#I will be additionally real with y’all

[heavencasteel420]

I don’t ship R*nance, but, man, it’s wild seeing people go “um, why would you ship that, Nancy is so mean to Robin” when they ship H@rringrove. Shouldn’t they be bored because Nancy’s not mean enough? She doesn’t even pop up when Robin’s gazing longingly at Vickie to go “huh, guess your crush is getting porked by Mr. Mullet tonight,” let alone break crockery over her head.

#tbh my real hot take is that Steve’s stank attitude towards Eddie #(while not actually a big deal) #is less sympathetic than nancy being short with Robin right after seeing a dead body #st*ddie is fine to me #it’s a McDonald’s happy meal #unremarkable but good at the right moment #but I’ll be real with you all I don’t see what’s in it for Eddie based on the show dynamics #some people write it good though #I will be additionally real with y’all #the real reason I lost interest in r*nance #is that I read one too many fics where Nancy is disappointed in jonathan #for smoking weed when she taught him that poetry is just another way to rap #not literally but close to that #like. ugh. why make her so uncool and condescending #also—and I don’t think this applies to most people who ship it #just a subset of Steve stans #sometimes it feels like a way for Steve to win their breakup #it’s a bummer #okay. ship diss track over.

[thelastharbinger]

I’m already seeing male reactors get very verbally defensive about that scene in She-Hulk where Jennifer describes how, simply as a woman, she has more experience in suppressing rage than Banner because speaking out will get you labelled “hysterical”, “emotional”, “difficult”, “too much of a feminist”, the list goes on. And if you snap back at the wrong cat-caller, you can get murdered. So now mcu bros are rushing at the opportunity to cry out “this is just another ‘marvel throwing in another woke scene for woke’s sake’. But like...it isn’t untrue. Comic nerds are all for female superhero protagonists until she, god forbids, talks about the dynamics of what it’s like to live within the confines of patriarchy.

MCU fans are always clamoring for the social commentary to be more “subtle” and not so “in-your-face”, just so they can mindlessly enjoy a punchy fighty show and not have to confront any real-world intersections with racism, misogyny, xenophobia, transphobia, all the -isms and -phobias you can imagine. Additionally, even when the social criticisms are embedded into the story, the conflicts are routinely either overlooked or watered-down and discussed at the individual-level as if these are just isolated incidents and not reflective of larger phenomena. Dudebros forget that superhero comic media, from the very beginning, has always been political. A lot of the mainstream characters we know and love today were created in response to the anti-war and peace movements during the seventies in the United States (this is also not to say that there isn’t some definite war propaganda and Red Scare-inspired comics out there either).

Comics are teaching grounds for morality, human good, and bad, power, greed, corruption. Comics have been about the social commentary from the get-go. The idea that the government (and by extent society at large) is villainizing and surveilling a specific minority group who carry varying physical and genetic traits contrasting to that of the “ideal national subject” because of a perceived inherent aggression or difference based on their physical attributes *ahem ahem mutants*...where do you think they got that from?

I literally sat through a dude being like “IN MY EXPERIENCE AS A MAN, THAT IS NEVER THE CASE! IF A WOMAN GETS UPSET AND MAKES A SCENE IN PUBLIC, THE MAN ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE THE BAD GUY BECAUSE IT IS ASSUMED HE DID SOMETHING WRONG. MEN ARE THE ONES WHO CAN NEVER BE ANGRY.” (Obviously for Black men, my argument is different because when Black men express rage, they are viewed as a threat or turned into spectacle, but the person who made this rant was not a Black man, nor was he factoring race into his argument). As if masculinity and gratuitous violence have not become nearly synonymous. When male celebrities are accused of beating their partners, fans run to their defense to say “well she shouldn’t have provoked him.” When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, the internet rooted for a televised boxing match between the actors/comedians. We all watched the Trump and Hillary debates right, where his belligerent behavior was coddled while she had to maintain composure?

We’ve collectively grown up watching male newscasters, talk show hosts, and reporters make jokes about angry women in sports, in the media or in news reports being on their periods, as a way to minimize the stressful and abusive circumstances, or people, women are subjected to. The world expects women to react to harassment with class and elegance; women’s anger, Black women especially, is never not mitigated. For male fans to come away from that scene wanting to eye roll is why the commentary is so “in-your-face” because a lot of y’all still don’t get it! Men are still finding ways to make women’s issues about them and the “loss” of their rights. In a world where Brock Turners are able to walk free, are you really trying to argue against this scene? Really? What else do you expect out of a series whose main character is AN ATTORNEY? Y’all are just not going to enjoy this series then, as per usual.

#if you're wondering who the youtuber in question is it is jaby koay from the channel #getjaby #he also has another channel but im not trying to promote his shit #he does reactions to loads of things but i literally want to beat his ass everytime he opens his mouth to make some social hot take bc #you might as well be talking to fucking ricky gervais #he gives major centrist vibes nd he's so fucking condescending nd will jump at any opportunity to mansplain things to his female co-reactor #he's like i'm woke but only to a certain point #anyways fuck dudebros #also are we gonna act like this she hulk scene is more shoe-horned in than that scene in endgame? let's be real #just say you hate hearing about any issues that affects anyone ever who isn't a white man #she hulk #she-hulk #marvel #mcu #mcu rant #tatiana maslany #jennifer walters #hulk #bruce banner #reactors

[wixhing0nastar]

I feel like some of y’all need to hear this so... Raine will be fine. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath real quick and count down from 10.

Feel a little better?

Not really? That’s okay, here’s an in depth analysis of why Raine will be fine in the final.

Let's start by addressing the elephant in the room: what happened to Hunter when Phillip was possessing him.

Now, there are some key differences between Hunter's possession and Raine’s possession that automatically lead to Raine being in a better situation.

To start, Raine and Hunter are two completely different species, meaning that possession would likely affect them differently. And even if this wasn’t a point, Raine is presently a puppet and based on what we saw wasn’t actively goopifying.

Which ties into the next point: even if Raine were to turn back organic, it took several hours of possession (probably between 8-12) for Hunter to get to the point his organs were shutting down.

Additionally, unlike with Hunter, the protagonists are going to be on the lookout for Phillip, plus since it seems like he's targeting Eda (and if I were to wager a guess, the rest of the Clawthornes) and with her change in physical appearance making her look a lot like Evelynn, he's unlikely to be able to hide what’s happening for long... meaning a rescue effort will happen much sooner with a potentially much stronger group of fighters than the end of TTT.

Furthermore, Raine is older and significantly more powerful than Hunter is in terms of magic. As a coven head, the chances Raine at least has training to resist this type of thing if not actively having protections in place.

Finally (for this section at least), unlike Hunter, Raine has Eda. More specifically, Raine has a decades-long relationship to fall back on in terms of “fighting power.” Like, Hunter was able to pull through and regain some amount of control via the power of friendship and he’d only been in the Hexsquad for like... a year max and that’s being very generous.

Now that we’re got the in-universe reasons why Raine will be fine, let’s talk about the story reasons.

Narratively, in addition to being Eda’s love interest, they also serve as a metaphor for Eda’s lost magic... or more specifically, the safety that having her magic afforded her.

What I mean by this is that prior to the end of Season 1, Eda was protected from Belos because she was considerably more powerful than most other witches... based on what we’ve seen it’s entirely possible that her claim about being the most powerful witch on the isles was true...

But during Season 2, whenever Eda’s been is genuine danger due to Belos/The Emperor's Coven, Raine was the one to step in and make sure that her and her kids were safe. (Specifically, during Eda’s Requiem, O Titan Where Art Thou, and King’s Tide).

There are one of two ways to takes things narratively during the final based on this. Either the trend continues and Raine once again puts themself between Eda and Belos to keep her safe, or the trend is turned on it’s head and this time it’s up to Eda to save Raine from Belos.

More than likely though it’ll be a joint effort between the two of them. This would be in order to narratively place them back on even footing, showing they can protect each other and in turn make each other stronger.

Furthermore, Raine hasn’t really had any genuine death signs. Unlike the fake-out with Eda at the end of Season 2, nothing that’s happened to Raine has indicated they’re going to die. Yeah, they aren’t in a great place right now, but their character hasn’t been given any closure.

Additionally, there’s not enough time left in the show for their death to have an impact. And The Owl House has handled discussions about death and grief way too well up til now to just kill Raine off when there wouldn’t even be time for the characters to grieve or react properly.

Finally, let’s talk meta reasons Raine will be fine.

We’ll start with the fact that Raeda is Dana’s OTP for The Owl House and the likelihood of her killing one of them off is slim to none. And I can tell you as a writer, you absolutely put your favorite characters/relationships through the wringer because it makes the end of story where they’re okay that much sweeter.

More importantly, Raine is Disney’s first even non-binary character. Having Raine die randomly in the final would make for some genuinely terrible publicity for a company that’s been in hit water recently for their handling of other LGBTQ+ related things, so killing off Raine would be a horrible move.

Plus this is a Disney show and we’ve already had one beloved character die and explored the themes of death and grief fairly extensively (at least, again, for a Disney show...)

All this is to say that Raine will be fine and you can breathe while we wait for the final.

#The Owl House #The Owl House Spoilers #TOH Analysis #Raeda #Raine Whispers #Eda Clawthorne #This is mostly for the people I've seen panicking thinking they're actually going to die #So you don't have to spend the whole hiatus having an anxiety attack

[tsugarubecker]

El and Choice

Byler/platonic Elmax/platonic Elmike analysis below the cut (extensive)! You ready for 🤯? 🔻🔺

How much of El’s life has really been choice? I’d argue not a lot of it. In the above scene with Brenner, Brenner even mentions Henry manipulating El. Probably most of us watching that scene thought “wow, pot calling the kettle black much?”

But it’s not just those two. Most of El’s life has been other people making choices for her. It is the times when she takes control into her own hands and makes her own choices when she is at her most authentic and most powerful, as seen above. (Other examples include when she escaped the lab, ran away to meet her mom, left Kali to go rescue her friends, chose to go get her powers back, chose to stay with Brenner, etc. Moments of growth for El are often linked to moments of choice!)

I want to call attention to choice as it relates to El and her relationships - and additionally, as it relates to Mike and his relationships, too.

I made a diagram! 🤪 Sorry, I had a lot of coffee today lol. This diagram isn’t perfect and there are some errors in it (for example, I strongly believe that platonic Elmike is very important to this whole story but I didn’t represent that well in the diagram…. oops) but do you get the idea/my intention at least?? 😅 Take your time looking at it, it’s a bit convoluted. Feel free to come have another look after you’ve read on.

Throughout especially seasons 3 and 4, we see a couple triangles involving El and Mike. In season 3, we see the El / Mike / Max triangle almost as prominently featured, I would argue, as we see the El / Mike / Will triangle. But, the former is a platonic triangle. The latter is a romantic love triangle.

In S3, Mike and Max are constantly shown visually as a triangle with El, constantly pitted against each other, and constantly shown as the two “options” for El. Who will she agree with? Who will she side with? Which of these two will she prioritize?

Same in S3 in regards to Mike needing to choose between El and Will. Y’all probably don’t need me to extrapolate on this one (think of their “breakup” scenes being contrasted visually with lighting and mood, etc).

Then in season 4 this theme continues. Most of volume 1 is focused on the El / Mike / Will love triangle, right? But in volume 2, especially right at the end (as we go into season 5) we begin to see a big focus again put on the platonic triangle between El / Mike / Max. I don’t think I need to explain the love triangle, but I do want to talk a bit about the end of volume 2 and the resurgence of the El / Mike / Max platonic triangle.

We get a parallel between S2 and S4. In S2, El goes into the void, sees Mike in danger, and leaves her “jedi training”. In S4 she goes into the void, sees Max in danger, and leaves her “jedi training.” Mike and Max are being put back into a triangle.

As soon as the Pizza Gang rescues El she immediately says they need to go to Hawkins to rescue their friends (Max). When that plan doesn’t work she figures out a way to save Max from Nevada.

El then spends the rest of volume 2 fighting to save Max. It’s all about Max after this!

S4 V2 even ends with El not really talking much with Mike, going into her bedroom and thinking about Max. The end of V2 is very platonic Elmax-centric. El is beginning to truly prioritize her friendship with Max over her romantic relationship with Mike. She is beginning to make her choice about what she wants - and it’s based on what feels more real and authentic to her.

Others have written a million hours of analyses about Byler - check my pinned post for some excellent examples of those analyses - so I won’t get into that in too much detail here. Suffice it to say, I believe that Mike is also beginning to lean into what feels more real and authentic in his love triangle - and that’s his relationship with Will.

If they both lean into authenticity, El’s narrative arc leads towards Max and platonic (friend/family) love. Mike’s leads towards Will and real romantic love. Both of their arcs necessitate acceptance of self - and learning to believe that their inner moral compass is not wrong, it is good and right.

Right now Mike and El need each other to affirm for one another that they are not monsters. El has believed for years that deep down she might be evil. Mike is gay and closeted - he also believes that deep down he is morally wrong. Their arcs revolve around discovering that they are not monsters - and truly believing it, on their own, without relying on each other to prove it 🤯!

So. What does this have to do with choice? I’m glad you asked!

El chose Max. Mike chose Will. El and Mike did not choose each other.

El and Mike did not choose each other.

El chose Max. Mike chose Will.

El chose the person who trusts her to self-determine. Mike chose the person who believes he is The Heart. They both chose to put someone in their life who can help them see that they are not monsters. Who can love them for who they really are, as they are.

Season 5, I am confident, will center on El finding a way to save Max - and maybe on Mike finding a way to save Will. In any case, I strongly expect to see El leaning into the person she feels the most authentic with - and same with Mike. I expect - or maybe hope - to see their narrative arcs come to a satisfying close as they each choose to trust in their own inherent goodness.

Something something forced conformity (choice being taken away) that’s what killing the kids

Thanks for reading!! 🤪😅😁

#tldr I’ve figured out why milkvan can’t be endgame! #lmao at this hand i edited in Paint 🤣 #if this flops I’ll cry lolll #el and choice #eleven hopper #el hopper #platonic elmike #platonic elmax #byler #byler tumblr #byler analysis #gifset #stranger things #stranger things season 4 #st spoilers #stranger things spoilers #stranger things analysis #st s4 v2 #mike wheeler #max mayfield #stranger things 4

[cloudyswritings]

Gender norms?? In MY Hallownest??

this is basically just some headcanons about gender and society in Hallownest at it’s prime.

So first things first, I think that the gender stereotypes that we’ve got going on Irl are reversed in Hallownest. This has a lot to do with how some bugs in real life work. In a lot of spiders for example males are smaller, shorter lived, and have very flashy colors to attract mates. Female spiders often are larger and duller. This also applies to many other types of bugs including trilobite beetles, mantises, and some beetles(they’ve got their own shit going on with horns tho, we’ll get there don’t worry), and a bunch of others. To this effect the bugs we see in canon who are female tend to be larger than the males. I mean look at the White lady and her tiny ass, shiny ass husband. Neither are bugs but it seems likely the king took the form he did to appeal to the sensibilities of other bugs. So what’s that all mean then? I imagine in Hallownest, larger bugs with duller colors would be assumed to be ladies (or fem presenting) and smaller bugs with bright or striking shell patterns or clothing would be assumed to be guys(or masc presenting). There’s some evidence supporting this in canon too? Like Salubra calls little ghost handsome and striking and while Sly isn’t colorful he is small. Additionally almost all of the bugs we know who are fem presenting are noticeably taller than other bugs we bump into(Dryya, White Lady, Mantis lords, Herrah, Salubra, Iselda, Radi herself, Vespa, even midwife is pretty large compared to other bugs we see). Now obviously this rule isn’t ironclad or anything but it does seem like a quick and dirty guide of what gender norms might have looked like. Masc bugs would be wearing bright clothing or otherwise going out of the way to show off(Charms anyone?) and fem bugs would be the opposite, but also would generally be the ones with more power to pick and choose their partners and infinitely more power to do something about it if they picked wrong. Of course they may all be trickle down from how whipped the White lady has her husband(you go root!). Interestingly this would mean that most bugs would generally assume Hollow is fem presenting, which simply isn’t true(they’re just themself) and try to approach them with that in mind. Of course Hallownest is fallen and even if it wasn’t Hollow had no idea about this back when they lived in the kingdom.

There are only two big exceptions to this rule I could find/remember and they’re all either beetles or Bardoon. So imma start with the beetles instead of dealing with Bardoon and his giant ass. So the thing about beetles is, there’s a shit ton of them, and they’ve kinda done everything. That said a significant number of species have males with huge horns and bright colors, and dull females. The opposite of my above idea. I think this really has more to do with the broadness of beetle groups than anything else. That said in Hallownest I think that any-bug who was trying to seduce a bug with large horns who they knew to be a beetle would assume they were male instead of the general rule(Look at all of the nail masters and the Old Stag, they’re all large, horned, masculine beetles. And Myla who is a small, female, dull colored probably-beetle, also Bretta ig) .This also works nicely because horns seem to be a thing in Hallownest tied mostly to beetles so it’s an easy way of switching rulesets. Ig this means Hollow actually gives off mixed vibes cause nobody knows their species(including them let’s be real), which is probably a massive gender win for them.

Anyway rant over, I’ll probably look at this with horror in the morning and then try to untangle it and make it more coherent. Hope y’all enjoyed!

#hk headcanons #late night #Hk thk #worldbuilding #Fantasy social norms? #Idk #just some thoughts #it could be true #or it could be wrong #Bugs man…

[poohbea]

𝐒𝐀𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐭𝐨𝐨.

eren yeager | angst (because i want to see y’all suffer), fluff | aristocrat!au

PART ONE

wordcount: 5k

content: dramatic argument, depression (not in a clinical sense), miscommunication, momma comes to comfort you, very light suggestion of alcohol abuse, fluff all round

— synopsis: tired of eren's sour attitude you're finally about to get to the bottom of it

note from pooh: you see what i did with the title there? huh? did ya? hehehehe im so funny. but on a serious note, thank you all so much for all the love and praise SYLM 1 received, at the time of releasing this it’s almost hit 2k notes 🤯 unbelievable. so sorry i kept you all waiting for so long, life had other plans. additionally thank you to all those who responded to my poll and helped me create something that y'all would enjoy.

Hope you enjoy ♡ reblogs are greatly appreciated

The sound of water beating against itself came to a steady halt as Eren turned the faucet closed. Steam clouded the pristine white and cream tiled room, painting an almost heavenly scene under the warm light of the small crystal fixture. 

You watched him through the mirror, his naked form glowing with a layer of perspiration that accumulated the longer he remained in the heated room. Your own reflection wasn’t much better, matted hair that refused to stay tame and purple marks that littered your skin in a random fashion. Faint traces of his hand prints still kissed your skin a rosy hue, others with speckles of violet. 

He dips two fingers into the steaming bath, filled all the way with bubbles and essential oils just how you liked it. The aroma of lavender folding in the air with the steam as it rose. One that seemed to you before even stepping foot into the water. 

With a satisfied hum he shakes the excess foam from his hands and looks to you in the mirror, still running a hand over the marks he’d left as a reminder. The ones he would continue to leave for as long as you let him. “C’mere.” He beckons you with an outstretched hand. 

You approach him silently, one arm wrapped around yourself while the other accepts his touch. He pulls you into him, eyes soft but face unreadable as his arms slip around your waist, fingers splaying out on your lower back. “Warm enough for you?” He questions, mentioning the bath but his gaze still locked with yours. 

You lean over slightly to feel for yourself, smiling at the heated water touching your fingertips. “Perfect.” His lips touch yours in a chaste and prolonged kiss that had his arms tightening around you, enough to force you onto your tiptoes. 

“Go on then.” With your hand in his he guides you into the club footed tub, letting you sink into the frothy bubbles that blanketed the surface. 

You miss the glint in his eyes as a soft moan escapes your lips, eyes closing with the onset of relaxation that overwhelmed your tired muscles and sticky skin. If not for his lingering touch you’d probably have fallen into it completely, submerging yourself whole. “Mm, how is it that you always know how to run my baths?” 

He crouches and pecks a tender kiss on your knuckles. “Practice makes perfect.” 

“In our situation I’m not sure that’s a good thing, ‘Ren.” You chuckle, leaning against the back of the bath, suds sticking you your hair. 

He doesn’t respond, instead giving you that sad look he’s been harbouring the entire night. It was still beyond you what the real issue was. Why his actions and expression were so contradictory it made your head spin. In all honesty it was growing tiresome, this roller coaster he involuntarily put you on.

After a long and muted staring contest he finally speaks. “I’ll leave you too it then.” As he moves to stand and make his exit your hand tightens around his desperately. 

“Wait, ‘Ren… stay.” You plead softly, anxiety panging in your chest as his back still faced you. What made you think he was going to accept? You weren’t a couple. He didn’t owe you his company. 

“Why?” He responds plainly, looking at you over his shoulder. 

You didn’t really have a good answer. Maybe it was a heat of the moment thing. But something inside you wanted him there. Needed him to stay with you. The thought of being left alone with your own subconscious after everything that just happened terrified you. Recalling the history of depressive episodes that had you overthinking time and time again in his absence. But you couldn’t tell him any of that.

“It’s late.” You produce the first thing that comes to mind. “And I’m sure this tub is big enough for two.” It was a lame excuse, you were very much aware of that fact, but you still had hope it was enough to convince him.

He puffs out a chuckle, turning to face you fully. “What are you trying to do, princess?” 

“Just… stay. Please.” You whine, pouting your bottom lip playfully and batting your lashes.

When you watch his eyes roll and a faint smile upturn his lips you knew you’d won this battle. His foot breaches the bubbly veil as he sinks into the water slowly, making it rise before letting his long legs rest on either side of your hips. The tips of his hair dance in the cleared patches of placid water, floating gracefully on the surface as his eyes lock with yours. Brow raised in question. 

“Happy now?” He rests his arms on the edges of the marble tub, leaning back into it with a sigh. 

“Almost. Just…” 

“Y/n…” The nervous tone in his voice was evident as you climbed into his lap, resting yourself against his chest. He eventually laid an arm over your lower back, giving up on trying to push you away anymore. 

You remained like that for a long time, soaking up the aromatics and warmth of the steam emanating from your skin. Hair hanging over your respective shoulders, bodies sunk deep into the water, soaking away the trials and tribulations from the past few hours. It was proof you could be cordial with one another, relaxing quietly like this. As a glimmer of hope made itself visible, your thoughts began to spiral out of control, plaguing the peaceful atmosphere with doubt. 

The events of the night replayed in your mind, overthinking the actions you witnessed. There was a pull inside you, inside your heart, one that demanded answers to the questions that refused to dissipate.

You watch him through your lashes as your head rested on your arms on the side of the tub. He sat there unmoving, bar the steady rise and fall of his chest. His face was relaxed, eyes closed and mouth slightly agape, cheeks flushed with the warmth enveloping his body. 

As if sensing your stare, his brows furrow. “If you have something to say to me, spit it out.” He says nonchalantly, peeking down at you through a squinted eye. 

It was now or never. “Why… do you hate me?” The question lingered in the air, his eyes opening fully to look at you with an expression that held offence. 

“What?” 

“You heard me, Eren.” Your gaze doesn’t waver as you answer but your rapidly beating heart was a dead give away. 

“I don’t hat-“ 

“I thought you said you didn’t like lies, ‘Ren. Yet here you are spewing one.” His mouth sets in a hard line when you cut him off, jaw clenching tight when you proceed further to call him out. 

“It’s not a lie.” He answers honestly with a dry laugh. “I don’t completely hate you.” The joke didn’t make you laugh.

“Oh, so you do hate me a little bit then.” You answered sarcastically, your tone drawing an eye roll from the man.

“It’s not as simple as that, y/n.” His wet fingers comb through the chestnut strands that fell around his face. 

It was your turn to frown. “So then explain it to me, Eren. Because I’m tired of this,” you gesture between you both. “This back and forth, hot and cold bullshit. What is happening here? You act like you hate me in front of others, like being in my presence pains you. But in private you do things like this.” 

He scoffs softly, head shaking in disbelief. “The pot calling the kettle black? What about you, huh?” 

“What about me?“ 

“Don’t act like you don’t do that exact same thing to me. And also weren’t you the very same one who initiated this relationship?” 

“If I recall correctly it was a mutual agreement, don’t you blame this all on me! It takes two to tango, Eren. You also kept coming back after the first time.” 

“Mm and look where that’s gotten me?” You eyed him with confusion. 

“What are you talking about?” 

His lips pursed. “No. We’re not doing this.” He breaks your heated staring match by shifting his attention to the bathroom tile. That only pissed you off more. 

“Why?! Why whenever I try to get you to communicate with me you just shut me out?!” 

“Y/n… don’t.” As his eyes darkened you could see the anger threatening to burst from within. You didn’t care. 

“No! I want an answer. Why do you hate me?” 

His eyes close as he lets out an exasperated nasally sigh, trying to remain calm in the midst of your heated conversation. “I don’t. How many times do I have-“ 

“So then what is it, Eren?! What makes you go around spreading bullshit about me? Meddling with my suitors, ruining my chances for a relationship with them and god forbid my business relationships.” You watch his jaw clench tighter and tighter with each passing word, his expression brewing wrath. “What is your problem with me?!”

“It’s because I’m in love with you, y/n!” There it was, that explosion, the one that he’d been shielding you from since he first became aware of it all. He watched your expression change, anger melting into shock, then into confusion. 

You move off of him, putting a breathable distance between you both. “You… you what?” So many feelings rushed over you it was beginning to make you dizzy. Love? How? Why? When could this have happened? You wracked your brain for any sort of answer. Any form of reason to all this.

He shys away from your scrutinising gaze, embarrassment and trepidation settling in the pit of his stomach. “…I love you.” 

A small chuckle escapes you in disbelief. “W-why? You… I don’t understand. Are you joking with me again…?” As his gaze locks with yours your heart sinks at the tears pooling in those forest green eyes of his. 

Before you could get another word out he’s stepping out of the bathtub, water trailing down his skin onto the pearl ceramic under his feet as he strides to wrap a towel around his waist. 

“Eren!” You call after him, fumbling with your own towel that you haphazardly covered yourself in. 

He was already in the bedroom, buckling the belt of his slacks he’d previously abandoned. “Eren stop! Hold on!” You begged finding purchase on his forearm that tensed under your touch. 

His eyes search the floor before he picks up his shirt, freeing himself from your grasp as he moves to put it on. “Eren!” You plead, on the verge of tears. “Please wait, talk to me.” 

He continues to dress himself, avoiding your gaze entirely. Tears fell feely down your cheeks, dripping down your jaw sporadically onto the surface of your chest. 

As he makes his way to your door you rush to find a nightgown, tying it around yourself before making chase. He’s halfway down the hallway when you reach him, clutching to his arm for dear life. 

“‘Ren!” He stops at the sound of his nickname leaving your lips. By this point you were a sobbing mess, breath tightening your throat with each intake, tears staining your skin. “‘’Ren please. Please don’t leave me like this.” He mimics the same stance as in the bathroom, turned away from you, refusing to meet your teary eyes. “You can’t do this to me! You can’t just say you love me and leave! It’s-it’s cruelty!” 

“Cruel?” He ponders, voice hoarse. There was a long pause between his words, like he was contemplating what to say next. “You don’t feel the same way… do you?” 

The question had you at a loss for words. You didn’t even know yourself. All of this was so sudden, you barely had time to actually think, to process his confession. Fuck, what we’re you supposed to say? If you said yes would it be the entire truth? If you said no it’d be a complete lie. 

“I don’t know ’Ren. Fuck I don’t know! This is so sudden, I don’t know what to think.” He peers at you through his lashes over his shoulder and you finally see the streaks of tears glittering in the low light. 

“You can’t be that dense y/n.” He spits. “That for so long, you never once realised any of it. You wanna know why I made those fucked up rumours? Because I see the way they look at you. Every man that comes through this house, every fucking suitor that comes to court you. None of them, not one is going to love you like I do.” 

“‘Ren.”

“I’ve known you for practically all your life, I know you. From how you like your liquor to how you like your baths. Fuck, I know you better than you know yourself, princess.” The laugh he lets out is pained, struggling through hitched breaths and watery eyes. “And I hid all of that. Behind this facade of bitterness and petty insults. I hid it from you because I knew…” 

“No, no, Eren please. I-I didn’t know.” He watches you fall to your knees, hands clutching his shirt he didn’t even bother to button up all the way. 

You tear soaked skin, flushed pink. Lips a deep dusted shade of rose, eyes pleading, hair partially wet from the bath you’d left to chase him. The subtle scent of lavender lingered on your both, filtering through the corridor. 

His heart was breaking, piece by piece the longer he stood in your presence. He didn’t know what came over him sharing that bathtub with you. All the accusations you’d thrown just pushed him further and further to the edge. His emotions got the better of him; they somehow ended up verbalised. Screaming at you, just so you would finally wake up and maybe he would too. 

After suppressing them for so long, bottling them inside over and over again, the cap finally burst. And he couldn’t stop the truth from spilling out. He felt like an idiot. Seeing your reaction, your laughter and denial. It was like a punch to the gut. How could he have read you so wrong? Thought that you’d reciprocate his feelings after all the bullshit he put you through? 

He only had himself to blame.

“I can’t do this with you anymore.” He pulls his arm from your grip, taking one last look at you before starting again down the hallway. 

Your chest was so tight it was hard to breathe. Every inhale set your lungs aflame, pain searing into your chest repeatedly. It was never ending. You watched through blurry vision as his dark figure disappeared from sight, leaving you on the carpeted floor, sobbing and alone.

“Y/n!” Your mother calls for the second time behind your bedroom door, a light knock echoing from the thick wood. 

You laid beneath the covers, gazing into the darkness you’d enveloped yourself in for who knows how long. Hiding yourself away seemed like the most logical option, you didn’t need to give anyone more fuel to feed the raging fire that was your emotional state. The dread and guilt weighing on your chest just refused to go away, even after all the tears and self isolation. The image of Eren’s face haunted you, his words even more so. 

The creak of hinges sounds and her soft footsteps follow before there’s a weight near your foot. “Baby.” She calls softly, placing a hand on your covered shoulder. You continue to stare into the abyss, eyes closed, trying your damnedest not to let your feelings surface. “Y/n, speak to me sweetheart, what happened? You’ve been up here for four days.”

“He loves me, momma.” You groan, the emotional dam beginning to crack at just the mention of the topic. 

She pulls the duvet back to uncover your head, a soft smile on her lips as she takes in your puffy eyes and dishevelled hair. “Who, baby?” The look in her eyes told you she already knew who the person in question was, but you weren’t going to argue with her. 

“Eren.” You peaked at her through your hair, frowning at the smile she was trying to stifle with the back of her hand. “It’s not funny!” She snorts slightly at your outburst, not bothering to hide it anymore. 

“It’s a little funny.” A quiet gasp leaves her when you pull the blanket back over your head, fed up. “Oh, come on y/n.” Her hands tug at the sheets and so do yours, but her’s proved to be stronger. She tucks herself into your side, laying an arm over your waist which causes you to snuggle into her instinctively. With a forgiving sigh she places a kiss to your temple that was buried in her chest, fingers playing with your hair absentmindedly. “Tell me what happened.”

“S’nothing, Ma.” You lie, another crack forming in your calm facade. 

“I saw the poor boy running out the door half in tears. And here you are hiding away from the world for the last four days. I’m pretty sure it’s not nothing, y/n?” Her gaze weighs on you like a tonne of bricks, scrutinising but valid. 

Her words resonate within your mind, imagining a distressed Eren pushing through a crowd of people, eyes curiously watching the eligible bachelor hold back tears as he excused himself for the night.

 Boy did that scene sound familiar. 

“He told me he loved me…” The admission was met with silence, one that told you to continue. “And I… I thought he was messing around, like he usually does. Trying to get a reaction out of me. You know Eren, he never takes anything seriously. But you should’ve seen his face, mom… I broke his heart.”

Your mother hums in thought, nails tracing lazy tracks into your scalp gently. “And how do you feel?”

“I don’t know how to feel about it. I never really thought it’d actually happen given everything he’s been doing. Pushing me away, the rumours, the teasing.”

“Mm and the whole friends with benefits thing.” She adds casually, finally making you come out of hiding. 

“Wait, you knew?” 

“I’m your mother, y/n, of course I knew. You think I wouldn’t notice you two disappearing in the middle of the night, over and over again? I wasn’t born yesterday.” Her thumb traces your cheekbone as she spoke, still tender and understanding. 

“Mmm,” She laughs as your face dives back into her chest bashfully, groaning loudly as you did so. “Don’t even get me started about that.”

“Well, what did you think was going to happen, baby?” 

The sigh you exhale makes your face heat up. “I don’t know, Ma. I thought that with the mutual disdain it could work. That that’d be enough to hold off the emotions that came with it.”

“And what emotions are those?” She shifts your face so you meet her gaze. 

You stared at her for a long time, searching yourself for the answer to the question that’s been eating you up for so long. Truth be told you did feel something for Eren. At one point it was so strong it scared you enough to hide it away, afraid that he might not feel the same. That fear was only solidified by the growing dislike you’d developed overtime as he proved you right, but unbeknownst to you he was doing the same thing. 

Bottling up everything and projecting it in the form of ridicule and pettiness. But physically he showed you his intentions, behind closed doors and between silken bedsheets. That was the real Eren, always taking care of you, making sure you were warm and cleaned up. Running you a bath almost every night when you were together. The kisses, the smiles, the sadness that lingered in those emerald irises. He was silently telling you how he really felt. 

But was what you were feeling really love? The safety you experienced laying in his arms for the first time. Listening to the lullaby of his heart as you drifted off into sleep at the end of every weary and sex-filled night. He was familiar, comfortable, and addictive. No one could rile you up like he did. Make you so utterly frustrated like he did. Knew you inside and out like he did. You didn’t know what pissed you off more, realising that he was right or the fact that you’d been blind for so long.

“Let me ask you something, y/n.” Your mothers voice interrupts your thoughts. “Do you think you’re ready to admit what you feel? To take that next step with him?”

“I don’t know.” You answered honestly. “Not right now, anyway.”

“And that’s okay, baby. You don’t always have to reciprocate someone else’s feelings right away.” Her compassionate nature emanated from her in a glow that made you warm inside. Easing your nerves just that little bit more. 

“But I do have feelings for him, mom. All of this is just happening too fast.” 

“Well did you tell him that?” She questions with a raised brow. 

You shake your head, embarrassment settling in your chest. “I didn’t get a chance to. After I asked him if it was a joke he stormed out on me.”

Her sigh wafts the strands of hair laid on your forehead. “You kids and your inability to communicate…” You couldn’t help but laugh, remembering all the lectures she and your father would give you about communication growing up. “You know you’re going to have to talk to him sooner or later.”

“I know..I’m just scared.” 

She pulls you closer, letting her warmth envelop you. “We’re heading over there tonight for dinner, maybe you can have the conversation then.”

The silent agreement was made as soon as you stepped foot over the threshold of the Yeager residence not only a few hours later. Greeted warmly by Carla and Grisha before being ushered inside their home. 

The scent of disinfectant and citrus floated through the grandiose hallways and sitting rooms, an aroma you’ve long since associated with the Yeager household considering their medicinal ties. The place was spotless as per usual, but homely nonetheless in it’s neutral shades of cream and white. 

They guide you into one of their many sitting rooms, a teapot already brewing on the marble coffee table. “So how have you all been, we missed you at the ball, y/n.” Grisha asks, taking his place beside his wife on the loveseat across from your own. 

Your parents glanced at you knowingly on either side, the attention making you gulp. “Oh, I had to retire a bit early, too much champagne I’m afraid.” You chuckled coyly, fiddling with your fingers as you spoke. 

They both laugh, Carla reaching for the teapot to offer you some tea. “Mm, we know how much you enjoy your liquor, sweetheart.” She frowns, looking to the staircase in thought. “Speaking of… Eren’s been drinking a lot more lately. Would you have any idea why? He hasn’t been talking to us much lately.”

You mother sips her tea with a curious side eye, your father entering a separate corporate conversation with Grisha. Swallowing your own tea you place the cup back onto the saucer on the table with a shaky hand. “No, I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t aware he’d even been drinking as of late.”

Carla lets out a heavy sigh, fingers playing with her hair. “Would you be able to speak with him? Grisha and I have tried everything, but he’s shut us out. You’re his closest friend, maybe he’ll listen to you.”

The awkward smile that graced your lips went over her head as she gave you a hopeful look. You just couldn’t say no to her, she was like your second mother after all. “Sure. Where is he?”

“Oh, thank you sweetheart.”  Her whole demeanour changes with your answer, becoming brighter, more cheery. “I’m sure he’s up in his room at this time, he came home just before you got here.”

Finishing the rest of your tea you excuse yourself and make your way to the staircase, stopping as you hear the hearty chuckle of the couples in the room adjacent. Upstairs was dim, save for the lights littered irregularly through the long corridor, those being your only savour when you threatened to bump into a table or one of Grisha’s many display cases full of trophies and certificates. 

Running around this place for most of your life, you knew exactly where to go, soon finding Eren’s bedroom door looming over you in an intimidatingly protective nature, sealing the man inside. You let your knuckles tap against the wood softly, ear raised to hear no reply. Hearing the same upon doing it again. 

“Eren.” You call, hand on the door knob. “I’m coming in.” As you crack the door open you notice the room empty. The only indication of life being the tossed about bedsheet and the light that shone beneath the door frame of his bathroom door. Shadow danced in the space at foot of the door, soon opening to reveal his half naked frame. 

He dries his hair with a smaller towel roughly as he strides out, stopping as his gaze settles on you in the doorway. “Well, look who it is.” He smiles mockingly before continuing into the room. “Come to fuck up my mood even more have you?”

You watch as he tossed the hand towel and flops onto the ruffled sheets, damp hair scattering around his head like a broken halo. “Your mom wanted me to come talk to you.”

“My mother?” He chimes with a sarcastic undertone. “And here I was hoping you’d come of your own free will.” His gaze fixed to the ceiling as he spoke, towel dangerously low around his waist. You were fully aware he was drunk, it was evident in the way his words half blurred into each other as he mumbled them out. 

“Eren-”

“Don’t fucking say my name.” He snaps. “Hearing it come from you… it just makes it worse.”

“Can we talk, please?” For the first time since he left you he meets your gaze, a bored expression painted on his features as he gives you a once over. 

“What is there to talk about, y/n?” 

You shut the door behind you, starting on your approach to his bed. “About the night of the ball.”

A huff leaves his chest as you sit beside him, careful not to touch him. “You made yourself quite clear.”

“That’s not fair, ‘Ren.” Hearing his nickname made his jaw tense. “You never even gave me a chance to talk.”

“Okay.” He paused for a moment to shift himself to face you, brow raised expectantly. “So talk. What more could you possibly have to say to me?”

A deep breath stutters from between your lips as you muster the courage to finally speak, to finally unlock the chains you’ve had so tightly wrapped around your heart. “I like you, Eren. As much as you piss me off and make life difficult, you somehow always still find a way to make everything better.” He listens to you ramble silently, green eyes boring intensely into yours. “When you told me you loved me that night… I didn’t know how to respond because for so long we’ve had such a weird and complicated relationship. I mean, can you blame me for reacting the way I did?”

You were right. After all the pettiness he subjected you to it was no wonder you were hesitant, it still didn’t make the rejection any less hard though. In all honesty if it weren’t for the alcohol drowning out the pain he’d been in for the last four days he’d probably have told you to get out of his sight. But a deeper part of him wanted to hear your side, to listen, most of all to understand. It was only fair after all. 

“I guess not.” He mumbles aloud, the sound bringing a hint of a smile to your lips. “So what are you trying to say?”

“I like you, Eren. Maybe even love you. But I need you to be patient with me.” 

His head nods slowly in agreement. “Okay, I can do that.” There was hope and that was all he really ever wanted to hear. To know that there was some kind of chance, an inkling that you’d like him back. Your words somehow managed to lift a lifetime’s worth of weight off his chest, one that seemed to be burdening you as well. 

He chuckles as you flop beside him with a soft groan, your scent melding with his own in close proximity. “Why did we go through all this bullshit?” You question, feigning exasperation. 

“Because feelings are scary.” His heart swells at the sound of your bubbly laugh, your contagious smile upturning his own lips. 

“You can say that again.” 

“I’m sorry.” He adds. “For everything. I’m an asshole for putting you through all that. All because I tried to hide my feelings for you. I just ended up projecting my insecurities onto you.”

“Wow, the great Eren Yeager apologising? Is hell freezing over?” You squeal as he playfully smacks your thigh, shifting to tickle your side.

“I’m trying to pour my heart out here and you're taking it as a joke? Huh, am I a joke to you?” He grits teasingly through his teeth, not letting up at your waist. Your hands clawed at his own, trying desperately to pry them away from your sides. 

“Okay, okay!” You cry.

He watches you writhe beneath him in amusement.  “Okay, what?”

“Okay, I’m sorry! You’re not a joke!” You manage between breaths, stuck in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. “Eren, stop my tummy hurts!”

Per your request his hands cease, slowly trailing their way up your arm before settling on your cheek. His gaze locks with yours for a prolonged period of time. “I’m serious, y/n. I don’t know how you can ever forgive me.”

"I forgive you, 'Ren." You draw him in by his hair, lacing it between your fingers as your lips brushed against his. “But I do know a few ways you can make it up to me.”

tags: @getosarea, @gardenof-venusenus, @sintiva, @sailewhoremoon

additionally thank you to @satorhime for helping me get through my overthinking rut, talking with you literally eased my stress. thank you for keeping me company at 1 am lmao

© poohbea, all rights reserved. DO NOT copy, reupload or modify my work to other accounts and platforms. if you intend to translate any of my works please ask permission first ♡

#pooh's world ♡ #eren yeager #aot eren #eren x you #eren x reader #aot #shingeki no kyojin #eren x y/n #eren fluff #eren jaeger #lemme be honest with y'all this isn't the best this could've been #but at this point i just wanted to get it done and out for y'all to read #so sorry for keeping you waiting for almost a month sksksk #attack on titan eren #shingeki no kyoujin eren #attack on titan x female reader #aot x fem reader #aot x you #aot x reader #x fem!reader #x female reader #x you #x y/n #x you fluff

[raspberryfingers]

A Lion in the Garden -Tywin Lannister x Reader- (Part 27)

WARNINGS: Use of Moon Tea (aka abortion/pregnancy prevention)

A/N: I’m really sorry to everyone who picked yes in the poll, because I know it’s annoying of me to even ask for opinions if I’m not going to listen, but I felt that children weren’t right for Lady Tyrell and Tywin.

This is mostly because I didn’t want to feel like I was betraying my characters, and yes I know it’s not real, but to make Lady Tyrell become a mother when she’s been so adamantly against it for so long would’ve felt wrong to me. She’s always been afraid of being cast aside either for marriage or for having children, and while her marriage thankfully did not do that, realistically being a mother requires a great deal of your time and effort. Being a parent usually comes before all else, especially for women in Westeros, and I don’t want to take that freedom from her.

There is also Tywin, who in many fics I read is more than happy to have children with the reader. And while this isn’t a false interpretation—he certainly wants to continue his legacy and having more children would improve that—it’s also an interpretation that usually comes with arranged marriage fics. Now, like I said, I don’t mind that and it makes perfect sense to me, but given that Tywin has repeatedly shown great deals of emotion whenever Lady Tyrell puts herself in danger suggests to me that he wouldn’t be entirely excited about her having his children. Not because he doesn’t want them, but because he’s afraid of any complications during birth, especially because of Joanna.

So, this is my apology for deciding to ignore the overwhelming amount of support Tywin and Lady Tyrell got for having children, my bad guys. On the bright side, though, I have noted I will continue to write Tywin Lannister oneshots once this story is finished. While some of them will be a sort of continuation of A Lion in the Garden, some will just be regular oneshots, and I will write y’all the fluffiest, most wholesome Tywin dad fic you’ve ever read I PROMISE.

So, overall, just know I didn’t decide to not listen just for fun, I genuinely have reasons that I didn’t feel I could ignore, and also know that I am sorry. With that aside though, I hope y’all still really enjoy the story because I’ve got some big stuff coming up for these last few chapters🤭

—————

It was rather early in the morning, but just as always, Qyburn was awake. Not to mention, he was already in his laboratory researching and conducting experiments.

In fact, he was preparing to start brewing something when there was a knock at his door. It surprised him given that the sun was just barely peeking over the sea. 

Qyburn rose from his chair, making his way to the door and pulling it open. He found Tywin Lannister standing there, much to his surprise.

“My lord, how can I help you?” He asked, wondering why the Hand had seeked him out so early, especially the morning after his wedding. Additionally, Qyburn was also curious as to why he had not gone to Pycelle. He was the Grand Maester, after all. 

“There’s something I’d like to inquire about. May I come in?” Tywin asked, peering over the shorter man’s shoulder and observing the dark, messy room.

“Of course, my lord. I can clear a chair if you’d like to sit,” Qyburn offered, stepping aside so Tywin could enter and then shutting the door behind him. He couldn’t help but feel nervous, wondering if perhaps his experiments had once again gone too far and the man wished for him to leave. 

“There’s no need, I’d like to keep this quite brief.”

“Very well, I-“

“My daughter trusts you quite a lot, doesn’t she?” Tywin questioned suddenly, interrupting the ex-maester and turning to look at him. 

“I hope she does, my lord.”

Tywin nodded, hands folded behind his back as he gazed down at the dusty wooden floors. The air was thick and damp, and he wondered how Qyburn ever managed to get anything done without coughing and struggling to breathe. 

“It’s rare that my daughter trusts people, especially outside of our family. However, there are certain qualities that win her over quite easily. Those of loyalty, and of secrecy. I wonder if perhaps I could make use of those traits and ask something of you,” Tywin said stiffly, watching Qyburn light another candle as he did. The small man gazed over, suddenly intrigued. 

“Certainly, my lord. If it is within my capabilities, I shall do it.”

“And I can trust you to keep it to yourself? To tell nobody, including my daughter?” 

“Yes, my lord.”

Tywin observed him thoughtfully, almost as if he was waiting for a but, or a request. Surely this man’s silence would come with a price.

“I will reward you handsomely for it.”

“There is no need, your lord.”

Now this made him raise an eyebrow. The favor and his silence for no price at all? Tywin had met plenty of men in his life, but none had ever been entirely selfless.

“If you do not wish for money, then what is it that you desire? Power? Land?” Tywin interrogated, taking a slow step towards the smaller man. Qyburn only smiled.

“None of those, my lord. I merely wish to experiment and research in peace. It is my one passion and calling, and with both the hospitality of you and her grace, I am allowed to do so. That alone is enough to secure my silence and my services whenever you should require,” he explained, giving a gentle, subtle smile to the Lord Hand. Tywin thought for a moment, and then nodded.

“I see. The task I have for you is nothing quite so… strenuous as what you did for my daughter. I simply require moon tea, though it must be made with the utmost precision. I need it to be entirely effective,” he explained, watching carefully for any hint of change on Qyburn’s face. There was no shock, nor any joy. The request was merely a job to him, not a rumor to be spread. 

“I can have that ready within the hour, if you wish,” he offered, raising an eyebrow and running through a mental list of the ingredients he would need from his cupboard. 

“Thank you, that would be convenient,” Tywin accepted, beginning to walk towards the door. Qyburn moved as well, reaching for the handle but not opening it.

“Will that be all, my lord?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Of course,” Qyburn nodded, pausing and pressing his lips together for a moment, “May I ask you something, my lord?”

Tywin paused, raising both eyebrows as a sign for him to do it. 

“Why have you come to me? The Grand Maester is much closer to the tower of the hand, and he would be able to brew such a thing just as well.”

Tywin inhaled, looking Qyburn directly in his eyes and sucking in one of his cheeks as he contemplated.

“As I said, my daughter trusts you.”

—————

The sun was shining through the windows when I woke, and though Tywin was not beside me, I was glad to find he was still in the room, writing letters at the table instead of sitting in his office.

“Good morning,” I greeted, smiling and rolling onto my side to face him a bit better. He looked up, smiling back at me and setting his quill down. 

“Good morning, wife.”

Tywin stood from his seat, making his way over to me and leaning down to press his lips to mine. I reciprocated happily, my hand against his cheek. I always enjoyed the gentle prickle of his beard, and I continued to cup his face even after he had pulled away. 

“How early did you wake up?” I asked, yawning and leaning into his touch as he tucked some hair behind my ear. 

“Just over an hour ago. Would you like to bathe?” Tywin asked, making me raise my eyebrows and nod instantly. I wanted to bathe very badly, and I smiled upon catching a glimpse of the steaming tub in the corner of the room. 

I got up rather eagerly, making my way over to it and cautiously stepping it. It was the perfect temperature, and I let out a content sigh as I lowered down and sat in it. 

Tywin shrugged off his coat, and I began to laugh when he rolled up his sleeves and kneeled beside the tub. He motioned for me to lean back, and I did so, allowing him to help me wet my hair.

“Let’s see if you manage to do this better than Cerella,” I teased, feeling the hot water against my scalp and relaxing. Tywin gave a slight scoff, entirely wetting my hair now and letting his hands go through it to massage my scalp. 

“I highly doubt that. I’ll attempt to be comparable,” he replied, reaching for the soap and coating his hands in it before coming back to my hair. In the meantime, I had begun to wash my body, and suddenly the shock of what had accidentally happened the night before returned to me. 

“Tywin, last night-“

“I know, (Y/N). When we’re done with this, we can discuss the subject. For now, just relax, hm?” He urged me, giving a look of utmost sincerity. I nodded then, swallowing and allowing him to continue with my hair. 

Somehow, his hands did manage to make me relax, and I was leaning into his touch completely as he continued to massage my head. I found that I had nearly fallen asleep until I was jolted from my trance by a knock at the door. 

“Cerella?” I questioned, looking back at Tywin. He nodded, and I called out for her to enter. There was a creek of the door, and then a few moments later she came into view. 

“My lord! I can handle that,” she exclaimed upon seeing Tywin knelt beside the tub, hands in my hair. She had brought fresh sheets with her, and instantly placed them down at the end of the bed before coming over.

Tywin waved her off, shaking his head as he continued to wash my hair. 

“I’d like to bathe my wife myself today. Change out the sheets in the meantime,” Tywin said, though Cerella gave me a cautious glance as if asking whether or not I actually wanted Tywin to do my hair. I gave her a nod, letting her know that I was enjoying this.

“Of course, my lord.”

I watched her move across the room and begin to pull the sheets from the bed, though she looked over her shoulder to smile and raise an eyebrow at me. I began to laugh, knowing she was making insinuations that we’d obviously had quite the night. 

Tywin of course understood why I was laughing, and out of the corner of my eyes I saw him roll his own and then smile in guilty amusement. 

“Lean your head back, (Y/N),” Tywin whispered after a moment, to which I complied and closed my eyes. I felt the warm water against my scalp once again, and it stayed this way for a few minutes until all the soap was entirely out. When that was done, Tywin rose from beside me and grabbed a towel, bringing it back over and waiting for me to rise.

Carefully, I stood up in the tub and held Tywin’s arm as I stepped out. He wrapped me in the towel then, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead as he did. 

“I’ll dry and braid your hair right now, m’lady,” Cerella said, tucking the last corner of the sheets into the bed and then fixing the pillows. Tywin was helping me into my undergarments currently, and proceeded to pick out a rather lovely red gown. 

“Already dressing me in Lannister colors?” I teased as he helped me into it. 

“I’ve been wanting to for months. Plus, we leave for Casterly Rock today. My siblings will be pleased to see it.”

I could feel his hands at the back, messing with the strings and pulling them so the dress fit snugly, though comfortably, against me. Tywin was correct, Kevan and Genna probably would appreciate the gesture, and I hoped it would make a good impression, for I’d only chatted with the two of them briefly. 

“Are we leaving in the afternoon?” I questioned, turning to face Tywin now that he was finished with my dress. He nodded, and then motioned to Cerella, who was standing by the dresser waiting for me.

For the next half hour, Tywin and I continued to leisurely chat while my hair was done and while he answered more letters. The odd thing was, my husband seemed unusually tense, and even then it was not necessarily an angry sort of tense, it was almost… well, awkward.

“You’re all done, my lady,” Cerella said, placing her hands on my shoulders as I admired my hair in the mirror, turning my head to both sides to see all the angles. 

“Thank you, Cerella, it looks lovely.”

“Of course. I’ll leave the two of you be now.”

Cerella left the room briskly, and once the door was shut I turned my chair toward Tywin and sighed.

“You’re in a mood, Tywin. What's wrong? Is it… well, about last night?” I questioned, hands in my lap. I couldn’t help but fidget with the fabric of my sleeves. 

He placed his quill down, taking a deep breath before meeting my eyes. He rose from his chair then, going to sit on the sofa and beckoning me to join him. I did so, despite the nervous wobbling in my legs as I walked toward him. 

Once I had sat beside him, he took my hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. 

“I’m not- I’m not upset, (Y/N). I’m conflicted,” Tywin said softly, keeping his eyes focused on mine so I would know he was being entirely genuine. 

“About?”

He opened his mouth and then paused before closing it again. There was silence in the room, and everything seemed so still. 

“(Y/N), the topic of children was raised by your grandmother yesterday, and I’d like to apologize for not asking you sooner. During the course of our relationship, you have always noted—either outright or inadvertently—that you don’t wish to be a mother. I made the mistake of assuming that your sentiments have not changed, rather than asking you. We haven’t had a conversation about children, and given what’s happened I think we ought to,” Tywin said, motioning with his head just as he always did when he was coming to a point. I nodded in agreement, swallowing.

“I just- I don’t know. I’ve never seen myself as a mother, Tywin. I’ve never craved it the way that some women do. Cersei, for example, adores her children more than anything else on earth, and I’m told that usually mothers are supposed to feel that way. That the second your child comes into the world, you instantly love and cherish it, and suddenly nothing else matters. And maybe that’s right, maybe I would enjoy being a mother and I just don’t know it yet, but I- I can’t see myself that way,” I explained, looking down at my lap because it was difficult to admit. And in truth, I feared I was disappointing Tywin. He had always valued his legacy over nearly everything, and what gave me the right to prevent that?

“And I’m- I’m sorry, Tywin. I’m sure you were hoping I could be persuaded, or that perhaps because my sentiments of marriage have changed that my views on children would have too, but I can’t. I know it would be dramatic to claim that I would lose all sense of self as a mother, but often I feel that way. Even besides being viewed as weak or in no condition to be leading armies, I- I’ve always feared becoming another person. After my mother gave birth to Margaery, she- she was changed. She behaved in ways that she had not after birthing Loras. She became quite melancholy, and often woke in the middle of the night and accidentally harmed herself. It seemed- it seemed she was not entirely, well, my mother, and the maesters had not a clue what was wrong. It’s the reason Margaery is so close to both my grandmother and I, for we had to take over in some ways. And, over the years, I have heard of many women who become quite- well, who change after having children, and it does frighten me. I don’t- I don’t want to ruin the happiness I have with you right now,” I rambled, not letting Tywin speak because I needed to fully express myself before he said anything. He held my eyes the entire time, genuine understanding on his face.

“(Y/N), I never expected children from you,” he said after a moment, catching me completely off guard. I had begun to gape, and both eyebrows were raised in shock.

“If I had, we would’ve discussed it already. In fact, I- I don’t…” Tywin paused, and his voice had an odd tremble to it, almost as if he was going to cry. 

“I don’t want children from you, (Y/N). As much as I- as I believe that you would do a wonderful job, and as much as I care for my legacy, your safety has and will always be more important to me. Childbirth includes far too many risks and… and after what happened with Joanna… to put it lightly, I don’t believe I would take another loss very well. I need you more than I need another son or daughter, (Y/N),” he said slowly, trying to maintain a calm and even tone especially as he spoke of Joanna. It was not easy, I knew. I processed what he’d said, and understood that we had come to a mutual agreement against children. A part of me felt relieved, and the part that didn’t felt guilty for being relieved, especially because Tywin’s reasoning was so saddening. 

“If that’s the case, Tywin, then what… what are we going to do about what happened last night?” I asked softly, still feeling weighed down by that issue. An odd look passed across Tywin’s face, and then it was gone. 

He rose from the couch, glancing at me before leaving the room. I sat silently, wondering what he was doing, for I knew he wouldn’t have dared to simply walk out. My best guess was that he was leaving to get something. 

I sat for another minute or so before finally hearing the door open and watching Tywin enter the room with a cup in his hands. As he sat beside me once more, the scent of the liquid inside hit my nostrils, and a nervous suspicion rose inside me.

“Tywin?” I questioned warily, seeing the guilt on his face as he removed the lid. Yes, it was moon tea. Not exactly a minute long brew, and Tywin knew that just as well as I did. 

“I asked Qyburn to make it for me early this morning,” he informed, knowing I was surely wondering how he had acquired it. For a moment my fear dissipated, at least knowing that Pycelle had not been asked for it. Then it returned as I processed that someone still knew.

“What?”

“Cersei trusts him, (Y/N). Do you think Cersei trusts just anyone? No. He will not tell of this, I assure you,” Tywin tried to calm me, but I had already risen from my seat, shaking my head with disbelief. 

“Why would you go to Qyburn without consulting me, Tywin? Why would you risk exposing us to scandal this way? I know that everyone around us understands our marriage was a love match, but something has to convince them that it is also political, including my father. He approved of your demand to name me head of the Tyrell army with the impression that someday we would have children, and it would be one thing to claim I was infertile and couldn’t bear any, but to risk exposure by requesting moon tea from Qyburn?” I lectured, clenching my skirts and speaking frantically. My thoughts were racing, and I felt mortified at the prospect of people finding out that Tywin and I were purposefully avoiding children. It was simply something that a woman would not dare ask for in a marriage, and nobody would have the foresight to consider that perhaps Tywin did not want children either. 

“As I said, I trust him not to spread rumors. He has helped House Lannister a great deal, and I’m not so stupid as to speak with Pycelle. I also understand that while you are a woman of many talents, moon tea must be brewed precisely, and you are no maester,” Tywin explained, standing and approaching me. He placed his hands on my shoulders, holding my attention as he reassured me. I let out a sigh, seemingly pacified until something else appeared in the back of my mind. My eyes shot up, and I gave Tywin a questioning glare.

“What would you have done if I had wanted children, Tywin? Why would you have asked Qyburn for moon tea before we even spoke upon the subject?” I asked, suddenly connecting the dots. My husband looked down at me with a firm stare, as if contemplating which path might be smoother: honesty or lies. 

“I believe you already know why, my dear,” he replied evenly, his crystal blue eyes unwavering. There was no guilt on his face, which managed to anger me even more.

“You would have given it to me without my knowledge? Even if I had wanted children, even if my stance had changed entirely and they were the only thing on earth I wanted? Would you have slipped it in my wine anyways?” I snarled, fuming and feeling the angry heat spread throughout my body with each word I spoke. I was baffled and furious that he would dare to violate me in such a way.

“No. If children were the one thing that you truly desired more than anything, I would not have done it. If you felt passionately that you were meant to be a mother, I would not have done it. But if you had been merely willing or open to the idea of children, then yes, I would have. I don’t care if that upsets you, (Y/N), because I’ve told you time and time again that I will do whatever I can to protect you. I will exert every ounce of power I have over the gods to keep you safe, to keep you alive. I need you to understand that your anger does not bother me in the slightest, because I would rather see you furious with me than listen to you scream and watch you bleed out while attempting to birth a child. I can’t- I cannot do that again,” he said, his hand coming to the back of my head and forcing me to look up at him as he spoke. There was something so honest and desperate in his voice that it nearly frightened me. I began to realize that much like most of our arguments, it was once again boiling down to the same thing. 

He could not lose me. 

Or rather, he could not lose another wife. 

Though I felt I ought to have remained angry, I knew it was not often that Tywin became this way with me. He only felt the need to go against me when it came to my safety, and though I would be angered and annoyed each time, it would not last. There was nothing made more clear to me in these last several months than that the impact of Joanna’s death was never going to fade away. Every belief Tywin had within our relationship and now our marriage, every principle. It was because of Joanna. 

“Do you think we’ll ever stop having the same argument, Tywin?” I muttered softly, feeling my tense muscles relax just as his did. His hand moved from my head to my cheek, and he took a deep breath before shaking his head.

“No. No, we will always have this argument. It doesn’t matter if we see each other’s perspectives clearly, it doesn’t matter if we want to respect them. As much as I wish- as I wish I could ignore the fear I feel, I cannot. I need you to be safe, (Y/N), even if it leaves you upset. And I apologize for that,” he sighed, eyebrows slightly coming together with a sort of sad concern. 

“I know, Tywin. I know. I just- well, we need more trust. I need you to understand that I’m aware of why you do things like this. I don’t hold it against you, and it makes perfect sense. I just- I merely wish you would be more direct when you have these feelings. I wish you would just say ‘(Y/N), I need you to be safe,’ or something along those lines. I only require honesty,” I explained, placing my hands on his chest and giving him a pleading look. 

“The problem is, with most of the situations in which we have had this argument, it has happened after something has already taken place. Such as the tourney, or your run in with The Mountain,” he pointed out, to which I looked down somewhat shamefully.

“Yes, I know. But I am done with that now, I promise. I’m certain I’ve said that before but I mean it now. I’m- I’m your wife, Tywin, and I desire your trust more than you know. I’m going to earn it,” I said, bringing my own hand up to his cheek now. I could feel him leaning into my palm, and I brushed my thumb against his face. 

“And I will be more open about my- feelings of anxiety,” he mumbled, as if admitting to it was something horrible. I merely smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. 

“Thank you, Tywin.”

As I sat back down on the sofa and drank the moon tea, I reflected that despite the fact that Tywin and I had had many arguments, they had never lasted particularly long. I was not afraid to be honest, and in turn he was usually quite articulate. I also reflected that the most important thing was to genuinely resolve our conflicts. And knowing that we had just resolved this one made me smile, even if the tea was slightly bitter. 

—————

It had been nearly a week since our wedding, and after several days of travel, we had finally reached Casterly Rock. 

With the Kingdoms at peace and the peasants of Kings Landing well fed, Tywin and I saw no reason why we shouldn’t step away for awhile after our wedding, especially because he had been meaning to take me back for quite some time now. Plus, Tyrion would take his place until we returned.

We had traveled back with Genna and Kevan, who were both absolutely delightful and just as cunning as Tywin. Kevan was much more polite than Tywin, which in some ways made him even more dangerous because there was a potential to underestimate him. Genna on the other hand opted for humor, and frequently teased Tywin much to his endearing annoyance. She had also immediately taken to me, just as I had taken to her, and I found that each conversation we had made me adore her even more. 

It was quite fascinating to watch Tywin with his siblings, for he had such a different dynamic with them, and with Genna especially. He and Kevan had been working as a team for their entire lives, but with Genna it seemed that Tywin cared very deeply and was quite protective, even if he would never admit it.

I had already known of Tygett’s death and Gerion’s adventures from which he had not returned, but I had certainly not been aware of the fact that Tywin’s youngest brothers had not particularly been in his favor. Genna had informed me of it one day when Tywin and Kevan had opted to go out hunting. I had been invited, but knew it would be rude of me to leave Genna alone and chose to stay behind instead. 

During that conversation, I had received a hearty confession of gratitude, for apparently I had knocked some sense into her eldest brother and reminded him how to smile. It made me happy to hear Genna talk about him that way, because I could hear both the plain adoration and the criticism in her voice, both of which I felt Tywin deserved. 

Beyond that, the days of travel had been filled with pleasant chatter and stories, not to mention good food. However, I was glad to finally reach Casterly Rock, and to my surprise it was just as big as I had remembered it. 

“What do you think?”

I turned to Tywin, gaping at the enormous mountain before me. It was even taller than the wall, and I was baffled by the fact that most of the castle was inside of the giant rock, for the part exposed to the outside was already large enough. In a way, Casterly Rock was perfectly fitting for Tywin. Formidable on the outside even without consideration of everything hidden underneath. 

“It feels less frightening this time around. It feels as though I belong here this time,” I said, slowing my horse down to a walk just as he did. The wheelhouse was pleasant, but at some point I had wished to see the landscape more fully than its small windows afforded. 

“You do belong here now, you are the Lady of Casterly Rock. Though we’re cursed by my position as hand and will probably not see very much of it,” he remarked, which somehow made me sad. Tywin was certainly the most effective hand Westeros had seen in centuries, and as a result he had been forced from the one place he felt truly comfortable. 

It was odd to consider, because although Kings Landing had produced many fond memories over the last few years, it would never replace Highgarden. I imagined Tywin felt the same about Casterly Rock. 

“Well, I intend to make the most of the time we spend here either way. Plus, I’ve been enjoying your family quite a lot. They’re wonderful,” I said with a smile, turning over my shoulder to glance at the wheelhouse trailing behind us. Tywin scoffed.

“You’ve been enjoying Kevan and Genna. The rest of them are not so pleasant.”

“Whatever you say, Tywin. It’s not as if I’ll be forced to spend much time with them in a castle as big as this,” I replied, also knowing that this next week or so was going to be spent entirely around Tywin’s side, which meant the closest of the family members would be Genna and Kevan. 

“No, thankfully we won’t. It’ll just be at the feast tonight and then that’ll be all. Most of them are cousins once or twice removed, and only Lannisters in name and looks,” Tywin grumbled bitterly, jaw boldening just as it did whenever he was irritated. Part of me found it humorous just how much he cared, but I simultaneously knew it would be better not to point that out. 

“I’ll cry tears of joy upon returning to King's Landing and seeing hair that isn’t golden,” I huffed, laughing to myself and shaking my head at how ridiculous Tywin was being. Who was I to care about a family that was not my own? If anything, Tywin’s contempt for them probably meant they didn’t have a sword up the ass and could actually tell a decent joke, something that he only took from me and a younger sister. 

“Luckily for you, mine isn’t so golden anymore.”

I only grinned at him, joy consuming me. I had complete and utter confidence that this trip would be extremely enjoyable, not to mention, it would certainly be eventful.

—————

“And lastly, my chambers. Or rather ours now.”

Tywin had certainly taken me on quite the tour of The Rock, including his vast knowledge of history with nearly every room we entered, and after several hours we had finally gotten to the part I’d been most excited for. 

Two large double doors were pulled open by the guards, and I stepped into the room with an open mouth. Every piece of furniture was carefully adorned with gold and extreme, gorgeous detail, and of course there was no lack of deep crimson to accompany it. But what was truly awe inspiring was the absolutely massive window at the end of the room, enveloping the entire wall and looking out over the sea. It put the view from the Tower of the Hand to utter shame. 

“Oh Tywin… it’s gorgeous,” I whispered, unable to avert my gaze for at least a minute as I took it all in. There was a low, quiet chuckle from behind me, and I felt his arms wrap around my waist. 

“It’s certainly better than the tower of the hand,” he mumbled, burying his head in the crook of my neck. I found it odd that he was being so clingy, but I brushed it off and simply let him. 

“The bed looks quite comfortable,” I noted to him, observing the various blankets and pillows covering it. It was somehow even larger than his bed in King's Landing.

“It is. And we’ll be spending quite a lot of time in it tonight, rest assured,” he said, kissing the side of my throat as I inhaled.

“Ahuh, to get your mind off of your burdensome family, am I correct?” I teased, turning around and smiling up at the man. He nodded, cupping my cheek. He said nothing, and I found a sort of sadness in his eyes.

“Are you alright, Tywin?” I asked, furrowing my eyebrows with concern. I wondered if he was thinking of his late wife.

“I’m fine, my dear.”

“Did you… did you share these chambers with her?” I allowed myself to question, surprised when he shook his head.

“No. This room was built just under three decades ago. I- I could not stand to stay in that room after what happened. There was a perpetual blood stain in the bed frame, and I refused to part with any of her belongings. Kevan knew I would go mad if nothing was done and had the room locked up permanently. These chambers were built in the months following that,” Tywin explained, looking over my shoulder at the windows so he wouldn’t have to meet my eyes. He was sucking in his cheeks the way he did whenever he felt the urge to cry. 

I remained quiet, wrapping my arms around him and keeping him close. For a moment, he simply stood there and processed his emotions. Then I felt his hand on the back of my head, and the other around my back. Tywin leaned into me completely and allowed himself the comfort. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, calming himself with my familiar scent and forcing himself to pull away from me. I nodded, placing a reassuring hand on his chest.

“Of course, my love.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and then looked around, nodding casually.

“Come, we ought to change for the feast. I’m afraid that your wardrobe is going to be entirely crimson this week, wife,” Tywin noted, moving away and going to the closet. Upon opening it, I saw that he was correct. A range of dresses were there, but all adorned with red and gold. 

Tywin, on the other hand, was afforded his usual coats. I saw him reach for the black one with gold lions along the bottom and the lapels. 

“Is there a particular dress you’d like to see me in tonight?” I asked, coming up beside him and carefully running my hands through the various garments to examine them all. 

“This one.”

Tywin stopped my hand, reaching in for the dress I was currently on and pulling it out. It was positively gorgeous, with shoulders and sleeves that were precisely Lannister styled. 

I smiled at my husband, taking the gown from his hands and going over to the mirror. I placed it down on the small table beside me, watching as Tywin approached and began to help me undo the back of my dress. We’d become quite used to doing this, it seemed. 

“Thank you, Tywin,” I said softly, removing my current dress completely and reaching for the other one. He stopped me, however, and opted to help me with that too. 

“If you decide to jest right now, I’ll let you do it yourself,” he said then, noticing the smirk on my face as I opened my mouth. I did not reply, but gave a hearty laugh and moved into the dress as he needed me to. I knew that if I did decide to speak, I’d be unable to resist teasing that he was better than Cerella.

Either way, he persisted in his task and made sure everything was in place. I had a feeling that we’d be making quite the entrance tonight and he wanted to take the opportunity to show me off a bit. 

Once he’d finished helping me dress, I returned the favor and fixed his hair. Though he gave me a look, not enjoying the same minute attention that he was always giving me, I knew he at the very least appreciated it. My husband was not very nit-picky about his appearance, but he was well groomed.

“Everyone’s going to stare when we enter the hall,” I noted, observing how we both looked in the mirror and finding that we painted quite the picture. We looked every bit the lord and lady of Casterly Rock.

“It’s almost as if that was what I had intended,” he replied sarcastically, hand brushing against the side of my face. I rolled my eyes at him, grabbing his arm with the implication that he ought to escort me to the great hall now. We had passed by it during the ‘tour,’ but Tywin had insisted I would see enough of it at the feast.

“Come, husband. I desire a good meal.”

Tywin said no more, leaving the room with me on his arm. As we walked, servants and members of the extended family could not help but gape. It seemed that even beyond the fact that I was Tywin’s new wife, the sight of us was rather intense. After all, both Tywin and I had always held ourselves with the utmost confidence. It’s a skill one learns when they intend to acquire power and respect.

“That makes 23,” I whispered to him as another maid walked past us. Tywin raised his eyebrow with me, clearly not understanding what I meant by ‘23.’

“23?”

“The 23rd person who was gaped upon seeing us. By the time we make it to the great hall, there won’t be anybody left in the castle who hasn’t,” I joked, laughing to myself as he shook his head. 

“All the Lannisters anywhere near Casterly Rock have been invited to this feast. When we walk through the large double doors, I promise you that far more than 23 people will be gaping,” he muttered back to me, turning into a much larger, grander hallway. When I spotted the great doors at the end of it, a sort of nervousness filled me. It was almost as if I had just processed that the man beside me was the only person I truly knew here. 

When we reached the doors, two servants reached for the handles and began to pull them open. A crack of light appeared in front of me, and Tywin broadened his shoulders beside me. I did the same, holding my head high despite my fear.

A lion does not concern itself with the opinions of the sheep.

I did not bother to contemplate that I wasn’t actually a lion but a rose, and that I was quite literally walking into the lion’s den. It wouldn’t have mattered though, because the only lion that truly mattered was Tywin.

Both doors swung open completely, and it took everything in my power to not react to the great hall. It was absolutely huge, and certainly gorgeous. More than that, I couldn’t recall a time I’d ever seen so many blonde haired people in one room. There were at least a hundred Lannisters seated among the various tables, and when they realized who was entering, they all stood up.

After waiting a moment, Tywin continued into the hall and made his way directly down the middle, approaching the head table where Kevan, Genna, and their respective partners sat waiting for us. When we got there, I pulled my hand off of Tywin’s arm and watched as he pulled out my chair. The room was so quiet you could’ve heard a pin drop, as everyone was so entranced by the scene before them.

Tywin Lannister pulling out another person’s chair?

I sat down, looking over at him as he pulled out his own chair and joined me. Once we were both seated, the hall was filled with the sound of chairs scraping, everyone eager to sit back down. I let out the breath I had been holding in, glad that people were no longer watching so carefully.

“My dear, I think half of the men in this room forgot they were married,” Genna said, leaning over towards me and smiling. I let out a good laugh, shaking my head at her. 

“I beg to differ, but thank you for the flattery. I think they were more shocked to see Tywin letting someone grab his arm.”

We both laughed then, causing Tywin and Kevan to look over at us curiously. My husband took a deep breath.

“What is so amusing, wife?”

“Nothing that concerns you, husband.”

He merely shook his head at me, turning back toward his brother and chatting about something or other. They were prone to intellectual and political conversations, and I quite frankly was not interested at the moment. 

“Would you give me a run down, Genna? I would assume you know all of these people much better than Tywin does,” I reasoned, glancing around at everyone surrounding us. They were slightly below us too. Genna nodded instantly, taking a sip of her wine and then motioning about the hall as she spoke.

“Most of these people are cousins, but obviously some are closer than others. The third cousins and such are at that table back there. There are also the Lannisters of Lannisport, though I am not quite so familiar with them. Think of it this way, the closer the table, the closer they are to Tywin. Everyone at these first two tables is a cousin, nephew, or niece. There are a few grandchildren too, of course,” Genna explained, pointing out a few different people to me afterwards. I tried as hard as I possibly could to ferment the information in my brain, even if it was a pointless endeavor. 

As Genna was pointing out a few people at the table to our left, I couldn’t help noticing that Tywin was staring at something. Kevan was talking, of course, but my husband was sipping his wine and somewhere entirely different. I glanced over at where I assumed he was looking and caught sight of two older but quite handsome women. I furrowed my eyebrows and inquired about them to Genna.

“Genna, who are those two women? Seated right here to our left?”

“Oh, those two are cousins, daughters of Jason Lannister.”

“Are they..?”

“Joanna’s younger sisters? Yes. Tywin does his utmost to avoid them, it seems.”

I looked at them once more, observing that they looked quite similar, and reasoned that perhaps Joanna had too. Glancing at Tywin, I realized that he looked utterly numb. Many would argue that he always did, but I knew better.

I reached under the table, taking his free hand in mine and giving it a good squeeze. He seemed surprised by this, and when he turned his head to face me, I gave him a knowing look. In no way was his staring offensive to me, for I understood that seeing two faces which looked so similar to one that no longer existed must be hard. 

“Are you alright?” I whispered, furrowing my eyebrows with a bit of concern. Tywin inhaled and nodded, leaning over and pressing his lips to my forehead. I was surprised that he had done it so publicly, but perhaps it was what he needed.

“Yes, my dear. All is well.”

I nodded at him, not letting go of his hand even when I turned back to Genna and continued to talk with her. I knew Tywin had quite the troubled past, but that would only encourage me to try and soothe him. For how could I claim to love this man if I did not accept him in his entirety? 

Though there was no doubt in my mind our week at Casterly Rock would be wonderful, I knew it would not be without bitter memories, and I was entirely prepared to comfort my husband whenever I felt he needed it.

Tywin would never admit that seeing Joanna’s sisters made him solemn, but I would know. He would never admit that being at Casterly Rock in itself brought back countless memories of his late wife, but I would know. It was the most curious thing that I knew whenever Tywin was upset. But was it not my job as his wife? As the woman he loved? 

Oftentimes, I found it was easier to know Tywin than myself. Flaws or grievances that you might shame yourself for become endearing when they are attached to someone you love, and I had certainly discovered that. For Tywin—despite his various flaws, questionable morals, and lack of emotional stability—was so important to me now that I could not imagine myself without him. And sitting at the high table of Casterly Rock, I felt more than just content. I felt completely overjoyed.

For now, among my various other titles, I was the Lady of Casterly Rock.

TAGLIST:

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@ladysindar @vesta-ro @exo-nova @paola-carter

@prettykinkysoul 

@fullmoonshadowwrites @kishie8 

@the-desilittle-bird @dianilaws @girlonfireice 

@muscari-fae @lostgirllulu 

@abigfanofgameofthrones @smalltownbigheart 

@frombloodandflesh @supernaturalismyreligion666

@thanyatargaryen @rey26 @hexandale @pkawaiidesu5394 @aimsro

#tywin lannister #tywin lannister x reader #game of thrones #game of thrones x reader #house lannister #tywin x reader #charles dance #asoiaf #a lion in the garden

[garfieldisntacat]

Uhmm so here’s just some shit I’ve saw that’s just not true (yes I do hate on proshitters who like loli/support it).

But y’all are genuinely annoying cuz you twist my words. I guess I gotta be more serious w some replies (half of the time I’m just reblogging to shame these bitches).

This is the only account I have lmao… rumors starting already?? And I’ve never suicide baited anyone. Maybe I should link the asks I’ve gotten telling me to kill myself.. it goes both ways. Anti’s and proshitters do it.

This is my only account. My friend is the one who is @garfieldisacat . I don’t support telling anyone to kill themselves. But I do support calling out pedos who use fiction & encourage others to create, distribute, and indulge in that.

Don’t think I’ve ever said fictional characters = real kids… what I’ve been saying is fiction does affect reality, and if you weren’t into children you wouldn’t want to fuck children depicted in media. Also you being a survivor is irrelevant. And your age is irrelevant too, at this point. Anyone can turn into a pedo. And at your grown age you’re more than educated to know why wanting to fuck kids is wrong.

Additionally, I think minors dating is fine within their age group. So say; 13 with 14 year old. Okay, that’s normal. 17 with 14, very common but fucking gross… etc.

This one isn’t smth I’m angry ab just wanted to let ppl know as I’ve been chatting a lot w ppl

Also this one is from the shifting community;

Again, I wasn’t trying to be an anti in this post. Their post ab my reblog was laced w sarcasm and hurt, I think. So I wanted to say sorry to that shifter. Honestly, I was laughing and relating as I’m super into fiction and OC’s. Ik I’m mean a lot on this blog cuz I deal with scum, so it may have been read as mean when I said ‘self therapy sound off.’

This is the post I’m talking ab btw

#ss

[nxmuzluv]

THE FIRST SINGLE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

“GIRLS DON’T CRY” is the debut single by CHOUKA AIKAWA. Released on April 5th, 2024, the song went on to top charts in various countries. Hailed as one of the best debuts of 2024, critics and fans alike fell in love with the song’s “girlish” and carefree production, and praised how Chouka stayed so true to her hyperfeminine, “princesscore” image. The song’s success as caused critics to name her as a pop girl on the rise.

TRACKLIST … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

GIRLS DON’T CRY ! LEAD SINGLE

CAKE ! B-SIDE

GIRLS DON’T CRY (SPED UP)

PHOTOCARDS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Highly praised for its sound and how it fit Chouka’s style, “Girls Don’t Cry” was a resounding success. The music video’s teaser, which was released with no prior notice onto a completely new YouTube channel (“c.a.”) with no previous content (it was later turned into a channel for all of Chouka’s music related endeavors), garnered over 3.2 million views within its first twenty-four hours after Chouka posted it to her Twitter and Instagram accounts. The single’s title was revealed on both platforms an hour later, coinciding with the launch of her official website, which displayed the title alongside a countdown timer.

The song received over 400,000 pre-saves, and the title was trending on Twitter with over a million Tweets. Shortly before “Girls Don’t Cry” dropped, Chouka’s website was updated with the single’s cover, and she posted behind the scenes photos of her on its set, which received over two million likes within the first day.

Upon the song’s release, it was a smash hit. The music video garnered 32 million views within its first 24 hours, finding itself at #1 on YouTube’s trending page, and topping both the Spotify and Apple Music charts. It went on to become the second most streamed song on Spotify in regards to first day streams. “Girls Don’t Cry” topped charts in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines (it also managed to remain atop the Oricon chart for seven weeks).

Surprisingly enough, “Girls Don’t Cry” would debut at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with sales of over 200,00 units, despite industry insiders predicting a Top 20 debut; probably due to the song’s immense popularity online. Unfortunately, it would never reach #1, falling to #7 after five weeks and staying there for two until falling off, but Rosettes were still happy to see that Chouka’s debut managed to get that high. In total, the single would sell over 850,000 units within its first week, cracking a million by the end of April.

Additionally, the song was also praised for its lyricism and feminist commentary on how women who are seen as “strong” or “smart” are not allowed to cry or display negative emotions and are expected to act as role models, while women who appear as if they have everything are told to “just deal with it” and that they have “nothing to be upset about.” Many Rosettes (and critics) were also surprised to find out that Chouka had written most of the lyrics, as she never expressed interest in songwriting before.

“Cake” was released as a single a month later, on May 3rd, 2024. Although the music video received over 11 million views within its first twenty-four hours, Rosettes were … a bit divided. It seemed like none of them could figure out whether they liked the song or not, with certain Tweets saying …

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ y’all are just HATERS ! like y’all have truly forgotten what real pop music sounds like bc cake is a hit idc ! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ chouka girl with all due respect i think letting a major label get a hold of you was a mistake ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ no bc this is girly girl music ! it’s cute it’s fun it’s bouncy and it’s so HER ! chouka bby get behind me PUT DOWN THE HATERADE NOWWWW !! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ #notmychouka girl why does this sound so EMPTY ??? republic needs to pay for their crimes bc ….. ”

Despite the confusion, “Cake” also went on to top charts. It also debuted atop the Apple Music chart, and came in second beneath “Girls Don’t Cry” on Spotify. It managed to debut at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, although Rosettes were gunning for a higher placement (it was definitely because they couldn’t stop beefing with each other). The song remained on the chart for two weeks (managing to jump to #5 during its second), before completely falling off the Top Ten.

Luckily, more retrospective reviews shows that Rosettes have warmed up to “Cake,” saying that it fit the aesthetic of the lead single. Everyone loved the “sugar sweet” concept that Chouka had going on, and expressed pleasant surprise that her try at a music career was going so well.

STYLING … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

ERA HIGHLIGHTS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Definitely a fun era! Republic was truly pushing this single and girl, it showed. There were billboards playing her music video (Rosettes in New York even crowded around one when it first launched), ads plastered all across YouTube, “Girls Don’t Cry” was all over the radio, and it was the most popular song on TikTok for a good month.

The promotions were insane! Chouka was all over television this era. She was on the Kelly Clarkson Show (which was too cute! Like Kelly literally complimented her accent), she was on Jimmy Fallon, she was on GMA … like you truly could not escape her! She also had a photoshoot with Harper’s Bazaar and people ate it up! It was very Marie Antoinette themed with huge dresses, pastries, and of course, it was shot at a chateau in France!

And of course she had to promote in Japan! Chouka performed both “Girls Don’t Cry” and “Cake” on Music Station, and no one expected either song to have choreography. But the choreo was so cute, and especially for “Girls Don’t Cry!” Like you could truly tell that Chouka was having a blast, and everyone was so surprised at her stage presence because she’s literally a YouTuber. She also held a press conference in Tokyo, and she even got to visit a pop-up event held by Rosettes at a café in her hometown, Kyoto! It was the cutest thing to see her interacting with her fans, and she thanked them at least five times.

Chouka managed to squeeze in Korean promotions, as well! She performed both of her singles on M Countdown, Inkigayo, and The Show, and she was even on Weekly Idol! She held a small fansign for 200 fans who participated in the pre-order and received a “mystery ticket” with their album, and it was so cute! Chouka was cracking jokes with them and receiving SO many gifts (most of which were either pink or ridiculously expensive; she got a lot of bouquets, too!). Her Korean promos even saw the birth of her first fansite, Strawberry Sweet! She also appeared on the cover of Vogue Korea, and after that, Korean promotions ended unfortunately.

Side note, every performance of “Girls Don’t Cry” started with a costume change! It was usually Chouka tearing off a huge ball gown like skirt to reveal her shorter costume underneath, and her performance on M Countdown was literally her playing a princess getting ready for a ball. There was also a lot of ribbons, platform heels, and satin gloves used styling wise, and Chouka’s makeup was always so soft and pink!

Although she didn’t have enough songs to perform a full set, Chouka attended Coachella anyways and met a bunch of Rosettes! Jason (her fiancé) also tagged along, so fans got to meet him, too! Fashion girls were all over her festival looks too … being raised in Milan truly did wonders for her fashion sense.

Girl, the way the “#GirlsDontCryChallenge” blew up on TikTok is insane. The song had over a million videos underneath it by the start of June, and Chouka was doing it with celebs like Kelly, Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, the members of Aespa, the members of Itzy, Rosé of BLACKPINK, Nayeon and Momo from TWICE, Yuju, the members of Viviz, and a few members of Stray Kids and NCT; among others! Chouka also did the challenge with Leeseo, Rei, and Wonyoung of IVE, and the way Dives and Rosettes were across every social media app absolutely freaking out that Chouka and Wonyoung were the same room was truly crazy.

Towards the end of promotions, a full length documentary covering the making of “Girls Don’t Cry,” the music videos, and the subsequent performances premiered on YouTube. It was a mix of professional camera shots and footage personally shot by Chouka herself, which was refreshing since Rosettes got to see a sillier side to her personality. The documentary garnered over 3 million views within the first twenty-four hours, and would end up at #5 on YouTube’s trending page.

At the end of promos, Chouka posted a long, heartfelt letter to her Instagram thanking fans for their support and expressing how surprised she was at the single’s success. She wrote, “I know that you guys have been waiting three years for me to try my hand at music, and words cannot express how happy I am that it was worth the wait. Over these last few months, you all have shown me so much love, and just thinking about it is moving me to tears as I write this! I promise that I’ll repay your support tenfold. You guys truly mean the world to me, and I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it weren’t for you. You are truly my other half, even if I unfortunately don’t know you personally (don’t tell Jason I said that). I hope and pray that one day, I’ll be able to meet every single one of you from around the whole world in person, and tell you just how much you mean to me. Until next time, my loves. Ti amo sempre e per sempre. Ciao ciao. ♡”

Additionally, there was also a remix planned with PinkPantheress, but unfortunately, plans ended up falling through because Chouka simply … didn’t want to do it. However, Rosettes ended up finding out about the planned collab, and demand for it was huge. So the remix could happen in the future! Who knows.

All in all, this era was great. It truly showed how much untapped star power Chouka had, and the numbers proved it. It reinforced her “It girl” status, showing that no matter what industry she tried her hand at, she would still dominate. ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

#precursor to an upcoming blog ……. #cece writes :) #oc #kpop idol oc #fictional kpop oc #kpop soloist #kpop solo artist #fictional idol oc #fictional idol #fictional idol community #fake idol #fake idol oc #fake kpop idol #fake soloist #fake kpop soloist #fictional soloist #jpop oc #jpop idol oc #fictional jpop oc #jpop soloist #jpop solo artist #fictional jpop idol #fake jpop oc #fake jpop idol #fake jpop soloist

[multiplicity-positivity]

we’re a questioning system of around a year off and on (we keep forgetting about it) and we’ve found that we experience a feeling of elation at using we/our pronouns despite feeling incredibly uncertain and tentative about calling ourselves a questioning system for real.. is this a common thing? additionally ever since i, the host(?) have started seriously thinking about plurality rather than just going “hey is anyone there?” every once in a while, i’ve found that no one responds anymore. i’ve tried everything you guys recommend but it seems like no one wants to respond to me internally or switch and communicate externally. is there a reason this is happening with us?

Hi! So to answer your first question, this happens to us too! We feel really good about using we/us pronouns for ourselves, and it reaffirms our plurality to be able to do so! For us that joy gets increased exponentially when others refer to us as plural (example: by using “y’all” instead of “you” to refer to us).

As for your second question, we do know that sometimes system communication can work in waves. It’s pretty common for a system to have a period of lots of communication and activity, followed by another period of relative silence. Usually this stretch of silence won’t last forever, and it may just take some patience to get through it!

Your potential system may also be spooked or nervous about the idea of actually being a system. It’s a big step to go from tentatively questioning to actually calling yourself plural! If you really are a system, your headmates may need to take some time getting used to this idea before they’re comfortable enough to come back around. This doesn’t mean you’re not actually plural by any means! We’d recommend not pushing it, taking things slow, and perhaps trying to focus on things besides plurality for a while so you can give your system a chance to adjust to this change in your mindset. Does this make sense?

Either way, please don’t stress too much about the radio silence. There’s a lot of reasons why something like this could be happening, and having a period of quiet in your mind shouldn’t be a clear indication that you’re not plural after all! Hopefully with some time and patience you’ll hear from your potential headmates again. We’re wishing the very best for you as you strive towards figuring this out! Questioning plurality can be a lengthy, scary process, but be sure not to jump quickly to conclusions before you’re certain!

Good luck with everything!

🌸 Margo and 👻 Ghost

#questioning system #internal communication

[salparadiselost]

If you’re following the newest bitty fic (Growing Pains), I accidentally deleted the original fic! I have reuploaded and totally plan on continuing it, this was an accident.

If you were subscribing, please resubscribe!

I have all my work additionally saved in a master doc, so the real loss was all y’all’s amazing comments so far. I have them on my email, but one of my favourite parts of these serially posted, lore fics is watching the people headcanon and bounce idea off each other in the comments.

I hope for more theorycrafting in future chapters and thank you to those who previously kudosd and commented.

Link to reupload: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52841590/chapters/133657258

#kay speaks #bitty au #itty bitties

[backdraft-bimbo]

i’m so glad this season is described as “just vibes” with less spiderwebbing plot-lines. the only part of GO i was interested in (and this might just be my Gay Agenda talking) was crowley and aziraphale. i had little interest in any of the other characters just because the relationship between those guys and actors was so strong and well crafted; it made anything else seem mundane. i skip through the whole adam and anathema and witchfinder arcs during rewatches just because they’re not all that interesting; not in comparison.

i’m so excited for this season because they Know what we want as fans and are willing to put it to screen. and personally i can’t wait to see michael and david explore intimacy in a way that we not only didn’t expect (queer media trauma is real folks) but also just assumed we’d never actually get. most people were used to the bare ass minimum until indisputable and thoughtful queer media started coming out.

this sounds so cheesy but it shaped me into a better person, getting to see queer people be intimate on screen. it normalized something i’ve been trying to manifest my entire conscious life (no literally) through fan works and especially fan fiction.

additionally hollywood loves thin and traditionally attractive people. ofmd and good omens have totally turned that on its head and i feel like there’s a greater appreciation and acceptance of normal bodies being represented on screen. this is just speculation but i suspect michael sheen and rhys darby specifically never had a fandom advocate so hard for them at such a life stage. and i feel really happy that they do get to experience that as a demographic (older people) that often gets told that they lose their value because they’ve aged, and thus become less marketable.

you see this when people draw the boys all skinny and hot and young; something i’m not gonna write to the president about but it’s clear that people depicting them to fit the hollywood standard is a reflection of their own perception of beauty. so i don’t care for all this talk about “oh that outfit is so ugly!” or “his beard is weird” because LMAO my outfits have been ugly! if i had a beard, i would make questionable fashion choices! (personally i love crowley’s looks, they’re goofy and fun and fit the vibe of the show, i think it’s pointless even arguing about their personal aesthetics so long as they fit the context and their characters. david tennant can’t always be a smoking hot twink, guys. let him be silly and goofy for my heart’s sake please).

i guarantee if crowley and aziraphale end up kissing and it’s not the most Perfect queer standard camera angle, folks are gonna complain about it, because everyone on screen must be Pretty and Profitable but also Realistic and Relatable. bit of a double standard, no?

that’s why i love that david and michael get to be praised for their physical appearances and i’m no middle aged man but it feels like a door has opened in a way? in myself via the barriers of insecurity and dysmorphia, as well as in some widening sectors of queer society, because it shows that nontraditionally attractive queer people (aka people without abs or a perfect jawline, aka me lol) are fully capable of loving and being loved and being HAPPY and accepted. it makes me so so so joyous. anyway there’s my rant; y’all know i ain’t sleeping till s2 drops tomorrow. i’m HYPED!!!

#good omens #good omens s2 #ineffable husbands #ofmd #i’m gnashing my teeth i literally cant think about anything else #yall saw me during supernatural 15 im not gonna survive actual good queer media #the joy this summer will smite me #mine

[leviackermanscleaningbuddy]

Question for the pack but very specifically our alphas. While it’s very typical to want omegas during rut, has there ever been an instinct or longing for another alpha to come help? Has another alpha ever stepped in place of an omega to help ease another ruts by slathering themselves in scent blockers?

Additionally, Y/N and Channie are your individual ruts harder on each other because your Moonmates?

Thank you and love y’all!!!

"This is a great question, and it varies based on alpha actually." You say with a glance between the other alphas, and they all nod in agreement. "Subgender may all be the same, cycles may all be the same, but we still all have very different personalities."

"Yeah, some of us-" Changbin gives you a very pointed look. "-get real grumpy with certain scents around that time."

You stick your tongue out at him. "Yeah, and some of us get overly whiney and want Minho to dominate the fuck out of us."

"Who wouldn't want that?" Jisung asks with slight disbelief, making a very good point, and everyone nods in agreement.

"Anyway." Chan shoots you and Changbin a pointed look, then sighs, raking a hand through his messy curls. "I can only speak for myself personally, but I actually really like to spend my ruts with (Y/N). My alpha gets overly possessive during that time-of everyone actually-but the moonmate thing kicks into overdrive when I'm not entirely in my right mind."

"You like to spend your ruts with me until the last couple of days." You point out. "Then when knotting me isn't enough, you usually switch into omega mode."

"I think that's pretty common, to hyperfocus on us around your ruts." Hyunjin shrugs, and Seungmin nods his silent agreeement. The head omega shoots Chan a smirk now. "And we're always entirely happy to be of service."

"He also gets really pissy with me in general." Changbin adds, and Chan gives him an apologetic glance.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"It's fine. I just avoid the house at all costs during that week usually."

"As Binnie so kindly pointed out-" You glance at the other alpha, who grins and winks in your direction. "-I get pissy about particular scents during rut. I don't usually care very much about subgender? I mean, it's the same thing as Channie, omegas tend to dominate my mind the last couple days, but before then, it doesn't matter, as long as it's not Channie or Binnie."

You wince and reach out to pet Chan's leg in silent apology. He smiles and laces his fingers with yours.

"Their scents are way too strong when I'm so sensitive." You go on, glancing at Minho now. "I can usually handle Minho's because his scent is a little softer for an alpha, so he doesn't spike my wolf's defensive side, but if the other two get anywhere near me during rut, I immediately feel threatened."

"And scent blockers don't seem to help when it comes to us." Changbin points out now. "Which is odd, but your wolf still somehow picks up on our undertones and bares its teeth regardless."

You shrug. "What can I say? She's a Grade A Boss Bitch."

"As far as my ruts go," Changbin continues, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I think we're all the same in that we highly prefer omegas at the end, just because of primal needs and knotting, but in the beginning? I prefer another alpha actually. Unless of course, they're a top leaning omega like Jinnie." He shrugs. "I get a lot more primal in rut, and it's nice to have someone who can tell me what to do and I don't have to think about it. Thus, Minho-hyung."

"He is pretty bossy." Jeongin chirps innocently, with a sly look in Minho's direction, even as the alpha leans over to try to cuff his ear.

"Yah, watch your tongue."

"I also don't particularly care about alpha scents during rut." Changbin adds. "So scent blockers or the lack thereof aren't usually an issue for me."

"As far as the whole moonmate thing," You remark, squeezing Chan's hand, and he squeezes back in response. "biology dictates that yeah, your moonmate's cycle is going to be a little bit rougher on you than just any other cycle. Regardless of subgender of either mate."

"It's interesting when it comes to beta mates though." Seungmin muses, his hand resting on Changbin's thigh, Jisung now playing with the fingers on his other free hand. "We don't experience cycles. But Changbin-hyung and Minho-hyung still have ruts, and I've noticed those take a toll on us regardless."

"Yeah, rut week is hell." Jisung agrees instantly, his dark eyes large and haunted. "Minho-hyung is scary on a good day. He's absolutely fucking terrifying the week of."

Minho levels the beta with a sharp gaze. "Han Jisung. I thought you liked my scary side."

Jisung waves his hands. "Oh, I absolutely do. It's hot as fuck. But also-" He grimaces. "I get awful headaches that week and my skin feels itchy and all I want to do is sleep. And that's your fault."

"Try being the actual one in rut." Changbin mutters beneath his breath.

"No thanks. I choose life."

"That's what I thought."

#skz #stray kids #stay #ot8 #skz!pack #skz!abo #poly!skz #omegaverse #skz x you #skz x reader #skz imagines #skz reactions #skz scenarios #ask the pack #askthepack #bang chan #lee minho #seo changbin #hwang hyunjin #lee felix #han jisung #kim seungmin #yang jeongin #y/n #inbox #reply #ask #moots #mutuals #anon

[prismaticpichu]

Can you imagine I like to read Sephiroth fanfics???

As I’m going back and re-reading some of the dearest, most embedded Crisis Core/Pre-Nibelheim works in my heart, I’ve kinda gotten to thinking why I love them so much. And then it hit me! It’s the stellar characterization of the 7-foot-tall-cat-man-thing that deepens and dimensionalizes and humanizes him all at once. Recently I’ve been reevaluating my own stuff, kinda thinking how I could improve and shoot to be more on-point with my own interpretation (personally I think I make him too squishy). So! To do this, I’ve went ahead and jotted down some key traits that, in my humble bumble opinion, make sane!Sephiroth who he is- both for me and my fellow writers!

Get ready for some overanalyzing, friends. Here we go. Brace yourselves. *applies dollar store glasses*

~~~~~~

• One of the #1 integral traits imo is his RESILIENCE. Sephiroth. Is. Frigging. Resilient, man. He never stops working. It’s an extremely double-edged trait, but that makes it all the more human. On one hand, Sephiroth gauzes wounds through doing this, using work and fighting as a distraction. He’s not a guy to take a day off; he ain’t going to Costa Del Sol for a vacation, no sir. That’s the negative side of things tho. On the other hand, Sephiroth is physically resilient! I’ve never ever ever seen this portrayed better than in LuckyLadybug’s fic Shine Until Tomorrow on FF.Net, wherein after being consumed by flames, knifed in the back, and thrown down a FREAKING MOUNTAIN, this man drags his shredded body all the way across Wutai looking for someone who’ll help him. When help doesn’t come, he eventually falls to his knees, unable to stand any longer. And then he proceeds to crawl (bless this fic I love it so much <333). Whether it’s mentally or physically pushing himself on, it’s a VERY core part of Sephiroth’s personality; giving up ain’t an option. It’s unacceptable in his little kitty eyes.

• Second to resilience, I gotta say, is undoubtedly his loyalty. No better example for this than canon itself! Y’all know the story: Sephiroth was ordered to kill his only buddies in the world, ordered by the company he was supposed to devote every aspect of his life to. And he went ahead and defied them; he spared his buddies’ lives even when their friendship was blighted. He refused missions to fight them at all (see this WHY SEPHIROTH WAS TOO GOOD FOR— *tv bleeping sound; takes deeeeeep breath, collects herself*). Loyalty is prolly the trait I wanna nail most! Sephiroth is a good friend. I’ve seen so many fics explore how deep his care goes and what he’s willing to do for others.

• Sephiroth AIN’T bloodthirsty. The best works I’ve read is where he only ever kills out of defense for others, or when others are a noticeable threat. He does NOT enjoy killing, not at all, and will look for alternate routes when possible. However! At the same time… the guy is well aware that sometimes it can’t be helped—and that bloodshed, sacrifice, that whole jam… it’s all engraved into the line of work he’s in. Additionally, Seph can lose it sometimes (GASP— I know, I know, I know, calm down folks in the back.) There are times when sore spots are hit, and those sore spots unleash the Dragon™️ I’ma bring back LuckyLadybug for this one; in the sequel to the aftermentioned gem, there’s a part wherein Sephiroth is taunted to the point of snapping. Blood is sent flying, bodies crumble like dominoes… The thing is though, when he came back to himself, he’s horrified at what he’d done. He can barely stand. There’s a real human heart in there, folks ;,3 Not a monstrous one. Sephiroth’s hero title is well-deserved.

• In a similar vein—kinda, not really—Sephiroth AIN’T stupid. Not socially, not culturally. This man knows what an oatmeal cookie is, folks! He knows how to dip french fries in ketchup! From what I can gauge, there’s more or less a spectrum of “things that Sephiroth had no idea existed”. Pastries? Yes! Just cause this guy was most likely sheltered and raised by evil slimy scientists, just because he never had one before (we don’t talk about that :,3), that doesn’t mean he looks at a cookie and his mind explodes into a Windows buffering screen. In tandem with that point, Sephiroth is also not socially slow—at least in my opinion. There’s a difference between being unable to express empathy and unable to pick up cues. There’s a little scene in CC wherein Sephiroth sees Zack grumpy and asks what’s wrong. The guy is very empathetic, perceptive, and he is kind <333 But it is true to his character that it doesn’t always come across so palpably.

• Sephiroth’s gotta sense of humor. He does! “This goes on your permanent record” came outta this refrigerator’s mouth. Sephiroth’s amusement is very veiled, very quiet, and it usually takes something reeallllly good to get him to crack a smile. I think everyone knows it, but this guy ain’t made of bricks! (Nor is he made of play-doh. That’s my problem x,D). He is also not all that formal, either. I’m saying this to myself more than anything—little me avoided Sephiroth using contractions like the PLAGUE, which only really crafted someone who you frankly wanted to punch. Though he’s not throwing around slang, he is a perfectly chill fellow and doesn’t speak in Shakespearian riddles (yeah remake Seph.)

• Sephiroth is not thinking about his mommy issues 24/7. They’re usually tucked away, hidden somewhere in his caged little heart. Certain things will trigger them—but they’re rarities imo. Sephiroth is focused, professional, and most likely has accepted what happened to his mother when he was young. It’s not allllllll a mask, y’know? This bean genuinely has moved on, or at least convinced himself that he has.

(And when he has a friend by his side, those things can’t plague him at all <3)

#sephiroth #ffvii #crisis core #writing #pichu writing #characterization #character analysis #overthinking #thank you wonderful wonderful wonderful authors for what y’all do

[cloudyswritings]

Hollow knight bugs and real world species: P2

Hornet: So we know that Hornet is the daughter of the pale king and Herrah, making her some sort of biological monstrosity. But what bug is she based on? My best bet would be a horned orb weaver, specifically either a long-horned orb-weaver or Gasteracantha versicolor based on coloration and her horns.

Zote: So the in game/logical answer is that zote is whatever type of generic beetle that team cherry concocted from stag, Hercules, and rhinoceros beetles. However I think that’s really boring, I personally subscribe to one of the single best crackfics in the fandom Camouflage of Great Renown and think zote is a nosk that left Hallownest and lost his memories before retuning and adopting his persona. It’d even explain how he’s actually really hard to damage(see coliseum) and how he keeps getting places before ghost does.

Midwife: So I’ve seen a lot of people headcanon that she’s a centipede of some sort, and it kinda makes sense? Like centipedes are actually really good at caring for their young and protect them until they’re able to hunt on their own, so I think it’s a plausible and likely theory. That’s said I’d like to present some alternative ideas. Midwife to me, looks a lot more like she has an earwigs body shape, based mostly on the width of her. That said her behavior matches up far better with a trapdoor spider and she lacks antennas. Overall I’d say a trapdoor spider is more likely as an alternative reading of her species.

Lord fool: So here’s the thing with lord fool, there’s a lot of evidence he’s a higher being of some sort. Most of it comes down to the way the fools, while infected, seem less damaged by the radiance and seem to keep a large portion of their mind intact. Plus his position-dead on his throne- seems earily similar to a certain pale wyrm. Interestingly however it seems like his mask is actually just a mask, because we can see the top of his head and it looks to just be soft carapace. He’s also got six limbs so we know he isn’t an arachnid, or crustacean. My best guess would be either a deathwatch beetle(the texture on them looks like a good match) or a more likely a green junebeetle. Him being a junebeetle also matches nicely with how the fools are regarded as invasive, or not belonging in Haloownest. My last theory is that the bug the colosseum is built in may be the Lord fools old shell, aka wyrm.

Bretta: She looks a lot like a hair soft-shelled beetle to me, but her colors are all wrong. Based on that I’d say she’s actually a female scarab of some sort(sorry y’all my beetle knowledge isn’t up to par just yet!!)

The Hunter: So I’m really and truly unconvinced that the hunter is a bug, or crustacean, or arachnid of any kind. Bro visibly has a spine of some sort and the only beings with hands remotely similar to his that we see are THK, The shade lord, and the collector. That said we do still know he has an exoskeleton. I’ll admit I’m kinda stumped, I’d love to hear what y’all think. Verdict: inconclusive.

Baldurs: So I’m pretty convinced that these fellas are a pill millipede of some sort, they have the right number of legs and do curl up for defense. Additionally they spit infection, which I imagine when non infected would be some sort of toxin— something millipedes are well known for.

Mosskin: So this covers the mosskin as a whole, I’ll probably make a post for them specifically eventually. They’re obviously creatures that are in a symbiotic relationship with plants(because Unn). The only ones I feel super comfortable giving a specific species atm are the moss chargers who I feel are a species of velvet worm, mostly due to Unn being a big old slug and them living in a more tropical region. These velvet worms essentially copied the homework of the leaf sheep sea slug—which steals its ability to photosynthesize from the algae it eats.

That’s it for now!!

#hollow knight #Unn #hk hornet #speculative biology #brain fried #ummm #enjoy ig #zote the mighty #a knight of great renown

[crystallizedday]

So a couple of weeks ago, I established the basic outline for my Samurai Jack AU: Duo of Doom.

Despite it already being so fuckin massive, I still have a lot to still talk about regarding the AU, hence why I am making this post.

The purpose of this post is to outline ALL itty bitty details that I’m working with for the AU, which will collectively be referred to as “headcanons” cause I dunno what else to call them… and they’re canon to the AU anyway, so uh… “headcanons” feel the most appropriate.

MANY of these headcanons came from the genius @tigerarainbowra-blog , mainly the more biologically and physiologically centered ones, so I’m very excited to share some of these with y’all in this post! I’ll mark all of her ideas with an orange • cause she deserves proper credit for some of these bangers!

So, without stalling, let’s get into this!!

Imma split this up into 3 sections: one for Demongo, one for Scara, and then a miscellaneous category where I talk about small ideas I have for a variety of characters.

Before we get right into it, I want to stress that MUCH of Demongo’s personality and abilities will stem from what was established in the Cartoon Network MMO game Fusionfall, which explored and added onto Demongo’s character quite a bit. I will let y’all know when some of these headcanons stem from Fusionfall so it’s clear where exactly I got these ideas from.

Okie dokie! Enough stalling. Let’s dig into this!!

Demongo

• Despite him being pretty well known in the early days of the fandom as the “lava lamp” guy with how bubbly his fiery head was, I like to think he genuinely has a large variety of fire-based powers under his belt. After all, it is a key move he has as a nano in Fusionfall as well as something the real Demongo in game claims he has the ability to do during his “All the World’s a Stage” missions. I believe that while he can be rather flexible with what he can do with his fire-based powers, he sticks to simply using fire itself as an offensive move, such as using fire breath to make himself practically a walking flamethrower. He definitely can just summon fire with the flick of his wrist, but I like to think he enjoys the gigachad move of going dragon-mode JUST so he can seem as tough as possible.

• Speaking of him using fire moves offensively, thanks to a texturing mishap on Demongo’s model in Fusionfall, I got the cute idea of him having the ability to heat up his own fingers and dish out fiery scratches so he can look cool as shit. Additionally, he can use this ability just to make himself look a lil more stylish. Yeah, that’s right. Those blue “painted nails” in his later DOD designs? That’s just bro using his powers to make em LOOK like painted nails. They don’t feel all that hot on the surface, so anyone else can touch them just fine without getting burned… assuming Demmy doesn’t wanna burn you. It’s really up to him if he just wants to give you third degree burns.

• I keep mentioning how Demmy really enjoys looking cool, and that is because this version of Demongo is veeeeeeeeeeery insecure about his actual strength. This is hinted at a bit in his debut episode, but I took this concept and ran with it for the AU. As the story goes on, he relies less and less on his stolen souls as he starts using more of his powers that he naturally has (which is mainly just his fire powers). While he goes around acting like he’s the shit, he doesn’t have the best self esteem, making him very hesitant and scared to be vulnerable in any way. This changes over the course of the story, but for the majority of it all, he struggles to find worth in himself.

• Forcing himself to have such a high view of himself (assuming he doesn’t let himself get vulnerable) is something he believes he has to do, not only just to make it in this world (since I doubt Aku was gonna keep letting someone who is openly insecure stay in the higher ranks), but also due to how they correlate with his powers. Reaching a mentally low point will cause his fire to go out as he goes into his “depowered” form (even if his skulls are still present). In this state, he can’t use any of his abilities. Think of it as his own soul becoming so demotivated that it becomes too weak for Demongo to harness his own abilities. If he lets himself be emotionally vulnerable, he’s gonna be physically vulnerable too, and he just cannot have that.

• Just like a vampire, he steals the souls of his warriors via biting them, preferably when the target is too worn out to fight back. It’s pretty much OVER if bro ever pierces the skin since that initiates some magical bullshit that reconfigures the target’s entire being into nothing but gas, which Demmy can easily consume.

• His physiology is deceptively complicated. This is due to how rare his kind actually is… particularly since he is the ONLY one of his kind (in this AU). His creation is pretty similar to that of a diamond as it required an ample amount of resources that come together in a VERY specific way. Funnily enough, like a diamond, Demongo is almost entirely comprised of pure carbon.

• Being made up of carbon and other light elements, Demongo can destabilize his form to go into what I like to call his gas-mode… which is pretty much what it sounds like. He just turns into a black cloud of smoke that travels in the same way his soul essences do in his debut episode, all snake-like and shit. He can also teleport as seen in his episode, but that’s more of a magical thing than his gas form is.

• The souls he steals are TECHNICALLY physically stored in him as a part of his biology, but these lil “chambers” of his still embody the vast pocket dimension he’s shown to have in his debut episode.

• Despite the souls he collects giving him the strength he has, he CAN eat like any other regular being… well, sort of. He has a stomach, but it more so functions as a burner, burning anything he consumes that can later be redistributed as gases via… well, his fiery fuckin head. However, due to how he’s mostly made of carbon, he had difficulty burning substances that contain elements that are denser than carbon. He can still consume them, but they fuckin SUCK to eat, and he just naturally hates the taste of them. Because of this, Demongo has an INTENSE sweet tooth and actively seeks out sugary treats. This also means bro cannot go vampire mode and consume blood as that shit has SO much iron in it. Bro would find that shit disgusting, not because it’s BLOOD necessarily, but because that shit is PACKED with such a heavy element.

• Demongo’s comfort food of choice is marshmallows, mainly because of how they’re mainly comprised of sugar and not much else. Hell, he’s pretty much a s’mores guy, which is quite fitting considering he’s a walking campfire. If you were to try and be goofy silly by roasting a marshmallow using his fire, he’d just bite the damn thing right off your stick. His fire, his rules.

• Thanks to how simplistic its chemistry is, alcohol is something Demongo (unfortunately) enjoys. Due to how he digests shit via burning anything he consumes, this results in him getting intoxicated VERY quickly. “Lightweight” doesn’t even BEGIN to describe this lil shit. Funnily enough, he also has the tendency to get all floaty and shit when he’s immensely intoxicated. He also gets EXTREMELY giggly. You could say the most dull and boring-ass word in existence and this bitch will almost pass out from laughing. As funny as these experiences can be, Scara tries his best to limit whenever the lil fella can have alcohol… for both their sakes.

• Because Demongo doesn’t have the typical digestive system, his diet technically isn’t LIMITED to the usual human foods and CAN refer to objects as well just as long as they aren’t made of any elements heavier than carbon. Of course, Demongo prefers ACTUAL fuckin food… unless it’s candles, for some reason. I just find it really funny. KAMAKAMAOMSOMOSKDOSKD

• Demongo actually has bones, but they’re mainly to provide stability to his form and keep his basic shape when in his solid form. They’re extremely light to ensure he can easily go into gas mode. He literally cannot break any of his bones thanks to how he can just… reshape it back into place with ease thanks to his ability to warp his physical form and quickly mend himself.

• While he still can get hurt, any physical damage he takes can be easily mended if he has the energy for it. This can take the form of cuts, bruises, blown-off appendages, bites (if that sounds sus, then you already know why I brought it up. I just like the irony it creates, I swear), getting crushed, anything like that. The only thing that can actively keep him down (outside of demoralizing him) would be to not give him time to heal and wear him down little by little or by using one POWERFUL enough attack that’s enough to knock him out, much like how he was originally defeated by Jack with that big explosion.

• The skulls on his torso are not actually the skulls of the warriors he defeats. They are made of the same components as him. I mean, he definitely can’t have thousands of warriors under his control while only realistically having like… dozens of skulls on him. The skulls merely provide a means of imbuing a warrior’s essence into a physical form that can be molded back into the warrior’s original being. They can go gas mode on their own once a warrior is defeated, returning back to Demongo to rejoin the rest of his skulls in its solid form. However, it is possible to take all the skulls off, cutting off all of Demmy’s powers and putting him in his depowered state. They can be reattached afterwards. In a way, they’re like detachable scales (which is funny considering what’s coming up in a little bit). Demmy only ever removes his skulls to sleep better (and to not unknowingly catch anything on fire, of course), if/when he chooses to sleep. The only person that’s seen Demongo willingly detach his skulls is Scaramouche, especially since Demmy is in a very vulnerable state in this form.

• Regardless of whether or not his skills have been detached, Demongo will enter his depowered state once he falls asleep. It helps him preserve energy this way.

• Demongo cannot be easily killed since any form of beheading or dismemberment only results in him having to manifest the missing part of his body, which is merely a minor annoyance to him. However, he’s not invincible. Right in the middle of his chest is his “core,” which is his TRUE “being” in a way. It is essentially his brain and his heart. His core can be vaguely seen whenever he goes into gas mode, if you can look past the smoke and shit. His core NEEDS to stay as scorching as possible. Extinguishing the core (mainly by cooling it to dangerously low temperatures) will result in Demongo’s death.



• Despite being fairly humanoid, Demongo has some lizard-like properties. This is mainly apparent in his ability to smell. Since he doesn’t have an actual nose, he relies on his tongue to sniff out anything of value, which is why he can typically be seen “blepping” from time to time, especially if food is nearby. Additionally, I like to think he specifically takes after the blue tongued skink for… obvious reasons. Here’s a funni lil art piece I made just for this one headcanon LAMWKSMWOSM

• Demongo CAN cry… but his tears aren’t ordinary tears. They’re just straight-up lava. Dealing with a crying Demongo is a lot more dangerous than anyone could ever expect. The only safe way to clean up Demmy’s face would be to use a stone or rock that won’t easily melt from the lava. Scaramouche keeps a couple on hand in season 2, cutely calling them “sponges.”

• Demmy has a lot of control over the temperature of his body (aside from his core). I already mentioned how he can do this with his fingers, but he can also manipulate the temperature of his mouth. This helps him not only utilize his fire breath but also to ensure any kiss doesn’t result in a Flame Princess situation, because nobody wants to be reminded of THAT Adventure Time arc…

• This advanced control over the temperature of his body allows Demmy to manually mend things (like metal) back together, so if Scara takes any damage (mainly minor gashes), Demmy can just… seal that shit back up with ease with nothing but the tip of his finger!

• His “blood” is pretty much just plasma. Yeah. Just blue plasma. It pretty much acts like his blood, having a vein-like structure throughout his solid form and all, but that’s about it. This is the shit that helps Demmy influence the temperature of certain parts of his body, such as the fingers as mentioned earlier.

• Fusionfall claimed that Demongo had the ability to place “charms” on certain objects, and while I still find that ability kinda stupid, I wanted to repurpose it for this AU. I like to think that Demongo has dabbled in magic outside of the kind he already has within him. He does not have much use for this knowledge outside of creating enchanted weaponry, but it at least gives him some insight on how various forms of magic work. As a result, he’s very knowledgeable about the subject.

• While he can speak English just fine, his primary language is Japanese. He rarely ever speaks in it since rarely anyone around him knows the language, but since he was never taught how to write in English, he only knows how to write in the Japanese alphabet. He strives to be better at writing English, sometimes dabbling in French since Scara knows that shit like the back of his hand.

• As much as he may claim to hate them, bro actually loves hearing a good pun, especially if he finds it particularly clever or unexpected. If any of you are familiar with his Nano counterpart’s audio files, you’ll probably know where I’m pulling this info from. OWMWOSMSOSSKSOSK Ah, and he additionally finds anything Scara says to be the funniest shit in the world, regardless of quality. Just a dorky lil fella who is absolutely in love OWNWKWMWOSMDDOXMON

• “Growing up” (for lack of a better term) in the Pit of Hate meant Demongo would not be too familiar with gestures of kindness and such at the start of the AU. While this fact is very apparent in a variety of ways (as seen in the tavern episode in the AU’s first season), this also has resulted in him being unfamiliar with physical gestures of kindness… aka bro’s never been fuckin hugged before. This would result in Demmy (in the earlier episodes of season 1) being surprised by touch, even from something as small as a simple pat on the back or a hand to the shoulder. He doesn’t HATE the sensation. It’s just unfamiliar to him at this point in the story. I’m pretty sure lil guy getting his first friendly hug from Scara was the point where he REALLY felt the effects of being touch starved, and while it’s hard for him to ask for support thanks to his fear of vulnerability during this section of the story, Scara thankfully is happy to oblige.

• As a result, Demmy has grown to really enjoy being held, typically through hugs or even being carried. This can be seen way more during season 2 when Demmy isn’t NEARLY as fearful of being vulnerable and such. Sometimes, he’ll try and act like he’s out of breath or is low on energy just as an excuse for Scara to carry him, but since he does it in such a dramatic and playful way, it’s easy to tell when he’s doing it on purpose. He’ll only ever outright ask to be carried if he feels comfortable enough (since that fear of vulnerability still lingers on, even if it’s not nearly as potent as it was in season 1).

• After he starts learning more and more about modern culture, he starts going by he/they since that shit just feels right to him… well, that and I just like putting a lil bit of my own quirks into the characters I right. OWMQKWMSOSM

• Bro is gay. I’ve already mentioned that before, and there isn’t much else to say about it… I mean, I HAVE thought about referencing the famous Sam and Max line “But Max, you don’t even like girls” with Scara and Demmy before, just to make this lil fact about the lil guy clear, but I dunno how or when I’d even do it KQMQOWMOWKOSSKOJ

• Whenever bro gets flustered or blushes, his face HEATS up… like DRAMATICALLY. DO NOT forget that he’s just a walking campfire. As such, in some rare cases if he’s flustered enough for a prolonged period of time, he’ll start to kinda melt a little bit, just a little bit though.

• He HATES water, mainly cause he kinda dissolves in it, which either results in a much smaller Demongo popping out (excluding the skulls) if he’s able to get out of it on his own or only leaving behind his scorching core. He won’t die, of course, just as long as the core isn’t kept in the water for too long. Complete evaporation of his physical form will result in him taking a while to fully reform, which will leave him in a depowered state until he can properly warm up again.

• He likes wearing Scara’s big-ass coat. It’s comforting, in a way.

• Despite him not being super intelligent, Demmy’s quite knowledgeable about strategizing, finding enjoyment in commanding his own lil legion and carefully planning their every move. That is to say… he’s a fucking chess player, and it boggles his mind how he always loses to Scaramouche in any match they do. He’s determined to beat the big guy at LEAST once.

• There’s always been this lil joke in the fandom calling Demongo a theater kid, and despite THIS Demongo never having stepped foot in an actual theater (prior to meeting Scara), you can just TELL by the way he moves and talks in public that he’s a bit of an actor at heart. He talks loudly, boastfully even, exaggerating his gestures way too passionately, and is just VERY animated in general. Despite his insecurities, he genuinely does love to proudly express himself, which gets a lot easier for him to do as the story goes on.

• Speaking of how he tends to act in public, Demmy is… pretty fuckin mischievous towards others (or at least people he isn’t close to… ie Scara). Even if his target hasn’t done anything to him, he just enjoys playing jokes on people whenever he knows he can get away with it. However, if Demmy DOES decide he wants to be petty towards someone, he’ll go out of his way to make that person’s life MISERABLE while he just shrugs and plays it off like everything he does is just a lil accident. TLDR, if he doesn’t know or like you, he’s GONNA be a little shit towards you.

• As such, Demmy is not the friendliest person to be around. He is a certified ✨people hater✨, and would much rather stick with people he knows and trusts (ie Scara… again).

• Over the countless centuries he has been employed by Aku, Demongo was only summoned under extreme conditions such as when a thorn in Aku’s side was starting to get too much for his regular forces to handle. Thanks to the later advancements in technology throughout Aku’s reign, his army of robots would often handle most jobs Demongo in the past would have been sent to take care of, meaning he would be summoned less and less. This change marked a significant boost in confidence for Demongo since he would only be summoned if a threat arrived that Aku’s robots simply could not handle, meaning Demmy’s work was only reserved for emergency situations. However, this would also give him the impression that robots are nothing but a means to an end, seeing them as not only inferior to him, but also inferior to organic warriors. This all changed when he met and gradually bonded with Scaramouche.

• This change in outlook came about not just because Scaramouche proved himself to be quite capable on his own, but also because Demongo soon realized that everyone was disposable to his old master, including Demmy himself. Realizing he was tossed aside the second he failed Aku for the first time opened Demmy’s eyes when it comes to his own self worth and the worth of others around him, making him appreciate Scara as an individual far more than he ever did before. He wouldn’t let his master’s expectations of others cloud his judgment anymore.

• Chronologically speaking, this meant Demongo went from seeing Scara as nothing more than an inferior being below organics in the beginning of season 1 to actively defending the big guy when anyone else tried saying similarly degrading nonsense in season 2. He grew and changed as a person, and I’m so proud of him for it… OQKQOWKSOXMDODMDODDKK

• Since Aku can canonically dream apparently (according to the wiki), it only makes sense that Demongo can also dream. However, most of his dreams early on in the AU would often be rather unpleasant, constantly reminding him of the looming presence of Aku in his waking life. This happens a lot less frequently by the time season 2 rolls around, but it’s still very apparent that he continues to fear his ex-master, no matter how much better his life was at that point.

• Remember that giant see-through skull that Demongo was summoned in at the end of his debut episode? The one Aku destroyed with him inside? Considering Demmy is made of the same stuff as diamonds, I like to think that the skull is made of diamond as well (to an extent, especially since it’s hollow on the inside). Perhaps this was the skull that Demongo first formed in, and was used to summon his essence whenever Aku desired… well, until the big guy crushed it, seeing no more use in keeping Demongo around. Of course, Demmy was just sent back to the Pit of Hate to be punished for his failure, but the destruction of that crystal skull meant Aku could no longer summon him at will, which is definitely a good thing for Demmy.

• You know those other demons that work for Aku? The ones in the blue and red outfits that kinda act as the law enforcement for the big guy? Demongo was once a part of their ranks before gradually climbing to the top, later being promoted as one of the greats in the entirety of Aku’s legion. Of course, this was all before Jack came along and kicked Demmy’s ass.

• While he was being punished in the Pit of Hate, he at one point regained enough power to teleport out of the grasp of the demons who were watching over him, eventually finding a way to escape the Pit and return to the surface to regain his full strength. Aku was never told about his escape due to the two demons that were supposed to watch over the fiery lil shit fearing they would be killed if Aku ever found out. The two have been searching for Demongo ever since.

Scaramouche

• Scaramouche is the more level-headed of the two numbskulls as it is EXTREMELY difficult to genuinely piss him off. He is just THAT naturally laidback. However, when he DOES get pissed, he doesn’t scream or make a big fuss about it. No. He goes dead silent. This often ends with someone getting their ass beat… before Scara immediately bounces back with that familiar chirpy attitude after everything’s said and done.

• Despite how he’s mainly known for his scatting, Scara CAN legitimately sing. He’s pretty damn good at it. It’s the same story with dancing as well. He enjoys teaching Demmy how to sing and dance like he can, and the lil guy’s been getting better and better at it ever since. They really are just two theater kids in love. KWNWOSNOSKON

• He is NOT a twink. I have no clue why everyone for so long was under the impression that he was, but just because his limbs are skinny as fuck doesn’t mean his entire build is. Naw. Naw, that guy’s fairly built, pun totally intended. KWNWKWKSOKOK

• You can tell something is wrong when Scara starts speaking “normally” without any quips or “babe”s being thrown about. This can either happen if he’s genuinely pissed off, scared, or is actively hiding something.

• Since his creator was a French scientist, Scara in his early days took an interest in learning the language alongside English. Because of this, present Scara is fluent in both languages, being able to speak and write in them flawlessly. Even so, he’s genuinely interested to learn Japanese, Demmy’s first language. He thinks it’s cute that the lil guy likes trying to teach him the language, so he’s all for it. Scara’s fully capable of learning the language himself since… well… he IS a robot built to quickly learn shit, but he still prefers Demmy teaching him instead. He finds it too adorable of an offer to pass up on.

• Being a robot allows him to have near-perfect handwriting in any font he chooses. He typically uses cursive fonts, but he likes occasionally using really shitty fonts if it’ll piss other people off.

• Additionally, his robotic coding has made him practically a master at chess, even if he isn’t consciously aware of what he’s doing when playing it. Even he’s shocked with how good he is at it.

• I’m not entirely sure on this one, but I like to think that due to him being a robot and all, he can’t eat human foods like Demongo can. Luckily for him, the world of SJ most likely accommodates for robotic civilians, thus having shit like electronic-based foods and beverages… probably.

• I can also see the SJ universe having like… an abundance of repair or mechanic centers so any robotic citizens with a dismembered or missing arm can be fixed up quickly and with ease, so I’m sure Scara takes advantage of this… despite Demmy taking interest in wanting to learn how to help repair the big guy by himself, which Scara is flattered by the offer, but he doesn’t wanna risk Demmy accidentally doing some irreversible damage.

• Since it’s been shown in the og show that robots apparently sweat oil (ew), that also goes for Scara. This is mainly for consistency reasons, because unlike Genndy himself, Tigera and I enjoy consistency and proper continuity. >:/

• When wanting to be endearing towards Demongo, he’ll either call him “bud” (more so during season 1) or “hon” (more so during season 2). He has a plethora of other nicknames for the lil shit, but these two are the most common ones he dishes out.

• One prominent nickname he has for Demmy (mainly in season 2) is “Angel”. As ironic as it is, it holds some truth to Scara, and it funnily enough is Demmy’s favorite nickname the big guy’s ever given him.

• Much of his humor consists of “adult humor”, just as he demonstrated in the original show’s 5th season. We all know which scene I’m talking about. Even so, he tries not to overuse those jokes too much. He’s not a walking Family Guy gag. He’ll still chuckle to himself if he hears some sus-as-fuck wording, but he won’t be witty about it if shit’s too easy to joke about.

• Overall, Scara just likes to crack jokes, regardless of what kind of joke it is or if it’s even debatably funny. Demmy finds them all funny, but it’s DEFINITELY out of bias.

• Bro is absolutely pansexual. Gender doesn’t matter to him. Everyone’s hot to him. KANWKWMWOSK

• He’s had plenty of flings in the past and even some relationships that lasted quite a while, so he’s got a lot of experience when it comes to that kind of thing. It’s where he gets his patience and openness in his relationship with Demmy.

• Unlike Demongo, Scara is VERY social and finds it EASY to befriend people… or at least MOST people. He enjoys talking with people, no matter who they might be. Really, he just loves to talk, and if he clicks with anyone in the process, well, that’s just a bonus! This has resulted in Demmy getting a lil jealous sometimes, but since bro makes it obvious when he feels that way, Scara’s quick to reassure him and resolve the issue as efficiently as he can…

because I am SO SICK of that stupid fucking trope of a couple squabbling for THE ENTIRE PLOTLINE BECAUSE OF ONE STUPID MISUNDERSTANDING THAT THEY COULD’VE DEALT WITH IF THEY HAD JUST TALKED TO EACH OTHER-

Ahem

Sorry about that.

I am

VERY passionate about how I write romance in my stories.

…

Because I do it RIGHT for once.

• Since this AU does not have as long of a time skip as season 5 did, Scaramouche has not yet reached the big leagues regarding his job as an assassin. He’s still trying to make a name for himself and garner the attention of Aku. Because of this, he hasn’t reached the level of “mercilessness” he claims to have in season 5, refusing to kill people who either don’t have a bounty on their head or aren’t looking to kill HIM in turn. He’s still got a more humane outlook on life and other people, and he isn’t nearly as much of a jerk as he is in season 5… even if he still has quite a big ego.

• As much as he claims to strive for a life of fame and luxury, he’s only aiming to ensure a financially stable and comfortable life for himself. Having to live on his own after his creator’s passing was tough due to the financial limitations it put on him, and while he’s in a much better position by the time he meets Demmy, he still can’t help but feel at least a little insecure about his financial situation and how he’d be potentially looked down upon by others of a much higher social class. This insecurity drives him to be noticed by Aku, since he believes the big guy will ensure he’s never looked down upon again. However, this drive wavers as the story goes on.

• Over the course of the AU, Scara’s faith in Aku dwindles little by little as he learns more about Demongo’s past and how he was treated as someone who WAS in the big leagues for a little while. This all ultimately culminates when Jack pleads that the two turn against Aku, since they’ll both probably be killed or imprisoned regardless of what they choose to do. Scara WOULD have thoughtlessly disregarded Jack’s plea if it wasn’t for Demmy and his history pretty much confirming everything Jack was warning them about. THIS is why Scara chooses to back Demmy up and form a temporary alliance with Jack.

• In the event that his head is disconnected from his body (like in season 5), Scara has a very limited amount of backup power that can allow him to get himself to someone who can fix him up. I know his white eyes in the show were most likely a coloring error, but I like to think the change in eye color (in this AU specifically) indicates whenever he’s running on that backup power. Just like in the fifth season, he can also adapt to the bodies of other living creatures so it’s a lil easier for him to travel.

Miscellaneous

• Aku is comprised of petroleum... like… look at him. Bro’s big ol puddle form is practically just liquid petroleum. Plus, it explains what the fuck is up with his flaming eyebrows and beard. Most if not all of his demon servants are also made of this living petroleum substance, including Demongo. Petroleum IS pretty much just comprised of hydrocarbons after all.

• Since the concept of the fae has some origins in Scottish mythology, I thought it would be neat to include that shit in Scotsman’s character. Since Demongo is a mischievous magical being (and since demons overlap with the fae a lot in this kind of mythology), I can see the two characters having MAJOR beef with one another with the Scotsman claiming Demmy is nothing but a troublesome fae with Demongo taking GREAT offense to that claim, thus solidifying their pure hatred for one another.

• Despite Scara’s inclusion in this AU, the timeline roughly follows that of the comics where Jack DOES age normally and gets his sword destroyed at some point. Like in the comics, Aku IMMEDIATELY sensed when the sword was destroyed, which is why Jack needs to go into hiding and mask his appearance as best as he can to ensure Aku can never find him and take advantage of the situation. Jack would also later manifest the “spiritual” sword he gets in the comics. Some events in season 5 still occur, such as the Daughters of Aku still existing alongside the cult that raised them, but anything else that happened in season 5 that isn’t present in DoD’s story most likely didn’t happen in the AU.

• Despite Jack having his “sword” with him for the final fight, his sword alone cannot vanquish Aku for good. The sword is only just as good as the original sword, which would result in the same events that occurred when Jack’s father defeated Aku for the very first time. Aku would be merely sealed into the earth below until he could be freed by another inevitable solar eclipse. This is why Demongo is the one to truly defeat Aku. No solar eclipse will allow his essence to escape Demongo’s hold on him, and the only way for him to be set free is by defeating Demongo and freeing Aku from the inside out… or just by simply killing Demongo.

• While the Daughters of Aku are still a thing, they are no longer all twins. Only Ashi and Aki are twins. This is due to how the two wield the same exact weapon of choice in their initial fight with Jack. All the other daughters are the daughters of the cult followers who handed their children over to the head cultist to be raised and trained to one day kill Samurai Jack. This resulted in all of the unrelated daughters having completely different physiques from each other, all in accordance to their preferred weapon of choice. They also all vary in age with Ashi and Aki being the youngest. The twins are also the only ones who are the actual children of the head cultist. Since Aku never donated his own essence to the cult, it is unknown who the fathers of all these children are, assuming they’re even still alive.

• I like to think this AU takes place roughly 30 years after the last episode of the original series. Familiar characters aren’t as old as they would be in season 5, so characters like the Scotsman are still quite capable, even if he’s definitely no longer in his prime.

• Even if it’s only relevant for brief calendar scenes, I REALLY wanted to figure out a solid date for both the original series and the AU. Since Jack came from the Edo Period of Japan (or at the very least, it’s widely accepted that he did), I’d say it was roughly… 1624 when Jack was about to slay Aku before he got flung into the future. Imma say he probably got sent 400 years into the future, which would put him in 2024 by real-world time standards. However, since Aku was in charge, he instated his own universal rule for tracking time, with 1624 now being 0 BA (before Aku). This would put Jack in 400 AA (after Aku) or just 400. Since the AU takes place around 30 years later, this would mean the story takes place somewhere in the 430s… or I guess the 30s for short.

• Social media is still very much a thing in this universe, parodying the platforms we’re all familiar with in the real world. The only one that’s really relevant is the fictional counterpart to Twitter, which imma call Yapper cause it’s at least a better name than what it’s ACTUALLY being called nowadays. Scara absolutely has his own account where he frequently posts either funny shit or pictures of him and Demmy together. The big guy is NOT afraid to get gushy as fuck with the captions, so their relationship is not exactly a secret to the rest of the world. Demmy doesn’t have his own account because 1) he doesn’t have his own device to use it on, and 2) he’s a ✨people hater✨ and typically doesn’t care what other people think or do. Even so, he doesn’t mind Scara talking about him and sharing photos of the two of em online. He finds it really flattering, actually.

• In addition to the kinds of social media platforms you’d typically expect, there’s an additional forum posting site that involves the assassin, mercenary, and bounty hunter business, particularly since those are seen as legitimate occupations in this universe. This site, dubbed HeadTake, organizes and displays thousands upon thousands of different bounties for anyone to look into, each bounty being their own lil forum post listing who the target is, how much the bounty is, and so on. Additionally, to prevent countless hunters from going after the same bounty, every forum is organized via a lil ranking system depending on who issued the bounty, how much money is being offered, and how infamous the target is. The higher a user’s “rank”, the more bounties they’ll be able to access. Of course, Jack is his own beast entirely, getting his own special lil forum where only the best of the best are permitted and encouraged (by the site) to try and kill him. Scara has his own account on HeadTake where he’s obtained quite a high rank (especially with the help of Demongo), but he hasn’t quite reached the point of getting noticed by the likes of Aku yet.

• HeadTake allows for users to be composed of groups either by merging two existing accounts that can be separated later if needed or by simply updating the user’s status if any additional members never obtained their own account, such as Demongo. Ever since he and Scara started actively working together in season 1, the big guy had updated his account’s status to include the both of them in it, dubbing the two of them “the duo of doom” (roll credits). However, because of this feature, this site also would lead to the rise of the syndicate, the main antagonists of season 1. Speaking of…

• The Diamond Syndicate, or DiSy for short, is a massive conglomeration of assassins who all work under the same powerful leader. Using their riches and influence to coerce countless assassins into joining their ranks, DiSy has become a dangerous force to be reckoned with and does not take kindly to those who compete with them, especially for the same bounties.

• Instead of saying “what the hell,” the people in this universe will typically say something like “what in the Pit” since well… the Pit of Hate pretty much IS Hell to an extent.

• Just like Demongo, all other demons (including Aku) favor diets that consist of light elements, mainly junk food. Honestly, knowing Aku’s character, this makes a lot of sense KWMWKSMSODMON

OKAY

That’s all the headcanons and ideas I can think of for now, but I might still add onto this later on, so be sure to keep an eye on this post if you’re interested in how I write these characters and this universe in general.

Y’all have a good one!

#samurai Jack #SJ #SJ au #samurai Jack duo of doom #SJ DOD #Dod #duo of doom #cd au #CDverse #Demongo #Scaramouche #samurai jack scaramouche #fandango #scaramongo