless as it was, it adored a good inevitability. It took Armel, bound him in its waves, and offered his hurt a deal. Kill the other. Bring Marion into the depths. Take this new form and this new false life the ocean was gleefully giving him, and bring to it Armel's other half so that the ocean may have the whole.

Armel took the deal. Warped and changed into a beast of the waters, and followed the ship he had once called home.

Marion would be haunted by that night. Haunted by Armel every time he sailed. Storms and Armel's voice, the monster that would sink any vessel he could in his attempts to drown his killer, they followed him everywhere until there was not a ship that would dare allow Marion aboard.

He had the map memorized. He had no way to get to the bounty he'd destroyed his only treasure to gain.

Years would pass. Armel was always at his shores waiting to take him into the waters. There were nights Marion would sit on the docks out of Armel's reach to watch him in the dark waters or on the shore under the bright moonlight. He tried so hard to move on. To find someone else to share a bed with. To share a life with.

If they ever ventured to close to the waters edge they'd disappear.

Marion had spent many days longing to join them at the waters edge. Taken into his lover's embrace one last time.

The ferry ride had been a necessity. A quick trip to go see a doctor about his bum shoulder. Age had turned a childhood injury into a constant nagging ache. He needed to make the pain stop. Every throb reminded him too much of how his shoulder had been wrenched out of place. He'd fallen while they were climbing a shore cliff, a game they'd played a hundred times, the path so familiar to him. Armel had caught him by the wrist. Teased him for slipping and then for crying when the pain started. They got back down safely, the teasing turning to worry when Marion couldn't stop crying from the pain of his dislocated arm. Armel never teased him for crying again after that, and went out of his way to take the burdens that may have agrivated that old wound from him.

Marion wanted to escape those memories.

The cracking of the ferry's hull had sounded like thunder in the clear blue day. They were going down. Life boats were being loaded. Marion stood at the ships edge. The life boats were tiny wooden things Armel in his new beastly shape could pull under without the smallest issue. There was no escaping his embrace. Only saving others from it. Only facing his past at long last. He stood at the ships edge. Stared the dark blot of a monster in the water down as everyone else loaded into the boats and fled to shore. There was plenty room for him to join them. A crewman tried to grab him to drag him to what should have been his salvation.

Marion stepped off the edge of the boat before he could touch him. Plummeted into the summer cool waters. The waves would bash him against the hull, Armel got him first, wrapped him in his arms and dove deep into the darkness.

He held his breath. Not to prolong his life, but to prolong the bittersweet, insane, euphoria of finally being whole again.

Marion hadn't expected to wake. Hadn't once dreamed of coming too wrapped in rotting silks in a bed that smelled of the ocean and a body warmth Marion had thought he'd forgotten. He was alone. Surrounded by wealth beyond compare. His bounty, the one he'd given his everything for, was finally within reach, but it's value had turned to that of a single grain of sand.

He had no ship. No way to transport any of it. No way to make it from something beautiful to something of value.

He sat up, his head pounding, his hands heavy with rings, bracelets like shackles decorated his arms and legs. His face and ears ached with the weight of piercings he'd not had when boarded that ferry. Gold and silver and every precious gem one could name glittered accross his chest in necklaces and harness like body jewelry. It struck him then.

He'd not gained a hoard, he had become just another piece of one.

[melanie-ohara]

19, 20, 5, 8, 18, 23 and 27 for the asks? You absolute cutie you.

Hoo baby that's a lot of questions, so this is going to be a long one with a fair few spoilers:

5 - Durge

Sithla is the Dark Urge, and she really doesn't want it. She resists as often as she can, but sometimes the thought of bleeding something is just too enticing

8 - Distrust

Mellephora is deeply suspicious of Gale, convinced that his ambition is going to land them in trouble. They are also very wary of Lae'zel because they don't like how sexually aggressive she is

As a paladin, Calarisa can't trust Astarion for a long time until she understands that he's more Cazador's victim than a danger on his own. Other than that, she takes everyone at their word. She is not very perceptive

Sithla thinks any of them might kill her at any time, and they'd all be justified in doing it. She relies on all of them too much to be distrustful

Emily doesn't trust Shadowheart, because she figured out early on that she's a Sharran, or Astarion once he's outed as a vampire

13 - Killing

If you ask them, Mellephora will tell you every death is a tragedy. They are lying. The truth is, they'll do anything to advance their fame and they don't care much about the people they kill so long as they were justifiably in the wrong

Calarisa sees killing largely as a necessity until they come up against someone they think is properly evil - the hag, slavers, bhaalists - in which case, killing them is a grim pleasure. Morally, she sees it as saving all their future victims rather than avenging those they've already hurt

Sithla loves and hates it in equal measure. She loves the feel of a blade splitting flesh and the spatter and ooze of fresh blood, and she hates that it's the only thing that makes her feel alive. Most of the time, she feels like a barely leashed feral animal the rest of them keep around to unleash on their enemies

Emily isn't against the others killing people, though she usually averts her eyes from the nastiest victories, but she can't do it herself. While she is morally against killing (unless its someone who really, really deserves it) mostly she just doesn't have it in her to hurt people

18 - If They Weren't Infected

Mellephora would still be in Baldur's Gate, crafting exquisite violins, performing, and rejecting every opportunity at adventure for not being grand enough for them

Calarisa would still be on the road after tieflings were banned from Elturel. She might have ended up with Zevlor and his band of refugees, and probably got into a lot of trouble with Kagha at the grove

Sithla would be doing hot bhaalspawn shit, like arguing with her stupid sister about how their daddy liked the murders done

Emily would be in Rivington, specifically at the temple of Ilmater, trying to help as best she can once the murders start. Since Bhaal loves to cull the kind an innocent, she may well have ended up a victim

20 - The Elder Brain

All of them decide to destroy it, but Sithla has an almost overwhelming desire to take control

27 - Before

Mellephora was born to a long line of wood-elf druids and left when they were young to pursue a career as a bard and artisan in Baldur's Gate. They worked their way up from apprentice to master craftsman. Eventually, they started to think more people ought to know the name Mellephora Lallorē, and started idly looking for opportunities to grow their reputation as an adventurer

Calarisa spent her whole life in Elturel, and worked with her parents as accomplished tailors. When the city was taken to the Hells, her parents and younger brother were killed in a fire that took everything from Calarisa. Inspired by the paladin who helped save the city and driven by furious grief, she swore a paladin oath of vengeance

Sithla was doing hot bhaalspawn stuff, like drinking blood out of a skull while her butler applauded her sense of humour

Emily was living on the outskirts of Rivington as a cleric of Ilmater, with her ailing mother. Though she barely had two coin to rub together, Emily was happy serving the broken god despite her mother's suggestion she become a librarian at Sorcerous Sundries

23 - After

Mellephora retires with Shadowheart and her parents, now a household name across the sword coast. They learn the valuable lesson that becoming a famous adventurer shouldn't be something you seek out

Calarisa goes to Avernus with Wyll, Sithla, and the love of her life Karlach. She swears an oath to defeat Zariel and is determined not to go back on her word

Sithla, having become illithid to defeat the netherbrain and take responsibility for her actions in starting the plot in motion, goes to the Hells so she can have a guilt-free source of cambion brains

I actually don't know what Emily's fate is yet, because I haven't got far enough into her story to know, oops

19 - Their End

Mellephora is doomed to outlive Shadowheart. After her peaceful death, surrounded by plants and animals and her doting father, Mellephora returns to the woods where they were born to rejoin the druid circle there. After a few more daring adventures, they eventually pass away peacefully

Calarisa and Karlach live together for many years, returning to Faerûn once the engine is finally repaired. They retire to Baldur's Gate for a long time, until the next crisis forces them to take up arms again. They die together in a heroic last stand against overwhelming odds, in a defiance that saves the city once again

Free illithids retain their original host's personality through accessing their memories. Eventually, the memories run out. Sithla makes a deal with Wyll that, once she is no longer herself, he'll kill what she has become. It doesn't happen for the rest of Wyll's natural life, and after his death she continues to hunt his prey as the new Blade of Avernus forever

[dark-twist-fairytales]

*throws more blankets at you while also sending hugs* Okay, let's see...screw it, crossover. Your characters playing Among Us, what are they like? Doesn't have to be in depth or anything

*takes blanket (and your hugs) in a tight wrap*

"Doesn't have to be in depth", you know who you're talking to, right? If it gets too long, I'll put it under a cut. It'll be both Imposter and Crewmate (I'm basic, shhh), and which one they prefer playing as. Edit: It got too long with Ezhno alone. It's under the cut.

Ezhno Nies ArcCoil

Ezhno doesn't play many mobile games that aren't one handed, so he wouldn't have a lot of experience playing. On a computer, it's a little different, but generally still the same rules applies. He actually prefers playing imposter, since it's less buttons to focus on, and he's surprisingly good at it. He's silent in chatting and allows others to give alibis. Unless it's voice chat, then he actually talks. On crewmate, he's DEFINITELY the last one to get his tasks done, even in ghost form. It's just difficult for him to move fast.

Keegan Moore

Keegan isn't a fan of Among Us, since he just hates lying. If he does play, he prefers crewmate, as he likes to focus on tasks. He is the type of person to ignore dead bodies right beside him and get accused of being imposter and getting voted out. Generally pretry quiet in chat, since he's not good at communicating, same thing with voice chat. If he does get imposter, there's a 50/50 shot of him leaving the game and entering a new lobby. Only time he doesn't is with friends, but you can TELL he's imposter, since he votes himself to leave.

Malli Till

Oh, lord, do NOT give this boy imposter. He likes playing Among Us, and tries to play both sides of it, but he likes being crewmate and sneaking around. Being the imposter is anxiety inducing to him, especially if his partner leaves the game, or it's a single-imposter game. He's more chatty in game than he is in real life, both voice and messages.

Riker Larsen

He'll try to play casually, but ends up getting WAY competitive. He's the type of guy to throw his phone on the bed and scream in anguish like his first born just got killed in front of him at a loss of a very good game. And the go about his day like nothing happened. He likes both roles and takes them both seriously. He's also the guy to start with the questions 'who and where' to the person who found the body.

Joey Garcia

They're the type of person to just do what they're told by the game, silently do it, but throw in false information to cause. chaos. Like, people learn to take her information like a penny in a pocket to a rich man. They just love it. There are some points where they take it seriously, but mostly, just being chaos.

Kyro Davis

Uh.. Kyro doesn't actually know WHAT Among Us is. They've owned a pager or Nokia for most of their life. They have no clue what mobile games actually are. If they did play, they'd just be very confused of what the fuck is happening.

Marc Åström

He doesn't actually have mobile games on his phone, the only game he has is Minesweeper, and a few games that Gremlin has downloaded. He mostly uses his phone for communication, and prefers playing arcade games like pinball, Fix-it Felix, or Pac-Man. He also likes the coin pushers, oddly. But, yeah. Has never touched a console, computer, or mobile game that wasn't a basic.

Damen Michaels

Fucking LOVES playing imposter. Right out the bat. Being able to act sneaky and corner someone to kill them, using doors and lights to his advantage. This boy has developed strategy from playing as imposter so much. Honestly? 9 times out of 10, he's the type of person to make Riker rage, because he's just good at it. He's also good at being crewmate and guessing who the imposter is, but he loves being imposter himself.