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#both emotionally and physically i have literally no one in this town
jonny-b-meowborn · 8 months
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My bestie is moving out for college this week and I don't know how to cope with that. I don't know how can I handle being alone again
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Zoro is fuckboy material.
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Sanji is boyfriend material.
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Shanks is husband material.
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Mihawk is BDSM Dom Daddy™ material.
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Earlier I refused to elaborate.
Now, I will elaborate no further than the sources below the dotted line.
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Zoro
He'll pull you into a broom closet without any warning at all, turn you around, pull your panties down under your skirt, and have you right there when the mood strikes.
Then he'll catch your eye across the deck half an hour later and give you a little smirk that makes your cheeks flare bright red. You're not sure if you want to either kick him in the shin or go for another round right that moment, if not both.
He's not looking for anything serious because he's just not that good at getting close with anyone or being emotionally available in general.
There's a lot of time between port towns, and you're a good match for each other's physical needs and desires, but not much beyond that.
Sanji
Even if he is a relentless flirt, he's just such a complete sweetheart. It's difficult not to swoon at those subtle little touches at your waist and hips, at his seductive murmur in your ear.
He respects every last one of your boundaries; if you tell him something he's doing bothers you, he's going to back off from it. No protest, no questions asked. He's still going to make it clear that he thinks you're incredible, but he wants you to be comfortable and happy above all else.
He's still as sweet as candy even once he does win you over. Playful and flirty and constantly planning the most romantic dates. Picnics on the beach, preparing candlelit diners just for the two of you, laying out a pallet of blankets and pillows with a bottle of wine under the stars—doing everything possible to make you feel special.
It's difficult to tell where it will go, but he's sweet and doting and fun, and he puts every ounce of effort into treating you like literal royalty.
Shanks
You're his lover just as much as you are his best friend. He doesn't hold anything back from you, good or bad, trivial or important. He wouldn't ever consider keeping a secret from you because the thought simply wouldn't even cross his mind—whatever he knows, you know. If anyone else tells him something in confidence, they tell him knowing that he's going to tell you the second he sees you.
His gestures of romance are more subtle and revolved around camaraderie than worship. If you're cooking or cleaning, he wants to be there, both to help lessen the load and to just be there with you. If he sees you washing dishes, he's right there next to you with a towel to dry them and put them away. If you're cooking, he's helping clean up after you. If you're sweeping the floors, he's apt to just take the broom from you, kiss you on the cheek, and tell you to go take a load off and relax.
Absolutely nothing could ever stop him from being with you. There could be an entire armada of Marine warships between you and him, and he would still find his way to you.
Every hope or dream you have ever had in your life is also his now. Literally all of them. It doesn't matter how long ago it was or how unobtainable it seems—if you still want it, he wants to make sure you achieve it. Does't matter what it is. He's never going to tell you it's silly or impossible or unachievable—he's going to exhaust every effort to find a way to make sure you can achieve it.
Mihawk
Hopefully you didn’t have too many plans of your own, because if you've managed to catch his interest, he's going to make sure that you're his, and probably within the next twenty-four hours or less.
He isn’t completely unreasonable. You will have the option to refuse. But he isn’t going to beat around the bush, either. He's going to pull you against him by your hips, comb his fingers through your hair and grasp it to pull you in and ask you outright if you want to belong to him.
He won't pressure you if you say no. That's your choice. He'll just leave you with a deep, passionate kiss that makes your knees weak, a light brush of his thumb across your lips, and he'll let you go.
But if you say yes...then good luck. You're his now, and he's never letting you go.
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christinesficrecs · 6 months
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do you have any fic recs for season 3a? i’ve been rewatching and i really like the storyline 🥹
Well, Post-3B is my jam but try these ones. 🩷
Don’t Speak by fatale | 68.9K 
The Alpha pack has systematically attacked Stiles and his friends for months, testing their strengths and weaknesses. When one of the Alphas goes after Stiles, he awakens in the hospital and realizes that something’s wrong. Very wrong. All sounds seem to hurt him, he can’t understand what anyone is saying, and when he tries to speak, it’s gibberish. How is he supposed to deal with the fact that he’s lost the ability to communicate with his dad and his friends?
Without his ability to talk, his sarcasm, and his wit, what does Stiles even have left? Enter Derek, the only one who seems to make it better.
Thunderstorms & Polish Lullabies by Whispering_Samir | 10K
The one where Stiles time-travels just in time to save Boyd and Derek from the Alphas, and manages to heal everyone, including himself, just a little in the process.
There’s Monsters at Home by calrissian18 | 83,575
How did you get past the wards?” Derek had put them up, with Peter’s grudging assistance, after the Alpha pack had made themselves at home a few times too many.
The guy pulled a face. “You mean the wards a five-year-old girl with the mental ability of a goldfish could deconstruct?” He blinked wide eyes at Derek. “Gee, I don’t know. It’s bound to go down as one of life’s great mysteries.
Derek despised him.
Forging Bonds by  mikkimouse | 27.5K
The loft was flooded, the water shimmering in the moonlight streaking through the huge windows. The twins held Derek on his knees, with his arms extended and claws out. Kali had Boyd, and she was dragging him toward Derek, and—
Stiles aimed at the twin closest to him and threw the Molotov cocktail as hard as he could.
Bake to Remember, Eat to Forget by  butyoureyessaidyes | 125.2K
The one where Stiles runs his own bakery, never locks the front door, and doesn’t know he’s part of a werewolf pack (until he does).
The Nightmare of my Choice by mirrorkill | 106.2K | Mature
Rogue werewolves and incubi and ghosts, oh my!: Life in Beacon Hills continues to be the epitome of weird.
Especially for emissary-in-training Stiles, who's being literally haunted by a parade of Beacon Hills' deceased, who are trying to compel him to embrace the darkness in his heart. His only source of comfort is when he's writing to an emotionally constipated Beta werewolf. When Derek Hale is your anchor to sanity? Yeah, weird might be an underestimation.
Stiles is well suited to the path of an emissary; in fact, something important about him has already been overlooked. Something that could have deadly consequences both for him, and for everyone else...
Wanted by Asterekmess (Livinginfictions) | 88K | Mature
With the Hale pack finally settled and safe, it only makes sense that something would happen to screw it all up. To top it all off, Stiles has to pretend to be Derek's mate, or face a pack of angry Alphas. He's doomed.
In this Darkness (It's You I Hear) by Kedreeva | 9.9K | Mature
Deucalion bites Stiles on the way out of town, and Derek finds him in an unexpected condition....
here is the deepest secret nobody knows by owlpostagain | 22.3K
“Derek,” Stiles groans. “You have me. You’ve always had me, you absolute moron, how many physically impossible feats of life-saving heroics do I have to perform before you get it?”
Where You Go To Rest Your Bones by allyasavedtheday | 6.4K
Derek feels him take a deep, shuddering breath and then Stiles disentangles himself – though he stays within the circle of Derek’s arms. “I missed you.” he whispers, looking at Derek like he’s expecting to be kicked out at any moment.
You're stronger than you know by Littleredridinghunter | 234.1K
Set at the end of season 2, Stiles survives his encounter with Gerard and his goons, but it isn't easy.
The pack are letting him down again, his dad is not speaking to him, his life is just generally falling apart.
Until he has to get a bronze dagger to kill a siren and his whole world gets flipped on it's head!
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slakedbyiron · 3 months
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I'm drunk again but we'll take a crack at it. I couldn't find the post so here's the page again lets analyse
Okay no 1 Francisco and the dojo:
Izzy feels so bad that she can't do what seems to be a really tough spectral move (on the previous page only Spender who is described as Francisco's strongest student can do it properly) at only 6 YEARS OLD she starts crying - and Izzy isn't actually a part of this training session so it implies that even Francisco thinks this is too hard for her to do, and yet she still holds herself to the standard of an adult spectral because that's what Francisco has taught her
He holds her to an unattainably high standard and the one thing she is properly skilled at and proud of (her exceptional connection with spirits and her skills with tools) is belittled by him as weak and cheating. Francisco doesn't accept anything less than an automatic reaction to physical pain as a reason to cry - and even then he still ridicules her, saying "is that all?" as if a child wouldn't cry at being hurt.
He also calls her mother over to deal with her, even though she's a nurse she's incredibly busy and just about to leave for work he feels like it's her issue - presumably Amy feels secure working as much as she does because she believes that Izzy has a strong support system at the dojo, knowing how much she looks up to Francisco and how many people are around to protect her. on the next page he implies it should be her job to look after Izzy at the expense of her career because he's housing them both - despite the fact that her father still lives in town. similar to the way Isabel is treated by him, he holds Amy to a higher standard because Ángel has disappointed him, as if it has anything to do with her.
Despite the fact that Spender is the only person on this page who doesn't actually live in the dojo he's the only one who goes to see if Izzy is alright - the rest spend way more time with Izzy yet seem awkward to borderline disinterested in her pain in the 4th panel - I know she's a young kid but they should have a stronger connection with her. This could be related to how she's literally pitted against adults in the present, whereas in the past it's slightly more theoretical/in her head
That leads us to no 2 Spender and Izzy's relationship:
The penultimate panel I feel shows how close she and Spender are. It implies that he picks her up a lot because she instinctively knows what he's doing even though he turns around without saying anything. In addition the fact that he picks her up presumably also because she says she hurt her foot, so she doesn't have to walk on it - even though banging your foot wouldn't really impede your walking
Also, Spender doesn't even notice how Francisco is treating Izzy this whole page, because he's too wrapped up in seeing if she's okay (the final panel shows he still has his hero worship of Francisco which I'd hope he wouldn't if he realised how terrible he treats her) this is something he still does in the present day but it hinders Izzy because he focuses on "keeping the kids safe" rather than emotionally secure and regulated. It also very literally happens again in chapter 4 when he's worrying with Lucifer about whether he kept the kids safe properly and misses Izzy asking for his help dealing with Francisco.
finally no 3 more on Isabel:
She's too young to have as strong a handle on her emotions as present-day Isabel (read: emotional repression) but she still thinks that this is a weakness to have a completely normal reaction that all kids that young would have to frustration. Isabel is only 6 years old and she's already internalised that emotional pain is insignificant and weak, and that the only 'valid' pain is physical, as shown by her lie. despite this she's still invalidated because the pain wasn't bad enough. Also her kneejerk lying about pain is a trait commonly seen in abused children.
This can be seen to have both the aforementioned emotional implications in current Izzy, as well as physical - she attempts to use plasters to cover a wound that actually needs stitches because she doesn't want her grandfather to know and be disappointed, risking an infection.
I realise half of these are just statements w no conclusions but I hope you can infer what I mean. anyway concluding statement no one looks out for Izzy like they should and also her and Spender's relationship and all of its shortcomings is one of my fav things abt pnat both bc there's so much meat there and bc they're my 2 fav characters
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verysium · 3 months
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i assume that you listen to the weeknd sooo may i ask for a quick the weeknd song associations w bllk characters perhaps? if possible. i like the way you think of each character and im curios if we have a common perspective at some point
😭 if you mention abel in any ask to me, there is no way it's going to be quick and easy. this took me like a week to process and even longer to formulate my answer. it's difficult to assign just one song to each character because the discography is just so versatile, so there may be some overlap.
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THE TOWN
this song is basically kaiser if he left someone in his past prior to joining bastard münchen in his rise to fame. i envision a reader who was with him during the early years of his career (maybe as childhood friends), and he abandoned them when his big breakthrough finally came.
"you did many things / that i liked, that i liked" the covert narcissism here was the selling point. now i'm not saying kaiser is a pathological narcissist, but the way he thinks inherently revolves around himself. he only likes people because they have something he likes. you have to possess something he actually wants before he even bats an eyelash at you. and even when you do get into his good graces, it's conditional. in other words, kaiser's buddy-buddy system is entirely based on value. how much value are you going to provide him, and how long is that value going to last? hence why he's so obsessed with isagi because our little blueberry sprout protagonist has both the novelty and adaptability kaiser desires.
"you made me feel so good / before i left on the road" i know this sounds like some shit a frat boy would spew, but here me out. i think the reason why half the fandom absolutely bashes kaiser's character is because his actions come off as emotionally immature. making arrogant claims with nothing to back them up? having no personal boundaries? manhandling other people? projecting his own insecurities in the form of jealousy? that sounds a lot like some of the male specimens i've seen in today's society, particularly those who make podcasts for a living. kaiser is not a hot bad boy. he's just pure jerk in some cases, and a tragic backstory is not going to justify those actions. but to apply that to a romantic relationship? some of y'all are not ready to hear this, but kaiser is not going to make a good boyfriend. he would most definitely use you.
"you deserve your name / on a crown, on a throne" if there's one thing you should know about kaiser, it's that he will find a way to pay homage to his past, even if it wasn't a good time for him. so despite the way he absolutely ghosted you years ago, he will find a way to enshrine your existence within his. i have a running theory that kaiser's tattoos are actually for the girl he left back at home. he'd probably get your name inked on his knuckles or something.
"but i remember on the bathroom floor / 'fore i went on tour / like you said we couldn't do it again / cause you had a thing with some other man" i've read a lot of fics where kaiser has a possessive meltdown whenever reader finds someone else after their break-up, or even just the reddit theories that kaiser will flip out when ness finally leaves him. i'm going to add my own take on this. yes, kaiser will freak out but only after a long stage of denial. at first, he's going to be unfazed because there's no way you'd actually leave him. and even if you did find another man, you would inevitably come crawling back to him. in his mind, the fact that you two should be together is about as debatable as defying the laws as physics. which is to say, there is no debate.
"now that i heard you're single /...i'll give you something to live for" mr. steal your girl is back. kaiser may be rash and impulsive in his everyday life, but his patience is limitless when it comes to biding his time against his enemies. you're finally big enough to eat, yoichi...does that ring any bells? he will literally wait just so he can see your new relationship crash and burn. and when it finally does, he will swoop in during your time of emotional need and make you co-dependent on him. this man has the self-seeking opportunism of a whole vulture committee.
"and it feels so priceless to me / that you're always free" ok but this double entendre??? like priceless as in you're valuable to the point you're free from anyone's definition of value. but also priceless in the way you're worth nothing, and people can have you for free. this is literally kaiser in any relationship where the other party overcompensates for him. i'm going to use ness as an example. i think kaiser knows how much ness is willing to do for him, and he appreciates it (he better lol) since ness is one of the only people he can actually get along with. but at the same time, the fact that ness would literally do anything for kaiser is also the reason why kaiser takes him for granted. given the large supply of admiration and support, it's only logical that the demand for it should wane. the key to keeping kaiser's attention is scarcity. you can't be too distant from him, but you can't be too close either. if you're right in the optimal middle, then you're scarce, and all scarce things are rare and, subsequently, valuable.
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PRAY FOR ME
this song could work for so many characters, but i'm going to go with noel noa because i haven't talked about him much. he fits into this model for "the strongest" character (akin to gojo in jjk or "the little giant" in haikyuu!!) this mentor/role model archetype is incredibly significant in the protagonist's journey to the top. noa is isagi's primary motivation and presumably his greatest obstacle if he were ever to become the #1 player in the world. the tragic aspect to this archetype is that we often aren't given the full picture for these characters. their internal consciousness is eclipsed in some way because the story is written from the perspective of the protagonist. noa grew up in the slums of france, but the manga doesn't actually focus on any of the struggles he had to face. all of that is implied and sometimes even expected. his strength (or at least the image of his strength) becomes everything, and he can't afford to lose any of it. i think that's the saddest part about any character considered the strongest. they push themselves to the top but simultaneously back themselves into a corner.
"if i'm gon' die for you / if i'm gon' kill for you / then i'll spill this blood for you" i know noa's peers like to shit on him for being so serious all the time, but when you're raised in the kind of environment where everything has been against you from day one, the survival mentality is literally ingrained in you. a lot of his advice to isagi is centered around this idea of eliminating any wishful thinking. he can't count on anything that isn't certain. so if he's going to have to make a sacrifice, it has to be worth it. i think that's also why noa doesn't relate to any of the other world class players. he isn't driven by greed or fame or popularity. the egoist mindset doesn't arise from his own personal ambitions. it's simply how he's learned to live life from a young age.
"my heart don't skip a beat, even when hard times bumps the needle" noa is solid. like rock solid, 10 on a mohs hardness scale. but more than solid, he's incredibly sharp in his focus. he specifically tells isagi not to try and play god because he's seen so many other players try to do that and fail. they get caught up in what their goal could mean: victory, prestige, grandeur, control over others. but to noa, a goal is simply a goal. he doesn't care if this is a win or a loss for his team. he doesn't care if this will put him at rivalry with others. all he needs to do is figure out the most efficient way to get a black-and-white ball through the net. and he's so goddamn good at this. he's mastered it to the point he can focus on what he desires right now in this moment and block out everything else as unnecessary noise. hence, he doesn't get overwhelmed by external pressures. everything about him, even his ego, is intrinsic. and that's what makes him the best.
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i'm running out of room, so i'm just gonna list the next few below:
starboy: i've seen this song being assigned to either rin or kaiser, but now that i re-evaluate it, i think the self-deprecative and bitter tone fits sae best.
call out my name: reo listened to this the day nagi left him. i was there, so this is a reliable primary source. it is his breakup song.
heartless: i would assign this one to sae. the melody, the vibe, not so much the lyrics. the overall impression just fits him. i don't know how to explain it.
the hills: this song suits barou, and you cannot tell me otherwise. i'm gonna blast this every time he makes an entrance in the manga.
lost in the fire: this is oliver's pre-game anthem. he's not actually as cool as the song implies, but he likes to think he is.
don't break my heart: this is rin when he's acting butt-hurt. his first big heartbreak was from a 180-cm redhead who drinks salted kombucha every morning and has ugly shorn-off bangs.
die for you: honestly this song was made for the children of divorce who grew up with a messed up conception of love and avoidant attachment style, so obviously i'm going to assign this one to hiori.
too late: kaiser plays this from his stereo while he sips on a martini and contemplates self-destruction. he recognizes that he was in the wrong, but is he actually going to apologize? hell no.
moth to a flame: this is isagi being the homewrecker he is. he's not innocent enough to be completely pardoned. i would classify him as either chaotic good or lawful neutral.
gasoline: niko would suit this song cus he can be somewhat nihilistic if he wants to be. also because i headcanon him as someone with a disorderly sleep schedule.
the morning: uh....honestly idk. this one stumped me. it's giving that one barou backshot where he was training shirtless. but it also reminds me of that one kaiser panel with his 300,000,000 salary.
sidewalks: kunigami plays this song while working out. he is the og grinder. started from the bottom and clawed his way up to the top.
how do i make you love me? ness plays this while doodling in his "operation make kaiser fall in love with me" notebook.
less than zero: this is kira after isagi ousted him from popularity. not much else to say.
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mazeinthemiroh · 1 year
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lee felix sfw alphabet
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genre: fluffy wuffy for the fluffiest boy in town
word count: 2k
warnings: none
song rec: magic by coldplay
pls like and reblog if you enjoyed! feel free to request anything <3
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a - affection (how affectionate are they? how do they show affection)
lee felix is the definition of love
therefore, he shows affection in pretty much every single thing he does
without even trying, he is effortlessly affectionate and never fails to make those around him feel safe, happy and loved
b - best friend (what would they be like as a best friend?)
as your bestie, he's tagging you on every social media and spamming with your memes and tiktoks to watch. like... that's basically a given, anyway
he's just so sweet really
is down for anything you want to do
c - cuddles (would they like to cuddle? how do they cuddle?)
bro, where do i begin...
he's a cuddle bug. literally the most cuddliest person in the whole world who will literally die if he doesn't get his hourly cuddles so you better cuddle him lots istg-
basically, yes. he loves cuddling
he's such a fluffy human being, inside and out. he needs his partner to like cuddles fr; this will probably be a genuine reason for him to date you if i am being totally honest
d = domestic (do they want to settle down? how are they at cooking and cleaning?)
felix totally wants to settle down
and i feel like once he finds the right person there's no going back for him. the only way is up!!
he's good at baking and likes making little treats every now and then for the two of you to share
has tried his hand at cooking too and makes a pretty good chef!
e = ending (if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
damn he hates even thinking about stuff like this
just expect a lot of tears; a lot of conflicting and confusing emotions all at once
he hates confrontation in general so having to prompt a break-up is not where he wants to be in a relationship, ever
it will take a massive toll on him and will be emotionally exhausting for the both of you
f = fiance(e) (how do they feel about commitment? how quick would they want to get married?)
big fan of commitment
only has eyes for his soulmate and no one else
because... why should he? at the end of the day, he is loyal, through thick and thin
he won't get married too quickly but then he wouldn't wait too long either. i feel like he would be nervous and would need to know for definite that, if he proposed to you, you would 100% say yes
g = gentle (how gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)
i don't even feel the need to say anything for this one
he's literally a baby chick. what's he gonna do? peck you to death? yeah, i didn't think so
h = hugs (do they like hugs? how often do they do it? what are their hugs like?)
i mean this one goes without saying, doesn't it?
felix lives for hugs. he needs the to survive. he has them for breakfast
hugs. hugs. HUGS.
there's something about how warm and welcome he feels inside when someone gives him a hug
he loves all forms of hugs
back hugs make him feel protected if he's on the receiving end of it. he loves to be in his lover's arms like that
i = i love you (how fast do they say the L-word?)
it's so hard to say
part of me is thinking he might just blurt it out spontaneously, much like an intrusive thought. he might not even think about it when he says it until he realises and his eyes grow super wide like 'omg i just said the L word to you for the first time wtf'
the other part of me knows that felix is a deep thinker. he overthinks everything and is therefore likely to hold back on confessing such strong emotion so quickly
but holding his love back won't be easy regardless of what he chooses, so the likelihood is that he would definitely confess to you before you confess to him
j = jealousy (how jealous do they get? what do they do when they're jealous?)
i can see him getting jealous tbh
and he never means to. he's not one to look for things to argue about and stuff
but because he has so, so much to give, if he isn't receiving that same amount of love it's hard for him. then, seeing you get closer or flirting with another person is even harder for him
k = kisses (what are their kisses like? where do they like to kiss you? where do they like to be kissed?)
his kisses on the lips are usually soft and tender
he literally doesn't have a favourite place to kiss you because he will kiss you everywhere
but for him? he won't tell you unless you brought it up, but... his neck is super sensitive
he doesn't even have to tell you because it's so easy to tell. when his breath becomes hitched in his throat when you kiss him along his neck. when his grip becomes tighter when you merely brush your lips over the sweet spots of his neck. yeah. he's not exactly subtle when it comes to what he likes
l = little ones (how are they around children?)
he loves children and is so sweet to them
will cater to their every need and spoil them horrifically
will even carry them everywhere if they so wished
and when it comes to babies, he can't help but coo and squish their cheekies :(( he just loves them to bits
m = morning (how are mornings spent with them?)
he wakes up smiling because he is next to you
like-
you make him so freaking happy
he usually wakes up earlier than he usually would now that he is with, you, just so he can fit in a cuddle sesh before he starts the day
and then he reluctantly gets out of bed, stretching in every sort of way possible before getting in the shower
some days he will spontaneously decide to make pancakes for you both :] and drizzle those bad boys with maple syrup and crispy bacon, yes sir
n = night (how are nights spent with them?)
again, a very cuddly and cosy affair
fluffy pyjamas on, skincare products ready, and a disney film ready to play
all you guys need is a pile of blankets and a box of takeaway, and you got yourselves an ideal night
this is definitely his fave time of day <333
o = open (when would they start revealing things about themselves? do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)
literally asap
that's the whole part of getting to know someone better, no? reveal different parts of yourself, piece by piece, like a jigsaw puzzle. that's how felix views it
he's big on quality time so the more time and energy you invest in him, the more he opens up to you and feels comfortable around you
so it solely depends on how much time you spend together
p = patience (how easily angered are they?)
he is not a naturally angry person
like, i know some people who are just prone to anger. they have a certain type of aggression on the surface that rises every time a minor inconvenience happens
but even in those types of situations, felix is much more likely to get upset than angry
although sometimes in an argument, his sadness comes with anger. his tears come with his raised voice and the overwhelming stress of it all. his emotions aren't necessarily black and white, especially his negative ones. they are sort of an accumulation of each other.
q = quizzes (how much would they remember about you? do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)
felix is such a caring person and it's quite impressive to see just how much he remembers about everyone he loves
that's why he is so good at giving gifts! he remembers what people have pointed out before in the past, or remembers everyone's hobbies and interests
just everything. he knows a lot more than he gives himself credit for, that's for sure
r = remember (what is their favourite moment in your relationship?)
every single moment with you is genuinely so impactful and important for felix
that's why he remembers every little detail. that's why he takes pictures whenever you go out together. that's why he always thinks fondly of the past whilst readily arranging more stuff for you to do together
all the moments with you are his favourite, as cliché as it sounds. he genuinely couldn't be happier
s = security (how protective are they? how would they protect you? how would they like to be protected?)
he is quite protective actually
he just needs to know your okay and well and if you're not then he gets upset
loyalty to the end and will defend you for as long as possible
but typically, felix is on the receiving end of protection. so i feel like it would work both ways in your relationship
t = try (how much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)
felix is notorious for being the best gift-giver
and he doesn't need a special occasion to prove his love for you
sometimes he will buy you things he comes across randomly
"i saw this and thought of you"
and sometimes he will even make a gift for you. there are no limits to his love!
in regards to dates, i'd say he's a romantic guy for sure so he will try and do all the cliche dates to ever exist just because he thinks it's such a cute idea
u = ugly (what would be some bad habits of theirs?)
he doesn't have any bad habits.
that's it. that's me done for this one.
v = vanity (how concerned are they with their looks?)
this guy has a fluctuating self-esteem and, more recently, a negative view of himself and his body
so he is concerned with his looks. much more than he should be
and all i hope for him is that he comes to a time in his life where he is happy with how he is and doesn't feel the need to change anything about himself
because he is perfect. he really is.
w = whole (would they feel incomplete without you?)
yes. felix is a person who has the tendency to rely on others
and once he finds his special someone, there's no turning back for him
he does believe in soulmates and after meeting you, he realises that his life has changed forever. living without you simply isn't a real reality to him
doesn't matter what multiverse you're in, in every case you are his and he is yours
x = xtra (a random headcanon for them.)
brownie boy here needs to have baking dates with you
he likes feeling useful so when you ask how to make his special type of brownies he feels confident in himself as he teaches you how to make them
and he is a gentle and calm teacher <3
just wants to have fun tbh
ends up throwing flour on your just because
you both are licking all the brownie mixture off the cutlery once you're done #traditions
idk it's just such a good time and he loves having that type of fun with you
y = yuck (what are some things they wouldn't like, either in general or in a partner?)
felix is a very accepting and tolerating person
but he dislikes people who are ruthless and insensitive
he has a very sensitive soul to begin with. then, paired with someone who is unnecessarily harsh and doesn't even seem to care they've hurt someone? not a good mix
z = zzz (what is a sleep habit of theirs?)
i don't know what to tell you, except for the fact that he looks just so at peace when he sleeps
truly angelic
probably has a very cute, quiet little snore
and will have to cuddle into you because he's just ;-; yeah
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crunchesmunches · 2 months
Text
I feel bad shit insane talking to a wall about dragneel brothers 😭
Anyways silly brother hc that would fit into lore if zeref didn’t have a curse and joined fairy tail and wasn’t actually insane
-Zeref definitely constantly makes sure his out fit is correct and tidy like he doesn’t mean to do it but he just feels more in control of himself that way. And when he sees Natsu’s clothes always messed up and messy he constantly fusses about it after he fights and brushes Natsu off without realizing
-Natsu is zerefs biggest weakness if that weakness was he just doesn’t wanna hurt Natsu emotionally or physically at all like Natsu is his baby. Zeref could never actually hurt Natsu badly sure Zeref is fully aware Natsu can handle anything but if he’s fighting and someone put Natsu infront of that attack he would immediately stop it, Natsu is very important to him and Natsu knows that to. which why he used it to get stuff from Zeref
-I know zeref made lullaby as a whole killing thing but it would be really funny if zeref also created things or other instruments that reminded him of people he liked especially Natsu so there’s a flute out there that’s just for Natsu but will never be found cause it won’t be played unless Natsu finds it. There’s tons of zerefs instruments and creations out there that aren’t for anyone but Natsu
-Natsu likes to draw not well and he draws like a five year old however whenever it does it just makes him incredible happy and carefree (this is totally not based off of that scene in 100 year quest when Natsu wrote in the library books) and he doesn’t tell anyone about it but he likes to draw people sometimes it’s good sometimes it’s not but it just makes Natsu happy and whenever zeref sees Natsu draws he always sits next to him and watches happily
-Natsu’s very short and I mean like 5,3 and it’s cause Natsu has always been small he’s just small and zeref cant get over how funny it is because Natsu convinced half the people he knows he’s taller than he is by just not standing directly next to them it just makes zeref giggle sometimes Natsu literally needs to climb on him for missions but Natsu being small helps them do a lot of things like sneak into vents or something
-zeref is a big hugger and wraps his arms around Natsu head and in a death grip he rubs his face in Natsu hair. Sometimes zeref will lift Natsu up to see things and he always hugs Natsu before lifting him up on his hands
-Natsu and zeref both speak a different language and it’s not a normal language it’s a mix of old language from there town and draconic which makes a weird language no one knows because the whole town was wiped out. I also believe this town had there own customs and beliefs and coexist with dragons just didn’t care for them which is why they knew draconic but so jumbled with some other language Natsu and zerefs culture and language is just incomprehensible to anyone. This town celebrated life and death which is why zeref is named after death and Natsu is the summer it’s like after a volcano erupts new life begins.
-igneel was fond of zeref and wanted zeref to stay with him when he dropped Natsu at his door and zeref still does not know why
-Natsu and zeref hold hands all the time to not lose each other
-zeref has dragon parts like Natsu but more demonic from his curse but he’s rarely seen with his demon/dragon tail
-Natsu and zeref act so similar sometimes there both bubbly in the same way boyishly happy to be around each other
-would elfman Mirajane and lissanna be the opposite of ignia zeref and Natsu I think they have a “who are the better siblings battle
-Natsu and zeref hate ignias “nieces” (the gold dragons ancestors) because they thing there such great siblings when there just the worst versions of them
-Natsu and zeref can never take things seriously there always giggling and confused by the target
-zeref has a cat called misery which is the opposite of happy and is a Scottish fold cat and also purple (ignia also has a cat who’s a lynx or leopard who can’t stand ignias ass)
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aftgficrec · 8 months
Note
This is the first time I’ve ever caught you open! Can you send fics of just neil being put through absolute hell. I only need it to be finished and to have a not totally sad ending. Im good with canon post canon and aus so really whatever. Thank you so much I find literally all my fics on your page <3
This kid just can’t catch a break, can he?
There’s plenty of fics we can offer you where Neil doesn’t have a great time (physically or emotionally), just see our list of recs from previous posts.  You’ll find more under our raven!neil, dark and angst w/happy ending tags (not all fics in those tags are complete).  
Please be aware of the trigger warnings though, due to their nature some of these fics deal with some heavy material.
Hope you’ll find what you’re looking for here! - S
A selection from previous posts:
‘Black As Is The Raven, He’ll Get A Partner’ and ‘Timeless’ here
‘hawk in the raven nest’  here
‘Take to the Wing’  here
‘Oh Raven’  here
‘Die Free or Die a Failure’ and ‘Night is the Raven, Day is the Fox’ (both completed) here
‘Scared to Live (But I'm Scared to Die)’ (completed) here
‘Not Damsels, Not Knights’ here
‘what it takes to survive’ (completed) here
‘Heartlines’ and ‘This Is What Hollows’ (completed) here
‘If Only I Were Enough’ (completed) and ‘don't break the glass’ (completed) here (part 1 of the glass series) 
‘Double Trouble’ series here
‘Out of the Ashes’ series here (Part 1 and 2 completed)
‘Make A Believer Out Of Me’ here
‘what if the butcher hurt neil permanently in baltimore’ here
 ‘here and where you are’ here
‘Pause and Restart My Heart’ series here
‘The Bones of You’ here
‘and in a flash, it’s gone’ and ‘(don’t fear) the reaper’ here
‘Creatures We Find in the Forest’ here
‘There Now, Steady Love’ and ‘Except When It's No’ here
‘I Hope You Lie To Me’ here
‘The Story After You’ here
‘and you thought i hated you’ here
‘The Morning AUs, Chapter 14: The Bodyguard AU’ here
‘If all else perished, and he remained’ here
‘stifle my choice and the air in my lungs’ here
‘Purple Skies’ here
‘Monsters on the Top Floor’ here
‘The Reaper’ and ‘TALE OF A MARTYR IN XII PARTS’ (both completed) here
‘The Nameless Monster’ here
‘Through our memories, we live’ (completed) and ‘Hold Each Other, Chapter 24-31: Go or Go Ahead’ here
‘Hold Each Other: Chapter 5: The Gun Still Rattles’ here, ‘Chapter 7: Nothing Always Means Something’ here
‘Calling Me Back Once Again’ here
‘Amor Vincit Omnia’ (completed)  here 
‘Run to You’ here
‘Ghost of You’ here
You may also find something in these posts:
Neil with depression/mental health issues here
Neil attempts suicide here
Christmas at Evermore here
What Lies in Wait by starwarned [Rated M, 23419 words, complete, 2023]
Neil is being haunted — or else he’s losing his mind. All he can hear are the screams echoing in his head. But he and Andrew have made it this far, haven’t they? Can’t they survive a little more? Based on What Lies Beneath.
tw: violence, tw: psychological torture, tw: kidnapping 
Pull Up The Ladder When The Flood Comes by WinterFrost250 [Rated M, 3248 words, complete, 2023]
“Neil-” Kevin paused and looked around the room. As if only just realizing they were surrounded by people, he began speaking in vehement French. “I’m sorry Neil I didn’t mean to look, I just-” Kevin glanced down at his phone, “It was just there when I opened it. I’m sorry.” OR Kevin gets sent pictures from an unknown number of Neils's time in Evermore and shit hits the fan.
tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: panic attacks
the boy in the basement by iriswords [Rated M, 3376 words, complete, 2023]
Part 21 of Febuwhump 2023 The Wesninskis are a well-known family in town. A macabre one, with only one survivor: Nathan Wesninski. Every day, Andrew likes to pass in front of the house on his way back home. He observes it distantly, taken over by morbid curiosity. It's how he notices the eyes watching him through the windows of the basement.
tw: violence, tw: torture, tw: blood, tw: major character injury, tw: implied/referenced abuse
next best thing by iriswords [Rated M, 1546 words, complete, 2023]
Part 13 of Febuwhump 2023 Mary and Nathaniel are caught by one of Nathan's enemies while they're on the run. Said enemy doesn't have anything against the two of them, but he deeply desires revenge on Nathan. And in the absence of Nathan, he chooses the next best thing.
tw: violence, tw: blood, tw: major character injury
keep telling me that it gets better (does it ever?) by phan_taloon [Rated M, 15415 words, complete, 2022, locked]
Except the cool steel felt too much like the cool cement of a dirty basement, it burned and numbed his back too much like- He wasn’t fine. But his meds could fix it. He scrambled to his feet, stumbling down the hall to the bathroom and yanking the cabinet open and grabbing the pill bottle in a fist tight enough to hurt. He shook one of the pretty little pills into his palm and he swallowed it dry. But one wasn’t enough. Or, AU where Neil never met the Foxes, with a little less mafia and a little more pain for Neil when he ends up captured by Nathan for months, and has to deal with the consequences by himself. He ends up in treatment for chronic pain with opioids, and let's just say opioid use is tricky when you're alone and in pain; one thing can lead to another more easily than it seems.
tw: drug addiction, tw: drug overdose, tw: withdrawal, tw: suicidal thoughts, tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: vomit
no matter when and where, we'll be alright by jingerhead [Rated M, 11611 words, complete, 2022]
Of all the night’s events, there were only three things that Nathaniel really remembered clearly: the moments before the riots, being questioned by Lola in the car, and watching his father walk down the stairs to the basement. The last thing Nathaniel could remember was the way the light caught the blade of his father’s axe, blinding and terrifying as it was raised towards the ceiling. He couldn’t remember it coming down but it had to one way or another, right?
tw: amputation, tw: nightmares, tw: panic attacks
are we whole or just two halves/reaching out to the unknown? by Raphael_Stantiago [Not Rated, 18881 words, complete, Aftg Big Bang 2022]
An informant/defence attorney au, where Neil never left his father and was sucked into the family business, and gave them all up as soon as possible. However, when Neil meets his attorney Andrew, it gets a little more complicated. Cue them falling in love across various court cases, arrests and one on one meetings, all with the threat of witness protection hanging over their heads. NB: fic art by @oliviaillustrations here
tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: implied/referenced violence, tw: dissociation 
All Alone, I've Lost the Hope by phan_taloon [Rated T, 6873 words, complete, 2021, locked]
Even now, lying in the cold concrete floor of wherever he is, surrounded by armed men and women, drowsy from a concussion and drugs, and body pulsating in pain from several places, he still doesn’t believe in regret. Even at the face of the bastard in front of him, the cruel smile and the hungry glint of his eyes, he’d always choose to stay. Even if the FBI may have been right to say the Witness Protection Program was the only logical path to choose with so many of his father’s men and allies still out there.
also available on tumblr here and here 
tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: kidnapping, tw: nonconsensual drug use, tw: blood, tw: suicidal thoughts, tw: depression
It never comes from your enemies by spectaclesandbooks [Rated T, 19408 words, complete, 2021]
"Name?" "Andrew Minyard," he pushes out through gritted teeth. “Well well well,” the man on the other end sounds amused, smug. Andrew waits for him to continue, his feet pounding against the pavement. “If you’re the one coming to meet me, I have to assume you’ve finally found a way to keep Josten on a leash?” The clink of metal, rough breathing, unseeing blue eyes, panicked pleading. When Andrew doesn’t answer, the Raven presses further. “Either you’ve found a way to keep him subdued or you’re not coming alone like you were told. Which is it, Minyard? I told you what would happen if you didn’t do as you were asked.” “Neil won’t be bothering us,” Andrew spits out, “he’s staying at home for this one.” There’s movement on the other end of the phone, presumably the Raven preparing to leave and come meet him. “Excellent,” he says easily. “That means you and I can conduct our business in peace and no-one gets hurt."
tw: violence, tw: blood, tw: panic attacks, tw: implied/referenced self harm
That one party series by Thegaydepression [Rated T, 13872 words, 2 complete works, 2021]
Part 1: Orange (T (we say M), 9237 words)
"Orange is for someone who doesn’t suffocate. But Neil does. He suffocates and he feels it clawing at his throat and beating in his ears and pounding on his chest" ----------------------- Neil thought he was fine, but then he goes to a stupid, loud, bright party. Neil thought he was fine, but he isn't. Not at all.
tw: rape/noncon, tw: violence, tw: panic attacks, tw: depression, tw: anxiety, tw: nightmares, tw: implied/referenced self harm
Part 2: Maybe Orange isn't Suffocating (Not Rated, 4635 words)
A second part to "Orange" ---------------------------------- Andrew is (not) coping Aaron is a surprisingly good brother Neil is not fine
tw: rape/noncon, tw: violence, tw: kidnapping, tw: dissociation, tw: panic attacks, 
hold me close (don't let go) by cake_lovin_ace [Rated G, 4123 words, complete, 2021]
Part 2 of weight of a martyr night by night memories of his childhood flooded his mind’s eye, all the things neil had tried his hardest to suppress. all the times he had been hurt; gotten the scars that littered his torso; been betrayed by the very people meant to protect him. it was like reliving everything all over again in vivid technicolor, and when he managed to claw his way out of the maze his mind trapped him in it was all he could do to remain upright and not crumpled on the floor; on the bed instead of hidden below it; dry-cheeked instead of sobbing hysterically. or neil struggles with memories of the past. andrew helps.
tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: panic attacks, tw: dissociation
what comes after nightmares by moth_writes [Rated T, 10146 words, complete, Aftg Big Bang 2020]
Father won't accept anything less than the best. Nathaniel shuts his eyes and wills himself to a dreamless sleep. Or at least one without knives and blood and pain. He's not successful, but the next time he wakes it is to an alarm and the sun in his window. It's the best he can hope for. ... Neil falls asleep easily, and he knows he has someone with him to battle the darkness back where it belongs now. Neil is thirty, and he is wrapped in his husband’s arms with two cats purring next to them. He fights his own nightmares, and he has his family at his side to help. He’s home. (Neil's nightmares and what happens after, ages 5-30.)
NB: find art for this fic by @i-did here
tw: graphic descriptions of violence, tw: nightmares, tw: child abuse, tw: implied/referenced torture
👑 ROYAL AU WRITING MASTERPOST 👑 by @emry-stars-art [tumblr, 2023]
(especially the posts concerning Neil’s (Abram’s) treatment at Evermore)  e.g. Abram’s return from Evermore, Pieces of his recovery, Andrew taking over Abram’s care
👑 ROYAL AU TUMBLR LORE MASTERPOST 👑 by @emry-stars-art [tumblr, 2023] (comprises both text and art posts)
e.g. Abram's brands pt1 / pt2
tw: violence, tw: injuries, tw: scars, tw: panic attacks, tw: dissociation 
“Perhaps you’ll take me out one day — or do I have to make an appointment?” prompt fill by @ravenvsfox [tumblr, 2017]
His morning is a string of disasters that begins with covering the ER in the Sunday rush of hypochondriac elderly and fussy children. It’s one long stretch of kicked over paint buckets, a mess you can’t ignore, splattering the walls and getting on his shoes.
Art
andreil post-baltimore by @intradaya
It’s over. You’re going to be okay. We’ve got you. by @rainbowd00dles
"All that time fighting and you never learned how to duck?" by @rainbowd00dles
Sunrise, Abram, death: these are truths. by @boydsjosten
Neil Josten art by @runningwithhellhounds
Neil & Wymack after Evermore comic by @rijirain
Neil in the Wymack’s bathroom after winter holidays art by @eggpy
“Help me,” “Let me” by @rainbowd00dles
And if you make it out alive, hold that bloody head up high art by @pearsfears
I’m fine art by @laurafromnowhere
Nathaniel/Neil gif by @queen-of-perplexity
hurt Neil by @rhyva
62 notes · View notes
comfort-writing · 1 year
Text
Crayons and Cassettes
Chapter 12: Girls Day
You are a kindergarten teacher. Eddie’s daughter, Sage, is in your class. The rumor mill around Hawkins begins to spiral. Sage goes to the movies.
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warnings: this fic is 18+ in previous and future chapters- minors DNI!! no use of y/n. (please let me know if I missed anything)
a/n: sorry for not updating yesterday- I wanted to take a little break. I hope this longer fluffy chapter makes up for it. let me know in the comments or my asks if you want to be added to the tag list! requests are open!
word count: 5.2k
Chapter 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 || 14 (coming soon!)
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When you got a phone call from Robin asking if you wanted to hang out with her, you immediately took her up on her offer.
You were really looking forward to just having some one on time time with a friend. Although you’d definitely been welcomed into the little group, having an invitation to just hang out one on one made you feel like you really belonged.
Robin came over and watched you do your makeup, watching carefully so she could try to replicate parts of it. You taught her how to do the eyeliner look she liked too; there was a small mishap, however, it was nothing a makeup wipe and a little concealer couldn’t fix.
Once you were ready, the two of you piled into her car and she drove you into town. You stopped at some diner, a place called Benny’s, and the two of you squeezed into a booth that had probably seen better days.
“What have you been up to since I saw you at Steve’s?” You asked her, curious to know if anything exciting happened.
She shrugged, “Well, not much. I mainly did laundry and worked. But,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper after scanning the restaurant to see if anyone was listening, “a new girl started at work, and oh my god, she is so pretty.” She smiled.
You raised an eyebrow, “Ooh.. do you think she’s…?” You asked.
“I don’t know- that’s the problem. She just moved here from Chicago. Said she and her” she added air quotes, “‘partner’ broke up and she needed a change of scenery. Why she moved here I literally cannot fathom, but I don’t know.”
“Hey, I moved here for the exact same reason. It’s a good place- not expensive, plenty of jobs.. but that’s beside the point.” You rambled, “Did she like, say partner in a casual way, or like she was trying to not say another word?” You asked, leaning in and keeping your voices quiet.
“I-“ Robin was quickly interrupted by a scrawny high school age kid who wore the Benny’s uniform, asking what you guys wanted to order.
Once he was out of earshot, Robin leaned back in and whispered, “Like I said, I really don’t know. But she totally has a vibe about her.”
“A vibe?” You asked, a little confused.
“Yeah, dude.” She chuckled, “Like, she has a septum piercing and streaks of pink in her hair. I mean, you’ve at least got to break a few social norms to do that.”
You considered it for a moment, “Yeah, I guess so. But listen, I don’t want you to get your hopes up too much.” You said quietly. “I don’t want you to get hurt- emotionally or physically.”
She nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be careful. You forget I’ve been doing this for a while.” She chuckled. Robin had grown out of her awkwardness a bit as she’d aged, though there were definitely still traces of it in the way she would talk to loud when she was excited or would say something a little off topic because her mind ran faster than her mouth. It was endearing, though.
The teenager came back with your drinks; you’d ordered both ordered waters as well as milkshakes. You played it safe and got cookies and cream, while Robin ordered some strawberry-blueberry-chocolate-banana-peanut butter monstrosity. She smiled, “I’ve been coming here since high school, and I have perfected my milkshake order. You’ve got to try it.”
You wrinkled your nose at the thought, “Sorry, Robin, but I would probably die from all the sugar in that thing.” You laughed.
She shrugged and took a sip, smiling at the taste of the weirdly dark green liquid. You had no idea how it ended up that color, but you really didn’t want to know.
“How’s Eddie?” She asked, changing the subject from her love life to yours.
“He’s good. I haven’t been able to see him since you have, which kinda stinks. He’s been working a lot. I was thinking about stopping by the record store tomorrow just to drop in and say hi, but Sage goes there and hangs out while he works, so I don’t know if he’d be okay with it.” You sighed. You missed him.
“Does he not want you around her?” She inquired.
“Well, I wouldn’t say that. But we just kinda want to know where we’re at before bringing her into it. It’s not easy on a little kid to see their parent with someone new, you know?” You informed her, sympathetic to Sage’s feelings.
“Well, how do you feel about it all?” She asked.
You furrowed your brows, a little confused, “What do you mean?”
“Like, you know… how do you feel about keeping the two of you apart from the two of them? If you and Eddie do end up working out… have you thought about what you would be to Sage?” She asked.
You’d been so caught up in being worried about Sage’s feelings that you really hadn’t considered your own at that point. You pondered the possibilities for a moment, sipping on your milkshake. “Well… I mean, I’m okay with keeping it from Sage for a while. I think that’s normal for anyone who has kids, you know? Making sure your relationship is sound before introducing the concept to a child… and I really haven’t thought about what I would be to Sage..”
“Would you ever want to be her step-mom?” She asked, “That’s kind of the end goal there.”
You hummed and focused on the black and white liquid in your glass, “I-I don’t know. I don’t think I’m against it at all, but I don’t know if I’d be a good mom. Like, yeah, I know I’m good with kids, but I’ve always kind of approached them in almost a scientific way, if that makes sense? I know there’s a method to how you should talk and interact with them, at least in a school setting, in order to help them learn and grow. But I am really only trained for kids 6 and below. And I just… worry, I guess, about like.. messing her up or something.” You sighed, your insecurities showing a bit.
Robin reached her hand across the table and patted your arm, “Dude, you are like, the most motherly non-mom I’ve ever met. I’m positive you’d be good at it. Yeah, you’d make some mistakes, but every parent does. And I’m willing to bet that Eddie and Sage would help you through the process of figuring it all out.” She smiled.
“I guess so… but that’s probably years down the line before that would actually happen, so at least I’ve got time to get used to the idea.” You chuckled.
The waiter came back with your food, and you and Robin dug in. As you ate your french fries, a familiar face walked into the door: Mrs. Robinson, the other kindergarten teacher. She spotted you and you waved. She smiled and walked over to your table.
“Hey, Mrs. Robinson.” You greeted, smiling and cordial. “This is my friend, Robin.” You said, chuckling at the similar names.
“Oh, I know Robin.” She hummed, “She was one of my students years ago.” She’d definitely aged from the time Robin had been in her class, but she still looked and dressed the same. “And you can just call me Anne outside of work.”
Robin smiled up at her, “Nice to see you again.”
“Care to join us?” You asked, trying to be polite.
“Oh, thank you, but my husband is on his way here.” She smiled, then you saw it falter for a moment, “But I do have something to ask you.”
You raised an eyebrow, scooting over so she could sit next to you in the booth, “What is it?” You asked, having no clue as to what she could possibly ask you about.
“Well, I heard a rumor.. and I really just wanted to clear the air about it. I have no doubt in my mind that it’s not true, but I just wanted to confirm with you.” She said, waving her hand dismissively at the idea.
“What did you hear?” You asked, having a sinking feeling you knew where this was going.
“Well,” she started, clothing her purse close to her and leaning in, “I heard that you and that Eddie Munson boy were dating.” She chuckled, “Ridiculous, right? You wouldn’t go out with a boy like that- he’s not.. well, he’s from the wrong side of the tracks, literally.”
You felt Robin’s eyes on you, and you could practically feel her anger bubble, but you decided to keep it simple and professional.
“Oh, actually, Anne, I am. Dating Eddie, that is.” You smiled warmly, though you kind of wanted to punch her in the leg for how rude she’d been about it.
She looked utterly scandalized. “What?” She asked, clutching her purse in her lap, “Why- why would you ever do that, dear? Is your head screwed on straight?” She’d dropped her usually pretentious manner at this point, while you remained, outwardly, cool as a cucumber.
“Well, he’s a good man.” You said, slightly emphasizing the last word to correct her use of the word ‘boy’. “He has a good job, he just bought a home, and he is kind to everyone around him. I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.” You stated simply.
She sighed, grabbing your hand and holding it desperately. You wanted to smack it away, but you refrained, “Dear, he’s bad news.. he got a girl pregnant during his third repeat of senior year in high school. He notoriously deals drugs, he listens to that awful devil-worshiper music, he’s got these horrendous tattoos, and I mean, you’ve seen the way he dresses…and I heard that he was the leader of some Satanic-cult when he was younger.” She pleaded. “I don’t know how that precious baby girl hasn’t been taken from his home- it’s not safe.”
The longer the list became, the more agitated you felt, but you couldn’t let it show. If you made a scene, you’d only spur the rumors on. You took a deep breath, “Anne, he is a good man.” You reiterated, “Sure, he may have an eclectic sense of fashion and off-beat music taste, but that’s really all there is to it. He’s not a drug dealer, I like his tattoos, and the so-called ‘cult’ you’re referring to is just a storytelling game. It’s quite dorky, if I’m being honest.” You chuckled. “Plus, he is an amazing dad. He provides everything for Sage- she literally has anything she could ever want. And he’s involved. He came to every parent teacher conference, every recital, and he read to her every night to ensure she was excelling in school. He does a great job with her, and honestly, I think it’s a shame that more people done see that.” You paused for a moment before continuing, “You judge him based on his outward appearance and silly rumors you hear around town. But, if you had an actual conversation with him, you’d know that he is kind and genuine and absolutely hilarious.” You felt Robin smile with pride at your sentiments. “It’s quite foolish to think that anyone is not worth more than what you’ve heard about them, don’t you think?”
Mrs. Robinson shook her head and let your hand go, moving to get up, “I’m only trying to help you out, dear.”
“I appreciate that, but I can take care of myself.” You said coolly. “I’ll see you in our professional development workshop in two weeks.” You said, smiling like none of this phased you.
She left to go sit with her husband, and you looked over at Robin. “Woah, dude.. you’re like, the most level headed person I’ve ever met.” She mused.
Your smile turned strained, “Well I’m not about to be. Let’s go so I can say some choice words about what just occurred.” You said through gritted teeth.
Robin smiled and nodded quickly, digging cash out of her purse and slamming it on the table as the two of you got up from the table.
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Once her car was out of the parking lot and onto the main road, your hands were flying around in the air as you yelled, Robin cackling in the drivers seat.
“What the absolute fuck was her problem?! First of all, how is it any of her business who I choose to be with? I don’t give a fuck about her old bag of a husband, so why should she care what I do outside of school? Secondly, how the hell can she just judge someone based off of shifty rumors that were spread about him fucking years ago! Like, how fucking shallow can you be! Lastly, how dare she have the nerve to sit there and call Eddie a bad dad! He’s literally one of the best parents out there, hands down. Ugh, I want to show her Sage’s scores alone compared to her entire class just to shove that shit in her face!”
Robin laughed, “Yeah, literally what was her problem?” She asked, “And oh my god, you should have seen her fucking face when you said you two were going out! She looked like you’d shit in her cereal!” She cackled. “And how were you so calm? Oh my god you should take up acting! You have an amazing talent there- you should really capitalize on it!”
You groaned, “Well if I was even the slightest bit rude to her, she could’ve confirmed that he was like, ‘ruining me’, or whatever else she and her friends talk about when they gawk at the freshly eighteen lifeguards at the pool.” That made Robin laugh so hard to the point where she had to pull over in a random parking lot so she wouldn’t crash her car. “She also could’ve come for my job somehow. So I really wanted to kill her with kindness. Really let her choke on it.”
“Hell yeah, man” Robin said, holding her sides as you joined her laughter. “But seriously, you should’ve seen her face when you didn’t give her any sort of a reaction. She looked like she was going to explode.”
The two of you howled in her car, eventually dying down and wiping stray tears and hiding your sore stomachs. Once the two of you recovered, you guys looked up and saw that you were actually in the parking lot of the record store and that Eddie was in the window, staring at the both of you with the most bewildered look on his face. He looked like a lost puppy, raising an eyebrow and cocking his head to the side. You and Robin made eye contact again, paused for a moment, then bursted out into peals of laughter yet again.
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Since he’d already spotted the two of you, you both d decided to head inside the store. You got out of the car, shut the door, and linked your arm with Robin’s as the two of you walked in, still giggling.
“What is going on with you two?” Eddie asked, your laughter infecting him and making him chuckle.
“Sorry- it’s really not funny.” Robin sighed, “It’s actually kinda shitty, but it’s ridiculous, so it’s a little funny.”
You nodded, releasing Robin’s arm so she could go look around the store while you turned to Eddie to explain. “My coworker, Mrs. Robinson, you remember her?” You asked.
Eddie nodded.
“Well, Robin and I went to Benny’s. She walked in and criticized my choice in men, essentially.. Were really laughing at how I basically stone faced my way through it and she looked like she was going to shit her pants.” You sighed, rubbing a hand through your hair.
“Oh..” he whispered, sticking his hands in his pockets, looking a little dejected.
“I defended you, though, I swear.” You assured him, reaching out to grab his forearm gently. “I didn’t just like, let her bad mouth you. I just kind of… told her off with a smile on my face.”
Eddie shook his head quickly, “Oh, I have no doubt that you did that. I just-“ he placed his hand over the one you’d placed on his arm, “I hate that you’re catching flack for this. Hawkins isn’t an easy town for the unconventional.” He whispered, looking a little sad.
You raised an eyebrow, “Eddie, my skin is thicker than you think. I can put up with a lot of shit. And I really don’t care what other people think, as long as we’re good.” Your hand dropped from his arm to his hand, “The literal only reason I waited was because of my job. Hawkins’ opinion of me is irrelevant.”
He sighed and nodded, leaning in and kissing your forehead gently, “You’re kind of a badass.” He mumbled into your hair.
Robin overheard that statement and smiled, “Hell yeah she is, man. You should’ve seen her- so calm and relaxed while also ripping that old fart a new one. It was great.”
You laughed, leaning into Eddie‘s touch for a moment before he had to get back to work. “Hope you don’t mind we stopped in. We weren’t planning on it.”
He waved a hand dismissively as he went back to alphabetizing records, “You guys are always welcome.”
“Is Sage here?” You asked in a whisper.
He nodded, “She’s in the break room in the back. I’m sure she’ll run out here soon- she’s almost finished with her snack. I bet she’ll be happy to see you guys. The poor girl has been so bored all day, I just can’t exactly give her much to do.”
You nodded and started walking around the store, deciding to get some music while you were there. You peeled over to Robin’s stack of cassettes, which consisted of the usual pop stuff you’d hear on the radio.
It didn’t take long for Sage to wander out of the back of the store. She first ran to Eddie, who pointed to you and Robin, whispering something you couldn’t hear. She beamed and ran over to where the two of you stood, yelling your names and pulling Robin’s legs into a bear hug before doing the same to your own.
“Hey, kiddo!” Robin smiled, “How ya doin’?”
“I’m so booorrreeeddd.” Sage groaned, tossing her head back dramatically. She looked just like her dad in that moment and you couldn’t help but giggle.
“I’m sorry, Sage.” You sighed, “But, I might have something you can do.”
She picked her head up and eyed you suspiciously, “What?”
You crouched down to her level, “I need help finding some good music. Can you help me pick some stuff out?” You asked, Robin chiming in a short, “Me too.”
Sage beamed, excited to have a mission to complete. She grabbed one of yours and one of Robin’s hands enthusiastically and led you two through the store, pointing at the sections she liked, which mostly consisted of kids records. You guys played along, picking up records and examining each one and making a show out of either putting them in your pile or wrinkling your nose and putting them back, making her laugh.
You were so focused that you didn’t notice how Eddie had lost his focus. His eyes trained on you as you humored his daughter, helping her combat her boredom. The corners of his mouth twitched into a small smile, his chest swelling with a mixture of pride and joy. He loved that the two of you were friends.
Robin spotted him while you were busy making Sage giggle by holding a record up to the light like you were inspecting a dollar bill. She smirked at him, seeing how he was watching you, causing a blush to bloom across his cheeks and making him whip his head back to his work quickly.
Robin turned back to you and whispered something in your ear, and you smiled and nodded at the idea. She then walked up to Eddie, clapping him on the back, causing him to jump a little.
“Hey buddy old pal.” She chuckled.
Eddie sighed and looked down at the girl, having a feeling she was up to something, “What do you want, Buckley?” He deadpanned.
She laughed loudly, “Oh shut up, I’m trying to help you.” She took a beat before nudging him, “You want us to take Sage off your hands for a couple hours? We were planning on going to see a movie later, so we could take Sage with us so she doesn’t have to sit around here all day. It would be a great way for the two of them to bond too.”
Eddie thought about it for a moment, wishing that he could’ve been the one going with the two of you instead of Robin. “Yeah, sure. Just- we aren’t telling Sage about us yet, so could you please be on your best behavior?” He asked her.
She smiled and nodded before spinning on her heel and going back over to you, nodding her head like a little kid who’d just been told they could have a sleepover. You smiled and continued searching the store with her.
After you’d been convinced to buy a couple random cassettes by Sage, you walked over to Eddie hand in hand with his daughter, “Hey, we’re ready to check out.” You smiled.
Eddie turned and nodded, heading to the register and trying not to get flustered by your smile and how you interacted with his daughter. He’d tried to date in the past, but everyone had quickly bolted when they’d heard about his kid. So seeing you embrace her, while also liking him, felt like some kind of miracle.
You placed your items on the counter and picked up Sage and placed her there as well, “So, dad, can Sage come with us to the movies?” You asked, acting like she was one of the girls. “We’ll only let her have all the popcorn and candy and soda she could ever want.”
Sage’s eyes lit up and she looked at Eddie excitedly, “Please?” She asked, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. You copied her face, trying not to giggle.
He looked between the two of you, “You guys are going to be the death of me.” He chuckled, “But sure, Sage. You can go. We’ll just have to make sure we brush your teeth extra good before bed, okay?”
She nodded and smiled like it was Christmas morning, squealing and hugging you. You smiled and patted her back, watching Eddie put your items in a paper bag. She released you and you leaned over the counter, resting your elbows on the cool surface, “You want me to drop her off at your house after?” You asked.
He nodded, “Yeah, I get off work at 6, so I should be home by the time the movie gets out.” He handed you your bag and Robin walked up to purchase her items as well.
Once the two of you had everything, Robin picked up the bags and you picked up Sage, holding her on your hip like you’d been doing so for years. Eddie wanted to pull you into a kiss right then, but he knew better. That would’ve really confused Sage.
Robin smiled, “Well, thanks for letting us kidnap your child. We’ll be sure to spoil her so she won’t sleep tonight.” She joked.
The two of you walked back out to her car, and you buckled Sage into the back seat. “Oh, I think I forgot something inside. I’ll be right back.” You smiled before closing her door and walking into the shop. Robin knew exactly what you were doing, but she turned and talked to Sage to keep her occupied until you came back.
You walked back into the empty record shop and Eddie looked at you from the counter, “Hey- everything okay?” He asked. You smiled and walked behind the counter, then grabbed his hand and dragged him to the back room, which made him raise his eyebrows raise in shock, “What are you do-“
Once you were out of the field of view of the parking lot, you pulled Eddie down to kiss you. He was a bit surprised at first, but after a moment, he leaned into it and kissed you back, his arms wrapping around your waist.
Your arms wrapped around his shoulders and he pulled you close, melting into your presence. After a moment, he broke the kiss slowly and looked down at you, a little starstruck, “What was that about?” He asked, smiling against your lips, neither of you having backed away.
“I don’t care what anyone thinks. I like you.” You whispered, making eye contact with him and keeping him close.
He hummed, “I don’t either. And I like you too.” He leaned in once more and kissed you again, humming against your lips before you two separated, stepping back. “By the way, totally unfair that Sage gets a movie date before I do.”
You chuckled, “Our first date was a movie.”
“Yeah, but there wasn’t movie theatre popcorn.”
“Well I’m free this weekend if you want to go.”
He nodded and pecked you one more time before you turned and walked out, Eddie smacking your ass lightly as you walked away, causing you to giggle and roll your eyes as you left the store.
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The ride to the theatre was filled with terrible singing, as Robin insisted on cranking up the radio and rolling the windows down. Once you guys pulled into the movie theatre parking lot, you helped Sage get out and the two of you held her hands, lifting her up and swinging her as you walked into the theatre.
You guys picked a child appropriate movie to watch, bought the tickets, then raided the concession stand, buying way more snacks than the three of you could consume within a 2 hour window. You found your seats and got comfy, passing the popcorn bucket between the three of you, Sage in the middle and having to use both hands, as the thing was half her size.
The movie started and Sage was transfixed, giggling at the obvious jokes while you and Robin chuckled at the jokes they included for the adults in the room. When she’d had her fill of the snacks, Sage sighed and leaned against you, resting her little head on your arm. You moved it and allowed her to rest on your side as you wrapped an arm around her.
You looked over at Robin, who’d noticed the sweet scene, and smiled softly. She gave you a subtle thumbs up and turned her attention back to the screen.
Eventually, Sage fell asleep against you, her head having slowly drifted to your lap with tired eyes. You played with her hair as she slept, and you and Robin sat through the rest of the movie, whispering “that’s what she said” every time the joke could’ve been set up.
Once the credits rolled, you slowly moved and picked Sage up, letting her sleep as you walked out to the car. You had to rouse her when you got in, though, as she needed to sit up so you could buckle her in. She whined, but complied, sleepy and rubbing her eyes.
The ride over to Eddie’s was quiet, the radio playing softly as you watched Hawkins pass outside of the window. Robin pulled into Eddie’s driveway and you suddenly realized that you hadn’t been to his house yet.
Sage had fallen asleep again in the backseat, so you slowly got her out, telling Robin that you had it- don’t worry. She stayed in the car as you walked to the front door and knocked, rubbing Sage’s back as you waited for him to answer.
Eddie opened the door and saw his baby girl asleep in your arms. The sight made his knees feel a little weak. “Hey.” He whispered, stepping aside to let you in.
You smiled and walked into his house. It was cozy. There weren’t many decorations, but there was a killer music collection in the living room, bookshelves lined with cassettes and records and CDs, along with a few different ways to play the music. An acoustic guitar sat in the corner, covered in sparkly princess stickers, courtesy of Sage. A bin of toys sat beside the couch, and Sage had apparently set up a stuffed animal tea party at the bar in the kitchen. You really wouldn’t have expected anything else. It was perfect.
“Sorry it’s kind of a mess.” He whispered.
You shook your head, “It’s fine.” You adjusted Sage on your hip, “Where’s her room? I can just go lay her down.”
He led you down a hallway and to a room that looked like a rainbow sparkle unicorn barfed in it. It was so cute. You laid Sage down in her little bed before you and Eddie snuck out. You stretched as the two of you walked back to the living room, “You have a good day at work?” You asked, raising your arms above your head and stretching your back.
“Yeah. The usual, I guess. Seeing you was nice.” He smiled, reaching over and placing a hand on your waist, “Thank you for taking Sage. She was so bored. I feel bad- I really can’t afford a regular babysitter during the summers, so I just take her with me. There’s a tv and stuff in the break room, but having to entertain yourself for that long when you’re five years old is not easy.”
You nodded, “Of course, Eddie. I love hanging out with her.” You hummed, “And if she’s ever bored again, you can always call me and I can take her for the day.”
“You don’t have to do that.” He said softly.
“Yeah, I don’t. But Sage is a fun kid. Plus it’ll get me out of the house. I feel like I’m rotting in there.” You joked.
He chuckled, “Thank you.” He whispered before pulling you in for a hug. You hugged him back, taking in how he smelled: dust from the record store, a stale cigarette, coffee, and cologne mixed into an interesting and intoxicating smell that was distinctly him. You backed out of the hug, then looked down the hallway to ensure Sage wasn’t walking down it before leaning up and kissing him sweetly.
“I’ll see you this weekend?” You asked, looking hopeful.
He nodded, “Of course. I can’t wait.” He smiled.
You nodded and left his house, piling back into Robin’s car and driving off, feeling warm and fuzzy all over. Maybe you could let yourself start to think about the future a little more.
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Tag List: @mcueveryday @bebe0701 @emma77645 @edsforehead @manda-panda-monium @nina211544 @wendyfawcett @whisperinthewoods07
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conostra · 5 days
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Griffith's Relationships (2)
The White Hawk. The White Phoenix. The King of Falconia. The Savior. Femto. The Blessed King of Longing. Once, the greatest mortal to ever wield a sword. The bane of the Black Swordsman. The most beautiful man alive. Him with a stature nothing short of pure magnificence. You know him. You love to hate him. I’m talking about one of the greatest characters not just in manga, but in all of fiction: Griffith.
Griffith is one of many examples of how masterful Kentaro Miura was with a pen, be it pressing against a notebook or a panel. An incredibly written character, as complex as they can come, with some of the most complicated, deep, and tragic relationships I’ve ever seen put to any form of media.
Today, I’ll be discussing what is inarguably a core tenet of Berserk: Griffith’s relationships. With two exceptions, there is no dispute that Griffith’s relationships are not the singular most important part of the media he resides in, there is no debate over whether or not they are still crucial parts of understanding both Guts’ disposition, and the world of Berserk itself. Griffith’s different approaches to interacting with those in his vicinity warps the very world itself, and his whims shape the very nature of the conflicts the protagonist engages in.
Here, we will be discussing Griffith’s most important relationships through Berserk, how they shaped him, and what they explain about who he is and how he got to where he is now.
Part 1: The Boy, and The Hawks
Part 2: The Governor.
Part 3: The King.
Part 4: Charlotte.
Part 5: The Wings of the Hawk (1)
Part 6: The Wings of the Hawk (2)
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Part 2: The Governor
Griffith was a young boy, molested by an old man to increase the odds of a shot at his pipe dream. Later on, Griffith proves he deserves no sympathy. A larger-than-life figure, a literal living legend, born from a mountain of bones and bloodshed he could have prevented. But here, in this moment, acting out of pure desperation to succeed after a watershed moment in his time as a leader, Griffith is small. He is weak. He is taking on an impossible task, chiseling a quarry into a sculpture with nothing but a rock in his hand. To go from a peasant in a run-down town, to a noble, much less a king, would get him laughed out of any of Midland’s few places that would accept him, and perhaps fare much worse fates when presented with any of that royal blood itself. He needs any resources he can scrounge up, even more so after the devastation that the death of a young boy under his care wrought on his psyche. And so, in this moment, Griffith chooses to put his dream, and his people, over himself, allowing the most debasing act humanely possible to be performed with his body, giving up any notions of autonomy through the “allowed” desecration of his physicality, all for the sake of attempting to gain his self-efficacy back through the easing of the also grueling task that still lays before him.
This obliterated Griffith’s self-image, the very notion of himself that he carried in his own mind. He breaks down into tears the dawn of the very next day, Casca alone there to witness. While attempting to talk very seriously about the logistics of the coming struggles he must deal with, putting on the face that it is through these reasons alone he performs the acts he does, he also grips his arms, tearing so hard he rends his own flesh, blood running down into the water he was cleaning himself in below. His real mental state slips through, if only for a moment. This Griffith is not as emotionally or psychologically refined as who he will become. He looks at Casca, spotting her as she attempts to flee the scene before his breakdown begins. He asks her, quite plainly: “Am I dirty?” And, although you cannot blame Casca for how she responds, considering she is even younger than him, she does not say no. She does not respond to the question at all, letting it linger, before asking him a question of her own. 
He did it for troops, he says. He did it for money, power, means through which to acquire all he desires. But he primarily did it, of course, as a shortcut. Whatever resources he gains through other means, means less resources have to be gained at the expense of his troops. Whatever gold, whatever prowess, whatever the currency, he reasons that it has a value not just worth itself, but one which includes the cost of the lives he would have to stake in order to get it through warfare. This is how Griffith, in his own way, warped by the path he has been on and the decisions that have been both made by and thrust upon him, shows his affection. Shows how valuable his troops, his people, how valuable each individual life is to him.
To the governor, Griffith was easily worth whatever measly trinkets he had to throw his way. In fact, Griffith was quite literally “worth the value of his weight in gold, an intoxicating phantom.” To this day, all this time later, that singular night of “revelry” has dominated his mind. Obsessively. Every boy now in his… care… bears resemblance. Every one of them carries his face. Every one of them wears his hair. Every spare, waking moment has been filled with nothing but the thought of how he might, one day, be lucky enough to cage the White Hawk. And one day, an opportunity arises. The Hawks, the greatest force in Midland’s army, have been sent to capture the very castle he resides in. And this lingers in his mind as the battle draws out, the chance to once again have Griffith in his palms nearly as titillating as the memory itself. 
So much so, in fact, that the Governor throws the battle away. He sets outlandish rewards for an even more outlandish request: take the Hawk, and clip his wings, and carry him to me, with nary a scratch otherwise. And this costs them the battle, and may well lose them the war. And this leads to yet another face-to-face with the Hawk himself.
And those eyes.
Griffith puts on a very cold, calculating facade through the entirety of Berserk, but it is very clear that this is exactly that- a facade. When he is in a particularly expressive mood, there is one part of him that betrays his true feelings: his eyes. Eyes show the soul, or so they say, and Griffith embodies this idea to his very core. Griffith’s eyes are as much windows to his true feelings as they are windows to hell. They are known for almost literally freezing characters in place, with the pure intensity they emanate out into the world, and specifically at whoever is looking. They are his truest way to show how he really feels about any particular event, and in the case of the Governor, they hold such raw malice that it instantly makes him sweat. It also betrays that despite what he claims immediately after his eyes betray him, the governor has, indeed, occupied quite a space in Griffith’s mind since the event transpired.
Those eyes Griffith carries, which wear his passion, his fiery disposition, however he may feel and to whoever it may be directed right on his face. Those eyes, here, so full of seething disgust and rampant hatred, that even he cannot pretend so well as to feign ignorance to his feelings. The Governor notices the waves of turbulence, seeing those eyes, and asks Griffith outright if he has any hatred for him. Griffith rejects the idea, recovering from his stupor at the mere sight of the man who once violated him, and denies him. No, he says, “I do not resent you.” But once again, Griffith betrays himself. 
He goes on another long tangent about the logistics behind his decision-making, and then slips again. 
“However, it would be quite beyond reason to say that I’ve yearned for you.
I simply have no emotional interest in you at all. Resentment, endearment… nothing.
I just took the liberty of using you when the opportunity appeared.
You were like a stone lying by the side of the path I walk.
That… and nothing more.”
And then, when all is said and done?
Griffith stabs him in the face, citing that him being alive to spread unsightly rumors would be a risk to his dream.
Once more, Griffith engages with his emotions in an emotionally self-destructive way, and once again, his habits are reinforced. There is no blowback from doing this to the governor. There is no solace to be found in it, sure, as the effects he left on Griffith linger into perpetuity, but there is no harm in his action. Except for to himself. It allows him to continue engaging in these behaviors, to continue to shut himself off emotionally and act as though rules, and logic, and objectivity are what gear his thinking, even though he is, at his heart, an emotional man, controlled by emotional experiences. Perhaps, if not for the governor’s hanging influence over his life, he would not make the decisions he does later. Perhaps, if not for the governor’s hanging influence, he would not act the way he does. As I will discuss later, Sexuality, Affection, and Romance become both a part of Griffith's toolbelt and a looming shadow that darkens his thoughts.
Because the governor’s touch did not just poison Griffith’s body, but his mind, his heart, and the very soul of his will.
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Blood Garnet - WIP Intro
it's a working title leave me alone
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Aka: WIP Wednesday / Vaguely Summarized WIP / I'm Desperately Trying to Get This Dumb Story Out of My System
DISCLAIMER: this stupid story is a silly, self-indulgent mess that would require a lot of hard work to make it, um, fit for human consumption. It was my little brain break between finishing The Queen of Lies and restarting The Court of Rogues. It may not ever get finished. 🤷‍♀️ So, uh, you're forewarned. 😇
OPEN TAG for WIP Wednesday, Vaguely Summarized Plot, or both 😊- there's a lot of nonsense in here so I feel bad subjecting even more people to it 😂
Let's use this cheeky lil post for some recent WIP Wednesday tags: Thank you @kaylinalexanderbooks and @sleepywriter00 for the tags! Posts here and here (same post chain).
Rules: Pick a WIP. Post something about it. On a Wednesday. Or whenever! It can be literally anything! 😊 (It does NOT need to be extra as this😅.)
Mood Board
don't anyone say anything about how there isn't a single gemstone on this mood board
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What's It About?
Take a drink every time you see an element Kate's used before in other stories. 😅
Evyn, a schoolteacher, impulsively embarks on a journey in an effort to escape the chokehold of her small village, overbearing uncle, and inevitable (and unwanted) fate as someone’s happy little wife. It’s risky, of course: wild animals roam the woods, and she still doesn’t know the source of the mysterious lights that gleam through the darkness at night. However, she gets more than she bargained for—the forest is not what it seems, nor are those mystical yellow lights.
The Fae, creatures of legend, are real.
And they’re coming for her.
Vaguely Summarized Plot
Also using up another tag here! Thank you @mysticstarlightduck for this one! Posts here and here. The tag is kind of perfect for this seeing as I don't know much of the plot myself, so I have no choice but to be vague. :)
Rules: Summarize your WIP in 15 2-5 word bullet points (as if you were trying to summarize it in 15 seconds). (I didn't stick to the limit at all.)
✨ “So the forest's been kind of glowing lately? And no one but me seems to have noticed? Ok. Coolcoolcool.”
✨ “Get married? Me? Never!” Evyn Edition: Simply Not Interested But I Must Be Lying Because All Women Want to Get Married, Amirite?
✨ “Get married? Me? Never!” Jonathan Edition: Very Not Straight But Try Telling That To My Religious Zealot of a Father
✨ Jealous twin will NOT let his sister win control of their clan like she wins everything else, damn it (footnote 1)
✨ Emo loner who can’t go home (on pain of death) just wants these weird dreams about some random-ass human to please STOP (footnote 2)
✨ “I’m going to pursue independence! In another town! On a time crunch! By walking through the woods! At night! I’m a schoolteacher with no survival experience! This Is A Good Idea!”
✨ Grumpy grandma re: pesky human: What is her deal?
✨ “Hello yes hi I’m the emo loner. I’m unrealistically attractive. I saved you for reasons I won’t explain. But also I don’t talk to humans. Or Fae, really. Or. Like. Anyone. Not often anyway. What’s talking again?”
✨ “So, like, you're kind of hot … but you’re, uh, my enemy?? But I haven't figured that out yet?? And also, do we, like, have weird sexual tension, haha, or is it just me? Hahahaha! … But seriously, do we?”
✨ "Hey I know you have breathing issues or whatever, so you don’t like dusty or dirty or humid places, but … wanna take a shortcut through this super duper cool underground cave system?”
✨ “Haha, what? No?! There’s no reason I’m avoiding this area of the forest! Nope! No reason at all!”
✨ YOU get a betrayal! And YOU get a betrayal! And YOU get a—
✨ “Who is the monster and who is the man?” (footnote 3)
✨ This asylum makes the one in TQOL look like a vacation! (footnote 4)
✨ Sexy villainess gets to emotionally torture one MC and then physically torture another. AND psychologically torture them both! Hell, maybe she’ll even kill one of ’em too! Fun for the whole family!
Footnotes
(1) IT’S NOTHING LIKE ZUKO AND AZULA SHUT UP
(2) IT’S NOTHING LIKE RHYSAND AND FEYRE SHUT UP
(3) IT’S NOTHING LIKE QUASIMODO AND FROLLO SHUT—oh who am I kidding 🎶
(4) Technically the whole asylum thing happened in this story first, like, 2 or 3 years ago. That version just lives in a purple notebook that will never be seen by any eyes but mine. So, really, TQOL stole the asylum setting from BG, not the other way around.
Character Vibes
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Evyn, human, orphaned as a child and raised by her aunt and uncle. Now a schoolteacher who sees yellow lights no one else can see.
“My heart cannot be captured. I intend to die an old maid, surrounded by papers and books. Good afternoon!”
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Jonathan, human. Evyn's cousin, a clerk. Just truckin' on through a life he finds endlessly tedious and unsatisfying.
“Cecil’s a soggy piece of tree bark in a hat,” he said before he could stop himself.
Ah, Jonathan Garnet. A man who gained a single speck of favour with his impossible-to-please father…and promptly hurled it into the wind.
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Dharan, Fae. Exiled from his clan years ago for murdering another Fae.
The Fae leapt up, standing straight and bending his knees as if to run—or perhaps pounce. One hand hovered over the stolen knife on his belt; the other, he extended to her.
He looked away from his foe to meet her gaze, uttering a single word:
“Run.”
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Rennith, Fae. Heir to his clan but competing for the title against his twin sister.
He was a man, it seemed, but those eyes bespoke something much more ancient—of man, but not man himself. Silver hair, an impossible shade, framed a face sculpted into sharp angles, as cold and pale as if it were made of ice.
A Fae creature forged in primordial fire, carved from gold, silver, and mother-of-pearl.
For the Whump People Here:
Whumpy Things I've Managed to Squeeze into the First 13,000 words
Humiliation/embarrassment (minor)
Hyperventilation, dyspnea
Angst (minor)
Grabbed in the dark
Abducted
Restrained (but make it magic)
Magically forced to obey commands
Chin grab
Whumpy Things I've Got Planned But Haven't Written
Angst (major)
Stabbed
Various fight-related injuries I won't know till I write them
Betrayed by someone you trust
Drugged/knocked out
Humiliation/embarrassment (major)
Imprisoned
Taunted by the antagonist
More magic restraints (but turn it up to eleven)
Tortured (but make it magic)
Desperation, hitting rock bottom
A death fakeout or two or three
If you made it this far, you deserve a medal. 🥇
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ckret2 · 11 months
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I'm curious about Ford's thoughts on the situation! Is he scared, angry? Does he really believe Bill is as powerless as he says he is? How does he feel about Bill being around his family and other people in town?
So at the end of April I got this question paired with another question about Ford's reaction to having human Bill around, I answered the other question, went "I'll answer this one soon," and then it got buried in my inbox lmao BUT I'M ANSWERING IT NOW!
(Here's the other half of this question I already answered! I also talk a bit about Ford's thoughts on Bill being around here and here so I'll try not to rehash stuff I've already said too much!)
Yeah, "scared" and "angry" are probably the top two emotions Ford's feeling when he thinks about Bill being back.
He's scared that if he does the wrong thing, Bill's human body will crack open and Bill will escape again, and the world will end, and this time they won't be able to stop Bill because they've already used up all the clever tricks they had the last time they tried to stop him. He's scared that Bill will find some slick way to worm himself into somebody else's mind—that he'll talk Soos into doing something innocent-seeming with devastating consequences, or that he'll get into the kids' heads (emotionally or literally) the way he got into Ford's head and turn them against the family, or that he'll secretly make contact with somebody on the outside and fast talk them into being his accomplice when they don't know what he is.
And he's furious that Bill's here, furious that he's NOT DEAD, furious that after trying every murder tactic Ford could think of from every angle imaginable he STILL hasn't gotten rid of this damn triangle. And furious that he's in Ford's life again, in ALL their lives—and that he's acting NORMAL. Like a NORMAL PERSON. He eats and sleeps and watches TV and complains about what's on TV and plays board games and tries to wheedle Ford into playing board games and acts like a person, instead of the monster Ford knows he is. Ford's mad that Bill is both a monster AND a person and he's mad that he has to see Bill being a person and he's mad that Bill has an opportunity to live like a person, waiting here on death row. He feels irrational. He's mad that he feels irrational.
(He's mad that he kind of wants to play board games—with the version of Bill he was fooled into thinking existed thirty years ago, the version that was Ford's "friend," and he's mad that Bill still CAN put on the "friend" mask and DOES put on the "friend" mask even though Ford knows it's all lies.)
Not long into Bill's captivity, Ford's decided he's pretty sure Bill won't hurt people—because right now, it's more useful for Bill to use people than harm people. He's not going to fight his way free, but he could scheme his way free. So, at the moment, he isn't worried for his family's physical safety—but he IS worried about what the things Bill could say to them, what he could persuade them, what he might talk them into. He's less concerned about Stan than the kids. And letting Bill fully loose in the town, to start making up his own story and identity to the townspeople, could be devastating. Ford canNOT let that happen.
(It's already happening. Trying to keep Bill's influence contained feels like trying to squeeze a handful of sand. Ford wishes they could just lock Bill in a tiny room with no contact with the outside world until Ford figures out a way to kill him for good—but Ford really does believe Bill when he says he'd just kill himself in that scenario, and Ford won't risk 50/50 odds that Human Bill dying would mean the return of Triangle Bill. So what can he do?)
He doesn't believe for a second that Bill is totally powerless. Not even Bill is making a strong effort to convince Ford that he's totally helpless; one second he'll say with a wink and a nudge "I'd try to tell you I don't have any powers left, but even if it's true you won't believe me, will you?" and then the next second he'll casually do a minor magic feat. The problem is, Ford doesn't know WHAT Bill can and can't do. He's trying to mentally divide Bill's skills into separate categories—what things could he only do because he was an energy being in the mindscape? He probably can't do those now. What magic spells did Bill teach Ford to do decades ago? He can probably still do those as a human—etc.
But these are just educated guesses. Even after thirty years of trying to learn more about Bill, Ford still doesn't know enough about him to list what all his powers were, where they came from, and which he might still have access to as a human. 
This is all Ford knows for sure: WHATEVER powers Bill currently has, they're not enough to let him kill the Pines and escape Gravity Falls—or he would have done so already.
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bulkhummus · 2 years
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can u explain ur theories behind your wtnv/tma crossover stuff??
So I’ve made a couple of posts about this before that I think I tagged #wtnv/tma — so if you want to read those you can search them on my blog.
As of right now, my theories/ ideas are this:
Cecil is not an avatar of anything. Neither is Carlos— they are however physical manifestations (as the fears work in tma) for the Spiral and the Lonely respectively. Any ability Cecil has to see events as they unfold are as such— as they unfold. He can’t see the future — and and doesn’t like to remember the past often in canon. His ability to report live events is due to having interns, being a good journalist, and also because he was literally destined to be nvcr’s host after Leonard Burton so theres probably something going on there. Carlos screams lonely to me for reasons I’m to tired to go into — but running away on sabbatical, DOW, cecil forgetting him, being a scientist, etc.
vague series of events:
A. Jon arrives in Night Vale first. He awakens in the busiest town intersection on main street, right in the center, holding up traffic. I see the intersection as a main focal point of town, its the busiest, it has the most shops, its what gets closed off for parades/fairs/wtc. which is where Jon would be drawn to. He is physically okay, but alone. Cecil finds him there after picking Esteban up from Kindergarten. He offers to take Jon home to clean up since hes clearly disoriented— and ofc to get an interview!
B. Carlos comes home from work before Cecil has to leave for his job with boundless golden retriever energy because ”babe there was this HUGE spike of radiation and — oh hello— honey who is this?” and Jon explains who he is and the situation to Carlos. He’s very worried and afraid for Martin!!!!
C. Martin is then found by Carlos — who is able to distinguish a specific energy surge similar to the one that occurred when Jon was deposited in town square. He tracks the energy and finds Martin in the outskirts of town, alone in the sand wastes. I equate the desert to loneliness and unsettlement in wtnv (the dow years)
D. Martin and Jon are reunited, and theres lots of crying and confusion. Cecilos offer up Estebans room— since the guest room is being blocked by fow for the time being — and they share a blow up mattress. Esteban sleeps with his parents either in bed with them OR in the giant fort he and carlos concocted one night Cecil was held up at work and who hasnt had the heart to clean it up even though the mess bothers him.
E. it quickly becomes apparent to both parties that Jon and Martin have some issues they need to sort out and work on once the initial shock of being Somewhere Else passes. Boundaries, communication, moving past trauma bonding to actually bonding, emotional development etc.
f. they stay with carlos and cecil until they can get back on their feet in town — martin works at carlos’ lab as an assitant / clerk and jon works as a librarian bc they're afraid of him.
g. the rest is….. just character development baybeeee— martin and cecil bond over having shitty moms, jon and cecil bond over feeling like they’re monsters physically/emotionally, and over choices being taken from them, martin and carlos bond over being lonely and having trouble with settling in somewhere and around people, and jon and carlos bond over their mutual interest in the esoteric and knowledge and leaving behind old lives to pursue something bigger
in this lil ol hc of mine it has to do a lot with night vale being a place of healing and betterment. the town makes you better because it sees you for what and who you are and loves you anyways. you just have to.. make the choice to accept yourself — which is what jon and martin need to learn for themselves and each other. Its directly opposite to the archives where the longer you stay the worse you become.
i also really like the idea of cecil and carlos being an example for them — they’re an older couple, (jon and martin are like 29-32 right? cecil and carlos are like 45-50) with a fleshed out and full life they both chose, and frequently discuss boundaries and communicate— and also have gone through their fair share of hardships they've worked through. they both have done a lot of personal growth too!
additional hcs:
jon babysits esteban before be finds work — esteban LOVES him and carlos and cecil LOVE extra date nights
Cecil is addicted to hugs from martin — there are not many people in night vale taller than him, so being able to be enveloped by someone taller is Cecil's big enjoyment
cecil and jon fight like old queens until cecil stops his superficial brat behavior and jon stops being an asshole bc hes afraid to connect with people
Jon cant ask cecil for a statement bc cecil would have an absolute meltdown as things he doesnt even remember are unearthed — and jon would like — be out for a few days from trauma overload
both jon and martin vent to carlos abt how whacky night vale is who just nods and slaps down a HUGE binder labeled Carlos’ Classified Night Vale Survival Guide’ which he named when he was drunk —its a survival guide—color coded!
everyone bonds over their door related trauma
Jon quits smoking bc carlos threatens him that if he gets cecil back on it he’ll kick him out of the house
i think both martin AND jon get flustered around carlos for different reasons but the one they have in common is that hes stupidly attractive
i think a fun reversal is jon getting a little jealous when martin and cecil get along so well from the get go — and carlos is there like ”my husband thinks he himself is ugly and also he has few friends this is actually very good so me and you are gonna go get a drink and chat about our fears while martin blushes at cecil who just genuinely does not understand personal space”
i think they end up being good friends! i think there is a period of time where jon and martin are afraid they’re only together bc of trauma — and then realize that thats not true — and even if it was they both want the relationship currently and for different better reasons !!!
i have more thoughts but its late and time for bed ! Feel free to ask questions abt it — its all v fleshed out in my brain
thanks for asking — good night! ⭐️♥️
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h-worksrambles · 2 years
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Leo Alvarez for the ask game 🥺🥺
First off, you have no idea how badly I have wanted to do any kind of ask game for Echo, so thank you.
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Oh Leo, the wolf with flags as red as his fur...and yet...
An incredibly complex and tragic character like Leo naturally has a lot to dissect in terms of his relationships with other characters. With that in mind, here are my five favourite Leo dynamics.
1. The most obvious pick by far is Chase. And I've already touched on some of my thoughts on these two already. Leo's best friend, his ex boyfriend, one of the most important people in Leo's life...and we watch that relationship go to hell in the most painful way possible. It's an incredibly layered relationship between two deeply flawed, troubled people. You could write an entire essay on this relationship and how much it drives a freaking dagger through my heart, but I'll just give the cliff notes version. At the end of the day you have two dumb, kinda shitty teens who have become two dumb, kinda shitty twenty somethings, both carrying a shedload of mental health issues that neither knows how to handle. Their relationship falls apart because they each have a very false, idealised notion of how relationships work. In part because they’re both young and inexperienced in that respect.
They bond in part due to their shared trauma, both the horrible loss of Sydney and the more mundane but still very painful process of trying to figure out their identities in a deeply homophobic, backwater town with no real queer community or role model to look towards. They clung to each other as an ideal they could use to hide from their problems. Leo's guilt over failing to protect Sydney manifests as controlling overprotectiveness, magnified by his unresolved anger problems. Chase's state of stress and dissasociation after that same event leads him to take a very passive attitude to the relationship, happy to let Leo make all the decisions and thus enabling his controlling behaviour, but also tending to be indecisive, self-centred and uncommunicative about what he wants because he hates conflict. There's also the interesting subtext that their relationship has a pattern of toxic heteronormative behaviour (a result of their own inexperience with even being queer). Leo wants to be the provider and breadwinner, he calls Chase a feminised petname, 'chula', he dotes on Chase, but also tries to control him. Chase's passivity and the harm that comes from that, demonstrates just how damaging trying to cram queer relationships into those kinds of heteronormative boxes actuallly is.
Over the game, across the different routes, we see them unpack the factors that caused their relationship to fail. Leo's inability to move on from Chase is part of a wider desire to cling to the past, because he feels like he peaked in his teenage years and now feels adrift. The town torments him with those feelings and creates a phantom of Chase that embodies every unhealthy emotion Leo's projected onto him, and is slowly driving him to madness. Leo's 'so I just pretend' monologue which describes how this influence took route is painful to see unfold. And god, the amount of symbolism I could talk about that feeds into this! The anchor bracelet that embodies the conflicting imagery of safety and familiarity, but also that of beng trapped and bound to each other and to their past. The horrifying scene in Jenna's route where they are literally almost nightmarishly bound to each other. The fact that Leo's bad ending has Chase's inability to resolve his conflicted emotions end with him going from being torn emotionally to being torn physically (please Howly, McSkinny! I can only take so much symbolic body horror!)
One of my favourite moments between them is seeeing how they first got together in Route 65. You can see the connnection between these two old friends, slowly figuring out their identities and bonding over it as a result. There's a real tenderness to it. But you can also see all the warning signs. The fact that Leo is already hiding things from Chase. The fact that Chase will go along with whatever Leo says and overlook those signs despite his better judgement. The fact that they'll ignore people around them, often hurting their friends as a result, to be together. It's equal parts heartwarming and agonising when you know how it'll end.
Watching this deeply toxic relationship fall apart is agonising, but seeing the endings where they mutually grow is so worth it. Chase putting his foot down, firmly making his own decision and ending things with Leo is what allows them both to escape the town's influence. Meanwhile, with his delusions shattered, Leo is able to start healing, not just letting go of the past and growing past his own worst traits, but making amends to people he previously hurt (we'll get to that). That final goodbye between the two at the end of his route is the closest I've come to crying at a videogame in a very long time. I cannot stress how much it affected me emotionally.
I could go on, but I need to move onto other relationships so to sum up, Leo and Chase's relationship is dark, tragic and yet strangely beautiful to watch unfold.
2. Micha's relationship with Leo only really comes up in Jenna's route, but nonetheless is very interesting. Micha was already one of my favourite side characters. A lonely, angry young man but one who's also very clearly been dealt a hard lot in life. If Heather represents what Jenna could have been if she didn't have a support network of friends who could help pull her out of her shitty abusive upbringing, Micha represents what Chase or Leo could have been if they'd been in similar circumstances, as well as being ostracised for their sexualities by their loved ones rather than accepted. And since Jenna's route is about the importance of healthy connections with others and how crucial they are to self improvement, this is very pertinent.
Micha was one of the first people who Leo really related to in the process of figuring out his sexuality as a teenager. Their experimenting leads to them doing something very, very stupid and reckless that still makes me uncomfortable to think about. But immediately after that of course, Leo gets together with his longtime crush and, as he and Chase did to pretty much all their friends, basically left Micha out to dry. This left Micha to deal with getting kicked out of home for being gay alone. For as much as Leo romanticises his past, there are darker elements he needs to come to terms with, wrongs of his own that he needs to right.
Micha is understandably terrified of even seeing Leo again after how badly this 'relationship' fell apart. But slowly, the walls come down, and that more protective side of Leo starts to come out, but in a good way this time. Leo recognises that he hurt Micha and does his best to keep him safe during the mass hysteria, to atone for the harm he did, to make things right. And by the end of the route, Micha's still there, accepted by Leo and the rest of the group.
There are those who want to ship them because of this, and there's certainly grounds to read it that way, but I personally don't. Partly because knowing what we do of their history makes me a little personally uncomfortable at the prospect, but also because I think a big part of Leo's arc is to let go of his very idealised, somewhat toxic idea of romantic relationships. I think him learning to be happily single, and valuing the friendships he has, is much more appropriate. He has all the time in the world to meet someone new. For now, just let him have some good friends. Ones who he can help just as much as they do for him.
3. Next up, TJ and Leo. Because of the direction Leo's character takes, he basically torpedoes his relationships with most of the rest of the main group. His disastrous fling with Flynn shoots that friendship dead, (we'll get to that). He and Jenna used to be incredibly close childhood friends but that gets complicated fast. Their mutual feelings for Chase fuels Leo's jealousy in Jenna's route, and as she learns more about just how much Leo has been hiding about himself as a person from his friends, she struggles to see him the same way she used to. And Carl was especially affected by how much Chase and Leo neglected the others after becoming a couple and I don't think he ever quite forgave Leo for that. They care about each other a lot and do come through for each other when the worst happens, but their stories seem to end with the group learning to value the time they had together and then moving on in most routes.
The only exception who Leo seems to maintain a positive dynamic with and seems to genuinely get on well with, is TJ. And it makes sense why. TJ is the most patient, gentle and accepting of the group. He still cares a lot about his childhood friends and isn't shy to let them know that. Leo, like I've said, thinks of himself as a protector, and tries to be everyone's 'big brother' figure. So it figures he takes great care to watch out for the youngest of the group. It's a dynamic that demonstrates the best aspects of Leo's protectiveness. When his unresolved trauma isn't twisting that protective instinct into hyper controlling, obessissive behaviour, he can be a really great friend. I always think of that one scene in Leo's route where he and Chase go to join TJ at the park. At this point, we've seen many of Leo's red flags. How he's still obssessing over his ex. How his anger problems are getting worse. How he's manipulating not only Chase, but also all the rest of his friends just to contrive a scenario where he and Chase can work things out (that phone scene is a gutpunch, dear god)...and yet. Even though Leo's entire plan is dependent on staying alone with Chase to patch things up, he's willing to compromise that because TJ is his friend and he's hurting, and Leo wants to make him happy. Leo is a walking hot mess of a person, but it's that conflict between his selfless and selfish urges, his best and worst instincts, that make him so compelling to watch.
And still there's more to dig into. Because a big part of TJ's character is about how he's often talked down to and talked over even by his closest friends. How TJ is a repressed, curled up ball of insecurities and anxieties who can't express himself because everyone around him treats him like a precious innocent uwu smol bean. Well meaning though he may be, Leo's over protectiveness means he is unintentionally coddling TJ just as much as Jenna is, preventing him from healthily unpacking his pain, a dam that finally bursts in Flynn's route.
Even so, TJ and Leo's relationship provides an insight into Leo's better qualities, and a glimpse of how this friendship dynamic may once have worked in the past.
4. Oh, Flynn and Leo. You know what I'm gonna say. Metaphor. Freaking Metaphor. Flynn is my favourite character in Echo and his history with Leo provides fresh insight into both characters. Based on when you meet them in the prologue, Flynn and Leo could not appear more different. Leo seems earnest, affectionate, protective and reverent of the past the group shares. Flynn is cold and distant, it's unclear how much his attitude is banter and how much is actual spite towards his old friends. And the argument scene at the river is in large part a blowup between these two: Leo wanting to return to the past, and Flynn wanting to discard it to get answers. But once you dig more into these characters, you quickly see the similarities run deceptively deep. Flynn is, in his own way, just as trapped in the past as Leo. Leo can be just as cruel towards his friends as Flynn, while Flynn can be just as protective of them as Leo. Two characters both so alike, and yet so different.
And then you're thrown the bombshell that these two banged.
In Flynn's route we learn that Flynn and Leo briefly became an item after Chase broke up with Leo and went to college. Flynn even took him to the Smoke Room, a part of his life Flynn tells barely anyone about. In Metaphor, we see them together briefly, and it's probably the most comfortable and happy we see them around each other in the entire game. Of, course, as we immediately find out, it ended badly. Leo broke things off with Flynn shortly before Chase came back to visit Echo, hoping to rekindle that relationship. And Flynn's reaction to this: "I guess that's okay...if that's all you want..." is a painful reminder of Flynn's own struggle, desperate for intimacy, but also deathly afraid of it, terrified of losing a real connection like the one he lost with his best friend so many years ago. It's genuinely heartbreaking to see. Especially when Flynn talks about this with Chase in his route: How coming to terms with his sexuality was especially painful because, while he was dealing with awful homophobic treatment by his parents before he finally got away from them, his other two friends who could have helped him become more comfortable with his queerness, were too wrapped up in each other to notice.
Do I think they could have worked out? Hard to say. I think Leo did desperately need to date anyone other than Chase to get over him. But I also stand by my earlier point, that Leo needs to learn to be comfortably single. Meanwhile, while I think allowing himself to be emotionally open in a relationship would do him a world of good, I wonder if hooking up with his few remaining friends, potentially ruining those friendships, is actually all that productive a solution for Flynn (although I am a shameless Flynn and Carl shipper so what do I know?). Still, maybe they could have had something. But that ship sailed a long time ago. Even so, Flynn will still come through for Leo, and the rest of his friends, in Jenna's route, because, whatever he says, he still loves them dearly. They're basically all he has.
(Also, one minor detail. In Route 65, Flynn is the one who let Chase know about the party because he knew about Leo's feelings for Chase, and, now that Chase had come out, decided to play matchmaker and get Leo to finally spit it out. A nice reminder that Flynn looks out for his friends, even if he'll never admit it).
5. Clint and Leo's dynamic is understated, but surprisingly tragic when you think about it. Clint bullied Leo and the others plenty as a kid, and was generally a berligerent, homophobic ass to them. But it's very strongly implied that both Clint, and his sister, were suffering some pretty awful abuse at home. That doesn't excuse his behaviour, but there's more going on with Clint than we fully see.
In the present day, the tables have turned, and if anything, Leo is the one antagonising Clint. Leo's anger isssues have only gotten worse, and he'll happily take any excuse to give Clint a sock in the jaw after eveything that happened between them as kids. Never mind that Clint is a meth addict in no condition to fight a huge maned wolf, and is currently being exortorted by a predatory serial killer.
In many ways, their dynamic feels like a foil to Jenna and Heather. Heather was someone who hurt Jenna when they were young. But Jenna is able to recognise that Heather was suffering in a way not too different to herself. She doesn't entirely forget the pain Heather caused her, but she empathises with her, is willing to help her deal with her own hardships and move on in her life. Leo and Clint meanwhile, are repeating their childhood fights, stuck in the same old routine, with no such empathy between them. If Leo wants to go back to the old days when he was younger, I guess it figures that he still relishes getting one over on his high school bully.
Truth be told, Clint is a character I would have liked to see get a little more screentime. To see his struggles explored a little deeper the way Micha and Heather's were. But there's still a lot to interpret about his enmity with Leo and how it ties into Echo's themes of dealing with trauma and letting go with the past.
Anyway, that's all five of my favourite relationships involving Leo. Leo is one of my favourite characters in Echo and his story affected me so deeply. I still struggle to listen to Blurry or Theme For A Lonely Wolf without choking up. So it was very hard not to just word vomit when given the chance to talk about him as a character. I hope it morphed into a good answer to your ask. Thanks again for sending it to me!
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veryace-ficrecs · 1 year
Text
Steve and Robin Besties Fic Recs
stobin platonic besties supremacy ☆*: .。.╰(*°▽°*)╯.。.:*☆
This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :) 
i'm feeling (like i never should) by fivecenturiesverse - Rated T
Eddie accidentally comes out to Robin and Steve without even thinking about it, he doesn't get the reaction he expected.
And apparently because he’s a fucking idiot he says, “I thought being gay was going to be the worst part of my life and then bam fucking aliens.”
Robin sits up so fast she almost bangs her head on Steve’s chin, who is still straddling her lap and like, what wouldn’t Eddie give to be Robin right now and shit now his brain is catching up with his mouth and why did he say that and why won’t Robin and Steve stop staring at him like that, oh shit. “You’re gay too?” says Robin and that sort of wipes Eddie’s brain clean and white and static.
Robin and Steve's Epic Platonic Soulmate Mixtape by findafight - Rated T
In late January, 1984, Robin saw Steve Harrington stand stock still in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at a house with twinkling Christmas lights. She thought it was weird, but wasn’t going to comment and was about to walk around him when she realized his hands were shaking and repeatedly clenching and unclenching. And, because Robin could never leave well enough alone, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
Or, Robin and Steve meet post season 1 and begin their friendship early, despite Robin's confusion at how exactly it happened.
(You Gotta) Cut Loose by sandypeaches - Rated G
Steve & Robin make use of their free Friday evening, watch "Footloose" & figure some stuff out. 
The Love Meister by agentM40 - Rated G
Murray has some confrontations about the nature of Steve and Robin's relationship. 
We've got each other by Kurahie - No Rating
Steve helping Robin through her first major post-Starcourt breakdown. They love each other in literally the most platonic way. 
With a Capital P by FallingUpTheStairz - Rated G
Steve's love language is physical touch and Robin learns to work with that.
Matching Bruises by jadeluvr - Rated G
Eddie gave one last tug, and pushed them both through the gate. A rush of air filled his lungs, but Robin was still gasping for air, leaving red marks from her nails on her throat as her face was turning purple. There was faint dots of red staining the bottom of her shirt, and Eddie felt immediate concern, but Robin was holding out her hand again, pointing at Steve who was struggling on the ground of the Upside Down.
OR: in a world where soulmates feel each other’s pain, robin and steve are platonic soulmates.
alone together by Sarcastic_Metaphor - Rated M
There’s only one person in Hawkins that Steve feels safe enough going to when his family is giving him hell. There’s only one person in the world that makes Robin feel safe enough to be herself. Neither of them are quite alright, but they’d do absolutely anything for each other.
(A character study fic on Steve and Robin’s friendship + my own HC’s on their codependency bc neither of these bitches should be even remotely emotionally sound. There’s also a good helping of solo Steve angst for dessert)
smoking guns (hot to the touch) by fivecenturiesverse - Rated T
Sure, they've saved the world, but the best part of that really is that it doesn't end there and in a town where everyone thinks he murdered a girl, he's at least got Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley. It's really not his fault he accidentally starts living at Steve's house, he was invited, after all. There's a mystery too, about Barbara Holland and Steve's pool.
“Your boner is digging into me,” says Robin, and Steve snorts a tired sort of laugh.
“I don’t have a —”
“You do, I can feel it. Gross.”
“Okay, but it’s only a little one,” he says in a small voice which sounds like he’s impersonating someone.
“Are you ever going to let that go? I peed a little bit when the Russians got the torture devices out, okay?” She sounds amused, though.
Eddie jolts. “Russian torture devices?”
Robin carries on like she didn’t hear him but Steve catches his eye and he’s grinning. “How do you even have a boner dude? You were definitely having a nightmare I know your twitching means a nightmare… Did you have a boner over Vecna?”
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featherisderp · 10 months
Note
Hello! What is your thoughts on meta knight and his relationships with everyone? Who do you think will he get along well and be besties with :00?
Hi! You're gonna get a long one!
First off, wanna mention that i think every specie ages slowly, and won't die unless killed by an outside force (so they can't die of old age, and they won't physically age past a certain point). This means that I will use physical ages to describe characters, rather than actual ages because these guys are all thousands of years old probably (I also think that some species will age through childhood quicker than others).
Okay, so!
Meta Knight is one of my favorite characters, which means I like to give him the most painful hc's I can! First off, he's blind, but he's got a visor in his mask that let's him see (which is why in some of my doodles, he has glasses, they're made of the same material). This was Nightmare's fault, his eyes were normally yellow but turned grey afterwards. At the time, Nightmare also quite literally ripped out his wings. Luckily for the plot amoured circle, the Dimensional Cape works as a prosthetic and can turn into his wings (He can actually use magic to maintain his 'wings' while he's not wearing the cape, but it's very limited and will hurt a LOT afterwards, so he doesn't do that often).
Alright, so hears everyone I can think of and Meta's relationship with them!
Kirby - Initially, Meta Knight refused to see him as anything more than a child who needed to learn. He was afraid of getting attached. He didn't want to lose anything else. However, this failed, and he ended up seeing Kirby as a son, going as far as to call him one. He cares for him enough to probably destroy the entire town in order to keep him safe, and is obscenely grateful that Kirby can hold his own for the most part.
Tiff - Initially, some kid who he avoided because she asked too many question and he didn't want to risk her figuring anything out since she tends to hyperanalyze random things while dismissing others. After Kirby's arrival, he sort of has to be around her, so he tries to keep himself emotionally distant. But he's bad at that, so he ended up seeing her in the same light a parent would their daughter, although he'll deny it. He finds it difficult to remember that she's still pretty much a 10 year old child given she's incredibly smart for her age. He teases her about Kine because, quite frankly, he finds it hilarious.
Tuff - He was a little easier to stay distant from. Meta Knight didn't have an opinion one way or the other about him before Kirby arrived, and usually only saw him or his sister if they were getting involved with Dedede in case they were about to get killed. Afterwards, he also sees him like a son. He's got adoption issues lmao. He's aware that Tuff is kinda stupid, but looks past that a lot in fvaor of things he's actually good with.
Sword/Blade - He feels the same way about both of them and will obliterate you if you hurt either of them. He met them at possibly the lowest point in his life and didn't initially believe they'd survive for very long given their terrible fighting capabilities. Regardless, he got attached and they became very close friends. He cares for their safety, and is a little off put by their willingness to do stupid things that puts their live sat risk, especially if he's the reason (cough cough Wolfwrath cough).
Dedede - In one word, idiotic. He showed up before Tiff was born so he's known Dedede for a LONG time. Even then, the idiot was playing with monsters. He got frustrated after the child's were around and Dedede started endangering them with his stupidity. Admittedly, he finds it amusing when he's scaled by N.M.E, but hates that it's them that does it (they don't deserve money how dare).
Ecsragoon - Sort of sad, really. He's just pathetic, all of his skill and he couldn't find a better job? It was worse after Meta Knight had seen that his mother wasn't a complete failure of a parent. Escargoon worked so hard to lie to her and out up the most ridiculous act he'd seen from him, but couldn't keep himself from being a complete fool of a person? He suspects he was likely more decent before working for Dedede. He also finds it infuriating that he yells at Tiff so often, and has even had her neglect her sleep for several days to built a stupid robot, only for it break and for him to attack Kirby anyways. Hurting him as bad as he did was satisfying.
Any of the cappies - He tends to avoid them, he's socially awkward. He finds them all collectively stupid, though. Who gets brainwashed by a swirl on TV with a penguin repeating 'Kirby must go away' over and over? Regardless, he appreciates that they provide company for his children friends.
Fololo and Falala - No opinion, but appreciates knowing they'll help him out if he needs to fly after Kirby without using his wings.
Waddle Dees/Waddle Doo - All his children. Every single one of them (Waddle Doo excluded). He sneaks them candy and they like to bring him small gifts. Typically screws or feathers, they don't have much. They're all squishy cute things. He's glad they're so durable. He likes Waddle Doo. He may be oddly loyal to a rude penguin, but he takes care of the Waddle Dees and won't hesitate to ask for something if they need it.
Tokori - He doesn't like him. He's rude to Kirby. Finds it amusing that Tiff has literally punched him and he seems to fear making her mad.
Any of the talking animals - No real opinion. He doesn't like that Kine likes Tiff. His kids aren't allowed to date. He finds it funny, though. He'll tease her about it endlessly.
Any talking trees - He mostly doesn't care. A little annoyed that Whispy nearly got his kids killed over a demonic flower, but oh well. It was a while ago.
Kabu - Meta Knight greatly appreciates his presence. It was nice to find something he was familiar with on Dreamland. He sometimes likes to chat with him.
That's all I can think of for Dreamland so GSA TIME!!
Nightmare - Ew. Ugly intergakactice war criminal that ruined his life and killed all of his friends. Meta Knight hates him with his very soul.
N.M.E Sales guy - Not really a personal opinion, but he doesn't like him. He works for Nightmare so hopefully he'll just stop existing. He doesn't know if he survived the ship being blown up and quite frankly, doesn't care.
Yamikage - He wants to kill him. He hates him. He doesn't understand how someone could betray the GSA, and it cost the lives of many innocent people. Yamikage also hates Meta Knight. Stupid pineapple.
Garlude - Now, I know it was never confirmed that she ever regularly worked with him, but I'm hooked on TheWinterRaven's Star Trio idea. He's very good friends with her and was devastated when she died. Before that, she was a good friend, but he admittedly didn't like her bothering him about his health.
Jecra (Knuckle Joe's Father) - Best friend, as stated in the show. He acted like an idiot, though, and would usually annoy Meta Knight outside of battle. They got along well, and Meta Knight had lost a lot when he had to kill him. His death hurt.
Arthur - He has a lot of respect and sympathy for him. He's the leader of a large army that (in my AU's/HC wasn't originally even his). On top of that, he grew up around him, and saw him like a brother. It was heartbreaking to watch him go from a confident and well trained Star Warrior to someone who felt hopeless about the battle they were slowly loosing. He'd started yelling multiple times about how much better Uther would have done for the GSA and refused any support. When they split up, Meta Knight was convinced they were dead, and was beyond hurt that he had to die in that state of mind. He knew Arthur blamed himself for every failure and setback, and seeing him act as if he was fine around others was painful beyond explanation.
Falspar - Menace. Also grew up with him. Falsoar tried to keep everyone's spirits up and Meta Knight appreciated that. He cared for him, even though he had been notorious for causing mischief before the army fell apart. Near the end, he was trying his best to keep Arthur together, and he seemed lost. Meta Knight didn't like that.
Dragato - Very similar to Falspar, but Meta would call him dramatic too. He'd be the type to hop around on one foot, yelling ow repeatedly in a higher and higher pitched voice it he hit it on something. He was 'killed' in the same state as Falspar. Neither of them seemed like themselves in the end.
Lancelot - Meta Knight would speak to him the most out of all his brothers. He was calm and introverted. Shy boi. He got along well with him but would also harass him about his health. He was Arthur's biggest helper and near the end, had the biggest struggle in keeping him and the rest of them even the slightest bit hopeful. It was a lost cause by then and it was obvious he knew it. He stopped after Arthur yelled at him to stop acting as if everything would be fine. From there he was more quiet and withdrawn than he usually was. Meta Knight hated that.
Kit Cosmos - He knew he existed but hadn't really formed much of an opinion on him. He respected his skill.
Galaxia - Meta Knight had been on his own for several years before meeting Sword and Blade, and was at the lowest point in his life. He carried a lot of guilt and Galaxia would try to comfort him. He finds her presence comforting, to the point where he hates it when she's not with him. He speaks to her a lot. When he isn't fighting a loosing battle with his mental state, she bothers him about his health. In short, she's probably the closest thing he's ever had to a mother.
Any monster - He hates them all. As far as he's concerned, they're just embodiments of Nightmare's magic, and they can all disappear forever.
Anyone who works for N.M.E - He hates them too. He's good at hiding it when he knows they aren't a monster, but if they anger him, they're dead.
Sirica - Seeing her was both painful and relieving. He knew Garlude cared for her and was convinced she had died a long time ago. He doesn't know where she got the idea that he left her mother to die, but he assumed some monster had spewed it to her before dying. She clearly didn't like N.M.E but didn't have anything else to go off of, so he understood. Still, it was difficult to be attacked for the death of a friend that he already blamed on himself. He treats her the way a father would their daughter. Very protective orb.
Knuckle Joe - He didn't blame him for going after him. He was annoyed with Dedede for telling him that Kirby was the one he was after. Treats him the same way as Sirica. He knows they can handle themselves, but when they're on Popstar, dad mode activates.
I think that's all- Let me know if I missed anyone! :D
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