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isadollie · 3 months ago

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hi anne! i wanted to request boyfie x fem!reader headcanons for daichi and kuroo from haikyuu?

btw loved your recent bokuto hubby drabble 🥺 you've really blessed us 🥺 i wanted to include bokuto for the ask but you wrote him so well in that drabble! 🤧 you can still include him in this request if you'd like 👀 might be fun hehe 🤭

thank you! 🤍🤍

boyfriend! daichi, kuroo, bokuto headcanons (separate)

★ hello anon! tysm for requesting<3

★ and omgg, i'm so happy you liked my little bokuto drabble! 🥹🥹 i included him in the headcanons here as well cause it's never too much bokuto am i right or am i right

♡ DAICHI SAWAMURA

★ super protective like omg

★ i feel like he loves to hold hands at all times

★ the sidewalk rule.

★ is veryy serious about your relationship

★ already plans your future together and loves to talk about it

★ always asks for your opinion though

★ "my love, when we get married, do you want to get a cat? a dog? maybe a hamster?"

★ can be a bit too serious sometimes tbh

★ like, when you guys are out with friends, sometimes you have to nugde him and be like "that person was joking btw" cause he just doesn't get itttt

★ that type of man that your family would love

★ might get late to the meeting with your family and then enter with a cute smile and be like "i'm so sorry, i met an elder lady on my way and i had to help her with grocery shopping"

★ he's that type to read every single book you said you liked, and watch all your favorite movies

★ always insists to pay for everything

★ acts of service allll the way

★ will stop in the middle of your walk to kneel down and tie your shoe

★ loves to show you off in front of his teammates

★ ALSO OMG imagine you two go shopping cause you wanted to get some new makeup supplies

★ he'll carry your cart and when you want to see how would a lipstick, eyeshadow or anything else look on skin, he offers you his hand so you can try out all the shades on him hehe

★ and then when you two walk out of the store both of his hands are covered in blush, lipsticks and other stuff but he doesn't care tbh

★ (now i kinda want to write a drabble abt it)

★ (let me know if i should)

♡ KUROO TETSURO

★ would probably do anything you asked of him tbh

★ he's that type of boyfriend to also be your bestie ykwim

★ "they broke up?? no way! give me all the details rn"

★ skincare routine is his favourite activity with you, he's just so glad you got him into that

★ then he goes to practice and talks to his teammates like "don't you guys see how i'm GLOWING??"

★ pretty random but i hc that he can fall asleep literally anywhere and that he loves naps

★ kinda... like a cat...

★ and oh he SNORES

★ loves to tease you sm

★ especially abt your height, let's be honest

★ asks how's the weather down there and thinks he's funny

★ i feel like he really cares about kenma's approval of your relationship

★ introducing u to kenma was more important for him than introducing you to his family atp 💀

★ so stressed abt it too it's honestly funny

★ but kenma said you seem cool so kuroo can already go look for a ring

★ sends you reels of cats cuddling and says "us"

★ loves to carry you and always looks for an excuse to do so

★ would switch his shoes with yours when your legs start to hurt

★ looks good in your heels and i'm telling you, he walks in them better than u do

★ just smirks and says that he can teach you to be better lol

♡ BOKUTO KOTARO

★ lowkey an introvert's nightmare

★ probably took ages to confess tho

★ cause he's just too afraid to mess up, and he doesn't want to ruin your friendship:(

★ asked akaashi to help confess

★ also, asks akaashi with help with ANYTHING

★ like in my head, bokuto doesn't really have any previous relationship experience

★ so he doesn't really know what to do sometimes and you're very important to him so he wants to do everything right

★ therefore he asks akaashi for help. all the time. all. the. time.

★ like let my man akaashi rest 😭

★ asks him what to get you for your birthday, how to apologize after a fight, anything you can think of tbh

★ so clingy, the definition of clingy actually

★ wants to hang out 24/7

★ if you asked him to move in with you on the very same day you two started dating, he'd agree without hesitation

★ also texts you whenever you can't meet up

★ sends the most random shit, especially on tiktok and ig

★ he's that type to, when he plays a match, before he makes a serve, points at you and is like "this one's for you" and then completely misses

★ will talk your ear off

★ says the cutest things when he's sleepy

★ he'll just cuddle up to you and start rambling abt how much he loves you

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driftward · 2 months ago

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Title: FFXIV Write 2024 - 13. Butte Characters: Solita Grey, Thancred Waters Rating: Teen Summary: Naturalists, man. What a pain in the- Notes: Weird Wild West AU - A Desertwalkers story

The Cat's Eye Cabaret was the center of cultured entertainment in Stonewood, attracting would-be stakeholders, investors, up and comers, and all manner of classy individual hoping to make their mark at the beginning of a new era.

Solita had no such lofty goals herself, but there was good coin to be made in catering to the tastes of those who did. And being known as a cultured consultant and companion herself put her in a good position to overhear rumours, gather information, and be at the forefront of certain types of troubles before they became problems. Her sharp wit, keen intelligence, and clever tongue were well known and well sought after.

Tonight was no different. She was idling on the edge of the cabaret, keeping an eye on her current client who seemed intent to ply the barkeep's wares into nonexistence. She was weighing the benefits of interceding against the value of letting them learn a lesson when a man slid out of the shadows and gently hooked his arm around her elbow.

"I am glad I thought to check. I thought your dance card would be full, but it would seem you've a moment. May I?"

"Thancred," she said, with a smile, grateful for the interruption in her musings. "Please and kindly. I am rather afraid my current client is proving a bit of a boor."

Thancred began to lead them towards a table, where they took their seats. "Oh, is she? All the better to nudge her during those negotiations tomorrow, I would think."

Solita rested her head in her hands, looking at Thancred over the elegant candle centerpiece. "I would prefer her sober for such, that I may be more certain my advice might -land- rather than be addled by her impairment. And I had rather hoped for some entertainment this evening, but I believe I shall be left to my own self, and her to her inebriation."

"Our dear lady Grey, has she perhaps judged poorly?"

"I do make mistakes, Thancred," she said, grimacing. "There is no fault in admitting so, and she may very well be one. Just as well. She is a touch handsier than I care for, and slow to be dissuaded from such."

"And those business developments she wishes to forward?"

"Harmless, upon consultation. She would prefer trade with the local Hhetsaro, rather than attempt to establish her own concerns."

"Ah, well, that does make our job easier, doesn't it? Hardly need to get involved."

Solita nodded, retrieving a flute of wine from a passing server.

"And how are matters between you and the school mistress? To hear Ryne tell the tale, you two are getting along rather well."

Thancred rubbed the back of his head. "Ask me later. I was hoping to speak to you more on the subject of troublesome clients. Specifically, where is our naturalist just now? Off on her second survey yet?"

Solita harrumphed, sipping her wine. "Indeed. She is down by the southern buttes, gathering... Weave readings, apparently."

"That's a fairly magically active place," said Thancred. He leaned forward, looking at Solita carefully. "Your sight would have been helpful there, whatever her task. She is still one of your clients, yes?"

"She is," said Solita, primly. "However, she did not ask for anything other than information, so I offered naught more than that."

Thancred looked at her flatly for a moment, then shrugged.

"Might be just as well. I ask because I looked into her, just as you requested."

"And what, pray tell, did you discover?"

"Zoissette Vauban," said Thancred, allowing for an unnecessarily dramatic pause, "does not exist."

Solita's ears went up just a bit, and she set down her wine.

"Well, do not leave me in suspense. Go on."

Thancred settled back into his seat, turning his gaze to the dancers filing onto the cabaret stage, though he was not watching them, not really. "Near as anyone can tell, she arrived from over the ocean - with the cargo. Registered under the Gorgagne Trade Company, which tells us nothing of use, as they provide shipping for a number of concerns. Most notably Kraken Arms, but they also do work for a variety of industrial concerns from out that way."

Solita frowned. "Former sailor escaping their past, mayhaps?"

Thancred shook his head. "The way she carries herself? Unlikely. I believe her to be of the gentry. Which, to be honest, to be a successful naturalist she almost needs to be, or to be sponsored. But my contacts overseas could find no note of anyone with her name in any journals. In fact, outside of her contributions to our own local library, I'm not at all convinced she's published at all."

"That says little," said Solita, idly. "I often do not bother myself to submit mine own findings."

"A terrible oversight I sorely wish you'd stop allowing yourself to indulge in. But nevermind that."

"So, unpublished. You said you thought she was of a high social class, however?"

"Likely. But none of the families over there boast the name Vauban amongst their number... other than a very old, very small family far in Gridania."

"Might this be another Aurelia sort of situation? I recall she also claimed to be a naturalist, only for us to find out her brother Alistair was the actual naturalist, and she was more of a ... venture opportunist."

"I doubt it there is any connection whatsoever. Vauban is an older family which has no eligible children as of now. Just an old patriarch who apparently is more than happy to act as a kindly historian, recounting his ancestor's role from the time of the Autumn War. So, historically significant name... but not currently."

"So a name borrowed, then. Perhaps for ill? Might it be worth looking into seeing if anyone is attempting to gain profit from such deception."

"No profit to be gained. Again, the name is only of historical interest, and the old man, from what my latest message tells me, lives in comfort, but not in great wealth."

"So that leaves us where we started," said Solita, thoughtfully. "A woman with no history and a name that seems at best to only borrowed." She crossed her arms, and sat back.

Thancred turned his attention to her, and watched her carefully.

"You yourself mentioned her first survey was of little interest. Simply doing exactly as she claimed - learning local knowledge, tall tales and facts alike, and verifying the veracity or lack thereof of such." He shrugged. "You might continue to keep an eye on her if you like, but other than her charming habit of stabbing the occasional blundering idiot who fails to heed her warnings when she tries to warn them off, she seems almost endearingly, eccentrically harmless."

"So did that Hemet fool, until he disrupted the Rroneek migration and got gored for his trouble," groused Solita.

"Ah, but I believe we all saw that little misadventure coming. And he was no client of yours, so you have no claim to blame, if that's what you're concerned about."

"You well know I am not. My clients heed my advice or not, and that reflects upon their judgement, not mine."

"Still affects your reputation."

"My reputation for honesty exceeds all."

"And for bluntness."

She glared at him, her ears going back just a little. "Is this conversation to be a criticism of how I handle my affairs, then?"

Thancred held his hands up slowly with a grin. "No, no. Just making conversation. I'd like to go to bed with my tatters unsinged, if it's all the same to you."

Solita shifted her weight and took a sip of her wine, her eyes narrow and ears back, but only for a few moments longer before she settled, apparently deciding to let the matter go.

"Well, I thank you for looking into the matter," she said.

"My pleasure."

The two watched the activity of the Cat's Eye, a companionable silence between them as the cabaret continued about its business.

"Well, I suppose I am obligated to child sit for a while longer, then," Solita said at last, beginning to stand.

"Are you referring to your current client, who I believe I see currently trying to balance the floor, or our eccentric enigmatic errant errand woman?"

Solita rolled her eyes at his wordplay. "Good night, Thancred."

"Have fun," he said cheerfully as she wandered off. He watched as Solita approached the well-to-do debutante, and began to try to steer her away from the bartender. Even at this distance, he could see the annoyance in her expression and in her bearing, ears back and tail thrashing something terrible.

In the meanwhile, he considered the naturalist once more. It had been some time since one of her clients had taken up so much of her attention.

He took her abandoned wine and thoughtfully took a sip. Perhaps he should head out to the southern buttes, and take the measure of this naturalist himself.

#ffxivwrite2024 #final fantasy xiv #solita grey #thancred waters #butte #202409-13 #biot writes #driftward

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luchicm04 · 3 months ago

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lost in the forest - part 39

Masterlist

Summary: The cat is out of the bag.

Pairing: Senju Tobirama/Original Female Character

Tag: #lost in the forest fic

posted on ao3

Word Count: 3.7k

Overall warnings: canon-typical violence, adult content, time skips, angst

A spectacular view is what greets her during that cool night in the middle of a large garden that gives her false tranquility and a deceptive view; sipping part of her hot drink sitting in a perfect seiza under the nearest tree is the only thing that calms her, away from the sight of the maids.

Karen has been forced to complain at this point under the Daimyo’s agreement, apparently to keep up the appearance of his true objective after her excuse of presenting various shinobi topics of a possible village that he did not know Hashirama was thinking about and that according to the formal addition of the Nara clan and the two extra allies, firm foundations could be laid for a ninja community.

Scandalous according to the rest of the nobles who see this as stupid while others see the usefulness of being able to hire better shinobi with so few processes. The Hyūga will show up the next day due to the initiative of this supposed village... at least it will give her more chances to get their attention again and deal with what Izuna told them.

“You know you should not be in the middle of the garden at night.” Tobirama doesn’t scare her. The girl has gotten used to him coming and going as he pleases in these two days, although she knows he’s not the real one. He looks naturally similar... a doubt that she always carries since she learned about shadow clones.

The benefits it would bring to her workload if she could do three more... Why don’t they use it to make the paperwork more enjoyable?, she questions mentally, blinking at the man. “I didn’t want to be inside,” the woman states, coming out of her daydream to answer her future husband just for the pleasure of it.

Plus, he gives her a ‘don’t get too sidetracked’, typical of a paranoic shinobi.

“Mmm... Are they bothering you again?” He is serious in his point. The bitter shinobi is aware of the problems that the faithful assistants of the Daimyo’s main wife have caused because of the spreading rumors about her as the possible lover of the infamous man.

Something that has not been clarified and is in Shinji’s interest; the wretched leader gives her more attention so that they focus on the fact that she is a ‘lover’ than on the facade of his true plan in the shadows.

“Not much. They’ve distanced themselves since Shinji-sama called them out,” she shrugs, unaware that she has had to change maids too many times in these two days to remember them, and that they all happen to be sent by that lady.

Karen assumes it’s a plot that, if it weren’t for the Daimyo’s protection, it would be difficult to deal with... Living among women is very hard.

“I am glad to hear that. Just tell me if something happens...”

“I’ll tell you,” the woman rolls her eyes at her fiancé’s exaggeration. “By the way... will you be done soon?” She changes her last words subtly to English at the thought of being overheard by any of the people around. She doesn’t have guards as such, but there are helpers and the garden, although huge, could have listeners.

Karen had never felt so unsafe... and she hadn’t even lived in a safe country per se.

Ironic.

“I do not know,” the man admits, sticking with the foreign language causally.

The woman frowns at this comment. “You don’t know, or you don’t want to tell me?”

“...” Tobirama stands like a statue at her side.

“...It’d be good if you consider sharing stuff with me once in a while, you know? It’s annoying to be oblivious to everything that happens with my escorts.” Irritated, she takes a sip of her drink without losing the rhythm and elegance forced in her bones; her native language flows naturally and quite casually.

He just snorts without showing anything on his face, but she can almost see the glint in his eyes that she ignores. “It is a shinobi matter. I do not think it is of your interest.”

“You are my companions... sometimes I feel alone about that, though,” she growls unwillingly remembering how much it frustrates her that they don’t confide in her. “I’m not asking for secrets... just something, like... it's going well, we’re almost done, or it’ll take a little longer.”

The albino looks at her. “It has taken a while...”

“Do you think you’ll be back tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Uh... did it get complicated?”

“A bit,” the shinobi comments critically and reluctantly.

She shrugs, less annoyed by such a brief summary of his daily life. “Okay.”

“Are you worried?”

“Of course. You are my comrades.”

The albino doesn’t say anything else. “If the clone explodes... that will mean something is happening,” the man simply admits.

“Explode?” Karen blinks hard imagining the worst-case scenario. She stays quiet to sigh, leaving her with the doubt in her mind.

“Hashirama has sent a report,” he comments returning to the local language, changing the subject without answering her. He could have at least given her some clues as to what exactly he means by explode, she thought to herself; she supposes it’s not the same for someone who hasn’t seen action movies.

The girl sighs and sips her tea, remaining spontaneous at the mention of the clan leader. “Did he?”

“The Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka have begun to settle down.”

“So soon?!” She frowns at the urgency of this. Only yesterday she was informed of the confirmation of said clans’ move and the blatant use of the possible village in the meeting with the nobles in front of the Daimyo. A hot topic she has been weighing since she read this in a letter the day before.

“We are shinobis,” the man reminded with no kindness as if it were the most obvious answer.

“Uh... I know, but it seems too soon considering how long it took the Uchiha and Senju to do so.”

“They left that same day to see the area,” Tobirama recalls at that casual point in the story before settling into the new land.

The construction and every problem they went through for the adaptation; even now, it is something difficult to overcome.

“Besides, the Nara clan is a natural strategist. They see the usefulness of moving as soon as possible,” the albino continues his explanation lightly.

“Yes, Hashirama told me when we saw the contract.”

“Hm.”

“Well... I suppose when we get back, we’ll see progress.” She feels excited about some kind of change around her and meeting new people who, although shinobi, she is curious to contact. Plus, the dealings with the leaders of those clans were mostly carried out by Hashirama himself.

She has never seen them face to face.

As if guessing her emotion, Tobirama adds with no casualness in his tone, “They are shinobi. You do not have to trust them easily.”

“I know they are shinobi, just... the more people around, the more different perspectives there are,” the woman admits with an audible pout. “What are they like?” She’d rather ask now before being surprised by things that are so normal for them, like when she first saw Madara’s red eyes or Hashirama’s wood.

Even the red eyes and white hair of her fiancé were once to be feared, in those days of dark adaptation... when she was somewhat foolish.

“...” Tobirama blinks hard.

“Come on... do they have blue hair? ...Or striking purple?” She remembers the colorful hues of some characters that her sister was a fan of, about that story whose name she doesn’t remember well. Knights of the... something. The man rolls his eyes.

“Not here,” he states not being subtle, just when one of the maids has the courage to interrupt their conversation. She looks pale, a little distraught; although she had noticed before the line between shinobi and civilians, it is so noticeable now how terrified they are of Tobirama.

She sighs and casually stands up, being helped by the shinobi who shoots out his hand to support her up. “Thank you,” she calmly accepts, watching the girl fidget on her spot. “Do you need something, Shumire-san?” she asks, recalling the name of said helper. Or is it Tanako?

“I-I am Akane, ma’am?” the maid corrects bowing her head mannerly, not avoiding glacing at her fiancé who snorts to give an ‘I’ll be around’ gesture that Karen doesn’t question. Both he and Izuna remain hidden, taking advantage of their fame to not socialize or deal with simple civilians.

“Oh, pardon my mistake,” the woman says belatedly, taking a step forward and ignoring the girl¡s tension and her squeal of surprise at her friend’s disappearance. It’s been a while since she saw that reaction, although she doesn’t remember very well if she got just as scared.

Those days were hollow, so she just tries to forget... she has no desire to deal with this shock.

Because she hasn’t dealt with this many civilians before... not for a long time.

──

The meeting of the nobles is early; they gather at 9 sharp in a fairly large room at the end of the hall where she is staying. Karen walks with her head held high despite the evil looks of various high-born men who whisper, not at all pleased, giving her dramatic and lustful glances that she tries to ignore.

No one makes physical contact, nor has anyone attempted to approach her since the Daimyo casually mentioned her engagement to the infamous white assassin, a respectable whinobi whose fame, although bloody, caused her to be taken seriously.

It’s not like he asked Tobirama to kill whoever bothered her... However, Shinji was casual in subtly stating that he would do it, including his sufficiently irritated wife.

A threat as firm as his position within the council, despite the coup that is surely brewing under the shadow of some hypocritical ally. Still, Karen sits right next to the imposing man who smiles softly at her with a “good morning”.

“Good morning.” The only woman in the meeting responds to the Daimyo and then looks at the rest of the chamber, who twist their mouths at her normal greeting. “Where I come from, it is polite to greet back,” she says with disappointment without paying attention to the bitterness of the other men, of which very few speak back.

They are surely the ones who have a better perception of her... other than the simple whore who rose by means of her body.

Scandal.

“Do not worry, they have manners... they are just not in the mood today,” Shinji mocks with a solid look at the others, who tense up at the not-so-firm threat of a leader capable of executing if he deems it prudent.

The girl has heard it from the few assistants who come close; how infamous he can be even though he has only shown her a diplomatic and mischievous side, but she has learned these days that not for nothing he is the leader of this country.

“I imagine,” Karen agrees to look at the scrolls on her desk, thus beginning the easy meeting between political, economic, diplomatic and social issues that she easily maneuvers through with the little she has learned, standing out as always for her way of handling the topic that is only managed by men.

A foolishness of Shinji... to keep the cover of his goal of keeping her with him.

And not to unravel what is hidden under their noses...

──

Toshiba is the second cousin of the current leader. A shy boy who gives her blushing glances when he tries to approach her about complicated matters they addressed at the meeting. Shinji gives him a careful gesture... she sees that in his eyes he always reflects confidence from some story they both share from the past.

Very few receive that type of look from him, even though he works alongside one of his half-brothers, one who survived a purge years ago, just when he was promoted to Daimyo; a family/political drama that she knows about briefly, without detail since she is a foreigner.

“I-I...” the boy tries with slight hesitation just as he stops her at the exit with several scrolls in hand and a series of exaggerated motions that a child of his age should not have, much less in the nest of vipers that is this place.

“You can speak naturally,” the civilian doesn’t scold him but comments while standing up to her full height despite the difference in centimeters.

He blinks for a few seconds in amusement, putting aside his shy appearance a little, which makes her arch her eyebrow at this brief shadow that he shows. “W-well, I wanted to know about the financial topic you mentioned... Does it have to do with the economy?”

“It does,” the woman accepts. Ehen the subject was introduced in the meeting, some were fascinated because of the ease with which she explained it and presented the benefits within the process that is carried out among civilians. Others dismissed it when they saw the example in the shinobi village... Something that she is sure she can share, and it is not off-limits.

Just like diplomacy and shinobi stuff, finance is naturally exposed when there’s an economy, so there’s no secret to it.

“So... if finances are managed by farmers, merchants and the soldiers themselves... can stability be achieved?”

“Of course. As long as there is no external issue that harms it,” Karen states with ease, keeping her hands hidden under the large sleeves of her elegant yukata, one that she brought by chance that was mysteriously supplied to her.

She is sure Tobirama is aware of the deficiency of her clothing, something he has begun to realize in light of her own role as a cover... The man is remarkably efficient.

A positive thing for the woman who smiles at the look of the person who questions her. “You know, Toshiba-san, you do not have to doubt too much and ask ahead. I am just a servant of this advice,” she clarifies before her position which, although subtle, stays intact.

“I-I... Well, I know you possess a lot of knowledge. I would like to debate some terms.” The man stands firm, his eyes showing a rare flame that is reflected in his docile appearance.

“I do not think so, Toshiba-kun.” Shinji squeezes his shoulder at the highly motivated younger relative. “Her fiancé is very jealous of having his wife with a man... in her room.”

“I did not say in her room!” The blushing cousin raises his hands, throwing away part of the scrolls due to such a mischievous comment from said leader. She understands that there is an etiquette that she must maintain as a noble lady, so she bows.

“I apologize, but I do not think it is possible to meet with you, Toshiba-san. And, Shinji-sama, do not bother your relative with threats of that kind,” the woman sighs elegantly, arching her eyebrow at the leader who approached from where he was arguing with some guards regarding security.

A flourishing topic due to the raids that are beginning to take place.

“Oh, not at all... I just do not want my adorable cousin to end up missing,” the Daimyo shrugs. “Because I will not get you involved if Tobirama-san defends your virtue.”

Karen wants to hit herself in the face for such a shameless comment. It is obvious that he lost her decency a few days ago when he started talking freely, but it is her fault for giving him that confidence in exchange for his favor towards the possible shinobi village, causing a laugh to come out of the amused leader.

She doesn’t want to get too involved, so she bows to say goodbye at the initiative of doubts on the part of her benefactor’s relative. She sighs... unaware that she has caught the attention of those shadows and whose leader was closer than she expected... noticing from afar how the eyes of Shinji’s half-brother were looking at her.

Coincidence? She doesn’t know... It’s better to remain oblivious and innocent of knowing that something is going on under the darkness of this brilliant country.

Karen thinks positive.

──

Her heart was in an uproar just as she had been talking casually to Tobirama that night and he had dramatically exploded into a smoke bomb that made her cough loudly with terror in her eyes from remembering her fiancé’s words.

‘If the clone explodes... that will mean something is happening.’

Which makes her get up just in time to look around at that door that opens onto the beautiful view of the garden. She feels attentive; her heart is still racing even though minutes have passed since her partner’s clone disappeared. She has a lump in her chest at the sight of nothing happening.

Nevertheless, she has a presentiment... just as the door is opened.

“Akane-san?” she questions when she sees a woman speeding through the door. Her clothes are somewhat disheveled and her frightened eyes search for her. “What’s going-” She doesn’t finish asking when a warm blood stain crosses her face.

She stays in shock, standing in the middle of the room, wiping her face of the crimson color of the young girl who falls headlong like a sack of potatoes. “Well... I am glad to see you here,” someone calls just as they come out from behind the back of the body of the girl who she had previously seen alive.

“Toshiba?” There are no suffixes. Karen looks still without completely thinking about what she has just witnessed... She saw someone die for the first time! And the knot in her stomach falls so hard that it makes her blink more times to recover. It is so different from what happened in the Senju compound when they tried to invade them.

“Ho... I see you remember my name.” Infamous and without any signs of his typical kindness, the boy takes her chin with a half-smile. When did it come to this? Why is she surrounded by samurai and shinobi? Where did they come from?

She has so many questions... but they are all stuck in the shock that remains unwashed... She saw someone die! Her mind is in chaos.

“I think now... you are the shy one,” the Daimyo’s cousin mocks quicky, caressing her cheek without subtlety. “Tell me... do you prefer your life to your position?”

“What do you mean?” Karen comes out of her stupor, hitting the hand of the one who shamelessly mocks her despite being pointed at with a kunai. Her gaze is fixed, angry... pissed off! “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!”

“Wow... now, you are the woman who surprised me. Answer me this... Is it true that if I kill you, that shinobi will come?” The Daimyo’s relative laughs. “It has been problematic dealing with them...” He looks at his nails, giving the silent order to arrest her.

The girl feels the samurai at her side tighten his grip on her waist as the kunai is replaced by a katana that pierces her neck just inches away from cutting it. She gulps, sweating coldly; she is now sure they are not planning on selling her...

Karen doesn’t say anything. Toshiba just cackles.

“I suppose your stupidity is because of the idea that you will be saved... but, you know, you should not trust the shinobi. They are treacherous and sell themselves for the higher bidder,” the insolent man points out to those around him. Ninja who show nothing on their faces with various clothes and appearances that seem exotic.

Although she is sure they are not Uchiha, Uzumaki or Senju.

“What do you think?” He has the nerve to run his index finger across her cheek again and end up on her cleavage. “Will he come?” he chuckles just to look beyond her clothes where her chest rests unsettled. “It is a shame that you have already been defiled by one, but I will not get bored if I have fun with you... right?”

If it weren’t for the fact that the atmosphere became tense in seconds with an essence and the thunder of the ground for a few seconds, it would be another story. However, she takes advantage of the carelessness to do something crazy with the little training she might have had. Karen feels a cut on her neck... the scream of Toshiba from behind ordering her to be caught.

But the followers don't catch her... Something stops them just as the building that had previously housed her explodes behind her, falling directly into something warm... She gets scared, tries to flee but the stranger takes her by the arms with a firm gesture. “Calm down,” he orders with a hoarse voice that she didn’t think she would feel so much relief upon hearing.

The girl opens her eyes and stops kicking to see those red eyes that, although tired and beaten, give her the best flat gesture that makes her almost cry. She hugs him... she doesn’t avoid doing it when she thought the worst as it happened in a short time. “There is no time for this.” As always, breaking the moment, the man sighs to take her and jump away of what would be several kunai.

“Hey asshole! I know you’re relieved to see her, but it would be nice if you could help me!” Izuna shouts from somewhere in the beautiful courtyard just to feel the pull in the air. There’s wind... She tries not to scream because of the speed with which they move in complicated movements that would be difficult to describe as she can’t see but imagines by the many unexpected turns.

She wants to throw up.

“Karen... close your eyes and bear with it,” Tobirama orders to cling to her form. She doesn’t complain about his tone, much less the way he grabs her, because she knows it’s not the best time to ask stupid questions... The woman swallows hard.

“Y-yes,” she encourages herself to say to do what was indicated seconds apart since this is not the best experience, and no roller coaster compares to this.

For a civilian... being in the middle of a battle is not the most essential thing, nor the historical value of witnessing a coup d’état of this magnitude.

A/N: As you can see, this has already exploded; a very difficult thing to guess when they believed the real ringleader was someone else. At least Tobirama arrived in time given how annoying his fiancée is by calling the attention of the leader of the coup... Ironic, since she is a simple civilian, but her political courage and good head are notable.

Izuna, on the other hand, will have plenty of material to blackmail the infamous white assassin... something he will not waste judging by the desperate way he never thought he would see his former rival. Especially when they noticed that the coup d’état had exploded right in the Daimyo’s main building.

But what happened? Where is the Daimyo? Will they win? I don’t know... we’ll see in the next chapter.

Thank you for your likes and comments.

Author-chan out!

#lost in the forest fic #warring states period #angst #senju tobirama #tobirama x reader #tobirama x oc #ocs #hashirama senju #naruto #naruto shippuden #naruto fanfiction #uchiha madara #uchiha izuna #mito uzumaki #luchipuchi's writing

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maxiwaxipads · 6 months ago

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everything is going to be alright, kurode!

Myunna - “Kurode…? Hey! Myunna is speaking to you… Are you listening…?” “—Kurode!” Kurode - “!?…” “Oh! Uhm—I wasn’t paying attention…” “My mistake—what were we doing again?” Myunna - “Myunna didn’t mean to shout… But, is everything okay?” “The last time you spaced out… Myunna had to push with all his might because a carriage almost ran you over… (And that was today.)” “Is something on your mind? It doesn’t seem like a fever.” Kurode - “It’s fine, Myunna.” “A bad habit. That’s all there is…” Myunna - “Myunna can tell... When you’re lying. If you’re feeling bad, you can just say it and I would understand.” “And if you don’t feel like talking about it—Myunna says that’s also fine. I want to make you feel heard—so don’t bottle it in, Kurode.” Kurode - “Myunna…” Myunna - “Would you like to talk about it?” “Y—You don’t have to, if that’s what you want.” Kurode - “Home…” “I’ve been thinking about it a lot.” “I haven’t contacted my family in weeks.” “After a long while of being gone… Wouldn’t they contact me? Wouldn’t there be someone who recognizes me from a missing persons’ poster?” “…I—I just want them to ask about me. And I can say I’m doing okay. Just fine! But… Nothing at all. Not even after I became a squire.” “If the Red Continent are proud people of virtue—am I just a nobody in their eyes? A betrayer who left for another country?” “…What am I anyway? Talking… Doing this? Why am I here in the first place?” “Couldn’t Lady Kuromi have picked someone more impressive—stronger and more confident than someone like I am?” Kurode - “I just…” “Don’t seem to understand anything. Who wants a knight who knows nothing? Not even themselves.” Myunna - “Myunna… Isn’t very good when it comes to consolation—And I never met your family, so I don’t really know what to say.” “But Kurode, you’re someone who helped Myunna against that SEED, didn’t you?” “You’re brave and didn’t hesitate to help me.” Kurode - “…I’m sure any knight could do that.” “It was just one SEED anyway.” Myunna - “And would you say that to Myunna?” “Wasn’t Myunna in trouble and needed your help?” Kurode - “I… No, I wouldn’t. You’re someone who’s talking to someone like me and encouraged me into this position.” Myunna - “And if you wouldn’t say that to Myunna, you shouldn’t say that to yourself either!” “Kurode… You’re someone I think very highly of, even if it was only recently that we met.” “It isn’t your strength, even if that helped us against that SEED—but the person you are.” “Myunna admires you a lot because you’re a good person in my eyes!” “Uhm… Myunna doesn't know if that got away your worries!” “But please, talk to Myunna like this if you’re ever feeling down.” Kurode - “…It made me a little better.” Myunna - “I’m glad!” “Myunna hopes for peace and ease of mind.” Myunna - “Oh!—Let’s do something together, the two of us!” “You haven’t fully seen Kuromi Kingdom, and neither has Myunna!” “That is… If you’d like to?” Kurode - “That sounds like a great idea.”

Extra #1

Myunna - “Before I go… Myunna has something to give you.” Kurode - “A neckless?” Myunna - “Not any neckless—a vial of Wheat Tears.” “It has healing properties and even able to purify SEEDs, but—they’re symbols of rejuvenation and rebirth.” Myunna - “Myunna… Sincerely wishes the best for you.” Kurode - “Are you really sure about giving this to me?” Myunna - “I have one of my own!—Giving this to you would be nothing at all.”

“Wheat Tears” are a rare commodity with healing properties and can purify SEEDs. For a SEED, it is like holy water or water to a cat. Apparently, Cogimyun’s tears are capable of giving life.

Extra #2

Cielomort - “Merold.” Merold - “?” Cielomort - “You aren’t going to get anything out of me by acting like that.” Merold - “You’re the only one who impresses me.” “So why not we fight, Cielomort?” Cielomort - “I have better things to do.” Merold - “And it’s not me?” Cielomort - “Don’t let ego cloud you, Merold.” “All this is to say I have matters I need to attend to. It isn’t the time.” Merold - “So later?” Cielomort - “…”

Extra #3

Romarriche - “For the strongest knight in the world—your handwriting is certainly adorable.” Merold - “C’mon Romarriche, even I can’t read it.” “But is it good?” “I need to congratulate Kurode on his squireship.” “Pronto!” Romarriche - “Keep practicing, Merold.” “If you can wield a sword, I’m certain you can wield a pen.” Romarriche - “Here. Let me demonstrate you aga—” Merold & Romarriche - “…” “It broke.” Romarriche - “…Maybe. We both need lessons on calligraphy.” Merold - “Control yourself, Romarriche—you just need to stop exerting your strength.” Romarriche - “For a knight… How do you have such bad handwriting anyway?” Merold - “Let other people write by hand—typing is more efficient and faster.” Romarriche - “Merold…” flicks Merold’s forehead, “That type of behavior will lead you to neglect essential training.” Merold - “Owie…” “Look at you, I-Tore-a-Street-Lamp-to-Beat-a-SEED-Senseless…” Romarriche - “T—That was a one-time thing!”

Kurode who reads the letter from Merold, "Am...Am I being warned?"

#fragaria memories #fragmem #kurode #myunna #i like these characters too much #send help #im even writing fragaria memories but arknights operators??#and im shit at arknights #ive committed many sins playing arknights #kurode if he disagrees to talk about it #myunna - “then let me try to make this moment enjoyable for--even for a moment!” C:#kurode - “thank you for making me feel a bit better...” “it was fun.”#do you think merold is someone who picks fights for fun?#thats how i saw his character anyway? but i dont think he'd be rash enough to always risk for a fight

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thelibratrix · 2 years ago

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Hey, my piggos are getting more attention than anything I've ever done on here, so I thought I'd give you all A Story about my sweet babies, the Gotham Pigs!

Why guinea pigs? I am very allergic to cats, and my husband doesn't like dogs. I had a parrot for five years who I lost very suddenly to an unexpected medical issue; my husband and the parrot never got along. He had rats for a while, which were the sweetest, but when 2-3 years was just too short of a lifespan for me to think about after mourning my bird who was supposed to be a pet for a lifetime.

So: piggens.

These sweethearts are Harley (left) and Ivy (right, with legge). We adopted them in June 2016, after they had been born into a foster home the previous November.

I called them my Halloween pigs. Harley's name was inspired by her checkerboard face, and also established our naming pattern

Ivy was our boss, we theorized she was the older sister based on how she was clearly in charge of that house. She was a beggar and a weirdo, she had chronic UTIs and was just smart enough not to get her head stuck in stuff (something Harley did not share with her).

We lost Ivy at 5.5 years old, suddenly to a tumor on her uterus. Harley started showing signs of mopiness and depression almost immediately - she and Ivy had been a bonded pair, together for her whole life. So, we looked around and found someone to keep Harley company.

Enter: Selena, a one year old who'd been surrendered pregnant, had her litter, and was also in the market for a new friend (both her pups were boys).

Selena was much more aggressively FRIENDS??? than Harley was used to, and bonding them took some time. But we got there in the end.

Harley passed away in January this year, she was 7 and venerable and a sweet old lady and I still miss her very much.

Selena is a very social creature and we knew we wouldn't be able to leave her alone for long. The DM I sent the foster home: "Hi, I have a three year old guinea pig who just lost her cagemate. She's very social and also a jerk. Can you help?"

They could indeed. Meet: Talia.

We are still introducing them, but it's going well.

More pics to come.

Thank you for sharing my sweet beans! I love them, I think they're pretty cute, and I'm glad you do, too.

#long post #cavyblr #the gotham pigs #talia #selena #guinea pig #guinea pigs #your honor i love them #my light my life my beautiful chonk

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lildoodlenoodle · 1 year ago

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Spider Freak Behavior Headcanons

Ok so we all know some of my headcanons and thoughts on making the spider people more spidery. So here’s some more, ignoring the obvious ones like eight legs and eyes and spinning webs. While not all of these, or even any of these, will fit all spider people it’s still fun cause you could def apply these to the more freaky spiders, like Miguel O’Hara, Jessica Drew, 6 armed spidey, spider noir, Kaine Parker, *sigh* SpiderHam, etc. If you’re curious as to why I singled out these guys check out here!

So what do I mean by spidery behavior? So glad you asked!

Instinctually/psychologically: Feeling the need to wrap up villains like a spider does with bugs in its web(feeling the need to liquify and drink their insides(these motherfuckers love smoothies)). Loving shiny objects(noir with the rubic cube lol). Spiders do little mating dances and ITS SO CUTE! Spider people should get to do little wiggles to express different emotions! Some spiders also make little chirping sounds to talk to each other or when hunting, so I think spider people should be able to do that. And be able to purr!(more like a cat not just like a spider, cause it’s more versatile and spider people are largely still mammals) Yes that means they like to cuddle. But on the darker side we get aggressiveness and solitude. Like some spiders actively hate any member of their own species, and get territorial. But some do live in colonies(cough cough spider society). I also think many spider people make little web hammocks or little web nests as a comfort/safety thing.

Physiologically: AMAB spiders being smaller than AFAB spiders. Most female spiders are much larger than their male counterparts, so big buff spider ladies! Sensitive eyesight(Miguel looking at your emo ass) with proficiency in green and ultraviolet lights. So they might need to wear sunglasses. This would also go with a vibration sensitivity, like feeling a fly caught in your web. Some spiders are really hairy, like tarantulas! So it stands to reason some spider people might have a lot of body hair or even dense hair that forms spikes(miguel) and can fling those spikes like tarantulas do. Looking more internally, spiders have blue blood due to oxygen attaching to copper instead of iron like it does in humans! So you could totally have spider people with blue/purple/darker colored blood! Spiders don’t have bones either. They got a hard exoskeleton, but you break that and they just kinda squish. So you could definitely change spider peoples’ bone density and what the bones are made out of. Cartilage would be an interesting one. Or you could go straight for chitin, which is also similar to what fingernails and hair is made out of, and is what some exoskeletons are made out of. Spiders also don’t have eyelids, so that could be fun to play around with. Most of you already know, spiders can’t thermoregulate, but they can hibernate, which is definitely something you could explore and have fun with with angst. Oh! And some female spiders can make pheromones to ‘control’ males.(Jessica) I am also always a sucker for mouth body horror, so split jaws and oral pedipalps are very lovely to me!

Let me know if I missed anything else! Also you should add your own freaky spider things to the post, I love seeing fresh ideas on these sorts of things. But ultimately, feel free to cherry pick through this if you want to use any of these, not all of this will work or make sense for every spider!

Alright, I do have more underneath the cut, but it is officially a minors DNI area. We are getting into some frisky stuff below the cut!

Once again, a lot of this will vary based on the spider and spider person you’re talking about so feel free to squint your way through things and cherry pick if you want to use any of this.

With most spiders the males are smaller and submissive compared to the females. So afab spider people are more likely to be dominant in bed whereas amab spider people are more likely to be submissive. Some spiders even eat their mates after sex, so maybe some afab spider people get a little hungry after sex and enjoy biting their partners. If you wanna get freaky, have one actually try to eat someone.(hey Alexa, play Maneater)Whereas amab spider people might have some sex anxiety due to an instinct of getting eaten after sex. On the flip side maybe they like to get bitten? Some male spiders rlly want to be eaten actually, which could translate to masochism, but I could very much see that turning into anxiety and an impending sense of doom after sex. So like aftercare is probably very important(?). Either way biting would be involved. Some male spiders will even do little dances or give their female partners back rubs before sex(which is so cute and silly), so do with that information what you will. We are ignoring male penis detachment cause that is a lot even for me. But with that said, male spiders, in my opinion and if you know anything about how certain spiders have sex, should be really good at oral. To help this theory, Peter Parker 616 is not only canonically freaky but also fantastic at oral. Another one, purring. Some spiders purr during and before sex to attract a mate(it’s different than cat purring) but because spider people are largerly mammals I think they still purr when content(like a cat) and during sex but it’s two different types of purrs. Finally, back to the pheromones, those are mostly used by female spiders for sexual purposes on males, which could be translated over to spider people in a couple of different ways. But either way you go, feel free to interpret all the spidery behaviors however you see fit!

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elliepassmore · 1 year ago

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Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: cozy fantasy, fairies, light academia, epistolary narrative Big thanks to Netgalley, Del Rey, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries review I'm so so happy I got approved for this! I absolutely loved Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia and am very thrilled that I got to read more about her, Shadow, and Wendell's adventures so soon after reading the first book (now if only I can get that luck with the Divine Rivals sequel). This book opens in September of the same year the last one ended in. Emily and Wendell have been back at Cambridge for some time now and Emily, now tenured, is working on research to locate Wendell's door. Emily does seem to have some new social skills, though these seem largely to be remnants of what she learned in Ljosland more than anything and she is still overall the same grumpy, focused professor that we loved from the first book. The stakes in this book are a little higher, with Wendell's stepmother upping the ante, which results in more than one dangerous encounter (along with all the other, normal dangerous encounters). Admittedly I did like the more laidback pace of the first book more, but I was also interested in seeing how things would play out with Wendell's door and his stepmother, so I was glad to see that come into play in this book. It also means we get to see a bit more of Fairy, albeit a different realm/kingdom than the frosty one we saw in book 1. Emily is, as mentioned the same as usual, if not a smidge less reticent when it comes to socializing. She remains focused on her work and has an avid interest in cataloguing everything they come across on their adventure. I appreciated her methodical thinking paired with the instincts she's gained over years working with/among fairies. I also liked that her caring side was shown a bit more in this book. She's worried and cares for Wendell on numerous occasions, which brings out that softer side of her, but there are also moments when she worries for her niece, Ariadne, who is a member of this expedition. Wendell is also the same: strikingly glib and woefully uninterested in hardships/labor (and ridiculously in love with Emily). I enjoyed the humor he brought to the book and the fact that even with everything else going on he was still fussy about their accommodations. We get to see more of Wendell's magic in this one, and it was interesting to learn more about what he can do. Ariadne, Emily's niece, is a new addition to the team. At 19, she's an undergrad in the dryadology department and somewhat idolizes her aunt. She's eager to learn and has a fierce stubborn streak that helps her get her way on more than one occasion. Ariadne is quick on her feet and also makes friends easily, which also helps the group out on more than one occasion. Personality-wise, she provides a nice counterweight to Emily and adds a bubblier aspect to the story. Another new member of the team is Rose, the dryadology department chair and someone who is not on good terms with Emily and Wendell for the first part of the book. Rose is an old-school professor and is resistant both to new methodologies as well as to Emily's trust in certain fairie elements. He kind of bulldozes his way onto the expedition and I wasn't a huge fan of him at first, but the longer the trip goes on, the more tolerable he becomes, and he and Emily reach a sort of understanding and actually end up being buddies by the end. Shadow returns in this book as the loving and spoiled dog we know him as. There were some mentions of his advanced age in this book, which I don't remember being a thing in the first one (though perhaps I forgot), but I was glad to see the pup again. Poe also comes back and I was glad to see him. Things seem to be going well for him and his lady, and I was glad to see the little guy. Wendell's cat, Orga, also makes an appearance and I already like her. She's aloof and fierce and more than willing to claw people up if they aren't doing what she wants. We don't get to see much of her, but I'm looking forward to more appearances. We also meet a fuchszwerge, a new kind of fairie, that Emily names Snowbell. He's a vicious thing but has the excitement of a kid, and I did like the interactions with him. Overall, I enjoyed this continuation of Emily's story and the new characters and settings it brought. The end of the book said the adventure would continue in "Book 2," which I'm assuming is a typo for "Book 3," so I look forward to whatever comes next for this little group!

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crazy-ache · 3 months ago

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Hello yes this is your anon from before with the Cat!Elain first thoughts shenanigans I’ve just finished your first chapter & LOVED it!! Especially how you got that vibe of how it's difficult for Elain to match up her intentions (movements and talking specifically) with her new form. The sensation of whiskers and of her tiny heart when she's running really stood out<3

If you are still interested I've been daydreaming about it and my current thoughts are on Lucien being oblivious, and I don't know if you've already mapped that out, so feel free to ignore my brain cells clacking together:

Eventually someone (Rhys, Feyre, Tamlin, etc.) will probably ask if Lucien has noticed anything… odd, with his magical golden eye™ and I’d imagine he sees or senses magic around Little Lady, but he thinks Lady is magical in the way that Eris’ smoke hounds are, like it's just a natural thing for some Prythian animals except he thinks Little Lady’s magic pertains to sunbeams because whenever she falls asleep in a sunbeam the light seems to linger on her a little bit longer than it really should. (In this idea Lucien is unaware that it is actually his own underlying Day court powers causing this event to occur) (Or potentially there is no lingering light and he just thinks her napping in a sunbeam is magical) and what do you mean there’s no such thing as sunbeam cats, look at the way her eyes sparkle! Maybe she's a Day court cat. If Eris can have smoke hounds, I can have a sun cat and anyway what else could be causing all those magical threads around her all the time Tamlin stop laughing you're making her angry-

Again please ignore if these are not the vibes you want! Very excited to see where you go, you've laid a super fun foundation!

Is Lucien going to get her a litter box?

Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! <3 Of course you are always welcome to my ask box and send me your thoughts! Cat!Elain also takes up much of my day dreaming lately so I totally get it. I’m already incorporating some of the thoughts people have been sending or commenting!

That first chapter I really needed to just lay down some plotty plot groundwork. I’ve got the entire “plot” very vaguely mapped out, perhaps around 8-10 chapters total. I originally was imagining shorter chapters but unfortunately I just finished chapter 2 and it’s much longer than I originally anticipated hahaha. But believe it or not I am incorporating some real plot lines in here (or trying to at least).

Lucien is going to be so oblivious it’s painful so I’m right there with you.

Ah, Little Lady’s magic. That does give me something to consider and think about! In Chapter 2 you’re going to see a bit more on Lucien being like what the fuck did that cat just understand me? And those shenanigans will only continue. 😉

You’re keeping me motivated anon!!

#cat!elain #felaine #ask box #im hoping i can update this possibly tomorrow #after i edit

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circusgoth-dotcom · 1 year ago

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A Man And His Woes

Ship: Gabriel Conifer x Professor Henry Higgins

Word Count: 912

Summary: An introduction to Gabriel and Higgins' dynamic, in which the two discuss Higgins plans for Eliza Doolittle, a young woman of low income whom he wishes to pass off as someone of higher status just because he believes he can. CWs for classism, alcohol consumption.

Tag List: @canongf @futurewife @rexscanonwife @dudefrommywesterns

Gabriel was just about to let himself into Higgins’ study when Mrs. Pearce’s arm suddenly blocked him.

“I wouldn’t go in there now, dearie,” she warned, “Mr. Higgins is in a bit of a mood.”

He frowned. “How so?”

She sighed. “He’s taken on a… project, shall we say. Brought in a lass with the thickest accent I ever did hear, wants to make a duchess of her, and you know how he is… needless to say, they don’t like each other very much.”

“Why ever did this girl agree to work with him if they can’t stand each other?”

“She’s a poor one, you see. He offers her a room, warm meals, new clothes, and in return he thinks he gets to treat and teach her however he likes.”

It was Gabriel’s turn to sigh. “Why am I not surprised? His head’s too big for his own good.”

Mrs. Pearce nodded in agreement. “Now that I think about it, maybe you ought to go in. Soothe him. He could never be frustrated with you and you never seem to get exhausted with him. It’s an admirable feat if I do say so myself.”

He gave her a small smile as she stepped aside. “Well, I was going to tell him that the laundry’s done, but I suppose I’ll play shrink with him instead,” he quipped lightly.

“Good luck.”

Upon entering, he found Higgins sprawled out on a loveseat, pinching his brow in annoyance. “What is it now, Mrs. Pearce?”

Gabriel cleared his throat. “I hear we’ve another guest, besides Colonel Pickering.”

Higgins sat up, quickly looking over his shoulder. “Oh, Conifer, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was you. Yes, but I’d rather not talk about her. I presume you’ve just done the laundry for Pickering’s stay?”

Gabriel nodded. “Is there anything of the girl’s I’m to clean, then?”

Higgins stood and walked over to his desk, waving his hand dismissively. “Heavens no, I’ve ordered Mrs. Pearce to burn her clothes. Wretched things, they were more dirt than cloth, I’d say.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened. “Surely those were not the only things to her name?”

“Why should I care? I’m providing her with plenty of new, clean things. Ladies things.” He began pouring two glasses of brandy as Gabriel approached him.

“It’s not that that’s not a gesture of goodwill, sir, but think… she may’ve had a certain attachment to them, coming from a place of low worth… appreciate what you have and so on.” He took one of the glasses, eying Higgins tentatively. They paused as he drank, stalling for time.

“We're doing the exact opposite of what I wanted… how is it that you always get me to do that?”

“Whatever do you mean?” Gabriel smiled behind his glass of alcohol. “Now, don't try to change the subject, Mr. Higgins. Who is she?”

He huffed. “An Eliza Doolittle, and a pain in my eardrums to boot, listen to this.” Higgins quickly slipped over to his phonograph and turned it on. A harsh Cockney accent repeating vowel sounds shortly poured out of it. “Tell me, what kind of sound is that? ‘Owww,’ she sounds like an alley cat. She may as well have manners in common with one.”

Gabriel swallowed his drink. “It’s certainly kind of you to help her… though, if it is my place to say, may I suggest exercising some gentler language? Especially when she’s around. It might make things easier for both of you.”

“Of course it’s kind of me to help her. Who else would?” Higgins gazed at Gabriel for a long moment, completely breezing past his suggestion of speaking more pleasantly about Eliza and her “predicament.” “You’re so easy to talk to, Conifer.”

He finished his drink and set the glass aside. “I’m glad to hear, Mr. Higgins. But you’re changing the subject again. What’s the desired result here? Mrs. Pearce said you want to make a duchess of her.”

Higgins bit back a reluctant sound and briefly began to pace. “Yes. I want to pass her off as a lady at the upcoming Embassy Ball.”

“Six months,” Gabriel mused softly.

“Precisely.”

“But why her? Are you doing it just to prove it can be done?”

“Why else?”

Gabriel folded his arms. “You know I hate to criticise, but it all seems a bit selfish if you ask me.”

Higgins whipped around, appearing alarmed. “Selfish?! It’s selfish of me to give her everything she doesn’t have, and all I ask for in return is her cooperation?!”

“It’s selfish because you’re doing it for your own benefit, Mr. Higgins. Just so you can get a kick out of making a silk purse of a sow’s ear. What happens to her when you’re done?”

“She lives a long, happy life in the upper class! Preferably far from mine.” He set to pour himself another drink, but Gabriel put a hand on his arm.

“And if she's found out?”

“It's none of my business.” Higgins stiffly shook him off and poured more brandy.

“It's all of your business,” Gabriel muttered under his breath, turning away. “Very well, sir. I won't question you further.” With that, Gabriel left Professor Higgins to his alcohol and his headaches, waiting to be assigned another chore in the meantime.

“So, how was your day?” Higgins spoke, long after the door had closed and he had downed his second drink. He looked around, realized he was alone, and buried his face in his hands.

#self shipping #self shipping community #safeshipping #self insert x canon #self x canon #self insert oc #oc x canon #gay self ship #trans self ship #circus scripts #🌲🧐.s/i #📚A Foolish Scholar📚

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monards · 11 months ago

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Actually wait because of that Dove Alicia Magnolia ask now I kind of want to see what your rankings on Beauford Albedo and Mint are. They're all such good boys it's so hard 😭I'm sorry

THESPIAN. I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ok. But really now. Here are the ULTIMATE rakings for my three favorite guys. Because theyre the onlu guys ever actuallly okay shh

3. Albedo (sorry albedo) honestly. i love albedo very much. do not get me wrong. he is such a sweet boy and i would knit him a blanket if i could. But I also think compared to the other two,, im not as emotionally attached to him; if you asked me this question like. a year ago he'd absolutely be on top. but thats also because over a year ago i hadn't played silver thread or symbiosis. so. woe is me albedo'ss story is soooo near and dear to me. like, i love how he's being set up to have this huge divide between love and knowledge. And I will ABSOLUTELY eat that up when it happens. but sadly, a certain company hasn't given him more than like a smidgen of screentime in a very long time, so i think a lot of my fixation on him has dwindled :(

2. Beafford I love beaford. he is just. so funny. he's a college dropout; he likes anime; he forces alicia to watch anime; he cosplays; he has a cat keychain that resembles himself; he left home without saying anything; hes really intelligent but acts stupid. What can you NOT love about him?? (besides his horrific taste in fashion.) I think his personality is also very important to me. Because obviously he's not the most serious person. at all. But he can still convey how smart he is; I.E the way he was able to in the moment find a way to back up Alicia and also the Chinese room experiment. Maybe I'm just a big fan of characters who are smart and dont have it as their entire character; but I think thats just SO near and dear to me. He also clearly has some stuff going on considering his few mentions around his family. So I'm glad he got to come and (against his will) work with Alicia :)

mmint I think mint deserves this spot for a lot of reasons. One, magnolia is his mother so I am just slightly impartial. But also because two, hes so horribly sweet and tragic and kind that he KILLS me. Mint lives in the forest his whole life and is told explicitly to not go out into civilization. Does he want to live in the city and go to school? yes. and does he voice this? hardly. why? because he knows it makes magnolia sad. and he doesnt want to see his mom said. Mint meets lady in forest who looks the age of his mom, and said lady tells him his mom is evil. His initial response? He knows. He knows magnolia is evil. he already knows magnolia is a murderer. but he knows magnolia loves him and he loves him mom. so its okay. (In ending B) not a horribly long time later; same women shows up in his room at an unholy hour and within the next hour the SAME women has a gun to his moms head, which is clearly making his mom very distressed. within 5 minutes he finds out this women is his moms ex-wife. within that same 5 minute period his mom disappears and tells him to treat this women like his mom. A couple years later he comes back to the house and we find out he could never bring himself to call dove mom. He also finds out his mom kept all his drawings. Tears are streaming down my face.

#thank you thespian #even if #you did #make me convulse on the floor when i first got this #ilysm 💜💜💜#my favorite guys #mint #beaford #albedo

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babybluebanshee · 10 months ago

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Movies I Watched in 2023, Worst to Best

I watched 60 movies this year. Imma tell you about them. Also spoilers throughout, obviously.

60. Cats (2019): Genuinely the worst thing I’ve ever seen, and I paid to see Meet the Spartans in theaters. Very glad I drank heavily before viewing this. Can’t tell if it was worse because I’m a fan of the musical or not. I saw this movie and everything is worse now.

59. The Taking of Deborah Logan: Actually a really sound premise that goes off the rails and not in a good way. The lady who plays Deborah deserves an Oscar. Nothing worse to me than wasted potential, and this took a legit unnerving premise and made it a standard demon plot and I’m so very tired of that. Sorry @vaultsy

58. Red String and Blood Tea: This all means something, I just know it, but damned if I know what it is. I can’t really say anything that bad about it because stop motion is an intense labor of love and this clearly took a lot of time and effort, but it just didn’t leave much more of an impression on me.

57. Freddy vs. Jason: I wanted to like this movie really bad, and there were times when I did. But the 2000s stink was positively radiating off it - the slowed down footage, the nu metal blaring everywhere, the shitty costuming, it’s everywhere. Save yourself some time and just watch one of those YouTube videos where someone scrubs the whole movie for just Freddy and Jason’s bits.

56. Ladybug and Cat Noir: The Movie: Look, my girlfriend loves Miraculous. I couldn’t care less about it, but she really wanted me to see this movie and I love her very much. At least it’s very beautiful to look at and it did what it took the tv series a billion years to do.

55. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol: I’m gonna level with you - I watched this because gilf Scrooge intrigued me. Now that we have that out of the way, I can say aside from that, there’s nothing in this movie to really set it apart. A few arbitrary changes and making Scrooge more of an intentional asshole doesn’t set it apart from the millions of other adaptations of this story.

54. From Dusk Till Dawn: The line that separates the Tarantino aspects of this movie from the Rodriguez aspects of it is about as subtle as a brick to the head, but it’s there, and honestly? I wish we would have focused more on the Rodriguez parts. Call me a plebeian, but I never have been fond of Tarantino’s style, nor am I particularly interested in his barely concealed foot fetish. Remake this as two separate movies and I’ll watch the one with the rad ass vampires.

53. Beauty and the Beast (1946): Is this a horror movie? I think this was supposed to be a horror movie. I can’t really fathom how this is supposed to be romantic when there’s creepy living statues, human arm candelabras, and the Beast stealing his romantic rival’s face when he transforms into a human man.

52. Gaslight: Can be genuinely gripping in places, but also kind of boring in a plodding way. The acting is pretty great though - Charles Boyer is an amazingly effective villain and I wanted to give poor Ingrid Bergman a hug.

51. The Bob's Burgers Movie: Kevin Kline and Zach Galifinakis need chiropractors from carrying this movie on their backs. Like, it’s fine if you’re a big fan of Bob’s Burgers (and I was on a BB jag at the time), the songs are fun, and the animation is gorgeously bouncy, but it suffers from the same thing that most movies based on tv shows do - it just feels like a longer episode of the show.

50. The Addams Family: A classic for a reason, though maybe with a bit less pathos than I was anticipating. Still fun, just not as fun as the movie that would come after it.

49. Suspiria: Pretty to look at and goddamn that soundtrack. Not a favorite, but it’s such a cerebral experience that you almost don’t mind all that much.

48. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Kind of suffers from the same problems as Suspiria, with the leg-up of having an absolute banger of a third act. Also Franklin is the worst. Most of the problems in this movie could have been avoided if Franklin wasn’t around. The other ones could be solved by not trespassing on private property.

47. Paprika: Also a very cerebral film, and just as fun to look at. It’s slightly too charming to ever really be boring, but it’s still just kinda meh.

46. They Live: Fun alien designs and a neat idea. Has too many dead Keith Davids to get any higher on the list.

45. Wes Craven's New Nightmare: A fun spin on a dying franchise. I will never stop laughing at Freddy’s stupid trenchcoat and emo boots tho.

44. Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Warriors: More horror adventure than straight horror, but still fun and inventive. Probably has some of the most creative kills in the whole franchise (Freddy leading someone around by their exposed tendons, hello). My only complaint is that the absolute bitch doctor didn't get eviscerated.

43. But I'm a Cheerleader: The gays can have a silly high school rom com. As a treat. I also appreciate the movie adding in that the bible-thumping heteros tend to sexualize kids more than any queer person on this planet.

42. Psycho Goreman: I would like to congratulate PG on his coming out. Mimi was almost too annoying to be tolerable, but this is still a really fun movie with cool creatures and a lot of great humor.

41. Howard: Hi, catch me crying in the last fifteen minutes of this movie. Howard Ashman was an amazing talent and I’m forever depressed that we lost him far, far too early.

40. Little Shop of Horrors: Yeah, this is the first time I’ve ever seen the movie version of this. Gimme a break, I like the musical ending better. That being said, this movie is great camp fun and I love how much love and care was put into it. Also that Audrey II puppet will never fail to impress me.

39. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark: I would like to personally thank Cassandra Peterson for making this stupid, sexy, campy romp that made my life infinitely better.

38: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story: RIP Weird Al Yankovic, wish you could have seen the fabulous movie they made about you before you were gunned down by the cartels.

37. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: Another movie I saw at my girlfriend’s request, but I also would have wanted to see it for those motherfuckin creature effects. Jarnathan is my husband and I love him dearly.

36. The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Chris Pratt wasn’t in this movie, what are you talking about? It was just Jack Black and Charlie Day having a good time and being extra adorable. That’s all there was. There is no Crisp Rat in my wonderful Mario movie.

35. Black Swan: I’ve heard this described as “live action Perfect Blue” and…yeah. Also I could write entire essays about how Nina’s mother may or may not exist, but we’re not getting into that today.

34. The Wolf House: On a purely technical level, this is a fucking masterpiece. It’s all stop motion (which as previously mentioned is not for the faint of heart), with creative camera work that makes it look like one, long, continuous shot. Add to that the stunningly creepy atmosphere and the framing device of this being a recruiting tool for a cult, and it’s a beautiful nightmare.

33. How to Survive a Plague: Another one that made me weep like an infant. I prefer the book, but this is still a gorgeous tribute to everyone we lost and how far we’ve come.

32. The Girl With All the Gifts: A fun take on the zombie mythos. Also, I for one welcome our new Hungry overlords.

31. Basket Case: Was initially very dubious about the supposed pathos of this film, only to be pleasantly surprised by how true that is. Yes, this movie is schlocky and sleazy (could have lived a long, happy life without ever seeing the Basket Case puppet hump a corpse), but it’s still a great little B-movie.

30. Belle: I’m always a slut for a Beauty and the Beast story, and this one is just hella gorgeous. I would have preferred an extra scene of Justin getting his ass obliterated, but what we did get was wonderful.

29. Nerdy Prudes Must Die: Not my favorite Hatchetfield musical (Black Friday my beloved), but Starkid never put out anything bad. Always a pleasure to see what the Lords in Black are up to.

28. The Sea Beast: I need Grandpa Crow yesterday. Other than that, this was a fun little adventure film that gave me my dose of found family juice. And also it made me realize that there aren’t a lot of straightforward pirate movies anymore? Like, POTC really burned everyone out on those for a while, huh?

27. King Kong (2005): I’ve heard this movie called bloated and boring, but I actually think I love it? Like…maybe it’s just because I’m a monster fucker, but the companionship between Ann and Kong is so beautiful and sad and I nearly burst into tears while she was trying to comfort his as he died. Just let the goddamn gorilla ice skate, you monsters!

26. The Celluloid Closet: Had the opposite of How to Survive a Plague happen - I read the book and wasn’t nearly as moved as I was watching the people actually involved in making these films or other queer icons talking about them. Maybe it was the lack of academic language that made it so much more effective, but while the book is still great for film scholars, the movie is a must-watch for literally everyone.

25. Nimona: We need more feral female characters in general. Also I would never in all my life believe Ballister was a bad guy, simply because he has the most innocent, watery eyes I’ve ever seen that weren’t attached to a small, damp mammal.

24. Citizen Kane: Yes, it took me this long to actually watch this movie for the first time. I was dubious at first, because I’ve seen so many movies that claim to be the best thing you’ve ever seen in your life, and then fall gloriously short of your expectations. This, however, did not do that. I can see why this is a classic. And now you can all be aghast at all the movies that I liked better!

23. Sing 2: Help, I’m crying over Bono the lion dilf! Also this movie is fun and beautiful to look at and the music is amazing. I’m also a proponent of the Shitty Crime Uncle Jimmy Crystal Domestication idea.

22. The People Under the Stairs: More movies should be about the power of community action and solidarity in the face of exploitative gentrification and also blowing up your landlord’s booby-trapped torture dungeon and freeing their kidnapped cannibalistic troll children into the wild.

21. Sense and Sensibility: I’ve never cared that much about Sense and Sensibility as a book - it was strictly middle tier. This movie has changed that. I actually like Edward now, because Hugh Grant just plays him like the autistic king he was always meant to be.

20. Shiny Happy People: No, I do not care that this was a miniseries, it's too good not to include. Watching this show will make you want to deck every evangelical asshat that crosses your path and also terrified of the amount of influence they have in the USA.

19. Black Christmas: Where Chainsaw was kinda boring with a great climax, Black Christmas hits the ground running and doesn't really stop. It's scary, tense, and cinematically gorgeous.

18. Mannequinn: Yes, I liked this movie better than Citizen Kane. No one should listen to my opinion about anything. But it doesn't matter because it's dumb, campy fun and I want Hollywood Montrose to be my auntie.

17. Wishmaster: Absolute ham-to-ham combat between Andrew Divoff, Robert Englund, Tony Todd, Tom Savini. Some amazing practical effects. I wanna kiss the djinn right on the mouth. Only complaint is that I wish the sex pest friend who kept pestering Sam for a date would have stayed dead.

16. From Beyond: This movie had three of my favorite things in the world - moistened puppets, my mommy Barbara Crampton dressing up in a sexy outfit (thank you, Ms. Crampton *blows kiss*), and Jeffrey Combs being a sad, wet kitten man.

15. Renfield: I like that we're making movies about scary vampires again. It's nice. Also Nic Cage is quickly going the way of Daniel Craig and Robert Pattinson - they need to be cast as weird little guys for enrichment purposes.

14. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: Animation? Charming and daring. Characters? I'm adopted all of them, and loving that all the turtles are actually voiced by children. Superfly? Got me feeling a way. Shredder being teased at the end? Where'd my panties go? Also this movie got me to sixty, so everyone say thank you to Shae for nice, round numbers.

13. Paris Is Burning: It's a classic of LGBT film, if you haven't watched it just to get a taste of the glorious world of drag ball culture, you need to. Stop what you're doing and watch Paris Is Burning. Now. This is a not a request. I will report you.

12. It's a Wonderful Life: I've never seen this show all the way through, so I fixed that this year, and goddamn I always forget how much I like Jimmy Stewart until I see him in another good movie. This movie also got him investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee for communist sentiments, so all my little anarchists should watch it.

11. Return of the Living Dead: I'd like everyone to meet my husband, Tar Man. He's gonna eat your brains, you'll love it.

10. Re-Animator: I'll never get tired of watching Herbert West being a sassy little cunt to everyone around him, including his co-dependent boyfriend whom he should kiss directly on the mouth. My only complaint is the...um...scene with Dr. Hill's head and Meg. That's all I'm gonna say about it. Because it makes me extremely uncomfy and I can't even enjoy Barbara Crampton's tits because of it.

9. Bride of Re-Animator: Herbert and Dan should have just taken their beautiful daughter to live out the rest of their happy lives at the seaside. Also the effects are fucking amazing. That'll happen when your special effects guys is credited as "Screamin' Mad George".

8. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts: Catch me shrieking like a possessed baboon throughout this entire movie. Everything about it made me happy, from Bumblebee being a bamf to Ron Perlman as Optimus Primal to literally everything about Peter Cullen's Optimus. I will never be over him having enough of Scourge's shit and ripping out his spine.

7. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish: Can't talk. Too blown away by the fact Dreamworks put out one of the most visually stunning and vibrant animated films they have in decades. They are back babey.

6. Glass Onion: I cannot wait to see what else we get from Benoit Blanc. He's the blorbo from my shows and I adore him. Also you know he called up Marta after he got home and was like "hey, there's this friend of mine I want you to meet, I think you guys will get along swimmingly" while fully intending to play matchmaker.

5. Everything Everywhere All At Once: "Nothing matters so being kind and compassionate is even more important" is genuinely such a beautiful thing for a film to say, and I'm glad I finally got a chance to see it in a movie where people fight with dildos and Jamie Lee Curtis' outfit was based on a stock photo.

4. Nope: Jordan Peele owns my soul at this point.

3. To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar: I expected Priscilla but American, and was given a really heartfelt, sweet movie and I legit forgot several times that Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo were cis men.

2. Barbie: I recommend Barbie to literally everyone who asks me about it. It's my religion now. Everything about it is delightful and

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: This movie is utter perfection. I would marry it if I could.

#daily life with blue #movies #i'm not tagging this with all the titles #i know not many people care enough to clog up the tags

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barrenclan · 2 years ago

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I AM STARING SO INTENTLY RN!!!

GOOODDD THIS ISSUE WAS SO INTERESTING. how after the sisters were separated and plumstripe just stared at the wall, i wonder if she’s beginning to regret lashing out like that? or if it could have gone differently? it definitely didn’t seem like she planned to fight beeface, just a spur of the moment sorta deal that was caused by bee edging her on, which in turn was caused by her edging bee on.

also, the redpelt content??? i hadn’t really thought about her in the comic much but oh my god. she’s so gentle. i completely understand how she felt when the fighting happened, just completely freezing up and struggling to process what is happening because it was so sudden, too quick, too different from just a second ago- but i could just be seeing it differently than what was intended, haha. when she was rambling off to cootstorm i was begging for that old lady to comfort her in some way but i completely understand why she didn’t, that’s just not her personality. she’s a realist i think, focused on what has to be done and what has been done. she’s right, redpelt isn’t ready for leadership, and i somewhat doubt she’d ever be if she doesn’t get some kind of help, but it doesn’t seem therapy or anything exists in barrenclan that could help. it makes me wonder why mallowstar chose her as deputy when she wasn’t mentally or emotionally ready for those responsibilities weighing her down? may have found a new fav, oops

also!! cormorantpaw!! said bye first!! it wasn’t started by someone else saying bye, he did it!! he’s enjoying pinepaw’s company!!! probably not to a crush level or maybe not even a friend level, but still!!!!! he’s opening up in his own way!! gradually!!! whatever makes him feel comfortable and he’s not rushing!!!! i love him i hope he gets all of the healing he needs cus i just know this guy needs it. also he and pinepaw r listening x infodump i may have said this already i love them

i also just want to add that i loved the four apprentices doodle at the bottom of i think page 2? also the expressions of bee and plum after mallowstar split them up. ur expressions have always been so good, both here and TDS, and such a good inspiration and they always just add to the moment cus of how clearly u can see how they feel cus of it!!! just!!! yeah!! i never know how to end these haha

I'm glad you liked it eheh!!

Plumstripe definitely wasn't planning to attack Beeface, but her fighting ability insult hit a nerve. Plumstripe considers herself to be the best fighter in the Clan, and she's very proud of that.

I've been neglecting Redpelt too much, I really wanted to get some focus on her. Poor gal. I looked at some videos of cats fighting for reference in this issue; it happens so much faster than anything in Warriors makes it seem, which is true of most fights in general. And Redpelt isn't the kind of take-charge person to instinctively throw herself in the middle of a fight, she's too much of an overthinker. Mallowstar sees a lot of potential in her, and he really wants to help her come out of her shell and show her that she can take charge and use all her smarts and empathy! But Redpelt doesn't believe in herself too much. :( Cootstorm doesn't have a lot of sympathy for her worries, unfortunately.

YES Cormorantpaw saying bye first was really important to me!! It's not much but a little first step is huge for him, especially because the environment he grew up in was emotionally as well as physically dangerous. He had to be on guard a lot. Pinepaw wants to break through his walls, but he's willing to take it at a pace Cormorantpaw is comfortable with, and that means a lot to Cormorant (more than he really realizes!).

TYSM I'm really glad you like the art :D I love drawing silly faces, it's my favorite part. And thank you, as always, for leaving such long thoughtful comments about the issues! I look forward to seeing them pop into my askbox.

#ask #redpelt #plumstripe #beeface #cootstorm #mallowstar #cormorantpaw #pinepaw

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justmybookthots · 10 months ago

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Lady Midnight

Alas! I cannot say I enjoyed this one.

I think the biggest issue is that I do not connect to the main couple. I do not connect to Julian. His persona is very vague, even bland. By all rights I should like him: he's very domestic, he takes good care of his siblings, he likes to paint, he can cook… But I just struggled to find him interesting. At about two thirds into the book I was hit by the realisation that I just didn't care about him, nor his romance with Emma.

If the guy isn't Jem, I guess I just don't really care? I also think I am suffering from severe Cassandra Clare fatigue. Her characters are all very similar: all martyrs, all very dramatic (I could not take the whole whipping scene very seriously, lmao), all deeply in love with someone but trying to do the right thing and constantly self-deprecating, especially the male ones. It's such a pity because her prose is beautiful, and I enjoy the plot most of the time.

I think I am going to take a Cassandra Clare break after this book. The nonstop drama can feel really exhausting. I loved Jem, I realised, partly because he was much less dramatic than Will in most of the Clockwork trilogy. I simply like more emotionally mature men. (And also his softness is my personal type in men.) I wished he had more cameos in this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Him taking care of Emma in his own way was so sweet, and I adored his connection with the cat Church. I love him so, so, so much.

(Mark Blackthorn was also very funny most of the time, lol. But I can't say I care very deeply about this whole love triangle with Kieran and Cristina.)

Also, I have finished Heavenly Fire and Lost Souls as well and all I can say is that I'm BEAT. I did not enjoy either, but it's mostly because I don't like the main cast. I don't think anything can surpass the Infernal Devices trilogy in Clare's bibliography. While I love a good pining, I do need something less dramatic sometimes, and it would be nice if her heroes could be more straightforward and honest with his feelings.

I also need to say that plot-wise, Lady Midnight wasn't anything to write home about either. The mystery dragged for me, and the book had no business being THIS LONG. A lot of it could have been shorn. I also got spoiled on the villain's betrayal prior to reading this book, which may be the reason why I was underwhelmed by their reveal. Yes, I know this isn't Clare's fault, but it is what it is.

I don't have much more energy to give this review because I'm still tired from reading this ridiculously long book, not to mention I didn't enjoy it much, so all I'll say is: I'm glad I explored most of Clare's offerings and discovered the Infernal Devices. She gave me Jem Carstairs, and for that I am eternally grateful. (Just stop talking about him aging, omg!!!!!! It's giving me anxiety.)

- 6 Jan 2024

#book review #cassandra clare #the dark artifices #the infernal devices #clockwork prince #the shadowhunter chronicles

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fzzr · 1 year ago

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Monogatari Read-Along Re-Watch — Tsubasa Cat

Previously.

Novel

First we check in with Nadeko. She is actually a bit more talkative this time around, relying on references to old anime and manga to provide something for Koyomi to bounce off off. Notably, she's the only person in the series who treats Koyomi almost entirely without criticism. Her overly accommodating manner and excessive inclination to apologize and agree with everything are the main defining features of her dialogue. Koyomi doesn't pick up on it, but seems like there's a whole other Nadeko hidden behind her bangs.

Tsubasa returns at first in her perfect-class-president-with-some-snark form. Her heart has been in it less and less since Mayoi Snail, and it doesn't quite make it to the end of the conversation this time. As usual, Koyomi doesn't see how she uses her gentle critiques to covertly hint at her feelings for him. Even the near kiss in Nadeko Snake didn't do it. Reading Kizumonogatari and seeing her at her snarkiest before Bake changes how that decline comes through, and I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Oh man, the date with Hitagi. This is one of my favorite sequences in all of Monogatari and it's still so good. It uses a setup-punchline pattern where important lines are said first in jest and then later with feeling. My favorite is Hitagi's father starting and ending his conversation with Koyomi with the traditional line for entrusting his daughter to an approved suitor, first to break the tension and the second time with sincerity. Hitagi using the same lines to list what she loves about Koyomi as a break in the banter and in full sincerity beneath the stars is pretty damn effective too. The way she builds and builds the tension to keep Koyomi on edge while simultaneously demonstrating her love for him is peak Hitagi for sure.

Once Black Hanekawa starts to emerge, Koyomi goes from merely inattentive to the way others feel about him to utterly dense. His last chance to understand the cause of the situation was when she all but admitted to trying to hurt him with the dishonest theory about him having vampire charm. When she says "I don'tt know anything" rather than the usual "I only know what I know" line, she's giving him one last chance to understand the severity of the situation. I can't even call it willful blindness, he really does see her as she normally presents herself.

As the intensity of the story escalates in we get to see the fruits of Koyomi's actions throughout the novels when Hhe calls on all four previous ladies. Mayoi, Suruga, and Nadeko have each met Tsubasa only superficially — they're actually answering Koyomi's call because of the trust they have built with him over the course of the series. Hitagi helps in her own contrary but meaningful way, making sure that no matter what happens, Tsubasa's will not leave a mess for everyone else, her duties unfulfilled. Hitagi thus reminds Koyomi that while he may be the one putting out the call, he can't lose sight of what Tsubasa needs as a whole person. Unfortunately, he still falls short.

I think it's reasonable to say that Koyomi's blindness to how Tsubasa feels about him is the reason this arc is the least resolved of all of Bakemonogatari. Tsubasa does not complete her change, so the solution is deferred and only gets that far thanks to Black Hanekawa leaving open the specific opportunity needed to make that happen. Instead we see Koyomi's first step toward addressing his own great flow of self-destructiveness, when he asks for help for himself for the first time.

Anime

The rearranging this time was once again well chosen. Moving the flashback to Golden Week to the beginning of the first episode makes it clear that this is an arc for Tsubasa, even though very little to do with her will happen until two episodes later. It also sets up for the echo of Koyomi saying he cares more about his debt to Tsubasa than their friendship.

I am glad dedicated the entire second episode of the arc, and the last of the regular season, to the date with Hitagi. It's such a powerful sequence that placing it at the end of cour boundary is an excellent punctuation mark for the series. They even changed the OP for that episode back to Staple Stable. This is an important choice, because along with Senjougahara Tore in the stargazing scene it firmly establishes the pattern that the OPs are not just themes for the arcs but also for the girls. I'll talk more about this in my eventual post(s) about the music of Monogatari.

They really pulled out the stops toward the in a different way from the date. You're often not meant to take the visuals in Monogatari literally, but in the confrontation with Black Hanekawa they get almost Utena with it. When they depict the conversation in the classroom where Tsubasa and Koyomi spend time alone together, they also make the words come out of non-oddity Tsubasa's mouth. This is a great way to make it clear that though the mind and body seem to be transformed by the sawarineko it's still Tsubasa underneath, and saves on the narration that implies that in the novel.

One detail I didn't catch the significance of one previous watches is once Black Hanekawa pounces on Koyomi and starts to drain him, her hair becomes grey rather than white. This matches up with the novel, where she says that she feels herself fading away, as killing him would solve the problem she represents.

Conclusion

Way to go NISIOISON and SHAFT for wrapping up Bakemonogatari on a high note! Next up, a big retro on the five chapters collectively.

#monogatari #anime #original post #monogatari read-along re-watch #bakemonogatari #hanekawa tsubasa #tsubasa cat

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miraculouslbcnreactions · 3 months ago

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#tbh it feels like the show spits on the power of love over a dozen times per season#cant have chat noir tell apart his lady from a sentibug#nor can they have alya not be fooled by sentinino#also cant have djwifi not get taken over by scarlet moths in the s2 finale#love is more often than not treated as a weakness in this show#and me thinks its cause the writing team thinks its cheesey

These are excellent additional examples! Not as bad as love not being enough to save the world, but definitely moments that made me go, "What the hell?" The sentibug one was probably the most painful moment for me because of how bad it makes Adrien look. I don't really blame him for falling for the trick when it's just him and sentibug, but that deception includes this moment:

Sentimonster Ladybug: I've always gone out of my way to hide my true feelings for you, but I just can't do it anymore. Cat Noir: But I thought you said you love somebody else! Sentimonster Ladybug: It's... it's over. After all this time, I've realized that you're always here for me, even when I keep rejecting you. Your feelings haven't changed, and mine are growing stronger every day. I can't pretending anymore.

This is completely out of character for Ladybug and they even let him acknowledge that fact. That should have made it glaringly obvious to him that sentibug was a fake as soon as the real Ladybug shows up, but no. He sticks with sentibug and fights the real Ladybug who then has to come up with a plan to out the deception by revealing Mayura:

Sentimonster Ladybug: We've got a villain to fight! We'll take care of me later. Cat Noir: That's the lady I know! Ladybug: Ugh, I can't believe you fell for that!!! Okay, good job. You win, I am the fake Ladybug, but there's no way I'm letting you Cataclysm my earrings! Cat Noir: You wanna bet? Sentimonster Ladybug: Over to you, Cat Noir Mayura: No, not the earrings! (Cat Noir misses) Ladybug: Hello, Mayura! Cat Noir: Mayura? But... she looks so real!

This totally doesn't come across like Chat Noir prefers a fake just because she's claiming to be in love with him, making him unwilling to accept reality. It just reads like... I don't know, but whatever it is it's so much more satisfying than Chat Noir's love allowing him to identify the real Ladybug. I'm so glad that the writers didn't use that cheesy trope and instead allowed Adrien to be deceived by a cheap trick. That's a much stronger way to write a romantic lead!

That was all sarcasm, btw. I'm a total sucker for the strength of a couple's relationship allowing the real version to be detected in some subtle way. They even kind of did that with SentiNino, but instead of Alya detecting the oddity, it was Ladybug, which was really weird. Ladybug saw them do a cute couple thing once and that was all she needed to see to know that it couldn't possibly be Nino when he failed to do the couple thing on a different occasion. If you're going to go that route, at least have Nino and Alya do their special high five in a couple other episodes to make it feel like Marinette might know they never do anything else! As is, it literally only shows up in this one episode just so that Ladybug can identify the sentimonster.

Both of these instances feel like the writers were so focused on making Marinette seem smart that they missed how poorly the other characters come across. It may also be the result of wanting to do something different than the standard trope but this trope exists for a very good reason! The reason being that it's the best way to play this setup!

It's okay to do things that other stories have done before. It doesn't make you a bad writer. Part of being a good writer is knowing when to use standard story elements because they're the best way to do a thing. You wouldn't call a new car "nothing special" because it has four wheels and a similar shape to other models. That's just the best way to design a car. We look for things like the interior and the mechanics to set it apart from other models. The same principle goes for stories. The question shouldn't be "is Chat Noir going to be able to detect the real Ladybug?" It should be "how is Chat Noir going to detect the real Ladybug?"

That's not to say that you can't do something different from the standard path, you totally can! But you should only do it when you have some grand plan like if you've found a better or more complex way to approach a classic setup - which absolutely can happen! - or if you're doing something like a dark take on a classic setup. A story where people are there to see things go wrong. Even then, you should have a greater plan for why you're making this twist and what it means. For example, the sentibug thing could have been a hint that Chat Noir isn't Ladybug's "true love". If he is her true love? Then this scene makes no sense.

This thoughts still cooking, so it might not make sense, but I think Thomas (Tomas?) Astruc is a very good case study on how being too attached to your own ideas can hinder your story telling.

I don't mean this in a "Thomas's original idea for the series was bad", but rather that he seems so attached to this concept that he can't stand other people having a differing view from him.

Chloe's the titular example here. Some people thought she deserved a redemption arc, and instead of just saying "nah, I don't think so" and continuing to write her the same way he had been, he had to prove them wrong, prove that his idea was the only correct one, and so turned her into the spawn of Satan and let her rule over Paris for some reason.

Instead of making Marinette less stalker-y, he wrote an entire episode poorly justifying it. And, imao, somewhat diminishing what PTSD actually is and does to people.

I'm not saying he has to make any change (though I think making Marinette less stalker-y would be a good change), but instead of 1.) sticking to his resolve or 2.) taking the criticism, he clung dearly onto this perception of his characters and his writing suffered because of how much he had to twist things to "prove" that his original assertions were right. And also that everyone who disagreed with him was wrong and didn't understand

idk if that makes sense, but the concepts been lingering in my head recently

It makes perfect sense! I've had similar thoughts. It's hard to say for sure, but Miraculous may be a case study in "kill your darlings". I'm not deep into the behind-the-scenes lore and I was not here in the early fandom, but I do know that, at some point, a much darker version of the show was pitched. That's why these exist (image source):

[Image description: two sketches styled like comic book covers. Both have the title "The Mini Menace Ladybug". The left cover shows Marinette's silhouette in a doorway. The door's glass and the glass of a nearby window are broken. In the foreground lies a hand holding a ladybug charm. The hand is limp and surrounded by blood, implying that someone is injured or dead. The right cover is Ladybug doing a spinning kick while looking angry.]

We also have this evidence of the darker original concept:

Jeremy Zag then proposed another project... which he was unable to sell to broadcasters... the project was called "Ladybug". No one was interested, as the project was aimed more at an adult audience... Sébastien had to make sure that the project could be broadcast on Disney and TF1.... Thomas wanted to make a series for adults, but at the time, it was very complicated to make a cartoon for adults. What's more, they didn't have enough money to take on such a project. Sébastien finally agreed, but there were some changes to be made, which Thomas accepted... In the end, Thomas Astruc's entire project was discarded, leaving only the love story between the two heroes and the city of Paris, where the story was to take place.

I've been aware of this darker origin story for a while due to Tumblr and, because of this knowledge, I have often had the thought, "are the writers trying to sneak elements from this darker version into canon?" Because that's the most likely explanation for what's going on here.

If I'm right, then I think that was a terrible move on their parts. They needed to let go of the story that they couldn't sell and embrace the story that they're being allowed to tell. It's why "kill you darlings" is such good advice. Many good stories have been ruined by writers clinging to an idea that ultimately doesn't work for some reason.

It's why the sitcom How I Met Your Mother has such a universally hated ending. The show was originally supposed to go for two seasons and so they wrote an ending that would fit the second season. The show ended up running for nine seasons and, by then, the ending didn't fit, but the writers kept it and left everyone with a bad taste in their mouths, which is not what any writer wants. That's why you have to do what's best for the story even if it means abandoning something that you really love.

This early version of canon may also be why the writers are so obsessed with Marinette. My understanding is that this concept had her mainly acting as a solo hero and, oh look! What is one of canon's biggest problems? Marinette being treated like a solo hero even though she has a partner and, later on, a team!

Not saying that this theory has to be true, just saying that it would explain some things. And if they're poisoning canon by trying to include elements from their darker original? Then it makes sense to assume that they're also doing it for smaller stuff. Like I'm pretty sure I've read that the head writer wanted Chat Blanc to be a lot darker originally, but no one would green light it, so we got an incredibly lackluster episode that spat in the face of the genres Miraculous' is trying to be part of while also falling to have the sort of impact we'd expect from an episode like that. It's a good example of a darling that really should have been killed. It just doesn't fit.

(Totally unrelated sidenote, but is your blog name from Tangled? Because that's what I immediately thought of and it made me smile!)

#power of love always so weak #ml writing critical #ml writing salt #Adrien deserves better #alya deserves better

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