#someone please help me seriously. is there any other way to interpret what he says?

[elinordash]

Sherlock Holmes | 7x03 The Golden Pince-Nez

− When you say 'hardly any weak spots', what exactly do you mean? We all have vices of some kind or another. − Willoughby Smith has nothing against him, either as a boy at Uppingham, or later as a young man at Cambridge. Although I gather he was fond of a drink or two. − Nothing wrong in that. − He also had a bit of an eye for the ladies. − Each to his own.

he really just said that, huh. like some people are heterosexual, what can you do

[lightlycareless]

sneak peak of one of the requests I've been working on :> also an idea I wanted to explore with Naoya hahahah he's a jerk btw.

complete version here.

When the idea of an open relationship is suggested… the first, of many fractures, unwittingly struck onto your relationship.

First by shattering the image you had of him.

Sure, your feelings for him remained, which is what made this ordeal far more painful…

But that didn’t mean you couldn’t harbor other feelings, such as anger.

“—just before we finally settle.” Is the lousy excuse he gives you when confronted, another stab to your heart. “Get it out of the system, you know?”

No. You don’t know, because for the past few years, Naoya is the only man you’ve had eyes for, imagining a future with him—and solely him.

It hurts to even consider he hasn’t been doing the same, probably already interested in some other woman, the reason behind his suggestion in the first place.

“I don’t want to…” you murmur, doing your best to not leave the table, or at least not shed a tear.

“It’ll only be a short time.” Naoya insists. “This way, we can know if we’re truly meant for each other. See if we don’t feel the same with others, hm?”

It’s stupid.

It really is—

Naoya’s suggestion… and your devotion to make him happy.

Because even after all the dumb things he said to justify the unjustifiable, you still wanted to please him.

“I guess we could go through restrictions or something, not that I have an—”

“No sex.” The rapid way in which you reply is something Naoya can’t help but find adorable, interpreting your eagerness as jealousy, overprotectiveness… before brushing it off as silly.

“Y/N—my love, you’re not seriously thinking we can reach a conclusion without that now, can we?”

Truth to be told, you didn’t want to find out. Not by this way at least, by laying in the arms of another…

Could he really blame you for trying to fight it?

“Besides, don’t you want to try it out too?” Naoya smirks. “I’m fine with it, really. It’s a two-way road, after all. What’s good in me having all the fun?”

What hurts more?

That fact that Naoya wanted to pursue other women with your permission?

Or that he was pushing you onto other men, appearing careless to whatever you did or didn’t do with them?

It’s not that Naoya doesn’t care—far from that, really. He doesn’t like when men do as little as glance in your direction.

But he doesn’t worry, because he knows there’s nothing to worry about.

Trusting that his hopelessly-in-love girlfriend would never betray him like that. Aware that your attention and devotion has been on him the moment you took him into your heart—and that no matter what, you’ll always come back to him.

It’s why he suggested the idea in the first place, because he’s long acknowledged that even past your limits, you still tolerate him.

Thus, unsurprised that you agreed to this change—Naoya leaving the apartment soon after that.

Looks like you were right in assuming he already had someone in mind to debut this new arrangement; willing to bet anything to prove he’s already on way to her.

…Well, you hope that Naoya at least respects the only condition both agreed on: not bring any partners to the apartment.

Not that you’d be there to see much of it anyways, opting to stay in your friend’s—Shoko— apartment for the time being.

“Can’t say I didn’t imagine him capable of something like that—but I guess I never thought he’d actually do it, not after dating you as long as he did.” She’d say, before taking a deep huff of her cigarette and exhaling.

You always found it endearing how she’d release the smoke to the side, as if it didn’t permeate the air around you… but at least Shoko cares enough to try.

“So much for having faith on him…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you say, offended yet intrigued by her implications.

“I mean, you knew of the rumors before dating him, Y/N.” Shoko adds, you sigh. That, you did. “I don’t want to say I told you so, but…”

“I guess I was hoping they weren’t real.” You slowly admit. “…What am I going to do, Shoko?”

A breakup isn’t exactly what you had in mind, certainly not what you wanted to do….

But why do that now when you could take advantage of this exploitable opportunity? An opening all too obvious to Shoko, which she doesn’t hesitate to let you know.

“Give him a taste of his own medicine.” She suddenly suggests. “He told you, didn’t he? That you were good to be with other men.”

“But I don’t want to.” You shake your head. “I don’t—I don’t think I can.”

“It’s exactly the same, just another face if that’s what you’re wondering.” Shoko explains, but to you, it was much deeper than that, always has been, certainly for an emotional personal like you.

It’s why she was so angry that your beloved boyfriend was quick to disregard your feelings.

“Ok, sure, let’s say I agree.” You play along. “How do I even start? It’s been a while since I’ve been in the dating scene—I don’t even know if I’m still… desirable.”

Oh, if you only knew.

.I. naoya

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/740284683556929536/

Omg I'm so sorry! I wrote that anon when I was sleepy so it had very ham-fisted wording. Yes, I meant to ask about portraying self-esteem issues about bodies. I thought guys don't talk about it much.

To that one person, why would dudes comparing dick sizes be considered smut? I can see it being rated M. Are you suggesting the rating go up to E?

--

Ahahaha.

Uh... anon... if that's truly what you were trying to ask... I think maybe you need to work on your writing a bit more. The vibes you give off are odd, to say the least...

Like, creepy pervert angling for foot fetish photos while lying about what they want-level weird.

It sounds like you want to heavy-breathe while reading guys' descriptions of their own penises, not like you want help with writing.

--

The reason your ask reads so "She breasted boobily down the stairs" but from the other side is that guys, at least from what I've seen, do not stand around comparing their dicks, at least not in the way you implied.

The people who most commonly compare their junk out of curiosity are toddlers.

This is something tiny children do. Anecdotally, some teens do it, but a lot don't, and there are clickbait articles about athletes sizing each other up this way, but they are just that: clickbait. I'm not saying it never happens, but you wrote about it like it always happens.

It is fucking weird to have a grown-ass man routinely doing it outside of maaaaybe some weirdly homoerotic scene in a stoner comedy or something.

People joke about this practice because it's a thing that exists, not because it is ubiquitous.

That's also why it reads like porn. IRL, if some dude is like "I think we should compare our dicks... uh... and they should be hard so we can compare properly", many other guys are going to interpret that as sexual. And also self-deluding. Which is a good reason to say no.

--

Most people in locker rooms and public bathrooms try to give each other a little privacy if they can, regardless of gender. Openly ogling is what you do if you're about to proposition someone for sex. Or, if it's hostile, you stare because you're about to beat them up.

I'm not saying a guy couldn't sneakily see the size of another guy's junk and have a response, but the whole way you described this sounds like you've never spoken to a human before. Did you seriously get this idea from those clickbait articles?

Among other issues, penises become erect. They look different in different states of arousal. Surely, you've heard of "growers vs. showers"? Temperature also matters. There's a whole fucking bit on Seinfeld that everyone quoted for like years and is probably still quoting about "shrinkage"—i.e. a guy is insecure that someone saw him when he'd just gotten out of the pool and his dick looked small because he was cold. Hopefully, the locker room isn't that cold, but you still don't know what a dude's dick looks like all of the time from catching a glimpse of it one time.

So an adult man who is not completely unfamiliar with penises is not going to 1. openly stare at another man in the locker room and 2. look only at his penis and have some crisis about "Mine looks different".

I suppose for the right character in the right circumstances, you can sell any kind of goofy-ass reaction, including the "breasted boobily" stuff where women think consciously about their tits in a way that actual women generally don't and male authors love to write. But you have to make it a whole Thing. She has to have some reason why her nipples are super sensitive today and thus she pays attention when she normally wouldn't.

Instead, you keep asking these dumbass questions like you're 12 that boil down to "Literally all men are the same cardboard cutout based on their D&D stats from this character sheet. Please tell me some facts about these stats!" instead of approaching people as individual humans who all react differently. You haven't even said anything about what kind of culture these characters come from. Both personality and specific culture (not just big things like nationality but shit like whether they're athletes who change with the same guys all the time) are going to affect how and whether men talk about self esteem and bodies.

You're boiling this down to "What does the penis-having alien species all do?" despite already getting several answers that told you to stop doing that. You either didn't listen or didn't understand what people meant so badly that it's pointless to keep giving you help.

This is not a good way to write three-dimensional characters.

--

Now, I'm not saying nobody has ever snuck a peek in a locker room. Lots of people, regardless of gender, do that. But we're talking covert looks and that kind of looking gives you glimpses of many body parts and not always a very clear look either.

Most actual men on most actual days of their lives are going to feel insecure about their bodies relative to someone else because the other dude looks better at the gym or grows chest and facial hair more easily or is much taller or isn't going bald.

We love to make jokes about penis size, but in my experience, the level of perpetual crisis dudes have over potential baldness is way higher. There are a shitton of ways to be insecure about yourself and your body. That goes for any gender.

Maybe a dude feels insecure because the other guy is much less body-conscious and has an easier time changing in front of people or because he's paid five times as much and is changing into a thousand dollar suit.

Many of the markers of masculinity and attractiveness have very little to do with penises.

There's also a vast difference between your POV character thinking some other dude's huge package is admirable and your POV character thinking he himself is inadequate. He could think his own dick is average and that it would be nicer to be hung like a pornstar without being insecure about it. He could also have a big dick yet still be insecure about it because he's a weirdo who's obsessed with penis size. He could be a size queen who wants to take a ride on that. He could have an ex girlfriend who thought big penises hurt and be creepily fascinated and wonder whom this guy fucks and how they manage.

--

All this shit is a character point. Stop treating it as immutable truth where someone can give you the Correct Answer™ for you to slot into your writing or spank bank fantasies.

[wingdingery]

Hey, I'm the previous anon! And I really love your meta long essay commentaries, so please do not feel as if I didn't ask for it! I kind of did. If I'm going to be honest, I absolutely love long essays about Bruce and Dick, and you have some of the greatest analysis of them if I have to say! So, thank you very much for the long response!🖤💙 Also, I completely agree, I always felt that if Alfred was truly the closest to Bruce, then, how come it wasn't until Dick came along, did things get better? Like you can be close to someone, of course, and it might not always do much, but they seemed distant. That's why I couldn't really get under the agreement that Alfred was the closest to Bruce especially if you compare him to Dick who is usually the one who when it comes to the worst situation is the one that is needed to come back to get Bruce out of his darkness that he is put in. I remember a specific panel of when Damien died, and Bruce was locked into this machine to replay any plausible scenario where Damien could've been saved, and no one could get him out of it until Alfred brought Dick to confront Bruce over this. Bruce even said to Alfred, "This calling in the calvary routine is getting old, Alfred." And rather than talking sense into Bruce like Alfred thought Dick would do, Dick instead joined Bruce knowing full well that this is the only way to get Bruce out of this is to prove him wrong and allow him to realize that all he is doing is avoiding the reality of his loss. So, cases like that really emphasize that it really is Dick who understands Bruce the most, I feel. Not to mention like you said that the relationship between Bruce and Alfred starts off as a very professional one, and as much as they do know they care about each other, it doesn't change the fact that at its core it still very much is hinged on that professional relationship. Alfred, as others have said before, is very much an enabler. He may at times disagree with Bruce's choices, but he will never truly fight Bruce out on it. He will not fight like an equal to Bruce, but always like a servant unlike with Dick, who does not hesitate to call Bruce out and has made it a point that he wants to be Bruce's equal. Once again, thank you for your long reasoning, I really appreciate it and adore these truly! I am also thankful for the quotes from Scott Snyder, and now I finally know where the line of Dick's relationship with Bruce being both pathological and endearing came from! But seriously, how is it Scott Snyder who always seems to understand the closeness of the relationship that is between Bruce and Dick. All his quotes on them that I have seen so far always hits it right on!

I’m so glad you enjoy them!! I’m always like “surely I could be more concise” but I’m always happy to ramble if people let me!

(Speaking of rambing… I’m going to cut again to talk about the rest of this. 😆)

I totally agree with you. There’s been more interpretations lately (in some instances of canon as well) of Alfred having a paternal relationship to Bruce from the outset, and Dick considering Alfred more of a grandfather because of that. While I do think Bruce can come to see Alfred as a father over time, I personally think it’s Bruce’s evolving relationship with Dick (and what he sees of Alfred’s evolving relationship with Dick) that helps him contextualize his own relationship with Alfred. Flattening and simplifying everything to fit nuclear family roles may make things “easier” for people to understand, but it removes so much nuance and frankly does a disservice to the characters.

Even in that issue you’re talking about, where Bruce is grieving Damian, he acknowledges Alfred’s grief by acknowledging him as another parent to Damian, not a grandparent. Their relationships just aren’t and have never been that simple.

Batman and Robin (2011) #23

Also pulled out those panels you mentioned because yes!!

It’s more butler stuff rearing its head. I think Alfred and Bruce got stuck in a relationship pattern early on where Alfred knows he’s not and doesn’t want to be Bruce’s father, so he can only go so far in trying to tell Bruce what to do. And it’s a little late to change that when Bruce becomes an adult. So all Alfred can really do is voice his disagreement and then either put up with Bruce not listening to him, leave (like he does when he quits during KnightQuest), or try to call in someone who he thinks Bruce will actually listen to (Dick, though obviously Alfred can’t control Dick either. Hell, even Bruce can’t control Dick.).

Alfred may have learned to support what they do over the years (because he certainly didn’t at first), but he intentionally positions himself as a supporter rather than a peer.

Batman #689

That’s why even in a Bruce & Alfred story where Alfred actually is able to save Bruce by himself, his instinct is still “something is wrong with Bruce -> call Dick immediately”.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2023) #18

It’s a self-imposed relationship pattern. Alfred cares for Bruce and will be there for him, but he’s never actually trying to be the person closest to Bruce, and he’s happy to hand that role and related responsibilities off to someone else that he trusts is good for Bruce (like Dick, even when Dick’s no longer living in the Manor). Whereas that was what Dick actively wanted from the start—to be Bruce and Batman’s partner and close confidante in all things. So, in a sense, it’s only natural their relationships have taken these shapes.

I think Snyder understands Bruce and Dick really well! I was disappointed he doesn’t seem to have figured out how Dick fits into his Absolute Batman universe yet, but he’s already given us a very different spin on Bruce and Alfred, so I’m really interested in seeing how he’s going to approach Dick. Hopefully we won’t have to wait long for it! 🤞

[dross-the-fish]

You know why your Hyde reminds me of a child specifically? Because of the brawls me and my siblings would get into over things like. The TV remote. Or a certain seat. It was nothing like how fights break out on TV where there's foreplay with insults and those involved thinking about their honor and pride, or whatever. You would just want that thing, so you would attempt to snatch it, and the other person still wants it so they're going to try to keep it, and then your tactics just escalate the more each of you try for the thing, with no regard for other ways you could possibly handle this. There would be a brutality to it that adults aren't usually capable of because it comes from not judging how much force is actually proportional to the situation. Or at least, not restraining yourself based on that. Looking back on it, I'm sure there were at least a few times where we were in mortal danger from each other. We definitely would've seriously hurt each other most of those fights had it not been for how ready each of us were to defend ourselves at any given time. Sometimes I (the firstborn) would have to change tactics right in the middle of a fight and just try to restrain my brother so that he couldn't hurt my little sister. We don't do it anymore, obviously, because there are much easier ways to solve things if you just talk about it first. It's a just bit surreal to imagine an adult as smart as Edward using the kind of violence he does, maiming, beating people to death over items. It's not just the school yard bully flavored cruelty. It's the fact that (while I'm aware some adults ARE like this), solving problems that way is a kids thing.

It makes me think he would hiss at people like a twelve year old girl who just discovered the Warrior Cats books. I can't help but imagine him doing that actually, would he do that?

I understand what you mean but I'm not sure I completely agree with the take. It could be poor writing skill on my part if it comes off like he's childish but as I interpret it a lot of his violence is deliberate. He's full of bitterness, rage and self-loathing and he enjoys hurting people because there's something in him that projects that everyone around him has already or will eventually condemn him. There is the hair-trigger temper but it's a symptom of a larger complex. He does have a mean streak. There is a "school yard bully" quality to his brand of sadism and the way he likes to harass and humiliate people. But I do try to steer away from any implications that this is a child-like or childish man. I noted in the book that even as Hyde he has the full capacity to control himself and chooses not to. He was able to be fully civil when the occasion called for it and opted to whip out Jekyll's checkbook rather than try to fight a mob. He doesn't pick fights he can't win. His major targets in the book are a child, women and an elderly man. We don't hear about him picking on people his own size and that says a lot about him IMO. That's also what he hates about himself, when he returns to being Jekyll he's horrified at what he's capable of when he lets every ugly, resentful, cruel, sadistic and perverse inclination do as it pleases. He's never not aware of the consequences or apologetic for the people he hurts because he believes that the moment they see the real him they'll hate him and want to kill him. And he's not wrong, Edward triggers that kind of reaction that makes people recoil or turn hostile despite not having any notable physical differences. he wouldn't hiss at people per se but he is looking for any excuse to harm someone because he is just that angry and resentful. I tend to work with the idea that while there are lower inhibitions on the Edward side of the Jekyll/Hyde spectrum there is a finer line between the two than the man would have you believe.

[goji-pilled]

MK-S: (Unmarked talk about the final boss of the Elden Ring DLC ahead, but you already know about him. This warning is more for anyone else reading. Though feel free to PM me if you’d like me to resubmit this ask with any redactions, if you want to respond but don’t want the spoilers mentions, as I just saw you were censoring spoiler information.)

I was randomly thinking one day and decided to give myself a challenge to defend Miquella’s actions. (I don’t agree with them, but that’s what makes it a challenge; trying to think of things in a different way, and see if I can stumble across new ideas/theories in the process.) That’s when I realized something, and I’ll start a new paragraph for dramatic effect and intro. (Please keep in mind this isn’t my “headcanon”, but rather a possible “interpretation” of events.)

I had wondered for the longest time how Miquella’s “eternal youth” could be considered a curse. On its surface, it seems more like a minor inconvenience, especially compared to Rot. But as I was thinking about Miquella’s actions and this notion, a thought struck me: What it’s not just his body that was eternally young, but his mind/maturity? Physically unable to emotionally mature, and being stuck with a child’s outlook of the world. Now THAT could definitely qualify as more of a curse. And makes events take on a tragic new light.

Miquella seems to want to help people, like a kindly child, but he’s not able to truly grasp concepts like the importance of choice and free will. So in his mind, if he wants people to stop fighting and get along, the simplest thing to do is brainwash them and then problem solved, they stopped fighting each other. But he fails to truly grasp that he took something important from them.

Come think of it, maybe that’s what his promise with Rahdan was; if a truly young Miquella, as in only 12 years old and named an Empyrean, a god to be, sought comfort from his older half brother Rahdan, Rahdan may have made an offhand promise or agreement to help calm the distressed child. But since, under this interpretation, Miquella remains immature, then like other children he just operates under the mindset of “a promise is a promise”. So when Rahdan doesn’t follow through on a promise he didn’t really mean, or even thought was taken seriously, Miquella throws a tantrum and sends Malenia after him.

No wonder Malenia describes him as “the most fearsome Empyrean of all”; He has all these powers, he’s a genius as evidenced by the spells he’s created along with the Needle, and he’s too emotionally immature to be responsible with his gifts.

Hope this was entertaining to read. Again, I’m not saying nor suggesting “this is official, how it’s meant to be”, but just thinking about a different interpretation of the circumstances, and how those interpretations result in new stories and motivations. Good day to you!

See when it comes to Miquella I have many thoughts, especially with the vow he and Radahn made.

While I certainy see and understand the argument that perhaps his eternal youth also refers to his emotional maturity and mental state, I'm not a fan. But that's more a personal thing.

I feel like something that helps a lot with understanding him is the fact that he and Ranni are very clear parallels/foils in terms of their characters.

Unless of course someone doesn't understand Ranni either, in which case we get the takes such as "They're both evil but Ranni gets excused because she's hot" lmfao

They're both Empyreans, possible canidates to succeed Marika and become a god and when you think about it they take quite similiar paths in the end.

Ranni -> Orchestrates the Night of Black Knives in which she uses her step-half brother Godwyn to rid herself of her empyrean flesh -> Radahn and the Radahn festival play a key role -> The Tarnished essentially becomes her Promised Consort -> Age of Stars

Miquella -> Bewitched his half brother Mohg to use him for his plan -> rids himself of his empyrean flesh -> Radahn and the Radahn festival play a key role -> Promised Consort Radahn / Radahn Consort of Miquella -> Age of Compassion (Had he suceeded)

And there's of course the two most important points:

A god who forces his will onto the people, a god who grants the people true free will and their perception of love.

Love is something natural to Miquella. Love and affection are given to him freely by so many, for him love may very well have been taken granted, and why shouldn't he? Like I said everyone loved him, gave it to him freely as if it's the easiest thing in the world. And why shouldn't someone who's kind at heart wish to share this with the world? To unite all beings in a kind, gentler world.

And then he make his gravest mistake: to abandon his kindess and love. To rid himself not just of his flesh, but of the very thing he had promised to use to make the world better.

But he still wants to lead the world into an age of compassion, of love! And if someone rejects his love? Well, he'll just make them accept, makes them love him. It's better for their own good if he is the one who makes this choice for them.

Yet the truth is: What meaning holds "love" and a supposed "Age of Compassion" forced upon you by a god that cannot even love anymore?

But to Ranni? Oh to Ranni love is a precious thing. She's a carian, and boy, carians simply love at their very core. From Rennala, to Rellana, Rykard, Radahn, Ranni herself and even Blaidd: They all love. She loved and trusted her brothers, she loves Blaidd and Iji, sounds guilty when she speaks about how much they're both willing to give her, she chooses the Tarnished as her consort and let's them hold her heart in their palms. She does not give her love out lightly, because it is a precious thing, but she treasures it.

And on top of that she stands for the right to choose, to dictate your own fate without any god or order forcing their will onto you, to not be controlled by these things. That's the order she envisons, led by the moon into the dark night and far away from the world. Even if it means facing uncertainty amd being afraid, from that day on the people will have the chance to truly choose their fates without gods.

And this shows with their chosen consorts too.

Although they made a vow, it is entirely possible Radahn did not actually want to be part of this after the Shattering (unless I'm missing something), which possibly may have led to the Battle of Aeonia and could explain Malenia's line "Miquella awaits thee, O Promised Consort" right before she blooms. Even more so because I vaguely recall hearing something about Jerren and Radahn having made a promise to have Radahn die an honourable death at the Festival.

If that is the case, and the Consort Radahn we face may as well be charmed like Mohg was (it is his body too so like...) it yet again parallels with Ranni.

Because Ranni chooses the Tarnished, we are her only choice, and yet she does not force them. In fact, Ranni does everything in her power to ensure the Tarnished is well aware of everything even before she gives them the key, as shown through the conversations during the hunt for the Shadow in Nokstella. Hell, the ring itself holds a warning!!

Yet even after all of that, she still makes sure to let us know what the Age of Stars entails.

She has made her choice, and she chose us and she has been open and honest so that we can make a choice too.

I have said this before but all things considered, especislly the nature of the ring, the game could've easily locked us in the Age of Stars ending but it doesn't. And it is extremely reflective of Ranni as a character. She will not ever force us to do anything even if it means losing the chance to realize her order, even if it means experiencing heartbreak, well aware of what it can do.

Fate and love are things not to be forced no matter what, they are choices, because Ranni may have rid herself of her flesh, may be ready to betray everything, but she still holds onto her heart, her ideals, her love and the ability to love.

To Miquella love is a means to an end, a weapon if need be, and the right to choose does not matter anymore, because he not just rid himself of his flesh but of his love and ability to love. In the name of achieving godhood he has lost himself, he is but a husk with the empty ambition to fulfill a child's dream.

The worst part? Saint Trina, the part that was his love begs you to kill him, because godhood would be a prison for him.

Miquella is not evil, nor is he good.

Miquella is a tragedy.

[prince-of-elsinore]

happy wincest wednesday!! asking folks similar questions on a central theme: what elements of sam and Dean's relationship, or things about themselves as characters, do you think are often done REALLY well in fic? any examples??

(or, salty edition: which elements are often done poorly, in your opinion?)

Happy Wincest Wednesday! What a good but tricky question. It's difficult--impossible, really--to generalize wrt fanfiction, when you consider the sheer breadth of works in Wincest fandom, from early fic to new and every niche of taste besides; and then there are my reading habits, which are hardly representative of fanfic at large.

All of which makes it much easier for me to think of elements often done poorly, imo 😅 (I do get to positives below the cut as well!) The biggest offenders that come to mind are:

for Dean, his lack of boundaries, possessiveness/entitlement wrt Sam, and overriding of Sam's--forgive me for the overused word--autonomy. These are all, to some extent, present in his canon character and important themes of the show, but I find they are often grossly exaggerated in fic. Of course a lot of this comes down to how one interprets canon; if you see Sam as brainwashed/Stockholm Syndromed by his brother from Carver era on, then I guess it seems natural to write a Dean who deviously manipulates Sam and rides roughshod over his sense of self, who rules the bunker with an iron fist. If, however, like me, you see Carver-era+ Sam as coming to terms with his relationship with Dean and how much he not only needs but wants to be with him, and if you view him as the primary agent in his own life decisions, and if you recognize how much (often tacit) power he holds in his relationship with Dean, that characterization becomes nonsensical. Dean does in some ways harden over the years, particularly with his anger, but he still carries an innate emotional vulnerability that is his need for Sam and fear that Sam can and will leave him (he's the only one who's ever walked away from family!). Simultaneously, in later years he has more trust in his partnership with Sam than ever, which includes, I think, trust that Sam will stand his own and be a counterbalance to Dean when need be. Anyway, all that is a roundabout way of saying that I don't think it's in character for Dean, especially a late seasons one, to seriously violate or disrespect Sam, and on the whole "possessive Dean" is a fandom invention.

for Sam, relatedly, it's writing him as too yielding and needy. While I appreciate a rare and earned moment of vulnerability, Sam, even at his most victimized, isn't innately as emotionally vulnerable as Dean for reasons mentioned above. He has a firmer sense of self, even if at his lowest he has serious doubts about his abilities and worth. Except in very rare moments, I don't see him as someone who willingly gives up control. When he seems to "go along" with Dean I see that as an intentional choice, not a weakness. He chooses his battles, and God help (hm, poor choice of words but you get it 😅) the person who tries to cross Sam Winchester when he's drawn a line in the sand, even--actually especially--if it's his brother.

But I don't want this post to be nothing but salt! Here are some things that generally, at least in the fic I read and like, people nail on the head:

Sam and Dean love each other! They mean everything to each other! Even when they're on the outs over something. They are ride or die. Their love is a love that can destroy and save the world <3

They belong together. Especially in later seasons, they are truly domestically committed (whether it's Established Relationship or not). There's no one else who gets them like they do, no one else they could ever feel so comfortable with. "It's always been you"--you know the rest!

They're brothers. First and foremost. Teasing, bickering, one-upping, gross-outing, sniping brothers.

I'm always pleased to see a version of this done well, and many of my favorite fics nail it: how scary and new everything is when crossing that line the first time. Whether you spin it towards fluff or angst, I love those moments of discovery--of each other's bodies, of their own pleasure--unease, awkwardness, giddiness or terror, when a sexual element is added to their chemistry. They know each other so well, but not like this. Everything is so familiar and foreign at once, and how much does it change things? Too much? Practically nothing? I love them figuring those things out together, and I'll never tire of reading it. Luckily there is a feast of such moments in Wincest fic 🍿

Okay examples of diverse fics that I think get all of the above right!

This Next Town by @nigeltde-fic (gentle, domestic late seasons, with a wonderful description of the stunning newness of their intimacy)

The Elko County Adventure by candle_beck (the brothers of it all! The underlying tension and fear and care and love!)

Carry Me Over the Sky by killabeez (for an angstier take--the pure need for each other and the horror of changing things irrevocably)

Baby Blue by edwardina (for a kinky take that may not be everyone's cuppa, but I was surprised by how well it sold it to me--this Dean is right on the edge of over-the-line possessive for me, but works I think because of how surprised he is by his own feelings, and how sturdy Sam remains despite his outlandish and dependent circumstances)

side two, track one by @zmediaoutlet (they're brothers, they're committed to each other already, and then all of a sudden something shifts and they're both in terrifying, thrilling new territory)

Thank you for the ask! Hope you enjoy the longer-than-expected answer and recs :)

[thestobingirlie]

Hello!! Just wanted to say thank you for your absolutely refreshing takes. It makes me feel like I'm not the only one which is so nice. I love checking your blog and reading through your responses, they're always so insightful!! Especially about Steve, Robin and Nancy

One thing ive been thinking about lately  that ive been wondering if you have thoughts on (but no pressure if you dont!) - is Nancy's plan to take down Vecna in s4. She saw the vision , she's ambitious and determined to take Vecna down, but she's also unempathetic, doesn't think about consequences and always needs to be right. She bulldozes over everyone and a part of me wonders how differently it could have gone if they didn't follow her plan. Or adjusted it. I mean, Steve has severe road rash up his whole back and arms, has been bitten, strangled, and is breathing in the toxic Upside Down air - and she still wants to go back into the Upside down relying on him. She dismisses his concerns about the bats and then the bats kill Eddie. A lot of this is probably just the Duffers writing decisions but get this boy some medical attention please oh my god take his injuries seriously. Nancy gets herself another gun even though they don't work on Upside Down creatures.

Sorry this isn't more coherent! Nancy is just so complicated and fucked up and interesting to think about!

thank you so much! i love compliments <3

thanks for calling my responses insightful! i try not to get too lost in what i want for characters and my interpretations and stick to what canon presents us with. obviously my opinions will always seep through, but i’m glad you like them!

i think the thing with nancy’s plan is that the duffers don’t want to make nancy look like an idiot, but her plan was designed to fail.

so everything that goes wrong is kind of outside of her control. there’s an earthquake, and they get caught by vines. eddie chooses to run back into the horde of bats. jason shows up and breaks max’s walkman.

the duffers didn’t want the audience to look at the plan and blame nancy for how it went wrong, because she’s their girlboss.

the thing is, when you look deeper into the plan, it’s just kinda stupid. she has someone majorly injured on the main vecna hunting team (and god someone please help this boy, he’s bled through his bandages nearly the second they’re on), she’s using a gun against an upside down creature when she’s never seen that work (steve has an axe that he just doesn’t use against vecna?), eddie and dustin aren’t given any kind of firepower to defend themselves, and everyone completely forgot that jason was after them.

i think if we’re going within the realm of canon, no plan they came up with was ever going to work because the vecna defeat has to wait for s5.

but within fanon, i do think if they’d waited a little more, if nancy had been a little more willing to listen to the others, planned a little better, this much shit wouldn’t have gone wrong. nancy finds it difficult to consider other people, she can’t always see the big picture when she’s focused on saving people, she’s not super emotionally in tune with others, and as a result the boy that’s seen two people get horrifically killed in the last few days gets put on the suicide mission.

though we also have to remember nancy is traumatised by what vecna showed her, so i don’t know if she ever would’ve been able to think clearly. she’s feeling guilty, and desperate, and so she reasons out max putting herself in danger as for the greater good.

sorry this didn’t end up being more about nancy! nancy is very fun to dive into, and her role in the plan is super interesting, especially because i don’t think she’s a particularly good leader figure, but i think the plan sucked because the duffers needed it to suck. and if the duffers wanted vecna defeated in s4, her plan would’ve worked, and nancy wouldn’t have girlbossed her way too close to the sun.

[mcyt-hc-writing]

Don't worry! A lot of hermitcraft fanfic authors also don't know their personalities! Every single female hermit is the mom friend, while male hermits are defined by their fanon lore more than any personality they actually have!

Okay, but seriously, I can help out with a few.

BDubs: Gets very attached to specific people, varying by season. Talks them up, as well as himself, to the point of obvious exaggeration. Self-described horse girl and etho fan.

Cub: Does things because he thinks they're fun. His idea of fun is causing chaos, ranging from small things (building a secret tunnel into someone's pool) to big things (placing down three thousand sculk catalysts underground). Willing to dedicate many hours to random pranks. Goes along with things just because he wants to cause more chaos

Doc: Cartoon supervillain. Likes showing off cool stuff to others and helping people. If he is challenged will immediately escalate into outright war crimes, but he can be defeated with the power of friendship, cute things, or trading card games.

Etho: Very socially awkward.

False: From the outside, a cool badass. From the inside, perpetually just a tiny bit lost and confused, and a wet cat.

Gem: A pest. The sort of person to wake you up at four in the morning to go have a swordfight. Also the sort of person to win that swordfight.

Grian: Doesn't pay attention. Tries to cause problems, and frequently experiences the consequences of his own actions. Tries to get out of those consequences and causes himself bigger problems.

Impulse: Seems like the dad friend outwardly. Does not forgive or forget until he gets revenge.

Jevin: Likes to profiteer off other people's conflicts. Can tell when people are misleading him. Isn't scared of anyone.

Joe: Just a Guy. Very normal person, to the point of being weird. Enjoys malicious compliance, and interpreting things in the funniest possible way. (Think Amelia Bedelia if you know what that is)

Keralis: Makes dirty jokes. Likes helping people. Pretends to be either the best in the world or just a little guy depending on what benefits him - can switch mid-sentence from "I'm the best" to "Please help me".

Mumbo: Self-described "spoon". Does things because he thinks they'd be fun without often thinking through the consequences. Likes winding up Grian specifically. Often makes up competitions for other hermits.

Pearl: Gremlin. Is the sort of person to ask "are we there yet" every ten minutes while riding a car. Doesn't like it when things are messy.

Ren: Plays characters. Very dramatic. Would rather work himself to the bone than ask for help.

Scar: May scam people, but also enjoys giving people gifts.

Stress: Part mom friend, part pest. Can and will say the dirtiest things.

Tango: Very overdramatic. Enjoys making silly stuff. Will make entire games inside of survival minecraft. Sounds almost perpetually excited on-camera.

Beef: Gets focused on his projects. Can run a mafia if he wants to.

xB: Likes messing with people just a little bit. Enjoys playing minigames.

Xisuma: Absent-minded. Mostly concerned with his own stuff. When the moon fell on the server, he was mostly happy that everyone forgot about the scam he was running for the prior five months.

Zedaph: Comes up with the most convoluted way to do something. People for him are just test subjects, himself included.

Cleo: Will lie to and scam people if it would be funny. Knows when she is being lied to or when someone is trying to scam her, and doesn't let them. Has a scary reputation - if someone sees through it, she admits that she's actually not very good at a lot of things, which itself hides how she's above-average when it comes to many different things. People either over- or under-estimate her.

soo uhmmm does anyone know of a post that describes the hermit’s personalities or how they’re typically described in fanfics??? i plan on making a long-ish au with most (if not all) of the hermits. but i don’t have the time or attention span to watch kore than like 2 hermits

[hulknussen]

i need to know more about young nico issues and how kevin can use them PLEASE PLEASE also pinterest showed me young nico eta pictures with pimples all over his face and messy hair HE SO FUCKING CUTE kevin needs to enter his life and fuck him up completely PLEASE I NEED THAT FIC IM DYING

okay I'm. I would go so far as to say insane about this AU. YOU'RE NOT HELPING ANON! sorry. uhm. anyway!

yes nico has issues. I love giving him issues. also Kevin but Kevin tends to get a different brand of issues TM from me. it's also different in I suppose it's intensity? like for make it last I had one commentor rightfully point out that Kevin needs a therapist asap. and the portrayal also differs; in the groshulknussen fic it's almost completely metaphorical and never discussed/put into words at all. so yeah, I think there's a general thread you can weave through my fics and their characterizations that all centre on vaguely similar or connected themes, and if you wanted to you could piece it all together and find "the one" concrete answer to "what is nico and kevin's issue seriously you need to be medicated"

anyway, that said, I do prefer keeping it vague. kind of, looking at what the person is like now, as opposed to what got them there. in mil we never explored where both kevin and nico got their attachment issues from. the closest we get is kevin's inner monologue about his past relationships falling apart because of them. for nico nothing at all. there are of course things I have in mind for them--but saying, "x happened so now he is y" feels disingenuous. I want readers to be able to interpret and also relate and project to whatever measure feels right to them. I love writing for its ability to reach beyond what's really just letters on paper (or a screen). so, in the spirit of that, I tend to rarely look too much at this. I enjoy looking at the broken person, not what broke them.

doesn't mean that I don't put all those papers on psychiatry and psychoanalysis I have read to good use- I really think most of Kevin's leverage would come from just telling Nico what to do. super simple thing, I know, but that's the point. simple and easy and feels good and protects me and please please I'll do anything please just keep me safe. which gives Kevin the ability to not exactly do that, but convince Nico that yes, this is the right and good thing, just trust me, and Nico will try really really hard to justify it to himself.

but I will also say I haven't considered how heavy we'd be leaning into the power dynamic. that's the sort of thing I have to quite literally feel out while writing (a good example would be nico's suicidal/necrophilia adjacent fantasies in the lance/nico fic, which were totally up in the air because I had no idea how it would read and feel until it was written). I don't mind heavy fics, or writing angst, but I do prefer toeing that line of what is "acceptable" and what isn't, also because I suppose it feels worse? if Kevin was outright abusing Nico that would feel bad, no doubt, but if you yourself barely know up from down, just as Nico does, it'll arguably mess you up more. at least it would for me. I don't want to write evil!Kevin and victim!Nico, I want them to be codependent and sickly in love while they drive each other to ruin. I want nico to slip up and call kevin dad and for kevin to take that and call him son and kid and boy in return until nico is crying and the entire time they're fucking. I want nico to get cripplingly jealous of any other/new rookie/young driver that is in any way in contact with kevin to the point where he has a one-sided rivalry with one of them and constantly tries squaring up against someone who isn't even a challenger.

also I think it'd be funny for Haas to decide to drop Nico because they realize they created an absolute monster in letting these two team up. I want Ayao to watch as nico trails after kevin like a lost puppy and shake his head in disgust. I want interviewers to talk to each other about how they're starting to feel uncomfortable interviewing nico because kevin is always around somehow and looks like he's marking his territory. I want jenson to ask kevin how it feels to now finally be in the position of the older driver and to realize, halfway through the convo and in absolute horror, that it's nothing like jenmag was when they were teammates. for jenson to wonder in the back of his head if he fucked up, or if he somehow made kevin feel like kevin is making nico feel right now during their time as teammates, even though his influence on kevin was very minimal all things considered.

might make a post on younger nico pics for this eventually, if I get around to it. or just both of them for this AU, young nico and some of the more serious/rugged pictures of kevin's from recent years.

[casspurrjoybell-22]

Master - Chapter 10c

*Warning: Adult Content*   

Wenquie yawned the edge of his tail scratching at the black-tipped ears that now sat on top of his head. 

Wenquie had gotten himself cursed by a witch centuries ago, cursed with an immortal life that he saw as a gift initially. 

But centuries later he was tired of living and tried every thinkable way to off himself, of course, none worked but he still tried.

"You should've told me he was special to you," Wenquie says after a moment of silence making me chuckle helplessly. 

"Yeah, I know sharing your feelings is an unthinkable affair for you but I would've thought twice about this."

"Thought twice and still carried it through," I challenge, raising a brow that is quickly met with a shrug of admittance.

"May I ask why you of all people, have a human slave and refuse to use him?" 

"He is not a slave," I growl in warning making Wenquie's tail slip up in defense. "He grew up in a slave house, his mind is fucked in all sorts of way and I'm trying to help him escape that."

"That's why you haven't touched him?" He enquires doubtfully.

"He sees himself as a slave who needs to serve his Master, that's what he wants to happen between us," I explain making Wenquie's frown deepen even more.

"No, he doesn't," Wenquie says slowly as if speaking to a skittish animal. 

"He sees you as his Master and he wants to serve you because he wants to please you."

"You just reworded what I said," I deadpan.

"No there's a difference," he argues confidently. 

"I can't get into your mind but he's human so it was easy to slip in and connect his thoughts with the scents he emits. He doesn't see you as some Master he has to serve because he is a slave and that's his role. He sees you as his one and only Master, someone he wants to serve not has to and he wants to because of how you treat him, different from the ways he knows. It's something he wants, which I can tell you is the only thing he actually wants."

My mind blanks as I let Wenquie's words tumble around in my head, the meaning of them trying to seep through my preconstructed thoughts. 

Kalem had tried to tell me something along these lines not too long ago in the kitchen but I'd interpreted that as him liking the Master he got and an attempt to serve me the same way he would any other.

Wenquie's words suggested something else.

“Literally just talk to him about it, I don't understand why it's so hard for people to talk," Wenquie groans as he stretches, his true form slipping away as his tails and ears disappear. "But not today, he's not going to get a single thought through his head that isn't sex."

"I seriously hate you," I promise, the words only making Wenquie smile.

"I left everything in the garage and already loaded my payment, now I'm off to annoy Malcolm," he informs as he stands to his feet. "I heard he picked up and Elf and I am truly dying to see what that looks like." 

I stay planted to the couch even after Wenquie takes his leave, trying to wrap my head around his words and what laid before Kalem and me for the night. 

I'd lived long enough to witness more than one Wolf Heat and was never fond of the wave that took over the species like prisoners.

To imagine Kalem suffering the same fate made my fangs ache with discomfort.

Unable to hide from the inevitable any longer, I make my way to Kalem's room with a container of his favorite fruits, all traces of blood gone from a quick shower. 

I knock gently on the door, opening once a soft response came from inside.

Kalem sat curled in the center of his bed, eyes red-rimmed and face still wet with fresh tears that continued to flow. 

The image cracked its way through me as I made my way to him, sitting on the edge of the bed as I set the container aside for the moment.

"How are you feeling?" I ask firstly, checking to see if it already started. "Are you hot?"

"No Master," Kalem whispers gently as he looks up at me. "I'm sorry Master."

"I know you are," I reply with a small smile. "But sadly, there's nothing I can do to fix this."

"P-Punishment," he suggests with a wince as if the word pained him to even utter.

"I don't believe in punishments," I say clearly before taking a breath. "But you do need to learn from this, we'll discuss that after we get through tonight."

"Tonight?" Kalem asks almost hopefully.

"It's going to be a long night for the two of us Kalem," I say honestly. "The deal you made will affect both of us but you more so."

"I'm sorry M-Master," Kalem says once more taking the fight from me as I pull him into my lap. 

He comes easily, clenching onto me as I wrap my arms around him tightly to keep him to me. 

"I know but I'm the one who should be apologizing," I admit as I run a  gentle hand over his back. "I haven't been listening to what you've been trying to tell me or even show me, and it led to this.”

"No, Master is perfect," Kalem says pulling back to glare at me with determination.

"Your Master is very far from perfect," I retort making his frown deepen. 

"You're wrong," Kalem protests once more. "Master is nice and kind, I-I like my Master."

I tip Kalem's chin up slightly before leaning down to connect our lips, I let my teeth nibble at his lips making him shiver as he sunk into the kiss. 

Kalem's small sounds in response made my head heavy with lust as he turns within my grasp to scale my body for more. 

I pull us apart when Kalem's rigid length could be felt against my leg, knowing now was definitely not the time to carry on. 

Kalem's eyes were dazed as he swiped his tongue along his lips, wetting them in the most inviting manner that had me hardening alongside him.

"We'll have plenty of time to do more of that in the future but not before we talk," I manage breathlessly making Kalem pout in the most adorable manner. 

"First we get through tonight."

‘If we get through tonight...’

[shotorozu]

HEYYYY i really wanna see a shoto x reader with the HMM HOW DO I SAY THIS the started dating them to see if he could make them fall in love with him/ started dating them as a challenge but ended up falling for them trope WITH A HAPPY ENDING please help 🙏🙏🙏🙏

just a bet

ft. todoroki shouto (bnha)

use of Y/N and L/N, gender neutral reader, quirk’s not specific

bullet form -> full fledged fanfic (basically it’s written in a bullet form but it turns into your standard fanfic format with paragraphs and such)

fluff, angst with happy ending (shouto misinterprets things said)

note(s): i forgor my format so i made a new one 💀 btw i don’t really see shouto dating someone as a bet, but i can’t see any other way to write this request— so i made my own spin and interpretation on it 😁 anaïs from the future here, and i may or may not have gone overboard 😭

»»————-　♡　————-««

todoroki shouto

as mentioned in the notes section, i don’t see shouto as someone that’d date someone as a challenge— to see if they’d fall in love with him and such, or as a bet.

shouto’s not really invested in his love life when it comes to when he’ll find someone, but that doesn’t mean he won’t take it seriously.

he saw the domino effect his parents’ failed romance had on his family, and refuses to be in an imbalanced relationship— let alone date someone he isn’t dead set on.

so with that being said, a misinterpretation of words is what triggered the current set of events.

kaminari had noticed that the way shouto looked at you couldn’t be friendly, platonic yearning. whether or not shouto thought he was being obvious of not, or if he even realized it— he definitely had feelings for you.

and it was starting to become excruciating to watch for kaminari— to witness a cool, popular and attractive guy, not date this equally cool, popular, and attractive person he likes.

so then, that’s when it started.

scenario (pt. 1)

hook—

“i bet ¥1,200 that you can’t date L/N, todoroki!”

shouto stops in place, giving kaminari a side eye. “i don’t need ¥1,200. i have more than enough in my pocket money.”

line—

kaminari lets out a sigh, forgetting that todoroki’s pockets hurt. but he doesn’t falter one bit. “i meant that, i bet you can’t confess to them, ‘s all. the money was just a bonus.”

and that’s what really catches his attention. “confess to them about what?” he inquires genuinely, like he was trying to recall if he needed to tell you something regarding this.

kaminari’s eyes dart around, like anyone would be around to witness the absurdly. “that you like them? what else??”

shouto thinks for a moment, and it looks as if he’s trying to recall things from a different perspective. “… have i not been clear?”

“to me, yes. to them.. probably? maybe? most likely no.” kaminari says exasperated, hand now coming up to pat his shoulder. shouto feels stiff as a board under the brief contact. “you’re a popular dude, if they realized then you two would’ve been dating for months now!”

“i don’t think confessing right now is necessary. i believe i’m fine with just staying near them. our friendship.. is quite satisfactory.”

—and sinker.

“so you don’t have any courage to confess? does that mean you’ll just let someone else snatch them up?” after the words left his mouth, shouto makes a significantly obvious pause.

kaminari thinks to himself loudly, “hmm.. i wonder who will it be?” he questions, rhetorically. “should i do it? should class 1-B’s ever so cocky monoma do it? they seem to get along swimmingly. or maaaybe—”

“that won’t be a concern.” shouto coldly cuts in. “because i’ll do it.”

kaminari holds back his smile, instead— replacing it with a shocked expression (which isn’t really fabricated becaus he didn’t think he’d actually fold) “really? woah, i didn’t think that’d change your mind so quick.”

“but then wait, what do i get if you lose?”

“hm, what do you get when i lose..” shouto mimics the question— although its not said as one.

“yeah, we are betting on this, right?”

shouto shakes his head. “then it would be an unfair bet.”

“because i’ve planned on confessing and dating them regardless. i will win.”

and he did in fact go on and win the “bet” by a landslide (if you’d even call it one 😭)

he confessed his feelings— pulling you aside one afternoon after class, heart practically hammering in his chest, and stomach fluttering with butterflies.

and you accepted— which made all the anxiety worth it.

he was the ideal boyfriend. not just because he was tall, equipped with stunning and harmonious facial features with equally stunning manners, but it was also because he was just so good to you, and he allowed you to be so good to him too.

he did things he didn’t even have to do, and it all feels comfortably new even months into the relationship— which made you realize that as unbelievable as it sounds, you’re really dating your crush, todoroki shouto.

you felt so sure of yourself when you’re around him.

and that’s why you reacted so harshly when everything that was built up for months seemingly got demolished in minutes.

the two of you were getting warm drinks, when mineta appeared just a few feet away. “you two make me realize that the train tracks look good to lay down on.” he mumbles bitterly.

you laugh, stirring your drink “really now?” kaminari appears shortly after, agreeing. although he doesn’t look as bitter as your shorter classmate.

mineta perks up at that. “yeep. which makes me wonder.. how long are you going to do this for, todoroki? kaminari already lost, y’know?”

todoroki’s eyes widen at the question, “i don’t.. what?”

kaminari turns his head in mineta’s direction, like he said something of great offense, and was about to say more. “mineta, just don’t man.”

“no no, but i’m like, just super curious y’know?” mineta continues, “like, wasn’t it just a bet for you? how did you two get this far?! this is unfair! i didn’t know it would be that easy to get in a relationship!” your grape haired classmate whines, unable to read the sudden atmosphere change.

kaminari gulps, as you set your mug down.

“what does he mean.” you turn to your dual haired boyfriend, you try to steady your breathing to sound nonchalant, but the slight crack in your voice at the start of your sentence betrays you.

shouto opens his mouth, but it just confirmed it for you when he was a second too late to answer.

“you see—” kaminari scrambles to give an excuse, “it was proposed as a bet, but it wasn’t actually a bet, so technically—”

“that sounds like a bet, dude.”

“mineta—”

“it’s not as it sounds. it wasn’t a bet.” shouto answers, “though.. the circumstances should’ve been different.” he admits regretfully, heterochromatic eyes drifting from your face to your feet, noticing how you shift away from him.

and his body runs cold like a quirk malfunction when you grab your mug— fingertips against the now cool porcelain “i.. i just.. no, nevermind, it’s alright. i’m gonna go now, so..”

you know your face and voice will betray you if you stay longer, so you leave.

and shouto stands there, wondering if he should give you space and watch your figure disappear into the dark hallway, or run after you.

he chooses the later.

scenario (pt. 2)

you heave when you finally reach your room, fingers gripping your mug so hard it might just break. your vision’s starting to blur with tears of all the things you’ve been feeling these last few minutes, which is causing you to drop your dorm room’s key and miss the keyhole several times.

when you get the key in, you turn the lock and almost crumble right in when you feel a warm hand placed on your shoulder. you try not to focus on how it’s grip is firm enough to keep you in place, and blazing with familiarity.

he says your name with desperation, and you open your door more and step into your room to create space— the framing of your doorway practically being an invisible barrier.

“no, just no, i can’t,” you say, feeling pathetic when your face started to become wet with tears. you’re still unbelieving that he’d even do this, but the fact that these few months happened under not so standard circumstances was…

“i thought this was— this was something that’d happen out of those stupid teen movies we’d watch, i thought you’d never— i thought—” you hiccup, bringing a hand up to wipe your face with a hand.

he doesn’t say anything, and just breaks the barrier by stepping in and closing the door, setting your mug down on your desk. he then closes even more distance— the space between his brows creasing as he frowns, looking just as upset as you definitely look.

“when did it start? was it before we became close? was it before you asked me out? who else knew? was it all real—”

“it is real!” his voice booms with volume, clearly panicked that the idea of you thinking that his feelings weren’t real was present.

he settles his hands on your shoulders, an attempt to gather your full attention “it’s.. it’s real. if there’s one thing i’d ask you to trust in right now, it’s this. there’s some things i’d like to clarify.”

“please explain,” you practically plead, “i don’t know what to do with this information. i also.. don’t want to break up with you.”

“if you must come to that,” though he looks at you like he prays it won’t come to that. “it must be under the condition that you’ve hurt me instead. not because i’ve caused you hurt.” he lets go of you to sit down on his knees and at your feet.

“shouto, stand up—”

“i.. it’s true that i didn’t confess normally.” he starts off, ignoring your request. “i’ve liked you ever since we’ve became close friends. the moment i realized it, i assumed i was being obvious about my feelings, but kaminari betted that i wouldn’t have the courage to confess and.. someone would get to you first. i took that as a threat.”

you almost laugh at the idea of a jealous shouto, but you don’t— instead, letting out a strangled cough instead. “but i did not date you just because of a bet. i was challenged, but it was never a bet. it wasn’t a bet because there was no chance i’d never confess.”

you sniffle, bending down to be at his level. he reaches up to wipe his thumbs under your eyes— thumbs grazing at your cheekbones. “did you get anything in return? for winning?”

“i got you. that was all i needed.”

“i see..” you lean closer like you were going to whisper him a secret. but instead, you finally touch shouto by circling your arm around him— one arm wrapped around him, and the other flew to entangle your fingers in contrasting locks of hair.

“my drink became cold.” you mumble, rubbing his back when you feel him shake just as you did earlier.

he wraps strong arms around you, returning the affection.

“i’ll warm it up for you.”

[basilthesnakingthing]

That is an incredibly valid take of you. For the record I also hate any sort of Bully x Victim ship dynamic. Very bad, tastes very not good, get it away from me. This is why I will never ship Romesse with Admin Romeo. He can have a crush on her. (Honestly, perfectly canon aligned interpretation of him in the beginning, the absolute fanboy), And she can grow sympathetic towards him and start to feel sorry for the guy at the end, depending on your choices. But that doesn’t count. It’s just that, in my mind, Jesse firmly stopped being Romeo’s victim the moment she de-opped him.

She can canonically kick his ass. She takes no bullshit. He no longer has any power over her, or any intention of threatening anyone. She’s the one with the power in the relationship now. Plus I don’t see how this is canon divergent? Did you watch his reaction to losing his powers? He looks just like an addict hitting rock bottom and realizing - in horror - how bad things have gotten. I admittedly find that incredibly sexy myself which definitely influences MY shipping preferences. Look at that pathetic goober. Look at him finally giving up his desperate attempt to prove that he’s better than everyone when faced with the crushing weight of accountability. Look at him apologizing profusely, deeply ashamed of all the harm he caused. Hot as fuck. (I admit I am one of the people who liked him from the beginning. I kept wishing there was an option to say that I really liked his whole challenge thing and would love to be his champion if he would just stop endangering my people. So that’s something.)

As to whether he actually can be redeemed after all that. Depends on your definition of redeemed. (What is it?/gen) There are things that he will never be able to fix. Anyone who died will stay dead. (Among other things.) But my version is just someone committing to not do the harm that they were doing going forward, who works to make the stuff that is fixable better. What’s done is done, you know? You still have to live with yourself if you suddenly realize things are much worse than you thought. You get to choose what you do next. What does that leave you with? You would have to ask that no matter how bad you fuck up, or how long it was going on.

Anyway I’m pleased to say that Romesse the ship DOES have fluff and sillies, just so you know (and it’s very important to what makes the ship meaningful in the first place.) See, nobody knows how to just be a cringy dork and laugh at themselves better than Jesse. Romeo takes everything so seriously and personally. In a theatrical sort of way. He desperately needs Jesse’s influence that way. I don’t think of it so much as “he’s troubled but dreamy, and Jesse could fix him” as I do “Jesse really enjoys helping people / making them feel better / helping them lighten up. I think that Romeo would be self conscious cause he just learned that his baseline for all social interaction was horribly wrong and he wouldn’t really know what to do about ‘getting better’ or ‘making things right.’ But Jesse would be happy to help out.” It doesn’t even have to be a romantic ship. It can just be them each learning about who the other actually is, real flaws and all, and bonding in the process of trying help him go about fixing things. It gives me a very bright, hopeful feeling in my chest.

This was long, your answer made me think

Did you see what I said about the ship Romesse? Cause when I rebloged that I did it from your post specifically. I wanted to see what you had to say about my take

i did. i think your analysis is well-written, but i don’t agree with your ideas lol. but that’s okay, i mean, my ship opinions are not end-all-be-all. just because i don’t like or understand it doesn’t mean i’m going to say you’re wrong for liking it. live and let live 🙏

personally, my two cents, i’m just not a fan of ship dynamics based around a villain being redeemed by their victim. especially not when the villain is as powerful and destructive as Romeo. it just doesn’t appeal to me. i’ve always preferred happy, fluffy dynamics. i like angst but not stemming from one party in the relationship mistreating the other(s). enemies to lovers can be fun but i usually only like it in certain circumstances. i can maybe understand why people like it in a post-Romeo redemption context, but i’m admittedly not a very canon-divergent person and usually look at things as they are in the canon events of the game. you are incredibly right though that Billdip is quite possibly one of the worst examples of villain x victim, i will give you that lmao

but also… i just don’t like Romeo that much and that certainly affects my shipping opinions lol. and perhaps this is a pessimistic view to take but i don’t see much redemption for him, especially after everything he did in Beacontown. the amicicide and psychological torture prison were bad enough, but those things along with a dictatorship is hard to make up for, let alone come back from.

all that plus i guess what you could call my age headcanons and it just doesn’t add up to something i like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[willowwhispersspeakeasy]

Can i request a MC with the dateables who is an insomniac? I got my insomnia from ✨trauma✨ so if you could add something like that as well, it'd be cool :D

Or an MC who suffers with C-PTSD and sometimes tends to disassociate or deal with flashbacks that makes them shut down and become nonchalant? Mine ended up making me pretty indifferent and apathetic but it's all up to you as there's alot of ways to interpret it!

hey anon! I wanted to say id be more then happy to write you some reactions for an mc w/ C-PTSD just please send another ask since I can only really do one request per ask! 

OM! Dateables w/ insomniac MC

warnings: gender neutral reader, mentions of trauma

Diavolo

Dia is worried for your health of course. humans need more sleep then demons and seeing as you often sleep less then even him he can get worried. 

he will ask about it, rather then just offering random solutions he will be curious to know what's caused your insomnia. 

if it is related to an anxiety or other nerodivergents hes kind and understanding, continuing to ask questions to try and pinpoint the cause

if it is caused by a trauma he is much more concerned. its perfectly natural to be upset after someone you love and care about admits past trauma to you. 

if you feel safer and better able to sleep with him around he will not hesitate to bring you to the castle so he can be your “protecter” 

if you have a trigger relating to any trauma (or in general) he will be particularly careful about it, purposely steering you away from situations that might cause it whenever he can

Barbatos

Barb may commit the sin of “have you tried this tea?” or “I've heard melatonin does wonders” or “you should stop drinking caffeine it'll only make it worse”

he means well, hes a provider and caretaker type by nature. he also doesn’t feel its his place to ask for more details, he doesn't was to push on your privacy.

if you explain its anxiety or nerodivergent related he will offer more particular solutions in hopes of helping

if it is trauma related he will pause, asking if you want his help. the last thing he wants to do is become pushy and make it worse.

Barb can become a bit of a mother hen around his loved ones and that applies very much to mc

if you want him to stop he’ll stop. he just has a hard time showing his love without providing or fixing something

Solomon

hello fellow insomniac. Solomon hasn’t had a full nights rest in 100 years.

the thing with him is, sure all the guys have seen war and famine and plague, but Solomon has lived it. 

if you want to try and sleep he will offer the solutions he’s used over the years. spells and potions and all sorts of tokens. 

if not, he’s happy to stay up with you. talk about whatever you want, help you with homework, or you can help him with spells hes working on

if your insomnia is caused by trauma hes going to ask you to tell him, whatever you are willing to. 

one day very late into the night (or rather early in the morning) the pair of you will probably have a heart to heart where he tells you of his own PTSD and anxieties in exchange for yours. 

Simeon

oh this gentle angel is very saddened at this. his darling human is plagued with the inability to sleep? but you need your rest dove, please let him help won't you?

he has been a guardian angel for children afraid of the dark, and he’s happy to chase away any monsters that may haunt you

nothing can harm you in his arms

in all seriousness, Simeon is like Dia in that he will quickly asses the problem and inquire about its cause

anxiety? oh love come lay with him in his soft wings, nothing could think to chase you down there.

trauma? hes going to hold you so gentle, words so soft. that darling, as much as he would like to take that burden from you, he can only help you find the tools to carry it yourself. 

Luke

nervous angel. you are not only his friend, but a playmate and even older sibling for this darling (or a parent if you chose that role)

at first he will start rattling off ideas like his father Barb about Lavender cookies or hot chocolate

and then kiddo will pause

“...mc... why can't you sleep? what keeps you awake?”

be gentle with him. anxiety or nerodivergents will confuse him at first but he believes you and only wants to offer his love and help

but this baby will break down if you tell him of trauma. no no, you’re mc! you’re big and strong and able to take on anything in your path! he will sniffle into your arms, reminding you that you have him and Simeon now, and the other boys for that matter! nothing like that can ever happen again. they won't allow it. 

[boleynns]

Your new post gives me hope but people are saying apparently the reason why daemon and rhaenyra get married is because alicent comes running at her with a knife and later she’s outside in this coat we see in the trailer telling daemon “she will block my way” so they marry each other because it benefits both of them. I swear y’all I haven’t read the books and I’ve heard so much of opposing perspectives and that this point it seems like the people who were saying it was for “political reasons” are correct😓

I don't know how to help you anon, but I will try to be your therapist. I just one thousand percent don't agree that those people are "correct", hence the 3k word meta explaining my thoughts in detail, but here are more words because I can't let you go on like this.

If those people seriously think there could be no romantic/emotional reasons factoring into their decision to get married -- after they've finally slept together after a 10 year separation, and soon after that Daemon sees Rhaenyra nearly get stabbed in the face -- then I just don't know what to tell those people other than "Please gain emotional intelligence," because those are all extremely emotionally charged events.

Just because something could possibly be interpreted as politically expedient (which literally any decision these two make could be, because he is the king's brother and she is the heir to the freaking throne -- their entire existences are political!), or just because it also could maybe put Rhaenyra in a better political position (which it kind of does, but also kind of doesn't), doesn't negate the obvious love/respect/lust/want/etc. emotions for each other that are absolutely influencing their decisions.

Not to mention, Daemon and Rhaenyra have both had a TON to say in multiple episodes/plots about the absolute hatred they have for being made to marry someone they don't want to marry. That has been a huge sticking-point and theme in both of their character's stories so far, and there is no way they would torture each other by being each other's next unwanted spouse. Ain't NO WAY they are getting married, IN A SECRET VALYRIAN BLOOD-EXCHANGE CEREMONY, if they don't want to. As I said in my meta, if they just were getting married for political reasons, they could just do the Big Sept Wedding with the feasts and the pomp and the copy/paste vows we've seen over-and-over again, but they do not do that.

I feel like I am out of breath from typing so much, but I just refuse to let you all forget that Daemon and Rhaenyra are extremely emotional characters (especially Daemon), and refuse to let you keep gaslighting yourself into thinking that they are robots who only care about power and not each other.

Like. Their very first scene together, which is Daemon's character introduction as well (and so is very telling about his character even outside of his relationship to Rhaenyra), is basically everything I am trying to explain! They banter! They speak Valyrian! They are honest and open with one another in a way they aren't with other people! They meet secretly to have little conversations! Daemon walks down off the throne to be on her level! He speaks to her with love and affection, with zero "political" reason or incentive! He brings her super personal gifts because they connect on a Valyrian/Dragonblood level like no others! How many different ways can I say the same words!

They are going to kick political ass together while also staring into each others eyes and having sex on every available surface, and then they will vanquish their enemies in very sexy and violent ways. It's gonna be great!

[wutheringmights]

Can I be greedy and ask for all of the boys ? And any characters you have strong opinions on? Pretty please? With lots of cherries and chocolate on top? ( for the ask meme ofc)

Anon, I'll finish up all of the boys in the Chain just for you. And trust me, I have an Infinite Amount of Strong Opinions. You have no idea how Opinionated I Am.

If anyone is coming in late to this, here are the boys I have done already and a short summary of my thoughts (click the hyperlinks to get the full Opinion):

Warriors: he's best when he's the trashy anti-Link, and I like him so much

Twilight: kind of boring, but I have a soft spot for him anyway because you never forget your first

Wind: should have been aged up a little so that he can have that identity crisis I'm craving

This... gets long. Really long. 3-hours-of-work-long. Before you read, please note that even when I speak negatively about something, it’s not to diss anyone who does like the thing. I’m not vague posting or being passive aggressive. This is all written in good humor and good faith. 

That being said, let’s a-go!

-Sky-

What I love about them: He has one of the best character arcs of all the Links. I love that he starts off being lazy and kind of a jerk, but grows as a person because he wants to save his friend. And I love that he's truly the most courageous Link. He has no other successful hero of past or legacy to lean back upon to reassure him. He walked into that fight with Demise with no assurance from anyone that he would succeed. Yet, he does it anyway. Because he's a true hero and someone had to be one. And he's rewarded with a curse that he does not initially take seriously. He thinks he's saved everyone, yet he's cursed his spirit, possibly his bloodline, and his entire legacy of the kingdom of Hyrule into a doomed cycle of destruction. All because he dared to face evil incarnate. I love him.

What I hate about them: You know how I called Twilight boring? I should have saved that critique for Sky. LU Sky is actually the most boring interpretation of his character. All of his negative traits? Gone. All of his positives? Also gone. He's the blandest version of himself, and like Twilight, I now feel like I gotta add some spice to him to make him more interesting while still keeping him recognizable. Even so, he's still one of my favorite Links.

Favorite Moment/Quote: When he kicks Twilight's ass at sword fighting. That's stuff is *chef's kiss*

What I would like to see more focus on: You would think that there would be more angst out there about him realizing that he's actually been cursed, but it's still kind of hard to find. He's the Cursed Knight! The beginning of a terrible legacy! Imagine meeting a bunch of heroes for the first time, and instead of being relieved at having someone who understands your experiences, you're filled with horror at realizing that your victory was a false one. You didn't win. Your spirit will never be at rest. Imagine dealing with that realization for the rest of your life. You could never be at peace.

What I would like to see less focus on: I love that he loves his wife, but he's more just the fact that he's married, y'know? I would like to see a little less blind devotion to Hylia and Zelda, and more complicated feelings about being manipulated into being the hero.

Favorite pairing with: Sun/Link/Groose OT3! I have no reasoning behind this other than I like Groose and Groose definitely had a crush on SkSw Link.

Favorite friendship: I won't answer Groose again even if I want to, so I'll say Warriors. I cannot begin to describe how elite this friendship would be if you gave it a chance. They're just two boys dealing with unique positions of leadership and responsibility. They would probably even bond over being shitheads at different ends of the shithead spectrum. It's so good, okay?

NOTP: Ghirahim. I'm not too adverse to this one, but the ship hinges on whether you can redeem Ghirahim or not. In my opinion, Ghirahim is awesome because he's such a fun villain. Redeeming him ruins the fun.

Favorite headcanon: I have a whole life story planned out for Sky. Basically, he lives to be close to 500 years old by the power of the Triforce. He is the Link throughout the Era of Chaos who banishes the Dark Interlopers to the Twilight Realm and seals the Triforce in the Sacred Realm. He actually seals himself in the Sacred Realm as well to keep the Triforce safe, and he fought Ganondorf in when he broke in. Sky, like Time and Wind, does not get a happy ending.

-Four-

What I love about them: Four is origin of the heroes of Hyrule being known for being children. What a legacy to leave behind. He's such an interesting case of an incarnation of the Hero's Spirit, too. He fought Vaati, and he did his job so well that Demise's next incarnation had to be Ganondorf. Four did his job the best out of everyone, and it came at the cost of creating a magic sword that changed him permanently. I like to think that the Four Sword was not meant to split him, that it was a mistake he made with the design. And it's sad, isn't it? You made a defective sword, and like any good sword, it has a symbolic double edge. It gifted you with so much, and yet he can never be the same again. And his story is never well-remembered because it is overshadowed by the Links who fought the King of Evil. He's does so much, yet his legacy is underappreciated.

What I hate about them: I want to prepare you for this Opinion, because I know it's unpopular. Are you ready? Okay. I don't like the Colors. I'm sorry. I want to like them, but they don't interest me at all. Because they are parts of Four’s personality, they have to be one-note archetypes which does not make for exciting storytelling. I also haven't found a fic yet that has been from Four's POV that did the internal monologue of the Colors in a way that wasn't a pain in the ass to read. Maybe if someone can figure out how to do the Colors in a way that doesn't feel like a drag, I would like them more. But in the end, I think Four himself is more interesting than the Colors.

Favorite Moment/Quote: The fact that he didn't want to touch the Master Sword because he doesn't trust magic swords. That is every I need to know about his opinion on his own adventures.

What I would like to see more focus on: I want more of Four as Four. It's getting harder to find content of Four being his own person first and the Colors second.

What I would like to see less focus on: Four being the Colors first and his own person second. There is something about viewing Four as this cover identity for the Colors that doesn't feel right. There's a balance that needs to be strike between his ability to split, how that affects his every day life, and his own identity of being Four. I think I may have read one fic that hit that sweet spot for me, but still.

Favorite pairing with: Shadow. I'm such a sucker for befriending and falling for the enemy. That is all.

Favorite friendship: Dot! Their friendship is super cute. I like the idea of them being super close when they were younger and struggling to keep the friendship going as they age due to how much their paths in life diverge.

NOTP: This isn't necessarily a Four or an LU problem, but people who ship the Colors together? Bro. C'mon.

Favorite headcanon: I'm torn between two different Four and the Master Sword headcanons. On one hand, Four thinking that the Master Sword is just legend until he meets Sky and everyone else is just a fun idea. He sees the legendary sword for the first time and his mind is blown. On the other hand, I also like my Four with a side of hubris. What if he had the option on his quest to draw the Master Sword himself? What if he could tell that if he did that, the consequences would be terrible. He's not sure what would happen, but he knows it would be terrible. So he decided to make his own sword instead to disastrous results. Wouldn't that be tragic or what?

-Time-

What I love about them: Last winter, I did a two hour powerpoint for my friends about the Legend of Zelda timeline. During that powerpoint, I was rating every iteration of Link. What I said about the Hero of Time then holds true to my thoughts of LU Time now. Time is the original Link, more so than Sky in the lore and Legend/Hyrule in real life. Every other hero is a reflection of him. So the fact that his story is about the loss of childhood and the tragedy of that is incredible, and you can see those themes reflected in every other game. Moreso, he’s the only Link with a confirmed tragic ending. Not only does he end his life unsatisfied, but his adventure is failure on every timeline. In the adult timeline, Hyrule is swallowed by the sea. In the child one, Ganondorf returns again. In the fallen timeline, Hyrule fell. I like the idea since that the games themselves are the legends that are past down about each hero, Hylians have also remembered Time as a tragic figure. Yet, they also remember that the happy moments for his life come from small acts of kindness. Even someone as sad as him finds joy in helping others, even if it’s just to small deeds that will not be heralded as grand heroic quests. It’s beautiful.

What I hate about them: This is more about Mask than Time, but Mask is not an adult in a child’s body. He did not rewind time in Termina enough to be considered mentally an adult. He’s a young teenager at best, and that’s me being generous. He is a child who was forced to be an adult and despite the gods being done with him, he cannot conceive of ever having a childhood again. So he can say all he wants that he’s an adult, but he is not. That’s just what he thinks he is.

Favorite Moment/Quote: Anytime we get a flashback to him being a younger adult is great. I want to see more of his in this his early adulthood.

What I would like to see more focus on: I think I just want more of Time being... not a bad leader, but being an imperfect one. I honestly think he’s only the leader because he’s the oldest and enough of the heroes recognize the title of Hero of Time. But he is not the leader type, and he is struggling to keep it together and has to defer to Twilight and Warriors for help a lot. 

What I would like to see less focus on: I’m not the biggest fan of Dad!Time for any of the Links. He’s not emotionally ready for it. And I think he defaults to treating the boys like adults because that’s how he wanted to be treated when he was their age. 

Favorite pairing with: Malon. He has this great partnership of equal respect with her and it’s just. So good.

Favorite friendship: Linebeck. I know. This exists only in my head. But if these two ever meet, you cannot convince me that they would not get along swimmingly. It would be so good (once Linebeck gets over his crush on Time and stops hitting on him, of course).

NOTP: Child Timeline Zelda. Let me explain: I fully believe in Bi Time supremacy, and when in OoT, he definitely had a crush on Sheik. However, one of the worst parts of rewinding time and being in the child timeline is that Zelda is a completely different person now. They may have been friends in the other timeline, but her life experiences are completely different now. She is not the same person as he once knew. And it’s tragic to know someone as who they could have been, not as they are.

Favorite headcanon: After Termina, Time spent a lot of time with the Nabooru because out of everyone he knew, she’s the only who took him seriously even as a child. She has big older sister energy, and he considers her a part of his family. However, being treated as such made it easier for him to ignore his issues and put off his healing process by a few years.

-Legend-

What I love about them: Veteran of Heroes! What a freaking title. I love that he keeps on finding adventures, and that he keeps hustling. Even if he complains about never getting a break, you can tell that he loves helping others. He loves being on the road, never settling down, and finding adventure after adventure. Honestly, if any of the Links had a calling to be a hero, it’s him. Is he tired? Sure. Is he a little jaded after having saved Hyrule and a bunch of other kingdoms multiple times? Yes. But at the end of the day, he likes being a hero. This is who he is. His complaining is not genuine; he just plays the martyr because, at this point, he’s earned the right to.

What I hate about them: If you can’t tell by now, I have a, uh, different interpretation of Legend from popular canon. Fandom Legend is not right to me. He is unrecognizable. It is hard to write him because I feel like I have to balance what other people think Legend should be versus how I think he is. The people who are big Legend enjoyers probably feel the same way about my version of Warriors, and that’s fine. I’m not going to gel with every character and I don’t expect everyone to gel with how I see characters either. It’s goes both ways, y’know.

Favorite Moment/Quote: I like how subtly he tried to approach the Wolfie problem at first, trying to ask questions and get more proof before confronting Twilight. It’s a good touch.

What I would like to see more focus on: If I had to choose one thing, it’s this one throw away line about him never wanting to settle down. I’m telling you, folks! He likes his lifestyle! And did you see him when he does presenting the origins of the hero? He’s not bitter about being a hero! Legend is moody, but he is not angsty about the whole hero thing. Have fun with him please!

What I would like to see less focus on: If you can’t tell by now, Legend is my least favorite Link. There is a lot I want to see less of, but just to name one thing, it’s the headcanon that Fable is his sister. I live and die by common born Link, and whether he’s a legitimate heir or the royal bastard, I am more than bored with the persistent Prince!Legend content.

Favorite pairing with: Marin. It’s a good tragic story and I like it well enough. She’s cute, and he’s cute with her.

Favorite friendship: Warriors. I’m with everyone else on these two have peak sibling energy. They tease and pick on each other, but only they are allowed to mess with each other. They’re each other’s bully, and it’s always good to see.

NOTP: I do not have enough energy to have a lot of strong opinions about Legend’s romantic relationships, but I will mentioned that I have lost a lot of love for Ravio recently and am liking seeing him with Legend less and less. I have no better reason for this than the fact that I finally played ALBW and hate how many of my hard earned rupees he’s taken from me by withholding important, lifesaving items. Rat bastard.

Favorite headcanon: Remember my headcanon about him being the coolest bad boy folk hero on the block because everyone thinks he kidnapped Zelda? Yeah, I still stand by that one. I did good there.

-Hyrule-

What I love about them: If there is any Link that I would call a gutter rat, it is this one. I struggle a bit to talk about Hyrule since his games gives us so little, but in the end, I always fall back on him being a hero of the people. He is the one who has nothing and relates the best to people who are at their lowest. Yet, he is still a hero. He earns the right to be a hero because he helped Impa in her time of need. He’s selfless and competent. Even if he never got a traditional education, I bet he’s wicked smart too. He is the Link that symbolizes all of the parts of the Triforce the most. And, god. I cannot talk about him without mentioning the blood sacrifice part of LA. It’s such a cool concept, and I cannot imagine what it must be like to go from being the rough and tumble, win-at-all-costs fighting to protecting yourself first because if you don’t, the consequences are disastrous. It’s paradoxical, and it must be such a different mindset to fall into. But it must also be a blessing in disguise since now he has a reason to finally care about himself.

What I hate about them: Who started the Hyrule is innocent headcanon? Come over here because we need to exchange some words. If there is anyone who would be a realist and know how the world works, it’s this guy. And while we’re here, who came up with the Hryule is always lost headcanon? I also have some words for you. And you know what? WHILE WE’RE HERE, who let him be named Hyrule? I’m have more than choice words for you. His name scheme is the bane of my existence and the express reason why I don’t write him more. God.

Favorite Moment/Quote: That one panel where he takes utter delight in Warriors hiding from his scorned lovers? That is a central pillar in my understanding of Hyrule.

What I would like to see more focus on: Again, his relationship with other people. Even if his games are lacking in NPCs, we know from lore that he’s a good guy who will jump in to help others. He must know plenty of people, and I want to see who exists in his world with him. 

What I would like to see less focus on: I have an on-going joke with my brother that certain characters are Catholic, even if Catholicism does not exist in the world of the thing we’re watching or playing. Of course, we’re not being serious. we’re just joshing around. So imagine the gut punch I feel whenever I see people say Hyrule is Christian and realize that they’re being serious. I just can’t take it seriously.

Favorite pairing with: Aurora. It’s cute and I’m a sucker for that hero and royalty dynamic, especially when the hero is a peasant. It’s so cheesy, but I love it.

Favorite friendship: Legend. But not the way everyone else pairs them up as the grumpy one and the sunshine one. I think of it more as them being the pinnacle of boys being boys. They’re shitheads. They do stupid shit together. They both have a dark sense of humor. They joke that they’re practically the same person sometimes.

NOTP: uhhhhhhhhh.... Is he paired with anyone else?

Favorite headcanon: I love the idea that he just likes his way of life and refuses to accept anyone saying otherwise. Legend wants to teach him to read? Sorry, but he’s never had to read before in his life so he’s pretty sure he’ll never need it anyway. Want to participate in the treasured Hylian tradition of piercing your ears when you come of age? Why would he ever do that when a monster could rip those earrings off? He’s stuck in his ways and it frustrates everyone else to no end, but he has no interest in ever changing.

-Wild-

What I love about them: When I was 9, I spent my time online on Legend of Zelda forums. I remember one of my forum friends saying that they wanted a Legend of Zelda game where Link lost. And I think of that friend whenever I think about Wild. BOTW Link is the best Link that has ever been. He is the epitome of every trait we associate with any Link. He’s smart and sassy. He’s hard working and kind. But underlining all of that is the fact that he’s still the one who failed. If Demise’s Curse in SkSw is the set-up, the Great Calamity is the payoff. And I haven’t even talked about how confirming him as being non-verbal before the Calamity does so much for his characterization. I don’t even know where to start or how to articulate it. By game storyline alone, Wild is one of my favorites.

What I hate about them: You guys knew this one was coming, but I’m going to have to say it anyway. Fandom Wild.... not good. I’ve said it for half of these boys so far, but god is it true. I have a way I see Wild that is rarely done in the fandom. Fandom Wild has a lot of the traits I also see in Wild, but to all of the extremes. I will mention one thing in particular as being a pet peeve, and it’s how some people headcanon him as always being nonverbal. I know what they’re trying to do, and I think they’re on to something, but they’re also missing the point of what BOTW Link’s character arc is. I just wish more people would forget fandom and work more off of the games for how to characterize him.

Favorite Moment/Quote: Weirdly enough, my favorite moment is when he got mad at everyone for making fun of his Gerudo outfit, so he dumped Goron Spice in his cooking. It’s encapsulates a part of his character I think a lot of people forget about.

What I would like to see more focus on: I think he has a really complicated relationship with his past. He said himself that his old self felt like a different person, and I think that should be explored a lot more. That idea actually fascinates me so much that instead of CTB, I almost wrote a character study fic about Wild. His emotions are not as simple as feeling guilty about letting his friends die and not preventing the Calamity. His emotions would be so complicated and because I don’t have the time to explore it, someone else needs to do it for me.

What I would like to see less focus on: There is a weird fascination with Wild having memory loss and essentially being like a kid again. And this feels infantilizing to me. It honestly bugs me a lot every time I see it.

Favorite pairing with: I can’t decide between Zelda, Mipha, and Revali. They’re all different dynamics and they’re all good.

Favorite friendship: Paya. I firmly believe that Paya is Wild’s best friend. I am the only one in the world who believes this. But I am also the only one in the world who is correct. 

NOTP: Wild is good with everyone. Good for him!

Favorite headcanon: An essential scene of my Wild character study I will never write is one where his horse dies. He goes into shock and walks back to Kakariko to talk to Impa. But once he goes to her, he breaks down in tears and has an absolute melt down over the horse. And Impa sagely says, “It’s not about the horse, is it?” She’s implying that he’s actually mourning the loss of his friends, Hyrule, his life, everything-- but through his tears, he keeps tell her that she’s wrong. He barely remembers them. He doesn’t know them. He doesn’t have any feelings about them. He just really loved that horse. But Impa refuses to listen to him, just repeating over and over again: “it’s not really about the horse.”

And that’s it! That’s all of my opinions! I know a lot of my opinions are polarizing, but everything I said is in good faith, and I am not trying to diss anyone for how they approach these characters.

I welcome you to send me your Opinions on the Links, even if it’s just to disagree with me. I’m cool with it, and I like knowing what everyone else thinks!