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ki-yomii · 11 months

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give it to me | myg

➥ pairing | min yoongi x f!reader

➥ word count | 1.6k

➥ warning(s) | 🔞 smut, dirty talk, oral (f receiving), praise kink, teasing, against the wall, dom!yoongi, established relationship, pet names

➥ summary | of course, it’s as you resign yourself to never getting dicked down by one min yoongi (after flashing him your whole bare ass) that the tides turn in your favor.

➥ notes | man’s is amazing at oral, and you cannot convince me otherwise.

💚 masterlist | inbox | AO3 💚

Min Yoongi is unlike anyone you’ve ever dated; always plays the gentleman, eyes and hands kept at a respectful level, albeit unafraid to taunt and tease.

The rest of the boys (mainly Jin) gag at how sickeningly sweet he is towards you, how he lights up the moment you step into the room, all gummy smile and scrunched eyes.

Completely besotted, he is - but then again, so are you.

What he lacks in stature and muscle, he more than makes up for in looks and personality. From the dark halo of hair constantly falling into his eyes, and the plush pout of his lips to a jawline for days; sometimes it hurts to even look at him.

Sassy and savage, witty and wild. Yoongi’s aura practically screams: fuck around, find out.

Yet around you, he’s kitten soft.

The best boyfriend you’ve had by miles: buys you gifts just because he was thinking about you, makes you laugh until you cry, takes care of your needs without ever having to be asked.

You click in such a fundamental way you’ve never experienced before - the chemistry and synergy palpable whenever you’re together.

God, he’s so sweet and earnest and charming.

You’re a total goner… but you can’t help being slightly disappointed.

It makes you feel terrible to admit but you’ve been dating for almost a year, and you’ve been more than ready to kick the relationship up to the next level half a century ago.

Yoongi’s kept everything strictly above the waist (exactly the opposite of what you want).

It’s not because he’s not interested either. Most of the time his cock’s digging into your ass, half-hard and throbbing.

Though every time you finally think, “this is it,” when he starts getting really into it, he pumps the breaks.

Any further advances on your part are met with a tight albeit patient smile, a quick kiss to the forehead, and the mildly hilarious image of Yoongi awkwardly waddling to the bathroom.

Leaving you riled up and alone - again.

Before long you’re going to start taking it personally. You can’t even get off on your own anymore.

Don’t remember the last time you actually had a satisfying orgasm instead of just going through the motions.

Your hands stopped working ages ago, and forget trying to use a dildo. All past attempts at self pleasure have ended pathetically, leaving you hollow and sad.

Honestly, it’s not worth the effort because at the end of the day, nothing compares to the touch of another person - to him.

To the tang of salt on your tongue, the glide of skin on skin, the deep pulses that go straight to your toes. And there’s no replicating that on your own.

You’re so pent up you can’t even look at him when he clenches his jaw or twirls a pen anymore lest you risk embarrassing yourself. Frankly, it’s getting a little ridiculous.

And there’s no escaping the dreams.

You’re convinced your imagination is a cruel, wild thing that loves torturing you.

Not a day goes by where you don’t wake up swollen and aching, desperate to be stuffed full of a cock you haven’t even seen let alone touched.

Of course, it’s as you resign yourself to never getting dicked down by one Min Yoongi - after flashing him your whole bare ass - the tides turn in your favor.

As he drops you off after your date, and you lean in to kiss him goodbye, he pivots and suddenly, you find yourself pinned face-first to the wall.

He’s surprisingly stronger than you give him credit for.

“Thought you were being funny, didn’t you?”

Calloused fingertips drag along the care skin of your thigh, tugging at the dangerously high hem of your dress. The silky material catches on Yoongi’s skin, the flighty touches a punch to the face as a pit yawns into existence deep in your belly.

You stare straight ahead, your teeth chewing on your bottom lip. “No,” you say.

While you can’t see his expression, the low growl of his voice is full of barely leashed hunger. You test the give in his grip, only to find yourself thoroughly caught.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Like hell you don’t,” Yoongi says.

An amused sound rumbles up from the back of his throat as he inches your dress up slowly. You wiggle, a quiet hiss escaping when the cool air dances over the slick clinging to your inner thighs. A flush of heat creeps into the apples of your cheeks.

“What did you think was going to happen, huh?” He tsks. Soft lips brush the shell of your ear. “What, exactly, were you hoping I’d do?”

You breathe, “Yoongi, I…”

With his chest a line of heat against your back, and the deep timbre of his voice low in your ear, it’s hard to form words. You swallow rough, mouth bone dry and stomach swooping.

This is all you’ve ever wanted, and now that you have it, you don’t know what to do with yourself.

“Hm, you what, pretty girl?” A broad palm squeezes between your hip and the wall, cupping your mound and grinding down over the top of your slit. “Was this what you were hoping for?”

God, he’s such a fucking tease.

You whimper, and your eyes slam shut as your pussy throbs once, twice. The friction of your thighs sliding together is eased by how fucking wet you are.

This is really not fair.

Yoongi’s barely touched you, and you’re already desperate to have him wreck you until you’re so thoroughly fucked you can’t move.

Shit.

In response, you tilt your hips back, and widen your stance, “Yoongi, please.”

Behind you, Yoongi exhales as you spread yourself open for him with your hands, exposing your pussy - soaked and swollen.

“Mm.” He hums, running the pad of a thumb along the crease where your ass meets your hip, up to teasingly flick at your oversensitive clit. “Is that what you want?”

“Y-Yoongi!”

Arching into the touch, you bite down on a broken whine. Heat flares to life in your belly, burning brighter as molten desire sweeps through you like a current.

It settles low, deep in your bones until you ache.

“Look at my pretty girl,” Yoongi squeezes your waist, and crouches low, “So soft and needy. Have I been neglecting you, baby?”

A nose drags up the back of your thigh, the heat of his breath puffing across your cunt with a sharp exhale. You jump, and feel yourself clench.

Yoongi groans in response, using his thumbs to test the soft fat of your ass as he takes over holding you open.

Your hands settle back on the wall beside your head, and you wait with baited breath.

“Mm, can smell how ready you are.”

Moist lips trace the back of your leg, open-mouthed kisses dropped onto the sensitive skin. Goosebumps prickle along your body, a shiver shooting down your skin.

Yoongi chuckles, “You’re absolutely fucking soaked - and it’s all for me. Can’t wait to get my tongue in you.” He groans, low-throated and hungry, when your hips jerk in response, pussy fluttering. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Yoongi, please,” you beg, eyes damp and limps trembling.

Your cheeks burn and sweat gathers behind your knees, your nerves alight with electricity. You’re so turned on it hurts, your walls empty and aching for anything he’ll give.

“Do something, anything. I can’t take it anymore.”

“All you had to do was ask, baby.”

The only warning you get is a husky murmur of your name before Yoongi dives in, his broad palms grabbing rough handfuls of your ass as he flattens his tongue against you with a firm stroke, tracing the length of your cunt.

The tip spreads your folds, thrusting into you shallowly to tease at the sensitive ring of muscles before flicking up to swirl over the hood of your clit.

A loud keen rips its way out of your throat, lightening crackling down your spine. Legs tense, your hands reach back to yank at his hair while your hips rut against his face, desperately chasing after that incredible shock of pleasure.

“S-Shit, please don’t stop.” You moan helplessly, thighs shaking. You don’t know how much longer you’ll be able to stand if it’s this good already. “Hhah, oh god… Fuuuuck, that’s it, baby. Right there, right there!”

Yoongi pauses, ignoring your breathless protests as he tightens his grip to hold you in place while you squirm and whine. His breathing quickens, deepens.

He sounds so goddamn pleased when he speaks, “Mm, that’s the first time I’ve heard you moan like that.”

“Y-Yeah?” you ask, tripping over the words as your abandoned cunt pulses in time with your thundering heartbeat. “You like hearing me, baby?”

“You know I do.” Yoongi sighs, brushing a sloppy, sticky kiss over your inner thigh. “Sound so fuckin’ pretty for me.”

“Well, if you like it so much then maybe you should –”

You pitch forward, choking on your laugh as Yoongi bares down on you. Strong forearms lock around your hips, tugging you back onto his mouth.

Riled up, he sucks, licks in a frenzy.

And before long, his hands are the only thing holding you up as he devours you with greedy pulls of his lips and messy laps of his tongue.

“Shit, you taste so good,” Yoongi says, sucking your folds into his mouth before letting them go with a pop, “Wanna stay between these thighs for hours, make you my sloppy, slutty little mess. You’d like that, huh, baby?”

All you can do is whine, foggy headed and pleasure drunk.

“Yeah, you like it.”

#yoongi x reader #yoongi x you #yoongi smut #min yoongi x reader #yoongi #min yoongi x you #bts fanfic

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cowboy-robooty · 8 months

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MY LE AWEZOME ANGEL DEMON HETALIA AU!!!!!!!!!!!! now lots of this art is old as shit because ive had this in the making for forever.... but its better to unveil it now rather than never amiright? i have a lot more art for this au already drawn and I'll post it later but heres the basic rundown intro to dis world (me trying my best to condense it as much as I can) ^_^

CHARACTERS:

Italy: He's an exorcist with his older brother Romano. They work at a dingy church managed by Hungary and Austria and they both suck at exorcising demons (that's why their church looks like a piece of shit). Italy is a fucking pussy and almost dies all the time, especially because Romano keeps giving him all the ultra scary hardcore demons since he's like "ermm fratello you take this one. i did like 60 easy demons last week go do this one that will definitely kill me". He has Germany wrapped around his finger since one day when he was tasked with exorcising a super scary demon he didn't have enough to sacrifice to successfully summon an angel to come to his aid, so in a fit of panic he instead tried summoning a demon. Germany is the one who appeared and helped out Italy and also generally feels worried for Italy because he's like "how the fuck have you even survived this long?". And now Italy just always summons Germany for help and general bullshit because he found out Germany will literally do anything and goes out of his way to help out Italy and is way cheaper to summon than an angel. He keeps Germany a secret from Austria and Hungary though since they'd FREAK if they knew he had a demon helping him out with literally everything. Italy does exorcisms because he has a goal of ascending his soul to become an angel to reunite with grandpa rome, since as a child him and romano were raised by grandpa rome as their guardian angel. Germany is now helping him out with that goal and also providing him company and cookies. Itager is real but that will be explained more later. His holy item is rosary beads with a cross attached. When an angel weilds it then the beads become a safety wrist strap and the cross becomes a white flag. But in times of need and great synergy it can also become a scythe.

Romano: Italy's older brother who works as an exorcist alongside him. His exorcisms suck for the opposite reason Italy's does. Instead of being too lenient he beats the shit out of demons for pleasure. There's etiquette to exorcisms and Romano does not follow that shit at all. His ass is still crucifying and throwing lighter fluid on demons even after they've completely given up and are waving white flags. Because of this, this actually violates the rules of battles between demons and angels (since you're supposed to stop once the other party admits defeat) and thus in the end gives a penalty which gives them a free pass to fulfill the human's wish with no intervention despite how Romano beat them. He's such a fail exorcist because he fails every exorcism since he gets too into beating demons senseless and then when he encounters an actual scary high level demon he shits his pants and forces Italy to fight them. His ultimate goal is to ascend his soul with his brother in order to reunite with grandpa rome as well. But actually secretly the reason he wants to ascend isn't to reunite to grandpa rome, but rather to reunite with Spain. Since grandpa rome mainly focused on Italy while Spain ended up actually being a guiding figure in Romano's life despite him not officially doing the Guardian Angel program with him. Prumano is also real but that's to be explained later. His holy item isn't holy at all it's just a normal bag of salt. Sometimes he mixes glitter with the salt.

Germany: He's a demon that has just recently come of age. He's a really low ranking demon because of this and only lives within the first circle of hell. He has to provide for not just himself but also his brother Prussia who is a fail demon who sucks at all the jobs he gets and basically was bumming around on couches and shit until Germany came of age and was sent to hell. Prussia acted as a mentor and older brother figure when they were both growing up and Germany thought for sure that Prussia became an angel so he was heartbroken when he was chosen as a demon. But then he found Prussia immediately in hell and is taking responsibility of having his back because they have a strong sibling bond together. His sense of responsibility and competative nature of the job market is why he was the only demon willing to fulfill a summonings request for a priest, since he really needed the money to keep him and Prussia afloat. Him and Italy form a genuine close bond though, and Italy makes a "deal with the devil" later on.

Prussia: He's an absolute fail demon who can't get any of his jobs done so he relies on Germany to make all their money to survive in hell. He usually tags along with Germany when he goes to the human world because he's bored and LOVES the human shit (especially Arbys). This is against the rules, since angels and demons can only go to the human world if they're summoned. But also Prussia is a low-ranking demon who lives in the worst circle of hell, so it's like someone going missing in New York City; people aren't really going to notice. This backfires on him though since whenever he tags along to the human world with Germany he always ends up running into Romano. At first his and Romano's relationship is a pretty painful one since Romano can beat the shit out of Prussia as he likes since Prussia is not in the human world for work, so he can't give Romano any penalties for beating the shit out of him. So really it's just Romano terrorizing Prussia every time he goes to the human world for Arbys. But eventually they fall into a routine together and the initial thrill of beating up a demon as much as he likes wears off on Romano since Prussia keeps giving the same reactions. They end up becoming friends, although Romano would never admit this because he keeps adamantly proclaiming he hates demons and hopes they all die.

Russia: Russia is an exorcist who works at a church run by China. He works alongside America and Canada as fellow exorcists. Him and America have a never ending rivalry because America keeps accusing him of being a satanist. This is true though since Russia actually bats for both teams. He's a priest when it's beneficial for him to be a priest and a satanist when it's beneficial to be a satanist. He usually is a priest though since they're on the winning team. He also doesn't have to sacrifice anything to summon his angels, since he has the baltics as angels that he can summon at will for no charge (because they're terrified of him). Honestly he isn't all that much better than Italy and Romano at his job either, since he constantly scares off clients and has questionable practices. He does this line of work because he just enjoys this line of work and loves all the friends he can make in it. His holy item is a Bible which has a book mark in it. That bookmark marks the spot that separated the holy verses and the satanic verses in his "bible". When he recites these verses they give magical buffs to the demon/angel he is reciting them for. He also has a holy magic metal pipe of pain which is just a metal pipe that he baptized (nobody knows if it actually has holy power in it, since everyone gets knocked out from it instantly).

America: He works alongside Russia in exorcisms and usually they both suck at their job because they constantly tag along with each other to try to one up another. This makes them end up sucking at what they do. He's a priest because he likes feeling like a hero and feels triumph in fighting for "justice". He had England as his guardian angel as a child, but rebelled against him in his teens by denouncing God when he had his emo phase. Now he obviously grew out of it and is a priest now, but his relationship with England is strained because of the emo phase. He's a priest, but always argues against England that he's doing it for himself, not because of England's mentoring since he doesn't even want to ascend his soul. Although ascending would totally be super neat and the most befitting reward for a hero... **looks around**. His holy item is his bottle of holy water. He can splash the water in the air and the water droplets will turn into biblically accurate angel eyes that can shoot rays of light at enemies (super awesome lazer eyes).

England: He's a pretty high ranking angel that acted as America's guardian angel for a while. Not much to say here since I've already explained most of what he has done in America's description. In this AU England sees America as his stupid annoying favorite child son.

France: Not much to say here either. He was Canada's guardian angel as a child and that's about it for priest AU specific lore. He constantly is bickering and fighting with England. Him and England torment Germany because they think that he's a evil demon that infected Italy's mind and a sly bastard for doing work for a PRIEST when an angel is supposed to be helping Italy out. Neither of them think Italy is to blame for Germany and Italy's involvement with each other because Germany is ugly and ugly people are always wrong.

Spain: He basically acted as Romano's guardian angel despite the fact he really wasn't his at all. He mistakenly thought he was assigned him and took up the role, but ended up getting attached and sticking around to raise Romano anyways. He's pretty carefree and just like Spain in the show of course. He has a bad habit of forgetting to mention extremely crucial information though.

China: He runs the church that America, Russia, and Canada work at. He doesn't believe in God at all and is a Buddhist. But he runs the church because to him it's like his corner store business (like a 7/11 but with less mess). He takes care of the finances and such of the church and really does treat the church as if it's just his corner store he owns. This causes China to do a lot of special business events that force Austria and Hungary's church to compete against them since they need money too and if China's going to have a buy one get one free sale then they'll do it too. A running gag that is revealed as the series goes on is that China is correct about everything pertaining to how angels, demons, and humans work.

Japan: He's China's nephew and works as his apprentice at the church. He also does not believe in God nor Buddha, but says he's Buddhist to appease his uncle. He's a college student who's studying to take the DAT at the moment, so he does this as a part time job for money and something on his resume. He often hangs out with Italy since China gives him the job to scope out their "competition" (because he has to make sure the other church isn't doing as well as his) and Japan just ends up hanging out with Italy and Germany a lot. He honestly wishes he was more involved in the adventures they have, but he's too Japanese and not deadass enough to just ask to be invited more often.

Canada: He's America's brother everyone forgets exists and literally the only reason why China's church is so swag and not poor as shit like Austria and Hungary's. Because he's the only priest that actually does proper exorcisms. Everyone forgets he exists, but he's always working in the background and making like 70% of the profits that the church makes lol. His holy items are changed out between crosses, bibles, etc. Because he actually uses his items in a practical sense instead of sticking to one item and acting as if that's his thing now.

BASIC WORLD INFORMATION:

- angels and demons are species that gain power from human belief. they are raised together and then when they come of age they are either chosen to become an angel or demon

- because of this angels and demons both have the goal of fulfilling human wishes to gain more belief

- angels are obviously beating the shit out of demons in their never ending competition for human belief magical power. and thus they always get first pick for who becomes an angel while the demons get the leftovers

- angels also generally have much more magical power than demons, so many of them can do cool magical tricks while most demons have to do things manually. That's why demons are often more buff and physically strong since they have to work out to fight.

- angels are chosen not by the goodness of ones heart, but rather how good they are at rizzing and being well liked in order for humans to like them

- because of this, human's understanding of each side's morality is completely wrong since both act as buisnesses (and arguably angels are more corrupt since they play dirty)

- humans do not become angels or demons when they die. their souls reincarnate over and over again.

- different practices such as "selling your soul to the devil" and "guardian angels" and explanations for why demons are regarded as evil will be explained in later posts.

- the social heirarchy and way jobs work within hell and heaven will also be described in later posts

- Angels and demons also are responsible for santa's activies and bond together during the holiday season to reap the benefits of power from children's belief in "santa" (a persona that was created by satan and god together, so they split the power that comes from the belief in it)

- Priests and satanists in this world act as soldiers to stop the opposing angels/demons from fulfilling human wishes.

- they use their holy/satanic items to battle against angels/demons in the area, and if needed use sacrifices to call upon angels/demons to provide aid in battling against whoever they are fighting. The better the sacrifice, the higher quality the angel/demon that appears will be due to the higher pay.

- Their holy/satanic items act as buffs/weapons for their angel/demon that they summoned if they choose to summon one.

- holy items only go with angels and satanic items only go with demons. holy items will always hurt demons and satanic items will always hurt angels.

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fatuismooches · 22 days

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I'M BITING MY HANDS I NEED MORE ZANDIK AT THE ACADEMY.

I love the little zandik at the academy, I love webttore, I love the grown-up dottore with gray hair and a little wrinkles. Ohh I can't😣😣

I NEED THEM ALL.

Cooked up some more Akademiya Dottore hcs for you anon...

Whenever he wore the Akademiya's hat with his uniform, you'd always steal it and he'd get mad, but eventually he gave up and let you hog it. It's probably a little big on you and as revenge, he'd make fun of you for looking dumb. Same with his clothes, for some reason you'd wear his Akademiya uniform to sleep sometimes? Zandik doesn't understand but every time he tries to pull it off of you, he's been unsuccessful, so he'll just let you be a strange little human since it seems to be working for your productivity... Centuries later he's learned to deal with a few shirts going missing and then you returning them after a while because they 'lost his scent.' (He wears the same outfit anyway, no big deal).

Thanks to you, there were quite a few times the professors actually listened to him. Other peers pretty much never vouch or stand up for him so it does make them think a bit when a student such as yourself does do it so vehemently. Zandik says you don't need to waste your time on it since he doesn't really care what they think, but he did manage to get a few more research opportunities thanks to you. In the beginning, he was pretty much clueless on how to express some sort of gratitude since he couldn't force out the words 'thank you' for the life of him. It was very funny for you to watch.

Group projects become so much better once the two of you get comfortable with each other. Both of you have been victims of doing all the work. You were quite excited to work with someone like him because you know of his intelligence and how he gets down to business. Meanwhile, Zandik was quite skeptical and annoyed to work with you in the beginning because he thought you were just another person who would end up leeching off him again.

However, he was surprisingly yet pleasantly proven wrong. He's especially impressed with your writing in the reports/essays, but he's never going to admit that. At least not now. The synergy between you two and your minds is something he doesn't know how to deal with at first, having dealt with so many of the opposite situations, but it's one of the biggest things that Zandik grows to be appreciative of.

When the semester is over, all students need to leave/clear the dorms until the next semester begins. Most return to wherever home is, but of course that's not something Zandik has, so most times he manages to rent out a place for a while. When you met him in the beginning he would just disappear to Archons knows where and then come back as if nothing happened next semester.

It takes a long time for him to tell you. When he does, he claims that he regrets it due to how often you show up to bother him, but in reality, he finds himself lonely without your company. As even more years go by, eventually he "invites" you to live with him. ("Invites" as in he never directly says it. Just drops subtle hints so you would ask him first instead). You're just happy to be able to cook for him more often (and 24/7 cuddles!!) (Just me trying to push my domestic Zandik and Reader agenda).

Just frequently being with each other but not needing to interact with the other. Both of you just do your own things in the peace of knowing the other's there.

Doesn't like when you ask others for help when he's literally right there. Please ask your genius scholar bf first. It doesn't matter what the problem is. Just ask him otherwise he'll get huffy and glare at you. No, you're not wasting his time by doing so. Rather, you're wasting both his and your time when you decide to go to other people first!

Coming home from expeditions. For some reason despite how tired you are, you want to feed stray kitties. It becomes a sort of tradition for you two.

This one was said a while ago, but I'll bring it back again (x, x, x) but you needing to wipe Zandik's hands because he keeps breaking pens and splattering ink everywhere. Whenever you see he gets a little too excited, you swipe the pen and start writing light-speed so he doesn't try to steal it from you for being 'too slow.'

#smooches talks #dottore love notes <3 #glad im not the only escher simp around once again #this is such a safe space #but ouhh yess... akademiya zandik is my beloved #he would make the college experience so much better #(speaking as someone who was excited for college initially but it ain't that great 💀)#some of these are a tiny bit 🤏 self indulgent for me

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amerricanartwork · 4 months

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I saw your lilypad art post, and I got curious: why do you enjoy lilypad? it's not a common RW ship, so I'd be interesting to hear what about it you enjoy!

Hear me out, guys... I must explain myself before I get onto the Lilypad essay.

I made that original comment because, at the time, I wanted to just get the aforementioned headcanons out as soon as possible. Understand, my reluctance wasn't because I didn't want to talk about Lilypad, but rather the exact opposite: I had so many feelings about it, yet had put so little effort into expressing them in a coherent, presentable format that I just knew it'd distract me for the next week or two if I let it rent too much space in my conscious thoughts. But now that little comment has left me with several people asking me to share those thoughts, and, both thankfully and unfortunately, I simply can't resist indulging in thoughts about the characters I love—!

Keep in mind, I haven’t finished Saint campaign yet, and even then I’ve found like less than half the broadcasts in Spearmaster campaign yet, so there’s likely some extra canon info I may be missing that could add to or change some of what I say here. I also apologize if some of what I write here seems really out-of-character. I try not to let my passion for my little headcanons and scenarios make me disregard the canon, but even so, I might slip and think up some weird things occasionally. Nonetheless, I feel like I’ve got enough of the picture to start confidently enjoying this ship, so I’ll talk about it anyway!

As always, feel free to add to these ideas if you can! Without further delay, enjoy this 3381-word essay, with a few initial headcanons sprinkled in, on why I adore Lilypad!

Oh, and just in case, if you couldn’t already tell, major Hunter campaign spoilers below.

Quetzalli on Loving Lilypad

I’m gonna start this out with a preface: I can generally find the appeal in a lot of different ships and the art other fans make for them, but for me to ship something enough to actively draw it and make my own headcanons about it and such (outside of, perhaps, gifts for other people), it usually has to contain a variety of “ship tropes” that I personally fancy. Many of my most-favorite ship tropes tend to be the ones that aren’t just cute, but that carry narrative significance and seem poetic in some way, usually because they can facilitate character arcs in the involved characters. The more of these a ship has, or the more ship tropes I can portray it with without it seeming too out-of-character, and the more I like those specific tropes, the better. This principle is a major reason why I’ve gravitated towards Artimand as my main slugcat ship, but for now, I’m going to focus on which of these I see in Lilypad — in canon content, other fan-portrayals, and my personal headcanons — that, as opposed to other iterator ships, has currently won me over.

I’m gonna describe the main general things I like seeing in this ship. Some of them are more due to fandom portrayals than what’s in the canon, but they all play a big role in my current love for Lilypad.

Synergy

I’ll begin with how I really appreciate just how much synergy Looks to the Moon and No Significant Harassment are shown to have, at least in fan content! I always like seeing pairings where the characters aren’t just romantic, but also work really well together as a team or even just as friends. After all, just because the characters may be romantically in love doesn’t mean they must only show it in explicitly romantic ways. To me, Lilypad strikes me as a relationship where Sig and Moon would make an amazing team in many aspects of their lives, whether it's collaborating on projects, sharing their interests, or trying to maintain order in the rest of their group. And their compliment is just really sweet to me, though I’ll get to that later.

A Shoulder to Lean On/The Lady

One of my favorite ship tropes is “character with a lot of weight on their shoulder who finally gets to lift it off and be ‘normal’ for once when around the other”. I’ve always found it sweet when characters like this, especially ones who are normally very selfless, finally get a chance to indulge and enjoy themselves for once! And once again, this is another thing I imagine in Artimand too, and you could project this onto Trafficlights given Suns’s implied high status, but I think it works especially with Lilypad, given Moon’s role as group senior means she objectively has a lot to manage all the time with no permanent escape from it. Even beyond the whole Five Pebbles rot drama, Moon probably had a lot on her plate just in terms of maintaining order between the rest of the group and setting a good example to the younger generations, especially as the group expanded over time, not to mention trying to find the solution herself. Combine this with how I picture her to be the kind of person who cares a lot about her image as a “proper” and “dignified” leader, and someone who often sacrifices her own desires to promote the group’s welfare, I just find it really soft for her to have someone to lean on, metaphorically (and in a worm-off-the-string scenario, literally), and who better to go to than her best teammate, who knows the power of a good laugh and will stop at nothing to have fun with those he loves? Not to mention, since I headcanon Sig as slightly younger than Moon (2nd gen, specifically), I just find it rather cute in an ironic sense that the older, more serious Moon is soft around the younger, far more chaotic Sig, especially as Moon would go through the realization that she actually kinda likes this little troublemaker!

This also comes back to something I mentioned in the tags of that beepsnort post, which is that one of my other favorite ship tropes is “guy who loves/is good at making people laugh x girl who has a REALLY weird/embarrassing laugh”, and that just works so well with Lilypad! It’s admittedly a very headcanon-based thing for me, but given how I’ve already explained my perception of Moon as very proper and serious, I imagine one of the best ways Sig takes the weight off her shoulders is by being the only person who can consistently make her laugh so hard! And with the beepsnort headcanon it’s even cuter, because of course Moon would be super embarrassed every time she even so much as gives a half-chuckle at one of his jokes, because Sig is relentless when it comes to getting the giggles out of her, and he won’t stop until she’s rolling and shaking on the floor of her chamber, her beepy-snorts filling the room! My GODDD I love this trope so much, and for beings who are inherently such workaholics, I think getting to genuinely relax and have fun for a bit, once she gets over the initial shock and embarrassment, would be something Moon would really come to value.

Inverses Attract/The Tramp

I’ve mentioned it in my last Artimand headcanons post, but one of my absolute all-time favorite ship tropes is the classic “opposites attract”, although I prefer the name “inverses attract”. As I like to portray it, the trope not only involves characters who are opposites personality-wise, but those being opposites of the same core aspect, and ultimately helping balance each other out by offering the other half of the equation to each other (hence the name “inverses”). The trope I just wrote about above is how Sig helps Moon to relax and have fun, but as I try to do with all ships, how does it work the other way too? Well, I really like to imagine Sig learning to be more openly serious and dedicated! Don’t get me wrong, Sig is a hard worker (it’s pretty much the nature of all iterators), but given he seems to pretty strongly reject the quest for the Triple Affirmative, I imagine the next problem would be in him finding a new purpose to strive for. And what better new purpose than in standing by and protecting the group senior he thinks he just might wanna be more than friends with?

It already works because Moon, of course, would work to keep Sig in check and make sure he doesn’t go too overboard with his shenanigans. But just imagine how inspired he’d grow over time seeing Moon work so hard to keep the group together and keep them striving for their purpose, even if he doesn’t agree with it. I imagine it’s why Sig’s methods are still rather controlled rather than purely chaotic, and there’s a reason to his rebellion. Thanks to Moon, rather than slaving away at a seemingly impossible solution until his mind collapses with his structure, he’ll use his talents to, at the very least, keep the local group together as long as possible, because even if they’ll all be gone one day, that doesn’t mean they have to go alone!

It’s why I’m also labeling these two tropes together as “the Lady and the Tramp”, yet another ship dynamic that gets me every time! It’s a specific instance of “inverses attract” where the noble, proper lady finds a taste of freedom and courage from the dangerously charming tramp, who from her finds a new sense of purpose and honor! And in my opinion, Lilypad is most definitely the best opportunity for this dynamic among Rain World ships!

The Fated Couple

Slow-burn couples seem to be pretty popular in many fandoms, but what about a really slow-burn? There’s something just so romantic to me about the idea that Moon and Sig, from the moment they met, have always just clicked so perfectly, and have been by each other’s side so constantly ever since, to the point it seems practically inevitable to everyone (except them of course) that they’ll eventually get together romantically. Of course, there are two main roadblocks to their romance being 1.) their whole objective and purpose for being created is kind-of fundamentally opposed to strong attachments like love (I mean, if Karma 3 is Companionship, wouldn’t romantic love be considered the worst example of that?), and 2.) even if they did reject this purpose, being massive immovable structures with the only humanoid part stuck deep inside a box, a budding romance seemingly couldn’t really go anywhere anyway. In fact, because of these roadblocks much of my Lilypad imaginings take place in the ever-popular “worm-off-the-string” scenario, especially since the next couple of reasons for why I like the ship play a lot into the themes I like to incorporate in this story concept.

However, these issues towards such a romance are also what make it so sweet in the end! Just think of Moon, alone in her chamber, beginning to worry about how she’s actually kinda sorta, maybe, hypothetically, possibly, just a little bit starting to like the carefree and charismatic Gen 2 in the local group as even more than just a work partner and a dear friend, but oh no, that’s indulging in a Karmic Sin, and as group senior she can’t just throw away their purpose like that and set such a bad example to the rest! What’s she gonna do?? And then on the other side, Sig puzzling in his chamber, pining so hard for the group senior yet seemingly unable to confess, because, even disregarding Karma 3 and the fact that giant immobile calculators aren’t about to be snuggling any time soon, why would someone as perfect and powerful as her want someone like him, so dismissive of their core purpose and unorthodox in his methods? Is there even a point in having these feelings at all, when they might very well end up simply fading to dust along with the rest of his structure?

Maybe, they both think, it’d be better to just keep these feelings to themselves and quietly love from a distance. That is, until…

Moon’s Collapse and the Slag Reset Keys

The fourth reason is, of course, the most steeped in canon. It goes back a bit to the “shoulder to lean on” concept, but even aside from that, there is something just so romantic about this on both sides.

Firstly, from Moon’s perspective. There’s no doubt that the collapse must have been very traumatic for Looks to the Moon physically, but I like to think about just how much it’d affect her emotionally, too. I mean, being so painfully destroyed by your own brother, with seemingly nothing that can be done to stop it and no one to help you? And then consider how lonely it must have been in her final moments. The only comfort she does get is from Spearmaster’s visit, and even then she sends him off to go deliver her final words, which has still got to be really depressing. And finally, think about how betrayed she must have felt, trying so hard throughout her operation to help her citizens and the local group and be kind to everyone, only to have it be repaid like this, forced to collapse in on herself, being buried under her own body, unfathomable pain all around, and with not a soul to help her.

So then, think about just how shocking and heartwarming (literally, if you think about it) it must be when that lovable Gen 2, always so playful and carefree normally, is the one to give her a second chance and being her back when all hope seems lost, and using such a unique delivery method no less! I mean COME ON, Sig literally brought her back to life, how could one NOT fall in love with someone who did that for them? It links back to the “shoulder to lean on” idea, in that, for once, someone finally looked out for Moon and gave back to her for all the kindness she gave to the world. Think about this as the moment she truly realizes she’s in love with No Significant Harassment, and how tragic it’d be knowing now, it’s too late to say it. But, even so, if he’s willing to go this far to make sure she’s okay, then maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance her love at least wasn’t alone.

Now, my thoughts about this from No Significant Harassment’s side (which also kinda turned into a mini NSH appreciation paragraph that links back to the earlier Inverses Attract and Lady and the Tramp segment), I think it’s very poetic to see him going out of his way to take his messenger concept, originally used for no more than a trivial prank and at most a very experimental and unfinished alternative communication method, and turning it into a noble last-ditch effort to rescue the one he loves. It doesn’t just clearly show how much he cares for Moon that he worked to save her when no one else did (and if that’s because the odds of being able to do anything seemed very low to the rest of them, that makes it even more sweet) I think it shows off a lot of Sig’s character beyond just being a jokester. Like, I’d seen this kind of personality for Sig in the fandom content before, but this action and the other broadcasts are what first made me truly realize not just that it is based in canon, but that, more importantly he’s not just stupid or unfocused, he’s rebellious. He doesn’t joke around because he just doesn’t care, it’s because he’s independent, he’s got other places he wants to go and plans that don’t fit into what most of his peers are used to. He makes light of the world because he sees what others don’t, and it’s honestly pretty frickin’ funny how blind others can be most of the time (case-in-point: him making a slugcat from a messenger, which no one else thought to do because those creatures seemed too “dull” and “primitive” to ever be capable of such a thing). So think about how significant it must be when he’s openly taking something seriously. This is where that dynamic of the Tramp, and how Sig would benefit from this relationship is really highlighted. I just adore it when the easygoing, carefree character finally finds purpose in their lover, and springs into serious action like they never were before! And it makes sense too given what I said about them not getting together before: seeing Moon collapse would show him directly that even beings as durable as iterators don’t last forever, so if he’s got these feelings for Moon, he’s got to make a move while there’s still a chance! And what better way to show his love than to bring her back when all hope seems lost? Which brings me to the final aspects I’ll talk about here, first of which is…

True Love’s Kiss

Yes, you read that right. The real reason I love the slag reset keys as a plot element so much is not just because it shows Sig’s secret strength of character, not just because it finally gives reward to Moon’s kindness, but because it is a real fairytale come true!

I know this sounds crazy and probably totally unrelated to Rain World, but think about it! You guys have probably seen Snow White and Sleeping Beauty before, or at least one of the two? Isn’t the whole trope that the beautiful princess, fairest maiden in the land, gets cursed through some means or another to die (or in Aurora’s case, fall into an indefinite sleep), which is only undone when the strong and brave prince, riding upon his noble steed, awakens the princess by giving her true love’s kiss? I already love both those movies on their own for various other reasons, but after my description, is this starting to sound familiar in another way?

I mean, with everything I’ve said about Moon in this post so far, there’s no doubt you could perceive her as the “fair princess”, who through unfortunate circumstances is put to a premature and indefinite death. And there’s no doubt Sig fills the role of the brave prince by working to save her with the slag reset keys, which in this metaphor are undoubtedly the “true love’s kiss” that ultimately conquers all, always longed for, and finally delivered! And hey, given Hunter is the one to carry the keys to Moon, a small yet courageous beast who stops at nothing to meet his goals, Sig even has his own “noble steed”! And even if Hunter is technically the one to actually deliver the green neuron, and the death the “princess” succumbs to wasn’t out of genuine malice towards her, I think the sentiment is still there and the parallel is close enough!

But yes, as strange as it may sound, the fairytale parallel is the main reason Lilypad resonates with me so much! Those classic fairytale-esque romance tropes and that poetic storytelling found in Disney’s first feature-length animated films has always been dear to my heart, and is even more so now that I’m older and can truly appreciate the beauty of them. So now, even in my fandom experiences, ships that win my appreciation over all others are often those that manage to embody those classic romance tropes and themes as best as possible, and frankly, even Artimand loses ever-so-slightly to Lilypad in this regard! Or, as I also enjoy calling them, “Lifeline”, for reasons that are probably obvious now.

And it’s even better when you consider…

Some Things Never Change

Another trope I’ve recently begun to love is the idea that some phenomena in the world never truly disappear, but simply manifest in different ways, sometimes unexpected ones. And given the whole Triple Affirmative quest and the Ancients’ mass ascension philosophy, this idea is something I especially love seeing in Rain World content. Even the canon events show this idea, but think about how wonderfully it would work with Lilypad beyond just the slag reset keys, especially taking up that “worm off the string” iterator AU concept some have explored in this fandom already.

Just think about how sweet it would be when Moon and Sig, operating primarily through their puppets now, get to finally hug and kiss and be with each other so directly now! Think of the way Sig would speak to Moon about how, even after her collapse, she's still somehow beautiful as ever, and Moon returning with how even all the trouble the group has faced hasn't put a dent in his charm! And it's even sweeter when you consider it’s against everything their creators stood for! Think of Moon, after everything she’s been through and how much she’s probably changed at this point, now willing to give some of these “worldly attachments” a chance, because you can never truly get rid of them, but she knows better than anyone that you won’t be around to experience them forever, so why not enjoy it while you’ve got the chance? And it’d make sense too, not just for her own benefit, but for Pebbles and the rest of the group’s sake too! She’s always strove to set a good example for them, and since their original quest has left them with nothing but pain and trauma, why not show them that maybe all these attachments aren’t so bad after all?

I just think it’d be really interesting to see Moon joining Sig in that rejection of the Triple Affirmative, and what better way to do that than by finally embracing that love they’ve felt for each other for so long? Because love never truly dies, it just appears in new people. And maybe they don’t have to spend their whole lives as grand iterators, the vast infinitely-advanced mechanical deities who embody perfection in almost every way. Maybe, even just for a bit, they can just be people, falling in love just as their creators did all over again!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

And with that, I think I’m FINALLY done here. HOLY COW, this is easily my longest post yet, and I hope it doesn’t disappoint! Part of the reason it took so long was because I was trying to find the perfect way to express all these ideas without it just spilling out onto the page in some weird half-coherent mess. But eventually I just said “ah screw it, let’s just ramble about this ship and see where it goes!” and my god, did it go far! And I still managed to somewhat organize it, so yay!

But aside from that, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who asked for my thoughts on Lilypad, and everyone who made it to the bottom of this essay! I’ve never really gotten a chance to openly ramble about one of my favorite ships to the rest of the fandom like this, so seeing that some fans, even if it’s ultimately not a huge amount, actually wanted me to do it was such a welcome surprise!

I hope you all enjoyed the drawings and the art! I’ll be around in case someone wants me to write another ship essay or something! And who knows, it’s likely I’ll find more reasons I like Lilypad as time goes on and I see more fan-content and find the rest of those broadcasts! But at least this was a starting point!

Expect more LIlypad content to come in the future, but until now, thanks again for the opportunity!

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gravitycavity · 2 months

Text

Sunshine (Pomni x Ragatha) Chapter 4: Spellbound

[Click here to read from the beginning on AO3!]

“...and I’m sorry.” Pomni wiped at her eyes, dragging her drooping gaze up from Ragatha’s torn, tear-soaked dress. “The other day, when I was yelling at you — and everyone else? I was being a jerk.”

Ragatha laughed. “A little. But you’re not a bad person, Pomni — if you were, you wouldn’t have apologized. That takes maturity.”

Pomni sniffed. And sniveled. And sniffed again. “What does it matter? Everyone still hates me…”

“Nobody hates you. Especially not me.” Ragatha sighed. “You’re going through so much, Pomni — we understand.”

Pomni shook her head with a shaky sigh. “I just…” Her voice warbled. Another tear dropped from her shimmering eyes, “...I just want to go home...”

“Oh, Sweetheart. Come here…” Ragatha pulled Pomni closer. She rubbed circles around the little jester’s shuddering back, patiently comforting her until her tears ran dry again — however long it would take.

“...I don’t understand. How do you do it?” Pomni’s voice, still shriveled and small, eventually found the strength to speak again. “You’ve been trapped in this horrible place for years now. How do you stay sane? How do you just…accept it?”

Ragatha stirred her head. Had it really been that long?

“...I try not to dwell on things that are out of my control. To focus on the little things that make life worth living.” she said. “It’s easy to be miserable — cathartic, even — but to focus on the silver lining, even if you have to squint to see it? It’s not easy, but I think it’s worth the trouble. Because it’s always, always, always there.”

Pomni was perfectly still for the longest time, quietly breathing, silently squeezing tear after tear from her weepy eyes. When at last she met Ragatha’s gaze, she opened her mouth to speak — but no words spilled forth. Instead, Pomni simply pressed her cheek against Ragatha’s chest, holding the doll tighter than she ever had before.

And Ragatha smiled. “Yeah…?”

Pomni nodded.

Ragatha hummed softly, brushing her finger through Pomni’s hair. “I’m glad I met you, too.”

🎪

The memory was still fresh.

Ragatha groaned, stirred from her sleep by the court of wild ravens clicking and cawing in the stony branches above. Just like every other morning, her drowsy eyes remained stubbornly shut, but the persistent tap-tap-tapping of woodpeckers kept her mind from sneaking back into slumber.

Propped against the pruned, petrified redwood, Ragatha shifted her head and took in a long, soothing breath. The forest air had thickened overnight, for better and for worse; the aroma of dewy wildflowers just barely masked the foul musk of rotting wood.

She grit her teeth, exhaling through her nose. Ow — Ragatha had forgotten how much it hurt just to breathe. The countless rips and tears carved into her fragile form worked in synergy to maximize her suffering; any slight movement was immediately punished with a cacophonous chorus of pain, pain, and more pain.

Reluctant to even open her eyes, Ragatha remained perfectly still, spacing out her shallow breaths as far apart as she possibly could. Slowly, the roaring in her chest faded into a rumble, the screaming pain in her legs hushed to whispers, and the boiling discomfort in her right arm cooled to a bubbling simmer.

Even as the choir’s shrill song faded into silence, however, a single voice continued its grating chant.

It was odd — Ragatha’s left arm laid just as still as its opposite, yet a bothersome, prickling pain still coiled around the appendage. Even stranger, it was a far different sensation than the rest: instead of a blunt, radiant agony that flared up whenever she tried to move, the pain was…precise. Targeted. And dreadfully persistent.

Every few seconds, something sharp would harass a certain spot on her arm — poking, prodding, stabbing — until her soft skin finally broke. The point would burrow deep into the fresh puncture, dragging something long, dry, and frayed behind it; it tickled as it passed through.

It was an uncomfortable sensation, to say the least, but Ragatha was hardly phased. After all, she’d been living in a body fashioned from cotton and fabric for years at this point — she was rather accustomed to the unique body horror of being stitched back together. The procedure was just a fact of life now, no different than the uncomfortable routines she’d followed to maintain her old, human body—

Wait. Did that mean…?

Where was she? Had she and Pomni failed the adventure? Had they been teleported back to the tent? No, no — of course not. There’d be no need for anyone to stitch her back together if that were the case; Caine could simply snap his fingers and repair her in the blink of an eye.

Not wanting to give herself away, Ragatha sat forward — slightly and slowly. Her good eye was closed, but the periwinkle button that served as its twin would be her secret spyglass.

She concentrated, and the gloomy woods slowly came into focus — as much focus as her barely-functional button eye could handle, at least. She glanced down at her chest, and for a moment, a profound melancholy overcame her: her dear friend Pomni, who had been snuggled so tightly against her the night before, was nowhere to be found.

Her eye scrambled to find her — she didn’t have to look very far.

A blurry blob, roughly the shape of a certain anxious jester, kneeled on the ground beside her. One of the woman’s little hands held Ragatha’s arm in place; the other held some sort of needle. Where had she found a needle!? It trembled, stumbling around the wounded limb with whatever the exact opposite of ‘surgical precision’ was.

Prick, pull.

Ragatha ground her teeth together as the needle passed over, under, and through her fabric skin, slowly but surely mending the tear in her arm. It took everything she had to keep up the act, to not flinch and squirm with every pointed bite — but some outside force compelled her to hold in the urge.

In fact, in some strange, backward way, the pain almost felt pleasant — and Ragatha found herself fighting the slight smirk twitching her cheek. She just couldn’t help it, just like she couldn't help how hard her heart was beating, or the brilliant warmth spreading out from her core.

Each jab was a reminder. Proof positive that even Pomni — the anxious, angry shut-in who hated everything and couldn’t care less if everyone around her died in a horrible accident — had a kind heart underneath all of that harsh, prickly angst.

Ragatha surrendered, letting her smirk blossom into a full smile. She knew it.

Prick, pull.

Stab—

“Oh, go #!$% yourself!” Ragatha yelped. She sat up in a snap, roughly snatching her stinging arm away.

Pomni quailed in fright. “O-O-Oh my gosh! Ragatha! I’m so sorry, are you—”

There was a pause. And then a longer one after that.

The jester blinked. “What did you just say?”

“Nothing! I—” Ragatha was as white as a ghost. “I didn’t mean that!”

“Did you just say the F-word?”

Ragatha cringed. The pain of her injuries was nothing compared to this mental torment. “I’m so, so, sorry! That just slipped out! You have to believe me — I would never!”

“Ragatha, it’s okay! Really! Think about who you’re talking to right now.” Pomni giggled. She was smiling now. “Honestly, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

Ragatha struggled to swallow the embarrassment sizzling in the back of her throat. With her mind too scrambled to think anywhere close to straight, her gaze bounced around the darkness, desperately searching for something she could latch onto to change the subject. It took several moments of hemming and hawing before the obvious pivot she was searching for popped into her head.

Her face still hot, Ragatha looked over herself. Just like she had suspected, Pomni had been hard at work mending her wounds — but it was clear that the younger woman didn’t have much experience with sewing. And by ‘not much’, of course, she meant ‘none whatsoever’.

Frayed threads stuck out from hundreds of jagged stitches. Fluffy chunks of cotton bulged out of hastily-sewn seams that were already starting to come apart. Parts of Ragatha’s delicate fabric skin, stretched and compressed at seemingly random points, were far tighter or looser than they were supposed to be, which made movement even more of a struggle than it already was.

Pomni had done a laughably-poor job; nevertheless, her earnest efforts drove an arrow straight through Ragatha’s soft heart. “I…You…” Ragatha could barely get a word out, “How…?”

“Kind of a long story, actually.” Pomni stared at the gound, rubbing the back of her neck. “So, basically…”

Pomni’s flustered explanation was long, rambling, and hard to parse through all the stuttering. Suffice it to say: over the past several hours, she had gathered the pieces of Ragatha’s torn dress, painstakingly de-threaded them, and twisted them up into thin ropes. Her ‘needle’ was actually the feather from her cap — she’d cut off the end, poked a hole through it using one of the redwood’s thorns, then sharpened its pointed tip.

“...and…yeah.” Pomni tugged on her collar. “I woke up early, so I figured I might as well keep myself busy...”

Unconsciously, Ragatha parted her lips. “You did all that?” she said, “For me?”

“I mean, we’re friends now, right?” Pomni shrugged the most awkward shrug in the history of shrugs. “I wanted you to get better.”

Ragatha was enchanted — and the nagging doubt that had strangled her heart since Pomni’s chaotic debut at last loosened its vice grip. That sealed it. Of course she had been right not to trust her first impression. Of course Pomni cared. To the jester, at least, this unremarkable ragdoll was someone worth protecting. Someone she considered a friend. Someone…beautiful.

Recalling the memory did to Ragatha’s heart as sunbeams did to April blossoms. Beautiful — when had she last heard that word? Since when had she felt so wanted? So cherished and valued? Had she ever?

The raggedy doll cast a yearning look toward the jester. “I don’t know what to say. This is…” she hesitated softly, “...Thank you, Pomni.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I still need to finish your arm.” Pomni’s tone was the same she might use to describe the weather. She pointed at the limb still held tightly against Ragatha’s chest. “So, um, if you wouldn’t mind…?”

“...Oh.” Ragatha touched her face. “Oh! Of course — yeah!” she nodded, cautiously surrendering her arm. She wore an anxious smile, and wore it poorly. “Just try to be a bit more delicate this time…?”

“I dunno. Now that I know what happens when I poke you the wrong way, a small part of me wants to know what you’re gonna say next—”

“Try it. I dare you.”

Pomni chuckled, sinking her makeshift needle into Ragatha’s arm yet again. “Okay, okay. I’ll be careful.” she said. Gently, she pulled the tool through. The doll’s pliable skin tightened, and the deep gash stretching across her arm shrank in turn.

Ragatha watched Pomni work in silence. The woman, normally a twitching little bundle of nerves, was so…calm. Controlled. Confident, even. It was as if the pitiful, sobbing mess that Ragatha had soothed to sleep the previous night had transformed into an entirely different person overnight.

Once Pomni had stopped her crying, she and Ragatha had just…talked. And talked. And talked. They vented about the things that annoyed them, chatted about their common interests, and listened to each other’s infodumping about their particular hyperfixations.

In the midst of it, Ragatha’s troubles had melted away. She and Pomni, holding each other close, were lost in their own little world — but now that Ragatha was back in reality, a nagging worry snuck its way into her mind, and no matter what, it refused to give her peace:

Exactly what had Pomni been trying to say before her meltdown?

Why did Ragatha…what? Why did she what?

The question sat like a boulder in Ragatha’s stomach. She hadn’t done something wrong…had she?

Ragatha looked at Pomni. She shifted her posture, then shifted again. The question, harassing her psyche like a bothersome itch, needed an answer — and yet, Ragatha stayed silent, drowsy eyes admiring the calm smile on Pomni’s face.

Why would she say anything that might make it disappear?

🎪 🎪 🎪

Pomni squinted. Her tongue peeked out from between her lips as she carefully — very, very carefully — triple-knotted the thick thread in her hands. With one final tug, the stitches were taut, sealing shut the long gash carved into Ragatha’s arm. “...voilà! Okay, you can open your eyes now!”

Ragatha still leaned against the petrified redwood. Her hand covered her eyes, and, despite her darling companion’s command, didn’t budge an inch. “Again, Pomni, what exactly is the point of this…?”

“What do you mean? This is it — the big reveal!”

“Well, I get that…” Ragatha said, “but I’ve already seen everything. Five minutes ago.”

“But you haven’t seen the whole picture!”

Ragatha breathed in the world’s most angelically-patient breath. “Sweetheart—”

“Ugh, come on! You’re ruining the moment!” Pomni pulled Ragatha’s hand away from her face. Practically bouncing, the jester stepped back, gesturing at Ragatha as if the doll had just been revealed from underneath a sheet. “Ta-da!”

Ragatha shook her head; a relaxed smile brightened her face. She was tickled pink to see that Pomni was finally comfortable enough to show off her goofier side — especially after seeing her at such a low point last night.

Pomni’s expectant grin didn’t flinch. “So? What do you think?”

Ragatha tilted her head downward. A familiar warmth spread across her face as her eyes retreaded the sloppily-mended tears scattered across her body. Ragatha knew she could have done a much better job herself — but she didn’t care. If it were up to her, she would choose Pomni’s subpar stitching every time.

She swayed, crossing her hands over her thumping heart. “Gosh, who would’ve guessed you were so talented with a needle and thread, Pomni?” Ragatha batted her hand, “One pales to imagine what this helpless princess would have done without her dashing knight at her side~”

“It’s…It’s not that big a deal.” Pomni swallowed, hands curling around her middle. Her bubbly affect popped just like that. “Really. I-It’s the least I could do…”

“And so modest! Mercy me. Are you just getting into character, or are you always this chivalrous?”

“Um…!” Pomni, wearing an apocalyptic blush, quickly averted her gaze. She awkwardly offered her hand. “S-So, a-anyway, we should probably get going, right…?”

Pomni already looked like a tomato just offering her clammy hand — words could hardly describe the look on her face when, at last, Ragatha grabbed hold.

Sweating, Pomni wrapped her other arm around Ragatha’s back and carefully helped the injured doll to her feet. “You look like you’re in pain.” She frowned, watching Ragatha struggle to stand even with her assistance. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

“I’m a big girl. I think I can handle it.” Ragatha winked. Steadying herself against Pomni, she broke away from the jester’s support. She carefully shifted her weight onto her feet, and—

An agonized shout, paired with the sickening sound of tearing fabric, echoed beneath the canopy. Ragatha collapsed, clutching her stomach.

Pomni just barely caught her.

“Ragatha!” Pomni shrieked. Cotton spilled freely from the reopened wound slashed across the older woman’s chest — now twice as long as it had been before.

Pain was spelled in bold all across Ragatha’s face, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. “Th-Thanks…” she trembled; a loose tear traveled between the twisted creases that wound across her face. “...for catching me...”

Pomni plummeted to her knees; Ragatha was draped across her lap. “No…no, NO!” she clawed her face, each panicked breath ringing louder than the last. Her pupils quivered in a sea of bloodshot white, beholding the sum of all of her hard work: absolutely nothing.

“Why did I— Why did I think—” Cackling, she bared her teeth — sharp and pointed. “Of course! Why did I think I could do anything right?!”

“Woah, woah!” Ragatha forced herself to speak through the pain. A throaty grunt punctuated her next words, “Calm down — It’s going to be okay!”

“Okay?! How is any of this okay?! What could someone like you ever do to deserve this?!” Pomni seethed. “Is this Caine’s idea of a sick joke? Is that why that psychopath paired us together? So I could lose my mind watching you suffer?”

“Pomni! Please—”

“What now? Are we just stuck here forever?! Are we both going to die here because of me?!” Pomni’s voice cracked at the realization. “Oh, God. Oh my GOD! Please, please, please—”

“POMNI!” To the tune of another gut-wrenching tear, Ragatha sat up to grab Pomni’s trembling hand. “Listen to me! We’re not out of options, okay?!” Her thumb drew tight, soothing circles on the back of the jester’s palm. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but…why don’t you just go on by yourself? I can just stay behind and—”

“NO!”

Ragatha dropped Pomni’s hand like hot iron.

Pomni flinched — the hurt on Ragatha’s face finally snapped her out of her insanity spiral. “I…I didn’t mean to—” she shivered. Her mouth twisted into a hundred different shapes until, at last, she managed to say: “I’m sorry...”

“Just take a deep breath for me. Please.” Ragatha soothed, reaching for Pomni’s hand again. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Pomni didn’t hesitate, sandwiching Ragatha’s trembling hand between both of hers. She nodded, filling her chest with a trio of long, shaky breaths. Her racing pulse began to lag.

“I’m not leaving you all alone.” Pomni said after a beat of silence, peering straight into Ragatha’s eyes. “I already…” she hesitated, shaking her head. “What if something happens, and I’m not there to save you?”

Ragatha couldn’t help but perk up at the look on Pomni’s face. The jester looked just like a guard dog, determined to protect her at all costs. “How about we just wait here together, then?” she said, “The others probably finished this adventure hours ago — and adventures don’t go on forever. If we take long enough, Caine will eventually just force us out and say we failed.”

“Eventually isn’t good enough! You need help now!”

“I’m sorry, Sweetheart. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but I just…” she sighed, “…can’t.”

Pomni furrowed her brow, gently turning over Ragatha’s arm. She inched her face closer to the doll’s roughly-sutured wounds, squinting as if the answer to their predicament were spelled out somewhere in the frayed silk stitches. Her voice broke the silence. “What are you stuffed with, anyway? Cotton?”

Ragatha raised an eyebrow at that. It was Pomni’s turn, apparently, to ask a question totally out of left field.

“More or less…?” Ragatha’s hand rapped on her chest, “But if you really want to know, I’m pretty sure I’ve got a heart crammed in here, too. Something that beats, at least.” she shrugged. She’d probably never know what the organ really looked like, but she'd always imagined a cartoon heart fashioned from the same patchy felt as the rest of her body.

“So you really are just a walking, talking doll…?” Pomni let out a huge breath — one she’d apparently been holding in for quite a while. “Oh, perfect! This is perfect!”

Ragatha rubbed her face — how hard had Pomni’s head hit the ground yesterday? “Perfect…?” she spoke slowly, “How do you figure?"

“Well…” Pomni’s forced laugh was painful to listen to. “D-Do you think you’d be light enough to, uh…” she glanced away, stroking her hair. “W-Would it be okay if I…”

Ragatha wondered if her plush body came with a stomach as well; she definitely felt something fluttering around in the place she’d expect one to be. She just couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was pint-sized Pomni really about to suggest using her frail little arms to —

“Let me carry you!” Pomni exhaled sharply. Her stammer was gone, burned away by the heat of her passionate glare. “There’s no way I’m gonna let you just sit here and suffer! We’re finishing this stupid adventure and getting you fixed up — today!”

Spellbound. Ragatha was utterly, completely, hopelessly spellbound — but the sly smirk spreading across her face hid her true sentiments well. “Oh, nooo! You’re just too kind…” she closed her good eye and swooned just like a debutante. Her button spied on Pomni’s reaction — watching the new girl get all hot and bothered over her, of all people, was Ragatha’s special form of self-care. “I suppose you could, but, gosh, I wouldn't want to be a burden~”

Wearing a determined look, Pomni stood up, scooping the lightweight doll into her arms. The way Ragatha’s big, bulky limbs spilled beyond the edges of Pomni’s puny frame, even when curled up, was almost comedic — but Pomni was hardly laughing. “Burden. Give me a break. You weigh fifteen pounds soaking wet.”

Ragatha sighed, leaning her head against Pomni’s chest. “My hero…”

“I-I…” Pomni glanced away, “...Don’t make it weird. You’re not even heavy.”

“Oh, but you would still carry me even if I were stuffed with sand, wouldn’t you?”

Pomni looked down with a nervous smile; her glowing cheeks did all the talking for her. Holding her damsel a little more snugly now, she launched down the path, eyeing the distant, window-studded spires peeking through the trees.

“Woah! Pomni! Take it easy!”

🎪 🎪 🎪

The moon slept soundly in the sky, silvery light outlining the decrepit mansion’s twisted silhouette. A stark shadow stretched to the bottom of the steep hill on which the manor was perched; from all the way up there, one could see for themselves how truly endless the surrounding sea of trees really was.

“Almost there! C’mon!” Ragatha whooped, arms curled tightly around Pomni’s waist. “You’ve got this, Girlie!”

Girlie did not, in fact, have this. Pomni huffed and puffed, puny legs wobbling for their lives as they crested the hill — and the obnoxiously-long staircase that wound all the way around it.

“What, so now you’re—” Pomni paused to suck down a breath, “— now you’re cheering me on?”

“What do you expect? Nagging you to slow down wasn’t working. If you’re determined to faint from exhaustion, you might as well do it past the finish line.”

“As if. You’re just mad—” Pomni huffed, “— You’re just mad that I was right.”

“Don’t count your chickens just yet, Sweetheart. You’ve still got a few more steps to go.”

Pomni grumbled, pressing on.

A baroque fence, punctuated by gargoyle-topped columns, hugged the perimeter of the dilapidated estate — as if the manor’s remoteness weren’t already enough to keep out the riff-raff. Pomni stumbled through the iron gate, and the very second she was through, an ethereal presence slammed the egress shut with a startling clang.

“See?” Gasping for air, Pomni slumped over. Ragatha nearly rolled out of her arms and onto the manor’s overgrown lawn. “I…told you…” she gasped again, “...we would finish the adventure…today…” another gasp, “...and I meant it!”

Ragatha huffed. Again and again, she had begged Pomni to slow down, to stop and rest, to take a break, for the love of God. But Pomni, obstinate as usual, had refused to listen every time.

Shame weighed heavily on Ragatha’s soul as she stared up at Pomni’s pale, exhausted face. The poor woman looked absolutely awful — as if she were ready to faint at any second.

“Ugh! You could have hurt yourself! Then what would we have done?!” Ragatha huffed, “God. Why do you have to be so stubborn?!”

Pomni’s breathing was finally beginning to slow down. “That’s not a serious question is it?.”

“Wh-What…?” Ragatha blinked. “Of course it is!”

“Come on.” Pomni, stared straight ahead into one of the mansion’s myriad windows; the flickering candle behind the dusty glass reflected in her eyes. “After all you’ve done for me, don’t you think I owe you at least this much?”

Ragatha exhaled.

A swift tide of emotion washed away her anger, leaving behind…something else. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, or what it really was — but she knew it was a good feeling. Better than good. Much, much better.

Just like Pomni, Ragatha yearned for freedom. She dreamed of wrapping her arms around Mom and Dad just one more time, even if she could hardly remember their voices anymore. She couldn’t recall the distinctive fur patterns on her pet cat’s paws, yet she still worried herself sick about who was feeding him — if at all. By her third year of captivity, the names and faces of her two-dozen kindergarten students had all melded together, and Ragatha couldn’t help but wonder: had her little bundles of joy forgotten their teacher’s name, too? How old were they now? Ten? Eleven? Even older?

For so very long, Ragatha had believed that the only cure to her heartache was to find a way out, to return to the life she had left behind. Yet, if an exit door were to appear in front of her right this second — as the wind nipped her skin, as her entire being roared with pain, as the knowledge that another leg of this adventure still stood between herself and her soft, warm bed — she would hesitate to walk through.

She must have been going crazy. The idea of remaining in the circus forever was horrifying, yet if she were to make the choice right this instant, she just might choose to stay here in Pomni’s arms forever.

Ragatha’s heart hammered away in her chest; she just couldn’t stay upset at her knight in shining armor. “You’re right.” she spoke softly on purpose, toying with the cute little pompoms that dangled from her protector’s handsome tunic, “Maybe I’m overreacting…”

Struggling to make out the doll’s words, Pomni leaned in closer. Closer than she’d ever been before. Close enough for Ragatha to catch the mild aroma swimming in Pomni’s auburn hair. It smelled sweet. Complex. A patchwork potpourri with notes of vanilla and dried leaves and crisp morning air.

“You’re a good person, Pomni.” Ragatha lifted her neck, even though it pained her terribly. She closed her eyes and planted a dainty little peck on Pomni’s dainty little cheek.

Pomni’s breathing turned shallow. She stared at the woman in her arms, mouth slack, then snapping shut, and finally falling open again.

Ragatha, feeling herself slowly slipping out of Pomni’s loosening grip, wrapped her arms snugly around the jester’s neck. She moved her face closer, gazing up with a dreamy, expectant look — but the longer Pomni just stared down, unblinking, the more Ragatha’s smile faded. She… didn’t break the poor thing, did she?

Another well-placed smooch would snap her out of it, Ragatha thought, but even she knew that was just a sorry excuse to indulge herself further. “Goodness gracious. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” she said with a playful chuckle, placing two more kisses near the corner of Pomni’s mouth. “I’m just showing my appreciation, Sunshine. No need to overthink it.”

It happened so fast.

Knees buckled, Pomni fainted, plummeting backwards onto the manor’s lawn like a felled tree. Ragatha went right down with her, landing roughly on top of her smaller friend — and another handful of amateur stitches burst open.

Ragatha’s everything roared with horrible, splitting pain. She would have screamed, but she was too busy cackling harder than she ever had in her life.

[First Chapter] [Next Chapter]

---

HUGE thank you to @spitinsideme and @blukiar, who were kind enough to illustrate a scenes from this chapter! Go check them out!

@spitinsideme: https://www.tumblr.com/spitinsideme/744502650373062656/read-a-really-good-ragapom-fanfiction?source=share

@BlukiaR: https://www.tumblr.com/blukiar/748666035752812544/long-time-no-ragapom-did-this-one-based-on

#pomni x ragatha #pomnitha #pomni #tdac pomni #pomniposting #tadc ragatha #the amazing digital circus ragatha #ragapom #digital yuri #jesterdoll #buttonblossom #ragatha x pomni #tadc fanfiction #lesbian #sapphic #tadc ship #tadc sunshine

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lilithienne · 5 days

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Astrology x Alchemy: Lilith Synastry

Alchemy is not just about transmuting base metals into gold; it is also a spiritual and psychological journey of self-discovery and transformation. Lilith's presence in alchemical symbolism signifies the necessity of confronting and integrating the darker aspects of the self in order to achieve wholeness and enlightenment.

In Alchemy, the concept of Lilith* can be interpreted through the lens of transformation and the reconciliation of opposites. Alchemy, at its core, is a philosophical and spiritual tradition seeking to transmute base elements into higher forms, often symbolized by the pursuit of turning lead into gold. Lilith, with her rebellious and untamed nature, can symbolize the chaotic and raw material that undergoes transformation in the alchemical process.

* h13/True Lilith.

Lilith Synastry in relation to the alchemical process lies in the archetypal symbolism and alchemical parallels associated with both Lilith and Alchemy.

Archetypal Symbolism: Lilith, in astrology, is often associated with themes of rebellion, independence, sexuality, and the darker, unconscious aspects of the psyche. It represents the raw, primal energy within us that seeks expression and liberation. These themes resonate deeply with the transformative stages of alchemy, where the journey involves confronting and integrating the shadow aspects of the self.

Alchemical Parallels: The four stages of alchemy—nigredo, albedo, citrinitas, and rubedo—mirror the stages of psychological transformation and individuation. Similarly, relationships undergo a process of evolution and growth, often involving conflict, reflection, integration, and transcendence. Lilith Synastry aligns with this process by revealing the different stages of relationship dynamics and the potential for personal and spiritual development.

Due to how intense and transformative Lilith is in Synastry, it can be associated with the Magnum Opus in Alchemy and the original four-stage process.

Nigredo (Blackening): In Alchemy, Nigredo represents the initial stage of transformation, symbolizing dissolution, decay, and putrefaction. In the context of Lilith in Synastry, this stage may manifest as a period of intense confrontation and shadow-work within relationships. Lilith, often associated with the darker aspects of femininity and the subconscious, may bring to light hidden tensions, power struggles, and unresolved issues between partners. This phase encourages individuals to confront their inner darkness and acknowledge the aspects of themselves and their relationships that need purification and transformation.

Albedo (Whitening): Albedo follows nigredo and represents purification and enlightenment. This stage symbolizes the emergence of clarity, purification, and spiritual illumination. In Lilith Synastry, the albedo stage may signify a period of reflection, healing, and integration within relationships. Partners may undergo a process of cleansing and renewal, letting go of past grievances and embracing a newfound sense of harmony and understanding. Lilith's influence during this phase can facilitate deep insights into the dynamics of power and sexuality within relationships, leading to greater empathy and connection between partners.

Citrinitas (Yellowing): Citrinitas represents the stage of enlightenment and intellectual illumination in the alchemical process. It symbolizes the dawn of awareness and understanding, as well as the integration of opposing forces. In Lilith Synastry, the citrinitas stage may manifest as a period of intellectual exploration and expansion within relationships. Partners may engage in meaningful conversations, exchange ideas, and cultivate a deeper sense of intellectual compatibility. Lilith's influence during this phase can stimulate profound insights into the mysteries of human nature and the complexities of desire, fostering a sense of intellectual synergy and mutual respect between partners.

Rubedo (Reddening): Rubedo is the final stage of the alchemical process, representing the culmination of transformation and the attainment of spiritual perfection. It symbolizes the union of opposites and the realization of the philosopher's stone. In Lilith Synastry, the rubedo stage may signify a period of profound spiritual union and transcendence within relationships. Partners may experience a deep sense of emotional alchemy, transcending ego boundaries and merging their souls in a sacred union. Lilith's influence during this phase can catalyze profound spiritual awakening and transformation, leading to a state of divine union and blissful harmony between partners.

Overall, exploring Lilith Synastry through the lens of alchemical stages can provide a rich framework for understanding the complexities of relationships and the potential for profound personal and spiritual growth. It invites us to embrace the darkness within ourselves and our relationships, knowing that it is through this integration that true transformation and wholeness can be achieved.

Let's take an example of a man's Lilith conjunct a woman's Sun and how it can manifest in relation to the alchemical process.

Nigredo: At the beginning of the relationship, the man's Lilith conjuncting the woman's Sun may trigger intense emotions and power struggles. The woman's Sun represents her core identity and vitality, while the man's Lilith brings forth his shadow desires and subconscious tendencies. Initially, the man may feel drawn to the woman's radiance but also challenged by her strong sense of self. This stage may involve confrontations and clashes as both partners navigate the darker aspects of their psyches.

Albedo: As the relationship progresses, the woman's impact on the man becomes clearer. Through her influence, he begins to see his own shadow more clearly and confronts his hidden desires and fears. The woman's Sun illuminates the man's Lilith, bringing awareness to his deepest desires and insecurities. This stage involves honest communication and self-reflection, as both partners strive for greater understanding and acceptance of each other's complexities.

Citrinitas: In this stage, the woman's impact on the man becomes transformative. Through their interactions, they find a balance between their contrasting energies. The woman's Sun energizes and revitalizes the man's Lilith, inspiring him to embrace his passions and express himself authentically. Together, they explore new possibilities and avenues for growth, blending their energies in creative and harmonious ways. This stage is marked by a sense of mutual empowerment and collaboration.

Rubedo: Finally, as the relationship matures, the woman's impact on the man leads to profound spiritual and emotional growth. Their union transcends individual egos, and they experience a deep sense of connection and intimacy. The woman's Sun merges with the man's Lilith, igniting a fire of passion and purpose within both partners. Together, they embark on a journey of mutual transformation, supporting each other's evolution and embracing the full spectrum of their desires and vulnerabilities.

Lilith in synastry can be one of the most difficult aspects to understand and deal with over the long term because of the nature of what Lilith brings. You will not be the same after having a relationship that has a lot of Lilith.

#Astrology #Alchemy #Synastry #Lilith Synastry

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cool-fancier · 6 months

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A Dance of Rivalry and Romance

Synopsis: Your crew,Eclipse and Bebe join together to change Seoul's dancing rivalry into a partnership. An unexpected bond sparks among pulsing beats, transcending rivalry.

Seoul's heart pulsated with life's beat, a lively symphony that echoed through its neon-lit streets. In the midst of this bustling backdrop, two dance groups, yours, Eclipse, and Bada's, Bebe, stood as more than simply rivals, but as entities who expressed the exciting spirit of the city. After a chance encounter with a local dance battle in your younger years, you created Eclipse, inspired by an instinctive passion of dance. Bada and her crew Bebe danced in defiance of society expectations, expressing themselves when words failed.

Your first meeting with Bada marked the start of a furious rivalry, a dancing war that laid the foundation for a relationship that would transcend the confines of competition. Over time, the Seoul dance community became divided into two factions: Team Eclipse and Team Bebe. Every competition increased the rivalry, transforming the dancing scene into a war where every movement was weighed down by passion and competition.

Under the surface of the competition, however, there was mutual appreciation for each other's abilities. The dance battles evolved into a dance of desire, a hidden connection buried between violent movements and intimidating glares. It was an emotional dance, with each jump and turn telling a story of unspoken attraction.

As time passed, a show called "Harmony Beat" formed, aiming to bring rival dance crews together for a collaborative performance. The news hit both teams like a tsunami, and the tension in the dancing studio was apparent during the first meeting. You and Bada, the leaders of your respective groups, stood at opposite ends of the room, looking at each other with a mixture of rivalry and suspicion.

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do, but it's for a good cause to get recognition for my group and might as well yours," Bada explained, her voice solid but laced with hesitation.

You sighed, realising the truth of her words. "Fine, but let's get one thing straight - this doesn't mean we're suddenly best friends."

Bada smirked, amusement visible in her eyes. "Agreed. Let's just get through this without tearing each other apart."

The unsure collaboration began. Eclipse and Bebe's dancing styles initially clashed, with each crew retaining its distinct identity. However, as the rehearsals went, an unexpected synergy evolved. The heated rivalry that once defined your relationship with Bada has developed into a creative collaboration that has pushed both groups beyond their comfort zones.

Late-night practises became occasions for mutual laughter and struggle. Eclipse and Bebe found a peaceful beat in the dance studio, which was formerly a battlefield. Seoul, famed for its throbbing energy, witnessed the transformation of two competitive dance teams into a collaborative force for good.

You and Bada were sitting on the studio floor, catching your breath one evening after a long session.

"You know," Bada continued, her face serious, "this collaboration might not be so bad after all."

You lifted an eyebrow, taken aback by her statement. "Coming from you, that's saying something."

"Well, I can't deny that your crew has some serious moves," Bada grinned. And maybe, just maybe, dancing is more than simply competition."

As the days turned into weeks, the charity performance for Harmony Beat approached. Eclipse and Bebe's collaboration had grown into something far more significant than either of you could have imagined. The dance routine, which was formerly a clash of styles, now smoothly blends the skills of both teams.

The city gathered to watch the show on the night of the performance. The lights were darkened, the stage was set, and the music began. Eclipse and Bebe danced together as if they were one, their bodies portraying a message of unity, resilience, and the transformational power of dance.

The audience applauded wildly as the final beats echoed throughout the auditorium. You and Bada exchanged a knowing look as you stood side by side in the centre of the stage. Your relationship's rivalry had grown into a partnership that transcended competition.

Bada turned to you with a genuine smile after the performance, as the crews enjoyed in the praise and cheers. "Maybe we should do this again sometime, minus the rivalry."

You grinned, realising that the change from bitter opponents to collaborative partners had been a life-changing experience. "Yeah, maybe we should."

Eclipse and Bebe continued to work together on several projects in the weeks that followed. The dance studio became a haven for creativity, and your relationship with Bada grew stronger. Late-night practises became moments of shared laughter and close glances, with the pulse of the music blurring the lines between competitiveness and romance.

The studio was bathed in the warm glow of dimmed lights, the lingering traces of the hard practise still in the air. You and Bada stood in the centre of the dance floor, the music playing at a low hum, as if mimicking your two's silent intensity. The pulsing beat seemed to match the quick speed of your heartbeat.

Bada's dark and seductive eyes fixed onto yours. The air was charged with an unspoken tension, a magnetic pull that drew you in. Bada took a step closer without saying anything, her fingers going up to softly cup your cheek. You found yourself leaning into it, your gaze never leaving hers, while the touch sent shivers down your spine.

"I've felt it, you know," she said quietly, her voice a breathy melody that rang out in the gap between you.

"Felt what?" you replied, your voice barely above a whisper.

"The connection, the dance beyond the choreography," Bada added, running a soft path over your jawline with her thumb. "There's something here, Y/N, something that goes beyond the rivalry, beyond the dance floor."

Her words hung in the air, leaving no space for doubt. The competitive edge that had defined your relationship with Bada seemed to fade in that charged moment, leaving only the raw, unfiltered feeling that had been boiling beneath the surface.

Without saying anything else, Bada closed the gap between you, her lips meeting yours in a delicate, lingering kiss. The world around you appeared to slow down as the sensation of her lips against yours faded away, leaving only the warmth of her touch searing through every fibre of your existence.

It was a kiss that said everything, the culmination of the tension, need, and unspoken connection that had been growing between you and Bada for so long. The dance floor was converted into a canvas for a different sort of choreography at that stolen moment—one that transcended rivalry and spoke the language of love.

The city of Seoul outside the studio walls seemed to hold its breath as the kiss deepened, as if respecting the delicate intimacy unfolding within. The neon lights continued to flicker, putting a warm glow on the two figures locked in an emotional dance.

When Bada finally pulled back, her eyes bore into yours, a mixture of vulnerability and longing mirrored in their depths. "There's no denying it now, is there?" she whispered, her voice a mere echo in the hushed space.

Your breath caught in your throat as you shook your head. Words were needless in the following days of what had happened. The shared kiss had said it all, proving a connection that extended beyond dance fights and championships.

The city of Seoul continued to pulse with life as you and Bada stood there, the studio filled with the echo of the music that had witnessed this private moment. The love story between Eclipse and Bebe's leaders, which had formerly been defined by rivalry, had taken an unexpected turn—one that had painted the city with the hues of a romance that had flowered in the middle of the dance floor.

In the end, Bada and you became symbols of a different kind of harmony, one that celebrated not only the power of dance but also the transformative nature of love. The city, with its beating heart and vibrant soul, embraced the tale of two rival dance crews turned lovers, proving that in the rhythm of life, even the fiercest competitions could lead to the most beautiful collaborations.

#bada lee x reader #swf2 #swf2 x reader #bada lee #street woman fighter 2 #bada lee fanfic #bebe #bada lee x oc #bada lee x y/n #dance

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acutemushroom · 4 months

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I know I've been joking a lot about them lately, but there is something so captivating to me in the relationship between Paul Matthews and Pokotho. A man who doesn't like musicals and a musical Eldricht Deity.

A relation between a Godly patron and their unwilling prophet that should, by all accounts, not work.

Opposites attract but it's one-sided.

A challenge that bleeds into an obsession.

An apocalypse that's he's own personal Hell.

Being expected to toss it all away and lead the Hive.

It's both really complex and really simple. They are both extremes that have to deal with each other.

No doubt Paul must come across as some child throwing a tantrum to a literal God, with him trying and failing to stop the infection by blowing the meteor up.

In the same way there is something very childish in Pokotho refusing any form of derailment to his script. Refusing other's individuality and wanting everything to go his way.

Paul hate musicals, swears he'll never go see one, let alone being in one. Yet, becomes the the protagonist, the leading man, the star of the show.

Pokotho is both a very controlling and doting patron. He'll force his stars to go his way abandon who they were, but will promise them happiness, bring them back to life anew. Give them apotheosis.

They both are two extremes that shouldn't but works so well with each other.

A heavenly good match made in Hell.

This is why they are my favorite relationship in the Hatchefield Universe. He is my favorite Lord in Black.

They have a synergy, a chemistry that works so well when you consider the implications. It's a toxic one, but also a really interesting one to analyze.

Because I love those imbalanced relationships in fiction that works so well thematically and narratively.

TL;DR :Paul and Pokotho are two extremes of the same spectrum, two extremes that shouldn't work together, and I love them for it. That was my TedTalks !

#hatchetverse #team starkid #pokotho #pokey #paul matthews #paulkotho #the guy who didn't like musicals #think about the implications #relationship dynamics #ramblings #fawning over something I like #that was my tedtalk

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lady-vetinari · 1 year

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There is such an interesting synergy between hbomberguy's and Defunctland's latest videos, both looking at the origin of a well-known, extremely short soundbite, but going into the entirely opposite directions, one having to put so much effort into showing that the public credits were taken unjustly, one having to put so much effort into even finding who to credit. I'm pretty sure they didn't coordinate this at all, that it really is just coincidence, but damn if they don't play of each other so well.

#hbomberguy #defunctland

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animehideout · 4 months

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hi! i really like your mbti personality posts, may i request one for ISTJ?

Your MBTI, Your JJK Characters Part 7

Includes : ISTJ + ESTP

a/n: Thank you anon, @2-yveee for requesting ISTJ, also thank you @suchasecretiveninja for reading this series. I hope you like it 🫶🏻💗.

Divider credit : @cafekitsune ✨💖

ISTJ:

Choso Kamo = Husband.

Married couple goals. Both ISTJs and Choso emphasize the significance of family as a central aspect of their lives. Your strong family-oriented approach , makes your relationship unbreakable. Once you got married, you'll stay loyal to each other for life, you'd solve your relationship problems rationally without further emotional upheaval. Choso's personality aligns perfectly with what ISTJ seeks in a partner; a sense of stability and kindness. Though Choso is often calm, he isn't the distant or cold type, his presence exudes warmth and protection. You can definitely rely on each other, especially that ISTJs have a great sense of duty, commitment and responsibility and that's something that Choso really appreciates in a partner. You would be his one and only. You have a vanilla kind of relationship, despite relying on your rationality most of the time, you still have that soft side just for each other. You mainly show your love through acts of service and gift giving.

Toji Fushiguro= Ex-lover.

Although you both share common traits like being rational, practical, and having a logical mindset, you faced challenges that failed the relationship. His manipulative tendencies and deception were a major deal-breakers for you, making it difficult to continue together as a couple. As an ISTJ, you put a great emphasize on trust, but Toji broke it by his manipulative behavior, he would even attempt to manipulate you into things, but being an ISTJ, you have the upper hand to sense it. Toji might also run away from a healthy conversation and won't admit his mistakes, which is the complete opposite of you since ISTJ is able to take constructive criticism well. So clashes always occur between both of you, especially when taking decisions, he isn't open to others' opinions.

Geto Suguru = Ally.

Between ISTJ and Geto, there's a collaborative effort to establish a stable and structured environment. Geto as an INTJ, he complements your ISTJ traits, making you a well-suited pair. With both being organized, punctual, and skilled planners, there's a natural synergy and chemistry between you two. Geto, being an INTJ, would entrust you with his plans and missions, recognizing your reliability and organizational tactics. Together, you thrive on efficiency, creating a harmonious dynamic that benefits from the strengths each of you brings to the table. You would definitely be on Geto's side. You may have some romantic moments and sexual tension, but you always focus on work more than feelings, both of you believe that emotions may get into the way of you achieving greatness.

ESTP:

Yuuji Itadori = Boyfriend.

Literally couple goals. Everyone is envious of your perfect relationship. Both of you are walking green flags. As an ESTP, you're drawn to excitement, your type is literally someone who is fun, playful yet respectful and supportive. And Yuuji's generous spirit aligns with what you want. The two of you, felt the connection from the first encounter, since you smoothly match each other's energy and vibe. You are the spontaneous couple who turns any kind of gathering into a joyful experience, literally uplifting the spirit of those around you. Also, you share a lot of other values like being protective, brave and courageous for each other and for others. Yuuji would also help you with your commitment issues, proving to you that commitment is worth it when it's the right person. ESTP and Yuuji are both a free spirit driven by your guts.

Gojo Satoru = Soulmate.

Your relationship could have taken another route that includes romantic emotions, but it would have turned into a situationship given both ESTP and Gojo's commitment issues.. so you developed it into a safe bond..soulmates. Your impulsive and energetic sides brought you together and unified you. Both of you are confident af, but the difference is that ESTP is confident but humble while Gojo is confident but arrogant. You always manage to effortlessly solve problems and get what you want but no one can get to you. ESTP and Gojo enjoy flirting with each other for fun, you start showing off, and exchange physical touch. You act needy around each other even though both of you are extremely independent.

Mahito = Love Hate relationship.

This man, would flirt with you during fights, given your prudent nature, you might take it as him trying to distract you or seduce you to his side, but he actually means each word he said to you. Mahito's personality could be classified as your type except one thing;...betrayal. Mahito knows exactly how to attract an ESTP. He would give you the attention you need ( kinda attention from the wrong person ). He publicly acknowledges your skills, and praises your abilities and competences. He also got a playful banter that makes your fights exciting, full of thrill and adrenaline. He loves the way you stay composed and reply with witty comebacks instead of getting offended, you act on impulse and don't care if other's judge you or comment on your actions. You're a free soul, something that Mahito highly esteems and carves to own. But he hates you for the same reasons that made him attracted to you; your sharp senses, observant, flexible and rebellious nature. You always crash his plans, block his attempts to get closer to you and offend him with your overly blunt words.

Remember this piece of writing is for entertainment purposes only, so it's not necessarily accurate 🫶🏻✨

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