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noellawrites · 9 months

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Souvenir - Yandere!Luca x reader

summary: Luca just can't let his rivalry with Carmy go, so he leaves a permanent reminder inside of you. afab reader but no specified pronouns.

warnings: smut, baby-trapping, condom sabotage, forced breeding

You weren't even supposed to go to Copenhagen. The trip was booked for Marcus when his mother took a turn for the worse. So here you were, the recipient of a non-refundable flight, standing in front of Denmark's most renowned kitchen. As The Beef's only waitress, saying you had a lack of food prep knowledge was an understatement. But with Tina and Ebra back in school, the task was left to you.

—

"Carmy taught me everything I know about good service. Really, I owe everything to him. I thought he'd boot me after taking over The Beef but thank god he didn't," you rambled.

"Sounds like he means a lot to you," Luca spoke quietly as he prepped an example dessert.

"He's the best chef I've ever worked with. Maybe not as intense as your rival chef, but he definitely challenges me. For example, sending me here with no experience," you laughed, picking up a tub of diced almonds.

"Seems like a real bond," Luca said simply. He reached across to the other side of you and his tattoos crossed into your line of vision.

"He's like my mentor, brother, work husband and hero all in one. Actually, that sounds stupid when I say it out loud," you laughed nervously.

"I know what you mean. To be so consumed by someone's talent that you just want to seep into their skin," Luca agreed.

A comfortable moment of silence hung between you both as you kept working. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him staring at you with an unreadable expression before he turned away to grab some dough.

—

"Your lips taste better than any dessert," Luca whispered in your ear as he traced his fingers down your stomach. Pleasure tickled down your spine and he pushed down your shorts, reaching into your panties and tracing your clit.

"Ah--ahh, Luca!" you moaned, and he clamped a hand over your mouth.

Through the dark, you could just make out his pepper tattoo on his hand, which oddly enough reminded you of Carmy. Come to think of it, the patchy placements of his tattoos reminded you a lot of Carmy's. And his entire apartment was bare just like Carmy's was, too. Even Luca's intense expressions sometimes mirrored Carmy's.

I really shouldn't be thinking of Carmy when I'm about to have sex with this hot pastry chef, you thought.

As Luca started pulling his boxers down, you held your hand out to stop him.

"Do you have a condom?" you asked, sitting up and looking around.

"Dresser, top drawer," he said, sounding a bit irked. You handed him the small plastic square and laid back down.

You could hear him ripping open the package with his teeth and stretching the condom over his cock when he suddenly pulled your panties down the rest of the way.

You were lost in pleasure as he dove into your pussy, licking and sucking with his expertly trained tongue.

—

Luca held you against him with his strong arms as you both reached orgasm together, a mess of sweat and pleasure and moans.

"Oh shit Luca, did you just cum in me?" you gasped, wriggling away from him as post-sex clarity struck you.

"The condom must've broken," he said, but you pulled away from him too quick and managed to see what he was trying to hide: the empty, fully intact condom next to him. His hard cock pulled out of you, covered in a mix of your cum, no condom on him at all.

"What the fuck, Luca?!"

"Stay here. With me."

Luca's kind eyes had turned dark, an ulterior motive lurking underneath the surface. You didn't know what he was up to, but you knew it couldn't be good.

You quickly gathered your clothes from the floor and tried to yank your pants on. Luca stood, still completely naked, and moved to stand in front of the door leading outside his flat.

"Move, I need to go pick up Plan B. I'm ovulating, you fucking asshole!"

"You're not leaving. Not until your flight."

"Oh my god, this is so fucked up! I-I barely even know you!" you cried.

"You knew me enough to let me fuck you," he laughed, pulling on his boxers. As much as you hated to admit it, he had stretched you better than anyone else had before.

"I hate you, Luca."

—

You took a Plan B when you got back to Chicago, but by then it was too late. Not only did you bring back three desserts for The Bear's new menu, but you also brought back a tiny baby in your stomach. A little bundle of cells forever tying you to the British pastry chef. You sobbed as you told Carmy, who then gave you the entire story about how he and Luca had met. Rivals, but Carmy was clearly more skilled, more talented, more ambitious.

But now, Luca had finally bested Carmy at something. He left you a permanent reminder, a souvenir from your travels, a big 'fuck you' to his former rival chef.

part two

#the bear luca x reader #luca x reader #pastry chef luca x reader #will poulter x reader #luca the bear #the bear x reader #pastry chef luca #the bear hulu #carmy berzatto #yandere the bear #yandere carmy berzatto #yandere will poulter #what are these tags lmao

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comicaurora · 2 years

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I didn't realize levels of context and such was something I wanted to think/talk on until I read today's page so I decided I might tap you about it if it's alright. Basically, I didn't realize how much I missed everyone Not Being Under Active Pressure until this page. It felt as though something's been made right with the world seeing Erin 0 concealment or hesitation taking notes about Dainix, and what really struck me and got my wheels turning was how this perfectly normal behavior hits so different off the heels of all the weight and pressure and such that Erin and everyone else has been under than it otherwise would hit. Obviously the framing of the page has something to do with the effect I described, but this page feels unique in its requiring context to feel the full scope of the impact.

However, that thought then bounced off a thing that happened where a contextless scene hit me like a truck and demanded I write it despite me having nothing else to apply it to, and I still read it back and need no context to prove to myself that it is a very solid and effective scene in spite of it being like. Five lines and two stage directions. This sort of thing happens with me on occasion where I have isolated moments, single loaded scenes that seem as though they come from context, and yet the context not only doesn't exist but doesn't really need to exist, yet the way it's structured, you think there would surely be grander story context around the scene.

(Sorry I seem to keep giving you walls of contextualizing [ha] before actually getting to the question part) What I wanted to ask you was: What are your thoughts on the relationship between story context and individual scenes/moments in a narrative? The sort of ins and outs of a scene as itself and a scene as part of a story, and a story as a whole and a story as a chain of scenes that give one another context.

This is a fun question, because the need for context to make moments hit was initially something that really frustrated me.

Like many people, my storycrafting started with a big pile of out of context Yo That Would Be So Cool moments - sweet one-liners, fight scenes, big flashy powerups. And I liked the Big Moments from the shows I watched, and wanted to know what made them hit so hard so I could replicate that emotional punch. Was it the kickin' theme music? The determined monologue? The speed lines? The yelling??

And I came to the frustrating conclusion that it was all the slow, often boring setup that had come before the big moment.

The sudden reveal of a superpowered evil side means nothing if we don't know what that character is supposed to act like. A character drawing motivation from a dead loved one tells us nothing if we don't ourselves know and love the person they lost. A jaded, powerful warrior will seem generic if we don't know the fun-loving child they spent two whole seasons being. A character backed into a desperate corner will reveal untapped wells of heroism we can't appreciate if we don't realize how rare this is for them. Powerful moments are in some way carried by what happens in them, but in a much larger way are carried by the contrast between them and the story that preceded them. Stripped of context, all the moments I loved - all the TVTropes "Crowning Moments of Awesome" - were either mindlessly flashy or oddly underwhelming.

In order to make the moment hit, even if the moment was so much more fun and interesting than anything else, the writer had to write all the buildup and pace it out enough that it stuck with the audience, and the audience had to experience that buildup. It just wasn't possible to write a story that was one amazing thing after another without the amazing things losing more and more impact.

We're all on tumblr here, so I'm sure we've all experienced That One Person We Follow getting into some new media property we don't know about. They post mini-essays about why That One Bit With Character A And Character B Was So Powerful, gifsets of two people standing in a dark room captioned with "they were in love here 😍" and extremely well-made fanart of people you don't recognize in vaguely saint-like poses, sometimes captioned with something you think cannot possibly be relevant. This is fine, because you're not the target audience for that fan content. That's for people who already know what the fanart is about - it's essentially referential art that doesn't stand on its own to an outside audience.

But I want people to watch and enjoy the things I watch and enjoy so I have people to talk about those things with. And that means I have spent long hours trying to figure out how to explain to a skeptical audience why a story I liked was so good, and what made the awesome moments work. This is a huge part of the impetus behind Trope Talks, and why the in-depth examples I use always have context as a preamble. Without the context, the moment doesn't work.

If you think a gutpunch is just the moment the fist connects, you're disregarding the windup that actually makes it hit.

#asks #aurora #behind the curtain

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den-ai-d · 4 months

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Ooof...a decade on this site eh?

Oh no, story time incoming!

10 years and yeah, so much has happened already. Originally, I made this blog back when I was in high school as a place to post my drawings; back then, it was all just pencil drawings on paper. Looking at them now...well it was obvious I still had a long way ahead of me LOL. And to think some people assume that everyone skilled enough in art must have had some innate talent for it. CLEARLY, they don't know what they're talking about because I was terrible at it early on!

But I mean, I didn't really think that of my art, did I?

No. In fact, I'm pretty sure that kid me was very much impressed with his own works. See, that child had a very bloated ego and a high opinion of himself. You should ask his poor friends; I'm sure they'd agree that the bugger could take a few lessons on humility with how he'd be sharing all of his silly sketches to them and pontificating on and on about how nice he thinks they are. Yeah, I was an insufferable kid.

But I do think that overinflated ego of mine turned out beneficial for my growth as an artist because without it—without my love for my own art—I wouldn't have stuck to it.

And stuck to it I did.

Went to college soon after that and took a program majoring in biology. Not much of a surprising choice since I've always liked the sciences and figured it would later on give way to a stable career; funnily enough, while I was very passionate about making art, I never thought it would be a profitable source of income. But that didn't mean I'd stop doing it on my free time though! Actually, this was when I got myself my first tablet! And what better way to start my digital drawing experience than to buy a FUCKING EXPENSIVE cintiq!!! With the extra motivation coming from the monetary pressure of such a purchase, you bet your ass I used the hell out of that thing. I was so intent on making use of it that—would you look at that—I still use it to this day! (Wow, they really made those old wacom tablets to last, didn't they?)

Obviously, college work ended up taking a lot of my time so I couldn't really draw as much as I did a few years ago. There were even times when I could only make one painting throughout a whole month; a far cry to my previous output. But even so, I never wavered in thinking that making art—being an artist—was something that was part of my identity; it was something that I always will come back to, no matter how much busy I got contending with course work.

And speaking of which, fuck that! Got my first honest-to-goodness mental breakdown because of all the studying I was doing at one point. See, I'm the type of student that likes getting good grades because BIG NUMBERS so I made it a point to be studious. To the point of insanity, apparently.

Anyway, I got better eventually and it all turned out nice. Even snagged all the awards I could've gotten for my thesis by the end of it! Yes, I am bragging. I deserve it, thank you very much! (For anyone curious, it was a study about plant pigments and using them in solar cells).

After that debacle, I found myself whisked into Adulthood which meant I finally had to find a job. Guess I was lucky since I didn't really have much of a hard experience searching for one. Got accepted into a cosmetics company for a lab position. Hmm, in hindsight, I think they just wanted a fresh graduate who wouldn't demand a high salary and that was me so I got in pretty easily. And honestly, the work was AWESOME. My job ended up with me coming up with formulas for new products. I got to make lotions, shampoos, soaps (ugh, I hated that one), perfumes, toners, balms, scented candles, and—oddly enough that one time—glue! It was a wonderful experience for me since it blended my interest in science and art with how it required me to think of creative ways of applying technical solutions in order to make products that needed to look, feel, smell, and perform a certain way.

As a bonus, I even got to make stuff for myself! I was particularly fond of making creams with menthol. The soothing chill on the skin is just so nice!

It wasn't all good though. I mean the menthol was fine and dandy, I assure you, but even if I was enjoying myself with the work, it just so happens that it just wasn't giving me enough money to provide for the family. Also, there was that one time I splashed chili oil on my eye. A very eye-opening and spicy turn of events to be sure.

With the bills stressing the hell out of me, I then thought to myself: if only I had a marketable skill that I could use in my off time as a way of engaging with a hobby whilst earning money.

Yup, I started my singing career!

LOL no. I opened art commissions for the first time!

It was a very scary experience, mind you. I don't consider myself a social butterfly and the prospect of talking with other people in a transactional context was a big reason why I haven't even considered doing it all this time. Turns out being poor and running out of money outweighed such concerns. Also, my keeping up with art and posting them online all these years seemed to have payed off well; my twitter having then recently crossed over a thousand followers which meant I had a decent pool of potential clients!

And so I bumbled through my first few commissions trying to appear professional and all put together in front of my clients while consistently shitting myself on the inside. Just like all well-functioning adults!

It was October last year when I started. I figured that I wouldn't have much in way of commissioners—what with being new to the business—and that was fine since I didn't have much time to put on them anyways since I did still had to go to work on my day job. What mattered was that it gave me enough of a financial buffer so that I didn't have to worry too much about going under.

This continued to the turn of the year where I was able to juggle both my job and doing commission without much of a hassle. In fact, I noticed that people were actually really interested in getting commissions from me. So much that at one point...I actually made more money in a month than what I would've with my monthly salary! At that point, it was so over! Like, I originally was planning to at least observe how things went within this year and then decide after if I would just keep it as a side gig or go full-time with art. Turns out I was much more impulsive than I expected.

It was on a bright sunny February morning (no cinematic storm clouds in sight, unfortunately) that I decided on a lark to approach my boss at work and tell them that yup, no joke, I was gonna be leaving. I handed my resignation letter a few days later.

I would've liked to say that it was a tearful goodbye with my cherished co-workers whom I've spent the last five years of my life with but...COME ON, I barely talked with those people! Instead, it was a lukewarm farewell between people who just happened to work in proximity to each other. Eh, like I said, I wasn't much of a social butterfly and no one really made an effort to get to know me so oh well. MOVING ON!

Actually, I couldn't just up and leave because there are laws around these kinds of things so I worked there for another month but all that was a blur. Soon enough, I was officially unemployed!

So like I mentioned earlier, I full on did not expect doing art as something that would bring in much in way of income. My parents too thought the same. They said that yeah, art was a good hobby but as job? Let's be serious here! Well, turns out we were wrong all this time. With me fully dedicated to commission work, I was able to take on a larger volume of clients. Not as many as some of you go for (I'm looking at you, people who take ten or more commissions per batch, you monsters!) but enough that I was actually making a stable living! And yeah, WAY more than my now previous job. What an absolute shock to everyone involved; me most of all.

Now it's almost the end of the year, my plans having all but shattered into tiny pieces. Tiny pieces that scatter with the wind as I look back on the past ten years that has led me to where I am today. A lot of time has passed. I graduated high school, college, then got a job. Then graduated from that too. Certain people have come and gone. Some more permanent than others. I've lost friends and made new ones. Tumblr got fucked. Twitter got fucked. The world stopped for two years. For some, it's still stuck in those two years. I made glue in a lab. Almost lost an eye in a lab. I bought chips with my very own money for the first time. I loved people. Hated them too. Things have happened. Things have changed.

I certainly am very different from that kid who was having troubles fitting in with others from his class, what with being bullied and suffering through a particularly angsty teenage (oh my god I was CRINGE). A kid who often sought drawing as an escape to all of those terrible things out of his control.

I guess I'm happy I can still relate to that kid.

#den thoughts #10 year tumblrversary #tumblr milestone #omg an essay #what the hell #it's 5 in the morning #I wrote this for two hours #me and my pretentious ass #ugh #I'm going to bed

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silentfcknhill · 1 month

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Vincent Phantomhive Theories (That Butler, Nursing)

Ok this is kind of a tangent so bear with me, but because I really love Vincent Phantomhive as a character I've been thinking a lot about the little bits we do get to see of him, and that chapter about him and Ciel cooking with Diedrich in particular.

Heavy spoilers below.

So on the surface it seems like just an innocent slice-of-life chapter that also serves to give a little backstory on Ciel's home life and his connection to inheriting Rachel's asthma. But as we learned later, not everything was as it appeared in this chapter. Namely, for one, it wasn't even Our Ciel at all cooking with Vincent but his twin, which was foreshadowed by the mysterious line about not wanting 'fake brothers' at the end.

Knowing this and that everything in this series usually has a hidden meaning, I began to wonder what other little insights could be gleaned from those seemingly innocuous moments. Especially about Vincent in particular, because there are some other oddly important-seeming panels and dialogue that went unresolved as of yet just like the 'fake brothers' line did until the twin reveal.

And because I love to overanalyze, that one simple little moment of Diedrich telling him his food sucked actually opens up a whole lot of possibilities about both characters that go much deeper than Vincent being able to cook or not. It started off as a funny thought experiment of whether he sucked at cooking, but then the implications started popping up behind each hidden door of possibility.

Normally it could be said 'it's not that deep', but I think we've established with this manga that it very much usually is that deep. I haven't seen anyone suggest some of these things, namely the cricket-match conspiracy part, but if it's already been done I apologize.

I have seen people point out Vincent's potential shadiness before but it usually wasn't fully fleshed out in terms of his motives, and the posts were usually done by people who seem to be criticizing Vincent. My post is a bit different because I love him either way and this is more just a character analysis weighing the possibilities.

So in case anyone else is interested, here are some of my thoughts on what the different possibilities are for why Diedrich said Vincent's cooking was bad and what they could mean for the characters on a larger scale. In no particular order:

1) Vincent's cooking was not great but also not terrible and Diedrich overplayed how bad it was due to being a grump. Definitely possible, Vincent claims to have never cooked before and that is probably true because he grew up very wealthy with cooks, similar to Ciel who is shown to not even be able to tie his own shoes properly without Sebastian.

Then again, Ciel is also a child and his parents died before he could even be trained to do stuff like shoot a gun properly since Sebastian taught him all that stuff in the flashback to their first days of the contract. Vincent likely would've been much more independent than Ciel, even as a rich man.

That said, it is possible that Vincent is capable of doing things but chooses not to. Diedrich also comes from wealth but he admits to enjoying cooking himself, while Vincent is shown to be good at getting other people to do stuff for him such as getting Diedrich to make him food in school when he was sick (that instance was likely partially a troll tactic to demean Diedrich since he hammed it up and made Diedrich physically feed him too which was surely not necessary).

If he got used to making other people do stuff for him like cooking, then it stands to reason he had no practice and might not be great at it. Diedrich is also a negative nelly so chances are he would jump at any imperfection in a dish that he knows very well and is attached to from his homeland, and he is always looking for an opportunity to take Vincent down a peg. It matches their bickering banter in general.

2) His cooking was actually as good as, or even better than Diedrich's, but Diedrich couldn't and wouldn't admit it consciously. Possible since Vincent claimed to use the recipe precisely, and if that was true then it should have been at least just the same as Diedrich's quality, so whether the dish was objectively good or bad doesn't matter because what matters is that if Vincent did indeed follow the recipe and did not make mistakes then it would have tasted the same as Diedrich's, so it would be what Diedrich subjectively considered good.

Diedrich is a perfectionist so it's possible nothing would've been good enough to earn verbal praise, and he is also so tsundere that he is loath to give a compliment, especially to Vincent. If this option is true then it might have even annoyed him that Vincent cooked a perfect German meal because Vincent is not only not German but he was British, and the Germans considered them to have bad taste in food.

So not only was he annoyed that an Englishman showed him up at his own forte, but that it was fucking Vincent who was effortlessly perfect at everything once again, and he didn't want it to go to Vincent's head by admitting another of his natural talents, especially since Diedrich had probably worked hard and put effort to get good at cooking while Vincent was treating it flippantly.

This is supported by the fact that Diedrich blames Vincent being British for his shitty German cooking. It was true that there was a huge cultural difference due to food preferences of England being considered 'bland' by the rest of Europe, and those of Germany being considered more 'tart/flavorful' in England. Their differences in culture are brought up multiple times through complaints from Diedrich and teasing jokes by Vincent, as well as the tense behind-the-scenes frenemy rivalry between the two countries being a big part of the manga plot overall.

However, this cultural difference can't be the sole reason for Diedrich insulting the food because if Vincent actually used Diedrich's recipe and didn't make mistakes then it wouldn't matter if he was not German, it should have been just like the German version and Diedrich wouldn't have noticed any difference.

3) His cooking was terrible on purpose and he did it to troll Diedrich so he'd have to make it all himself. Seems to be within character for Vincent for sure when it comes to Diedrich because he likes to mess with Diedrich's head in general and make him do a lot of extra work. It wouldn't have been motivated by laziness though, because he spent just as much time making it himself the first time, so if it was intentional it was done as a power play to remind Diedrich he was still his 'fag' (assistant) and he could make him do anything at any time.

Plus, he seemed more motivated by playing house than actually making a good meal for Rachel himself anyways, as he seemed to steal credit for it when she asked so he clearly didn't care about needing to make it himself. With this option, he would've had to covincingly fake what seems like genuine shock when Diedrich told him the food was gross, but that is also not uncharacteristic of him as a master liar and manipulator by reputation. More evidence of/context for this theory is used to possibly debunk #4 below.

4) His cooking was terrible by accident because he thought he was following the recipe but messed it up. This is possible due to seeming legit shocked when Diedrich told him that it was bad, but his reaction may have been a little too shocked and coy to be real. Also, he is usually shown to be competent when actually trying and if he were that careless in his tasks and unable to pay attention to detail then he wouldn't have been 1) entrusted with such an important position by the Queen in the first place, and 2) able to carry out his duties with such skill and precision that it earned him a reputation for exactly that.

The potential debunking of this option is where we get into conspiracy territory. Depending on your interpretation of him as a character, it is not entirely clear the extent of which his symptom of being distractible is real versus just an act to manipulate people/get them to do what he wants and then claim ignorance later. Since his sister Francis claims he was always a bit irresponsible even in youth, it could possibly be both...though she is also not the best judge of responsibility since she's so strict that to her everyone is irresponsible. Still though, it's possible he might be a bit in his own world but his convenient cluelessness at certain moments could be exaggerated and used as an excuse, particularly with Diedrich.

Or the whole entire thing could be an act. In fact, the main example of his forgetfulness was the whole 'forgetting about the Prefect meeting back in school' thing, and that easily could've been an elaborate game to get the end result he himself said he wanted on the boat: Diedrich as his 'loyal German dog' aka slave. If he skipped a Prefect preparations meeting, he knew Diedrich would have to do all the work, which would make him angry and confront Vincent. He purposefully made it even worse by trolling Diedrich by pretending to nap during the school day and on the lawn no less, which they were not supposed to be laying on, and by breaking more school rules such as calling Diedrich by his first name. He knew all this would provoke the bet that he knew he'd win through cheating/outsmarting, like Ciel later does in the Public School arc.

This theory is given more weight when you consider that Vincent deliberately commented on how all Germans must be rude if Diedrich is, which he figures will provoke Diedrich into making a similar blanket claim about his dormitory which he can pretend to get offended by and have a justification for the bet. It would be hypocritical for him to get offended by Diedrich stereotyping a whole group otherwise, when he himself had just done the same thing first. I have seen people say he was just being a hypocritical jerk, but it seemed more deliberate and calculated to me. Like Ciel in the Blue Cult arc when he put on the whole concert as a misdirect to catch the group dumping bodies, and tbh in most arcs, the Phantomhives are known for their Xanatos gambits and misdirections to get what they want.

There was probably a reason for everything Vincent did in the flashback, because Vincent is usually shown to be very outwardlt kind and supportive to everyone but Diedrich. He is a gentle, passive father who cannot bear to discipline his children. He compliments people on their insecurities like Ann's red hair. He even was very polite to Baron Kelvin despite his friends being rude to Kelvin. So why would he act differently around Diedrich? Because if he wants to get control of a mean man, then he has to earn his respect first by speaking his language.

But why did he even want to gt control of Diedrich in the first place? Well, maybe he was tasked to. The whole plot being a request from the Queen makes sense considering Vincent is seen reading a mysterious letter with what looks like her insignia after the cricket match in the gazebo and right before Diedrich approached him about what his request is.

She is shown making power plays against Germany throught the franchise by setting up her German cousin Georg von Siemens to be unalived at Ciel's party to stop Germany from advancing their tech to match England's, and also in the whole Emerald Witch arc which takes place in Germany and involves the German military and their building 'cold war' with England and her interest in Sieglinde as a weapon for England's benefit.

Notably, Diedrich was forced to intervene against his own country in this arc due to the loyalty he owed to the Phantomhives, so it's very possible he was intended to be used for purposes like this and that is why the Queen wanted Vincent to set that pawn up for the future if needed. That might've been the reason he was at that school to begin with, he might have been undercover like Ciel was. This would have been only a couple years after his mother, the former Queen's Watchdog, died and so he was probably eager to live up to the expectations placed on him and would have done anything to succeed.

Diedrich even seems to be aware of being used for this purpose, which explains him being so depressed he developed a stress-eating addiction and why he seemed resentful of his friendship with Vincent, and Vincent's family in general who he still can't get free of.

Vincent asked Diedrich in the flashback to look after Ciel if he died, and Diedrich even asks if this was an order. It would seem weird for a friend to ask that unless they felt obligated/coerced. It would also make sense why he said he was almost glad Vincent was dead in the scene with Undertaker, the 'almost' meaning 'if only he didn't live on through his son and I was actually free of this debt'. That's why he always compares Ciel to his dead father in a negative way.

Not to say he and Vincent weren't actually friends on some level, if anything it seemed they had a lot of past sexual tension and possibly some unrequited feelings on Diedrich's part that he is still resentful over due to Vincent leading him on. But I do think his friendship with the Phantomhives was not balanced, as referenced by the 'Unbalanced Triangle' chapter title with him, Vincent and Ciel on the cover, and that he was most assuredly being used to some extent.

If this is the case and the whole school cricket thing was one of Vincent's chess games, then it's also why Vincent deliberately pretended not to know what he would make his request when they first made the bet, because he knew Diedrich would never agree to it but would have to honor his promise later if it was already made because Diedrich took rules and obligations so seriously.

If this all was true, then it seems that pretending to be bad at cooking would be just another ploy, as listed in theory #3 above, albeit with lower stakes.

5) Somehow he has a reverse Midas Touch with food and is so terrible at cooking that he was able to butcher the meal despite actually honestly trying and successfully following the recipe to a T without making any mistakes. This seems unlikely from a realistic standpoint but could be used in fiction for comedy purposes since fiction doesn't have to make sense entirely. It would seem a bit odd for Vincent though because this is never shown to be the case otherwise and he is not portrayed as a butt-monkey character but rather a frighteningly competent one through reputation and the tangible results of his actions that we see proof of.

6) Alternatively, the seemingly comedic moment could've been a red flag for something deeper, as most seemingly lighthearted jokes are in this series. Foreshadowing of what? This is where we get back into conspiracy town. Well, the bad meal could have been symbolic from when Vincent mentions the most important ingredient in a meal is love, and Diedrich questions his ability to love at all.

If Vincent is telling them that love is the main ingredient in a meal and yet can't cook it properly, he is basically confessing as much in his own words, hence the special attention Yana paid to show his smirk of acknowledgement after Diedrich questions his potential to love and how there is no protest from Vincent or any follow-up at all and it is left 'hanging' like Ciel's 'no fake brothers' line before the twin reveal. Nothing in this manga is left hanging forever, the clues are always there and there are no such things as coincidences in this series.

I don't think Vincent is incapable of love entirely, but I do think he was very repressed and emotionally isolated due to preparing his whole life for his role as the Queen's Watchdog, meaning he couldn't safely get attached to anyone lest anything happen to him or the other person. He also seems to have trauma around attachment from losing his mother when he was 15 and having to take up the very job that killed her, knowing at any time he could be next if he failed in his duties (and it's entirely possible this is exactly what happened and why he died).

Keep in mind the meal he was making was not only for Rachel, but to nurse her back to health while she was sick. Because his marriage to Rachel was arranged by her and Ann's father, while I do think he began to care for Rachel as a companion over time, it seemed more of a platonic co-parenting marriage of convenience type situation. Vincent makes comments indicating his infidelity at various points, such as offering to flirt with 'German beauties' with Chlaus.

This is why Diedrich commented on the lack of love in his marriage, because he knew Vincent personally from when they were kids and knew how hard of a time he had opening up to the vulnerability of such an emotion. The bad taste of the meal might have confirmed Diedrich's seemingly irrelevant comment earlier and it's possible that Vincent's bad meal was a manifestation of the lack of actual romance in his marriage and/or his fear to open himself up to love in general.

Aside from just the love and marriage aspect, since he is partially non-human and Undertaker is his direct ancestor (father or grandfather etc) then Vincent's soul is probably 'tainted' by darkness to some extent, so that could also explain why something so intrinsic to human life as food/eating would not come naturally to him. The Phantomhive line is constantly referred to as cursed and not supposed to exist, likely as a result of Undertaker breaking shinigami code by interfering with life through procreating.

While he is half-human, the bad cooking, if it was real, may be a nod to his connection with death through being half-shinigami and/or marked for death already by fate. So of course he can't put his 'heart and soul' into making a meal if his heart and soul are cursed with flaw. Any result of a 'soulful' endeavor on his part would naturally reflect his true genetic and spiritually tainted nature.

#vincent phantomhive #kuroshitsuji #black butler #diedrich kuroshitsuji #what is the true extent of his dubious nature? could it be a combo of these options?#he is a character shrouded in mystery since we only see him through other people's memories which can be altered by their own perceptions

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tiny-vermin · 9 months

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here r my jumbled thoughts abt the Guys (modern au)

ive been thinking abt caleb as a professor a lot. and i want to project my own interest in art on them, so au where caleb is an art professor, essek is some fucker ass contemp artist. i imagine him to make colourfield paintings like mark rothko... or maybe some pretentious ass artwork installations etc. emphasises a lot on technical skill and mastery to create works that are deceptively easy but ofc arent.

caleb uses clay to sculpt expressive things sometimes shapes sometimes figures. portraits of friends?? used to study academic art. now he likes to use his hands to create spontaneously. imagine walking into the studio and he's smothering something in plaster, his hands are basically Covered in it. its gotten on his face and hair. cue inappropriate jester joke.

he teaches art history.omg. he makes little cat figurines to decorate his studio/classroom. cries. please imagine oddly shapes looking cats glazed in funny funky ways. they arent cute. very odd

i think he would be super into raku firing, textures... colours....

iknow teachers dont actually have that much time to do their own stuff but lets imagine 💞💞 and i dont think this lil au is gonna go anywhere but i like to think about it, thanks to the people who left tags in my posts along the lines of wanting to hear more about calebessek thoughts and backstory of modern au, so i was motivated to think about it!! but actually in this... then i dont think essek would wear those kinds of formal clothes. i have a lot of pictures saved though on what i think he would like to wear.

oh and also ive been listening to the song "god turn me into a flower" by weyes blood. very pretty and very essek themed to me. he becomes soft .. because of his friends and his partner.....

anyways if anyone wants to hear more about art wizards. i'll make it a thing

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patron-minette · 1 year

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Les Misérables, 2.2.2

I have emerged from the dregs because today is the day that we are introduced to one of my favourite passing characters in this novel; Boulatruelle!

What is particularly striking to me about this chapter is the similarities that Boulatruelle shares with Valjean way back in 1.2.1. But, I shan't delve into that today— you can click the link above if you want to read my thoughts on that tangent. Instead, I want to explore the idea of Boulatruelle as an abhuman, Gothic figure, and in general discuss some of the Gothic influences and tropes at play here in this section.

P.S. I didn’t want to directly reblog it, but I made a long 'character breakdown' post about Boulatruelle, if you're interested. It includes details of all his appearances throughout the novel as well as a general character analysis. You can find the post via this link (please note that it obviously contains spoilers for the rest of the novel)

Illustration: Boulatruelle cherchant le trésor [source]

A large chunk of the chapter describes how Boulatruelle is ostracised by Montfermeil's society. And, whilst it might first appear he is cast out simply because of his ex-convict status, which makes him a 'social Other', as the chapter progresses and we read more about this figure we discover that Boulatruelle is rejected by the townsfolk not just because he is 'Other', but because people do not see him as a human, but instead as a creature with "peculiar ways".

"He was encountered towards evening in the most deserted clearings, in the wildest thickets; and he had the appearance of being in search of something, and sometimes he was digging holes. The goodwives who passed took him at first for Beelzebub; then they recognized Boulatruelle, and were not in the least reassured thereby."

Thus, Boulatruelle momentarily becomes a Gothic monster from legend to the people of Montfermeil. He literally morphs into a devil thanks to the "superstition" of the townsfolk— a very traditional Gothic trope.

Here, then, is the superstition of Montfermeil: it is thought that the devil, from time immemorial, has selected the forest as a hiding-place for his treasures. Goodwives affirm that it is no rarity to encounter at nightfall, in secluded nooks of the forest, a black man with the air of a carter or a wood-chopper, wearing wooden shoes, clad in trousers and a blouse of linen, and recognizable by the fact, that, instead of a cap or hat, he has two immense horns on his head.

Reading about Boulatruelle through the eyes of this society, we too are inclined to view him as this primitive, beastly, and stupid creature. Oddly enough, he reminds me a little of Renfield in Stoker's Dracula, who is described thus: "He has certain qualities very largely developed; selfishness, secrecy, and purpose. I wish I could get at what is the object of the latter. He seems to have some settled scheme of his own, but what it is I do not yet know".

If we are to be convinced enough by the townspeople and their superstitions, it could almost be assumed that Boulatruelle was carrying out work for the Devil, even if he was not a devil himself— much like how Renfield's odd scheme was actually him carrying out Dracula's whims and commands. Just like how Dr Seward was unsure of Renfield's intentions, as readers we are not entirely privy to Boulatruelle's motivations. Whilst we know Boulatruelle believes that the coffer contains money, is that really the sole motivation for his constant digging?

Yet, the clear difference between Renfield and Boulatruelle is that Hugo constantly reminds us that Boulatruelle is only a perceived Gothic monster here. When Boulatruelle is sat down by Thénardier and given the "wine test" we are reminded that he is more human than monster. Yes, he is undeniably an unusual man, but he is by no means evil. Whilst the locals might perceive an ex-convict and drunkard to be monstrous, I do not think Hugo wants us to believe them at all! If anything, I actually feel quite sorry for the poor guy in this moment.

As Boulatruelle describes what he had seen in Montfermeil's forest, the Gothic influences present in this chapter are expanded upon. There is an even greater Gothic monster lurking in the area— that of the *mysterious figure* who vanishes into the forest's thicket under moonlight and possesses the truly sublime, abhuman nature, and general 'Otherness' of a Gothic monster.

The chapter's ultimate mystery is set up as Boulatruelle observes this figure carrying a coffer, shovel, and a pick into the forest at night, before reappearing a few hours later without the coffer. Yet, despite the old road mender's efforts to find and dig up this mysterious box, there remains no sign of it in the forest.

This mysterious figure is dehumanised to the point that in one moment they are referred to as a "person" with quotation marks shown around the phrase. Much like Boulatruelle, they too are a social 'Other', being described as "a person who did not belong in those parts, and whom he, Boulatruelle, knew well". The figure is also significantly more supernatural than Boulatruelle. In the style of more traditional Gothic fiction, this figure is physically imposing and eerily fast— having Herculean strength (being "three times as strong" as the road mender), and an ability to seemingly vanish and reappear in the thicket of the forest. By the end of the chapter, this figure transcends to become the devil to some of the townsfolk, even more-so than Boulatruelle: "There were only a few brave gossips, who said, “You may be certain that the mender on the Gagny road did not take all that trouble for nothing; he was sure that the devil had come.”"

Throughout this chapter Hugo cleverly titters between the line of the older, traditional Gothic tales of the late 1700s/early 1800s (which involved true monsters that lurked behind the walls of isolated castles and in the deepest, darkest forests— unable to penetrate society), and the "new" Gothic of the mid-1800s, which saw the Gothic monsters become ordinarily human and enter into society, with their 'Otherness' becoming internalised rather than being displayed outwardly.

Of course, the concept of being a monstrous social 'Other' will continue to be explored throughout the novel. Indeed, 'Otherness' has always existed in conjunction with an individual society's standards, helping nurture the creation of the 'us versus them' mentality that pervades through real-life and fiction. Explorations (and dispulsions) of this concept are one of the roots of Hugo's writing.

Let us keep an eye out for more of Boulatruelle at other points in the book and assess how his 'Otherness' transcends in relation to the novel's "social Gothicism". Whilst Les Misérables is by no means a Gothic book, it is riddled with Gothic influences and tropes throughout— we will surely continue to observe such points within other characters at later points in the novel.

Also, we might want to take note of the fact that Thénardier interacts with Boulatruelle directly in this chapter (it makes for a cool detail much later in the novel!)

#les mis letters #les mis daily #lm 2.2.2 #boulatruelle #thenardier #2.2.2 #les miserables #les mis #les miserables meta #dracula #renfield #meta

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spoonbyname · 2 years

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Right, Bagginshielders, if I was going to find a way to actually motivate myself to finish and post a fic, which fic should see the light of day?

And if anyone knows of any Bagginshield writing/cheerleading/motivational groups, let me know!

1. Black & Blue - Soulmate/mark AU - Flower marks bloom on a hobbit's skin when the person they are connected to is injured.

Belladonna tried not to let her nerves get the better of her - wound-blooms were certainly uncommon on a baby, for a number of reasons - and slowly reached for the fabric to get a better look, but as she did a purple thistle burst open on his tiny bottom lip, its spines appearing from nothing like a vicious firework.

There was something about the lurid purple there on his lip and chin that made her feel a little unwell. She could not remember what thistles actually meant, but looking at it was enough to tell her that it should have no place on a hobbit's skin. That was not a silly or happy mark.

As she examined the flush of flowers on her child's skin, she spotted the last flower - one at least she was more familiar with, although its appearance filled her with both hope and dread.

2. The Wanderer - Time Traveller's Wife/No Ring AU - Bilbo Wanders back and forth in time. Then an oddly familiar dwarf appears on his doorstep.

He thinks he hears him say something like "Baggins" but he can't be sure as the sound is carried on a surprised breath, nearly drowned out by his own scared whimpers and gasps as the whole corridor shakes for a moment. Bilbo is only just able to make out wide eyes and a mane of dark hair in the gloom, the strange man whispering hurriedly, "It is alright. I am here. I will keep you safe."

There is another deafening sound that crackles and booms through the corridors, making the floor beneath him vibrate frighteningly again, and Bilbo clamps his hands over his ears. He looks back to the man whose expression is desperate and whose arm is stretching as far as it can through the gap, unable to quite reach him. He instinctively scoots closer to the huge hand held out for him. No sooner is Bilbo close enough than the hand clamps around his arm and the dark-haired man hauls him out from behind the statue (he can just about see that's what it is now) and he's drawn into a tight hug, his face buried in the thick black hair as the man gasps, "I have got you." Bilbo then finds himself hoisted up against the solid chest and partially bundled into the inside of the man's coat, clinging on like a burr, as the man starts to run.

#bagginshield #thilbo #my wips #thorin x bilbo #bilboxthorin #bilbo/thorin

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bittermause · 1 year

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End of the Year Review: A Three Year Act Edition

My birthday is ten days away, so I felt it appropriate to write another one of these End of Year Reviews before then. I decided to summarize the last two years since I didn't bother to do so after 2019. The motivation to do this came from regretting to not record and keep any of my previous EoY posts from 2018 and earlier. As I get older, those said years became a blur to me, which is unfortunate. But I digress, let's start things off with the glorious year of...

2020

The year when Covid went into full swing around the globe, but also the year of brand new beginnings and a year full of insane luck and precise timing. In 2019, literally the day after Christmas, I was offered a job as a 2D Animator for a unique Cybersecurity training firm in CA. After a brief moment of panic and my best friend convincing me to take a chance with this new venture, I agreed to move out west at the end of January, and start my new job in February. For first two weeks I stayed at an AirBnB close to my job, and eventually moved into a makeshift studio space attached to a family home that belonged to a fellow alumni's mother. I never imagined I would finally leave Michigan after 35 years of personal pain and misery, to have a job that actually paid a livable wage that was also synonymous with my career path, and be able to leave behind an environment that put me in a constant state of stress and depression. For the first time in ages, I felt truly blessed. In the Spring, my best friend and I started getting re-acquainted with an old mutual friend of ours that we seldom spoke to in years. We ended up spending weekend nights having three way calls, discussing creative projects and talking about life in general. Never thought I'd re-connect with them in such a way, but now we have a much tighter friendship bond than we did in the past.

2021

After being able to save a lump sum of money thanks to the low rent cost and full on public transit reliance, I finally acquired a car. It didn't take me long to get re-acquainted with driving on the road; not having to deal with the iconic pot holes and rough weather worn terrain made travel cakewalk. I took my time to discover some great local haunts, like GraphAids and Record Outlet. However, in October I realized that my body was out of shape, and when I weighed myself for the first time in forever, I was hitting 231 Lbs. I took it upon myself to start a weight and task log in order to keep track of CICO, and exercise again. ( I was rotating between DDPY, Ringfit and the mini-elliptical) I also acquired a nutritionist to guide me in making better decisions for my diet. When November rolled around, I came to the conclusion that I needed to move out of the little studio space and into my own apartment. While it helped me save a great deal of money, the space was tiny, I missed having a stove, and a washer and dryer nearby. My landlady was oddly avoidant on giving rent history to my soon-to-be apartment management, but come later December I was still able to get approval for a unit. That same month, I announced the end of my long running web comic The Shufflers. It was one of the hardest decisions I had to make, but a necessary one. I still think about whether or not I can pick it back up again, but only time can tell.

2022

No doubt, is perhaps one of my favorite years living out in CA by far. I moved into an upper level apartment, got promoted to Production Supervisor at my workplace, I traveled to Colorado Springs to hang out with my friend, got to visit The Academy Museum with my workmates and explored the Studio Ghibli exhibition, and roamed a little bit around my new city and found some neat shops and restaurants. Along with it's pleasures, also came with great internal struggles; even though I left my old life two years ago, some of the excess baggage was still clinging on to me, and my perception of self was still very unhealthy. I started receiving therapy in June twice a month, in order to help me untangle my past grievances with myself and to help me pull away from the people that caused it. These sessions have been a real eye opener, and keeping a journal based on each one has greatly helped. One of the hardest challenges I've ever faced so far was convincing myself that I am worthy of self love and respect, to undo the belief that I am an unlovable, creep-ass overweight toad, and stop hiding my honest feelings and insecurity behind a goofy ass mask. While it's been a painful journey, the self-discovery was worth it.

Plans for 2023

I'll be continuing my self-improvement goals throughout this year. Since last October, I went down to 202 LBS. Next year I'd like to hit 175 or less. (Ideally I should be aiming for 135 as the ultimate end goal, but that won't be likely for another year and a half). Outside of that, the other goals I'd like to achieve are;

Continue making Animated shorts.

Get contacts, particularly ones I can wear if I decide to go swimming.

Get my hair professionally colored. Been thinking of doing a red violet or dark purple.

Re-work my wardrobe more

Continue exploring and go to more events.

Work on an actual comic project again.

So far for all the goals I've set in previous years, I was able to attain them. I hope that I'll be able to continue that trend in the next year.

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kagayakuseiza · 2 years

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MTAS Theory: Matilda is the Real Villian

Historical Disclaimer: As I am writing this, My Time at Sandrock is out in early release, and the last main story quest available at this point is saving the water tower. Therefore, I am theorizing about what will happen in future updates. If you are seeing this post later on and my theories have been proven or disproven, please don’t tell me immediately after the update comes out. I want to have the chance to play through and see it for myself.

Alright so, early on in MTAS, Matilda’s character seemed oddly suspicious to me. In part it was due to her essentially getting to have all of the power of the mayor of Sandrock in Trudy’s absence while we don’t even get to meet the actual mayor at all. Granted, someone had to fill in, but something just felt off about it. It is also clearly intentional that there is such a strong implication about Logan not really being the villain or at least that it more complicated than that.

So let’s talk about what we know about Logan. The supposed story is that his father Howlett was accidentally contaminated with something infectious in the ruins and then quarantined in the church, after which Logan bombed the church to get him out, resulting in Howlett’s accidental death. However, the investigation quests strongly imply that there is much more to the story than what we’ve been told.

So if Howlett had an infectious disease and quarantine was necessary, why did Logan go as far as bombing the church to get him out? Perhaps there was something better that could have been done instead of keeping him confined to quarantine. The medical journal in his house leads me to think otherwise. (Going to put the “keep reading” cut here because the amount of screenshots I’m going to include will make this post very long to scroll past.)

It appears as though Logan was researching a disease--most likely the one his father had--and felt the need to contact another doctor about it. I suspect Mi-An’s conclusion that Fang wrote the unreadable prescription is off.

Apparently I didn’t screenshot Fang’s reaction (or lack thereof) to it, but anyway, Logan had obtained a prescription of some sort from a doctor. This leads me to what I suspect was Logan’s true motive in bombing the church: Logan obtained a cure to save his father from the contamination and had resorted to forcing his way into the church in order to give Howlett the cure. OR he needed to actually get his father out in order to take him to Dr. Allen Carter. But his plan went terribly wrong, of course...

Logan probably did think everything would be ok. He probably thought he would cure his father, and everything would go back to normal.

So now this is where Matilda starts to seem ultra shady (as does Miguel to a degree). If Logan had obtained a cure for Howlett, one would think that the church members would let him in to administer it if he just explained. Obviously, that’s not what happened. Perhaps he had already been denied access in order to administer the cure before the night of the incident, or otherwise was deeply distrustful of Matilda, but at any rate, he felt the need to have bombs in order to successfully get to his father. And now for the actual night of the incident, it’s still really unclear what actually happened.

It’s interesting to me that Burgess, the most innocent seeming member of Sandrock’s church staff, can’t testify to much because he was apparently knocked out at the beginning. (IIRC, Pen corroborates this by stating he saw Burgess passed out on the ground, but apparently I failed to screenshot most of his dialog.) And in addition to that, we don’t know exactly how he got knocked out. One might hear the story for the first time and think that Logan and Haru knocked out Burgess in order to carry out their plan. Or... someone else knocked him out... perhaps in order to deliberately prevent him from letting Logan in or witnessing what was going to take place. Perhaps it was not truly for quarantine purposes that Howlett was being kept locked up, and they didn’t want anyone to know.

Now let’s finally talk about Matilda herself, starting with this:

Something that is just now occurring to me as I am writing this post is that the way she reacts to seeing the marked map could possibly indicate that she has seen it before. It’s not “oh, what’s this?” It’s a map with marks on it. Not inherently suspicious, unless you know either that a) it was found among a supposed villain’s belongings or b) that it pertained to a particular plan. But her response is not “what is this?” or “what are these marks?” but rather “Goodness, [player]! Now wherever did you find this?” Perhaps this wasn’t a plan made by Logan and Haru for the church bombing, but rather, it may have actually been her plan to poison Howlett and lock him in the church, which Logan later found. Yes, actually, this makes sense now that I’m actually thinking about this point, if Logan had discovered this plan, that would explain why he felt the need to prepare bombs for his attempt to free his father, and it would also explain why the plan had been crumpled and uncrumpled...

Aaaaanyway, back to the point I originally was intending to make about Matilda. As you question her, she indirectly dissuades the player from digging around for answers.

“Don’t go looking for answers on your own. Talk to me and let ME tell you what happened.” She says it in a way that portrays herself as open and willing to talk about the incident, but it feels off. I get the sense that she really wants you to stop snooping around. Yet she does it subtly, to try not to come off as suspicious.

And back to the previous point about the map as I go through the screenshots chronologically, more deflection, “this is totally Logan’s, he’s more dangerous than we thought.”

Again, she wants you to hear it from her instead of snooping around and drawing any conclusions other than the one she wants you to draw.

In her initial line of questioning before the map is shown, she does essentially the same thing.

In both lines of questioning, it’s clear that she doesn’t want you to get involved, while she also acts like she cares about you. (I feel like the fact that you gain a few relationship points with her after this exchange actually adds to this effect.) This is not uncommon in manipulation tactics. The deceiver will often try to gain the genuine trust of those they attempt to deceive, then use that misplaced trust in order to lead someone into believing what the manipulative person is telling them instead of drawing their own conclusions. She wants you to simply believe what she tells you about Logan instead of digging any deeper.

Now I want to point out that there is a small inconsistency in her story. (I’m jumping around a little at this point, but bear with me, here.) When you simply question here without showing her the photo, she says she came out after the explosion and acts like she doesn’t know much.

Her testimony after you show her the map contradicts this, saying that she and the other church staff members where outside.

So, which is it? Did the explosion happen, and then she came out (miraculously before the collapse), or was she already outside when bombs went off, with only Howlett in there to die? Not only do we still not have a full account of what happened, but also she can’t get her story straight. (Perhaps the panic of seeing the marked map sent her into “oh crap they found something, gotta cover!” mode...)

So if in fact she is hiding something about the incident, what exactly could that be?

Perhaps Logan was right and Howlett actually wouldn’t have come into contact with Age of Corruption concoctions... at least, not on his own without someone else causing it. Perhaps he was intentionally poisoned.

But you may be wondering, what reason could Matilda have for wanting to kill Howlett? This brings me to something else found in Logan’s home.

The torn photo of Logan’s parents’ wedding must have some sort of significance here. I notice that Logan has the same hair color as his mother. I hadn’t thought much about Logan’s hair color prior to seeing this photo, but it would seem that white is his natural hair color, and it’s not white from aging, given that he is confirmed to be younger than Owen and seemingly gets his hair color from his mom.

So Logan’s mother left Sandrock shortly after the birth of her son. I also noticed that Matilda just so happens to also have white hair. I initially thought it was white from age, but perhaps it’s just her natural hair color also. Could it be possible that Matilda is actually Logan’s estranged mother or another relative from that side of the family?

Matilda’s in-game bio says “She took the initiative to apply to be stationed in Sandrock where she thought she could be the most useful.” We know that she chose to come to Sandrock, but perhaps it wasn’t in order to do good. Perhaps it was really to get revenge on her ex husband (or the ex husband of a relative) for whatever it was that made her decide to leave.

Also I kind of suspect that Miguel is also involved. Unlike Burgess, he was not knocked out for the incident, and he is very matter-of-fact about blaming Howlett for his own death and deciding to lock him up.

It seems like he and Matilda are working together while Burgess is in the dark. So that would set it up to have Burgess be the one to take over leadership of Sandrock’s chapter of the Church of the Light after these two are gone.

Anyway, this is of course all speculation, and I hope others are amused by all the things that have been going through my mind about all of this!

#My Time at Sandrock #MTAS #MTAS Matilda #MTAS Logan #MTAS Burgess #MTAS Miguel #MTAS theory

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crystalelemental · 11 months

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I've finally had the time to read through your Pokemon Team characterization! Gen 5 was when I realized that, maybe the Pokemon team and the arrangement actually had something to tell about the characters, but reading through your characterization made me realize that perhaps that already happened a lot sooner than I thought! Thank you for writing all of those, I had fun reading them.

Steven was the trainer that made me want to add Skarmory to my team. Raising it was rough since it's purely defensive, but I had a good experience having it. The Claydol setting the screens...I still remember my Emerald team almost getting defeated because my 10-years old brain didn't understand why his Metagross took less damage from my Blaziken. But yeah, Steven's Emerald battle was so much fun, and I agree his ORAS fight is kind of a downgrade.

I also like your analysis of Cynthia's team, and I very much agree with them. No matter what team she's using, she'll always be a challenge and difficult to defeat...that Double Team-spamming Spiritomb, I hate it. And the fact that I had to raise my own Garchomp just to counter hers in my Shining Pearl playthrough said a lot about how strong her ace is.

And your Hop team analysis...I love it so much! I think the story and characterization behind his team composition are more apparent than the others, especially because he takes center stage in Gen 8. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing, I like it. He's one of my most favorite rivals alongside N and Hau, so I am very happy when you did a post of him.

I read through Whitney and the Poison specialists too, they're all great! This makes me want to request some as well, but feel free to take your time and do it whenever you want to. I was going to request N's BW final fight team and B2W2 seasonal teams but realized that'd be way too much to work on, so...Morty and Zinnia! For Morty, you can do his GSC or HGSS, or B2W2 version, your choice.

I'm honestly interested to see what your characterization analysis of their team will tell about them, especially Morty (other than the fact that Johto doesn't have that much Ghost Pokemon selection he resorted to the Gengar line).

There's a lot, so I'll respond fully under the cut.

In completely fairness, I'm making up a lot. None of this is confirmed, but the idea is to showcase that you can make stuff up, and that's the basis of developing a character back in those times. Gen 5 was the first character-centric game where they really had a lot to work with, and Gen 7, oddly enough, really emphasized character moments to the point you have a pretty effective idea. But before that, you just cobbled together, and I really wanted to see more of that than just the Red and Blue favoritism stuff, so I decided to try my hand at this. I'm glad it seems to be at least somewhat popular, given how some of them got a decent response outside of my immediate sphere.

I was kinda surprised that his first ORAS fight is exactly the same. Like, it's almost the same movesets. Which is kinda funny, the way things change just by mechanics and movepools. But yeah, I really love the Emerald team, definitely my current favorite fight.

Cynthia's generally tough. I haven't done the BW or BW2 fights in a long time, so I don't remember them too well, but I can't imagine it's any easier. And...yeah, my opinion on BDSP is low, but I think as a good example of "Cynthia is always really weak to setup," Cresselia swept both of her big rematches in my game. Cresselia is stupid good as a Calm Mind setter.

Hop's felt slightly like cheating because we know so much about him, but it seemed to go over well with Hop fans, so I'll take the win.

Whitney's...might have been my favorite so far? Because there's so little to go off of. Well...okay, no, Geeta's was my favorite because I have an ulterior motivation (being contrary), but Whitney felt the most cobbled together from stuff we don't know. Which I think was more fun.

I can do all three. No promises on turnaround time, but I'll give each a try. And hey, great news! Morty's in a similar bracket to Whitney, and I don't actually know much about Zinnia! So this will be cobbling together nonsense real good.

#books-are-my-life-stuff

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winns-stuff · 1 year

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LO APPRECIATION:

Okay I’m so sorry y’all I did not do the appreciation on the day I said I was going to at all. It’s a lot of good stuff going on and I’m a little busy, but besides that I would like us all to take our focus on one of my favorite characters, one that needs no real announcement but I’ll be giving it to him anyways, the intelligent and brilliant Hephaestus everyone! Please clap.

I’ve loved him ever since we saw Hera meeting up with him (or was it Persephone..? I’m not sure it’s been a while since I visited that chapter so please bare with me) he kinda reminded me of myself but much calmer and mature which I personally think is amazing because of how many goofy characters we’re starting to see 24/7. I enjoyed the vibe he gave as soon as he came onto the screen, I don’t know something about it really comforted me to the point where I felt relaxed and calm, it was like some sort of warm energy that overcame me whenever I saw him. Which added onto my attachment to him as a character because I only really like characters who give me good feelings, most characters especially the main cast has started to give me off feelings about them and I can’t help but be bored with it. So it was great for me to actually get to connect with a character that gave me all the fuzzy feelings that you feel for any character you find comfort in.

Yes y’all he’s one of my MANY comfort characters, something about him makes me feel safe and I genuinely feel like he’s the best thing that ever really happened in LO. I loved how tame his personality was with others and how professional and skilled he was while in his element. I also really enjoyed his character design, everything about him was so different and we don’t see many differences in the characters anymore so it was refreshing to see such a unique design just pop into the story. I feel like it added a lot more color (not literally but.. you know, metaphorically I guess) and it was a good contrast compared to the other characters.

Also, I just really love his glasses. They’re so tiny and cute I could literally stare at them all they, and I know it sounds weird but there’s something so oddly satisfying about how they just sit on his face I think it’s funny.

I would love to see his story, I miss him a lot but I don’t believe he’ll come back unless we pan over to Ares. And yeah, if y’all didn’t know I hate Ares, many people in this fandom love him but they also forgot that he basically coerced a very young Persephone to kiss him, to me it’s kinda backwards to just hold Apollo accountable, and by this statement I am no way saying that he shouldn’t be held accountable at all, I despise Apollo as well and I’m glad that people are going in on him, I’m not trying to give him pity or anything I just would’ve liked to see all the men who has done bad things or inappropriate things to Persephone be treated at the same caliber. Why are we congratulating Ares when he did that and continues to sexually harass Persephone and force himself upon her whenever he can.

Sorry for that mini Ares rant just wanted to make i things clear. Anyways, back to the star of this post now what I was saying is that I would’ve loved to see more of his story because I feel as though it would’ve been interesting and as much as I hate to say it I’m kinda curious about how Rachel would interpret it. Even though I feel like she would definitely butcher it in some kind of way that wouldn’t be satisfying for me and other people who love his character, I just want more content of him. I just need to see him interact with other people and have his own thoughts and motivations and stuff, genuinely seeing him would make me the happiest girl on Earth.

But I’m worried about seeing him as well, it seems like Rachel is leaning into more really weird “funny face” and yelling humor more as the story continues and I don’t want her ruining one of the many things I love about Hephaestus just for a “good laugh”, I just want him to be himself and not be season 3 beamed.

Anyways, that’s the end of the appreciation post but it surely won’t be the end of the appreciation in general. I could talk about this man all day and I genuinely love every single detail about him, but hopefully I appreciated him to the fullest. I really needed this post anyways, with this whole sex scene scandal getting closer (yeah I saw the previews for it) I’m getting more and more distraught and just angry. I just wish that Rachel could get her point across without just shoving sex in our face every 5 minutes, not everything relationship related has to be about sex let the couple breathe please and focus on other characters. But yeah, thank you so much Hephaestus for forcing me to think about positive things for a bit.

#lo critical #anti lore olympus #anti lo

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magaprima · 2 years

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I absolutely adore how much of a team these two look in this shot, especially considering the fact Sabrina is the one who has moved to be beside Lilith, not the other way around, so this paired up pose is not a manipulation at all as Sabrina instigated it. Their team stance is totally natural.

But I love that it shows these two as being a team unit right at the beginning. Yes, I know that at this point Lilith has her secret mission and she’s deliberately trying to lead Sabrina down the Path of Night, but this is something different, this is more than her just giving Sabrina what she wants and influencing her, this is the two of them being equally irritated with Prudence and being determined to challenge her. That’s a separate non-Path-of-Night-Mission entirely; Sabrina and Lilith have just ended up being united against Prudence’s dismissive attitude. Both are also mildly irritated by it.

And that’s exactly what I’m talking about when I say these two are so accidentally similar, even if they come from totally different sides of things (literally in their origin case, since Lilith was created by the False God and Sabrina was created by the Devil. Which is oddly shown in their colouring here, Sabrina wearing devilish reds, while Lilith is in earth tones with golden detail).

But they have always been a team, even when they don’t mean to be, even when Lilith wasn’t consciously encouraging it, it’s just their instinct to team up together. They gravitate towards each other, no matter opinions or ulterior motives (which might actually be to do with their respective origins; they’re connected by their very creators, and how they are also linked, as well as being two women who subvert the expectations of their creators). Because whether the two of them like to admit it or not, they both have very similar core personalities and core values (e.g both defiant, both independent, both break down pre-established rules and status quo, both created for a ‘higher’ purpose, both rejected said purpose, both feel connected to the mortal realm in the way other witches don’t (Lilith’s happens over the course of Part 1 and 2 but it’s undeniable she feels at home and makes friends amongst mortals. She even befriends Mrs Meeks), both ostracised for their difference of opinions, both defy the devil as much as they can be vulnerable to his charm (Lilith fell in love with him and Sabrina started to consider him her actual Father), both intensely disliked by Blackwood (not really a core personality thing but it’s interesting, haha), both know their own minds, both believe vehemently in equality, both have an inclination to correct injustices-- even if they might vary on what is considered an injustice). And so they oddly end up on the same side very often, even if they don’t mean to be and even if their reasoning behind their chosen side differ.

But I do love how paired up they are in this shot, a seamless team. And it makes me think how well Lilith would fit into the Spellman family post-part 4 (or even in Part 4 if Lucifer had turned up to fuck shit up). I mean she’s the mother of Sabrina’s little brother, Sabrina’s Aunts are her own son’s midwives/pseudo-nightmothers, she is essentially Sabrina’s third Aunt and her infernal Stepmother, Sabrina is her co-queen/conspirator and infernal Stepdaughter. They just fit and I love how much this shot is foreshadowing for the teamed-up relationship the pair would constantly have; they are bound together as teacher and student, Queen and Regent, Stepmother and Stepdaughter.

#observations #headcanons

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crookedmindset · 2 years

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hi, it's certainly been a while. and there's no way in hell i'm reading those old posts (edit: i did), but i remember that this page used to be my safe space when i have no one to talk to and i really need to think some things through.

so, a thing happened. a lot of things happened. actually, a lot of great things happened. i'm reaching most of my ambitions and making some dreams come true. although, i don't feel like i've ever had anything i would call a dream. and maybe that's one of the problems.

but let me start with some quick highlights that my past self would be really happy to hear. first, i'm doing great at school and a lot of people praise me almost too much about that. i love the thrill of achievement, but the attention makes me a little overwhelmed. secondly, i plan to travel a lot this summer. i have no idea how it all will turn out but things are looking great at the moment. the third awesome thing is that i'm able to make a phone call without stressing too much about it. doesn't sound like a great achievement, but it sure is one to me. i also have some actual hobbies. i think. and i'm finally doing english certificates starting this year. i could name some more things, but that's definitely not the main reason to write this whole post.

so, a thing happened. people say sometimes that problems won't solve themselves, but, oddly, they do for me. there's this thing that i know for a fact for more than i can remember - i'm not in the right place mentally and i should seek some help, but can't talk about it to my parents. mostly because there's always a wrong moment. and even if they tried to do something about it in the past i used to shoot it down quickly because it was so stressful to be vulnerable in front of them. and it was a never-ending cycle to me. i couldn't even bring myself to actually look for therapists until earlier this year. maybe i just didn't want to admit it to myself that i, in fact, need help and some things aren't the way they should be. and right now with so much happening and being on top of the world it's even harder to consider my actual feelings. i always wanted to be too busy to think and now when it's happening i wish i could get back to the moment when i was crying almost every other night because i needed someone to help me so badly. i feel like a robot without an ounce of feeling sometimes. i don't think i'm able to experience some intense emotions anymore. is that even a thing?

and at the same time there's so much happening in my head that i literally don't see myself in the mirror most of the time. i have no idea how i look or how i am perceived by people. and most of all i don't know who i really am besides all that 'perfect to a fault' but closed off girl in your class. my fingers are in a critical state most of the time and i can't bring myself to care. because while i know the wounds are physically here, i don't see them. and all that leads to my too-busy-to-seek-help attitude. because while something inside me is screaming for something, i don't care. i don't hear it.

all that rambling and i still didn't get to the main point. my mother talked with my teacher about me and came to me with an idea to get me into some kind of therapy. but i don't think she really understands it the way i do. i mean, maybe for her it's just a thing that will help me build confidence and i just need a good motivation coach. that's not the way i see it. i think that we should start from the scratch and talk through all problems that i experience (which definitely won't be easy with a sudden amnesia whenever i try to think of something that would indicate that i'm not in the right place mentally), maybe try to diagnose something, start treating it and maybe then finally start working on other things. to be ready to achieve the 'perfect super-confident mental state' (as one might call it) we need to get on the ground level first. because right now i'm on the very bottom of my well-being.

there's one more thing. and maybe i shouldn't talk about it since it's all in the past, but i'm rambling and venting everything i could already, so why not. digital footprint? i don't know her. i remember the words 'if you kepp on behaving this way we'll take you to the psychologist and tell all your friends and then they will all leave you' like they were said to me just yesterday. and i sure am older and wiser (as if) right now so i know that therapy should be something to be at least a little proud of. it still doesn't change the fact that these exact words have haunted me for years. and not only have i got an irrational fear of therapy, but also the great beginnings of the 'everyone actually hates me and will leave me if i'm not perfect to them, because they are just using me' way of thinking. and maybe i didn't want to believe that at the time, because i knew all the way back then that my friends weren't like that and wouldn't leave me, but it sticks and it only proves to be true with time. a whole snowball.

and i feel like i just imagined that all. when i know for a fact that these words were said and even worse things used to happen - which i won't mention simply because i have no idea what's truth and fiction now. no one ever talks about it and everyone is suddenly so nice and understanding? it's so confusing to me. if i could blame it all on a bad childhood it would be so much easier but i simply don't remember everything clearly anymore.

all that rambling and still no idea what to do. should i give it a go? when i'm sure that i will get all defensive the minute someone tries to talk to me about something, because there's no such thing as being open in my vocabulary? will i be a burden for anyone that ever tries to help me? because it doesn't help that i'm so deep into the overthinking spiral that nothing is real anymore and everything is a potential threat.

in the end i would just like to say that i am not tough. i am not great. i am certainly not perfect, and i never will be. and i need help, but i have no idea how to ask for it even when it's given to me on a silver plate.

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twstmemories · 2 years

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Hello! May I request headcanons of the octotrio with a well known s/o?

They don't think they're anyone special or crazy, so they play their usual tricks only to find out... mc is from a very important family?!

Like if they were famous like Mallus (scary, super powerful, amazing in like 100 ways)

And then it's just like.... Wait that's you? Out of all the ways they visualized this popular student... It's just you?!

-- ! gives a big hug to every anon that requests octotrio specifically. if it wasn't already painfully obvious from the first post i made that i love this dorm very much, thank you for fueling that love more. hope you enjoy these headcanons!

✧ octavinelle trio with a well known significant lover

✧ gn!reader

✧ Will have to first get over the initial: "Wow I have a lover now, wow they're so beautiful," phase before his actual working braincells start to work and question why that last name of yours sounds so oddly familiar.

✧ In the documents and research he has done, your family name does seem to come up, but he still can't pinpoint exactly where he's heard your name in particular because the last name is spread everywhere from a simple contract to a lot more sinister papers that Azul won't elaborate on how he got them. ╮(︶▽︶)╭

✧ So he asks you, and you only blink before laughing: "So that's what you've been wearing yourself out over. Didn't think my family name was that hard to guess for you, Azul," you say, making him sit down beside you and leaning your head on his shoulders.

✧ And then you utter your fathers name: "Does that ring a bell, Azul?" you say, feeling your lover stiffen up as he registers that name: "You know, I'm surprised you weren't aware, and half this time I thought you agreed to be in a relationship for an ulterior motive as much as you also liked me back. The other students here in Octavinelle seems to be aware of my background after all."

✧ And with that comment, Azul is shrugging you off and looking at you with an offended stare, making you giggle again: "How cruel of you, [Name]. You truly wonder if I would do something as awful as that to you?" you know he doesn't mean it, but you're still giving him an apology peck.

✧ But Azul would be lying if he didn't think about how he could make maybe a few deals with you now that he became your lover, but he shakes that thought out of his head immediately. No, he likes you for you, not because your family name is well known across the Coral Sea. No, not at all.

✧ After the initial teasing from you and Azul reprimanding himself on how idiotic he was for overlooking this crucial information over, he will start to frown: "While I will say I had and have no further plans to take advantage of this relationship, surely you don't think you can get something out of me, do you?" and you can only blink before letting out a laugh, pulling Azul closer to you for a hug and calling him your silly octopus.

✧ "My parents loves to eat at your parents restaurant you see. And there are often times when your parents would gush about their cute son and how he would be such a match for their child. And of course my parents have to come back and tell me all this loveable information along with a few photos-" Azul is screaming in embarassment before you can finish. ヽ( `д´*)ノ

✧ Yeah, that just confirms for the both of you that you had no ulterior motives. Just purely happen to fall in love.

✧ Oh there's no way he wouldn't know immediately upon a first glance. Upon first meeting you he knows that you're from a powerful family. He just doesn't know how high your ranking is. His own family have gone to a fair amount of formal parties and he does have a faint memory of seeing you once or twice - albeit briefly before you disappear.

✧ And there's no way you wouldn't know of his exsistence either. And yet, none of you actually touch on the topic. You leave Jade to do his usual snooping and Jade is aware you're letting him. Because even after all the snooping and asking around his own personal contacts, he comes up empty. Just the mention of your name and the fact that you belong to a family that works both above and under the ocean deep.

✧ When Jade walks up to you with a small noticeable frown you only chuckle and beckon him over: "Was it that hard to try to find information on me?" you inquire, only to hear Jade sigh in displeasure: "I did walk into it knowing it would be hard, but the fact it was hard tells me that my lover that lets me tease them far too much is of a much higher standing than I initially thought." ┐(︶▽︶)┌

✧ "Does that surprise you?" and to be honest, Jade isn't sure. In a way he expected it, but to have it confirmed comes as a small surprise for him. And while he's pondering on an adequate answer, you only lay your head down on his lap, the eel above you staring down at you with a raised eyebrow.

✧ "If it's of any help to calm down your nerves, my parents wouldn't mind. Nor do I mind the fact that a certain eel I have come to take an interest in, have coincidentally also taken an interest in me," Jade can only smirk at that, leaning his head down dangerously close to your own face. (⁀ᗢ⁀)

✧ "Why that pleases me utmost, that such a powerful figure in the coral sea seems to like someone as me. Do tell me, what was it that made you attracted, hmm?" seeing yoru face gradully turn red pleases the eel very much, and you can only sigh at his attitude that hasn't changed one bit even after finally figuring out your identity: "You truly have no fear do you, Jade?" you hum, bringing a hand up to tuck his one strand of dark grey behind his ear.

✧ The newfound information won't put a single dent in your relationship, rather it brings Jade some sort of thrill, knowing that he has you wrapped around his finger and vice versa.

✧ A mutual, silent agreement to give each other personal information beneficial for you both. And you both know when the other party wishes for information. One day you're showering him in a bit more love despite you maybe not liking to show public display of affection, he will thus ask you in a low voice what you need. If he treats you to your favorite snacks and meals you already know what he's after and inform him what a recent meeting was all about.

✧ Truly a terrifying pair, but lord the mutual love and respect you had for each other just seemed to skyrocket after finding out about more about each others background.

✧ Floyd would probably also have an inkling of your background given how good his memory is - But then again have probably forgotten since like Jade, he would've probably seen you in those formal gathering the Leech family is invited to. You know, those gatherings he finds terribly underwhelming so any memory of that has been wiped from his mind.

✧ Pays literally no attention to how the other octavinelle students seem to treat you with the utmost respect and fear, how Jade treats you a bit too nicely and how Azul is wary of you. You're just his lover after all, is there a need to be so nervous?

✧ But the displeasure on how people treat you seems to stack up on Floyds' mind so he's walking over to Azul and asking what's the deal with everyone's attitude against you. Azul will merely sigh before saying your family name. And it's only then that Floyd blinks in realization. Oh.

✧ Oh his lover is from a family with a history of working both above the sea and inside the sea. There were always a few presents from your family Floyd remembers getting, it was usually the presents he looked the most forward to because of how much it fits his way of doing things.

✧ But instead of being slightly more nervous around you, he's ecstatic. He knows your family, he knows how powerful they are, that means that you also have some people who wants to fight you right? Hey, hey, can you fight him once? Just once, a friendly match between lovers! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

✧ .... Is what he will immediately ask you the moment he's informed. No greeting, not his usual hug or kiss, but he will quite literally collapse onto you that you both topple down to the floor and ask with eyes brighter than the stars: "Come on, it won't hurt one bit! I just want to see how strong you are, hey, hey please? For me?" and as morbid as that request sounds, you can't help but actually find him quite adorable with how giddy he is.

✧ But unlike Floyd who is practically vibrating in excitement and babbling on how much fun it would be and how Jade and Azul could easily patch you up, you just shake your head with a sigh, squshing his cheeks together to make him stop talking. The eel above you frowns upon noticing the teasing smirk painting your lips: "Now where are your manners, Floyd? You're not going to give me your usual kiss or hug, but instead ask me to fight every time you see me now?" (｡T ω T｡)

✧ And you're looking up at with a saddened expression that Floyd just knows is fake, but to make you listen to him he also knows that he has to abide by your own request. Letting out a loud groan before pushing himself off you, grabbing your own body so that you're nicely seated on his lap before peppering your face with kisses. But now he's staring at you with a pout of his own: "Meanie."

✧ And you can only coo at him and pinch his cheek. Anyone walking past will commend your bravery for pulling such tricks on Floyd, given his mood swings. But you know better, and you keep pulling his cheeks with a fond smile: "Maybe if you act nice the next couple of days, and I'll consider a small sparring session, how about that?" and he's back to sparkling eyes and asking you what sort of moves you know. Jade and Azul is immensely grateful since you already had Floyd wrapped around your finger, but with this newfound information, you seemed to have ensnared him even further.

#disney twst #twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland headcanons #twst headcanons #azul ashengrotto x reader #azul ashengrotto headcanons #jade leech x reader #jade leech headcanons #floyd leech x reader #floyd leech headcanons #not proofread #again #no surprise there #just have my brainrot of octotrio being octotrio #twst x reader

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fluffypeachwriting · 2 years

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hi!! i'm a huge fan of SaP and i'm so stoked to see that you have more writing here! i leave comments on ao3 when i can because i want you to know how much i ADORE your writing! please know that you have an avid fan here who's always ready to support your writing endeavors!! as for a request... can i ask for an ichiro x f!reader scenario where the reader is very fond of ichiro's voice? she'd get very flustered whenever he speaks and ichiro would tease her about it? bonus if it's nsfw aaaa tysm!!

Thank you so much! I read all the comments I get on Ao3 (if I forget to reply to them I’m sorry!) and they never fail to make me happy. I appreciate it so much ☆ ～('▽^人) They’re so motivating!!! I’m always trying my best to get by and write good content for everyone! (*≧ω≦*)

I hope you like what I wrote for this request! It was v fun (☆▽☆)

DNI with this post if you’re under 18!

You had just begun to make breakfast, but hearing the wind rattle everything outside made you want to just leap back into bed and curl up. Snow whipped by the windows, deterring you from wanting anything to do with going outside. It had been a day’s worth of energy to ask Ichiro to only take indoor jobs today. Really, the only thing keeping you up was the fact that Ichiro was in the kitchen with you. And you wanted to find out why he was acting so oddly.

By now he would have made breakfast for you both, and would be excitedly babbling about what he wanted to do that day at the table. Right now he was just… standing around.

“Hey babe, could you do me a favour and take a trip to the store? We need more sugar, for coffee.” Ichiro said, loosely wrapping his arms around you, and resting his head gently on your shoulder. His voice was gravelly with sleep, and you considered not going out just to hear it more.

“Hmm… I dunno… it’s really cold outside. And just for sugar? Pfft, are you kicking me out?” You nudged him off your shoulder and turned around.

“No,” Ichiro rested his forehead on yours, “I was gonna pay the favour back.”

“Okay, you could just say that. Is something up?”

His voice made this mundane conversation pretty exciting. However, it was still way too early in the morning for him to be dancing around what he actually wanted to say. The idea that he was doing it on purpose crossed your mind – but what for? He wasn’t the type to be anything less than honest, even about the simple things.

“Well, y’know, you said you like my voice, ‘specially in the mornings, so yeah.”

You were right – he couldn’t be dishonest for long. Though, it was also cute to see him try.

“Ichi…” you mumbled. In embarrassment, you planted your face (which was getting redder by the second) in his chest.

That voice… it was a miracle, really. Everyone would have heard it at its loudest, its most violent, but the shy tones were ones he saved for you. After months of you two dating, and getting to hear his voice so often, it was getting hard to hold in how much you loved it. You had tried to think of the best way to describe why you did love it so, and the best reason you could tell him was: “It’s so deep and lovely, and your boyish charm adds like, another dimension to it, like you put your full heart into everything you say.”

He didn’t understand your affinity for his voice, however, seeing first-hand how it affected you made him resolve to use this ‘power’ to its full potential. It tickled him to think he could make you weak with his voice without the aid of his mic (and when he giggled about that you swooned so hard he thought you would pass out),

And this wouldn’t be the end – you knew Ichiro well enough to predict that he’d lean down and speak softly in your ear. You silently thanked him for it.

“Okay, okay… I’ll get the sugar later.”

His chest rose and fell as soft as the snow falling outside. Truly, you could have fallen back asleep standing up, as long as you were in his arms. Only when you felt his chest rumble – rather than hear him mumble – you forced yourself awake.

“At least let me do the favour anyway.”

You shook your head a little – he said it as if this was his plan all along. Typical Ichiro, wanting to do something for you.

“What favour?” A touch of the embarrassment from earlier lifted off your mind as things seemed to take a turn for the cute.

You were half expecting him to let you decide, and half expecting it to be something like making breakfast, which he would do anyway. The last thing on your mind was his actual response:

“Hnn… I was thinking of eating you out. That sounds good, yeah?”

Stronger than coffee.

That embarrassment from before came flooding back, and if you were being honest, that wasn’t the only thing getting flooded.

You felt your cheek get even warmer – wait, not yours… It was Ichiro, radiating more warmth than before. Ah, you should have known that it was a little out of character for him to initiate intimacy flawlessly. Even the way he spoke became faintly tense.

“So…? I mean,” Ichiro cleared his throat before whispering in your ear, making sure you could hear him crystal clear, “I can lift you up on the counter, and we can go from there.”

If only you could record everything you heard, then you could listen at any time. Then again, it sounded better in real-time.

“I think my voice sounds better from between your legs. I’m gonna need your opinion though.”

You were more than happy to give your opinion.

#hypmic #smut #hypnosis mic #Ichiro Yamada #ichiro x reader #Buster Bros #reader insert #request #imagine

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