#the IMPLICATIONS what are they going to do to the boy

[ellecdc]

Hi 🥺I’m thinking either

“yes the both of you look adorable, but can i please have my clothes back now?”

Or the “do any of the clothes you’re wearing belong to you?”

Or a little combo with rosekiller x reader 🖤

YES

poly!rosekiller x fem!reader who has plenty of clothes of her own [486 words]

CW: somewhat smutty implication at the end but fades to black, fluffffffffff

“Treasure,” Evan could hear Barty start in what he knew to be his ‘I’m pretending to be chiding but actually find all of this rather funny’ voice, “if this is your way of telling us you need more clothes, we're more than happy to buy you more clothes.”

“I don’t need more clothes!” You laughed in response as Evan made his way down the hallway with his morning cup of coffee to see what the two of you were going on about. 

“Well it looks like you had a pretty hard time finding anything of your own to wear today; forgive me for being worried we weren’t spoiling you enough.” 

Evan rounded the corner into the living room to see you lounging on the sofa; one leg tucked under you and the other bent at the knee that your hand was resting on whilst Barty hovered above you with a faux berating look on his face. 

“What’s going on in here?” Evan asked as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head from behind the couch before making his way around it and settling in the space beside you. 

“What’s going on,” Barty started theatrically, causing you to snort - the sound made the very corner of Barty’s lips rise in the ghost of a smirk before he schooled his expression, “is that our darling angel clearly does not have enough of her own things.”

“Is that true, sugar?” Evan asked you as he played into Barty’s little skit. “Do we not spoil you enough?”

“You spoil me fine.” You groaned, laughing when both boys scoffed in offence. “You spoil me plenty - too much!” 

“Then what is the issue?” Evan asked then.

“Look at her!” Barty shouted, gesturing wildly at you with both hands. “Look at her outfit!” 

Evan shifted his weight onto his one hip and turned his body towards you, his arm thrown over the back of the sofa as he scrutinised your form; a surprised laugh bubbling out of him when he realised what Barty’s ‘problem’ was. 

“Sugar,” Evan laughed, “do any of the clothes you’re wearing actually belong to you?” 

Sure enough, you were wearing a pair of Barty’s joggers, his favourite band tee, and one of Evan’s zip up jumpers with the arms folded over an absurd number of times. 

You blinked slightly owlishly at him, answering after a beat of silence. “The knickers are mine.” 

“That’s too many articles of your own clothing, Treasure!” Barty let out with a loud laugh, clearly over pretending to be miffed at the pilfering of his wardrobe. “I’ll have to buy some of my own knickers for you.”

“If it helps, I’m pretty sure you bought these knickers too.” You offered him solemnly, and Evan watched a salacious expression take over Barty’s face he knew was mirrored on his own.

“Is that so?” Evan drawled. “Perhaps you ought to show us, just to confirm.”

[freshl6ve]

𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒. 𝐒 | 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄

⭑.ᐟ : 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧, his brows furrowing in confusion as he sees me standing in front of the toaster, phone propped against it. “Y/N, what are you doing?” he asks, his tone laced with amusement and a hint of puzzlement.

I turn around and grab Chris's arm, pulling him into the camera frame with me. I give him a playful grin as he stands there, slightly bewildered by my sudden move.

Chris gives me a confused grin, his eyebrows furrowed, clearly not quite understanding the situation. He looks between me and the camera, as if silently asking both of us, “What's going on?”

I extend the bag to Chris, a playful grin on my face. “Can you hold this for me, babe?” I say, my tone innocent yet mischievous.

Chris takes the bag and slips his arm through the straps, holding it on his side. He shoots me a quizzical glance, wondering what I'm up to. As I walk back to my phone, starting the Tiktok recording, I can't help but giggle at the image we create together. He stands there, looking casual in the tote bag, waiting to see what comes next.

“i love when beautiful girls have a little gay boyfriend. they just have a little feminine vintage levi’s wearing tote bag carrying…”

Chris's ears perk up at the sound of the TikTok starting, and the words immediately make him chuckle. He stands there, a playful glint in his eyes, fully embracing the joke.

I burst into laughter as the TikTok describes Chris as a “feminine, tote bag-carrying” boyfriend. Chris joins the fun, striking poses with the tote bag, channeling his inner femininity and enjoying the moment. He flashes the camera a playful grin as he poses, embracing the humor of the situation.

Chris, in the middle of his playful poses, turns around to see me laughing and admiring him, my happiness clear on my face. He walks up to me, a beaming smile on his lips, and plants a gentle kiss on my lips. The camera catches the sweet and playful moment between us flawlessly.

I laugh against his lips, my hands coming up to cup his face as we share this moment. The camera captures the joy and lightheartedness of our connection, with me holding his face between my hands, laughter echoing softly.

Chris pulls back slightly, looking into my eyes with warmth and affection. He speaks softly, a hint of amusement in his voice, “You're so silly, baby.” The words fall gently from his lips, the tone tender and playful. The corners of his mouth curve into a smile, the camera capturing the sweet exchange between us.

“You always find a way to make me laugh,” he adds, a hint of adoration in his tone. Chris's fingers gently brush against my face, his eyes filled with love and amusement at my playful antics.

I walk over to my phone, grabbing it with Chris's arms still wrapped around my waist. We both watch the video together, his chin on my shoulder, as I giggle at our playful moment. Chris chuckles lightly in my ear, his fingers gently tracing patterns on my waist.

I turn to him with a playful glint in my eye, “I didn't know you could be so sassy,” I tease him, laughter dancing in my voice. Chris smirks and shrugs, playing along with the joke with a playful hint of defiance, “What can I say? I'm full of surprises.”

With a grin, I take the phone and caption the video “My sassy boy @christophersturniolo,” officially sharing a playful moment from our relationship with the world through this soft launch on the media. Chris watches over my shoulder, a mixture of excitement and nervousness flickering in his eyes, anticipating how the public will react to this subtle but meaningful reveal.

As the video gets published, Chris takes a deep breath, the reality and implications settling upon him. He glances at me, seeking reassurance, his hand gently squeezing my waist. Even though he knew I was taking the step, fear of the unknown and how his fans would react lingers in the background of his mind.

I refresh the video and a flood of comments rolls in. Fans express their joy and excitement at our cute chemistry, remarking on how happy we look together, and surprise at Chris being in a relationship. Their words fill us with warmth, and Chris's eyes light up, a mixture of relief and delight filling him.

I turn to Chris, a warm smile on my face, and say, “I knew everything was going to go fine.” I wrap my arms around his waist, offering reassurance and love. He smiles, the tension easing a little, and pulls me into a tight hug, finding comfort in my words and our connection.

Chris, chuckling softly, looks down at me, his taller stature creating a slight height difference. “I would still have loved you no matter what anyone thought,” he affirmed, his tone full of sincerity. He gently tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, a warm smile playing on his lips, the depth of his emotions shining in his eyes.

I smile and playfully go on my tiptoes, reaching up to meet his lips, sharing a tender kiss that conveys affection and reassurance. Chris leans down, meeting me halfway, our lips gently touching in a moment of tenderness and love.

I wrap my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers into his hair, deepening the kiss. I press close to him, our bodies brushing against each other as we share this intimate moment.

Chris's large hands find their way to my hips, his grip firm yet gentle as he holds me close. He gently squeezes my hips, pulling me flush against him as we continue the kiss, our bodies melding together in the embrace.

Nick's voice interrupts the moment as he walks into the kitchen, playfully commenting, “Congrats on soft launching your relationship, but please do get a room.” He walks to the fridge, casually teasing us as he tries to ignore the display of affection between us.

Chris and I break the kiss, both of us laughing at Nick's playful comment. I let my hands slide down to Chris's arm sides, our laughter filling the kitchen. Nick continues to ignore us, pretending to be focused on searching for something in the fridge, trying not to embarrass us further.

I chuckle and apologize, “Sorry Nick,” still giggling a bit. Nick laughs and walks back upstairs, leaving us alone in the kitchen. I wrap my arms around Chris's waist, nestling my head against his chest, our embrace comforting despite the brief interruption. Chris wraps his arms around my shoulders, holding me close in a warm embrace, his chin resting on my head.

We stand there for a moment, the silence settling around us, both of us finding comfort in each other's presence and the small intimate moment. Chris gently rubs my back, his fingers tracing gentle circles, as we stand together in this quiet kitchen, his chest rising and falling beneath my head.

Chris suddenly breaks the moment, releasing his hold on me. He strikes a playful pose with the tote bag, “Am I giving puss?” he jokes, a playful smile forming and amusement in his eyes. He pretends to vogue with the bag, trying to look as feminine as possible for added humor.

I burst into laughter at his diva-esque pose with the tote bag, “Yes diva!” I manage to get out between giggles, my eyes sparkling with amusement. Chris continues posing, leaning into the diva role, exaggerating his movements.

Laughing in delight, I reach for his hand, pulling him close for another kiss. Chris, still holding the tote bag, leans in, meeting my lips again, our laughter merging into a sweet and gentle exchange of affection. We break the kiss, still giggling, and Chris sets the bag aside as he embraces me.

Chris leans his forehead against mine, his words a gentle whisper, “I love you.” His voice is soft and sincere, his eyes shimmering with affection. I smile and bring my hands up to cup his face, my fingers tracing his cheeks, “I love you more,” I reply, filled with love and contentment.

Chris responds playfully, “That's impossible” His voice is a soft murmur, his eyes meeting mine. I laugh softly, playfully pushing him away, “It is!” I argue, giggling in his embrace. Chris shakes his head and pulls me back in as we melt into another sweet moment.

“You're impossible, you know that?” He teases, his fingers gently tracing my sides, bringing me closer. “Yeah, but you love me anyway,” I reply, nuzzling my face closer. “Unfortunately” He jokes, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly, but his playful tone betrays affection.

I feign offence, my tone exaggerated. “Chris!” I exclaim, pretending to be hurt. He chuckles, his hands cupping my face gently, “I'm joking, baby,” he says, and he leans in to kiss me, capturing my lips in a warm embrace.

I melt into the kiss, a playful sigh escaping my lips. Chris and I exchange a heartfelt kiss, filled with affection and just a hint of teasing. He pulls away, gently resting his forehead against mine, a playful glint in his eyes “You know I love you,” he adds, emphasizing his words, the playful banter a testament to the ease and joy in our relationship.

“Yeah, yeah I know” I respond, rolling my eyes playfully, trying to hide my amusement. Chris continues to hold my face, his thumbs gently tracing my cheeks, “Don't roll your eyes at me,” he teases, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

Chris, still holding my face in his hands, softly traces my cheek with his thumb. He locks his gaze with mine and whispered, “You're stuck with me forever.” His tone is gentle and playful, accompanied by an undercurrent of tenderness. The words have a depth to them, a promise of unwavering devotion.

I smile, my heart swelling with love at his words. “Forever is a long time,” I respond with a hint of teasing in my voice, but love shines through my eyes, acknowledging the promise he made. Chris nods playfully, “You heard me,” he teases, his fingers gently pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, a fond grin spreading across his face.

Our playful exchange continues, Chris gently teases, “No refunds, no exchanges.” He chuckles softly as he pulls back, his fingers still tracing my skin with tenderness. “You're stuck with me for eternity,” he repeats in a gentle murmur, the words a mix of tease and certainty.

I laugh softly, feeling the warmth of his words wash over me. “For better or for worse?” I tease, pretending to weigh the options, a playful smile curling my lips. Chris leans in closer, a soft chuckle escaping him, “For both, forevermore,” he whispers, sealing his promise with a gentle kiss on my forehead.

“Forevermore?” I question, raising an eyebrow, but I can't hide the smile that lights up my face. His words hold a profound truth, a promise of forever, making my heart swell with love. Chris smiles softly, a mix of playfulness and tenderness in his eyes, “Forevermore,” he repeats, his thumb gently brushing my cheek, a comforting touch to seal the playful vow.

Chris holds me close, our foreheads still touching, and speaks gently, a tinge of poetry in his words, “Forevermore, in every moment, through laughter and teasing, my love for you will endure. I promise to stand by you, through joys and challenges, forevermore.” His words gently linger in the air, a sweet and playful poem that encapsulates our playful exchange, filled with love, and a promise to cherish one another for eternity.

TAGS: @st6rify ✮⋆˙ @jetaimevous ✮⋆˙ @certifiedstarrr ✮⋆˙ @slvtf0rchr1s ✮⋆˙ @l3sbiancvnt ✮⋆˙ @wh0remikasas ✮⋆˙ @r0s3luvr ✮⋆˙ @emely9274 ✮⋆˙ @mimiluvzpicklez

── .✦ MASTER—LIST ⭑𓂃

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

What about sleep token x reader where they know reader has feelings for them, but reader doesn't know that they know it! How would they treat you or teasingly hint that they are aware of your feelings before they confess their own? x

(sorry if this is silly. love love your work)

Uuuuuuuuuuuuu I love this!!!!!

Vessel

Look, I think you both would be helpless. If there would be a blueprint for - clueless and blissfully unaware- it would be you and Vessel. So at first, he’s honestly missing all the signs himself. Convincing himself that there was no way that you could like him. But then it’s the rest of the boys that start hitting him with the “So when are you bringing your girlfriend over?”, “off to see your misses?”, and he’s red like a tomato, denying all the comments.

But they make him start looking. Pay attention. And he realizes that you look at him the same way he looks at you so surely you have to have feelings for him. But he’s so afraid to make a fool out of himself so instead he starts humming parts of the songs that hint at his personal feelings. From “My arms belong around you”, to “and you make it more than I could ever feel before”. Watching you bite your lip as you watch him.

“I like this line”, you would whisper, making Vessel hum, “Do you? Why?” You’d shrug, trying to keep your cheeks from turning pink, “Just reminds me of the love I want”. And it’s so loud the implication within your words. The reality Vessel had painted within his mind, slowly unfolding. “It’s the love I want to”, he would breathe out, reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from your face.

iii

It’s iii… I mean he would be a tease. But just because he’s a sucker for making you smile. It’s like someone is getting him high every time he hears your laugh. More specifically you laugh at something he said.

“Okay one more, one more”, he’s pulling you by the hand. It’s a post-show green room celebration. Everyone is slightly tipsy. He’s been by your side all night. “iii, i will piss my pants”, you grunt but end up giggling as he pulls you back onto his lap.

“I sold my vacuum yesterday”, he nodded all seriously. “Did you”, you bite your lip, “All it was doing was collecting dust”, iii shrugged, but here you were snorting once more at the lamest joke he could muster. “You are diabolical”, you pushed at his chest. “But you love it”, iii wiggled his eyebrows, “Correction - you love me”, he jabbed your chest leaning in. “Oh, shush you… silly goose”, you quickly turned his face to the side. “Don’t wound me. At least kiss my cheek”, he whined, “Payment for all my hard work”. You would roll your eyes leaning in only to meet his lips instead. Quickly pulling away as you clasped a hand over your mouth. Eyes growing big. “That’s more like it”, he smirked, “Don’t be shy, I know you wanted to do that”.

ii

Hmm… ii… ii… ii… see I didn’t know… I don’t think that he’s one for games and teasing. Or maybe…He is guarded and if he loves he loves. It’s straightforward. So when he caught feelings for you, i think he would try to keep it just between you two but it would be the boys that would get the job done. Going out of their way to tease you.

“Yn, drooling again, love”, iii would call out, “ii put a shirt on a girl can’t work”, your cheeks going pink as you instantly rushed to deny that you had been looking at him. “It’s okay, ii likes it don’t you man”, Ivy would smirk. “Get your heads out of a gutter”, ii would grunt. Watching as you quietly busied yourself around the room, cheeks still crimson.

“Hey, sorry about them”, he would stop after the rehearsal, “I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable”. You would quickly shake your head, “I should be saying this. I don’t want you thinking that I’m gawking at you”. ii would nod slowly, “are you, though?” He watches as your face falls, draining off color before bursting into flames. A slight smile spreading across his face, “It’s an honor to be gawked by you”, pushing his thumb beneath your chin, lifting your head up, “Let’s just say you have my permission to do so”.

Ivy

He’s a shameless flirt. You never really took any of his gestures seriously. It was ivy. Ivy thrived on attention. So it killed him honestly. Seeing you brushing it off. That made him scale down on his gestures when it came to other girls. No more playful banter. A joke here and there but that was his personality.

Quite frankly he had lost hope to win you over. You had denied his offers for a date for weeks. But he never backed away. Sending you flowers. Little treats. He was doing anything he could to win you over and it’s a pissed off look at him that gave you away. He had simply walked up to the bar to refill his and the boy's beers when a bartender reached out for his hand. Slipping a note with a phone number into his palm.

Ivy had walked back to find you looking as if someone had shat in your morning coffee. “Missed me so much that your night went sour”, he nudged your shoulder. “Well, your night sure seems to be going great”, you nodded toward his palm. A smirk spread over his face, “You’re jealous, darling?”, he mused making you roll your eyes. “I don’t care what and who you mess around with”, you tried to brush it off but he could tell that you had been upset over it.

“Well, I do”, Ivy stated, showing you both of his palms. Both empty palms. You frowned slightly, looking up to meet his eyes. “I threw it away the moment I turned around”, he pointed out, “Already got my eyes set on the target”, he winked at you. “Asshole”, you huffed, “I could be your asshole”, he chirped leaning in to take your hand.

[paraphwrites]

@carpediemma made a poll post about which characters would be who in an alice in wonderland au and none of the one's winning are the ones i want so i will now be justifying my thesis

alice - niko. above all else, alice must be curious and kind. she is also afraid, a lot, because she's in a wild new world - very similar of how niko is scared and in a new world (both ghost/supernatural, america, and a world without her father)

white rabbit - edwin. polite yet preoccupied, punctual yet anxious, obsessive yet unpredictable, always dressed smart... the similarities go on. and while i think some of their actions might not align entirely, i think there is a case to be made for edwin shewing someone along, insisting it must be done his own way

mad hatter - charles. playful, defiant to social norms, bit of an eccentric dress style! though charles is a bit less over the top, i feel that in the right environment, he could go totally mad. hatter has a lot of fun but there is this hint of despair to him which to me, entirely emulates charles

the dormouse - jenny. tired, confused, and underpaid, next question

the march hare - maxine. unpredictable, bizarre, reckless, excitable. not a huge character so not too much to go from but i see some loose similarities in the erratic nature - it's not that they're evil, it's that they're so invested in existence that they might stab you

please do not think of the implications of shipping the dormouse and the march hair i will not be held responsible for that

tweedledee and tweedledum - litty and kingham. petty?? childish?? looks similar??? guys come ON there is no more iconic duo in dbda! they're not very kind, they're not anti violence, they love attention- am i talking about the tweedles, or litty and kingham? you literally can't tell.

the caterpillar - tragic mick. appears when alice is uncertain and needs help, prompts her to reflect on her own identity. not particularly nice but is very helpful and kind, in his own way. calm, almost cryptic, slow manner of speech.

cheshire cat - the cat king. im not gonna explain this one

ok guys bare with me for the next two. they're kinda controversial. i could see them flipped and i did flip them many times but this is what i decided on

the duchess - esther. the duchess is abusive to her child (monty), but can be overly affectionate, as well. duchess is hella comedic in a dark way, she's got a fucked up relationship with power (duchess is a slave to the Queen, esther is a slave to the Snake), she's absurdly contradictory (like esther and her contradiction of wronging girls using lilith's gift)

the queen of hearts - the night nurse. the queen cannot see a way of life other than executions. i know she SEEMS hella emotional, but legit, i think it's more this desperate desire for feelings and sensations because she is so stuck in a loop of being listened to. the night nurse is similarly stuck in this loop of bureaucracy. neither are happy and neither have any true meaning to their lives. they both also seem to lack a nuance to empathy (nurse thinking ends justify the means so no need to feel guilty about the means, almost viewing finding the boys as a game in order to feel SOMETHING). neither would not survive a day in therapy

the king of hearts - kashi. foil to the queen of hearts, very minor character. gentle, soft spoken, trying his best, exists more in his own universe than anywhere else. the key difference is if they went to therapy, kashi's therapist would end up getting therapied, and king would just break down sobbing

the knave of hearts - monty. while if esther was the queen, maybe this would be more apt, but this is my analysis so i'll do what i want. the knave is a victim of absurd injustice, is somewhat sympathetic but ultimately a perpetuater of this same system. monty does the same thing with esther & her abuse. he is also young and handsome which, we've all seen joshua colley, i don't need to explain

the talking rose - crystal (with/pre-david.) haughty, mean, cruel, flirtatious. she's not a villain but she's definitely not on your side. she's critical, both of your looks, personality, and general vibe. but she's also just one of the many flowers, kind of how crystal was just one of the rich kids, not really doing all that much

in this version, i'd have when the flower's roots are freed be the same energy as the boy's getting rid of david. moment of self-transformation, free from curse. i will probably make a follow up post on how i'd do the plot, but i wanted to throw that bit on david out there.

[girlishwhimsies]

unfortunately i have to yap more on the economic divides.

just there are so many implications and complications when it comes to generational wealth vs cycles of poverty. cycles of poverty my beloved in fiction and beloathed in life

i yapped a lot in the tags of my last post so read those too but i will be yapping so much here too!!! the way it affects familial relationships consumes me, two bits father leaves and suddenly now his mom has to go work and she sure as hell can’t get a great job cause she’s a greaser so she probably doesn’t have much education and she’s an asian woman in the 60s!! she’s now a single mom with kids to take care of. so she ends up working as a waitress or something similar and uses that money to scrape by, food stamps were starting to become a thing in the 60s as well so she def used those. and then she has two children. she can’t get them through college and two bit knows he has to step up and be the man of the house and that means finding some way to make money so he has to drop outta school cause he needs to get a job. that’s what greasers do and that’s what was always gonna end up happening to him. the cycle didn’t start with him or end with him but it has to keep going l

ace and steve too. bounced around to different homes, never having one home with a steady flow of income, having to find ways to get through it. ace who didn’t trust any men, especially when money was involved, and only trusted those close to her!!! the cycle of poverty hits them all again as her and her brothers can’t rely on a father to bring in income. god plus the way that poverty creates addicts due to the stress of it all and then addiction further fuels poverty since you have to buy your vices. some addicts can’t hold a steady job which makes it even worse. all cycling in on itself over and over again. and that’s not even mentioning the clear redlining that tilly mentions in her ace backstory (this may even be a whole other post tbh) the town is designed to keep the poor poorer and the rich richer.

johnny who in my mind is clearly food insecure (y’all saw the way that boy snatched that food from dally and hid it away immediately right) never quite sure where he is gonna get food from besides the curtis’s since his parents spend most of the money on alcohol. the anxiety that would bring him and it impacts his story so hard cause he always is at a disadvantage due to that. there is a reason that boy looks so small

dally has always travelled, choosing to steal to get what he needs cause he never stays long enough anywhere to get a full job. he’s been labelled a hood since day one anyway and wouldn’t get a great job anyway cause of his skin color so he decides to lean into it and do what he has to do to get by.

then we have the curtis brothers. who were so close to getting out of tulsa. they were able to try to break the cycle and send darry off to college after he was one of the first to get through high school and make it out just for him to have to come straight back. no matter how hard darry tried he couldn’t ever end it but at least he can try to get pony through school and get him a better job that he can succeed in and love comfortably with

more various thoughts i couldn’t fit into any one greaser story- a lot of the kids were most likely mistakes and/or teen pregnancies that they really couldn’t afford to have but had to go through with it anyway. the cycle of addiction that runs through these families. the parents hopes and dreams of getting out never getting fulfilled. the way race plays into poverty as well

then you have the socs who have all the money they need, who have the opportunity to get out and choose not to take it cause tulsa is a source of pride for them. they benefit from the cycle too even if the kids don’t always realize it. just ugh. the way all of it comes into play with the overarching story

[sonkitty]

The Food Curse Part 2

On my Food Curse post, a couple of people referenced or sort of asked about the book.

My post was indeed focused on the show since I even said "season 1 and season 2".

But I had the time, energy, and curiosity, so I re-read the book again since I vaguely remember reading some posts discussing the matter when I was first reading a lot of Good Omens posts roughly a year ago.

Due to what I found when thinking about both the book and the show, I'll now designate the matter as a theory instead of just a head canon, for me.

This theory we're covering here isn't especially strong though. It's just strong enough by my own terms to be a theory due to how I play the games in the story.

You can still fit this food curse as a head canon into a reading of the book if you want. You just have to read between the lines. Or, you know, use basic willpower. But this post is about reading between the lines and "looking where the furniture isn't."

I'm about to play below, so as a reminder, I make mistakes and miss things, but here is where my play is for the moment.

...

The book has no ox rib scene from the Job minisode.

However, it does have this line stated by Aziraphale:

"Don’t you try to tempt me," said Aziraphale wretchedly. "I know you, you old serpent."

The implication here is that Aziraphale has been tempted by Crowley, and he knows what it feels like. We know among the things Aziraphale enjoys on Earth is eating. Crowley knows that too. He very well could have tempted Aziraphale into eating food, and Aziraphale is referencing that experience here.

...

In the book, when Crowley's starting to sense something is amiss with Warlock not having his powers, the story informs us this small thing happened in that talk with Aziraphale:

Aziraphale helped himself to Crowley’s slice of angel cake. "Well, he’s a growing boy. And, of course, there’s been the heavenly influence in his life."

Now this act is understandably, probably taken by most readers to mean that Crowley eats, or can eat if he wanted to.

But we're looking for a food curse and reading between the lines to find it. Do you see what that text doesn't say?

It doesn't say "half-eaten" angel cake. It doesn't say Crowley had taken a bite or two already. It doesn't say Crowley was remotely bothered that Aziraphale took his cake that he was still eating or going to eat eventually. It doesn't say he was so caught up in what he was thinking that he didn't notice Aziraphale took his cake. It doesn't say he meant for the cake to be for Aziraphale anyway.

If you add in the idea of the food curse and that Crowley tempted Aziraphale to eat and feeds off such a thing, then here's what just happened:

Aziraphale helped himself to Crowley's angel cake, so that Crowley could eat his damn angel cake.

...

You have to include the "damn" because that's the joke.

...

Later on, the story is setting the stage for what Crowley's flat is like before the other demons will invade it.

Crowley has a refrigerator filled with gourmet food "that never goes off." In the same general area in which this information is given, the narration is also alerting the reader that Crowley's flat does not look lived in because he doesn't actually live there. It's just some place he goes back to at the end of the day when he's in London.

Later in the story, the place he is implied to spend a good deal of time in, instead, is Aziraphale's bookshop.

Back to Crowley's own flat, we are not informed that Crowley himself actually eats this food that is in the refrigerator. We are informed Crowley didn't even know it was supposed to be plugged in, but that didn't matter. It worked anyway. We are further informed that Crowley has a computer that he upgrades because he thinks what the type of human he pretends to be would have. Take that idea and apply it to the food. He just assumes that's part of the job in pretending to be human, and his fridge with its long-lasting gourmet food isn't going to argue with him over it.

...

An eating temptation is outright given near the end of the book, much like season 1 of the show:

Crowley nodded gloomily. "Let me tempt you to some lunch," he hissed.

This time, we are told Crowley even went so far as to hiss, something he tends to do when he forgets himself, according to the book. Having a hiss with a temptation is a good reminder to the reader that he is the Serpent of Eden who was cursed to eat dust.

So, if Crowley eats indirectly from having tempted Aziraphale with food in the past, that still fits with the food curse idea.

The show adding the clues it did allows book readers to more easily fill in that gap, if they want.

The season 2 plate of Eccles cakes that disappeared is the only hint that this food curse might be important. Otherwise, it's just some extra thing you can find to give an extra layer, flair, atmosphere, whatever, to your own reading of the story.

...

Both seasons of the show give hints that Crowley can block out this feeding by folding his arms or crossing his legs.

In season 1, episode 2, at the cafe, Crowley has his arms folded and doesn't look to be feeding off Aziraphale eating as he did in episode 1 at the Ritz.

In season 2, Crowley looks very, very pleased as he feeds off Aziraphale eating food for the first time. Later on, he is reclined with his legs crossed and seems to no longer be feeding off Aziraphale even though Aziraphale is still eating. To see the legs crossed, you do have to make assumptions based on his position and the lighting. Crowley has had his fill of the food and is enjoying his drink.

...

Here is where my method of play could not help itself into letting this thing become a theory.

For that last visit to the Ritz in the book and season 1, there is extremely similar wording, even if not exact wording in the narration.

Here is the book:

And perhaps the recent exertions had had some fallout in the nature of reality because, while they were eating, for the first time ever, a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.

Here is season 1 of the show:

Perhaps the recent exertions had had some fallout in the nature of reality, because while they were eating for the first time ever, a nightingale actually did sing in Berkeley Square.

In the show, once you look for this potential food curse, there is something notably different in how the scene is setup for this lunch.

Both of the characters have a plate with a napkin on it and no food. From the two earlier instances in the season, Aziraphale had a plate with food. Crowley had a cup with a drink and no plate for food at all.

We are also now meeting a Rule of Three. We have table meal #3 for Crowley and Aziraphale in season 1 of the show.

The show has taken some extra effort to demonstrate that even though God says, "eating," that neither supernatural being is actively eating food at this moment. They are, however, enjoying themselves and the atmosphere of being in the world.

So, let's consider the possibilities.

One possibility is that the "eating" being referred to is actually the eating of the atmosphere. That's why Aziraphale has no food on his own plate.

Another possibility is that Aziraphale is going to eat so much, Crowley has a plate. That's why there is so much food on the table.

Another possibility is that Crowley does have certain food preferences, and so he will be eating indirectly through how Aziraphale eats, but he is indeed going to indulge in what those preferences are. He usually doesn't and is content to just go with whatever Aziraphale eats, if he himself isn't already blocking it out.

Another possibility is that this moment is so incredibly special, Crowley will get to eat after all, just this once. The curse is briefly lifted thanks to those exertions on the fallout of reality with a singing nightingale. That's why he's given such an exceptional place-setting compared to everything you will ever see with this demon in both season 1 and season 2.

Now it's starting to look like a puzzle.

We take in the clues about the crossed limbs to block out the feeding and then notice that Crowley's legs are crossed in S1E6.

Due to how Crowley plays Earthly Objects in season 2, I know he is rather deliberate in his choices on his touches.

If the crossed limbs really do mean he's going to block out any feeding off Aziraphale, that means he is blocking out any feeding off of Aziraphale during this lunch. But Crowley himself still has a plate. Thus, he will indeed be eating food for this special occasion.

We're still not allowed to see it to be sure.

[blart-og]

playing through chapter 3 rn. heathcliff STONKS.

[astrarche-x]

thinking about how we never have an actual flashback from the Ouyang clan execution and how that adds to the unreliability of Ouyang's narrative about his life and death. [sorry, long rant incoming bc i have feels]

Especially in regards to the scene when Ouyang is tasked with execution of Zhang Jr.: he thinks that he willingly chose to avenge his father and to bear the suffering of his fate when he was 10. But did he?

''He was giving him a chance for his death to have meaning. He should be grateful", he thinks in regard to Zhang Jr. So did he himself just stay alive for his death to have meaning? Or - what I suspect - did he just invent all this a posteriori to justify his will to live?

Apart from the fact that the scene with Ouyang killing Zhang Jr. is one of the most memorable in HWDTW for me for the layers that it has, it highlights one of the most fascinating facets of Ouyang: his will to live vs. his deathwish.

Obviously as his whole arc is about falling downhill, we as readers don't see much of the former, while the latter is in abundance especially in HWDTW. But nevertheless this tension is very much there.

As I said, we don't see - even through Ouyang's eyes - what went down that fateful day of the massacre; did he really beg for his life to avenge his family or just for the sake of it. But personally - I'm betting for the latter. Like, come on, he was 10 AND - more importantly - he DIDN'T know that Chaghan would have him castrated as he begged for mercy. He had no idea what the consequences would be. He might have thought about revenge; it's evident that even at 10 yo, the masculine ideals were already drilled into him. But he DIDN'T choose that with full awareness; it's something he told himself over the years to justify his will to live.

And I think this is the deepest root of his shame: that he so desperately wanted to live he could do anything. Him being an eunuch was shameful too, but not so much as the fact that he PREFERS it to being dead. This is what Chaghan calls him out on and this is why the scolding is such a turning point (something I didn't catch at first): Ouyang realizes that if he wants to live free of shame and justify his existence, he must have his revenge. But to do that - ironically - he must destroy himself.

The excuse he came up with over the years to make up for his will to live is that he is a tool of revenge; he is allowed to exist as long as he is this tool. Where the tragedy lies is that he never allowed himself to imagine that he could exist after his revenge is complete. Which is, I think, part of the reason why it took him so long to start plotting it: he wanted to live. He wanted to be with Esen. (The passage "He felt a surge of hatred towards the monk. [...] Without him, how much longer might Ouyang have had with Esen?" is one of the most heartbreaking in SWBTS imo). And I think that deep down he didn't even think his revenge was actually doable.

"[...] the monk had triggered the start of his journey towards his purpose. He couldn’t find it in himself to be grateful. It felt like a violation. A theft of something he hadn’t been ready to give up. Not innocence, exactly, but the limbo in which he could still fool himself that other futures were possible."

I think that these ''other futures'' were futures in which the opportunity for revenge never came; not so much as in ''his enemies were dead by other means'', but as in "Ouyang kept waiting but he just didn't get to meet the Khan" etc. And I think that in his mind, it would have been the best possible option - he could keep on living, waiting for the opportunity that somehow never came, but hey, his excuse of being a tool for revenge was still valid, right?? nobody could tell him that he didn't want it or forgot! he just didn't have the opportunity! oh, such bad luck, sorry not sorry. (And one day he would have died on the battlefield, possibly in Esen's arms, and it would be the best life he could have imagined).

But Zhu gives him the opportunity and he feels he must act on it, which means that his excuse for existing will soon be no longer valid, and it makes him so angry. I still don't get why he couldn't imagine a life after revenge; possibly because despite everything he LIKED this life - or, at least, liked it more than the alternative. Revenge meant destroying everything he enjoyed: his life as a general of the Yuan, and - more importantly - Esen. He probably didn't imagine a life for himself after revenge not only because he thought himself a tool to be discarded, but also because he didn't see in there anything worth living for. And this is when his deathwish comes in. It practically appears as soon as Esen is dead; and the rest is history, with Ouyang's ''I have to live because I must have my revenge and I sacrificed too much for it to walk away now!". But still, it strikes me how at the beginning of SWBTS he's clinging to life as he knows it despite it not being ideal, and how in HWDTW he is awaiting death eagerly.

And - circling back to Zhang Jr. - this is why Ouyang kills the boy: for Zhu it might have been tying up loose ends, but Ouyang at this point sees that staying alive wasn't worth it. He does what is better for the boy in his opinion; he even lets him die with honour, something he himself wants. He wishes he had chosen death all these years ago.

[constantvariations]

K so, Semblances are connected to Aura which is a manifestation of the soul yeah?

In Before the Dawn, the father of the villains confirms that one of twin's semblance was active in the womb throughout a good portion of the pregnancy

Meaning, in Remnant, fetuses have souls. Wonder how legal abortions are

Edit: just remembered Pyrrha had to unlock Jaune's Aura in V1, so does that mean someone cracked open a fetus's Aura inside the womb? Was Gillian strong enough as a cluster of cells to unlock it herself?? Wtf is this origin story???

[mekanikaltrifle]

Time for a little guy :3

Honestly there’s something extremely relatable about Silver: he didn’t ask to be born into a bad world where everything’s resting on you to be the change. Sure he made a mistake but he’s just a kid. Who hasn’t made a mistake or been naive as a child?

(Added a pastel version as a request from my sibling)

[sylphwing]

oh yeah here's all of the yakuza 0 / kiwami 1 & 2 characters as pokémon ✌️

[moreespressoformydepresso]

You know, sometimes I like a character for deep reasons like narrative relevance, symbolism, their arc throughout a story, the greater impact they have…

And sometimes I like them because their name is pretty and I like typing it out.

[ask-artsy-oncie]

Okay but honestly Francis MapleStory is one of those cases where canon gives us so little that I could honestly just grab him and inject him with any character traits and development I personally like. Because like, we honestly only know the very basics of his personality. We don't really have much of a backstory or even a deeper more intimate look at his story within the timeline of the game. We know that he's emotional and considered childish (mostly due to him being emotional and having a special interest in toys, which is wild because certain quests imply that he also makes toys so at that point it should be considered a profession, right???), that he's strong enough to be allowed to join the Black Wings but weak enough to be the first boss of basically every storyline, and that he loves Orchid enough to pledge loyalty to her even at the cost of his own dreams and ambitions.

And that's it. Hell, even the reason he's in love with Orchid (and all the problematic elements that accompany it) are pretty solely from the FriendStory High School AU, in which case... He's a teenager in that story. It makes sense that he doesn't have a very developed or nuanced view of girls. In the main story of the game, we don't actually know why he became so infatuated with her, it could easily be for problematic reasons or it could be a litany of other reasons. Maybe he relates to her obsessive nature? Maybe him being so emotional makes him empathetic to her plight (especially given that she's such a... punished character)? And like, Orchid keeps him around for some reason, given that she's literally killed people in the past, so she either finds him useful or maybe even just enjoys his company at this point.

I dunno! It's interesting to me, they're the only two characters that defected from the Black Wings in the game and they're canonically accompanying each other. We know so much about Orchid but so little about Francis. And his autistic swag intrigues me.

[stromer]

analyzing the FUCK out of the canucks star wars poster instead of working on actual shit that matters.. like college finals or whatever . sorry what else am i supposed to do when they’ve got demmer as han solo ????

[southislandwren]

ohohoho boy update. today at work it was just us doing cheese while everyone else pulled an ice cream order, and i was like hey if youre not busy saturday would you want to roadtrip with me? and i fully expected him to say no, but we are roadtripping to nebraska on saturday <3 <3 anyway what playlist do i put on in the car. do we trust him enough for get loose get looser

[mediumsizedpidegon]

when it comes to my Bleach/Silmarillion crossover where Maeglin dies, loses his memories and falls into Hueco Mundo (subsequently becoming a hollow)– one of the fun things to come up with is what the FUCK is going on in Arda while Maeglin is gone.

Of course, the second age and third age go as planned, the lord of the rings happens unchanged, because Middle Earth is divorced from the dead. Elves reembody into Aman, not Middle Earth and so no one in ME has any idea that Maeglin is lost to Arda (nor would this fact really change,,, any events).

But in Aman? Tolkien doesn't really talk about what's going on in Aman. In that way it's sort of a blank slate because– are the Feanorian followers allowed to leave the Halls and if they are, how are they settling into society? Who are they giving their loyalty to? Has the system of government changed over the years? What are Teleri-Noldo relations like, several Ages after the First Kinslaying? What is the balance of authority and power like with so many kings, queens and lords stuffed into one land? Who has reembodied and who refuses? How does the absence of well known figures (Finwë, Míriel, Fëanáro and his sons, Celebrimbor, Maeglin, entire generations preceding Finwë) shape politics and healing? Who forgives, who tries to forget, and who holds onto their grudges?

I imagine that at first, no one is looking for Maeglin. Why would they? He just betrayed Gondolin and caused the deaths of a good chunk of people. Those newly-dead aren't going to want to even look at him. Those that survived and sail to Valinor (like Idril) are glad to not see him among the reembodied. They aren't going to look a gift-horse in the mouth and ask questions.

The only ones who would want Maeglin back are his parents.

On the topic of Eöl, I personally find it more interesting if he wasn't evil and his and Aredhel's relationship was happy and healthy for a time. The progression of a paranoid, traumatized parent and husband trying his best to what Eöl ended up doing just. makes a bit more sense to me, especially because I keep the bit of canon where elves can't have kids accidentally. I imagine Eöl passes through the Halls in a matter of decades instead of centuries, not because he is fast to heal, but because being in the domain and under the mercy of a Vala is doing the opposite of helping him. And since he's out before Gondolin falls and lives in solitude, he even doesn't know that Maeglin has died until Aredhel reembodies and personally hunts him down to interrogate him on whether his curse (his prophecy) consigned their son to fading.

It didn't. (With where their son is now, it might have been kinder if it had.)

On Aredhel's end: she searched for her son for years within the Halls before Námo came to her, troubled, and told her that Maeglin is not in his Halls, nor reembodied in Aman, nor wandering Middle Earth– that by all accounts, Maeglin is not in Arda at all. So her son is gone, and her brother is too upset to see it, and Gondolin's people hate him enough that they would celebrate this, and when Aredhel reembodies, her niece tells her she is glad that Aredhel is freed from being bound to evil (her husband) and having borne evil (her son). Her mother embraces her but cannot forgive her for leaving her, her father sees the daughter she was and not the daughter she is, and her other brothers think she grieves having been controlled and misled. No one in her family knows her son and husband as anything but a traitor and her killer– no one in her family knows her as she is now, the Aredhel who left Gondolin and courted a elf who carried grief entangled in his every step in the dark, beautiful forest he claimed as a home. Who lived there of her own free will and had a son of her own free will, and loved them, for all that it ended horribly.

Aredhel has been mistranslated her entire life. She has borne it with what little forgiveness she has. She finds, now, she can bear it no longer.

As time goes on, some members of the family that never met him nearly forget Maeglin ever existed. Reembodied elves of Gondolin write histories of their city and Aredhel stops visiting Tirion entirely for all the stares she receives. There is still no understanding of Aredhel among the Nolofinwions for all their love and she tires of it quicker and quicker. She ends up repairing and renewing her marriage to Eöl (there is much Aredhel can forgive for understanding) and it is not the same as before everything fell apart, but it is theirs.

Maeglin will be gone six Ages before his parents succeed in calling him home. He'll be different too, older, sharper, traumatized, his body strange, but still their child.