#those books were the first time i saw an ot3 of any kind actually work out and it wasnt even polyamorous really

[like-sands-of-time]

Any house md fans that also read Cassandra Clares clockwork series? Because huddson (House, Cuddy, Wilson) reminded me of that dynamic quite a bit. House loves two people in his life, one he can love and spend a "lifetime" with, as Wilson dies from cancer. And the other, whom he can love and finish his life with after Wilson's gone.

Neither one is loved less and they both led their own lives, of course, but for better and mostly worse, they revolve around each other.

[ryttu3k]

Doing those ship meme questions only it's the new OT3 (Beckett/Sascha/Ilias) because they're my main source of serotonin these days. Occasional appearances from Anatole and Lucita, too.

Not doing all, but there are A Lot.

1. Who's the one who's reckless and always getting into trouble while the other gotta pull em out

Beckett and Sascha actually do have a lot of braincells between them but none of them are in use for 'can sense danger'. Ilias has gained some minor common sense since his 'hey, I'm going to ask our Antediluvian for power to help face its favourite childe oh whoops I am possessed' thing and is usually the one sighing fondly and saving their asses.

2. Who's the one to send the other "I love my gf/bf" memes

Ilias. 100% Ilias. He would go out in public in a shirt saying 'I <3 Sascha' and calling them ‘my flower’ while Sascha is just pleased they can't blush any more.

3. Who's the one who listens to a music genre the other doesn't like and how does the other react

God their music tastes are all over the place. Sascha is over a thousand years old and has seen and heard A Lot. They consider the Romantic period 'modern music'. Beckett is similar albeit with about 350 years of it. Ilias got hurled from 1233 to 2004 and after a period of ??? went, "Oh, Romanian music!" and it was. Dragostea Din Tei. Like can you imagine one moment it’s 1233 and the next moment you are listening to Dragostea Din Tei. Also thanks to the language drift they only caught about a quarter of the words so it was this whole thing where he almost, almost was understanding it but the rest was just, “...what.” And that’s how Ilias discovered modern music.

Anyway yeah they’ve pretty much decided that their collective music tastes are so disparate no one is allowed to comment on them.

4. Which one spoils the other more and do they ever get competitive to show the other more love

Honestly, they all kind of spoil each other, albeit in different ways. Like Ilias will just randomly pop a handmade flower crown on Sascha’s head. Beckett will occasionally find an extremely rare book on his desk and know Sascha found it for him. Beckett always tells Sascha first when he’s found something cool so they can be the first to investigate it. And they absolutely get competitive, yeah.

5. How many years did it take to get married or was it just not for them

Sascha and Ilias have a mutual blood bond, which is more or less the equivalent of thus. Beckett has a mutual bond with Anatole, but he and Sascha have a level-2 bond.

7. Are their friends/family supportive

 Honestly, uh, Sascha and Ilias don’t really have anyone else. Beckett’s companions tend to range from, “They’re terrifying but I trust your judgment :D” (Anatole) to “hahahahahaha if Vykos harms one hair on Beckett’s head I’ll end them” (Lucita) to “WHY” (Aristotle, Okulos, most others tbh).

8. How does one comfort the other when the other is in distress/having a panic attack/crying

Sascha is the one most prone to panic attacks because trauma is a bitch and basically just... Beckett and Ilias both respond by with hugging/gentle restraint (if they’re okay with touch) or by giving them space and doing things like running a hot bath when they’re touch-averse.

9. Which one dissociates

Honestly Sascha spent most of 1234 to 2006 lowkey dissociating, which is fair when there’s literally another essence fused to yours. Post-Dracon, they still get the occasional dissociative episode, but it’s much easier to bring them back to themself.

10. Which one stares at the other's booty like “damn” and how does the other react when catching them

All three tbh. Beckett stares at Sascha, Sascha either gets a bit self-conscious or a bit ;) , depending on mood. Sascha stares at both Beckett and Ilias and gets a bit embarrassed when caught (Beckett will laugh it off, Ilias will basically be ;D). Ilias stares at both and is completely shameless about it because he may no longer be on the Path of Pleasure but he’s absolutely not going to feel ashamed for admiring his gorgeous lovers.

11. When they live together what kinda place do they live in? What does their home look like?

Beckett and Sascha travel too much for one place, honestly, and Ilias accompanies them a lot. They do have a few houses scattered throughout the world, though, including one in the Carpathians (nowhere near Brasov, tyvm). Not really as big as the monastery, it’s mostly like... big library, a few comfortable places to sleep or rest, Ilias likes having a garden these days and grows a lot of flowers.

12. What do their dates look like

Museum heists.

13. How does each act when getting drunk

Ilias gets even more handsy. Actually he can get to be a bit of a pain, but he does listen immediately if one of them tells him to tone it down. Beckett gets very enthusiastic and fired-up and a bit more feral and he’s gonna go find Enoch right now and prove Caine wasn’t real once and for all. Sascha, uh, tends to get a bit emotional and also very talkative, but can literally like. Talk their way into minor breakdowns. Basically less barriers.

14. Which one rolls over in the morning evening to wake up the other one just to kiss them

All three :3

15. Have they saved each other's lives before

Yup!

Ficverse-wise, Sascha did also save Ilias from becoming a bogatyr to the Eldest, although that was also Sascha and Beckett both saving themselves by being emotionally honest. Yeah XD

16. Does one have an interest the other think is weird but wants to listen to it regardless

Ilias’ spirituality conflicts a bit with Beckett’s... atheism, I guess? Like he’s definitely not sure he believes in the spirits that Ilias regularly works with as a Koldun, but he’s willing to keep a relatively open mind. (He’s a bit less open-minded in Sascha’s belief in - and support of - Caine, given that he’s literally based his career around the metaphor theory!)

17. Which one uses cropped hentai as reaction images

Sascha.

They have troll tendencies, okay.

18. Does one of them kinkshame the other

There is absolutely no kinkshaming here. Listen Ilias was a Priest of Jarilo. Sascha was once on the Path of Pleasure too. Beckett seduced Dracula for information then forgot to ask his question. They’re all very open about everything.

There may be teasing about the odd hobby or interest but it’s pretty lighthearted.

19. Is one of them self conscious about their body? If so how does the other comfort them

Beckett occasionally has Moments over his hands and worries about hurting Sascha or something. They basically respond by being like “are you kidding the claws are hot as hell”. On occasion, Beckett will get one of them to Vicissitude them down if he wants to use his hands more, although they’ll regrow and be achey for a night or two afterwards.

20. Say they were cuddling on the bed while listening to record player playing the background. Which song is playing?

Honestly I want to say Third Eye by Florence + the Machine just for fic reasons. When I was writing Mantle I saw it very much as Beckett towards Sascha, but it fits with Ilias towards them as well.

I have no idea how they would have discovered F+tM but anyway.

23. What kinda joyrides do they go on? Relaxing ones or wild ones?

It. I imagine it usually involves police chases. When it doesn’t Beckett will occasionally go wolf so he can stick his head out the car window like :P

Shh don’t tell anyone.

25. Do people ever get annoyed of their pda

God probably. One of the main exceptions is Anatole, who’ll basically go, “Oh! Are we cuddling?” and flop on top of Beckett.

27. Which one’s the red, which one’s the blue

They’re all red. Fear. Ilias is probably closest to blue.

28. Are either of them mentally ill, if so how do they help one another cope

Sascha has both PTSD (from Symeon and Michael, and from the Eldest) and C-PTSD (from being bound to the Dracon for literal centuries). Also depression and anxiety, which are... pretty common with those. See question 8 for some of the coping methods, the rest is just... taking each day as it comes. Like they’ve lived a very long time, but they only got free of the Dracon in 2006, so it’s still a very new thing.

Ilias has some trauma from some of the things he’s had to do to survive since waking up with the Thirst of Ages, and gets into guilt spirals on occasion. He mostly focuses on Path of Nocturnal Redemption methods to work through it; he’s kind of adverse to anyone seeing him vulnerable like that. He knows Sascha has done some awful shit, but they weren’t themself at the time so Ilias feels it doesn’t count, and Beckett is like, Humanity 6? He just doesn’t get it, so Ilias keeps it to himself.

Beckett has an odd, acquired one - his experiences in Jerusalem left him with the ability (if it could be called an ability!) to occasionally hear the Cobweb (the Malkavian Madness Network). While his connection isn’t nearly as strong as an actual Malkavian’s, he does get odd flashes of Insight; less helpfully, it can occasionally get, uh, loud in his head. This tends to ramp up a bit with proximity to Malkavians, so when he’s around Anatole, Anatole will help him filter the voices and thoughts out by teaching him meditation techniques. (Given that Anatole - correctly - feels responsible for Beckett being afflicted thus, he wants to make sure it doesn’t hit his lover too badly.)

29. Does one have a spot on them where they would melt when the other kisses them there

Give Beckett head scritchies and he’ll turn into a puddle :3

34. Are they a reckless couple or safe

*loud, prolonged laughter*

37. Do they get into fights often? If so what do they fight over and how do they make up?

Sascha and Ilias are usually... very chill; if they argue, it’s over the other’s safety, like Ilias wanting to do something reckless and Sascha being very much ‘please do not’. Sascha and Beckett argue a bit more, although thankfully they have now stopped trying to literally kill each other XD When they do, it’s usually ideological, related to Gehenna, Caine, et cetera. Sascha is still very much a part of the Sabbat, and Beckett is, well, basically an atheist.

40. Who would fight in honor for the other if someone would insult them

All three tbh. Here’s a fun bit from the novel:

Still really dig this bit from BJD, too!

No misgendering on Beckett’s watch!

42. How would one react if the other was to die

Uh.

Poorly.

Like most of Sascha’s sanity slippage was due to the Dracon’s essence being fused to their own and just how the Eldest... did that, but a good part of it was absolutely due to Ilias’ death.

43. Who dies first

...canonically, Ilias XD;;

It’s okay he gets better.

[best-enemies]

For the fandom ask meme thing can I request the whole damn alphabet or is that not very cash money of me? I’m nosy lmao I wanna know all of them!

AHDKAJSDKJAHSKDA JACK YOU’RE THE BEST

A - Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s)

I’ve had my current OTP for like almost 8 years and it’s, obviously, Thoschei (Doctor/Master). My other current obsession is the Gallifrey OT4 hehehe

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

It’s funny because I didn’t ship Hannigram at first... I’d thought the idea of a cannibal having a relationship was terrifying because what if they had sex and Hannibal got hungry in the middle of the act? Lmaoooo 

But yeah they’re my endgame now. I watched the show when it first aired and I was about 14/15 years old so now you see why I thought that. Although I’m still afraid I’m gonna be reading a fic and Hannibal will suddendly bite Will’s dick off or smth AKJHSAKJSAHSASKAJ

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will (be nice)

Uhhh Doctor/Clara. Mainly because I don’t like to ship the Doctor with companions (there may be one or two exceptions but I don’t ship them enough to actually say I ship them lol) and I don’t know I just never vibed with it

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t (again: be nice)

Doctor/River. I mean, I did like it for a while years ago but now it’s just... eh. I think she has a waaay better chemistry with the 12th Doctor, but still don’t ship it. I might give it a try once I listen to the River audios but so far meh. I’m not much of a multishipper anyway.

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what

God. I’ve written a couple of Academy Era (focused on the Deca) crack fanfics and I still have to translate them to English. They’re pure garbage but I love them. I have a lot of fun writing crack fics because they’re easier and I can ignore whatever piece of canon I want just for the laughs

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom

Guess it’s Doctor Who, been here (in and out of the fandom) for over 8/9 years

G - Do you remember your first OTP, if so who was in it

Uhhhh I think it was Han Solo and Leia, since I was a kid really. I wanted to marry both of them lol

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., tv shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)

I had to google what a source text is and still don’t know

I - Has tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why

I don’t think so, but Twitter definitively has. I remember a couple years ago I was curious to see what voltron was about and watched a few episodes, it was ok, fun and cute but the fandom was so annoying I stopped watching it for good and don’t care about it enough to pick it up again

J - Name a fandom you didn’t care/think about until you saw it all over tumblr

I had definitively forgotten about supernatural until I saw it all over my dashboard in the year of our lord 2020 lmao like in my wholock days I tried to watch the show because everyone on my dash (is it still called dashboard?) was talking about it and I watched about 8 episodes before dropping it. But seeing it again on the dash was actually a happy surprise because the memes are too funny hahaha

K -Say something nice about someone in any of your fandoms

I’m extremely shy irl and on the internet as well but I wanna say that  @janeturenne is one of the best authors ever and her fanfics are a blessing in my life; also @thebraxiatelcollection who brings awesome content to my dash and is also one of the best authors. And of course, you, Jack, also one of the best authors god I’m so BLESSED

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike)

Uhhh I guess I’m neutral about the current companions. They’re not my favorites but I don’t really dislike them - they had a lot of potential and chibs came up with some good storylines but did not develop them well in my opinion. I think Graham is a fun grandpa whom I’m going to miss when he leaves; Ryan is cool and could’ve done a lot more if the writers had kept a few things, it’d be awesome if he vlogged all of their adventures. He’s like the one I was curious to see more but sadly didn’t feel a connection; and Yaz, I hope she’ll keep growing and that her friendship with the Doctor will finally be developed to a level we can connect to her.

It sounds weird because with the fam it’s always ‘what I wish could have been’ because I never felt really connected to them :(

M - Say something genuinely nice about a ship that you don’t ship (or its shippers, or anything related to you)

Ok... I don’t really ship Rey/Finn but I think it’s one of the sweetest ships ever, and if they ended up together I’d be happy. They love each other and are there for each other always so, yeah :D

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

I don’t know if I got the question right but it’s three things I wish I saw more in my main fandom? Well, if it’s that, then, 3 things about the Doctor Who fandom: 1) people having more civilized or light-hearted discussions about things. Like, I genuinely disliked an 8th doctor audio I listened once that my friends loved, and they made fun of me and we joked about it. Also once we were in a live twitch video playing among us and discussing doctor who, and then we got into a ship “discourse” as a joke and nobody really cared and just laughed because everyone knew it’s fictional shit so why get mad over it? 2) Doctor Who has a titanic amount of content, it’s all canon but at the same time it’s not, so who cares? If you want to listen to Big Finish audios and if you can afford it, then lisiten; if you can’t, it’s okay, no one has the right to tell you you’re less of a fan. Just tell them to fuck off; 3) The best way to keep fandom alive is by creating content. Here in my local fandom we have several podcasts dedicated to all areas of the whoniverse (the show, the expanded universe, the audios, etc), those old fandom websites who do serious work to bring news to the fans, people who make subtitles for the classic series (we don’t have it available here so they do their best to make it accessible to other fans), accounts dedicated to promoting dr who fans who create content, and we even have people making their own audiodramas with dw characters and writing book-lenght fanfiction to help explain the show to people who’ve never watched it, and a great variety of things. I’ve seen a few of these things in the international fandom, mostly by older fans, so I wish younger fans about my age who have the means to make this kind of stuff would make it too. Maybe there’d be less twitter drama out there lol

O - Choose a song at random, which ship or character does it remind you of

“the killing moon” by echo & the bunnymen reminds me of thoschei. yep it was totally random

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)

The fact that we don’t have a pride and prejudice AU for brax/romana yet is driving me insane

Q - A ship you’ve abandoned and why

I’ve mentioned it before but doctor/river, don’t really remember why idk I just don’t vibe with it anymore. But also because thoschei has so many different pairings in 1 ship that I don’t really feel the need to ship them with anyone else lol

R - A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships

GOD I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT’S SO SPECIFIC ok fellow academy era stans gather around if you have read Divided Loyalties there’s a scene where it SHOWS that Magnus had a crush on Ushas. And NO ONE HAS EVER TALKED ABOUT THEM and the power couple they would’ve made. I write them into all my fanfics in hopes of making other people ship them but I’ve had no success so far

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

The Master is a big fan of musicals and in the 77 years he spent on earth he watched every single one ever. I’m gonna be bold and say that when he was young, still Koschei, he was an artist, and thought about dropping everything to become an actor on Gallifrey. Time Lords do appreciate art, and have their own plays, but it’s just the same old and boring ones the young people don’t care about. The Master then created a shocking performance that was way ahead of its time and the older Time Lords were so appalled they banned him from writing and presenting plays and that’s his villain origin story

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything)

1) The Doctor and the Master married on Gallifrey and the entire show is just them having the most litigious divorce in the universe (still isn’t final because the Master has killed all the judges); 2) Ushas/The Rani is ace; 3) The Deca was a 10 people polyamorous relationship; 4) Romana and Livia were girlfriends at the Academy and they hate each other now because the break up was baad; 5) Romana writes fanfiction; 6) Romana/Leela had a thing in Davidia I KNOW it; 7) Leela pegs Narvin; 8) Brax has a life-size painting of Romana at his collection or a statue or smth; 9) Brax’s dream in Reborn is actually REAL and he’s married to Romana, Leela and Narvin all at the same time

U - 5 favorite characters from 5 different fandoms

I don’t even think I’m in 5 fandoms but

Doctor Who: The Master, The Doctor, Romana, Leela, Sarah Jane, Bill (this was the hardest thing ever)

The X-Files: Mulder, Scully, Monica, and can I add The Lone Gunmen too?

Star Wars: Leia, Obi-Wan, Finn, Poe Dameron and honorable mention to Din Djarin and Grogu

Hannibal: Hannibal, Will, Bev, Alana, Chiyoh

V - 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms

That’s hard

Doctor Who: thoschei ofc, gallifrey ot4.......... uuhh as you can see i don’t ship many pairings in the show

The X-Files: Mulder and Scully. And whatever Scully and Monica had going on because they definitively flirted

Star Wars: Poe/Finn, Han/Leia, whatever Han/Lando had going on too

W - 5 favorite ships and 5 kinks you like best for said ships

WHATVASHAJSKAJSA ok this is a little embarassing but I don’t have a lot of kinks for many ships... I guess I have some for thoschei like, choking, whipping, blindfolds/gagging, bondage, begging, biting, sem-public, phone sex, dirty talk, body worship, praise kink, etc. Alright alright I know it’s a lot but in my defense they've shown half of these on the show

X - top 5-10 characters who are yoUR PRECIOUS BABIES AND YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING THEM

The Master, Romana, Leela, Brax, Narvin, Bill Potts, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane, Donna Noble, Lucie Miller. No particular order for most of them but the Master is my precious baby and I will die for this mf

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)

Not many, usually the people I follow are in the same fandoms as I am but I’ve seen some mutuals reblog some Hadestown stuff which is a play that I’ve never seen but definitively would because the protagonists look hot 

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged)

I DON’T KNOW WHAT DOES IT MEAN

it took me three hours to do this but it was fun!! thank you bb <3

[mana-sputachu]

Toko Fukawa for the character ask

favorite thing about them: MY BBY GIRL. I love her. I love her bluntness, her intelligence and… how she can easily lose herself in her fantasies, because i do the same (what can i say, reality is a shit sometimes) lol

least favorite thing about them: she can be REALLY mean. Really. Given her background and her early life, you can easily she WHY she’s like that. It’s not an excuse ofc, but it explains a lot. Luckily, thanks to DR:AE and her few scenes in DR3, we saw she grew up SO MUCH. Her comment about Naegi and Komaru wasn’t the best, ok, but she’s working on that.

favorite line: THIS ONE

It comes from the old Project Zetsubou fan translation (that i liked WAY MORE than the NIS one, and yes i went to look to an old gameplay only to make this screen). That translation was a goldmine of easter eggs, and this one (along with Makoto’s “i don’t have a stand”) was my favourite because it’s a nod to one of my favourite tv shows, Dead like me - where the main protagonist, George, dies in the beginning of the first episode because of a space toilet seat.

brOTP: Aside Komaru, my favourite one will always be with Naegi! I always considered her Free Time Event canon, so i like the idea of him being the first one to actually try to go over the walls she created around herself, actively wanting to befriend her, and also be the only one that read her i-novel, therefore knowing her early life in details.

OTP: TogaFuka, OF COURSE. Sometimes i also think of an ot3, but i won’t go into details. The OTP is always THEM.

nOTP: Toukomaru. I like their friendship, but i really dislike the ship.

random headcanon: she loves escape rooms, especially solving puzzles; when she writes she likes to have a cold beer to drink while being  ~in the zone ~; she always had good grades while in school, not because she particularly loved to study, but because she was curious: that’s why she knows a lot of things about any kind of topic (science and fringe science being one of those), and for the same reason she had read a lot of books that were completely different from her usual romantic type (it’s also a good exercise for a writer). And i’ll stop here, but i have like… a whole Drive document full of headcanons for her…

unpopular opinion: Some people thinks she’s just some kind of weird Togami’s stalker… i don’t know what kind of game/anime you played/watched, but ok. Seriously, if she’s not an interesting character, i don’t know who could be. But that’s just my opinion…

song i associate with them: Luka - Suzanne Vega I think it’s because I’m clumsyI try not to talk too loudMaybe it’s because I’m crazyI try not to act too proudThey only hit until you cryAfter that you don’t ask whyYou just don’t argue anymoreYou just don’t argue anymoreYou just don’t argue anymoreYes, I think I’m okayI walked into the door againIf you ask that’s what I’ll sayAnd it’s not your business anywayI guess I’d like to be aloneWith nothing broken, nothing thrownJust don’t ask me how I am Just don’t ask me how I am  Just don’t ask me how I am I have a few songs that remind me of Touko, but this one… this one needs no explanation.

favorite picture of them: Her DR:AE sprites are so cute, LOOK AT HER SMILE *cries*

Thank you!

[artoutforblood]

Three?

I finished P3 and I will defy both Atlus and god. Here’s some confession fluff for my ot3 akihamai.

Click that read more or read it here on ao3

“I think I lied to you before, Hamuko-san.”

Hamuko lifted her head from her book to look at Aigis, sitting beside her on the bench, an unfinished bento sitting between them. She looked just as nervous and unsure of herself the day she confessed her feelings.

Unprompted, she continued, “About me have this feeling only for you.”

The book lowered to Hamuko’s lap, “Oh,” She hummed, now unsure herself. So far, these emotions stewing between them had been unacted upon, except for a single kiss to her Papillion Heart. But, even so… the thought of Aigis falling out of love with her made her stomach hurt, “Can I ask who?” She murmured.

Aigis lifted her head to gaze back at her, “With Akihiko-senpai.”

Hamuko’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline, “Oh!”

Now, maybe this shouldn’t have been as surprising as it was at the time. Akihiko was Hamuko’s boyfriend for many months, and Aigis liked being by Hamuko, which meant she also spent a lot of time with Akihiko. In fact… the more she thought back on it, the two of them had been spending more and more time alone together. Like she and Aigis did.

But now, this begged the question, “Does he know?”

She shook her head slowly, “I wished to talk to you about it first. He is your lover, after all, and you know how I feel about you. I already know there won’t be anything between us, but now that I feel like this for him as well…” She hung her head with a heavy sigh, “It’s becoming so confusing. Is it normal to feel like this for two people at once?”

With her lips hidden behind her book, Hamuko thought about this with a faint blush on her cheeks, “Maybe…” She murmured, “Maybe not. But, at least you’re not alone.” She lowered the book slightly, meeting Aigis’ eyes, “Cuz I feel the same way. About you and Aki.”

Suddenly, Aigis’ cheeks were ablaze, Hamuko was afraid she’d overheat. Unlike Aigis, she had kept her feelings close to her chest, unable or unwilling to admit them out loud while she still loved Akihiko just as fiercely.

Aigis covered her face with her hands, “P-Pardon me, I feel so warm. I’m burning up.”

“Are you gonna be okay?”

She nodded furiously, “Yes, just give me a moment to compose myself, please!”

After a few moments, Aigis finally pulled her hands away from her face, pushing her hair away from her eyes. If a robot could sweat, she’d be doing plenty of it, “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be!” Hamuko said, taking her hand, “If you don’t think I get that way when I think about you and Aki then I don’t know what to tell you.”

She giggled, covering your hands with hers, but her expression became pensive, “Should… I tell Akihiko-senpai?” She wondered, her mouth a thin line, “We do not know if he feels the same as we do. What will happen if he doesn’t understand?

“I don’t want you to lose someone so precious.” She said, “I don’t want to lose him either. Could these feelings be so strange that – “

“Hold your horses,” Hamuko squeezed her hands until she’d look at her, “Let’s think this through together before we start thinking the worst. Sure, he may be confused at first whether he feels the same or not, but,” She looked away, “I… don’t like keeping this from him. My feelings for you and your feelings for me. And I don’t want him to think that this means I don’t love him just the same as the day we became a couple.”

She brought their joined hands to her lap, “And, I want to give us a chance. The three of us, together.”

“Will that even work?”

“Shouldn’t we at least try?

Aigis could do nothing but stare, slowly taken by the image of her and the two of the most precious people to her together.

Hamuko nodded in determination, “But I won’t do it without you.”

Aigis met her gaze with soft adoration, “I will stay by your side always.”

Akihiko’s cell buzzed near the end of lunch and he felt himself smile when he saw her name pop up.

“Hey, can you meet Aigis and I up on the roof after school today?”

His heart thumped strangely. It had been doing that lately, like it did back when he used to see Hamuko and he still wasn’t sure what his feelings were. Except, now it was happening whenever Aigis was involved, and especially when it was the two of them together.

He didn’t let himself think about that too long. It wasn’t avoidance, it was just lack of time. Yeah…

He sent off a quick text and went back to class, and tried not to dwell too long on what the girls would look like with the afternoon sun in their hair.

“Hey!”

Hamuko and Aigis turned to him with nervous grins, though he didn’t pick up on that right away.

“So, what’s going on?” He asked, putting his hands in his pockets. “Are we going somewhere?”

Hamuko laughed anxiously, “That sorta depends on you…” She murmured under her breath.

“We have something we need to tell you, Akihiko-senpai.” Aigis said, stepping forward with her hands clasped over her chest. “It’s something… very important.”

He blinked, finally noticing their nerves. It was starting to rub off on him, “Okay?”

She looked down at her shoes, until Hamuko squeezed her shoulder and gave her strength to confess her true feelings, “I… have a wish, Akihiko-senpai.” She started softly, “At first, I thought it was only for Hamuko-san, but I’ve come to the realization that it’s for you, too.

“I… am not human, but my heart is becoming more and more human every day. Ever since I met Hamuko, ever since I met you, and ever since I met everyone else. But, it’s the two of you who take up the entirety of my new heart.” She finally met his eyes, though it was timid and shy, accompanied by a faint blush, “I love both of you. Deeply, wholly, and I would stay with you for as long as I can.”

At first it sounded just like everything else she had said about Hamuko since the day they met, but… looking past the lines, he could see the very human meaning behind her words.

He could feel his cheeks burn, “Aigis?”

“And I feel the same way.” Hamuko joined in, also blushing, “I’ve realized that I love Aigis, too, just as much as I love you.”

He recoiled, “What?”

“I didn’t know how to tell you, or if I should.” She said, looking him straight in the eye, “I never acted on these feelings because I love you so much and I want to be with you. But then Aigis told me how much she loves you, too, and now we’re here. Because…” She took a deep breath, “Because we would like the three of us to be together.”

“Romantically.” Aigis clarified, blushing even harder, “But we will not go any further than this without you. We don’t want to be without you.”

“Ever.” Hamuko said, “We love you.”

If a human could blue screen, Akihiko would be doing just that. His racing thoughts ran to catch up to the situation. To this strange, weird (but wonderful) confession.

“I – I don’t understand.”

Seeing their faces fall, he was quick to say, “I mean, no, I just – I need some time to think.” He coughed in embarrassment, “I’m – I guess I’m little confused. No, scratch that, I’m a lot confused.”

Hamuko nodded knowingly at Aigis, See?

“And – And it’s not – actually it is, but,” He stumbled and fought for words, “it’s – it’s me, too.” He finally admitted, “I need some time to think, o – okay?”

They both nodded understandingly.

“It took me time as well.” Aigis said with a small smile, “Take your time.”

Hamuko walked up and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek, “Whatever time you need. Just let us know when you’re ready, okay?”

“Yeah…” He mumbled, turning his face to kiss her forehead, “I’ll let you know – both of you.”

Akihiko could not sleep.

It had been two days since the girls had confessed their feelings to him, and he was still reeling. Despite his countless questions, his confused emotions, he found himself curious enough to look up pairings like… like theirs could potentially be.

Polyamory, not to be confused with polygamy, a romantic and sexual relationship consisting of more than two people with everyone’s knowing consent. It did ease him to know that there were others who felt these things and managed to have happy, long relationships. More than anyone would know.

Which only brought up the question, Is it because I love them? Both of them? At the same time?

He certainly loved Hamuko, he had for a long time, even when he didn’t know it. Could that be the same situation with Aigis?

She was cute, he thought so from the moment he saw her, and watching her grow was a gift. She was weird, sure, but so was half the people living in the dorm (if not more). But she was also kind, and curious, and strong, and brave, and loyal, and unintentionally funny. He could admire those traits in anyone, all of his friends possessed a few of them at least, but…

His memories brought of visions of her trying red bean mochi for the first time as an after training snack. Of her talking to animals on the street on the way home, of her smiling, of her watching snow fall. Of her and Hamuko laughing together on the sofa, collapsing on each other.

Oh, shit. He put his arm over his eyes but couldn’t stop his pained smile, Oh, goddammit. He was a clueless idiot, that’s for sure. How long had this been going on for without him noticing? Again?

At least this time he didn’t need someone else to point it out to him.

He came to a decision and pulled the covers over him.

Akihiko finally fell asleep.

“H-Hey, can we all meet up in your room later, Hamuko?”

And now that they were there, his palms felt sweaty but his heart felt light. It felt right, just like it did the day he asked her to be his girl.

They stood in Hamuko’s bedroom, the orange sunset drifted in through the window. No one made to sit quite yet, the tension said not to. This was something he’d want to say standing up, anyway.

“So…” He took a sharp breath, “I gave this a lot of thought… Did some studying, and,” He let it go in a long sigh of relief for what he’d finally confess, “and I love you both. In the way you love me. And, I’m sure Hamuko will tell you,” He said with a huff and a smile, “I tend to keep things pretty simple.

“Will you be my girls?”

For a second there was surprised silence as they stared at him with slowly growing smiles. Then, Hamuko shot to her feet and threw her arms around him, “Yes!”

Another pair of arms wrapped around them and Aigis’s blond hair ticked his chin, “Yes.” She whispered, “Yes.”

…

The three of them stayed in Hamuko’s room until morning, talking, laughing, and falling asleep in the same bed. As it felt like it had always been.

[dan-de-leon]

A Valentines one-shot ficlet for @squidpro-quo

Happy Valentines Day!!

"I really love the OT3 with Zen/Obi/Shirayuki, something with the three of them would be amazing! I'd rather not get anything with abo au or explicit sex"

I hope this is alright >_< This is my first foray back into writing after a 5 year hiatus. I’ll probably post this on AO3 when I have time later. 

Have a lovely valentines!!

Untitled - a short omake?

The crew have some introspective thoughts and musings about the nature of their lives as they hear about the plot of Yuzuri’s latest obsession.

------------

There was a strong feeling of foreboding in the air. While Zen never liked trusting in such, he unwittingly fell into the same bad habit that his old manners teachers tried and failed to whip him out of all throughout his younger years: paying more attention to the weather than the words of the person he’s engaged in conversation with.

It certainly was the kind of day that couldn't decide whether to be bright or dreary. The snow flurries already stopped and zen's throat was no longer aching. Yet he was warned to stay aware of his health. Mainly since it would not be good for the image of their beautiful city if royalty got sick there all the time.

He pushed a bereft yawn down his lungs; no matter how much the gray seemed to begin looming over those blue skies, it would not fit if he were to yawn in the middle of shirayuki's cheerful and (altogether too) bubbly friend's dialogue. Something about romance novels? Everyone seems to be paying attention though. And who is Zen but a master at staying alert.

"The writing is superb! It delivered way more than I expected," she barely stopped herself from sighing, "my only objection was that it ended too soon."

Shirayuki, patiently listening beside him, was serene and hardly disheveled as usual. Despite her busy schedule and tendency to overwork, she always looked immaculate, whatever the situation. Meanwhile, her friend paused to glance at him. Was that a smirk he saw, just now? No. Yuzuri faced Shirayuki once more, though with a question obviously directed towards him. He braced himself.

"Though, of course, with your highness being around, this type of excitement must be humdrum nonsense, right?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. And then held his breath right after- causing a cough to sneak up on his already much-abused throat. He put a fist before his mouth and coughed once more for good measure.

"What? No! Not at all. What are the main points?"

This seemed to encourage the young girl. She gave a wider grin before resuming with her discussion.

"Oooooh, it had all the best elements!! Right, Suzu? There's the forbidden romance between the prince and the lowborn lady, him rescuing her from pirates and unruly bandits-"

What?

That one landed  way too close to home for him to keep being comfortable. His foot fidgeted. He glared at it to stay. Put. The many times Shirayuki got into trouble because of their situation still made him feel guilty to this day. But he would not ask her to stop, nor would he presume to imagine that he would ever be able to order her to do so.

He glanced at Shirayuki. She was frowning, but only a smidge.

-------

Shirayuki didn't really pay attention to what was being said. That said, she had her head in the clouds the whole time (considering that they were gray, growing, and halfway covering the sky).

That is, until she felt a tickle in her back. It wasn't too uncomfortable -- only enough to make her want to scratch at it. Fine, it was reeeeally uncomfortable. What material did they make herbalist clothes from nowadays, poison ivy?!

She blinked. She was sure she HAD heard the last portion of yuruzi's monologue, but who could really blame her for being a tad bit (note: a LOT)  distracted?

"The prince carrying the lady bridal-style-"

A memory of a warm hand gently wrapping over her waist

"-stolen kisses-"

The sun on her face. That warm spring day. The feeling of her heart pounding, as she felt the pain and simultaneous joy of a first kiss from a very attractive young gentleman.

"-dangerous enemies, as skilled as knights appointed by the crown!"

Come to think of it, they haven't really experienced any danger for those two whole years they've spent in lyrias, haven't they? It was like time stopped and it became normal, to not think about the castle. Shirayuki never had any trouble with petty distractions when there was work to be done. The time here went by so rapidly, since she always had the next project to work on. And once Zen returned, it was like time started moving once more.

And WHY on earth was that prickly feeling in her neck starting to burn? Shirayuki gave in and scratched at her neck. It wasn't the right spot, but it was close enough for the time being.

-----

Suzu was giving him that look again.

While he appreciated time spent with their friends in Lyrias, their teasing looks have always been his constant adversary and longtime companion. He should be used to them by now. He's never reacted before, and them goading him won't make him do so now.

The bubbly girl was being blocked from his view by Shirayuki's slender back. He didn't want to stare, really. She was right there. He couldn't help it. Honest.

"-she even got kidnapped! By the worst type of bandits imaginable!"

He remembered those days. Nonstop action, enough that he could barely breathe. Is he softer now, milder now, tamer now, in comparison? Has this place officially defanged him?

"The lady's true love, saving her in the nick of time!"

He'd never dreamed of that role before. But if he did, would it actually make any difference?

And of course, the prince and the lady's knight, both madly in love with her!"

Suzu's stare was penetrating him now. Not to mention, Zen switched from looking at Shirayuki to looking at him, too.

He sneezed. Everyone jumped.

"It's getting a bit cold. How about we head back in for some warm tea?"

Everybody seemed only too eager to provide assent.

And thus, their whole group started trudging back to the warmth of the kitchen, with the sound of Yuzuri's chatter providing a comfortable ambience. -----

Lyrias was practically a fortress. And thus, it was not too easy for anyone to just jump in and take any random person from the inside. So it was just Shirayuki's luck that she is the unfortunate person caught in the crossfire, yet again.

Some man (she had no idea who, he just blindfolded her and wrapped her up) knocked her out cold while she was checking out books in the extensive library. How and when they got inside, she did not know.

She was still blindfolded. Her hands were tied - but carefully. Whoever did this must've known her status, and didn't want to get in trouble for knocking her around too much. She was famous around here for being a friend of the crown, after all.

Now, what options do I have?

While her body might have just gotten used to the lack of movement that came with indoor work, she will not let it be a reason for her to lose that same tenacity that drove her to run all the way to another country just for the sake of avoiding the selfish wishes of a once famously spoiled man.

Shirayuki checked all her senses. Her sight was out, obviously. She wriggled her hands - still tight. She smelled the air - the heavy musk of being in a wooden room. But- and  her tongue darted out, tasting the air: why is it sweet?

Footsteps

And- they're getting closer.

This didn't bode well for her. She had to think of a solution, and fast.

Shirayuki knew the walls tasted of moss. This moss was lightly useful for providing a light tonic when collected, dried and placed in boiling water. They collected those flowers in the spring.

Fresh, though, and in wintertime, means the tiny leaves will release a certain powder when shaken.

The door opened, and Shirayuki kicked the wall. She held her breath and hoped to god that the man had large nostrils like most other hooligans here in this city.

--------------

Shirayuki had been in her lonesome all morning for some reason.

Normally Obi would be beside her. Yet today of all days Zen required him to be present for sparring practice. Man-to-man bonding, as they called it (though kiki would raise a finely manicured brow at this insinuation)

When he finally escaped for just a tad bit and ran through his usual shortcut (rooftops, what else?) to get to his mistress's haven, he was whooping for joy. The plan for the rest of the day? To provide any help for her in the best way he could.

Yet- what was this feeling of dread? He tried to sense for her presence in the library. His breathing evened out, and he stretched out his hearing to pinpoint the exact place she was supposed to be. This was a relic from days spent listening for the cadence of her heart amidst the roar of a snowstorm upon castle walls. He would recognize her even from the next room.

And yet, none of those abilities could help him out if she wasn't present in the room.

He sniffed the air. There was the light permeating smell of old books and cement. And something else - the residual scent of herbs, from days when Shirayuki brought samples to cross-check with books.

There was a bad feeling rising now, like a crested wave almost reaching the breaking point. He rushed to her oither hangout spots - finding none, he sought out the usual suspects for her attention. None of them have seen even a single strand of her famously bright red hair.

And thus, he had to report to Zen

------

"Shirayuki is missing."

Zen wanted to facepalm. Wasn't Yuzuri talking about this exact situation mere moments ago?

"I guess at least the plot is consistent, huh?"

"Master, you said something?"

"Nothing. Let's go rescue our fair maiden."

[pengychan]

[Coco] Mind the Gap, Pt. 7

Title: Mind the Gap Summary: Modern Day AU. Tired of Ernesto’s snide remarks, Imelda decides to put him in his place and her husband is more than happy to help. It was supposed to be a one-night deal. Things quickly get out of hand. [OT3, mostly porn and humor. Plenty of instances of Ernesto being Dramatic, Imelda getting Sick Of His Shit, and Héctor trying to be the peacekeeper. Don’t expect anything serious.] Pairings: Ernesto/Héctor/Imelda Rating: Explicit.

To see the version with art by Dara, check it out on Ao3.

Tag for all parts up so far.

A/N: I mean did anyone here really expect Ernesto and Imelda keep up the truce for long.  (Also Tumblr is a baby so go check out the illustrated version on Ao3!)

***

The shower in Ernesto’s small apartment is nowhere as large as his and Imelda’s own, so Héctor is rather glad they’re doing this at their place.

Not that he’s that picky, nor is the shower that small; it works perfectly for one person. Two people could fit in without too much trouble… but with three people, one of them being so ridiculously broad, it would be a very tight fit. Maybe someday they will give it a go, but for now, Héctor is pretty happy they’re using the big one.

He’s got to admit that maybe Ernesto has a point in life: there is a lot to be said for being the center of attention. Especially when - and maybe it’s just some wishful thinking, but maybe not - he’s got those two actually working together to get him over the edge, focusing on him rather than trying to best each other.

Or maybe just focusing more on him than they are on competing against each other. Either way, Héctor will take this as a victory… and it is a very, very sweet one.

Héctor draws in a sharp breath when a soapy hand grasps his cock firmly, giving it a squeeze, and some of the water running over him - it is hot enough to redden skin and yet now it barely feels lukewarm compared to skin against his own, the hand on his cock and the kisses Imelda is trailing across his chest - gets into his mouth. It causes his next moan to come out as almost a gargle; Imelda pulls back for a moment, and there is a chuckle against his ear.

"New song?" Ernesto asks, stroking him idly. Héctor doesn't have enough breath to reply, and he just tightens his own grip on Ernesto's drenched hair. He doesn't even seem to feel it; Héctor can feel him smirking again against his skin. There is water and steam everywhere, the touches on him are turning him into a quivering mess, it is hard to breathe and oh, he’d trade this for nothing else.

"You know he can sing better than this," Imelda speaks, her voice so dangerously, dangerously sweet. Héctor opens his eyes, squinting against the water, to see a smile curling her lips. She looks past him, right at Ernesto. "Better than you, for sure."

"Oh?" Ernesto asks, and there is challenge in his tone, but the amusement is not gone. He presses a finger against the slit of Héctor's cock, getting another moan out of him, a buckle of his hips. "Does he now?"

"Get your hand off my husband's dick," Imelda says, and her smile turns lopsided. "And I'll show you how to make him sing."

Oh, God.

Héctor gasps, shutting his eyes. There are a few moments of silence aside from the rush of water, and he breathes in the steam just as Ernesto speaks again.

"Very well." One more squeeze and he is letting go of him, his other hand still firmly grasping Héctor's hair. "Show me."

Héctor opens his mouth to say something - not that he has any idea what to say, or the capability to string together anything that makes sense anymore - but of course all that leaves him is an low moan. The sight alone of Imelda kneeling in front of him, hair and skin wet, is enough to make his head spin, no matter how familiar; her mouth on his cock a moment makes him cry out and shudder violently.

Normally he’d reach out to steady himself against the walls of the shower, because he’s never had such a great sense of balance, the floor is wet and collapsing on Imelda would be just about the worst way to interrupt a very pleasant start of the morning. But this time, there is no need: Ernesto is there, solid and steady as a wall, holding him tightly, chest to his back as Héctor buckles his hips, shuddering.

He leans his head on Héctor’s shoulder - something he started doing after a particularly powerful fit of pleasure caused Héctor to throw back his head with reckless abandon, which almost resulted in a broken nose - to gaze down at Imelda’s head, and chuckles.

“She got you good,” he murmurs against Héctor’s ear, getting a wordless groan as a response. Imelda is pulling back slowly, trailing a vein with her tongue, and lets her teeth scrape just slightly against the top in a way that never fails to turn Héctor into mush. He gasps, getting more water in his mouth just as Ernesto speaks again in his ear.

“... But I think two of us would get this over with quicker.”

Wait, what?

In the haze of pleasure, under the relentless cascade of water, Héctor can only blink when Ernesto’s steadying, reassuring grip faces. He glances back to see he’s kneeling down, feels his hands on his ass, prying the cheeks apart, and then something warm and wet--

“Ah!”

The startled cry leaves his mouth with no words, not one single coherent thought to it. Héctor finds himself reaching down, grasping Ernesto’s hair with one hand and Imelda’s with the other, holding on like a castaway to a piece of driftwood.

But that’s what you do, isn’t it, it’s what you’ve always been doing, clinging onto them to avoid drowning because you know you can’t make it on your own.

The thought is sudden as it is jarring, and Héctor is quick to chase it away because oh, Ernesto  and Imelda are making it so easy now, to abandon all thought and just enjoy the feeling - their hands on him, and the heat of her mouth and the strokes of his tongue, the wet hair his fingers are tangled in and the hot water falling over them all, the steam he breathes in with each helpless gasp.

He lasts no more than two minutes, and he cannot even bring himself to feel sheepish: he’d dare anybody to last one moment longer than he did, he truly would. His legs give in - does he eve have bones anymore? - but Ernesto is there to hold him up, Imelda is turning off the water and reaching for a dry towel, and Héctor isn’t worried at all, safe in the certainty that neither of them is going to let him fall.

***

“Your parents sounded in a good mood.”

“Hmm.”

“Shame we didn’t catch your brothers home, but I bet they’ll call back. Hey, did you see the latest video on their channel?”

“For the sake of my sanity, I try not to look.”

“Heh. Good point.”

Silence.

“... Tell me it did not involve rockets.”

“Nope.”

“Oh, good.”

“There was a circular saw, though.”

“What??”

“But everything went fine! I mean, the experiment failed, but no limbs were lost and they walked out with ten fingers and toes. I’d count it as a success.”

“Ten fingers and toes each, or between the two of them?”

“Each.”

“Thank God for small miracles.”

“To be fair, this one wasn’t that small.”

“Aaaand this is why I make a point to never look at their channel. What kind of experiment was it, anyway?”

“Beats me. They didn’t make it very clear.” Héctor laughs, and leans his head on her shoulder, a hand reaching down to massage her lower belly to help her through the usual cramps that come with her period. They’re both in bed, and she’s reading a book Ceci recommended to her when she popped in to get some fabrics – which means she very nearly threw it at her head bellowing for her to read it.

It isn’t half bad, but it hasn’t really captured her yet. Then again, she’s only some thirty pages in... and she is getting distracted by thoughts of their trip to Santa Cecilia in about two weeks, to visit the grave of Héctor’s parents and attend to a special Mass in their memory.

It is mostly sorted, with the parish and with her parents, who are going to let them stay in the guest room as they always do, once Óscar and Felipe are done taking all of their clutter out of it. They have booked their train tickets, because both dislike long car rides, and she is well ahead with the orders, so that she can afford staying away three or four days.

Yes, everything’s in place, as per every year... but this year, for the first time, Imelda finds she’s bothered by the one absence she never gave any thought to before.

“Isn’t Ernesto coming?” she asks, closing the book. She glances at Héctor to see him pause, taken aback, before he shakes his head.

“No. He’s... busy.”

“Busy, every year?”

That causes Héctor to look away. “I can’t ask him that.”

“You can’t ask your best friend to be with you on the anniversary of your parents’ death?” Imelda asks, more harshly than she meant to. She shuts her mouth, already feeling guilty, when Héctor’s gaze grows distant... but only for a moment. Then he just shrugs, like it’s nothing.

“I can’t ask him to come to Santa Cecilia.”

“It’s his hometown.”

“He doesn’t like it.”

“We grew up there,” Imelda says, and has to make a conscious effort not to let anger show in her voice. “His family is there. Does he think he’s too good for it? For them?”

Héctor shakes his head. “It’s not that,” he says, a defensive note to his voice. Sometimes it frustrates her, it really does, how defensive he is of his best friend because that’s just how Ernesto is. Like it’s supposed to make everything he does right, or at least more bearable.

“Then what--”

“I promised not to tell,” he cuts her off, and he looks genuinely sorry. “I really can’t. Just believe me, it’s all right. He cared about my parents, you know that. He doesn’t need to come to Santa Cecilia to show it.”

Can’t tell her.

Somehow, the thought hurts. There are supposed to be no secrets between the two of them; that is something they established early on. She certainly keeps nothing secret from him, and this is the first time she realizes it’s not quite the same for him. It is fair, she cannot fault him for that – it’s nothing she has any business knowing, after all – but the sting is there anyway, impossible to ignore.

A cutting remark - “did he get some girl in trouble?” - almost makes it to her lips, but she manages to hold it back, and swallows it along with her annoyance. “I understand,” she says instead. It isn’t the entire truth, because she can’t really understand what she’s not told, but it is the only right answer to give and the one Héctor needs right now, so she says it anyway,

And when he smiles at her, relief plain on his face, the smile she gives back is far more sincere than her words were.

***

Great as their teamwork can get in bed - and in the shower, and occasionally in the living room or the kitchen - Ernesto and Imelda’s first attempt at singing in a duet goes about as disastrously as Héctor expected it to.

He’s always been an optimist but, to be entirely honest, it would have taken a miracle for it to go down well... and miracles are hard to come by these days.

“If you could be bothered not to sing over me--”

“Well, I had to do something to fix the mess you were making!”

“Excuse me?”

“You were trying to breathe in and sing at the same time, don’t think I didn’t notice! Or are you always just this bad?”

“Says the one who keeps coming in at the wrong time! And why are you even wearing a charro now? We’re in my living room! Are you trying to impress the cat?” Imelda snaps. From the chair she’s curled on, Pepita chooses that moment to hiss in Ernesto’s general direction as though to point out that, if that was the intention, he’s entirely failed.

Ernesto scoffs, brushing his jacket in a somewhat defensive way. “Well, at least one of us needs to put in some effort! Either you’re not trying, or you couldn’t carry a note if it were stapled to your ba--”

All right, maybe it is time to say something. Héctor sighs, putting the guitar down on his knees.  “Uh, guys--” he begins, but he has no time to say anything more. The next moment Ernesto scoffs dramatically, throws up his hands dramatically, and marches through the living room to the door. Dramatically.

“Fine! I’ll go find some company with those who appreciate my skills!”

“Hey now, you know we appreciate--”

“Your dogs?” Imelda asks, raising an eyebrow. The only reply she gets is a slammed door, and then a few moments of silence.

“... Well,” Héctor finally says. “That went well.”

“It did not.”

“There was no blood.”

“And that’s enough to say it went well?”

“For a first attempt, yes. Like your brothers not losing any limbs is enough to call whatever they’re up to a success,” Héctor quips, and that gets a smile out of her before she frowns.

“The first attempt, and the last. He is insufferable, even without a public. I can’t begin to imagine how you can share a stage with that self-centered drama queen and his inflated ego.”

He grins. “He doesn’t mind sharing with me,” he says, and is somewhat taken aback when Imelda gives him a look that is almost angry, and unexpectedly bitter.

“Oh, he would. But you’re his best friend, and I’m just your wife,” she huffs, and walks out towards her workroom, leaving a very confused Héctor behind. He blinks, not knowing what to say – not knowing what to think of her last words – as Pepita jumps off her chair to go after Imelda, silent as a ghost.

***

Ernesto doesn’t like Los Chachalacos.

All right, fine, so that is a lie: he likes them, if begrudgingly. Their music isn’t half bad, if nowhere near his-- their -- own, and they are good fun. In the several occasions they found themselves playing at the same venues, they’ve always been good company for a drink or two.

Still, they are competition, as Ernesto has to nearly constantly remind Héctor. They’ll join them if they have to, laugh and swap jokes and some gossip about yet another producer who had to pay up to silence some scandal, but that doesn’t mean they have to like them. They shouldn’t.

If only they weren’t so insufferably likeable.

“Oye, look who’s there!”

“De la Cruz!”

“Ernesto!”

“Come over here!”

“Where’s Rivera?”

“Have a drink!”

Their voices were the first thing he heard as soon as he stepped in the cantina, and sure enough there they were, crowded around a table and with a glass each. He could tell Marta is already in the process of drinking the rest of the band under the table. He joined them gladly enough, anything to get the argument out of his mind - not even much of an argument, but she was the one who was trying to sing over him - and explained that Héctor couldn’t come out.

“The tragedy of married life,” he mutters  now, a glass in his own hand, and there is laughter, which makes him feel better. That is the reaction his jokes should get, not the exasperated sighs and biting remarks Imelda keeps giving him. She got… better, for a while, but now there’s something wrong and he cannot tell what it is - but like hell he’s going to ask. It's her problem, not his.

More drinks are ordered and soon enough everyone is singing, if somewhat drunkenly, and Ernesto joins in. They sing Los Chachalacos’ songs, Héctor’s own, popular ones, some unholy mixture of all of them - and no one complains about his voice being too loud, no one calls him an attention hog or complains about him at all, and that is precisely how Ernesto likes it. They see him, and like what they see. Listen to him, and love what they hear.

Before long, Ernesto is laughing hard enough to tear up and thinking that yes, Héctor is missing out, stuck home with that bore of a wife. He pulls out his phone, calls everyone to move closer for a group picture, and sends it  over to Héctor with a brief message.

You’re missing out on life. Remember, divorce is an option! ;)

***

“Divorce is an option.”

“I-I’m sure he was just joking! You know, that’s what Ernesto is li--”

“Do not. Finish. That sentence.”

Héctor shuts his mouth so abruptly his teeth click together. He’s regretting dearly the moment he asked Imelda to check the phone in his place, since he was elbow-deep in water trying to unblock the sink. He expected her to read aloud whatever message he just got, and instead there had been silence… and he turned to see her absolutely livid.

You’re in trouble, amigo. If she doesn’t strangle you, I will.

There is a long sigh, then Imelda looks up and give the least reassuring smile she ever gave. Her frame relaxes, all tenseness gone, a glint in her eyes.

“Héctor, mi amor,” she says, her voice rotting honey. “Let’s get in the bedroom.”

***

Ernesto is in the middle of a really funny joke involving a bellringer, a train and a nun when his phone bleeps. He grabs it, still talking and glass still in his other hand. Maybe it’s Sofía - he wrote her earlier to ask if she’s free tonight, because she’s good fun with no strings attached and no desire for any on either side - but it isn’t her. It is Imelda.

And she’s sent him pictures.

For a moment or two Ernesto stares down at the screen as though not comprehending, glass still at his mouth. He can see Héctor; he can see lingerie; his brain, however, is momentarily refusing to put the two things together into a single image for him to elaborate.

Then it does, and the beer he was about to swallow comes out of his nose in a sudden, foamy stream.

“Hey, Ernesto!”

“What is it?”

“Are you all right?”

“I-- ack! I--” Ernesto stands suddenly, dropping the glass, phone still held tightly in his hand. He coughs and wheezes, which doesn’t give the words he manages to choke out - I’m fine - the barest semblance of credibility. His head is reeling, he cannot breathe, he’s sticky with beer… and the images are still before his eyes, as though imprinted in his retinas.

“Whoa, easy there!” there is a relieved laugh, a hand on his shoulder. “Need a towel and some wat--”

“Toilet,” Ernesto croaks. He must be growing redder by the second now, his face unberably hot… and not just his face. He’s got a problem there, one he needs to take care of before it becomes too obvious - which will likely happen any moment now, since he had the brilliant idea to put on such tight trousers. “L-lo siento, I need-- restroom-- just a minute.”

Thank God no one argues, and he’s able to stumble his way to the toilet. By the time he gets there he’s painfully hard, Christ, he can’t remember getting this hard so quickly since he was eighteen, but no one noticed the bulge at and so all is fine, he can take care of it and walk back out laughing with an excuse - maybe something about his last meal being just a bit more than a human being can handle.

Then he will march out of here, and he’ll strangle Imelda or die trying. For now he settles for gripping something else entirely, though not tight enough to cause harm, thank you so very much. With a grimace, Ernesto begins to stroke himself… and just then the phone bleeps again.

He shouldn’t look; it goes against his best judgment. But then again, what harm can it do him now? He’s already in a toilet stall, taking care of the problem - may as well see what else that bruja has sent him. So he grits his teeth, squeezes the head of his cock, and lifts the phone to his eyes.

From the screen, a scowling Imelda is staring straight at him, her middle finger raised. In the background, he can see Héctor sitting on the bed, taking off what looks like a pair of stockings, caught in mid-laugh. Below the pictures, there are only a few words.

Who’s missing out now, pendejo?

There is a rush of something that Ernesto mistakes for anger, and his grip on the phone tightens - as does that of his other hand on his cock. It was Héctor’s pictures to reduce him in this state but now, as he finishes, he’s scowling back at Imelda.

And telling himself that, somehow, he’ll make her pay.

***

“Let me get this straight. You called me to ask if I’m going to pose for pictures? And here I thought you were up for a fuck.”

“Well, that too.”

“What’s with the sudden interest in taking photos of women in lingerie?”

“You could say it’s an artistic pursuit.”

“Ernesto?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t bullshit me.”

All right, so maybe Sofía knows him too well by now. Ernesto sighs. “Well… uh…”

“... Wait a minute. Are you trying to make somebody jealous?”

“Wha-- no!”

“You are!”

“I am not!”

“And who is it? Was it the same one you wanted to impress with your absolutely non-existent culinary skills?”

“I wasn’t trying to impress anyone!”

“Oh, please. There is always someone you’re trying to impress. Fans, friends, flings, the old lady next door, the mirror…”

Ernesto snorts. “Fine, fine. Let’s say there is someone I’m trying to get back to--”

“Good luck.”

“I need your help.”

“You’re not seriously expecting me to-- I don’t even have much lingerie. I don’t see why anyone should bother. If someone gets to see my underwear at all, chances are it won’t stay on for another minute.”

All right, that is a logic Ernesto can’t really argue with. “Naked, then? You look great naked.”

“I’ve heard you bullshitting better compliments than this one, but nice try. I’m not posing naked for pictures you’re going to share with your crush. Are you drunk?”

“My wha-- I don’t have a-- all right, a little drunk, but that is entirely beside the point. Will you let me--”

Click.

“... I’ll take that as a no.”

***

“No.”

Of course, that is just about the answer Héctor was expecting - and the same he already got from Imelda, too. Neither of them has any interest in trying to sing in a duet again, and maaaybe that attempt has been just a bit too rash from Héctor’s part. He should have given it more time.

“Are you sure? I think you could sound great together, if you just work a little on--”

“I don’t need to work on anything. She’s the one who’s nowhere near my level!”

“-- on your teamwork.”

That causes Ernesto to scoff, glaring down at his phone. Throughout the whole lunch, he’s hardly looked up from it and hasn’t looked at him in the eye once. When Héctor glanced over, he seemed to be scrolling through some amazingly useless dog toys and gadgets; he’s not sure he wants to know how much money his best friend has been spending on the four pups who, after a few attempts at nipping the waiter’s ankles, are currently snoozing under the table.

“We are a team,” Ernesto is gritting out. “Me and you. A great team. She has no part in it.”

Héctor rolls his eyes, leaning his chin on the palm of his hand. “Still mad about those photos?”

Ernesto stiffens before shrugging. “What photos?” he asks, and he even sounds convincing.

Except that Héctor knows him too well. He grins. “I bet you didn’t delete them.”

“Shut up.”

“To be fair, you started it. Just admit we outdid you. If you’d like to be in the next photoshoot--”

“Shut. Up,” Ernesto snarls. Héctor grins.

“Oh, come on. I didn’t pout like that when you went wild with that vibrator.”

“I didn’t go wild,” Ernesto protests, but his scowl is fading into amusement. “My finger slipped on the remote a few more times than it was supposed to.”

“A few more times.”

“All right, a lot.”

“Slipped.”

Ernesto rolls his eyes. “Stop it. I showed your wife how it’s done. And you creamed your pants.”

“And so did you when you got those pics, I bet.”

“No.”

“Oh?”

“... I made it to a toilet,” Ernesto grumbles, then scowls again. “And anyway, that time you got your revenge the following week.”

“And you enjoyed it.”

He doesn’t argue that point. “I still think the handcuffs and costume were entirely unnecessary.”

“Are you kidding? Those were an integral part of the scene. And I'd been looking for an excuse to borrow it from Imelda.”

“Unnecessary. And so was your wife taking pictures!”

“Which you asked to be sent later,” Héctor reminds him. Ernesto has the good grace to blush.

“That is beside the-- the--” he sputters. “What point are you trying to make?”

Héctor shrugs, glancing around to make sure no one is close enough to listen, and reaches to play with an ice cub that was left in his glass. “Well, Imelda had an idea for something...”

He tells him what she has in mind, in good detail. Ernesto turns crimson, sputters indignantly, snaps that they must be out of their mind and that he’ll never submit to such indignity. Héctor smiles, shrugs, and says it’s all right, he’ll never bring it up again. And he doesn’t; he acts as normal, and waits.

Within a week, he gets exactly the text he’d been expecting.

***

“I’m not saying yes.”

“Of course.”

“We got it the first seven times.”

“Good, just so we’re clear. I’m-- enquiring.”

“Clearly,” Imelda says, sounding perfectly serious, and takes the coffee to her mouth. From his seat, Héctor can see her lips curling in a smirk behind the cup for just a moment. “So, enquire away. Which part of the whole scenario confuses you?”

“Well…” Ernesto starts, then pauses, clearly at a loss, before clearing his throat and letting his expression fall into indifference. He looks perfectly in control: his shirt is spotless, his hair carefully styled… but there are dark shadows under his eyes that bespoke of at least a couple of sleepless nights. Héctor wonders if he’s dreamed the scenario. They have tied him up on a couple of occasions, yes, but this would go quite a bit further.

“For one… er…” Ernesto is saying slowly. “The binds are going-- would be safe, right? Not that I can’t take it, of course, but I sort of needs these hands to play…” he says, glancing at Héctor.

He shrugs and holds up his hands, flexing his fingers. “Perfectly safe. No damage to these hands, is there?” he says, and smiles. “Safe, sane and consensual, no?”

Ernesto stares at his hands for a couple of moments, maybe trying to imagine them bound, before looking away. “Right,” he mutters, and takes another sip of coffee, seemingly very interested in a specific spot on their kitchen table. “The ginger thing - what is it about?”

Imelda smiles a little. “Oh, that. It causes burning.”

“What?”

“With no damage. It’s perfectly safe. You’ll only feel the burn.”

“You mean I would feel the burn,” Ernesto corrects her quickly. “I’m not saying yes.”

“... Right. Anything else?”

“That with-- the rod, and--” he pauses, and swallows. His attempt of seeming at ease is less and less believable. “I’d be able to stop it any moment. Of course.” Another pause. “... Right?”

Imelda nods. “Of course. We’ll agree on a safeword. You say it, and everything stops,” she says, and tilts her head on one side. “You’ve never done anything like this, have you?”

There is no trace of mockery in her voice - this is too serious not to be perfectly straightforward about; if this is to go on, they all need to be on the same page - but Ernesto seems to take it as such, and he suddenly seems flustered at the suggestion he has absolutely no experience while they do.

“Of course I have!” he protests. “I was just… making sure.”

Imelda raises an eyebrow. “So, you know how all of this works.”

A scoff. “Of course I do. I know everything,” he snaps.

It is a lie, one Ernesto will regret telling. Neither Héctor nor Imelda question it.

They will regret that, too.

***

[Back to Part 6]

[On to Part 8]

[callioope]

Thanks for the tag, @cassianserso! :D

Choose any three fandoms (in a random order) and answer the questions, then tag some friends.

I’m choosing:

Star Wars

A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones)

Harry Potter

answers below the cut because i’m wordy as per usual

the first character you loved:

Luke Skywalker

Arya (honestly I think I liked her before I even picked up the books because tumblr. I joined tumblr when season 1 was happening, so like so many gifs were all over my dash, particularly of the scene with Arya, Sansa and Joffrey by the river.)

Oh hmm this was so long ago but probably Hermione?

the character you never expected to love so much:

Jyn Erso. Yea, I saw the Rogue One trailers and hated them. “This is a rebellion. I rebel.” I thought, rebel without a cause, annoying. But obviously that’s not Jyn and iloveher now)

Jaime Lannister, although ‘love’ seems too strong. I like him as a character which says a lot because he’s so easy to hate from the very beginning. But his chapters in A Storm of Swords with Brienne blew me away. I’ll never get over how “the thing he is loved for doing is the worst thing he ever did” (the sitch with Tyrion and Tysha) and “the thing everyone hates him for is the best thing he ever did” (killing the Mad King). Yes, he does horrible things, inexcusable, but he also does good, he really loves his brother, and his arc and relationship with Brienne is one of the stories in ASoIaF I find most interesting.

Neville Motherfucking Longbottom. My hero. He’s kind of a nobody at first but (a) it does take courage to stand up to your friends and (b) just like book 7. you rock Neville you rock.

the character you relate to the most:

Bodhi Rook

Sansa Stark

Neville Longbottom

the character you’d slap:

Kylo Ren

the easy answer is Joffrey. fortunately he is slapped many times. but my real answer is Petyr Baelish (Littlefinger) bc yea. fuck that guy. he is the source of so much drama and he knows it and it’s why he does it. also he’s a creep. 

Dolores Umbridge

three favourite characters (in order of preference):

Luke Skywalker, Jyn Erso, Bodhi Rook

Arya Stark, Brienne of Tarth, Sansa Stark

Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley

a character you liked at first but don’t anymore:

Han Solo. I mean. I don’t really dislike Han. But I don’t like him as much as I used to, and there’s no one else who fits the bill here. If anything, it’s Harrison Ford I don’t like.

Daenerys Targaryen

Percy Weasley

a character you did not like at first but now do:

Cassian Andor. omg expel me from the fandom now. the story here is this is what happened with Rogue One [if you’re gonna read this read it ALL bc it starts out bad]: (a) I hated the trailers, was prepared for it to suck; (b) I saw Fantastic Beasts and my head was totally in a “ooh pretty magical creatures i want a light fairy tale right now” kind of space, NOT AT ALL in the mood for a darker Star Wars movie; and (c) before I went to see RO, my sister said, in front of my fiance, ‘omg Diego Luna’s character is soooooo your type, you are going to love him.’ now. i have a problem with being called predictable which is a story for another time. and even though i’m pretty sure my fiance didn’t (and doesn’t) care about how much i like cassian/diego luna (i mean he teases me now), i still felt weird about it at the time bc i’m dumb. so i was sort of in a stubborn ‘i’m not gonna like him -- i’m not gonna like this movie at all’ mood. then cassian comes on screen and he’s running late and he’s antagonizing his agent in a way i didn’t find believable as a spy thing when you’re relying on people to give you information you can’t harass them like that, i mean u can but i think it’s about knowing how to interact with a particular agent and it wasn’t working with tivik since it then causes a scene that attracts the stormtroopers and then he fucking shoots tivik and i was just like ‘no. ok no. i know exactly what you’re doing here -- he’s the edgier hero who’s gonna get redeemed’ and -- see aforementioned ‘head space’ comment, i was just like ‘i am not here for that, not in my star wars’ kind of thing. it’s not that i think it’s a bad thing, just that i wasn’t in the Mood for it. not a legit reason I KNOW. and so during the eadu fight, i’m all with Jyn, and (cringing) yes i was one of those ppl at the end when cassian comes back and kills krennic, i was like ‘oh SUURE a woman can’t do anything by herself can she’. okay. okay. i was ready to write off rogue one after that. i mean, i DID enjoy the last 45 minutes and darth vader etc etc, but i still was just like ‘as a star wars movie meh’ BUT you see. i was on tumblr. and i start seeing gifs, ok. gifs of diego luna’s face right after he shoots tivik. and i’m like. ‘oh. oh damn. this man can act.’ and then ppl keep talking about the kiss in the elevator’ and i’m like ‘well yea they did kiss that happened. didn’t it?’ and then i don’t know. and so for xmas we bought my fiance’s sister tickets to see rogue one cuz she hadn’t seen it yet. so i’m like, ok. i’m gonna watch for this kiss. and NOW. my biggest (and still standing) complaint with Rogue One is the pacing. they cram so much into that movie it doesn’t give you a lot of time to ruminate, and i like ruminating (but honestly that’s what fic is for). anyways. i’m watching it a second time and i know the story better now, i don’t need to like hold on tight trying to keep that thread together, trying to keep track of what’s going on and which damn planet they’re on now etc etc. and i start seeing things. with the characters. with everyone. everyone. bodhi and chirrut and baze and YES CASSIAN. and i’m like oh. oh i’ve gotten this wrong. and i leave the theater and i can’t stop thinking about jyn and cassian and i read the novel and it’s not that jyn can’t do it alone it’s that she only ever wanted someone to come back for her and that’s what cassian does and NOW. well. y’all know where i am now.

so the point is, I WAS DUMB the end i love cassian andor he is amazing and great and i am sorry

sansa

luna

three otps:

Jyn/Cassian, Han/Leia (my first OTP ever tbh although that was before I was ever involved in fandom or the Internet), and ... I can’t really think of a third? Like I enjoy Luke/Bodhi, but I also like Luke with Mara. I don’t have a ship for the ST, but I think an OT3 of Rey/Finn/Poe is cool. I mean I really can’t pick one person for Finn it’s really hard bc everyone wants him, rightly so. I’m also not a HUGE fan of Padme/Anakin, but I am a fan of stories about the Skywalker family as a whole? Could I say One Big Happy Skywalker Family? 

Arya/Gendry, Brienne/Jaime, Jon/Ygritte

Harry/Ginny (my first actual OTP where I participated in fandom), Hermione/Ron, Newt/Tina

Tagging: @theputterer, @allatariel, @vaderkat, @ta-dala, @jeeno2, @jenniferjuni-per, @moonprincess92nz, @deadpanprincess aand honestly anyone else who wants to do this bc i think this is a super fun ask and would love to read y’alls thoughts??? so tag me if u do it! [also usual disclaimer applies: no pressure if you don’t want to do this.]

[tardisly]

Fandom Tag Meme

I was tagged by @amelias-sunflowers, thank you! :D

1. Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s):

Tbh I’ve never really been one for shipping, I tend to enjoy stories themselves much more! That said I adore Eight/Charley (listen to Big Finish guys, they’re as canon as a Doctor/companion ship can get!!), and also Doctor/Clara! It actually took me a while to get around to Twelve/Clara because I just saw them as a really intense platonic friendship for a long time, but then I started reading romantic fic and the rest is history :)

2. A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind (bonus points: who was that person).

Probably Twelve/Clara. I don’t think anyone changed my mind, I just started reading shippy fic for them haha.

3. A pairing you used to love, but it all fell apart for you.

I wouldn’t say it all fell apart, but I just don’t care for Doctor/Rose anymore. It’s been a while since I’ve seen those eps and I remember I used to really ship them then (I think almost everyone does lol!), but as more time has passed and I’ve delved deeper into Doctor Who their relationship just isn’t as compelling to me anymore. (That said I have absolutely nothing against it, you’ll never see any ship hate on my blog!)

4. Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what?

Well, I made a few of those “distracted boyfriend” memes before, but none of them were very popular haha. Maybe I’ll make something funny soon :)

5. What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

Probably Harry Potter, which I’ve loved since the first time I read it when I was nine!

6. Do you remember your first OTP, if so who was in it?

It was definitely Lyra/Will from the His Dark Materials books! I remember being so happy when they got together ^^ (and then having my heart broken at the end)

7. Name a fandom you didn’t care/think about until you saw it all over Tumblr.

It’s not really a fandom but I only started watching Classic Who because of the things I saw on Tumblr haha. I wanted to understand all those memes!!

8. Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike).

River isn’t one of my favourite DW characters, but she can be really funny and sweet :)

9. Name three things you wish you saw more of in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

Agreeing with @amelias-sunflowers about less hatred of showrunners/eras... I respect all opinions and like, like what you like, but sometimes it’s just ridiculous. It would also be cool to see more people watching the classic series and/or getting into the EU! :D But I’m happy to say that overall the Doctor Who fandom is a pretty nice place (at least in my experience.)

10. Choose a song at random; which ship or character does it remind you of?

I don’t really listen to music, sorry! But I recently stumbled across this post where Paul McGann sings a song that really reminded me of Eight and Charley.

11. A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships.

For Doctor Who - I don’t really think I have any? There’s not much Eight/Charley content because they’re kind of obscure but people do ship it. But recently I was rewatching Frasier and found myself shipping Niles and Roz?? Judging by the fact there’s no works in the tag in AO3, I’m probably the only one :P

12. Your most scandalous headcanon for your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s).

Don’t have one haha.

13. Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything)?

I’m sure I do but I can’t think of any right now??

14. 5 favorite characters from 5 different fandoms.

Doctor Who - Clara Oswald

Harry Potter - Hermione Granger

The X Files - Dana Scully

A Series of Unfortunate Events - Violet Baudelaire

Frasier - Daphne Moon

15. 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms.

Doctor/Clara (Doctor Who), Mulder/Scully (The X Files), and Jim/Pam (The Office)

16. 5 brotps:

(@amelias-sunflowers​ you listed your platonic ships here, and since there’s already a section on otps I thought I’d change the question!)

Ten & Donna

Bill & Twelve

Eight & Lucie

Frasier & Roz (Frasier)

Harry & Luna (Harry Potter)

17. Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged).

I’m not really sure what to say here so how about I go on a little rant about how much I love Doctor Who?? It’s honestly one of my favourite things, there’s something amazing and astonishing l about the way it can keep reinventing itself practically forever and still be entertaining. It’s almost impossible to run out of content too because there’s the whole classic series, novels, comics, Big Finish. There’s a little corner of the show for everyone, and it can lead you to watching things barely even related to it, if at all (looking at you, Midsomer Murders episodes I watched for actors.) It’s just such an interesting and insane idea for a show, and the fact that it’s been going for so many years and will keep going in some form for many more makes me so happy :D

Tagging (only if you wanna): @gallihafry, @beccaland, @eightsgirl, @brightnessrandom, @clarasleafs, @accionarnia, @thjrteen!

[taonsil]

I haven't seen any around (or at least not ones posted later than 2014) so I'll give it a go! 🐶💗🐰

sorry this isn't full of fun links and things, I've been p busy and my laptop has been sick for the last few days :c what it lacks in gifs it makes up for in..Feelings.

hmm so, basically..I don't think their relationship has ever been as terrible as it's made to seem at times. at worst I think they've had periods of being indifferent to each other - honestly if you look at ship promos/analysis/general enthusiasm pre-2015 suyeol didn't interact a huge amount and it was mostly shipped because they were funny together/height difference etc. they both had a lot of others members they’d rather interact with before each other. they've really had a lot of nice progression💕 their dynamic is pretty unusual within the group where we're used to seeing junmyeon being softer and kinder and there he is smacking yeol aksjd. I nabbed this quote from a 2013 comment about them: This dynamic is perhaps very much influenced by their age differences. Although the gap is not so much, but when you think about it, Suho is Chanyeol’s only hyung in EXO K. Baekhyun may be older than Chanyeol, but their interactions are that of bros and roommates. And that’s why in the end Chanyeol would always be that cute dongsaeng to Suho

we all know the story about how unkind jm was to babyeol and that their relationship was pretty bad when they were trainees, but it's obviously something that they've long put behind them. jm's actually been apologising for pushing him away since 2013, but their interactions stayed pretty far and few between. yeollie has always cared about jm, always looked out for him and rushed to hug/congratulate him on their wins (tbh I think people who take it too seriously that jm can’t defend himself against yeol don’t give either of them enough credit or acknowledge how salty jm is lmao he can hold his own fine)

in their couple talk jm said that when they first entered the company the two of them were considered a good match, that the company said they needed to promote/be on stage together because they were complimentary personalities. but jm had to be the leader, and I think that's where their Issue is(/was), and why in more recent years they've become closer. the thing is they're both very strong as mcs, but jm in a more learned way while to cy it comes naturally (I think very much in the same way jm envies that yeol can learn instinctively while he works by the book). they were together, they were similar..and yeol easily could have been leader, but he wasn't. and jm was quite stiff and awkward to start with, having to present the group well and make sure all the kids stayed in line. I think they’ve always cared about each other deeply, but at times there was some tension there between them because yeol was so full of energy, loud and funny while jm had to be focused on other things. it made him tease jm and pick on him because he ~wasn’t funny, ~wasn’t interesting, while yeol had the freedom to be liked for how outgoing he was. I really don't think it's ever been that malicious, though sometimes it has crossed a line.

but! they've grown up a lot. yeol especially has mellowed a lot. yeol has talked several time about jm's burden as a leader. I think post-2014, alongside maturing, yeol's really seen and appreciated what jm's had to do as leader and respects the role and his authority more, understands what he maybe didn’t in the past. he's talked about it in both '15 and '16, that jm's been able to open up more and become more ~interesting now the kids are growing up and don't need his attention so much, and also about how burdened he was, how well he's dealt with his role, and that he's had to make sacrifices. maybe yeol didn't appreciate exactly what a tough job it was before..or..idk exactly how to word this, but he realised how much jm had to change to be the leader he is - and that if yeol had been in his position, he'd have had to sacrifice a lot himself, and he didn't realise until this point exactly how much jm gave up to be the leader he is. I think yeol softened towards jm before jm softened towards him.

aaand this leads to my main Theory on exactly why they became closer, and that's because tao left. not because he was in the way (although a bit because he was lmao), but because of how him leaving affected the dynamics within the group. (bear w me this is my specialist subject (;´Д`)) the whole group dynamic was different with tao there. imo the group had kind of divided into it's own little sub-units after krishan left - taohun were very close, sutaohun were very close, sutao became considerably closer from when kris left onward. obviously tao was jm's baby, and especially towards the end of '14/start of '15 he was sick often and needed more attention. I also felt over that time period that tao was trying to become jm's little shadow leader. people talk about chanyeol being the shadow leader, but tao was (unexpectedly) there first. he became very pushy and involved in the awards ceremonies and started to be glued to jm during their activities, always behind him being kinda useless but proud that he was helping. idk why, but for some reason tao decided he was going to help jm carry his responsibilities while jm carried him. it was a big deal that he left - it affected all of them, obviously, but imo it affected jm and sehun the most. yeol really stepped in for sehun and took care of him (which by extension I think jm appreciated a lot, and suchanhun became the ot3 in sutaohun’s place). jm's birthday that year was in the middle of the ongoing situation and yeol's post was this one: Happy birthday to Mr. Kim Hardship who only thinks of the members and has lots of hardships!! Ah, long time ago I wasn’t really close with Suho hyung kekekekeke. But now you know that I can’t live without you right?? Kekekekeke I’m always thankful and thankful and thankful and if you’re ever having a hard time, tell me first because I’ll protect you!! Suho hyung I love you ..you see my point.

imo it was noticeable how abruptly they seemed to get closer during all of that, n I think this time period changed how yeol saw jm + not having tao around anymore gave jm more space to behave differently - including playing with yeol more, because he had more freedom to and because yeol was better company to be around by then. yeol was still being a shit and making unkind comments through exodus promo, but by lmr they were closer and have been since. their interactions were really far and few before this, though generally they were considered to care for each other. but now they interact more it's a much softer version of the same silly dynamic they've always had - they annoy each other, they fight, cy teases and tries to goad jm into reacting, but he's a sweeter pup than he was and is far more considerate to what jm does.

neither of them are the best at expressing their feelings for each other openly, directly, because they just..they can't be those kind of people with each other, and it sometimes makes it come across that they don't get along or they're being insincere. but it's just how they are♡ imo it's nice that they have this unusual, somewhat violent dynamic bc it's genuine feelings and shows how comfortable they are. their silly bickering and fighting and teasing each other isn't some one-sided unkind thing. they're both huge nerds, they both care hugely about the group. they're both intelligent and thoughtful people, playful people. I'm still not entirely over the fact yeol felt the need to kiss junmyeon during their anniversary stream but I think that speaks for itself in how he feels about him. u know like, they're always going to be terrible and uncoordinated and probably trying to punch each other if yeol's hand isn't already halfway up jm's ass, and that’s no bad thing (/ ; ω;)/

[kalamitis]

Kos? K? Both????

I call this MeAgainstTheWorld.jpg because self inserts

Kos

Full Name: Aaliiyyah-Kosmiikka ArthuusGender and Sexuality: Demigirl, pansexualPronouns: she/herEthnicity/Species: Black / SakroemiBirthplace and Birthdate: Giilded, Sakroem / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania || May 11thGuilty Pleasures: Vinn, organizing, sweets, Force training, practical jokes, reading for pleasure, learning about cultures, shopping at marketsPhobias: losing control of her future vision, not being able to stop the future, disappointing her friends, killing those she cares about under ordersWhat They Would Be Famous For: reorganizing the entirety of the First Order’s filing system for shiggles while working under Hux to the point that no one else can find anything when she inevitably leaves the Order, being Kylo’s Force apprentice and Hux’s Apprentice General, in general being a hardass when on duty but actually one of the sweetest people known to manWhat They Would Get Arrested For: fighting, following orders, hiding files within the system, and idk indecent exposure for fucking her boyfriend in a semi public place probablyOC You Ship Them With: VINN KIERE ahem, tho there’s some vague Roz and Kal and Rhell and Caez around somewhere if you look hard enoughOC Most Likely To Murder Them: Kylo Ren, let’s be real, oooh or HuxFavorite Movie/Book Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: ”this bookish character is SO AWKWARD and ONLY GOOD FOR KNOWLEDGE until she PUTS ON A DRESS then DAMN YOU’RE A GIRL THIS WHOLE TIME OMG???”Talents and/or Powers: Kos is extremely Force Sensative. On her home planet it’s just seen as a gift from the Creator and Void Given Sight, (aka Future Vision AKA Force Vision) which makes the rings around her eyes glow purple. This especially comes out when she’s using her Force to fight with her lightsaber, in which she uses her vision tactically to see what her opponent is going to do. When it comes to the Force Kos is very precise. Where for example Kylo would close his fist and crush a boulder, Kos would move her hand in such a way that the boulder would be punctured with tons of tiny holes, and thus turned to sand. ((THINK ABOUT KUVIRA’S EARTH BENDING!)) She is also a super great negotiator and speaks, like, too many languages since she was raised as an Advisor. She could probably sell ice to a yeti during a snow storm, which is saying something.Why Someone Might Love Them: Kos is super caring and sweet to those she cares about, whether it be braiding Caez’s hair or bringing any of her friends sweets back from missions. She’s also very tactically brilliant, and likes to stay on task when it comes to missions. I guess people like her because she’s???? me? idk manWhy Someone Might Hate Them: Kos is a fucking snob, okay? Like. if she’s on duty and you’re doing something wrong, shit man you’re  getting written up. She saw you. She has to. The only person she actively doesn’t report on is Caez, and that’s because their file is on her desk so often it amuses her to read the reports and then throw them out.How They Change: Kos was in such a fucking place when I created her. Okay. She was this wide eyed girl who was off planet for the first time, thinking of going back and burying her face in a book for the rest of her life, and then she met Roz and Rhys and the crew of the Amazon with her great aunt Carryllanne, and during an Order raid accidentally used her Force (ON K!!!! BY THE WAY!!! hah throwback) and then started training with Roz. She built her own lightsaber on her great aunt’s ship, and then found out that Carryllanne was actually a member of the resistance, and a pretty important member too. Somewhere along the line she had a vision of her and Roz sparring, and then she saw herself becoming more powerful under Kylo Ren, and went to grow to her full potential in the Order. Kos in the Order was... off, when she was new. No one would talk to her, a strange alien with color changing hair from a planet in notoriously nuetral space, but then she started rising as an Apprentice General, started doing raids with Ren, and people were like “okay so who the fuck IS she?” Then she was assigned a body guard - Rux - and they hit it off as fast friends. After that it sort of snowballed, when Rux was sent off the Finalizer, she actually meet Rhell - rather than being in meetings with her all the time - and then she laid eyes on Vinn. This was the real turning point (which is stereotypical but YOU KNOW WHAT) she and Vinn had three glorious seconds of eye contact before rhell ran in and Kos left the hangar, and from then on came the slow burn that inevitably ended in KosVinn, and Kos no longer being able to act like she was Evil. Was she capable of it? Yes. Did she want to do it? No. And believing that her spot in the Order was keeping her planet in nuetral space did a lot for that. Then came Rhell’s offer to overthrow the Order from the inside, and it was set. And now we have the Kos we have now.Why You Love Them: tbh? I love Kos because she shows how people who care about you can change your entire point of view, and how it’s okay to let that happen sometimes. She’s badass and she’s knowledgeable and she does a lot, and that’s fucking great. I also love her because she’s so much more developed now than when I made her as someone to interact with my bff Rose’s OC, Roz, didn’t know anything about Star Wars, and created a whole planet and culture and species simply because I didn’t want to do any research. Good times.

K

Full Name: KH-4399, K, “Khayi”Gender and Sexuality: K is my ST8 cis character, even though she’s poly lmaoPronouns: she/herEthnicity/Species: Black human stormtrooperBirthplace and Birthdate: Khorm / April 30thGuilty Pleasures: looks in Rux’s direction, fruit, trashy romance novels, painting, Phobias: being unable to save those she cares about, not rising in the ranks fast enough, being equated to nothing but cannon fodderWhat They Would Be Famous For: killing your faves in 20 seconds flat, training the misfits and disobedient stormtroopers for the order, being an Elite Guard, What They Would Get Arrested For: killing you for touching her things, cutting off random body parts when she’s marginally inconvenienced, killing all who come to arrest her, etc etcOC You Ship Them With: RUX AND TY, like both of them. all hail my ot3 bitchesOC Most Likely To Murder Them: uh??? Ty’s dad I guess??? good luck tho babesFavorite Movie/Book Genre: trashy romance books, Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: “I’m a badass and I’m hard as stone and nothing can crack my armor EVER! I was raised with boys so...”Talents and/or Powers: K is terrifyingly good with a blade, to the point that she always has at least two on her, though she never has them in the same place.  Not even Rux knows where they are all the time, and his hands eyes are ALWAYS on herWhy Someone Might Love Them: K is a terrifying badass who can and will step on you if you disappoint her. She has a softer side in there somewhere, but you know what? It’s pretty deep. Her Strong and Silent thing is pretty cool though. Why Someone Might Hate Them: K makes it very clear when she doesn’t like you, to the point that she will just ignore you. you don’t even appear on her radar. Good try trying to talk to her though. Oh you wanna spar? No, you don’t. You almost died when she was just holding a blunt staff. Please stop trying.How They Change: K was a really really REALLY scrappy kid going through training. As in, a lot of the other kids bullied her and ganged up on her. So she did the logical thing and got good enough to beat them. Even then it took at least five of them to beat her, then six, then seven. By then the kids started wising up. She never really cared much for rules, but she was smart enough to know better than to get caught, and that’s what mattered. As she got older, she got a bit more open as she got comfortable with her squad (D1-Q Squad: Stix, K, Ty, and Rux) until Ty fell out of the ship way back when and “died”. She was unable to help him due to a fall during the raid that shattered her spine, and felt the guilt like a crushing blow to her lungs. From then on she was cold and felt alone, even with the others around her. Her spine was replaced with a cybernetic prototype that still hurts a ton, and she kind of went quiet on the inside. It didnt’ help when Rux and Stix were reassigned. It only got better when Rux came back, because that started the chain reaction of the others noticing her, Ty coming back to life and kidnapping her, and then her going back ot the Order realizing that maybe she could be happy somewhere else. She also joins Rhell’s Rebellion because you know what. Who wouldn’t?Why You Love Them: I LOVE K BECAUSE K DOESN’T GIVE A SHIT okay. she is badass and she carries her knives around and she will fight you faster than talk to you. But she’s also able to be incredibly soft and loving to her boys. And you know what? They don’t even ask her for it, because that’s how K is. She’s hard as nails and she has her walls up, but she shows her affection in small ways, (pressing her leg against someone else’s, sitting shoulder to shoulder, brushing her hand down someone’s forearm, etc etc) and it’s beautiful. I just. I love K. okay. I love her.