#that's not to say it's an automatic no-brainer for her she does have to make the effort

[vullcanica]

Whenever Avita takes on too much energy - be it by choice, by underestimating a source or by necessity (as she can absorb attacks, explosions, soulsnatch whole groups of people, etc) - and is forced to bleed off some excess to prevent from destabilizing her form, it usually manifests into light energy. It's a safety reflex she's developed over the years for the good of those around her. At times even bleeding raw life force into her environment can unbalance it and cause abominable mutations and anomalies, so she makes sure that on exit it's converted into something as harmless as possible.

I.e. babygirl glows sometimes 💅

[siderealcity]

Does anybody else ever wonder how the Archons connect to the Twelve? Just me? That's fair.

Back before the Praetorium fight, Alphinaud named the plan to take down the Black Wolf, "Operation Archon" on the basis that it required the cooperation of twelve major factions, and the Archons of legend were twelve in number. Which automatically associates them with The Twelve. So... speculation on who's who under the cut, I guess.

1. Louisoix -- Obviously aligns with Thaliak. The symbol for Thaliak is inscribed on Tupsimati.

2. Matoya -- I'm going to say that as the Keeper of the Antitower, she aligns with Nald'thal.

3. Y'shtola -- As the vehemently curious sun-seeker, I'm going to guess she's aligned with Azeyma, goddess of inquiry. And her conflict/connection to Master Matoya mirrors Azeyma and Nald'thal.

4. Urianger -- The student of prophesy seems most likely aligned with Nymeia, the goddess of Fate.

5. Yda (the real one, not Lyse) -- Was probably Rhalgr. I mean. She seems to have majored in punching. That's a no-brainer.

6. G'raha -- The one introduced to us as a happy-go-lucky archer, who still gets all excited about wandering on the eternal winds, and who was notably there for Myths of the Realm is almost definitely aligned with Oschon, tendency to be trapped in towers aside. (This might have also been why they initially thought of making him green instead of red.)

So, with the easy ones out of the way, that leaves us:

7. Rammbroes -- I'm going to throw him over to the Althyk column. I had initially thought maybe Byregot? Just... on the basis of vague tower-related stuff? But it makes more sense for the archaeologist to be associated with the god of time, I think.

8. Papalymo -- I'm guessing Byregot for him, on the basis that he's the counterpoint to Yda's Rhalgr.

9. Moenbryda -- I'm torn on this one. With moon literally being in her name, that makes her a shoe-in for Menphina, she wears blue and white, and being the sweetheart of just about everyone we know she kinda lines up with the goddess of love, but she's... really into axes, and she throws herself at Nabriales, the Convocation seat that governed combat? So she could also be aligned with Halone. And we meet her at the start of the plot that leads us to Ishgard, so...

I dunno. I might put her under Halone, the more I think about it.

10. Thancred -- Another tricky one. Being the guy who throws knives, and also being from Limsa originally, I am tempted to say he's aligned with Lymlaen. But also being the outrageous flirt throughout ARR, he could be the one lined up with Menphina.

11 and 12?? Mikoto and Kagura. Does Kagura still count, if she was stripped of her title? Mikoto is a super-nerd and has precognition. That could make her a good candidate for Althyk. But she's also in the relic weapon quest for Shadowbringers, and she's involved in crafting tools to stop Ultima, so... she could be Byregot? But she's also a twin, and her sister is described as "headstrong" and her colors are all ice-blue and white, so... she could be Menphina while Kagura goes with Halone.

But then again... Nophica and Lymlaen are unaccounted for, and they are also sisters.

It would help if somebody had a dog, is all I'm saying.

[forsworned]

could I pls request the hashiras w/ a sensitive s/o ( they get upset easily etc . ) and how they’d react to someone accidentally saying something that made them cry ??

gender neutral reader if possible

if you don’t wanna write for all the hashira , feel free to pick your favourites or something , I don’t really mind tbh

thank you in advance ! ! ! have a wonderful day / noon / night 💞

a/n: thank you for requesting again!! this was lowkey hella hard to do dude so i'm really sorry for how long this took. i managed to get all the hashira in and kept it pg obviously for muichiro since he is underage but i left him as is. i was legit brain dead writing this but here you go!

𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕦𝕜𝕠 𝕜𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕛𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕦 ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ

He doesn't take well to it, but he also understands that the fellow Demon Slayer was only trying to give you constructive criticism. Kyoujurou would scramble at first not knowing how to react since it was the first time he'd ever seen you so distraught. But then he'd finally recollect himself and dismiss the slayer and get back to you.

But just as he finally got himself together you'd throw yourself in his arms and blubber like a baby. Which again would have him flustered at first, but he'd soon chuckle and hold your face in his hands. A chaste kiss on your forehead that would cease your weeping.

"You know, my little flame, you're quite cute when you cry."

You looked up from his tear soaked uniform to his blazing eyes, gazing down at you lovingly. It sent your heart racing and you could no longer look at him. So you did what any other person would do if they were madly in love Kyo and couldn't look him in the eyes. You buried your face back into his chest while the heat rushed to your cheeks. The sound of laughter escaping his lips once more as you smiled against his damp uniform.

𝕘𝕚𝕪𝕦𝕦 𝕥𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕠𝕜𝕒 ₍ᐢ ̥ ͉ ̥ᐢ₎

He doesn't exactly think it through, just does. So in one swoop motion he'd carry you out of there and gave the fellow slayer any icy glare that had them shivering to their core. You'd be shocked at how quickly he'd get you out of that situation and he'd stop at an isolated area for you guys to be alone.

"U-um, Giyuu?" You'd stutter, as you rubbed your eyelids and looked at him with eyes are big as saucers.

"Are you alright?" His stunning cerculean blue gaze was piercing through your heart.

"Y-yeah. You can put me down now." His face automatically vermillion with agitation at the realization of you being in his arms. He firmly planted you on the ground and turned away to avoid looking at you. You laughed at how cute he looked when becomes embarrassed and slipped your arms around him from behind as you buried your face in his back.

"Thank you, my love."

𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕟 𝕦𝕫𝕦𝕚 ₍ᐢ ̥ ̮ ̥ᐢ₎ *:･。

"Eh?! Why are you crying [name]?"

It wasn't the first time he'd see you crying, but he was very perplexed by the sight in front of him. He didn't think much of it when the lower rank demon slayer was simply advising you to be more careful on the next mission. His ruby glare burred holes into the back of their heads.

"Why the hell did you make them cry for? It's not very flamboyant of you." He was menancing to say the least. It caused the demon slayer to stammer on his words until you spoke up rubbing at your eyes.

"It's not their fault, Tengen. I just get emotional. You know this." You sniffled as you tried your best to regain your composure. A soft 'tch' left his lips before he carried you on his shoulder which gave rise to a squeal from you.

"Put me down!"

He smacked your bottom and chuckled devilishly.

"Nah, I think we're gonna change that whiney mood of yours right up!"

𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕚 𝕚𝕘𝕦𝕣𝕠 U ´꓃ ` U

He doesn't waste anytime elbowing the person into the ground. Not only for just talking to you, but making you cry?! Oh, buddy. You're in for the beating of a lifetime.

"Obanai!" You exclaimed. Your tear stained face contorted into worry as you watched the now pummeled slayer knock out cold.

"That'll teach him. I'll make sure he never sees the light of day the next time he even looks in your direction." He sneered at them and then looked at you with gentle eyes. "Are you alright?"

You nodded as he dabbed away at your face and caressed you cheek.

"Alright, let's go then."

He stated before getting up and taking your hand in his as he dragged you away from the scene.

"Wait! Shouldn't we help him?" You were glad that Obanai cared that much about you, but he really shouldn't just go around attacking people like that and leaving them unconscious.

"No, Shinobu will take care of that eyesore."

𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕠𝕓𝕦 𝕜𝕠𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕦 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

"You must have a death wish."

The tone in her voice was so venomous yet sickly sweet it almost could've been enough to kill you. The nerve in her temple popping out as the demon slayer who was unfortunate enough to accidentally make you cry shuddered in fear.

"Shinobuuu." You whined. "Please leave them alone. They didn't mean any harm!"

Her eyes went soft when she saw you in your distressed state and then back to her vicious glare when it was back on them. "Run along now."

Her voice still even, yet scary. The demon slayer bowed quickly before escaping leaving you two alone. Shinobu sighed as she caressed your cheek.

"You're so delicate, sometimes." Your shoulders slumped at her words. It wasn't for long because Shinobu decided to plant a kiss on your nose and giggled. "Ara, ara, [name]-chan. You're still my sweet butterfly."

Shinobu didn't show much PDA, but when she did it made your heart implode and she was absolutely, 1000% aware of this.

𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕚 𝕜𝕒𝕟𝕣𝕠𝕛𝕚 ʕ♡˙ᴥ˙♡ʔ

Her face would get all puffed up and red as she watched you cry from a few feet away, that is until you started to hug the person that was causing the "commotion".

"I hope you find peace." You said softly as you pulled away. The person thanked you and bowed with tears in their eyes before stepping away.

"[Name], are you okay?!" Mitsuri exclaimed as she hugged you with all her might. You had to tap out for her to let go. She noticed this and you gasped for air as she apologized endlessly.

"I'm okay, Mitsuri. Their family was attacked by demons and I managed to save one member and they just came to thank me in person." You vigorously swabbed at your eyes with your sleeves before smiling again at your lovely wife. Mitsuri didn't realize her strength and sometimes that would lead to her infamous death hugs.

"Oh, [name]! You are so heroic!" She squeaked with joy as she squeezed you again, this time with less agnozing pressure. You hugged her back as you laid your head on her shoulder and thanked God your partner was as lovely as she was.

𝕘𝕪𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕚 𝕙𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕛𝕚𝕞𝕒 ₍ᐢ｡ ˬ ｡ᐢ₎

His towering height alone was enough to have the culprit who made you cry shaking in their boots. Gyomei would simply ignore that he sent that person pissing themselves and would lift you in his arms as he dabbed away at your tears with his hankerchief.

"Dont cry, my flower. They're not worth your precious tears." He'd murmur against the apple of your cheek as he kissed it. This would instantly boost your mood and have you throwing your arms around him and squeezing him tight. You'd plant the biggest kiss on his cheek causing him to blush.

"Thank you, Gyo."

𝕤𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕞𝕚 𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕫𝕦𝕘𝕒𝕨𝕒 ʕ； •`ᴥ•´ʔ

Anger. Kind of a no brainer. He'd go off on the person who made you cry and in return would make them cry and run far, far away. He'd comfort you by giving you a nice, bear hug and kiss on the top of your forehead whilst asking if you were ok. You'd end up laughing with tears still in your eyes and obviously this would puzzle him.

"What are you laughing about?"

"You just scared the bejeezus out of that guy and sent him crying!"

He'd chuckle and bring you back in for another warm hug and your face would nuzzle the crook of his neck.

"I'll send anyone crying for you."

𝕞𝕦𝕚𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕠 𝕥𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕥𝕠 ₍ᐢ ̥ ̞ ̥ᐢ₎ ♥

Much like when he showed his distain towards Tanjiro when he interrupted Oyakata-sama. He would be watching from a distance, and fiercely flick pebbles at a scary fast velocity that was deadly enough to pierce a hole through the person who dared to talk down to you. But, of course, he held back since it was only a mere human but it was enough to send them to groveling on their knees.

You'd wipe your tears away and turn in the direction it came from to see Muichiro smiling at you while tossing a pebble up and down in hand. He was always watching over you.

[mshomestyle]

Could you do Aizawa as a dad? Idk why, I just love Dadzawa. If you don’t have time to, it’s totally fine! :)

Dadwaza is the best!

-At first glance and assumption, Aizawa comes across as grumpy. It would seem to the naked eye that he hass no toleration for taking care of others, but those first lookers would be wrong.

-Anyone that comes under Aizawa's care is always protected and thought about. So, it was a no brainer for you to have kids with him.

-When you became pregnant, Aizawa was easy to get into the dad mindset. He automatically wanted his child to be safe.

-When you brought your baby girl home, your husband seemed to have no problem with waking up in the middle of the night to check on her, making sure she was happy and comfortable, changing her diaper, feeding her a bottle when you needed some down time, etc.

-He also made no complaints when taking care of his daughter either, and when she would cry, he was quick to remedy the situation without feeling annoyed at all.

-As your baby grew, and you had a couple more, you realized that Aizawa was kind of better than you were at parenting. So, you decided to ask him his secret.

-"I get twenty new kids every year," he merely said, disinterest laden in his voice. Truly, parenting was second nature to this man now.

-And while he did worry about his children's safety, he trusted them to be able to take care of themselves.

-If they wanted to become heroes, he had no problems with that.

-"Dad, can you help me train today?" his oldest might ask.

-"Sure, I'll train you after school." Another thing about Aizawa was that he was a completely selfless parent, choosing to put his children's interests above of his own.

-However, when the subject of what to get as a house pet came up, it was a cat hands down.

-Aizawa is a very caring and trusting father. He wants his kids to succeed and will make sure to teach them right from wrong.

-He is also to the point about things, and does bring in his rational side.

-For instance, let's say his daughter underwent her first break-up and was upset about it. He'd have no problem in comforting her and would do so by gently putting a hand on her shoulder and saying, "I never liked that boy anyway. He's going nowhere in life."

-Eri, Shinsou, and many of Aizawa's former students are like older siblings!

[1dmonthlyficroundup]

1D Monthly Fic Roundup

Hi, and welcome to the 1D Monthly Fic Roundup for July 2021! Below you’ll find One Direction fics that were all published this month in the order they were submitted to the blog. We hope you’ll check out these new fics! If you would like to submit your own fic, please check this post on how to submit or visit our blog @1dmonthlyficroundup​.

Happy reading!

Game Changer by @neondiamond

[Harry/Louis, 6k, Mature, tumblr post]

“Did the doctor say what was wrong with you?”

“He thought I was pregnant,” Louis scoffs. “Told me to go home and take a test, a pregnancy test, Haz. Can you imagine the nerve it takes for him to even think that?”

Harry looks lost in his thoughts for a few seconds. “Did you? Take a test, I mean?”

“Of course I didn’t.”

OR: A couple months before playing in his first long-awaited World Cup, Louis finds out he’s pregnant. Harry’s there for the ride.

(I Was Broke) You Healed Me by @fallinglikethis

[Harry/Niall, 12k, Teen and up, tumblr post]

Niall Horan is an unmated pregnant omega living on his own after his alpha boyfriend leaves him. Far from his family and friends in Ireland, Niall is stuck living in a complex for Alpha/Omega bondmates, terrified every day of being found out by his landlord.As if that isn't enough, he's suffering from touch deprivation. Luckily, Niall's doctor can at least help him with that part: she prescribes Niall some cuddle sessions. It's only a little weird that the person she's prescribing him is her brother. Or maybe that's actually a little bit perfect.

The Only Pain in Pleasure is the Pleasure of the Pain by Layne Faire / @laynefaire

[Liam/Zayn, 10k, Explicit, tumblr post]

Liam had followed InZaynity, an artist's Instagram, for ages. Not only was the artist incredibly talented, his voice poured over Liam like warm honey on a winter's night, and his hands were the stuff Liam's wank dreams were made of. However, having Zayn unexpectedly arrive as the newest artist at his best friend's tattoo shop brought Liam's fantasies and reality a little too close for comfort.

Zayn Malik met his boss' friend on his first day at Fine Line Tattoos, and felt an instant attraction. Unfortunately, given Liam's unwillingness to even hold a conversation with him, Zayn was certain the feelings weren't reciprocal. Or were they?

When Liam's new tattoo design falls outside the scope of Tommo's talent, and he recommends Zayn do it, Liam reluctantly agrees. Surely he could manage to spend hours in Zayn's company without revealing his biggest secret, right? Right?

Blow Me Away by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

[Louis/Liam, 6k, Explicit, tumblr post]

Louis likes giving blow jobs.

He doesn't exactly get off on it – he's been with people who properly loved it, and he's not quite that into it – but he doesn't mind the feel or the taste and he really, really likes watching his partner lose it, so getting down on his knees regularly is a no brainer.

Which is why it's a bit frustrating that every time he does, Liam hauls him back up again.

Why Didn't We Make Out the Night We Met? by @berzerkshires

[Louis/Harry, 52k, Explicit, tumblr post]

Louis and Harry meet in an alley outside the hotel Louis is staying for the weekend. Harry introduces himself as Ed, and Louis is completely clueless. They have a relationship through text messages, phone calls, shared pictures and Facetime calls. Is a cell phone being the only source of communication enough? Will Louis ever learn that he's really talking to an international popstar? And what happens when the world is shutdown due to a wide spread virus?

I Love This Feeling (But I Hate This Part) by @lululawrence

[Harry/Louis, 7k, Not rated, tumblr post]

“Stand up.”

Harry stood up from the couch, not a moment’s delay.

“Oh my god, is that what that’s like?” Harry turned to Louis, surprise on his face. “I really thought they were somehow exaggerating, but it really is an automatic response with absolutely no thought from me behind it whatsoever.”

Louis sighed again. “You really wanna keep doing this? Have me use my alpha voice on you so you can work on resisting it?”

“Yup,” Harry said, clapping his hands and smiling. “How else am I going to be able to have any chance at reducing the power an alpha voice has on me?”

I Said It Wrong, But I Meant It Right by @lululawrence

[Liam/Nick Grimshaw, 4k, Not rated, tumblr post]

Nick was a bit of a disaster, but she was used to it.

Or so she thought. She had never known how much she could struggle just to function until the new fire lady goddess angel person winked at her.

Oh, Those Summer Nights by cherrylarry / @beelou

[Louis/Harry, 1k, General, tumblr post]

“Are you okay?” He kneels down to inspect where Harry still has his hand pressed against his head.

“Oh! Yeah, I’m fine.”

“My name’s Louis. Can I buy you dinner or something to make up for hitting you in the head?”

Harry crinkles his eyebrows. “Me?”

Louis chuckles. “Yes, you. If you’d like?”

“Yeah. That would be nice.” Harry smiles so that his dimples show. “I’m Harry.”

“Harry, it's a date, then." Louis grins.

An extended scene of the beginning of the movie Grease as a larry au

people fall in love in mysterious ways (maybe just the touch of a hand) by @vintageumbroshirt / 28sunflowers, @justalarryblog / Bekita, @bluecolouredlou , @beelou / cherrylarry, @thedevilinmybrain / devilinmybrain, @hershelsue / docklands, @foreverfanficaddict,@idolizingthelight / idolizingthelightt, @inlockets / loveroflou, @perfectdagger, @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed / we_are_the_same

[Louis/Harry, 13k, Teen and up, tumblr post]

Set in a world where meeting your soulmate causes a literal spark, Louis Tomlinson has no time for fate. He knows all too well the heartbreak that having a soulmate can bring and he'd rather avoid the whole affair. But, when a chance meeting with up-and-coming popstar, Harry Styles, causes the biggest electrical surge the world has ever seen, Louis must confront the truth that sometimes destiny knocks when you least expect it.

Somehow, Someway by @zanniscaramouche

[Louis/Harry, 16k, Teen and up, tumblr post]

Louis Tomlinson has everything all figured out for a smooth post-graduation sailing into the perfect career in the music industry. A canceled class, a high school play, and a disarming set of dimples were not part of the plan. (Especially when they belong to a boy wearing someone else’s jacket.)

Featuring: A punk with the worst timed crush in history, that moody art kid that never shares cigarettes, the cutest pastel-pink wearing boy on the planet, and his unfortunately nice bottle-blond jock of a boyfriend.

Forts & Fortunes by @neondiamond

[Louis/Harry, 2k, General, tumblr post]

It’s finals week at uni and Harry is struggling to find a healthy balance between studying and tending to his needs. Lucky for him, Louis is there to help him out with that.

One way to reduce tension by @neondiamond

[Harry/Louis, 1k, Explicit, tumblr post]

Harry knows of a few ways to help Louis get rid of some pent up stress…

We Got a Call by @greenblueish / bluegreenish

[Louis/Harry, 24k, Mature, tumblr post]

“Fisher from St Peter hospital, hello. Is this Mr Tomlinson?”

Louis’ eyebrows furrow in concern. Why is the hospital calling him? Has someone he knows been in an accident? “Uh, yes?”

“Great. Your results are in. Congratulations, you’re pregnant!”

“Pregnant?” he chokes, the word almost getting caught in his throat.

“Yes, without doubt,” the woman from the hospital confirms, her voice neutral but somehow chirpy. “I recommend promptly booking an appointment with your ob/gyn to discuss how to proceed.”

"I...Yeah, I’ll talk to my … partner.”

or, the one where Louis and Harry Tomlinson are married and Louis accepts a phone call that was definitely meant for his husband.

How Long Will We Fall (Before We Can Climb) by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

[Louis/Harry, 860 words, General, tumblr post]

Louis' faith in Harry is unbreakable. When they get caught kissing and he is thrown out of his home forever, he has to learn to have faith in himself.

Rope, Leather and Lipstick by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

[Louis/Harry, 552 words, Mature, tumblr post]

Something about ropes around wrists, and tinting skin the colour of strawberry ice cream, tender and kissed by dark lips. Smudging sticky red lipstick across the slight blue shadow of veins, and assuring hands tightening knots.

Lies & Liability by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

[Louis/Harry, 34k, Mature, tumblr post]

Harry Styles has only three wishes when he leaves River Dane Manor to go to Town for his first season: that his sister has rented a townhouse that will provide him as many of the comforts of the country life he has grown accustomed to as possible, that he will not trip and fall when he is presented to Her Majesty the Queen, and that he will enter matrimony out of true love, no matter how favourable the match with any which alpha may be.

Sugar at Night by @brightgolden

[Harry/Louis, 33k, Explicit, tumblr post]

With a year left before he completes his degree, a wonderful fiancé, and a baby coming soon, life is going exceptionally well for Harry Styles.

But, the truth always has a way to unravel itself, doesn’t it?

So, what do you do when the person you fell in love with is not the person you thought they were?

I got myself in a mess (and without you I'm in more) by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed / we_are_the_same

[Zayn/Liam, 9k, Mature, tumblr post]

It’s not desire that has his synapses firing. It’s not the urge to jump him that makes him feel jittery.

It’s the fact that everything about this man - a nice, unassuming guy on Tinder, who studied IT and who seemed like a safe choice - screams danger. It’s the fact that Zayn has been absently touching his necklace for what feels like half the night now.

The necklace. Thank God for Lou, honestly. He’d laughed a bit, at first, when Louis had given it to him, when he’d explained all about the app that it was connected to, the emergency contacts that would be notified and sent his exact location “if you just double tap the back of the charm, see” because Louis was that friend, the mom friend, but right now? Right now Zayn will gladly take the gentle ribbing from Louis if it means he won’t have to spend another moment with this guy.

I don't care if the world knows by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed / we_are_the_same

[Louis/Harry, 6k, Teen and up, tumblr post]

Harry is fourteen when she buys her first binder. She’s been doing cosplay videos on Tiktok for a while at that point, and it seems like the logical choice. Not that there’s anything wrong with cosplaying characters of the opposite gender and not wanting to fully look like them, she’s seen plenty of wonderful creators put their own spin on characters in a way that transcends the source material, but when it comes to her own cosplays -

She just likes it to be accurate.

She likes her chest to be flat, not soft and curvy, when she’s wearing her Crowley cosplay, or when she’s transformed herself into Loki.

It’s all about the aesthetics.

∞

Over the course of a few years, Harry explores and comes to terms with gender identity.

It’s Probably Because I’ve Got a Big Lesbian Crush on You by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

[Louis/Harry, 6k, Teen and up, tumblr post]

Harry's never really concerned herself with being part of the popular crowd. But as the new girl in school the second semester of her junior year, she finds herself unwittingly competing for Queen Bee status against high school royalty Louis Tomlinson. Maybe there's more to their rivalry than it seems.

A not-quite-Mean Girls AU

Going Green (so fucking green) by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

[Louis/Harry, 5k, Explicit, tumblr post]

Harry just really loves being used, and Louis really loves Harry. Who is he to deny him?

Or: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle but make it BDSM

the next bit was spanners to my plan by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

[Louis/Nick Grimshaw, 6k, Teen and up, tumblr post]

The first time was an accident. The second time was an accident too.

Or: Louis and Nick end up shagging on the sly, everyone sends far too many emojis and far too few words, and eventually they're going to have to sort themselves out.

Trust Me Tonight by @vintageumbroshirt / 28sunflowers

[Louis/Harry, 10k, Explicit, tumblr post]

After Harry’s eighteenth birthday, his father calls him into a meeting to say that he is to be married to Prince Louis of France in just over a week.

Harry is excited, of course. The arrangement is better than any he could’ve hoped for, with such a young, handsome and kind husband.

There is just one issue: Harry doesn’t know what happens on his nuptials, or how to get pregnant to give Louis the heir that he needs.

Can we make it any more obvious? by LouStylesHTommo / @smolhilariousbeans

[Louis/Harry, 6k, Explicit, tumblr post]

Five times the boys accidentally walked in on Harry & Louis plus one time they did it on purpose.

Aka Niall, Zayn, Liam being supportive of Lou&H sexy shenanigans.

darling just dive right in by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed / we_are_the_same

[Zayn/Louis, 5k, Teen and up, tumblr post]

Louis can’t think of a worse place to be than at the Malik estate, attending his ex boyfriend's wedding.

Shining just for you by ThoseFookin_Avacados / @hlhome28

[Harry/Louis, 1k, General, tumblr post]

For a clumsy person, Harry danced with quite the grace- spinning around Louis, billowy light robes brushing against his firm darker ones. Despite his slightly smaller build, Louis was decivingly strong, his grip on Harry's waist tight as they performed their steps in sync. Like two opposite halves of a whole, like ones reflection in the mirror, like the sun and the moon.

Part 2 of the Prompt Generator series

crown me with your heart (your love is king) by @perfectdagger

[Louis/Harry, 41k, General, tumblr post]

The universe must’ve had a field day when it decided to plan Harry’s life. There was no plausible explanation for anything that happened in his life anymore. Try as he may, he would never be able to control his life nor predict what would happen next. What were the odds that the one person he was sure he had fallen in love with but had completely let him slip out of his life, already resigned to the fact nothing could ever evolve between them due to Harry’s future with Eroda, happened to be the same person who had Harry’s future in his hand?

A The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Wedding au in which Harry is the Crown Prince of the small island of Eroda and Louis’ uncle is trying to take the throne from him, with a slight a/b/o twist and some more.

[tomhollandnet]

Vanity Fair: How have you been doing this past year? I mean, what has life been like in these COVID times for you?

Tom Holland: I got to say, Richard, I’ve been very fortunate during these difficult times. For me, my career hasn’t really halted. I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve been able to continue working. I made a film called Uncharted with Mark Wahlberg last year. I’m currently shooting Spider-Man 3 at the moment. So I’ve been very lucky.

It put a pause for a while, and I went home and we locked down in London, and I had a few months where I was sort of kicking about the house. But all in all, I’ve had a great time. And I’ve really enjoyed the jobs I’ve been working on. And I definitely recognize how lucky I am to be working, when so few people are at the moment [and are] really, really having a hard time. So I’ve been very lucky, and I’ve been enjoying myself.

And now you have this whole different kind of work, promoting Cherry and kind of getting the word out about that movie. I have a bunch of questions about this big epic. But I’m curious in terms of, what’s the origin story? Obviously you’ve worked with the Russo brothers pretty intensely for the past few years. Was it just kind of an automatic collaboration?

Yeah, basically as simple as that, really. I mean, I was working with Joe and Anthony on Avengers: Endgame. And Joe took me aside and said, “We’re making this film. We want you to be the lead. It’s a small, independent film.” He didn’t tell me what it was about. He just sort of told me that he wants me to be in it. And I was honestly just touched that they wanted to work with me. Of all the people in the business they could work with, I just felt really honored that they’d chosen me. And then when I finally got the chance to read the script, I was even more blown away, because I finally recognized the opportunity that had been handed to me.

As a young actor, you’re always looking for ways to challenge yourself. You’re looking for ways to push yourself you haven’t been in the past. And I think we could probably agree that this film achieves both of those goals. So as soon as I read the script and I knew that it was the Russos making it, it was a no-brainer, and it was a very definite yes.

It definitely does feel, I mean, in terms of its content and its style, even, like a big change for you. Do you at all view this as your first grown-up role, or your first adult role? I mean, is that how you kind of look at a project, or is it more just, this specific thing interests you?

That’s an interesting question. It depends what you mean by an adult role, but my agents and I are very strategic in choosing our moments, and trying to be really clever with when we decide to take that next step into becoming an adult and making films about real people and about real problems and getting messages across. And we did that a little bit with Devil All the Time, the Antonio Campos movie. That was kind of the first step, but Cherry is the big step. And that was why it was so daunting, because I haven’t done a film like this before. And I was nervous to see how the world would see me in that light and as that character. Obviously, the film hasn’t come out yet, but I am very apprehensive as to see how people respond to my work in this film.

There’s a lot of intense stuff in Cherry. What was, to your mind, when you read the script, the most daunting thing? What were you most scared to shoot?

I think it was probably the emotional aspect of the film. Physically, I knew I could do it. I knew I’d be able to do that. But emotionally, I’m very lucky and lived a very charmed life, and I’ve been an actor since I was 11. So I haven’t really had to deal with much trauma, or sorrow, or grief, or things like that. So I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to maintain that level of emotion for a four-month period. That is where the Russos became so valuable, because they were my safety net. That’s where Ciara Bravo was so valuable. She was my partner in crime, and she’s absolutely astonishing in the film and a great friend. And I can’t tell you how lucky I am to have had her to help me throughout this process. So I think for me, yeah, the thing I was most daunted about was maintaining that level of emotion.

What kind of prep did you do? I think actors who are very good actors, they can fall into the trap of when they’re supposed to be acting high or on drugs or something, there can be a sort of showiness to that, as sort of theater. And something that’s really, I think, immersive and bracing about Cherry is that there’s none of that. It feels entirely credible when these characters are in these lows of their lives. Did you talk to soldiers, addicts, anything like that, in prepping to shoot?

Yes, absolutely. We did loads and loads of research. I mean, I must’ve sat down with 30 different people who are all veterans, who are all medics, all suffering from PTSD and substance abuse. And for me, the more information I could get about a problem that I knew so little about to begin with, the better. I worked with nurses. We worked with someone who was running a rehab clinic in Cleveland, and he became our consultant and would be there on set with us every day and would show us how to shoot someone up and show us how to cook heroin, or explain to us the feeling of what would it be like if you mixed a bit of crack with heroin.

There’s a scene in the film where I go to rob a bank, and I shoot up in the car just before. And he said to us that day, “You would never do that before you go into rob a bank.” But if you put a bit of crack in there, it would totally change your attitude and your physical prowess, I guess. So having people on set like that to kind of guide us through the process was so valuable.

I think I’m a bit older than you, and these characters are about my age. I was in college in the early 2000s, and 9/11 was my first week of college. And people in my hometown, well, my neighborhood in Boston, a lot of them were lost to opioids, either killed, or went to prison. And you’re younger, but did you see any parallels between this kind of half-generation removed and your age, the Generation Z? Do you think that a lot of these things are still kind of ongoing?

Yeah. I mean, arguably the opioid epidemic is worse now. And it’s affecting far more people. I think one of my favorite things that Joe said, Joe Russo, is the opening of the film is these swooping shots over Cleveland. We fly over Cleveland, and we see thousands and thousands of houses. And that is to convey to the audience that, yes, we’re telling the story of two people, but really, we’re telling the story of millions of people. This is one story amongst millions. And I really hope that this film can shed the light on a problem that’s invisible, and a problem that is mostly fought in the shadows. People are very ashamed to talk about their addictions and that sort of thing. So I hope that this will shed light on that problem, and people will change their attitude towards people who are suffering from addiction.

It almost feels surprising that there hasn’t been something about this very epic subject matter. What were the conversations like on set about the film’s style? I mean, it is pretty stylized. Did you feel that in the shooting, or is that kind of all added after the fact?

Absolutely. I mean, the Russos changed their way of shooting time and time again while we’re making this film, from different lenses they were using, from different styles of lighting, from different performance techniques. They would frame us sometimes very differently throughout the film. So we were very much aware of the different type of chapters we were trying to make.

Was that a real head-shaving moment in the film?

Yes. Well, we’d already shaved my head, because we were shooting prior. But what we did is we had about a week’s worth of work where we just allowed it to grow, and then he shaved it down to a one. But I actually loved having a shaved head. It was so nice. It was so refreshing to wake up, get out of bed and realize that your hair was already done. It was one of the only luxuries of playing this character.

Yeah. I let my hair get too long during quarantine, and then said, “Screw it. I’ll get the shortest haircut I’ve gotten in years.” And it is liberating. You just wake up, and you’re done.

Totally.

You’re on set, filming something else now, in very changed times from when I think Cherry was filmed. What is it like being back on a set? I mean, I’m not asking for spoilers or anything, don’t worry, but just in terms of the actual day-to-day of filming a movie with all these new restrictions, how has that experience been?

I mean, I love being on set. It’s where I feel most at home. It’s obviously limiting, with COVID, and we’re having to be very careful and very responsible in the way that we behave. There’s certain protocols that we have to follow, to make sure that we maintain this level of safety for the cast and crew. It can be a little tedious at times, but it’s so necessary. And we all recognize how lucky we are to be working right now. So it’s a necessity that we don’t mind taking on because, as I said, we’re also lucky to be here.

[silver-wield]

I want to know what your thoughts are on the optional Aerith resolution scene? Particularly around the time where Aerith says the "love" line?

Awww man, you're gonna make me watch that? Lol

Ok let's do this then.

Ok, spoiler warning for ppl who haven’t played – do I still need to do this? Eh ok, (I tag FF7R spoilers as final fantasy 7 remake spoilers) and it’s gonna be reasonably long.

Also, this is one person’s interpretation of the scene, so if you disagree that’s cool and we’ll agree to disagree.

You’re also gonna have to excuse the janky quality on some of the screens, I’m grabbing them from Youtube and it’s frustrating af trying to get the exact moment I want.

Other analyses if anyone’s interested.

Shinra HQ vision scene (Cloti/plot analysis) 

Chapter 3 (Cloti reblog) 

Tifa character analysis 

Aerith Resolution (plot analysis/theory – I should probably update this since I’ve had other ideas since then) 

Train graveyard (not really an analysis, but I got some sweet screenshots of Cloti) 

Clotiscrew tunnel analysis 

Cloti reunion analysis 

The Promise Analysis 

Andrea’s approval (Cloti ask response) 

Leslie analysis (not mine, but a good read) 

Cloti action touching 

Aerti friendship analysis 

Cloti body language chapter 3 

Cloti healthy disagreement 

Cloti post heliboss battle (chapter 15) 

Clerith playground scene 

Cloti body language plate fall 

Cloud and Barret friendship 

Now, strap in and enjoy the ride.

Recap time!

So, Aerith's been taken by Shinra and the group is still feeling the after effects of the plate fall. Everyone's pretty demoralised and after they visit deep ground and Cloud gets the aborted flashback of himself inside a chamber being experimented on, he says to Elmyra they should go save Aerith before the same fate befalls her.

Elmyra asks they sleep on it.

During the night Cloud “wakes up” to see a ghostly Aerith heading downstairs. He follows her outside and they talk on the hill top where the lifestream can be seen glowing in the background.

It’s important to note that Cloud has literally just gone through both the train graveyard and seen a bunch of ghosts and the plate collapse where he’s seen a load of people he cares about die. 

Cloud looks surprised. Hmm I wonder why....

Yeah, this is a no brainer opening. Aerith shouldn't be there and he doesn't think he's asleep at this moment. He looks around and figures out it's a dream, but isn't totally sure because how often does anyone have cognisant dreams?

You can see the doubt about if she’s a ghost or not and she doesn’t clear that up, so Cloud’s left wondering if Aerith’s dead already. The following conversation doesn’t reassure him.

Aerith's “Maybe. You tell me,” doesn't actually help here. If Cloud's having doubts about how real it is – and she's aware of his fake persona and wants to know the real him – then causing further doubt in his mind seems counterproductive. It's like she's implying an illusory nature to their relationship. It also feels like foreshadowing the moment Cloud thinks he’s not real. 

She's also not looking at him when she says it, so even if it was a teasing moment between them, she's automatically set a distance between them. Because eye contact matters, remember? When someone can't meet your eye it's for a reason, whether they're uncomfortable or hiding something or whatever. Eye contact is a conscious connection between two people. Deliberately not making eye contact has meaning too.

Aerith exposition. Lots of fidgeting. No eye contact. She seems like she's making small talk to avoid something. Even when Cloud faces her head on she quickly turns away again to stare off into the distance. Cloud remains in her peripheral vision only. When Aerith does turn to reassure Cloud, he looks away.

And after is the immortal line “Don't be silly” in response to Cloud's sarcasm. I mean, isn't she supposed to be the sweet one? So wouldn't her saying silly fit with her vocabulary? Or should she have said something like “Cloud, don't be a fucking moron” because she swore that one time and everyone erupted into cheers over it? Let's say it is a callback to Claudia, who somehow had a prophetic vision of Aerith being “the one”. Aerith didn't say “silly goose” which was the exact line Claudia said, so technically Aerith's only half of what Claudia suggested. If Tifa says “goose” at some point does that validate her being in the running too?

Yes, I'm being facetious. Point is, unlike the promise between Cloud and Tifa when it was Tifa reusing her own words, this relies on Aerith having meta knowledge of what Claudia said to Cloud when he was 16 and Aerith was with Zack. So, with that in mind, why would Aerith care what Claudia had to say about some other guy she doesn't even know when she's already got a boyfriend? The implication of this is that Aerith already knew everything that would happen to Zack and she'd already moved on from him to Cloud before they ever met and yet she kept writing letters to Zack the whole time.

But then after meeting Cloud she decided to take him up on the slide and talk about her dead boyfriend...as a way to let him know she's single?

This is Cloud's face when Aerith says in a perky voice “You worried about me?” This is the bit where he says “Of course.” It's a very neutral expression tbf. There's not anything being given away and the way he says the line is very simple too. Nothing suggests he's revealing a big secret to her or that he's embarrassed by his concern. I'd say it's SOLDIER!Cloud at rest since we know from the devs that Cloud still puts on a front with Aerith because he doesn't know how to deal with her. Which is typical for Cloud since he's emotionally 16 and never dealt with girls.

That perky persona visibly drains from Aerith's face and body language. Her posture sags, she breaks eye contact, she looks sad. This is the image of someone who isn't happy to hear that Cloud's worried about her. Now, if she was into the whole ship wouldn't she be happier to hear that line from him? She's regretful and turns away again, using her body as a barrier to any possible intimacy.

I'm sure people disagree, so imma explain. If she'd turned her back that would be an outright rejection. She'd be fully closing herself off. By turning away, she's indicating the conversation isn't over, but her degree of attention on Cloud is less than if she'd face him head on. If she stayed facing him, then that builds intimacy since face to face is open body language which can have several interpretations – some of which I've mentioned before like confrontational when Cloud steps up to Rude. When it's between a couple, it's suggestive of building intimacy and trust.

And when Cloud takes a step towards Aerith, she steps away again, towards the lifestream in the distance. Not permitting the closing of distance is a sign she doesn't want to encourage intimacy with him. That she walks towards where the lifestream is means that's where her attention and focus is. Whether that's an overarching plot reason or from a “Zack is there” reason is up to your interpretation.

Another immortal line. Considering Aerith just stepped towards where we can see the lifestream and that she's taking up her priestess pose we can reasonably assume she's thinking of Zack, unless you're once again subscribing to the theory that she's meta!Aerith aware of her own death and speaking of that. In which case, yall need to make up your minds whether she's one or the other because you can't swap between the two when it suits you just to justify your arguments.

When Cloud says “I'll remember that” in response to Aerith's advice that “every moment matters” it definitely comes across as one of those character building life lessons that Cloud's had over the course of the game. He got one from Barret about how not everyone has a choice to run away, one from Marle about listening to others and caring and now he's got one from Aerith about making the time they have count. These are mentor moments.

But more importantly, look who Aerith's looking at when she says that line. It's not Cloud, not the lifestream. Us. The players. She is talking to us. This isn't just wisdom for Cloud, it's for us, too.

After a 9 second pause from Aerith, in which she looks at the ground, Cloud offers a suggestion of what she wants to say next. She seems very lost in thought during this time, and almost reluctant to speak. Considering she always seems to know what to say in any given situation, this is off. This very long pause is the longest she's been silent in the whole game. It's notable. She almost seems to be warring with herself as her eyes narrow and she subtly shifts from side to side.

I may well be wrong about the length of time she’s silent. It could be 7 seconds in a callback to the 7 seconds it took for Sephiroth to drop and kill her in OG. 

I'm one of those who does subscribe to the whole OG!Aerith vs meta!Aerith theories – which I stick to throughout every scene involving her so don't even try and @ me and say I'm a liar – and to me, this looks like OG Aerith trying to assert dominance over the situation, while meta Aerith wants to refuse.

When Cloud speaks, Aerith looks grateful for the cut in. It pulls her out of that warring state, while he's trying to look cool and mature still lol (dork)

Okay, so that whole speech she gives about thanking him is definitely coming off like she's aware of things she shouldn't know yet. This may be what OG!Aerith was trying to prevent her from saying. This isn’t something that Cloud should know yet, after all.

After some physical humming and hawing, eyes downcast, then glancing away and we get a shot of her feet – remember all of this is intentional to build a story here – she looks up and we get this line that's making certain people freak out with joy.

Quick lesson on intonation.

Intonation is the rise and fall – the pitch – of how you say certain words. The way you say them gives them their meaning. You can say the same words in many different ways to convey different meanings and/or emotions.

I've previously focused on Aerith's choice of the word “can't” here because this is the key word in the phrase.

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how certain people are interpreting this line to turn it into a positive. The word “can't” is synonymous with an impossibility. It means “there are specific reasons why this isn't possible.”

Aerith didn't say “Don't” as in “you shouldn't”. She said “can't” as in “not able to”. She is telling Cloud that he's not able to love her. The specific intonation on the word “can't” supports this evidence. If yall wanna examine it more closely then I suggest you turn the sound down slightly so it's actually harder to hear the whole sentence and see which words have more emphasis. Can't has specific emphasis, which wouldn't be there if she wasn't stressing the word.

As for her facial expression. I mean, this doesn't look like the earlier one where she's sad or regretful. This is matter of fact. She's telling him this as a kindness because he's not yet aware of the reasons that she is.

(Note: I didn't say which specific reasons because some of yall say it's her death and others say it's Tifa, so that's up to you. There's reasons, is my point).

So up until she said that, Cloud was actually looking at her. But this made him turn away in dismissal. Not with embarrassment. He's not caught out and flustered. He's SOLDIER!Cloud, remember? He's all front and super cool facade.

This isn't the first time a girl has thrown herself at him. Jessie did it too, only more ott. Cloud's used to brushing off girls and does it without effort.

I'm sure up to this point some people have been screaming about how biased I've been and unfair and this is so cloti (excuse me while I roll my eyes).

So, if I'm biased why am I about to point out that the above screen is real!Cloud popping in for a visit? This is him overriding the SOLDIER persona to question if Aerith might have a point. But not about her. About Tifa. Because within the previous few hours, Cloud and Tifa shared an intimate moment. And it wasn’t soldier Cloud who did that. It was real Cloud. Aerith is calling attention to real Cloud’s feelings for Tifa, which makes him look to the house where Tifa is sleeping. He gets soft eyed and starts to smile, but then seems to want to question himself, which we know isn’t a good idea. Real Cloud and Soldier Cloud aren’t ready to meet yet.

And while real!Cloud is busy debating with SOLDIER!Cloud about Aerith's words, she's approached completely silently – because, ykno, she's not actually there – and he's caught sight of her hand in his peripheral vision. The second she touches him he jerks back looking surprised. This wasn't a telegraphed move where he saw it coming from 10 feet away and chose to do nothing.

I also question that if he can feel her hand here then it's solid, but when he goes to grab her it's not? So, she chose to let him feel the first touch, but then rejected him grabbing her? Or is it more likely that having caught sight of her hand in his peripheral vision he didn't actually feel her touch his face then or the time after because Aerith's not there. There's no actual physical interaction between them.

This is pity. Not much else to say about it. Meta!Aerith knows Cloud's future and that by introducing these future concepts to him, she's causing confusion ahead of the time it should happen. She feels bad about that and probably about her OG behaviour that she had no control over thanks to the Whispers forcing her to go against her real nature.

Well, I was going to say that Cloud going to grab her wrist – not her hand – is just further proof of her intangible presence. She isn't someone he can hold onto. But having grabbed this screen it's clear he wouldn't have grabbed her wrist at all either. His hand is open and aimed at her forearm and already passing through her well before he tries to close it.

And the reason why goes back to the ghost thing. Cloud thought she wasn’t there in person, that she might be dead or it’s a dream, but then she touched him. So he wants to grab her the same way he did Jessie in the pillar, to try and keep her alive. But his hand goes through her and he’s left looking confused again.

“Do I get a say in all this?”

Well now. That's a bit different. I'm sure like everyone else we've all been convinced that Cloud said “Don't I get a say in this?” like he's arguing with Aerith's decision. That he's admitting he's already in love with her.

“Do I get a say in all this?” is a totally different kettle of fish.

Don't connotates a confrontational tone. It's argumentative. It's rejecting whatever previous statement was made.

Do is a question. It's inquisitive. Placid. Neutral. It's neither confirming, nor denying the previous statement. It's merely asking for more information.

Funny how those little word replacements some people use end up twisting the narrative.

Cloud’s not just speaking about Aerith’s most recent statement either. He’s talking about the whole conversation they just had. The possibility that she’s dead or dying and he doesn’t get any choice about it. This is a throwback to the OG theme of life and death and how the dying get to say goodbye and decide how to leave, while the living don’t and have to figure out how to move on from it afterwards. 

Anyway, Cloud has his back to us, so we don't even know if that's coming from SOLDIER!Cloud or real!Cloud, so that's up for debate and I won't even bother since he's got his back to us and we can't see either way.

And then we've got the cool SOLDIER!Cloud (screen) telling Aerith he's gonna save her. We already know that Cloud does his best to sound cool and confident when talking to Aerith because he doesn't know how to be himself around her. This is the kind of line you'd expect to hear from him.

She replies, “If that's what you want.” which is also very non-specific. It's a neutral statement that leaves things up to Cloud. It could imply an answer to the previous question he asked, since the two do stand beside each other and make sense. However, the interjected “It's almost morning” line breaks this up and makes it less of an impactful statement from her. She's done her upmost to neutralise any romantic context from this scene.

Conclusion

If yall saw romance then okay, you must be right.

I sure af didn't. I saw a regretful Aerith telling Cloud things he shouldn't be aware of yet, feeling more regretful for confusing someone who's already suffering from mental illness and then making non-committal statements that neither reject or encourage his attention.

Maybe she's regretful for her own sake as well, knowing what she does about him and still doing this to push some future narrative only she's aware of, but I wouldn't say this is romantic. It's clearly some kind of goodbye from her. Cloud, for his part, looks confused and guarded through most of the scene. There's one moment when his real self peeks out to question Aerith's meaning, but then he's gone again. We can't say for any certainty that his question was asked by his true self or his SOLDIER persona and without visual context I won't speculate.

[queen-ofsunflowers]

Okay, so I’ve been binge watching A:TLA on like... a loop for the past week or two, because I love the show and ya know, nostalgia. And last night, my mind got to work on thinking “if the BNHA cast were in this universe, what kind of benders would they be?”

In other words, things spiralled and I accidentally made another AU. I don’t have all the characters placed just yet, there are a few I’m having trouble pinning down specifically. So, here are the couple that I DO have pinned down. (There are more than those that are on this list, but for now let’s just focus on the main cast members.)

First up on the list are the airbenders! And those confirmed to be airbenders in this AU are Ochako Uraraka and Tenya Iida. Here, having Uraraka be an airbender was a no-brainer. Her Quirk is the ability to make things float, which I think translates pretty nicely into airbending. However, with Iida... I’ve always associated speed with airbending. I think enhancing speed is actually a technique that airbenders use by decreasing the wind resistance around them or creating a current to propel them forward. So, with his speed Quirk, I thought that it could possibly translate into Iida using airbending to make himself go faster, something that his family is known for. That, and I love the idea of the brick that is Tenya Iida being constantly mistaken for an earthbender because of his physique. The other kids that are airbenders right now are Yuga Aoyama and Inasa Yoarashi. Inasa should be... ya know, kind of obvious. He is canonically an airbender in MHA. And I don’t know why, but Aoyama just gives off major airbender vibes to me.

Next up in the AU are the waterbenders! Our confirmed waterbenders are Mina Ashido, Tsuyu Asui and Shouto Todoroki. For Asui and Todoroki, I think the explanation here is simple. Actually, the explanation ofr all of them are pretty much simple. Tsuyu’s Quirk has a lot to do with water, so that was an obvious placement. Todoroki’s previous primary use of ice easily translates into him being a natural born waterbender. As for Ashido, my mind works weird. It automatically linked her use of acid and a couple of her movements in canon to being waterbending moves. Also, acid is a liquid. So... liquid-bending. Other waterbenders include Mezo Shouji, Ibara Shiozaki, and Tamaki Amajiki. For Shouji and Amajiki, it’s mostly due to the octopus aspect of waterbending and my mind linking that to their Quirks. It reminded me a lot of them in general personality-wise. As for Shiozaki, all I have to say is plantbending and leave it at that.

Following the order of the Avatar cycle, that means the next set of benders on this list are the earthbenders! And at least one of these should be kind of obvious, but for confirmed earthbenders we got Eijirou Kirishima and Hanta Sero. Kirishima was another no-brainer when it came to this. He literally turns into a rock. That just screams earthbender. As for Sero... I got inspired from Legend of Korra when it came to what kind of bender he should be. If you can recall, the metalbending members of Republic City police force would used spools of cables to sort of zip around the city, and that reminded me a lot of the way Sero moves around with his tape. So... we got a metalbender Sero! Other earthbenders include Rikido Sato, Itsuka Kendou, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Mirio Togata and Yo Shindo. Shindo and Tetsutetsu should be obvious. Shindo’s Quirk literally allows him to shake the ground, and Tetsutetsu can turn into metal. For Sato, it was about the strength that’s often necessary to earthbend, and his Quirk when stripped to the basics, is enhanced strength. With Kendou, it’s a similiar situation to Aoyama. She and her personality felt like that of an earthbender. Stubborn and determined... That, and like with Sato, there was also the strength aspect to her powers that just screamed earthbender to me. Mirio was one I had trouble with because I kept bouncing back and forth between the idea of him being an earthbender or an airbender. Earth won out in the end, because I could easily see that helping with a translation from permeation -- Mirio can bend the ground so that it swallows him up and allows him to pass straight though solid walls of earth.

Following the earthbenders, with have the firebenders. And those confirmed to be firebenders so far are Katsuki Bakugo and Denki Kaminari. These guys were some of the first that I pinned down. Bakugo just screams firebender, with his explosive personality. That, and there’s an aspect of firebending that lets someone create explosions. So, obviously Bakugo had to be a firebender. With Kaminari, let’s not forget that creating lightning is also an aspect of firebending, and lightning is electricity. So, there we go for that one. Other firebenders include Shouto Todoroki and Nejire Hadou. OKAY. Before anyone says anything, let me explain. I know that I said I had Todoroki as a waterbender. And I do. He was born one. And before you ask, no. He is not the Avatar. I was going back and forth with what kind of bender he should be until getting an idea in my mind that would allow Todoroki to be both. That whole plot bunny is a very long one to explain, so I’ll save it for another post. Let’s just say that due to traumatic circumstances, Todoroki ends up with the ability to firebend when he’s fifteen. As for Neijire, it was a toss up between her being an airbender or a firebender, but I decided upon the latter in the end. It reflects the energy manipulation of her Quirk, as well as leaving traces of it behind. She can use the flames she makes to fly around, too.

And I know that this list mostly focuses on benders, but there are some nonbenders in this AU, too. Hitoshi Shinsou and Mei Hatsume are both confirmed nonbenders so far. Hatsume gives off the kind of vibe like... she doesn’t need bending to do things, she has her babies. Even if she was a bender, she wouldn’t use it often. Mostly for convicence purposes. With Shinsou, it came down to I really couldn’t see his Quirk working with any of the bending arts aside from bloodbending. But Shinsou’s too much of a good person to do that, so nonbender it was. It also fits with the train of thought that being a bender means that you can so much more than nonbenders. Which, I should note, is a total lie, but one that people choose to believe. Don’t worry though. Shinsou soon gets rid of that mindset with the help of another nonbender who I like to note, is a badass and ends up becoming Shinsou’s mentor.

And of course, you can’t have an Avatar AU without an Avatar. For this AU it’s obviously Izuku Midoriya. The story I have set up for him is that -- for some reason -- the Avatar Spirit had lied dormant in his body for the first fourteen years of his life. This lead to many (Midoriya himself included) to believe that he was a nonbender. That was until he and Bakugo were attacked by a rogue waterbender that tried to kill them, leading to Midoriya activating the Avatar State and in turn, bending for the first time. This is a feat that shocks everyone, even Midoriya himself.

And that’s pretty much it so far! I have a lot of ideas for this AU, so if you guys want to see more of it, let me know! I think the one aspect I mentioned earlier with Todoroki does need some explaining, so... if you guys want to know about that, I wouldn’t mind making another post about it.

[deaddovecoterie]

Jily and all hearts

❤︎: who is more affectionate in public? in private?

james is very physically vocal about his affection for lily; hes always peppering kisses on her face but lily will try to swat him away. he’s not afraid of PDA but lily definitely is, she hates people staring. james is also, once again, more affectionate in private too, but lily can dish it out too just as much when she wants to

♡︎: who is the bigger romantic openly? secretly?

james potter is such a hopeless romantic, but only in private. i think it’s a well known fact that lily is also a hopeless romantic but she is more public about it. you can almost always find a stack of romance novels somewhere in her room. james on the other hand is extremely romantic, but only in private: whenever it’s mentioned to the marauders, he automatically shoots it down and claims that love is “gross beyond compare” according to him

❥: who is more likely to plan something big for valentine’s day?

this, once again, is also james. lily hates the very idea of valentines day, she things it’s just another commercial money grab, “why can’t you love your significant other the same amount every day of the year?” she argues. james agrees with her, “but why not waste your galleons on a money grab if it’s for someone special?” he normally says as he suggestively wiggles his eyebrows. at this, lily normally slaps him, but smiles anyway

ꨄ: who is more likely to initiate hand holding in public?

i would have to say lily. she isn’t one for PDA, but she loves holding james’ hand.

💕: who is more likely to make huge declarations of love in front of others?

obviouslyyyyy james. he basically professed his love for her wherever he went, whether that was in the middle of transfiguration and he’d turn a frog into a ring, in charms where he’d send her an origami unicorn with “marry my evans” scrolled onto it, or in the common room where he charmed the stairs to say “go out with me evans” every time she took a step

💘: who developed a crush on the other first?

i mean. this one also goes to james. i think it’s pretty obviously that lily couldn’t stand his guts at the beginning, but james was positively whipped for the brilliant redhead. it was in their second year and sirius, remus, wormtail and james were all sitting on squashy chairs in the common room by the fire place. they were giving prongs a hard time about his obsession with lily when he said “i am not obsessed! it’s not like i lay awake thinking about her at night” he scoffed.*time skip to 2am* “oh my god” he said with his eyes wide, staring at the canopy of his bed

💝: who spends more time (possibly overthinking) what presents to get the other?

lily evans; she, naturally, is an over thinker, but when it comes to james? she’s never not overthinking things, particularly when it comes to gifts. she stresses about it and asks marlene, doe, mary, alice, even remus what she should get for him. she’ll pace her room sometimes trying to brainstorm ideas. then, days later she’ll break and finally buy something, but will ask herself “will he even like it? does he even need it really? will it last time a long time? is it practical?” and then she’ll go back and return it. THEN she’ll be panicking and scrambling to get him something a few hours before and finally buys the first thing that comes to mind. of course he ends up loving it even more than the previous year, but it doesn’t stop her from worrying

💓: who initiates most physical contact?

i think this one is a no brainer: james fuckin potter. unless it’s in the bedroom lol, then it’s lily💀

💌: who is more likely to send cutesy texts to the other?

definitely james. lily hates any sort of pet name or cutesy talk or coddling. she absolutely detests everything about it, but james will send her things like “i’ll be right over sweetie pie” and she just wants to rip her eyeballs out of their sockets

💟: who spends time reading their zodiac compatibilities?

lily says she doesn’t believe in that stuff but it’s total bullshit, she’ll curl up in a cozy corner and read everything about it for as long as she can

💙: who is more protective?

james i think, since he fought so hard to get her BUT i think that lily is equally as protective when a girl makes eyes at him

💚: who tends to get sick more often? who is better at taking care of the other?

lily, since she spends so much time studying she might only have a few things to eat during the day which gives her a shit immune system. lily fusses over james more when he’s sick but james is better at taking care of her and herself

💜: who said i love you first?

james 😌

💛: who believes in soulmates?

to be honest i don’t think either of them believes in soul mates, but if one of them had to i think it would be james since he’s a cheesy romantic

[masterweaverx]

I be a nerd, I be liking D&D, and I be watchin' a lot of Tulok the Barbrarian's 'Building Character' series, where he puts together how to play as various fictional characters in fifth edition up to level 20. He's done Ruby, he's done Yang, but I was bored so I figured I'd follow his format and try to guess how he'd do Blake. This is going to be a lot of Nerd Rambling, so here we go.

So, outlining the goals: Agility is a must for any Blake build, she's got a lot of nimbleness to her. She also uses two swords--one of which is also a whip and a pistol, and the other a sheathe that can be combined to make an extra sword--so she should have weapon versatility. And of course there's her semblence, can't have a Blake without a Blake Buddy, and we need that Blake Buddy to be useful.

Tulok uses standard point array for a reason, it skips over the fiddliness of 'rolling' and 'pointbuy'. Also useful for organizing high stats to low. Blake's very nimble and a lot of her weapons count as finesse or ranged, so putting the 15 into dexterity is a no-brainer. She's also very good at spotting things and analyzing the situation--wisdom's generally where that sort of thing comes from, so it gets a 14. Charisma is the skill you need to make big speeches about how the White Fang has gone downhill and get people to listen, plugging the 13 in there seems good. And she likes her books, so 12 for intelligence is obvious. Between strength and constitution I think I'd dump strength--constitution is about HP and endurance, so it'd get the 10, and proficiency in the Athletics skill should make up for the weakness having an 8 in strength gives.

For race, I'd say a Swiftstride Shifter works best. Specifically the statblock from the Races of Eberron Unearthed Arcana--I've seen one without Keen Senses and, yeah, that didn't make sense to me. Swiftstride Shifters get +2 to their Dexterity, bumping Blake up to 17, and +1 to their Charisma, evening that out to 14. They also get sixty feet of Darkvision, Keen Senses for an automatic Perception proficiency, and Graceful for an automatic Acrobatics proficiency. And then there's the big draw--automatically got 35 walk speed (5 more than the usual norm), plus they can trigger a one-minute transformation for both another +5 speed (total of 40 feet) and the ability to move 10 feet as a reaction when an enemy ends their round within 5 feet of them without triggering attacks of Oppurtunity. (Also get some temporary hit points during the transformation, but that's a side benefit.) Blake's hard to hit even before she gets class levels. And her first class level will make her even harder to hit.

For Background I figure Courtier from Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide works best. It gives Blake proficiency in Insight and Persuasion, two extra languages of her choice, and the feature Court Functionary. To quote the online source I'm using:

Your knowledge of how bureaucracies function lets you gain access to the records and inner workings of any noble court or government you encounter. You know who the movers and shakers are, whom to go to for the favors you seek, and what the current intrigues of interest in the group are.

Very much something Blake would be interested in. Admittedly, for her noble courts are more the 'legally dubious' organizations like the White Fang and the Happy Huntresses, but being the daughter of the chief of Kuo Kuana probably gives her some political acumen anyway.

I'm not going to go level-by-level like Turlok does, I don't think anyone here wants me to ramble too much, but I will say Blake will be getting nine levels of Rogue and eleven of Fighter. Four Rogue levels, five Fighter levels, five more Rogue levels, then six Fighter levels. Starting with Rogue gives her a lot of proficiencies, and fighter... a lot less, when she multiclasses into it, but enough to shore up Rogue. Rogues get proficiencies in Light Armor and Simple Weapons (and a bunch of specific Martial Weapons, but multiclassing into Fighter gives her all the Martial Weapons anyway so no need to be specific there). They also get proficiencies in Thieves' Tools, which work on traps as well as locks, and on Dexterity and Intelligence saving throws--Blake's smart enough not to be fooled and nimble enough to get out of the way. Finally, they get four skill proficiencies, and I figure Blake would go with Athletics, Deception, Investigation, and Stealth to round out her ninja-ing. Multiclassing into Fighter gives a character proficiency in Simple and Martial Weapons, as well as Light and Medium Armor and Shields; honestly, Blake isn't going to be using those proficiencies much, it's more for the class features, but I thought I'd mention them.

With nine levels of Rogue come most of the standard Rogue abilities, which mostly make Blake that much harder to hit, so I'll only go over the stuff that has to be chosen. Blake gets two expertises on their first and sixth level, which she can choose to place on any skill to double her proficiency bonus on them; Acrobatics, Athletics, Investigation, and Persuasion are what I figured fit her most.

A third level Rogue chooses a Roguish Archetype, and the website I'm using has 'Acrobat' as an option; that gives Blake Ariel Artistry at third Rogue level (When she moves, she can instead take two short movements by flying. Each movement is half her speed, and she must end each one on a solid object or the ground. If she does not, she falls and her movement ends.) and Fearless Aerialist at ninth Rogue level (she no longer takes damage from falling).

And then there are the Ability Score Improvements at fourth and eighth level; for fourth level I figure Blake would appreciate the Dual Wielder feat, and because I'm splitting 4-5-5-6  that means the eighth level Improvement is actually Blake's third improvement, so there's be +1 to Dexterity and +1 to Intelligence (because she already got +2 to Dexterity from Fighter), so that would cap her Dexterity at 20 and make her Intelligence 13. Also, the Dual Wielder feat for reference:

You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits:

You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand. You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren't light. You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.

So this basically covers most of Blake's "normal" mobility, but her combat capabilities and Semblance will be covered by Fighter.

The non-variable Fighter improvements boil down to 'extra attacks, extra actions, and a few features to help you shrug off damage.' Blake is nothing if not tenacious. Of the variable features, I think she'd pick up the Two-Weapon Fighting Style on her first Fighter level, because that lets her use her ability score with the damage of her bonus attack with her offhand weapon (high Dex, lotta hitting power). Her ability score improvments at Fighter Level Four, Six, and Eight would be two points to Dexterity, Charisma, and Wisdom respectively. For those at home, that means her Dexterity is 20, Charisma and Wisdom 16 each, Intelligence 13, Constitution 10 and Strength 8 when all's said and done. Of course, third level fighters get to pick a martial Archetype that gives them benefits as they level, and Echo Knight is perfectly suited for Blake. Right off the bat, she gets this:

Manifest Echo 3rd-level Echo Knight feature

You can use a bonus action to magically manifest an echo of yourself in an unoccupied space you can see within 15 feet of you. This echo is a magical, translucent, gray image of you that lasts until it is destroyed, until you dismiss it as a bonus action, until you manifest another echo, or until you're incapacitated.

Your echo has AC 14 + your proficiency bonus, 1 hit point, and immunity to all conditions. If it has to make a saving throw, it uses your saving throw bonus for the roll. It is the same size as you, and it occupies its space. On your turn, you can mentally command the echo to move up to 30 feet in any direction (no action required). If your echo is ever more than 30 feet from you at the end of your turn, it is destroyed. You can use the echo in the following ways:

-As a bonus action, you can teleport, magically swapping places with your echo at a cost of 15 feet of your movement, regardless of the distance between the two of you.

-When you take the Attack action on your turn, any attack you make with that action can originate from your space or the echo's space. You make this choice for each attack.

-When a creature that you can see within 5 feet of your echo moves at least 5 feet away from it, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature as if you were in the echo's space.

Unleash Incarnation 3rd-level Echo Knight feature

You can heighten your echo's fury. Whenever you take the Attack action, you can make one additional melee attack from the echo's position.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

At Fighter level seven, Blake would get Echo Avatar, which lets her send her Echo on scouting missions for ten minutes at a time. Not very in character, sure. But she's very aware of everything anyway, so it's not surprising she'd have eyes and ears everywhere. And then, at level ten, she gets the very appropriately named Shadow Martyr, which lets her make her Echo teleport and take the hit for any creature she can see being attacked as a reaction. That is very much in character for Blake.

Technically, the eleventh level of Fighter (and the twentieth level of the build) gives her another extra attack, which could be devastating with all the weapons she can juggle thanks to Dual Wielder and her weapon proficiencies. I'm not sure if that's better then a tenth level in Rogue, which would give her another ability score improvement, but it does mean she can rain down a lot of pain very quickly--and the woman cut down a missile barrage once! While boosted. But it happened!

So yeah, that's my take on it.

[lloftvlly]

MysMe Characters in a Zombie Apocalypse Headcanons

Here I go again. I like zombie moves/shows and mysme so I figured I wanna combine them. 

All the headcanons under the cut because this became long! 

Yoosung

Scared boy ™

Yet shows strength when he has to protect you

Cries as he runs away from zombies

Also cries and/or gags when he sees the gory stuff

Builds contraptions to keep zombies out of your camp / hide-out

Which never rly work... but it’s the thought that counts

Always compares every situation to video games he played 

And can sometimes even come up with useful plans due to his experience with post apocalypse setting video games

But whines a lot about how “this is way harder than it looked like in xx game”

Ready to die for you and thus ends up doing unnecessary dangerous stuff, so the group has to often stop him to do the dumb thing.

“I’m not a child anymore I WANT to protect MC TOO!”

Weapon of choice: a sword like his favorite video game character even if he’s clumsy in using it. So he ends up reaching for a simple gun when he finds himself in a dire situation. 

Knows recipes of post apocalypse type foods and cooks for the group.

If you’re bitten by a zombie he falls into complete denial and firmly believes you won’t turn because he can’t accept you leaving him like that. 

Jaehee

You didn’t expect it but she suddenly turns into a very capable apocalypse warrior

When she doesn’t kick ass, she researches about the outbreak and comes up with theories to potentially one day find a cure

Keeps the group organized even in chaotic times

Always able to come up with plans when the group finds itself in dangerous situations

Call herself your sidekick but it feels more like you’re her sidekick

Doesn’t trust any new people at all, if someone wants to join your group they have to get through Jaehee first (and most times don’t manage to do that.) 

Scavengers from outside groups always underestimate her and then end up getting their ass kicked. 

Keeps an organized list of how many zombies and how many people (in self defense) she has killed. She feels guilty for the people side of the list, even if it was in self defense every time. 

Makes you feel the most safe when you are on errand runs together.

She sees and hears EVERYTHING so no zombies or people can approach you unnoticed. She’s just always really alert.

Weapon of choice: her own martial arts skills and if necessary uses a machete to assist her.

Always tired, yet always on top of her game when the situation requires it. 

If you’re bitten she wants to make the last moments for you as comfortable as humanly possible, while she closely stays by your side. She’ll act tough to not show her own pain and will not show you her tears because she wants you to see her strong in your last moments to make you feel at peace with leaving her behind. 

Jumin

Leader of the group even though he never signed up for this

The group just suddenly decided he would be the most level headed for that position and for Jumin it would be too much trouble to decline

Negotiates with other groups you meet on the road and often gets some good trades for supplies done

Surprisingly is a good fighter when he has to put down a zombie or two

Really knows how to shoot a gun and land a head shot after the other for some reason ( he probably had private shooting classes before the apocalypse for fun) 

Sighs yet composed when blood gets on his fresh white shirt

Where does he get all these clean white shirts from? 

Way too clean for someone who lives in a world that ended.

If he has to kill other people who seem to be a danger to your group he will do so without hesitation and zero regret, they had it coming. 

Weapon of choice: a simple yet powerful handgun

Sometimes makes questionable choices and tries to control the group too much to keep track of everyone. 

He means it well for everyone’s safety but it can be too much.

But when you tell him he does things wrong he gets soft and is willing to listen to you when you advice him on doing things differently.

This is making you somewhat of the right hand of the leader. 

If you’re bitten he gets too emotional about it to asses the situation and you end up being the one comforting him because he loses his fucking mind. 

Zen

Looks bomb even after 5 days on the road without a shower

Still somehow manages to hold a somewhat proper meal plan

And gets enough sleep cos “his skin needs it”

Protects you always! And never lets you out of sight if he can avoid it.

Gets way too comfortable with shady strangers you meet on the road

But if someone of these strangers becomes a danger to you, doesn’t think twice before cutting their throat

On supply runs he brings back shampoo, beer and magazines instead of things like canned food and water

He avoids fighting whenever he can to keep his hands clean, but if he has to do it, he’s very capable and smooth

Weapon of choice: a katana 

Looks like a beautiful warrior when he fights

His long hair gets in the way sometimes and can cause zombies grabbing at it but he WON’T cut it EVER. Sacrifices are to be made in the name of beauty. 

The members of your group all somehow rely on Zen for emotional support in rough times because he knows just the things to say to make everyone feel better and never stops being positive even after the world was literally ending.  

Nothing seen of this positivity however, when it’s about Jumin. 

Yes, he is not okay with Jumin being the leader but also doesn’t do anything about it, even if it causes him to nag sometimes.

If you’re bitten he will blame himself forever for not protecting you better and go on a rampage to kill every zombie within a 10 mile radius to let out his frustration. One of them hurt you, so all of them must die. 

Seven

Runner of the group, meaning he does most of the supply runs, goes out to clear roads and check locations and safety thereof 

Somehow became always that guy of the group everyone looks at when they discuss about needing a member to do something that’s ridiculously reckless. Because “its Seven, he’ll manage.”

And will do everything the group asks from him, because what does he have to lose?

Most reckless of the bunch but also luckiest of the bunch, always gets away completely unharmed no matter what dumb risky thing he does. 

Still you worry about him a lot for his lack of self-preservation, but don’t tell him you do or he’ll get mad at you. 

Boy knows all the little secret pathways, hideouts and escape routes.

Also comes up with clever inventions he can make out of random junk he finds. It really helps out the group

Zombie puns all day everyday “ Zombodie had to do it.”  “That’s a no-brainer” “You undead all your good work” “Don’t outbreak my heart.” 

Tries to avoid killing or fighting off zombies to save his energy for other things. He’s more into being stealthy when he has to get shit done. 

But when he has to, he will be pretty good in getting rid of a handful zombies.. :

Weapon of choice: a wooden baseball bat with nails sticking out of it.

He likes it, it makes him look badass

Tries hard to avoid getting emotionally attached to you or anyone in the group because you all could die at any moment and there’s no point.

But slips into caring too much about you and the group anyway 

If you’re bitten he will have an emotional break first but then quickly start to think of ways to save you, no matter how. And if he has to chop off the infected body part to see if it works he will do so. 

Saeran [ Unknown ]

Not part of your group but always knows where you all are and what you are doing.

Instead belongs to this other surviving group that ordered him to keep an eye on yours.

Comes out of nowhere when you’re in a situation where you can’t defend yourself from a group of zombies to save your ass.

But will be gone again before you can even thank him. He only did it because he needs you alive anyway.

At least that’s what he tells himself. Although he starts caring for you for some reason. 

And really wants to bring you back to join his own group instead of sticking with the RFA.

You get very interested in this masked stranger but your questions remain unanswered because he keeps his distance to continue to watch from afar. 

Casually uses zombie blood, skin and guts to camouflage himself when he has to walk through herds of them. 

He is a skilled assassin who was trained to get the job done.

Weapon of choice: a simple hand knife in close range and a full-on automatic rifle for when it’s about killing many zombies at once.

Will use either of the weapons not only on zombies but on other humans, with the same lack of hesitation, if they piss him off.

Biggest kill count of them all. 

If you’re bitten he won’t even think twice before grabbing a sharp tool to chop off your infected body part if it’s in a location that can be removed. If it’s not he might wait for you to turn and keep you as a zombie pet. 

V

The original leader of the group who mysteriously vanished about 10 days into the outbreak.

It’s because he’s been infiltrating the other mysterious group to gain information on them just to find out his ex is the leader of this other group.

Thus is stuck between two groups and because of that became a solo-surviver without really a group to belong to.

Elegant fighter. Will knock down 5 zombies gracefully without a single drop of sweat.

Sometimes picks up helpless stranded survivors on the streets and allows them to travel with him and protect them until he finds them a save community to join.

Weapon of choice: a makeshift wooden spear with a blunt end for humans and a pointy end for zombies.

Pacifist who will never kill another human, even if they tried to kill him first.

But never hesitates even a second before killing a zombie.

Probably saved your ass from the distance a few times without you knowing.

Leaves water and food on your hideout doorstep in secret when he knows your group is low on supplies because he never stops taking care of all of you from the shadows. 

If you’re bitten he will be by your side and do everything in his power to make your last moments comfortable. Unable to end your pain while you’re still alive and yourself, he will wait for you to turn before he can eventually kill you. 

Rika

Leader of this other group and still goes by the name savior.

Her group has a questionable pyramid scheme: They are basically a apocalyptic cult who believes that this end of the world is a sign for them to build their new society.

Somehow mastered to build the most powerful survival group in a safe locations with strong walls.

Is interested to bring in people of your group if they are useful to her.

Especially interested in Seven, since he got the brains she could need to further build up her own little society behind her walls.

And will sacrifice everything for her cause, especially the lives of people working for her.

Uses force to make people stay and work for her. Will kill her own “believers” and turn them into zombies if they astray from the beliefs she forced onto them, then have them in cages within their walls to show them off to the other members her community as an example of what happens when you go against the grain. 

Especially uses Saeran as her most active tool in whatever mission she plans.  

Weapon of choice: Her charm and manipulation tactics.  

Legit thinks life after the outbreak is better than before and the apocalypse is somehow a gateway to paradise. 

If you get bitten she locks you up to see the process of a human turning as a sort of experiment. 

[jaimetheexplorer]

In the got bathtub commentary scene ncw references the fact that jaime got hard in the books and says that it doesn't make sense and that he didn't understand it. Gwen says that she was pleased that it wasn't in the show bc it takes away from the purity of the scene, that it makes him more of an animal and would've cheapened it. Do you agree with them?

Hi anon,

sorry it took a while to reply to this, but it’s kind of a long answer and I was travelling the last couple of days so I didn’t have time to sit down and respond properly.

So, this is the commentary in question:

From their comments, Nikolaj seems to be the one that is confused and doesn’t understand why it was there in the books, while Cogman even says “it makes sense” [in the books] and basically chuckles about the obvious (i.e. it’s not like they could have filmed an erection, LOL). Gwen seems to see both sides of the argument, I don’t think she means “an animal” in a bad way, from the way she’s phrasing it. 

For my part, I do not think the book version is “cheapened” by Jaime being aroused, just as I don’t think the show version is lacking in terms of what that arousal was meaning to convey. 

Given that they would obviously never show an erection on camera, I guess the discussion is about the fact that the script didn’t contain a line about Jaime specifically being aroused in that moment, for the actors to convey in some way, and what that means for the scene.

I think Cogman might have different reasons to omit that from the script. On the one hand, he might simply have thought pointless to include something that would have never been shown on camera anyway. On the other hand, the show - and Cogman in particular - always had a tendency to write JB as “softer” than they are in the books (which is partly due to the differences between what each medium can afford - but this is a different tangent I’m not going to go off on right now). GRRM has a more nitty-gritty style of writing that doesn’t shy away from using explicit sexual references. 

But explicit sexual references aren’t necessarily “lesser than”. People seem to have a tendency to see the omission of sexual content as a sign of a superior dynamic and it’s almost a no-brainer for most (audience, writers and actors alike), to automatically praise this type of writing as such. I think that is because we are too conditioned in modern media to think of anything sexual as something cheap, dirty and gratuitous and we have lost touch with how it can be used meaningfully or realistically in writing.

Saying Jaime’s arousal cheapens the scene is kind of missing the narrative point of that arousal, IMO. It serves a very important purpose at that point in the development of their relationship and GRRM places it in that context of feverish confusion and openness and vulnerability for a reason.

Jaime is in a very vulnerable state at that point in his journey, and all these different, very human, emotional states are mingling together in that bathtub: exhaustion, trauma, longing for acceptance, frustration, pain, and, yes, sexual arousal. Guess what? Yes, human beings are animals! We are not always in control of what is and isn’t an appropriate reaction to have in a situation, particularly when recovering from a traumatic experience. I think that’s partly what Gwen might have been getting at when she was using the word “animal” - not in a derogatory sense, but in the sense of expressing/experiencing some basic instincts.

I think what they might be forgetting at that point in the commentary, and what influences the comments about the arousal in the books vs. omission in the show, is that Brienne is supposed to be ugly. Had Brienne been your typical attractive woman, having Jaime get aroused at seeing her naked wouldn’t have told the reader anything new, plot-wise. One could see that as just objectifying the woman in a moment that’s meant to be about an emotional confession and connection. So I understand why they might feel it’s needless to have it in the scene and it might cheapen the scene. 

But given that Brienne is mean to be ugly, what George is starting to do is beginning to lay clues about Jaime’s sexual inclinations and hint at the fact that he might get sexually aroused by a woman who’s considered “ugly” (in classic George style, this comes up again later on, when he hints at that again with Hildy, and also when he hints to the fact that Jaime does not just get aroused by seeing any woman naked no matter what, when he has Cersei stand up from a bath described in the exact same way as Brienne in the tub, and Jaime does not react). This is important to begin to seed a physical attraction between the two that will pay off at some point later on. 

At the same time, the vulnerable emotional state provides an excuse for both Jaime and the reader to make the reaction ambiguous, because it’s too early in the game for both Jaime and the reader to be totally clued in on what it truly means. Jaime is disturbed by his body’s response in that moment, and blames it on being away from Cersei for too long, and some/many readers handwave it as something that “just happens to guys” (like Jaime isn’t a fictional character whose reactions are written in for a reason, lol). 

I also think they forgot that the arousal happens before Jaime begins his confession about the Mad King. So, in that sense, it’s not even that out of place. I can understand that it would be if Jaime randomly popped a boner in the middle of his confession, but that comes later. At the time he gets aroused, he’s still busy teasing and taunting Brienne. If anything, it almost seems like the erection is part of what kicks him into a more open and honest emotional state. 

Having said all that, I think discussing whether or not there was an explicit line in the script saying Jaime gets aroused is a bit beyond the point. Just as I don’t think the arousal cheapens the scene in the books, I don’t think the omission in the script harms the scene in the show, in terms of what that arousal was meant to convey. It would be interesting to read the script directions, but the way Nikolaj chose to play it, having Jaime be stunned into silence and his gaze lingering just a little bit too long on Brienne’s body before he drops it away, embarrassed, and mumbles an apology, works amazingly well in conveying that sort of subtle blossoming attraction that the erection did, more explicitly, in the books.

[enbyleighlines]

For your modern au prompts, how about Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang best friends going on a shopping trip?

Oooh, sounds good to me!! I hope you don’t mind that I took liberties with what constitutes as a shopping trip! This idea popped into my head, and I wanted to explore it~

—

The bell on the front door gives a twinkling little jingle as they enter. Immediately, the familiar aroma of Wei Wuxian’s favorite arts and craft store rubs against his nostrils like an affectionate cat.

Beside him, Nie Huaisang walks with a spring in their step. In the crook of their elbow, they carry a small but finely crafted handbag, as though they’re a rich socialite on a shopping spree in the big city. “Here we are,” Nie Huaisang says, excitement giving their voice a fun lyrical quality, “Where shall we start, Wuxian-xiong?”

Wei Wuxian can’t help the wide grin that breaks across his face. He scoops up one of the shopping baskets by the entrance. “We should start from the ground up,” he decides, logically, “Let’s go see how sturdy their poster board is.”

“We can always glue a layer or two of cardboard to the base,” Nie Huaisang points out.

“True, true.”

The two friends make their way towards the poster aisle. They’re on a mission, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have fun.

They’re making a diorama as their final project for freshman biology. Thankfully, they were allowed to pick their own partners, and since they’ve become quick friends over the course of the year, it was a no brainer.

Their plan is to create a miniature factory, with its walls, machines, and workers, but then label everything as though they’re the parts of a human cell. Wei Wuxian is certain that it will appeal to their teacher’s quirky sense of humor, and earn them a grade worth bragging about. Nie Huaisang is less convinced, but they’re just happy for the opportunity to show off their talent for arts and crafts.

They sift through their manyu options, poster boards of all different sizes, material, colors, and even textures.

Nie Huaisang pulls out out of the rack and gasps delicately, as though they’re holding a precious treasure. “Wuxian-xiong,” they say, “Feel this one. Isn’t it just like the gritty texture of cement?”

Wei Wuxian runs the tips of his fingers over the rough surface. “Oh wow, you’re right! But won’t that make it difficult to glue things to it?”

“Ah, I hadn’t considered that!” Nie Huaisang gives the poster board another longing-filled stroke. “Perhaps we can use little metal stands for the figurines, and stick the metal through the poster?”

Seeing that his friend’s heart is set on the poster board, Wei Wuxian nods. “Yeah, that could work! We’ll definitely need to add some cardboard to the base, though. We get a bunch of cardboard boxes at the restaurant from shipments and stuff. I’m sure Jiang-shushu won’t mind if we take one.”

Nie Huaisang eagerly takes the paper board and rolls it up. It’s still too long to fit in the basket, but at least they could carry it one-handed. “What next, Wuxian-xiong?”

“Metal wire for the stands, probably,” Wei Wuxian answers, “And maybe some of those things they use in gardens, with the names of plants on them? We can use those to label stuff. Would they have those here? If not, we can probably make our own...”

“There’s a gardening store around the corner,” Nie Huaisang says helpfully.

Wei Wuxian nods sagely. “That’ll do. Oh, and we should probably be keeping track of how much everything costs. How much did Nie Mingjue give you to spend?”

Nie Huaisang gives Wei Wuxian an incredibly self-satisfied smirk. They dig into the handbag and fish out a stack of folded bills. “Oh, we don’t need to worry about money,” they assure Wei Wuxian smugly, “My Gege gave me more than enough.”

Wei Wuxian whistles.

Nie Mingjue, Huaisang’s half-brother, took over management of the family business recently. He’s also been the one looking after Huaisang ever since their parents retired to travel the world. Mingjue likes to pretend that he’s a strict disciplinarian, yet he spends money on Huaisang like it’s going out of style.

To hear Nie Huaisang tell it, they’ve always been a spoiled child. But it seems as though it’s gotten even worse ever since Nie Mingjue became Huaisang’s primary guardian.

Nie Huaisang giggles behind their wad of cash. “So, yeah,” they say, “Money is not an issue.”

Wei Wuxian might be jealous if he was the type of person to get jealous. Instead, he only laughs in delight. “That’s good to know! Let’s take proper advantage of your Da-gege’s generosity, then!”

—

They quickly fill up the basket and have to upgrade to a cart. They take their time choosing the plastic figurines. There aren’t any factory workers, but there are some crossing guards, and a man in an astronaut suit, and they figure they can just pain over them. Nie Huaisang already has a decent collection of paints, but they also grab some new brushes, along with a fine point pen.

Then it’s off to the gardening store for some plastic plant markers, with tips sharp enough to pierce through paper and cardboard. While they’re there, they also grab some short two-inch fences and some mesh to use in constructing the cell walls.

They bring their haul back to the Jiang residence, because it’s closer.

The Jiang house is unusually quiet. Jiang Cheng is at soccer practice, and Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan are both at work at the restaurant. Jiang Yanli is home, though. She greets them at the door, and then immediately moves to prepare tea and snacks for them.

“Your supply run went well, I see,” she says, as she putters around the kitchen.

Wei Wuxian makes sure to plant a big, loud kiss to her cheek before he starts unloading things onto the dining room table. “It went great, actually,” he says, “Jiejie, you have to see all these awesome things we found!”

Nie Huaisang hovers a tad awkwardly in between the kitchen and dining room. It’s not the first time they’ve been to Wei Wuxian’s house, but it’s not a routine experience, either.

Glancing over her shoulder, Jiang Yanli examines the enormity of their haul with a worried expression. The cause of her concern becomes clear when she says, “I hope you didn’t have to use up all of your allowance on this school project, A-Xian.”

“Nope!” Wei Wuxian beams at her. “I didn’t spend a penny. Huaisang-xiong’s rich Gege footed the bill.”

“That... was probably not the best way to phrase that,” Nie Huaisang murmurs to Wei Wuxian, “Please let your Jiejie know you meant my actual Gege, and not an older guy who spends money on me like I’m his sugar baby.”

Wei Wuxian blinks. And then he starts snickering loudly. “She’s not going to assume that,” he assures them.

“What will I not assume?” Jiang Yanli places a plate of rice crackers on the kitchen’s island, and raises one of her brows at them.

Nie Huaisang grabs Wei Wuxian’s arm to stop him, but it’s too late.

“Huaisang-xiong doesn’t want you thinking they have a sugar daddy,” Wei Wuxian confesses, “So they want me to emphasize that, in this case, I used the term ‘their Gege’ to refer to Nie Mingjue.”

Nie Huaisang looks like they want to melt into the floor.

But Jiang Yanli only giggles, demurely, behind the cover of her hand. “Well, I’m glad you clarified that,” she teases both of them, “Both of you are too young to have sugar daddies, anyway. Come, and have some rice crackers while the tea steeps.”

The two freshmen each hop up onto one of the stools obediently. Wei Wuxian stuffs his mouth without thought, while Nie Huaisang carefully nibbles at their cracker like a timid mouse.

There’s a bit of companionable silence. Jiang Yanli pours them each a cup of green tea, and then moves the sugar bowl within their reach.

Then she sits on one of the stools opposite them, and asks, “How are your other final projects coming along?”

Wei Wuxian heaves a dramatic sigh. “Bo-oring,” he singsongs, “It’s all essays and making flashcards for the exams. The same old generic stuff we did in middle school.”

“I get to make a poster for home ec.,” Nie Huaisang offers.

“Ooh, about what?”

“We have to try to design the food pyramid,” Nie Huaisang answers, “Other kids are just making collages out of newspaper clippings, but I want to try my hand at painting the food. I’ve never had a reason to paint food before, except for maybe an apple, back when we were learning how use shading.”

Jiang Yanli smiles. “That sounds fun,” she says, “Just don’t get so caught up in your fun projects that you don’t leave any time for the boring ones.”

“Right,” Nie Huaisang answers automatically.

Wei Wuxian is more lax. “I’ll be fine,” he assures his Jiejie, “Besides, I get my best work done at the last minute.”

Jiang Yanli gives her Didi a look. “That’s not how that works.”

“It is how it works! That spike of adrenaline really helps me get things done,” Wei Wuxian insists, and taps the edge of his nose with a cheeky little smirk.

“But it doesn’t leave you much time to go back and edit, does it?”

Wei Wuxian shrugs. “I make less mistakes on my first drafts than everyone else does on their final copies! If I start turning in perfect papers, then people might think I’m just showing off.”

“You ARE showing off,” Nie Huaisang snips.

That makes Jiang Yanli giggle again. She shakes her head at Wei Wuxian, but in a fond sort of way. Neither try to continue the argument.

“What about you, Jiejie?” Wei Wuxian asks suddenly, “Any fun final projects?”

“Just exams,” Jiang Yanli answers. She’s a high school junior, two years ahead of them. “Though, my math teacher said that anyone who already has an A in the class doesn’t have to take the final exam.”

“Let me guess,” Wei Wuxian says with no little hint of pride, “You have an A.”

Jiang Yanli hides her mouth behind the rim of her teacup. “I do,” she confirms, and her smile is audible in her tone. “So that’s one less thing for me to worry about.”

“That’s my Jiejie! Smartest girl in the whole world!”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Think so? I know so!”

Nie Huaisang smiles at that. Though the dynamic between Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian is completely different from their relationship with Mingjue, there’s still something vaguely familiar about it.

Just like Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang, really. They’ve got completely different temperaments. Wei Wuxian is a natural leader, charismatic, bold, and optimistic. Nie Huaisang tends to follow the herd, being as indiscisive and anxious as they are. Yet the two of them are often on the same wavelength.

That’s probably why, even though they only met for the first time that year, it already feels like they’ve been friends for a long time.

[thedistantstorm]

Day 22: “We could have a chance.”

Fandom: Destiny

Pairing: Commander Zavala & Amanda Holliday (father/daughter)

Warnings: Feels. Maybe a few tears. FEELS.

-/

It's dark. The sound of crickets echo loud in the damp, foggy night, the roaring fires dotting the landscape not enough to prevent the chill from seeping into his bones. He does not rub his hands together or make a fuss, but he does lean in a touch closer to the fire, lost in his thoughts.

He's brought back to reality by a blanket being thrust around him. A comically large one, even for his frame, in armor - which, he does not go without armor. Not these days.

"Scooch over," Comes a soft drawl, and then Amanda is rounding the bench and nudging him with her knee. "That's an order," She hums, but there's nothing forceful about it. She doesn't have to be forceful to get her way in most things.

Zavala shakes his head, sliding over, and she lifts the excess flap of blanket to tuck herself in beside him. "Hello, Holliday."

"Amanda," She pushes back. "You never were very good at droppin' the formalities, Sir."

He chuckles; It's just a little hiccough of sound. She knows what it means. It's rich, coming from a woman who calls him 'Sir' like it's a moniker for a parent (not a superior) and has almost all her life. His right arm comes up and around her and she burrows into his embrace, careful-like. This is his bad side, he'd been injured at Towerfall. His Ghost had done what she could, but-

"It's fine," He murmurs into her hair, sensing her feelings on the matter. "You worry too much."

"Pot callin' the kettle there," She quips back softly.

"Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree," He reminds her in response, and they share a tiny, secret smile before lapsing into a comfortable silence. "You should be sleeping," He eventually reminds her.

Amanda rolls her eyes. Anyone else would feel the urge to slink away under his scrutiny but she knows it's masking something else. "Could say the same for you. What's on yer mind?"

"Me?" He shrugs, horrible at playing it off. "The usual."

She tsks. He sighs. Seems about right. "Yeah sure. Talk t'me."

Crickets chirp for the longest while, but Amanda, as impatient as she is, has always known when to push and when not to pry. He's fighting whatever's going on in his head. She's not stupid. They're two peas in a pod, anxious as all get-out, as much as they might keep a lid on it. He's just… the picture of calm, while she hides behind a fiery temper and flashy maneuvers. Really, it's a no brainer that he was good with her when she was young.

As she's gotten older, the opposite has been proven, too.

"Hawthorne's somethin', ain't she?" She ventures eventually, eyes darting to his when he continues bearing his burdens in silence.

Zavala tenses and it's the opening Amanda's been waiting for. She pulls herself closer to him and tucks her head against his shoulder. "She is… interesting."

She looks up into his bright eyes, clarifying, "You're not thrilled with her."

"It's-" He almost chews his lip, but instead his jaw clenches. "She is doing great things, and she's saved so many people-"

When he trails off, Amanda sighs. "She don't like the City and it stings, am I right?"

Zavala watches her. Her legs kick out, dangling from the bench before she tucks them up and under her, grumbling about her prosthetic under her breath. The methane rain on Titan hadn't been kind to it, and the cold dampness of the planet’s atmosphere really aggravated old wounds.

"It does," He admits. "I-we did the best we could."

She gives him a sad smile. "All my childhood I dreamed of bein' safe in the City. What my folks wanted fer me, ya know?" He does. "It's weird that she’s so against it, if ya ask me, but she's… I dunno, hear me out, she's not so bad."

"I know. It is just… grating."

She squeezes him around the middle. Not tightly, still mindful. “Try 'n be patient. She's tryin' too, I think."

"I never thought I'd see the day when you told me to be patient," He muses, then continues, sadly, "I never thought I'd see the day that any of this-" He looks down into his hand and clenches it. Amanda lays her fingers over the coil of his fist and wills it smooth.

"We're gonna get through this, Sir."

"You think so? The people here, the refugees act like it, but-"

"We could have a chance. Y'jus gotta believe it. Us Lightless folk, we ain't afraid to fight. An' for this, the Traveler? It's not a bad cause to die fer-"

"Amanda-"

"I know, I know, you don't-" She blinks up at him and stops, her lip quivering at the dewy look in his eyes. "No," She drawls, pushing on his arm, "You quit that or we're both gonna be sittin' here bawlin' like babies. I can't take it when you-"

"I know."

He pulls her into his lap, nose and lips at her temple, eyes shut, lashes tangled in her messy hair. Her arms automatically pull the blanket around them in a messy cocoon and they just breathe, just try to pull themselves together.

"We're gonna get through this," She tells him, fingers fanning out over his cheek. He's almost startled by the size of it, of how much she's grown. The last time she'd been in his lap this way had to be years ago. Before the flight academy, when things were far, far simpler and she was just a little girl and he was her shelter from the storm. Now, he can't tell who's comforting who. It doesn't change the fact at hand: He's proud of her. "We're gonna get Cayde 'n Ikora," She says, "An' we're gonna rough up those big-ugly space rhinos. Together."

"Together," He agrees, and hugs her once more. She makes no attempt to move, arms wrapped loosely around him.

"Was worried my big 'ole head wouldn't fit on your shoulder anymore, what with your gear an' all," Amanda laughs quietly, tucking her head between his wide pauldrons, nose brushing against his neck.

"Never." He adjusts his grip, making sure she's secure. "Good?"

"Yeah. You?"

He rests his head against hers and hums something in the affirmative. She's never actually been sure it's a comfortable position. Not physically. But sometimes you just need to hold and be held onto, Amanda thinks.

It's the first time since this whole thing started that she doesn't have any nightmares.

[dat-town]

hearts in the foam (and typos in names)

Characters: Minhyuk (Rocky) & You

Genre: so much fluff!

Setting: coffee shop au

Summary: You always spell his name wrong because his frustrated face is too precious.

Words: 1.7k

Shoutout for @kmhoodys because I totally stole this from our list of AUs, hope you enjoy it! ♥ Also for @restlessmaknae as a thank you for getting me into the fandom.

Park Minhyuk would like to think that he's a patient and kind person in general. He's pretty sure his friends would agree – maybe not Sanha but that's only because that brat likes to dance on others' nerves. His mom is probably biased but according to her he is the sweetest boy in the universe – okay, most definitely biased. But the thing about Minhyuk is that he gets on well with everybody: with the elderly of the neighbourhood because he's genuinely interested in their stories and is happy to help with their Internet connection when they want to FaceTime with their grandchildren, with his classmates who know they can count on him whenever because he is a trustworthy member of the student council and even with all kinds of animals – except cicadas – but dogs in particular love him. So he's an overall lovable person, okay?

But mornings are definitely the rock bottom for him. He knows he can be pretty grumpy before a reasonable hour but he still tries hard to behave like a decent human being. One thing he needs in his morning routine is some kind of coffee even is he prefers latte over strong caffeine. And since he is a man of reasonable choices he always buys his daily cup of energy in the lovely café on the campus because it happens to be on his way to university. They make it just as creamy and sweet as he likes it. However there's one thing he can't stand about the service there.

“They keep getting my name wrong!” he groans dramatically as soon as he slumps down next to his friends at the lecture hall. They all – except Moonbin who looks like as if he had run the marathon this morning – look up at him just as sleepily as he feels with bones buried under tiredness.

“Who?” Jinwoo furrows his brows as he tries and fails to contain a yawn.

“This one girl who works in the morning shift of the café. I’m a regular but she still asks for my name and manages to mess it up,” Minhyuk blurts out what his problem is all at once. He puts down his paper cup on his desk and glares at it so gruesomely as if it was the source of all his troubles, the bane of his existence.

“Maybe she has very bad memory?” Dongmin tries to reason with a weak guess.

“But come on, I have one of the most common male names in Korea! There are at least dozens of idols with this name,” the offended guy shakes his head and instead of useful advices or mental support what he gets is Myungjun arguing whether there's really that much Minhyuk in the kpop industry and he starts to count them out loud. Only Jinwoo seems helpful and attentive enough to engage in the conversation even further.

“True, you have a pretty usual name. What can she confuse it with?” he wonders and the question makes Minhyuk sigh as he is reminded of all times he faced with different syllables written on the cup instead of the ones he should have.

“Minhyun, Mingyu, Minhoon, Minjae, Min-whatever or today: Minhee! For god's sake, that's a girl name!” he grimaces when he loses counting the names on his fingers. There were even more occasions but he really couldn't keep track on all the names that girl came up with. He was fairly sure she was doing it on purpose and probably spent her time on Naver searching for even more names but the 30 million dollar question was: why? Why would she do that?

“Maybe you should try something new. An English name maybe,” Sanha suggests and Minhyuk can't believe that he's actually planning to take his advice but he has run out of any better ideas. Now he wanted to see once for all if the girl really did it on purpose or not.

 So the next morning when he walked into the café and saw you at the counter, he mustered up all his courage to go to you like he did almost every day and make a bit of a fool out of himself with a smile on his face.

“Good morning! What can I get for you?” You turned to him, lovely as always. He swore your smiles were similar to sunrays warming the Earth and the glint in your eyes was like the stars in the universe. You looked the prettiest in that cute apron out of all the baristas at this place and it was truly devastating that it was your habit that made him frown with each cup of coffee he got.

“A large vanilla latte to go, thanks,” he repeats his usual order almost automatic and when you say the price he already knows, he pays without any other word.

He knows how the process goes by heart. He has been through this routine half-asleep, running to classes and totally out of it too, so it’s no-brainer what's next. So there it comes: you grab a pen and a big empty cup looking up at him with curious anticipation in your expressive eyes.

“Your name, please.”

It takes everything in him not to snap or blurt out his real name this time, but he keeps a straight face as he says: “Rocky.”

He watches your expression closely but you're either oblivious or a great actress because you don't even bat an eyelash before shifting your gaze to the cup and scribbling something on it.

“I'll let you know when it's done,” you promise softly and turning around you start to work on his drink as he sulkily sits down at a table while waiting. These quiet, short minutes has always given him the perfect opportunity to watch over you, the grace in your movements, the way you dance a bit to the silly songs from the radio or just the frown of concentration on your forehead as you draw the perfect heart in the foam of his latte. He almost forgets about his little test until you remind him to it in that melodic voice you have.

He's almost dreadful when you call him and he takes his cup. He shouldn't worry since everybody knows the American movie, you can't mess that up. And yet, you still do. The writing on the cup is definitely too long to be Rocky and isn't even a name to begin with.

You look cute when you are annoyed, it says and he just stands there dumbfounded while you're already serving another guest not paying attention to him any longer. He sticks by just a bit longer watching as the next guest gets his coffee – without heart in the foam! – then his alarm reminds him to get going.

He reads the message again and again as he walks towards the university building. At first he doesn't know what to do with it but then it makes him grin, then laugh. He doesn't even complain to his friends about the coffee girl that day and decides to change his strategy next time he visits.

 It’s a lovely, warm morning, yet he can’t wait to have a hot drink in his hands. This time he came prepared. He waits for his turn patiently but he can't suppress a sly grin on his lips when he finally gets to the front of the queue. You nod in acknowledgement when he orders his usual, curly locks of hair falling into your eyes as you hover over the cup, pen ready in hand.

“Can I get your name?” You follow the routine and at this point, Minhyuk becomes sneaky.

“Yes,” he says simply, irrevocably and for once you seem surprised halting in your movements.

“What?”

“Yes.” he repeats clearer, not breaking eye contact as you croak a brow at him.

“Okay,” you huff out with an amused smile tinting your rosy lips.

Then he has nothing better to do than play with the piece of paper in his hands and wait until you call his so-called name for his done drink. He steals glances at you a few times in the meantime and once he catches you staring back at him. You both look away caught red-handed. Though, it boosts his confidence enough to stride to the counter with pride when you call for him.

“Large latte for Yes,” you say it with all seriousness in the world without any wariness in your voice. The other guests in the café might look weirdly at the two of you but you don’t care.

“Thanks,” he walks up to you and gently takes the cup from your hands finger still brushing yours lightly. Quickly he checks the ‘name’ written on it and he puts a similar paper cup into your hands.

“Hope you are free Friday,” he says with a cheeky smile leaving your astonished once again.

“What?” you blink, fingers mindlessly playing with the used cup you just got.

“You just said yes,” Minhyuk shakes his own drink flashing your writing on it and you look down on the cup placed in your right. It's the one from last time, your compliment and a new line in messy handwriting under your message: Would you like to go out sometime?

Very smooth, you have to give him that and you can’t help but smile. You wondered when he was going to step up his game. You were anticipating, to be honest.

“Do I have to call you by your name then, Minhyuk?” you teasingly ask, mouth curled up in a charming smile as you gaze settles on the boy with most beautiful chocolate eyes you have ever seen. Not to mention the cute nose scrunch he does when he’s frustrated. If he asked you would admit that the first time was a mistake for real, a careless typo but after that you became careless and it turned into a game to play. You’re glad he went along with it.

“I don't know. Maybe you can come up with a better one,” he shrugs now and the smile he flashes you might become your next favourite thing about him. He leans a bit forward and quiets down his voice as if he whispered a secret.

“Maybe you could try something sounding like boyfriend. We will see,” he winks at you and when he leaves the café shop he not only brings his latte along with him but a little piece of your heart already.

[thelawyerthatwaspromised]

Why Does Jonsa Make Complete Political Sense?

Trying to make sense of the puzzle and how it could inform the endgame.

This is a long one.

*Spoiler* I think it is a Jon Snow / Sansa Stark marriage. Even if you don’t agree that the story has foreshadowed this or that the scenes between Jon and Sansa were written with a romantic subtext...it will be the only logical political solution for the story.

First, a quick refresher on the changes Westeros has already undergone.

Season 1 / Episode 1

Season 3 / Episode 9&10 (post-Red Wedding)

Season 6 / Episode 9&10 (post BoTB and Jon Snow named KiTN)

Season 7 / Episode 1 (colored by alliances. Light blue for the North, Red for the Lannisters, Gray for the Targaryens)

Season 7 / Episode 7

Season 7 / Episode 7 ASSUMING JON’S ALLEGIANCE IS TRULY WITH DANY

So right off the bat, we can make a few observations: 

1.) Daenerys and Tyrion horribly mismanaged their territorial and military advantage. Dany had a much stronger army. She had the allegiance of the breadbasket of Westeros, and she had an ally in Dorne that should have been completely geographically protected and resources that so far have been untouched by the other wars of Westeros. It’s hard for me to even count “capturing” Casterly Rock as it was a trap sprung by Jaime and the Unsullied were forced to abandon it anyway after the Greyjoy fleet hemmed them there.

2.) How does Daenerys not immediately secure the Stormlands to link the Reach and Dorne? It’s essentially leaderless and sandwiched between her two initial vassals. 

3.) How does Daenerys fail to try to ally with the Vale? What a no-brainer of an ally. The reality is that the Vale very likely would have said no, as the Vale is similar to the North as they will never trust a Targaryen, but how was the Vale not even a part of her strategy?

4.) What in the heck is Daenerys worried about Cersie “re-taking” again? She holds no territorial advantage. Highgarden’s resources went over the Lannisters. Dorne is leaderless, like the Stormlands, and cannot contribute to her cause (it’s also unclear whether they would even want to after how badly bungled that alliance worked out for Dorne). The Riverlands are still occupied by the Lannisters, another extremely useful ally tossed to the wayside.

5.) Is this because the show doesn’t care about these other territories? Maybe, but the show has made a point of showing these other places already and explaining their strategic importance. I see it more as a failure by Daenerys to care about anything other than capturing the Iron Throne, and a failure by Tyrion to think about anything else other than removing Cersei from power.

6.) Even if they had captured the Iron Throne in season 7, there is absolutely no chance of a united Westeros because of how they played the game. Dorne is leaderless, killed almost immediately after allying with the new Queen. The Stormlands remain leaderless. The Riverlands are held by the Lannisters and weren’t relieved by the Targaryen forces - why exactly would they be loyal to her? The North is only allied with Daenerys to fight the Night King. The same with the Vale. There’s no interest in the politics of the South. The main point is that at this current moment, Daenerys has absolutely no political influence beyond Jon Snow allying with her to fight the Night King. She only has a strong army. She doesn’t have the loyalty of the people of Westeros.

7.) Dany’s only real political support is from Jon. She is entirely dependent on the North and the Vale for her political power now. That also means she is entirely dependent on Sansa Stark...both before RLJ is revealed but most definitely after RLJ is revealed.

This is where it gets really tricky for Daenerys. She had a great opportunity to win some influence with the other houses of Westeros to back her claim as the Queen.

R+L=J becoming known will prevent that from ever happening.

Could she ever be looked to politically after season 7? She aided no allies. She hasn’t gained any territorial advantage. Cersei Lannister, the most hated person in Westeros by the time she was crowned, has gained more allies since Daenerys landed.

Now the idea of her legitimacy, which was the biggest talking point that she and Tyrion had in her “campaign” is gone. Not only that, but the only person to swear allegiance to her that still has any political power actually supersedes her for the throne.

That covers the territorial game. What about the prominent characters? Who actually holds political influence now?

The Lannister allies

Cersei LannisterThe MountainQyburnEuron Greyjoy Golden Company / Iron Bank

The Northern/Targaryen Alliance

Jon Snow

Daenerys Targaryen

Sansa Stark

Arya Stark

Bran Stark

The Brotherhood (Hound, Beric, etc.)

Gendry

Tormund

Brienne

Tyrion

Jaime

Edmure Tully

Yohn Royce / Robin Arryn

Theon Greyjoy / Yara Greyjoy

Davos 

Varys

The Unsullied

Missandei

Melissandre / Kinvara / the Red Priestesses

So pretty much anyone can see from a CHARACTER perspective that this is not a storytelling fight that Cersei is likely to win. Easy win from a storytelling perspective on who will triumph.

We have the Night King coming and a completely overmatched adversary that only has allies that we don’t emotionally care about or haven’t even been introduced yet. So you’re telling me those are the big finale conflicts? An enemy in the Night King who has no narrative nuance and a few humans that no one cares about?

So I looked at where another conflict could develop. We have the two characters that are widely viewed as the two “heroes” of the story: Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen.

I looked at the Northern/Targaryen Alliance and this pops out: 

There aren’t any characters with political power that are loyal to Daenerys other than Jon Snow right now.

Sansa - loyal to Jon Tormund - loyal to Jon Jaime - loyalties changing. Tried to kill Daenerys. Much more like to fight for Sansa/Jon Edmure Tully - loyal to the Starks, most likely his sister’s daughter Sansa Yohn Royce - wanted to name Sansa Queen in the North. Loyal to Sansa. Theon - asked Jon about saving Yara. Didn’t consult Daenerys. Special bond with Sansa. Loyal to Jon and Sansa. Tyrion, Varys, the Unsullied, Missandei, and the Red Priestesses have no political power.

Why would it matter anyway? Jon and Daenerys will just unite them and it’ll all work out!

R+L=J explodes all of Daenerys’ relevant Westerosi support and shifts the game dramatically to Sansa.

“Oh c’mon, that’s just shipping goggles talking.”

Reasons why thinking this is based on shipping shows your inherent inability to understand narratives and story themes:

The North does not want a Southern ruler

Jon’s claim as KiTN is based on being the son of Ned Stark

The North especially does not trust Targaryens

The is a story of the political fracture of the North and South amidst an existential threat

This is not a story of how the best killers become the best rulers

Jon Snow’s hold on the North will be tenuous after RLJ is revealed

Sansa Stark becomes the most powerful political Northerner due to RLJ and the only way this doesn’t happen is if Bran decides to becomes a political figure

Daenerys’ political stature with every potential Westerosi subject goes down dramatically

THE GAME HAS SHIFTED COMPLETELY

Let’s refer back to the season 7 / episode 7 political map:

The shaded blue area loyal to Jon becomes ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON SANSA STARK to remain loyal to Jon.

If Cersei Lannister falls...it gets even uglier for Daenerys.

It’s entirely plausible that:

Riverlands return to the Tully’s - loyal to Sansa, possibly Jon, not Daenerys

The Reach goes to Samwell - (assuming he is done with the Night’s Watch) he would be the rightful heir. Loyal to Jon. Father and brother burned to death by Daenerys.

Stormlands - could go to Gendry. It’s at least plausible. It wouldn’t make sense for any other character to serve in that role in the present time anyway. Loyal to Jon, pre-existing relationship with Arya, son of Robert Baratheon. No loyalty to Daenerys.

Iron Islands - returned to either Theon or Yara. “You’re a Greyjoy, and you’re a Stark.” Loyal to the Starks. Maayyyyybe lingering loyalty to Daenerys...but why would they?

Westerlands - good chance only one of Tyrion or Jaime survive. If it’s Jaime, loyal to anyone but Daenerys. Most likely loyal to Sansa through Brienne and Cat. If Tyrion, maybe he remains loyal to Daenerys - even though there were layers and layers of seeds of doubt shown between Daenerys and Tyrion...but this remains her best shot for support long-term.

These are all plausible because, as yet, the show has presented no other realistic options for rulers of these different regions and it’s unlikely that the show will strip them all of political power in the “breaking the wheel” sense.

Where is Daenerys’ claim as Queen? Where is her support? She’s not the heir and she doesn’t command the loyalties of these different houses.

Let’s look at another version of the map...this time assuming Cersei falls, the houses that control those regions, and their primary loyalties.

Jon as the Targ sigil, Sansa as the Stark sigil (I know it’s the white wolf version, shut up), and Dany as....herself.

The North - the Starks

The Iron Islands - Jon or Sansa, highly unlikely Dany

Riverlands - Sansa

Vale - Sansa

The Reach - Jon

Stormlands - Jon

Dorne - unknown. Generously saying maybe Dany.

Westerlands - unknown. Generously saying maybe Dany but only if both Tyrion survives and her relationship with Tyrion survives.

So a union which two characters would automatically make the most political sense?

Assuming a combined Targ/Stark sigil...here’s how the map looks.

Before, the Reach and Stormlands would be most likely for Jon --  the Riverlands and Vale would be most likely for Sansa, the Iron Islands would be potentially for both while Dorne and the Westerlands would be unclear.

Now, you have the North, the Iron Islands, the Riverlands, the Vale, the Crownlands, the Reach, the Stormlands solidly united with the Westerlands and Dorne still to be determined.

So, if you still think this is based strictly on shipping goggles, this is a definitive theory that logically reconnects Westeros and repairs the fractured relationship of the North and the South. If you are unable to see why this makes sense and how it could happen, it’s more of an indication that you are not willing to look at the political groundwork the series has put forward so far. 

This is logical, this is plausible. This is NOT irrational shipping. This is why Jonsa makes complete sense.