#THAT is the biggest implication I want to take away from this for certain

[blazingblorbos]

I am going positively feral at the implications of this scene.

#I'm not sure exactly what they are.. yet #like surely these aren't the only 4 (5) Harbingers at the time #<- that WAS my initial thought. truly #but certainly that can't be the case #no shot everyone else is just.. bUSY #ALSO love the nod that all of these characters - perhaps Capitano included does not live a conventional human lifespan #THAT is the biggest implication I want to take away from this for certain #The Song Burning in the Embers #Genshin The Song Burning in the Embers #Genshin Animated Short #Genshin #Genshin Impact #Arlecchino #genshin arlecchino #the knave #holy shit Arlecchino real name drop... #also Crucabena was very pretty- #also my ArleNora brain is being stimulated #also Arle been sapphic since childhood. We been knew this #this is fascinating news #blazingshitpost #blazingshitpost genshin edition

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

savanaclaw light novel: the importance of introspection

I’ve previously discussed how TWST benefits from telling us the same story across different mediums. Different mediums provide different benefits over others, and some can “patch up” rougher bits of story or add more detail to them. The game is interactive and serves as a baseline for most new content. The manga is able to have far more freedom of movement and expression due to being visual-heavy. And last, but not least, a light novel, which is mostly text, has the boon of letting us see more of each character’s thoughts and feelings. We can elaborate on what the game already established and understand the characters on a deeper level.

I would say that the light novel’s format will most benefit the OB boys, as they are the ones who will go through the biggest character arcs in the main story. Because the game’s story is told via mostly dialogue and some sound effects, we rarely, if ever, get a clear understanding of what the OB boys are truly thinking and feeling outside of their brief post-OB flashbacks. The same goes for the manga, which has limited pages to tell its story, so it has to keep a certain pace. But a light novel? Well, you can go ham there with an omniscient narrator.

Today, I want to talk about Leona’s expanded post-OB introspection in the second volume of the light novel as an example of this. Then I will combine it with the information we have from the game and see how the light novel complements what already we know of his character thanks to hindsight. (I’ll be referencing this fan translation if you want to read and follow along!)

First thing’s first! From the game, we know that Leona enrolled in Night Raven College one year late (and then got held back a year, which makes sense considering he is 20 in the main story present). He didn't find a use in attending school since he, by royal birth, was able to afford all the best tutors in the world and didn't think NRC had anything left to teach him. In Leona's Birthday Boy vignettes, he further specifies that he decided to enroll at NRC after Cheka was born. As Leona says in his post-OB flashback in-game, Cheka's birth means "the despised second son loses what little claim he had to the throne forever", essentially putting an end to his hopes. This would imply that this specific change in circumstance was the push that made Leona want to physically distance himself from home. Furthermore, it's supported by Leona's other behaviors: he does not take calls or read letters from home if he can help it (implied by Cheka asking why Leona doesn't answer his letters and Cheka calling on Halloween night to catch up with him; Leona lies and quickly hangs up), he makes excuses to avoid going home (as Kifaji states), etc. If we want to extrapolate even more, how is it that Leona, second born prince, initially crossed paths with Ruggie, who was born and raised in the slums (which, I imagine, must be quite some distance away from the royal palace)? This makes me think that even before Leona enrolled at NRC he would leave his housing and roam around, finding alternative places to stay because home just felt too uncomfortable and suffocating for him. There's also the implication that Leona often brooded over his circumstances, as he confesses to thinking about it and going to NRC to get his mind away from the tired cycle--although he also acknowledges that he's running away from "the pain" of having lost the throne.

The distancing would prove itself to be beneficial to his mental health, as Leona cites that his heart started feeling lighter, his restlessness dulled, and his pain numbed. With the throne out of sight, so, too, was it out of mind, and his longing softened. But that same haunting despair returns when another group starts to place expectations on him. This time, it's no longer the palace servants, but his own dorm members. Instead of fear and derision, his new pack looks at him, their "king", with desperateness--and, more importantly, hope. Speaking about the future with sparkling eyes. That, in turn, made Leona hopeful too. He can't let these people who look up to him and rely on him down, so he must do anything to win. That's all he ever wanted: to win, just this once. No matter what, he wants to win.

But when Leona's plans crumble, that crushing sense of despair rears its ugly head. He fails. And he suddenly understands that all his efforts will always amount to nothing, that they will always be meaningless, that there is no future for him. Leona's hopes have been dashed. He has been struck down by the world once again, just as he had started to climb up, fighting tooth and nail, to prove himself. Yet when defeat came, he also claims it doesn't bother him as much as he thought he would--perhaps because he's so accustomed to not winning, because maybe this is the outcome he had expected all along in the deepest recesses of his heart. That familiar disappointment begins to hurt him once more, and Leona wants to forget it all, to retreat to the shadows and to lick his wounds, to be far away from that pain.

One interesting new detail we glean from the light novel is that Leona is terrified by his dorm mates staring at him with hopeful eyes. It's not their expectations he's inherently scared of, but what those expectations can do to him. Leona is scared of himself, of being motivated by others to act, to never give up hope, when he still anticipates being beat down again and again by a world that rejects him and denies him. He even goes so far as to say he would be pathetic if he let his dorm mates' words inspire him and keep his waning hope alive. Ruggie, who had wanted to turn the world upside down together. Jack, who was inspired by his play three years back. All the mobs putting faith in their futures on him, their one and only leader. With so many people looking to him, how can he not be swayed by that positivity that had once been so elusive to him? How could that not ignite what little spark of hope is left in him? And that's exactly what Leona finds so dangerous about it. He's lived almost his entire life being put in his place, hurt every time he tried to demonstrate what he could do, how he could contribute--yet time and time again, here comes life, tempting him to try again, just to inevitably be compared to his brother and kicked down, delivering another blow to his pride and his self-image. Leona truly seems to hate himself for not being able to let go of that small fragment of hope he has left. He wants so badly to give up and not have to worry anymore about something he can never obtain. He's so tired of struggling and suffering for nothing. If he just caved, then he would never be hurt again. He can't be hurt if he doesn't care about anything. Yet no matter how much he wishes or tries, he can't run far enough away to detach himself from those expectations of grandeur, of being something more.

There's been many fan theories about Leona's mental health in circulation well before the release of this light novel, many of which mention self-loathing in spite of how proud and confident he typically presents as. You'd have to read in-between the lines of dialogue from the game to draw these clues out, whereas the light novel lays it more bare to you. It hits very differently reading hateful statements made by the character to himself. Leona calls himself all sorts of things: a fool, pathetic, insignificant, boring. That he isn't strong, that he isn't wise, that he's not loved. (In the in-game flashback, Leona also talks in a self-deprecating way, but to a far lesser extent than in the light novel; we also see that Falena does his best to discourage Leona from this kind of behavior.) That this is who he is, that it's the one thing he's afraid to admit and accept--but he also says he lacks the "strength" to give up. That's why Leona would rather run away than confront that potential truth. The option to embrace complete nihilism just isn't possible for him, because he can't just quash that pesky little thing called hope. This is much more complex than what's explained in the games and demonstrates a maturity and degree of self-reflection from Leona that we've never seen before. What's more, this gives us brand new context with which to view many of his other seemingly mundane actions mentioned in the game. At face value, Leona often acts very callously and doesn't care to help others unless he gets some kind of benefit from it (like agreeing to poof the contracts in book 3 just because he has his own deal he wants to get rid of). We see this time and time again when he instructs others reliant on him or less knowledgeable than he is in various matters where he is well-read and experienced with. For example, he takes note of his club members' strengths and weaknesses and offers tailored advice to help them improve their play. He tells others how to mine magestones of an adequate size in Vargas Camp. Maybe he's just doing these things to make the circumstances easier for himself (so he can put forth less effort to leading them in a game, or so he can nap heartily). But from what we've just learned from the light novel, now I'm suspecting a different secondary motive.

What if... Leona is, in part, encouraging and helping others to hone their own skills to subconsciously compensate for what he doesn't believe he himself is capable of? Because there's still so much hope for his dorm mates, for his underclassmen... (and, let's not forget, it was those in Savanaclaw that first motivated Leona to "try" again for the first time in forever) but he doesn't have that same amount of hope for himself. I get these vibes as late as book 6, when Leona and Jamil have a talk. In their conversation, Leona directs many pointed, blunt words at Jamil--words that could very easily also be thrown back at Leona's face and be applicable to his book 2 self. He accuses Jamil of making excuses so he won't have to actually act, just as Leona has continuously run away from uncomfortable situations to put himself at ease. At one point, I believe Leona event states that Jamil “*isn’t like [me]”, Here, again, it can be argued that we're seeing Leona's self-awareness on display, as well as a willingness to warn others to not follow down the same path he once treaded, to lose all hope in the future. Again, it's done with a double purpose: the other one being to get Jamil out of his way while they're exploring. And (of course) Leona's way of expressing his message is gruff and not very warm, not to Jamil and certainly not to himself. He's become prickly and defensive himself after all of his experiences--but that just adds to the complexity of his character when we synthesize what we know of him from TWST multimedia.

I really wish a lot of what was in the light novel post-Leona OB was also in the game. It would have helped to flesh out Leona's motivations and fears, which book 2 was sorely needing. As he is presented now, he appears shallow and selfish in his goals, and we don't fully understand the emotions spurring him on, a lot of which is genuine self-loathing and the sinking despair that comes with thinking you're not enough and you'll never be enough. That would have been so much more relatable than the in-game Leona having himself a pity party with a great amount of emphasis on the throne--a throne which, in actuality, just symbolizes a desire for recognition, love, and acceptance. It was never about explicitly being king. It was about being seen as his own person and appreciated for it instead of being admonished and compared to his exalted older brother.

Now, as an adult, Leona has become someone who pushes away those who try to give him that which he craves. He sees a lot of people--his own family and his dorm mates, the closest thing he has to friends--as dangers to his own mental wellbeing. He's scared to let them in, so he's built up these emotional, arrogant walls around himself. Think at how often he rejects advice from Falena and refuses Cheka's affection for him. Look at how this behavior extends beyond those who are keeping him from a literal throne and to his classmates. They instill hope in him, hope which scares Leona. The things he has wanted all his life are now poison that chips away at him. Considering all of that together, it makes Leona's story far more tragic than how it was initially shown to us in the game alone. But guess what? That can also become his strength, fuel for his character arc. Leona isn't running anymore. He's actually returning home for winter break in book 4. He's determined to not get held back again. He's committing to an internship in a field (an energy lab) which will immensely help his country (which is rich in natural resources). All of this, coming from a young man who once acted bitter when his older brother suggested that there were many things Leona could do with his intelligence to benefit their homeland. Leona is making slow strides and steady progress toward a future he used to think was unattainable for him. From that darkness, he's rising anew--like the sun upon the savanna.

#twst #twisted wonderland light novel #twisted wonderland #twst light novel #Leona Kingscholar #disney twisted wonderland #notes from the writing raven #Ruggie Bucchi #Jack Howl #Savanaclaw #twst character analysis #twisted wonderland character analysis #twst analysis #twisted wonderland analysis #Cheka Kingscholar #Farena Kingscholar #Falena Kingscholar #Kifaji #Jamil Viper

[orangflowalober]

Blessed-Cursed

Pairing: Park Sunghoon x Reader

Genre: regency au; isekai au; prince!sunghoon; princess!reader

Summary: Being Crown Princess sounds fun from a modern-day point of view, no? Wrong. Wrong on so many levels. Starting from the fact that you had fight with your hands and legs to do certain things all over to marriage. Yuck. So how do you suppose one acts when their biggest secret is revealed to someone who has the power to have you executed?

Word count: 5.3k

Warnings: sharp objects - swords, arrows, daggers; marriage; mushy stuff; implications of hunting animals; death of a bear by reader's hand; let me know if I missed anything!

Series: Enhypen Regency AU

Pinterest board: <3

Spotify playlist (songs I listened to while writing / had in mind while writing) : <3

~

You didn’t want marriage.

You didn't want to rule beside another.

You wanted to be the Queen who married her nation.

…

What a dramatic way of saying that you wanted to be Elizabeth the First of this world.

Oh. Right. England doesn’t exist in this world. Or like… any other country that exists on planet Earth.

Anyway. Your name is Lim Anestasia of the Lim Kingdom. However… your real name… is y/n l/n.

You do not hail from this world and yet here you are, living in the shoes of a spoiled princess who could get anything she wanted.

Dying really do be a unique experience.

When you first opened your eyes in this body it was ten years old. You cried. You cried for so long. Women dressed in uniforms of what you assumed were maids rushed in to comfort you and help you stop crying. You couldn’t stop. You didn’t recognise anything or anyone. You don’t remember when was the last time you felt so alone. That only made you cry harder. It wasn’t until a woman with beautiful long brown hair and a worried look on her face came in, that you started to calm down even just a slight bit. After all… your brain recognised the woman as your dearest mother. You cried in her arms for a long time, but in the end… you felt so much better. Now you just pretend that day never happened.

You spent the next two weeks in a daze, looking about and recalling all the memories of your past and present life. Then you realised something. There was a whole mediaeval world out there for you to explore… yet you remain stuck within these walls of a cold and almost empty castle… So you set out back to your room and made a list.

As a Queen to be, there were some issues you wanted to settle. Making a list seemed like the right choice. You were ten now so no one would truly take you seriously and this was fine. It gave you time to plot and plan. But first… for the next few years you would indulge yourself and learn some sports you have had the wish to learn back in your day but hadn’t the opportunity to do so.

The list read:

1.      Learn how to be a brilliant archer!

2.      Learn the art of the sword!

3.      Learn how to be a great horseback rider!

4.      Teach yourself everything you can about the kingdom!

5.      Start taking interest in politics!

6.      Settle dominance so your parents don’t try to set you up at 14.

7.      Steer clear of men in general

8.      Try and turn away as many suitors as possible!

9.      More to be added

Grinning to yourself you put away the stationary and folded the paper neatly. You would hide it in your room in one of the many books you owned.

“Mother. Father.” You greeted, approaching them in the throne room, curtsying in your pale green dress.

“Anastasia,” your mother greeted with a smile gracing her face, “What brings you here my precious daughter?”

“I wish to learn archery.”

The King looked horrified.

Archery wasn’t very lady-like after all. Or any kind of sport, really.

“My dear daughter-”

Welp, you thought, time to pull out the big guns.

You stomped your foot and sniffed.

“But Father!” you yelled through the tears, “I wish to learn archery and I wish to do it NOW!”

You sniffed again and softly glared at the man on the throne who looked to be panicking.

“Of course my dearest!” he responded quickly with a wobbly smile.

Well he switched up fast you thought.

“Really?” you switched up as well, deciding to play the role of a shy child, “thank you” you whispered softly, but loud enough for your parents to hear. You curtsied and left for the library where you would read up on the history of your country.

~

As you grew older, you learned more and more.

By the time you were fifteen you mastered the bow, horseback riding and were well into practice with the sword. Your “love” for studying never faltered and you kept at it relentlessly going through tutors at break-neck speed.

When you turned eighteen, you started getting involved in the rule of your land (with the help of your parents, naturally) and continuously impressed them with your knowledge and how mature and ambitious you were. You mastered the art of the sword and started practising with daggers. It seemed fun so far.

~

Other than all of these impressive achievements, you seemed to rather… lack… in the department of social relations.

Due to the fact that you spent a lot of time either with your nose in a book or practising with a new weapon you picked up, you haven’t had the time to make good acquaintances with the children of other royal families or nobles. At most you could say that you and the prince of the Kim Kingdom were close acquaintances. Sunoo was a rather interesting character whom you had not much trouble interacting with. You even occasionally exchanged letters.

Other than him there was princess Yeji of the Hwang Kingdom, but that was limited only to the balls you both attended.

As such, you haven’t had many suitors, which worried your parents and only served to make you happier.

While you were happy as things were, your parents unfortunately were rather persistent.

“My dearest daughter,” you heard your mother sigh for the nth time that month, as you readied your arrow, “you already turned of age years ago, you must at least look for potential suitors…”

You knocked the arrow. Bullseye.

“It is not my fault all of them are too afraid to even speak to me, mother.”

“What about Sunoo then?” she asked and this time you sighed, “How does he speak so freely with you?”

“You know as well as I do that, we do not speak freely with each other. And besides, we’ve known each other for years.”

“My darling Anastasia,” your mother sighed, taking your filthy hands into hers, “for your mother’s sake,” she whispered, “please, look for a fine suitor. I know that there must be someone who will catch your eye this time. Please my darling daughter.”

She knew you were weak to her pleading. Courtesy of your close bond both with your mother in your old life and this one. You agreed.

It was the first mistake you could have made.

~

You honestly didn’t mean to sound so full of yourself when you said that you were probably the best dressed person at the ball for your birthday.

Simplicity is what will most often catch the eye of others, is something you liked to think. This time was no exception.

The dress you wore was a light pink and it reflected the light due to its shiny material. It was long and flowy, which was brilliant because it meant you could move freely, and you didn’t have to wear petticoats. You honestly did love them, but they were, oh so, impractical. The dress had a sweetheart neckline with off the shoulder sleeves. It was tightened around your waist and made your chest look bigger than it actually was, but what annoyed you was that you had to breathe rather shallowly. From the waist down the skirt flowed freely and dramatically.

As they announced your name you walked into the ball with a slight smile and nodded at the present guests before you stepped down the staircase to join the party.

You've managed to stay at the party chatting with anyone and everyone who approached you for a whole hour before your social battery completely died out and you were seconds away from starting to behave like you used to, back home. In the modern world.

“Prince Sunoo,” you spoke to the boy next to you. “Would you mind if I made a quick escape to regain my composure?” you asked with a dazzling smile.

The chubby cheeked boy next to you giggled at how direct you were.

"Why of course, princess Anastasia” he purred with a playful grin, “I shall wait for you here!"

You nodded gratefully at him and swiftly made your way through the crowd and at the back entrance into the beautiful garden your mother loved most.

Sitting down on the grey store bench in front of the small lake filled with water lilies. At least they looked like water lilies.

Sighing, you then placed your fan down onto the seat next to you and reached behind your back to pull on the string which held the corset together and took a deep breath.

Time for my annual rant session, you thought to yourself.

"Marriage" you spat bitterly, allowing yourself to go nuts with anger.

“Why do I have to marry anyone?!? Why is that so bloody important?!" you yelled into the sky, throwing your hands into the air. “Do I have to marry to be Queen?! I mean come on!”

Getting lost in your emotions you failed to realise someone was standing at the entrance of the garden, listening to every word you spoke, slowly making their way towards you.

You groaned loudly as your voice took on a sad, desperate tone.

“Mom… I miss you so much…” you sobbed, “I miss my little sister too… that annoying little stinker…” you sobbed even louder, taking your gloves off to wipe your tears away.

“I miss those stupid gatcha games too” you laughed wetly, “Cookie Run… Genshin… Honkai… both Honkai games actually…” you mumbled the last bit, picking at your freshly manicured nails.

“Why me?” you whispered, sniffing a little.

A crunch of leaves caused you to turn around from your spot on the bench, eyes wide as you faced the intruder.

The man who stood in front of you was possibly the most beautiful man you had ever seen and you knew absolutely nothing about him.

His jet black hair was in rough contrast with his pale complexion. He wore a dark blue waistcoat with golden accents and pure white pants along with knee-deep boots.

His eyes and face was what held your attention at most.

He seemed not to mind your current state, but rather… he looked worried.

You two kept looking at each other, too startled to speak.

Then you remembered what you looked like; mussed hair, undone corset, puffy face and runny nose and you weren't wearing your gloves.

“Are you alright?” he finally spoke, his rumbling and melodic voice sounding genuinely concerned about your wellbeing, extending his hand towards you.

Quickly, you scrambled to stand up, pushing your hand against your corset to keep it in place and responded to him.

“How much did you hear?”

He blinked confused, his hand stopping in its tracks.

“Pardon?”

“I asked;” your voice was high with panic now, “how much of that did you hear?” you felt as though your heart was about to beat out of your chest.

“Is that really that important right now?” a seemingly sly smile played on his lips, his hand gently taking hold of your wrist.

Your heart stuttered in your chest as you made eye contact with him.

It wasn’t simply because you felt attracted to him. On the contrary, attractive men didn't seem to make your heart skip a beat in this life. It was simple enough really; you were scared.

If he was influential enough, could he get you thrown out of the family? Would you lose everything? Again? Your heart wouldn't be able to stand that.

“P… p-please” you cussed yourself silently for stuttering, while a smile grew on his lips at your mistake, “don't… don't tell anyone!”

You yanked your hand out of his gentle hold and ran back into the castle ignoring his stare and completely forgetting about your gloves sitting on the bench.

After you had made sure you were presentable you went back to the ball room only to see that it was only just now in full swing. You took a deep breath and set off to find Sunoo.

“Princess Anastasia!” you heard someone call.

Turning around, you were met with the smiley face of the Crown Prince of the Park Kingdom.

“Prince Jay” you curtsied, extending your hand for him to take, “it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

The tall, blond man grinned as he pressed a kiss to your gloved hand.

“As it is mine Princess.”

Park “Jay” Jongseong. The Crown Prince of the Park Kingdom. He was smart, cunning and straightforward. That was not mentioning how kind and generous he was. Last you heard he was to be married soon before he assumed the throne of the Park Kingdom.

Again with the whole marriage thing…

“I must admit Princess, I only came to introduce myself and wish you a happy birthday with ulterior motives.” he smiled sheepishly.

“Oh?” you grinned playfully, resting your fan on your bare shoulder.

“I am afraid so” Jay laughed, “You see my brother is rather… shy.” he admitted awkwardly and continued, “But he really wanted to wish you a happy birthday, so I thought I would help him out.”

You smiled with soft eyes.

Jay had a younger brother. Well. “Younger” brother.

The circumstances regarding the two were rather unclear as it was never disclosed into the public eye, but the two had such a close bond it felt awful to speculate just about anything. And so, no one ever pried. The two brothers were, after all, the pride and joy of the Park Kingdom.

“How very nice of you” you hummed thinking of your younger sister in your past life.

“I do try” he smiled gently, noticing your reaction.

“Princess Anastasia,” you heard someone behind you.

As you turned around, your eyes widened scarily wide as you made eye contact with the man from the garden.

“I am Prince Sunghoon” he introduced himself with a slight bow of his head, his hand resting against where his heart was.

Lagging behind, you quickly curtsied and offered him your hand.

He took it gently, impossibility so, and pressed a feather light kiss against your knuckles, never breaking eye contact with you.

Jay, noticing what was going on, made a quiet escape leaving the two of you alone.

You were too scared and entranced with the man in front of you to notice anything.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess.” he spoke slowly, still not letting go of your hand, but you haven’t noticed that yet.

“Likewise” you awkwardly smiled, your heart beating out of your chest in fear.

Sunghoon's eyes glinted in mischief, which caused you to shift under his piercing gaze uncomfortably.

The music which was playing in the background slowly came to a stop and the man in front of you smiled as he turned to face you.

“May I have this dance, Princess?” he asked, lifting your hand higher in the air.

Meanwhile, your brain was an absolute mess. You had no idea what was going on, what this man was plotting or what he could do if you even looked at him wrong.

He currently has the potential to have you sent away.

You couldn’t take that chance.

“Yes,” you spoke slowly, “you may.”

With a bright smile, the tall man led you over to the dance floor.

All eyes were on you as for the first time ever, you joined someone other than your father for a dance.

You were anxious and terrified.

The man opposite you stopped somewhere off the centre of the dancing area and faced you properly.

His gentle smile was throwing you off track and you couldn’t focus on anything but trying not to tick him off.

Letting go of your hand, he placed it on your waist and took your other hand, while you placed a hand on his shoulder.

His giddiness at your action didn’t miss you and it made you nervous.

“Why do you look so nervous, Princess?” he asked with a grin.

Offering him an awkward smile you responded.

“Ah, no! It’s just…” you began as the music started and Sunghoon gently pulled you into a slow waltz.

“I’ve never danced like this with anyone but my father…”

The dark haired man nodded thoughtfully.

“My mistake,” he smiled, twirling you with a mesmerising smile on his face. “I thought it had something to do with our fateful meeting in the garden.”

Had you not returned back into his arms, you are sure you would have fainted.

“Speaking of which,” he continued as if he hadn’t noticed your discomfort, “you left something back there.”

You looked up at him with panicked eyes, not noticing his blush as he recounted the events.

If he says something to someone I’m doomed! You panicked. What did I even leave?!

“I took the liberty of taking them so I could hand them to you now” he spoke, as if your whole world hasn’t turned upside down.

Plural?! You wanted to scream.

“Them?” you couldn’t help but voice.

“Yes…” he hummed bashfully, as he leaned down to whisper into your ear, “You left your gloves behind Princess…”

Cold sweat broke out all over as you remembered what that means in this world.

Much like that one scene in Jane Austen’s book "Pride and Prejudice" with Mr. Darcy and Ms. Elizabeth, touching a lady without her gloves presented an extremely intimate act in this world.

You cussed internally.

At this point, you weren’t sure if you wanted to laugh or cry.

“I will leave them in the corridor once the crowds dissipate” He continued, not minding the eyes which were trained on your forms, “You just make sure your maids find them.”

Oh, so, conveniently, the song and dance ended and Sunghoon disappeared into the crowd just as quickly as he had appeared, but not before placing another kiss on the back of your hand.

You liked to think what had happened during your birthday hasn’t affected you.

~

That is a lie.

It has.

You just pretend it didn’t.

After the dance, your mother sent you questioning glances, but you avoided them like the plague until she stopped.

There was another issue, however.

You suddenly began noticing him. And he was everywhere.

A birthday celebration of a noble? He was there.

A charity event for the children of the Lim-Kim region? He was there.

Tournament competition in arts and such? He was bloody there.

And if he could manage to sneak in a dance he would. Every. Single. Time.

At this point, the only time you didn’t see him is when you were avoiding everyone and camping out in the library or in your room.

~

As summer passed and made way for fall, the Lim Kingdom started preparing for the bi-annual Huntsmen Competition.

The bi-annual Huntsmen Competition was held by the Crown for the nobles and other royals of the lands to show off their skills and gain public favour.

A problem has risen this year though…

“We cannot hold the Competition in the Twilight Forest this year” the King announced. “The animal sources are scarce and we risk endangering the ecosystem if we continue to hunt there.”

After much begging and tantrums, he had finally let you participate in these talks. And in the competition, of course. 

I'm going to wipe the floor with those losers, you cackled internally, before focusing back onto the conversation at hand.

“... so in line with that I would recommend the Fiery Forest in the south.” one of the older councilmen huffed out.

"That wouldn't be a smart decision" you hummed in reply, looking at the map, "I propose we request the Kim Kingdom to collaborate using the Spring forests we share at our borders. Our relations are better and they won't try to use this to their advantage.”

Your father and everyone else at the table looked lost for words, before turning to the map in front of them.

“My god, she’s right!”

“Who would have thought?”

Briefly, you saw your father's proud expression as you participated in the conversation even more than before.

~

Being fashionably late is probably your favourite thing to do in this world. And as the Crown Princess, no one had the right to comment on it.

You strutted toward your tent feeling eyes on your figure. 

Why wouldn't they be staring at you anyway?

You were wearing mens attire.

The pants you wore were fitted and black, squeezing around your waist. Tucked into the pants was your favourite flowy white shirt and hanging off your hips was a majestic bastard sword. That was not to mention your favourite bow waiting for you in your tent.

As soon as it was time to set off into the forest, you took the reins of your black horse Stormy and got going when you heard the sound of the horn.

Riding on the back of the horse, you fired arrows, as soon as you caught sight of a moving hide.

By the end of it, you weren’t the best, but you were third best.

You also couldn't help but notice how Prince Sunghoon smiled the brightest when you approached the third place podium.

That was your second mistake.

~

The last time you were in a daze was when you were ten. It's been so long since then that you've forgotten just how easily the feeling creeps up on you.

“Princess Anastasia,” his gentle voice shook you out of your reverie, “It's delightful to see you again.”

You didn’t turn to face him, choosing to only lift your fan up to your face.

“Likewise” you quickly responded, finding that this time you didn’t quite find his mere presence bothersome.

The man hurried to walk in step with you.

“Princess,” he called and the title suddenly felt a lot more like a term of endearment from your past life, “you always say that, yet I feel as though you do not mean it as truthfully as I do.”

You kept quiet, wondering how you could even respond to such a claim.

“You enjoy nature I presume?” he quickly changed the subject. “It seems that every time you and I see each other it is in the gardens.” he smiled softly.

You were currently taking a break from all of the hard work you were putting into studying and practising. 

As a little treat, you thought you could visit one of the more popular gardens in the Kingdom of Lee. They were, after all, most popular for their wide arrangement of flora.

And these flowers and plants never ceased to take your breath away and heal your eyes at the same time.

“Oh… yes, I suppose I do…” you hummed, “It’s rather… calming. I feel at ease to think and the colours soothe my eyes.”

The beautiful man next to you nodded and hummed, looking at you as if encouraging you to speak more.

“You see, I do enjoy reading all the books our library has to offer, but my eyes do hurt after spending too much time in my study…”

“You have your own study?” he asked with an intrigued spark in his eyes.

When you looked at him, you were taken aback by the sheer boyishness radiating from that expression, that you felt the back of your neck heat up.

“I-” you stuttered, “I do. I mean-” you turned away from him swiftly to catch yourself, “As the future Queen, I must ready myself for the incoming troubles of ruling the Kingdom and be a respectable ruler.” you explained.

His head cocked to the side, almost reminiscent of a pupper.

“You do not plan on sharing those burdens with anyone?”

You eyed him.

“You mean marriage?” you spat out the last word venomously. “I will refuse it for as long as I can. Besides,” you huffed, forgetting yourself, “it’s not like I met anyone worthy of marrying me.” you crossed your arms over your chest.

A snort sounded from next to you and you turned startled towards Prince Sunghoon. He held his hand up to his mouth, eyes wrinkled into crescents and he was slightly turned away from you.

“I-” he laughed lightly, his face twisted to make room for his wide smile, “I do not mean to laugh at your- It is only- the delivery-” he kept giggling, unable to finish a single thought.

You only stared at him in awe, your opinion of him changing subconsciously.

“You Highness, Prince Sunghoon,” a butler called from behind you, “Your brother has requested your presence back in the castle.”

“I will be right there Ian,” he said, before turning to look at you, with an impossibly tender look in his eye, “I hope we see each other like this again” he spoke as he took your hand to place a kiss on it, “I had a great time and I hope you did too.”

And then he left.

It felt like a part of you left as well.

~

You have found yourself caught up in Prince Sunghoon’s- or rather, as he insists- Sunghoon’s arms, interlocked into the second dance of tonight.

The ball was a celebration of the spring solstice.

How you ended up in the dark-haired prince’s arms you also couldn’t quite remember.

You also didn’t realise just how funny he was whenever he talked back and you never realised your love for bickering. 

You were having the time of your life.

People were sending you odd looks, seeing you enjoying yourself with the second Park son, seeing as you only ever spent time with the youngest Kim prince and even that was reserved.

But now, you were giggling, laughing and you just couldn’t keep your mouth shut.

Another plus to having Sunghoon’s company: no one was approaching you for mindless small-talk and mentions of marriage.

The Lee castle was beautiful but…

“I heard the Lee’s have the most beautiful garden…” Sunghoon told you with a mischievous sparkle in his eye.

He didn’t have to finish his thought. You already knew what he meant as he extended to you and you accepted it without another word.

Your baby blue dress fluttered behind you as you walked down the halls with Sunghoon, both of your shoes clacking against the marble flooring.

The dress had a deep V-neck and the sleeves extended past your hands, although it added to the snowy princess look.

This time, the maids took extra precaution to cinch your corset and if you couldn’t breathe then, you certainly couldn’t now that you saw the garden.

The snow had freshly melted and there were faint traces of buds all over the trees and plants.

But most of all the night sky seemed to take the cake.

“The moon looks beautiful tonight, doesn’t it?”

You turned towards the man who had made your night.

Sunghoon was not looking at the moon. His eyes looked as if someone had stolen all the affection in the world and put it in his eyes.

He looked beautiful being bathed in the moonlight. His pale shin was seemingly illuminated by the moonshine, a perfect contrast to his all-black attire.

“My…” you began, your head feeling as if it was stuffed full of cotton, “My real name is y/n.” you spoke before you could realise what you just said.

He looked stunned.

Then his hold on your hand tightened as suddenly words started tumbling out, past his soft lips, explaining his predicament in his family and his relationship with them.

He looked so vulnerable. You thought you looked the same way as well.

You pulled your hand back, out of his gentle hold, and he looked as if you had ripped his heart out of his chest. You merely pulled your gloves off, threw them somewhere behind you (which had pulled out a choked laugh from him) and you raised your arms to wipe the tears from his glass-like face.

He shuddered feeling your skin on his face and you shivered feeling his breath against your hands.

“I’m sorry” he let out as he enveloped you in a passionate embrace.

This, after all, was not appropriate for two people who weren’t engaged to be married.

~

The bi-annual Huntsmen Competition in the spring was, oddly enough, the most anticipated event of the season.

You supposed it had something to do with your appearance.

Hence, you practising day and night, night and day, to attempt to get the first place this time around.

Also, you knew Sunghoon was participating in this event and you want to impress him-

Ah right.

It is too early for the list of participants to have some out, so… how do you know?

Truth is, Sunghoon himself told you.

A development which had happened since the Spring Solstice Ball was that you and Sunghoon had started exchanging letters with what was going on in your lives lately.

It made you unnecessarily giddy and you couldn’t hide this from your nosy mother who realised you were getting letters every other day as opposed to once every two to three months.

She was, needless to say, thrilled.

But that wasn’t important right now.

What was important was winning the competition to impress Sunghoon- no y/n stop.

This time around, the senators decided to change things up a little: they added an animal which automatically secures the huntsman first place. The animal in question is a grizzly bear. Yeah. A grizzly. It surprised you too. 

You were hoping to catch the biggest fish.

Also, this time you planned on showing up in a proper fancy riding outfit, fit to a prince.

You were rather petty like that. And your ass looked brilliant in those pants.

You seriously didn’t have enough opportunities to wear trousers.

~

Arriving late, you hopped off your inky black horse, feeling eyes on your form once again.

You wore tight white pants with a sporty waistcoat with gold and dark blue accents. And you felt magnificent holding your sword at your hip.

Subconsciously, your eyes wandered, looking for a particular someone, but you couldn’t see him. A frown tugged at your lips, but you quickly stopped it and smiled as you usually would, making your way to your tent to get ready.

~

By the time you had gone into the forest you still didn’t get to see a particular someone’s endearing smile and dimples.

Hunting brought you more peace than you thought it could. You languidly shot at moving animals - birds mostly- and looked for the grizzly. 

Why draw something out for longer than it should be?

You were lost in your own head when you heard a scream.

Quickly you turned your horse around and towards the scream. 

You were surprised, however, when you ran into Sungoon, appearance dishevelled, leaves and small sticks stuck in his hair and clothes, horse gone.

Looking him in the eye, you saw him breathing heavily, eyes wide in fear, before he flinched at the loud roar the bear behind him let out.

Before you could even realise what had happened, you drew your bow and knocked four arrows at the bear and it fell over with a cry.

You and Sunghoon though, just gazed at each other. He stared at you as if you had just promised him the world, and you, from your position on your horse, bow still in hand, looked at him as if he had just told you the secrets of the whole world.

You were startled from your romantic gazing when a horn sounded, both of you looking in the direction of the trees.

“Marry me” you said before you thought better of it.

~

To say that this bi-annual Huntsmen Competition had the best ending party yet, would be an understatement. 

Everyone danced and drank as you happily held hands with Sunghoon, right in the centre of everything, celebrating what would be the best event of this life yet.

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

My dearest girls: @ch3rryc0smos & @janaicetea

if anyone wants to be a part of the taglist send an ask <3

#park sunghoon #sunghoon #enhypen sunghoon #enhypen #enhypen x reader #enhypen x female reader #enhypen x you #sunghoon x reader #sunghoon x you #regency au #Enhypen Regency AU #❄️.works. #❄️.fics.

[reviewing-the-views]

Things that were missing in the School for Good and Evil movie

So, I have seen people comment on areas from the School for Good and Evil movie that failed to hit the mark, and I wanted to chime in some of my own thoughts:

What was up with the blood magic? I have only read the first book (I'm slacking, I know), but there was no mention of it, from what I recall. If anything, they have regular magic, which would have worked much more effectively. Plus, we were robbed by not seeing Agatha's finger glow being golden, nor Sophie's, which was the iconic color of hot pink.

Lady Lesso, I'm sorry, did not strike me as being evil enough to be a professor at the SCHOOL FOR EVIL. Also, what was up with Dovey? Her character gave me mixed signals: was she truly good or shallow like the rest of the school for good?

I love that they got Sofia Wylie to play Agatha, she did well with what she was given. Having this character be represented as a POC gives an extra layer of nuance. However, I am concerned with how they pushed Agatha aside to give Sophie more screen time. Many fans also have mentioned the treatment of Agatha's hair during her time in the school for good, while also talking about how the character is not meant to be conventionally beautiful. But given that the choice to cast Agatha as a POC yet to give her less screen time has implications that I wanted to showcase.

I liked how they did the wish-fish scene as it remained pretty faithful to the book. However, I wish they included some more scenes that were so impactful for Agatha and Sophie's character arcs. Some of these scenes include: the Circus of Talents, Sophie killing the swan, Sophie drowning the beast for cutting her hair, Agatha smiling for the first time and realizing her own inner beauty/self-worth, Agatha accepting herself and coming to terms with her own goodness. These nuances are what make the book great, and it is a shame the film didn't include them.

WHERE WAS THE RANKING SYSTEM?!?! Yes, they mentioned the fact that three failures would lead to an expulsion, but the rankings helped develop Agatha and Sophie's growth. They didn't fit the mold right away, both earning 1's at the start. But once they took control, they quickly became the top student at their respective schools.

The beginning had good action, but why reveal the biggest mystery in the entire book? Doing this made the story bland, they should've kept the original pacing.

Speaking of original, why remove the fact that the village is aware of the school? This added a whole layer of meta commentary as the town folk quickly realize that they cannot leave beyond the forest, and that if every fairytale starts at a village, then they are that village. This is why two children are taken every four years -- leading to preparation to protect the village kids and the iconic opening line of the book.

Also, removing the fact that Sophie became friends with Agatha only as a "good deed" is a disservice to both of their characters. This should have never been changed.

It feels like the movie is dead-set on showing how morality isn't black and white. Which, to be fair, is a good take, but the book already addressed this in a much more nuanced fashion. In the book, it is known that each person has a certain percentage of good and evil within them. Those that have more good are sent to be heroes, whereas those that have more evil are sent to be villains. Yet, Agatha and Sophie are different because they are the only ones who are 100% on one side: Agatha is 100% good whereas Sophie is 100% evil. This, to me, is much more nuanced because it establishes the fact that everyone can be both good and evil. Yet, those who are purely and entirely good DO exist, and when they are around, beauty and peace follows. At the same time, true evil CAN exist, and when left unchecked, can be dangerous for all.

Talking about the percentages, this is why Sophie and Agatha have a story being written about them in the first place. The film briefly states how the Storian doesn't write a tale for everyone, so the fact that it begins writing about the two of them is rare and sets in motion their tale. But the reason why it does so is partly because of Agatha being 100% good and Sophie being 100% evil, which is never addressed, thus it doesn't have enough impact in the film.

The romance between Tedros and Agatha was okay. I liked how the two had a earlier connection, but it was missing the spice of the enemies-to-lovers trope while also having no room to grow. He just likes her because "she's different," but it's never shown. Both characters seemed pretty bland as the film went on, which truly is a shame.

I wish they gave more time for the coven to interact, as well as establish Sophie's planning for a Nevers Ball. In the film, it just sort of happens without establishing the fact that only Evers have had a ball. It was also such a great twist for Sophie's actual plan to turn the school upside-down morally.

Sophie should've been more corrupted. Having wrinkles and white hair doesn't compare to the book version in which sHE LITERALLY BECOMES BALD AND FRAIL! She honestly should have looks like Smeagol from The Lord of the Rings to show how deeply a nemesis affects a villain and how evil can truly corrupt.

Talking about evil Sophie, where was the confrontation between her and Agatha? Where she nearly kills Agatha due to her hatred for her? Where she gets Agatha to slow dance with her, leading to the heroes attacking a "defenseless school?" WHERE WAS THE MOMENT WHERE SOPHIE'S PLAN LED TO TEDROS ALMOST SHOOTING AGATHA WITH AN ARROW?!?! This scene could've been as poetic as it was in the book.

The kiss between Sophie and Rafal was okay, but I wish they were more artistic with it. The movie focuses way too much on true love's kiss that they neglect the fact that this kiss be shared between two villains became a true hate kiss. In the book, Sophie describes the feeling as being horrible and wicked, and it's something that I feel the director could've played with in order to show how twisted evil's kiss truly can be. We have always seen a true love's kiss in media, but never a true hate kiss. This was definitely a missed opportunity to be sure.

What was that ending?! Honestly, this film feels like Netflix just flipped through the book, sniffed its contents, and figured that was enough for a movie. It’s giving corporate vibes and it shows. To me, the ending feels a bit sloppy and it doesn’t set things up for a sequel the way the book does where our protagonists leave abruptly through a magic portal after Agatha kisses Sophie. Nothing is truly resolved, making for a good transition to book 2. In the movie’s ending, everything feels pretty resolved, so it may be hard to get a smooth transition for a sequel that is believable.

Finally, this should have been a series on Netflix as clearly, two and a half hours isn't enough to address all of these little nuances that make the book so great. If they could do it with Bridgerton, they certainly could've done it with The School for Good and Evil.

#the school for good and evil #sge spoilers #sge #sge agatha #sge sophie #sge movie #agatha of gavaldon #sophie of gavaldon #agatha of woods beyond #sophie of woods beyond #tedros of camelot #lady lesso #sge rafal #movie analysis

[super-paper]

Any thoughts on the leaks from the new chapter??

I really enjoyed the dialogue between izuku and tomura this chapter, especially that unhinged look on izukus face as he says he'll rip the damn rug/cover with his own hands if he has too. And that last panel between izuku and toshi, the "you can be a hero!" scene but now saying he needs to let go of ofa...wow, cinema.

Overall i liked it, but I feel a bit aprehensive about certain things, especially after seeing opinions on twt. I knew izuku would most likely give up ofa at the end of the series, so im sad about it (dont get me wrong, izuku giving up ofa of all things so he can save tomura is beautiful,,,,, but im just a big fan of izuku with ofa and everything that it means 😭 i want him to keep his haunted quirk and ofamily). But then on twt everyone was so hyped up and talking about izuku getting New Order.. which left me confused not gonna lie, bc other than Star pointing at something, I didn't get any idea of Izuku getting her quirk. But again, my reading analysis could be in the mud lol. Some say Aura Might is gonna give up his place for Star in ofa, or afo is joining the fight with his trump card, others say the quirk will spread to class 1A, so when izuku opens the vault door, the vestiges of 1A will help him. I have no idea, anything is possible i suppose. As for izuku, while I think at some point he will give up ofa, I think he might hesitate at first (??) Like toshinori, he connects his worth to having a quirk, so emotionally speaking it won't be easy for him in my opinion. But let's see!

I'm gonna be a bit mean for a second and say that "Izuku getting New Order" and "Class 1A shares OFA (Monoma Neito found dead in Miami)" are by far my least favorite fandom theories lmfao.

Anyway, you're definitely right on the money about this also being a battle Re: Izuku's own self perception and who he is without OFA. Izuku and Tomura's biggest hang ups boil down to how they both perceive themselves and how that perception was essentially forced onto both of them by other people until they both internalized it as "fundamentally true" (Izuku believing that he's worthless/useless, Tomura believing that he's evil and that he's having a ~peachy-keen~ time rn). Chapter 412/413 have set the stage for this conflict to finally come to the forefront, so I'm excited to see where things go.

As for Star, people who believe her quirk is "the will of heroism that's gonna get passed on to Izuku" are missing the point of her character, I feel. Star's quirk was cool, but it was also another shining example of a quirk "not being what makes someone an actual hero"-- Star used her quirk to do some pretty fucked up things during her fight with TomurAFO, and ultimately, the moments where she chose NOT to use her quirk and chose NOT to prioritize "the greater good" over everything else are actually her defining heroic moments:

(^ the implication of this scene being that her vestige stopped short of obliterating AFO because she found Tenko hidden inside him)

Izuku has already inherited "the will of heroism" as Star defines it. The will of heroism is more or less "noticing that someone needs help and choosing to act on it." There is beauty in simplicity and trying to work "Izuku obtaining new order" into the mix takes the focus away from that, I feel. Star notices Tenko needs help, and instead of using the last embers of her existence to extinguish AFO, she instead uses those embers to reach out to Toshi and point out where Tenko has hidden himself. Toshi alerts Kudou, who then decides to place his faith in Izuku's ability to save Tomura's heart, and so on and so forth.

(A certain someone else also inherited that will, but he's just being a massive fucking tsundere about it. Can't wait for someone to finally call his ass out when the inevitable mind-meld happens.) (/hj)

Anyway, I feel u regarding the OFA vestiges-- but at the same time, I think it's good that they're finally being allowed some autonomy in how they choose to go out considering how they lived/died in the first place. I still maintain that we're gonna end up whittling OFA down to Yoichi, Toshi, and Nana bc they're the three most deeply connected to Tomura (in addition to having the most unresolved feelings and lingering regrets centered around Tomura/AFO). I also think it's pretty neat how "One for All" is now coming apart at the seams because they're starting to work together for "the one" rather than the "all," if you catch my drift ;)

#mha spoilers #thank you for the ask! #sophie.txt

[bbbellamywrites]

i do want to preface this by saying that i don't have the updated dash. i will also say that if/when i do get the updated dash, i will not be likely to use tumblr until it is reverted or an official option is made to let each user choose. the screenshots i've seen are stressful - on a website that is already rather crowded visually ( especially during holidays or whatever silly little events you put on ), taking away what little void space there is? turning it into a visual clone of twitter and instagram? i avoid those sites because they are visually distressing and overstimulating for me.

on top of that, the shift of everything from a neatly organized dropdown/header bar into two columns - in which main functional links/tabs have been moved to the opposite side from where they have been for over a decade? to match with twitter, which people also hated that when it changed? in a forced update that has no toggle that allows people to switch back to the old format? maybe it is easier for some people - that is fair and i'm not saying it's not better from some people! i am however saying that it is also far less accessible for some people, and you are not progressing by just trading off different forms of accessibility/inaccessability.

also, one of the biggest issues i have with everything - beyond the visual issues and the lack of taking your userbase into account when making drastic changes ( especially unwanted ones, like the reblog chains ) - is the patronizing way i've seen certain staff members responding to people. statements like "you'll get used to it", or "i didn't like it but now i do" ( with the implication that users should just get over it and like it too).

i don't know, i've been just dumping my thoughts and this may not be terribly cohesive, and it's far from all of my thoughts, but i needed to just get some words down.

#new layout #new dash #general complaints #negativity #idk foeidjsa

[defiedlife]

meta + kafka!

send  [ META ] + a word / phrase / person / etc for a headcanon.

To Aventurine, outside of any verse or plotted dynamics, Kafka is a dangerous enigma. The IPC knows very little about her, so even with his relatively high clearance to access certain IPC and Intelligensia Guild files that others can't see, there's not much he can glean just by looking her up in any kind of database.

He knows she's a Stellaron Hunter, and I think it's fair to say he's heard a few unconfirmed rumors—IPC guards poised to attack her, only to start attacking each other instead a few seconds later, for example. With any security camera footage conveniently deleted, that could be an excuse given by employees who simply failed to capture her before she could slip past them, or it could be true. Neither would surprise him, and he has his suspicions.

Honestly, though, his biggest personal concern regarding her is that she's killed an unknown number of people, seemingly without remorse from his perspective. He's killed people too, because he had to, so he doesn't necessarily hold the deed itself against her. He'd be a hypocrite if he did; he's well aware of that. What worries him and sets him on edge is that, as far as he knows, she's never been bothered by taking a life. Lacking any kind of remorse sets a certain precedent, and he doesn't like the implications. If she were to ever prove him wrong, even if only in one instance, well—he'd welcome that.

Now for your Kafka specifically—continuing off of a dynamic closer to canon first—assuming they've crossed paths at least once, enough for him to meet her in-person, he'd be even more wary of her than he was before. He could likely get a decent cursory read on her and her emotions, but that's just it—he wouldn't sense any fear, and that would trigger the most complex series of reactions in him. He'd be uneasy, yet jealous; know to stay away, yet be so terribly tempted to draw closer. She's dangerous, he knows, but danger can be so beautiful and freeing.

The adrenaline rush and satisfaction of being with her if it goes well, and the risk of some deadly consequence if it blows up in his face—it's just like the way he loves to gamble, and when it comes to gambling, he's already addicted.

In his Stellaron Hunter verse, they have a much softer start, comparatively. She's the one approached him and extended a hand when he needed it, and he ultimately accepted the offer. He'll still be wary at first, naturally, until he gets used to working with her and being in such close quarters with her all the time. But they're colleagues and allies at that point, and he'll come around eventually. I'd imagine things start casual at first—they're both consenting adults, and urges and desires are both reasonable and bound to be more obvious when essentially living and working together so closely.

After the first few times, that's probably when he'll realize he's developing feelings for her. It'll be a startling realization that he wants to give his heart to someone who used to be an enemy, but given that he's already thrown his lot in with hers anyway, what else does he have to lose?

#kafkaisms #* || ooc #* || aventurine #these two are a disaster waiting to happen and I'm here for it

[petty-crush]

“Resident evil 3” (2020)

What a glorious romp. Resident Evil 3 (henceforth RE3) starts with good times, adds more good times, and is over with pretty much nothing boring put into it. A remarkably focused and fun game.

This also means it’s pretty short. It’s kinda like a music EP, it sprints out the gate and never slows down. I consider it this a superb move, one that makes RE3 rather re-playable.

For the first time in the series, Resident Evil has a side character that is actually fun. In fact, those sections with Carlos are possibly the best parts of the game. Somehow they got “Contra” peanut butter in my Resident Evil chocolate.

There was never a moment playing with Ashley (Resident Evil 4), Ada or Sherry (Resident Evil 2 & RE2) or anyone else that was as fun as Carlos blasting away at the zombies with machine gun fire.

In fact I dare say I rather liked this part more than the entire play through of Leon or Claire in the preceding Resident Evil 2 (2019) remake, aka RE2. It’s a smooth update, almost like “Street Fighter 2 Turbo”.

A lot of this enjoyment was based on playing RE2 (which Carlos’ first section is based on) and knowing how I would want to blaze through the police station while still experiencing it in a new way. I even remembered the same safe combinations.

Mowing down zombies with machine guns in short sprint levels that are stilly moody and creepy is fun.

Jill’s sections are enjoyable as well, and here the RE3 team are trying new ideas.

I was compelled and thrown off kilter at the opening sequences in Jill’s apartment, entirely in first person perspective. It’s an unusual gambit but really drew me in.

I really enjoyed the jewel puzzle stand, where each new piece gives a different unlockable item. It makes it more fun to constantly return to it, knowing there are multiple rewards.

The puzzle pieces in general are pretty sparse, but this is a deliberate decision to increase the pacing of the game, and it completely works.

This also allows the personality of the game to shine through. The implication that the design of Mega man for the American nes release is a popular character in this universe is hysterical.

Other jolts of personality are the letters in the game (particularly the “love” letter about the sewer creatures, and their “character flaws”), the rolling of a certain head, and Carlos inflecting a nasally nerdy voice trying to fool the voice ID door code.

These moments underscore the decision of the game designers; this is more an action romp, of agreeable meat headiness. Of bravado charm.

Carlos himself is clearly based on Keanu Reeves’ John Wick and (to a lesser extent) Jill takes a grab from Milla Jovovich’s Alice in the Resident Evil film series.

Indeed, the shorter run time allowed the developers to fine tune the game and add their goofy humor.

I’ve mentioned this run time again not to complain, but to make clear this is a game that is more interested in fun, re-playability, and the utter lack of slogging through sections (first part RE2 mostly had, but was almost totally lacking concerning the 2nd and 3rd part).

This is a decision that comes from the top down. Even if many players will feel thwarted.

The biggest improvement between RE2 and RE3 is that the boss battles in the latter are excellent. Frequently surprising, often different, it is a series of challenges I look forward to setting new personal bests on.

I like Nemesis more than Mr X. His action figure type variants, with new weapons, are delightful.

X was good, but he largely only worked in tight spaces and was more annoying than scary after initial encounter. Since RE3 has a much bigger landscape it makes sense that this giant would be faster, can jump, use flamethrowers etc.

The enemies are in general all improvements over RE2. The sewer frogs do indeed have more personality than the clumps in RE2. The eyeball whips are more freaky than the garden bodies. The hunters, wow, what a sick bastard of an enemy.

The zombies are about equal, there is notably less body decay animation for them in RE3, but this is a decision based on having them in bigger numbers with more light. All is forgiven when the hospital hordes come battering in.

My few complaints are that the final form of nemesis is a step down (I’m over giant blobs as end bosses), there could be more impact weapons (shotguns, crossbows) in Carlos’ sections, and there are no extra modes.

The last part is somewhat mystifying considering RE2 had four mini scenarios and that engine execution was not half as fun as this one.

But in general this is a serious improvement over RE2. Honestly it’s more like a side story, as it compliments and fills in extra details to the environment of RE2, and contains none of the slog that is the back half of that game.

I’ve been advocating for short games with no filler for a while and here the bullseye is hit perfectly.

-/-/-///-

Nice to see the weapons and other rewards are unlockable through points. Why make a bazooka only for those who beat hardest difficulty in under 2 hours? What’s even the point then?

Though, again, why is there no infinite ammo for shotguns or explosion weapons below a bazooka, or weapons that are completely different than the main ones?

—//-\\_\__

I loved the remix parts in Nightmare mode (the return of Brad was hilarious and shocking) but I kinda wished it was playable below that difficulty. A sewer frog leading a pack of dogs is awesome, why should I have to bust my hump to get there?

-/-/-/-/-

I’ve never played 1999/PS1 Resident Evil 3: nemesis (REM). Honestly doesn’t matter, this was a total blast. I’m sure that enthusiasts who know REM by heart were mad, but that’s not the entry point for me playing RE3.

-/-/-/

Frankly I would much rather play 3 games exactly like this than remake a perfect game like resident evil 4.

Make them cheaper price wise and pump them out.

Maybe even with some dinosaurs in crisis…

—/-/:-//—

Hell, have a whole game of nothing but Carlos doing short parallel missions.

Maybe one where he keeps running into Mr X but this time he can actually die and you get ammo for taking him out

#resident evil 3 #gaming #video games #re 3 remake #resident evil series #resident evil

[ancestorsofjudah]

1 Kings 13: 6-10. "Intercession."

6 Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.

7 The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me for a meal, and I will give you a gift.”

8 But the man of God answered the king, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. 

9 For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’” 

10 So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.

When a priest intercedes and says "there, there now, old boy," He does not mean things will go back to the way they were before. He can restore the Hand, the Yod, to a fellow pilgrim and resume instruction in the Tanakh, but there are always consequences.

The section above is almost all Gemtria, so we have to decipher that first in order to understand the full implications.

Men of God are the Ordinances in the Torah. Do this, do not do that. We are the children, the Torah is the parent. Men of God have every right to approach all of us and hold us accountable for the statues named in the Torah.

Kings are persons who are trying to master the Sefirot. It is not enough to mind the boundaries, the Religion says we must be possessed of a superior emotional level. This requires full substantiation of the authority of the Crown over the rest of the subjects, which burn like emotional torches in a poorly lit underground corridor through which all of life's decisions pass.

Mastery of the Crown cannot take place through intercession or even the study of the Torah. This requires what is called Kabbalah, "rehearsal" of the various Sefirot. Kings therefore are well-rehearsed emotional beings.

Restoring a hand that shriveled and turned to ash= 518-2, האח, "the brother", האחב, "I love"= Cain, the brother of Abel, whom God sent on to create history's first NYC, Enosh, after he murdered his vain twin.

The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me for a meal, and I will give you a gift.”=duhz, "The gathering of the wolf parent and the sheep."

The parent of the situation was a certain Pharaoh in Egypt who gave Jeroboam refuge when he fled from Solomon's court. We might want to take it for granted that Jeroboam repented, performed a sacrifice on the altar and got his hand restored in the process, but as we learned, leaving the food in Egypt behind was the biggest problem for the Israelites who fled from there after their slavery ended.

see Numbers 11: 4-6:

"We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: but now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes."

Slavery, laziness, in government, they are the same. And the real parent of the situation was actually supposed to be Levi.

"The verb לוה (lawa) means to join or to connect things; it's a verb of building and it's also the verb that lies at the heart of intelligence, cognition and logical deduction."

Recall how Jeroboam did not employ Levite Priests in his incense offerings and that is when all the trouble started.

Verse 8: the Gematria is 12752, אבזהב‎, gold. The Hebrew word for gold is zahav: meaning Jeroboam's corruption had to be sacrificed 100%; it had no value in any of its proportions and could not be refined Gold, however, is always pure, and always retains 100% of its value and qualities:

"Gold items were valuable but gold also held an enormous value to the wisdom tradition. Very long ago observers noted that gold is the only substance known to man that doesn't transmute into something else. And since everything else, sooner or later, changes into something else, gold was seen as the ultimate result of all change: perfection, in one word.

Gold held that status until the Word of the Lord came along (or rather: descended from where it had always existed) and surpassed the extent of natural evolution."

Verse 9: 9132, טאג‎ב, tagab, "the supreme tag" or "the mark of the crown of the wise", ie, back to Cain again, "do not go back to Egypt, go forward."

Verse 10: 3759, גזהט‎, gazette, "the writing". According to the Law, the "man of God" follows "good reports" alone to Bethel, the "institute of tribal knowledge."

The Intercession is therefore more of an intersection, as most of life almost always is. In the previous section, Jeroboam was split in half, exposing the errors of his ways which were apparently hidden from him.

God gives him another chance, telling him not to eat the same things, but to change just about everything about himself, and tells him how to do it. "Move on!" He says to the man.

Even still, alas, the story, unlike Cain's does not have a happy ending.

[matriarchsdevotee-archive]

Your muse has to share something that’s hard for them to talk about. What is the biggest thing they don’t want to say aloud/admit? What makes it hard for them to say it?

What’s one of the bravest things your muse has done? Did they consider it brave?

Your muse is trying to calm down/unwind after a long, bad day in a hotel room/out of state, away from family and friends and most of their things. What do they do?

Does your muse think an action has to be intentional and malicious, to be cruel?

What’s something they’ve mildly been afraid of before? Not a huge trauma, something small?

Can they leave their work at the door (disconnect from ‘work mode’ and enter ‘home mode’) or do they carry it with them wherever they go?

Dev Questions - Not Accepting

Your muse has to share something that’s hard for them to talk about. What is the biggest thing they don’t want to say aloud/admit? What makes it hard for them to say it?

Nabooru hates talking about her fear. She worries about so many things all the time. Even as a prophetess, she doesn't know the sure outcome of anything, and she takes all negative actions against her tribe as a personal fault. She's afraid of plague, of natural disaster, of famine and drought, war and everything in between. She fears her nightmares, of her intrusive thoughts, the return of Ganondorf and his followers, and so on.

And you will never get her to admit any of it. She has to be strong for the tribe who look to her not only spiritually but as a political leader, even before Ganondorf is deposed or killed. The only time she allows herself to acknowledge her fear is during prayer, and even then she tries to separate herself from it.

What’s one of the bravest things your muse has done? Did they consider it brave?

In honesty, Nabooru is brave to the point of recklessness. In canon, her entire purpose is to be brave. Not only is she fighting Ganondorf alongside the other sages, which takes a lot of nerve, she's fighting her own king, a God among mortals. She faced banishment or worse in opposing him, both from Ganondorf and her people. The fact that she was trying to retrieve the silver gauntlets at all means she was gearing up to fight him in hand-to-hand combat; worse, she knew she was going to lose.

She considers her actions brave in the sense that she doesn't believe them cowardly. However, more than that, she considers her actions what had to be done. It was what was expected of her, morally and politically, and she doesn't dwell on the implications of either.

Your muse is trying to calm down/unwind after a long, bad day in a hotel room/out of state, away from family and friends and most of their things. What do they do?

She rolls out a rug or mat and performs a series of ritualized stretches, then sits down to meditate/pray - I cannot stress that this is inclusive of all verses. She believes self-reflection is the best way to solve all problems, even if it often makes it worse.

Does your muse think an action has to be intentional and malicious, to be cruel?

Not past a certain point. She believes that there are decisions that are large enough and far-reaching enough that one should consider all the negative consequences that could take place. She equally believes that sometimes there will be negative actions that have an ultimately positive impact but also that gan is always wrong up to and including his choice of breakfast

What’s something they’ve mildly been afraid of before? Not a huge trauma, something small?

She really, really hates the concept of deep water. It's not something she deals with often, obviously, but being drowned when she was little put her off the concept entirely.

Can they leave their work at the door (disconnect from ‘work mode’ and enter ‘home mode’) or do they carry it with them wherever they go?

Already answered!

#headcanons #answered asks #anonymous

[starryhyuck]

danger. (m)

pairing: alpha!johnny x omega!reader x alpha!jaehyun

words: 2.5k+

summary: your mother has always warned you about the dangers of an alpha. she never realized how lethal two of them were.

genre: smut

warnings: dom!johnny, dom!jaehyun, double penetration, knotting, creampies, multiple orgasms, manhandling, the reader is basically johnjae’s personal whore

For over ten years, the existence of omegas have become nearly extinct.

Alphas have been forced to settle with betas who have not yet presented themselves, causing massive displeasure across many households worldwide. The decline of omegas was due to the careless possessiveness of an alpha, driving most of these creatures to murder their omega out of pure rage. Since the body counts of omegas began increasing, very few betas have stepped out to present themselves as omegas. In fact, many betas have gone missing.

Your parents were an alpha-omega pairing, up until your father attempted to murder your mother after spotting her chatting with a male co-worker. Luckily, your mother was able to escape with you before she lost her life.

You’ve both lived in seclusion since then, rarely going out in fear that another alpha would mark his claim. The only person you’ve ever been spoken with was your mother, and most of her stories of the haunting alphas who would kill you at first sight were honestly boring you to death already. Once you had reached the age where your sexual desires were beginning to take over any competent part of your mind, you began taking more and more risks.

It was quite easy for alphas to sense when an omega was near — the mere scent alone could send a frenzy in a crowded area. Your mother drew up maps to avoid any alpha infested areas, and the both of you frequented beta hangouts with no issue.

One evening, you were desiring a drink at one of the beta owned clubs down the street. You were celebrating a surge of customers that flooded into your self-owned business, feeling the heavy weight of cash in your pockets. Working from home meant celebrating victories alone, and tonight, you wanted a different change of scenery. The club was packed with betas who danced happily with one another, which you assume was because of the lack of alphas. Too many alphas in a crowded place presented a huge issue in terms of dominance. Their instincts drove them to physical fights if they felt other alphas were trying to claim territory.

You’re lucky that there aren’t any alphas present tonight, knowing your fate if there was. You slide onto one of the barstools, grinning happily at the bartender.

Taeil laughs. “Good day at work?”

“The best,” you smile. “Can you whip up something to take my mind off of things?”

He nods before grabbing a concoction of different alcoholic beverages and mixing them together. You sip happily at his creation when you feel a warm body spin towards you.

You’re taken aback by the handsome man in front of you, eyes sparkling and dimples appearing. If you weren’t so certain that everyone in this club was a beta, you would immediately assume the man in front of you was an alpha. His smile puts your mind at ease.

“Haven’t seen you here before. Celebrating something?”

You grin flirtatiously at him. Your mother never warned you about handsome betas, after all.

“A good day at work. Treating myself to a nice night out.”

He hums lowly, and the sound shoots straight to your core. His fingers tap his glass full of whiskey, chuckling to himself.

“Sounds nice. Just enjoying the evening by yourself?”

You could hear the implication in his tone and if anything, it just made you more wet. You gulp down another taste of Taeil’s unknown mixed drink, rubbing your thighs together to try and gain some friction.

“It’s how I usually spend my evenings. Although, I’m not opposed to spending it with a partner.”

He grins. There’s something about his smile — something so minuscule that you feel as if you’re missing some part of this equation. The man swallows the rest of his drink before slamming his glass back down on the counter.

“My place is only a few blocks away, if you’re up for it.”

You were definitely up for it. You both stumble to Jaehyun’s apartment, learning his name along the way as you enjoy the way yours sounds rolling off of his tongue. Everything seems perfectly fine until he locks his front door.

Then, your omega can sense it. Danger.

Jaehyun chuckles, but this time, it doesn’t send the feeling of warmth through your heart.

“Silly omegas. So gullible.”

There’s a ringing sound in your ears. All you can think about is your mother, and how impossibly right she was about alphas.

“Y-You c-c-can’t be-“

“I can’t be an alpha?” He smiles mischievously, circling your body in the middle of his hallway. “I’ve gotten good at hiding my identity ever since I discovered omegas were only comfortable around betas. I spent months visiting that bar, hoping to catch a vulnerable omega in need of her alpha.”

“I-I don’t need an alpha.”

Then, there’s another laugh that echoes the room, and it’s not Jaehyun’s. A taller man steps out from the shadows, smirking at the sight of you.

“It’s not nice to play with food, Jaehyun. They get too talkative.”

Jaehyun laughs dangerously close to your ear. “But she’s so sweet, Johnny. Haven’t seen one this pliant in a while.”

Jaehyun’s hand slides up your arm as his body presses against your back. You jump at the sudden contact. His touch ignites something within you, a deep feeling of lust building in your stomach.

“Can you feel that, baby? That’s what it’s like to be touched by an alpha.”

Suddenly, the nerves that were engulfing your mind before were gone, only filled with the urge to submit to your alpha. Your eyes roam to Johnny’s figure, who’s been observing the both of you this entire time, eyes swimming with lust.

It was rare for two alphas to get along, especially when it came to omegas. Their quest for dominance and protection usually overrides anything else, and similar goals shared with other alphas caused them to clash. Johnny, however, did not seem the least bit perturbed when Jaehyun’s hands began roaming the expanse of your body.

“Never been touched before, have you?” Johnny smirks.

You shudder when Jaehyun begins pressing kisses onto your neck. “N-No, alpha.”

He smiles. “Looks like she’s learned her place.”

“Deserves a reward, don’t you think?” Jaehyun questions, gazing at Johnny with the ask for permission.

He nods once, and before you know it, you’re being pulled into a bedroom and shoved face down on the mattress. You whimper, feeling your underwear dampen when Jaehyun’s hands roughly grip your hips. Your fingers tighten around his sheets, breathing in his scent. You don’t even know where Johnny has gone but Jaehyun makes sure he has all of your attention.

“Look at you,” he chuckles darkly. “Just in the right position to breed your little hole.”

You’ve lost all dignity at this point — your mother’s warnings becoming a distant whisper. Jaehyun pushes you farther down until your back aches from the arch, ass high up in the air for everyone to see.

“Want to go first?”

You know Jaehyun’s no longer speaking to you, and you assume Johnny’s decided to join. His presence causes you to grow wetter, which you didn’t think was possible at this point.

“Depends. Are we letting this one live?”

Then, the fear strikes through your heart once again. You’re suddenly reminded of your mother’s words as you struggle to breathe. You’ve heard stories before of omegas being found on the streets, necks sliced open with blood surrounding their bodies.

Jaehyun and Johnny continue to converse as if you’re not even there. You wonder if you can escape in one piece before they get a chance to maul you.

“Doesn’t seem so bad this time. Looks like she’s never taken one before.”

“You know that for sure?”

You feel someone grip a handful of your hair and pull you up so you can make eye contact with him. Jaehyun grins at the terror swarming your eyes.

“Tell me, little omega. Have you taken another alpha’s knot before?”

You’re not even sure what that is. Your mother left you clueless on all basics of sex, especially when it came to alphas.

“A-A what?”

Johnny laughs. “You can go first, Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun shoves your face back into the mattress and situates himself behind you. Your fear is once again taken over by arousal, and Jaehyun snickers at your predicament. You jump when he runs his finger over your clothed core, practically dripping down your thighs. You cry out when two fingers dip inside of your sopping hole, the squelch of your wetness echoing throughout the room.

“I think our little omega hasn’t taken a cock inside of her yet, not even from a beta,” Jaehyun comments. You’re blinded, not knowing what’s coming next as tears blur your vision.

“Why don’t you show her what it’s like, Jae?”

“My pleasure.”

A loud tearing sound echoes throughout the room and you realize that Jaehyun’s just torn your underwear in half, tossing it across the room while he flips up your skirt. You whine when his hand slams down on your right cheek before he soothes the sensation with his fingers.

“Let me hear you, omega. I want to know how much you need this.”

And as much as your head is screaming that you are in imminent danger, the words come tumbling out of your mouth before you can stop them.

“P-Please alpha, I n-need you.”

“Do you now? How much?”

You grit your teeth at his endless teasing. You just want to be fucked already, but your instincts are telling you that you shouldn’t disobey your alpha.

“So m-much. I’m so wet for you, alpha, please.”

Johnny chuckles. “She can be good when she wants to be, huh?”

“Looks like it.”

He sinks into you and it’s the biggest stretch of your life. You release a flurry of garbled noises as Jaehyun impales you with his cock, the sheer size of him tearing you in half. You gasp when an unknown feeling of pleasure overtakes your body — so strong and violent that you nearly collapse.

“Wow. She came already, such a pliant little doll. Why don’t you shut her up, Johnny?”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

Another fist tangles in your hair and your jerked up again, locking eyes with Johnny’s dark orbs. He smirks at your fucked out state, hand jerking his cock as he watches you. He nudges the tip against your mouth and you obey, parting your lips to take his cock.

“See? Such a good little whore for us already,” Johnny remarks, hands still tangled in your hair when he begins thrusting into your mouth. You choke, trying to loosen your jaw.

All coherent thoughts are thrown out the window when Jaehyun starts fucking you into the mattress. You gasp, Johnny’s cock falling from your mouth as you try to catch your breath. He isn’t pleased, nails digging into your scalp.

“Suck my cock. You need to learn how to take the both of us.”

He pushes himself back into your mouth, ignoring your whimpers as Jaehyun pistons in and out of you. “Fuck,” he grunts. “She’s so fucking wet.”

You shudder when another orgasm passes through you, clenching down on Jaehyun’s cock and moaning when he continues to fuck you ruthlessly. Drool begins to pool at the sides of your mouth as Johnny rams his cock down your throat.

“You like this, don’t you?” Johnny teases, observing as you struggle to swallow him. “Never been fucked before and yet, you’re taking two cocks at once because you’re so desperate.”

“Fuck, Johnny, you need to get under her. I’m gonna cum soon.”

Johnny finally lets you breathe, retracting from you while you pant, trying to catch your breath. You barely get a chance before Jaehyun is slipping out of you with Johnny manhandling you into a new position. Your muscles are pleading for you to stop, but your mind is fuzzy when Johnny slides underneath you, your back to his chest. Jaehyun positions himself above you once again, his cock slick with your combined juices. You feel Johnny prod against your other hole and you gasp.

He laughs darkly against your ear, the sound vibrating to your core. “Didn’t I say you had to learn how to take both of us?”

Jaehyun pushes a finger inside of you again, collecting your juices from your two orgasms before inserting it into your other hole. You cry at the intrusion. Even though you’ve never been taken like this before, it feels exhilarating.

“She’s ready for you.”

You want to protest that you clearly are not, only being stretched out by one of Jaehyun’s fingers. They both ignore you, lining up to your entrances and pushing in slowly.

You think that the searing pain will fill your senses shortly, but you take them surprisingly well.

Johnny whispers lowly. “Why are you so shocked? A little omega like you was born to take her alphas.”

You learn quickly that Johnny is filthier than Jaehyun, hissing profanities into your ear as his cock thrusts up into your tiny hole.

“Look at how much Jaehyun’s enjoying your tight little pussy,” he says, your eyes following his line of vision. Jaehyun’s eyes are closed, fingers digging into your hips as he indulges himself in you. “Has no idea how good your ass feels. You’re in for a treat, baby. Two knots in one day? It’s an omega’s sweetest dream.”

Your eyes roll to the back of your head, the pleasure of their thrusts taking a toll on your train of thought. You think you have another orgasm but you’re not sure, the nonstop pleasure clouding your judgment.

“Fuck. Gonna knot your sweet pussy,” Jaehyun grunts, cock pushing harder and deeper inside of you.

“I’m close too,” Johnny smiles against the shell of your ear. “Ready, baby?”

You don’t have time to respond before Jaehyun spills inside of you, ribbons of white coating your insides. Johnny hisses and follows after, emptying out inside your ass. Minutes pass and they’re both still cumming, most of it dripping out of your holes and coating the sheets. You think it’s over but you nearly scream when you feel their cocks grow bigger, the girth stretching your holes farther and farther.

“Please, please,” you whimper, trying to reach for Jaehyun. You don’t even realize you’re convulsing again, cumming around Jaehyun while his knot continues to grow.

He laughs. “She likes being filled to the brim, Johnny.”

“I can tell. Her cute little ass is squeezing my cock so hard.”

It feels like hours pass until they finally deflate, their cocks returning to their normal sizes. They stay buried inside of you, Jaehyun groaning as he collapses next to you. Johnny moves you to your side so that you’re stuck between them.

You’re still struggling to catch your breath when Johnny sighs.

“We should keep this one. A lot tighter than the other ones.”

Jaehyun nods, eyes fluttering closed. His fingers slither around your waist to pull you closer to his frame.

“Sounds good. I like her cute noises.”

Johnny huffs before leaning closer to you. “What do you say, little omega? Want to run home?”

You ponder over your answer for a few minutes before Johnny grows impatient, taking an experimental thrust. You whimper when you realize he’s already hard again.

“Answer me,” he growls.

“N-No, alpha. I’ll stay.”

“Good girl.”

And you lay there, gasping for breath as your alphas fuck you until the sun rises.

#nct smut #johnny #jaehyun #johnny smut #jaehyun smut

[trothplighted]

I always saw it as strange that Gellert fled after Ariana died. That he was already kicked out of another place maybe he felt safe (durmstrang) and he obviously didn’t think there was anyone else to protect him. And he knew from the story of Percival that he might go to prison for ever for being involved in Ariana’s death.

I think this is one of those places where, frustratingly, we have to abandon canon and plunge into analysis and guesswork. sigh.

the thing I need to preface with is that in 2007 when I was reading this, I was out of elementary school and aware of gay coding and the cultural signals and implications that surrounded said coding, and to me everything about Gellert running and Aberforth's resentment and Albus's quiet self-hatred screams "homophobia happened here". that's obviously not the only way to read the events of the summer of 1899, but the context in which a book was written does need to be considered, and in the circles I was in at the time, the adults and teens reading the book as it came out sort of took it as fact that the biggest thing pushing Gellert away was Aberforth really not liking the fact that his brother was gay.

the reasons for this are many and occasionally subtle, but the easiest and most relevant point here is that in 99% of situations, if you were gay in the 90s and 00s and you brought home a date and your family irrationally hated them and talked about a lot of things that weren't ever overtly about queerness but focused on Not Disappointing The Family or The Weirdness Of Your Partner or How Selfish You've Become Recently? that meant they were actually homophobic and they were trying to avoid calling you slurs or saying things that didn't lend them plausible deniability. the idea was that if you applied enough pressure, maybe your queer family member who you didn't want to kick out or disown would stop being queer, or would at least only be queer where you couldn't see it and never had to deal with it. you could make your discomfort known but do it politely so they couldn't lash out at you without looking like the unreasonable one. it's a classic abuse tactic and it's still in use today.

and Aberforth... well, that's what he does, in my view.

he talks about Albus like he's a selfish bastard who doesn't care about anyone (even though Albus assumed his role as the head of the family without complaining and was happy to look after Ariana and take her on trips that would require her to be constantly supervised, and he encouraged his brother to finish his education) and he goes on and on about how Albus was arrogant and high and mighty and obsessed with his own intelligence when that's not what we see in the text, and even if he does think he's smart he doesn't express resentment at all. it feels like projection, and attempted gaslighting. it feels like he really really wants to call his brother a sodomite and call Gellert a catamite and talk about how horrible they are for Disrupting The Family.

why is this relevant to Gellert running away? well, here's the thing - Ariana's death is a pretty textbook accident. a fight that escalates into a perfectly legal duel ends with the death of a bystander. surely those things have happened before, and there's legal precedent. maybe someone has to serve a sentence in Azkaban, maybe all of them do. maybe they all agree that they're going to tell anyone who asks that Ariana had an outburst. maybe they all agree to tell no one. Gellert wouldn't have run unless he was certain that he would be blamed and that Albus wouldn't listen to him, and why wouldn't Albus listen to him?

in my view, because Aberforth was there, telling him it was all their fault and all Albus's fault specifically. and nothing Gellert could say would shake his lover's self-loathing, because Ariana is dead, and there's nothing to be done about that. if he stays, not only does he run the risk of taking the fall for something that might not even be his fault, he's also putting Albus under even more stress.

better to run, and hope it can be resolved later.

#replies #grindeldore #aberforth is a problematic guy #homophobia tw

[spnopineapples]

<.< that Red John story arc needs a fix-it fic asap. I am aware it is 2022 and the Red John reveal happened back at the end of 2013 and that the show itself ended in 2015. I blame the fact i had just graduated college and was starting a new job. I'm catching up, forgive me, halfway through season 6 right now. Sure I'll finish by the end of the week. Anyways back to the fix-it fic want and need. I will caveat; the Red John reveal is great, love who they chose for it, makes perfect sense actually, also love that actor a lot, especially as a villian cause he has a colloquial manner that makes him appear trustworthy and fatherly but than the actor can really pull out the evil villian routine with a 1000 yard stare acting. The Red John showdown was also good but because of the flaws in the buildup to the reveal and showdown it isn't as great as it could have been.

Biggest issues are:

1. Red John knowing about the list: I don't mind the list. In fact I loved it. Just didn't like the whole RJ knowing about it bit. Also Haffner and Reed didn't need to be on it. The other 5 are perfect suspects. But RJ knowing that Patrick suspected specifically who he was kind of took the cat and mouse game thrill out of the equation. Like every time Jane or the team met with one of the suspects the implication is that RJ knew they knew. And that's no fun. I liked Jane having a one up on RJ without RJ's knowledge and frankly the gymnastics that a writer has to go through and still hasn't explained to justify how RJ knew about the list is unneeded. There was a lot more story ammo and plot to be had if RJ did not know about the list.

2. The Blake Organization: Ew. Not needed. Ruined the whole motivation behind RJ for me. I contend that RJ had a loose organization of corrupted individuals he patroned and encouraged/corrupted while also cherry picking certain people that made it to top key positions in gov't and law enforcement to curtail his and his proteges' from being arrested. This was actually hinted and alluded to throughout the beginning seasons and I loved that cause it ties into what I think RJ's motivations are.

Red John is evil. He doesn't want power or money. He wants to rape and murder and see fear in the eyes of his victims and slaughter lambs. And he wants to make more tygers to slaughter those lambs. That's the point of the whole Blake poem, not as some chintzy password for a self-promoting and self-aggrandizing heirarchal command structure. That's what the Visualize foil was for. The inclusion of the Blake organization takes away from what matters in my head. RJ's motivations.

3. Red John's Motivations at the end are wrong: (Personal Opinion) RJ is obsessed with Jane. Because RJ feels lonely. He's incredibly smart, hence his ability to manipulate and to elude capture. He longs for someone he can share that with. He's also evil and he wants people to accept his evil needs so he finds those like him and encourages it. He tricks people like Lorelei Martins into corrupting themselves. And, though he murdered Jane's wife and daughter as punishment for Jane's hubris and slights, I think when Jane joined CBI and after RJ had time to look into Jane's background, RJ began to view Jane as a challenge. Could he corrupt someone without tricking them? Could he convince someone to be like him? Could he make someone who hates him, love him? Someone like Jane who has darker tendencies and strengths but wasn't like RJ from the beginning. Could he draw Jane's evil out of him? Those are RJ's motivations for me. Not some silly power play secret society allusions of grandeur. Just a profoundly disturbed human trying to make the world burn with him.

Conclusion: <.< ....... I'm gonna write a goddamn fix it fic. The conclusion to Jane and Red John's story deserved better. Wasn't bad, again, wasn't bad. But it could have been great.

Also because of the strange convolution in the buildup to the reveal we lost sight of Jane's motivation. Though Simon Baker is a PHENOMENAL actor that managed to reassert that lost motivation right back in at the end. God his facial expressions and how he said their names. Good stuff. Good stuff. Like I said the showdown was great. Just could have been better.

So I'll make it better. We'll see if I finish this time.

#the mentalist #red john #patrick jane

[f3296]

Hi I just feel like I need to ramble and maybe some one else out there feels the same way. So in the AOT I’m not all that big on ships just because shipping really isn’t my thing but I do enjoy it to an extent. I consider myself to be a multi shipper because again the relationships in AOT are so complex and I love all the characters and their dynamics. My biggest “ship” would be Eurihan just because that trio to me is all sorts of fun and I love their dynamic.

But with that being said, I find myself to be drifting farther and farther away from the Eruri aspect just because as I continue to reread the manga and pay attention to the themes of the story canonically speaking I don’t actually see any “romance” between them. The Fannon concepts of Eruri are fun and beautifully tragic with the fan arts and stories especially in modern AU. They are a very attractive couple and I fully understand the hype but canonically speaking I just don’t see it anymore. I love their dynamic as a whole and brings such a complex look to both Levi and Erwins character that their friendship is something to admire.

And with that being said I feel their complexity of characters and their story gets lost within the fandom. I think the term that is used is “shipping goggles” when canon stuff of the original story gets lost or replaced for the sake of the ship. Which in this case I feel happens a lot in Eruri specifically.

Now I really don’t want people to feel I am bashing Eruri. I’m obviously a fan with my own fan art and my interactions with mutuals so please no one take offense. This is just a quirk I have in every fandom when canon material gets lost for the sake of a ship.

Specifically with Levi.

Now I understand my biases consider Levi is my favorite character and I truly Kin him. But when I watch edits or read DJs or even just scrolling through things like tumblr or Twitter I find myself avoiding the Eruri tags because I get so frustrated when all I see if Levi’s entire character being based around Erwin. The concept that Levi is only alive to fulfill Erwins promise or he only fights for Erwin and completely derailing his character to be centered around Erwin is frustrating.

Levi fights for all the scouts since the very beginning. When else first meet him and he promises the dying scout he would eradicate the Titans, this is a shared dream the scouts had and has said he will do what he can for All of them. Not just Erwin.

Now this isn’t to disregard Erwins importance to Levi. Erwin gave him a purpose to live, he was his friend and trusted comrade and felt he was the best for humanity. Erwin is important to Levi no one is saying other wise. He just isn’t the center of Levi’s world.

Levi trusted Erwin because he saw something bigger than himself and Levi wanted to help Erwin get there because Levi himself if a very loving and selfless character. This I find to be so beautiful of Levi’s (and mikasas) character.

When Levi learns the truth behind Erwins actions and his selfish reasons to fight for humanity was for the sake of seeing in the basement really sent Levi into turmoil. (I feel this is WITs fault for not expressing this properly in the anime) this is why he continued to pester and push Erwin to know his motives past the basement, because Levi wanted to believe he was this selfless leader he had been finessed into believing he was (because we can’t forget canonically speaking Erwin is a con man and enjoys gambling which makes him and great leader)

Levi tells Erwin to die so he would continue to go down with the facade he was a selfless leader and to continue to live up to the expectation. Levi accepted this fault of Erwin just as he had accepted the faults of all his comrades and their selfish actions.

Levi was canonically devoted to Erwin, but not in the romantic way.

Erwin also never expressed a “interest” in Levi in that matter outside of their friendship and Levi’s abilities. It also should keep in mind that Erwin was ultimately in love with Marie, and chose not to have a family and a wife (which he actually wanted) to avoid having a widow. We can head cannon all day long about how “he realized in his last moments” or “behind the scenes” or interpreting smart press stories a certain way to fit the narrative but it’s just important to remember the difference between cannon material and your own HCs.

Now I know a lot of people will read this and think “wow a levihan shipper wrote this” and you would be right I also ship levihan as well. And they are also not cannon in a relationship as well but the romantic implications for them specifically cannot be ignored because you don’t like them. Levi and Hange are canonically best friends. They are known as the “abnormals” of the scouts. They know each other the best. Their relationship is so complex it cannot be defined as a friendship. (Even Moblit admits he doesn’t have a bond with Hange like Levi does) and it’s okay if you just see them as friends, and I honestly don’t blame a lot of people who do considering WIT really bit the bullet with missing key Levi and Hange moments to better fit their dynamic (I’ve seen people say they aren’t even good friends and that breaks my heart they are besties )

And honestly why wouldn’t you want to ship levihan? This ship in my opinion is the least problematic with the least controversy to it. It’s comforting and sweet and gives a sense of love and family. It’s literally a best friends-> lovers trope. Their friendship is what makes this ship in my opinion so pure and honestly why I fall in love with it more everyday.

And I know some will say “what about Moblit?” And honestly, it bothers me how much he is used to argue levihan because I ultimately feel his character also gets dumbed down as a default for Hange just for shipping and it bothers me too.

*and honestly guys Hange and Moblit isn’t even that great in a ship since considering Moblit became an anxious alcoholic trying to take care of Hange and Hange would get so caught up with their work they wouldn’t even notice. NOTE: they obviously cared for each other as comrades and Moblit felt Hange was needed for humanities survival and cared for them obviously but just my opinion I don’t see that ship working in my opinion.

But in reality guys, I never saw any of these characters “getting together” because they’re soldiers. Their hearts were dedicated to the cause of saving humanity first so that’s the beauty of AOT and the ambiguity of the characters relationships with one another because ultimately they all have attributes to love and benefit each other. Even with the forest scene and the plane for Levi and Hange, I never expected A “happy ending” for them in the sense of platonic or romantic because that doesn’t fit their canon narratives. Levi was destined to be the last soldier standing and brings the complexity of being the perfect soldier with a human heart.

*though the implication of romantic feelings never being acted on were there because they indeed paralleled with eren and mikasa

Levi’s literally means “attached” he attaches himself to the people he cares about and dedicated his strength and ability to help others gain their hopes and dreams.

Erwin tragically lost his humanity to become the devil for the sake of humanity which ultimately left him fruitless to his venture.

Hange taking on the burden of making the tough decisions and shouldering the weight of the deaths of the soldiers and Erwins legacy left them feeling loss and useless until their sacrifice.

All these characters have such complexity to them, they are all deeper than their fannon ship and should be appreciated and the narrative shouldn’t be shifted for the sake of a ship.

Levi didn’t fight to the end for just Erwin he did it for all of them.

So again, sorry for my rambles and I hope there will be those who read this and understand where I am coming from with this and understand though I will continue to ship all three, it still makes me sad I feel I can’t interact with some without them destroying entire characters for the sake of the ship.

So again love ships not ship wars. That’s the fun part when ships aren’t cannon you can just mix and match whenever you feel like it ❤️❤️

#levihan #I’m only tagging levihan just because I feel Eruris might hurt me lol #erurihan

[gayemeralds]

"What are your plans for the prisoner?" Infinite asks, curious.

Eggman glances away from the security monitor to look at him. Infinite keeps his back straight, but there’s something about that look on his face that makes him feel meek. Infinite has the power of a god, but that power means nothing to the man who can’t be affected by it.

“Why do you care?” He counters. He appears a bit perturbed at being questioned, though Infinite is certain this prompt for a monologue is actually what he was looking for. “I thought Shadow the Hedgehog was your priority.”

“He certainly is. I’m simply curious, considering how… dangerous you believe him to be.”

“Believe?” Eggman repeats, his eyes narrowing. Infinite ought to be more careful about his word choice. “Believe?”

“I don’t mean to doubt you, Doctor,” Infinite begins, cautiously. “But, well. I know you saw the fight between me and Sonic. The victor was clear. It was an easy defeat. I suppose I’m curious as to why you believe him to be such a threat, and what your plans are related to him, considering he’s an alleged threat.”

Honestly, defeating Sonic the Hedgehog, the alleged world class hero, had been infuriatingly boring. It was by far the most anticlimactic fight Infinite ever had the displeasure of being a part of. Eggman was certain that he was the biggest threat to his dreams of conquest, however, and thus had been the biggest priority out of everyone. Infinite doesn't really see the hype.

"You are lucky," Eggman chides. "You managed to catch him by surprise. I need you to understand that that is the only reason why you were able to win against him. If there is ever a rematch, you will, undeniably, end up as the loser."

Infinite frowns behind his mask, a bit chuffed. He doesn’t like the implications of being weak. "You can't be serious. The power of the Phantom Ruby is immense, you've told me this yourself.”

"Sonic is not to be underestimated." His voice brokers no argument. It is the only time Infinite has ever heard his voice so stern. "That is the one lesson you must learn. There is a reason that child has been a thorn in my side for years. He's stupidly strong, and while he might not be near as intelligent as his fox friend, he isn't the dullest tool in the shed. He knows how to fight, and he knows how to learn from his mistakes. He learns, Infinite, and he learns quickly."

He sighs. "This kid has fought gods before, need I remind you. The flooding of Station Square because of Chaos? He was the one to take down Chaos, all by himself. He defeated the Time Eater. He fought Dark Gaia. He is equal in power to Shadow, the man who ruined everything for you. There's plenty of other examples. You can knock him down, but if you give him an inch, he will get back up, and he will not fall again."

"If he's so dangerous," Infinite begins, cautiously, "then why didn’t you have me simply off him? It would have been very easy for me to kill him in our first fight. Why take him prisoner?”

"I will kill that miserable rat, but not until I've conquered every square inch of this planet. Call me foolish and egotistical, but this is a moment I've dreamed of for years. I want him to watch the world crumble before his eyes, after all the suffering he's caused me."

Infinite thinks there's another reason. Eggman always seems to go a bit heavy handed against military institutions. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty, and has no qualms spilling a bit of blood. But he always seems to be a bit more hesitant in ending the lives of those pesky children. Infinite has a feeling he has a begrudging soft spot for them, though as soft as one can be when it's with your mortal enemy.

He doesn’t dare accuse him of that. Instead, he decides to switch topics. “I suppose I understand. I would love to force Shadow to watch the world crumble, just as he did to me. But this still begs the question, if I may ask: what do you plan to do with Sonic?”

“Solitary confinement.” Eggman glances at the security feed. Sonic is in his prison cell, currently still unconscious from his encounter with Infinite.

“That’s…. all?”

Eggman laughs. “Trust me, solitary confinement is practically torture for him. And I can’t exactly have him wander around with other prisoners- he’d stage a riot within ten minutes of being near them. He has to be kept separate from everyone.”

Eggman glances at Infinite and taps the ruby on his chest, causing Infinite to flinch. “You can spin illusions with your ruby and make people believe in whatever you want. Sonic, however, is a charmer. All he needs is his voice and some ears for people to believe in what he says. He’s not just dangerous on the battlefield.”

Eggman crosses his arms and sighs. “I don’t want you engaging with him, understand? He is of no use to you, anyway. The only person he will come in contact with is me.”

“I understand, Doctor.”

“Good.” Eggman glances towards the doorway. “Now, I think we’re in order to celebrate! It’s a wonderful victory, seeing one’s worst enemy a prisoner. Orbot! Cubot! Pop some champagne! Get out the cake!”

Eggman hesitates, then pats the top of Infinite’s head. “When you get your hands on Shadow, we’ll celebrate that, too.”

He then walks off, badgering Cubot to hurry. Infinite lingers in the security room, staring at the image of Sonic.

He exits the room.

#sonic the hedgehog #infinite the jackal #sonic forces #sega official speaks #from a wip i won’t continue but i liked this scene…. #something something idk i just like it when people acknowledge how stupidly strong sonic is. and his resilience. #fic posting

[probably-haven]

Hello!! After seeing what you wrote about xiaoven fics I went to see what things you usually write and omg, your archon Venti headcanons????? I am absolutely in love. So if it isn't annoying, could you talk about xiaoven or Venti or Xiao or whatever ship or character you like? I don't care what you are going to say, I just want to know more about your thoughts ^^

I- is this... bestie, this is essentially a free ramble pass- kerujsgheskdfug. Trust me when I say that in no way is this, and in no way will it ever be annoying in the slightest- i literally- lets just say rambling off thoughts is kind of my specialty, especially when provided a topic to branch off of because otherwise I'm just- really indecisive about it so- iujskdh yeah- 100% definitely down to talk about Venti, Xiao, and/or Xiaoven XD. Also, yes- it may have been awhile since i last posted one(cuz again, indecisive about which direction to take part 5), but the Archon War Era Venti headcanons are still without a doubt my favorite posts I've made. It's just such an interesting topic with such endless potential that so few people actually think about or consider or even realize is there, so i always just get really psyched whenever i see someone interact with them lol.

.... this ended up being a bit of a mess: warning in advance

Anyway! onto the actual content!

- You see the thing about Xiaoven is that there's a lot of different ways that it could end up working out, and just personally my favorite way of portraying Xiaoven in my mind is as an unlabeled relationship because if anyone in genshin would give off that vibe its these two. And a number of other reasons.

- Firstly, I heavily headcanon Venti as being an aroace polyplatonic or perhaps heavily demiromantic. However, regardless of this I just don't think that Venti is really the kind of person to worry about how he should label his feelings, thinking it's silly to try to put them in one box or the other, especially with feelings and emotions being as fluid as they are in general. Plus it fits his whole God of Freedom vibe. I just- dont think he's the biggest fan of labels or social categorization in general.

- And secondly on the hand of Xiao... his defense mechanisms are very much ingrained in his personality. It's probably hard enough for him to not go into fight or flight(the answer is fight) at the slightest affection at first, at the slightest feeling of vulnerability. Even further down the line, with his fierce dedication to Liyue, I cant help but get the vibe that the moment he recognized that he was falling for Venti he would begin avoiding him, not only to avoid distraction from his duty, but to avoid corrupting him or losing him in general like he has with like basically every other person he gets close with(even believing that the cycle had repeated once more when he first heard of Morax's death)... now imagine Venti tryna slap a label on their relationship and tell me Xiao would have a positive reaction.

- The thing with Xiaoven.... honestly, i feel like theres more ways that it can go wrong than it can go right, but if they do manage to make their relationship work out, it's just simply beautiful in all terms of the word.

- Lets talk about killing. - During the Archon War, both were forced to kill a large number of people and gods alike- Venti out of a need to remain alive to protect Mondstadt, it's freedom, and the nameless bard's legacy by extent- and Xiao out of servitude to the god that was once his master

..... actually- break here- ive talked a lot about Venti on this blog but I havent actually spoken about Xiao all that much- so i should probably do that a bit first... do note though that my characterization of Xiao is pretty flexible actually- this is just- the possible characterization of him that i tend to favor as being the most- uh- "realistically complex"

-

Theres a line I saw this one time in a certain story: "He is a trained weapon. That's what he is, was, and always will be. You cannot change that so stop trying." And i just- think its a really interesting concept- that applies pretty well to Xiao now that i actually think about it. - the concept behind it is this: After spending more than a vast majority of his life killing or otherwise in battle, it's become a part of who he is, a normalcy that after centuries and centuries would be near impossible to get rid of or reverse, and even if it was possible, with his karmic debt constantly eating away at him its unlikely he has enough time left for that to happen. - it sounds like a cruel thing to say about him- but in context it's actually pretty layered and i think about it a lot. It's not as much a "he's a killer lol, that his whole personality" its more of a "The centuries of trauma he experienced have conditioned him into a constantly alert and battle ready mindset while also shaping his dehumanizing inferior-in-worth-but-superior-in-capability view of himself that would have likely been necessary to get through those time, and at this point he's been under that conditioning for long enough that it's essentially ingrained itself in his personality."

- the main idea is- it's a part of who he is, that needs to be accepted as who he is because its not something that he can just up and change. It's not all he is of course but his constant battle mode, as though always waiting to be ambushed or to be granted a new target to eradicate.

a couple character story quotes:

-"His past of service under the evil god had rid Xiao of his innocence and gentleness. All that remained within him was the means to kill and the weight of his sins. The only way he could be of service to mortals was in combat." -"Xiao does not feel any hatred. Having lived for over two thousand years, no single karmic debt constitutes anything more than a fleeting memory. No grudge can last a thousand years; nor is any debt so great that it cannot be paid off in this time. Xiao has spent many long years alone. But his battles have never been in vain." -"where did Xiao have to return to? He was merely leaving the battlefield." -"since Xiao wages a constant war against dark forces powerful enough to devour Liyue in its entirety, any bystanders who witness him in the heat of battle are likely to end up as collateral damage." -"The war he fights can never be won, and will never come to an end." -"Because ultimately, the one with whom Xiao wrestles is himself."

i feel like at some point this very nearly did consume his whole personality, almost turning him into nothing more than a being of slaughter under Morax's control, devoid of any "humanity" at all, consumed and corrupted by his karmic debt like his fellow yakshas before him. - until he experienced a moment of clarity- a song in the wind, the peaceful melody of a dihua flute. - and pulled back from the border of something he wouldnt have been able to return from, there a was a shift in his mind- a concept grown unfamiliar enough with time that it took him a great time to identify what it was; a curiosity. Something that there was no place for on the battlefield, something that by all means should have been completely useless to Xiao, and yet he held onto that curiosity, slowly regaining over time, a sense of who he was and who he could choose to be with each song that the wind chose to carry towards him every once in a blue moon.

and eventually that curiousity turned to longing. Longing "for a day to come when he will wear the mask and dance — not to conquer demons, but to the tune of that flute amid a sea of flowers"

...... uh- heh- if you couldn’t tell already i have a tendency to make my characterizations/analyses of characters more serious that i probably should. 

to summarize: Xiao is constantly toeing the line between his ingrained nature and his humanity- almost as though still trying to decide how much of that humanity he deserves to have, how much he is allowed to have, and how much is safe to have.

^looking back after writing this, i think the best way to explain it is that this is the view that i keep in mind/the lense that i tend to most enjoy looking through and refering back to while examining and/or analyzing his character, actions, story, lines, and overall personality.

idk- i kinda got off track but i just think its a really interesting interpretation to think about because it has some really interesting implications ig- it’s not the full extent of how i view him of course, but i kinda got ahead of myself and its long enough as is so ill just elaborate as i go- Lol i actually have in progress playlists for both him and venti and just- vibes- i could ramble about the playlists alone for hours explaining everything... It’s probably a problem- uh- ill keep going now lol.

anyways! stepping off the angst path for a brief break! Brought to you by their lines in the snow: both waiting for it to get thick enough, Venti for the purpose of a snowball fight and Xiao for the purpose of a tasty and nutritious breakfast.

but its actually something of note that Xiao doesnt actually need to eat so anything he does eat is usually out of obligation or enjoyment- so like.... snow.... like i dont blame him, but of all things- an adeptus who refuses to eat basically anything but almond tofu looks at the freezing-cold-floor-water that yeeted itself from above and decided at some point- damn- that seems more edible than basically ever single actually edible thing ever.... im gonna eat it- like- im glad if eating snow makes him happy but- at the same time...

He probably convinces Venti to eat snow too though and Venti wouldnt even resist I mean he’s wind and has probably consumed worse things in his time so- 2 anemo cryptids with glowing tattoos sitting in Dragonspine monching snow in the dead of night is an amusing thought to me.

- kay, now back to more serious-toned thoughts

One of the things about the ship that i really like is the different contradicting parallels between them:

A lot of how i view Xiao’s character is someone formed largely by the things he cant control and who was forced to accept that accepted that and learned to thrive in it as much as he can.  Venti on the other hand is surrounded by things he cant control and is ever adapting to control as much as he can while embracing whatever he cant as being part of the unpredictability of the world, seeing beauty in it. 

both of them have lost people and do what they do to honor their memory: Xiao continues to do what the Yakshas once did And Venti chooses to do what his friend couldn’t

Xiao’s power coming from himself  and Venti’s from others And both seem to appear to use their power for their own gain while truly helping others behind the scenes

both have killed a lot of people during the archon war Xiao views it as another necessary event out of his control and Venti would likely view it as a tragedy he chose to enact himself

and this is where we meet out balance

Xiao- contrary to how i think a lot of people view him as thinking of himself as a monster- seems canonically to have accepted this as part of his duty, as long as those he killed are not mortals. I dont think he enjoys it no- but someone has to do it and he’s just accepted that its a part of his duty Venti on the other hand-

See the beauty of the ship- as someone with an angst-centric mind- is this- these are two of the most traumatized mfers in the game 

Xiao is by far the one who needs the most help and who can serve to benefit most from the ship- but he is nowhere near self aware enough to recognize that there’s anything wrong or unhealthy about his mindset in the slightest-

whereas you have the contrast with Venti who sorted through most of his trauma with the nameless bard alone during the archon war and while the result appears more healthy- is still really not- but he’s not self aware of that either because i mean- who’s going to tell him? nobody even knows. 

however- venti is aware enough to notice flaws in Xiao’s mindset and “Venti” enough to want to help them through it-

Xiao- while not aware enough to recognize the flaws in Venti’s mindset, can recognize where it contrasts with his own, and is blunt enough to point it out- and then it’s out there to be mulled over- 

they’re so similar and yet so different and a feel just conversing between the two of them, being in each others precense, just being exposed to two mindsets that are so very different could do both of them a whole lot of good.

GEEE THAT BIT OF RAMBLING HAD LITTLE TO NO DIRECTION AT ALL- LET ME-- LET ME MAKE THIS START MAKING SENSE- WITH... DYNAMICS OR SOMETHING

I don’t think Xiao needs to sleep really- and i dont think that sleeping would do anything except make him uneasy at first- he’d probably just get nightmares after all he’s been through- but with Venti he would soon learn that it doesn’t have to be that way, lulled into the first peaceful sleep he’s had in... as long as he can remember.

anywho back to not making sense cuz im fickle and i think most questions about ships are best displayed through character interactions so like- a possible exchange thats cliche but cliches exist for a reason

Xiao: Why do you try so hard to help me, it isn’t easy. I know that much Venti, with the most adoring expression: Because you’re worth it, obviously Xiao: But surely there are others more deserving of- Venti: No Xiao, everyone is just as deserving as the next person, you included Xiao: Then why me above others? Venti: ehe, cuz ur my warrior of course [O//////O oh shit, hes right] Xiao: My contract is with Morax alone [gay panic but in broody yaksha]

it’s kinda difficult cuz neither of them really address their feelings.  I mean Venti does but he does it very indirectly and its rare that he ever does it with like- genuine directness- even spilling his backstory was in the form of a song- and told in the third person- so a lot of their interactions would often have some deeper meaning, especially with Venti being the bard he is. 

I come up with a lot of- errant thoughts about Xiaoven- but this is making me realize that a true analysis of their ship is rather difficult because it just encompasses so many dynamics so its hard to settle on just one and not go rambling about who knows what bouncing from one end of the ship to the other-  Because you truly can and thats the beauty of it

within one moment you can be having a heartfelt conversation about the archon war the impact of lost friends and times past, and the next moment Venti is trying to forcefeed Xiao an apple while Xiao screams about disrespecting the adepti and its just- so lovely

so while they have picnics with nothing but apples, dandelion wine, and almond tofu they can sit down and talk about the dreams Xiao once devoured, and the dandelion wine and apple cider that the first Ragnvindir invented from the plants that never could have grown in Old Mond. The foods that tasted of familiarity, or of the grilled ticker fish Pervases always used to eat, foods that tasted of friends and frankly family that had since passed, glaze lilies and cecilias and qingxin flowers scattered in the surroundings and woven into Xiao’s neat braids and Venti’s now messy ones, rebraided by the steady and inexperienced hands of one unused to gentle action. 

and then of course Venti steals Xiao’s tofu once the mood becomes too grim and replaces it with a bottle of wine that Xiao refers to as “vile poison,” a remark that fatally wounds Venti as he collapses on the floor, proclaiming how he can only be healed by a Yaksha’s kiss. Xiao ignores this of course and simply takes back his tofu with a slight smile on his face, but as Venti persists he soundlessly places a kiss on his own palm before intertwining their fingers and pulling him back up from where he was dramatically sprawled on the floor, grumbling about how such action was “unbecoming of an archon.” A sign of affection only Xiao would ever know about. But Venti is literally wind and I hc his senses work differently anyways so he definitely knows- plus Xiao’s face is red as the blood of his enemies and the way he is pointedly not looking at Venti at all really speaks volumes anyways. 

 -Venti playing epic battle music whenever Xiao goes into fights in what looks like a ridiculously extra performance to anyone else but is actually doing wonders to keep Xiao’s karma at bay

-Venti preaches the practice of “kissing wounds better” and Xiao is unfamiliar with this medical treatment but views it as unnecessary regardless because adepti have accelerated healing, doesn’t mean he’s going to stop him though. 

-Messages whispered on the wind

-Venti’s 1000 year sleep- an accident, not a fun time for the yaksha, and not a fun time for Venti once he woke up. Venti is actually more afraid of restful sleep than Xiao is, hence the sleeping in trees thing, but when Xiao is there, he can sleep restfully with faith that Xiao wont let another millennia slip through his fingertips. 

- Xiao tends to make excuses when doing things that aren’t necessary to his duty, like in his birthday voice line “Have this, it’s a butterfly i made from leaves... Okay. Take it. It’s an adepti amulet -- it staves off evil” because at the current point in his progress it helps him to feel like he’s allowed to do these things. Not wanting to put him off from progress, Venti never comments on his excuse but never fails to whisper a quick reminder of how proud he is of how far Xiao had come.

- Xiao’s karma saddens Venti greatly- not only because of how it effects Xiao but also because its a reminder that as much as Venti tries to honor the memory of those he’s killed, there will always be those who resent him for it, and when he took the option of living away from them, he truly can’t blame them. - And when he gets too wrapped up in thoughts, whether around this topic or similar ones or otherwise, eventually, he’ll hear the sound of a flute on the wind. It’s not divine by any means, but as his own wind connects him to the source, he gets the sentiment all the same. “What impact does one individual’s remaining wrath have on the present. You have done much to help the living in the present” the unspoken idea that Xiao has included himself in that statement, because now, with Venti’s help he’s beginning to learn just how to experience living for himself. 

- Venti’s form and Xiao’s mask are off limit topics though because if either mentions it the other will counter with the opposite and the mood will turn immediately bitter at the idea that both know that what they’re doing is destructive but neither are willing to change

- Venti who has different tells for negative feelings than most people because as much as he likes to pretend it is- this form isnt his, and Xiao who is able to identify those

- many fanfics and headcanons have Venti recognizing when Xiao is uncomfortable and getting him out of those situations. I see that and I love it but i raise you: - Venti taking Xiao to Mondstadt, careful that he doesn’t get to the point that he’s uncomfortable. And nothing goes wrong exactly, but Xiao notices the the way Venti’s cape is blowing in the wind, the way he’s holding his weight, barely on his feet so much as floating on the wind, connected with the ground only for the sake of appearance, all the while he looks just as happy go lucky as ever. And without a word, he grabs his hand and teleports them both out of Mondstadt.  - turns out it was just a slight thing that reminded him of the archon war (cuz i will die on the hill of him having more tragic backstory than just Decarabian), and he of course gives a sincere if not flustered thanks to Xiao, because he’s really not used to people noticing. 

- Venti trying to vent sneakily through fictional stories and Xiao is just like “Didn’t that basically happen to you” and Venti is just like “<_< shit”

- Venti once said affectionally that he wished he had met Xiao sooner and Xiao immediately and seriously shot it down by saying “If you had, I would have been forced to kill you” and both of them now stay up at night wondering who would have won that fight, not sure which result would have hurt more. (because honestly I have no idea who would win in that fight and that terrifies me- I like to think it would have been one of those legends that end with “and the fight persists to this day” or something along those lines)

- “How long have you been together?” “Adepti have no need for-” “1000+ years T^T how dare you deny our love” “O///O our...? ...useless”

- its disney- let me explain- i have this- i have this headcanon inspired by watching too many animatics- - so venti has a human form that isnt his- which he would have had to get used to moving in- and he’s a bard- - uh- anyway- as a third degree black belt in mixed martial arts, i can speak as an authority on this(not really an authority since i havent gone since quarantine but lets pretend). We have a thing referred to as the big three(most things do), and those things are martial arts, gymnastics, and dance. The idea is that they reflect really well off of each other and the best in any one category are good in all three. Timing, balance, form, discipline, technique, hand-eye coordination, grace, ease of motion, they all play a part- anyway-

- Venti taking Xiao’s prowess in martial arts and acrobatics and teaching him how to dance, and as someone who’s extremely skilled in the first two, the third comes easy to him, almost naturally. And it’s delicate and beautiful and lovely and it isn’t hurting anyone. And Venti points all these things out and more and despite how much Xiao insists that he feels ridiculous he truly does enjoy it and it goes a long way towards helping him form more healthy views of himself and his worth.  - Verr Goldett walked in on him once and made a joke about performing at the inn. unfortunately Venti was there and agreed on Xiao’s behalf before he could protest and- and it wasn’t as bad as Xiao thought it would be... he still wouldn’t do it again though without reason, but with good enough reasoning he could probably be convinced. 

- anyways point is he likes dancing to Venti’s songs and i just think that’s really cute - just picture the idea that all the animatics you see actually have the potential to be canon- ugh

- venti tries holding something out of Xiao’s reach since he’s taller and Xiao just fucking teleports 

- both need their space but when they dont, all they have to do is speak the other’s name and they’ll be there.

- and because i just had to.... love languages

- lets start with Xiao- i don’t think he’d view acts of service or quailty time as a love language tbh, and he blunt but really bad with words so affirmation is out, leaving gift giving and physical touch. However, he seems to view most material things as meaningless so- - Xiao who’s love language is in his fleeting touches, something he’s only recently grown comfortable with because of Venti, and now is giving back, which he knows he doesn’t have to do, but that he want’s to, though he’ll still continue to make excuses for each one. “you were shivering” “The inn is high up, you could have fallen..... I said what I said, you’d question an adeptus?”

- and as easy as it is to say words of affirmation for Venti- he does that for everyone- i want to say his is actually acts of service - its the acts of service that let him see just how much Xiao has progressed afterall, from teaching him to dance, to playing another song on the flute, to supplying him with the almond tofu he seems to enjoy so much. Every little thing he does helps Xiao to grow and he couldn’t be happier about that. 

-

- of course most of my headcanons for the ship do take place latter into the relationship because- y’know the less serious unhealthy vibes allow for greater range of thought, but i do still love to think about the serious implications so i kinda hopped back and forth. So sorry about how messy it is btw, i kinda- got carried away- it kinda got some kind of structure near the end tho so- maybe it’s okay. anyway- back to... lol something, we’ll see where thought forests lead. 

#genshin impact #genshin xiao #genshin venti #xiao #venti #xiaoven #genshin analysis #genshin headcanons #xiaoven headcanons #xiaoven analysis #this is a mess i really shouldnt be putting all these tags but oh well #oh wow the grammar and spelling here is truly repulsive #sorry to all my english teachers i have failed you all