#their initial dynamic as children was fun

[hihello-idraw]

My indecisive ass can't choose what person to ship Kakashi or Naruto with so! Polyamory it is then!

[iridescentscarecrow]

rambling post but wow. really fun dynamic to the yoru-asa switch this time. yoru blushing, typecast as a girl in love. "you're cute when you cry" completely at odds with denji's strangled grief.

yoru's attempted commiseration with denji's frustration: "i felt hopeless too. lost people who were like family to me." the family she's lost that we're privy to from previous chapters, the gun & the tank, her children whom she propertises & claims the life of. the claiming statement being one that asa reacts to with horror. it's so interesting how she mourns her family, almost horrifically laughable how she turns to denji & tells him about how he'll get over it. just like she did!

asa using the same trick she did in 167 at this point, harming her own body to force yoru out. the commiseration differs so startlingly here. denji's initial statement was: "i'm hopeless" — attaching his frustration with himself to the statement, faulting himself for what happened. yoru's "i felt hopeless" cuts away yoru's own self so neatly. fairly certain these are her children she's referring to — since the sisters are the horsemen, & even if she doesn't particularly mean gun & tank, these are the same children whose lives she thinks she owns. there's a charming earnestness to yoru here.

asa, meanwhile, tells denji about how she blames herself for the death of her family. her mother.

there's no way she can get over that.

grief & past traumas lingering in your tastebuds (see: the falling devil), eased by the crapburger that the chainsaw man describes to asa & that asa describes back to denji in turn... eating, tied to this. both living on & feeling, the toast with too much jam denji tells pochita about, miri's steak, the crapburgers, the fish. eating, too, a manner of digesting grief. denji fills up his stomach with his traumas, the dishes that falling prepares (the shadow of aki & power denji briefly remembers in those chapters hinting at <this>), makima in the apartment kitchen, nayuta on the conveyor belt. pochita unhinges his jaw & swallows up this past, the snow devil, makima's mouth, and all that bitterness for denji. and the boy's stomach can't keep it all in, barem stuffed denji up in the restaurant. it comes out as vomit.

[moirasdolly]

Helloooo! I'm not sure if this is a bad time for a small request butttt fem reader that is like a person with fox features, like the ears at the top of her head and a tail at her lower back. Dating the cold woman that is Arlecchino 👉👈 honestly, it could either be NSFW or not your choice! But it could be sort of like how people find it odd that Arlecchino would be with such a person as the reader..

˚ ⋆ﾟ୨୧ Vixen ୨୧ ˚ ⋆ﾟArlecchino x Fem!fox Reader

Synopsis: See the request!

Contains: Silly fox reader, harmless tricks, hurt and comfort, lots of cuddles and words of affirmation

Listening to ♪ ིྀ: Luv Sauce - HUS

Notes: I’ve been struggling to write but I hope this is okay!! Just a little drabble for the Arlecchino lovers ♥︎ I also had fun writing this because I always love a good hurt/comfort moment.

Your dynamic was an odd one. Arlecchino was nothing short of a stone-cold Fatui Harbinger known for her severe mannerisms and lack of any warmth. She took her profession and devotion to the Tsaritsa seriously, there wasn’t a single bone in her body that tolerated foolishness. But if all that was true, then why would she be married to you?

You were her polar opposite. A complete antithesis. Where she was cold and rigid, with piercing red eyes that could kill, you were warm and full of life. Your laughter filled any room you were in and the children of the House of Hearth enjoyed having you around. Not that they didn’t love Arlecchino, she would never tell any of them but she had a soft spot for all of her children, but they loved having such a lively woman like you around. Unfortunately for Arlecchino, one source of their enjoyment came from you playing tricks on her. With hushed giggles and quick whispers you’d fill the children in on your plans only to mask your smile in an instant when she made her presence known. This is how it always was. Arlecchino had a cold and serious facade, and you were as mischievous as a fox.

A very fitting description for you considering your bushy auburn tail, and fuzzy ears planted at the top of your head.

Initially you were worried about what the older woman would think of your… assets when you had first met, but she paid no mind. A part of you was disappointed she didn’t at least find them a little cute, that is until you picked up on how her gaze would linger everytime your tail swished to the side or if your ears twitched ever so slightly. It was little things like this that alerted you to her attraction towards you.

Of course you took advantage of that in the early days of your companionship. Your ears would perk up purposely everytime she spoke, you would twitch your ears dramatically at any slight feeling to catch her attention, and your personal favorite? Obviously it was when you would slowly swing your tail from side to side and watch her crimson irises follow it like she was being hypnotized only to snap out of it once she realized what you were doing. “Clever girl.” She would huff out, offering you a small smile.

Once you were married, she was used to your behavior and tricks even if she wasn’t expecting them. She had learned to be extremely mindful of your playful behavior, yet she was always surprised when you managed to pull off your silly antics. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t absolutely eat it up though. She acted exasperated everytime you hid her socks, moved around household items so that she couldn’t find them, or even snuck faux spiders into the house just to scare her, but she’d do anything to keep the joy on your face that came from playing tricks on her.

It wasn’t just her or the kids noticing your tricks though. You had garnered attention from the other Fatui Harbingers who were fond of seeing Arlecchino get messed with. But you had also caught the attention of the prying eyes of other Fatui recruits. Whispers of, “What does the Knave even see in her?” or, “God, how can the Knave even stand her?” were passed around quickly throughout the recruits. You caught wind of it easily, it’s not like they tried to hide it, you just hoped Arlecchino hadn’t heard any of it. You weren’t one to be insecure, but hearing the same negative thing over and over would be enough to make anyone have a heavy heart.

Your ears drooped and your tail hung limp behind you as you made your way through the doorway of your shared home and you were surprised to see your love already home, lounging on the couch. Her head perked up towards the sound of your shoes echoing on the pristine tile floor. Your ears straightened and your tail slowly swished from side to side at the sight of your beautiful wife. Her eyes were sharp though, she could tell in an instant that you were in poor spirits. She marked her place in her novel before casting it aside and patting her lap. In no time you were curled up on her, your head resting on her shoulder and your tail thumping gently on her thigh.

“What’s wrong, darling?” Was the first thing out of her mouth once you had settled in. You contemplated feigning fatigue, but decided lying would get you nowhere.

“Do you get annoyed when I trick you?” You finally mumble out. You feel a warm hand caress the back of your neck before trailing down to the small of your back, holding you snug. “Never my love. It’s the highlight of my day seeing your uncontrollable giggles and the glimmer in your eyes when I fall into your little traps.” She had seemed taken aback at your question, but she wanted you to respond at your own pace, so she let her reply linger.

You huffed before nuzzling deeper into her, “People have been asking why you’d even marry me… Why you’d ever be with me? They seem to think I annoy you.” Your ears flattened against your head briefly before your wife reached up to caress them gently. A little sigh escaped your lips at the comforting feeling, the older woman always knew what to do to make you melt like putty in her hands.

“What others seem to think of our relationship is meaningless. Do I not show you enough affection and reassurance my love?” Her voice had lowered to a whisper, she couldn't bear the thought of you feeling this way. Your head snapped up from her shoulder to face her instead, “Of course you do!” Your hands found their way to her cup her cheeks. “You make me feel like the most loved woman on the planet, I’m sorry my insecurities made you feel otherwise…”

The Knave’s eyes softened immediately, she felt at peace with how easily you shared your grievances with her. She wanted to be your safe place, your main source of love, and the one you could depend on. “My dove, you must know how much I adore you. How I love your mischievous demeanor,” she planted a kiss on the top of your head, “these cute ears of yours,” two more kisses were planted on your ears, “and especially this tail…” Her free hand stroked your soft tail before returning to your waist.

“My sweet vixen.”

[shorthaltsjester]

the thing is that the “laudna or delilah” debate i think actually misses the complexity of laudna as a character — which i think actually gets magnificently illustrated when marisha talks about and chooses her actions as laudna. like in the game, she tends to act comfortably as laudna even in those delilah filled moments once the initial indication has been made by matt that laudna feels that presence particularly in a given way. but the vehicle of a ttrpg as the medium in which laudna exists and interacts means that there is intractable ambiguity in the “did laudna do this or did delilah?” because the answer is always at the same time that both of them chose it as it is that laudna did, because matt always brings in delilah as a reaction to the choices made, either by laudna in the narrative or by marisha as the creator orienting laudna’s choices. like tonight, marisha certainly didn’t say I’m Looking At This Sword Appealing to Delilah, but she did have laudna who was traumatized by that sword engage with it while also engaged with an action she has pointedly and continuously accounted as a coping mechanism from years of solitude with nothing but the voice in her head. laudna didn’t choose to have delilah in her mind, but she did choose to ask for more power, she did choose to act without orym’s input, she did choose to use her form of dread, whether or not she chose the form which it took. especially with the the indicators that this is a storyline alluding to addiction (something i’ve long suspected but has now been affirmed by marisha in the cooldown), it is extremely compelling that laudna is both insistent of her own responsibility when it comes to intentions but is absolutely avoidant to the point of absolute denial when it comes to consequences. this was especially apparent when imogen asked if laudna’s choices and actions were all her own and laudna insisted they were, but then ended the episode with a form of dread the image of delilah briarwood fading from around her as she repeated “i didn’t mean it.”

it is particularly interesting when she is alongside imogen because i think the thing that is the most compelling to me about them right now si something that laura (iirc) alluded to in the cooldown about how imogen has chosen a significant turn away from predathos at the same time laudna has leaned in hard to delilah. in a lot of ways imogen has been very like laudna when it comes to the importance of intentions vs. consequences, at least insofar as her experience with her powers led to a different kind of isolation than laudna’s but still led imogen to experience situations in which she was confronted by the cruelty of thoughts much more expediently than she was with the cruelty of actions. and while laudna has experienced the cruelty of actions, she ties those intensely to bad intentions as well — cruel actions come from cruel thoughts. i mean, that’s what fun scary refers to — in that first interaction with those kids, we get a clear though undoubtedly unintentional insight into the perspectives that laudna and imogen both have on the cruelty that the world contains. laudna sees no harm in the fear she instills in those children because she loves kids, her intention was fun, her actions can’t be truly harmful if she never intended it. and interestingly, imogen disagrees that laudna is fun scary at all, she actually points out that laudna is scary scary, but in a good way.

and so we have this dynamic between two characters who have been the balms to one another’s solitude — which, as has been expressed in other posts, in both cases emerged from their commitments to their outlooks: laudna continued to appear as a witch on the outskirts of town, likely engaging in haunting behaviour if her actions throughout the campaign have been any indicator, and continued to run until, interestingly, someone who could read her mind was the first person to truly realize she meant no harm. imogen isolated because she was inundated with thoughts and turned misanthropic because of how often those thoughts were negative and cruel, until someone (who partakes in actions that can very easily be considered at least appearing to be negative or scary) had thoughts that were good. and they fell in love — with a confession scene where laudna raised concern that she might be a bad person, because she herself had ill intentions in reaction to bor’dor (absolutely mediated by deliliah, but her own emotional reaction that prompted that mediation). and imogen’s rebuttal isn’t a reference to laudna’s choices or her actions but to the thoughts she’s had that imogen has been witness to.

except. except it’s been months and imogen has a mother who had the best of intentions to start with . intentions that look a lot like imogen’s own, but now she stands at the side of a man willing to risk the entire world so that he can (ostensibly) no longer have to deal with divinity. imogen’s mother who allows the murder of countless people, of every member of the hells themselves except imogen, of oryms family, to get the answers and the solution that imogen herself is looking for. and as imogen has gotten further in the journey, the role of thoughts and intention has become apparent in its limits. because it’s true that they are important, it marks a difference between ludinus and liliana absolutely when it comes to likelihood that they might have a path for redemption, but it doesn’t mark much of a difference for the lives lost. and imogen has become much more concerned with this, i think maybe most clearly in her decisions around her last few predathos diving dreams because her hesitation hasn’t been that they need to consider the sides more, it’s been that, regardless of her intent to come back to the hells, to get information for their mission, her will might still lose the fight against the pull of predathos and if she’s forced to be this vessel which might allow it free, it might not matter as much what her intentions are when she dreams.

and at the same time. laudna has been confronted with the same evidence that her worldview might not paint a complete picture, but she’s still looking at that incomplete image as the whole. as is clear in her reaction to liliana, where she sets up her position to imogen by referring to her own love for her — for laudna, liliana must not actually love imogen, couldn’t possibly if the outcome of her actions is imogen growing up without her mother and liliana aiding and abetting (even if occasionally Maybe limiting) exandrias mage criminal of the decade. except, as imogen who has started to be checked on her flawed thoughts > actions perspective points out, that inconsistency isn’t one that laudna is immune to — laudna loves imogen and the hells and undoubtedly wants to see them live in a world they can thrive in, but she’ll also give up pieces of herself and make decisions without their input that have implications for those she chooses to exclude as evident in her choice with the sword,

and so tonight’s everything was delicious . when marisha’s interparty conflict beam hits it hits and it did tonight but the conversation between laudna and imogen was truly truly fantastic and so compelling because you get both laudna so locked into the familiar comforting behaviour that thinking that her intentions are all that matters is and being confronted by the fact that right now the consequences seem so enormous that the comfort is cold and imogen realizing that the thing that she’s been struggling through with her mother — and don’t get me started about imogen’s response to her mother saying she’s made her choices for imogen and the fact that laudna’s first explanation of why she chose this was a similar appeal to protecting imogen — is the same thing that has a hold of the woman she loves, though in different forms. and god, not to add another unnecessary sidebar, but laura is truly so good at coming up with heartwrenching prompts? dialogue? i dunno what to call it but the way that taliesin is insane with one liners, laura is like that with setting up conversations and then eventually spiking them into my heart because jesus the “i just watch. [as she plunges a dagger into her heart]” “i’ll always love you, i just don’t know what to do with it” “i didn’t mean it” “i know” because that’s the thing, that’s the struggle . ethel cain voice directed at laudna and liliana. imogen temult loves you but not enough to save you. because it doesn’t matter how much anyone loves laudna if she still believes in the necessity of delilah, it doesn’t matter how much anyone loves liliana if she still believes her presence at ludinus’ side is a requirement. and that’s not to reduce the degree to which they both have undoubtedly been trained to believe those things, but it is to say that both in the text and in the real world situations to which people love to refer when reducing agency to make characters more girlboss or whatever — it’s actually explicitly the role that laudna ascribes to her own emotions and choices and value that will lead her to a life where delilah does not have full reign.

the ambiguity and complexity is that as long as laudna wants (which translates to a need for her) her power, she wants delilah and whatever words that delilah will feed her to validate the need for and/or increase that power, which means that her actions are always her own, and the consequences are always hers to bear. the messiness is her continued insistence on separating intention from consequence — because laudna never means harm, for her it’s about protection, even power doesn’t seem to be power for its own sake. even with orym tonight it was about protecting orym from the sword, but also of course about finding power for delilah so that deliliah might also grant her more power so that she can help save imogen and the hells and the world. but that means when she explains to others she can make claims like i didn’t mean to, or that the choice was all her own because as incorrect to anyone else, laudna has completely committed to her founded belief that intentions matter more than anything else when it comes to the judgement of someone and their actions.

[psicheanima]

What do you think about the greater complexities of denji and power’s relationship? some fans argue the romantic undertones kind of throw the common “they’re siblings” understanding out the window and claim that power had feelings for denji, even if denji didn’t. I think these are fair assessments to make but I often see other fans react very poorly because it ruins the “platonic soulmates” thing people have to come to love about them. Regardless, makima is the one who delegated power to little sister status when we all know csm relationships are more complicated than that AND makima has a surface level understanding of human relationships in general. So what are your thoughts?

When you have two feral children like Denji and Power, grown without any form of love whatsoever— friendship, familial or romantic, its undeniable that they will thus explore all these types of love in order to settle on the one that both fits them. They don’t know what boundaries are. They have to go through all these things because they are children who were not taught.

This is why romantic undertones don’t exist for Aki’s relationship with either of them. He is a well adjusted adult who understands that he sees Denji and Power as part of his familial unit. They don’t have this context for society, so they’re everywhere, until they begin to understand their relationship as “platonic” while Denji takes care of Power during her PTSD.

These romantic undertones exist due to our perceptions of romance, but for the characters, it’s different. Power never sees Denji romantically. Ever. She is a devil drawn to warm blood, touch starved, and thus wants to constantly be attached to his body. She is delusionally self confident and crosses people’s comfort zones in what can be perceived as romantic affection, but to her, it is just affection.

Denji initially sees Power as a romantic interest because that’s all women are. They will save him from his miserable loneliness by providing him true, pure ascension. But Power is disgusting, and he isn’t actually sexually attracted to her. He realizes women are flawed beings, that he wants to take care of her, that he loves her in a way he didn’t know existed because he has never been cared for, much less in a familial way. So they are closer than normal siblings would be with one another. The love is big and overwhelming, they don’t know where to put it and both have pre-conceived notions for what it means to love (Denji’s is gendered, hers is violent.)

Nonetheless, Makima was correct in her assessment that Power is a little sister figure to Denji— the thing is, he only got about a few weeks of existing in this dynamic with the darkness devil thing. They could have grown even more healthy, stable and classically “siblings” if given time. What makes this assessment fun is that not even Denji knew he could see women in this way. Makima did not manipulate him to not form a romantic attachment to Power, she knew in advance. It just shows how utterly in control of his emotional life she is. Compare that to Reze, who she simply removes from the table.

They are siblings, they are platonic soulmates, and they do have romantic undertones, in the way we view “romance”, but it’s not that way to them. they are not lovers, or romantic. not even for a singular moment in time. That all exists at once

[nonsensology]

So I've had these Grunkle Stan crackships on my mind for almost a year now. Could be interpreted as platonic, but I think there's great and fascinating potential if interpreted fully romantic. Full musings and explanations below (Warning: very disjointed and random).

Uncle Chan from Jackie Chan Adventures

Maybe Ford and Stan stumble across the Chans on one of their globe-trotting adventures. Both groups fight off the same supernatural threat and surprise each other with their ease and familiarity with the weird and fantastical.

I feel Uncle is kind of a weird in-between of Ford and Stan. He is knowledgeable but not a nerd like Ford, is generally cranky but doesn't get into trouble like Stan does, although he does have a level of disregard towards authority if it gets in the way of his goals. He's quick to do research instead of impulsively charging into a situation.

I think Uncle's dynamic with Stan would be hilarious. They would argue a lot on how to deal with a threat, but once they agree to work together, they could kick ass. Once he gets past his initial annoyance, Stan would probably enjoy Uncle's quips, even more so when he realizes that Uncle does not say them to be funny, he's just naturally snarky.

Uncle is never shown having any romantic interest or relationships, so I kind of headcanon him as ace, but I think it would be really interesting to see what kind of queerplatonic relationship he and Stan could form.

Jade and Mabel would probably hit it off immediately, and while Jade isn't as studious as Dipper, she also has an enthusiasm for the supernatural so she'd probably get along decently with him. She'd also probably think Stan and Ford are super cool, especially considering their lax attitude toward giving children weapons. Though they do still take the kids' safety very seriously.

Jackie is doubtful of Stan, much like he was with Viper, but seeing Stan look out for the kids would probably endear him a little. Ford might also help ease his worries, and maybe they both could have fun discussion about archeology.

I think Tohru and Soos could get along decently, though Tohru would find Soos' eccentric musings odd at first.

Additionally, Uncle's shop is in San Francisco, practically next door to Dipper and Mabel in Piedmont. The kids would easily visit each other every weekend.

Bruno Madrigal from Encanto

Stan has been to prison in Colombia, so I don't think he'd willingly travel there for fun, and Encanto Valley seems relatively closed off from the rest of the world, so I imagine their meeting is accidental, maybe a result of the Stans getting caught in a storm or something. They stay for a while in the valley while repairing their boat.

Stan might initially be outraged at the idea of the Madrigals not charging anyone for the use of their gifts, but perhaps lightens up when he sees how close-knit the community is. He'd still come up with ways they could show off their powers Mystery Shack style, probably butting heads with Alma in the process, lol. He might encourage Bruno to adapt a more showman-like approach to his seer abilities to make it more presentable and less intimidating.

Bruno and Stan connecting over their shared feelings of isolation from family is definitely what drew me to these two together in the first place. If they ever got serious about their relationship, I can imagine the biggest hurdle would be deciding if they should continue a long-distance relationship, since neither is keen on asking the other to be separated from their family.

Yuuko Ichihara from xxxHolic and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle

Major spoiler alerts for both series. It's been many years since I've read them, and Tsubasa had so many plot twists that even CLAMP (the writers) admitted they were confused by the end result. I also might be misremembering some details, so bear with me. Factoring in the plotlines for both series and Gravity Falls would make for an incredible AU fanfic that I unfortunately am not qualified to write.

Due to Yuuko's shop being in Tokyo, a whole ocean away from Oregon, I like to imagine some timey-wimey space mumbo jumbo allowing Yuuko and Stan to meet in the dream realm. Maybe at some point, Yuuko's shop would obtain a door connecting it to the Mystery Shack.

Stan and Yuuko both have a mischievous side, though Yuuko is generally more reserved. They could start out as drinking buddies, though I imagine Stan would probably favor a light beer, while Yuuko loves sake.

They also both use aliases (it is never revealed what Yuuko's real name is), but Yuuko would likely be upfront about it. As their relationship progresses, Stan would probably feel comfortable telling Yuuko his real first name, even after she tells him the supernatural dangers of giving your real name.

While Stan scams his customers, he generally sells harmless entertainment and trinkets, whereas Yuuko grants wishes and operates strictly on an equivalent exchange basis. To quote the wiki, "All of Yuuko's customers must pay a price in order to grant their wishes, which can be no more or no less than the one demanded, or else harm will come to one's way. She is not one to tell the customer the most direct way to solve their problems because in the end, it can only be solved with that person's own realization and resolution to change themselves... Her abilities are not unlimited and may almost seem like a curse as it appears that she is unable to do anything for anyone or grant any gift (other than feelings) without it becoming a binding transaction." 

When Stan finds out just how powerful Yuuko is, I think he might react with a mixture of hesitation and awe, especially when she reveals she knows about his past, and Ford being lost in the multiverse. I am on the fence on whether Yuuko would use her powers to bring Ford home sooner, or let Stan continue working on the portal because he's already close to completing it and this would be significant in defeating Bill.

I found that the main villain of Tsubasa, Fei Wang Reed, surprisingly parallels Stan. Both endanger reality to bring back someone who is lost, but while Stan does it out of love and devotion to his family, Fei Wang Reed only did it in an arrogant plan to prove himself a powerful sorcerer. And in Fei's case, the person is already dead. CLAMP's universe establishes that the dead cannot be brought back to life, and Fei's wish to do so would cause the universe to be destroyed. I wonder if Bill would factor Fei as part of his plans.

Stan also surprisingly shares a lot in common with Fai D Fluorite. Both use their twin's name (Fai's real name is Yuui), and for much of the series Fai's tragic backstory regarding his twin is unknown, and he hides his trauma under a laid back exterior. I think Stan would empathize a lot with Fai, after he finds out his backstory.

Kimihiro Watanuki is revealed to have been created to fill a void left by Syaoran after the latter wished to turn back time. I remember Watanuki's character arc involved realizing that people cared about him. "Don't disappear", "Continue existing". Stan would probably take Watanuki under his wing, much like he did with Soos. Watanuki might find life with the Pines family far more chaotic than he's used to, but slowly warm up.

Yuuko is revealed to have died a long time ago and has basically been in magical stasis due to Clow Reed's unintentional wish. When time finally moves forward again, Yuuko eventually passes on. She doesn't return in the canon series, but Watanuki is stated to have also suspended his time to wait for her return. In this AU, maybe she reincarnates in the past and reunites with Stan and the Pines in the present day.

[weebsinstash]

hey, can I have more husband and wife family dynamics with thragg? maybe more about her pregnancy or the kids' childhood/baby time?

Sure can! It's been pretty fun writing about potential scenarios where this monstrous piece of shit can actually feel love. First and foremost I was watching a video on YouTube going over this scene again and uh Comic Readers KNOW How Fucked This Man Is. um, out of context vague spoilers but, I'm assuming people asking about Thragg have read the comics or are curious about the comics but like yall Need To Know how he treats the kids of his enemies

I feel like I need to share/remind people of this scene because like, this man can be kind of hard to pin down. He's from this loveless society that sees kindness as weakness and he's like King Dickhead but there are still times when he can be quite courteous, even apologetic, sarcastic, whatever. I think at the end of the day he's just a very selfish, explosive, emotionally impulsive man but revisiting this scene was a little surprising for me since I forgot he was even like, capable of "small kindnesses" like saying sorry or whatever. Like. Is him wiping her tears while smearing blood all over her face a well intentioned accident or is he like waging psychological warfare on this like, i think she's literally 5 years old. What is the purpose of him apologizing to a child for splashing blood of her family member on her when he intends to kill her or leave her for dead in front of her dying parents anyways. I'm still trying to get a feel on this man

THAT BEING SAID, moving on, we're talking about a yandere Thragg today and thankfully that comes with perks

- it's pretty obvious but like, you are his favorite mate and your children are his favorite children. I like to think of concepts with Reader being Ursaal and Onaan's mother or even the previously mentioned triplet idea with Mark being their sibling (otherwise I'd have to invent new characters and that doesn't, resonate the same, and I also really like Ursaal actually and I feel like there's some real story potential in Ursaal discovering more of her humanity through her mother's kindness and wanting to protect her mother from her father)

-can you imagine like. I still think about the idea where you're actually Nolan's mate but one day you mouth off to Thragg and he "puts you in your place" in front of Nolan as a punishment to you both and like a month later you find out you're pregnant and, I imagine abortions are only done on Viltrum if the fetus is too weak or defective, so you're forced to carry it and you and Nolan are lying that it's his and then one day Thragg just, passes by, sees your swelling tummy, takes one sniff of you, "it's mine" and demands a paternity test. And you'd think, "oh surely he'd just take the baby" which is what you'd prefer but, no it becomes a pretext for him to steal you from Nolan altogether

-you're fed incredibly nutrient dense, protein packed, ultimate pregnancy food because Thragg wants those babies as healthy as possible. Thragg has probably had other alien kids before but these are his first hybrid or nearly fully Viltrumite children and that makes them special. New dad Thragg holding up these little absolute mammoths of newborns with all their chunk and pudge and rolls and he's just so proud, "look at how robust these children are! Surely they have inherited my strength! Fine additions to the Viltrum Empire were born on this day" and you're like half awake in bed and he just, pets your hair

-ok just. Ok just picture it like. You're pregnant and upset and so stressed out because you didn't want to be Nolan's mate after he helped conquer Earth but at least you had known him and liked him initially. You're just constantly stressed out and angry and watching every single word you say around Thragg because you don't know him or what he's capable of, but I imagine a sort of scenario where he's taking you to the doctor and running tests and procedures and just, you know prenatal checkup stuff, but the doctors are all speaking to Thragg instead of you, you aren't even being told your own test results, and the two of you finally arrive back home and you just break down crying and kind of tear into him, "I'm sure YOU have had lots of kids before but I'VE never had a baby before and I don't know what to expect or what's going to happen or- or -" and you're just bawling because, it's not a lie you're scared. You're having a baby and you're gonna be a new mom and it's entirely against your will, out of your control, and that's incredibly stressful. And this becomes a moment where Thragg actually shows some humanity by sitting you down and discussing the doctors visit with you, and that's one of the first times the two of you actually have a civil, extended conversation

Thragg thinking he's so fucking big and tough and then he sees you this little fragile fleshy untrained civillian with the big teary boo hoo eyes with your shaking hands on your little belly as you cry about being scared about giving birth to his baby and he's just, "shit I DO have feelings" and immediately feels the overwhelming need to comfort you. He'll comfort you under the guise of "stress isn't good for the children" which is true but, it's him blanketing his own concern and masking it under an excuse

-I kind of feel like that hypothetical event would be like, a footnote in your relationship. He starts treating you differently, attentive in new ways, more... emotional ways. He'll stop by while he's working on a break or something to check on with you and the assigned caretakers he has guarding you (because the very second you're confirmed pregnant you have 24/7 security) and he'll awkwardly grunt out questions about, have you eaten yet, are you experiencing any pain today, any discomfort, any new symptoms. He'll check in with your guards/nannies privately about if there's anything you're doing that he needs to know about, give tou a nice husbandly shoulder touch and then (reluctantly) getting back to work

-to be blunt part of me questions if he even has sex to create children or if he uses something akin to IVF and I only say this because of the absolute ASSEMBLY LINE he sets up on Thraxia. Trust me though he beats the kitty up with you CONSTANTLY

-I actually think after giving birth is like the ONE time you're allowed any birth control because apparently if you have too many pregnancies in too close time frames it actually sucks the calcium out of your bones and can give you osteoarthritis and Thragg wants you healthy, "for more future children obviously" which is such a lie because let's say you have your miracle birth of giving him twins or triplets or whatever but you hemmorage and become infertile or whatever. Mf is STILL keeping you around. When you think about it he technically doesn't even need you to help raise his children, he has people for that, but he forces you to be part of the process anyways

- tbh I kind of like the idea of Thragg developing some weird fucking like complex where he discovers he feels comforted cuddling you, like man gets hit by oxytocin like a fucking freight train, and it becomes him literally being unable to sleep without you in his arms. You could be in a yelling screaming argument with this man and he suddenly like, just completely shuts you down, "ENOUGH!! I require rest and I won't tolerate anymore of your childish whining!" And you could be spitting mad at him and he's just, picking you up just physically picks you up and drags you to bed anyways. Hooks his arms around your waist as the big spoon and buries his face in your hair even as you spit insults about how you hope he kills himself

Like I think I've mentioned this idea with other characters before but imagine Thragg waking up on the middle of the night IMMEDIATELY PISSED because the bed beside him is cold and he finds you on the couch, on the couch, maybe even without blankets and visibly uncomfortable, because yeah he WILL wake you up to drag you back to bed with him.

- Thragg being this warrior who literally watched people be disembowled and tortured and conquered races but suddenly you're in labor and he's in the delivery room (he refuses to wait outside) watching you literally scream in pain and he just, takes your hand and tells you to squeeze, and that it'll be alright, and he sees you so vulnerable and scared and emotional and you're looking to him for some kind of help but he can't, even with all his strengths and feats he can't help you right now, however this pregnancy goes is up to fate and the doctors and he feels like an actual visceral HUMBLING sense of helplessness that just makes him, even more obsessively protective over you

- deadass if it becomes a "he can only save one: you or the children" life-threatening pregnancy scenario, he chooses you. Says you can always try again but even if you wind up infertile and "useless" to him, he's too attached to you at this point, it doesn't matter if you "don't serve a function" or whatever bullshit Viltrumite mindset he may have had with previous mates before. You're different to him, and you're making HIM different as a person

- You're just half alive on the couch because Giving Birth is Hard and here's Thragg doing shit like personally bringing you water, feeling your forehead for any fever, monitoring your condition, aggressively interrogating your guards for extra info, sitting beside you with your babies in his arms. He lets you rest after giving birth and nearly bends over backwards

- I feel like at some point you're forced to accept a lot of real fucked up stuff and especially if you are a hybrid Vultrimite yourself and thus will be with Thragg for, basically forever, like some real "mate, do you have any cravings today. What do the children require" "ummm... at the ceremony last month, there was that... blue, little.... crab thing?" "A Florkian. They are incredibly rare" "oh... I'm sorry, I didn't know-" " -and since I observed that you were fond of the taste when you were consuming them, I went ahead and conquered their homeworld and farms have been established. I can have the slaves prepare a dish for you right away" "oh, thank you, ive been craving it ever since i ate it but i didnt want to bother by asking 🥰" "as your mate it is my duty to provide for you. Do not keep any of your desires from me"

- your children are getting trained as soldiers the second they develop powers and that's something you'll have to get used to. If your little babies get their powers at 5, they're still learning combat, getting knocked around, near beaten, "toughened up". Thragg will conceal the full extent of how they're treated from you because the way he sees it, you weren't raised on Viltrum and you're simply ignorant of their culture. He doesn't need you to accept how things are. Your kids will come home with black eyes and bruises and bloodied noses and he'll growl at you not to make them too soft as you weep over Ursaal missing a chunk of her hair because an opponent grabbed her by it and she had to break away and some was ripped out at her scalp, like. The psychological damage of asking your small child how their day with their father went, "it was excellent mother, I made my first kill!!" And then gleefully describing to you in detail how while their father was fighting an enemy soldier, the soldiers child attacked yours, and, your baby killed another kid. Like. That's the sort of thing you have to be raised with to block out of your heart. Going to hug your child who may not even be 10 years old and they have literal blood on their hands

-personal headcanon but also semi canon but I imagine Ursaal is the most competent of your twins and is Thragg's favorite. She just has a better tactical mind on her shoulders and isn't, uh. As horribly sadistically violent as Onaan. Like say your kids become platonic yandere or whatever, or, you have your own kids with thragg and the twins are separate but still attached to you. Onaan is the kid you find killing cats because he's jealous they get more attention than him while Ursaal is like, giving her father incredibly detailed reports and her own insight into what you've been up to, how you're feelings, things you say and do when Thragg isn't around

-so I know y'all see that image I posted with Thragg and his twins. I tried to censor, The Cape last time but I realized like, even with censoring the head it's still super obvious who that is, there's only one white furred creature in this entire show. I imagine after Thragg gets his Beast Drip that, once Throkk's daughter comes for revenge, she is also slaughtered, and her pelt becomes YOUR cape. Or maybe Thragg offhandedly mentions to you that BB Jr has vowed vengeance and you're casually flipping through a book, "is she as strong as her father, like if you had to rate it 1 to 10 with her father being 10 and 1 being a human. If the daughter is at about a 7 or below, Ursaal should be able to handle her, get herself a nice coat to match her father" and Thragg feels this warmth in his chest to hear you're actually observant of his/your children and their prowess, especially to hear you praise Ursaal in such a uh violent context, just casually suggesting his daughter could turn another sentient humanoid creature into a pelt to wear. This is another example of "living the viltrum life will eventually dehumanize you and rob you of certain empathies"

- I don't think you would actually have a title but could you imagine if Thragg decides you're like, officially his true mate, like the mate above all others, like you're the Empress in his little harem of concubines and ladies in waiting. I hc that your official title is something like Grand Duchess or perhaps if this is the twin/triplet scenario something more vaguely historical sounding like The High Mother or Regent Mother or, you get the point

-I still think "Reader turns out to be an incredibly late blooming hybrid" is a neat concept but I also don't know how they would miss that since during your pregnancy and all you're receiving medical care out the ass but like. Thragg personally training both you and the children as a family. Would be kind of humiliating honestly because it's kind of vaguely implied you should learn things before the kids do and if you struggle, here's Thragg, telling his kids in private they have to protect you and keep an eye on you and report any problems back to him

- thragg would definitely be training you in hand to hand but suddenly finds he can't bear hitting you in the face or hitting you at a certain strength. Like. Absolutely 100% you're gonna have a lot of scenarios where you're brawling or wrestling and he pins you and it swiftly transitions to you getting rawdogged from your high on adrenaline husband. Tbh that sex would probably be his favorite, where he has to defeat you in combat and then rewards himself. Can probably border from hatesex to consensual to noncon, not that he has a problem doing THAT to you either

- probably has portraits done of you and him. Idk do you think Viltrum has like enough art culture for portraits to be a thing? Most fascist tyrants have portraits. He would have several done: you and him, just you, you while pregnant, him and you while pregnant, you holding your babies, you and him holding your babies, and family shots as they grow up. Say you conquer a planet together as a family and one day you're revisiting and there's some sort of museum set up amd you find like a wall length portrait of, you and your children soaked in blood tearing carnage through the fire and flames and Thragg is beside you just nodding in approval, "they captured your image rather well"

- goooooddddd imagine you're just a normal human and you progressively start showing signs of aging. You start getting more wrinkles. Your body starts working in different ways, popping, cracking, aching. Onaan, Ursaal, and Thragg all notice and they're like FREAKING OUT HONESTLY. The children don't want to accept that their mother is actually going to be a speck on the timeline of their entire lifespans. Thragg doesn't want to accept that he has to let you go and you're never coming back. They all become obsessed with finding ways to keep you young, keep you alive, fuck it they'll clone you and transfer your consciousness into a new body if they have to! This is comic book world and these are obsessed aliens and they have OPTIONS

- something something "what if Reader isn't a viltrumite hybrid but is still like super-powered or a mutant or whatever and this isn't revealed until you like are fatally injured or even DIE die and suddenly you, pop back up". Cause I feel like this "close call" would drive any yandere literally insane because, what if there's no second chance, what just happened, can you still die, they can never never never never never allow you to get hurt ever ever ever again

Thragg just walks into the kitchen and you have the stove top red hot and you've just got your palm resting on it and you look to him kind of just shocked, all, "look... nothing happens... I just feel some of the warmth" and Thragg just puts his fist through your oven anyways, "you could've gotten hurt" and immediately picking you up and carrying you to some sort of perceived "safer place"

- this is like a specific scenario but like, can you imagine as a mom you like to brush and comb Ursaal's hair and you idly suggest she could always grow it out more and you could help braid it and things, but once it starts getting longer Thragg objects and says it could get grabbed during a fight and orders her to cut it but you step in and say she shouldnt have to, it's HER hair, and you two get into it, and one day Ursaal is brought home by her father and he's all but shaved her head after she had actually grown it out to a decent length. You and Thragg are at odds over how to treat rhe children and Ursaal begins to realize that many of the restrictions her father instills on her are because of a way of life she may not fully agree with, a life filled with violence and bloodshed with no room for love or kindness or creativity. She probably helps you from going over the edge too, honestly. If anything else through this life with Thragg, in your darkest places you may still find yourself thinking you have to keep going to try and help your children

- with others, Thragg is the kind of yandere where he's standing in the same room as you and you're both doing completely different things and he suddenly says, "so I noticed during the meeting that your eyes kept lingering on my mate" and without further warning he's beating up someone on the accusation they were lusting for his wife, no discussion, just fists , and he'll do shit like this a lot to the point people don't feel comfortable being around you and you're just further socially isolated

- I feel like Thragg would have some weird like fondness slash fetish for watching you breastfeed. Like, awww here's his cute little wife with his chubby little babies and you're giving them their nice milk, what a good mom, providing for the babies he put in your belly ❤️ part of me is convinced if you're a viltrumite or hybrid or whatever that you uh. Eventually wind up with a lot of babies. A LOT of babies. Do you think he would want a specific amount or its just vibes. Like you're over 300 years old and you've already got 50 kids with him but he sees you teaching one of your youngest sons how to throw a punch and suddenly he wants another

- all I'm saying is if he ever catches you self harming or attempting to hurt yourself he's gonna have a real extreme reaction. Like he finds you cutting yourself with a broken glass and you're immediately restrained and taken to a hospital, completely stripped, inspected for other wounds, and if there are any and especially a lengthy history of them, you're in such trouble. But I also think it would be extremely difficult to hide this from him since as time goes on you two are constantly having sex or he's inviting himself into your shower to bathe with you. You accidentally bang your arm on a counter or something and get a tiny bruise, this man will know about it and wants a detailed report on where it came from

- even when you guys aren't super familiar with each other and you've "just met" he's already protective and all that. Like you've just been brought into his home and you barely even know him still and he may even act mean and angry to you and then one day he sees you have a large bruise on your arm, "what is this?" ".... it's nothing, Grand Regent" "I asked you a question and you'll answer me: where did this come from" "... I spoke out of turn with one of your advisors and turned to leave without permission, Grand Regent" "And so they grabbed you?" "Yes Grand Regent" "who" "it was my fault, I-" "WHO" and the second you give a name or description he's wordlessly leaving the room and shows up again HOURS later with visible blood on him, "it has been handled. You are not to be harmed or punished without my permission or instruction"

- in some scenario where you leave the kids behind and try to run away, like... he isn't just gonna throw up his hands, "well I already got children out of her, she has served her purpose" and leave you the fuck alone. If anything this man would track you down just to tell you off for having the fucking nerve to disobey and defy him! I can picture an actively captured wife where you are constantly kept on some kind of restraint or have a bracelet or collar or even a LEAD THAT HE HOLDS and you're IMPRISONED rather than "I'm being monitored but otherwise I have my own agency". Thragg will make himself a throne that you can be chained to if he has to. He'll have restraints made that are decorative and complimentary of your features. Imagine he's making some sort of public appearance and while he's speaking he's got an arm around your waist and you're pulled up against him and meanwhile you've got. A bar gag and cannot speak

- really, truly, in a way, you become a symbol, but one of all different kinds. There are Viltrumites who see how their mighty Grand Regent treats his mate and they are viscerally disgusted (Kregg and Lucan comes to mind), like people who really start to question the society they are living in, questioning if it really must be so selfish and devoid of empathy, questioning if they really want to keep living this way and for their children and their children's children to live like this. Then there are others who see the way the Grand Regent controls his mate and see its as a sign of strength and permission to treat their own mates the same.

Mostly, though... the only thing that will take you away from Thragg is death. Until the day one of you dies, you're stuck with him, and there's basically no one around who's stronger than he is, period. You might as well cozy up and get friendly with your new husband, since you're going to be together for a long time and spend lots, and lots, and LOTS of time together ❤️

[cokoweee]

OH wow! Two updates in 24 hours! Okay I really wanted to dig into this, because there were so many things on just the writing and dialogue and I LOVE it!

These two panels were fun, because there is something soft in Kendra’s face. Nostalgia, affection…also the wet beads of water coming off her hair, since she climbed out of the bath….but I’ll continue this rant later…

This is interesting….We have seen Donnie borderline catatonic so this could be Draxum’s latent parental instincts not wanting to push Donnie just yet. (Or worried that Kendra might be a trigger?)

Though funny that this was what pushed Casey to reach out….I included a snippet from Replica…but…lol both you and Kat having Casey very particular about her male family members helping her out, is understandable

Heh…that’s rich, considering you are gonna have your own lizard children Kendra…not that you know that, I guess… Still this feels like a “tempting fate” line/foreshadowing. Mostly, because Casey insisted that the father is human. (I think?) But likely a jab at how Kendra calls her “Beast” all the time.

Ohhh…what is this trinket?! <_<

This is the face of someone who is either gonna pretend to be a toy or a child if Kendra gets pulled over XD

Okay this brings me back to my thoughts after the first image…Kendra likely had been thinking about stuff since her initial talk while fixing Yuichi’s arm the first time. However the “event” and Raph’s chat with her possibly had her start really mulling over it. We know Kendra has been struggling with her identity in the way of not belonging. She accepted she was an outcast…and possibly still considers herself an outcast. However with everything she has been doing: the training, modifying the jetpack, upgrading Yuichi’s arm…it certainly is setting this precedence. If Kendra doesn’t fit in this group’s mold by default, she is gonna make some changes so she does.

The past Kendra would never adjust to accommodate others. She is unapologetically herself. So why is she going through the trouble to make little changes…why does she want to properly ask Donnie if she can stay with him? Because when you love someone, you accommodate them. And not in the way, that you should change yourself for someone. However if there are traits that are holding you back, and it benefits you both in the long run, sometimes little changes are necessary. Kendra is changing, because she wants this. She may not know how her dynamic will change, but she wants it to get better.

And…I forget how I planned to wrap this up, but…. It is an organic way to bring happily ever after that much closer, and in a way that doesn’t compromise Kendra’s identity. Again, your writing and dialogue are amazing, and the way you pair it with your drawings makes some great storytelling.

Oof writing is such a struggle but considering I do hours of acting out dialogue both irl and in my head certainly do help. NOW TO ANSWER SOME OF THESE LIL SNIPPETS U SEPERATED but under a cut cause this is a bit long lol

Draxum is a weird dude to write for me but for me he’s another that lost almost his whole fam. He doesn’t wanna risk losing the last one that’s there even if they aren’t how they once were.

CASEY NOT WANTING DRAXUM ALL UP IN HER 🍰 IS A REAL! ITS LIKE UR GRANDPA/DAD/UNCLE SAYING THEYLL DO IT FOR YOU

That lil TrInkEt will be helpful later :D (I think. Please I haven’t fully thought this plan through)

You point out that she never would accommodate for someone else and yuh you’re right. Bitch would make others accommodate to her. This tho

“Because when you love someone, you accommodate them”

Idk how to word this, it’s pretty difficult to conjure up in my head words for this. For her it’s. She can’t see those feelings. Define them. It’s a case of extra caring without knowing why and it’s irritating. Like a fly u can’t kill. Or a butterfly. Pretty and you don’t want it to leave but also don’t want that big bitch flying all up in your face

[prying-pandora666]

On Alucard and Maria

Are there actually fans advocating for Alucard to be written as Maria’s father figure in the new season of Nocturne? Like that would be a good thing and not infinitely creepier? I don’t think they’ve thought this through.

Alucard is the single most popular character in the franchise. He’s also probably the most shipped character. And yet he has only had one canon love interest in the decades since he’s existed. It’s Maria. And you’re telling me that you think that because he’s 300+ and she’s 17-18 when they started living together in the games, that it would be grooming. However, somehow him inserting himself into her life at age 16 when she’s just lost both her parents wouldn’t come off like grooming!?

Does this man look like he should be picking up random children!? He’s literally terrified of his own cursed blood. Maybe LISTEN TO HIM.

I’m convinced fandoms have forgotten what that word means. Grooming has specific features. It doesn’t just mean “older guy and younger girl.” A relationship with an age gap or an uneven power dynamic can be exploitative or abusive without being a case of grooming. Grooming specifically refers to the process of forming a relationship with a child with the intention of leveraging that relationship and trust to train and prepare (aka brainwash) your victim for the harmful activities the groomer wants to normalize. The relationship Alucard and Maria have in the games is in no way grooming. You know what would be grooming though?

Coming into a 16 year old’s life when she’s vulnerable, traumatized, and recently orphaned only to insinuate yourself as a new father figure. This is so highly inappropriate and a huge red flag. Consider what you’re actually asking for here. These characters do not exist in a a vacuum. They have a long history together as each other’s only canon love interests. You cannot fully extract them from the games, art, interviews, audio dramas, animations, and more where they’re depicted as a couple. There are decades of this precedent and you are asking Netflix to knowingly take the characters with an established romantic dynamic that the audience is already primed to see as romantic and instead portray their meeting as him trying to be her new daddy?

“Oh look! Alucard and his… daughter? Yikes.” This is an official advertisement btw.

THAT is grooming! Think about the optics of this! It would be abysmal! No it would NOT fix the problem of their age gap to make him act like a groomer and get in good with her as a dad. You just cannot completely extract them from the legacy of their relationship in the source materials. It will be incredibly creepy and textbook grooming if you get your way.

Is this really what you want to associate with an “adoptive father Alucard”? Because the art we create doesn’t exist in a vacuum. All the old content—official and fanmade—is still going to exist.

What is so objectionable about the original dynamic anyway? It’s a pretty fun subversion of the tired and problematic vampire trope of “vampire man stalks teen girl and coerces her into being his”. Instead in their original relationship, Maria is the one who pursues Alucard! It’s the young woman who takes initiative and is given the agency to go after what she wants. She courts and woos him. That’s part of the fun!

Yes, Alucard is 300+. He’s also a fictional creature that doesn’t actually exist IRL and stays eternally young. There are no actual people who will ever have his problem of staying 20 forever so it’s rather silly to say he can’t date any humans because of course he will have an age gap with any of them.

The only real problem I have seen people bring up is Maria’s age, but from what I can tell, the show’s already fixed this. Check it out.

In The Games

Rondo of Blood: Maria is 12. She and Alucard do not meet. Richter is a brother-figure and not romantic.

There is then a 5 year time skip.

Symphony of the Night: Maria is 17. She and Alucard meet to save Richter. At the end, Alucard says his goodbyes and intends to return to a life of solitude. Maria goes after him because she has developed feelings for him and doesn’t want him to suffer a life alone.

Maria is given agency to pursue what she wants and prove herself even against Alucard’s resistance and hesitance to let another person into his life.

They spend a year together before we get the audio drama.

Nocturne of Remembrance: Maria continues to try to get close to Alucard. They end up saving each other’s lives and in the end he finally confesses his romantic feelings for her. She is an adult and perfectly able to make her own choices. She chose him. He admits he returns her feelings.

How fandom can look at a story about a young woman subverting the trope and chasing the vampire to get what she wants—basically an anti-Bella Swan—and still find a way to disempower her just so they can pearl clutch? I couldn’t tell you.

So now let’s look at what the show did.

In The Show

Nocturne S1: Maria is 16. She’s been aged up from 12, probably to give her a more active and believable role. But this also means she’s within a normal age to start feeling attraction and expressing her wants. Within her society, she’s even considered of marriageable age. However we are spared the discomfort of our modern values clashing with her contemporaneous ones because Maria in this season isn’t interested in romance. She’s interested in revolution, equality, justice. They’ve portrayed her with so much love and strength. There is no indication they’d betray her by writing her as the child victim of a male suitor. In fact she only meets Alucard in the final few seconds of the season and the two do not even speak a single word to one another.

Now let’s remember the games had a five year time skip. The show only needs two years to get Maria to the adult age of 18, but assuming the follow through with the timeline and go for the full five?

Maria will be 21.

21.

Fan concept for adult Maria. Credit:@esp-art

Are you telling me a 21 year old woman is not old or mature enough to make her own decisions? How is this not a total infantilization of women? Do you think a 21 year old badass vampire hunter needs protection from the ace depressed dhampir boy who just wants to sleep and has in no way tried to pursue her until after she expressed consistent and persistent interest in him?

It is not “grooming” to meet someone when they were younger and then meet them again years later as an adult. That’s a thing that happens! In real life! Adults can still make decisions for themselves! It is only grooming if Alucard behaved in a way that would manipulate teen Maria and put her under his control and authority before she can consent. There is no indication that Alucard in the show is going to do this. And yet the fandom is basically demanding it by saying he should make her “his baby girl”?

And what of Maria’s feelings in all this? She just lost her mother and was betrayed by her father shortly after discovering he even existed. She has lived her whole life without a father. She is in no desperate need of a new one. And if she does need a family member, she already has one! Richter is 19 and is her trusted adoptive brother. Why wouldn’t she go to him over a total stranger she just met and who is half vampire - literally a predator creature that feeds on humans!?

Yeah, hi, Richter Belmont still exists. He and Maria consider each other family. Why would you want her relying on a strange man she just met as a “father figure” rather than her trusted and loving brother?

Have none of you even considered how Maria would feel if Alucard even tried to fill the paternal role? He’d have to force it on her through manipulation and coercion. No way she would want to view him that way. Especially considering she is 16 and likely to be as attracted to the sparkly 20 year old looking sculpted marble beauty as anyone else!

Don’t mind the beautiful eternally young man who looks made of pure porcelain and light. No teen girl has ever been attracted to this, right? No way it could be exploitative and creepy for him to present himself as her new daddy, giving himself authority and influence over her as his child to mold as he wishes, right? Oh yeah, this is MUCH better than Maria pursuing him of her own volition once she becomes an adult, right guys?

We are truly in the stupidest dark timeline.

Frankly, I don’t care if Netflix has them get together or not. They would work just fine as friends too. I just sure as hell hope they’ll ignore the fans clamoring for a creepy daddy/daughter dynamic. Dressing it up as “concern” won’t hide that for some it’s a fetish, and for others they’re just useful idiots who haven’t thought it through.

I implore you to think it through.

[sillyyuserr]

Chapter 117 analysis (WE’RE SO BACK) obviously spoilers for chapter 117 and chapter 114

i cooked with this one trust

Everyones looking for them yadayadayada terukane

Yk im pretty sure this is meant to be lore heavy but LOOK AT THEM

I don’t know how to word this correctly but since chapter 115/116 between akane and teru there seems to have been something that happened in which they stopped being freaky?? 😭 like ykwim hold on

in chapter 114 this happened

completely ruined almost everything they had, but in the span of a few days, shit still going on, they havent had their deserved break yet like they got on chapter 96-97 and somehow in the midst of all this teru’s forgiven(?) him and just moved on?? Really not sure but based on what we know ab the red house the next chapter may answer some of our questions

Also, this is so little i didn’t see it the first time reading but teru goes to the drink machine thing to get one and mixes like 4 of the sodas,

takes one sip decides its shit and switches with akane’s already half drunken out of tea. Indirect kiss guys wait

Also this is JUST like the date they all went on when aoi was gone. Again, aoi is gone here too 😭 my girl getting left out of everything is acc crazy

She comes in later tho and finally gets caught up for the first time in forever MAN aidairo must hate her😭

But also

We find out mitsuba and kou are going there TOO so for the first time i think ever we have the whole gang in one spot 🤥 alot of firsts this chapter smh

ALSO an honorable mention to this i saved best for last

Sir stay away from my children

ok but fr i have no fucking clue what to say ab this cus this is either ‘teehee im right ur wrong!!~~♡’ type shit which he does alot, or genuinely like what we all think it is, which considering outside context may, in fact make it make sense trust let me explain

teru says shit like this ALL THE TIME its kind of his ACTUAL personality aside from his fake shit, like the way he is only around akane and sometimes kou (at least what we’re shown) so you’d think he’s used to this, but his initial reaction is more of a ‘um. what.’

ALSO— backround MATTERS, the backround in this one, is pure black, which is only shown during stuff LIKE THIS (important stuff) example:

Black background either means its dark, or its something important, something meant to be remembered, or something like that (probably)

and that panel had a BLACK BACKROUND

Why is this important you may be asking, it has a black backround— so it must be, right? If this was a silly little ‘teehee you can’t do this im better than youuu!!!~~♡’ then it probably wouldnt even have a half panel it’d be another one of the mini panels, but it not only had a whole panel for just this, a black background ;blocking LITERALLY EVERYTHING OUT ASIDE FROM THIS AND WHAT HE’S SAID, but also, pay attention the contents of what he said.

(a different translation, this one is easier to read)

‘you are not in any position to oppose me, are you, aoi? ♡’ could mean, A LOT OF THINGS so i’ll put them in a bulletin here because any of them make for an interesting path we may be taking on ‘this’ reality😭😓

Number 1: he could be impliying, and or reminding akane, that he’s still engaged to aoi, and that if akane still thinks they shouldnt change this reality, he should reconsider, CONSIDERING he is engaged to aoi, as aforementioned. (Most likely this one)

Number 2: the power dynamic, yes akane is a school mystery with the ability to control time itself but also, teru is an exorcist, a skilled one at that— and could probably easily overpower akane in a 1v1 (lowk hyped to see this happen pls let them fight) teru may be poking fun, or reminding akane, that teru is in fact powerful, more than he seems to keep fresh on his mind — them having SO MUCH to do

Number 3: maybe instead he just felt like teasing akane and i wasted time+space for nothing and was looking way too into it (this is supposed to be the terukane option😪)

Never once has he used this before??? Obviously you cant talk in symbols but the heart kind of implies the user of this symbol is talking in a playful/slightly flirtatious tone, hence, the reaction:

Okay okay point is i think teru is still madly in love with him

WAAAHHHH just look at him pooks who else does he do this with smhh 😓 NO ONE

which i think may be PARTIALLY true but also not entirely because mayb im just a tweaker

Me when i when i ehen you whrn you when

This may make no sense at all, or alot of sense man idk its 3:12am i go back to school in like 2 weeks i am not ready for sophomore year gn

terukane will be real one day trust🤍🤍

[faretheeoscar]

Poe Dameron and Mae Tal

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Mind you if I infofump a little on my OC's backstory and maybe tell you about her dynamics with Poe?

My Star Wars OC character, Mae, is part of Clan Tal, a clan that was thought to be extinguished after the events of "The night of a Thousand Tears "

[ The Night of a Thousand Tears was the night on which the Galactic Empire massacred the Mandalorian people on the planet Mandalore during the Great Purge of Mandalore ]

Mae’s grandfather, Ebbel, survived the massacre on Mandalore. He was off-planet on Concordia at the time, attempting to infiltrate the ranks of the Death Watch. After the tragedy on Mandalore, he chose to remain on Concordia, helping raise the Children of the Watch. Believing they were the last Mandalorian survivors, Ebbel dedicated himself to the safety of the group.

Later in life, Ebbel had several children, including Mae’s father, Drex Tal. Raised within the strict orthodoxy of the Children of the Watch, Drex eventually left the group when he met Lyra, a Rebel pilot with whom he fell in love. The two settled on Lyra’s home planet, Ferrix, serving as backup for the Alliance, but living mostly a normal life. they had four children together, including their only daughter, Mae.

Mae grew up on Ferrix, far from the main traditions of the Children of the Watch. However, her father Drex still trained her in their Mandalorian ways, while Lyra passed down her knowledge of piloting. When Lyra fell ill and passed away, Drex withdrew from active duty in the Alliance, as it had never been his primary fight.

As a result, Mae had little involvement with the Resistance when it rose against the First Order—until much later. Trying to earn money for a new ship, she initially served as a double agent for the First Order but was eventually recruited by a faction of the Resistance on the Outer Rim. Mae’s unique skills as a Mandalorian pilot quickly attracted attention, and she was soon stationed at the Yavin IV base, reporting directly to Leia during the events of The Force Awakens. There, she met Poe.

Mae and Poe clash constantly, their personalities polar opposites in nearly every way. Poe is exasperated by her contradictory actions and unconventional methods, while Mae despises his hotheaded impulsiveness. They bicker and argue frequently; Mae often disobeys his direct orders, yet somehow manages to get the job done efficiently each time. This only irritates Poe further, and he finds ways to tease her in return, like joking that he can always tell when she’s approaching the hangar because her armor sounds like a “parade of clanking cans.”

There's a lot of story between Poe and Mae, that happens along the fight of the Resistance against the First Order and afterwards.

Its's sort of a Co-pilots to Friends to Situationship to Semi Enemies to Lovers thing (it's very freaking complicated,ngl.)

Anyways… I’ve never actually written down a summary of Mae’s backstory or a quick outline of how she interacts with Poe, so this was really fun.

I was just planning to post it without much context, but once I started writing, I couldn’t stop hehe

I did this sketch a few months ago, but I wanted to share it, while I keep working on other Poevember things and requests!

Thanks for reading my ramblings if you got until here!

HAPPY POEVEMBER!

Reblogs and comments are kindly appreciated!

@silvernight-m @ierofrnkk @howellatme @winniethewife

[cw-coffeeandice]

The Family Dynamic: Hughes!Sister

Author: @cw-coffeeandice

Title: The Family Dynamic

Summary: a brief introduction to the Hughes family.

Comment: As a lifelong hockey fan, I'm stepping into new territory by sharing my writing for the first time. For 2025, I’ve decided to put my creative skills to the test and see where this journey takes me. While I’ve often written short stories for fun, I’ve never shared the worlds I’ve created with others—until now. I’m excited to see how this evolves.

If you enjoyed this, please feel free to let me know through an ask, comment, or reblog. I’m always open to prompts, suggestions, and feedback!

Please note this writing is unedited

Jim is the quintessential hockey dad. When he wasn’t working or coaching, he could always be found at the rink with his kids. As a coach, Jim was disciplined and no-nonsense, instilling a sense of structure and responsibility that benefitted all four of his children. He was the supportive, steady presence at home, leaving the day-to-day discipline to his wife, Ellen. Watching his children grow into incredible young adults, both on and off the ice, filled Jim with immense pride and gratitude for everything his wife sacrificed to make their kid's dreams come true.

Ellen is the backbone of the family—a full-time mom to a handful of hyperenergetic, fiercely competitive kids. Managing their schoolwork and hockey schedules and keeping them all alive (which, some days, she and Jim called a miracle) was no easy feat. But Ellen thrived in the chaos. She was fiercely proud of her children, watching her boys grow into accomplished young men while her daughter carved out her own legacy.

Quinn, the eldest, was the responsible, rule-following perfectionist of the family. He thrived on structure and order, dedicated to following rules to the letter. As the older brother, he was protective of his younger siblings, often taking it upon himself to enforce the rules he believed everyone should follow. As he grew, hockey became second nature to him—both a mental and physical pursuit. Quinn loved studying the game, honing his skills, and constantly working to improve on the ice. He wasn’t the most outgoing of the siblings, but he preferred it that way, enjoying the sense of calm that came with his focused, introverted nature.

Jack, the middle child, was born to challenge Quinn. A natural social butterfly and a bit of a rebel, Jack loved testing boundaries, whether with his older brother, his parents, or his coaches. He was the glue of the family. Though he often instigated conflict, he was also the one who stepped in to resolve it. Jack had a unique relationship with each member of the family, always making time for the people he loved, no matter how busy life got. On the ice, Jack worked hard to develop his skills, but hockey never felt like a chore. It came naturally to him, and he thrived on dominating the game. The best part was sharing those wins with his brothers.

Luke, the youngest of the boys, was the family’s comic relief. The most easygoing of the children, Luke had a gift for making his family laugh, often in the most unexpected ways. His biggest concern was simply trying to keep up with his older brothers—though this often led to humorous situations. Like Quinn, Luke excelled at defensive play on the ice. He and his younger sister, Hannah, were so close in age that they were practically raised as twins. That closeness did create a special bond.

Hannah, the youngest and only girl, was a surprise—so much so that Ellen considered permanent birth control, and Jim eventually got a vasectomy. As the only girl in a hockey-focused family, Hannah was often compared to her older brothers. Initially, the comparisons didn’t bother her, but it became clear that women’s hockey was not always treated the same as the men’s game. Despite these differences, Hannah had made peace with the path she would take in hockey. She loved the game, and that passion was enough to fuel her desire to continue playing. The ice was her sanctuary, where she could define success in her own way.

[shadowgasps]

Some initial thoughts and feelings about the Wizard the Witch and the Wild One (as well as the childrens adventure) now that I've heard all three of the Then & Now sneak peeks.

The Wizard- This was one hell of a first introduction. I sobbed, and I'm not exaggerating. I was gross and snotty and red eyed within the first thirty minutes. Aabria's description's of Suvi's parents and Suvi herself was such a gut punch. And then the time jump happens and my desire to protect this child perfectly morphed into the desire to see this young woman, this young wizard, succeed.

The Witch- I can't say it better then the cast already did, the two genders, Trauma and Joy. I went into this preview bracing myself for more crying. Instead what I got was just so charming and delightful and funny and cute. It really made me so excited for the Witch class as a concept. The birds and the bees moment especially, it really made it feel different from other magic user classes. I can't wait to see what Erika does with it.

The Wild One- The beginning of this preview was wonderful in the most base sense of the word. It inspired wonder. Just the image of countless little spirits running around and weaving between the legs of one giant powerful bear spirit will live with me forever. I want to be there. The tenderness too was overwhelming. Eursulon as a little cub, and the love Lou clearly has for that character, just flowed out through him. It was great to see a snippet of all our main characters interacting in the end. Just getting a sense of what their dynamic might be like was so fun.

Overall I am so extreamly excited for both the main campaign and also (maybe even more so?) the children's story. The sound design was amazing. It really added so much to the experience. It made it more of an auditory theatrical experience more than just a podcast. The world already feels so rich and real and lived it and we haven't even gotten the first real episode. I already feel protective of and in love with these characters and I can't wait to see the epic adventures and journeys they go on. March can't come fast enough.

[parad-ice-lostandfound]

Prompt: How I think a relationship with Simeon and Barbatos looks like <3

Pairing: Barbatos × Gn!Mc × Simeon

Genre: Fluff, headcannons

TW: NA

AN: I'm having thoughts about these two, so suffer along with me lol. If I think of anything else later I might add <3

You being in a polyamorous relationship with Simeon and Barbatos is basically three tired caretakers taking care of each other. Doesn't matter if you're a chaotic little shit (affectionate), just being around these two will bring out their nurturing side.

You three bring out the best in each other and your children, and yes, by your children I do mean Luke, Diavolo, Solomon and the brothers.

Your relationship often includes making sure Barbatos doesn't overwork himself, that Simeon is not just putting up a smiling facade, and that you do not burn yourself out due to the various shenanigans the brothers get into.

Tea time is a must, at least twice a week. Barbatos needs the time to unwind with his most beloved darlings. It's usually held at the Demon Lord's Castle, and everyone else knows better than to disturb you three when you're having tea time together unless it's life-threatening.

Not much pda in the relationship, unless you initiate it. Both Simeon and Barbatos are the kind of people who don't see a reason to flaunt your relationship, unless they are jealous or want to make a point, but neither are opposed to giving you the affection you want. Simeon is comparatively bolder in public, often pressing his lips against your forehead or cheeks in a chaste gesture of affection before you have to leave for class, while Barbatos is more reserved, opting to place a guiding hand on your lower back when you walk alongside him. Even with each other, they are the same way; very subtle in their affections.

They are very affectionate in private though. Within the privacy of Simeon's room (because yours is basically the HOL's living room now, and Barbatos' room just has... doors), expect to be utterly drowned in their affection. So, so many kisses they shall bestow upon you, make sure to give some back to them. Also, both of them are big fans of ganging up on you, but with enough of an incentive, one of them (usually Barbatos) can be convinced to betray the other(usually Simeon) and help you bully him <3

Barbatos is the biggest tease when he wants to be. He'll spend the entire day giving you and Simeon just enough fleeting touches and soft affection that by the end of it you will have gotten permission from Diavolo to steal his butler for a few hours, while Simeon would have made arrangements at Purgatory Hall for the three of you to spend time basking in each other's presence and love.

Picnic dates! Where Barbatos chooses the spot and you and Simeon make the food! And you guys make flower crowns for each and talk for hours or just sit in comfortable silence.

Also, your relationship dynamic is very domestic. Like yall have been married for years. It especially shows when the three of you cook together. As rare as it can be, it's always fun, with gentle and soft kisses exchanged as you work in the kitchen seamlessly. Anyone watching the three of you in the kitchen will feel like it's a carefully choreographed dance, with the way you all move around each other, each one working on their task while stealing glances at their lovers.

Simeon loves watching you and Barbatos interact. Especially when Barbatos knows exactly which buttons to push to get you flustered and has made it his life's mission to make you blush as much as you can. He also thoroughly enjoys himself when you turn Barbatos' subtle flirtations against him and fluster the ever-composed butler instead. Also gets ideas to base the main characters of his next works off of you two, but always ends up liking what he's written too much to share with anyone else.

Barbatos, on the other hand, likes to make Simeon flustered himself more than watching you fluster him. Simeon has the cutest reactions, and so whenever he gets the chance to, Barbatos makes sure to fluster him as much as possible.

Luke sees you as his parent, no doubt about it. Solomon is a little shit who likes to tease you, while Diavolo is positively ecstatic for the three of you. Lucifer and the brothers, despite trusting Simeon and Barbatos, are almost comically overprotective of you.

Barbatos is more accepting and open about his possessiveness over the two of you, but Simeon will be a little more reluctant to act on his possessive tendencies. But you best believe that Barbatos will coax him into acting on his desires a little more.

[echantedtoon]

What If: Hantengu Bros Edition

(Just picture what your quadruplets look like as in the pic below. I don't know the artist or anything else I found image on Pinterest.

DISCLAIMER: THIS WORK IS IN ABSOLUTELY NO WAY CANNON TO DEMON BRIDE AND IS NOT AN ENDING. IT IS A WHAT IF IDEA THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE FUN TO WRITE. PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND GOING FORWARD.

Warnings: Karaku IS his own warning. Possibly some innuendos.

************************************************

Chaos. Noise. Loudness. About as much destruction as you could imagine with four noise makers running around everywhere.

And no. It wasn't them this time.

"Grandpa, tell us again how Papa Sekido got his head stuck in the vase!"

"That story again? You make him retell it ALL THE TIME!!"

You could only sit there and watch amused at the unknown chaos unfolding. But then again that was the regular thing for this family of yours. You barely paid attention to the red eyed boy shooting a scowl to his nearly identical brother. Really the only difference was their attitudes and their eye color matching their colored kimonos. Your eyes only briefly looked up from the kimono you were attempting to sew back together, the tears accidentally left by Urogi's talons from rough housing with the boys again.

"Kido." Said red eyed boy looked at you. "If Kara wants to hear the story again then let him tell it. You don't have to listen if you don't want to."

Said eight year old pouted as his green eyed brother smirked in triumph. "That's not fair! How come Kara always gets to pick what we have to hear!? I want a turn to pick a story!"

You sighed again feeling a familiar fight bubble up but luckily the older man stopped any fight. "S-Stop fighting both of you. I won't t-tell if that's how you're g-g-gonna be about it."

That got both children to quickly shut up despite Kido pouting and crossing his arms. Well at least one problem was solved.

"He has a dam point! Why do you always have to hear about my embarrassment!?" Aaand here we go again as the older version of Kido glared angrily. "Why don't you ask him to explain how Karaku kept breaking things with his dam wind?! Or when Urogi kept crashing into a tree!? Something other than me!"

"Aw. C'mon, Sekido. It's just funnier when you're embarrassed.~"

"NO ONE ASKED YOU, KARAKU!!"

You again groaned and turned to two of the grown children. Sekido was glaring at Karaku from his place sitting as Karaku only smirked in a teasing manner no doubt amused by his daily task of filing up Sekido again. Gee. And you wondered where your kids got their dynamics from?

"Will you four keep it down? Rogi's,still napping and you four are gonna wake him up again."

You were getting really tired of their bickering now. It was getting really annoying and the stirring body slumped against your side gave you more of a reason. A third child identical to the first two slept soundly against your back exhausted from the amount of playtime initiated by Urogi earlier that day. Only difference between him and the first two was the yellow eyes hidden by the closed eyelids. It was a miracle your son hadn't woken up by the yelling from earlier. Either Rogi was a deep sleeper or he was so used by now to his fathers' and brothers' bickering that he could just sleep through it at this point. But you'd rather not have anymore yelling because of the upcoming headache that was threatening to make you rain your wrath upon the bickering adults. 

"You're not having to live through the embarrassment daily-"

"You're giving me a headache, Sekido. So help me I'll wring you out like laundry and hang you up on the coat wrack." The red eyed man quickly shut up as you glared at him.

"A-All of you stop fighting. Y-Y-You're all scaring me with your fighting." Said older demon raised a shaking hand up to rub his head.

"Sorry, Mr. Hantengu." 

Said protest seemed to end any and all arguments between Sekido, Karaku, and their little mini mes as Rogi just continued to snore away noisily at your side blissfully unaware of the daily arguments between your kids and their fathers. Sigh. You definitely had your hands full didn't you? Speaking of which..You were wondering where your other two children and their fathers were? Urogi and Aizetsu had taken Zetsu out for some quiet time away from his other rowdy brothers and they had been gone for a few decent hours. Rui was still out too so you were starting to wonder where he was too. As if the universe answered your questioning thoughts, the sliding door opened making all six of your heads turn to the door except for Rogi who still slept away.

"Heeeyy! Guess Who's Back! Did you miss us?," sang a familiar voice as none other than a harpy walked through the door. He waved one taloned hand at you while he held your fourth and final child in his arms clinging to him. 

Aizetsu walked in right behind Urogi and silently closed the door behind him. Your brow rose not seeing Rui among them. Where was your oldest? "Where's Rui?"

"He and Zoha decided to train some more. They'll be back later," Urogi waved you off with a shrug before spotting the sleeping yellow kimono wearing child leaning against you. "There's my boy!" 

Aizetsu blinked as Zetsu was quickly handed over to him and Urogi excited dove for Rogi- Only to land flat on his face when you quickly scooped up the sleeping boy away from him. Immediately two children and Karaku started cackling at the sight of Urogi dazedly looking up. Rogi being suddenly jostled tiredly blinked his yellow eyes open with a yawn. 

"Urogi, be careful!", you scolded the harpy that looked up at you with a kicked puppy look. "You need to be careful with your talons! You could accidentally hurt him!" You cradled the boy in your arms. Seeing your face, Rogi opted to slot himself against your shoulder shuffling against you before tiredly closing his eyes again. You sighed. "You keep forgetting that."

"I only wanted to hold him," Urogi whined sitting up and pouting. "I would've been careful! I always am!" Your rose your brow at him. "...Ok. I'm careful MOST of the time!"

"Debatable."

"Mama!" A blue eyed boy quickly wriggled around until Aizetsu placed him down. Zetsu immediately ran over and threw his arms around your right side which you welcomed with a smile. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes I did." You smiled wider. "I'm also almost done patching up your kimono. You should have it back soon."

Blue eyes lit up at you in excited. "Really?!"

"Hey, Zetsu! Come sit!" Zetsu turned to where his brother beckoned him to join them. "Grandpa's gonna tell us a story!"

"Is it the one where Papa Sekido gets his head stuck in a vase again?"

"WHY CAN'T ANYONE JUST LET THE PAST LIE!? IT WAS ONE TIME!! JUST. ONE. TIME!!"

You only sighed as you felt another fight coming on.

[mswyrr]

The reason why lucy/max initially feels so youthful together so far, like kids with a first crush, and why they don't have sex yet, is that they're both "maidens" in a narrative sense:

The Maiden Arc is the fundamental coming-of-age story. It is the story of a character who has left behind the Child archetype (which we will discuss later in the series when we reach the Flat-Arc or “resting” archetypes), but who has not yet individuated away from her family and into her own autonomy. The Maiden represents sexual awakening and conscious burgeoning. Hers is that fraught period—recreated in so many YA novels—when the person is learning who she will become and, perhaps most poignantly, what she is willing to risk to become that person. [source]

They're starting to break away from authority, but they're both still obedient to authority & brainwashing when they meet and start to fall for each other. They're going to separate to dance with their shadows (Lucy with Cooper and Max with the Brotherhood/Dane) and figure out who they truly are - then meet up again.

To be clear, I'm not saying they're in any way actually "children" - they're both adults! But their relationship to authority and community continues to be that of "maidens":

There is no guarantee she will accept the risk. As with all of the arcs, there is no promise she will fully commit to and complete her arc. Although we all grow up physically and assume adult responsibility, the inner arc may remain uncompleted long into our lives. The obstacles the Maiden confronts are vast because true individuation is often perceived as a threat by the tribe in which she exists. [source]

They didn't have sex because it wouldn't have been as their sincere selves? They don't know who they are yet! They're still trapped in a "youth" phase - and now moving into fully incorporating their shadows and knowing themselves & what they want phase. They're only going to get together after that.

And as I mentioned in a previous post, this show (so refreshingly!!) actually includes sex and povs on it as part of characterization - so the fact that they're both "virgins" in a way due to brainwashing--Max doesn't even know his own body let alone what sex is! And Lucy was brainwashed to think of "breeding" as her obligation and purpose - she's only done that and casual sex, never fallen in love and "made love"--plays into why they haven't had sex yet and that, once they're more fully formed as their own people, they will come together in that way.

It's a well written romance arc. A bit of the dynamic where a "childhood crush" couple meets, are separated, and then meet again and falls in love as adults who know themselves and what they want - but in a sped up timeline because they're both on parallel coming-of-age arcs. IMO in the final lyrics "my echo, my shadow, and me" - the shadow is Cooper for Lucy and the Brotherhood for Max and they are echoes of each other - with both similarities and differences.

Side note: even when a canon is writing a romance well... it's still valid and fun to play in non-canon ships because art is for playing and exploring! And I am a multishipper, so please don't bring negativity toward any ship to my post.