#wondering what it would be like if my version of a character meets another persons version

[absolutebl]

hello!! I was wondering if you knew or had any recommendations of thai bls from 2024-2025 where the acting is good, isn't super cliche, or kind of cringe or over the top with the humor, and actually has a very interesting plot! I've been been struggling to really find anything good from Thailand and have completely strayed away from the whole country when finding a bl. It's extremely oversaturated and super difficult to find something that doesn't immediately make me roll my eyes! please help!!

Prestige Thai BLs from 2024-2025

Requirements: Good acting, low cringe, low slapstick comedy, interesting plot (that last one is nearly impossible in Thailand but I'll see what I can dig up.)

My Stand-In

iQIYI

Adaptation of Chinese novel Professional Body Double by Shui Qiang Cheng. Stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please) directed by the same team as KinnPorsche. Stuntman Joe dies on the job and wakes up in the body of another Joe with an entirely different life. But Joe just starts repeating the mistakes of his previous self - love, work, play. I enjoyed the experience of watching this show, I looked forward to it every week. I thought everybody did a great job with it and in it, and I liked that is was something substantially different for Thai BL. But I’m not sure I'll rewatch it or if it's bingeable. Still, I would recommend it, if you enjoy your BL more cerebral, with complicated unlikable love interests, and a downtrodden sympathetic lead. Is it, perhaps, more JBL that ThBL? Am I biased because it's a Thai production and I had expectations? What magical carnage could Japan have done with this IP? I'm left with questions, but I'm ultimately glad I watched this.

This one has an interesting plot and premise and great acting. Like really very good. There is no cringe or slapstick, if anything it takes itself too seriously. For me the issue was unlikable characters, but you didn't site that as a possible down side, so... have at.

Cherry Magic

grey

A soft charming warm hug of a show about crushes and mind reading and self worth that really worked for me. With no-fuss execution from a consummate team (at GMMTV) and an OG lead pair (proving why they remain eternal and deserve to grow up). Look, here’s the thing, Cherry Magic is a great Thai BL in its own right - not comparing it to any other iteration. But even when I do compare (and I've seen all the Cherries and read the manga) it stands strong. I, personally, like the Thai BL slightly better than the Japanese live action yaoi, but I think that’s because I just really enjoy Thai BL's style and I LOVE TayNew. Also all the kissing was both present and better in this version. As it should be from Thailand.

There is a little comedy and some silliness but it's a bit more Japanese style. Still if you don't like romcoms at all, you won't like this.

ThamePo

The boyband idol romance I've been waiting for from Korea, only Thailand did it instead. Quintessentially Thai and very GMMTV with good production values, great chemistry, and a solid support cast. It also was a hung romance mostly driven by external conflict and a found family reunion trope so I didn’t mind (too much) when that romance thread felt secondary. I loved it (except, of course, the singing).

There is a refined purpose and focus to this show that gives it an almost Korean feel which I why I think you might like it.

The following are suggested with reservations, try the first ep and if it doesn't work than don't bother:

The Heart Killers

Jojo directs this action romcom about assassin brothers (Khao & Joong) meets tattoo artist ex-booster (First) and very flirty mechanic (Dunk) conmen. I dithered over how to rate this. It felt like an 8 show wearing a 9’s britches. There were dropped threads, forgotten characters, and unfinished plot lines even with a particularly long run time. But it was fun (when one applies no expectations or logic) and I enjoyed the wildly unhinged relationships and, weirdly, music. I mean nobody claimed that we needed Taming of the Shrew only with gay Thai hitman, but we really needed it. And no one asked for Petruchio as the gayest brat ever to strut his perfect skin and copped-top across our screen, and yet we loved him for it. Sure it didn’t make sense, was utterly absurd, but it was terribly earnest and sexy about it. IN the end this goes hand-in-hand with all these other absurd crime pieces we’ve been getting since KP, and frankly I like this one the best from Thailand so far.

This might be a bit frantic for you but the acting and chemistry are pretty great.

Century of Love

Gaga

This is a very pretty drama about a young man who fell in love with a nice girl 100 years ago, and when she died in his arms, he was cursed to live until he could meet her reborn self. Only this time around, she’s reborn into the body of a man. Or is she? I love it when Thailand gets all up in its own historical business and reincarnation and shizz. Daou’s wushu is snazzy and we got a unique meet cute. (Erm… Remeet cute? Meet cute 2.0?) Ultimately, this is I Feel You Linger in the Air + First Love Again, rather than (as one might expect) Until We Meet Again or The Director Who Buys Me Dinner. The leads turned in great performances, although Daou outclassed everybody else on that screen.

It’s a good story (even plot) and a great BL and I can’t find any major faults with it beyond a certain level of camp that is sadly endemic to lakorns. Also I’m going to give it credit as the kind of BL that one could safely recommend to lovers of melodrama and historical romance, without having to qualify it as “good for a BL.” It was, to put it succinctly, a VERY ENJOYABLE show. 

Wandee Goodday

A charming quintessentially modern Thai BL about a doctor and a boxer who start as a one night stand and then fall in love. Great rep for everything from Muay Thai, to safe sex, to FUN sex, to ace, to bisexuality, to smiley kisses, to the first legal gay wedding in a Thai BL. It’s a delight and I enjoyed (almost) every single moment of it. With out question it's best traits are active positive representations of green flag boys, communication, and grown-up relationships but the chemistry is on point too. Highly recommended as one of 2024's best pick-me-ups.

This one may be a bit romcom for you, and the plot isn't particularly unique, but honestly if this doesn't work for you, it might simply be that most Thai BLs just never will.

And that's all I got.

There's better stuff further back in time, but you were strict on the years so I am sticking to them.

[456-is-the-way]

haiii so i was wondering if i could request a fic abt reader x frontman cs ive had this idea for s while now i just cant write it😓😓

so the idea is reader is a daughter of one of the vips and one day reader's father decideds to fund the game by marrying her to frontman if that make sense?? or reader's father made some sort of deal with ilnam (up to you) , and reader is just totally against it at first bcs she thinks the games are cruel but once she spends more time around inho she warms up more and grows to really him and he also warms up to her😣😣��🙏 (so its like an arranged marriage, enemies to lovers type shi🤞🤞)

A/n: I LOVE ALL BLOWING UP MY ASK BOX!!! FIRST OFF I LOVE THIS IDEA. So imma write it lmao as stated before I am taking requests in my ask box first! So here is another one. Please let me know if you want to ask for a character from season 1 or 2! NGL needs more Gi-hun requests yall lol!

Trigger warning: N/A

Squid Game Masterlist

In-ho x Reader

The Arrangement

It was no secret to (Y/n) (L/n) of her father's wicked deeds. Since birth, she knew they were in one of the most elite families who not only watched what they called the ‘Squid Game’ but actively held their version of the games. It was a horrid curse (Y/n) from which she could not escape. For many years her father hosted, sponsored, and even made active bets in several games held worldwide. But none of those topped the Korean games is what her father stated for several years. She even had the chance to meet the original creator of the games, an older man named Il-nam. After all the gambling, (Y/n)’s father made one of the most unbelievable bets with the old man. He decided to place the ultimate wager on player 456: his daughter could marry anyone of Il-mans choice.

(Y/n) sat in the room with the other VIPs and her father as the final battle commenced between players 456 and 218. She closed her eyes not able to watch this. (Y/n) understood the tense feelings between the players as she was forced to watch the entire game season unfold. She could not imagine what they both felt, best friends turned against each other. She took a deep breath as her father made her watch. Despite her fate, she honestly hoped 456 won. It almost disgusted (Y/n) how her inner thoughts had rooted for the players. She had favorites just like the VIPS. At the end of the battle the underdog, Gi-hun prevailed.

It was the same day Il-man and her father introduced her to the special man she would be wedded to. “Meet the most important man here. Someone I entrust everything to. You may remove your mask.” Il-man said. (Y/n) had met The Front Man several times before. He had been very attentive to the VIPs but it was obvious (Y/n) had his personal attention. She never thought anything of it because most people gave her special treatment. Once the mask is removed her eyes widen, who knew the man was at least somewhat attractive man.

“I am In-ho. It a pleasure to be marrying you, Ms (Y/n).” He bows.

_1 year later_

The wedding took place only a year after the deal. It was held privately and only the most important officials and elite families were invited. Everything was from the top chefs Korean had to offer, she was respectful of In-ho’s culture and insisted on having a traditional Korean wedding. After the ceremony, they were sent to the luxury oceanfront hotel. She leaned against, In-ho as they were sitting on the balcony. “In-ho, why do you run these horrible games?” Her question was answered with silence unsure of how to answer (Y/n)’s question In-ho turned away. He still was not very open to (Y/n) but he did find her gorgeous and knew it wasnt her choice to partake in the wagers her father deals.

“It was complicated but I know you are stuck with an old man like me so I guess I will tell you. I had been a player in the games before. Back when my wife had been in the hospital. I had been the last one standing. It didn’t matter I was too late. She and my unborn child died… So I took the old man's offer to take this over. He needed someone to inherit the games. Including for me to have… children. He planned I would pass this down. I plan to do that. He was like a father to me and I only wish to make him happy.”

(Y/n) put a hand on In-ho’s chest. She gently cupped his face. “I am sorry In-ho. I promise to be a good wife to you… I couldn’t imagine what you are going through. Come on let's go inside.” (Y/n) kissed him deeply. In-ho eagerly accepted the kiss picking her up. It was no lie he liked the woman and Il-man knew In-ho would need someone like (Y/n) to make him stable.

She honestly felt bad for the man who was forced to particapte in these games only to still lose everything he had. “I know you I think you are very attractive for an ‘old man’. None of this is your fault … I won’t leave you,” She promised combing back his dark brown hair. Perhaps this would be so bad after all.

[erinwantstowrite]

what are your thoughts abot how Damian and Tim's relationship is portrayed in most fanfics?

personally, although I like the angst part of their relationship I wish there was more fanfics where they're closer and have real siblings dynamic (like u know they 'hate' eachother but they would destroy anyone who would want to hurt their brother)

oh, boy, do i have a lot to say about this one. buckle in, folks.

i feel like a lot of the time, if they're in a fic together and the fic author doesn't like one of them, the other is going to be mischaracterized to hell and back. sometimes... both are mischaracterized.

i'm all for a fanon interpretation of a character- obviously, because i have fanon interpretations in my fic too at least a wee bit- but sometimes it goes too far and it no longer feels like we're reading about the same character

let's talk about Tim.

Tim doesn't have a good view of himself or his standing in any emotional aspect. which is often misconstrued about him believing that he was Jason's replacement (neither he nor Bruce thought this, but it was Bruce's fear), or that his worth as Robin wasn't enough. that's not true at all. i'll say it again here: Jason didn't nearly kill Tim at Titan's Tower, nor did he go there to kill Tim. and Tim fought him back. he even told Jason to his face:

"you can't be that good" "I am."

he knows he's a damn good Robin! he trained with the best, he helps lead the YJ! he doesn't doubt that he was the best person for the job. but when it comes to the emotional aspect of Robin, i think this is where Tim stutters

this is because of how Tim's parents showed their affection.

i think canon neglects that aspect of his trauma, which is why so many people hang onto it. in the comics, Tim is shown to have a lot of friends both in and out of suit. he's abrasive and isn't afraid to ask the hard questions. but he is riddled with self worth issues. his parents were barely around him, they didn't know him well at all. and they loved him, but from a distance.

Tim now sees himself as someone that can receive love from a distance. he is incredibly self reliant, and has been from a young age. he sees all of his accomplishments as obligations. he does well at school because he had to. he takes care of himself because he had to. and in his mind, taking up Robin was partly another obligation. he does his job well because he has to, and he might doubt this sometimes like anyone else, but at the end of the day he is confident in his ability to get shit done.

now, the emotional part of Batman and Robin is where i believe i enjoy a fanon interpretation more. he actually does have a good relationship with Dick, but I'm not too sure about Bruce at this point. this topic is nuanced because Batman writers make him so diabolical at times to the point that i would consider it ooc. but other times they're very close and Bruce admits this. so i replace it in my head with a more stable and realistic version that i've seen written by fic authors very well.

Tim views himself as someone who is there for a job: help Batman. but there is a lot of wonder and awe there. his favorite Robin was Dick. (I'll say this again so everyone hears me: his favorite Robin was Dick. yes you are allowed to have nuance and put Jason in there as someone he looked up to as well, please do. but put some respect on Dick's name!) now that he's working with Dick Grayson, someone he admires so much, as well as getting the honor to wear the Robin suit, he feels more like himself than he has in years. he's good at this, and it's also fun. he meets so many people and he gets to make a difference in the world. yes, it's a job, but it's also very freeing

he never did this be Bruce's son, or to replace Jason. his relationship with Bruce started off extremely rocky, with Tim forcing himself into his life in some way because he believed that Batman was going to get himself killed or get someone else killed, or Batman would cross the line. and Gotham would lose the only person who had such unwavering optimism for them. he and Bruce come to an understanding of being partners but not father and son. Bruce doesn't want to open himself up to that hurt again. but we all know Bruce, and that's not what ended up happening. Bruce would never be the same person he was before, but he is not incapable of love.

Tim would not understand that change. I'd get more into this but i don't want this post too long and i wanna save it for when i'm not supposed to be sleeping and when i'm writing one of my Tim fics for once. all we really need to know is that Tim's emotional intelligence is dogshit, and him coming to see Bruce as a father, and Bruce seeing him as a son, would baffle him. because his parents love him... at a distance. and Bruce sees him every day. that's not how it's supposed to work, right?

so.

sometimes, Tim is treated like a porcelain doll who can do no wrong. many aspects of his canon has been altered by fanon to be "worse" than it is. his neglect by his parents did, indeed, happen, and it affects him deeply. but his parents weren't like. beating him, or leaving him without food or shelter or supervision. Tim was clever enough to get around that supervision all on his own. which is why they should have been there in the first place. (they should have been there regardless). and emotional neglect is still a very real issue??? no one has to make it "worse" by making the Drakes out to be monsters. i think Jack often emotionally manipulated Tim when he was around, and I don't know if Jack was even aware that he did so. (which is why i can see some people delving into that nonexistent relationship that DC gave us, and finally giving those implications more depth. there are a lot of good fics that go over this)

often it's hard to read a fic for Tim because they go too hard into making Tim an anxious shy ball of sunshine. Tim is weird, and he stalked the Bats, he stalked Nightwing, he broke into Titan's Tower before he even became Robin. he's a weirdo. he fits right in with the Bats for that reason. some people make him out to be the victim or some kind of damsel in distress, and sometimes we get to see a phenomena where other characters talk like a book about emotional intelligence that their therapist gave them. which is... fine, if you're just writing to write it, maybe helping yourself. but let's take a step back and see Tim is not like that. he is a very capable person, and his not some "uwu, woe is me, i'm so shitty at everything and if you even look at me wrong i'll cry." i honestly believe that Tim is the type of character to hate crying in front of someone and even if he was actively dying he'd be holding back those tears.

whereas Damian? gets the opposite treatment??

granted, i don't actually know too much about Damian, but i at least try to understand him and his background

he's the youngest of them, and i think many people forget that Damian isn't a reader of the comics like we are. he wasn't going into that family with the emotional connections to these characters and their backstories like we did. he was taught about these people, the idea of them. like how we could be taught in class about people from a long time ago. and i can ensure you that Damian was not taught proper emotional intelligence, nor would he have the best grasp of it himself when he was younger than 9 years old. imagine all of your teachers and also your mother told you about these people and their accomplishments, and then told you that the person all of them look up to is your father. the person that you want nothing more than to know, to see, because the people around you talk about him so highly. someone you haven't gotten to meet yet, because you aren't "worthy." can you imagine being told all your life that you are not worthy to see your father yet? and not knowing if he believes that too?

but one day, you are going to be by his side as his son. i don't want to get too into the culture of the Al Ghul family because i don't actually know that much (i'm sure someone would know more about this, feel free to add on if you want to), but this is important to Damian. it's important to his mom. it's important to his grandfather, the leader of an extensive organization that stretches hundreds of years.

then he gets dropped off in a different country, culture, language, and family and he finds that things are not as he had been told his entire life. his father has many flaws, they do not believe the same importance of a blood tie as his family back home does. they question his entire upbringing to his face many times, they question his mother who he loves deeply. he's nine years old. imagine yourself in that position. you don't know yet what role you're playing in an adult's life, but you want to. desperately. you want to know where you stand. you want a hug. not to mention that Damian actually is a very emotional kid. he was taught to shove that deep, deep down, and not let that out.

too many people write Damian as if he was a "feral" kid which is kind of not something to put on him? i don't like it both because he wasn't feral, he was an asshole. there's a difference. and because it feels like a microaggression?? at times?? because once again... the culture that he is from... is important.

they have been racially profiled for many many years... and yes, everything that you read is political whether you want it to be or not. the act of reading is political. you should definitely be aware of what a writer's goal is when they were giving something to you. you should be reading deeper. again, i'm not from his culture and i can't say if it is an insult/insensitive joke or not, nor am i saying everyone who's made the joke before is a bad person. i have made jokes about Tim being a feral kid before and whatnot. i'm saying that no matter who you are, it is your responsibility to think critically about your media and kindly about other people. it feels uncomfortable to me because i know how wrongly the Al Ghuls (specifically Talia) have been treated by writers in the past. and Damian is an extension of that bias. just look at how many times they try to push Ian Wayne on us. or how they'll pull back on Damian's character development when talking about the Al Ghul family.

this probably isn't my topic to write about, at least not before i learn more about it. but since i get a fair amount of viewership, maybe someone will listen to me that won't listen to someone of color that has already pointed this out many times. with the comics fandom, and Batman fandom specifically sometimes, people don't care to think further about why the characters of color are so often and conveniently left out or forced into an archetype. take that as you will

so! he has spent his entire life believing he had to live up to two great legacies, both of which are VERY different. the intricacies of the Al Ghul family are often boiled down to pure evil by both fanon and canon writers, which dulls Damian's resolve and reasoning for what he had done, or makes it hard to connect to him. he has since learned more about who he wants to be and has come to respect his family in many ways. excuse me if i'm wrong, but i think part of why Damian came so hard for Tim was because Tim had everything Damian wanted. he had a place by Batman's side as both his son and his partner, and was very well respected by Batman and Nightwing both. he's older, more mature, he has stature in both this society Damian now has to fit into and within the family dynamic. considering Damian grew up in an assassin cult that solved threats to their dynamics or positions in power by murder, it wasn't a far leap for a child from that environment to make. he was modelling what he had been taught his entire life.

think about the mistakes that you made as a kid. and i don't mean something silly or funny now, i'm talking something that makes you feel ashamed. embarrassed. hurt. something that perhaps now as an adult, you reflect on as being totally uncool. and i want you to think about if maybe your environment had a role to play in that. maybe you made an insensitive joke that your mom or dad would have found funny, and someone pointed it out and reasonably made you feel like a jerk. shit happens. but you hopefully grew from that.

now imagine that mistake was you hurting someone.

yes, he was annoying. he was bratty, at times. he could be a little calculating shit. he hurt people with both his words and his weapons. Tim obviously had many many many reasons to be upset about his treatment- but I fear that most of his anger ended up directed at the older people in their lives that were supposed to be the ones to do something about it!

and though i hate that Tim went back to being Robin (it feels redundant), i have seen panels that show that the two of them working side by side after Damian and Tim both went through some life and perspective altering events both together and alone, has made Tim see Damian as his little brother, and vice versa. Damian has grown so much and many people just... don't care. no matter their reasoning for hating Damian, it's unfair to not look further than those cutting words written decades ago, or to bring up his mistakes every time you want to be mad at him. and i think it does a disservice to Tim to make him a bleeding heart about this when he has clearly forgiven Damian and cares about him. he rags on Damian like any older brother would, and Damian makes remarks like a younger brother would. personally, i think the two of them are doing pretty good right now

the development of their characters is actually so interesting within the canon aspect, even if they can fumble the ball every now and then. and the mischaracterization takes away the value that their canon relationship has. i personally love reading fics that have Damian and Tim teaming up. in aus where one thing changes and Tim and Damian become brothers later, i think it's actually so silly and fun when Damian respects Tim or thinks he's cool. or even without the au aspect! just like, a fic where the two of them are working together and it's either silly or serious, Damian having a begrudging respect for Tim and Tim being protective over Damian, etc etc, is sooooo much fun

[allwaswell16]

A One Direction fic rec of fics where both of the main characters are older as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis / Harry -

🩶 Don't Want Shelter by @kingsofeverything

(E, 76k, enemies to lovers) Louis and Harry have known each other all their lives. Friends as children, they danced around each other as teenagers, and have spent the last twenty-five years either screaming at each other or not speaking at all. Except for that one time ten years ago…

🩶 Not That Gone (series) by abrighteryellow / @a-brighter-yellow

(E, 66k, famous/not famous) Louis’s 20-year high school reunion takes a turn when a celebrity classmate – who also happens to be Louis’s long unrequited crush – unexpectedly shows up.

🩶 In Four Colours by crimsontheory / @ireallysawanangel

(E, 59k, vacation) the older larry AU featuring sun, sand, and the French countryside with a sprinkling of divorced Harry and silver fox Louis.

🩶 A Sweeter Place by Halos_Boat / @halohamilton

(E, 50k, widowers) Harry doesn't think he has it in him to find love again, at least, not until he meets a man at his support group that just might change his mind.

🩶 Where Words Fail, Music Speaks by Larry_you_know / @larryyouknow

(M, 45k, small town) Louis meets town troubadour Harry, who seems wonderful to him just right until he reveals that Louis’ father was like a dad to him. Even though Louis tries to convince himself that it shouldn’t - it hurts.

🩶 hard times in elmsmere by @stylinsoncity

(M, 37k, time travel) Louis is struggling enough to adjust to life in the present when an older version of harry magically appears to him and requests his help in the future.

🩶 We’ve Been Here Before by @yourpricelessadvice

(E, 36k, established relationship) Harry and Louis' last child has just flown the nest; they've got the house all to themselves for the first time in twenty six years. Fate, however, has other plans for the couple.

🩶 Someone to Fly Home To by @kingsofeverything

(E, 34k, exes) Louis. 55 year old pilot who wants someone to fly home to. Harry swipes right.

🩶 Hold Tight by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

(E, 29k, neighbors) Louis’ new home comes with a garage, a garden, and a dream man next door. The only thing standing in the way of their happily ever after is his neighbour’s stubborn insistence that his vintage motorbike continue to rust away rather than let Louis get it back into driving shape.

🩶 Unraveled by @allwaswell16

(E, 18k, bodyguard) Harry Styles, recently retired UK Secret Intelligence Service agent, had not yet had time to become accustomed to civilian life when he was tapped by MI5 for a high profile assignment. They had reason to believe that Prime Minister Louis Tomlinson might be in danger, and they’d like Harry to act as his personal protection.

🩶 Moments of Memories by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry

(M, 17k, Reunited au) Harry Styles met Louis Tomlinson at the age of 6. At the age of 23 he lost him. What happens when he meets him again 36 years later?

🩶 It Will Always Be You by @phdmama

(E, 15k, reconnecting) If you had told Louis Tomlinson a year ago that he would be celebrating his birthday by kissing the man who is the love of his life on a Church Street park bench in Burlington VT as the snow drifted softly down, he would have told you that you were extremely imaginative. 

🩶 Thought The Song Was Sung by @100percentsassy

(E, 12k, famous/not famous) Louis never auditioned for the X-Factor. Years later, Harry's just another gay ex-boybander who lives alone with his cat... until Niall decides to take matters into his own hands and set up a profile for Harry on a dating website.

🩶 contingencies by honey_beeing

(M, 10k, famous/famous au) where Louis and Harry are actors who long ago were married on set and find out too late. Like twenty five years too late.

🩶  a garden in bloom by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry

(G, 10k, bed & breakfast) Louis used to live the quiet sweet life of a small business owner in the English countryside. Then Harry Styles came along.

🩶 Just the Start by @littleroverlouis

(M, 9k, hairstylist Harry) Louis is a fifty-two year old divorcé who has fallen into rut. He never anticipated a forced day of self care, and a chance meeting with a charming salon owner would shake him out of his comfort zone.

🩶 'Sup by MediaWhore / @mediawhorefics

(G, 6k, writer Louis) Gemma really wants her little brother to sign up for a dating app and get back in the game after a messy divorce. Harry thinks he’s way too old to swipe.

🩶 We're Getting Better With Time by @haztobegood

(T, 5k, second chance) the one where Louis is single, Harry is recently divorced, and they reconnect on Facebook forty years after they first met.

🩶 Have Me And Hold Me by @letsjustsee

(NR, 5k, established relationship) a wedding day AU in which Louis will let nothing stand in the way of a perfect day - especially a little rain.

🩶 Everlasting Admirations by me_her_themoon / @dreamersdivin-headfirst

(E, 2k, established relationship) They’ve tried to keep each other in tune over the years, wanting to make sure they both feel loved by each other and by themselves. Though, sometimes age gets the best of them.

🩶 the quinquagenarian by larryftnoctrl / @the-larry-way

(E, 2k, established relationship) Harry and Louis have their first Christmas alone in more years than they can count.

- Rare Pairs -

🩶  A True Love of Mine by myownspark / @myownsparknow

(T, 2k, Niall/Shawn Mendes) Niall's peaceful afternoon at the beach with Shawn is interrupted by a group of strangers. One man in particular reminds him of someone special from long ago.

[storgicbytes]

THE ANIMATION VERSUS KICKSTARTER HAS LAUNCHED !!!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/animationversus/animation-versus

which MEANS im going to make a post detailing everything of course .

https://youtu.be/K4lvfmbMkcw?si=73cLDy92Aaron3yL

god. GOD !!!!!!! IM SO EXCITED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY SHIT DUDE

the game looks INSANELY good already and that's considering the game, as we see it, is supposed to release in 2028 !

it looks like it has 28 days to go to achieve its goal (and it already is doing really weel as i write this XD i mean, 14k dollars already??? god DAMN !!!)

(new art on kickstarter page! the artist cooked)

i find it INCREDIBLY cool that the lead developer of the project is the person who made the ava/m rivals of aether mod. how cool is that dude

right away from the trailer im incredibly happy they're including purple in the main cast (another purple cameo on alanspc for the win)

(i do admire the way blue is just fine with it)

the fighting kits are INSANE MAN ?? its a little surprising that orange's main moves are projectiles (which however is incredibly cool. both a throwback to anim vs. physics and (unintentional?) parallel with vic perhaps) <- (although, now reading it, it seems like the projectile objects will rotate with every move!)

green having a guitar in his kit ???? are you kidding. /vpos . i was wondering how they would optimize blue's kit but it looks SO cool dude (its likely im going to be a blue main XD)

red's kit looks interesting, especially with the shark move! its genuinely not surprising that its red who's kit currently looks best ingame lol. it's also no wonder purple's kit is best at air attacks!

the backgrounds are just. Holy hell.

the whole fact they're making like. 4 different backgrounds per Stage ??? Good lord.

and. hello??? hello? hi ???? hello ????? im Sane ???????

other notable details: its so cool to get more details on the city from up above, seeing it's so progressed. other details: "primoral descent" billboard which is a reference to dj's original comic! plus corndog guy's stand in the second bg (also we really gotta acknowledge that moon exists in the outernet sometime.)

(as im writing this the amount of money has already went up to 34k. holy hell.)

its interesting to me as well that the game's version of special attacks charge bar is a "node meter"! another one for the computer/internet references

("a node in network refers to any physical device or point that is capable of sending, receiving, or forwarding data")

which also seems like a general running theme for the fighting scene in game itself, given that those "nodes" are also seen on the art and the character's fighting profiles

it seems like the game will either feature new game-specific soundtrack or compile existing soundtrack into a batch (which is making me Squeal because im so interested in how individual soundtracks are going to be named — yes im a fan of such details XD)

the reward tiers are. hough. holy hell

beta tests ???? tco palette???? (as im guessing with sec?????) exclusive character pins??????? FUTURE DLC???????

(also, cursor lobby pet implies that there Will be a lobby. lol)

the kickstarter page also says: "Today, we have six characters that we’re excited to share with you. With your help, we’ll be able to bring even more iconic heroes and villains from AvA into the game!"

if that means we WILL eventually get rocketcorp characters + king. oh my god. oh my god.

and also. DIGITAL ART BOOK??????

(selling my kidney.)

plus. "At some of our higher tiers we're offering the opportunity to join a development meeting to see how to game is made, and the option to design your own original character stick figure in a level background!" Hello ?????

god i barely can word anything right now dude im so excited i cant stop stimming what the HELL !!!!!!!!

[accio-victuuri]

it’s been a while since i’ve shared my recent reads! so here’s what i have picked up in the past months. felt inspired cause i’m really enjoying the story i’m reading now, w/c i initially picked up as a manhwa but i’m impatient so i switched to the novel. it’s called the hunter is gonna lay low or the hunter wants to live quietly. it’s such a gem! cause it starts of pretty simple and funny then the author manages to put in the plot and well, it’s plotting. lol.

if you like systems/dungeons, cast of characters, time travel, mystery and the most delicious slow burn then this is for you. i hope this gets animated at some point cause it’s so good! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 this is the only novel on the list so it’s pretty special that the story led me to WANT to read the source.

i’m literally listing what i’ve read so yeah. and pretty much a v short reaction to it cause there is a lot (53). it’s a mix of ongoing and completed works at the time of writing and when i read it so i’ll mark that too.

1. Sweetie, Sweetie, Sweetie - this title is so misleading cause you would think it’s a modern story full of sweetness when it’s not. this deals with kingdoms/royalty, superpowers — and isekai.

2. How my Daddies Became mates (completed) - first foray into mangas because i most prefer manhwa/manhuas — i know, sacrilege. but yeah, it’s a cute story of two dad telling their kid how they met and fell in love. It’s so wholesome! a short read when you feel tired of all the toxic bl stories. 😂😂😂

3. Unintentional Love Story (completed) - pick this up! it’s so good! slice of life kind of vibe and falling in love in a small town.

4. Someone like You (completed) - this was something i started before and went back in now that it’s completed.

5. Isekai no Sata Wa shachiku shidai - i don’t really go for Mangas but this one pulled me in! I love myself some isekai plot. it’s just sad that no one has updated the translation for so long so that may put some people off in picking this up.

6. Bend over Backwards (completed) - corporate slave x international model. if you like this kind of dynamic then go ahead. Only 40 chapters plus a bunch of side stories so this kind of thing is a good choice.

7. Dinner with a Vampire - pretty obvs with the title.

8. Mister Wonderful teases me

9. Romance but not Romantic - omegaverse! the kind where the omega needs the alpha but initially hated him.

10. Be, Be. - omegaverse with modern royalty!

11. Smoky Nectar 1 - a short read that continues to a part 2 and it’s good ✌🏼

12. Smoky Nectar 2

13. Reincarnated to Devil King Evelogia’s World - this is so uniquely unhinged that it became. endearing. No. I swear. I haven’t read anything like it. I love it tho. Maybe some people will find it over the top but it’s now one of my personal faves.

there’s an animated version of it if you wanna start with that just to see how cute they are lol.

14. Bullying the Dog - an MC who didn’t get much love then he meets the ML who shows him what it’s like. it’s so somft.

15. Bittersweet Martini (completed) - i’m gonna cheat here and copy/paste the first comment on this story cause i think it perfectly describes the story: “If you're looking for a casual pleasure read with a green flag story with heavy flirting, which leads to a lot of blushing but also deals with a more serious topic towards the middle, without leaning too much into the drama, then look no further.”

16. Over the Paradise - guideverse with zombies!

17. Hero vs Villain - what happens when the supposed hero and villain become friends and fall in love? this was so nice!

18. Night of London - vampire and werewolf pairing! come on! Let’s gooooo! 🙌🏼

19. Kill my love - omegaverse and assassins!

20. Turning - Another work that i would most likely pick up the novel version cause it’s that good! Regression theme! ❣️plus the setting is they are in a kingdom where people have powers.

21. The Moon is coming to me - I have already talked bout this before and it’s one of my absolute faves! I didn’t know the Manhua was released! So i was so happy to enjoy it in that form. The translation for this is very close to the end so pick it up!

22. Cozy Obsession - transmigration where the MC knows how the story goes so he is trying his best to change the ending.

23. Summertime (completed) - one of my favorites! love it when friends become lovers and some may say the ML here is manipulative but i wanna say in a good way. lol. anyway, it’s classic, atleast from the MC’s side that you’ve known this person some time and that summertime everything has changed.

24. My way with you (completed) - gonna cheat again with this one by pasting here what someone commented: “LISTEN UP GUYS this one has everything: healthy happy relationship, supportive friends, trauma and healing, mysterious past connections, beautiful men, hot af smut, 100% consent, cutest lovey dovey couple, NO drama, NO “misunderstandings”, NO second ml, NO annoying interfering side characters. You will cry, but because it’s just so good.” 💯

25. Netkama Punch - i haven’t finished and progressed much as i would like tho i know a lot of people have this as their favorite! I will get back to it! The premise of hidden identity and online gaming is one of my fave so i will surely pick this up again.

26. Through the Years - i haven’t finished this yet but it’s a lot of people’s fave

27. Fools (completed) - disillusioned guy meets excitable puppy 🤍

28. Moonquake (completed) - a very unique concept. people on earth have powers and then some of them decided to rebel and live in the Moon. Our MC is one of the best ones on earth and is supposed to bring down the leader of the rebellion. but you all know what happens, they fall in love! AHHHHH! and i have to say the art in this too is exceptional.

29. Men’s wear store and the Royal Princess (completed) - this may be weird for some or slow / not enough action lol. i enjoyed it tho! the MC cross dresses and finds someone who loves and accepts him!

30. Ex Hot Neighbor (completed) - a story that centers around a misunderstanding! MC thinks he can’t date the neighbor cause he’s his friend’s ex. but nope!

31. Forest Sea (completed) - A good and solid fantasy story. Please give it a try! The whole birds vs snakes thing was kinda weird at first but the author made it work.

32. When you were asleep - this hasn’t been updated in a while and it’s so sad because the art is topnotch! the plot is good too, especially the dreamscapes but there’s still a lot to discover cause we wanna know what happened in the past. Why is MC even having these dreams and all that.

33. Beum & Go’s Unholy…. - still ongoing and read few chapters

34. Spring, the color of love (completed) - what a wonderful story. Oftentimes, as a reader, you have that sense of boundary with the narrator. But this one — you can feel and understand what the MC is thinking and going through. even tho i haven’t experienced what he did, i can totally get it. this is one of those tropes where they fall in love during their school years and some misunderstanding happens, they meet again years later and try again. something i would love to re-read even if there are parts of it that hurt. and it’s just proof that if something is meant to be, it will come back to you.

35. Keep Holding On (completed) - a short and sweet read with friends to lovers trope!

36. Wolf in the House (completed) - i am so late with this cause i feel like every list has this story as one of the best. I have to agree! it’s so good! tho i have to say i’m more attached to the second pairing. this one is a perfect mix of fantasy, action, comedy and romance. A solid recommendation!

37. Touch within the Abyss (completed) - AAAAAHHHHHH! a hitman x blind cinnamon roll! read it now! please! it’s so sweet! their love and care for each other is so pure 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

38. 99% in love season 1 (completed) - from bestfriends to lovers in the cutest way! they start fake dating and it leads to more obvs.

39. 99% in love season 2 - their college life and this one has smut scenes!

40. Alpha Trauma ( novel ongoing ) - if you know Omega Complex then you might be aware that this is a sequel of sorts but follows the second lead’s love story if you may. Everyone loves Dohyun so i’m one of those happy readers who is happy that he gets his own story, tho the POV in this is not his but his Omega. If you like ABO and campus setting then this may be for you.

41. Soul Sealer’s school life - The MC is the soul sealer who has to do good deeds to prolong his life, then he meets the ML who has a strong spirit in him. It’s a perfect blend of fantasy, comedy and not so much romance as of the moment. The art is 💯 and i really like to see where this goes!

42. Guidance with Benefits - still ongoing and read few chapters

43. Chiguha Kuna Kisu (completed) - if you like a short read that will make you have overall good vibes then this is it. school setting, two cute boys, a fortunate miscommunication and starting a relationship. it’s so good and made me want to look for more mangas! 🤍

44. Spicy Milk Candy - yandere but in a good way. that’s all i’m gonna say.

45. Ruby Red wo Kamikudaku (completed) - i’m just gonna add the summary below but it’s truly a unique read!

Akane is an Omega who can see people's pheromones as multicolored "crystals”. During his school days, when he was lonely because of his peculiar constitution, he meets Makise, a school nurse teacher. 5 years later, they are miraculously reunited, but Makise has a secret

46. Yume Nara Doko Made Yurusaremasuka (completed) - corporate slave x young policeman. 6 chapters of sweetness!

47. Sparkling Baby (completed) - this is supposedly a sequel for the second lead, but i haven’t read the first story. I just love how the MC/ML first met and then made a mark on each other as strangers — but it wasn’t there time yet. and so they meet again later and navigate their lives together. What attracted me to this story is how the MC changed because of love. For years, he had this sense of what he think is love and looking back, maybe it didn’t work out because love isn’t supposed to be like that. What he found with the ML is real and why it feels different.

48. Ashita kimi no mono ni shite (completed) - this so wholesome! school setting and friends to lovers. quiet boy x cool guy

49. Koibitu Keiyaku chu ni suki (completed) - friends to lovers! fake dating. and well, look at them. so precious together:

50. Camboy Bunny (completed) - i think the title says it all. A delicious read!

51. Beyond the Memories - AAAAAHHHHHHH! the story in itself should be sweet and fluffy but the author manages to squeeze in the undercurrent of there is something wrong. as a reader, there is something big that we don’t know and once it comes out — all of it will be shattered. it looks like there is some sort of regression and MC doesn’t know this but the ML does. The question here is when his memories will come back and will he forgive the ML. We are not in that part yet with what’s available right now so i’m excited!

52. Private Call (completed) - another omegaverse.

53. Senza Replica - guide/esper. very few chapters out and something i will go back to.

I read everything except the novel at BATO. 🫶🏼 covering my may-october 2024 reads.

[lesbianalanwake]

Severance S2E3..... I'm chewing through drywall:

-- Natalie referred to the Board as "it"..... it? it??

-- speaking of that: Natalie? are you good?? how literal is the concept of speaking for the Board? Natalie??

-- Milchick packing away the box of paintings (and it doesn't quite fit.... girl....), and Cobel driving away from Helena's invitation to speak to the Board (sleeping in her car.... where is she driving to)..... obsessed with them and everything they do, actually. enemy of my enemy please god 🙏

-- Devon and Gretchen meeting the innie version of someone they love, and seeing how innocent/lost/earnest that person is, how they echo the person they know but less closed off and worn down..... Devon's face when she said Mark's a good egg, and Gretchen's face when Dylan G said he would make her proud..... oh I'm chewing through drywall AND glass. (the stark contrast to the contempt that Helena's father shows towards Helly..... ough)

-- the unhinged conversations between Cobel and Helena..... careful flat affect and measured tone while simmering with cold rage. makes me wonder if it's a "raised by Lumon" thing, which makes me wonder about Miss Huang and her impassive mannerisms..... Miss Huang get behind me. Dylan worrying about her.... 😢

-- Dr. Asal Reghabi's first in-person appearance: beat a man to death with a bat. Dr. Asal Reghabi's second in-person appearance: unsevered Mark's brain. what WILL she do next. how long did she work for Lumon? going to make a tentative guess that it might have been for quite some time, because she's got those funky off-putting ways of saying things, but she emotes a bit more than, say, Cobel. so maybe more of a Milchick type

-- Lumon wanting to edit Ricken's book.... trying to absorb and rewrite every part of the narrative in order to control it. a dumb out of touch self-help book, but it meant something in an environment stripped of most anything else, just like Miss Casey's "wellness" sessions meant something to the goat people. scraps of some kind of meaning, and now getting twisted and taken away. I am actually sick in the head over it

-- we have GOT to get a copy of The Body Keeps The Score down there to them next

-- that has to be Helena because 1) we don't spend time with her that isn't driven by another character, and 2) Irving's instincts. and girl must have studied the security footage closely because she's got a lot of Helly's mannerisms.... but not all of them, and so much of what she does is stilted or subdued. even the register of her voice isn't quite right. studying Britt Lower's microexpressions and body language under a microscope like who ARE you

-- Reghabi talking about 5 brain waves while the macrodata files emphasize the number 4..... chewing thoughtfully on it..... the input survey also has 5 questions. is this anything

-- also pondering how Reghabi says the only way for Mark to get information in and out of the severed floor is through reintegration. locked down tight with code detectors, and an afterimage is too ephemeral, but information is encoded within the brain, and that can't be locked down so tightly despite every effort to control it.... you carry it with you.... the body keeps the score

[crepezinhos]

Has anyone ever noticed how most (if not all) soundtrack played when you’re in Tatarasuna resembles Scaramouche? I don’t even think it was intentional, but I need to rant about it down below:

This all started when I was farming some Nobushi at Inazuma and the game tracked some of them at Tatarasuna, and there I went with my Scaramouche on-field (named Kuni btw), and then out of nowhere this melody started playing:

And if you don’t have Spotify:

It wasn’t the first time I heard this playing in my game, but now that I was finally using my Scara, I genuinely started to feel horrible, no matter if my objective was distracting me from it or not.

This song really sounds to me what would be the soundtrack playing when Scaramouche was still Kabukimono, wandering around Inazuma after his heartbreaks, trying to find a new home, or destiny while feeling empty and grief for his losses.

And specifically, when the beat ‘drops’ (because there’s no real anticipation in this music), it really sounds like the angry stage of grief, but still sounding soft and sweet just like Kabukimono was. The only moment of anger we saw coming from Kabukimono in the game was when that orphan kid died, and he was angry at that death, the world, his mother, the Archons, and himself. That’s why he immediately broke down in tears afterwards, he was in grief once again, just like this songs sounds like to my ears. But, since it does still sounds more eery and negative rather than comforting to me, I interpret this music as Kabukimono deciding to transition from Inazuma to Snezhnaya and from Kabukimono to Kunikuzushi/Scaramouche.

That’s why I felt so horrible while playing with Wanderer there. All that grief and commotion in Tatarasuna, caused because of his existence, is now just a memory in the back of his mind. No one remembers it. No one remembers the beautiful, innocent puppet boy who roamed in search of a home and his own mother and attracted the eyes of the Fatui to that cursed land. Not even Ei remembers all the pain she unintentionally led Scaramouche to suffer, which hurts the most to me. She’ll walk through those toxic lands without any notion of the suffer her own son (and the entire land) went through in there because of her neglect of him. And even if I have hopes that they’ll meet each other again, I don’t believe it would be a fair conversation (aka, Hoyoverse forgiving Ei’s actions and considerably-bad-writing in a blink just for the sake of her popularity in the fandom). And honestly, just imagining Wanderer walking through the lands of Inazuma again, after so many years and traumas, makes me sick to the stomach, specifically one where he’d be in search of his mother again like Kabukimono used to do too.

Not that I think Scaramouche shouldn’t forgive Ei, but knowing how Hoyoverse glazes her, I’m pretty sure that he’d be just be like ‘Yeah, whatever’ and Ei still wouldn’t make any efforts to compensate him due to that miserable approval.

But, going back to the point, I really do wonder if, by the time they were creating this and the other soundtracks for Tatarasuna, they had Scaramouche’s character in mind. I personally don’t believe that was their intention, but some people appear to believe on it. When I was reading the comments of the video, in search of anyone who felt the same way about that soundtrack and Scaramouche, I found this:

Another comment also pointed out that the ‘beat drop’ was a less intensified version of Scaramouche’s boss theme too (specifically in the Dominatus part). Do I personally see it? No, but both themes still sound a little similar to me in the end.

Anyway, I think this is end of my little rant about Scaramouche’s character and the sound representation of him. Hope this was somehow enjoyable to read about.

If you’re still unsure whether you understand me, I’d recommend do the same as me. Go to Tatarasuna (specifically in the forge), play the song and walk (no sprint) with Wanderer around it. Maybe that’ll make you understand, because there’s no way I’m the only who genuinely feels this emotional with Scaramouche’s lore.

Istg this man had a cultural and emotional impact on me…

[minihelly]

My theory about a potential Helena pregnancy subplot in Severance S2, why I don’t think she would have planned it, and what it could mean for the characters:

Okay so a lot of people are theorising that Helena could be pregnant after the tent scene in S2E4 and that her entire reason for going down to the severed floor was to get pregnant because she’s an only child and single and she’ll be expected to produce the next Eagan heir.

With the theme of pregnancy throughout the show and all of the baby imagery in the title sequence I think she could be pregnant but I feel like if she is it wasn’t intentional. Here’s why:

It’s obviously entirely possible for somebody to get pregnant after having sex just once but the chances of it happening is pretty small (from what I could find online it appears to be about a 25% chance each month if you’re having REGULAR unprotected sex around the time of ovulation - thank you Huggies website - so it’s even lower if it happens just once). Lumon and the Eagans are meticulous - there’s no way they would send her off to sleep with somebody in the woods just once and cross their fingers she would end up pregnant (it would also just kind of be lazy writing/way too convenient)- they would have a whole ass operation going so it would happen regularly until she conceives.

I think they sent Helena down instead of Helly not because she wanted a baby but just because they couldn’t trust Helly R - they knew she’d tell MDR the truth and it could spoil everything. She already hated herself and tried to end her life before she knew she was an Eagan and it would only triple that hatred now she knows who she really is. On top of that MDR had been working fine before she joined, then within a couple of weeks of her arrival, the team is going rogue trying to do the OTC? She was too dangerous to let back down there - they knew Mark would demand Helly back but Helly is feisty and will not budge from her goals of fucking shit up.

So Helena was to go down to the severed floor instead and impersonate Helly (which would also allow her to spy on them and what they’re up to while still tricking them into thinking they had more freedom - remember one of the first things she does is point out the missing cameras). But then she found out about Mark and Helly with the security footage and Helena - who has been raised in a cult-like corporate hellscape, who was manipulated and moulded from birth to be the perfect future heir and was never allowed to be herself - was genuinely jealous/intrigued because this version of her who she doesn’t even see as a real person, who just existed for a publicity stunt, has built more genuine relationships in just a few short weeks than Helena has in 30 years. She went down as a mole and genuinely came out preferring who she was down there. I think she was genuine when she told mark in the tent that she didn’t like who she was on the outside - it was a rare moment of her letting the act down he just didn’t know it.

So how does this link back to pregnancy and babies? Well as mentioned, the title sequence is full of babies and baby imagery. We see a baby Kier emerging from the snow at Mark’s feet at the end of the title sequence (emerging from the snow where it was maybe conceived?) Baby Kier - a baby Eagan. While I don’t think it was intentional on Helena’s part, I think she could end up pregnant and it could be a massive turning point for both Helly and Helena.

We know Mark and Helena meet up again outside (the diner scene in the trailer). Now he’s reintegrated he knows who she is both inside and out. So their outies (or outie Helena and reintegrated Mark I guess) must end up having some kind of character arc. I’m wondering if he’ll confront her about why she pretended to be Helly and ends up getting dragged into the whole situation now he knows a child is on the line. Half of him still wants Gemma (who I think it truly dead but that’s a matter for another time) but the other half of him genuinely wants Helly and - because of the way reintegration messes with your time perception as Petey explained back in S1) they are equally as strong feelings.

So for the even more out-there, very unlikely way I could potentially see this going: I’m wondering if it’s possible Helena deciding she doesn’t want her child to be exposed to the same cult-ish, toxic upbringing she experienced - wanting her child to be given a good life, the chance to be their own person and not just a pawn for a corporate entity - and so she chooses to help the innies out and expose the company in a parallel to how Helly R did at the end of S1 - this time it really is Helena speaking. In a way (although she was still a terrible person and did some really awful things) she finally does something good and proves she isn’t just a one-note evil stereotype. Then I could see her potentially deciding to either reintegrate (I think less likely) or permanently sever herself (more likely) because she prefers the person she is when severed than in the real world - essentially killing Helena Eagan and the Eagan lineage for good and instead giving the innie - who she didn’t even see as a real person at first - a life she could never have.

[indras-wife]

Hiiiii

it’s my first request, so congratulations cause you take my first time!! . So, now I wanna request about only my man Shisui! (You may add a someone else, if you want to) headcanones to his yandere version <3 Maybe it’s like alphabet?? NSFW part allowed and mostly welcomed ~ have a great day sweetie, love you and Elysia ~

Thank you for trusting me with your first request sweetheart~! Another Shisui request yayyy! I get so happy that underated characters get the love they deserve and Shisui is too good to be ignored sooo...THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING ABOUT HIM! I did full NSFW alphabet with some yandere headcanons, hope its okay with you~. Enjoy reading and feel free to request more of this fine man. Elysia and I love you toooo~ Have a splendid day<3

Yandere Shisui Headcanons

As a Yandere, Shisui is a very calm one, so calm that you would not even think he is a Yandere. He was always a sweet, calm guy who loves joking with you and occasionally flirt with you. Knowing his easy-going nature, at first you were ignoring his jokes, not taking them too seriously. Sometime you would even flirt back with him as a joke, which later on would be the reason of his yandere behaviour change.

You started noticing those changes when you got closer to one of your mutual friends to whom you always had a crush on. You stopped spending much time with Shisui, desiring to spend time with your crush and learning more about him. This of course, upset Shisui, making him angry too. Why you did not want to spend time with him. Is he that boring? Did he go overboard with his flirting jokes? He could not help but wonder about it all the time, resulting in becoming more and more obsessed with you.

One day, you found him standing in front of your house, with flowers in his hand. You approached him, wondering what is he doing here. He gave the flowers to you along a note, his cheeks blushing slowly and looking away.

A love letter...As you read it, you could not help but laugh. This was definitely one of his jokes and you got used to them. "Shisui, your jokes are really not ending." you said. Shisui, now looking more serious let you know that his letter is for real and that he likes you.

Of course you pushed him away because you confessed to your crush and wee now a couple together. When you let him know, Shisui could not hide his disappointment. A loser like him did not deserve you and he would make sure you become his instead.

He makes this cruel plan in his head, asking one of his girl friends to help him. His plan was simple: ask the girl to seduce your bf and have you witness him cheating on you. Pretty easy, considering your boyfriend would not let the chance of fucking someone slip from his fingers.

As he desired, you witness your boyfriend cheating on you in your own house. You were returning back from a mission, hoping to relax a little bit before meeting your boyfriend, but you see him fucking someone else in your bed, which crushes you. You drag them both out of your house and life, sinking into the world of depression.

The only person there to comfort you was of course Shisui, who came to your house after knowing his plan worked. He brought you chocolate and a small plushie, knowing you love soft animals. He was more than satisfied when you hugged him hard, crying and saying how much you hated your ex now for doing this to you.

After Shisui helped you get little better, he started to spend more time with you, which eventually led you to falling in love with him. This was of course what he desired. Once he got you, he won't let you go ever.

His brainwashing words and actions helped him, because now you wanted to do nothing but spend more time with only him. You cut your connection with your friends and spent your time with Shisui. He would be very jealous if a man dared to look at you when you were walking down the street, so he tried to put you away from the spotlight as much as he could.

NSFW Alphabet

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Shisui is very attentive to aftercare. When you both are done, if its still light outside, he makes sure to grab a towel and help you clean up (he turns you into a literal mess), change your clothes and feed you. A happy girlfriend means happy life and more sex to come! If its nighttime, he always cuddles you and kisses your skin till you fall asleep. He is a softie when it comes to taking care of you <3

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Shisui's favourite body part of his is his shoulders, arms and chest. All are connected with you. He loves his shoulders and back because your legs look nice resting on them. He loves his arms because he manhandles you PERFECTLY with his toned arms and he loves his chest because he loves seeing you lay on it everyday. He finds it cute seeing you fall asleep on him when you are tired.

His favourite part of your body...Well he loves every inch of skin, but he has special liking to your ass. He is an ass guy. LOVES pulling your dress up and watching your ass as you move. Your ass is his favourite part also because they serve as good pillows for him when you laying on your stomach and he places his head on your ass. A sweet paradise is what he calls it.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He is the type of man who doesn't let any single drop of cum go to waste. He makes sure to always empty himself in you just so he can later watch his cum drip out of you. There something so hot in it that he simply cannot get enough. He loves to cum inside you, but loves to cum on your body too. Face, tits and stomach are usually covered in his cum when you both fuck. He turns you his cum slut in every way possible.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Shisui's dirty secret involves him keeping few of your panties with him during his missions. He cannot function without your sweet aroma, and your panties help him keep his sanity till he comes back to you. You never notice your panties missing which makes his job of stealing your clothes more fun.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

He was experienced but not as much. Shisui is demisexual and cannot have sex with people he doesn't feel connection with. He experienced a little bit with his first partner before you, but with you he took more liberties. He took his time to study your body, making him more experienced in the sphere of pleasuring you.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Missionary. This man LOVES staring in your eyes when he has sex with you. Seeing your face in pleasure gives him more energy. He loves doggy style too, but missionary has a special place in his brain. He is obsessed with seeing the pleasure he gives you, it boosts his ego.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He is both! Shisui can be very goofy in sex. He may crack a joke or too while inside you, as he believes having sex without talking to each other is very dull. But dont expect him to crack a joke when he is too gone into pleasure. He would be focused on making you orgasm and him filling you up. MAYBE after sex he will say things such as "I burnt more calories by fucking you then I ever could with training. We shall add this to our daily schedule"

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He is very groomed. He loves smooth skin both on you and him.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Shisui is one of the guys who is very romantic. He loves initiating intimacy with you every chance he got. He starts off slow, with making food for you, or gifting you flowers or other things you want. A true gentleman indeed. During intimacy he loves praising you, whispering dirty things in your ear. "Oh you take me so good baby..~" or "Your tight pussy feels perfect arouns my cock!!". He isnt afraid to let you know that you are doing a good job.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Shisui prefers spilling his seed in you, but when he is out on a mission and cannot take any longer, he takes matters into his own hands. He fantasies about you, the different positions he put you some nights ago. He memorised your moans and face during sex, so he uses them every time he jacks off.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

He LOVES choking you. It's one of his favourite things to do. Shisui also loves melting wax on your skin, preferably on your back. Another kink he has is tying you. He loves seeing you all helpless and at his mercy.

Another one of his kinks is edging you. Words cannot describe what type of satisfaction this man gets from it. He will edge you so much till you are a crying, horny mess, begging him to finally fuck you and let you cum.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Short answer: EVERYWHERE. Yes, he is a full freak who fucks you where he wants. However, his most favourite places are on the bed and...in public. In his or your bed, he haa the freedom to do what he wants to without feeling ashamed. In public however he is limited. Though he loves being sneaky in public, placing you on his lap and fingering you under your skirt. "Can't be loud baby~ You dont want people around to know what a dirty slut you are right~". Literally tortures you and gets enjoyment from it.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Your pretty face is enough to turn this man on. But as an ass guy, the minute he sees you wearing a tight dress or a short dress, he instantly gets turned on.

During intimacy, your loud moans give him the energy he needs for fucking you. The louder you are, the harder he goes.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Shisui has no specific limitations as he is open to anything, but will never do anything you dont want. For example, if you tell him you dont like anal, he would never force you to have it. He respects your decisions and choices and as a honorable man, he will do anything to make you feel safe with him.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He LOVES receiving oral. Seeing your lips wrapped around his cock is an euphoric sight and feeling for him. Absolutely loves when you cockwarm him with your mouth. If he is angry at something or someone, expect to be on your knees and his cock in your mouth for some time. It relaxes him.

He is big on giving oral too! This man loves having your legs wrapped around his head, suffocating him as you grind on his tongue. He eats you out daily. Loves waking you up with it.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

For Shisui it depends on the type of sex he is having. If he is in the mood for romantic love making, expect slow and sensual one, with lots of soft kisses on your skin. But if he is aggravated and needs to take his anger off, expect to have rough and fast sex. He will break some furnitures here and there trying to satisfy his hunger and the anger he is feeling.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

If he is too busy, or if you are too busy then quickies will be part of your routine. He cannot go a day without touching you so quickies are a good way of helping you both.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Shisui is up for anything. You want to do something risky? Count him in. He will do anything connected with risk. If it correlates with sex too, thats even better.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Shisui has a great stamina! He can go for many rounds, as many as you can take. He trained himself to last long, so he isn't your typical man who lasts a short time. No. With him, you may even get annoyed at how long he can last.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He does not own toys at all. BUT~...He is not against using them on his s/o. In fact, he is very likely to buy toys himself to surprise you during intimacy. "See what I got for you..~" he says while showing the toy. He is fully open to the idea of having toys used on him too!

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He loves teasing you, especially when you both are in public. He pretends to be an innocent guy doing nothing perverted, but under your clothes, his skillful fingers play with your clit without any shame. He mostly does it to see how long you can go without making any moan or cumming. Of course, when you fail, he takes notice of it to punish you later.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He one of the few men who love being vocal. Grunts, moans, whimepers, everything that can cross your mind. He isnt afraid of showing his partner how good she makes him feel and he isnt ashamed for being vocal. In fact, he is quite proud of it.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

You want to know how to get him weak in his knees and get him desperate? Ride him to oblivion. He LOVES when you ride him, it drives him crazy! When you get on top of him, Shisui becomes this obedient man who wants nothing else but see you ride him. His hands would guide your hips first, then when you feel more confident he will let you take the reigns.

Another weakness he has is being tied. Yes he loves being tied. Anything hotter than his s/o tying him and making him her toy? No. He loves it. Do it always, he would be grateful forever.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Shisui has nice toned body. He takes his sweet time with practices to not be out of shape. He doesnt love being too muscular, as he thinks it makes him look weird. He goes more for a softer muscular size as it suits him better in his mind.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Wild...very wild. There's like no break in between with him. His sex drive always puts him in bad situation and makes you tired.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He falls asleep mostly when you fall asleep. Shisui has to make sure you are in deep slumber before sleeping. Also he loves staring at you when you are asleep, so he tries to enjoy your cute face before dozing off.

[orionsangel86]

Hob Gadling - A Queer Romantic?

I have been listening to The World's End chapters of The Sandman on Audible lately and just finished Hob's Leviathan. I didn't pay this story much attention when I first read the comic, as I tended to read through the stories quickly and put more focus into the stories where Dream had a larger role. But one of the reasons I like listening to the Audible book is because it allows me to absorb each story more thoroughly and take my time thinking about each one and the (usually multiple) meanings behind them.

Hob Gadling is a character that fandom has fallen in love with. I think this is clear to anyone that takes even a partial glance at Sandman fandom. This isn't a criticism - Ferdie's performance as Hob in the Netflix show has done wonders for Hob's character. He has made his version of Hob very easy to fall in love with!

But the truth is that in The Sandman comics, Hob is a minor character who we only get to know very little about. The story Hob's Leviathan appears in The Worlds End Sandman book. We only meet him twice before this, once in The Doll's House, where we are introduced to him in Men of Good Fortune, and again in Season of Mists when Dream comes to let him know that he may miss their next meeting. In both these issues, Hob is introduced via the narrator, and therefore I like to think that we are given a fairly honest representation of the kind of person he is. We watch him grow and learn throughout the centuries in MoGF, but one of the major takeaways from this I believe is that he tends to always be on the wrong side of history. He makes bad choices and can be a bit narrow minded. He is rude and selfish and also rather self-absorbed. I actually think that the performance of the voice actor who plays Hob in the Audible book emphasises these character flaws making him even more unlikeable in many ways, though I am aware that this could just be my own experience and opinion.

But Hob's Leviathan takes a different view of Hob. Literally. The narrator of this story is a young boy of 16 called Jim. Jim met Hob on a ship travelling from Bombay to Liverpool in 1914. Jim was working on the ship as a cabin boy and Hob had bought his passage back to England - though it is revealled at the end of the story that Hob actually owned the ship they were travelling on. It is clear that at this point in time, Hob is extremely wealthy.

Jim attends to Hob throughout the journey, and grows very fond of him. In Jim's tale, Hob is a good man, who is kind and thoughtful and cares about others. He saves the life of a stowaway (who turns out to be another immortal). He is shown to be patient, and funny, and very intelligent. Jim waxes poetic about how smart Hob is, and how much he impressed him. It is particularly clear in the Audible book that Jim is taken with Hob, to the point that it could arguably be a crush.

It is fascinating how much more likeable Hob is when narrated from the viewpoint of someone with a crush on him, whether this story is exaggerated through rose tinted glasses is of course something to consider. All the tales in World's End are just that, tales. There is a constant undercurrent of exaggeration and make believe to them where even the other patrons of the inn question elements to each of the stories. We are not supposed to take these stories as absolute fact, rather they are supposed to reveal to us more about the narrators as well as their own experiences existing in this magical and strange world.

When it is revealled that Jim is actually a girl called Peggy in disguise so they can get work on the ships, the quite obvious crush makes more sense to a heteronormative audience, but what I particularly like about this story is its queer potential. See in the comic, it isn't really clarified if Jim goes by Jim because they feel more themselves as a boy, rather than a girl, or if they are disguising themself as a boy just to get work as a means to an end. I would argue that the latter is the more obvious interpretation. Jim tells the other World's End patrons that they are getting too old to keep up the disguise and will eventually have to stop working in shipping, and that when that happens, they will take on a new name, a new identity and do something else, but that for now, the patrons can keep calling them Jim.

*for a lack of clarity around the point in the comic, I am going to use gender neutral pronouns for Jim going forward*

Now from Hob's POV, he figured out that Jim was a girl, and they talk about it briefly along with the sea serpent they saw. I think that at this point, Hob is impressively progressive compared to the previous times we have met him. Now whether or not this is biased storytelling from someone who has a crush on him remains to be seen, but if we take Jim's word as truth, not only is 1914 Hob a fair and honest man who is willing to pay the way of a stowaway and fully respect the secrets of a young girl disguised as a boy so they can work on ships, but he's also totally comfortable flirting with them.

I like that he calls Jim the "handsome cabin boy". I like that this version of Hob, whether real or an exaggeration skewed by Jim's feelings for him, respects Jim's identity. Jim may be a girl in disguise, but Hob doesnt call her pretty, he calls him handsome.

It's all just a bit subtly queer and I like that for Hob (But then I would do, I'm a Dreamling shipper HA)

When Jim finishes their story, they state that they didn't see Hob again after that, but the comics later do give us a possible outcome to Jim's story...

We next see Hob in The Kindly Ones where he is mourning the death of his girlfriend Audrey. He briefly reveals that Audrey was the first person he had loved since Peggy, who was his lover until her death during the Blitz. Whilst it isn't made clear that Hob's lover Peggy is the same Jim that we meet in World's End, it is a bit too much of a coincidence. The timing adds up. If Jim was 16 in 1914, they'd be in their early 40s during the Blitz. Hob remains forever in his early 30s so I'd say its a safe bet that Jim eventually found Hob again and they were together. Hob loved them enough that he wasn't with anyone again until Audrey in the 80s. That's 50 years worth of mourning. A long time not to be with anyone, even for an immortal.

It's funny because we know so little about Hob, but one thing that I have seen commented on here a lot is that comic Hob is deemed to be as Straight as an arrow. Now I admit that the voice actor in the Audible book plays him very straight, but that is still only one interpretation.

All this is to say that I am fascinated with how the Netflix show will adapt this, since Hob in the show already comes across much kinder and more selfless than his comic counterpart. He already has an entire fandom viewing him as queer, and the comics certainly don't outright shut down such interpretations. There are moments in the comics that you have to wonder on. He does call Jim handsome rather than pretty, and when he talks to Audrey's grave he mentions his wives and loves as separate groups. He talks about finding it easy to get sex if you want it, and he talks about it in generally gender neutral terms. In Sunday Mourning Gwen reveals that she thought he was gay when she first met him, though her reasonings were that he knew so many dead people (a dark reminder that these comics were published at the height of the Aids epidemic). He reacts very badly to the news of Morpheus' death. He states on several occassions just how much he liked Morpheus, and he is one of the few people to wake up from the Wake with tears running down his cheeks. I would arguably state that its between Hob and Matthew as to who had the worst reaction to Morpheus' death, showing just how much both Hob and Matthew cared about him, and placing Hob on par with Matthew in the comics is a big deal. He seriously considers accepting Death's gift when she offers it, simply because Morpheus is dead. He doesn't, because at the end of the day, its just not in his nature to do so, and given he then dreams of Morpheus, I like to think that it was a test, that he passed.

When it comes to how the show will adapt all this, I genuinely think it will take a new approach with Jim/Peggy. I think they will be either a trans man, or at least non binary. But I think having Jim be a trans man is the better option. In the comics, Jim's tale is only very subtly queer, Jim clearly likes being Jim, but it seems like its a means to an end, a convenience in order to get work on the ships, rather than being something that is core to Jim's feelings on their gender. Besides, if we assume that Jim is indeed the Peggy Hob talks about in The Kindly Ones, then we know that Jim goes back to being Peggy when they get older and apparently continues living as a woman whilst they are with Hob, otherwise I doubt Hob would have referred to one of his greatest loves by a name they themselves rejected and only used she/her pronouns when talking about them. Nevertheless there is no reason for the show to take this approach, and if they DO decide that Jim should be a trans man, then their relationship with Hob is canonically a queer one. Trans men are men and if one of Hob's greatest loves is a trans man, then Hob is a queer man himself. I genuinely believe the show will take this route and I can't wait to see it.

Going back to my point about narrators bias, if MoGF, SoM, tKO, and TW are all narrated by a neutral third party, then this must be the true Hob. A not overly likeable rather selfish man. He has his good points, and he has certainly grown and changed over the centuries, and carries a lot of guilt for his past mistakes, but he is still quite self absorbed. Jim paints a picture of a rose tinted Hob that is far more the dreamy romantic older gentleman that took a young person under his wing. Which is fair enough.

The show is of course its own adaptation, with changes from the comics as it sees fit, but I do feel it's my duty to remind you that the show also has a narrator guiding the audience through its many stories. Dream of the Endless, Lord Morpheus, King of Nightmares and Prince of Stories himself. Take from that whatever you will.

;-)

[theloganator101]

Regarding Vaggie's voice, apparently it's the same one that Stephanie used for Gina Cazador on Bojack Horseman, and given how Vivziepop has a completely unhealthy addiction to that show, it's not a surprise why she had Stephanie used that voice for Vaggie, when Vivziepop first approached Stephanie for the role. (This was confirmed by Beatriz herself at a TwinCitiesCon back in November last year.)

Personally, for my own Hazbin rewrite, I would still picture Stephanie for the voice of Vaggie, who I'd renamed to Violetta Torres, or Violey for short. However, I would picture her using a voice similar to the one she used for her performance as Gosalyn Waddlemeyer on DuckTales' 2017, I mean, that works for a young adult who's around 24, right. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q730rKsooZU

Small headcanon here, but I think Vaggie's voice did used to be higher, but due to a nose related injury, one that had affected her nasal cavity, it resulted in her nose looking all crooked and her voice sounding all flat and dull. (In real life, the loss of the nasal cavity as a resonator gives the voice a flat, dull tone)

Also, if you're wondering, Violey is not an exorcist in my rewrite as here, she is a Mexican American winner angel who lives a secret double life in Hell, helping her GF In their dream to bring back the Purgatory redemption progress. (Charlie knows that Violey's an angel) However, she kept most of that life private, out of fear of what Heaven will do to her if they found out. She often struggles to keep certain things secret, but does her best to balance two different lives.

Violey is also a lot nicer and kinder then her canon self by a long mile, and is more of her own person with her own interests as well. Her position at the hotel is different as well, as here, she's the hotel's main therapist, an occupation that she's been studying to become one day during her college years back when she was still alive before her sudden death in 2014.

Another thing I should mention is that while Violey was approached into joining the exorcists, she ended up passing them down due to a deep dark feeling in her gut telling her not to accept the offer, which she listened to. And because she did, it resulted in a series of events that led to her meeting Charlie.

(Most of Violey's character is inspired CinTanGallery's take on Vaggie for his own AU, Hazbin Hotel: The Forbidden Timeline, which is one of the several inspirations for my own AU, Hellaverse Reimagining)

(If you happen to have any questions regarding my rewrite, feel free to ask and I'll be happy to answer them)

I still hold on to my opinion that Vaggie has the worst voice acting among the cast as her voice just sounds so flat and emotionless most of the time, and her singing voice is way too high and creates an uncomfortable contrast between her singing and speaking voice. And if they were going to have Stephanie as her VA, I would imagine it more as either Mirabel or like you said Gosalyn.

But YOUR version of Vaggie I can get behind! She has a legit good reason for hiding something about herself as I'm sure the consequences wouldn't be pretty if it got out, she doesn't sound like a complete bitch that would've up and left a long time ago if she wasn't Charlie's girlfriend, and honestly good for her for denying to join the exorcists!

[apathywriting]

Hogwarts Legacy Boys

~ how they learned about the Room of Requirement ~ Part One of Five Ominis Gaunt - warnings: fluff :) 2.2k Sebastian Sallow Leander Prewett Amit Thakkar Garreth Weasley

A/N: this is written from a third person point of view as I find it less jarring than first or second. However, writing for an unnamed character and remaining gender neutral outside of a second person POV is giving me whiplash and doesn’t make for a comfortable reading. For this series, I’m using feminine pronouns (She/Her/Hers) for best readability. If anyone has any suggestions or tips on using gender neutral terms outside of first/second person perspective without naming the character or would like me to post another version with masculine pronouns (He/Him/His), please let me know.

-- Currently, requests/asks are open :) --

“That will be another five points from Slytherin, Mr. Gaunt— and might you try to pay more attention to the order of steps listed on the blackboard in the future.” Professor Sharp's dreary voice droned across the potions classroom. Ominis was looking put out once again as his attempt at Draught of Living Death was still falling short of Sharp’s expectations.

From the other side of the room, she glared at Sharp. While Ominis was horribly depressing at potions, she couldn’t help but think it was due in large part to Sharp’s teaching methods— or lack thereof. Sure, writing the steps out on the blackboard was nice compared to focusing on the tiny font size of their textbook, but he hadn’t done anything more or offered any additional knowledge than what was written. She had long believed Sharp saw his post as a tide over until Professor Hecat retired from Defense Against the Dark Arts (with him being an auror and whatnot). She was disappointed that he could not be bothered to give his potions students a half-hearted education in the meantime. And now poor Ominis, who she knew wanted to study to become a healer, was suffering the consequences. The NEWT in Potions was required for entrance into the Healers Institute for Magical Maladies that fed into St. Mungo’s. As the class shuffled out a quarter of an hour later, she had made up her mind to help Ominis, should he accept it, and fell in step with him leaving the potions corridor, following the trail of students heading to lunch. 

“Ominis.” She greeted him, linking her arm with his free one— the other holding his wand loftily, guiding the way forward through throngs of students stopping to chit chat. 

He raised an eyebrow at her, but did not slow his brisk pace. “If you’re here to pile on, I think I’ve gotten enough flak from Sharp today. I can kiss my dreams of being a healer goodbye.” Ominis sounded positively forlorn, morose at his dwindling prospects due to an abysmal potions grade. 

“Oh don’t be such a blunderbuss Ominis, I was going to offer my help. I adore potions and I can’t stand that Sharp is making you detest such a wonderful part of Magic.” She playfully smacked his shoulder. His face was red as he took her arm and dragged her into an alcove, away from the students meandering the great hall. 

“Are you taking the piss?” He asked her seriously, holding his wand between them, and speaking in a low, husky voice. 

“Ominis— you know I’m not. Listen if you’d rather it be someone else, I’m sure you could ask Hobhouse, he’s decent at portions-“

“I wouldn’t trust Hobhouse to pour water out of a boot with the instructions written on the heel.” 

“Well then, looks like you’re stuck with me- and no I’m not taking the piss. Like I said before-“ she wretched her arm from his grip and readjusted her book bag on her shoulder, “I wish potions could be something you come to enjoy rather than suffer through. Would you please let me help?” She waited as he digested her words. After a minute, he sighed dejectedly and then nodded. 

“Thank you. Meet me on the seventh floor of the Astronomy Tower at seven o’clock- the empty corridor before the classroom.” He gave her a strange look but nodded again. She smiled at him one last time before turning on her heel and rejoining her classmates heading toward the great hall. 

—

Seven o’clock came and she found Ominis waiting for her in the seventh floor corridor, leaning wearily up against the wall, his wand in hand, loose at his side. He was looking a little worn, he had ditched his school robes, his sleeves were rolled up, and his tie was a bit loose. She almost tripped, staring at him. 

“Should I be concerned with this rather inauspicious meeting place?” He asked, noticing her presence. 

“It’s only fair I think— you allowed me into your hideout in fifth year. I may finally be ready to share my hideout this year.” She walked past him, straight down the corridor. He moved to follow, but she waved him back. 

“And where, pray tell, in this empty corridor shall I find your hideout?” He had stopped as instructed, still holding his wand loose, but sounding more intrigued than bored now. 

“Patience, Gaunt.” She drawled, turning on her heel and marching back across the corridor. On her third past, a whirring sound could be heard coming from the walls and a door materialised right in front of Ominis. 

“Woah!” He said, dragging his wand across the air in front of him, taking in the full marvel of the wrought iron doors that hadn’t been there a moment ago. “Has this always been here?”

“Yes and no. It’s a bit complicated.” She grinned at him mischievously and held the door open for him to enter. Landing on a cosy alcove, the room beyond them was full of streaming sunlight- the shadows giving Ominis stunning contrast with his wand. A glass pavilion stood across the great room, a conservatory perhaps, or a greenhouse. It was flanked on either side by curling staircases leading up to a second floor and two more glass enclosures. 

“What is this place?” Ominis asked breathlessly, stumbling into the center of the room. 

“This is the room of requirement - well, rather my room of requirement.” She followed a few steps behind him, wringing her hands together nervously. He was the first person she’d ever invited here, into her sanctuary. Art she had collected from all over the countryside hung on the walls, a Persian carpet from a traveling vendor in Keenbridge covered the floor, and a matching set of floral high back chairs with matching poofs she had just acquired from Craigcroft were nestled in the back corner. It felt— well it felt intimate bringing someone else here. 

Seeing the look of confusion on Ominis’ face, she hurried to explain, “The room of requirement presents itself as needed, as required you could say, depending on the seeker's needs. When I first started in fifth year, I needed a place to practice my magic— a place to grow potion ingredients and practice my brews, and when I started rescuing beasts from poachers,” she gestured to the glass enclosures, pointing out a fourth on the opposite wall that Ominis hadn’t noticed before, “the room created safe spaces for them as well.” 

Ominis turned to look at her in awe, “You mean to say these enclosures” he gestured “are vivariums?” 

She grinned at him, “I do have some Valerian growing in the grassland vivarium, which we’ll need to brew the Draught of living death. If you’re okay with a few beasties saying hello, I thought you could join me?” 

Ominis gaped at her. It took him several moments to compose himself back to the usual stoic, Gaunt demeanor before replying “I would quite enjoy that, yes. Lead the way.” She laughed at him, but took his outstretched hand, hiding a creeping blush at his soft touch, and led him up the staircase and into the grasslands. 

Ominis couldn’t quite grasp how the threshold worked between the room and the vivarium with his wand, but he did note the sudden change in temperature– from cosy and warm to a cool autumn breeze brushing against his skin. He could feel the floor change under his shoes. The warm solid wood floors were gone, replaced with worn cobblestones leading down into a plateau. On one side, a ruined castle sat atop a cliff edge, to the other, a babbling brook ran noisily alongside them. His senses were overwhelmed as his wand expanded his view - beyond the immediate clearing to a small cottage raised on a cliffside across the plateau and a pavilion, benches, and a small burning fire pit next to it. Ominis couldn’t help it, he let out a laugh. He couldn’t begin to fathom how big this vivarium must have been, he was picking up an entire mountain range beyond the cottage and castle ruins.

“Oh look! Jupiter would like to say hello.” Her hand squeezed his. His heart did a backflip– he had never let go of her hand. 

“Who’s Jupit– Ah!” From above them, a bright red, towering bird swooped, landing directly in front of Ominis. “Oh my.” he swallowed the lump in his throat. Jupiter was a Phoenix. “Wherever did you find him?” Ominis asked, breathless. She giggled.

“He found me actually. He had been running from a group of poachers for quite some time I think. When I came along he was more than happy to follow me home. I think he was tired of running and knew he would be safe here.” At her words, Jupiter bowed. “Here,” she pulled out her wand and produced a small, coarse hair brush with it, handing it over to Ominis. Jupiter ruffled his feathers and took a small step closer to Ominis who was now having difficulty breathing, “he likes when you brush right under his beak.” Ominis looked from her to Jupiter and then to the brush in his hand. Jupiter shuffled closer to him again, raising his head expectantly. Ominis gave him a tentative brush which Jupiter immediately leaned into, closing his eyes. “I think he likes you.” 

If Jupiter had his way, Ominis would have stood brushing him all evening, but as it was they were here to work on potions. She was able to lure him away after a bit, levitating pieces of food across the sky; they watched him swooping through the air to pick them up, one by one, before landing on the banks of the creek for a drink. Ominis watched for a moment and the peacefulness of it all. This is how she spent her fifth year? He fought back a wave of jealousy. If he played his cards right, she might share it with him– at the very least he could bargain for more potions tutoring. She couldn’t argue he wasn’t in desperate need of any help he could get. The sound of her laughter pulled him from his thoughts and drew his attention back to the Phoenix. A cat that was much too large to be a cat had come up behind him and was batting at his flight feathers while he drank. He turned, looking  incredulously to her, “That’s Athena, she’s a kneazle. They’re best friends, really- she just likes to play. She was just skin and bones when I found her caged up at an abandoned campsite. Poor thing didn’t have an inch of fur or whisker left then, but look at her now!” Ominis watched as Jupiter beat his wings a few times, making the kneazle’s ears go back but did little to discourage the tail batting. 

“She’s beautiful.” Ominis was once again fighting a lump in his throat, suddenly realising for a second time that her hand was still in his. 

“Come on-” She was smiling again, he could hear it in her voice. She dragged him down the path, towards the cottage. Ominis could feel the warm sunset on his face as she brought him to a small garden patch between the cottage and the pavilion. Valerian flowers bloomed alongside muggle plants he didn’t recognise. 

Ominis could hear his mother’s shrill voice in his head as they dug up the plant’s roots for harvesting. She would have been displeased  if she saw him digging into the dirt with his bare hands wearing a white dress shirt and she would have been murderous if she saw him harvesting potion ingredients like a muggle, his wand forgotten in his pocket, relying on his sense of touch and her guidance in pruning. She talked while they worked, explaining the different muggle plants dotted throughout her little garden. There was St. John’s Wort, a collective of small yellow flowers the muggles used to treat hysteria, Lavender, which was said to have a calming scent and, Echinacea from the Americas, which was believed to help settle the stomach. He noticed a white flower off to the side she hadn’t addressed and asked about it, “What about these over here? Are these used in muggle healing?” He asked seriously, eyeing the slight drooping of petals. 

“Not exactly– these are tulips. They don’t really do anything healing wise, but they’re my favourite flower, so I like to have a few in my garden.” She was blushing again, caressing the petal of one of her tulips.

”What colour are they?” He asked and she was relieved to hear a tone of curiosity rather than ridicule.

”They're white. They grow in Holland, but they usually plant bright colors, yellows, pinks and reds, oranges— I don’t know why, but I’ve always preferred the white.” She hesitated watching him, waving his wand over them in interest. “In any matter, they will not benefit your potions skills. We best head back.” 

They walked arm in arm leaving the vivarium, holding a decent collection of valerian roots between the two of them. Ominis was sad to leave— the vivarium was warm and welcoming. Her cottage with her little garden surrounded by mountains and beasts felt like something out of a fairy tale.

“Don’t look so sad Ominis, you’re welcome to come back and visit Jupiter to your heart’s content.” He could hear the smile in her voice as she guided him over the threshold, back to the warm, quiet room of requirement.

[iron-embers]

Addressing the troll and those affected

Edit: Here is the final part to the identity of the Hantengu troll, please read!

The Finale

The text below is the first part

To followers and to those that were following bloodbladesanddemons, I’m sure you are all aware of a troll that has been on those site ever since May, and what started as a minor inconvenience has spiraled into a storm that has hurt many wonderful creators, fans of demon slayer that just a wanted a peaceful place to rant about their passions. Me and bbd have been friends for years, and when we both got into demon slayer about a year ago, we both decided to share that passion and create our own accounts. Both with our own characters, stories and hoping that we could meet like minded people to share our passion with. And at first, it was a great experience that had helped us reach so many wonderful people, and we got in right when the character Hantengu was animated so the hype was there for that specific character.

That all changed however when in April we started getting random anon asks from a person claiming they knew a creator named mothzii who was calling another artist a racial slur, and that’s why we should hate and avoid them at all costs. Since we had no idea what was going on, didn’t know who Mothzii was and found it weird that someone would go anon to apparently warn us, we ignored it because it wasn’t our business and we assumed that since most people are adults they can figure it out themselves. Why add to drama that didn’t involve us right? That changed when a young artist dream core started reporting that there was an anon troll on their asks and messages who was harrassing them relentlessly. Since bbd had recently started interacting with them she decided to help in anyway she could by both advising and giving them support, cuz bullying is not okay. After doing some research, we found a strange account on rule34, a degenerate site as we are all aware, but I found a picture that someone posted of fanart, of Sekido insulting some random female oc saying you disgust me, let me love on my real wives…to which they mention not only a random name of some other oc, but mention bbd’s character chizue. We found that this rule 34 user took mothzii commissioned art of her self insert, drew over it and basically stole the art, and made a disgusting parody of it, mentioning two OCs that were not even the posters or mothziis own. Basically, using bbd’s character without permission to harass and make fun of someone else. Bbd did not stand for it, and made a post saying that it was not okay for someone to use her character to compare and contrast who was a better fit for Sekido…which by the way is childish and disgusting cuz Sekido is a fictional character, and to justify art theft from people on twitter and mentioning an artist on tumblr is apparently is just asking for drama. After bbd made that post, we also reported the post and account on rule34 cuz the pic was very explicit and to see her characters name on that was disgusting. It was taken down….but not before receiving multiple anon asks about it. She ignored them, but when they started making porn of dreamcores CHILD character, sending it to them and BBD through anon asks+messages and practically taunting both saying “hahaha, you can’t do anything about it” bbd stepped in to report them again. They made so many pedophiliac art using dreams character, sent it to them and bbd, and when bbd reported them they started stealing bbds art as retaliation, reposting it on the same rule34 account and kept at the taunting. Even took a gift art bbd drew for dreamcore and made an explicit version making fun of dreamcores character, and stealing+editing bbd’s art without consent and posted it to rule34. It got so bad that she contacted rule 34 moderators about it, and after a while they asked the troll poster to take it down.

Not even a couple days later I start getting anon asks/taunts, with the troll linking their new rule34 account and showing me they stole one of my pieces (The Shinjuro and Hatomi comic) and were taunting me asking what I’m gonna do about it. I did something about it, not only did I report the art theft, I made sure to report to mods about the new account and gave them all the evidence that they are the same person from before on rule 34, even showing the multiple screenshots of this troll making multiple spam accounts just to harass not only bbd and dream, but others not even involved, those that have supported bbd and her art, and even came after me and sun because we were her friends. This troll found it better to be a coward, and hide behind spam accounts because they were so confident they would never be found. So cocky that they justified to themselves that art theft and pedo art is okay as they can bully the people they are jealous of. They went on for months calling dream bbd and sun broken white supremiscists that made art for eachother because white people stick together, that as them being a person of color started demanding they get free art too. Then They made the mistake of calling me a white supremicist, because me being friends with them and others they didn’t like meant I was white….i knew this was a taunt and a way to bait me and instead of keeping it private like they wanted it to be, I exposed them, answered their taunt and revealed that I was actually not white, I was colored, and I addressed both their corwardice and blatant racism for trying to justify their harrassment with the color of their skin. No matter what race, a shit person is still a shit person, and no amount of racial slurs they threw at us would make them right. That’s when they started calling me a Mexican taco muncher, and sent me more spam asks trying to make fun of me, even sent them to bbd and a couple others. I didn’t talk the insult seriously cuz they were entirely off the mark on my race and I knew they were just trying to goad me into a private message battle, so I made it public to others about what this troll was doing and if they were getting bothered to ignore them.

I was also made aware that there was a private discord that most of the Hantengu fan creators were a part of, me and bbd were invited but chose not to accept due to suspicions of the troll being on there, and after getting multiple screenshots of the drama going on there we were glad we didn’t. It proved that the troll was causing many problems on that server. Bbd had gotten to know one of these members from here on tumblr and even started talking to them both on tumblr and outside of that, which was on discord. Since bbd started becoming acquainted with them, I started talking with them as well. But then a couple months into it, the person bbd was talking to had a disagreement with a characters story, and instead of respecting bbds boundary had started to make a problem about it. All of it was discussed privately on discord and bbd, myself and sunbroken had chosen to keep the matter private and not give any more ammo to the troll who we knew was stalking all of our accounts as proven with the multiple spam asks, messages and stolen art. We had hoped the matter could be solved privately as the person responsible had at first agreed to give bbd some quiet time before they would sit down and talk about it. Despite some instances of them not respecting bbds boundary, bbd still chose not to spread any info as that was nobody else’s business, and chose to take down the art with said persons character as since that was her art she has every right to do that..

Until the troll came back and started harrassing again, claiming that how dare BBd do that, claiming this person bbd took the art down of was their friend. Acting as if they had any say over what bbd should post and not post. Considering what the troll was saying through anon asks referencing the person that BBd was on rocky terms with after the argument, we all went to the person to ask if they shared what happened with anyone not involved. Turns out, they did, shared it with one person who they thought was their friend and who was also a part of that same Hantengu server. Understandably due to the harrassment from the troll and finding that this person shared sensitive info with someone not involved, BBd cut contact. I chose not to as I wanted to find out more. For a couple months bbd had been making more content, the troll every so often coming back with more ridiculous spam asks calling her many expletives and mocking their art, the troll was ignored, and others who have been getting the same came to me with screenshots of the stuff they were getting. We all chose to ignore it. Well I suppose the troll didn’t like getting ignored, so then they started a new account on twitter to steal more art, and even started bullying georgette mademoiselle. Because they have no conscience, even started going back on the insults they referred to bbds character with, and started sending multiple messages to both georgette and bbd that georgettes character compared to Chizue was absolute crap. It was horrid, and bbd made sure to report them and talk with Georgette to show that this troll was doing that. So that was supposed to be the end of it right?

Not. The troll kept going. Confident they would never be found, still kept making fun of all mentioned previously, and even started mentioning bbd private tumblr+discord account in these spam asks. We thought it was strange how this troll knew as BBd does not share her personal account with any one, except for the one person from before that she cut contact with. Since the person was not forthcoming with anything going on, bbd had to go on the assumption that whoever they told led this troll to find their private account. And then the troll started stalking their Facebook. Finding old pics and threatening to apparently expose her? Which makes no sense cause bbd has nothing to hide, but it was disturbing how this troll was now stalking her personal accounts. So we kept digging. And since the troll sent me a spam ask taunting me with bbd face, saying their name and trying to guess where they live, I decided to contact them (I know them in real life, and found it disgusting how obsessed this troll was with bothering them. Throughout the back and forth the troll had made many things clear, that they had no intent of stopping, and that they will harass other people. Even going so far as to say they will impersonate again and again to drive her supporters away if it means making them miserable, sharing that they knew both of our discords. Here are the screenshots

They made this first account just this past week, which got deactivated, then came back with a new one, this time showing that they stole more art from bbd and posted it on another version of rule34 since last time they got banned from doing it on the other. This was the convo

After I called them out, after a day or two, sunbroken confronts the person who first shared bbd’s personal info with the other person, trying to get to the bottom of it, but out of fear they chose not to share initially. That and I started receiving threats from the troll trying to stalk my personal and find my face while also threatening to find out where I live. And then finally after a month of not speaking to me I get this from serenesaku, who was the one who vented to their friend ria about the situation from months before in the first place. Dream core apparently got screenshots from one of the members on discord, who apparently got it from a spam account which was the troll on tumblr, sending these to that member to send to dreamcore out of feign concern that apparently BBd was talking behind dreams back on discord. News flash, this chat was entirely fabricated by the troll, making a fake discord account using bbd private discord name, posing as them and making a chat log and wanting dream to see it so to frame bbd. For a text convo btw that never happened. I wouldn’t be surprised if said troll just took a pic of bbd discord name from the screenshots they got from serenesaku back when she vented to them, and just copy and pasted over these screenshots to make it look like bbd said them. And the sicker part is that they did this with mothzii back when the drama first started, impersonating them and sending it to their friends so to isolate mothzii. Serenesaku did not know better, their naïveté was taken advantage of, and because she shared this with another person the troll found their personal stuff and started making up fake evidence. When serenesaku approached me asking who was doing it to Dream, this is the convo that happened. And so many things that were not shared before were shared.

I know this is a lot. Frankly I am disgusted that such a toxic part of the fandom has found its way here and affected some of the good people I know and still attempts to harass me as I post this. I will not delete my account. If there is anyone who wants to know the truth, don’t be afraid to ask. Then again, if you don’t want to be involved, i don’t blame you either. Knowing this information has made me and bbd lose faith in what we thought was a fun fandom. I still hope it is, and that’s why I am making this post. The world is already a shit place, and the internet has its shit places too, but for those that want to advocate for truth and proper internet etiquette, let this be an example of what happens when people don’t properly communicate, that this is what jealousy and not treating other people with respect does. Yes demon slayer is fiction, but why would someone like this troll waste all their time and energy just to make everyone miserable for something that is supposed to be fun. Cuz that is what they want. To divide and conquer. They want attention and power, Don’t let this troll win. With the truth now posted, I hope this can bring those that want a fun environment together under a common purpose. This behavior from the troll is unacceptable, and I know the troll is watching so let this post show you that I am not afraid of you. I am not afraid of speaking the truth. Neither is sun, neither is Saku, and neither are the ones you targeted. I know who you are, I refuse to play your game, and I won’t give up until the many creators I have come to cherish and respect can create without fear that your jealousy will cause another situation like this to happen again. We all have our own personal lives, as humans we are entitled to our own sense of privacy, seeing as how you violated that in the name of harassment, then surely that same respect can be extended to you. None.

The troll is a coward, full of jealousy and won’t stop until everyone is divided and they can have a fictional character all to themselves. it is pathetic. Shameful behavior that they perpetuate with spreading lies and misinformation, hoping they can get away with it again. The truth hurts, I know that and those that may have unintentionally have been in contact with the troll, you are not to blame. How could you have known that someone this two faced was this delusional. If I lose followers, that’s okay. This was never about followers, this was about sharing my stories with those that want it. Bbd wanted that too, before her privacy was infringed upon. Would any of you stay silent and let that happen to someone else close to you, I won’t and refuse to give up, cuz know better than to blame the fandom. This is just one miserable person that wants power over someone. If I mentioned you either with or without consent, my deepest apologies. This troll took advantage of people just wanting to ignore it, talking advantage of peoples trust and wanting to move on and put it all on someone innocent that they were jealous of. I have kept quiet, supporting bbd and those I can however I was able, but now I see the only way to truly bring people together is to show the truth. However ugly it may be, this is how it happened and has spiraled since.

Bbd may have left, but she has not given up, just because she deactivated her account doesn’t change the fact that she had a story she wanted to tell, to share with those that wanted to listen. The wrong person that came in and ruined it doesn’t change the impact her art and stories had on you guys. She wants to thank those that have been with her through all of this, whether it was silent support or the daily comments that always brightened her day. Dreamcore, you were one of those people that was both hurt and supported bbd, and that what this troll sent to Hurt you was not bbd , it was just the troll trying to harass you since you posted about your stress of the whole situation. They saw that their efforts were working on you and bbd, and so they did this to sow even more distrust. The spam account that sent this to the person that showed you these had the intention of setting you against bbd. I remember when you first started getting harrassed, how angry me, bbd and many others were that someone would do something’s so horrid, and then move on to bbd just for helping you. This is a lot, you are not at fault, you are innocent. While in the past I did not agree with Saku at times, they knew how important it was to tell the truth. And it is the truth now I wish to share so people are aware.

I tagged those bullied, and for those I did not tag, it is out of respect that you helped give evidence so the troll can be exposed, if you guys wish to be mentioned please let me know. A united front is better than what the troll wants, which is a divided one. As for @hearts4muzan /overworked , is talking behind others back, spreading lies and rumors, making light of what has been going on….is that funny to you? Are you proud that so many creators have left because of the constant harrassment, art theft, and stalking personal accounts. In what world is any of that excusable, for this not only to happen once before but for you both to help perpetuate another all in the name of attention. Did you think you were clever, so two faced playing as if you had nothing to do with this, now everything has been brought to light. What do you have to say for yourselves? And the just this morning you send this to Saku, since bbd deactivated their account, after you impersonated them on discord, and after sending harassment about bbds OCs for months

Saku knows who you are now, what kind of demented person taunts this after what you had done, and not only that says that because BBd is gone, Bbds character Katashi is now free to use?! Saku didn’t ask for this, sure she made mistakes, but nothing justifys saying that. Katashi is bbd’s character, Saku respects that, and you do not. Appalling.

To those below tagged, none of you deserved any of this unfair treatment, you are not to blame

@dreamcorechild

Saku

@georgette-mademoiselle

@sunbrokenswords

And what I’m sure is many others that have been harassed for no reason other than just innocently interacting with any of us, also not your fault. I know this may break alot of the trust creators thought they could place, who wants to say they talked with the ones responsible and had no idea, I understand this is both discouraging and will hurt. However there is one way I see this and that is what inspires me to give the truth now. This troll was never honest in the first place, they were a coward that preyed on everyone to manipulate and control. If they were never honest in the first place, then there was no trust to begin with. From that let this help teach and show that we as people will not stand for this.

[skruttet]

What are your thoughts on s4? Personally I was actually kind of disappointed, a lot of the characters felt... off?? Not like themselves. Snufkin really didn't appear much and the Comet Episode was confusing and wasn't really all that Book-Accurate... And Snufkin got the 90s Movie treatment :(

Like there were definitely scenes and a few episodes I liked, but overall I feel weird about the season. And I'm curious what your thoughts are.

I will say that overall, I was disappointed.

To be fair to the series though, it arguably largely stems from my personal expectations and hopes? The two biggest disappointments for me were Joxter and Snufkin not meeting, and snufmin's relationship.

The Joxter stuff on the whole I adored, and really could never have dreamed of happening. Just seeing him - or any of the Oshun Oxtra crew, really! - interacting with the characters in "modern day" is great. And then he reunited with Mymble and it was so exciting, and then Little My started wondering about him and Snufkin, and then-! ...They didn't meet. Honestly baffles me why they'd give us so much fanservice but not include probably the main thing most fans would want to see with Joxter. Also interesting that they're afraid to even touch Snufkin's issues with family but they KEEP bringing up Little My's.

The snufmin thing surprised me because my expectations were LOW; during the wait I kept telling people not to get their hopes up, that snufmin would never be explicitly "canon", etc. And I still say they would never do anything explicit with them, however, I was expecting at least for the relationship to be on the same level as it was in season 3, but it seemed to take a step down unfortunately. I wanted more romantic subtext, more hints that something was up between them, and for about the first 4 episodes I thought Moomintroll and Snorkmaiden were finally just interacting as friends and I was hopeful, but unfortunately it was soon clear that they were still supposed to be romantically linked. To their credit, Moomintroll and Snufkin's relationship does maintain some of the development it grew throughout the series, and it funnily ends up presenting it almost as one-sided on Snufkin's side; he's now so much more openly affectionate and patient with Moomintroll, and their communication is a whole lot better, but the latter continues to pursue Snorkmaiden instead. I think Snufkin himself feels so mellowed out in this season, like he's no longer fighting against his own feelings or pulling away from others as much, which is nice to see (though I can see others complaining he's too out-of-character compared to his original counterpart, which is understandable, but I'm personally fine with the characters being "different versions" of themselves in adaptations).

Another disappointment for me was, like you mentioned, the Comet finale... it just wasn't as epic as I thought it'd be, and the stakes weren't high from the start, and after the journey was over the rest of the episode taking place in the valley was a bit dull and directionless. And inaccuracies from the book I expect by this point, but I'm personally not a fan of the ending change with them all just waiting outside to die but the Groke sacrificing herself but actually this is a family show so she's actually alive yaay 😂 Just a bit strange and not the send-off I was quite hoping for.

On the positive side, I LOVED Mamma and Pappa this season. Moominpappa kinda stole the show, and whilst the creators clearly favoured him in past seasons, in this one he finally lost that meanness he sometimes had in s1-3, so he was just a delight to watch.

The guest stars and characters were fabulous, which is a bittersweet thing as it makes it all the more sad that this is the final season and it's all we'll see of them.

The animation and music and sound and acting were all as wonderful as they always are. The crew did such a great job and it's a shame the story decisions dampened the experience for me.

[markantonys]

i was caught super off-guard by the reveal that the wondergirls will in fact return to the white tower at the start of s3, because i'd long assumed there surely wouldn't be time for that. my gut reaction was to be Not Thrilled about it, due to worrying that it would mean spending too long rehashing s2 territory rather than moving on to the next phase of the girls' stories, but having mulled it over, i now see many reasons to be excited about it! naturally, lots of them are gawyn-related <3 and "letting characters spend precious time together before they're separated for the next 10 books"-related

GAWENE!!!!!!!!!! gawene gawene gawene!!!!!! it was always a point of sorrow for me that my prior s3 structure theories couldn't fit in any gawene time beyond "maaaaaybe they could have a brief meeting in caemlyn if the waste-bound gang makes a pitstop there", but now they might get to have multiple scenes across multiple episodes! they might have a chance to build a solid initial emotional connection before the story takes them apart for a while! i am literally overjoyed at the prospect!

in addition to this being good for me, it's also good for the story and for rand's future romantic endeavors. egwene ALSO showing sparks of interest in a new person (especially if said new person is a cute prince who worships the ground she walks on - yes this is the truth of who gawyn is, you all don't know him like i do) will do wonders to sell show-onlys on a Final Randgwene Breakup. we need to see that egwene and rand are BOTH moving on from each other and BOTH ready to leave their romance in the past and start new relationships.

it's also important for later, because gawyn's future storyline hinges on him feeling emotionally attached enough to egwene to be willing to desert his own army to help her

guys imagine egwene meeting gawyn for the first time AFTER all her damane trauma instead of before........i could totally imagine her feeling uneasy or stifled around nynaeve and elayne for a little while because they look at her with such pity and guilt over what happened and being with her old friends reminds her too painfully of how much she's changed as a person after what she's been through, but gawyn is a brand-new post-trauma friend, he doesn't know any version of her but the one before him now, he doesn't know what happened to her, he doesn't feel sorry for her, he's not constantly trying to apologize to her or ask if she's okay or tiptoe around her, and thus spending time with him allows her to just feel Normal again. i'm emotional!!!!

anyway

more tower time will also allow proper wondergirls trio time! we didn't really have it in s2 since nynaeve & elayne didn't become close until after egwene was captured, and we won't have much time for it in the future since they'll be split up for a lot of the story, so getting a couple episodes now with them as a full trio will be wonderful.

and more specifically, more time for the egwene-elayne friendship! they were so sweet in s2, but didn't get a TON of time actually together, and they might not see each other in person much for the rest of the series (though TAR zoom calls might be plentiful), so i'll be thrilled to see them get to hang out a little at the beginning of the season. and especially to see egwene's end of the friendship and see her affirming how much she cares for elayne, after the back half of s2 treated us to a lot of elayne's end of it and her devotion to egwene.

trakand siblings!!! another big point of sorrow for me in my previous theorizing was that elayne wouldn't get to actually interact with her brothers except for perhaps in a flashback cold open (i'd imagined elayne would go straight to tanchico from falme & the bros would show up at the white tower looking for her). but now, we will get to see all three of them together! we'll get to see the full sibling dynamic! and considering that they might never be all three together in one place again (depending on how the show maneuvers people around), this will be invaluable.

it will also help the brothers' characterizations & storylines to see how they interact with elayne and how that later results in desperation to keep her safe & get answers on her whereabouts leading them towards some questionable decisions

egwene taking her accepted test early in the season (potentially even in the first episode?) could be a very handy vehicle for showing the audience where her headspace is at in the wake of all her s2 trauma. i'd imagine her test scenes will be Accepted Test: Abridged Version since we already dove so deeply into it with nynaeve, but something like the seanchan as her past trauma in arch 1 and romance with rand as the piece of home she needs to let go of in arch 2 could be done as quick but effective scenes to show us what she's wrestling with internally at the moment.

and getting more egwene-siuan interactions will be very fun! seeing how the wondergirls might feel about siuan after hearing of her Attempted Randnapping (if they do hear about it from rand and moiraine, two people who are famous for not telling anyone things) would be interesting.

possible elayne accepted test giving us insight into her character? i won't bank on it since 3 onscreen accepted tests might be excessive, but at the very least we might get a scene like the books where she and egwene are both shaken after their tests and nynaeve comforts them, and perhaps elayne tells them a bit about what she saw in the arches.

also! if mat is also involved in some early-season tower shenanigans, then of course this means getting the mat-gawyn-galad fight, which means i can finally realize my long-held dream of putting the text post "guy frantically looking up 'i think i like men' on his phone immediately after losing a fight with another man" onto a relevant screencap of gawyn. this is crucial stuff, people! and i will in general be delighted to see any potential mat-gawyn interactions. soon it will be time to prepare my Unexpected Ships bingo card for s3!