#(they’re not straight but I digress) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

leclsrc · 1 year

Note

well deserving of 3k (and more), your stories literally bring me comfort, even the sad ones🫶🏻

could we have an angst one with Charles (with a happy ending?) maybe with the tiredness drabble

what you know – cl16

In the grand scheme of things, Charles doesn't know much, but he's sure of one thing.

auds here... scheduled bec i am off my phone lately! love u anon sry so late

Your moving away is a big deal—a garage sale for all the things you’d grown out of, a weekly schedule for everyone to help out, Arthur assigning himself to track the flight to JFK to make sure you “don’t crash on the way there.” You assure him you won’t. Pascale emails the exchange program six times a day to make sure your housing is all ironed out. Lorenzo mixes the color to repaint your room and sorts out your mum’s CDs.

Charles, however, wants nothing to do with it.

The usual route to your house feels so much longer now. He hates having to drive knowing you won’t be inside soon enough. But Pascale absolutely insists he help out last-minute, so two days before your flight, he drives the five minutes to your house and trods through the piles of boxes and luggage collecting at the bottom of the stairwell. The inside of your room, however, is more of the same; boxes, boxes, and a bed in the middle, already stripped bare.

He doesn’t say hi. He picks up a sweater and goes straight to—

“It is going to be awful,” he says, trying to lift his voice so it passes as a joke even if you both know there’s more truth to it than he intends. “You are going to have a shit time and your housing will leak and you’ll step on a rat.” He stares at the intricate stitching on your knit sweater as he awaits your response, which he expects—from years and years of knowing you—to be equally snarky and sarcastic.

“What do you know?” is what he hears instead, leaving your lips in a weak whisper.

Your hands freeze where they’re wound around Charles’ half-folded tee, the one you wear to sleep most nights, worn thin. You’re waiting for him to reply, to tell you what he knows. It’s your way of telling him to stop, stop trying to make me leave, because I am leaving and you cannot change that. He can’t bring himself to meet your eyes, so he stares at the pale knit, then your hands. You’re right—what does he know? He’s twenty-one, for Chrissake, he doesn’t know much at all.

He hasn’t been to New York, and relies on viral myths and preceded reputations to tarnish its image in your eyes. He hasn’t been in a student exchange program and relies on his ability to exaggerate stories to somehow scare you into not going. For all his trying, he actually knows nothing about either of those things. So in that respect, he’ll digress, fine—he doesn’t know anything.

But he knows a thing or two about loss, about loss and terrible goodbyes and leaving. He knows almost nothing, but knows it’s ripping him in half to have to say goodbye to you. He knows his heart’s been at its feet for you since it could stand, and not in the unexpected, almost accidental way. He knows he’s felt for you with deep intention, on purpose, like it’s all he was ever made to do. That, he knows. He loves that he knows. There was never a stunning realization, the stuff of movies—there was just a quiet settling with something he’d felt since forever.

Here, surrounded by boxes taped shut and pried open, he wishes he’d settled earlier. He wishes he told you earlier. Maybe he wouldn’t have changed anything, but at least you would’ve known then. At least then he wouldn’t be the clueless prick shit-talking New York in front of his visibly excited best friend. He grows the guts to meet your eyes then, finds they’re already staring into his.

You wait for a response. And it comes. “I know I love you.”

A smile brings itself to your lips, and you shake your head with mild disbelief. “Well,” you say, setting aside the tee and climbing closer toward him. “I know that, too.” You’ve known since you were six and he doused your hair with blue hairspray—since he ate half the cake on your eighth birthday—since he bought you a cake the year next—since he grew up and started racing and wrote you daily emails.

You lean closer, until your faces are just shy of each other’s. Then you hug him, like you’ve been waiting to touch him for years, with a quickness that roars desperation and yearning. Your arms wind around his neck and his around your waist, and you let a few rogue tears fall despite yourself, wiping them before he can see when you pull apart.

“You’re going to be okay.” He says, assuring himself more than you.

“So will you.” You smile. “Come visit, okay?”

A hand finds yours underneath the pile of clothes and, hidden from view, intertwines your fingers. You squeeze. This is new, uncharted territory you’ll admit you know nothing about, no matter how soft and warm it all feels. But, as it turns out, you have time—and you have Charles, whose green eyes you fell for long, long ago.

#f1 #leclsrc3000 #charles leclerc #charles leclerc imagines #charles leclerc fanfic #charles leclerc drabble #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc fluff #f1 x reader

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crestfallercanyon · 1 month

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I don’t think I’ve seen two “ship” characters who embody “cat and dog” more than Len and Barry. I know I am certainly not the first person to think about this but I’m just thinking about it in depth today, i dunno.

Maybe it’s because most ships I’m part of don’t contain a hero and a literal thief/criminal but I digress—

Len is 100% like a cat. He gets into places he shouldn’t (how? And wait — why?). While he seems to have a grasp of how he feels and what’s going on, fuck off if anyone else does, he portrays himself as extremely mercurial. He is the type of guy to just push a glass of water off the table and let it shatter just to see you clean it up (Barry’s “don’t spill the salt” and him laying it flat on its side). Fiercely protective of his own food, will mooch off of others and get offended if he’s told to fuck off. Desperately vies for attention by any means necessary (from nuisance to straight up CRIMES) but when attention is on him when he doesn’t want it he hisses and claws and acts all ferocious. Loyal to those he loves but leaves them all wondering “do you even like me?” And he responds with essentially “can’t you tell?” And when they’re like “no, that’s why I’m asking,” he’s shrugs and goes with “well it must suck to be stupid,” and moves along and his loved ones still don’t know. Gets roped into shenanigans on the regular and is either faux-reluctant or genuinely reluctant. Cat behavior.

Barry, however, is SUCH a puppy. He’s high energy. He sticks his nose into everything. He constantly gets himself into situations and then looks at others with the big sad eyes asking “how he got here” and “I want out”. He wants to eat all the time and will steal food — but when bucked off he just kind of is like “aw, darn,” and may try again in two minutes. He’s got that neglected shelter dog rizz, he’s kind of sad sometimes and a little pitiful. If someone doesn’t like him, he just keeps trying until they do or they die. His relationship to cats is tenuous because they seem to tolerate him but he’s also fucking obnoxious and ruins their peace and quiet. Has a deep sense of right and wrong and it’s somewhat taught through commands and sometimes just instinct he acts on — like a dog who pulls its owner on a leash to investigate or run away from something. When he’s calm he’s very sweet and very nice and very cute but when he’s high energy he’s a menace. He overall looks super sweet but could fucking kill you. Sometimes he gets ferocious and barking and then he’s actually genuinely frightening and sends everything running. He doesn’t like being that though and typically just wants to hang out. He wants his people around him all the time and doesn’t like to be alone. Loves affection. Loves giving affection. Like, what a puppy man, I don’t know what to tell ya.

Anyway. There’s my coldflash thoughts of today.

#not my usual style of analysis but I just can’t help it #they really are cat and dog #which is what makes them so fun!#coldflash #Leonard Snart #Barry Allen #the flash #Captain cold

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starfinss · 2 years

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Can you please do flirting HCs for Sukuna, Gojo, Nanami, Megumi? (I couldn’t find your rules so I’m not sure if you take more than one character per requests so just in case you do, I’ll restrict this to just Gojo).

Hi! Yes, I take more than one character, no worries. Also, my rules are pretty much only visible from the desktop view of my blog, so if you’re a mobile user, that’s probably why. No harm, no foul. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ They’re a selectable link in the drop down below my blog info, in the same section as my masterlist. Also, I’m adding Yuuji because I love him, hope you don’t mind! I love JJK, I wanna write more for it. I have a Megumi fic in the works, so stay tuned for that, if I can kick this horrible writer’s block. But it’s two in the morning and I can’t sleep, so here we are.

Aaaanyway.

There probably won’t be any blurbs, since these prompts alone could generate entire oneshots, I’m sorry! If you like any of these headcanons, though, I’d be happy to write some of those one shots for you.

I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO GODDAMN LONG.

This also turned more into “how to pursue a crush” with Nanami, but I digress.

— 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘠𝘶𝘶𝘫𝘪, 𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘮𝘪, 𝘕𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪, 𝘎𝘰𝘫𝘰, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘢 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘳𝘵.

— 𝘐𝘵𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘪 𝘠𝘶𝘶𝘫𝘪

— Good lord.

— Yuuji is a very genuine person who often just says how he feels, so he has trouble being subtle, especially around someone he has strong feelings for.

— If he’s into someone, he’d rather they know how much he cares instead of beating around the bush, but he does try.

— Keyword try.

— Sometimes he says things that are just way too forward, royally embarrassing himself.

— Or, he overthinks it and just stands there staring at you.

— Or he just says something that doesn’t make any sense.

— Most of the time, when he’s smooth, it’s completely on accident.

— He’ll also give you small gifts. You offhandedly mention that you saw a toy you liked as a prize at the arcade? He’ll have it to you by the end of the day. You seem sad? He’ll bring you your favorite candy.

— He’ll also just offhandedly mention that he thinks you look nice today.

— He might compare you to Jennifer Lawrence.

— Mostly, though, if you notice an uptick of compliments, Yuuji is probably flirting with you. He likes making you smile, and you’re gorgeous, so he has to make sure you know that and that he appreciates it.

— It might take some time for him to work up the courage to actually ask you out, but it’ll probably involve flowers.

“Yuuji, have you been flirting with me?”

“Oh, you finally noticed. Any guy would, with how pretty you are.”

— You know he states it like an absolute fact, sunshine smile firmly in place.

— 𝘍𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘶 𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘮𝘪

— Megumi is not good at flirting.

— He’s generally a pretty stoic person, and isn’t great at expressing outward emotion, so if he’s flirting, it’s going to be fumbling and awkward.

— Or he just straight up doesn’t. Not in the traditional sense, that is.

— Megumi’s version of flirting is compliments. Not even on your appearance, though that might happen. He might compliment you on your cursed technique, or the way you handle your weapon.

— It’s like how in Mulan, Li Shang says “ya fight good.”

— That’s Megumi.

— You also might catch him staring, only to quickly look away when you see him, the tips of his ears bright red.

— There also might be the occasional “your hair looks nice like that,” or “you should wear that color more often.”

— You’ll think you misheard him, and if you ask him to repeat himself, he will, genuinely thinking you didn’t hear him. He’s a bit dense when it comes to romantic feelings.

— Will also occasionally say something smooth as fuck.

— Give him time, but he’ll ask you out eventually. Knowing Megumi, it’ll be pretty casual, like, after you get back from a mission he just approaches you and straight up asks you to dinner.

— If you flirt with him, he will turn scarlet red. It’s adorable.

— 𝘎𝘰𝘫𝘰 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘶

— If Gojo is flirting with you, you will know.

— This man is anything but subtle. He’s the guy who says shit like “that’s a nice dress, it would look even better on my floor.”

— He’s that mf.

— He knows just what words to say in order to make you putty in his hands. Or frustrate you to the point of tears. It depends on if you also have feelings for him.

— He also cares deeply for you, the feelings he has are disarming, so he hides behind his usual playful demeanor, but far flirtier.

— If you’re in danger, though, he will show everyone why he’s called the Strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer.

— Will point blank ask you on dates, and will not be dissuaded.

— Brings you flowers, candy, stuffed animals, jewelry.

— He’s peacocking, showing you everything he’s got. It’s a little overwhelming.

— Compliments you every chance he gets, telling you how much he loves that color on you, or how pretty you look when your hair is done up that way, or how amazing your eyes look with that new eyeshadow.

— With the way he treats you, people think you’re already dating.

— Cooing and compliments and gifts and so many flirty comments. He’s unrelenting.

— Literally all the compliments and pet names under the sun.

— Baby, honey, sweetie, my love, all of it.

— You know he treats you like a queen, though. Never forget it.

— 𝘙𝘺𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘢

— I’m gonna be real with you, I don’t think Sukuna knows how to flirt.

— He’s not really the type of guy who would try and woo a girl, more someone who takes what he wants when he wants it.

— The King of Curses doesn’t flirt. He takes.

— He isn’t really a flowers and chocolate kind of guy.

— His way of “flirting” is just suddenly referring to you as his. He sees something, he wants it, he takes it.

— That’s how he does things. If you don’t like it, that isn’t his problem.

— But he’d also slaughter anyone who crosses you.

— And straight up rob a store if you mentioned you wanted something.

— Sukuna, no.

— Sukuna, yes.

— He isn’t really the cutesy type, but he is the chaotic type.

— Might start calling you “pet” or “doll” or something like that.

— Incredibly possessive. Sukuna doesn’t like when people touch his things. If someone steps a toe out of line around you, it’s nearly impossible for you to convince him not to maim or otherwise kill whoever wronged you.

— I just can’t really imagine him as being flirty. He takes what he wants.

— 𝘕𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰

— Nanami is more of a to-the-point kind of guy.

— If he has interest in you, he’s going to be pretty blunt.

— I think that when he first started to grow fond of you, he tried to ignore it until his feelings were too strong to put off anymore. Work is his first priority, and anything that gets in the way of that is a bit of a nuisance.

— Buuuut he can put up with a few nuisances.

— He’d probably start his courtship with just bringing you coffee every day all of a sudden. Maybe even a rose or two. He isn’t being subtle because Nanami isn’t a subtle man.

— It’ll be obvious what he’s doing, and that’s how he likes it.

— He won’t even deny the fact that he’s flirting if you point blank ask him.

— He might ask you out to coffee, and try his best to woo you. Nanami isn’t great at being charming, so he’s just going to try and be himself, because that’s what you’re supposed to do when you like someone, right?

— He flirts with compliments and gifts, and they’re the type that matter. They’re personal and meaningful, and he pays close attention to what he thinks you’ll like to hear and receive.

— The last thing he wants is to make you uncomfortable with his advances. Flirting is supposed to make the other person want to go out with you, not make them unhappy. That’s just common sense, right? So if you tell him to stop, he will without question.

— He’s a little awkward if you flirt back in a normal person way instead of a Nanami way. He might play dumb or just clear his throat and change the subject.

— Nobody says he doesn’t enjoy it, though. He’ll be thinking about that for the rest of the day.

— When Nanami cares for someone in a romantic sense, he’ll do his best to let them know in his own sort of way.

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writing-ca-ira · 1 year

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HASARDER — PART 2

YJ/Teen Titans Dick Grayson x Reader

Part 1 << MASTERLIST >> Part 3

Trying to explain something that doesn’t exist is hard… so you can only imagine what it was like trying to explain the Titans to a bunch of skeptical cops. Luckily for you, they turned you over to a couple of people who believe your story slightly more.

Reader is gender neutral.

Contains: civilian reader, mentions of death (your own), spoilers: you’re actually alive, it’s the you from the YJ universe that’s dead.

You have no idea who you are anymore.

Well, that isn’t true. You’re (Y/N) (L/N), and from how many times you’ve said your name to Leaguers (oh, yes; Leaguers, from the Justice League… but now’s certainly not the time to get starstruck all over again) from this week alone… god… it would be impossible to forget that you’re (Y/N) (L/N). You’ve told Batman, Martian Manhunter, some science guy named Adam, Doctor frickin’ Fate… not to mention all of the lab results that you’ve looked over (well, that you were allowed to look over, anyway. Dick would confide in you about the Bat’s preference for secrecy all the time, so you had a hunch what you’ve seen isn’t all there is to know)… all of them would have your name printed on them; (Y/N) (L/N).

So, yeah. The problem didn’t stem from who you were. It was… well… whose were you.

Of all of the people who got to run their little tests on you — the world’s greatest detective, a telepathic alien, a lord of order — you found it a little funny that it was the random science guy named Adam that provided some sort of lead on your situation. He did an MRI scan on you, and something emitting from your body caused the computers to fritz out a bit. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that there were traces of Zeta Beams in your body.

“Zeta Beams are what power our Zeta Tubes,” Adam explained. “You use Zeta to… teleport.”

Teleport…

Well, that would explain how you ended up on the other side of the country when you… died… in Rhode Island.

You addressed this hypothesis to Mr. Science Dude, wondering if that’s what he himself was thinking. It seemed logical, after all; it’s not like a dead person could get themselves across the country without raising a few federal eyebrows. But Adam shook his head at your words, steel eyes darkening with something unrecognizable.

“I… considered the possibility. Maybe you were somehow hit by a Zeta Beam before you died, and maybe something in string theory…” you recalled him shaking his head, as though to get rid of whatever digression he was going down. “(Y/N)… you’ve been an anomaly to us for a week straight. You died, and then showed up 2 years later in a town we know you’ve never been to. The next logical step — extreme, but still logical — was to dig up your grave, and… you’re still there. It’s still… you… in there.”

That all was his buildup to a jarring question;

“(Y/N)… how much do you know about parallel universes?”

That conversation happened a few days ago. You were now standing in front of the bathroom mirror of some random apartment Batman had you stashed you away in by Adam — a “safe house,” as he called it — studying each and every inch of your face. After waking up at 6 a.m. from a horrible dream about your towermates, you began to worry about the weirdest things. Were you a ghost? Was this all a fever dream from a coma? Did your friends randomly disappear off the face of the Earth like you did, and now they’re “dead” as well?

… Have you stopped looking like yourself?

That last one is why you were staring so intensely at your reflection in the mirror. You looked like… you. At least, you were pretty sure you looked like you. The same skin tone, eye color, hair style… yup, 100% (Y/N). And while you might’ve not been this… world’s… (Y/N), you were still your own (Y/N); the civilian housemate of the Teen Titans and Di— Robin’s best friend. You are the (Y/N) that plays fetch with Starfire and Beastboy, and watches Cyborg tinker with something in the garage while Raven reads in the corner. You are the (Y/N) that listens to Robin vent and then go out for milkshakes to make him feel better. No matter what bits and pieces you may hear about this other (Y/N), the one in the mirror is the one that’s… y’know… you.

I’m (Y/N) (L/N), you thought to yourself. And while I’m… a little lost right now, I’ll be back home with the Titans before I know it. The Justice League will make sure of it.

You watched in real time as your eyes hardened with determination. Batman promised you that they were working on something. While you weren’t exactly sure how parallel universes worked (it was hard to stomach the notion of parallel universes to begin with), you had no other choice but to believe that there was some way to get you back home. In a galaxy with super-powered humans, aliens, magicians, literal gods, what-have-you, there just has to be a way. You got here somehow in the first place, right? Surely, you can go back.

A faint knocking on your door caused you to snap out of your thoughts.

Knock knockknock knock.

Knockknockknockknock.

Knockknock knock.

Knock knock.

You furrowed your brows at the weird rhythm, until you remembered Batman’s instructions; don’t answer the door for anyone unless they knock in that specific pattern (apparently, the pattern was “chum” in Morse). If you heard the code-knock, then that meant it was him at the door, though he hadn’t visited since you since your last time in the lab. After giving yourself a final scan in the mirror, you made your way over to the door and mentally prepared yourself to be face to face with Batman.

… Except, upon opening the door, you weren’t face to face with Batman.

At the doorway stood a man around the same height as Batman, but most definitely not dressed like Batman. Instead, he was dressed like a business casual man, his crisp white button-up layered under a grey sweater and a black coat. His dark slacks looked recently ironed, and his shoes looked just polished. The entire ensemble made his worn down Gotham Knights hat look a bit out of place, but when you noticed his sunglasses, you recognized that this was no stylistic choice; he was undercover (being friends with Robin made you quite familiar with the “civvy” look).

Taking a few moments to study his face, you couldn’t shake the feeling that he looked… familiar. Not a personal kind of familiar, but a what-movie-have-I-seen-this-actor-be-in kind of familiar. That chiseled jawline, those prominent cheekbones, the slight beak of his upper lip… something about him screamed tabloid target to you, and it was eating away at the back of your brain.

Then, it finally hit you. “Bruce Wayne.”

The man in front of you grimaced, the corners of his lips twitching upwards for a fraction of a second as though he were attempted to smile. “You don’t… want an autograph, do you?”

“Uh… I’m good,” was all you could respond with. Formulating a sentence was quite difficult. What were you supposed to say to Gotham’s very own billionaire playboy? You know, they guy whose face is basically everywhere across not only the United States, but the entire world? The guy whose ward is your very own best friend Dick Grayson… who is also Robin… the sidekick of… well…

“… It really is true,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “You’re… him.”

A sigh left Bruce’s lips. “I’m guessing Dick told you everything, then.”

You shook your head at this. “Not really. He only told me his name was Dick. Then he showed me his face one day, and…” you tried to fight off the urge to look smug from your own detective skills. “Only so many people in the world have the same face as Richard Grayson.”

Just as only so many people in the world have the same face as (Y/N) (L/N).

That thought painfully reminded you of the reality of your situation. This wasn’t Bruce Wayne. Well, it was, but it wasn’t your Bruce Wayne. And his ward, Richard Grayson, wasn’t your Dick. These were all strangers that may look, sound, and act like people from your world, but… this wasn’t your world.

And one look at Mr. Wayne’s troubled face told you he was thinking something along those lines. “(Y/N)… can I come in?”

You silently nodded, stepping aside to make room. The billionaire crossed the threshold of the apartment and watched intently as you closed the door. No words were said for an uncomfortable couple of seconds, and you soon realized you would have to be the one to speak up first.

“So… is there anything new? About sending me home?”

Mr. Wayne pursed his lips together. “No. Nothing new.” One of his hands moved to soothingly plant itself on your shoulder. “But rest assured, we’re doing everything we can to figure out a way. We’ll get you home, (Y/N).”

This… was weird. Not just the fact that Bruce Wayne was comforting you, but the man that’s supposedly Batman — Gotham’s protector that strikes fear in the hearts of criminals — is being… well… kind. During your interrogations with the Caped Crusader, he was nothing but cold and distant with you, making you feel as though you’re guilty of something despite knowing you’ve done nothing wrong. And Dick tells you stories of Batman’s heartlessness all the time (by sticking his pointer fingers up by his head and doing his best Batman voice). Was it because you were talking to Bruce Wayne, and not Batman, that he was kind to you?

Maybe THIS Batman is just so different from MY Batman, you mentally noted.

Nevertheless, you offered Mr. Wayne a sad smile. “Thank you… and…” your smile dropped as you thought of this world’s (Y/N), “… I’m sorry…”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” said Mr. Wayne. “You have no idea how you ended up here, and really, this whole thing is a field day for our trusted scientists.” He offered you a lopsided grin. “Adam Strange has been talking everyone’s ear off about… stuff that I don’t really understand.”

You tried to give out a humored laugh, but it came out more as a pathetic chortle. “Always happy to help make earth-shattering discoveries in the realm of theoretical physics.”

But… of all the people in the world (well, you’re world) to be a scientific anomaly, why did it have to be you? You were just a normal civilian that just so happened to live with the Titans. There’s no reason why you should be involved with this whole parallel universe fiasco… and what if there isn’t a way to send you home? What if there’s so many parallel universes out there that it’s impossible to pinpoint yours? What if you spent the rest of your life being studied by scientist after scientist in this foreign timeline, while your own universe becomes nothing but a distant memory?

Mr. Wayne’s deep voice brought you back to reality. “(Y/N)…”

Your eyes snapped back to him. “Uh… yeah?”

“I… didn’t just want to check up on you,” the billionaire hesitantly admitted, his brows furrowed with uncertainty. “There’s… well… there’s something…”

The way he trailed off made you feel uneasy. Though you were hoping this wasn’t going where you thought it was going, you knew it had something to do with… the elephant in the room. It was the one thing for the past week that caused your stomach to churn and your throat to constrict with pure guilt.

Of course, never addressing it seemed very unlikely. “It’s about… your (Y/N), isn’t it?”

Mr. Wayne stood as Still as a statue for a brief period, but eventually let out a shaky sigh. “The only people who know about… this situation… are me, Martian Manhunter, Adam Strange, and Doctor Fate. We have a few JL-affiliated scientists working on the possibility of dimensional travel, but… your name has been kept out of those projects.” His voice was becoming more and more gruff, reminiscent of the Batman voice you were accustomed to. “You do understand why it’s preferable that way, right?”

“Everyone who knew the (Y/N) here knows they’re…” you could barely finish your sentence without the stinging sensation of bile rising in your throat. “They’re… dead. It’s just better to keep your (Y/N)’s close ones away from all of this… just so no one gets false hope.”

At your response, Mr. Wayne nodded. “Exactly. We’re trying to send you home without anyone noticing you were here.” He then bowed his head towards the floor. “At least… that was the plan…”

You dumbly blinked at him. “Was?”

The billionaire took his sunglasses off to rub his face. “… Dick… he…”

Your heart rate picked up when he mentioned Dick, but you had to remind yourself that it wasn’t your Dick he was talking about. This Dick wasn’t your best friend that you like to hang out with around Jump City. All you could do was patiently wait for Mr. Wayne to continue as apprehension ate at your brain.

“He found out,” he finally admitted. “About you. I don’t know how, but I’m sure he had… some help.” Worry lines formed on his face as his ocean-colored eyes found yours. “He wasn’t happy that he was kept out of the loop, and… he wants to see you.”

“But I’m not his (Y/N),” you quickly blurted out. “I… I mean… I’m not the (Y/N) from this world. I’m not the same (Y/N) that… knew him.”

“And he knows you aren’t.” Mr. Wayne’s frown somehow grew bigger. “At least, he says that he knows you aren’t. He just feels… kept in the dark. You were his— (Y/N) was his best friend, and he told me that… I shouldn’t keep secrets about his best friend. Even if it… isn’t…”

“… his best friend,” you finished.

Mr. Wayne slowly nodded. There was a blanket of silence that fell over the room, and it felt like hours later when the billionaire spoke up again. “He was… extremely upset. You two were close, so I… I understand. But… you were also close with so many other people that… that it’s…” he had to lean against the wall to steady himself. “I thought I… was doing the right thing. I thought I was saving him from so much pain and… and heartache by hiding all of this…”

The immense self-pity that wafted from his form reminded you so much of Dick that you struggled to breathe. Moments like these were all too familiar to you; Dick would disappear after a mission, and you would find him beating himself over the head for something. You wondered if the Dick in this universe was the same exact way, and if the Dick from your universe got it from your Batman.

“Dick never liked secrets,” you began, putting a hand on Mr. Wayne’s shoulder, much like he did for you not too long ago. “He would always tell me about some guy named B, and how B didn’t seem to trust him.” You cleared your throat in order to attempt your best Robin impression. “I’m his partner!! He needs to trust me more!! I don’t wanna have anything to do with him!!”

A sad puff of air left the man’s lips. “… That definitely sounds familiar.”

“But if there’s one thing I know about Dick…” you couldn’t help but roll your else. “He’s a giant hypocrite.” Mr. Wayne’s eyes snapped up to meet yours quizzically while you continued. “Do you know how many secrets he’s hidden from the Titans? And how many he still keeps hidden? Can’t believe that guy has the audacity to go on and on about how he hates B’s lies, only to turn around and lie to his own team.” Throwing your arms up dramatically, you let out a frustrated sigh. “And I tell him! Every time his secrets are brought to light, I tell him, Dick, why would you keep secrets from your team if you hate secrets? And you know what he says?“

Mr. Wayne continued to stare at you. You gave him a reassuring smile and answered your own question, “he says, I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“… Wow,” was all the man could mutter.

“Deep down, he knows you were trying to keep him safe,” you explained, heart squeezing as you thought about your best friend. “Because it’s the same thing he would’ve done.”

Another puff of air came from Mr. Wayne, though it sounded more humorous than the last one. “You always knew him better. Probably could predict his next move before he even thinks to make it.” Any fondness that he held in his face turned stone cold. “… It’s been hard. Without you, I mean. It’s been hard for him, for me, for everyone. If only…” he cut himself off, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I… this must be uncomfortable for you.”

A frown tugged at the corner of your lips as you watched him straighten up. “It’s okay, Mr. Wayne… I understand. It’s… probably better to get everything off of your chest, right? Maybe it’ll help with healing?”

“… You’re not (Y/N),” the man uttered, voice barely above a whisper. It was hard to tell if he was speaking to you or himself, so you didn’t respond (it was hard to tell if you even had the right to respond). Taking a few steps towards the doorway, he gave you a solemn look. “I… apologize for putting you in an awkward position, with mentioning Dick and all, but I just wanted to give you a word of warning.”

“A word of warning,” your flat voice echoed.

He nodded, fiddling with his sunglasses. “He’ll show up here eventually when he obtains the address. It’s… inevitable, and I know I can’t do anything to stop it. But… when he does…” a small pause, “be careful with what you say.”

Though he didn’t elaborate, you knew exactly what he meant; don’t give Dick any false hope. A heavy lump formed in your throat as you tried to give a response. “Of course… I will.”

And, with that, Bruce Wayne was out the door.

Your first encounter with this universe’s Bruce Wayne was officially over. This was a crazy week (to say the least), but you never thought that your next VIP visitor would be Bruce Wayne. And he seemed… very unstable. Which you totally understood; you’re a parallel version, or alternate dimension version, or a whatever version of a very dead (Y/N), and that (Y/N) was close to a lot of people (including Batman, apparently?). It didn’t help that he and Dick must’ve had a fight quite recently, and you could only imagine how hard it was to admit to your son that you were keeping secrets… for his protection… again. Yeah, you don’t blame him for that tiny pity party he had.

Putting billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne aside for a moment, your thoughts went to Dick.

He’s trying to come see you.

You had… absolutely no idea how to feel about this. Part of you was excited, relieved even, to see his face. After an entire week of not seeing your best friend’s face, it would calm you down significantly. But… of course… this wasn’t your best friend; this was another (Y/N)’s best friend. And that (Y/N) is… no longer here. Excitement boiled into dread very quickly at the thought. This Dick Grayson knew you weren’t his (Y/N) (L/N)… so why would he want to come see you? At first, you thought it might’ve been for closure. While you weren’t his (Y/N), you were still (Y/N) in general, and maybe seeing you would be enough to help him… move on.

The thought sounded nice… but you knew Richard John “Dick” Grayson better than that.

Dick is a very defensive person… especially when it comes to the honor of his friends. If things start getting rough, you can practically see him put his shields up. And if he feels like things have gone too far, he’ll go fully offensive. You’ve seen it happen countless of times with you and the Titans, where he steps in with a sharp tongue and fists ready to fly whenever some unlucky jerk comes after one of you.

This Dick Grayson wasn’t your Dick Grayson, but judging from your conversation with Mr. Wayne, he’s pretty dang similar in both worlds. And if this world’s (Y/N) was his friend…

Then you’re the unlucky jerk coming after them.

#Young Justice x reader #Teen Titans x reader #Dick Grayson x reader #Robin Dick Grayson #Nightwing Dick Grayson

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moondal514 · 4 months

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Here’s an MXTX fandom hot take: when it comes to inaccurate characterizations re: a character’s awareness of their own romantic feelings, it’s super interesting to me how the MDZS and SVSSS fandoms have almost kinda sorta switched around their main characters with each other.

By which I mean, the ever common “Straight Boy Wei Wuxian” tag is basically just trying to make Wei Wuxian like Shen Yuan. It’s writing a Wei Wuxian so perpetually caught up in being oblivious about his feelings for Lan Wangji and constantly going “this is totally a thing normal straight guys do with each other” and “hahaha I can’t be in love with Lan Zhan. He’s a boy!” that the end result is startlingly similar to Shen Yuan’s wacko internalized queerphobia.

This is obviously not at all what Wei Wuxian is like is canon. He is very aware of what he feels for Lan Wangji, but he is also extremely cautious about it because he is trying to be very respectful towards Lan Wangji. There’s a tendency I’ve noticed in fandoms to confuse characters being cautious about their romantic feelings/not wanting to think about their romantic feelings because they’ve got too much stuff going on as thinking this means they are “oblivious.” That they genuinely have no idea what’s going on and what they’re feeling. Wei Wuxian is a huge victim of this (and not to bring up a non-MXTX fandom in discussion of MXTX fandoms, but Neil Josten, from my other major fandom All For the Game, is also a huge victim of this. Forever dying on the hill that neither of these characters are oblivious about their romantic feelings for their respective significant others, they are just refusing to think about them. But I digress).

And on the flip side we have character who is genuinely oblivious about their romantic feelings for extreme and very weird internalized queerphobia reasons, Shen Yuan. In fics with bad Shen Yuan characterizations, he is way too aware of his feelings. This is a guy that feels the need in canon to remind the reader that he is totally straight and likes women literally every other line. This is the guy that it genuinely doesn’t occur to him ever that a guy could like another guy until it is literally spelled out for him. If you’re looking for an oblivious main character who has been so warped by comphet and a refusal to be honest with himself about deep and heavy emotions that he is feeling at a given moment, pls look no further

I’m not really sure where I’m going with this. Just sometimes I read MDZS or SVSSS fics and think the writer should switch fandoms cuz they could be getting the main character they clearly want in a different fandom

#does this make sense?#I’m a lil sleep deprived today so idk if the words are wording correctly #mdzs #svsss #mxtxcu #moonie posting #moonie writes

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littlelesbianintern · 1 year

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Cynthia’s Coming Out Scene

I want to start with the fact that I think this is one of the best coming out scenes I’ve ever watched which considering this is a show set in the 50s is an incredible feat. This scene has me sobbing and Ari’s acting was incredible.

To be honest the way this show has represented queerness has been brilliant throughout the season. I love how the show utilises symbolism, but in particular the motif of queer people being able to have conversation about queerness without expressing it out loud is especially impactful - Cynthia/Lydia’s “you’re scared” scenes, the rehearsals, the fall dance, the conversation between Cynthia and Shy Guy. All of these moments convey deeper conversations than their literal words and to have this culminate in Cynthia not even being able to voice their identity/feelings out loud is genius because it’s such a universal experience for queer people.

Ari’s acting was phenomenal, literally just incredible. That moment before Cynthia hands the note to Nancy, relishing what she sees as the last moments of their friendship before Nancy begins to look at her differently? The grip on the note before letting Nancy eventually take it? The absolute look of fear as Nancy reads it? The gut-wrenching sob as she reads Nancy’s response, overcome with pure fucking relief? STUNNING. I’ve never felt to moved or seen. Give Ari their flowers because I can’t express enough how amazing their acting has been this season.

Also as much as I would like to know what the note says, I kind of love that we don’t? Like it remains this beautiful inside joke/moment between just Nancy and Cynthia. Having said that, I hope it says something like “rate the kiss out of ten” in a recall to Nancy loving to rank how good people are at kissing.

ON THAT NOTE NANCY NAKAGAWA IS THE ALLY OF THE YEAR. I love that she picked up immediately that Cynthia’s anger wasn’t entirely about her relationship with Potato, because whilst Cynthia definitely is angry about Nancy’s attitude, a little more of it was maybe some slight jealousy on Cynthia’s part? Nancy and Potato as a straight couple (I have my own head cannons but I digress) can outwardly express affection for each other but Nancy chooses to reject this. For Cynthia this must be incredibly frustrating, because as Lydia’s experience proves, queer relationship don’t have the same privilege, but Nancy takes it for granted. But for someone who said themselves that they weren’t great at listening, Nancy’s response to Cynthia, whatever it was, was perfect. And furthermore, she wasn’t just there to listen, but to actively turn up and support Cynthia in repairing her relationship with Lydia. Honestly just all of episode 10 was Nancy being an icon for a solid 55 minutes.

I also love the way that Lydia’s previous relationship experience adds a deeper layer to her relationship with Cynthia. I already kind of figured this would be the case based on the lyrics from Merely Players (“i know just what you’re feeling I’ve had that dream before”) and her conversation with Cynthia as to how school productions usually goes kind of read to me like she’s had queer relationships before. But it really reinforces how much Lydia likes Cynthia, to the point where she is willing to put her heart on the line again even though she knows how this might go.

Finally, although we don’t know whether the show will be renewed or not, the fact that the season ended with happy lesbians? Revolutionary. I’m going to be devastated if this becomes another sapphic show that’s cancelled, but I have a little peace of mind knowing that for once the lesbian couple hasn’t been left on a cliffhanger with no resolution. The reunion between Cynthia and Lydia was so lovely and Ari’s voice ? Holy shit dude!!!!!! They’re incredible. And the symbolism with the hall of mirrors, showing Cynthia giving every version of herself to Lydia? Amazing! So yeah, thank you Rise of the Pink Ladies for finally giving us some much needed portrayals of queerness with a happy ending, especially considering the context the show is set in.

#rise of the pink ladies #grease rise of the pink ladies #grease #rotpl #grease 2 #grease: rise of the pink ladies #grease rotpl #olivia valdovinos #cynthia zdunowski #jane facciano #nancy nakagawa #lydia rotpl #cynthia x lydia #RENEW RISE OF THE PINK LADIES

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karkatbug · 4 months

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🦀🕶️🫂

A tight, hot sensation works its way along Dave’s arms and sits at the pads of his fingers, which he taps restlessly against the cool, waxed wood table of their local coffee shop. He continues the motion despite his classmate’s evident irritation, hoping the contact would somehow encourage the feeling to pass through his fingers and onto the table via osmosis. It’s a familiar tension after enduring copious amounts of stress. Assignments, exams, working part-time. His social life, hobbies and habits. College had a knack for narrowing time and forcing life into a bottleneck. If you’re lucky enough to come out the other side alive, you’re left an exhausted shell of yourself, stiffly trying to relax your shoulders and convincing yourself that’s all you need and are totally fine now. Booking a back massage was pussy shit. No way in hell was he ever gonna let some man rub oil on him and get all touchy feely with his nude bod, no the fuck thanks.

Not to mention things were good. He’s quite literally in a better place. There was no reason to be rigid with stress now when he wasn’t going through anything like back then. Sadly logic did little to work out the knots in his shoulders.

“Mind over matter my ass,” Dave mumbles to himself.

“What’s with you?” Karkat demands. “You’ve been fidgeting all fucking day. All week, actually! Usually I let your human quirks slide but at this point I’m starting to get worried.”

Dave winces at the other’s raised voice.

“I’m fine, dude,” he says quietly, hoping to lead Karkat by example. “Finish your thingy.”

“Our thingy,” Karkat corrects. Dave huffs and glances back down at his laptop screen. A word document is open, and Karkat’s cursor flashes where he stopped typing. “And I’m not writing another word until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong, man.” Dave forces himself back into his quiet facade—fixing his calm along with his posture. They work some more. He grits his teeth when a leg begins to bounce. God how he’d love to crawl out of his skin right now. Instead, he sits up straight, grabs the side of the table and twists one way, repeating the motion as he does the other. His back pops both times. He lets out a satisfied sigh.

It’s still not enough.

“That’s the third time you’ve done that,” Karkat notes. His eyes are fiery despite the lack of red. Dave is one of the few who know about his blood color. He knows they’ll kick in a few years from now, and yet sometimes Dave can feel the color on him. Or maybe he’s projecting. It is his favorite, after all. The color. Not the troll.

Karkat pushes the screen of his laptop down as he points an accusatory finger at the restless human sitting across from him. “You’ve also rubbed your neck twenty seven separate occasions in this past hour. You’ve kicked me in the shin twelve times trying to stretch those freakishly long appendages you call legs. I’ve heard your back pop more times than Egbert’s fucking “grandma” and I lived with them for an entire year!”

“Why did you put quotations around grandma?”

“My point is what the fuck is happening to you? Are you about to molt? You’re acting like your frail skin is about to rip open.”

“Your inexplicable obsession with me is duly noted, and flattered as I may be that you watch me like a hawk—sorry, a talonscreecher— you can park those observations back at the Target parking lot you were at just this morning along with that awful thing on your wrist that you bought from there.”

Karkat tugs his long sleeve over his wristwatch with a scowl and flips Dave off.

“I usually exercise,” Dave explains, figuring he was one more digression away from Karkat finally deciding to kick him back for all the times earlier, most of which were definitely intentional points of contact on his end. “And I haven’t been able to for almost two weeks now because of—” he gestures to his laptop, the cafe they’re in and the campus visible outside the window they’re sitting by. “Our muscles get stiff and shit if we don’t move. It’s kind of unbearable for me.”

“Well, go! Go run a lap and come back!”

“What did we say about asking people to fulfill your furry kinks? I know our recently established friendship is cool and all but I’m not moirailling with you, dude. Next thing I know you’re going to ask me to get on my knees and bark—” Dave sucks in his breath and clenches his teeth, fighting the instinct to yelp following the sharp pain in his shin.

“Fuck off, Strider! Suffer in that meatsack for all I care.”

“I jog at ass in the morning or in the middle of the night, there is no in between.”

“Those are our peak cram hours.”

“I know! That's why I haven't been able to go!” Dave exclaims. “I hate feeling watched while I workout.” That’s not incriminating to admit, right? Most people hate the gym for the very same reason. There’s no way Karkat’s tragic-past detector would go off.

“‘Cause of your Bro?”

Dammit.

“No,” Dave utters stubbornly while raising his knee for easier access to rub his throbbing leg. “Can’t a guy be a little self-conscious when asked to run around his school in tight jeans and a baggy hoodie at peak hours? Can’t a troll accept that nothing will fix me right now besides getting on my stomach, spreading my legs and praying some forklift certified fuck accidentally gets in a steamroller and runs me over?”

“Jesus, Dave. If it’s that bad… just let me sit on you!”

Dave’s mind is pulled in so many different directions that for once in his life, he’s at a loss for words. The imagery, one he’ll never admit to having, even if burnt at the stake, takes hold. It’s so vivid in his mind that he closes his laptop with an abrupt snap and shoves it into his backpack.

“I think we’re done here.”

“Humans do it all the time!” Karkat continues. “You lie on the couch and your friend sits on your back, right? John and Jade fucked with me like this all the time but they’d make me do it back. They said it feels good.”

“You have got to remember that those two are outliers when it comes to what is considered ‘normal’ by human standards.”

“Right, because you’re a sensible being and should be considered the standard life form for your race.”

“You’re not convincing me to let you sit on my back, dude.”

“Fine, but where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

“Home?” Dave shifts out of the booth and shoulders his backpack.

“No the fuck you’re not! We’re not even halfway done with this paper!”

“I’ll bullshit something tonight.”

Karkat follows him, protesting the entire time. Dave tries and fails to shake him off. The sticky heat of the summer has yet to take hold of the city. Accustomed as he may be, Dave never looks forward to it, and the dread along with his current bodily aches makes him clench his teeth and curl his fists. He snapped at Karkat once, two years ago, in the summer. He was in a bad mood. Sweat-slicked hair framed his features. The humidity sat heavy in the air and made his clothes cling to the small of his back. He was tired, his brain had reached capacity after back-to-back lectures. The sun drained what little energy he had left, so when Karkat tried to lecture him about his romantic life, embarrassing him in front of their friends, he was genuinely mad. They weren’t close then, but were in each other’s circle. Dave had regretted it instantly. Karkat was a good dude. Sensitive in a way that made Dave cringe, sure, and outright obnoxious at times, but it was from a place of caring. He was fooled at first, with the way the other talked and typed. Karkat Vantas came off aggressive, loud and arrogant, but in actuality was all bark no bite (though his throbbing shin would argue otherwise). When he apologized, Karkat hugged him tight and everything seemed to magically get better after that.

Dave’s pace slows to a stop once they round the corner, officially off campus and away from the crowds of students.

“Sorry,” he blurts when the other stumbles to a stop to avoid crashing into him. “For getting all pissy.”

Karkat raises a brow and tilts his head to the side.

Dave uncurls his fists and tries to relax his shoulders. He doesn’t want to be uncool like back then, two years ago. Not to the troll he now knows well. Someone he genuinely likes despite pretending otherwise.

“It’s not anything you said or did.” Why was communicating so hard? And so fucking awkward? Why did he have to explain his feelings instead of relying on the people around him to telepathically understand what was going on in his head?

“Yeah, I know,” Karkat snorts. “You just need to book a fucking massage.”

“Phrasing,” Dave smirks.

“No, Dave. I know what I said.”

Dave flushes at the other’s nonchalance. He hates when Karkat has the drop on him.

“I hear you can request a happy ending from some plac—mph.”

Dave gets him into a headlock with one arm, the other going over his mouth. There’s a familiarity to the action. “Be glad there’s no table to suplex you over,” Dave threatens. He releases Karkat the moment he detects the other open his mouth to bite him. Yet another familiar action.

They tussle for a while longer until they’re giggling as they pull away. The distance between them lasts only a brief moment. On a whim, Dave reaches out and pulls Karkat back in, this time for an embrace. Karkat squeezes him tight. It knocks the air out of Dave in the best way possible. Karkat pops his back and nearly lifts him off his tippy toes. God he loved this fucker’s hugs.

“Did that help?” Karkat asks with a small smile, sharp teeth peeking shyly over his lips.

“I’m not sure,” Dave lies, chest tightening at the sight. Shit. “Can you do that again?”

Karkat embraces him with all he’s got. Shit, shit, shit. Dave fights back the groan. He’d never hear the end of it if he made a single sound in front of Karkat. But he can’t lie, this shit felt good. He wraps his arms around Karkat and hugs back. It becomes a competition. They embrace each other until Dave is certain one of them is going to pass out from lack of oxygen.

They release each other with dizzied laughs and crash back into each other, initiating another round. This time Dave reaches around Karkat’s waist, leading the other to lock his arms around Dave’s shoulders. Karkat squeezes the tension right out of those muscles. Dave strengthens his grip until that tight, hot sensation that had wormed its way along his arms and to the pads of his fingers dissipates completely.

They stumble apart with dopey grins, wordlessly resuming their walk home with nothing to fill the air between them but the sound of passing cars and chirping birds. He should have known. All it took was Karkat hugging him tight. Everything always seemed to magically get better after that.

#accidental fanfic #homestuck #davekat #dave strider #karkat vantas #ask bug #hsfanfic #1.9k words im getting better at small one shots hooray #long post

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black-butler-meta · 12 days

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Green Witch Arc: Sullivan vs. Ciel

I finished reading the Green Witch arc a few weeks ago, and my mind has been mulling over it ever since. I absolutely loved it, so many different things I want to talk about! Today, however, I will focus on only ONE thing, because, well, it's a big one and I write too much for my own good.

What is it, you may ask? Well, it is the dichotomy shown between Sullivan and Ciel when it comes to sex/sexuality. Sex stuff AGAIN? YES. Because this shit is everywhere, mixed in with all of the trauma this show has, and it's fascinating to stare at it under a microscope.

TW: discusses the sexuality/sexualization of minors, implied/brief references to Ciel's trauma, and Sebastian is an immoral bastard (but we love him).

How fascinating to have Sullivan, an 11-year old who is OBSESSED with the idea of sex, contrasted to Ciel, a 13-year old, who often turns a blind eye or straight up refuses to think about sex (that we explicitly know of, of course).

First, let’s look at Ciel. He is VERY resistant to sexual advances, comments, or themes in general. It doesn’t help that these advances/comments are often coming from adults (e.g., his clothing designer, that creepy sex-trafficking guy I can never remember his name…). But it’s there with Sullivan too, of course (understandably… anyone would be uncomfortable with how she treated him). He keeps a certain level of innocence about himself, which I see more as a trauma response rather than an actual lack of interest. It’s not that he likely doesn’t have thoughts about sexual things, but that the concept of sex at all is something that is deeply bound to what he went through, and so he avoids it like the plague. We all know that typically 13-year-olds are well into exploring their sexuality and attitudes/desires around sex. But Ciel doesn’t seem to have any interest at all.

On top of that, he is often treated less like an adolescent and more like a prepubescent child by others, including Sebastian (at least with the topic of sex). I don’t think Sebastian sees Ciel as an innocent child like the others; instead, I think he does this for two reasons. First, he ‘shelters’ Ciel to maintain his butler persona in the presence of others. He has to follow the cultural rules and expectations of the times, which includes protecting his master’s “innocence” (an innocence that Ciel was long ago robbed of). Second, he does it to rile him up, to strip Ciel of his “adult” persona that he wears around others and make him feel vulnerable in front of Sebastian. We all know that the two of them love taking jabs at each other and getting under each other’s skin, and this is no different. Sebastian didn’t point out the inappropriateness of Doll sleeping next to him out of concern/kindness of his master’s reputation. No one was there to see it or report on it. No, he did it because he knew it would irritate Ciel.

But, I digress. Point is that Ciel is particularly sheltered and infantilized both by himself and by those around him. Part of it is the trauma (aka Ciel’s age regression that I described in a separate post), and the other part of it is due to his cultural upbringing in Victorian era England, where morality and purity of the soul were big at the time.

By contrast, Sullivan is the total opposite. The parallels between them are very obvious - they both have male butlers as their primary servant/provider, they are (mostly) isolated amongst adults, and they’re close in age. In this sense, Sullivan acts and Ciel’s foil during this arc.

Sullivan is two years younger than Ciel, and yet she is far more comfortable with the ideas of sex and sexuality than he is. She’s very forward with what she wants, very direct, and has no hangups/issues around the topic. She’s also still very young and immature, evidenced by how she doesn’t understand the inappropriateness of her questions and comments, as well as her physically grabbing Ciel without his consent. It shows that while she’s comortable exploring her sexuality, she’s still obviously very young and immature.

Sullivan’s hyper-sexuality may seem odd/uncomfortable at first, especially for those of us from western cultures where media doesn’t portray the sexual side of pre-adolescent/pre-pubescent minors. But portraying the sexual/attraction side of minors (both as the subjects and objects of desire) has been present in anime for forever. Some examples that come to mind off the top of my head are Becky’s crush on Loid in Spy x Family; Young Yosano (age 11) from Bungo Stray Dogs being crushed on by the older soldiers in her platoon; and Reg and Riko from Made in Abyss. Sometimes these things are used for comedic effect, utilizing that discomfort to cause a laugh. But other times, it’s entirely serious/genuine (as a side note, Sullivan’s scenes do both.) But that doesn’t make it bad… instead, the sexual exploration of minors in fiction within anime is often portrayed as something natural. These aren’t instances of children being taken advantage of; in fact, they are often turned down either by characters or circumstance (e.g., spy x family), or they themselves shut down those who exhibit interest (e.g., bungo stray dogs), or the exchange/situation is with someone their own age (e.g., made in abyss).

And I think that’s a distinction I’ve noticed between Japanese and Western media. Minors, specifically pre-adolescents, are often portrayed as active explorers of attraction and sexuality. Which, when we really sit down and think about it, is entirely natural and a part of overall development. Sullivan being obsessed with sex at her age, while exaggerated for humorous effect, is typical. (As a side note, I chuckled at the fact that she got her information from romance books, because I have very clear memories of being 11 years old and sneakily reading the sex scenes from my mom’s harlequin romance books when she wasn’t home!). But, as I said above, while her curiosity and desire to experience this aspect of her body that is meant to bring pleasure is normal, her approach is very immature and inappropriate.

Which brings us to a very important point: While it is normal for minors to be curious and want to explore sex, the responsibility, in the end, falls on the adults (and older minors) to maintain healthy boundaries. Sullivan is allowed to have her curiosity, but she is regularly shot down by those around her, and her sexual advances are written off as a misunderstanding due to her lack of social and cultural exposure.

It’s also worth noting that I found Sebastian’s reaction to the whole thing very interesting AND very on-point for a demon. Sebastian is far less appalled by Sullivan’s advances as well as her overall curiosity. In fact, he finds the entire thing hilarious. There is even a point where he points out “Is Mr. Wolfram not a man?” I felt like this had a double meaning. The surface level is pointing out that Wolfram is a man, even though Sullivan says she’s never seen one before. But also implies that if she were so curious about men, then why not go to her butler who is one?

Sebastian is not bound by human rules of morality. He’s a demon and sees all humans as inferior. Food, insects… you get the idea. And as a demon, I don’t think he cares much about age/age differences, either. In fact, to be honest, I think all humans likely seem like infants to him because he’s immortal. He’s been around far longer than all of them. It’s the same way someone in their 40s will see someone in their 20s as young, or the way someone in their 80s may see someone in their 40s as young. Young, old… it’s all relative to oneself, and for Sebastian, he’s the oldest there is. What he does know is that humans are very sexually motivated (he uses this to his advantage, after all). It’s just a part of their nature. He doesn’t care that the sexuality is coming from an 11 year old versus a 25 year old. To him, the solution is simple: if you want it, take it. If Sullivan wants to experience sex, then she should reach out to Mr. Wolfram because he is a man. There’s nothing sinister about, nothing predatory… it’s just the logical solution that Sebastian came to due to not being restricted by human thinking. As long as both parties are consenting, what does it matter?

Which why it is so perfect that it’s Sullivan who shuts him down. But not because Wolfram is an adult and she’s a child, but because she doesn’t think of him “that way.” She sees him as a guard dog. He’s a loyal servant, there to protect her, and in that way, is more of a parental figure to her than a romantic one (as it should be). It’s not that she can’t be attracted to an adult; she’s obviously attracted to Sebastian. Which, once again, is normal. I distinctly recall having crushes on adults as a preteen. And let’s be honest, EVERYONE crushes on Sebastian, he’s literally sex on legs.

But what’s so great about this exchange is that Sullivan, while still being a child, is given agency as a character within the story. It’s not that she can’t, but it’s that she doesn’t want to. And that, in itself, is powerful. While she may be young and immature, just starting out her sexual journey, she gets to decide what she does/doesn’t want to do with her body, who she does/doesn’t want to share it with. And she’s able to make that choice within a safe space because those around her, who are older than her, maintain that very important boundary of appropriate/inappropriate behavior, not letting her cross that threshold that can lead to a potentially damaging outcome (mentally, physically, emotionally).

We often try to maintain a strict dichotomy between “child” (no sexual agency) and “adult” (full sexual agency). However, that’s not how it works in the real world, is it? We have that transitory period of adolescence, and we can’t prevent the sexual curiosity of minors from happening. We may create this dichotomy as a way to protect children from ill-intentioned adults, but at the same time, doing so strips children of their own autonomy and ability to learn about themselves - what they like, what they don’t like, what feels safe and what doesn’t. A child without agency is a child without control, and in that sense, is at greater risk for harm when they do eventually cross that legal threshold from minor to adult.

Additionally, this binary viewpoint either promotes, or is in response to, the fear that if a child is allowed to be their own subject of sexual desire, then it will open up the allowance of them becoming the object of someone else’s sexual desire, which can increase the risk for harm. In a way, this almost puts the blame on the child, rather than the adults, as being the one responsible for maintaining healthy boundaries. It’s the same tune of “women shouldn’t dress provocatively because it might entice men to assault them.” Let us not put the blame on the victims, shall we? Allow and acknowledge the natural sexual development of children and adolescents; provide a safe space for them to be curious, to ask questions, to get things wrong. It is OUR responsibility as adults to honor and protect their space and teach them boundaries for safety.

Oops, I got sidetracked…

To tie this back to Ciel, in this sense, he’s still very much stuck in that dichotomy of “child” (no agency) and “adult” (full agency). He’s forced to occupy both spaces due to his culture and his circumstances. In that sense, he’s grappling for control within himself, his past, and the world that he is both physically bound by and yet emotionally separate from. It demonstrates how he’s still shackled by his past and by his need for revenge, and ties into his voluntary age regression that he still relies on in response to his trauma. And if Ciel has any hope of ever truly healing beyond it, then him coming to terms with his own sexuality and desires will likely have to be a part of that.

I have much more to say regarding Ciel’s sexuality within the story overall, Sebastian’s role in it, as well as how that relates to us as the viewers…. but that’s a post for another time. This post is already long enough. 💀

ANYWAAAYYYY, Green Witch Arc. Loved it, it was fantastic, so much going on in it, can't wait to see it all animated eventually! I have more ramblings to write for it, so hopefully I can get those jotted down soon!

#black butler #kuroshitsuji #black butler analysis #green witch arc #ciel phantomhive #sullivan #sebastian michaelis

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markeronacomputer · 15 days

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i require apocalypse bird hcs

First of all, the Abnormality’s name is no hyperbole. For whatever reason, it makes all lights flicker and shut off in its presence: and I do mean all lights. If it got outside, it would literally block out the sun and cause an apocalypse if they stayed fused for too long.

How exactly do Abnormalities fuse? Who knows, but apparently it’s something all Abnormalities could do if they met one or more Abnormalities that were similar to them and aligned in their goals.

They also need to have a conduit powerful enough for them to latch themselves onto and convert themselves into energy for the fusion: in this case, the Portal to the Black Forest.

Since pretty much only Punishing Bird, Judgement Bird and Big Bird meet that criteria, Abnormality fusions are rare (unless you get Aberrations involved, but I digress).

They are also, more often than not, insanely powerful, with the weakest known fusion still being WAW in terms of power.

But enough about that and onto Apocalypse Bird itself: nobody’s really sure why it’s classified as a bird aside from being a fusion of three birds.

It has arms instead of legs, a tiny weird slug body, a slug mouth instead of a beak, and even its wings aren’t made of feathers, but hair: although they can somehow still fly.

Naturally, it never actually uses this ability because the facility is too big, so it accommodates using its teleportation… that it somehow has…

The eggs are the leftover husks of all three of the birds while the majority of their essence is in Apocalypse Bird.

When destroying one, the corresponding bird can feel themselves start to die, and so they return to their original forms to save themselves: though still leave a little of themselves in the main body so that the others can take over from there.

Their EGO is made from all the uncontrolled energy that spills out when Apocalypse Bird dies. And when I say uncontrolled, I do mean uncontrolled.

So much so that the Manager doesn’t even have to order Extraction Team to make them. The energy’s only around for so long before settling into a more controlled form, so Extraction just get to it themselves.

However, the energy always settles into its more controlled form so quickly that Extraction can only ever make one of the EGO Weapon and Suit.

What is this more controlled form, I hear you ask? The EGO Gift. It’s a very powerful one, too, seeing as how the only other Abnormality in the game whose gift is straight-up just an extra limb is WhiteNight.

It just sorta… attaches itself onto everyone there, and then eventually turns into a full wing overnight whilst they’re sleeping. It also has feathers too, not hair like Apocalypse Bird.

And I do mean everyone when I say that. The effects aren’t as severe with them for obvious reasons, but even the Sefirot would have some feathers stuffed inside their mechanical bodies which spill out when/if they’re scrapped, like pillowcases.

People can’t see out of the extra eyes on their wings. Then again, that’s likely for the best. I imagine it would get disorienting quickly.

#lobotomy corp #lobotomy corporation #lob corp #project moon #project: moon #library of ruina #judgement bird #punishing bird #big bird #apocalypse bird #birds of the black forest #asks #headcanons

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ultimateloserboy · 1 year

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i cant go to sleep until i release the thoughts so here they are. im sorry if this is a bit more nonsensical or rambleish than my other ones, im very very tired but anyway

this is going to be a bit upsetting for the lovey-dovey sunshine and rainbows crowd but people give red guy and duck WAYY too much credit when it comes to their relationship (or at least how it used to be) like they DID NOT //start out// functional AT. ALL. they used to go together like a car and a tree. and honestly this makes them even more interesting

They’re both insecure in different areas, and they react differently to these insecurities as well. from what ive gathered, red guy dislikes how “odd” he is. he tries to act bitter and uncaring about everything and everyone, either to fit in with the other red things, or to keep himself distracted or distanced from the world hes stuck in. he distances himself from his friends as well. this is a horrible contrast with ducks outward and open love of his friends (despite how horribly he treats them lmao but i digress) duck reveals in the family episode that despite loving himself, he wants other people to love him too. duck is not necessarily insecure in himself, hes the best one after all, but he does feel very lonely. he feels like nobody loves him as much as he loves himself, like the only person he truly has is himself because nobody else is willing to love him. this obviously makes him feel very alone. this is why red guys denial and dismissal of his friends hits ducks insecurities harshly and directly, even if its not intentional.

once i got to the fridge scene during my first watchthrough i was very confused. firstly because i was utterly flabbergasted that they were gay for some reason (i had never even considered it), and secondly because ducks reply caught me off guard. duck is a very full-of-himself character. so why would he be surprised to find out someone likes looking at him? shouldnt he reply with something like “well yeah duh you big stupid idiot im the prettiest and the best etc etc”?? well i understand now why duck reacted that way. he doesnt get many compliments from anyone but himself, probably talking in the mirror. and he ESPECIALLY hadnt gotten many compliments from red guy at this point. red guy denied being his friend very adamantly. EVEN AT HIS FUNERAL. HIS FUNERAL!!! and yes red guy does realize he misses duck eventually, but duck isnt even there to see it, and when he comes back he finds himself literally replaced?? (like.. red guy ur fumbling so hard right now. fumbling straight into a divorce. and ur not even married yet man. but anyway, back on topic)

slowly throughout the series red guy starts being more open, and whether he realizes it or not his whole uncaring act isnt that good to begin with. my favorite small detail during the funeral is that red guy calls the plates “our plates” without even realizing it, right in the middle of denying his best-friendship with duck. like dude who do you think youre fooling other than yourself!?

with all of this considered, despite red guys poor performance of denial, it’s perfectly understandable for duck to be surprised when red guy openly confesses his honest emotions. an up-front confession of feelings is not something red guy ever wants or allows himself to do, so duck was probably confused as hell.

my favorite part of this scene is how red guy is looking away when he says it, still clearly embarrassed but saying it anyway. this is a HUGE deal for his character. it was a character development that had been slowly growing throughout the tv series, and by episode six i think it was as close to completion as its ever been. he does pull the whole “its fine just ignore it” thing with duck earlier in the episode, but he does it more to calm him down in this context. the fridge scene confirms to me that red guy has almost stopped running, not necessarily from the house, but from his friends. he has finally let himself love them. hes finally let himself admit not just to himself, but to duck, that hes important to him.

this is why i think theyre so interesting, because these two characters are cynical assholes. that’s how becky and joe have described them at times. these characters are not the best of people, theyre both messed up people in a messed up and confusing world, so of course they wont be perfect. but thats the beauty of it. they dont want to hurt eachother, so they try their best to change. they try their best to fight against the cruelty of their minds and surroundings and let themselves love eachother even if only for a second, even if in the end it wont really matter

ok im going to sleep now goodnight

#fluffybird #red guy x duck #dhmis #dont hug me im scared #dhmis duck #dhmis fandom #dhmis red guy #duck guy #red guy #duck dhmis #red guy dhmis

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cinnamon-guardian · 1 year

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HUGE SPOILERS FOR THE RECENT SPY X FAMILY MANGA ARC:

This is pure speculation, but in all honesty, the Red Circus Arc has made me rethink how the ending of the series might go down.

We don’t have any sort of major clues for how the series might end besides the omission implication that Twilight and Thorn Princess might come to blows, but how the Big Reveal™ might happen is completely up in the air.

However, certain characters are starting to piece a few of the clues together, and I’m interested to see how that goes.

First up is Becky!

Anya constantly surprises Becky, and Becky is more than willing to take her best friend at her word (they are six after all. My friends tricked me into thinking all movies were real when I was six. Kids are gullible).

But imagine if Becky relays this tid-bit back to Martha! Imagine Martha, the wise butler/chauffeur/bodyguard who is all but straight up confirmed to have some sort of martial past, hears from Becky that Anya can “read lips” because she saw it on TV. That raise some suspicion for sure.

Next is Damian!

Being candid here, this isn’t the first time Damian has been startlingly close to the truth, but it’s mostly played as a one-off idea or him being internally hyperbolic.

But the fact that he’s already coming this close to the truth of the situation means that, maybe later down the line, he might genuinely consider it as a possibility.

After that is Housemaster Henderson!

This is the only authority figure that seems to really consider Anya’s outlandish claims to be true. Hell, even her parents think she’s just pretending because there’s no way their child could be in on their big secrets, right?

But Henderson is so moved by Anya’s bravery that he genuinely kinda considers it. Out of all the side characters to figure out something’s seriously up with the Forgers, Henderson is l the safest option by far. Compared to folks like Yuri or Fiona figuring out what’s going on, I think the Forgers’ secrets are safe with Anya’s elegant educator.

But lastly, we get this huge call back:

Anya quoting straight from her father’s monologue from waaaaaaay back in the first chapter/episode of the series. And from how it’s framed in the story, it rattles everyone there to their core. People are going to talk about what she said, and they’re almost definitely going to tell Loid about it.

Granted, it was a one-off thought that Loid had 73 chapters ago, so it might not even register to him. But at the same time, it’s what gave him meaning.

This might just be a one-off line, but it’s what motivates Twilight to be who he is. I don’t think he’s liable to forget that anytime soon since it was Anya herself that reminded him of that. So to hear that lifelong mission parroted back to him would definitely lead to quite a few questions.

All of this is to say that we’re starting to see glimpses of the truth break through, and instead of it being one giant instance of the curtain being pulled to reveal the real wizard or what have you, it’s going to be a gradual process where, little by little, everyone begins to realize that something isn’t adding up.

And I’m not using this to blame Anya for blowing her cover—again, she’s six (or four if we go by fan theories, but I digress)—but it’s really interesting that she’s started a domino effect that might lead to people figuring out her true abilities and the true nature of her adopted parents’ sooner than she’d like. Only time will tell, but a lot of this feels like it’s building towards something huge.

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bronx-bomber87 · 10 months

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Mid week Review :) The amazing hits keep coming in S2. Another goodie for them. Hard to believe we have 9 eps left in this season after this one. Such a rock solid season for them. Let's get started.

2x13 Follow-Up Day

We first find our lovely couple pre-roll call. Smitty is celebrating his last day as ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ He scored so low he’ll never get promoted. Honestly most depressing thing I’ve ever heard... but it’s Smitty. So he’s rolling with it like we all would expect him to. The scores are going to be posted soon. Meaning Tim will get to know where he ranks as well. (Tim is all smiles while they’re talking btw. It’s pretty cute.)

You can see Lucy is so excited for him to get them. Supportive and proud wifey reporting for duty. All she can see is the light at the end of tunnel for him. She knows he crushed it. Tim on the other hand looks nervous af about these results. You can sense how edgy he is in that last gif. Lucy is her sunshine self for him regardless. His encouraging cheerleader. Her default mode for him. Her pride for him is just gushing out of her.

Tim being Tim can’t handle the support. So naturally he pushes away when she does it. Instead of thanking Lucy for her support he deflects it. Says 'No doubt' and nothing more. Leaving Lucy a little baffled. Has to leave before she sees the affect her support has on him. I get Tim’s reaction I really do. It seems like he's being rude when really he can't fathom it. When you’re not given words of affirmation or support growing up, it’s so damn foreign to receive it.

Her support means so much and he craves it yet he can’t actually process or handle it. I relate to this all to well. He's still not used to having someone in his corner consistently like Lucy is for him. Always showing up. It's so nice you almost can't trust it. It sounds insane but it's true. Deep down you need it and want it. But when you get it you push it away or down play it. Just like Tim did in this scene. Good thing our girl is relentless. Our never ending cheerleader for him. Sees past his rough spots and loves on him more for it. Ugh I love them.

In roll call they’re all assigned follow up cases that are about to be put on the back burner. Hence the name of the episode. Tim and Lucy get assigned a house break in. No prints or DNA. It's for a man named Nevin Cooper. Former gang member. They arrive at his donut shop and ask to see him. (Side note I'll never be over how he ALWAYS opens the door for her. Chivalry does it for me.) The eye contact she gives him when he does it too my goodness. But I digress ha Sasha his GF is instantly tense at their presence. Asking if she can help with something? Before they can answer they hear a noise and head back.

They find Nevin talking to the new head of his former gang. Tim immediately tries to square up with this guy. Tells him he’s the one who put his former boss in jail. Tim doesn't waste much time and asks if he’s the new leader? Marquel quotes Shakespeare as his answer. Lucy can't help but comment on this. Marquel softens a bit says she’s smart for a cop. Tim does intimidation and Lucy tries to build rapport with Shakespearian knowledge LOL Yin and Yang.

They’re clearly giving him grief for leaving the gang post jail. Mad he's trying to go straight. Tim and Lucy are able to scare Marquel off for now. Nevin is evasive with them after they go. He won’t admit to anything. Apparently Sasha called them not him. Tim knows they're not going to get much more out of him so they leave. Tim knows Marquel is sweating Nevin. He just can’t prove that or him breaking into his house just yet.

They make it back to station and Lucy starts asking how the results work. Clearly the only thing on her mind is his exam. It’s adorable. She asks him if he gets the stripes right away? Tim tells her passing the test is just the first step. You only get promoted once a spot opens up. So that’s why his ranking is so important.

If he makes it to the top of the list could take him a month or two. Lets her know the lower you are on the list the longer it takes. Says for some they’ll never get a shot. I.e. Smitty. Can see why he’s so damn stressed about the whole thing. Just passing isn’t guaranteeing anything. Tells her if nothing comes up he has to wait 2 more years to take the exam again. I love how intently she listens to him. Look at her absorbing everything he's saying.

Grey comes up to them says Nevin has been assaulted. Lucy says that’s crazy they just saw him. Tim says Marquel must’ve double backed after they left. It’s landed him in the hospital. They know he won’t talk to them. So they try their luck with Sasha. She is upset he got hurt cause they showed up. Tells them they had to make sure Nevin wasn’t snitching. Lucy says snitching about what? She balks and clams up just like he did.

Then Tim steps in with a damn good mini speech above. He’s not wrong. This guy is relentless. A predator. He’s not going down without a fight. She gives in and says they’re trying to pressure Nevin into laundering drug money for them. Gave him only 24 hours to decide. Lucy asks if they can arrest Marquel for assault? He says no it’ll only incite the gang. They’ll end up killing them. Lucy asks him what they’re gonna do? He looks stumped. Says he doesn’t know…

They go to Grey for some guidance about what their next move is. His answer doesn't appeal to them either. He mentions making him a CI dragging him back into the life. Wrapping up Marquel's crew that way. Lucy isn't on board for this. Says he's trying to get out of the life not get thrust back into it. Grey uses this hard decision as his segue into his Sergeant results. I love Tim darting his eyes at Lucy first when he asks about the scores. *heart clutch*. He's nervous for himself but also nervous he tanked it and she'll know he did. He doesn't want to let her down. She helped him so much.

Lucy goes from upset about Nevin to radiant proud wifey when she hears the news. Tim looks so very relieved. Reserved but relieved. The Tim Bradford way haha Lucy voicing her excitement is too damn cute. Just spews out of her like word vomit. He looks at her like 'Not in front of Grey' LOL Wade’s face is too damn funny. Not subtle in the least Lucy. I know in S5 when Tim came to him about them dating he wasn’t shocked in the least. They’d been emotionally dating for YEARS before they were official. He had a front row seat for a long time.

Lucy gets his silent communication message loud and clear. She tries her best to rein it in like the cute human she is. Bring it back to a 'professional' setting in front of Grey. Says 'Congratulations Sergeant Bradford' with heart eyes x 1000 ❤️ Subtle as a hammer Lucy. Didn't scale that back like she think she did. I love her so much. She sure tired haha

It’s then the scene takes a turn for them both. Grey tells him there’s an opening in North Hollywood. Captain owes him a favor. He could start in two weeks. They’re both stunned. You can see it on their faces. Lucy thinks there is now way in hell he’s going to pass up this opportunity for her. So her sadness is she thinks she's going to lose him to this. Tim however is immediately hesitant about the quick turnaround. Lucy of course doesn’t want him to go. It’s evident Tim doesn’t either. Another tough decision ahead for our boy it would seem. Stay or go and get everything he’s been working hard for?

The next day rolls around and Tim decides to take a run a Marquel. Trying to appeal to him to let Nevin go. That he gave a decade of his life to them. Took the fall like a good soldier. Lucy even quotes Othello like the BAMF she is. Trying to persuade him to their side. Using their Shakespeare rapport from the other day. It fails. Do love her trying with Shakespeare though haha Had to take her shot.

Lucy asks what they do next? Ready for his next plan. Tim says he doesn’t know. They made their play and failed. Then our girl does what she does best. Challenges him. Says she never thought she’d see the day he gives up. She did once call him the DEAR method incarnate. Reminds him he is the king of subversive tests and tricks. No way this is the end of the road for them about this.

That there has to be someway for them to win coming at this sideways. What I love about this scene is yes she challenges him, but also builds him up while she’s doing that. Encouraging him to be more creative about this. That he has it in him to win this fight. That he just needs to allow himself some space to work it out. Such a damn good partner to him in more ways than one. Love his face in the second gif above. Ready to go back into battle over this because of her.

He told her she has no quit in her. That applies to him as well. This moment is absolute undeniable proof of that. This scene right here is one of the reasons he stays at Mid Wilshire. The impact she has on him. How she lights a fire under him like no one else ever has. She’s the whole reason he's staying really but this scene is a facet of why she’s the reason. A reminder and the moment he makes his decision. Not just about this situation but about his career. It’s more valuable for him to keep what they have than to leave for that promotion.

We find out Tim’s out of the box plan. To turn Nevin's donut shop into a cop hang out. No way he’ll launder money there now. It's brilliant. Lucy commends him on his great plan and make sure he knows how genius it was. Then tells him with sadness in her eyes North Hollywood is lucky to have a sergeant like him. Tim squashes that sadness and lets her know he isn't going to move up yet. He seems really excited to tell her that he is staying. It's pretty cute.

Lucy is clearly thrilled when Tim reveals he’s not taking it. She of course isn’t going to assume it because of her. So she makes a joke and ask if he’s waiting on Malibu then? Oh Tim has rubbed off on her too. Deflecting through humor. Then Tim says that iconic line of his about finishing what he starts. With far more affection and heart eyes than I’m sure is needed. But hell we’re gonna lap that up all damn day.

Their looks are so incredibly telling. Basically saying exactly how they’re feeling while dancing around it at the same time. Once again you forget he’s dating one of her closest friends this season. The amount of emotional rapport being built in S2 is mind blowing and beautiful to behold.

She wouldn’t be Lucy if she didn’t give him a little crap though. Saying he better move up at some point. That those books on tape took her a long time LOL Her labor of love for him is what those were. His is he chose Lucy over furthering his career. (This won't be the last time he does this either) He wasn’t ready to leave her. This is such a big thing for him to do. I don't think he even realizes how big this is. Wouldn’t have done this for any other rookie. But Lucy is forever the exception for Tim. He values their bond and connection far too much to give that up. He can’t tell her that but actions speak louder than words. And his are SCREAMING.

The smile he reserves only for her comes out after her little jab. You know he loves it when she gives him a hard time. He says ‘Yeah’ then they are in literal lock step after that. Just look at them. Their body chemistry without even touching is out of this world. Looks like she wants to touch him with some playful pushing but holds back on that last gif. Easy you two your massive feelings that are growing by the ep are showing. Damn they cute I can’t get over it ha So ends another wonderful s2 episode for them.

Side notes-non chenford

Did enjoy Nolan’s SL with Pete coming into the picture for first time. Always funny. Harper being funny in this one as well.

Wopez had a good SL as well with his mom. Enjoyed it.

Thank you all for your continued support, likes/reblogs. They fuel my reviews so very much. You’re the best :) see you all in 2x14

#Caitlin rewatches The Rookie #chenford #chenford hiatus #summer rewatch #waiting on s6 #s2 #2x13 Follow-Up Day #The rookie 2x13 #tim bradford #lucy chen #the rookie #tim x lucy #lucy x tim #eric winter #melissa o'neil #otp: doing my job #otp: you know me so well. too well.#tim bradford x lucy chen

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crystallinestars · 25 days

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OMG thank you so much for your response 😭 You always answer very kindly and in a detailed manner ahahah it is always fun to read your posts ! For rant, where to begin… I’m straight up typing this on a document so that it’ll be easier to organize gyahahah. I hope the readers do not see this as an assault on certain people, just an exchange of ideas 😁This is like 1250 words, enough for a uni essay, I feel that at some points it may be rather incoherent…

So I guess I will start with the shipping thing ! So when it comes to Kaveh ships, I see that it is like 99% with Alhaitham. I guess it is because of the way the game sets them up. Not only do they live under the same roof but iirc they have extensive voicelines about each other. I won’t deny that they play an important role in each other’s lives! Like back from their Akademiya days when they were still friends and collaborated with each other, and then when they had their falling out, and then Kaveh falls into financial ruin and inevitably ends up turning to his former friend for help (much to his own shame and chagrin). If they’ve known each other for this many years, it is natural that they would have many things to say about each other.

However, I guess this also opens up the way for BL fans to interpret this in a romantic manner. Ofc they could feel free to ship as they’d like, but just taking into account the ones who are so insistent that any other ship must be wrong, I will detail the following…

For people who have been in each other’s lives for a long time (I’m thinking 10+ years for these two), it isn’t out of the ordinary to talk about each other. I talk about the people in my close circle a fair amount, same with the people I know. It doesn’t need to imply a secret crush. And regarding their interactions, they often throw shade at each other. This is also interpreted in a romantic manner by many fans. If we look at this in a more positive light, I remember a guy player noting that their kind of interaction is similar to IRL male friendships. Guys dissing or making fun of each other with no deeper meaning to it. Bros being bros kind of thing. But if we look at it critically, I would say that a relationship where they’re arguing all the time… is not ideal. Like a commenter on Reddit said something that stood out to me, that Kaveh just looks so stressed when he’s interacting with Haitham. 😅 Looking at it from this angle, it makes it difficult to romance the two ahahah (not because of a “problematic” aspect but rather because it isn’t fun watching them just constantly arguing and Kaveh being miserable from this).

To digress a bit, my ideal Kaveh ships would be either Kaveh+Lumine or Kaveh+Nilou. The former because Lumine in his hangout quest helps him a lot, like helping him deal with his past and with many of his issues. Also I like the idea of Kaveh accompanying Lumine during her travels, nice way to keep her company. 😁 And for KavehLou their romantic+artsy personalities and their shared cultural connection!!! I feel like Kaveh would legit treat Nilou like a goddess ahahah and Nilou would definitely cheer him up when he’s struggling, and both of them have super good vibes so it’s 💯 green flags all around. I also want to see them celebrate Nowruz together… ahahah.

And this kind of ties into my next point that because of the whole shippy thing, Kaveh is rarely seen as his own character. This is evident when you look up his name on Twitter. Most of it will be him with Haitham; the fandom treats him like he is Haitham’s add-on. For comparison, when I look up my other fave Scaramouche/Wanderer, I actually get art of JUST him. Not with Kazuha, Childe, or even Lumine. Just straight up Scara. Kaveh doesn’t get this solo treatment because much of the fandom just sees him as an extension of Haitham. The thing is that Kaveh is one of the most human and relatable characters in the game: he wants to be a good person, yet he does struggle with having his own personality flaws. He has financial struggles that he’s barely clawing his way out of. If we disregard his genius and extraordinary academic record, I think most people could see themselves in him. In other words, I’d say that he is a very solid character. I think it’s about high time we give him his own chance to shine, without feeble scholar getting in his way ahahah (no shade to you, Alhaitham !). Let Kaveh be his own person!

And another point I would like to make, it is something that is of interest to me because it does involve different cultural perspectives. Kaveh is commonly interpreted as “feminine.” There is no shame in being a feminine man. However, the basis of this interpretation is 1) his appearance and 2) his expressive behavior. Regarding his appearance, I think it is because he styles himself in a particular manner that people automatically assume he is “___-coded.” To address this, I’ve seen Iranian Genshin players explain that historically, it wasn’t uncommon for Iranian men to wear jewelry, dress flamboyantly, and enjoy the fine arts. But to outsiders’ eyes, doing these makes him “less of a man.” It is like how some male k-pop idols are seen as “girly” or even “gay” by many in the West, but for women in many east+southeast Asian societies they are perfectly acceptable men. Just that when they see him as “feminine” it often verges into fetishization territory… I’ll try not to play pixel activism here, but ngl it gets really gross and weird at times. A few weeks ago I had the misfortune of laying my eyes upon a Haitham+Kaveh fanart where Kaveh was basically (sorry for the description in advance) Haitham’s belly dancer/slave?? Of course fanartists have the freedom to draw whatever they want but this image was pretty much a symptom of how the fandom views Kaveh. 🙁 Even one of the well-known Iranian Genshin enjoyers called this out as fetishistic and orientalist (the latter term is often thrown around with regard to Sumeru, but I think that this instance actually warranted its use).

In addition to his appearance, Kaveh is a very emotionally expressive man. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Because of this, this further contributes to fans thinking of him as “girly.” So I guess men aren’t “real men” if they are open with their emotions, if we go by the logic of the fandom? Haitham and other characters seen as “masculine” e.g. Diluc and Childe are given the “masculine” treatment because they demonstrate far more restraint with their emotions, while Kaveh gets the “uwu I’m a lil bbygirl in need of saving” treatment simply because he doesn’t hold back when it comes to his feelings. So from this there’s like so much stuff of him as “ohhh submissive prettyboy 🥺🥺🥺” instead of taking into account other aspects of his personality, like he could actually be assertive especially when dealing with annoying clients. It does him a true disservice…

I feel that I’m missing many more points that I’ve considered before, if I ever remember them I will probably send them in… I hope it does not come off as some sort of crusade call, but rather just an outpouring of thoughts. And hopefully this is a decently entertaining read ^^;;;;

WELCOME BACK!!! I have been waiting for your lovely essay on how Kaveh gets done dirty by the fandom, and it made me so happy to see you and I share a lot of opinions in common on this! (That's a lot of text though. I don't mind the length at all, but I'm surprised the word limit let you hahaha)

To your amazing analysis, I respond to you with an essay of my own.

I completely agree with your points that people who have known each other for a long time would naturally have a lot to say about each other. Even if they haven't known each other for long, when people live in close quarters together, they definitely have things to say about one another, especially negative ones. The bickering Kaveh and Alhaitham have is expected since they're roommates, and on top of that, roommates that had a falling out as friends. Their relationship is a bit strained since neither wants to admit they were wrong in the past due to their pride.

I work 5 days a week with a coworker of mine, and I have a lot to say about her because we work closely together. Does that mean I'm romantically attracted to her? No, not at all. Quite the opposite. Unfortunately, this logic doesn't apply to fiction quite so easily, and I'll cover why in a bit.

The point about them acting like real-life guy friends is also very true, although I think their relationship fits a sitcom more closely. I know someone who said Kaveh and Haitham's relationship reminds them of Leonard and Sheldon's from The Big Bang Theory. Two guys living together, constantly bickering and throwing shade, but caring about one another deep down.

Lord, I can write a whole separate essay on why I think Kaveh and Alhaitham don't work as a romantic couple, but I won't do that here. This post is already gonna be long. Maybe another time.

However, I do want to say that while you make excellent points on how Kaveh and Haitham's relationship isn't inherently romantic, there is a very big BUT to all this. And that's Mihoyo.

As an anime game developer, Mihoyo knows all about the anime community. After all, the founders were all otakus, they know what kind of audience they have. They know what is popular, and what's popular is BL. There is not a single excuse anyone can give me that can convince me otherwise that Mihoyo didn't know exactly what they were doing when they wrote Kaveh and Haitham to be roommates. They didn't have to write them to live together. They didn't have to write all the extra dialogue where they mention each other. They didn't have to do the matching key idles, the references to the other in their birthdays, or introduce Kaveh through Alhaitham TWICE. They knew how their audience will interpret their dynamic, they had the option to structure it differently, but they still went through with it. It was deliberate.

Kaveh was introduced with Haitham, and ever since, they have consistently been shown together. It's as if they are literally glued to each other. Can't go a single birthday, event, quest, or otherwise without the other being present in some way. It is all intentional. Their interactions and cameos carry intent behind them that shippers pick up on, and that intent is to appeal to their group. So while it's erroneous to claim that Kaveh and Haitham are canonically in a romantic relationship the way a lot of toxic shippers are doing, there is a good reason why they think so. Mihoyo is actively encouraging this mindset by not allowing either character to shine on their own, but rather as a pair because they know this appeals to a subsection of their fanbase, and a large one at that.

As for your Kaveh ships, I agree 100%! Lumine is a good choice for sure (I say this as a kavelumi shipper *gets shot*), and while I don't ship it, I understand the reasoning behind Kavelou, and think it's cute. Nilou would be a really good influence on Kaveh. He always laments about how nobody understands his passion for the arts, but Nilou would. They're both artists that are trying to eke their own path in a society that doesn't appreciate art. Nilou, as you mentioned, would cheer him up, and I think Kaveh would also find peace of mind through her dancing. Kaveh needs someone optimistic and kind like Nilou.

While we're on the topic of Kaveh ships, I would also like to suggest my own that I really like. Kaveh x Candace. Please don't shoot me. Candace is strict and no-nonsense, so she wouldn't let Kaveh get away with constantly self-sabotaging himself. And unlike Haitham, she is gentle and almost motherly, so she'd be more successful in getting through to Kaveh and soothing him. Or so I like to think. Kaveh would also help her see the outside world more, maybe have her accompany him through the desert and show her beautiful sights she'd never see by staying cooped up in her village. Plus, he's literally helping to construct a library for her village! There is so much potential for them to bond over Aaru village yet Hoyo keeps pushing the same relationships, I am so tired-

But of course, for me, the best ship of all will forever be Kaveh x You/Reader. On my blog, every guy I write for loves you, and only you. Please don't kill me.

Carrying on, you are right in that Kaveh isn't seen as his own person. You'd be hard-pressed to find (popular) art of him that doesn't imply Haitham in there somewhere. Is it so surprising, though, when even the game developer treats them as a package deal?

I feel you, it's a pity. Kaveh's character is very complex and one of the most realistic. When I read his backstory, I couldn't help but think as if someone in Mihoyo put a part of themselves in his character. The struggles he goes through are realistic, painfully so, even. I've also seen lots of artists say they relate to Kaveh. He has so much to explore about him, but I fear that outside of the Darshan event and his hangout, we'll never get to see more.

Okay, so. I have mentioned before on this blog how I am annoyed at how Kaveh is viewed as feminine and submissive due to his appearance and emotional nature. You've already touched on all the points, so excuse me for sounding like a broken record, but I have A LOT to say about this.

There is nothing wrong with being feminine. There is nothing wrong with being a feminine man. What is wrong, however, is associating femininity with submission.

Kaveh has traits that are often associated with femininity, which, as you pointed out, are his neat and pretty looks and emotional expressiveness (the bit about Iranian men traditionally wearing jewelry is super interesting, btw. I didn't know, so this was enlightening!). To this, I also want to add that lots of people think he acts like a nagging wife with Alhaitham. That's basically all it takes for people to slap him with the "feminine" label, and treat him as if he's a submissive, blushy, uwu bbgurl I want to delete this term from existence

I know that men the West views as "feminine/girly" are often popular among women in Asia, and it really just comes down to culture and a matter of taste. I share their taste in men because I also find K-Pop idols and smooth-faced, slim anime guys more attractive than muscular and rugged men, and by no means do I think they're girly. But alas, each culture has expectations for how men and women are supposed to look and act, and it's led to more harm than good.

It's also unfortunate that Kaveh gets compared to Alhaitham a lot. Alhaitham is what one would call traditionally masculine. Muscular, stoic, reserved, aloof, etc... But especially the muscular part. Kaveh isn't muscular, and as we saw in the Darshan event, isn't athletic. This difference in physique is also a reason people call him feminine. I saw someone say (in a shipping context) that they prefer Kaveh to be submissive because Alhaitham is taller and bigger than him. Nothing wrong with wanting a sub Kaveh, but I find this reasoning very flawed. Fetishistic, if you will.

And yes, the "one man is a dom/top while the other is a sub/bottom" mentality follows a lot of BL ships. People literally fight with each other over who they believe should be the top or bottom. There are even specific emojis for it. Don't know why people are so hung up about who tops or who bottoms, but what do I know. I don't understand the appeal of BL at all 🫤

Gosh, I'm sorry you had to see that belly dancer art... I once saw a ship art where Kaveh wore a wedding dress while Haitham wore a suit. It wasn't a silly context, either, but a serious and romantic one. I really dislike seeing art of Kaveh being feminine or acting submissive because that's not him at all.

Please look at this official art. Look at how Kaveh casually stuffs his hand in his pocket, at how he sits with his legs spread wide without a care in the world, at how he slings Mehrak over his shoulder. Look at how confidently and casually he carries himself. His body language screams "masculine".

Kaveh is confident, prideful, assertive, bold... I could go on. These are also traits usually associated with men. I mean, look at how he talks about one of his seniors in his hangout!

He's got quite the mouth and a temper.

He's not shy, far from it, actually. He's not submissive. He's not a dainty damsel in distress than needs someone stronger to help him, because in actuality, he's resourceful and intelligent.

Kaveh is self-assured in his masculinity. Sure, he's not a big, buff man, and he wears his heart on his sleeve, but that doesn't make him less of a man or weak. Maybe physically a bit, but I don't think he's below average in terms of strength. He makes up for it with his smarts and invents things to circumvent his shortcomings. This part of him gets overlooked, because he gets compared to Alhaitham. It doesn't help that the two are always seen together lately.

In my humble opinion, Kaveh is more of a dom than Alhaitham will ever be. Haitham gives me vibes of being someone who's too lazy to put in the work in bed, so he'd rather lie back and let his partner lead. Meanwhile, Kaveh isn't afraid to go after what he wants, and will pamper his partner.

In conclusion, you are very right about everything. If Mihoyo wasn't purposely throwing ship crumbs at every opportunity, then Kaveh potentially wouldn't have had his character assassinated by the fandom. Every character gets mischaracterized to some degree (I weep for Childe), but unlike most, Kaveh's mischaracterization is largely in part due to shipping.

Apologies for the massive tangent. I had a lot of fun reading your analysis and mentally screaming "YES! YES! SHE GETS IT! I'm not the only one!", so thank you for sending this in. Don't worry, it was very well put-together, probably better than my rambling. I found out some new points, and had a few of mine validated, so feel free to send another essay if you think of more things. I love deep and thoughtful discussions like these haha!

#Lunaria answers #gosh this got way longer than I thought it would #my brain is fried #Why can't school essays be this easy to write?

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violetlunette · 1 month

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@foxigirl

For this: https://violetlunette.tumblr.com/post/750101935997206528/i-saw-others-doing-it-so-i-thought-id-give-it-a#notes

Ah, my pure, honest, “straight” and true Silver! <3 I’ll try to summarize instead of rambling: I didn’t warm up to him at first as I thought his entire character revolved entirely around Malleus or Sebek, whom he was always grouped with it seemed. He seemed less like his own person and more of an accessory. The only reason I started giving him attention was because of Lilia, who I enjoyed. But then I got to know him—or as well as you can know a character. Instantly, I related to his feeling towards his father as I have a very close relationship with my parents and I experience the same fears Silver has. I love Silver’s personality. He’s kind, honest, sweet, polite, and one of the hardest workers of the cast. I love that while he’s loyal, he’s not blindly so. If Malleus or Lilia pulls shit he calls them out and puts his foot down, especially if it harms others. I’ve never liked the servant who’s blindly loyal and willing to toss the world aside just for their master’s / lover’s sake character, so Silver won my heart at the Endless Halloween Event when he called Malleus and Lilia out for not thinking things through and possibly endangering students. Malleus and Lilia are precious to him, but he knows they’re not the only people in the world. That’s one of the things I love most about him; Silver will do what’s morally right, regardless of what it costs him personally. That being said, he’s not suicidally self-sacrificing either. Silver values his life and defends it along with others. He’s only willing to lay it down when there’s no choice. He’s also one of the few characters in fiction whose obliviousness I don’t mind. I had to think on why this was so as this is a trait in Kalim that bothers me when otherwise find him cute. Then I realized it’s because Silver isn’t willfully ignorant like Kalim who tends to ignore things, even when they’re spelled out to him. Silver was raised isolated so it makes sense his social skills suck, but even then he’s not blind. 8/10 he can tell when he’s caused someone trouble and makes steps to amend it. The only case I can recall where he’s blatantly oblivious is in regards towards Leona’s feelings towards Malleus, but that’s due to his personal experience with Sebek who’s less than honest about his feelings. Otherwise when the truth is presented to him, he accepts it and adjusts. (Oof, if only more people were like that.) I like him as a “character,” as well. Silver has several interesting dilemma about him. As stated, Silver is one of the hardest working characters in the series as he is always training and does his best to study. However, due to his sleep spells, everyone believes he’s lazy and with no other explanation Silver is forced to accept this as well. It’s tragic because the audience knows it’s not his fault, but alas… His backstory is interesting too, more so than anyone else in my opinion, and it’s so heartwarming. He was born to people who did bad things against the ones he loves more than anything, and yet those same people overcame that hate and chose to love him instead. Speaking of which I adore his relationship with Lilia. These two fully encapsulates platonic true love, which we’re getting to see more and more. The relationship with the others are good too, but it’s Lilia and Silver that stole my heart. (His dynamic with Idia is fun as well. I’m sad we don’t get more moments of the two interacting in book 7, but I digress.) All in all, Silver’s my boi. He’s a just, honest and true knight who fits the title to a T.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst silver #silver twst #silver vanrouge #silver twisted wonderland #lilia vanrouge #mine #I have more to say but my brain gets performance anxiety at times so I'll have to wait #twst lilia #malleus draconia #twst diasomnia #twst malleus #sebek zigvolt #kalim al asim #character Bingo #Thanks so much for the prompt!

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