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yukirayu · 1 year

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Taku and Madarame: To Heal and To Hurt

Before we get to anything, please know that I am not reading anyone for filth here. Everything I wrote for this meta is based on what the visual novel showed us and what I have observed from the visual novel, but it’s still difficult to talk about anything involving a certain character without it sounding like I’m bashing them.

Now, to start, I want to show you all this fanart (source here), which I find fascinating.

(Note: I highly recommend that you check out the rest of this artist’s work. Plenty of great TakuTowa fanart for all lovers of the pairing.)

I am promoting the fanart above because it effectively shows how Taku and Madarame are effective foils of each other. I already made a similar post before about Taku also serving as a good foil to another character (Sakaki). This post is going to be like that one, but this one is explained in greater detail; though both posts have the same goal: to compare and contrast.

Of course, be warned of the following:

Before you read any further, there will be spoilers, and I mean plenty of them, so I advise you not to read this if you haven’t completed the visual novel and want to complete it whilst blind.

What you will see under the “Read More” will be long, and I mean really long and possibly incomprehensible with all my rambling, so brace yourselves.

Every narration from the game is rephrased so that it reads in third-person, which is how it’s supposed to read in the original version. This is done to help with maintaining objectivity as I explain and point out things.

If you want to read this in a different platform, the meta is also available for reading on Google docs.

How Long They’ve Known Towa

To start with something simple: out of Towa’s four love interests, Taku and Madarame are the only ones who personally knew Towa for a long time. Sure, Rei may technically count as well since he knew Towa since middle school, but he and Towa never interacted until they were already full-fledged adults. Towa didn’t even realize that he and Rei attended the same school until Rei pointed it out in his route.

Taku knew Towa since he was a child, since he was assigned as Towa’s physician. As such, he was the one who would patch up Towa’s wounds or check on him when he falls ill (both of which are thanks to Maya’s “loving” care). After Maya’s death, although Taku is not legally assigned as Towa’s guardian, he still helped look after Towa for the longest time, which they both acknowledge.

Towa and Madarame were also joined at the hip when Towa was in his teenage years and was still an active member of the Takasato-gumi. The two were basically friends with benefits, though the ‘friends’ part in the term is questionable. They often slept together because they gave each other the violence and pleasure the other wanted, and they often hung out (with Kaga) but that’s about it.

In the common route, in what seems like a simple scene where people are having lunch at Yanagawa Café, we are already given an idea of what kind of relationship Towa has with both Taku and Madarame at present.

Relationship with Towa

(as established by the beginning of the common route)

Taku is the very first love interest to show up. How is he introduced? Fussing over Towa and getting exasperated with him, while also subtly showing concern for him. They also occasionally hang out together outside work hours, which establishes that they’re on friendly terms. Even then, there’s the kind of distance between them where while they get along, they’re not so close that they share all their secrets.

Towa would never know the real Taku, nor would Taku ever know the real Towa. Even though they had known each other for years, it didn’t mean they understood everything about each other.

As for Madarame, as far as Towa knows, the man died years ago. If Madarame’s route isn’t taken, Towa will keep thinking that, especially since he no longer has any positive feelings for Madarame and would prefer to forget about him entirely. We don’t know why yet, since until after his route is unlocked, Madarame remains shrouded in mystery. Nevertheless, Towa’s disdain for him is made clear.

As it happened, Towa knew the person they were gossiping about. A lot about him, in fact. […] But Towa would rather not remember him, and thus avoided thinking about his name or his face.

Conflict with Toono

Until Fujieda’s route proved otherwise, the fact that Toono actively plays the role of the villain in both Taku and Madarame’s routes baited us all into thinking that he’s the only one who’s really out to give the cast trouble, and it’s not hard to see why.

Taku owes Toono a great debt because it’s only due to the latter’s financial assistance (even though it was provided to Taku with an ulterior motive) that Taku was able to become a doctor. Even though he despises Toono and hates doing the jobs assigned to him by the Takasato-gumi because it goes against his morals, the fact that Toono aided him is something he cannot deny. Of course, Toono takes advantage of this, and even deliberately adds fuel to the fire by getting Towa involved when he notices that Taku is getting increasingly reluctant to make the drugs that Toono wants to distribute around Shinkoumi. This is what sets up the conflict and the main plot for Taku’s route.

This aside, Toono is also the reason why Kaga died and why Towa lost his right eye, even though in the latter case, the bullet was meant for Madarame. Even then, Madarame still got wounded, yet the entire night was chaotic enough for the Takasato-gumi to give up on looking for his corpse and just claim that Madarame was dead. Madarame may deny that he’s out for revenge, but this is contradicted by him saying that “[Kaga] didn’t have to die.” This means that Madarame is out to settle the score with the syndicate, especially with Toono, and the climax of Madarame’s route even covers his blood debt finally being repaid.

Another obvious point of comparison is how they deal with Toono. Both are given the opportunity to point a gun right at Toono and end him then and there. Both wouldn’t have hesitated to pull the trigger. Except that while Madarame - dead-set in his revenge - aims straight for the heart, Taku changes his aim at the last minute. Not because he hesitated, but because he - in his words - refuses to play by the other’s games and stoop down to man’s level for another second.

This alone shows how Taku and Madarame are fundamentally different people.

Personality (Indetermination vs. Certainty)

How different Taku and Madarame are is reflected in both how they’re introduced and what the player learns about them in full by the end of their respective routes. And in both cases, they’re always like yin and yang.

At the start of the game, Taku is established as someone who looks out for Towa’s well-being. While he’s exasperated with some of Towa’s tendencies (like being late for work and preferring to ingest nicotine and alcohol over actual food and water), he never tries to outright interfere…. unless you play his route, where his protectiveness starts to really rear its head, which puts him and Towa at odds with each other.

As you progress further into Taku’s story, both you and Towa realize that Taku is far more fractured than he appears, and this can be traced to his mother’s death, something Taku has been beating himself up for to this very day. What doesn’t help as of late is his debt to Toono, which starts to actively threaten his day-to-day life; and it even gets Towa endangered due to the latter’s association with Taku.

It’s then that as Towa tries to figure out what’s going on in Taku’s mind, he starts to realize the man’s greatest flaw. What is that? Taku always wavers, no matter the kind of decision and no matter who it involves, be it something about himself or about someone else. Because he always fears the worst-case scenario and is never sure whether he’s truly doing the right thing. More often than not, he’s not even certain of his own intentions. This has something to do with the guilt he harbors towards his mother’s demise. He fears that even if he does everything, it won’t be enough, and that holds him back. Even after he finally makes his resolve about his situation with Toono, he hasn’t completely gotten rid of his flaw in the drama CD, and Towa has to force him to make up his mind once and for all after confronting him about how he’s at it again.

From what is heard of Madarame, almost everyone just talks about how freakishly strong he is or how he’s supposed to be dead. While we can only guess what kind of person he may be (at the time), those conversations alone are enough to tell us that he carries a very imposing presence.

Once we finally see him, you realize that - besides the part where he supposedly died - everything else the others say about him aren’t an exaggeration. The man really is imposing, and his strength may as well be inhuman. He possesses an indomitable will and is the kind of person who will do what he wants to do, wherever and whenever he wants, and however he wants.

And remember the title of his chapter: Immutable. Never yielding, never changing– which is Madarame’s character in a nutshell. How can he be like this? Because Madarame doesn’t have any mental or emotional issues. There’s no deep-seated scar that Towa has to find, and this is reflected in the Interrogation since Madarame is the only one where the opposite approach has to be taken to get the good ending.

Taku and Rei are able to grow and heal if the right choices are made, and while Fujieda never gets subjected to an Interrogation since he’s able to resolve his issues by himself, he undergoes a development nevertheless and still reflects on himself. But as Towa observes, Madarame has never changed since years ago, and even at the end of the route, he’s still the same person that we saw him as from the start. He had not changed, and he never will change; hence why immutability is rooted into his very being.

Violence (Avoidance vs. Gratification)

Taku is a doctor and he pursued such a profession because he wants to save lives, as compensation for the life he wanted to save most yet was ultimately unable to. Naturally, he regards both life and death with grave seriousness and never regards it in a flippant manner, which makes him worry often for Towa, who couldn’t care less what happens to him.

On the other hand, Madarame may as well be violence incarnate—he lives and breathes to fight and carries a lust for blood. If he faces an obstacle, he’ll metaphorically and literally punch his way through said obstacle. And to him, life and death is nothing more than a game, a gamble, and he finds more fun in the challenge than in the outcome.

Now as for how this affects their approach with Towa…

Taku never does much to protest Towa’s stints whenever the latter pursues his artistic hobbies, but it doesn’t mean he likes seeing Towa either hurting himself or getting himself hurt, and he does make his displeasure known every once in a while by commenting on Towa’s wounds. Towa even remembers one time from some years ago, when Taku was absolutely furious after seeing Towa at the brink of death when an encounter with a potential model went awry.

Not to mention, there’s the way Taku treats Towa during sex. No matter what, Taku refuses to give Towa the rough treatment. At most, he will kiss and caress Towa’s scars, but no more than that. He even tells Towa that he knows his masochism is no more than a means to castigate himself. As such, Taku refuses to indulge in that, because he wants Towa to know that he’s worthy of being loved and cherished in a healthy way and that he can still feel pleasure through gentle and affectionate touches.

On the other hand, Madarame wants Towa to embrace the violence inside him and to live for violence, whether Towa inflicts it or receives it. He doesn’t mind Towa’s masochism and even seeks to indulge in it and to even amplify it, if possible. Though one can only wonder if Madarame ever saw the connection between Towa’s penchant for self-harm and the trauma of his childhood, the latter of which he’s hinted to be aware of to some degree, especially since he noticed Towa’s disdain for complete silence.

It also goes without saying that Madarame is the love interest who engages in the roughest and most violent sex with Towa. When Towa was still kept in chains as the other’s captive, Madarame showed his special brand of affection by making Towa bruise and bleed, and even after they properly rekindle their relationship later on, they still enjoy roughing each other up as part of their foreplay.

Unconditional Love vs. Conditional Love

Since he knows enough about what Towa’s childhood was really like, Taku also knows why Towa is the way he is. He knows why Towa indulges in self-destructive habits and why he’s almost completely apathetic to the motions of life. Taku doesn’t like it and the only reason he doesn’t protest too much is because he’s held back by the fear that he may end up accidentally giving away the truth, so he plays it safe by protesting on occasion but never actively trying to interfere (except when he’s certain that Towa may get himself killed).

Even then, in the event that he falls for Towa, all the negatives that he has observed from Towa doesn’t prevent him from having feelings for the other man. In spite of how flawed Towa is, Taku loves him all the same, especially since he understands why Towa is like that. Of course, he wants to help Towa heal (as much as he can at least) and grow out of his love for pain. But this aside, plus the fairly understandable request for Towa to stop sleeping with other men, Taku accepts Towa the way he is now and never asks Towa to conform to an image he has of him. This makes his love qualify more as an unconditional one.

As unorthodox as it is, Madarame’s love for Towa is sincere nonetheless. After all, for the longest time, he thought Towa died the same night Kaga did, and it’s hinted that this did affect Madarame to a degree, especially when he took a close look at Towa’s missing eye. Part of the reason Madarame even came back to Shinkoumi was to reunite with Towa. Madarame may like to make sardonic statements, but it’s obvious when he’s being upfront about his thoughts and feelings without the usual barb. When he tells Towa that he’s all he needs and asks him to not leave again, he meant it.

That being said, he’ll only reach out to Towa if he sees a chance that Towa can return to being the person Madarame last remembered him being. If Madarame thinks that Towa is, in his own words, “too far gone”, he won’t bother anymore and will leave Towa alone. This is why his love still counts as the conditional kind of love. He only loves the Towa that he once knew, but not the Towa that he sees now– which is ironic since Madarame is supposed to be a man who focuses only on the present, not the past.

Towa’s Visage

The only thing that really changes with Towa’s appearance in Rei and Fujieda’s good endings is his attire. On the other hand, in Taku and Madarame's good endings, Towa doesn’t undergo only a wardrobe switch; even the color of his hair changes as well.

Taku’s default appearance has his hair being mostly black in color, though the edges still have traces of the blonde dye that he would put on when he was still a teenager.

In Taku’s Euphoria ending, Towa grows out his hair such that it goes way past his shoulders. The blonde streaks are gone and his hair color is now a full raven black. This represents how his mental state has (even if not completely) gotten better, with his appearance being reminiscent of his younger and more innocent self. He even casts aside his black attire for a white shirt and a blue cardigan, which encapsulates how he’s become more at peace and put-together, and is now able to find contentment with the simple things. While he’s still the same person overall, he no longer seeks out violence nor does he want or need it just to feel something.

Towa also grows out his hair in Madarame’s Euphoria ending, but here, his hair is now blonde once more. Besides that, he also wears a hoodie with a design that makes it obvious to anyone who sees him that he’s feisty and rebellious, there are also the bandages on his lower torso. This reflects how he has become his younger and hotblooded self once more, with his propensity for violence now more active than passive. But since he’s no longer bound to Shinkoumi and his memories in it, he has remodeled both his identity and his love for pain, and he has become someone who always seeks to feel excitement and the rush and thrill of a fight or a beating.

Towa’s Past, and What They Know

Taku knows plenty of sordid details about Towa’s past, but just to be clear, he doesn’t know everything. He has no idea that Sakaki is complicit in Maya’s dastardly plans. Sure, he gets wary whenever Towa gets involved with the Takasato-gumi, but his suspicions are always focused on Toono, in particular. If he even had an inkling about Sakaki, a lot of things would have turned out differently.

If one pays attention to the dialogue in his route, Taku only found out the truth about what Maya was doing to Towa after the “accident” where Maya fell down the stairs. We don’t know how he found out, but it is important to remember that it’s only then that Taku discovered what Towa had actually gone through, and it’s exactly because Taku knows how horrifying Towa’s childhood was, that he does everything he can to keep it hidden from Towa.

If he gets caught in the lie, the most he can do is keep Towa from finding out more. Where Fujieda holds the key that allows Towa to finally unlock the doors where his memories stay hidden and repressed, it’s Taku who tries to keep every other key away from notice and from reach.

While he accuses Taku of being dishonest and secretive, Madarame is the pot calling the kettle black. As revealed in Fujieda’s route, Madarame also knows a lot about Towa’s past, and knows enough that he can even pinpoint to Towa where Euphoria was, so it’s safe to assume that he also knows what happened to Towa during his time in that wretched mansion.

However, what’s interesting with Madarame is that in his own route, he doesn’t tell Towa what he knows; but in Fujieda’s route, he gives Towa a hint.

We already know why Taku opted to not tell Towa anything, On the other hand, we’re left to guess why Madarame changes his gears from saying nothing to dropping some clues. It’s at least obvious that he didn’t do it out of altruism, so that makes it highly likely that he either withdraws or reveals the truth only because he felt he had something to gain from it.

Now, this is just my speculation, but I think he did either with the same goal in mind: to distress Towa in such a way that it will drive a wedge between him and the others. I’ll expound on this later on in another topic.

Taku and Madarame, Mei and Maya

Because I was apprehensive about saying or even analyzing any more about Madarame due to the thought that I might end up coming across as if I’m dragging him, it took until buzzin_buzzard’s tweet for me to fully acknowledge the similarities that could be found between Madarame and Maya, of all people. I summed it up in TV Tropes, but I’ll go into more detail for this meta.

I made a meta from before where I briefly likened Taku to Mei, since they’re both the only figures from Towa’s childhood who showed him kindness and made him feel safe, even if only for a short while. The key difference between Taku and Mei was that Mei knew exactly what Towa was going through (since she was in a similar situation herself) whereas Taku had no idea what was happening at the time. Nevertheless, they were the only two people who were not out to harm Towa, because everyone else hurt him, whether it was intentional or whether it was because they were coerced into the act (i.e. Ikuina and Asakura).

Both also helped throw a wrench in Maya’s plans. Mei told Towa that he had to get away from his mother. Their attempt to escape may have ultimately failed, but that event still left an impact on him because that small taste of freedom allowed him to realize what could be waiting for him beyond the opulent halls of the mansion, and especially because of what he would eventually find out with regards to what Maya did to Mei in retaliation. When Towa learned exactly why Mei died, he summoned the will to defy Maya for the very first (and only) time, and it led to what would eventually be Maya’s demise.

However, just because she died doesn’t mean she’s gone, not with her final order to Sakaki. Unfortunately for both the mastermind and the adjutant, the trauma of the incident stripped Towa of his memories, which waylays their plans. And Taku (unwittingly) makes sure it stays that way by never letting Towa remember his childhood and letting him live in ignorant bliss. Of course, it’s not all good; the damaging trauma of Towa’s childhood had already left his mark, resulting in his hedonistic and masochistic tendencies. Still, without the recollection of his childhood, Maya’s plan is left at an impasse, and it will stay that way in Taku, Rei and Madarame’s routes.

Now, this is the part that I was afraid of talking about the most, but if you take a moment to think about it, Madarame and Maya mirror each other to some degree. Madarame is so physically strong that nothing and no one can beat him, but that’s why he gets bored so easily. Maya was a master manipulator and can control anyone she set her sights on, but deep down, she felt isolated and her psychopathy did nothing to sate her loneliness.

This is where Towa/Haruto steps in.

As Madarame states outright in his route, he feels that only Towa can give him the exhilaration he wants yet can’t find with anything and anyone else, and that only Towa can understand his bloodlust and his love for pain.

You are the only person in the world who I consider my match. You want what I want. You feel what I feel. With you, I'll never be bored. And you feel the same way, don’t you?

With Maya, there is the very fact that she wanted Towa to follow in her footsteps both literally and figuratively. One likely reason is that this is also her way of ensuring that her legacy will go on. Another possible explanation is that Maya believed if there was one other person who acts and thinks the way she did, life won’t be so forlorn anymore.

In her last recorded message: I asked Sakaki to fulfill one last request for me. I asked him to help you find true happiness in my place, and to make sure that you’d become my successor.

Madarame isn’t the most expressive kind of person, but it doesn’t automatically mean he’s as emotionally stunted as Maya was. He just has a very good rein on his emotions, and even if he’s very unconventional about it, his love for Towa (even if it’s only to a certain kind of Towa) is sincere. Maya - even if she could perfectly emulate both affection and tenderness - felt that she could never love, yet believed that she loved Towa as best (worst) as she could. Her brain is undoubtedly wired wrong (and really, really wrong), but her admission is also undoubtedly a genuine one.

And they both express their love in the only way they knew how: violence. Madarame inflicts it directly by making Towa bruise and bleed whether it’s consensual, nonconsensual, or a bit of both, whereas Maya does it indirectly, letting her clients have their way with Towa, regardless of what they would do to her son. They both think that it’s because Towa/Haruto enjoys it and that it makes him look even more beautiful. Of course, we know that Towa finding arousal in the rough treatment that Madarame gives him reflects how he made himself love pain as a subconscious coping mechanism for all the torture he suffered at Maya’s hands. In Fujieda’s words:

By accepting the trauma others would inflict on you, you desperately cling to the last shreds of your personal autonomy. Cutting yourself was a self-destructive impulse— a punishment for being worthless.

With this, there is the main reason why Taku and Madarame are bound to always be at odds with each other whenever Towa is involved. The reasons are, in essence, similar to the reasons which explain how Mei and Maya contrast each other, especially with regards to Towa.

In Towa’s childhood, Mei was the light in Towa’s life, where Maya was the darkness. Mei was a symbol of purity, hope and innocence, and Maya was essentially corruption in human form, luring and poisoning everyone around her. Because of this, Maya saw Mei as a “toxic influence” in Towa’s life and had her killed. This is hugely ironic since it’s obvious who the real toxic influence is, but anyhow…

Similarly, though it never escalates to murder (if only because Madarame is someone who prefers to beat up someone instead of killing them outright), Madarame still kidnapped Taku, held him hostage, and also threatened him. And if you remember, there is a brief moment in Madarame’s route where he questions why Towa feels the need to cover his eye with a patch, and one should keep in mind that it’s Taku who takes care of Towa’s injuries. This scene alone already sums up their opposing viewpoints to both Towa and to violence. In this case, it’s easy to put Taku in Mei’s position, and Madarame in Maya’s.

This consequently shows the difference in how they’d react if - in a route where neither is the chosen love interest - Towa figures out his past with someone else’s assistance, and what kind of person he could become once he learned enough.

Reaction to Towa’s Growth (in Fujieda’s Route)

Madarame’s presence in Fujieda’s route is very brief, but a lot could be drawn from it nonetheless. Just like in his own route, he holds Taku hostage to draw out Towa. However, the circumstances and the venue are different from before.

Instead of the back of the clinic, they now meet at the outskirts of the Deathmatch Area. Instead of being forced to meet with Madarame in private to ensure Taku’s safety, the entire gang has gathered, all wide awake and conscious with varying awareness of what’s going on. And instead of Madarame telling Towa that Taku is lying to him, Madarame points Towa to his mother’s mansion.

This all culminates in Fujieda and Madarame exchanging blows, and right as the latter is about to land a crippling hit, Towa intervenes halfway to take a hit for Fujieda… which immediately ends the fight since Madarame loses interest then and there.

Why? Let’s recall how the entire scene was narrated.

As Fujieda doubled over, Madarame began to launch another attack.

“Madarame!” Towa rushed over and jumped in between them.

Madarame’s fist grazed Towa’s head as the latter hit the ground, landing on his stomach.

Taku dashed over to Towa’s side. Meanwhile, Rei slowly pushed himself up while gritting his teeth in pain. Fujieda frowned at Towa, then turned his head and glared at Madarame.

However, Madarame seemed to have lost all interest. His arms hung limply at his sides. His self-assured grin was gone, replaced by a pair of cold eyes that stared down at Towa.

“I never knew that you were such a drag.” (Note: Based on the context and the tone that was used, the original JP text of the line「･･････つまらないことをするな、お前」 could also translate to “I never thought you would do something so absurd,” since the word ‘tsumaranai’ can be used to describe something that’s either boring, trivial or foolish.)

Enduring the pain, Towa glared back up at Madarame as he continued kneeling on the ground.

Contrast this to Towa’s reaction in Madarame’s route after he gets confirmation that Taku is keeping secrets from him, just like Madarame warned. This lands the final nail in the coffin for Towa’s belief that he can never return to his old life, which leads him to do this:

Rei, “You’re heading towards the Deathmatch Area! You hate Deathmatches, right? So why are you going there? …To see Madarame?”

Towa remained silent, causing Rei’s brow to furrow deeply. Towa glanced at them, then turned and started walking.

Rei, “Don’t do this, Towa! Why?! Why are you going to him? Don’t go!

Taku, “Towa!”

Towa could hear their anguished screams. But as he kept walking, their voices faded into the distance. Their desperation could no longer reach him.

Towa had realized who he truly was, and he was not the kind of person who belonged with them.

He belonged somewhere else.

So back to our original question: why did Madarame suddenly lose interest in the fight? Why did he suddenly decide to not bother with Towa anymore? Because to him, seeing Towa rush in and defend someone else is a sign that Towa had changed too much for his own liking. Sure, Towa showed some spunk in that act, but it was not the kind of spunk he wanted.

Not only that, but the act also indicated that by that point, even the threat of learning more about his past won’t sever any bonds that Towa shares with the other three (Taku, Rei and Fujieda). In other words, Towa will continue to have attachments to his home, or at least some of the people in it. No chance of burning bridges for good and leaving with him. And so, Madarame exits the scene.

Madarame – much like a ghost – completely fades away from Towa’s life. After he’s informed by Kotarou about what the man is up to next after ambushing the Takasato-gumi, Towa doesn’t bother thinking about him for another second.

And now, let’s talk about Taku. For almost the entire first half of Fujieda’s route, Taku was obstructive and unhelpful because he also feared that Towa would change. But in his case, “change” means the possibility that Towa could never recover from learning the truth—which does happen and nearly ends in the worst-case scenario. Taku had nothing to gain from keeping anything, yet he was willing to risk earning Towa’s anger and resentment by staying silent even as Towa attacked him, chewed him out, and pressed him for answers. And Towa has a very good reason to be pissed at Taku, even if you can see things from the older man’s point of view.

However, it should be made clear that while Taku’s actions were questionable, they were never once done out of malice or selfishness, which is saying something compared to say, Sakaki. Towa even comes to understand this, which is shown in two instances. One is in this dialogue from when Taku and Rei got patched up after their scuffle with Madarame.

“....Towa?” Taku mumbled. “Are you mad at me?”

Towa looked at him in silence. “Why would I be mad at you?”

“For hiding [the truth] from you.”

“But you only did it because you thought it was for the best, right?”

The other instance is the update in Taku’s entry (from the codex):

I’m sure Taku had his reasons

When Towa manages to conquer his trauma in the good ending, Taku expresses relief and is even proud of Towa for it, acknowledging that Towa has truly matured and changed for the better with a smile on his face. In turn, Towa expresses his appreciation towards Taku, and it’s clear by then that their relationship has completely mended.

Taku: All this time, I was scared of you getting hurt. So instead, I figured you were better off not knowing anything at all. But you were stronger than that. You remembered your past, overcame it, and then you came back. It's clear to me now... You just aren't the same little kid you used to be.

Towa: Well, obviously. But I couldn't have done it alone... Turns out, there is value in connecting with people. I just could never see it.

Taku: What do you mean?

Towa: What I mean is... I wouldn't be standing here today without every single person in my life.

Taku: … I’m amazed you just said that. Now I can see for myself– you’ve actually overcome it. I can’t describe how relieved I am.

With this, in contrast to Madarame, Taku remains an important figure in Towa’s life. In Volume 4 of the AfterStory drama CD, Towa takes the initiative to thank Fujieda for getting Taku exonerated and released early. In another scene, Taku confides to Fujieda about everything that happened before capping off by saying that he trusts Fujieda to look after Towa. Even when the story takes another path such that their relationship remains platonic, it nevertheless is a deep and important one for them both.

Closing Remarks

Now that I think about it, the only reason the Taku vs. Sakaki meta is a bit shorter than I expected is because I had to make it fit into Twitter’s format. Had it occurred to me back then to just upload it all on Google Docs, I would have gone all out with comparing those two (note to revamp that meta later on, R.I.P. me).

I admit that I’m biased towards Taku because he’s just one fascinating character all around, combined with the fact that he can serve as a foil or a mirror character two at least three other people who are connected to Towa’s past for a multitude of reasons– which fortifies my opinion that Taku would also make for an excellent “true” love interest besides Fujieda.

At the same time, it’s also fun to try and analyze Madarame even if, at the end of the day, many things about him remain an enigma despite the fact that everything about him is supposed to be already on the surface. And without a translation of his AfterStory drama CD, a lot of things about him will remain a myth for me.

Once again, if it sounds like I was insulting Madarame in this meta, I was not. Either way, sorry in advance and please don’t kill me. ^^;

#slow damage #fen writes meta

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swan-of-sunrise · 1 year

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A Spellbinding Wedding (Spellbinding-Verse Interlude)

Summary: (Y/N) and Loki’s big day has finally arrived, but will mischief and superhero shenanigans succeed in derailing the happiest day of their lives?

Pairing: Loki X Reader

Word Count: 10.9k

Warnings/Disclaimers: Almost 11k words of pure, tooth-rotting fluff lol

A/N: We’ve finally arrived at the wedding of Loki and the Cosmic Sorceress! If you haven't already, I recommend checking out the Spellbinding Playlist; I added a bunch of wedding/romantic songs I imagine they'd choose for their special day and they're all great, so go ahead and give it a listen!Thank you all so much for reading and for waiting like six months for this thing lol, and I hope that you enjoy!

A Spellbinding Wedding October 8th, 2016 Stark Mansion New York City, New York (Previous One-Shot)

“So, (Y/L/N), in just a few short hours you’re gonna be officially – pause for dramatic effect – off the market! Can you tell us what exactly’s going through the beautiful bride’s head right now?”

(Y/N) briefly paused her mascara application and pretended to ponder Clint’s overly-exaggerated question. “Whether or not it would be rude of me to drop that camcorder through a portal to Muspelheim and lock you in the basement until after the ceremony.”

The archer snickered before jumping up to sit on the dresser behind her and turning the camcorder around to directly address the camera. “As you can see, your mom gets a little cranky when she has to wake up early. Not sure if that’ll go away in the future or just get worse, so…either way, good luck with that, kiddos!”

“When you volunteered to film the ceremony and parts of the reception for us, I really should’ve questioned it more.” (Y/N) resumed applying her mascara while fighting back a smile. “At least any future children of ours will watch this, see just how ridiculous their Uncle Clint is and know that we weren’t exaggerating. Oh! Speaking of children, are Peter’s friends here yet? Tony was supposed to send Happy into Queens to pick them up an hour ago, but I haven’t heard anything about them since.”

“Yeah, they’re all hanging out in the old lab downstairs and Tony’s helping ‘em prep their sound equipment as we speak; you and Loki do know that there’s literally thousands of professional DJ’s living in New York you could’ve hired to run your wedding reception that aren’t sixteen and can actually drive themselves to their venues, right?”

“Says the friend of ours who practically begged to be the videographer even though he’s a professional archer by trade…” She mumbled under her breath, twisting the mascara wand back into its tube just as someone knocked on her suite’s door. “Come in!”

The door opened and Natasha popped her head into the room, her long red hair still wrapped in curlers, a clipboard in her hands and a comm link secured in her ear. The spy was taking her many duties as Matron of Honor very seriously, treating the day’s celebration as if it were a highly-classified mission and not a mid-sized wedding located at Tony’s family mansion; each of their teammates had been assigned specific duties and responsibilities and throughout the morning, Natasha regularly checked in with them to ensure that their tasks were going smoothly, which explained why she was shooting Clint the trademark glare she normally reserved for Hydra agents and invading aliens. “Last I checked, Barton, you’re supposed to be overseeing the florists in the garden and not raising the bride’s blood pressure right before the wedding.”

Clint jumped down from the dresser and raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, no need to go all Black Widow on me, Tasha.” He crossed the room and pressed a chaste kiss onto (Y/N)’s cheek before winking at her through the vanity’s mirror. “I’ll see you at the altar, (Y/L/N)!”

Natasha gave the archer one final glare as he hurried out of the suite while whistling ‘Chapel of Love’ and shook her head when the door closed behind him. “I swear, I’m gonna have to start using my Widow Bites on these people if they don’t start being more helpful…” The spy turned her attention to (Y/N) and her concentrated frown morphed into a smile. “Aw (Y/N), you look stunning and you haven’t even put on your dress yet! I’m serious, it’s like you’re glowing or-” She cut herself off and held a hand up to her ear to listen to a voice in her comm. “Wait a sec, Bruce says that the caterers just arrived. Did you want me to get you anything before I check in on them?”

“Is it too early in the day for a glass of champagne?”

“Not if there’s a splash of orange juice in it,” Natasha answered with a mischievous grin. “I’ll be back before you know it!”

The door closed behind the spy and for the first time that morning, the room fell silent. (Y/N) sat back in her seat and let out a sigh of relief; she loved her friends and teammates dearly, of course, but all she wanted to do was prepare for the wedding in peace and with as little stress as possible. The wedding was slightly larger than they’d originally anticipated, with over a hundred guests from Midgard, Asgard and Alfheim all gathered together at one of Tony Stark’s family mansions in the heart of New York City, and with the ink still drying on the three realms’ fledgling peace treaties, handling the guests and ensuring that they remain peaceful would be a difficult task to carry out on a day already filled to the brim with difficult tasks. So far, her friends were doing an excellent job with ensuring that everything was running smoothly but after living the life of a superhero for over a year, she knew just how quickly a situation could shift from calm to catastrophic.

“I wonder of Loki’s feeling just as anxious about all this as I am,” (Y/N) murmured to herself, giving the photograph of her soon-to-be husband she’d tucked into the edge of her vanity’s mirror a smile before setting her sights on her un-styled hair, hoping that the intricate task would serve to distract her from the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Brother, what exactly is this gloopy green substance?”

“It’s an avocado and green tea mud mask.”

“…And why have we applied it to our faces?”

“It removes impurities from the skin while unclogging pores and absorbing excess oil.” Before Thor had a chance to ask another question, Loki brusquely continued. “Yes, it’s meant to relax you and no, you cannot eat it.”

Instead of becoming annoyed by Loki’s shortness, his brother chuckled. “In that case, these mud masks must be defective because you’re anything but relaxed, brother.” With a defeated sigh, Loki removed the cucumber slices resting on his eyelids and sat up, tossing the slices into the nearby trashcan and making his way into the suite’s bathroom to wash the half-dried mud mask off; he was halfway done when Thor entered and leaned against the door-frame, a look of concern visible even beneath his own thick mud mask. “Loki, are you all right? You haven’t been yourself all morning, and it’s beginning to worry me. You’re not having second thoughts about the wedding, are you?”

“No! No, of course not,” Loki emphatically shook his head. “I’ve been waiting for this day for quite a long time, believe me, but I…well, it’s an awfully significant life change, isn’t it? I know that what I’m feeling is only a natural reaction to such a change, of course, but a part of me can’t help but wonder if I’m even deserving of this life I’m about to embark on with (Y/N).”

His brother nodded in understanding. “I believe that Wilson refers to them as intrusive thoughts; unwelcome, involuntary thoughts with no basis in truth or fact that can manifest as a result of several forms of trauma.” When Loki raised his brows in surprise, Thor sighed and rolled his eyes in mild exasperation. “Believe it or not, brother, I do listen to what others say when they’re around me. The important point to be made is that they’re wrong; as your designated Best Man, it’s my duty to ease these irrational worries of yours and I believe that I have just the thing!”

Thor disappeared into the bedroom and quickly returned with an ornate bottle and two glasses, and Loki’s jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the familiar flagon. “That’s one of Asgard’s last remaining bottles of the great Hoder’s spiced mead. It’s to be drunk on the most special of occasions and only with the Allfather’s express permission…”

“I took a page out of your book and simply borrowed a bottle on my way out of the palace.” The older man grinned proudly at his uncharacteristic act of subterfuge and Loki couldn’t help but chuckle. “The Allfather might not agree, but my brother’s wedding and all the happiness it will surely bring him is a special occasion.”

As Loki’s throat burned and he fought back the sudden tears brought on by his brother’s support, he watched as Thor poured the amber-colored liquid out into the two glasses and pressed one into his hand, the corner of his mouth curving upwards while he raised the glass. “Well then, to happiness.”

“To happiness,” Thor echoed, and the two brothers clinked their glasses together before downing the spiced mead in one go. “Another!”

There was a gentle knock on the suite’s door and Frigga’s voice called out, “Loki? Thor?”

“Oh, Hel!”

Both men scrambled to hide the evidence of their treasonous transgression, shoving the spiced mead and glasses unceremoniously under the sink and rushing out of the bathroom to open the door for their mother; the Queen of Asgard was dressed spectacularly in a pale turquoise dress and matching wide-brimmed hat, looking just as elegant in Midgardian clothing as she always did on Asgard. Frigga was beaming as she stepped into the suite and reached up to hold Loki’s face between her hands. “Oh, I can hardly believe that my darling little one is getting married today, and to such a wonderful young woman as well! How are you feeling, Loki? Have you eaten anything at all?”

“I’m fine, Mother, just a little anxious.” Loki matched her infectious smile with one of his own. “After all, it’s not every day that three realms of the cosmos come together to celebrate a wedding.”

“You don’t have anything to worry about, because your brother and your friends are doing such an excellent job at keeping everything running smoothly.” Frigga gave them both a knowing look. “Perhaps another glass of Hoder’s spiced mead will soothe your nerves? Now, be a dear and make mine a double, please.”

Loki and Thor exchanged a wide-eyed look of surprise as their mother crossed the suite and began brushing the stray pieces of lint off their suit jackets hanging near the window, humming a cheerful tune to herself as she did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pulling back to admire her handiwork, (Y/N) smiled brightly and twirled Cassie’s chair around to face her vanity’s mirror. “There, all finished! What do you think, Cassie?”

Their flower girl-slash-ring bearer squealed in joy and turned to her with the widest smile on her glittering face. “It’s so pretty! I love it!” She threw her arms around her middle and tightly hugged her. “Do I look like a fairy from Alf…Alf…?”

“Alfheim? I’m not sure, actually, I’ve never seen a fairy there before.” Shrugging, (Y/N) glanced over at Elora, who was preoccupied with unzipping the large garment bag containing her wedding dress. “Elora has, though! Haven’t you, Elora?”

The General of the Alfheimian Army looked up from her task with a small shudder. “Unfortunately. The little beasts possess needle-sharp teeth and use their woodland magic to mask their presence right before viciously attacking any who dare trespass into their domain.”

(Y/N)’s eyes widened in alarm but before she could chastise the Alfheimian for her bluntness, Cassie clapped her hands together and let out a delighted laugh. “That is so cool!”

A knock on her suite’s door drew (Y/N) away from Elora and Cassie’s animated discussion of the various magical beasts that lived on Alfheim, and she opened the door to reveal Sam and Bucky; both men were already dressed in their suits, minus their floral boutonnieres, but her calm demeanor vanished when she caught sight of the panicked expressions they were desperately trying to mask. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“Wrong? Nothing’s wrong, doll-”

“Yeah, everything’s goin’ according to plan, (Y/L/N), promise-”

“Nat had us come up here to…um…”

“To see if you needed any help with…anything.”

She arched an unimpressed brow that almost instantly silenced both men. “Do I really have to ask you two again?”

“…Scott lost the wedding rings!” (Y/N)’s jaw dropped and Bucky let out an indignant noise as Sam raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, Buck, but she’s got the same death glare my mom used to give me! Yeah, Scott put the rings down and now he can’t find them anywhere, and he can’t even use the ants to help ‘cause he didn’t bring his suit along.”

The super soldier hastily added, “Nat’s trying her best to jog his memory, but…well, you know Nat. I think she might end up making the poor guy faint before finding out where he might’ve lost the rings.”

“Okay, okay…” Rubbing her temples in an attempt to quell the rapidly-growing headache, (Y/N) took a steadying breath and forced herself to remain calm as she began formulating a plan. “All right, my hair and makeup’s already done, so let me find some slippers and we’ll go find Nat and Scott. I might be able to use my Alf Seidr to try and find them-” Both Sam and Bucky breathed a sigh of relief. “-But not a word of this to Loki, okay? The last thing he needs today is any added stress…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arching a curious brow, Loki examined the items laid out on the coffee table before glancing up at his teammates. “This is a Midgardian tradition? It seems a little silly that these random objects can determine the outcome of a marriage.”

“Yeah, it’s a good luck thing here on Earth, Lokes, like that old Saints jersey Sam wears during every football season.” Clint held up the camcorder and pointed the lens at Loki as he continued. “Your dad’s a pretty smart guy, kiddos, but don’t let that fool you; he once thought your mom was dying when she was only having a little brain freeze. Remember, Lokes?”

“Children, if you’ve ever wondered why your mother once attempted to hit your dear Uncle Clint over the head with a coffee-table book, then now you know,” Loki snickered as the archer flushed pink and rolled his eyes.

A reluctant smile played on Steve’s lips while he finished fastening his cuff-links across the suite. “I hate to say it, but Barton’s right about it being good luck here. ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.’ Your mother gifted you a set of cloak clasps for today so that’s your ‘something old,’ your tuxedo counts as your ‘something new,’ Tony’s lending you one of his nicer Rolex watches for your ‘something borrowed,’ and your ‘something blue’ are the navy blue suspenders you’re wearing.”

Loki hummed in interest. “I suppose that a little extra luck wouldn’t go amiss…”

Just as he slipped the borrowed Rolex onto his wrist, a visibly panicked Thor burst into the suite and made a bee-line to Steve. “Captain Rogers, there’s an urgent matter that I must speak to you about!”

“If it’s that Tony wrote a borderline explicit speech to read at the reception, then we all know and Nat already took care of-”

“No, no, it’s not that, but we really should discuss this matter out in the hall-”

“What is it, Thor?” Loki asked, tilting his head in confusion as he took in his brother’s unusually pale face and arching a disapproving brow when he proceeded to badly explain away his concern. “Brother, surely you haven’t forgotten that I’m the God of Lies? Whatever it is, I’m sure that we’ll be able to handle it before the ceremony begins.”

Thor swallowed and anxiously bit his lip before blurting out, “A wizard is currently battling a space worm out on the lawn.”

“What?!” Loki, Steve and Clint all exclaimed in unison.

“It just appeared out of nowhere and started wreaking havoc across the grounds, but then a wizard stepped out of a portal and started fighting it! Stark and Rhodes are already on their way to help but it seems that the beast is indestructible!”

With his jaw clenched tight in mounting agitation, Loki stood from his seat and summoned his emerald-green magic. “Not if I have anything to say about it.” A shimmer of light enveloped his body and in the blink of an eye, his wedding attire morphed into his Asgardian battle armor and daggers appeared in his grasp. “The beast and this so-called wizard will soon regret the very moment they dared to step foot on this property.”

Steve shrugged off his tuxedo jacket and reached for the red, white and blue shield propped up beside one of the suite’s armchair. “Barton, keep the caterers and florists away from the lawn, and make sure the guests stay inside and away from the windows.”

“On it.”

“And not a word of this to (Y/N), all right?” All three men nodded in agreement and Loki’s grip tightened around the hilts of his daggers. “The last thing she needs today is any added stress…”

As the trio of men hurried outside, a part of Loki wondered if he’d been tricked into believing that a cosmic monster was in the process of battling a sorcerer and that it was all some sort of elaborate prank concocted by his brother and friends to ease his pre-wedding jitters. However, that spark of hope was quickly extinguished when Steve threw the back door open and was forced to jump back to avoid being struck by Rhodes’ flailing body falling from the sky.

“Oh, I’m definitely gonna feel that one for a couple of days,” Rhodes groaned in pain and allowed Steve to hoist his armor-clad body to his feet. “Either of you guys wanna tell me what an ugly-ass space worm is doing here in New York? ‘Cause it’s definitely not here to wish the bride and groom its best!”

The familiar sound of repulsor blasts intermingled with the booming roars caused all four men to turn and watch as Tony darted around the tentacles of an enormous pink creature and a dark-haired man wearing a burgundy cape conjured orange-hued magic to counter its vicious attacks. “Earth has second-rate sorcerers now, how delightful…” Loki rolled his eyes and turned to the others. “It’s an Abilisk, a cosmic creature that feeds off significantly-sized energy sources, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if that cheap magician down there summoned it here out of pure incompetency.”

“Let’s deal with the Abilisk first, brother, and then we’ll confront the wizard later!” With a burst of lightning, Thor flew off towards the enraged creature and attempted to slam Mjolnir against its skull, but he was quickly swatted aside by one of its flailing tentacles.

Loki and Steve exchanged a look with Rhodes before joining the battle; the Air Force colonel attempted to shoot it with one of his suit’s many guns but was unsuccessful due to the creature’s impenetrable hide and no matter how twisted its own tentacles became due to the super soldier’s impressive athleticism, the beast remained standing and overwhelmingly angry. After throwing a handful of emerald-green magic at a tentacle to stop it from slamming into Steve’s back, Loki looked over to see the bearded sorcerer performing a spell nearby. “Care to introduce yourself and explain why you’ve brought an Abilisk to my wedding?” He yelled over the creature’s deafening roars.

“My name’s Doctor Stephen Strange, I’m a Master of the Mystic Arts, the guardian of the New York Sanctum in Greenwich Village and I most certainly did not summon an Abilisk here!” The sorcerer shouted back as he threw two semi-circular protective shields at the Abilisk’s face, where they exploded on impact and disoriented the enraged creature further. “Someone here at this mansion opened an inter-dimensional portal and let this creature come through, and as soon I arrived to send it back, my sling-ring was stolen from me by an unchecked summoning spell!”

“Sling-ring?”

“Yes, it’s what allows me to channel the magic needed to open inter-dimensional portals between any two points within the universe and without it, I can’t send the Abilisk back to where it came from!”

Loki was quickly filled with a sneaking suspicion about the whereabouts of the sorcerer’s sling-ring, but he prayed to the Norns that he was wrong as he called out to the others, “Does anyone here have access to Romanoff’s comm link? I think she may be able to shed some much-needed light on the situation!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The air around (Y/N) crackled and hummed with magical energy as she used her Alf Seidr to sense her surroundings and a familiar tugging sensation in her stomach preceded a strange weight in her outstretched left hand. She opened her eyes and her excitement instantly turned to annoyance when she was met with the sight of yet another unfamiliar ring; the one resting on her open palm looked different from the rest, almost reminding her of a pair of brass knuckles but with strange etchings across its bronzed surface. “Well, this definitely isn’t what I’m seeking…” She tossed the object into the basket of other rings she’d inadvertently summoned while searching for the lost wedding rings and sighed. “Do any of you have any bright ideas?”

Scott, Natasha, Sam and Bucky all shook their heads from their spots across the laboratory, and the ex-convict was the first to speak. “I-I’m really, really sorry about this, (Y/N), I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay, Scott, I know you didn’t mean to lose the rings…” (Y/N) rubbed her temple in an effort to quell her raging stress-induced headache as she considered what to do next. “I’ll just have to try the spell again, then maybe it will-”

“Tony?” They all looked over to see a frowning Natasha listening to her comm link. “Okay, slow down, I can’t hear what you’re…wait, what wizard ring? Yeah, Scott lost the rings and (Y/N)’s been using her magic to try and find ‘em, but…” The spy’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped at whatever the billionaire was saying through the comm. “Oh shit.”

(Y/N) frowned. “What is it, Nat?”

Before Natasha could answer, the wall nearest to (Y/N) suddenly exploded and she had just enough time to summon a protective bubble of magic to encase them as chunks of stone and debris began raining down. The dust was beginning to settle when she flicked her wrists to remove the shield, her brows rising in surprise as she recognized her future brother-in-law extricating himself from the rubble. Thor’s blue eyes widened comically when he spotted her standing before him and he swallowed nervously before giving her a small wave. “H-Hello, Lady (Y/N). Shouldn’t you be off preparing for the ceremony?”

“What’s going on, Thor?”

“Nothing, nothing, just an intense arm-wrestling match with your delightful Alfheimian friends; for one so small, Myriani has quite the arm!”

“Thor.”

Natasha stepped forward and gestured towards the comm link in her ear. “According to Tony, there’s a giant space worm wreaking havoc on the lawn that you unintentionally summoned here with your Alf Seidr, and the only person who can get rid of it is a wizard-doctor who lives in Greenwich Village but you accidentally stole his magic ring.”

“God, just put me back in the damn ice…” Bucky groaned as he dropped his head into his vibranium hand.

Sam reached into the basket of rings and withdrew the odd-looking shape made of engraved brass. “I’m no expert on wizards, (Y/L/N), but this kinda looks like it could be magical to me.”

(Y/N) took the ring from Sam and with a wave of her hand, she transformed her silk robe and slippers into her Cosmic Sorceress uniform and marched through the hole in the laboratory wall. There was indeed a towering pink-skinned creature flailing its many tentacles as her friends and teammates fought their hardest against it; Tony and Rhodey were firing their suit’s repulsors and dodging its tentacles in the air while Steve, Loki and an odd-looking man wearing a red cloak tried all they could to draw the creature’s attention away from the mansion. Ignoring the guilt beginning to eat away at her, (Y/N) strode across the lawn and called out over the deafening roars, “Doctor, catch!”

The wizard-doctor looked over and raised his hand just in time to catch his ring, quickly slipping it into his fingers and rotating his hands in a circular motion to create a sparking orange portal directly beneath the creature; it released a final roar as it dropped down into the portal and disappeared, leaving the grounds of Stark Mansion silent. The stranger closed the portal he’d opened and breathed a sigh of relief before setting his sights on an embarrassed (Y/N). “Your royal highness, would you care to explain what’s going on and why you took my sling ring?”

(Y/N) fidgeted with her finger-less gloves and attempted to smile, but it appeared as more of a grimace. “First of all, I’m very sorry for all the trouble this has caused you, Doctor…”

“Strange. Doctor Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts and the guardian of the New York Sanctum.” They shook hands and she silently took note of the unique magical energy radiating from him. “You’re (Y/N) (Y/L/N), former trainee librarian turned Cosmic Sorceress, the Crown Princess of Alfheim, daughter of the Alfheimian Layeia Tilasdottir and the very-human David (Y/L/N), descendant of the esteemed Lady Astrid, designated representative between the Light Elves and the Nine Realms of the cosmos, and the Defender of the Realm of Alfheim.”

Taking a step back, (Y/N) arched a questioning brow and fought the sudden urge to summon her magic or even her sword. “For someone I’ve never met, you certainly know an awful lot about me.”

Doctor Strange shrugged. “I make it my business to keep an eye on beings that pose the largest threats to this world and I have to say, you’re quite high on my list.”

“Well, like I was saying, Doctor, all of this has a very simple if not embarrassing explanation-”

“(Y/N)!” They both turned to see Loki and their friends hurrying towards them; their tuxedos were covered in grass stains and an odd multicolored slime, and her fiancé’s emerald-green eyes were filled with worry as he gently held her shoulders and leaned down to meet her gaze. “Darling, are you all right? What happened?”

As the rest of their friends and even some of their guests began making their way across the lawn, (Y/N)’s embarrassment grew and she brought a hand up to partially hide her face. “Scott misplaced the rings and I thought I could use my magic to find them, but my anxiety must’ve led to me opening a portal and then the strength of my spell accidentally took Doctor Strange’s sling ring, and…well, you know the rest. I still have no idea why I wasn’t able to summon our rings; it’s almost as if something was blocking my magic…” Loki paled at her words and it was (Y/N)’s turn to be concerned. “Loki?”

“This situation, um…it may not entirely be your fault, darling.” Her fiancé chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his neck as he glanced over at where Scott, his girlfriend Hope Van Dyne and Cassie were all standing near Elora. “You see, I assumed that Lang might misplace the rings so before I started getting ready, I placed an enchantment on them and as an added precaution, I instructed Barton to give Lang an empty ring box and give the real ones to-”

“Hey, guys! Cassie had the rings the whole time!" Scott shouted and gave a giggling Cassie a celebratory fist-bump. “Either my little peanut’s becoming a better thief than her old man, or someone didn’t trust me with ‘em in the first place. Probably the second one, huh?”

With an incredulous laugh, (Y/N) allowed a chuckling Loki to pull her into his arms and shook her head in disbelief. “Does that mean we ruined our own wedding?”

“My dear, you both haven’t ruined a single thing,” Frigga reassured her as she walked up to them and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Your friends and guests are still here, all of them safe and unharmed, and the sun is shining brightly in the sky. Why shouldn’t your wedding continue as planned?”

A stern-looking Doctor Strange raised a hand and answered, “Because Miss (Y/L/N) here nearly caused the destruction of New York with her unchecked magic and a mass hysteria the likes of which hasn’t been seen since his invasion. Such an act, even one as accidental as you claim this one to be, cannot go unexamined and unpunished.”

(Y/N) bit her lip while Loki rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to counter his words, but his mother’s hand on his arm silenced him as she turned to Doctor Strange with a brilliant smile. “It’s very nice to meet you, Doctor Stephen Strange of Midgard; I am Frigga, the Queen of Asgard and mother to Loki and Thor. My dear future daughter-in-law has recently obtained an extraordinary amount of Alf Seidr that she’s still training to control and seeing as today’s her long-awaited wedding day, it’s quite understandable that her focus was shaken.” Frigga sympathetically rubbed (Y/N)’s back and took a moment to adjust her uniform’s purple-hued tiara before returning her attention to the sorcerer. “Now, I’m sure that a highly-skilled Master of the Mystic Arts such as yourself would be honored to utilize the Time Stone hanging around your neck and repair the damage caused by the creature, so as to ease Lady (Y/N)’s frazzled nerves and prevent any other unfortunate accidents from occurring.”

Doctor Strange blinked in surprise. “Um…”

“For your valiant defense of this realm, Asgard recognizes you as one of its trusted allies and speaking as the mother of the groom, I would personally be honored if you joined us for today’s celebration of Loki and Lady (Y/N)’s nuptials.”

“That’s, um…thank you, Queen Frigga, for extending an invitation to me…I-I’d be honored to attend…” The sorcerer’s cheeks flushed pink and he tried his hardest to avoid making eye-contact with the beautiful goddess in front of him. “I’ll start on the repairs right away…”

While a flushed Doctor Strange started using the power of the Time Stone to reverse the damages to their friends’ tuxedos first, (Y/N) turned to look between Frigga and Loki as her stunned expression morphed into a grin. “You really did inherit your Silvertongue from your mother, didn’t you?”

“So it would seem,” Loki replied and leaned down to press a kiss onto his mother’s cheek. “Thank you for intervening on our behalf, Mother.”

Frigga’s blue eyes twinkled with some mischief of her own as she gave them a conspiratorial wink. “Of course, little one. I was raised by witches who taught me many invaluable lessons, among which was that diplomacy and deceit are two sides of the very same coin.”

After the Queen of Asgard went to supervise the sorcerer as he repaired the lawn and floral arrangements surrounding the white gazebo that they’d soon exchange their vows within, (Y/N) spotted Clint filming the aftermath of the battle and giggled. “This’ll be a fun memory to share with our future children: How Mom and Dad’s magical shenanigans nearly wrecked their own wedding.”

Loki laughed. “After listening to Stark read me an online article chronicling several common wedding day horrors, ours was relatively tame by comparison.” He gave her forehead a lingering kiss before meeting her gaze with a tender smile. “Are you ready to get married, my love?”

“More than ready, sweetheart.” (Y/N) slipped her hand into her fiancé’s and swung their arms as they made their way into the mansion to finish getting ready for their wedding ceremony.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour and over a dozen magical repairs later, Loki and Thor stood outside on the mansion’s veranda with Cassie Lang, keeping the flower girl-slash-ring bearer entertained and patiently waiting for (Y/N) and Natasha to finish their last-minute preparations so the ceremony could begin.

The guests were all seated and talking amongst themselves while they enjoyed the late afternoon sunlight breaking through the fluffy white clouds; the only people not seated in the rows of benches were General Elora – who would be officiating the ceremony, as it mainly drew from ancient Alfheimian customs – and Peter, MJ and Ned; the young woman graciously volunteered to play the guitar while they walked down the aisle, and her two best friends were keeping her company as she perched herself on a wooden stool beside the gazebo’s steps. Floral arrangements comprised of green and lavender Dahlias and branches of fern lined the aisle and hung gracefully off the ends of the sculpted wooden benches, while vines of green ivy and lilacs wrapped around the gazebo’s posts and railing. The interior of the gazebo was illuminated with dozens of twinkling fairy lights that were set to brighten as the sun started to set, and lanterns of battery-powered candles hung from each nearby bush and tree.

Embracing a mixture of Asgardian and Midgardian traditions, Loki was dressed in a tailored black tuxedo with an emerald-green cloak fastened to his jacket by the engraved golden clasps his mother gifted him, and he wore a floral crown of blooming laurels and leaves. On Asgard, one’s future spouse chose the flowers that best represented their intended and after much deliberation, (Y/N) picked the laurel for its many symbolic meanings; the laurel symbolized nobility, intelligence and an acknowledgement of the new phase he was entering by marrying her. Quite a flattering choice on her part, he thought with a reserved smile as he conjured another tiny burst of fireworks for Cassie’s amusement.

“Perhaps one day, young Cassie, my brother will show you how he can transform into any animal one could imagine,” Thor remarked to Cassie as he took a moment to readjust his green pocket-square.

The little girl’s eyes widened in amazement and she quickly turned to face Loki. “Can you turn into an ant?!”

Loki blinked in surprise as Thor stifled a chuckle behind his hand. “Um, well…now that you mention it, I haven’t actually tried.”

“Oh. I like ants. The ones that my daddy works with are really nice!”

Watching Cassie suddenly switch from talking about ants to twirling around in her soft green dress, a part of Loki hoped that his and (Y/N)’s future children shared the little girl’s quirky enthusiasm and unapologetic sense of wonder. The sound of the veranda’s glass door opening caused Loki to turn around and when he did, he was met with the jaw-dropping sight of his fiancée. (Y/N)’s off-white wedding dress – impeccably designed for her by Luke Jacobson – was relatively simplistic, with a fitted bust that cinched at the waist and flared out into a flowing skirt that reached the floor, but what elevated the entire look from simplistic to enchanting were its unique details; a lace overlay of hand-sewn floral designs was fastened onto the bust, branching out into fluttering sleeves that hung down to her biceps, and the only jewelry she wore besides her engagement ring was a delicate pair of pearl earrings she inherited from her late aunt. Her hair was arranged into one of her favorite styles and on the top of her head, she wore a floral crown comprised of white Camellia blooms; he’d picked them for her because they symbolized admiration, respect and everlasting love and devotion. A veil of lace-trimmed white chiffon was attached to the back of the floral crown, hanging gracefully down her back and barely brushing the floor. The finishing touch was the bouquet she was clutching in her hands; it was comprised of laurel, white Camellia blooms, lavender and lilac-colored roses and dusty green foliage.

“Darling…” Loki approached her almost reverently and stood before her with a dazed smile on his face. “I truly am the luckiest man in all the Nine Realms, to find myself marrying such an ethereal goddess as you.”

(Y/N) shyly ducked her head before reaching a hand up to straighten one of his cloak clasps. “You must be a mind-reader, then, because I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

His lips chastely caressed her knuckles as Natasha stepped onto the veranda with a small basket of multicolored flower petals and a small bouquet of her own; the Matron of Honor was dressed in a simple lilac-colored gown, with her long red curls pinned up in an elegant style by a single white Dahlia and glittering silver heels on her feet. “Save the kissing for later, lovebirds, we’ve got a wedding ceremony to begin.” Mindful of her gown, the spy bent down and held the basket out for Cassie to take. “Okay, Lang, just like we practiced.”

“I’m on it,” Cassie replied, toothily grinning and giving Natasha a thumbs-up before taking the basket from her and allowing the spy to quickly adjust (Y/N)’s veil.

“Are you two ready?” After Loki and (Y/N) nodded, Natasha held a hand up to her comm link and spoke lowly into it, “All right, kid, let’s do this thing.”

Across the way, MJ nodded and gestured for her friends to take their seats, spending a moment adjusting her guitar’s shoulder strap before beginning to softly play. The guests’ conversations started to dim down and with a nod of confirmation from the spy, Cassie walked across the lawn and started to slowly make her way down the aisle, scattering flower petals along the way while her father beamed with pride from his seat.

Thor leaned down to give (Y/N)’s forehead a chaste kiss and clapped a hand on Loki’s shoulder, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness as he allowed Natasha to loop her arm around his. “See you in a minute.”

Natasha winked at them and with that, the Best Man and the Matron of Honor began their walk down the aisle; when they ascended the gazebo’s steps and took their respective places, (Y/N) slipped her hand into Loki’s and he squeezed it tight as they crossed the lawn to stand at the end of the aisle. Once the guests all stood and turned to face them, Loki and (Y/N) exchanged a smile before starting down the aisle hand-in-hand; long before they knew it was Alfheimian tradition that the bride and groom walk themselves down the aisle on their wedding day, (Y/N) pointed out that since they’d both be entering into marriage with one another, it only made sense that they’d choose to walk down the aisle together.

While they slowly walked down the aisle as MJ played a gentle love ballad on her guitar, Loki looked out at their friends, teammates and colleagues standing amongst the guests to distract himself from the butterflies beginning to flutter around his stomach. Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Everett Ross and Doctor Helen Cho stood alongside everyone they invited from S.H.I.E.L.D., the director giving them both an approving nod as they passed by; Steven Grant – the quirky man they’d met while on vacation in Egypt and to whom (Y/N) was a devoted pen-pal – stood beside Layla El-Fouley, his alter Marc Spector’s stunning wife, and for the briefest moment, Loki could even see the skeletal figure of Khonshu lingering by one of the distant trees; their new and reluctant friend Doctor Stephen Strange, now dressed in a simple black tuxedo instead of his sorcerer’s robes, stood beside his fellow sorcerer Wong and attempted to not look as uncomfortable as he presumably felt amongst so many superheroes; Peter Parker and Ned Leeds were trying their hardest not to seem too excited to be sharing a row with Doctor Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis, and Loki could hear (Y/N) stifle a giggle when the eccentric woman winked and fired finger-guns at them; Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne’s attention was caught between watching Loki and (Y/N) make their way down the aisle and keeping an eye on Cassie standing on the gazebo beside Thor, while Bucky and Sam both smiled widely at them as they passed; Bruce stood beside his cousin Jennifer Walters, who was already flirtatiously eyeing an embarrassed Rhodey standing across the aisle, while Pepper elbowed a snickering Tony; Steve and Clint stood at one of the front rows, the super soldier beaming with happiness and the archer filming their procession with his camcorder.

At the front of Loki’s side of the aisle stood their Asgardian and Alfheimian friends and family. Fandral winked at him and Sif grinned widely as Volstagg toasted them with the chocolate bar he was snacking on and even the ever-stoic Hogun gave them an atypical smile. Queen Amirah of Alfheim stood beside her guards, Hagen and Myriani, and the afternoon sunlight make her blue opal tiara sparkle almost as much as her smile, and at the end of the row stood Frigga, who was dabbing at her tear-filled eyes with a handkerchief as they walked past and ascended the gazebo’s steps.

Elora patiently waited for all the guests to take their seats to begin. “We are gathered here to witness the union of Crown Princess (Y/N) Layeiadottir (Y/L/N) of Alfheim and Midgard and Prince Loki of Asgard, two halves of the same shining soul, in blessed matrimony. Do both parties stand here of your own free will to acknowledge the eternal bond shared by the both of you?”

“We do,” Loki and (Y/N) replied in unison.

“Then you may face one another, join hands and recite your written vows.”

After (Y/N) handed her bouquet over to Natasha and placed her hands in Loki’s, she took a steadying breath before smiling up at him. “Loki. Through all the tears and all the struggles we’ve overcome together, a part of me always knew that we were destined to make it here. My heart was yours the moment I first looked into your beautiful eyes and as I look into them now, I can see every ounce of the passion and devotion I feel for you reflected in them. Sweetheart, you’re my greatest love and the brightest light in my life, and I promise to love and cherish you from here to eternity as your wife.”

Loki swallowed the lump in his throat and forced himself not to cry as he started speaking his own vows. “(Y/N). Not a day goes by where I don’t count myself the luckiest man in all the Nine Realms to have the love of someone as utterly magnificent as you. In the beginning of our romance, I feared that you were too good to be true, that I couldn’t possibly be deserving of someone so pure and loving as you are. But here we stand, surrounded by our friends and family, and I feel proud and incredibly blessed to become your husband. My darling, you’re my lover, my best friend and my eternal soulmate. All I am is yours, and here before our friends, our family and the Norns themselves, I vow to be until the end of time.”

(Y/N)’s eyes were filled with unshed tears and although Loki’s gaze never left hers, he could hear the sniffles and rustling of Kleenex packages amongst their guests. “(Y/N), do you take Loki to be your husband, to cherish in love and in friendship, in strength and in weakness, in success and disappointment, to love him faithfully today, tomorrow and forever?”

“I do,” (Y/N) vowed and smiled widely up at him.

“Loki, do you take (Y/N) to be your wife, to cherish in love and in friendship, in strength and in weakness, in success and disappointment, to love her faithfully today, tomorrow and forever?”

Loki solemnly nodded as he vowed, “I do.”

“And now, for the rings.”

Cassie nodded, handing one ring to Natasha and the other to Thor before giving her father an excited wave, causing a ripple of giggles through the rows of guests; the spy handed (Y/N) the ring and her eyes flicked between his and the thin band she held as she recited the ceremony’s next words. “I present to you this ring as a symbol of my devotion.” She slipped the band onto his ring finger to rest above his gold engagement ring. “My body, my soul and my everlasting love I share with you always and forever.”

Accepting the ring that his brother handed him, Loki gave (Y/N) another smile before reciting, “I present to you this ring as a symbol of my devotion.” He slipped the band onto her finger above her sparkling engagement ring. “My body, my soul and my everlasting love I share with you always and forever.”

“May these symbols of your devotion serve to always remind you of your everlasting bond.” Elora’s golden-colored eyes were slowly misting over as she spoke, no doubt wishing that (Y/N)’s late mother and father could be there to witness their only child be married. “And now, by the power vested in me by my rank as General of the Alfheimian Army, it is my honor to declare you both married. Go forth and live each day of your lives together to the fullest. You may seal this declaration with a kiss.”

Beaming with happiness, (Y/N) stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Loki’s in a brief but passionate kiss that he was quick to reciprocate. For one singular blissful moment, everything and everyone around them faded away and they stood alone on the gazebo, sharing a sweet and loving kiss that symbolized their long-awaited unification as husband and wife. The cheering and applause from their guests brought Loki back to reality sooner than he would’ve liked but after reminding himself that they’d have plenty of time to be alone later, he ended their kiss and gave his wife a mischievous smile before scooping her up in his arms and spinning around while she burst into joyous laughter.

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To say that the wedding reception was one of the liveliest parties (Y/N) had ever attended would be an understatement. From the moment they were declared husband and wife, she felt as through she’d been whisked straight into a dream that seemingly had no end to it; once they finished having their wedding photographs taken, they spent a half an hour by themselves in one of Stark Mansion’s many living rooms, enjoying several slices of pizza (and lots of kisses, of course) and taking time to relax for the first time that day while the guests filtered into the ballroom for the reception.

After (Y/N) and Loki snuck into the beautifully-decorated ballroom and made their rounds around the tables to greet their guests as they enjoyed their dinner, the trio of teenagers they’d allowed to be their DJ’s took their places behind their equipment and announced the bride and groom’s first dance as husband and wife; they both had fun watching their guests’ reactions when, instead of some sort of romantic waltz or ballad, they danced along to the fast-paced disco hit ‘You’re The First, The Last, My Everything,’ spinning and twirling so much around the dance floor that (Y/N) was thankful she’d removed her floral crown and veil and that Loki had dressed down to just his black tuxedo.

The guests took to the dance floor once dinner was cleared away and while Loki danced with Frigga, Thor asked (Y/N) for a dance. From there, (Y/N) danced with every member of the Avengers and their off-realm guests to a wide variety of music; she requested Big Band tunes for Steve and Bucky and slower songs for Bruce and the Warrior’s Three, while Tony, Clint and Sam happily danced along with her to some faster pop numbers. Natasha pulled her into a ladies-only group dance with Jane, Darcy, Helen and Maria, and after a brief dance with Everett Ross, (Y/N) had their trio of DJ’s pause the music so she could reveal her surprise for Loki.

“I’d like to start out by thanking you all for being here with us today,” (Y/N) began as she stood before the crowded ballroom. “As I’m sure some of you know, I had a difficult road to recovery after the Battle of Boston. Sam suggested that I take up playing the piano again as a form of musical therapy, but I was hesitant at first; you see, my aunt taught me to play when I was a child and I stopped when she died because I couldn’t enjoy the music without her. Loki…” Her voice momentarily caught in her throat at the unexpected emotions welling up within her, but spotting her husband standing amongst the crowd helped her to steady herself and keep going. “Loki stayed with me every single time I sat myself at the piano. With him by my side, I found the strength to enjoy the music again and slowly but surely, I started to heal. Loki’s always been there for me when I needed him the most, which is why I’d like to dedicate this next song to my new husband.”

Peter and MJ plugged in the last chord as (Y/N) sat down at the electric keyboard they’d set up for her, both teenagers ducking out of the way with a whispered “break a leg!” while she adjusted the microphone and straightened her posture; seeing the curious expression on Loki’s face and the eager anticipation filling his emerald-green eyes, (Y/N) gave him a smile and a little wink before she began to play.

“Sweet, wonderful you, you make me happy with the things you do. Oh, can it be so, this feeling follows me wherever I go. I never did believe in miracles, but I’ve a feeling it’s time to try…I never did believe in the ways of magic, but I’m beginning to wonder why…” A widening grin played on (Y/N)’s lips as the guests took to the dance floor and started to dance to the spirited Fleetwood Mac tune while she sang. “I never did believe in miracles, but I’ve a feeling it’s time to try…I never did believe in the ways of magic, but I’m beginning to wonder why…” While the guests continued to dance, Loki approached the electric keyboard she was seated at and watched her fingers fly across the keys with an unreadable expression on his face. “Don’t, don’t break the spell, it would be different and you know it will. You, you make loving fun, and I don’t have to tell you but you’re the only one. You, you make loving fun, it’s all I want to do…you, you make loving fun, it’s all I want to do…you, you make loving fun, it’s all I want to do…you, you make loving fun, it’s all I want to do…”

When the song finally came to an end, the crowd burst into applause and their three DJ’s were quick to select another pop song that kept everyone out on the dance floor. (Y/N) thanked the teenagers for their help and crossed the makeshift stage to where Loki stood but before she could say anything, his arms were around her and he was dipping her low as his lips captured hers in a reverent kiss; when they were finally forced to separate for air, her husband straightened them both up but kept his arms wound around her waist and gave her a tender grin. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you sing, darling, and you sang that beautiful song just for me. Rest assured, I’ll treasure that moment for the rest of my days.”

“Thanks to our archer-turned-videographer, you’ll be able to watch it over and over until you get sick of it,” (Y/N) chuckled as she glanced past Loki to see Clint filming Natasha and Thor reenacting the famous lift from Dirty Dancing to the amazement of the dancers nearest to them.

Loki’s fingers gently took hold of her chin and guided her to look at him, and his love-struck gaze remained trained on hers as he slowly shook his head. “Never, my love. Now, how about a slice of cake and some Asgardian mead?”

Everyone gathered to watch (Y/N) and Loki cut their three-tiered wedding cake with one of his intricate daggers and after they’d indulged in their dessert, four of their grinning and slightly-inebriated teammates took to the makeshift stage; Natasha and Clint’s cheeks were tinged red, Sam’s sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his bow-tie was missing, and Tony couldn’t contain his giggles as he stepped up to one of the microphones.

“Hey, guys! Great party, huh?” The crowd cheered and Tony nodded in agreement. “Well, you better hold onto your hats ‘cause it’s about to get even greater!”

(Y/N), who was standing beside Loki and catching up with both Pepper and Helen, looked over at her husband with eyes widened in horror. “He’s not about to give a speech, is he?”

“Not if he doesn’t wanna spend tonight sleeping on the couch,” The CEO replied before taking another sip of her champagne. “Trust me, he and I already had a lengthy discussion about what constitutes as appropriate wedding reception behavior.”

“In my experience, Mr. Stark tends not to retain information told to him in less than three sentences or in any tone other than pleasant.” The world-renowned geneticist let out a long-suffering sigh and watched the four Avengers setting up several more microphone stands. “Hence why he’s permanently banned from my laboratory.”

While Pepper gave Helen an understanding nod, Loki wrapped an arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze. “I’m sure that whatever they’re planning will be very touching…also, Romanoff stole Stark’s intended speech and vaguely threatened bodily harm if he attempted to improvise one; he may be an impulsive Midgardian, but he knows better than to find himself at the mercy of the Black Widow.”

(Y/N) chuckled as the lighting dimmed and all of a sudden, a spotlight landed on the two of them. “You see, the four of us up here got together and decided we wanted to do somethin’ special for our two good friends here. Like (Y/L/N) here mentioned earlier, she used music to help her out during her recovery and she’d play for all of us in the tower; so, we got together and figured that it was time we were the ones to play something for her…or rather, sing something for her. Hit it, adolescent DJ’s!”

The teenagers began to play an instrumental track of Frankie Valli and the Four Season’s ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,’ and Loki offered her his hand. “Shall we?”

With a smile on her face, (Y/N) nodded and allowed her husband to lead her to the empty center of the dance floor, slow-dancing along to the song’s pleasant introduction and biting her lip to keep from giggling when Tony and Sam started singing and Natasha and Clint provided their back-up vocals. “You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you. You’d be like heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much. At long last love has arrived, and I thank God I’m alive. You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you…”

“Did you tell them that I like this song?” (Y/N) suddenly asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she examined Loki’s overly-cheerful face. “Because I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned to any of them that I like this song.”

Loki merely arched a brow and his emerald-green eyes sparkled with mischief. “Now, why would I do such an odd thing as that?”

“Pardon the way that I stare, there’s nothin’ else to compare. The sight of you leaves me weak, there are no words left to speak. But if you feel like I feel, please let me know that it’s real. You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you…”

As the small instrumental revved up for the chorus, (Y/N) was twirled around in tight circles and before she could question her husband further, his voice suddenly echoed throughout the ballroom and sang, “I love you, baby!” (Y/N) gasped in disbelief when she looked over at the makeshift stage to see Loki standing at one of the microphones, and she laughed when she realized that her dance partner was a clone created from Loki’s magic. “And if it’s quite alright I need you, baby, to warm the lonely night, I love you, baby, trust in me when I say…” Loki was grinning widely as he sang and when his eyes found (Y/N)’s, he gave her a sly wink. “Oh, pretty baby! Now that I’ve found you, stay, and let me love you, baby, let me love you!”

“You really are a trickster,” (Y/N) remarked to Loki’s smirking clone, who merely shrugged and continued to sway them across the dance floor.

“When our friendship first began, my darling (Y/N) took it upon herself to introduce me to all of Midgard’s greatest literary creations and being the dedicated bibliophile that she is, she more than succeeded.” The real Loki onstage smiled as he held onto the microphone. “Each and every novel and play she recommended provided me insight into her beautiful mind but when it came to watching the filmed adaptations of her favorite literary works, I was able to observe just how they affected her…which is how I know that (Y/N) adores the scene in a certain modern Shakespearean adaptation when the handsome lead surprises the heroine with a public show of affection.”

(Y/N) felt her face warm and a reluctant grin spread across her face as she glanced back at the clone she was dancing with. “10 Things I Hate About You was the first movie we watched together when I joined the Avengers. I…I can’t believe you remembered that…”

The clone leaned down and pressed a kiss onto her forehead while the real Loki onstage continued to sing. “I love you, baby! And if it’s quite alright I need you, baby, to warm the lonely night, I love you, baby, trust in me when I say…Oh, pretty baby! Don’t bring me down, I pray, oh pretty baby, now that I’ve found you, stay, oh pretty baby, trust in me when I say…”

When the song came to an end, the clone vanished in a shimmer of green magic and as the crowd clapped and cheered, an impressed-looking Darcy leaned towards (Y/N) and yelled over the din, “Geez, is there anything that guy can’t do?”

“If there is, then I’ve certainly never seen it!” (Y/N) chuckled and when Loki finally made his way through the crowd, she looped her arms around his waist and smiled up at him. “That was beautiful, sweetheart!”

“It was a challenge to keep our rehearsals a secret and I might’ve downed a shot or two of liquid courage beforehand, but I’m glad that you enjoyed it.” He pressed a kiss onto the tip of her nose and grinned when she laughed at the ticklish sensation. “You surprised me with a beautifully-performed song, and I surprised you with a slightly-less conventional performance; I suppose that great minds really do think alike.”

“Okay, here’s another oldie for all you oldies out there!” Ned Leeds’ amplified voice announced and the opening notes of The Village People’s ‘Y.M.C.A.’ filled the ballroom, causing the guests to eagerly take to the dance floor.

Nearby, Jane frowned and turned to Darcy standing beside her. “Wait, did that kid just call us old?”

“Join the club,” Both Steve and Bucky quipped as Natasha and Jennifer Walters dragged them past towards the center of the dance floor.

“Oh, I love this song!” (Y/N) grabbed Loki’s hands and started to sway along to the catchy beat. “It was in The Office, remember? It’s the song that plays towards the end of the Café Disco episode!”

“You’re right, but I’m still confused as to why a song about a worldwide youth organization inspires such a visceral reaction in Midgardians.” Loki studied the dancers around them in curious amusement. “And what about it has anything to do with weddings?”

She ducked under his arms and spun so that her back was pressed against his front, craning her neck so that she could meet his gaze with a grin. “It’s a catchy, cheesy song that has the easiest dance moves in the world to perform. Doesn’t that make it the perfect party song?”

Loki shrugged and spun her back out to face him. “Only if one has the perfect dance partner to go along with it.”

“Then I suppose we’re in luck,” (Y/N) quipped, pressing a kiss onto her husband’s knuckles before manipulating his arms along to the song’s iconic chorus and dissolving into a fit of giggles at the absurdity of the God of Mischief dancing along to ‘Y.M.C.A..’

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When the moon was high in the star-filled sky and the reception inside Stark Mansion was beginning to wind down, Loki and (Y/N) snuck off to the gazebo they were married in and swayed to the slow music playing in the distance, surrounded only by the beautiful flowers and twinkling fairy lights that decorated the structure. (Y/N)’s head rested on Loki’s shoulder and his eyes were closed as one of his hands held hers against his chest, directly over his heart.

“Do you think that we’ll see Doctor Strange again?”

Loki thoughtfully hummed and nodded. “I’m sure we will, but not for a long while; I believe that the superhero lifestyle unnerved the poor fellow and I doubt he wants to incite the anger of any of our friends. As long as you continue to train and master your abilities, there won’t be a reason for that second-rate sorcerer to bother you again.”

(Y/N) lifted her head so that she could meet his gaze, a single brow arched as her (Y/E/C) eyes sparkled with delight. “So, are you finally going to tell me where we’re going on our honeymoon?”

“And ruin the surprise I’ve spent two months meticulously planning? Where’s the fun in that?”

“Loki, I have to know what sort of clothes to pack!”

“Darling, I don’t imagine we’ll be wearing any for the majority of the honeymoon.” Loki’s teasing snickers quickly transitioned to laughter when (Y/N)’s fingers mercilessly tickled his neck in retaliation. “All right, all right, I surrender! On Monday, you and I will travel the Bifrost to Karapiro, New Zealand and spend ten days at Lakeview Lodge; we’ll have the opportunity to visit Rotorua, the Waitomo Caves and even take a tour of-”

“Hobbiton,” (Y/N) gasped and Loki’s grin widened as her face lit up with excitement. “We’re going to see where they filmed The Lord of the Rings movies?!” When he nodded, she flung her arms around his neck and nearly tackled him to the floor with the force of her embrace, but he was quick to catch her and hold her up against him while she laughed in delight. “I have the absolute best husband in the world!”

Loki’s heart leapt in his chest when she called him her husband and when she moved her hands to cradle his face, he tenderly smiled up at her and replied, “Well, the best wife in the world deserves everything I can offer her and more, does she not?”

(Y/N)’s expression softened into a look of loving adoration, and the feather-light touch of her thumbs caressing his cheekbones nearly made his eyes flutter closed in bliss. “You know, I think about that day we first met in the library from time to time. I replay the entire scene my mind – how I stumbled and how you were by my side in an instant to catch me, how our eyes locked and my breath was nearly taken away by the way you looked at me, how my heartbeat sped up when I realized how much I enjoyed having your arms around me – and when I do, I thank the universe for sending a mischievous and misunderstood trickster to steal my heart that day.”

“When I think of that fateful day, I find myself thanking the Norns for sending a kind and passionate lost princess to spellbind me, body and soul,” Loki huskily replied as his eyes stung with the prickling of tears. “And I pray that she’ll never set me free.”

(Y/N), her eyes sparkling with unshed tears of joy, gently shook her head and leaned forward to ghost her lips over his. “As long as the trickster holds her heart, she never ever will. So…” She held her hand up and stuck her little finger into the air with the hint of a playful grin on her face. “Pinky-Promise?”

Loki laughed and adjusted his hold on her so that he could wrap his little finger around hers. “Pinky-Promise.”

Their lips finally met in a passionate and unhurried kiss and Loki sighed at the heavenly sensation of (Y/N)’s fingers carding through his hair, holding his beautiful wife in a tight embrace and smiling through the love-filled kisses they exchanged beneath the gazebo’s twinkling lights.

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A/N: I honestly loved writing this and indulging in some of my own personal wedding dreams lol if anyone would like to see the different reference pics I used while designing the wedding, just shoot me a message and I’ll send ‘em to you! Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wx8TZwpDN0l33tES3W3Nk?si=5fcb3ef04de544e7

Three’s Company (A Spellbinding-Verse Interlude)

“Spellbinding” Masterlist

Tagging: @nexiva @ravenclawbitch426 @cminr @confusedfandomwriter @momc95 @nickkie99 @austynparksandpizza @brooke0297 @a-laufeyson @outoftheregular @itscomplicatedx @0-artemis @vivloki @crowleysqueenofhell @groovy-lady @mostclevermiss

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great-and-small · 1 year

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hey, I'm sorry to bother you, especially since I just stumbled onto you yesterday, but I'm trying to explain to my parents how to dry dock our red eared slider and I was wondering if you had any suggestions about how to explain it to them, since I'm slightly terrified they're going to do something wrong and either roast or freeze our turt

It’s no bother at all, I’m glad you reached out! Dry docking is definitely not something to be taken lightly so I’m happy to help in any way I can! For those unfamiliar, “dry docking” is what we call the practice of quarantining an aquatic turtle in a dry environment temporarily due to injury or illness. Things like shell rot or respiratory infections are sometimes treated this way. This practice should only ever be considered under the supervision of an experienced exotics veterinarian, as keeping an aquatic turtle out of the water can have serious effects on their health.

First off, I hope your turt is okay! It sounds like you are doing your research to take good care of your pet in this tough time. If you haven’t already, make sure to touch base with your exotics vet to ensure dry docking is the medical recommendation for this animal; they will likely be able to offer you some guidance as well.

As far as the actual procedure for dry docking, you will need a large plastic tub with high walls that your turtle cannot climb, a smaller container for daily soaking and feeding, and your regular light and heat gradient set up the same distance from your turtle as it is in the main enclosure. The tub needs to be big enough that your turtle can move away from the heat/light source easily. Make sure to measure temperature and humidity in the dry docking container as well! Just like the main enclosure the dry dock tub should have a proper temperature gradient with warmer and cooler options available. I like newspaper for the tub lining but paper towels would be fine also. Your turtle should be kept in a quiet area while recovering and may benefit from a towel over the tub to help prevent stress. Your turtle will need to be soaked for at least an hour daily in order to stay hydrated. You should also offer them food during soaking as many turtles will not eat outside of the water. I’d also recommend checking your turtle’s plastron daily for any pressure sores or abrasions caused by long term crawling outside of the water. Regular check ups or progress reports with your vet are essential!

This is just the basics, and truly dry docking is not to be done lightly. I’d highly recommend the book “Health Care & Rehabilitation of Turtles and Tortoises” by Amanda Ebenhack to anyone keeping a turtle or tortoise; it’s a great resource for things like this! If you have any further questions don’t hesitate to ask. I really hope your turtle recovers well 🐢

#asks #vetblr #turtles #chelonian medicine #animals #vet med

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shattered-sparks · 1 year

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@ian-loves-fanfiction YOU!! YOU!!! *SHAKES YOU!!* YOU UNDERSTAND AND GET IT!! THE FUN OF RAMBLING ABOUT FNAF MUSIC!! I loved your post so much!! And of course you didn’t bother me at all!! For you I’ll throw my hat into the ring!! Special little fella. You hold a very special place in my memory, Soul. Decorate the room well Please go check out their own List of Fnaf Songs, they deserve it Long ramble ahead about Fnaf Music since I’m a veteran of the Series

Going to try and give each Game 5 at most songs since I know a lot of em, I have a fnaf Spotify playlist created just for fnaf songs since I couldn’t find any long playlists that had more than 30-50 songs. If you want the link to it let me know! If anyone else posts a list I’d love to read em. Seeing recommendations for songs, especially fnaf, is always a joy for me! And maybe I can find some artists I never seen before! Anyways, time to spread some love and joy Five Nights At Freddys

Number one FNAF 1 song I always turn to is Open up by Muse of Discord. God Muse’s fnaf songs are so underrated. I know they stopped making fnaf songs and even hidden the original videos due to the early fandom but god if they ever make new ones I’ll hold em so hard. I actually have listened to this song so much that I know all the lyrics to it

Second one, The Original Living tombstone Fnaf song. Gotta tip my hat towards the original, it’s always a bop (Point goes to Trickywi’s cover of said song. Her vocals are always wonderful)

3rd, Welcome to Freddy's. Another classic. I can’t leave this one out. It has all the qualities of the original fandom, the audios with the characters talking n such. Those will always hold a special place in my heart. It sucks that feel was lost as the fandom and games grew.

Number 4. Another one that I feel is under rated, Is it something out there? Like Museofdiscord I believe this song was lost to time. The soft spoken Lyrics fit perfectly

5. SharaX, Lockdown. Shara’s remixes are always a treat to listen to. And was this song another wonderful addition to their lineup. (I’m upset that most of the songs here aren’t on Spotify. Can you tell I’ve been around for a long time yet?)

Five Nights At Freddys 2

1. Mechanical Instinct, Another fnaf song that I know by heart. Other than Open up this is on my top 5 most favorite fnaf songs. It’s also what led me to finding a band that I adore the music of, Aviators! I highly recommend listening to it if you haven’t yet or need a reminder.

2. Back again by groundbreaking. What did happen to groundbreaking? I haven’t heard of anything from them in years, I hope they’re well cause they took over fnaf 2 era. (Shout out to their other fnaf songs like the mangle)

3. Sayonara Maxwell, Five Nights At Freddy's 2 song. Fun little fact, little kid me thought that this song in some parts wasn’t sung in English when it actually is. Regardless another fnaf song that I adore, showcasing the stress of how many animatronics you have to deal with in fnaf 2

4. "The Puppet" by GatoPaint, another song artist I haven’t heard anything from in years. I hope they’re doing just as well! Although it was later on disproven it doesn’t push away how fucking hard this song goes.

5. No more by giveheart records (Natewantstobattle). What did you think I would say Mangled? Although that one is a classic I gotta give my love to another song. (I’m slowly starting to realize that I have a taste as I go and write down this list. Anyways I’m still upset that we didn’t get the plush looks from this game)

Five Nights At Freddys 3

1. Our Little Horror Story by Aviators, I’m sorry that I am very very biased.

2. Before by Shadrow. Another fnaf song, along with the next one, got lost to time. Time to unbury them for encore! (I am running out of things to say that I haven’t already)

3. Springtrap by Madame Macabre. Welcome back on the list!

4. It’s time to die by DAGames. A classic

5. Springtrap Finale by groundbreaking. I belive this is the last time they’re going to be on this list since they kinda fell off in fandom spaces that I was apart of

Five Nights At Freddys 4

1. Home by natewantstobattle. This songs hits and is close to home for me and my friends. Its’ very special to us so I have to give it the top spot. Me and my friend 2D greatly relate to it and it’d be a crime if it wasn’t number 1.

2. Too far by ChaoticCanineCulture

3. Break my mind by DAGames

4. I got no time by thelivingtombstone (I wonder how many are upset at me for not putting it’s been so long in the fnaf 2 cat)

5. Dear brother by DAGames. Everyone please rise for the FNAF 4 anthem. Fun fact I cried when this song first came out, I feel old

Fnaf world

hahayouguysthought

I can’t leave out I will not be moved from this list, that would be a big shame on me.

Fnaf Sister location

aaaaaa the game that made me take a break from the series by how much I disliked it, oh boy

1. Left behind by DAGames. Nah cause I cannot leave out the song that predicted the entire story of Sister Location. Predicted it with such a banger

2. At sister location by Chi-Chi

3. How to pretend by Luka and Gumi

4. JT Music, Join us for a bite

(I don’t like a lot of songs for sister location as it’s my least favorite game in the series, I am sorry. I would put in Mandopony to make it 5 but he’s a terrible fucking person and although I disconect art from the artist no everyone can do so. Don’t fucking support him btw! If I would put another one it would be Alive by Aviators, Under rated as hell)

Fnaf Pizza Simulator

1. Like it or not by CG5 and Dawko

2. Children’s destiny by SayMaxWell. Another under rated Gem

3. Kryfuze You can’t prove anything

4. Labyrinth by CG5

5. Madness by Natewantstobattle

Fnaf VR Help Wanted

1. Parasite by DAGames, I’m biased once again

2. Encryption by Kyle Allen Music

3. Hala CG Escape Under rated

4. APAngryPiggy Outside your window

5. You’re back By Kyle Allen Music

Fnaf UCN

1. Make your move by Dawko and CG5

2. Again by Nightcove the fox

3. After hours by JT Music

4. The Ultimate Fright by DHeusta

5. Replay your nightmare by TryhardNija

Fnaf Security Breach

1. This comes from inside by TheLivingTombstone. No because this was such a much needed song for the time that FNAF was in. And for that it sits at number 1 for me

2. Lights on by Kyle Allen Music. I’m sorry, I’m a dirty simp. Please don’t forgive me, I’ll do it again

3. KittenSneeze already dead

4. Rockit Music Total Insecurity

5. Kyle Allen Music Mega Pizzaplex. No listen, this song perfectly recreates that feelings of the plex during the day and I adore it for that.

Bonus list since I want to include these as well

The last Album of FNAF Songs Nate released. Those hit so close to my heart, please give them a listen, not only that but make sure to listen to Leave me behind. It deserves love and how it spreads the message of how Nate feels on Fnaf. Give Nate one last encore for his time in the fandom.

Knives, Gears, and Wires. Autism, that’s it, that’s the note

Any of the fazbear frights songs, my favorite would be Kyle’s Into the pit.

The fnaf rap mashup since I enjoy the mashup the most.

Silver eyes by allen hoek. Another Under rated Gem, it has nothing to do with the books but it’s still a wonderfully created song

This is the dayshift. It’s silly and fun, just like the game!

Memory by Rockit, it’s a Joy of creation song

Halloween at freddys, it’s a classic (The original btw)

Afton Family, original and remixes

#Coyote Noises #Long post #It's just me talking about my sI of FNAF #This took me so long #I hope the links are right #Sorry if they're not #I tried #Soul I hope you enjoy this lmao

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mothwingwritings · 2 years

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🤜Tokyo Fist (Bouncer) Relationship Headcanons/Scenarios🤛

F! Reader X Tokyo Fist (Bouncer) Relationship & Dating Scenarios

Here is a little something I wrote just for the heck of it in between working on various fics. I don’t really know how big of a presence Bouncer (by Mizuta Makoto) has but it is SO GOOD and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it if you haven’t read it. I love these boys and have a few actual fic ideas for them but I wanted to create something smaller because again, IDK if anyone is even gonna know what this is. ^^;

Regardless I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: SLIGHT SPOILERS up to chapter 73, some mentions of NSFW elements so 18+ please, some language, in a few scenarios you are being watched w/o your knowledge but it’s for protection purposes, and maybe a tinge of possessiveness?

Shishidou Jouichirou

· You have been on Jou’s mind for a very long time. Starting out as friends, you grew closer the more you got to know each other. There is something about you that instantly sparks his interest. In you he found a sincere and caring personality, and with every interaction he is left wanting more time with you.

· He loves to talk to you and hear your opinion on any number of things, seeing you as a valuable beacon of reason and understanding in his life. He trusts you more than anyone, taking every word of wisdom you bestow upon him to heart.

· He admires so many things about you and honestly has not met a kinder, smarter, or more understanding person than you. He knows he can go to you for help with anything (but doesn’t end up doing that too often, as he would never want to burden you with his more intense issues) and is extremely grateful for your presence in his life.

· He realizes early on that his affections go deeper than normal friendship. His mind begins to slip to you whenever he gets time to himself, his brain filled with day dreams of you ranging from domestic and sweet to downright salacious

· Is honestly super nervous to even breach the subject of being an official couple. His love for you is undeniable, but he’s concerned if you feel the same. You were already such close friends, and his job was so dangerous, did he even have the right to ask for something more?

· When you reciprocated his affections, he was ecstatic. He was glowing for a solid week, goofy grin not once leaving his face (and you can guarantee the rest of Tokyo Fist gave him hell for it).

· He still had his reservations about a lot of things early on, and because of this was particularly hard on himself in the relationship. He was a high school dropout and a delinquent who was constantly surrounded by violence and danger. You deserved so much more than that, and he felt guilty for what he believed was ‘dragging you down to his level.’

· Despite this, he did have to admit the attention and love you dumped on him in waves was the best feeling he had ever experienced in his life.

· You made him feel special, loved, and completed his life. So he was going to make damn sure he did the same for you.

· Expect a lot of small shows of affection. He’ll start and end each day with either a kiss or cutesy ‘I love you’ text. Every moment of free time you share, he’s spending it with you. He’ll take mental notes of places and things you say you like, surprising you with them later on as date spots/gifts.

· High-key he is SUPER protective of you. He checks in on you any moment he can spare to make sure you are doing OK (also does a lot of bts checks on your house/apt to make sure no one is lurking around that shouldn’t be).

· He has matured a lot since joining Tokyo Fist, but if anyone were to step up and try and start shit/put you in danger, Jou instantly reverts back to his more feral nature. He will not hesitate to put himself in harm’s way to protect you.

· Also, this man lives for cuddles. Expect to be smothered at night in his embrace (He’s also just naturally very warm, which makes him perfect to saddle up to on cold days <3).

Hachino Shinya

· Hachino knows he can be a prickly person, giving nearly everyone in his life either the cold shoulder or a fake pleasant persona to trick them into letting their guard down and become more pliable to work with. Most people were generally just not worth putting forth an effort for, and he views most other people as a hassle more than anything else.

· That’s why it was so incredible that you were so easily able to break through his icy exterior.

· He had no intention becoming as close to you as he did, keeping you at an arm’s length just like everyone else. You weren’t special… at least, that’s what he thought at first.

· He found himself becoming more and more ensnared by your charms the longer he spent time with you, getting to the point where he couldn’t deny that he had formed a solid crush on you.

· You were patient, kind, understanding. You were a great listener, and overall very thoughtful when dealing with others. You looked at the big picture, and had the ability to come to quick and conclusive decisions that benefitted everyone involved.

· He admired you, your eye for detail and attentiveness to any issues that arose was second only to him. He could depend on you (which was more than he could say for a lot of people in his life), and he wanted you to realize you could depend on him too.

· Even when he threw you a flippant comment or brushed you off, you kept coming back to check in on him, taking time out of your day to help him out and make sure he was doing OK.

· It was this sincere kindness that won his heart, and once he was smitten, he fell HARD.

· This posed problems. Not only did he not want to drag you into the mess that was his life and career, he wasn’t even entirely sure if you truly liked him or if you were just being polite. He wouldn’t be surprised at all if he found out you thought he was the biggest asshole on planet earth, and the thought of your rejection distressed him.

· After some beating around the bush (and some drunken encouragement from his coworkers after a recent bar hopping excursion), he asked you to be his.

· He was pleasantly surprised at how quickly you agreed.

· It took him some time to get used to ‘dating’. He had never really been interested in anyone previously, and most stuff couples partook in either made him cringe of feel uncomfortable.

· But he found out fast that when the romantic endeavors involved you, he was much more inclined to warm up to lovey-dovey activities. Dates to the park or the movies, going out to eat, even mundane things like grocery shopping; every activity with you was a blessing and treat for him.

· He wants to be by your side as much as possible. He’ll devote all his off days to you, and is the first to recommend moving in together so he can keep you close and make sure you are safe.

· Though he is definitely not a PDA person, anyone in the presence of the two of you can tell how smitten he is with you. He’ll steal glances of you anytime he can, and he always gazes at you as if you hung the moon. If you catch him staring he won’t look away, instead smiling a coy smile that he knows will make you flustered.

· When he tells you he loves you, he means it with his entirety. You are the only one he will ever want to be with, and he will honor and treasure you for the rest of his days on this earth.

· (He hasn’t completely lost his mean streak though, he’s apt to make you participate in pet play with him the privacy of your own home >:) )

Seijuurou Torai

· From the get go, you and Torai are the definition of ‘old bickering married couple’. He has gotten on your nerves in one way or another since your first interaction, but you also couldn’t deny the blatant, damning attraction you have for him.

· He is cocky, abrasive, a brute, crude, a pervert, and violent. NOT someone you wanted to necessarily catch feelings for.

· But he was also protective and strong, and could exhibit incredible moments of kindness and selflessness. Even though he was obnoxious, from the moment he met you he was always looking out for you with your best interests at heart.

· As time passed your friendship continued to blossom. Through drunken late night outings (one of which had to be cut short when he ended up breaking a man’s nose in a fist fight because they were ‘eying you up like a piece of meat’) to silly lunch conversations that turned deep and insightful, the two of you grew exceptionally close.

· Your attraction had become undeniable, and it was obvious he reciprocated.

· But even though he had fallen just as much for you, he knew it was not anything he had the right to pursue. You shouldn’t be getting tied up with someone like him, and he cursed himself for even letting you get so close to begin with.

· He loved you deeper than he loved anyone previously, and that made him kick himself as he knew the danger this relationship brought into your life.

· He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if you got hurt (or worse) on his accord, and he was well aware if you associated with him too closely you would become a prime target that any number of bastards would use to exploit him.

· But damned if you didn’t make it hard. Every time he’d try and create distance you would kill him with the hurt expression you’d make, a stab right through the heart every time you’d ask if the reason he was being so cold was over something you did.

· It also didn’t help that he hated seeing literally any other man with you. He knew the natural procession of trying to shove you away would include you looking to seek companionship elsewhere, but the moment some schmuck got a little too friendly his jealousy would flair up and it would take all he had to restrain himself from beating the guy’s ass.

· Eventually he gives in, unable to take it anymore. Rather abruptly he storms your house, firmly makes it clear that he wants you as HIS and ONLY his. He didn’t care if he had to personally keep watch over you 24/7. He’d do what he had to to keep you protected and in his arms.

· When you reciprocated, he was on you instantly, unwilling to wait even a minute longer to seal the deal. You had never been ravaged so intensely in your life.

· Torai loves to tease and fluster you, taking immense pleasure in just how red he can turn your face in public. Nowhere is safe from his groping hands and lewd comments. It only eggs him on to do it more if you slap/punch him in these situations.

· LOVES showing off for you. He lives for it. Anytime he can get a genuine look of awe from you (which are becoming increasingly rare with how obnoxiously often he attempts this) he counts it as a major success, riding off that high for the rest of the day.

· Your laugh is his favorite sound in the world. Seeing you smile and genuinely enjoy yourself makes his heart feel full and puts him at ease. He would stop at nothing to keep you happy and carefree.

· This man is insatiable when it comes to making love. He will not stop until you are a drooling, sobbing, over stimulated mess beneath him (and even then, he’s ready for the next round alarming fast). Be prepared for a lot of sleepless nights.

· You are his treasure and the love of his life, and though he has a tough exterior, when you are home alone and cradled in his arms he becomes a big romantic sap, showering you with feather light kisses and praise.

Wanibuchi Tsuyoshi

· Tsuyoshi is by nature a very private person, so for most people (even those close to him), not many people actually know that he is in a committed relationship.

· This isn’t because he is ashamed or because he wants to hide you away (if he had his way, he would proudly keep you by his side at all times), but because you are far too precious to him to put in any potential harm’s way.

· Being with you at all is a huge risk in general, but he also realized from the moment the two of you started talking that you were essentially already a target. All he can do now is work tirelessly to keep you safe (besides, he is too in love with you to push you away anyway).

· Chances are you really don’t know much about his job for the same reason. Other than being the boss at a security company, you are kept in the dark about just how much danger he is surrounded by on a daily basis and he wants to keep it that way.

· With the chaos that surrounds him at work, he always takes great delight in knowing you are waiting for him back home. A more traditional man, his heart feels full when he comes home to a fresh cooked meal and your warm embrace.

· Not to say that he doesn’t do the same for you, he loves to cook for you and is quite skilled at it. If you have been craving something, no matter how easy or intense, it will be waiting for you when you come home that night.

· He respects your independence but is more than willing to take care of you in anyway needed. He’d never force you to do anything you didn’t want to or instruct you on how to live your life, but he definitely makes it known that if you are ever struggling with anything, say the word and it will disappear.

· He really loves it when you dress up for him, and he’ll frequently buy clothing and jewelry for you he thinks suits you. When he sees you in things he bought for you, he’ll keep his cool but his stomach will be doing somersaults.

· (And as much as he loves you in what he purchased you, he is going to love it so much more when he gets to take it off of you.)

· He often feels guilty over how much time he has to devote to work, so to make up for it he treats you like absolute royalty whenever he gets vacation time. Any place you want to go or thing you want to see? Skies the limit for his babydoll. <3

· He’s fiercely protective and monitors you closely, but would never get in the way of your life or your fun. He’s prone to have an eye or two on you when you go out with friends, just in case someone tries to make a move. But this is never anything you’d figure out on your own, all protective service taking place in the shadows. He wants to keep you carefree and happy, and would never do something that risks that being jeopardized in your life.

· He’s not big on texting, but loves conversing with you. Expect multiple calls throughout the day to check up on you.

· This man only has two modes in the bedroom: slow and sensual or rough and unforgiving. He’s either treating you like the angel you are to him, or pounding away his frustrations while moaning filth into your ear. Either option never leaves you wanting.

Takashima Ryouichi

· Much like his boss, he prefers to keep his colleagues in the dark about his relationship with you. Ryouchi is already an enigma figure to most everyone he works with, so he uses that to his advantage to keep you his own little secret.

· He revels in the fact that no one else knows of your existence. To him it’s not only the logical way to not only keep you safe, but hoard you all to himself.

· Normally a very calm and collected person, he gets surprisingly jealous when an outsider gets just a little too familiar with you. And knowing his coworkers, if they so much as caught wind that he had you waiting for him at home, they would be relentless in figuring out who you were and all the spicy details of your relationship with him (and from then on your life would never know peace lol). The last thing he needed was this bunch of fools trying to encroach on his territory.

· However, outside of work was a completely different story. He was eager to introduce you to his friends and family, wanting to add you into the fold as soon as possible.

· He wasn’t one to mess around, if he couldn’t picture someone in his life long term they simply weren’t worth his effort. Needless to say, that was not the case with you.

· It took an embarrassingly short amount of time after meeting you for him to decide that you were the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and with that revelation came something he didn’t face often: fear. What if you didn’t return his affections? What if someone else had already snatched you up? As the worries plagued his mind, you successfully turned one of Tokyo Fist’s most collected men into a total mess.

· When he finally worked up the courage to ask you out, it was the most awkward experience of his life. He had never been so overwrought, his disheveled state making even YOU nervous.

· When you reciprocated, he wanted to jump for joy, scream to the heavens, and do a dance… But he remained stoic. After all, it was only logical that you would say yes to him.

· You were worth all his effort and more, and though it was completely illogical for him to plan so far in the future, he couldn’t help but spend a vast amount of free time daydreaming about your future life together and the family that you would build.

· His days were spent putting in long hours at the office, but his nights and weekends were fully devoted to you. He had a bad habit of spoiling you, taking pride in being able to supply you with all you wanted and more.

· When the two of you are alone, his tough, serious demeanor fades. No one can make him laugh like you can. No one can make him feel loved like you can. And he reciprocates all that back tenfold. <3

Baba Chisato

· Will literally not shut up about you in. He’s always been obsessed, but once you become completely his, his gushing is incessant.

· He’s commenting on all your social media pics, your picture is the wallpaper on every electronic device he owns, physical photos of the two of you are lining the halls of his home and he always has several stuffed into his wallet as well.

· He is your biggest cheerleader, gassing you up every opportunity he gets. Wear your hair slightly different than normal? Trying on a new outfit you are a little unsure of? He’s on it. You are the most beautiful person he has ever seen in his life, and he wants to make sure you know that. Even if you are just lounging at home in sweats, he’ll be staring in reverence. You are nothing short of a goddess to him.

· He’s a huge supporter of any dream or aspiration you may have. It doesn’t matter if someone else finds it ridiculous or unobtainable; you are the smartest and most capable person he knows and he earnestly believes you can achieve anything you set your mind too. He’s got your back and is rooting for you every step of the way.

· This boy is HANDSY af, especially in public. You’re HIS girl, and he wants everyone to know that. Anyone so much as looks at you a moment too long and this man is ready to throw down with them.

· Also, much like Torai, he loves showing off for you. He lives for your praise, melting whenever you call him strong or handsome. He’s started the habit of wearing mostly sleeveless shirts, just in the hopes that you will feel on his muscles.

· He also loves showing YOU off. He scored a total hottie and he wants the whole world to know that, dammit! No matter where you are, his hand is either in yours or wrapped snuggly around your waist or shoulders, no exceptions.

· May have an honest to God heart attack if you ever wear his clothing. Seeing you draped in something that he owns just further reiterates that you are his and nothing fans his flames more than that incredibly pleasant reminder.

· Is completely enamored whenever you do anything domestic for him, like cooking or cleaning. He likes to fantasize that the two of you are already married and loves to see his sweet little spouse being such a wonderful homemaker. <3 However when you get pissed off over doing a majority of the chores he’s quick to rush in and help (though you have to admit you are much better at it than he will ever be, but at least he tries).

· Words cannot express how physically attracted to you this man is. His tongue practically lulls to the floor when you walk in the room. Any chance he has to make love to you, he will. Baba is a big guy in every regard and gets off on how easy it is to overwhelm you.

· That being said, he’s a big fan of when you take charge as well. Nothing gets him hotter than when he’s tied up and at your mercy, loving it when you ride him till you’ve had your fill.

Tsurumi Takuya

· Tsurumi simply adores you. From the moment he laid eyes on you, he was bewitched.

· You met (as cliché as it sounds) at a local coffee shop. You ordered before him, managing to snag the last pastry he had his eye on.

· Though it was no big deal, after you heard the disappointment in his voice, you couldn’t let it slide. You tried to give him the entire thing, but after a few polite refusals, you came to the agreement you would share it.

· He had no idea one split pastry would change his life forever.

· You ended up talking for hours, finding that you had quite a few similar interests and things in common. He took great pleasure in watching you gush about your hobbies, a small blush on his cheeks as he took you in your animated movements and inviting smile.

· You were by far one of, if not THE most gorgeous person he had ever seen, and the passion in which you spoke with him kept drawing him in more and more.

· By the end of your shared snack, he decided he hadn’t had enough time with you. In a bold move, he asked for your number. The rest is history.

· Your relationship is the epitome of sweet and cozy. The two of you never really seem to make it past the honeymoon phase, and there’s always this giddy, puppy-love feeling that bubbles in his chest when he sees you.

· He’s a huge cuddle bug, and is more than happy being either the big or small spoon. As long as you are close, he takes equal pleasure in holding you as he does being held by you.

· That being said, PDA makes him quite flustered. Anything more than holding hands or a quick peck on the check would instantly turn this man into tomato.

· His biggest joy is beginning new adventures with you. Even if it’s something as little as starting a new show the both of you are looking forward to watching, he is filled with so much happiness just to be spending time with you his excitement is palpable.

· Def the type of guy who leaves you little gifts/notes each morning. Rarely a day goes by without a sticky note wishing you a good day, or a favorite treat of yours waiting when you wake up.

· You are his first in many ways, and though that was exciting, it also makes him feel a bit inadequate and nervous. He does overkill the first time you are intimate, working himself into a tizzy trying to make your first time together completely ideal and romantic. It takes time and gentle reassurance to calm him down and make him understand this isn’t a competition, that you love him and want this just as bad as he does, but it’s ok to take your time.

· When he does mellow out he melts under your praise. Hearing your gentle commendations and pleased coos drive him over the edge, your admiration and the flattery it makes him feel is the most euphoric feeling he has ever felt (through you, he realizes that he definitely has a praise kink).

· As his first in many things, he also plans on making you his last. He’s been jokingly chided on more than one occasion for daydreaming on the job, his coworkers and friend’s having an absolute field day when the stumble upon the wedding plan sketches and notes he’s been doodling while bored.

Yuki Ariga

· Honestly Ariga has been calling you ‘his girl’ from the get go, so when you guys make it official everyone either already thought you were an item or they think Ariga is bullshitting them when he tells them.

· The relationship honestly would take some time off the ground. The typical tricks and pick up lines he played on other girls didn’t seem to work on you, so he was forced to come up with alternate methods.

· Turns out, being sincere was all it took to win your heart. Whereas you shrugged him off as a nuisance when he tried to be flashy and go above and beyond to catch your attention, you were much more open to chatting him up in calmer environments where the atmosphere was more intimate.

· Time always seemed to slow for him when you were around. You brought serenity to his life that he had not experienced with anyone else. And in his line of work, peace was a very sought after commodity.

· And damn, were you beautiful. You were definitely the hottest person he had ever seen, regardless of what you wore or how you presented yourself. This man’s jaw would hit the floor whenever you enter his line of sight, praise flooding from his lips over how stunning you are. If Yuki went a day without seeing you physically, he’d be hitting you up nonstop for selfies (hoping that you’d add a few spicy ones in as well).

· He can definitely be overbearing. If you aren’t by his side he wants to know what you are up to, who you are with, where you are going, etc. You have been known to block his number temporarily just to get a break from it, a move that was sure to bring on incessant whining the next time he saw you.

· He knew he had a reputation for being a skeevy scumbag, and for a good reason. If anyone was aware of his own flaws and shortcomings, it was Ariga himself. Because of this, he doesn’t necessarily feel like he deserves you. He knows you could do much better than him, but can’t bear the thought of some other douchebag stealing you away from him.

· So he earnestly works to better himself. He knows the change won’t be overnight, and hell, maybe he won’t even be able to become that great of a man period. But for you, he will never stop trying. If he can’t be a great person, he can at least be a great boyfriend.

· This man is huge in the PDA. He loves to show you off, but he also doesn’t want anyone getting any funny ideas. His hands or lips are almost always on you somewhere when the two of you were out in public.

· His recent employment at Tokyo Fist has helped him build muscle, and generally just grow more confident in who he is as a person. He works extra hard to hear your praise of him, knowing that every trial he faces just prepares him that much more for protecting you. <3

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glimmerbolan · 2 years

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hey i'm trying to get into the lemon twigs before i see them open for mcr, i was wondering if you had any song recks or suggestions for other blogs to follow? thanks! :)

yes so happy to answer this question! i want everyone to get into them lol. and I’m sure you didn’t mean for me to go so in depth but oh boy i'm about to infodump LMAO. also which night are you going to? i’ll be seeing them in brooklyn on 9/11!

all of the lemon twigs albums sound kind of different so here’s a little break down of them:

Do Hollywood (2016)- came out when they were 17 & 19 years old! CRAZY good for a debut! gerard is a very big fan of this album and posted about it when it came out. i would start with this one! the biggest inspos musically i would say are like beach boys/beatles mixed with foxygen/tame impala. a fun mix of psychedelic rock and baroque pop and electronic with a vintage sound! i would say the stand outs are “I Wanna Prove To You,” “As Long As We’re Together,” “These Words,” and “A Great Snake” :)

Go To School (2018)- so then they were like ok now we’re gonna do something COMPLETELY different. how about a rock musical about a chimpanzee named shane raised as a human boy who wants to go to school??? it is incredible and it’s so camp but also heartwrenching. if you like musical theater influences and rock operas (like i do) give this one a listen, it’s my absolute favorite!!! their actual mother plays the shane's mom, and shane’s dad is played by 70s rocker Todd Rundgren??? that’s camp. i would recommend listening to it all in one go as it is a story, but there are definitely some stand outs that can be listened to out of context like fan favorite (and my favorite) “Queen of My School,” “Small Victories,” and “Never In My Arms, Always In My Heart.” if you’ve got a couple minutes and want to understand the story before you listen, this is a great video where they break it down track by track.

Songs For The General Public (2020)- so some people didn’t really like “get” the conceptual chimp musical so then i guess they were like “ok fuck it! this next album is gonna be called ‘songs for the general public!’” LMAO. if you like music from the 70s then this is the album for you!!! if you didn’t know it came out in 2020 you would honestly think this was from like 1972. it’s a love letter to early 70s glam rock and power pop and influenced by lou reed/velvet underground, bowie, big star, the replacements, etc the list goes on. stand outs from this one imo are “The One” (which i have a tattoo referencing! the art was inspired by @trytogethappy ‘s SFTGP flash sheet. i would HIGHLY recommend checking out their blog and their art if you haven’t already!), "Moon," “No One Holds You (Closer Than The One You Haven’t Met),” “Hell On Wheels,” “Only A Fool,” and “Hog.”

i actually made a spotify playlist for my friends when i was convincing them to get into the lemon twigs, so that could also be a good place to start!

i’ve seen them 4 times this past year, and they’ve recently been touring mostly with songs from their latest album and new songs from their album thats apparently coming out later this year. so i would say listen to Songs For The General Public if you want to recognize the songs they play opening for MCR!

they are an INCREDIBLE live band and they have some really fun music videos, so i’m gonna link a couple of my favorite videos under the cut if you’re someone like me who likes to get the full audio&visual!

"I Wanna Prove To You" music video (very wes anderson vibes)

"As Long As We're Together" music video (fun, surrealist, and synth-y)

"Never In My Arms, Always In My Heart" music video (introduces the story of Go To School very well, also really showcases michael's talent as a camp icon and frontman)

"The One" music video (glam alert!!! fun fact: my hair is blonde bc of michael in this video lmao he gives me insane gender envy)

Live at Amoeba 2016

Live at KEXP 2016

Live at KEXP 2018 (oooh a hot new backing band! brian is a fucking guitar god in this one and michael is out of his awkward teen phase and into his lou reed era)

Live on Jimmy Kimmel 2018 (definitely their best tv performance)

"Hog" Live Version (this makes me sob and michael's vocals are the best they've ever been)

Full Performance- Live @ Underground Arts 2022 (this is their entire show in philly a couple months ago if you wanna get a feel of their current live shows/what to expect when they open! and if you spot a cute fat little blonde bitch excitedly dancing in the front the whole time unaware that they were being filmed- that is, in fact, me LMAO)

#you did not ask for like Any Of This im so sorry #Go To School is literally my joker #i just have so much knowledge of them in my little brain and have spent the last year traveling to see them lol #is this coming off as very undiagnosed autistic bc im feeling like it is #the lemon twigs #lemon twigs #michael d’addario #michael daddario #brian d’addario #brian daddario #mcr #mcr tour #mcr reunion

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togescents · 1 year

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yes my poesie order arrived only a couple days ago, yes i cannot help myself and tested two already

Poesie’s White Rabbit: fluffy white fur musk, kumquat marmalade, lacy carrot flower, a wisp of hay and sweet fennel

i sniffed this from the vial when it arrived (cold! it was near freezing when it got here!) and knew immediately i would adore it. we all know how much i love citrus perfumes, and that kumquat marmalade is to DIE for.

i tested it yesterday, and the marmalade faded faster than i would like tho i think it would get stronger as it rests (citrus tends to actually stick around on my skin, even though it’s known to be a fleeting top note). but it still added a lovely citrus fruity-ness to it. there’s a bit of earthy sweetness from the hay and fennel, and i don’t know what carrot flower smells like but i presume it’s helping either the marmalade or earthy notes. finally i got some of that fuzzy fur musk. fur musk and i have a contentious relationship, but since it takes a back seat to the rest of these notes, i quite enjoy it here.

i really hope this one comes back because i want to get a larger size. there’s still samples available through poesie’s lucky day sale, if you’re even somewhat curious i highly recommend picking it up!

Poesie’s Rich Ghost: Iso E Super, ruby red grapefruit, rich sandalwood, golden threads of saffron, a hint of jasmine perfume, grey musk, warm amber, marshmallow

yup, today i tested the other citrus perfume i got lol. this is the one from last year’s ghost collection i really wanted to try, but since they were only selling sample sets or full sizes i didn’t pick it up. i guess they poured too many samples since it’s in the luck day sale, too.

this one definitely needs more rest. i figured it would since half of the notes are base notes, but i wanted to give it a go anyway because the combination of grapefruit and sandalwood in the vial was making me feel some kind of way.

i think this sandalwood is similar to the one sorcellerie has used in their sandalwood perfumes i’ve enjoyed, because it feels very familiar. the grapefruit also reminds me of NAVA’s grapefruit, which is a huge compliment since their grapefruit is what made me realize i go nuts for the note.

overall this blends together very smoothly, even though it needs more rest. the overall scent is a little on the muddled side. i’m not getting any jasmine (thank god) but i’m also not getting much else than light citrus and sandalwood + grey musk + other base notes. oh, and iso e super. that is also what’s reminding me of sorcellerie perfumes. i’ll set it aside and test it again in a month or so.

two other perfumes still for sale for their lucky day event that i own are Eat Me (peach lavender cake with a marshmallow frosting dotted with currants) and Mayari (green bamboo, white tea, sea salt, ginger root essential oil, Cetalox).

Eat Me is delicious, reminding me of arcana’s popular Fille de Joie (Delicate lavender marshmallows and yellow peaches cured in a vanilla absolute bottle.) but more foody. the peaches are syrupy in eat me while they’re fresh in fille de joie, and the lavender is more smooth than fille’s very herbal lavender. i don’t normally like having perfumes that are so similar but these are different enough and i like them both that i’m not gonna get rid of either.

Mayari is quite possibly the best summer beach perfume, because it works great in humidity. the bamboo and white tea give off the vibe of green tea while the sea salt and cetalox give it that salty beachy edge to it. i literally don’t know how to sell it except to say it’s both something i’ve never experienced before while also being a “safe” perfume choice.

highly recommend checking both out if you haven’t already!

#testing new perfumes #house: poesie #family: citrus #family: musk #family: earthy #family: sandalwood #family: fruit #family: lavender #family: cake #family: green #family: aquatic #(mayari is Not aquatic but it has the same sort of vibe)

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friendlyfaded · 2 years

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it’s crackship hours baybeee

Huxley/Darlin’

What can I say about this beautiful ship that hasn’t already been said? (A lot, apparently)

Huxley is, as we all know, the pinnacle of self-care and self-love. He’s an absolute hype man, a true ride or die. He wants his partner to be happy, and he will do whatever he can to make sure they are. Darlin’ is dangerously selfless and doesn’t really take care of themself. They put others before themself to a severe degree, almost as if they’re trying to punish themself. They go out of their way to ensure other people are happy and safe, even at the cost of their own wellbeing. They’re absolute opposites, but that’s what makes them click so well.

I’m lowkey obsessed with Domini’s scenario for them meeting (if you haven’t read that fic, I highly recommend it). Darlin’ is in danger, Hux finds them and helps them, and he proceeds to refuse their warnings and requests for him to run and get to safety. Darlin’ doesn’t know what to do with the warmth they feel toward Huxley, one of the first people to ever refuse to leave them when things got dangerous. They’re shocked that this total stranger is willing to risk his safety for them.

Huxley, on the other hand, is beyond worried about this shifter. They’re clearly extremely tough, but they’re scared and hurt, and not just physically. He’s a protector at heart, and he wants to help them. It breaks his heart to see how adamant they are that he should leave them behind. He decides he’s going to be there for them in whatever capacity he can.

Once they’re out of whatever dangerous scenario they met in, Huxley keeps in touch with Darlin’ to check up on them and make sure they’re still alive. Darlin’ comes to really appreciate Huxley’s calls. His voice is soothing, and there’s something about his gentle personality that makes them feel safe. They start meeting up, and one thing leads to another. Huxley admits he has feelings for them. They try to convince him that they’re not worth it, that it’s dangerous to get close to them, but Huxley couldn’t give less of a shit about potential danger when it comes to people he cares about. Darlin’ reveals that they have feelings for him, too.

Huxley has to help Darlin’ open up, but he’s very patient and understanding. To their surprise, Darlin’ has to do the same with Hux. He’s very closed-off about certain parts of himself, and Darlin’ has to assure him that they like him for him, not for what they expect him to be. There’s a lot of growth between them, and either party is there to listen when the other is ready to open up.

Huxley takes one look at Darlin’s empty-ass apartment and decides he’s not gonna have it. He makes sure they’ve always got food and other necessities at their place. He doesn’t really get on their ass about things like not having a bedframe or their couch having so many bloodstains, but he does insist that they keep first aid supplies and snacks around. He picks his battles, in other words. Being able to help his partner like this makes Huxley feel fulfilled. He loves being able to help people, and it warms his heart to see his partner comfortable, well-fed, and safe.

Darlin’ is his number one supporter. Huxley has always been afraid of people thinking he’s too much. He doesn’t like to reach out because he’s afraid of bothering people. Darlin’ reminds him often that they enjoy being with him and that he doesn’t annoy them in any way. They go to all his games and make him special dinners after he finishes difficult tests or assignments at DAMN. They’re both his cheerleader and his scary dog. If anyone would even try to give Gentle Giant Huxley shit before, they’d absolutely turn the other way and walk off before facing The Tankwolf of Dahlia.

They would both enjoy hiking dates. Huxley is naturally tied to nature, both because of his nostalgia for his hometown and his elemental affinity. Darlin’ likes the woods because to them, they embody the freedom they’ve always wanted. It’s safe to shift and run around in the forest, and it’s fun to chase Huxley around and listen to him laugh when they catch him. Huxley just likes getting to look at the beautiful wolf his partner becomes. He could stare at them for days.

Essentially, there would be no one who could stand against them, and they’d be so happy together

#redacted asmr #rarepairs with prof #redacted rarepairs #redacted headcanons

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mydarling-suggestions · 1 year

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I’m not sure of the scope of questions you answer but I need some help and I’m not sure who else I could turn to.

So I’m in a moderately popular fandom on this site and I’d say for about a year, I’ve been bullied by someone I had a nasty falling out with. They go on anon but I know it’s them based on the language and context used—they don’t seem to be too stealthy honestly. Anyway, I’m not sure what to do about it because I find myself getting paranoid whenever I get an ask or a message, because this person has managed to taint a lot of my relationships with people on here that I engage with. I’ve since been blocked, harassed, had death threats received and it’s all very overwhelming. Turning off anon only works for a short amount of time, but my blog is meant to be a safe space, so I don’t like to keep anon restricted all the time.

This fandom I’m in is wonderful in so many ways, but this has been such a sore spot for me, because I just want this person to go away and live their life, though sad it may very well be, and leave me alone. I’m not sure how to manage this mentally. I’ve found myself fighting quite a bit with the anons I get, and I think because of that, I’ve found my engagement with others disappearing. Idk, it’s been a mess. This person btw has caused someone to leave the fandom and the website because they were being harassed too, and all of the mutuals were sad about that, because they were lovely. I’ve tried reporting this user to Tumblr countless times, to no avail.

I don’t know what to do anymore. They are ruining this entire fandom, and they have quite a fierce following of people behind them, supporting them. If they only knew how ghastly this person acted towards me and continued to harass me…

*sigh* I’ve properly talked your ear off. Any help would be appreciated. If not, I understand.

Hi nonnie, gosh this situation sounds horrible I can’t imagine how draining it would be on you mentally and emotionally 😞

I haven’t checked the inbox here for a while so not sure when this was submitted, but this is really disappointing and immature behaviour from this individual. It seems you’ve tried a fair few things to try and combat their bullying already, and it sucks that your attempts to report this user has yielded no results.

There aren’t many other solutions I can think of except for two. My first suggestion is to make a post informing your followers that you’ll be inactive for a short period of time, however long you feel you need, for a mental health break. Hopefully by doing this you can improve your mental health and perhaps come to a solution in the meantime, or even better, this bully decides to move on. My second suggestion is rather drastic and likely not something you’d want to do, but I would suggest making a new tumblr where you can engage with everyone in the fandom that you’re currently engaging with, although under the guise of someone else so you wont be targeted by this bully anymore.

My main hope however, would be that this bully moves on eventually, but preferably soon. I would also add that this is entirely a reflection on them and not you, and try to not take anything they say to heart. Nasty people like them normally know exactly what to say to hurt people and their words can cut deep I know, but don’t believe whatever they may be telling you or calling you. I know this is all far easier said than done, but if you notice you get another nasty anon message from this person, delete it as soon as you realise what it is, please don’t go on to read the whole thing, you don’t deserve to be tormented by this person.

I would also highly recommend talking to a friend about this if you haven’t already, even if you just vent it should do you some good to have someone to talk to and receive support from. Perhaps a friend of yours might even have a solution to all this, and even if they don’t they can keep you happy and distracted! And finally, speaking of distractions, stay as distracted as possible! If worse comes to worst and theres no way for you to really avoid the bullying, spend time with friends and do the things that make you happy and try your best to not dwell on the actions and words of this person.

Keep reporting them to tumblr in the meantime and hopefully something finally gets done about them because bullying should never be tolerated, anon or not. I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this nonnie and I really really hope that the bullying stops or is dealt with 💛 And you can always come for a visit to all of us here because this is a safe space and there’s plenty of love and support for you here 💛💛

#anonymous #answered #mod alexis #not a suggestion #long post

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marc-spectorr · 2 years

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Good morning!

I have not seen Inside Llewyn Davis yet, but I really want to. I’ve heard it’s sad so I’ve been trying to pick a day where I don’t mind being in my own head afterwards. Lol

Honestly, might watch it today. I was off yesterday and watched At Eternity’s Gate because it was free on demand and it was so good! Oscar’s only in it for maybe 10 minutes but I’ve been wanting to see it anyway because I adore Van Gogh. It’s basically a retelling of his final days. THAT movie is SO SAD but it’s so beautiful, I would highly recommend it. And if you do watch it, make sure to watch after the credits because Oscar has a whole block of dialogue in French that just made me sob. 🥺

As far as my favorite song of his, it’s hard to choose between a couple of them. The one that just speaks to me every time is Strangers Hands. I just love the notes in the beginning and I feel like the lyrics are adaptable. Like it’s one of those songs where you know he was probably writing it with a specific idea in mind but it’s so open to interpretation that it can adapt to your situation as well. (I tend to think a little too deep about songs lol)

Second favorite just because it brings a smile to my face EVERY time is Trailer Park by the Blinking Underdogs. It’s such a fun song and I grew up in a small town so I feel a connection for a brief moment while I’m listening to it. 😊 Total bonus that that whole album doesn’t have any curse words or bad implications on it, so I’ll play it for my goddaughters while we’re in the car and they love it 🥹

Still debating whether to watch Lleywn Davis or The Promise today…both look sad. The first will probably get me writing poetry which is always a plus, and the other is just total love story fantasy it seems. Will let you know what I ended up watching 😄

Thank you for the warm welcome! I hope you have a wonderful day! 😁

~🦜

hi honey :) 💚

i actually haven’t heard of at eternity’s gate before :o i’m might have to check that out too bc i love van gogh as well! i also wanna hear oscar speak french hehe. it’s such a beautiful language and i wish i took more classes while i was in school 😭 ugh you mentioning it made me remember steven reciting that french poem to layla and sighhh… that was a very dreamy moment skskks.

ok honestly i haven’t listened to his other songs as much as the others only bc i wanna have something to play and give me feels at a later time (idk how to explain it lmao,,, but basically i don’t want to listen to everything all at once so that i don’t run out of songs). it’s like a treat for me lolol. but i already know i’m going to be love the rest of his music. he has that voice that makes me all fuzzy inside 😩

omg let me know which one you ended up watching! i’m seeing the promise this weekend and i’m still not ready for the heartbreak it’ll cause me 🥲 i’m weird, i like sad movies and i can already tell that ima bawl after this one.

okidokieee stay awesome & ttyl 🦜💫

#asks #🦜 anon

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arunkumar2507199 · 1 year

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4.What is the most important Google ranking factor?

There is an extremely huge list of all the factors that are a part of your rank in the Google Search Engine. Google even has its own search quality evaluation guidelines that are frequently updated and worth checking out. However, having this big list it’s really hard not to lose your tactics and know what to look for to improve your ranking. So in between hundreds of all the factors, here are the main ones I would exclude that need more attention:

Page quality

Google itself indicates the most important factors of the page quality. How to know if your website can be highly rated?

The Purpose of the Page - Google cares about the growth of the internet and the benefits of the websites in it. Common helpful and beneficial page purposes include sharing information that could even be personal or social, sharing any forms of media, files and software to download, sharing original opinion or point of view, entertaining, selling products or services that are on demand, allowing discussions. Any helpful pages are most liked by Google and those that have a potential of spreading hate, causing harm or misinforming users can receive only the lowest rating.

E-A-T or Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness - an important characteristic for all beneficial pages. It includes the expertise of the content creator, the authoritativeness and the trustworthiness of the content creator and the website itself. The standard for the expertise depends on what the topic of the page is.

Main Content Quality and Amount - the quality of the content depends on the accuracy of the topic, entertainment or the ease of use. Content also includes the features and functionality of the website, so it is important to test them out. To create this type of content it should take a huge amount of at least one of the following: time, effort, expertise, and talent or skill. The amount of the content as well depends on the purpose of the page.

Website Information and information about who is responsible for the main content - high quality pages should have clear and detailed information about the website, so the users of it could feel comfortable trusting the page.

Website Reputation and reputation of who is responsible for the main content - for the high quality ranking in Google, the website should be highly rated in the well trusted review websites for example in Google reviews.

Website security

Google is really happy if your website has HTTPS - it even gives you a padlock on Chrome and indicates that your website is secured. It is good not only for the padlock, HTTPS comes only with SSL which creates a secure connection between the website and the browser. This is a big indicator that can encourage users to register to the website and even make a payment. As HTTPS is giving you more trustworthiness, it is also helping you to rank higher on Google Search Engine.

Another thing to note - from the beginning of July 2018, Google announced that Chrome will display a “not secure” warning on every website that doesn’t have SSL. It’s time to get one if you haven’t already!

Page speed

Another important Google ranking factor is your website speed. Starting from July 2018 the mobile page speed has also become a crucial thing for mobile search results as up to 70% of search comes from mobile phones. Google gives some tools to improve your page speed and lets you test your website on both - mobile and desktop - and find the main options how to make it load faster.

For WordPress users I recommend checking out Hostinger tutorials on How to Improve SEO by Speeding up Your WordPress Site and The Ultimate WordPress Performance Guide For 2019. As it not only gives you better ranking in the Google Search Engine but also improves your website’s user experience, the speed is worth working on.

SEO optimization

Well optimized SEO will lead you to better ranking on Google Search Engine. The main question is how to start with SEO? One of the best ways optimizing SEO is doing a keyword research for your website. You will get to know what are the popular keywords, what people search for and how many competitors you have. Then you will be able to decide what keywords are the best to use. Google has a Google Keyword Planner that I recommend to use for keyword ideas and more insights.

Next step is optimizing your website with off-site SEO and on-site SEO.

Off-site SEO is anything you can do to get traffic from different channels as links, social media, social bookmarking and more.

On-site SEO is optimization of different parts of your website, including content.

In this case on-site SEO is more important to Google and I recommend to focus on it more in the first place. You can start improving on-site SEO by adding title tags and meta descriptions with your main keywords in it, header tags, that would make your content an easy-read piece, and alt text for images to describe images on the web, so if the image was searched in Google, it would lead to your content.

Here you can find 30 WordPress SEO Tips to Increase Search Engine Ranking that can be used not only for WordPress users.

External and internal links

Off-site SEO is an amazing tool to promote your website and improve its ranking by backlinking, however, while focusing on the external links, we often forget to do internal linking. Google uses both - internal and external - links to set the value of the website and if there are a lot of links to a page, Google will decide that this page is important and will rank it higher. Internal links is a way to keep your visitors on your website and also to improve the Google ranking.

External links that are leading visitors to your website are also very relevant here but it is crucial not to forget the quality of those links. It is important to keep them relevant and included in an authoritative site, links from low-quality domains won’t do any good here.

Social signals

It is important to know that Google is not identifying Twitter or Facebook shares the same as the links from the authoritative pages. However, all the higher rankings on Google are the ones who are getting more social shares than others. In this case it is proven that social media presence is also helping to get a higher rank on Google Search Engine, still, it is important to engage with your visitors and make the content easy to share.

To keep your content shareable add visual elements that would make people click on, use hashtags to make your posts more discoverable and know your audience - from this you will have to decide what social platform to use and what is the best way to communicate.

What is the most important Google ranking factor?

Page quality

Google itself indicates the most important factors of the page quality. How to know if your website can be highly rated?

Website security

Page speed

SEO optimization

Next step is optimizing your website with off-site SEO and on-site SEO.

Off-site SEO is anything you can do to get traffic from different channels as links, social media, social bookmarking and more.

On-site SEO is optimization of different parts of your website, including content.

Here you can find 30 WordPress SEO Tips to Increase Search Engine Ranking that can be used not only for WordPress users.

External and internal links

Social signals

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