#i actually have really extensive plans for each character
Note
Rec list please ✍️🏻
(with tropes and just a smidge of reason why the media is recommended <- both very optional of course)
oh boy. okay. Confession time, I've watched a ridiculous number of shows out of east Asia so this is a good opportunity to share some faves from recent memory. If there's going to be one running through-line with these recs it's that I love character-driven narratives which explore interesting interpersonal relationships (socio-cultural commentary is a plus).
In no ranked order, here's my top ten:
Hamster running the emotional gamut wheel
(well-written stories about grief, closure and family)
Move to Heaven (2021)
Korea, 10 episodes, Netflix
Summary: Han Geu-ru is an autistic 20-year-old who works for his father’s business “Move To Heaven”, a company that specializes in crime scene cleanup, where they collect and arrange items left by the deceased and deliver them to the bereaved family. When Geu-ru's father dies, his guardianship passes to his uncle, ex-convict and underground MMA fighter Cho Sang-gu. Per the father's will, Sang-gu must care for and work with Geu-ru for three months to gain full guardianship and claim the inheritance. Eying money, Sang-gu agrees to the conditions and moves in.
This show knows exactly what it is and executes with excellent writing and characterisation. While it does have an overarching narrative, Move to Heaven is structured so that you're exploring a different person's story each episode, so it has a lot of flexibility to explore themes of grief and closure through different lives and relationships, and when I tell you this show can hit emotional beats... (<- may or may not have cried through most episodes on my first watch-through. Emotional terrorism). These stories are really beautifully portrayed and though there are effective comedic beats, there's this clear authenticity in not needing to undercut or distance oneself from the vulnerability of the subject matter.
Geu-ru and his uncle (Sang-gu) add a lot of needed levity, with Geu-ru's need for consistent, structured, methodical routines constantly clashing with Sang-gu's chaotic and combative approach to life. Sang-gu's character arc (though predictable) is just so satisfying. It's kinda hilarious seeing Geu-ru (and his father by extension) inadvertently poke more and more holes in Sang-gu's initial plan of "take the money and run" the deeper he incorporates himself into the space and purpose that his brother once took up, and it's very heartwarming to see these polar opposites slowly develop a respect and appreciation for one another.
Tropes: reluctant to responsible parental figure, tear-jerker
Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (2023)
Taiwan, 12 episodes, GTV and iQIYI
Summary: Pu Yi-yong was a typical 17-year-old student with a passion for drawing and a hereditary talent for calligraphy. After he wakes up from a bus accident that claimed his father's life and left him in a coma for two years, a 19-year-old Yi-yong must now find his place in the world again. This becomes more complicated when spirits begin approaching him and asking for his help.
This show actually has a lot of similarities to Move to Heaven e.g. exploring different side-stories each episode, focus on victims forgotten by society (the lonely, the homeless, the outcasts and the minorities), themes of grief and closure, polar opposite characters learning to work together, breaking me emotionally at some point. But Oh No! Here Comes Trouble differs in tone (distinct directing style), quirky humour (Taiwanese comedic style is just different and I love it in this show) and presentation (urban fantasy/mystery).
Yi-yong might be one of my all time favourite characters in media. From the outset he presents as this classic, one-dimensional, grumpy delinquent teen (e.g. resting-bitch-face syndrome, scrappy mullet, academically behind, no social grace and a tendency to accidentally hit people in the face with softballs). As fun as that is, the more you watch, the more this show challenges these assumptions. Yi-yong's mum (also an A+ character, god I love her) is a hairdresser, and often uses Yi-yong as her stylistic guinea pig. Yi-yong's not super intelligent, but he's compassionate (albeit at times reluctantly so). He really listens when people talk to him, whether they're trying to comfort him, give him advice, or asking him for assistance (though he often questions and expresses frustrations about his own ability to help other people). There's a humble gentleness to him.
Yi-yong was already struggling to juggle his dreams of becoming a comic artist with the practicalities of his life before he fell into a coma, then he woke up two years later, having completely missed the perceived "pivotal juncture" associated with the transition from youth to adulthood. Time moved on, and so have his peers, leaving an almost 20-year-old Yi-yong lost at sea with no paddle, no map and grieving the loss of his father. And now he has supernatural beings approaching him and insisting that he is the key to settling their unfinished business. To Yi-yong (and to popular east-asian social standards), Yi-yong is a loser. He's academically unintelligent, has no clear aspirations or discipline or future prospects, his family is far from wealthy, he's got zero social status, smarts or rank. Yi-yong is just as much of a forgotten outcast to society as these spirits are.
He does eventually get assistance in the form of Chen Chuying - a junior police officer (helping substantially with the mystery investigation side of things) and Cao Guangyan - former one-sided rival schoolmate and current med student who coincidentally moves next door (initially maintains the outsider perspective of Yi-yong as a hooligan until they get to know each other a little better, by which point Guangyan is already helping Yi-yong get back on his feet) who form a very well-rounded, loveable cast.
I wish I could talk more about this show, I am very fond of it. Please do watch it and if anyone wants to discuss it my dms are open.
Tropes: ragtag trio of idiots, urban fantasy, mystery, tear-jerker, reluctant hero
Get your pussy up get your money up
(life is giving lemons and survival is the name of the game)
Honourable mentions here: Yeon Sang-ho popped off with Train to Busan in 2016 and South Korea has been throwing bangers into one of my favourite genre pools ever since. If you're interested in more zombie series I would strongly recommend checking out All of Us are Dead (2022), Happiness (2021), Sweet Home (2020) and Kingdom (2019).
A Shop for Killers (2024)
Korea, 8 episodes, Netflix
Summary: Jeong Ji-An tragically loses her parents as a young girl. Her reserved and mysterious estranged uncle, Jeong Jinman, acts as her sole guardian and care-taker, raising her with tough love and a survivalist mindset until she leaves for university. One day, Jung Ji-An hears that her uncle has suddenly passed away, and returns home, where she learns the truth behind her uncle's business and by extension, her past.
Ji-An is locked inside a building with no communication with the outside world, nowhere to go, and with assassins after her head (not ideal). Unbeknownst to Ji-An though, her late uncle Jinman prepared a thorough defense system for this very event, setting her up with home-terf advantage and a very dangerous fortress against this army.
Ji-An and Jinman's story is told mainly through flashbacks as Ji-An attempts to survive the raid on their home. Their dynamic is definitely a repeat of the stoic, initially cold father-figure type "I am neither your mum or your dad, and I can never be" to the orphan child that we've been seeing more recently of late. I'm not mad about it. It's a good formula. I won't go into the type of person Jinman is, or the nature of his work/business. Going in blind and slowly figuring this out with Ji-An was a big plus in terms of the viewing experience for me.
Tropes: reluctant parental figure, home alone antics
D.P. (2021)
Korea, 12 episodes, Netflix
Summary: Ahn Junho is enlisted to serve in the South Korean Army as part of his national service obligations. He eventually goes to the Army's Military Police. While getting used to life in the MP, Junho's street smarts lands him in the D.P. (Deserter Pursuit) unit. Junho is assigned with Corporeal Han Hoyeol to capture deserters, revealing the painful reality endured by each enlistee during their compulsory duty.
imo D.P.'s is at its most enjoyable when Junho and Hoyeol are working as detectives with limited time and resources. Hoyeol's presence especially adds needed levity. He's like the show's own eccentric little court jester (at least until season 2, where he becomes the show's own tortured little court jester). You don't know how much you're missing Hanyeol until he shows up and you're finally given some space to breathe.
This show's gotten a lot of praise for its realistic social commentary around the vicious cycle of bullying, hazing practices, corruption and abuse within the South Korean military. It's well written and fast-paced, and it definitely doesn't pull its punches. I probably wouldn't recommend this show were it not for the quality of its writing, its ability to balance the depressing subject matter with pockets of dark comedy and everyone's favourite dynamic duo Junho and Han Hoyeol. All the content warnings for this one.
Tropes: ptsd, abuse, brotherhood, idk man straight up not having a good time
Weak Hero Class (2022)
Korea, 8 episodes, Viki
Summary: Straight-A student and loner Yoon Sieun utilizes his wits and tools to defend himself from a boys school full of shit-heads. He slowly warms up to Ahn Sooho, the school's strongest fighter, and Oh Beomseuk, the new transfer Student.
Sieun is here to answer the age-old philosophical question: "Aren't you tired of being nice? Don't you just want to go apeshit?" Even though Sieun is physically lacking, he's very capable of baring his teeth and using his smarts to fight like hell. It's so cathartic to finally see a short, weak, bullied protagonist willing to go violently feral upon provocation.
This show's tone can get pretty dark and surprisingly violent. The true core behind why a lot of people love this show is Sieun and Sooho's friendship. Sieun starts off as a grumpy, glaring, withdrawn hermit with no interest in anything that isn't studying (honestly idk how Sieun keeps finding himself in these situations like. All the kid ever wanted was to hit the books). I won't spoil too much, but watching as Sooho slowly peels away that protective shell Sieun encases around himself is a thing of beauty. I strongly recommend you give the first episode a go (free on youtube).
Tropes: angst, bromance, badass bookworm, adults are useless, abusive parents
Detectives smashing you over the head repeatedly with gay subtext
(not explicitly gay but if you have a brain and any semblance of a gaydar that thing is going to be going off like a geiger counter next to the elephant foot)
The Devil judge (2021)
Korea, 16 episodes, Netflix and Viki
Summary: Set in a dystopian version of present-day South Korea, the world is bereft of law and order and the court justice process has become like a reality tv show. Head Trial Judge Kang Yohan mercilessly punishes the guilty and corrupt, earning him the "Devil Judge" monicker. As bitter rivalry takes shape between Yohan and the highly ambitious Jung Sun-ah, who has risen from poverty to become a corporate social responsibility foundation director. Into this turbulent world enter two childhood friends on a mission for true justice and determined to discover the secret Yohan is hiding: rookie judge Kim Gaon and detective Yoon Su-hyun.
The Devil Judge tackles the concept of the anti-hero (battling evil with evil) and questions why these figures are idolized by the public. It also challenges the naive faith in the rule of law and whether or not the established systems should be upheld or not. The screenwriter has however made it very clear that he focused way more on the relationship between the characters than conveying his own message and boy oh boy is that reflected in whatever Yohan and Gaon have got going on (serious come-hither eyes, gratuitous physical touch, themes of power, justice and corruption, Yohan pressing Gaon up against the nearest hard surface on at least four separate occasions, etc.).
Kang Yohan, the titular anti-hero/main protagonist operates within a failed state and a corrupted judiciary. To a certain extent he knows the self-destructive path he walks is doomed to fail, but to right the system and take revenge, he's on the lookout for a someone that can out him as the Devil and become the messiah that Yohan himself cannot be. It does come off as very "anime" at times (theatrical presentation, tragic backstories, bad writing when it comes to women, naive characters and overly dramatic tone) but hey, if you have very few qualms with that, chances are you're going to have a blast.
Also the OST for this show absolutely fucks. It has no right being this good. Jung Se Rin really popped off. I have Enemy of Truth as a staple in a lot of my playlists.
Tropes: idealist vs jerkass pragmatist, anti-hero/vigilante, whump
The Worst of Evil (2023)
Korea, 12 episodes
Summary: Set in the 1990s, a former DJ starts selling a new powerful drug. Since the police know little about its origin, rural police officer Park Junmo is assigned to go undercover and infiltrate the criminal empire responsible for the drug trade between Korea, Japan, and China. Junmo later discovers that his wife, Yoo Euijung, also a detective, has volunteered to participate in this dangerous mission and seems to have a past with the underground drug king (and Junmo's boss), Jung Gicheul. The deeper Junmo entrenches himself as Gicheul's subordinate, the more unrecognisable he becomes to those closest to him.
Junmo could have let Gicheul die or slip away like several times in a row, indicates he has zero idea why he does this, then says the line verbatim "I look up to him and I like him and my body follows my heart". What am I supposed to take away from this. This show has everything. Early 90s homoerotic cigarette lighting, sodomy, incredible cinematography, betrayal, close-ups of Junmo's bloody face squished up against Gicheul's thigh. There's some scenes where Junmo is looking at both his wife and Gicheul framed in the same shot like the goddamn camera is daring you to question who he is more jealous of. My biggest complaint is that there was quite literally no need for a wife-stealing plot - the most compelling, messiest gay situationship was right there for the taking.
In episode 9 post-gang war hallway-slaughter, a blood-soaked Junmo hops up onto a table on all fours with a knife between his teeth, locks eyes with Gicheul then proceeds to slash a man's achilles tendon and if you listen closely enough you'll hear me in the background screaming YOU HAVE BECOME HIS DOG. 10/10 watch this show.
Tropes: mafia, undercover, bodyguard, make him worse, devotion and loyalty gone bad gone nuclear, maybe if they fucked nasty about it we wouldnt be in this mess
Beyond evil (2021) would also go here and has similar vibes to the above two, but I personally don't have much to say about it. Unhinged slutty old man, gay stuff going on over there, etc, etc. Citrinekay sums it up nicely here. Guardian (2018) would probably also go here. Definitely check these out if you enjoy/like the sound of these shows.
Lighthearted fun romance
(I am not escaping the lesbian fujoshi accusations)
Cherry Magic (2020)
Japan, 12 episodes
Summary: Adachi is a salaryman with low confidence and a tendency for self-deprecation, resulting in him often acting awkward around others, not being sure how to assert himself in the workplace, and constantly comparing himself to the company's golden boy - Kurosawa. Things become further complicated when Adachi finds out after his thirtieth birthday that he has suddenly gained the magical power to hear people's thoughts if he touches them. Adachi struggles with his newfound touch telepathy when he accidentally discovers Kurosawa is in love with him.
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard!? (Yes that is the full title, Japan you are killing me) is very sweet and wholesome and the humour hits and I believe in Kurosawa Yuichi supremacy. I know self-deprecating characters can be a downer for some people but Adachi comes off as very relatable and seeing him slowly gain more confidence in himself and his abilities is heartwarming. Great serotonin-booster. If you find this show's premise interesting there's a high likelihood you will enjoy it.
I didn't care so much for the second couple but if you're like me it's easy to skip through these scenes (you won't be missing anything).
Tropes: office romance, telepathy, pining
Semantic Error (2022)
Korea, 8 episodes, Viki and Netflix (region-dependent)
Summary: Cho Sangwoo is the epitome of an inflexible and strict rule-abiding person. When talented graphic design major Jaeyoung discovers Sangwoo is the cause for his delayed university graduation, he sets out to take revenge (by becoming Sangwoo's biggest, brightest daily annoyance). Jaeyoung finds himself in hot water when he inadvertently develops a crush, and junior computer science major Sangwoo is about to encounter some serious errors in his usual programming.
This is a classic polar opposites attract story, with Jaeyoung the loud, extroverted, brash foil to Sangwoo's reserved, withdrawn, morally black-and-white, logic-first persona. As much fun as it is to see Sangwoo's ordered world thrown into chaos, it's equally enjoyable to witness Jaeyoung jump from being obsessively committed to annoying Sangwoo, to being whipped for him (and the subsequent difficulties this causes for Jaeyoung - a popular, attractive, talented, bi artist used to getting his way - in trying to pursue a highly irritated and emotionally closed-off Sangwoo, who is being challenged with a side of himself he hasn't had to grapple with up until now). Also Jaeyoung has an incredibly hot lesbian best friend which was great. for me specifically.
An entertaining, cohesive story with great actors who have fantastic chemistry. What more can you ask for?
Tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, university, pulling pigtails
Old Fashion Cupcake (2022)
Japan, 5 episodes
Summary: At the critical juncture of a mid-life crisis, Nozue, a 39-year-old office worker, is stuck in the dull, mundane grind of wake, work, sleep. But due to his age, he's convinced he's well past the point he can take risks by trying something new. As such, he continues to decline promotions at his job and romantic advances from potential partners. He confides one day in his 29-year-old subordinate, Togawa, making an off-hand comment about a desire to be like a young girl - capable of feeling excitement and joy in life again. In an attempt to inspire him to move forward, Togawa suggests an "anti-aging experiment" and the two of them go on a journey together to help Nozue feel young again.
First things first - a large portion of Togawa's proposed "ant-aging technique" involves frequenting dessert cafes and restaurants that are catered towards a younger female demographic and fuck me the food in this show always looks so goddamn good.
The boss/employee thing might turn people away from giving this a shot but what I really love about this show is that despite being Nozue's subordinate (and younger than him - which is a bigger deal in Japan), Togawa is extremely blunt and unafraid to tell Nozue exactly what he thinks (so long as Togawa believes it will ultimately benefit Nozue in the long run), and it's very clear that he does this because he has a strong sense of respect for Nozue (and because spoilers - Togawa is so down bad for his boss like okay boy DAMN. Go get your esoteric old man). This show is also great at conveying emotion and inner conflict without dialogue (I've enjoyed coming back for a re-watch and picking up on little nuisances in Togawa and Nozue's behaviour that I missed the first time around).
Overall this is a very cute, very wholesome coming of age/queerness story that reminds you that it's never too late to pursue what interests you, try something new, and enjoy life while you're at it.
Tropes: fingers in his mouth friday, pining, age gap, office romance, food as a love language
That's it! If you want more recs from a genre hit up my inbox, I had a fun time pulling this together and have many more in the chamber where that came from.
#long post#yes I didn't add the untamed because if you haven't already seen or heard of that show you are. living under a rock#i didn't realise how difficult it is to communicate specifically why you like a show until now#move to heaven#oh no! here comes trouble#a shop for killers#d.p.#weak hero class 1#the devil judge#the worst of evil#cherry magic! thirty years of virginity can make you a wizard?!#semantic error#old fashion cupcake#drama recommendation#kdrama#asian drama#show recommendations#drama recs#ask
21 notes
·
View notes
Note
hello, i would like to hear about the titans fantasy au O.O
Oh man, you really shouldn't enable me like this... but if you insist!!
Alright, here's the setting: We're in some weird Lord of Rings/DnD fantasy setting with various magical creatures and inconsistent technological developments. Were tunics worn at the same time as ball gowns? Were carriages used at the same time as broad swords? I don't know! And I'm not doing any historical research! It's just haphazardly medieval!
Donna, for the most part, is relatively unchanged. She fits into this setting rather well. She is the demigod daughter of Zues, warrior in training, third in line to be Queen of the Amazons. At 13 years old she is a new arrival from her island nation and she is hoping to learn monster hunting (she's hoping to learn by doing). The one condition of her joining Diana was that she was supposed to stay with Diana at all times. Both of them nodded and smiled in agreement when their mother, the Queen, said this. Both immediately parted ways once their boat hit the shores of this new and exciting world.
Speaking of new and exciting, the King of Atlantis' ward is tagging along for the first time to see the surface world. Garth is fascinated (and a little terrified) and he's hoping to learn new types of magic! The Crown Prince (his older brother) Koryak says that he will make a fearsome mage one day and he really doesn't want to let him down. Garth imagines that one day his brother will rule as King and Garth will be there at his side as the Head Mage. He really has to work on his skills to get to that point though! Hence studying abroad. He's also... maybe... looking to meet some friends. Or any friends, really. He doesn't have any and he's heard good things.
Lord Richard of Gotham is so tired of politics. His... 'father' is the Crown Prince, next in line for the throne of Gotham. Not that anyone, including Bruce, is happy about it. The Kane family has had the crown for centuries and now, because the King only had daughters and Bruce's mom had the audacity to marry a Wayne (their rival house), they stand to lose it all. Thankfully, Bruce's status as Crown Prince is only temporary. As soon as Princess Kate Kane is married off, her husband will automatically be next in line. (Although they've sure been taking their time with that. What's the hold up?) So Bruce doesn't have to ever worry about being King and Dick (as Bruce's totally legitimate love child that Bruce didn't make up to make sure Dick could inherit everything if he ever died, don't do the math on their ages) doesn't ever have to worry about the throne at all. Sure, he's technically second in line but it's as far away from reality as a nightmare and just as scary. For right now all Dick has to worry about is being a squire, going on adventures and learning how to be a great knight! What could go wrong!?
Crown Prince Elroy is fucked. Seriously fucked. The old Crown Prince Oliver saw Roy at an archery competition and decided 'Yeah, that one.' Ollie offered him a room, food and all the arrows he could ever want. When Roy found out that Ollie was taking a page out of Robin Hood's book, Roy was overjoyed. The two of them had a blast stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. It was great! And then Ollie's father, the King, found out. He disowned Ollie, not that Ollie cared, and life went on as normal with one major giant exception. The King didn't have any other children (legitimate children anyway) and Ollie was now disowned. So the King legitimized Roy as Oliver's bastard child and heir. Or, sorry, Elroy because apparently 'Roy' wasn't fancy enough. Now Elroy is the Crown Prince. Elroy is under lock and key so that Ollie can't influence him. Elroy is being forced to study. (The King promised him that this was just to make Ollie see reason but Roy isn't so sure... the King is putting a lot of effort into his training...) The only saving grace is that Roy is being sent away this summer to learn sword fighting. Archery is 'a cowards sport' apparently and Roy 'needs to expand his horizons'. Well.. they certainly agree on that last one. Roy is making a break for it and he's not coming back.
Wally is a young apprentice working for his Uncle Barry. He's learning how to make medicine and treat wounds and find useful herbs. At least, he's learning that sometimes. A lot of his time is spent being a delivery boy. Uncle Barry says that's an important part of any medical treatment, actually delivering the medicine. Wally thinks that he just wants him to burn off energy. Regardless, Wally spends most of his time delivering medicine and he does it well. It helps that he can cross the continent before most people can blink their eyes. He can't tell anyone that though. Barry has made that part extremely clear. As far as their patients are concerned, Barry is a local doctor who just lives outside of whichever town they're in. There's a lot of things Wally can't tell people. Like how his eyes glow and magic lights up on his fingertips when he's excited. Or how he doesn't really like hats, he just has to wear them to hide his slightly too pointy ears. He gets it. He does. He's heard the whispered stories of fae, the hushed talk of changelings, he's read the old cracked tomes on the Elven Folk. He knows what people will think he is. But he isn't. He really isn't. He's just... Wally. And sure, he might be a little bit odd but he's just as human as the next guy, he swears!
Donna finds herself left on the doorstep of the greatest monster hunters in this new world. Garth is accepted to shadow some of the best defense mages ever. Dick finds himself stopping in with some fellow Knights (he is soon to be one after all) on his way home after a particularly hard mission. Roy finds himself shipped off to learn sword fighting from some 'trusted experts'. Wally is on a routine delivery run to drop off some supplies for his Uncle's good friends. Whether it's fate or something far more sinister, they all find themselves at the temple of the Knights of the Emerald Flame. Sir Hal Jordan, who was not ready for the sudden onslaught of children, panics and gives them a mission to get them out of his hair.
The rest, as they say, is history.
#i actually have really extensive plans for each character#especially Garth and Wally#its funny Donna just kinda showed up cause she heard about the Emerald Knights and just wandered in#Dick was literally just looking for a safe place to sleep for the night before journeying home#Wally was just dropping stuff off#Roy and Garth were the only ones actually supposed to be there. and Ollie was supposed to be there to pick up Roy#because this was just a ruse. it was a rescue attempt but Ollie got sidetracked#really Hal only agreed to Garth being there so that he could watch Hal do magic. and Hal wasn't even really looking to teach him#Hal just wanted an easily impressed audience so that he could show off#but then five fucking kids showed up and Hal was like 'oh FUCK NO! Here's an easy mission! go do this!!!'#Garth thought it was training Donna was chomping at the bit to fight something Roy just wanted to be unsupervised#Dick thought Hal genuinely needed his help with this and Wally was like '?!??! HUH?!?'#but hey. He went with it. cause Barry told Wally to always listen to Hal unless he's doing something stupid.#but Hal wasn't doing anything. Wally was the one doing something stupid. so it didn't count#anyway. i have. so many thoughts. literally its planned out until they're adults#dc#dc comics#titans fantasy au#wally west#dick grayson#donna troy#roy harper#garth of shayeris#fab five
140 notes
·
View notes
Text
[PAC - Your first date together. Please do not copy or repost any part of the reading.]
There are 4 piles. This a general, collective reading as usual, take what resonates, this is for fun! Regardless of the banner, it doesn't have to be a romantic relationship - it could be friends or relatives.
This extensive reading includes sub-questions, signs and quotes! I also read possible things about you and about them, because why not! You can take it as further confirmation that it's your pile. XD
Take a slow breath, clear your mind and intuitively pick an image or number (you can ask your higher self and your spirit guides to help you choose it).
---
Pile 1
Signs:
It's 1:11PM I'm not even joking, number 8, relating to each other, reciprocated feelings, sudden confession and realising it's reciprocated, February, Lewis
No way I just got a poem on reciprocity by Cleo Wade!!! Two messages on that; for some it's reciprocated, for others don't waste time on someone who doesn't reciprocate your feelings!
United States, North America, Mexico, area between North and South America.
Astrological placements: Moon domiant, Cancer, Jupiter dominant, Sagittarius, Pisces, Moon conjunct Jupiter. Virgo rising, Gemini rising, Mercury in Aries, Mercury in Capricorn.
Possible things about you:
Life path 7, deep thinker, big on self-improvement and self-reflection. Maybe you're into manifestation as well. You might be very pretty according to societal standards, or you like to take care of yourself and your appearance. I think you're someone very kind and caring to others too. Do you do the same for yourself? Such an empathetic soul. You're a gift on Earth my love, know that.
Maybe you want to fly away, you want some freedom and get away somewhere far, but for some reason you've got to stay where you are. It's alright, all in due time.
Some of you may like Aphrodite or Venus, or you're in that phase of your life that she rules over, such as beauty, goddess energy, sacredness, femininity, etc.
Some of you may want to be a mother really bad, you want your own baby, you love children. A small minority of you could have a child already, but some may get pregnant/be a new father in the near future. :)
Possible things about them: 2 groups came up so you may intuitively pick 1 or 2, or both!
group 1:
they're the ones who feel the same about you haha!
they may also want a child or want their own baby, that's so sweet Pile 1. very caring individuals too and maybe that's something you relate on between each other.
they may feel like you uplift them whenever you speak or are physically with them. I feel like whenever you're around, they don't have these dark thoughts anymore. Maybe you ease their anxiety naturally, without even trying. I feel like they really feel comfortable and safe with you, and whatever the future holds, they hope that you don't let go of them. Actually, they wish to not let go of you. They don't want to. They see you with such respect and admiration, they really love you in that sense. It's not just infatuation or attachment, they love your traits/character.
their love language could be gift giving or handwritten notes.
group 2:
wow, we've got an ambitious and hard working person here. very powerful and independent. wants to rise to the top, they want to be successful and go higher. they want to excel at what they do, career wise or romance. it's like Suga singing "I wanna big house, big car, big ring" (something like that lol). great at multitasking and overseeing plans, but they could tend to be a bit controlling as a result. like their work mindset spills over in the personal life and relationships. it is not very bad though, but they may not realise. For some of them, if you tell them honestly that they're being a bit controlling or disrespectful in certain ways, they will feel bad and apologise and try to correct their attitude. They're not a bad person, they want to do their best so much that they are less self aware.
Your first date together:
How - probably not in the most romantic way? whatever is going to lead to that first date is not peaceful. maybe some misunderstanding or friction has to happen for you two to take that step forward.
Where - somewhere dry or far from water. Or there's not much around, far from the city. i.e. you might go hiking with them for the first date...are y'all dating a German? LMAO. On a more serious note, if you're a woman don't go on first dates where there's literally no one around. Safety first.
What - again could be hiking, rock climbing, risky/outdoorsy activities, dates in nature...
Quote:
"Friendship is a sheltering tree" (Cornwall, L., 2015)
"When we focus solely on validation from the outside world, we end up being very easily controlled by circumstance, but when we remain humble and firmly rooted in our ever-present goodness, we can celebrate our accomplishments and learn from our disappointments without letting them be the things that define us" (Wade, C., 2018)
That's it Pile 1, I really enjoyed reading for you. Remember this is a collective reading, so take what resonates only.
If you want to purchase a reading from me check my masterlist or go straight to my listings here. discount code: TUMBLR
---
Pile 2
Hi Pile 2! This is my creative pile <3
Signs:
November, teenager, architecture, museum, fashion lover, gossiping together or telling each other the crispy stuff, someone with a loyal character, someone looking after a garden or wanting to have one - maybe likes flowers.
Being a romantic, someone wants to be in love, someone has Venus in Pisces, someone thinks about love or their crush.
Be careful of trains.
Someone is going through an experience which pushes them to find their inner strength and resolve, which increases their self-confidence.
Venus trine Saturn, Venus in the 8th house.
Hawaii, Japan, Africa/South Africa cities, East China cities, South Korea, your person can be from Argentina
Possible things about you:
Pile 2, I'm getting some of you like gardening and drawing. In particular, you might like bees and are a strong supporter of saving our bees. You might have a green hand. Not even a green thumb, the whole hand lol! Some of you might have had past lives as nature spirits like faes, you might have an affinity with them or have them as spirit guides.
Some of you might know a lot about nature in general or you might even know a lot about indigenous flora and fauna, or specific species of plants. Some of you may have seen orbs of faeries outside...
Possible things about them:
I think the person you're thinking about likes fashion, or for some they might relate to you regarding nature/gardening. They might have fine features or seem delicate and gentle. It feels like looking at ice in their eyes, but it is so gentle. It is reflected in their personality as well. Very kind and calm. Number 33 on the card is jumping out to me, so you might see this number as well.
Ok definitely they are into fashion. For some, this is someone older than you. For others, your person is definitely more mature than their actual age. Like, very very mature and wise. It doesn't feel like it comes from difficult experiences, it feels like they didn't have as much of a difficult upbringing. Maybe they were naturally this way, and good parenting may have helped.
Side note, they could be a bit dreamy.
I don't usually get the past lives card but here it is, so this friend could be from a past life. Or, I'm getting they might remember theirs.
First date together:
They might tell you straight up that they want to go on a date with you. They might text you or ask you face-to-face. You guys have a good connection, very in synch. You two might be very vocal on your date, as in talking a lot and expressing yourself.
Some people in Pile 2 might go karaoke or sing at some point while you have fun together.
Some of you might actually have a unique date where you dress up, put on makeup, get all pretty and fun i.e. cosplay! You might take photos or film your date, you're going to be out there! Ooh lala so fancy! xD
It feels like it's your usual hangout as friends but somehow it's also different, closer and it's getting more realll. I.e. you might get more touchy-touchy this time, they might hold your waist or your hand, or they might kiss your cheek by surprise... Aw this is cute xD
Quotes:
"the time has always been now"
"I will not be a victim"
"you are going to be okay"
"the timing is always right to love someone"
(Wade, C., 2018)
That's it Pile 2, I wish you the best 🤗. Remember this is a collective reading, so take what resonates only.
If you want to purchase a reading from me check my masterlist or go straight to my listings here. discount code: TUMBLR
---
Pile 3
Hi Pile 3! What an interesting and sweet pile.
Signs:
November, strong friendship bond that was made naturally, finding your tribe, realising your own value and worth, sticking with your real friends, be grateful for the loving people and goodness in your life.
Neptune in Taurus, Gemini Rising.
Australia, Sydney/Canberra, Pacific Islands, Samoa, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia.
Possible things about you:
You are very shy, secretive, and value personal space and privacy very much.
Some of you like to read physical books.
I'm seeing of you are teenagers, younger girls.
You are a good listener and confident, people always trust you to keep their secrets, and you will not even tell your best friend or your dog a word of it.
You keep many parts of yourself hidden, for example you are secretly very nurturing and creative. You might like little children.
Possible things about them:
I'm seeing yellow and a ball, so I feel like they really like children.
They are also like a big ray of sunlight. They are that person that illuminates the room as soon as they walk in.
They are very honest and open, and perhaps you like that about them.
They are also very warm and compassionate. They bring people in and make sure not to leave out anyone. Never puts themselves above anyone else and aways try to harmonise everyone.
Like you, they dislike discord. You just have a different way to deal with peace/discord and people. But they like your own way of being and they don't want you to change.
Your first date together:
Interestingly enough, I feel like some of you might have your first date with children around, maybe looking after some, i.e. their little cousins or siblings.
Some you might go fishing and/or have a picnic outside.
During this date, they will absolutely love how you don't hide any part of yourself, you're just being yourself and expressing yourself without restriction. You'll come out of your shell because you'll be influence by him, by the children, and you'll be super comfortable overall. You might actually have lots of fun. Scenario example of the date could be that you, them and their little cousins all go fishing, and then you have your picnic nearby; you have fun all day.
I feel like you and your date are seemingly opposite but actually very similar within. You just express yourself differently and process things differently. You might even be a ENFP/INFP or ENFJ/INFJ duo.
Quotes:
"Shepherd-like compassion means considering the benefit of the masses first, so that we place others first and 'I' last". (Yuthok, L. C., 2005)
Aw that's it Pile 3. Thank you for reading. As always, this is a collective reading so take only what resonates and the general ideas with you.
If you want to purchase a reading from me check my masterlist or go straight to my listings here. discount code: TUMBLR
---
Pile 4
Signs:
October, fake friend, chasing after someone's love - love is to be received, not chased after, someone wise and mature, compassionate, someone who likes include everyone and whose motto is "we're all in this together"
Someone here has to let go of someone that does not deserve them.
Someone here could receive a letter from the person they are thinking of in this PAC.
Someone's person for this PAC is a romantic relationship and it could be very passionate.
Mars in Scorpio, Mercury square Neptune, Mercury square Pluto, Jupiter in 10th, Jupiter in 12th
Sudan, South Pacific, NZ, Hawaii, Cuba
Possible things about you:
You could be very emotional and sometimes letting emotions get to you, and it might be hard for you to be more in control. I feel like you guys might sometimes let your emotions get the better of you or affect situations you're in. And then you suffer the consequences. I.e. getting overly angry and saying things you regret later, or getting upset, crying, and not being able to react properly and also regretting later on.
I sense some of you are super generous, but you're so kind and compassionate that some people take advantage of you. I feel like a minority of this group are super kind-hearted and never see the worst in people; you never expect people to lie or have bad intentions - or you could be neurodivergent and just not realise it. I'm feeling upset for you 😭
Actually, if you're neurodivergent, it would make sense why it's hard for you to manage your emotions sometimes.
Some of you could have been having a hard time taking care of yourself and organising things ahead, almost feeling like a ghost or a shell. You're especially lacking self-care and that's been taking a toll on you. I also sense that it's causing you to feel disconnected from yourself. You could be trying to desperately hold on to yourself.
Overall, Pile 4, you're very wise and mature, very compassionate and you have strong values. You do not tolerate lying or deceiving, unfairness and similar unacceptable behaviours.
Some of you like to bring people together, others like things to be peaceful in a social context even if you're not the social butterfly.
Possible things about them:
I'm getting that they are someone really smart and intelligent in that they are very creative. They like to create and build things. They are innovative. However, they are possibly channeling this energy in the wrong place or activity and it's wasted. Their confidence and self-esteem is affected as a result.
They're very optimistic and positive so once they regain their spirit, they will get a breakthrough.
Might have a very messy mind, octopus mind, or hyperactive mind
Head in the clouds type of person, they don't mean to ignore you Pile 4. That's also how they get all their cool ideas and solutions
Some of you may have manifested them
The smoke in the card is calling at me so perhaps someone will understand bc I don't lol
I think they could also be someone who values justice and fairness, as well as respect in general
Your first date together:
Honestly all I'm seeing is you might spend your first at home with this person, or at least most of you will
Super chill, relaxed, comfy. Doesn't look like you'll be doing much or do anything that requires much effort.
Could be something simple like playing video games at home while eating snacks, but it's just you and them in the house.
I think part of the reason is because there's not much else to do? Maybe you live in a boring area for your age range.
They might gift you something speciallll. Maybe a birthday present. Or a handwritten letter, like I mentioned in the signs part at the beginning.
Honestly I'm just seeing this date is something pure, just nice and you guys are super kind and have a great time with each other.
Quotes:
"Love yourself enough to tell the truth." (Wade, C., 2018)
If you want to purchase a reading from me check my masterlist or go straight to my listings here. discount code: TUMBLR
"Often we don't want to act as though we did something beneficial all by ourselves; rather, we feel a need to acknowledge the help of others." (Yuthok, L. C., 2005)
That's it beautiful Pile 4, thanks for reading and I hope you had fun reading this PAC. Let me know your thoughts!
-
-
-
Hi! Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed! I quite enjoyed this Pick-a-Pile. I also tried a new format, so that the post is shorter and hopefully easier to read. Let me know if you prefer the paragraphs though 😂
I might do a Past Life PAC next! I want to do something original, so the format could be different again 👀
Enjoy your date! 💕
#oracle#tarot#card reading#pick a card#divination#pac#pick a pile#tarot reading#oracle reading#psychic reading#dating#first date#soul mate#love#romance#romance is in the air#tarotblr#tarot community#free readings#pick an image#your first date together
280 notes
·
View notes
Text
Always Read the Fine Print Chapter 5
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Who actually reads all the terms and conditions? After mindlessly checking a box years ago, our Reader unintentionally agrees to be part of a scientific study to create super soldier babies. To make matters worse, her fellow test subject is the brooding and intimidating Bucky Barnes.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Summary: Bucky gets stitched up, the reader struggles to keep her thoughts in check, and the happy couple moves into their new home.
Warnings: arranged marriage, forced proximity, eventual smut, lots of angst, violence, PTSD/nightmares, panic attacks
Bucky led you up the porch steps to the front door. He opened it slowly, stepping aside to let you in first. He was watching you carefully. The inside of the house was just as charming as the outside. The house was old, from the 50s if you had to guess. It had a lot of character. The entryway had one of those little cutouts in the wall for knickknacks, and you smiled - you love old houses and their little quirks. You were praying the bathroom had a pink tub.
Bucky was pleased with your reaction to the house and decided to show you around. "The bedrooms are all upstairs. The master is to the left. There's only one bathroom up there, so we'll have to share with our little shadows," he said, gesturing to the two black SUVs sitting in the driveway. “They moved all your stuff from the hotel into our bedroom. Get settled while I talk to the guys outside,” he instructed. A shiver went down your spine. Our bedroom. Holy shit. And the way he kept telling you what to do? Bucky Barnes was turning you into a little puddle.
You did as you were told and went upstairs. Everything was pretty basic – a plain beige comforter, nothing hanging on the walls, very bare bones. Just wait until I hit up HomeGoods, you thought. You went into the bathroom to put away your toothbrush, and sure enough, a pink tub. “Oh HELL yes!” you said to yourself. Little did you know Bucky was watching you from the top of the staircase, smiling at your excitement over a bathroom. He spoke before you could notice him watching you. “Dinner’s here. I hope you like pizza.”
You followed him downstairs to see two agents eating on the couch, feet up on the coffee table, watching a football game on the TV. You and Bucky shared a look – your new roommates were going to test your patience. He put a couple slices on your plate and sat down next to you at the kitchen table. The two of you ate in silence. Well, as silent as it could be with two goons cheering at the TV. You felt at ease, almost like you were just enjoying each other’s company. Stop making things more romantic than they are, you’re just eating pizza, you told yourself. Just because you were practically in love with him doesn’t mean that he feels the same. Besides, you don’t really know him. And he definitely doesn’t know you.
Despite what you thought, Bucky did know a little about you. SHIELD made a report of all the intel they could gather about you, and he got his very own copy. It was a very extensive file, everything from your work performance evals to personality tests to purchasing habits. Each night, he would read over your file and learn as much as he could. He gathered you really loved Target and planned on taking you there once your belly gets too big for your clothes. The thought of you with round with his child gave him butterflies. Besides the initial rage he feels about this study, he felt nervous. He wasn’t sure he was ready or deserved to be a father. Pregnancy scared the shit out of him, but he knew he’d have to man up and be there for you.
Wanting to stay away from the noise of the agents watching football, you decided to head up to the bedroom. It was barely 7:00, but you were ready for sleep. Bucky said he’d be up in a couple minutes, he had a phone call to make. You were about to crawl into bed when you remembered you needed to charge your phone. You looked all over the room, but no luck. You thought you’d check Bucky’s nightstand – maybe he put yours in there without thinking. Sliding the drawer open, you see a copy of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” You laughed quietly. Bucky was actually preparing himself for this. Your laugh turned into a frown when you remembered the reason you’re in this house to begin with. The entire situation was against your will. And his.
You closed the drawer and decided you’d ask Bucky if he had a spare charger once he got to the room. You didn’t last long after crawling into bed. Bucky walked in and saw that you were asleep, so he moved as quietly as possible. He noticed you were still wearing your glasses, so he reached down gently to take them off. You fluttered your eyes open as he was setting them down.
“Do you have an extra phone charger?” you mumbled, still half asleep. He chuckled. “Yeah, gimme a second,” he said as he started rummaging through his bag. He pulled one out, walked over to your side of the bed, and plugged in the cord. “Where’s your phone?” he asked. You patted your hands around until you found it wrapped in the sheets. Bucky gestured for you to give it to him. He plugged your phone in and set it on the nightstand, then walked over to his side of the bed.
You were waiting to feel the bed shift under his weight, but it never came. You turned around. His pillow was gone. Sitting up on your heels to get a better view, you see him on the floor at the foot of the bed, laying down with his pillow and a blanket.
“What are you doing?” you ask.
“Going to bed, like I thought you were doing,” he answers.
“I didn’t think you were being serious about sleeping on the floor. We can share the bed, Bucky. It’s not a big deal.” You were kind of looking forward to sleeping next to him.
“Nah, I’m fine here. Just go to bed, Y/N.”
You settled back into bed with a frown. It seemed wrong to sleep on this comfy bed while he slept on the hardwood floor. But you were too tired to argue. You kept to your side of the bed in case he changes his mind in the middle of the night.
You woke up to the sound of Bucky in distress. It took you a minute to figure out what was going on – you were a little disoriented. You shot out of bed to see him clearly in the middle of a nightmare. He was clutching his metal arm, knuckles turning white. “Bucky?” you whispered. You didn’t want to wake up the agents sleeping in the rooms down the hall. “Bucky, wake up,” you pleaded as you knelt next to him.
Not wanting to frighten him, you rubbed your thumb along his cheekbone. “Bucky?” He still wasn’t waking up, so you decided it was time for a little nudge. Being gentle yet assertive, you gave him a solid poke in the ribs, being careful not to bother the fresh wound in his shoulder. Bucky’s eyes shot open, seeing a figure looming over him.
Before you could process what was happening, Bucky was on top of you with his metal hand wrapped around your throat. “Bucky, it’s me! Bucky please it’s just me!” you wheezed out, already seeing stars. You saw confusion on his face, which quickly turned to horror. He shot up and scrambled off you, backing into the far corner of the room.
“Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he muttered over and over. You were coughing violently, trying to get the air back in your lungs. Once you caught your breath, you looked over at him. He was staring at you with complete devastation.
“Bucky? Are you okay?” you asked quietly.
“I hurt you,” he whispered.
“No, I’m okay, I promise. It was just a nightmare. We’re okay,” you reassured.
Your heart was breaking at the sight of him in such despair. He shook his head and fought back tears. The one good thing he had in his life and he almost killed her. “Hey, come on, let’s crawl into bed,” you said. You grabbed his arm and helped him up. He flinched at your touch; you tried to not let that bother you. You guided him to his side of the bed. He wouldn’t lay down, but he sat on the edge and looked out the window. You sat next to him and started rubbing circles in his back. “I promise it’s okay,” you whispered, “we’re going to be okay.” You hoped to god you were right.
Chapter 6
Taglist 💛
@kandis-mom @learisa @pono-pura-vida @smile1318 @stinkerbelle007 @glitterydeputyshepherdwagon @wonderland2425
149 notes
·
View notes
Text
Guys saw this post and it set off the part of my brain where Cater Diamond lives rent free.
@krenenbaker you inspired this.
Gosh, I wanna throw Cater under a microscope.
Like he is such a fascinating character, it's so sad that people just see him as the "social media character." I remember a few months after I got the game I was reading through his vignettes and he was just setting off the gears in my head. Especially his Halloween vignette. I've talked about it before, but it gives us so much insight into Cater. How he doesn't like letting people in and keeps everyone at arms length, even Trey. When Trey was a Starsender, he wouldn't tell him his actual wish. And he was the same before when they got visited by a previous Starsender the year before. Trey knows there's something about him, but he is Trey "But That's None of My Business" Clover so he never pries. He's the closest to Cater, but maybe that's what makes Cater so wary. And how when his mandrake threatened to pull down the curtain, he shoved it back, he changed the subject. We also almost never get Cater by himself. He's always surrounded by people, always performing. And it's hard to tell what he's thinking because he's always brushing stuff aside with a smile on his face. But his Halloween vignette is one where we actually get to see some cracks in that, we actually get a peek into his brain. He's scared of getting too close to people because every time he lets someone in, he has to leave. He clearly cares about the people around him, but he has a track record that prevents him from showing too much of that. And by extension, we as an audience don't get to see too much of who he is behind closed doors. We know he puts on a show, he doesn't like showing when things get to him. When he mentions moving around a lot, he doesn't mention the struggle of it out loud. He says he likes Magicam for the casual connections and how it helps him keep in touch with old faces, but in his vignette when he actually gets messages from one of these faces he doesn't want to engage. In Silver's Halloween vignette he says his life has taught him to live in the moment. But it also taught him to not get comfortable, to keep walls up. He didn’t even tell his dorm something as simple as how he doesn't like sweets for years. Back on Halloween, he watches Diasomnia with something like envy. How they can be there for each other, be close. How they couldn't understand. Not knowing how someone there actually can understand.
Book 7 spoilers mentioned:
I also have a side tangent about him being multifaceted and always blending into what he expects people want. In Book 7, Cater is the only one we see truly struggling with the internships. Like, it is painfully relatable, I feel so called out. We go around the Juniors and see them feeling confident in their plans and here Cater is with his head on a desk feeling more confused and uncertain the more people he talks to. He's spent so much time following what other people want, putting on a show, he doesn't know where to go now. Let's not even mention how this is the moment he knew was coming for the past 3 years: that inevitable goodbye. I feel like Cater could be so interesting for the conflict going on in Diasomnia, but I'm not sure if they'll use him.
Tangent closing: I really like Cater. He's really well written and I don't think he gets enough respect on that front. He gets really good dialogue lines, but he also gets so much more. To me, he's one of the best characters in the game.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Cangst is real people.
#twisted wonderland#twst#cater diamond#the Cangst is Real#i swear someone says cater and I break down their door with a whiteboard and a marker in hand#almost put this under the original post but I wrote too much#i need to learn how to articulate my thoughts better#spreading the catergenda
103 notes
·
View notes
Text
Shohki Mask Cover
construction notes & photos under the cut
This has been a long time coming! I'm glad she's a costume I can work a mask into without it breaking the design of the character. I feel like people would be less inclined to ask that you remove it for photos this way ^^;
I went with a very thin cotton gauze fabric (#9 "coffee" if you're wondering), think a slightly thicker cheese cloth. It's very breathable as a single layer and seemed the best choice for an N95 cover. The shape was really only achievable with this fabric because of the shape of my mask underneath, and some strategically placed 1/2" wide horsehair braid tubing from the dollar tree. I usually stock up around halloween but they stock around christmas too!
Process is very straight forward, just traced my mask on the fold and made some rough adjustments for a card stock mock up. I like 90-110 lbs for this sort of thing but construction paper can work in a pinch too. Cut that out and fit to my face, tweaked the placement on the nose bridge and added a 1/4" allowance for bias tape/facing, and appropriate allowance for flat felled seams.
The ear tab was extended to cover the mask underneath, and included allowance for support fabric (denim scrap in my case) to support two eyelets intended to thread the elastic of my mask through. Then it was just patterning out the rest of the mask elements and making note of seam allowance and how to cut each piece. I trimmed the tape holding together the card stock mask apart and finally got to cutting out the fabric once that was done.
There isn't anything fancy going on, the hardest part was just the inset mesh panel over the weirdly shaped keyhole cut outs on the mouth piece. It's just black nylon mesh typically used for interfacing bras sewn on after making the keyholes.
This fabric is like if toilet paper were a textile, which is great for breatheability and weight but absolutely hell for machine work like this. It's not for a competition so for me, hiding messy stitching with weathering later was ok.
The portion of the mask running from the underside of each ear tab was finished with homemade bias tape. The same method was used for finishing the top portion that runs over the bridge of my nose. The ends were simply folded and sewn down at the ear tabs for a clean finish.
The side "filters" have an extra 1/2" long extension so I can tack in the ends of some horse hair tubing, then double fold the fabric back into itself before hand tacking with tiny stitches from the outside. That helps the light fabric balloon out into that shape, along with another layer of that same mesh interfacing.
They are really fun actually, very floppy with great movement. Though they stick out a tad too much so I did add one small french tack to the center of each to help them point downwards but retain that movement. The "filter" took the most hand finishing out of the whole thing, but that was to be expected.
Once the little side "filters" were sewn in, there was just light weathering to do. I wanted to add some shadows and potential "mold spores" to certain areas to really make the texture pop and hide some messy stitching. Light passes with a dry brush and some acrylic helped a lot, so did referencing photos of mold growth on clothes.
It was a pass of burnt sienna along all seams and large patches where high humidity would accumulate. Then another lighter pass of burnt umber to deepen up areas, and some very sparse areas of white. Finally I wanted to give it the "blue cheese special" and mixed a little viridian green and that same white and hit the white areas first then dry brushed the spaces between mold patches. I'm trying to replicate active mold colonies so reference photos came in handy here. I also used some nail polish to match the grommets to fabric.
Maybe when I am not crunched for time I will get around to digitizing the pattern, but for now I hope the photos help anyone else trying to plan out a mask. Obviously the shape will change a lot depending on the sort of fabric and mask you have on under it, not to mention face shape. I would imagine bifolds would give you more her classic feed bag profile than an origami style mask, however.
101 notes
·
View notes
Text
Criminal Minds: the moment they realized they are in love with you
AN: this will be multiple posts, each part with a different character and different plot line. I plan on writing the reader as gender neutral. I’ve seen this fanfic trope from multiple different fandoms, so I thought I might give it a try. Please remember I’ve only seen the first few seasons of Criminal Minds.
AN edit: sorry this took so long and that the story is so long. I got carried away writing this one <3
Part 1: Spencer Reid
You and Spencer were at a quaint, small, family owned restaurant. It was nice and semi-formal. Spencer felt bad for cancelling your last two dinners together, so he took you here, a place from his childhood. He claimed to have a handful of good memories from this place, which made you happy. There’s nothing you liked more than to see Reid happy. When you walked in, you took in your surroundings: small tables, all cleaned and organized to a “T”, some booths with what you believed to be genuine leather, and the small glow of lights and candles. You could tell why Spencer liked it here.
“This place is really beautiful, Spencer,” you looked up at him and caught the small smile he threw at you, satisfied you liked his childhood favorite restaurant.
You both sat down at a small table in the back next to the windows. Outside, the sun had set, the sky turning dark purple. You started to scan over the menu, noticing that Spencer hadn’t even glanced in the direction of his. You smiled softly. He already knew what he was going to eat.
“Did you want to-um- get an appetizer?” He asked, his voice less confident than usual. You noticed his usual stims were more animated. He seemed like he didn’t know what to do with his hands-cracking his knuckles and flexing his fingers-or how to look at you-his eyes would gaze at you and quickly retreat away.
“No, I’m alright.” You didn’t want to tack on additional prices to the bill, which Reid basically demanded he payed fully. It made sense to you why Reid said he didn’t come here too often, given the expensive entrees and fancy drink selection.
“Are you sure? Like I said, I’m covering the bill, so feel free to.. indulge,” the way his cheeks flushed made you wonder what meaning he was hiding behind that statement. Spencer wasn’t the insinuating type, so maybe he didn’t mean anything by it. He did seem a little off tonight, and it made you a little flustered.
“Uh- actually, could you help me pick between these two entrees?” You pointed to your possible selections on the menu. You were going to comment on how silly his insisting on paying the bill was, but you wanted to calm him down and not add to the awkwardness. It was bizarre. You and Spencer were close and had been for a while. When you two would share a meal or go out, you both felt comfortable. Reid talked your ear off, something he tried not to do with most people. It was sweet, and you were honored that he was so at ease around you. All of this tension made this experience- which was supposed to be enjoyable- a little less pleasant.
Reid pointed to the second option you showed him, “I really think you’d like this. It’s what I’m getting.” You both smiled at the serendipitous way you happened to have similar taste.
“I’ll take your word for it. It sounds great.” That seemed to settle things a little. The waiter came over, asking about what they could get you both to drink, boasting about the extensive list of wine and cocktails. Spencer requested just water. He was the DD, and even though a single glass of wine wouldn’t get him drunk, he wanted to keep you at ease knowing you would both get home safe. You hmmed a little, showing your appreciation. Spencer was always extra courteous, one of the many things you loved about him. The waiter took your drink order and asked about appetizers, which you declined.
“We are ready to order,” Spencer remarked. He told the waiter what he wanted and you echoed this, telling the waiter you would have the same.
“Great choice. That will be out of a little bit for you both. Enjoy the rest of your night together.” The waiters comment made you pause for a moment. “Your night together?”
Oh. Oh. The waiter thought you and Spencer were on a date. You and Spencer dressed in formal attire. faces flushed. Awkwardly talking. Ordering the same meal. You and Spencer were on a date. You and Spencer were on a date. Now Spencers demeanor made a lot more sense. You could feel your face turning hot. Oh my god. He was trying to be romantic with you? God. Your heart started to flutter. You secretly wanted badly for the waiter to be right. Was Reid nervous because it looked like you were on a date, or because you were on a date?
“Y/N?” Spencer rose his brows in confusion. You immediately snapped out of your little trance- face hot, mind nervous. It almost relieved you to see he didn’t notice your flustered realization. Now your head was swimming with thoughts, arguing over and over on whether this whole romantic dinner really was romantic or just a friendly bonding experience.
“S-sorry,” you paused, grasping to change the subject. “H-how was your last case? Serial arsonist in Miami right?” You watched as Spencers demeanor completely shifted. His face wiped clean of any other emotion but focus. He spoke with clarity. His pupils dilated a little bit, which you always found funny, as it indicated that he was happy. A serial arson case, making Spencer happy. You know it wasn’t the case itself. Spencer loved sharing knowledge and info dumping about his job and interests. You always prompted him to do so. It frustrated you when he’d get shot down- something people did far too often. You loved listening just as much as Spencer loved sharing. Everything he said was interesting and insightful. You found you always had a lot to learn from Spencer. You nodded your head to his explanations, responding and prompting him with questions.
You and Spencer had found a nice rhythm when making and avoiding eye contact. When you first met, making and breaking eye contact was very awkward, but Spencers anxiety and trouble with social norms lessened after you both grew as friends. It delighted you that Spencers walls melted away with you. That was a two way street as you found yourself sharing parts of yourself you hadn’t with other people, even those you considered close. Spencer had started reciting the profile, most likely word for word what had been said at the real briefing, then he began relating it to an old arson case- one you had heard about multiple times before. Spencer did a good job at putting things in perspective for you, and you didn’t mind him recalling old information, he always found a way to make it relevant and interesting again. He was always so easy to listen to.
You were listening, but the sound of the door opening and a pair of particularly loud heels clacking pulled your attention away for a moment, and maybe you were looking for an excuse to not stare into Spencers completely captivating eyes for they made you extra anxious. You watched oddly as a fancy couple was lead to a table near by where you were dining. Almost immediately your server sped over to them, asking about drinks and throwing recommendations out. Was that group of people on a date as well? Was this place a popular romantic spot? The idea of this being a date absolutely flooded your mind. It was anxiety inducing but also filled you with energy and joy. You had be harboring your real feelings for Spencer for a while.
You turned your head back to Spencer, hearing him clear his throat to get your attention. He was trying to hide his frown. A pit opened in your stomach. Guilt. He went through all this to impress you, be with you.
“Oh, Spencer, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stop listening, I was-,”
“No. It’s alright..” he paused. “I shouldn’t have bored you with that old case. You’ve probably heard it a million times by now anyways.” He avoided eye contact with you.
“Bored?” You were heavily suprised, then realized you probably did seem disinterested. “Spencer, I’m not bored, you could never bore me,” he looked up at you and you made a point to gaze directly to his eyes which you had been dodging. “I love hearing you talk, I love listening to you. I love watching you recite facts, and share about your work.” You paused, and felt like you should keep your next comment to yourself, but said it anyways. “It’s cute.” This made Spencers eyes widen. Cute? He couldn’t really understand how his rambling could be cute, so you elaborated. “The way your pupils widen and you start to talk with your hands- sort of motioning and emoting with them,” you were in deep now, so you kept describing him, this time in way that would suggest you were looking at him with a sort of fondness not just a friend would use, “you start to grin and you don’t even notice. You tuck your hair back behind your ears. Your eyes practically glimmer.” He’s blushing and you can tell by his wandering eyes that he’s now hyper aware of his reactions and expressions. He was shocked. He was the profiler, but you could read him like a book. He never noticed how much you payed attention, how much you really cared.
“And it’s not even just they way you are when you talk, it’s how you talk and what you talk about. I think sometimes you forget that you are a genius. You speak in a way that encapsulates your knowledge and foresight. I always feel like I have something to learn, some room to grow when I’m with you. It doesn’t matter if it’s an old or new case, you bring forth new knowledge or a new perspective. The way you view the world is so fascinating to me, so of course I love it when you talk. I look forward to it. Its silly the way it excites me. I think about it a lot, how much I’ve learned from you. I practically count down the days until we get to see each other again,” at this point you were the one rambling a bit. “So please never think you are boring me, because you are probably the most exciting part of my life, and I truly enjoy listening to you talk. Even if I didn’t like the particular subject you were talking about- which doesn’t happen but if it did- I would still listen. What you say is important and you deserve to be heard. I’m sorry if anyone has made you feel otherwise and if I made you feel like your words were insignificant. Spencer, I’m your friend, and I’m here to listen.” You smiled up at him, not noticing your face being all hot and the way your heart was beating.
On the contrary, Spencer was all too focused on the way his pulse paced and how his face was as red as a cherry. Holy fuck. The awe he was in was simply indescribable. You basically confessed your love to him, just without the literal words themselves. At least, he saw it that way. He came all this way hoping he would have the guts to confess his romantic feelings for you. It took Spencer so so long to come to terms with his “crush” on you, and every time you spoke, his emotions grew in intensity. The way his heart was pounding. His soul practically shaking in his body. The adrenaline and the absolute adoration he felt when he looked at you, talked to you, thought about you. Spencer was often confused by his feelings, but now it made sense. He loved you, and wanted you more than anything. Fueled by his feelings and not really thinking, he abruptly stood up from his chair, leaned over the table, and kissed you. Your eyes widened and you stiffened in surprise, but soon understood what was happening. You stood up from your chair and reached out to cup his face with your hands, but Spencer pulled away, shocked.
“Sorry,” he looked broken with a frown of heartache. “I didn’t mean to-,” you reached out and grabbed his hands. Pulling him closer, you kissed him again, firmly but lovingly. You let go of his hands and cupped his face. Spencer quickly realized and kissed you back, placing his hands on your hips and slightly deepening your kiss. Your lips were soft and so were his. He tasted like mint chapstick, which made you smile into the kiss as you knew he would, almost obsessively, use chapstick to deal with his dry lips. You both pulled away after a tender moment.
“Don’t be sorry,” you gazed at him sweetly. You could see the glisten in his eyes, filled with deep emotion. He stared back at you, absorbed by his feelings for you. You moved your head in, going for another kiss, but saw a food runner walking towards your table with your meals. You tapped Spencers hand and motioned with your head to the seat, hoping he would understand to sit back down. No. He frowned in confusion.
“Spencer, the food,” oh. He sat down right as the runner came to the table. The runner placed your dinner in front of you both and told you to enjoy your meals. Wow. It really did look and smell delicious. You smiled sheepishly at Spencer, and felt just a little bit awkward, having just passionately kissed him in a restaurant. He softly grinned back and, after a moment, glanced at your plate. He motioned for you to try your food. You grabbed your fork and tried to craft the perfect first bite. You looked at Spencer again and finally decided to eat. The food was full of flavor and had a nice texture to it. You absentmindedly licked your lips, which Spencer found adorable.
“It’s really good!” This made Spencer smile wide and he shook his head at your cuteness.
“I knew you’d like it.”
#criminal minds#dr spencer reid#spencer reid#spencer reid x reader#aaron hotchner#derek morgan#spencer reid x you#spencer x reader#spencer criminal minds#spencer x y/n
161 notes
·
View notes
Text
*This post will contain spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. Also, I’ll probably ramble more than usual here, since a lot of my points are interconnected*
Alright then. I was planning on doing a big post breakdown on Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury after rewatching it, since I find that my general thoughts on a series typically coalesce around the second viewing. However that probably won’t be for a good while yet, so I figured I’d do a big post now, and I’ll add a few notes if anything jumps out on me on my (eventual) second viewing.
In a nutshell, I found The Witch from Mercury to be really, really good, with an excellent cast and gorgeous action. However, I feel it’s let down by its comparatively low episode count.
And I’d like to stress that that low episode count is basically my only major criticism - I have several smaller ones, but they’re ultimately all extensions of that low episode count.
The Cast.
As above, really good. You’ve got a good selection of characters coming from various strata’s within society - Spacians, Earthians, Mercurians. It’s a good variety of characters and seeing how they interact with each other. They all feel pretty well-rounded as characters honestly.
Like, Suletta’s great, obviously. I feel like you don’t need me to tell you that which is great, because I’m not sure how to put it. I guess I like how emotive she is, how she portrays how she’s feeling so well, but then that might be because we, the audience are close to her as a protagonist (I’d argue that Miorine and Guel could also be counted as protagonists, if you wanted, but Suletta’s the one we spend the most time with). Suletta’s also good because she’s a newcomer to the Asticassia, so not only do we learn things with her but she’s also absolutely primed to upend the status quo there, which she does fantastically. I like the contrast between her doubts and capabilities - she’s not the most social of characters and doubts herself multiple times, but put her in a mobile suit and she is confidence incarnate.
Miorine feels like an extension of Gundam’s “Princess” archetype: your Sayla, your Relena, your Lacus. I really like how proactive she is - we first meet her in the process of attempting to run away from her school, and her arc feels more about her recognising the power she weirds and how to best use it for what she wants, rather than rejecting it outright. She’s in the process of actively cultivating “soft power” (negotiations, word-of-mouth, etc) rather than just having it inherently and -crucially- because the hard power isn’t actually that valuable. Compared to, say, SEED. Lacus has a whole lot of soft power, but it’s Kira and the Freedom that’s the driving force of the plot. Suletta has Hard Power - Aerial, but it’s borrowed power fundamentally, and it’s Miorine’s soft power that ultimately does more good. Actual Diplomacy versus Gunboat Diplomacy, if you will. I also like how Suletta and Miorine’s relationship progresses - they balance out each other - it starts out with Suletta having the power Miorine needs, but as Miorine grows they start relying more on each other. Also their interactions together are really great. They’re compelling because of both who they are in universe - a pilot and a princess, and because of their personalities with each other and how they spur each others development.
I do want to call out Lady Prospera as being amazing. She feels exactly how Char would be as a mother - manipulative and ruthless, but still caring in her own way. I’m given to understand she’s the first female Char Clone in the series, which is neat. Her relationship with Suletta (and Miorine) is just really good. She’s not unpleasant and she’s certainly charming, but she won’t sugarcoat how things are. Miorine knows she’s being manipulated in her interactions with her, but it’s genuinely good advice so she goes along with it, even as she has her own reservations. It’s also rather telling that once Prospera doesn’t need Suletta anymore, she leaves her. While callous and heart-breaking, we know now that Prospera fully believed she was going to die. While this doesn’t exactly forgive her abandoning Suletta, it does cast her interest in Suletta making friends and having relationships outside her in a new light. Prospera wants vengeance for Nadim and the rest of the Vanadis Institute, but she recognises that that is her and Eri’s vengeance, not Suletta’s. And doesn’t that sound similar to Mr Char “I have never once betrayed any one, in my life, ever” Aznable, who just wants his sister to grow up in peace while he avenges their family? It’s a fun relationship dynamic and it’s done well, is what I’m getting at. I also like how unapologetically villainous she is in some of her actions - both the audience and Miorine kinda clock her as a threat immediately, but we can also see why Suletta trusts her so much, even if it’s not the healthiest relationship. I just really like the juxtaposition of her being sweet with Suletta, uncompromising with Miorine, and absolutely brutal with everyone else.
Setting
I find the school setting genuinely fascinating, I don’t have a clever segue so I’m just going to get into it.
Asticassia School of Technology is a school to pilot giant robots. Great, Instantly appealing. However, then you get into all the ways it’s indicative of the wider society. It’s maintained and run by the Benerit Group - a Mega-Corporation that dominates the field of military-use mobile suits, which requires actual military force to be brought to heel and is basically a sovereign nation all its own - it’s rather telling that we never really see any national representatives throughout G-Witch, it’s all about the companies. So it takes this normally aspirational thing “wow, a school to pilot giant robots!” And extrapolates it out to what kind of setting would create that. Giant Robots are used in military applications, so you end up with a facility basically dedicated to the production of child soldiers to serve this military-industrial complex actively profiting from the glaring class inequality present in the setting, as set out in the prologue. And because the characters exist within that system there is no “easy fix”, the story ends with the characters making small progress against those inequalities rather than solving them in one fell swoop because the inequalities are systemic, and you can’t just take out the superweapon and expect everything to work out on its own. The existence of child soldiers is baked into the setting- not as a desperate gamble or as an illustration of the necessities of survival, as in other series. But as an accepted and -crucially- normalised thing. Notably, no-one expresses surprise or horror at Sophie and Norea being pilots - just that they’re a threat and have GUND Format units. We also see several child soldiers in Fold of Dawn in addition to Asticassia itself, so there’s also the angle of generational differences - the children exist in an unfair world built and maintained by the adults, fighting for the causes they are taught to. Many of the Benerit Heirs have unhealthy relationships with their parental figures, typically conflicting over them wanting different things (Guel vs Vim’s expectations, Shaddiq going out from under Sarius and basically everything about the Elan’s). So there’s the angle of the children fighting against the unfair world of adults, tying into the familial relationships in the cast. Which is a theme Gundam’s got a lot out of historically. So the school setting shows to illustrate how Ad Stella is civilised a first glance, but far more beneath the surface, and demonstrates several of the issues inherent in the setting.
I also really love how GUND format is actively debilitating to its pilots and how Suletta, while still a very good pilot, is essentially unbeatable because she has a way around the downsides for most of the series. Because it feels like an examination of “the Gundam is the strongest mobile suit”. G-Witch essentially states that having a stronger or better weapon does not solve these problems, in fact, the various elements of the company all fighting over Aerial gets several people killed, so if anything it feels like a takedown of “Gundam” as a concept (ie This great strong weapon that will win us the war”). It also puts emphasis on themes of dehumanisation - both the Elan’s and Sophie&Norea show that child experimentation, while not exactly common, isn’t unfamiliar ground in Ad Stella, particularly with Elan being replaceable, which again ties into the child soldier angle. I also find it delightfully hypocritical that Benerit, the weapon merchants, have issues with it because of the PR backlash of it killing its pilots, not because of any “moral” reason. It’s a bad look to have a weapon that can harm its user - who’s going to want to pay for that? The militant liquidation of Ochs Earth was essentially a PR stunt to show that Benerit will not make these weapons (not that that stopped Peil). Which is really horrifying to think about, really.
The Space Assembly League, Quiet Zero and the Interplanetary Laser Transmission System (or ITLS, that big gun in the finale) all function as illustrations of the excess of corporate power - a near full-scale war/ large scale destruction is only prevented because of Suletta and Ericht’s intervention. The SAL functions as a regulatory body for the corporations, but while it isn’t exactly lacking in force, it acts far too late to prevent the damage - Benerit has been allowed to run independently for too long, so it’s difficult to pull back even with evidence and force because it’s just so big. Meanwhile, the ITLS was constructed under the guide of a power transmission system, but it’s intended to be fired as a weapon. Furthermore, the destruction it will cause is written off as “Oh, Peil will get the reconstruction contract”, killing hundreds for corporate gain. The fact that it’s Peil specifically is also notable, since they are probably the most ethically bankrupt of the three corporations and were actively involved in the GUND-format technology themselves. But because the corrupt elements of the governing body favour them (and can presumably cut a deal for reconstruction costs), much of their misdeeds would have essentially been swept under the rug. Notably, other than their stock plummeting, we don’t actually see much in the way of consequences for the Peil CEO’s.
Mechanics
A fairly short one here - I’ll admit I’m not crazy about a lot of the mobile suits in Ad Stellar, but I like how each company has a different designer and are different thematically. Jeturk has big, bulky beetle-esque machines - heavily armoured and analogous to Zaku’s and other grunt suits from the series. Peil focuses on mobility - spindly MS with lots of thrusters, and typically deployed with aerial combat in mind. Finally, Grassley tends to lean towards units with exotic systems, such as the Michaelis’ beam bracer and Anti-GUND format and often have monoeyes. It’s a good illustration of the competing philosophies within the group and each one is distinct and easily recognisable (Burion’s utilitarian, I don’t have much more to say on it). It also emphasises what a big shakeup the Gundam’s are, since they look so different, and can put down any of these units with little trouble. I rather wish we saw more of the smaller developers - those units Suletta swatted aside en masse with the Aerial Rebuild, since they seemed to have a greater variety of designs (I particularly liked the little Acguy-looking one - the Hosler II?). Also, really liked the Prodoros used by Dawn of Fold (though that’s likely due to how it moves).
Criticisms
Or rather Criticism. Your typical Gundam series is usually around 40-50 episodes, whereas Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is a comparatively paltry 25. Now, one series having a lower episode count than another isn’t inherently a point against it - better a short story well told rather than a long story poorly told, and it’s a new show, and (despite my persistent comparisons with other Gundam shows) should be allowed to stand and be judged on its own merits. But it kinda feels like it was meant to be a 40-50 episode series that was cut-down mid-production and fundamentally, it feels like we could’ve gotten more.
The pacing of the second season ratchets up considerably compared to the first, and I would like to stress that Witch From Mercury is a very-well-paced show - every episode has some sort of plot development, but it feels like that’s because it had to be. And every criticism I have of the show feels like it flows from that cut-down episode count.
It kinda feels like Peil Industries was supposed to be a much bigger player in this, and the Pharact doesn’t really do anything after its opening fight.
Peil’s never brought to justice, and Elan 5 just decides to join Earth House’s move on Quiet Zero. Meanwhile, the real Elan Ceres just resigns from Peil, even though he was presumably in on the Enhanced Person stuff too.
Lauda’s whole subplot about him piloting the Schwarzette had very little foreshadowing - I assume they put just enough of it in that they couldn’t cut it entirely (i.e. the Schwarzette), and it was necessary for Guel’s character arc.
Guel taking over Jeturk Heavy Industries didn’t really go anywhere.
Sophie Pulone and Norea Du Noc are really only there to tick gundam’s “Doomed Child Soldiers” box. Also Dawn of Fold just…… still exists after the events of the series?
The fact that Ochs Earth was still a thing kinda didn’t amount to much did it? Prospera just destroys them and their Gundam Lfrith’s. The ones used by Dawn of Fold might have well been older models, scavenged or bought by them.
Chuatury (Chuchu) Panlunch - great character, great design, excellent illustration of the tensions of the setting, but it feels like she was supposed to have a subplot focused on the people supporting her on Earth.
It just feels like they made the first 12 episodes of a 40-50 episode series, with a bunch of setup that’d pay off later, and then they got cut down to 24 episodes and had to cut a lot of stuff to fit. I’d like to stress I think they made a good compromise - most of my criticisms are minor and the Suletta and Miorine are the heart of the series, and they come out very well. But all the same, I’d rather the compromise didn’t need to be made in the first place, so we could’ve seen the “full thing” as it were.
Even my….. restraint on the mobile suits designs can be pinned on this. My favourite designs are typically Monster of the Week and late-season Weirdo’s - the stuff that’s the purview of your charismatic villain or a specialised grunt. But if you’ve got to cut stuff for space and time, then by their very nature, those designs won’t stick around.
I should however mention that I’ve been unable to find any reputable source as to wether The Witch From Mercury did have its episode count cut, before or during production. My criticism is mostly about the series feeling like it should have had more, not that it was actually cut down. It is possible that Bandai wanted to see if the show could make a comparative return on a smaller budget than usual, especially considering most of their recent Gundam output has been adaptations (IE. Shows that already have a proven audience and prior success, and are consequently a lot less financially risky), like Unicorn or Thunderbolt.
All that said, I do think that the emotional core of the show - Suletta and Miorine was excellently done, and I found the action and themes to be similarly well-done. I’m mostly only complaining we didn’t get to see more of the world, since it has so many interesting concepts that feel like they would’ve been interesting to see.
#gundam#ramblings#mobile suit Gundam the witch from mercury#witch from mercury#Gundam g-witch#Gundam the witch from mercury#suletta mercury#miorine rembran
33 notes
·
View notes
Note
hey! i love your posts! i was wondering if you could possibly do an analysis on the infamous bathroom scene? why does kaz choose this time to get close to inej and help her with her bandages? do you think he went in with the intention to try and give her physical affection or did it just happen? why does he choose to kiss her neck and is there significance to that? no rush, but i’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks so much for your question! I know you said I rush but it really has been a long time so I’m so sorry this took forever, but let’s go!
So the bathroom scene begins very specifically parallel with one of the earliest scenes of Six of Crows, when Kaz is washing in his room at the Slat and Inej walks in to deliver him news, and I think this is supposed to give us a sense of finality. It increases the tension, because at this point the reader is very aware that not everyone is necessarily going to survive Kaz's plan and having this echo could therefore look something frighteningly like closure to prepare us for losing one or both of the pair. Now this can be interpreted as a red herring, Leigh Bardugo is the queen of hitting where the mark’s not looking and she feeds us a lot of red herrings to hide her actual foreshadowing (I made a post about it a while ago now but in summary she’s a genius), and this could definitely be an extension of that to draw attention away from Matthias, similarly to how she focuses on the possibility of Matthias losing Nina a lot more than she does Nina losing Matthias, or it could be a hark back to Inej looking at the murals of animals running in circles in Six of Crows, describing them as “destined to chase each other for as long as the Ice Court stood” (or along those lines sorry I don’t have my books with me at the minute) as a metaphor for her and Kaz’s relationship. I think that the cyclical nature of this scene is meant to reference that in order to suggest that actually they have found a way to break the cycle, because they succeeded at the Ice Court, they metaphorically brought it down and so the cycle is broken, and the fact that there are several distinct differences between these parallel scenes enhances that for me.
This scene is only given to us in detail from Kaz's POV, whereas the early scene is from Inej's, and in each case the opposite character is arguably in the more vulnerable appearing position. In the first scene Kaz is shirtless, washing blood off himself, and Inej is actively discomforted by the immodesty of the interaction between them. In the bathroom scene, Inej has removed her tunic and I believe is wearing a tank top, which for her is a massively vulnerable way to be seen because she covers most of her skin all the time - particularly her arms because of her scars from the removal of the Menagerie tattoo. By this point the scars has been removed by Nina when she was high on parem, but that doesn't make Inej's psychological connection to them end and it definitely doesn't decrease her feeling of vulnerability when her skin is on show. There's also the added tension of Inej being injured in this scene. Although both scenes are in the aftermath of danger, the bathroom scene has a far stronger sense of the further danger to come than the earlier one did, since at the time we knew so little of the heist and the plan. Inej's injury solidifies this and makes the danger feel constant and real, as well as intensely increasing her vulnerability in a way that she is very aware of.
The fact that Kaz chooses now to get close to her intensifies this sense of danger and makes the reader very aware that Kaz Brekker, the Bastard of the Barrel, the man we have witnessed successfully breaking in and out of the Ice Court, cutting out a man's eye, scaring a small child so badly she'll probably need therapy as an adult, murdering, thieving, and being so committed to his plans that he swallowed and regurgitated a set of lockpicks without a second thought, is actually, genuinely terrified that he won't come back from the next stage of his plan. In fact he's so terrified that he has decided to face the only other thing that frightens him, so that if he dies today at least he tried. I'm not sure if he went in with the intention of moving from helping her with the bandages to physical intimacy, because even the bandages alone would be a huge step for him. It's possible that once he'd committed to helping her with the bandages anyway, that he decided to push himself as far as possible in case he never got another chance. Possibly if he'd taken things in smaller steps he would have been able to cope with helping her today, and then know that he could help her again, and maybe one day after that he'll be able to kiss her. But one of the things that makes this moment so beautiful is that this is a snippet of time where Kaz and Inej are the only thing that exist, there is no future and if they try hard enough maybe there can be no past, maybe there can just be the present, there can just be this. Kaz takes these steps now becasue he doesn't see a chance to do it again, and although this does wonders to enhance the importance and the beauty of the scene it is also terrifying as a reader to face the very real possibility of Kaz not coming back.
I’m really glad you mentioned him kissing her neck because I do think it’s possibly symbolic and quite meaningful. Whilst both of them struggle with physical contact to different capacities, it’s important to note that whilst Kaz’s fear of contact has made intimacy a seeming impossibility for him, for Inej it’s intimacy itself that’s the biggest influence on her pain. She struggles with any contact she isn’t prepared for beforehand, but only ever finds it worth explaining when it’s a form of intimacy - “the first time Nina hugged me, I flinched”. Even though Inej consents in the scene and doesn’t, at least not vocally or physically and therefore not to the reader’s knowledge, change her mind, she never initiates anything. I think this is important because it forces Kaz to be the one who handles the initial contact; if she touched him skin-on-skin without him forcing himself to do so first then he probably would have shut down and panicked a lot sooner because he wasn’t in control. But he also shows such an important understanding that Inej also needs some level of control. And that control comes in her decision to return the kiss. If he kissed her lips she would be forced to face the prospect of her worst fear “would she kiss him back? Could she be herself in such a moment or […] a doll in his arms, a girl who would never quite be whole”. (Again, sorry, operating on memory alone for the quotes). By kissing her neck, Kaz is able to create this moment of sensuality without taking control of it any more than he needs to for his own sake, making sure that the choice always remains hers. It also makes me think of when Nina kisses Matthias on the neck whilst searching his pockets for parem, when she says that she didn’t kiss his lips because she would not let the drug take that from her. Leigh Bardugo establishes this kiss on the lips as something powerful early on in the book and it comes into play once again here, with Kaz and Inej acknowledging that kind of connection to be a far more symbolic one for them than an initial contact is. In much the same way that Kaz refused to be the one to mark Inej again, he will not be the one to kiss her lips and create a situation she is unprepared to deal with. Ultimately, he has to be able to touch her skin first, and she has to be able to kiss his lips first.
Ok I wasn't one hundred percent sure how I was going to go about this and then suddenly all of that was on the page, but I think what I'm going to do now is pick some specific quotes or moments from the scene to talk about.
"I don't have the words to thank you" "I'm sure the Suli have a thousand proverbs for such an occasion" "words have not been invented for such an occasion" "if I end up on the gallows you can say something nice over the corpse" - honestly not sure if I have anything to say about this I just love this conversation so damn much
"if that were true my shadow would have put Ketterdam in permananent night" "maybe. or maybe your someone else's shadow" "You mean Pekka" - I feel like I talk about Kaz being Pekka's shadow an awful lot but I am just so obsessed with the idea, they are literary foils but there are also such important distinct differences between them it’s just incredible
“I don’t sell girl into brothels, I don’t con helpless kids out if their money” “look at the floor of the crow club, Kaz,” - okay so of the same vein and again I feel like I talk about it a lot, in fact it’s literally what inspired the entire fic im writing (if you wanna read it all the chapters are tagged under “Maya Olsen oc”) but these lines are so goddamn heartbreaking I will never get over them
“How could she still look at the world that way?” - it’s just really interesting to me to have this direct address of comparison of the way their view has been shaped by their experiences, particularly as I’ve talked a lot about Inej having to come to terms with the idea that what happened to her isn’t just a cruel part of the world but an individual piece of a cruel world especially with seeing the “Rare Spices” billboard using hyper-sexualised Suli women to sell the products (I made a whole post on that too) and yet still she sees hope in the world. A lot of this I think is to do with her faith, because instead of believing that there can be no god or saints or other form of deity because of the cruelty in the world, as Kaz does (it’s confirmed that he prayed as a child but is obviously now very atheistic, though we don’t get a lot of detail about what religion he may or may not have practiced), a big part of Inej’s path to hell by is believing that fate planned this for her so that it would lead her to stopping it from happening to others. I struggle with this idea because it seems to imply that it makes her pain worthy of going through when obviously no-one should ever have to experience such trauma, but there are many different ways of interpreting this and personally I don’t think that Inej believes her Saints did this to her for a reason but that she believes they have found a reason for her to continue after after the fact and given her a cause in order to help her through her experiences. I hope this makes sense it’s starting to feel a bit ramble-y
Oh my god I just wrote loads after that and it didn’t save. Oh my god no I can’t believe it I’ve been writing for so long 😭 ok erm… oh god I’m so annoyed right now I can’t remember everything I wrote and it was so much like I’d nearly got to the end of the chapter doing a quote by quote analysis. Ok I’m going to try and reconstruct what I did but please bare with if this isn’t my best work because usually I write very freely when I do these and just throw whatever comes into my head into the page so cautiously trying to think back to what I said originally might make it come across a bit stilted.
I can’t believe I’ve done this 😭
“The distance between them felt like nothing. It felt like miles” - his internal conflict is so brilliantly written and it’s so heartbreaking; the way this is far too close but it’s much too far away
“Graceful as always. A girl underwater” - again this internal conflict, the way she’s underwater because her movements are fluid but she’s also underwater because to touch her it to drown
“His gloves lay discarded […] they looked like dead animals”
“Maybe he would never get to the Slat. Maybe this would kill him.”
“Inej’s eyes were wide and dark. Lost planets. Black moons” - I will never shut up about the fact that soc starts with Joost wishing Anya had blue eyes instead of brown so they were easier to compliment, and then the two books are absolutely overflowing with Kaz and Inej describing each other’s beautiful brown eyes
“It’s shame that eats men whole. He was drowning it. Drowning in the Ketterdam harbour”
“Even now a boy will smile at me on the street, or Jesper will put his arm around my waist, and I feel I’m going to vanish,” - this is such and important moment, this scene is the most vulnerable and open Inej ever is out loud and I think it’s such a massive concession to her trust in Kaz. I think that, especially because the scene is written from Kaz’s perspective, we get a lot more emphasis on his struggle than on Inej’s and although it’s really important to discuss Kaz I do think that sometimes we tread a thin line of focusing on him at the expense of losing focus on Inej and it’s so massively important to acknowledge both of them. This is also one of the things that I think was the biggest downfall of the way the writing in shadow and bone season 2 treated Inej, although I absolutely adore the show and I think that everything Amita Suman does shows that she understands the character in a deep and beautiful level, I also think it’s so so important to realise that not once in either season does that script actually state that the Menagerie is a brothel. One of my friends who hasn’t read the books didn’t get the full picture of Inej’s backstory until I filled in some small gaps for her because the writing just didn’t do her full justice, and I think that’s really unfortunate not least because it means that to some who hasn’t read the books a lot of Inej’s actions in season 2 would come across as her trying rush Kaz into something he isn’t ready for when that isn’t the situation in the slightest
“The room tilted. He clung to the tether of her voice” - I’ve seen a lot of stuff online about the focus points of contact between grishaverse couples and the way their represented, for example with Malina it’s their hands (the way they hold hands as Alina is grabbed by Volcra and it amplifies her power, the way they reach to intertwine their fingers in the meadow, etc). And most of these label the eyes as Kanej’s focal point of contact, and whilst I agree with that I also think that the voice is a massively underrepresented one, especially from Kaz’s perspective. It’s Inej’s voice that helps him work through his panic attack in soc and it’s Inej’s voice that keeps him afloat now, arguably because it’s a form of connection between them that requires no closeness or input, it just exists and can be relied upon.
“I live in fear that I’ll see one of her… one of my clients on the street. For a long time I thought I recognised them everywhere. But sometimes I think what they did to me wasn’t the worst of it” - okay I want to warn you guys now I wrote a long and in depth analysis on this quote and I was incredibly passionate and very proud of it so I’n really really annoyed it didn’t save, and I’m sorry because my analysis now is probably not going to live up to what I wrote earlier but here we go:
For me, this is a massively important quote and there are two ways to read it. Firstly, that when she refers to “her” Inej means Heleen but edits her words as a continuation of this vulnerability she is forcing herself to share. The second is going to link to something I said a while ago about how we could compare a separation of “Inej” and “The Wraith” to the separation of “Kaz” and “Dirtyhands”, but this is a bit more like the separation of “Rietveld” and “Brekker”. Inej talks a lot about how she would leave her body behind to exist only in her mind, in passages I find particularly reminiscent of passages in The Handmaid’s Tale (although please note soc is not very explicit whereas tht is incredibly explicit). But to take that idea further, I think there are certain hints, and I think this is possibly the biggest one, to imply that one of Inej’s ptsd responses it to actually view herself today as a separate entity from who she was during her indenture, effectively saying ‘yes these things happened to this body but they didn’t happen to this mind so that should make it easier’ to herself, which is massively self-destructive in nature because it almost creates this idea that she needs to get over who she once was and move on, very similar to the way Kaz Brekker represses Kaz Rietveld. Arguably, what she’s saying is the worst of it is this fracturing of the self that has been created by what they put her through and that she cannot seem to escape from. Now obviously I don’t know the intent behind Leigh Bardugo’s words and I want to be very clear that there are different possible interpretations of this, this one in particular does happen to more darkly resonate with her ptsd that does not make it correct or incorrect but I think it’s worth considering, especially when it adds another layer to the parallels between her and Kaz.
Ok I’m not going to write out the full quote because it’s quite long but starting from the line “Tante Heleen wasn’t always cruel” - now I talked about this a bit in my post about a comparison between Inej and Wylan as subsequent to a comparison between Heleen and Van Eck, but very specifically in this passage Inej describes this horrifying, heart-shattering image of the way Heleen attempted to instil something akin to Stockholm Syndrome within the girls at the Menagerie, by forcing them to believe that she was their only hope for survival, that she was kinder to them than anyone else would be, that they had to prove they deserved to stay with her, that any abuse she brought down on them came from a place of some kind of twisted love or care because she had to do this to make them understand, that if they would just be good and if they would just understand then she wouldn’t have to hurt them but they won’t do they are forcing her to do this. It’s so painful and it tells us so much detail about Inej’s experience without actually going into tiny explicit details.
“Feeling regret and release as he broke contact with her skin” - again so brilliantly highlighting his internal conflict
“He could feel the warmth of her on his fingers like fever” - if I had a list of my favourite similes in literature… well it would be very long, but this would be on it!!! The subtlety and yet emphasis on Kaz’s internal conflict is so beautifully written here, with the warmth of her flesh against his creating this sensual atmosphere but the comparison of it to fever, to the illness that killed Jordie and took Kaz to the Reaper’s Barge, adds to the way the reminder of his pain is threaded through every moment even when he isn’t physically suffering a flashback, it’s just constantly present and inescapable
“That rapid pulse fluttering in her throat. Alive. Alive. Alive” - agaiiiiiiiiiiiin with the so brilliantly written internal conflict I will never get over. The entire scene is at war with itself, every sentence at odds with its own content. The sexual tension created in the image of the fast heart rate and the way this makes you feel alive versus the desperate need to keep reminding himself that she is alive and breathing she is not a body on the Reaper’s Barge.
Ohhhhh just the whole description of Kaz saying “after all she’d endured, he was the weak one” and explaining the pain of watching the others able to hold each other, how difficult it is to see Nina hug her and Jesper out his arm around her genuinely makes me want to cry, it resonates so sadly with the scene when they arrive at the Geldrenner and all the others are hugging and so happy to see each other alive, and Nina says that even if Kaz isn’t happy to see them they’re happy to see him, meanwhile Kaz is in a war of self loathing because he so intensely fears that they hate him because they think he hates them but he has no way of expressing himself and it’s just ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, you know?
“He watched that pulse, the evidence of her heart”
The whole passage that follows this moment I can’t explain it any other way than I feel like I’m melting every time I read it. I saw a Tumblr post someone had put on Pinterest recently and if I find it again I’ll put the op username in the comments but it basically said that when a writer can write something that isn’t a sex scene as if it’s a sex scene that it’s kind of magical and I think in a lot of ways this resonates massively with this scene
Ugh and then I want to cry again when he can’t cope and the I ability to express himself becomes anger and becomes descriptions of violence. This is the only time we get a full feel for the absolute unending mess of Kaz’s theist for revenge; it’s never enough, not the banks, not the attorneys, not the man from the cafe, not the boy who lured them in, not Margit, not Saskia, and Pekka Rollins won’t be. I always wonder if it’s important that we’re never told what he did to Saskia. We know that the roper was tortured and left dead with “the key to a wind up dog shoved down his throat” so we know Kaz exercises some kind of poetic justice in his violence, and we see that in his revenge against Rollins too. Maybe he strangled her with a red hair ribbon. Maybe he never actually hurt her. Maybe he couldn’t bring himself to.
“You don’t ask for forgiveness Kaz. You earn it,” “and is that what you intend to do? By hunting slavers?” “By hunting slavers” - maybe it’s just because of the intonation choice on my audiobook (which btw is awesome shout out to the narrators of the audiobook love you guys) but this to me comes across as Kaz attempting to mock Inej in his harried, terrified, clearly losing control state and her so calmly standing her ground and standing by what she believes in
“His eyes scanned her face […] snatching at the pieces of her like the thief he was”
“But if he was going to die today maybe the one thing he’d earned was the memory of her, brighter than anything he would ever have a right to, to take with him to the other side.”
The way the last moments of the scene include him putting back in the gloves, reconstructing the armour
“He might as well go to meet his death in style” - this is gonna be out of tune with everything else I’ve said but damn what an icon love this line
“Whatever happens to me, survive this city. Get your ship, have your vengeance, carve your name into their bones, but survive this mess I’ve gotten us into.” - I may simply ✨cease to exist✨. But genuinely I’ve mentioned several times before about how the city of Ketterdam almost becomes it’s own character as the antagonist because ultimately it’s the system, not any individual, that has to be defeated and I think this quote highlights it so well. There are individual people that have to be dealt with and deserve everything that will be brought done upon them, but it’s the city itself that you have to watch out for or it will swallow you whole
I’m not going to go into detail about their tells because I’ve made a post devoted to them before and good lord this post is getting long, but I just want to emphasise that it’s a brilliant passage
“If you’ve ever cared about me at all, don’t follow” - I just absolutely adore that the next chapter starts with Inej following him mimicking these exact words I love her so damn much it makes giggle every time
“Inej was wrong about one thing. He knew exactly what he intended to leave behind when was gone: Damage” - *collapses* God I adore this there are no words
Ok wow if you made it this far thank you so much for reading this honestly I’m very impressed that you did because this is long. There are definitely details that I’ve lost because I had to require so much of it, which is a real shame but there’s still a lot to talk about here and I’ve written so much is possibly best for the sake of all our sanity’s that there isn’t more. Sorry I took so long to respond to your question but thank you so so much for asking it, I hope you all like this and that it at least made some sense because as I’ve said before these things often make more sense in my own head than they do on paper. Thanks for reading 💖
#this may actually be *too* long#is there a point when it becomes unreasonable?#I was going to make a joke about my Roman Empire but I don’t think any of you needed telling that it was these beautiful novels#they actually just consume me#grishaverse#six of crows#leigh bardugo#crooked kingdom#inej ghafa#kaz brekker#nina zenik#jesper fahey#wylan van eck#matthias helvar#kanej#I’ve been in a very kanej mood recently#live laugh love kanej#kanej has my whole heart#kanej bathroom scene#ck bathroom scene#kanej brainrot#*cries in kanej*
112 notes
·
View notes
Note
can you talk more about your writing process? do you outline? what does your drafting process look like? I love to hear about the ways my fave fic writers write because everyone is so different!
hello! a while ago i wrote a bit about the broad idea-to-ao3 journey my fics usually take, and i’m always happy to go more in depth about outlining/drafting since i find it really interesting when i see other writers talk about it too 😊
i do outline, and often extensively—my outlines start out long and get longer as i go. usually my initial outline is a basic version of me telling myself the story; i have all the major beats in chronological order and all the random details/scene ideas i’ve already thought of while brainstorming. it’s very messy and often just for me, so i’m barely even using punctuation at that point. but by the time i start drafting i know where the fic ends, even if i don’t know the exact final scene/beat. for example, before i started even drafting chapter 1 of bbts i already knew what all the 5 + 1 scenarios were, when the identity reveal dropped (and didn’t drop), who the Big Bad was, and how that overarching plot connected to each scenario, so i was ready to start filling in the actual story details from there.
after that my outlines are constantly growing documents because i jump around and add things as i go, getting more detailed the closer i get to drafting—by the time i reach a scene to actually write it, it’s usually pretty well beated out for me. i zerodraft scenes right in the outline document, and then draft over those zerodrafts, so the outline eventually becomes the fic itself.
here are a few examples of what some bits of bbts chapter 4 looked like in the outline by the time i started drafting it vs. the final fic (also copied under the cut because they’re a bit long for alt text):
i don’t write every day (i wish!) but i do usually at least open the document every day or jot down ideas. especially in a mad scramble after i shower, because i always end up planning whole conversations/action sequences in my head while showering or brushing my teeth or otherwise doing something where i can’t reach for my phone immediately 😅 i tend to outline/zerodraft quickly but draft slowly (details always take so much longer than i expect), but i do write faster and faster the closer i get to finishing a chapter/fic.
also, i workshop a lot as i go! going to friends like “hey i’m trying to [hurt a character in a specific way] but having trouble blocking the scene. can anyone help me achieve this more practically” is one of my favorite parts of the process.
text for outline vs. final snippets:
original outline:
have you ever been?
hmm? yeah i, uh, studied abroad here for a bit.
ah. kon should’ve figured;
before he can feel too disappointed, though, tim flashes a small smile and says, never seen it from this angle, though.
final snippet:
“Have you ever been?” Kon asks.
“Hmm?” The mylar crinkles as Tim leans further. “Yeah I, uh, studied abroad here for a bit.”
“Ah.” Kon probably should’ve figured.
Before he can feel too disappointed, though, Tim flashes him another smile and says, “Never seen it from this angle, though. Plane windows don’t really do it justice.”
original outline:
tim and bruce talking, bruce is like, yes, it’s safer the less people know who we are, but it’s not just about that. i want you to have something to return to. i want your civilian identity to be a haven—i don’t want robin to define you. if you ever stop being robin, i want you to still be able to be tim.
also if bruce wayne is compromised, it compromises my ability to keep you safe. i want you to be safe. but i also have another reason. it’s selfish of me. if tim drake is compromised, it would be much harder to keep you here with me, as my family. as someone i can care for as bruce wayne. and i want to keep you, tim.
final snippet:
Bruce holds up a hand. “It’s not that. That is—yes, the less people who know, the safer we are. But I’m trying to say…it’s not just about that. I have trouble explaining this part; it always comes out wrong. I think the first time I tried was the first time Dick called me a despot, actually.” He snorts, quiet and wry. “I’ll try to do better this time. What it really comes down to is this: I want you to have something to return to. I want your civilian identity to be a haven—I don’t want Robin to define you. If you ever stop being Robin, I want you to still be able to be Tim. If Tim Drake is compromised, it’s harder for you to have that option. And if Bruce Wayne is compromised, too, it compromises my ability to keep you safe. I want you to be safe. But I also have another reason, and this is the selfish part. The part I couldn’t explain right last time. Which is: if Bruce Wayne were compromised, it would be much harder to keep you here with me, as someone I can help in all of your identities. As my family. Not impossible—I would never let it be impossible. But it would make it harder, and that’s what scares me, more than the rest of it combined. Because I want to keep you, Tim.”
original outline:
oh, tim says. no, that’s. it’s fine. i didn’t. doesn’t know what else to say. it’s just. i’m robin, there on the tip of his tongue. he can’t say it past the hot embarrassment clawing at his throat, pulsing behind his eyes. he summons his mother, summons brucie wayne, summons normal, boring, see-through tim drake, and manages a vacant smile
final snippet:
The words have sort of been washing over Tim like a tidal wave, but he recognizes that he’s probably supposed to respond in some way. “Oh,” he says. “No, that’s. It’s fine. I didn’t.”
He doesn’t know what else to say. His hand is still resting against the mask in his pocket, I’m Robin right there on the tip of his tongue, technically irrelevant to whether or not Kon wants to date Tim Drake. But he can’t say it past the hot embarrassment clawing at his throat, pulsing behind his eyes. He wants to ask for a minute to think, to turn around so Kon can’t see his face, and immediately feels even more humiliated for needing that. He should’ve known. He should’ve known.
“Tim?” Kon says quietly.
Tim draws in a long breath. Another. He summons his mother, summons Brucie Wayne, summons normal, boring, see-through Tim Drake, and manages a vacant smile. “It’s fine,” he says. “I get it. Thanks for being honest.”
#the scene where kon dunks tim in the ocean was fully outlined before i even started chapter 1 i think#meanwhile the whole charcuterie board thing was a surprise to me until i got to that scene#asks#my fic
25 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hi there. So don't mind me, I was going through your dazatsu art a while ago (both you and your husband I think?) and also saw some of the captions. You said you two met when you were cosplaying dazatsu? I don't mean to sound stalkerish so please feel free to ignore me, but that is about the sweetest thing I have ever heard😭❤️ I would like to draw one of your cosplays as our favorite couple. You could send me a picture you like- paint over your faces if you don't feel comfortable or-
And again and I emphasize, feel free to straight up reject this or ignore it, because I know it's odd. Just wanted you to know how you warm my heart, and I love your artwork as well<3
Have a nice day or night
Hello there! First of all, don't worry about "sounding stalkerish", it's very sweet of you to drop by just to let me (and by extension, us) know about your thoughts! 😊 The thing is, it's not that we met when we were cosplaying; perhaps me saying we weren't a couple yet gave that impression, but since you asked, I might as well tell you the full story?
You may want to sit, it's a little long (though I'll do my best to be brief) 😅
We already knew each other, we had been acquaintances for a long while, actually! We met when we were 14/13 or so (we're 31/29 now, I'm the older one). We weren't really that close, but we were on friendly terms and all that.
I'll skip the very personal bits which includes (but is not limited to) us getting closer to each other and stupidly pining mutually, but the sequence of events that led to it is one (!) of the reasons why I tend to say we're a "dazatsucore" couple. Because:
He was into me > I noticed on the spot, and did nothing > I was into him > he didn't know because I hid the fact > leads to him blurting out a confession thinking he'd be turned down > I do not turn him down but ask for some time to think things through because I want to be sure of my feelings first > not too long after I have an answer.
By the way, everything I'm saying gets even better (and funnier) when you consider I'm the "Dazai" one, while he's the "Atsushi" in this.
Anyways, about the cosplay shenanigans you inquired about; back when we were getting closer to each other (2016ish), I had become interested in BSD but knew nothing about it; I knew he had watched it, asked what were his thoughts on it, he said it was nice, recommended it, etc. He then commented that he planned to cosplay Atsushi, showed me the character and shared his cosplay plans.
I had only watched the opening so far (the thing that led me to ask him if the anime was good), and Dazai was the one who had caught my eye the most, so I said, very offhandedly, that 'hey, I'd be down to go with you to the con, I do entertain the idea of cosplaying Dazai'.
He was like 'woah, really?! That would be so fun!' but also got extremely nervous on the spot. I obviously noticed. You see, my spouse isn't really the type of person who can hide his feelings very well + I'm good at reading through people. We've always been a funny match in that regard, ngl.
From a quick Google search I did to gather references for the outfit, I could tell the two characters were a somewhat popular pairing, so I made 2+2, I also already knew he had a crush on me and just did nothing about it, like I explained above. So he had gotten nervous that people could mistake us for a couple because the two characters are (were? sadly) a popular pairing.
Which I did know... And again, did nothing about because while my suggestion to cosplay together was sincere, having no intentions of manipulating him or anything, that did work in my favor as well so two birds, one stone.
In the meantime, what I told you above happened and we started dating. And, for obvious reasons, we decided to go ahead with the cosplay plans 😌 I've never posted a clear picture showing our faces because we're not the best photographers out there, but here's one of the least terrible ones:
The icing on the cake, that doesn't have much to do with us, but is still something we remember about fondly: we're Brazilian, and Brazil is a very big country. The anime con we were going to attend was the biggest in our country but also some good hours away (a 9 hour travel away to the capital, to be more precise), so we took a bus ride with some people headed there as well. It's common for people to make these "con attendees" group rides and they're always really fun experiences + very cost efficient.
One of the people we befriended on the ride was this girl who, coincidentally, was cosplaying as Chuuya. Since we're a queer couple (nb sapphics who go by he/him pronouns) we didn't know what amount of gay was okay in public, but this one girl knew we were a couple, 100% sure of it and it was genuinely beyond funny seeing her and her friends waiting on us to just do something, anything, that gave the answer away.
We kissed like... once, when they were nearby, and the reactions were priceless, ngl. The euphoric I KNEW IT faces.
Back then we weren't married yet, so no telling rings or anything, but this Chuuya had gotten the vibes somehow. When I asked her how she knew before we even did anything, she said, just like this: 'it's the way you look at each other 🥺'.
I need you to imagine Chuuya Nakahara saying this, with this expression. Makes it all 20x funnier. Also the reason why I usually write him as a wingman/enabler in my fics.
Oh, and about the "he had no idea I knew all along", I did tell him... last year 😂 We were reminiscing about things and he went on a tangent saying something along the lines of 'I feel kinda bad because it was selfish of me but I liked the idea of us being seen as a couple back then so I didn't tell you the characters were a popular ship'.
To which I replied: 'Oh, I knew, don't worry.'
Cue shocked Pikachu meme for my spouse's reaction. I then explained that I was fully aware of everything all along, and he was like 'thank GOD you decided to play along then because I had no idea how to charm anyone' 😂
It feels good to put our silly story out there, I had told this story only to one person in the fandom so far (I won't tag her, but Katsu can confirm we're two dumbasses in love) because I don't usually talk about personal stuff publicly like this unless on a whim but also because, like I said, it's a very long story even with skipped parts.
I hope this was fun to read, at least? 😅
As for what you asked about drawing us, I'll apologize, but neither of us understood exactly what you want to do. If you could elaborate more on it, we'd be grateful and could give a proper response! All in all, thank you for sending the ask, it was really lovely of you to stop by just to say that! 😊
#I'll need to tag the ship because of the cosplay picture inside the read more#but feel free to ignore all the babbling if you came here just for the ship tag#dazatsu#dazushi#cosplay#+ personal story because why not#but there's only so much exposition I can take at once so I'll probably be thinking about this for a while#please be nice to me I get antsy whenever I overshare but the world must know why we call ourselves dazatsucore#and also why this ship means so much to the two of us (besides being a really wholesome ship ofc!)#ask
23 notes
·
View notes
Text
Splatband Analysis - Bottom Feeders
(Disclaimer: This analysis in based on what I get out of looking into the character descriptions we have of the splatband characters. If you disagree with what I say, that is fine, we are all beheld to our opinions. Just don’t be a jerk about it.)
From my favorite band to their dedicated rivals, the Bottom Feeders. Like Ink Theory, they too got a fair amount of art to them, including a White Day art piece that shows them hanging out with other bands and shows off some character details. Be prepared to see that pop up a lot, considering the fact it contains three bands in total.
Starting off with the band wide analysis, they’re all stated to be from outside of Inkadia, somewhere up north. The celtic rock and some of their fashion choices make it pretty clear they’re from the Splatoon equivalent of Scotland. They seem to have moved into Inkopolis at some point before their Turf War debut, as a lot of info we get from them gives the impression that they live there, or at the very least spend extensive amounts of time in the area. They also have their own record label to stay independent.
The band is a chaotic bunch. They’ve nearly broken up multiple times (mostly due to Finn), their performances vary based on their mood, and considering the White Day artwork, physical fights amongst each other is common enough that no one is really interested in stopping them. Still, they’ve toughed it out together to the point they’re evidently still together by Splatoon 3, so despite their fighting, they do try to stick together. And also have the same last name? (Bottom in Japanese, Feeder in English.) It’s most likely to be a shared pseudonym they took up for band reasons. Or, considering the Scottish influence, a clan name? Needs more research in this area.
Finn and Tangle are the stars of the show here, getting some pretty meaty descriptions compared to Jawn, Blow and Muruta. The two are clearly the driving forces behind the band, with the rest simply being along for the ride for their own entertainment. At least it seems their rivalry with Ink Theory is something they agree on, as their performance in ZAPP Square was made particularly electrifying when they performed against each other.
Finn
Finn is a tropical betta fish, and their description embodies much about the species to a T. They’re stubborn, they butt heads constantly with their bandmates to the point the band has nearly dissolved, is willing to outright fight them as seen in the White Day artwork (Tangle is the main victim, but Muruta is also unconscious), and is the main instigator of the Ink Theory/Bottom Feeder rivalry (Both bands use traditional instruments to bring attention to more classic genres, which they seem to view as infringement on their territory.) The betta fish is notoriously aggressive and territorial, so it all matches. Curiously, Beika’s tweets imply they’re female despite having traits of a male betta (in fact, the behavior I mentioned is specifically in regards to them). Maybe they’re trans, or fem presenting? Or maybe Beika is wrong. I’m sticking to they/them until we get some more official sounding confirmation.
Despite this aggression, they do have some positives. their motivation is to bring attention to traditional styles of music to the world, so it's something they care about deeply. Despite all the mentions of the band nearly dissolving, it still exists in Splatoon 3. In fact, they actually have a collaboration with recently debuted band Riot Act in the song No Plan Survives (Kikura seems to have stolen Beika’s idea for the collaboration), which implies that, for all their aggressive tendencies, they’re fully capable of getting along with other people. The Splatoon Twitter itself states they came together harmoniously despite mostly doing their own thing.
Tangle
Tangle, the seaweed man himself. Currently the only sapient algae we have in the series, with everyone else being a sapient animal. He’s quite the oddity to even himself, since learning that he talks via the strings of his body rubbing together came as a surprise to him. Stuff like that isn’t focused on, but it’s not the first time a splatband character with some oddity to them went uncommented (Kagi’s skin color, Namida’s disconnected eyemask), so who knows if his nature as a sentient algae is also considered unusual in the world.
Onto personality, he’s described as a rebellious young man (does that make him younger than his fellow bandmates?) who’s dissatisfied with the state of the music scene. He thinks the music of the time has gotten voguish (read:Popular and mainstream), and wants a return to more straightforward styles. A commonality between him and Finn, it must be how the band was formed, considering they’re the two with the strong feelings about music, and him being the leader. Not that the others seem to like him that much. They consider his songwriting to be terrible and are apparently pretty harsh about it, something we will never be able to hear for ourselves since we can only hear funky squid (or seaweed in this case) sounds. At least he really enjoys singing in general, since the exciting avenue he discovered from learning how he talks is that he can sing out of his feet. What would that sound like?
Also Finn is fighting him in the White Day artwork. And judging by the others' reaction to them (read:ignoring it), this is a common occurrence.
Blow Bottom
Blow, along with Jawn and Muruta, got stuck with the short descriptions. Finn and Tangle are clearly our main characters of this band, but it doesn’t mean there’s nothing much to pick out from what we got. Like his fellows, he doesn’t particularly care about the band’s sound, he’s just here to have fun. Considering the utterly exhausted and apathetic look he’s giving to Finn and Tangle’s little spat in the White Day artwork gives the feeling he simply finds the unnecessary drama exhausting, like it’s not at all worth his time. Being a dad must do that to a person. Speaking of, he’s a dad (DILF Material certified), specifically to an only daughter. He cares about her a lot.
He’s also part of a rainmaker team with Ryu Chang and Kuze, Underpass Bass Drum. He plays it in his free time, though according to a little tidbit regarding the event in the Deepsea Metro called the Low Water Party, a rave where several people are implied to have died… anyway, the team showed up to the event and apparently performed (one of them played double bass, no mention who it was), so they evidently do music together too. No word outside of that on what their relationship is, but it seems they get on well enough to perform together.
Jawn Bottom
I can’t tell if the two dots are his eyes or his nostrils… anyway, Jawn doesn’t care much for the music and is more in it for the fun than anything. Likes motorcycles and meat, a real manly man here. But he’s apparently fine playing games with kids, he’s seen playing chess with Paul in the White Day artwork while completely ignoring the fight happening right next to them. Though judging by the sweating, he wasn’t expecting to be losing so hard.
Muruta Bottom
Muruta is in it for the fun over the ideology of music Tangle and Finn espouse. He likes cute girls. Not much to pick out from that, but the White Day artwork has something interesting. See there in the corner, blurry and super close up? That’s Muruta, unconscious, implying he got involved in the fight between Finn and Tangle. Hard to say why he’d be there, but the best guess is he tried to break them up. Those two seem the most likely to be at odds with each other, so it would make sense the reason for his knockout is he tried to get involved to stop them but got knocked out.
—
That’s the Bottom Feeders done. Now, just to answer this, I’m all over the place when it comes to using their names because I have my preferences. Sometimes the english localized names are actually good in my eyes. I just pick and choose which ones I like. Anyway, see you next band!
#splatoon#splatbands#splatband analysis#bottom feeders#finn bottom#tangle bottom#blow bottom#jawn bottom#muruta bottom#my work
19 notes
·
View notes
Text
Like An Animal
Dano!Riddler x Female!Reader, word count: 4.5k
an arrangement for anonymous fetish sex goes completely wrong when the sweet, shy guy you vibed with online is nasty little edward nashton 🐀💚
kinks are so multi-faceted. it's fine if this is interesting/arousing/scary/healing for you! you're normal, and you're completely valid 💚
request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist
minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: non-con, dubcon, cnc elements, violence, threats, intense fear, this is nasty shit sodon't read if it makes you uncomfortable duh
It was an interesting arrangement. Beneficial to them both, as they explored the darker sides of their desires in completely privacy. She was amazed that he was the type. When he had answered her request for a partner in specific activities on the forum, she was already prepared to have to block several fake replies, some un-practiced boys trying to be daddies, men just desperate to have sex who would have overlooked her specifications around kinks and rules. But this one was different, formal, slightly reserved, but knowledgeable in the ‘lingo’ enough to let her know he might have enough experience. His questions were respectful, unemotional. Straight to business kind of, which was ok. It was actually her preference.
As someone with very little social skills outside of sex, it was difficult to approach someone in the first place, let alone get to a situation where she could ask them for exactly what she wanted. But, on the forums, it was transactional, formal. Everything could be pre-arranged with very little need for speaking when it came to the act. There had been several acts with the two of them now, and it was safe to assume that he was keen on the task-based nature of what they did together.
After the first few “dates” (basic vanilla sex to understand each other’s bodies and potential limits) they had an open discussion together, before deciding to explore the more intense kinks that they shared in common. He lamented that wasn’t experienced physically, which had been obvious at first, but that he knew what he liked and had done extensive research on the topics.
“I like to learn…to research.”
It was odd, she felt so attracted to him, despite his frankly plain appearance. He was average height, average build, average haircut, but his face was soft and round and filled with a naivety that drove her wild. So, they discussed moving things forward. Tonight was the big night, and it was her choice of activity.
He had arrived exactly on time, another habit she picked up on. He was organised and punctual, which only served the structured and emotionless nature of their ‘affair’. She liked that about him. Efficient, conscientious, respectful of her time and any boundaries. It was easy to feel safe with him, part of the reason she was so willing to allow him control this evening. And he was obviously prepared, dropping down his rucksack with a heavy thud, as his ‘tools’ settled on the floor at the bottom of the bag. She invited him into her dimly not romantically lit apartment where they met each time. Usually, he was dressed as though he had been working a 9-5 at an office. Suit trousers, a plain and ill-fitting shirt, boring tie, standard dress shoes, a navy blue puffer jacket shielding his thin body against the Gotham weather.
But tonight he looked almost militant. Prepared for action. He had on a green jacket, black combat pants and large combat boots. She took it in, interested more than anything else. Perhaps it was easier for him to get into character for what they had planned. She searched for the answer in his green eyes, obscured from her questioning by the lenses of his glasses. He coughed when she didn’t say anything, clearing his voice and stammering over his first word before relaxing into himself.
“I’m really glad that you wanted to try this. I’m…excited.”
“I’m glad too, it’s maybe a difficult thing for some people to enjoy, or to accept that they enjoy. But it’s the same as any other kink. Consenting adults working out their fucked up trauma some way or another, huh?”
He didn’t respond, he just gestured to the bathroom.
“Oh, go ahead! I can go get ready in the bedroom. I’ll see you in there, just come in when you’re done.”
She left him standing in the hall, and he watched her disappear into the room, closing the door behind her. She was wearing a t-shirt and some jeans. She hadn’t prepared at all. Not like him. He picked his bag up and went into the small bathroom. He settled the bag on her narrow sink counter, taking out the items from within it. Leather gloves, a roll of duct tape, a carpet tucker just for the threat, and the mask. His mask. He lent on the sink, knuckles white as he gripped the underside of it with his fingers, trying to stabilise himself.
While I’m here…
He rifled through the cabinets, quietly, searching for secrets about her. He had used the bathroom before, but always quickly. This time he had a reason to be in here longer. And, taking his time to be as silent as possible, he eventually found a stash of medicines, one of which he pocketed. A bottle of sleeping pills. Just in case he thought to himself. He donned the mask, fixing his hair underneath and placing his glasses back on top. Three deep breathes in and out as he looked at himself in the mirror. He could feel himself hardening just at his own image. He was a God in his regalia.
This is the practice run. How strong are you? What do you need to do? How best can you get them under control? And then, the reward for your efforts.
He gripped the door handle with his leather clad hand and took one further deep, slow breath before exiting as quietly as possible, standing outside the bedroom door and letting the anticipation linger, painfully, on his mind, body and soul.
She had been waiting, sitting on the bed, for him to finish in the bathroom. No flush, no sound of running water from the old, rusty pipes in her apartment building. She wondered what he was doing, but considered his position. What she had asked him for was intense, and though he was clearly interested and had been reading up on it, it must have been nerve-wracking for someone so inexperienced to build themselves up to this. To a rape fantasy. Not everyone could get on board with the idea of humiliation and violation, and she supposed it might be harder for the person dealing the punishment even. It was a moral and ethical line for some people, and she knew from experience that even if someone was interested in it, feeling able to participate was a whole other thing entirely.
She flipped over onto her stomach, reaching for her phone and making sure she hadn’t missed any texts from him. Maybe he just left? She hadn’t heard the door though, but he might have been trying to sneak out. Disappointment settled in her chest, she had been building up to this for months, desperate for it from the moment she met him. He was so meek looking, the idea of him even pretending to be able to exert any power over her, she was intensely hungry for that level of humiliation. Being degraded by someone she could easily beat up. Pathetic, she mewled softly as she felt a burning in her crotch, her chest tightening at the thought.
And then a sensation on her skin, around her ankles. Tight and forceful. She was turning herself round, aided by the grip, and as her eyes adjusted from the brightness of her phone screen to the darkness of her bedroom, a shape began to take form at the bottom of the bed. He was standing, hands pressed around her ankles, squeezing tight and easing up slightly. Not enough for her to be able to slip loose, she noted.
He's really getting into this.
“Hey are-”
He tugged her body and she fell off of her elbows, flat on the bed, air escaping from her in shock, anticipation. When she lifted her head to look at him, he placed one finger in front of the mouth of the mask, signalling her to be quiet. Her stomach clenched, thighs squeezing together as she realised how well he was at actually taking a controlling position. He loomed over here, the sensory combination of his endless stare combined with the scent of leather and plastic, his quick change from boring middle-manager to the perfect villain was sending her mind racing. She closed her lips together, squeezing them tight for emphasis so he knew she was prepared to be a very good girl.
She was so willing, her eagerness to please him, and to be pleased herself, was obviously clouding her judgement. He was certain that any normal person, anyone not so drunk with lust, would have should have taken one look at him and screamed. He hoped he was a vision of terror, and that she was just so interested in having him inside of her greedy cunt that she was willing to overlook the danger.
It's also possible she’s just that stupid, he laughed to himself. But he wanted to check. It would make it more satisfying for him to know the answer, as was his way.
“This is what I want. Is it what you want?”
“Well, yeah, you know that. We talked about it.”
“Ok. Well, I’m going to get on top of you now. I don’t want you to talk until I ask you to. Unless you need me to stop. Then you can use our agreed words. For now, though, I just want to feel you under me. I want you to get familiar with the weight of me. Test your strength.”
At her nod, he positioned one knee on the mattress, pressing down slowly and testing the strength of her shabby looking bed. It would do. He began to crawl towards her, settling his whole body onto hers, flat and still, his head turned away. She was looking up at the ceiling. It was awkward, it should have been embarrassing, but it felt strangely good to have him on top of her, effortlessly holding her to the bed. Stuck.
“I want you to feel like you’re in danger. I want you to struggle. Ok?”
She nodded, silent still, obeying his earlier commands, hoping to enthuse his sense of control. She lifted her hands to her front, between their bodies, palms flat against his stomach, and pushed, trying to lift him off of her. She grunted in faux effort, tiny whimpers as she pretending to struggle with him. She was enjoying this more than she had even thought possible. Pathetically grateful at the opportunity, she began to make a light weeping noise, more fake efforts at lifting him from her despite it being the last thing she wanted.
“Do you feel safe with me?”
She nodded, panting lightly, unable to get a full breath under his weight.
“I’m going to force myself inside of you, do you want that?”
It was all she wanted, all she could think about. A more enthusiastic nod this time. She opened her eyes to stare at him and smiled. She couldn’t see his face under the mask, but his eyes were wide. Very telling. And they weren’t reciprocating the smile.
He’s committed. Because I can definitely tell he’s enjoying this.
His length, hardening, rock solid against her thighs, twitching occasionally and tapping against her entrance as it did so. He moaned as she shifted below him, trying to get more comfortable.
“I want to make you feel good, you understand? I want you to be happy. I want you to enjoy this. I need you to tell me you trust me. Say it.”
“I trust you.”
“Struggle then.”
She wriggled her arms up to his chest, pushing lightly. Weak mewling poured from her lips, rehearsed and forced in an attempt to entice him further. Forcing her way up to his shoulders she grabbed the jacket and gave a playful shove. She yelped, pretending that the effort was too much, that he was just too big and strong for her. She wanted to feel him twitch at the noise. But it had the opposite effect to what she wanted, and her smile dropped completely as his hand, gloved and warm, made sharp and fast contact with the side of her face.
“Don’t pretend. Push me. Make some effort.”
She was taken back, but she had asked for degradation. Violation. And while she wasn’t sure he would have been able to commit to it, the slap had been very effective. It felt raw, emotional. Unrehearsed. She pushed harder, and a small pang of panic flitted through her mind as she realised that even giving all of her effort, he was actually too strong to push off of her. He was deceptively heavy, and oddly strong. He sank down harder onto her, seeming to weight more through sheer will power alone. The grunts were real now, as she used all of her force to try and shift him even slightly.
He groaned and grabbed her arms, holding them flat on the bed, straight above her head, his hands grasping the flesh just above her underarms. And so she resorted to using her legs, writhing and kicking from under him, thrashing in a way that was forceful, but careful not to hurt him.
“You’re not trying, are you? You’re making it so easy for me, too easy. Given up? Keep pushing, it’s not as much fun if you’re not struggling.”
She stopped for a moment, considering sulking at his attitude. She was trying, but he was too strong. He had overpowered her, which was the goal, but he didn’t have to be a dick about it.
“Struggle harder, use your legs you whore! You’re just lying there and taking it. Come on!”
Teeth clenched, seething at the insults, she thrashed her legs out, actively attempting to hurt him.
“That’s it! You’re so pretty when you struggle. Thrashing only makes me harder, but you better not stop.”
He pressed down on her, harder if that was even possible, panting heavily. His breath grew louder, hotter as he leaned his face to hers, planting a surprisingly tender kiss on the corner of her mouth, sloppily reaching for it in his haze, licking at her cheek and biting her chin. He followed the curve down to her neck, sucking and biting at it as he lay his body flat, still, on top of her. Occasionally bucking his hips into her when she let out a little yelp at the pain his teeth were inflicting on her tender skin.
He shifted, one hand on her arm still held above her head, the other hand on her hip, pushing it painfully into the mattress.
“Push me off.” He was commanding, serious. She gave a shove, straining against him to be able to put her weight into it.
“You can’t get me off, huh? Push harder, come on.”
She tried, with all her might, one last great heave, her whole body trying to arch off the bed and throw him off balance. But he didn’t budge, and she flopped back down in resignation, disappointed that she couldn’t offer him the fight he obviously wanted. She hoped he could still get off, that he wouldn’t call the whole thing off just as it was getting to the good part.
But instead, he sat up, straddling her. He pushed her shoulders, thudding her against the mattress again.
“Imagine being so pathetic” he spat the words out, “that you would let me hold you down without putting up a fight. Such a stupid little slut.”
Her abdomen tensed at the words, blood rushing to her cheeks, wetness forming in her underwear. She wondered, hopefully, how many times she might cum tonight. She was broken from the wishful thoughts as she heard a tearing sound from above her. He was ripping off a piece of duct tape, staring at the length he held from arm to arm. The way he held it, stared at in appreciation. It seemed ceremonious, like a ritual.
“Do you trust me?” She nodded. It was strange, but if anything, she trusted him more now than she had before. And she was desperate. This was all she had wanted for so long, a fantasy she had been building for years, never able to achieve a real orgasm because the lingering promise of what could have been, of this exact situation, was always there just out of reach. And now it was here. And she did trust him. She trusted him to deliver her pleasure. She trusted his abilities. She trusted their safe words.
“Grab onto the headboard.”
She took two of the spindles in her hands and he wrapped the duct tape around one wrist, tight and painful. She winced at it, but felt her clit throb in reaction. The other hand was wrapped swiftly after, and with nothing to push him with she began to twist her hips around under him, friction pressing against both of them, pushing them together, the heat unbearable.
“Oh Y/N this is…this is perfect.”
It was bliss to hear him call out-
Your name.
They hadn’t used each other’s names. They didn’t refer to each other at all, and the only time they had was when they confirmed their usernames to each other. Her username which had no tie to any other account, or her real name, or her email address even.
So how did he know? How did he know your name.
Panic twinged in her veins and her blood ran cold as she contemplated how safe she actually was right now. But before you could open her mouth, convinced already that saying the safe word would be futile, her mouth was covered with one, and then two, and then three strips of duct tape. Her breath was secured, trapped in her mouth. She had no option but to swallow it, eyes watering and wide at the fear now settling in her stomach. This wasn’t what she wanted. She let out a muffled whimper that led to a heavy sob, and from above her, settled on her abdomen now, she could hear him begin to laugh, stifling it as he began a tirade of fury aimed at her terrified face, spit frothing and hitting her as he spoke with an intense ferocity.
“Oh, poor Y/N. You poor, dumb thing. I lied to you, you fucking idiot! You’re such a stupid bitch, I almost felt sorry for you, actually. How were you to know? But then I thought you know what, normal women, respectable women don’t invite strangers into their home to fuck them, let alone ask them to tie them up and do bad and naughty things to them. So, if you think about it, you kind of deserve this.”
He smiled down at her, wiping his thumb under her eye and bringing it to his mouth to taste the tear on his tongue. His hands, still gloved, ran up and down her, and he shifted down her body again, straddling her, cock hard and pushed up against her thigh. He pressed his whole body against her, desperately, hands all over her arms, holding her against the bed, moving to her wrists where he teased at the duct tape, laughing at her.
His movements were clumsy, with a complete disregard to her body, laying underneath him. He kneed her as he shuffled down her body, sitting on her legs to keep them still. But yet, he demanded more from her.
“Come on, push me off of you! You’re not even trying, it’s like you want this. Is that it? You want it this way?”
She was shaking her head, desperately trying to find within him the reasonable man she had thought existed. But through the steamed glasses, there was nothing beyond the mask, and she became sickeningly aware that he had been in disguise the whole time.
“I know, there’s no point really. You can struggle as hard as you want, try and prove to me you don’t want it. But I know you do.”
He was unbuttoning her jeans, fumbling with his gloved hands. He snarled, growling as he pulled them down, little by little.
“And do you want to know something?” He was breathing heavily, panting at the effort he was exerting to remove her jeans as she squirmed. He grunted as he yanked them down, shifting them under his own body in an effort to keep her legs trapped beneath him.
“You’re not going anywhere!”
With a swift and rough movement he had pulled her jeans down completely, underwear coming down with them. He grabbed at them, pulling in an effort to rip them off, cutting at her legs as they refused to come off in the dramatic fashion he had hoped. She moved slightly, trying to shift and make it easier for him, but stopped in her tracks, like a hunted animal, as he groaned and pulled out a switch knife, quickly and all too carelessly slipping it under the fabric and pulling it up, cutting them in half, the fabric falling onto the bed below her. She was panting silent breaths. The nerves, visible on her face, her body, on the way her gasps fell out of her mouth. It all turned him on and he had to refocus on what he was trying to achieve, before he lost it and shot his load right there, watching her stare at him in terror, exposed. Soaked.
“God, you’re a mess, look how wet you are.”
He ran a finger up her slit, the sensation of the leather warm and rough. He retreated, both hands now slapping her thighs and grabbing them.
“I want to feel you. Skin to skin.” He bites at the gloves, pulling them off with his teeth. The way he moves is so animalistic, it pains her to know how arousing it all is.
“I want my fingerprints on you. If they find me, God I hope this is how they find me, I want them to find me. I want everyone to know who I am by finding out that you’re a pathetic whore who let me fuck you senseless.”
She whimpered at his words, tears falling from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. She was ashamed of how much she was enjoying this, but she was entirely terrified, genuinely convinced that these moments were going to be her last. And part of her was ok with that, was trying to lean into it. Self-preservation? Her brain trying to numb her feelings? She wasn’t sure, but the tears poured forth despite trying to remain stoic in the face of her attacker.
“You’re so pretty when you’re crying. And you sound so good, so weak and small and desperate. Do you feel trapped?”
There was an effort of refusal, shifting below him and attempting to wriggle free from under his weight. He grunted, hands pushing her thighs apart as he settled between them, her legs unable to close over as he spread them out with his knees.
“I’m going to cum inside of you. I’m going to leave myself with you. I want you to remember this.”
He grunted, shifting his own trousers down, growling with a snarl on his face as he grabbed at his cock and smoothly pressed it against her thigh, moving to run it up her slit, edging slightly between her lips. He twitched and his voice caught in his throat as he felt her cum on his head. And with a final moan, he thrust himself in hard. She let out a muffled yelp, despite being incredibly wet he had still taken her by surprise by the swiftness of his entrance, and the dull ache as he forced himself up to the hilt was followed by floods of pleasure she no longer wanted.
“Look at me. Don’t blink, don’t shut your eyes, just look at me.”
She struggled against him, body trying to force its way further into the mattress so give some space between her and his body, to prevent him from getting so deep.
“Hey! I need you to look at me, look into my eyes and tell me you don’t want this.” He ripped the duct tape from her face. It smarted, her cheeks red underneath, some skin from her lips coming with it, tiny flecks of blood forming on them.
“Tell me you don’t want this. Come on, say it. If you don’t want it, say so. Ask me nicely.”
“Please, please stop.” She began to sob under him, irritated that she had allowed him to get the better of her. Disappointment at the fact he hadn’t stopped, when she’d asked him so nicely. Shame that she’d though he would in the first place.
“Don’t cry, idiot. Why would you think I would stop? Can you not feel how hard I am? You’re clenching around me. You like this too.”
He was slapping against her, the sharp sounds echoing around the room as she whined and moaned around him. The vibrations of her sobbing and shaking sending him over the edge. He pushed into her, harder and harder, making sure she could feel every single inch of him sliding into her, deep and painful. Sharp pains dulled by a bruising ache as he thudded inside of her over and over again, carelessly and angrily.
“Please…please don’t.”
“Please no, please stop, please don’t.” He was mocking her. “Pathetic, begging me. Look at me!”
She stared up at him, resolving to maintain eye contact. He seemed close, pressure building and his rutting become more frantic and ill-paced. She was going to make him watch her, see her face as he came. Remember the fear he instilled in someone. Though, in the back of her mind, she knew that was more pleasurable for him than a punishment.
“Oh God, I’m going…to cum…” His voice was weaker, softer. And in a turn that took her by complete surprise, he brought his hands around her back and kissed her, lifting her slightly and holding him to her. The sickly sweet action made her stomach turn.
“Tell me you like it. Tell me…you want…this…Tell me…I’m good.”
She couldn’t get any words out between panting and sobbing. If anything, his swift change in direction to needy and desperate had only fuelled her terror more. He was entirely unhinged. A mad man, on top of her, inside of her.
“Tell me…you love me! Tell…me…you love…me! Look me…in the eyes…and say it…”
At her silence, he grabbed her throat, tensing his fingers against the sides.
“I love you” she managed to get out, gasping and wheezing against his crushing pressure. And at her words, he came. A high-pitched scream that sounded more like pain than pleasure. He was breathing heavily, air squealing in his throat as he panted, filled with complete ecstasy and maybe misery. But he managed to catch his breath and he lay back down on her, completely flat, cock falling out of her, cum spilling on to the sheets below her. She was pinned down again.
“I love you too. I’m so glad we met.”
He knew where she lived. He knew her name. She had let her guard down too easily, charmed by what she now realised was the mask he was wearing when they first met. This was his real face. A figure shrouded in green.
#tw noncon#finnie writes#riddler smut#fanfic#the riddler fanfic#riddler fanfic#riddler x reader#riddler x you#ridler scenario#dano riddler#dano!riddler#edward nashton#the riddler fanfiction#the riddler#paul dano#danonation#cw noncon#cw violence
201 notes
·
View notes
Note
A concept for yandere Professor Chaos with a hero darling that views him as their nemesis if you're willing to write for him please?
I'm going to alter it a little hit but it'll keep the plot! Aged up as usual! Wasn't sure where/how I wanted to bring the plot... so at the end it had two possibilities. I hope you liked this :D.
Yandere! Professor Chaos with Hero! Darling
Pairing: Romantic
Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Violence, Enemies/Lovers but forced, Delusional behavior, Manipulation, Kidnapping, Obsession, Attempts at stockholm syndrome implied.
Professor Chaos is an extension of Butters in terms of yandere.
He's a somewhat incompetent villain that thinks what he's doing is horrible but really isn't usually.
He causes inconveniences more than anything for the most part.
Although in the games he is actually kinda threatening.
I feel he'd declare himself as your nemesis, like it or not.
Then he slowly realizes the genre of 'Enemies To Lovers' and decides that is what you two will do!
Perhaps it's time Professor Chaos had a... romance arc.
He knows he's supposed to be a bringer of chaos and not supposed to be loving.
Yet, Butters has known you before he and you took on an alter-ego.
When Stan, Kyle, and Cartman used him as a slave or punching bag, you were there for him.
Which made him... biased.
Naturally when he realized you were a hero he knew he had to do something.
He's easily one of the greatest villains in South Park.
It should be an honor for you and him to be enemies!
You're his nemesis now!
You may not even think of him as your nemesis despite what he thinks.
That or you do see him as a nemesis and just don't agree on the whole sub-plot he has planned.
Professor Chaos fantasizes about the arc you two could share for each other's character.
He hopes you can imagine it...
Professor Chaos and his nemesis... secret lovers in a world plagued by chaos of his design!
You act like you hate it... but you must love it as much as him!
He has this whole fantasy like something out of a comic book.
Even as a villain... Butters is still as soft as he was when he was younger.
The issue is his... execution.
He feels he can't hurt you when you fight.
You could beat him and he'd probably just accept it.
He also struggles trying to tell you his plan.
He loves you...! This could be important to your characters...!
Upon rejection... Chaos decides he'll have to persuade you.
Sure... maybe some enemies to lovers stories involve a little kidnapping-
He can make this work.
This little fantasy of superhero and villain pivots between actual illegal territory.
At first you thought this was some cute attempt at nostalgia!
Now Butters was actually holding you hostage in his house.
You thought you were just playing...!
This is the point you start to fear his delusions.
He stutters about it but he tries to be loving towards you yet also kinda mean?
He's really far into his delusions and this was a disturbing attempt at a confession.
That's if we were making this closer to canon where this is all some sort of game.
But if we're talking an actual superhero AU, it would be similar.
You didn't mean to get caught after Chaos tried to confess such a deal to you.
Yet Chaos is more insane than you thought.
Delusional, really... keeping you in a steel cage you can't break out of.
You always thought of him as evil.
Either scenario is a poor position to be in.
Then here he is... a lovestruck gaze on his face.
Claiming you warm his evil heart.
The first scenario is the most terrifying one.
Butters taking the game too far... thinking it's a good way to confess to you-
You hope that you'll be able to get him to reach his senses or get help soon.
Either by police or an actual superhero you don't care, you just want to be home!
128 notes
·
View notes
Note
I also really agree with the ask about people making qtina and qbagi the extensions of male characters. On the qbagi side it feels like her character is so often described/analyzed by the fandom in ways that revolve around qcellbit? And ik part of it is because of her own lore choices (being cellbits long lost twin)** but I think the fandom reduces the complexity of her character to just being part of cellbits lore, instead of seeing her lore as equal to his, and instead of recognizing that she ALSO has lore outside of cellbit just as cellbit has lore outside of her. I actually was a little frustrated with the federation murder arc because bagi finally had lore and puzzles to solve and bodies to analyze, and qcellbit was supposed to be in a coma, and cc!cellbit wasn't even one server at the time bc of the week-long Vegas break, but at the end it was still all just part of qcellbit's lore because he was the murderer all along 😭 I wish it would've been anyone else, it just frustrates me that it seems all roads lead back to qcellbit, and I think the fandom really fixates on those connections and loses qbagi in the process.
**starred this because I actually don't know if this was her own choice or the admins. If it was the admins, I hope they develop the rest of her lore in a way that spotlights the complexity of her character outside of her relationship with qcellbit.
honestly yeah it kills me 😭 i focused less on bagi bc i objectively /do/ watch tina but i know less about bagi but it makes me sad watching her get reduced to her brother and even at times her reduced to gatina ship. (not crit of the ship i looove how theyre both such goofy weirdos for each other, just this fandom has a habit of character reduction for shipping) but like bagi is such a complex character with constantly trying to perform weakness so people don't see her as a threat. like the vegetarian thing was her performing to be unthreatening!!!!! thats a crazy fucking thing to do!!!! and everyone FELL for it. she even had the audience fooled! (& still does have some of them fooled). like augh bagi IS a fun character with so much to her its so sucks to see her get character reduced.
(i do think she planned siblings beforehand, i fully believe the admins have limits in character lore and i think forcing someone into that isn't something they'd do. everyone the admins make up extensive lore for without input are definitely people who tell the admins beforehand that they're free to do that.)
33 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Epilogue dropped today: Mochi Madness. Its not a DLC, but rather an Event that's like a tad more complicated version of past events on the DS and GBA games- Such as how you'd obtain Victini, Darkrai, Shaymin, etc.
Although, I'll be honest, I wouldn't call it an "epilogue" because all it really does is introduce the friend groups to each other and then have a fun side adventure. Think of it like a fun, campy OVA or special episode to a concluded season. An "epilogue" would have done something to tie up the final loose ends of the story, imo.
But I'm not going to be a downer about it- This was fun, hilarious, and honestly what I've always wanted Events to be before they became mythical pokemon handouts. Although, I would have rather had some more to do, such as some of those strange structures deeper in Oni Mountain or just delving deeper into the connections between Ogerpon, Pecharunt, and the Lousy Three- although they were at least decent enough to provide small easter eggs to it, such as Ogerpon crying out when you bring her out to battle Pecharunt, Pecharunt crying out when fighting one of the Three, and Carmine talking about how Pecharunt and the Lousy Three were "definitely connected."
Its a campy little side adventure, and that's fine. I would have loved to see Carmine have more interaction with the gang, and to see the gang enjoy the festival or explore more of Kitakami, but as I figured with the end of Indigo Disk, I figured they just wanted to be done with Scarlet and Violet. Kieran had a great "redemption?" arc kind of, or at least we were able to actually work together with him and get some quality time with him in his right state of mind, and honestly I'm just thrilled to know that Arven considers us his best friend to the point he gets jealous of newbies.
Oh, and now Kieran and Carmine will appear randomly in the BB Club Room- it's a bitch and a half to get them to show up, but you can speed up the process slightly by using the system calendar to go forward a day until one or both show up. Nemona, Penny, and Arven are part of the coach system now, so all you need is about 1800 BP to get them all maxed out, and you can rebattle them on command. They also have fun interactions with each other and other characters, such as Arven learning about how "Toedscruel" from other regions can swim, Penny expanding on the facility Blueberry Academy is attached to, and Nemona actually offering up some more of her own backstory.
As for Pecharunt itself- I'll admit. I'm very let down. I thought the way things were played out before that it was building up to be this mastermind behind everything, but it's just a little runt. That's fine too, in the end, I love a good little gremlin bastard child. Its ability is pretty insane, too, automatically stacking Confusion on top of Poison status you inflict on your opponent.
Perhaps there was a much, much bigger story planned out involving it, Ogerpon, and the Loyal Three, but ultimately time, like usual, was something they sacrificed to get it out the door. Perhaps this was always the plan. Who knows.
As it wasn't DLC and it was just an extension of Indigo Disk's DLC, I'll just judge it a 7/10 for what was provided. It was fun enough, got some great laughs, some fun animations, I just wish there was more to it, and I'll always be a bit bitter that it wasn't the final answers to the story I've been seeking, nor was it more than just a gag Pokemon in the end. Still, I would love more Event Pokemon in this style. No more Zarudes or Zeraoras, give me Pecharunt all day any day.
#pokemon#pokemon scarlet and violet#teal mask#indigo disk#mochi madness#pecharunt#pokemon scarlet and violet spoilers
22 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
milk-puppy
Milk Puppy's House
prismit
None Gender With Left Cube
its-uyen
Quotes of Her Life
putellasawfc
chloe
constitutionalchaos-blog
…Divine move?