#key to his heart theory

[raayllum]

Key to His Heart Theory: Shot Through the Heart, and You're (S5) to Blame

Intro

So a little over a year ago (since usually I think about things meta wise for at least a good month before writing them down), I wrote a meta about why I thought the Key of Aaravos might hold a quasar diamond, specifically Aaravos' missing chest piece. His heart, if you will.

At the time, I thought it was a very strong contender for what the cube might be, even if it didn't necessarily give us a clear depiction on what it might be used for, and was again operating under the assumption the cube itself is something Aaravos even wants back or needs (which is assumption still, at this point).

It made sense loosely with some of the new information we'd gleaned about the cube from S4 (mostly the Callum pawn intro with its bright flashing light, the emphasis on hearts in the narrative with Ezran's speech, the 4x04 flashbacks) and was likewise built upon a previous meta regarding the series' use of Egyptian mythology (Thoth and Ibis being present somewhat in Callum's arc, the main trio's parallels to another Egyptian myth trio, Aaravos' mirror and mirrors as objects of divination, and potential matching symbolism with the ankh).

The Key to His Heart theory was also built on previous seasons — largely the Magma Titan plot line, and Avizandum being stabbed in the heart — in addition to Aaravos' chest piece, seemingly, being notably absent, which seemed indicative of certain lines from the short stories, particularly Rayla (S4's Dear Callum), but we'll talk more about these later:

Please don’t let this hurt too much. But, if it does—if you feel that soft aching—know that that piece of your heart isn’t missing. It’s not missing at all, Callum: I’m carrying it with me! Always.

If you're interested in this theory and want to know about it, I recommend reading the two metas I've linked above, as the rest of this won't really be delving too much into what I've already written about, and talking about how season five has given more potential evidence.

With that out of the way, let's get into it in rough order of "most to least" likely:

Season Five

TDP Reflections

Whereas hearts weren't mentioned too much in the short stories leading up to S4, they became a reoccurring motif every TDP reflection story going into S5.

Fools. They might as well have held their own hearts, beating and bloody, in the palms of their hands. Kim’dael knew that if she showed them her heart—or something convincingly like it—the Sunfire elves would do exactly what she wanted them to do.

“Rayla,” she said, meeting Redfeather’s gaze. “My name is Rayla. And I’m going home.” Redfeather sighed. “Oh, you bleeding heart.”

“They balk at shadows, then.” Aditi pulled a slip of white-hot metal from the forge and turned to place it upon a gilded anvil. “I see your heart—and I am not afraid.”

It stared up at him. Ezran felt a coldness twist its way around his heart. It took his lungs, too, and for a long moment he could not breathe, could not feel anything but an unfamiliar anger so potent it seized the whole of him, inside and out.

Viren staggers backwards, his last breath shuddering through the blade. His white robes turn red at his heart. Something in Soren’s own chest shatters along old cracks, but he cannot look away. 

“You are stronger than this. All storms end!” Rex rumbled a snort through flared nostrils. “What lies at its heart?” 

 He wept for his city, his people, and the darkness struck deep into their hearts.

While one may say it ends with a sunrise, another will insist it ends at nightfall. Yet at the heart of the story is a single, simple truth…A star fell from the sky.

From where Kim’dael stood, she could only see the brilliant aura of its magic. For a moment, it was as though the queen’s heart overflowed with light.

Now, some of this is undeniably because a heart is a short hand for emotion and one of our most useful metaphors for communicating a variety of emotion. However, I did think it was particularly interesting / eye catching that these lines tended to overlap with the series' growing light and darkness motif and emphasis on wounds/scars (to the point we have a 5x02 episode titled "Old Wounds" that refers to both Viren's past and Callum and Rayla's healing relationship).

But by far the one that struck me the most, and seemed the most reminiscent of how Aaravos's (literal?) wound manifests is this paragraph from Claudia's short story:

Lissa had left her years ago, but the space she had owned in Claudia’s heart remained. It was a dark place now, hard and hateful, its edges raw as a wound that had forgotten to heal.

Mountains had crumbled and left in their wake a vast new sea. It was as though the land had been dealt a great wound and bled a hundred years. Terror washed across the remnants of humanity like a wave: What power could fell mountains? Turn all the world dark, and bleed a sea from stones?

—Ripples (pre-S5)

As well as Aaravos' clear desire to have revenge over the Startouch elves for something that seems to go beyond the resentment over just being banished:

I have not seen the stars in centuries. But when I see them again—when the stars are forced to look upon me, their dark brother—they will know how I have waited. And when everything they have built lies shattered, I will savor their fall from the sky. For I have been patient.

—Patience (pre-S4)

We don't know yet if we are going to get more TDP reflections going into S6 or S7, but given the way the previous stories emphasize the heart as both a symbolic idea (a darkened, hollowed out heart) and a literal entity you can hold in your hands... It's clear there's something going on symbolism else, otherwise why be so consistent? But enough of the reflections, for now.

Time to talk about S5 itself.

Laurelion

Previously, I thought the cube in the intro (a literal glow toy, as Rayla identified back in 1x05) already had similar properties to the star-glow effect in the title intro back at S4.

At the time, this was more of a guess. Most of the Star magic we'd seen at that point we weren't able to fully identify as such, it seemed a bit more magenta in colour, and while there was a parallel in the bright flash of light upon releasing Sir Sparklepuff, there's also a bright flash when the prison is actually made. It's just a good short hand for a crescendo of magical power, you know? We didn't know if quasar diamonds were even going to be white, besides the one presumably in Aaravos' chest concept art wise.

And yet — it still felt like something to me. Then S5 with Laurelion came along.

The Death of the Immortal

K: "And though undying, took last breath, immortal Laurelion was no more." C: That's good, right? I mean when someone "was no more," that's — that's dead, yeah? K: It's a bit confusing, but that is the clearest implication. Though it is somewhat odd they call them undying and immortal. C: Well, that doesn't sound so immortal? Laurelion "was no more". K: Right. C: But how? How did they...? K: Right here. "White as the star's heart it pierced, ivory draconic brought death's bite known ever forth as Novablade." C: It's a sword.

There's a few noteworthy things about this whole exchange:

The poem has to be relevant eventually, otherwise why include it at all when you easily could've just had Kazi and Callum stumble across the sword period?

It confirms that the heart of a star is something that can be pierced, presumably removed, and white, which I think is the biggest "hell yeah" to the 4x04 intro

There is no reason to point out the contradictions in the poem itself unless A) the sword doesn't work the way we think it does and/or B) we are going to find out why the "undying and immortal" thing matters — and they make sure to emphasize the contradictions quite a bit as well, so they definitely want us to notice

If Laurelion died, and Aaravos took his place, that would explain how Laurelion — identity wise — could die while the same person under a new name could also remain alive / immortal

We learn in Rayla's pre-S5 short story that Ghosts don't often keep their real names, and take a new one as the final severance of their bond with their old community. For all extents and purposes, Aaravos was Ghosted (banished) from his community as well. Taking a new name would make sense

"That must've been when [Harrow] fell." "Fell? Fell! He didn't fall, Rayla, he didn't trip and fall on the ground — he got killed!" (2x08)

There's more speculation here regarding the actual sword and draconic ivory, but that is another post for another day that other smart people have made if you are interested. For now let's just focus on the heart.

We know Laurelion had a heart; we know it got stabbed with the Novablade, leaving Laurelion both no more (i.e. dead) and yet immortal / undying. We know that Arc 2 in particular has had an emphasis on losing your sense of self and identity ("I was his puppet" / "We can't save everyone, Soren" / "But I'm not evil. It's me" / all of Viren's dream visions). We know that a Star's heart is white. We know that Aaravos seemingly used to have one, and now it's either missing or impermanent, only visible sometimes.

(Putting a pin in the second image cause we'll roll back around to it in the counter evidence section.)

We know his chest centrepiece glowed when he was imprisoned, and we know it was seemingly gone when he got banished. We know something about the Key of Aaravos was able to reveal his treachery.

I'm not saying any of this is for sure connected, but it does make you think, at least a little?

That, and it'd play into another bit of potential interesting foreshadowing / symbolism we got in s5 with

Viren Heart Theory

This is another theory I've discussed in more detail elsewhere, so I'm going to link to it here, but it wouldn't feel right to not talk about it at least a little here. Basically the theory is that Viren used his own blood / a piece of his heart, or possibly the whole thing, and the relic staff in order to save Soren when he was a young child.

This is largely due to Viren's spotlight turning red after he begs to be able to save Soren, and cinched by Kpp'Ar pointing specifically at Viren's heart only for Viren to deflect and start talking about Soren's case specifically. Whatever he did seemed to make him more 'powerful,' but at a great personal cost ("In the name of love you may perform acts that are so unforgivable, you will never forgive yourself") and something he finds the need to justify ("I had to do something! I had to save him! I had no choice!").

If Viren did this, it also adds another layer to Viren's sentiment of "Harrow's death breaks my heart" being well, half-hearted, in addition to Soren literally stabbing illusion Viren in the heart in 3x09. Viren mutilated his heart for his son's life, stopped being able to properly express love to said son, and then Soren stabbed his father right in the place that presumably saved him as a child. Ouch.

It seems likely that one of the reasons Aaravos was able to prey so aptly on Viren's desire for importance and attention — to Matter — was because Aaravos might've tried and failed earlier on to get the Startouch elves to listen to him pre-banishment. Being ignored, exiled, and disempowered is something he can relate to, and something he doesn't mind taking advantage of when it suits him.

However, if this combination could save someone Viren loved, it makes me wonder if Aaravos did something similar to likewise try (and fail?) to save someone he loved, too. It's either that or the Startouch elves just completely ripped it out, so... I guess we'll have to see?

But yeah — if Viren did it, then I'm expecting it's more likely that Aaravos did it, too. That is all.

The Pawn Intros

But Dragons, you say, didn't we already talk about the Callum pawn intro?

And to that I say yes, but — thanks to a promo S6 picture of Aaravos crying, we know something else very important about said intros that we didn't know before: they take place at the Sea of the Cast Out.

The sky, the mountains... the fact we know, thanks to the statues in 5x09, that this is likely where Aaravos' grief — his wound, if you will — began to bleed and take root, leading to his thousands of years of seeking vengeance and using just about anything or anyone he could. This is, presumably, where his chess game started... and where it is, symbolically at least, going to end.

Okay, so it's the Sea of the Cast Out — why does that matter?

Well, we know the Sea of the Cast Out is a site of literal trauma for Aaravos. We know, thanks to the statues of Aaravos and the Merciful One, that it plays into the same reaching motif we see Viren participate in quite a few times, both in his intro and in other places/relationships (most notably Sarai, Harrow, and Terry).

The Sea of the Cast Out is also, perhaps more importantly for this theory's purposes, near Elarion. What little we do know about the city beyond it being an important place for humans and dark magic ties it repeatedly to nature through The Midnight Star poem:

Elarion, trembling seed, lay down to earth in icy night, and in the cold her roots took hold defying winter’s deathly bite. Elarion, fading bloom, afraid to wilt and dim and die, [...] Elarion, dying husk, did wilt and whimper in the dark [...] Elarion, black-eyed child, her twisted roots spread deep and far,

as well as a tale about the Flowers of Elarion, precious blooms that could soothe the senses and turned to dust come morning—flowers that were left as "a fair exchange of beloved for beloved" (Tales of Xadia). Put a pin that Exchange idea because I swear we're gonna come back to it but not in the usual way you might be expecting, or at least not entirely.

And we have good reason to believe this nature motif is tied to Aaravos' current imprisonment as well, given how present flower imagery is for his mirror.

So the Sea of the Cast Out and Elarion seem to be the two places we know of thus far that are not only the most important to Aaravos, but the most instrumental to his banishment. It would not surprise me if either Aaravos got involved in what would become Elarion either because he was banished, or it was what he was banished over, or if discovering the truth of what happened there is likewise why the Archdragons were partially like "Yeah, we gotta lock this guy up" (now that they knew he posed a serious threat). The fact that Elarion is referred to as a child (everything with "blood of a child,"), black-eyed (which denotes dark magic), and winter's "deathly bite" ("White as the star's heart it pierced, / ivory draconic brought death's bite") just all ties together nicely in being related even if we're not totally sure how.

But Aaravos having his chest piece removed by force / as punishment in addition to being cast out by the Startouch elves, or him taking it out himself and giving it to someone who was lost... There's a lot of roads to get here as to why this stuff all seems connected if the Key is indeed his chest piece, which offers up both a power up, a sad tragic backstory, some baller symbolism, and some nice double meanings as to what it is key wise.

As the Key works in the moment, it doesn't seem like it's something that would be very useful to a primal mage, as other than pretty easily identifiable gemstones they wouldn't be using much the key identifies. However, the function of the Key being able to categorize and sort magical creatures and plants from each other is something that is very useful if you're a dark mage and need to shore up your ingredients list.

If the Key has Aaravos' chest piece in it, there are two main prongs this offers:

It may have been instrumental in helping humans discover dark magic, hence the "Elarion, searing white" and could also be the Gift the poem speaks of. Aaravos removed it himself (love makes you weak?), gave it to his chosen human, chosen human died, and he was locked out of Startouch realm as a combined result. This offers the clearest connection between why Aaravos' mirror has the nature motif and why Aaravos is crying in the beginning of 6x01.

It was removed by the Startouch elves and lost/hidden, forcing Aaravos to be away from his old home until he could find it again. This is the clearest explanation as to why the Key might be relevant on a plot level. It could give him the power up he needs to get out of his prison and barring that, it's what he needs to wreck havoc and gain access to the Startouch elves to get revenge on them

It also allows what we learn of the cube in 2x06 to have multiple meanings:

The Key is revealed in an episode called The Heart of a Titan. We're led to assume that this is just the Magma Titan, and you could perhaps make an argument the dual meaning (just like how Breaking the Seal refers to the letter and the titan's chest) refers to Harrow or Callum's capacity to love. But, given that one of Aaravos' most prominent mythic comparisons is to Prometheus, a literal Titan, well...

"It unlocks something of great power in Xadia" would work equally well if it's a Key literally made from Aaravos, not just to Aaravos. And the past 2 seasons in particular have emphasized over and over again just how powerful and dangerous he is

The salvation and destruction motif that is inherent in the key, ("I just have a feeling this key thing can help me" / "It's the key of Aaravos, no good will come of it") as keys are linked to chains and freedom with the ability to lock and unlock, is rampant in 2x06, as Viren states that Xadia and the Magma Titan "held both the promise of our salvation and threat of our destruction." This goes double for Sarai sacrificing her life to save Viren

And to round back to Viren and his intro, I don't think it's a coincidence that

is one of the first things Aaravos ever says to Viren, particularly when trying to earn Viren's trust. (Nor that Aaravos considers that Zubeia and co. "betrayed" him when "he would lower his guard," just before the imprisonment.) And while Aaravos gains Viren's trust as a political ally here first, it's also clear that he's actually primarily preying upon Viren's deepest emotional desires here as well: to be listened to. To matter.

Viren wasn't listened to by the monarchs around him (Harrow). He wanted to be important (to them). He wanted to matter.

"It is everything to me, to know that I matter. It's all I ever wanted."

Aaravos: Search your heart. There is something you want very badly. (2x09) Zubeia: He was able to give them something they wanted very badly. (4x04)

And that's what Aaravos offered him, with power and knowledge just being the bait. (If you're interested in more detailed thoughts on this aspect of Viren / their dynamic, check out this meta here.)

More to the point, I do lean towards the Key's plot purposes being 1) a power-up that may be needed for him to get out of his mirror and 2) something that likewise allows him to see the other Startouch elves again. After all, the Silvergrove gave each elf a similar kind of key:

But y'know what, let's talk about Rayla now, because

The Missing Piece of Your Heart

As stated earlier, Rayla's letter has a consistent metaphor when it comes to family and loss:

I remember how I felt when my parents left me to join the Dragonguard, like PART OF MY HEART WAS MISSING and I would never feel right again. I thought I hated them when they did that to me. In the beginning, it felt so big and terrible—like raging despair—but, overtime, it became a soft, sweet ache—a reminder of that missing part of my heart. [...] Please don’t let this hurt too much. But, if it does—if you feel that soft aching—know that that piece of your heart isn’t missing. It’s not missing at all, Callum: I’m carrying it with me! Always.

This struck me as interesting when the letter first came out, as it was a departure from most of Rayla's previous heart motif ("My heart for Xadia") and even the one attributed to her one half of her parents ("My heart goes out with this one"). Why have the motif suddenly switch up when it would've worked just as well, or been doubly romantic + a Ruthari parallel, to just have it be the whole heart?

Then season four came out, and I understood, because, well...

Upon her return, Rayla brings back that "missing piece" of "Callum's heart". It's a painful restoration and doesn't run entirely smooth, but in season five in particular we see him be much more like his older, happier self once he's let himself love her again, and how steadfast he is in said love ("To love is simply know this...").

But, in a moment that could've been exclusively about Rayla, nor did it need for Stella's connection to the Star arcanum to be this prominent in the same moment, they choose to likewise highlight Rayla 'bringing home' the missing piece of Aaravos' heart, too.

This symbolism is also consistent with how the key is introduced in the first place, i.e. first thought of because Rayla's drawing in Callum's sketchbook (another gift from Harrow) reminds Callum of it, and her ultimately being the one to retrieve it even once things at the Banther Lodge take a turn towards the south.

Furthermore, we do have reason to believe that Rayla is indeed the 'Key to Callum' in a sense, particularly after 5x08. Just like how a key can both lock and unlock — give freedom or entrapment — Rayla symbolizes a great deal of duality in Callum's life, including but not limited to:

Leading him to primal magic (1x03, 5x08) and dark magic (2x07, 5x08)

Light ("No one can control you or make your choices for you" / Ray of light) and dark ("But the second you see that elf girl in pain, you completely lost yourself" / "Stay safe, and stay in the light. Don't look for me")

Being routinely emphasized in Callum's arc with Aaravos, especially in S4

"Now you're back. That's kind of good, and it's kind of bad" / "You have to hold pain and love in your heart at the same time" / "And when she came back, I was so happy, and so mad at the same time"

Salvation ("Rayla saves people [...] that's what makes her a hero") and destruction (being willing to die / do dark magic for her)

The Ocean arcanum realization being both positive and negative, just as the poem itself takes on a different shape across the season in regards to how Callum views her and how he views himself while being motivated by his love for her / Ezran

“Wow. So [the berries] look identical, but they might kill you or they might save you,” Callum said. “Exactly. Just like me…” Rayla smiled.

—Book One: Sky novelization

If you're interested in a more specific meta on this dichotomy, I recommend this meta written pre-s4 and this more recent one about 5x08 specifically.

I've written before about Rayla have a weird consistency with the cube as well, particularly in her being the primary carrier of its foreshadowing for most of arc 1, with Callum only really doing so in 1x04 and having Rayla pick up the slack the rest of the time:

"It's a toy, a piece from a children's game" (1x04) as well as "It's a glow toy" (1x05) are now literally true as the cube is 1) involved in Aaravos' game and 2) literally glows a bright flashing light circa the 4x04 intro.

"Are you practicing magic or are you losing to Bait at a game of rolly-cubes?" (2x07 right after Callum calls it a key) came to pass, somewhat if not outright, it seems, in 5x08. Callum practices two different magics, Rayla is literal bait in exchange for the glow-toad, and the episode ends with Callum being worried he's potentially losing Aaravos' 'game' so to speak — that he's made himself more vulnerable to the Startouch elf's control.

Two lines of hers regarding the cube that have not yet come to pass are "This doesn't end well for you" (1x05) and "I hope it was worth it to you, putting everyone's lives in danger" (1x04) but I expect that we'll get them soon enough.

Rayla's 'tether' to a the cube does, of course, loop back into the Flowers of Elarion tale, in which there was a fair exchange of beloved for beloved. If the Key does indeed hold Aaravos' heart (and that is still a very big If), whether it would include an actual exchange is still debatable, but it seems inevitable that she would at least play a part. (If you're interested in more thoughts on Rayla + the cube, check out this meta pre-s4.)

Where the game motif gets the most interesting, I think, is where it intersects with the idea Aaravos mentions in 2x09 regarding, "Those who fail tests of love are simple animals," and one of the TDP short stories in particular having one very interesting tidbit:

“My behavior is—?” “—unusual,” Corvus repeated, nodding. “Very unusual. Ever since you started challenging me to all these little games.” Soren squirmed. His pauldrons clanked as his shoulders slumped. “They aren’t games. They’re tests. Ugh…I’m really messing this up.”

Since Rayla is going to have her "My heart for Xadia" undeniably tested, it would make sense if Callum and Aaravos' hearts came into play too, don't you think?

Other Misc Symbolism / Oddities

Last but not least, we have our odds and ends that didn't fit in the other sections, but I thought may be worthwhile to mention anyway.

For starters, we have screencaps (most notably in 3x06) where you can see a visible dip in Aaravos' tiddies chest that indicates something was removed, and it's not just an artificial darkness.

We have Aaravos touching a fist to his heart twice before he bows and indicates that Callum is going to "play" into his hands (remember that game motif?).

We have this shot, which is the exact kind of thing that "crew makes sure the Ocean and Moon runes are most prominently on display in Callum's dark magic dreams to foreshadow him doing dark magic in S5 Ocean for his Moonshadow gf 3 seasons later" would absolutely do and think they're So Funny about. "No gem for star magic" except the one you're unknowingly holding in your hand, am I right?

Finally, we have precedent that dark magic can 'darken' your heart both in show when Amaya passes the light trial ("A human that is pure of heart") and in the graphic novels with Claudia ("Your heart is not yet darkened") which allows her to see the map to a unicorn (The Puzzle House).

@self-spaghettification also noted that the bright white flash of the star in the 'o' of Aaravos' name in the Arc 2 intro momentarily looks like and makes the shape of the Nova Blade, which is also very cool.

Honourable mention to Rayla going "it's a piece from a children's game" and Ezran going "you said each of the archdragons had a piece of the puzzle" and the Orphan Queen and Jailer presumably working together to trap Aaravos. I think about that shit every day.

Evidence to the Contrary / Alternatives

But like I said at the start, there are plenty of alternatives or feasible pitfalls to consider. This theory resides on a few assumptions after all, that may not be true, such as Aaravos not actually needing the key for anything other than as a lure for Callum, it could purely have something to do with the Nova Blade and nothing to do with the prison, or even have something to do with the nature of magic itself, capable of great good as well as great evil.

His chest piece could've always been more immaterial and dark magic has just darkened it rather than it being removed. Aaravos may have stabbed Laurelion in order to use that heart diamond to partially make the Relic Staff he passed onto Ziard, or Aaravos' chest piece could be in the staff itself, and the cube is something else entirely.

Conclusion

In the end, as we go forward into S6 all the above is more less my personal bet as to where I think we really could go in terms of answering a lot of these questions we've had for a few seasons now. I hope you enjoyed reading the theory and considering (and possibly subscribing to) it, as well as getting your own thoughts stimulated. If any of the above happens I will cry for days and no matter what, I am deeply intrigued to see where S6 takes Aaravos' backstory and, of course, his cube. Luckily:

#tdp #the dragon prince #tdp aaravos #key to his heart theory #tdp meta #analysis series #aaravos

[hollowwhisperings]

Kingdom Key & Kingdom Hearts: A SoRiku Theory

The Kingdom Hearts series (& its creators) actively emphasizes the ways that its primary protagonist, Sora, is a "normal, ordinary boy". Yet Sora wields the iconic Kingdom Key, the Ultima Keyblade & even a x-blade (as forged by Xehanort): Sora's Story has been that of a Chosen One, even as he fits the archetype of one "Unchosen".

This theory explores the nature of Choice within the KH series, specifically in the context of "Destiny" and prophecies. It employs the "Riku is The Light" & "Necklace" theories, as well as elements of "Sleeping Realm". It also casts Riku as one of those Strange Women in Ponds who Distribute Swords as a Basis of [Galactic World Order].

Sora's story seemingly begins as a Classic Hero's Journey only for such a reading to fall flat when Expectations such as "Getting The Girl" and "Becoming a Keyblade Master" pointedly do not happen.

The driving force of the KH series has always been Riku: Riku wished to see worlds beyond his home, knowing the truth of the KH Multiverse well before proof literally crashlanded in the form of Kairi (a literal shooting star).

It is Riku's Heart that drew the attention of the Worlds at large to the Destiny Islands: the brightness of his light lead Terra, Aqua & Xehanort to meeting Sora in the first place.

Terra chooses Riku as a future Keyblade Master.

Aqua chooses Sora for the sake of preserving Riku's Light, the events of BBS teaching her that the strongest lights cast the longest shadows.

Xehanort chooses Riku as a Dark Vessel, whispering to him & encouraging him to doubt, to mistrust.

It is assumed, by Sora and by Riku, that Riku was also the person responsible for "opening the door" to the Darkness that felled the Destiny Islands. Yet throughout his childhood, each attempt by Riku to open the mysterious door on the play island failed and, when Darkness Falls, it is Kairi who is found at its source (Kairi, who had been expelled from her home by a version of Xehanort & whose heart harboured yet another fragment of the Seeker of Darkness).

Regardless of whether he truly opened the Destiny Islands to Darkness, Riku believed it & through Darkness did he find "freedom" to explore the Worlds Beyond, just as he had always dreamed... except for one, rather significant detail becoming derailed: Sora's presence by Riku's Side.

The two were separated and Sora was almost lost: even with Darkness swallowing Riku whole, the light within his Heart acted in time to save Sora by entrusting to him 'Kingdom Key'. Riku's Keyblade. A physical manifestation of Riku's Heart.

(notably, the "Kingdom Key-D" found by King Mickey was found not too far from the scene where Kingdom Key manifested: it is plausible that this keyblade was also manifested by Riku's Heart, perhaps alongside its 'Light' counterpart - I'd need to check the timeline to see how such a theory holds up)

Kingdom Key was entrusted to Sora, a subconscious act of Riku's Heart that mirrored an earlier act of protection Riku gave to Sora: on the night where Kairi fell to the Destiny Islands, a young Sora felt frightened and a young Riku swore to protect his dearest friend. This oath was sworn in turn sworn by Sora to Riku. They sealed these oaths with tokens they held close: while Sora's charm gifted to Riku remains unknown, Riku entrusted Sora with a crown charm he had had since infancy.

When Riku was 5, Riku entrusted Sora with his Crown. Both boys swore to protect the other.

When Riku was 15, Riku's Heart entrusted itself to Sora in the form of 'Kingdom Key'.

When Riku was ~16, he subconsciously protected Sora by becoming the latter's Dreamel Eater. Within the same timeframe, Riku sacrificed himself entirely to save Sora at the Keyblade Graveyard (an act of sacrifice, an act of True Love).

At every instance where Riku has been at a crossroads, knowingly or not, his Heart has Chosen Sora's: Riku, presumed descendant of Ephemera and a child of the Destiny Islands, has always & continues to choose Sora.

When the pair were reunited in KH2 and confronted the threat of Xemnas, the two fought as one & passed their keyblades between each other intuitively

When the pair existed in parallel realms of Sleep, separated but connected, their heartbeasts joined to form a Waltzing variation of the melody 'Dearly Belove'. They then fought in sync with a Combined Blade, formed from the keyblades "Mirage Split" and "Nightmare's End", acting again as two halves of a whole.

When Riku was to meet his end in the Realm of Darkness, far within the abyss, Sora appeared to him and they once again wielded their Combined Blade. Beast had once reaponded to a 15 year old Riku's questioning of his impossible arrival to Hollow Bastion, where Beast's Beloved Belle was held hostage, that he had "simply believed": belief brought Sora to Riku in the Realm of Darkness, belief brought Sora to the Final World in the wake of Riku's Ultimate Sacrifice.

The premise of Kingdom Key & its counterpart, Kingdom Key-D, being Manifestations of Riku's Heart & indicative of Riku's being the "Child of Destiny" does run into some Logistical Obstacles.

One, if Riku's Keyblade is being wielded by Sora (& Mickey, assuming the two keys were originally one) then whose keyblade is Riku wielding?

Two, how can Riku's Heart manifest multiple keyblades? Posession by Ansem Seeker of Darkness explains 1 of the "extra" keyblades (the key of "all hearts"). The bequeathing ceremony by Terra could explain another. Kingdom Key-D is definitely connected to Kingdom Key yet never specifically associated with Riku, evem being wielded by King Mickey (a stranger to Riku, at that point).

To the first: if Riku's keyblade is being wielded by Sora (& its counterpart by King Mickey), how can Riku wield another keyblade in KH1 even before getting possessed?

There are several immediate & varyingly plausible explanations: Riku's nature as a "Child of Destiny" allowing his Heart to churn out keyblades on demand like some Fey Lady of Avalon; or the other keyblades were not actually manifested by Riku at all.

While I greatly enjoy the imagery of Riku playing the "Lady of the Lake" to Sora's "Arthur" in KH1, given Sora's opening dream sequence already set Riku as being stuck in a Body Of Water (which is additionally representative of Darkness), it is Stretching Things to assume all other Plot Focused keyblades were ALSO fished out from Riku's Heart.

Perhaps Riku's Heart simply conjured new keyblades in response to Sora's Heart taking in new quests: Riku's Heart supplying keys to the metaphoric doors of Sora's Heart Hotel.

It is more likely, however, that the "new" keyblade wielded by Riku (the one currently known as "Braveheart") is a manifestation of SORA'S Heart: Riku entrusted his crown & his heart to Sora, first on the night of the Meteor Shower & then on the night the Islands Fell; Sora, in turn, entrusted his sword & heart to Riku. It explains how each boy readily wields the keyblade of the other & fits within the theme of their hearts beating in sych.

Riku choosing Sora, Riku's entrusting his Heart (literally & figuratively) with Sora, resulted in Destiny Itself 'choosing' Sora: if Riku represents Kingdom Hearts, the subject of his love would naturally become beloved by the Worlds in turn.

Sora acting as "[the] One Sky, One Destiny" due to Sora having the 'Heart' of Destiny through its child (Riku)'s love.

Sora is not only Riku's Dearly Beloved, Sora is THE "Dearly Beloved": beloved by the Worlds, entrusted with their Hearts & appointed their Savior. And all because, dull and ordinary boy that he may be, it is Sora's naturally normal self that Riku fell in love with. Sora may not be any more innately special than anyone else but Sora is special to RIKU, the love between them (knowingly or not) serving as the driving force of their stories & of Destiny itself.

#kh meta #soriku endgame actually #riku is the child of destiny #sora is the child of destiny #necklace theory #the unchosen one #the chooser of the one #strange women lying in ponds distributing swords as a basis for world order #kingdom hearts theory #kingdom key #sora as king arthur #riku as the lady of the lake #and riku also as half the relevant cast of sora's king arthur story #i think that makes yozora mordred #this is why merlin keeps showing up while his world does not #it's because soriku are king arthur #just like sora is christopher robin and became the new alice #i am half asleep and my brain is still somewhat fried #but this idea kept nagging at me whenever i tried to nap my headache away #hopefully now i can just sleep

[catofoldstones]

Does anyone know about this theory about bran that he’s going to rape Meera while warging in Hodor (or even summer ugh) because he has broken all other rules of warging and not having sex while warging is the only one that’s remaining.

Does someone have any counter arguments because it’s scaring the skin off of my bones.

#tw rape #it’s such a bad faith argument that I actually had to put my phone down #bran stark #asoiaf #and I saw it on Reddit and a dudebro’s YouTube shorts #and these people who made this theory are the ‘key five’ sycophants #so another part of me thinks that if these are theories they are churning out what other bullshit theories they’re convincing the readership #of #I am currently reading asos and I am literally so scared for bran and the whole black raven thing #like why would they do that to my boy #the same boy who #has a whole the size of winterfell in his heart #and the comments on Reddit were so convinced that it’s going to happen and are even looking forward to it #like… #that will be a hardfall into villainy for bran and I don’t want that for him #his arc cannot be this #I refuse

[rizsu]

he's married ?! nanami kento.

sum. he's easily the top most handsome guy within his job. his relationship status is unknown, so what happens when his co-workers ship him with a female worker?

nanami is well known within his company. tall, insanely fit, and an attractive voice. it's not uncommon for men and women alike to find themselves thinking about him often. what's not common is knowing about his love life. no one knows anything and he would've kept it that way. but when push comes to shove, and you're shipped with someone who's not your beloved, nanami will make it known that he's not only taken but married.

in the coffee-break room there are three guys. now, there's nothing unusual about this — no, no. they're just three guys that are co-workers... except there's a twist. they aren't your regular co-workers, they're your uncommon trio of male gossipers and nanami just so happened to be their newest victim.

"shh, shh! he's here," guy one, tichi, whispers to the others, raising his eyebrows and pointing his chin to nanami's position.

the other two take a quick glance, nodding their heads when they've seen nanami's back faced towards them. it's a perfect moment to strike up a conversation, especially since it's just four men here.

guy two, tacho, shuffles his feet to the empty space near nanami. he pretends to open a sugar packet, fiddling with it as his eyes peep over nanami's shoulder. his heart skips multiple beats when the man himself turns around.

"morning to you, tacho," nanami greets, nodding his head before he turns his attention back to his cup of coffee.

"y-yeah, morning!" he stutters, awkwardly smiling in return. he turns his head to the other two in the background, mouthing the word 'help' to them. unfortunately, they do not give the aid to their friend. instead, tichi fakes a series of coughs and guy three, toeny, gives him a confident double thumbs up. there's no hope, tacho sighs.

it's a silent moment between the men — only the sounds of coffee brewing and a spoon coming into contact with the mug can be heard. tacho's mouth itches him, he happened to remember his group's recent conversation about nanami. he must ask — even if it costs him a mutual co-worker.

"so, nanami," he begins, waiting for nanami to give him the undivided attention.

nanami doesn't face him, but he hums in response. tacho doesn't mind this as an answer, so he continues, "i was wondering if the rumors of you being with the new worker, yeri, are true?"

there is one big lie in that question: there are no such rumors. it's just a theory the trio has been gossiping about every night. nanami's been helping out yeri for quite some time, one can only think that they have a special connection going on.

"that is bullshit," nanami gives a firm answer. nothing more, nothing less.

tacho's stunned, he blinks a few times to recollect himself. "oh — so you're not with her?"

nanami doesn't answer yet, but the two in the back give their unwanted reactions. tichi clicks his tongue three times, shaking his head in disappointment at tacho's second question. it's obvious dumbass, he thinks. toeny, on the other hand, presses his lips in a thin line, pretending to read a magazine that's been on the counter.

nanami reaches into his pocket, whipping out his phone. the trio's confused until nanami speaks.

"i am married man. this is my wife," he educates, pressing the power button to show you as his lockscreen.

he collects three gasps, internally nodding at their shock. that's right, i'm gladly taken.

"all this time you've been... MARRIED?!" tacho's voice heightens, he drops his spoon in shock. it's unbelievable yet somewhat believable.

nanami breathes out a 'yes', raising his arm to show the wristwatch. "she bought this for our five-years anniversary recently. it's quite expensive, going over four-thousand," he brags, emphasizing on key words.

he's been waiting for the precious day where someone indirectly asks for his relationship status. the day has come and he will spend it bragging about his beloved.

nanami doesn't give them a chance to speak, he carries on with his bragging, "she's a very lovely woman. all my bentos are made by her and she writes little notes for each. some may think it's childish but that's bullshit! they just haven't experienced the love of a woman. matter of fact, her most beautiful moments are when she's freshly awake. the smile she gives me is nothing but angelic."

his speech doesn't stop there, but it did for the trio. his words went in one ear and out the next. nanami's blabbering about his wife immediately set a blank face upon tichi, tacho, and toeny. they're jealous and also surprised.

"the way a woman can change a man will never not be amazing," toeny whispers, blankly gazing at nanami's ongoing speech.

#+ rizsu: jujutsu kaisen. #tic tac toe ( tichi tacho toeny ) #nanami x reader #nanami kento x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #nanami fluff #nanami kento fluff #nanami drabbles #jjk fluff #jjk drabbles #jjk x fem!reader #nanami x you

[lev1hei1chou]

Orange Peel Theory

Gojo x reader, Nanami x reader (individually) Genre: Orange. Words: 630 Synopsis: Orange peel theory Masterlist

You sat on the kitchen island, a pile of oranges in front of you and a mischievous glint in your eyes. You had seen the latest social media trend of asking people to peel oranges for you, and you couldn't resist trying it out on your boyfriend.

"Hey, Satoru," you called out, a subtle smile playing on your lips. "Can you peel an orange for me?"

He looked up from his phone, his grin widening. "Of course, my dear. Anything for you."

You handed him an orange, fully expecting him to play along. Gojo took the orange and began peeling it, but instead of doing it the normal way, he started creating cute patterns on the peel. Hearts, stars, and even a smiley face adorned the orange peel. You couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

After a few minutes, you decided to leave the kitchen to enjoy the sunny weather outside. "I'll be back in a bit," you declared.

Gojo winked, still peeling away. "Take your time, sweetheart."

When you returned, you were greeted by the citrusy aroma of freshly peeled oranges. To your surprise, there were not just one or two, but a whole array of them neatly arranged on a plate. Gojo sat there with a proud expression, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Ta-da! I hope you like my masterpiece," Gojo said, presenting the plate to you.

You couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight his creativity. "Wow, baby! You really went all out."

He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Well, when Gojo Satoru does something, he does it with style."

You picked up one of the oranges, appreciating the effort he had put into making them special. "Thank you, love. You always know how to make everything more fun."

He grinned, leaning in to give you a quick peck on the cheek. "Anything for you, my dear. Now, let's feast on these."

And so, the two of you spent the afternoon enjoying the sweet taste of oranges. Satoru Gojo sure knew how to make even the most normal tasks better.

You and Kento Nanami were spending a lazy Sunday afternoon together at your shared apartment. The atmosphere was calm and comfortable, with the soft hum of the air conditioner in the background. You found yourself craving something refreshing, and the pile of oranges on the kitchen counter caught your eye. Quickly, your mind went to the new social media trend. You knew Nanami would do anything for you, but still you decided to test it out.

"Hey, love," you called out from the living room, "could you peel some oranges for me?"

Nanami looked up from his paperwork, his expression serious as always. "Sure, I can do that."

You handed him an orange, expecting a straightforward peeling process. Nanami approached the task at hand with precision, his movements methodical. He peeled the orange so carefully that you couldn't help but watch in awe.

As he handed you the perfectly peeled orange, he spoke in his usual composed manner, "There you go."

You couldn't resist teasing him a bit, "Wow, baby, that's quite the skill. Are you sure you haven't been practicing your fruit-peeling techniques in secret?"

He quirked an eyebrow and looked at you, with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I assure you, it's a basic skill. Efficiency is key in every aspect of life."

You couldn't help chuckle at his seriousness but appreciated the effort he put into such a simple task. "Thank you, Kento. You're unexpectedly good at this."

Nanami nodded, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips. You fed him an orange, which he accepted almost instantly.

You continued enjoying the peeled oranges together, savoring the quiet moments and appreciating Nanami's hidden talents. This might have been a simple act, but it was one that showed the silent love that Nanami always had for you.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #gojo satoru #nanami kento #gojo fluff #nanami fluff #gojo x reader #nanami x reader #gojo satoru x reader #nanami kento x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #kento nanami #satoru gojo #jjk nanami #jjk gojo #jujutsu kaisen nanami #jujutsu kaisen gojo #nanami smut #gojo smut

[ew-selfish-art]

DPx DC Au: Might as well be brothers. Young Justice hears about a regional hero disappearing, and while they've never met the guy, Red Robin's contacts say that Ra's is hunting him for afterlife/immortality related reasons.

Tim drake hates the annoying white uniform he's wearing but breaking into this place is crucial to his 24 hour plan to rescue Phantom. He'd never even heard of the guy until a week ago when Pru came to him with info that Ra's was looking into Midwest Real Estate, and then Tim stumbled down the rabbit hole of Ghost conspiracy theories until he saw an article demanding that local officials speak on the hero's absence of 10 days. 10 days was short enough that Tim might find a sign of life and well, another federal agency being hacked by Red Robin is nothing new.

So now, he's walking down the halls with these stupid fucking glasses and this stupid fucking suit while Kon listens from the comfort of the surveillance van. He takes a turn and sees the track suits that the illegally detained inmates are wearing, and pivoting the plan, makes his way to a locker room to get one and get changed. It does take him an extra second and he considers that this might bite him- but Tim knows the place inside and out. He's scoured all their data, and sue him for being cocky, but he has a literal alien ready to tear the place apart waiting for his heart rate to jump above 80 bpm. which is a pretty low heart rate all things considered.

Tim gets exactly where he's meant to go, and waits only a few minutes before he see's the science team extract Phantom from the high security room.

Phantom doesn't make it clear if he notices Tim, but he's basically being dragged by the couple, so Tim decides to beat them to their destination. The experimental wing had shown up in their reported data not long after they made it extremely obvious that they had Phantom in their data output.

Tim's already in the room when he starts to notice that it's not exactly a room... more like a mechanical space. The way the corners curl in the room make it almost tube like... Portal like.

Phantom is thrown in and Tim grabs him the second the scientists leave, but the kill switch key Tim made to get them out isn't working for this door like it did all the others.

"Not... Not a door."

"We're in some sort of device aren't we? Something of their own design that the government isn't aware they're funding?"

"Portal. You've gotta get out, even if you get caught, you gotta get out now."

Tim's comm comes alive in his ear, its Kon responding to Tim's heart rate rising- and Tim is hesitant to call him in but ultimately tells him to start flying over for extraction.

Then the portal goes off, and while he feels pain, he doesn't feel different. Bright light subsiding, Kon's arms around him with a confused voice, and lots of lasers being fired his way... Tim wakes up to see a much younger Phantom looking at him from the other side of the young justice couch.

Kon, Bart and Cassie are all fighting at a white board that's been wheeled in but Tim can only yawn and blink his way into consciousness enough to give a shit.

Black haired and blue eyed, button nosed with large ears, a wry thin lipped smile... Tim realizes that Phantom looks incredibly similar to his younger self. And then Tim looks at his much smaller hands and realizes that he probably looks a lot more similar to his younger self than normal.

Taking in the scenery once more, the white board is divided on the traits Tim has to the children sitting left and right on the couch. Kon didn't know who was who. That meant that maybe... the government didn't either.

Phantom turns out to be a pretty chill dude despite all the trauma, and he's incredibly prepared to both fuck with Ra's and the government in their newly found childhood twin-ship.

One of the twins is scarier than the other, and despite Danny literally haunting them, its always Tim.

(Okay now its some one else's turn :D )

#dcxdp #dpxdc #dc x dp #dp x dc #danny phantom #dc crossover #dp crossover #long post #dc universe #tim drake #red robin #twin au #or lol they just look very similar because little kid features are difficult #deaged au #wait until the bats arrive and are equally unhelpful in determining the correct twin #danny and tim silently agreeing that its for the better plot if they don't make it obvious who is who #danny has shit to process about being phantom and just wants to be a kid about things for a lil while #tim can function with any disguise and his whole family will take so long to figure out he's been deaged bc his reports come in on time #kon feels so guilty about not knowing who is who #kon grabbed them both in his panic and in the scuffle of the explosion and the lasers being shot out totally mixed them up

[bunnyreaper]

john helps you with your gender studies work, then decides to properly educate you.

(18+/MDNI, established d/s dynamic, dubcon(ish), misogyny kink, degradation, choking, pussy slapping.)

part of you wanted to slam the textbook shut the second your handsome distraction of a boyfriend walked through the door, but a large part of you knew you had to get your reading done now before your ability to concentrate evaporated come nightfall. 

you try to focus on the words on the page as you hear john shuck off his jacket and boots, and throw his keys onto the table by the door. 

"home, love." he calls out, before stepping through into the flat. 

"hey." you greet back, small smile on your face even if your response is a little half-hearted. 

john shuffles over to the couch, collapsing down onto the plush cushions before he pulls off his beanie and throws it on the coffee table. 

he gives you a few moments to wrap up the page you're reading, then he expects you to come over and fuss over him like you always do. 

the fussing doesn't come. and his leg starts to rock in impatience--after a trip to the base, he needs his soft, sweet girl in his arms. needs his love cooing over him and staring at him like he hangs the stars in the sky for her. 

instead, your nose is in that fucking book. 

growing impatient, he calls out to you once more, though his voice doesn't betray the way he sits on the couch and fights the urge to bounce his leg, or the twitch of his fingers. "what's that, love?" 

"new class." you flash the book cover at him, key concepts in gender studies. 

john parts his thighs, making a space before he taps them. "come sit here, bring your textbook." his command is gentle yet compelling, and you rise to your feet without a second thought. 

"study snuggles?" you ask, a bright smile on your face as you make your way over. john often tempted you into his arms so he could cuddle you while you read, and you both got what you wanted. 

"something like that." he smirks, grabbing your waist and pulling you into his lap so your arse is flush against him. he circles an arm around your waist, keeping you securely in place as you get back to reading. 

john can't help himself though. his girl in his lap, right where he wants her, and he's sure if he just starts teasing he can make her forget all about the book. he's done it so many times before. 

he pulls the fabric of your top down your shoulder, baring your skin to him so he can press ravenous kisses all across your shoulder and all up your pretty neck. he knows your weak spots, targets them directly with hungry licks and playful bites, until he hears you gasp and sigh in delight, until he feels you squirm in his lap.

"john, i'm trying to focus." you sigh, protest weak as his kisses continue.

one of his hands trails up your thigh, pushing past the hem to expose your thighs and tease your sensitive skin, his hands on a mission. 

like a good girl, you sit and take what john gives you, desperately trying to keep your focus as arousal fogs your brain. maybe you have to re-read the same line about five times, but you're determined to keep going--the book's contents have made you feel determined and powerful. 

john's hands both settle on your knees, pulling your legs wider until they're stretched over his and exposing you to anything john wishes to give to you. 

still, you try to keep your mind on the book and not on the way his fingers creep up the silky skin of your inner thighs, or the way his hardness presses against your cheeks. 

you turn the page over, finally having finished with the prior one. john settles his chin against your shoulder where it glistens with his spit, and you can feel his eyes on the page, reading along with you. 

"don't you feel silly, darling?" he whispers, fingers teasing you further, making you jerk in his lap. 

"why?" you ask, trying to not pay him or his like of questioning too much mind. 

"reading feminist theory when you're far from one." his voice is taunting, a purr that shoots right through you with how condescending it is.

"i am a feminist. you're a feminist." you reason, yet as you say it, you catch onto his little game. at the same time, he reaches up to take ahold of your hand, squeezing. you squeeze back twice. 

"i mean look, women and power." he scoffs, taking your finger to point to the sentence, as if couldn't read it on your own. "i think you should drop the class, darling."

"why?"

one hand moves back to your thighs, thick fingers pads stroking across the outer seam of your panties, the other comes to the nape of your neck--stroking and kneading, giving you goosebumps everywhere.

"don't want it filling your pretty little head full of nonsense." he coos, punctuating his words with a tighter grip. 

"nonsense?" you ask, voice sweet and innocent. 

john hums for a moment, before his slips round the column of your throat. "who has power in this relationship?"

he choses that moment to ghost his fingers across your clit through your panties, and he watches as your body tries to chase his fingers. 

"y-you."

"and why's that, princess?" he turns your head and kisses the side of your jaw, hovers his fingers inches away from where you need him most. 

"because you're older and wiser, but really it's because I give you power!" you protest, voice growing whiny as your body betrays you. 

john laughs--a low, mocking sound. his fingers tighten around your throat, restricting your blood flow. "hmm. but you like listening to an older man, don't you?"

"yes..."  

finally he pushes his fingers firmly into your clit, chucking as you buck and your legs almost start kicking. "how is that empowering?"

pleasure floods you immediately. your grip on your book tightens, your eyes slip shut and a breathy moan pushes past your lips."it's just a fantasy... it's not... real."

"isn't it? are you sure?" he coos again, talking to you like you're beyond stupid. his fingers quicken, his grip chokes you harder. "if you wanted me to stop, could you fight me off?"

you thrash against his hold but find it entirely futile. "no!" you cry out. 

"why?" 

john relents, stilling all movement so you can calm down and give him a semi-coherent answer. even with his hands not actively teasing you, it still feels so hard to think.

"well you're in the army for one." you mutter, a sarcastic edge to your voice that earns you a short, sharp slap to your pussy that brings you back in line. "because you're bigger and stronger. 

"why do you think that is?"

you hate the way it feels like john is actually picking apart your thoughts, invading your brain and reprogramming you--and you know he hasn't even gotten started.

"because... you're a man."

"hmm, it's natural for men to be strong, powerful." he explains, his words patient and authoritative. he returns to massaging your clit, making you associate the words with pleasure. "for women to be weaker, in need of protection." 

you wrack your brain to think of a response, a rebuttal to john's claim. "that doesn't make us unequal."

"no, princess, this little slit between your legs does." he mocks, as his fingers now dive underneath the fabric of your soaked panties to probe at your hole. "what is a cunt's purpose?" 

"to... get fucked?" you mumble, feeling shy. finally, you close the book, tossing it down on the floor and listening to john instead.

"fucked and bred by a man. dominated. conquered." his fingers thrust inside you, ruthless as they piston into your needy hole. "it's just nature, hmm? a cunt gets fucked, a cock does the fucking." 

"i... guess." what he is saying makes sense to your aroused, confused, weak female brain. 

"and your body knows it too, that's why you're leaking all over my fingers." he croons before sweeping your wetness all over your aching clit. 

"no, that's because--" 

he slaps your cunt again. 

"If you didn't like it, you wouldn't be soaked darling." he tuts and shakes his head, dismissive of your feeble protest. "it's normal, princess. your body doesn't believe in fantasy, it just knows reality." 

"s'not a bad thing to want to be protected, coddled, cared for. not wrong to give into your instincts, to want to be filled up with cock and cum, to please a man." 

he keeps talking, keeps re-educating you as his fingers work over your puffy nub and the sensation of being a little messy girl overwhelms you. 

"goes both ways love, wanna please you too, but we each have our roles, no?" 

"yeah... you're right..." you nod weakly.

"there has to be a reason this is the way things have always been, hmm?" 

john continues, launching into a long speech as he works you closer and closer to the edge. "and look at what you do for me. what would they think if they could see you now?"

your brain starts to slow, his words echoing around your empty little brain. 

still, he persists. still, he preaches his patriarchal gospel. "if they knew the times you skipped classes just to stay at home, down on your knees, worshipping my cock with that pretty fucking mouth?"

his words turn to a condescending growl, a mocking roar as he infiltrates every last corner of your mind. "if they knew the way misogyny gets you fucking soaked, love." 

the hand on your neck glides as his fingers intrude into your mouth, pressing down on your tongue and choking you on the digits. "could you even spell patriarchy right now, explain feminism? no? go on, tell me you're a feminist, princess." He urges, unrelenting.

all you can do is gargle and choke in response, unable to do the one simple thing john asks of you, unable to do it because you're weak. a woman. just a needy cunt.

"good girl. my good girl. that's it, surrender to a big strong man like me. s'just natural, love." his filthy, forbidden words have you right on the edge. but you know the rules, you don't come without his permission.

luckily for you--john is merciful, kind, and takes care of what's his. after all, he only wants what's best for you. "cum for me. cum the last of your brains away, sweetheart."

with his command, the coil within you snaps, sending you over the edge of a brain-shattering orgasm--a high unlike any other. it feels like you do actually cum your brains out, as your body shakes against john's hold and cries leave your throat until it's almost raw.

john holds you steady, safe in his arms as you come down from the high and he presses sweet kisses along every inch of exposed skin he can possibly reach. 

"fuck, john." you sigh, eyes remaining shut in your blissed out state. you cling to where john's arms are wrapped around you, squeezing him back. 

"good?" he whispers as he strokes you soothingly. "didn't go too far?"

"no, i loved it." 

he smirks against your skin, relieved that you enjoyed exploring the fantasy with him.

"good. how about i take you to bed and really fuck the feminism out of you then?"

#john price x reader #captain john price x reader #captain price x reader #john price #captain john price #captain price #call of duty x reader #call of duty fanfiction #bunny writes #cw misogyny

[radiant-reid]

Angst blurb idea: the first Spencer snaps at reader

The BAU's latest case has been an especially brutal and difficult-to-solve one, weighing heavily on each team member. The stress and exhaustion are palpable, and Spencer, with his brilliant mind and empathetic nature, found himself emotionally drained. You can see it on his face. He's so used to being able to solve things quickly that the unsub's intellectual games are making his head spin.

Late one evening, as you all pour over evidence and theories, the tension in the room reaches its peak. Spencer's patience is waning, his usually calm demeanor fraying at the edges. Frustration bubbles up within him like a volcano ready to erupt.

In the midst of it all, you approach, concern etched across your face. You reach out to touch his arm gently, intending to offer comfort, but it was the final trigger that broke his already fragile composure.

"Can you just give me some space, Y/n?" He snaps, his tone sharp and cutting.

Your eyes widen, hurt washing over your features. It's the first time he has ever spoken to you in such a manner. You recoil, withdrawing your hand and quietly leave the room, searching for another task t do somewhere away from him.

"Reid," Morgan scolds, frowning at his friend. Spencer already knew he messed up and he sighs, standing up.

The words hang heavy in the air, leaving an uncomfortable silence that pierces Spencer's conscience. He knows he had let his stress get the better of him, taking it out on the person he cared about the most. Guilt settles in his chest, a heavy weight that seems unbearable.

Spencer follows you, rushing after the door you had closed behind you. He finds you in the hallway, taking a minute. The sight tears at his heart, and he immediately regrets his outburst.

"Y/n, I'm so sorry." He mumbles, his voice filled with remorse. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that. The case, it's... it's taking a toll on me."

You turn to face him, a mix of hurt and understanding in your eyes. "I know." You assure him. "It's rough, but you don't get to snap at me."

He nods, his gaze downcast. "You're right, and I can't apologize enough. I should have never taken my frustrations out on you. I let my emotions cloud my judgment, and I'm truly sorry."

There was a beat of silence as you both stand there, the weight of the moment hanging in the air.

You nudge his shoulder. "Spencer, I understand that you're under immense pressure." You remind softly. "But we're a team, in work and in our relationship. We have to support each other, even in the toughest moments. Communication is key."

He reaches out for your hand and squeezes it, his eyes filled with gratitude and love. "You're right, Y/n. I need to remember that. I'm grateful to have you by my side, reminding me of what's important."

You smile, your heartache slowly easing. "I'm here for you, Spencer. Always. But please, remember that we're in this together. Lean on me when you need to."

He nods, a renewed determination in his gaze. "I promise, Y/n. From now on, I'll do better. I won't let the stress consume me to the point of hurting you."

You wrapped your arms around him in an uncharacteristic display of public affection, pulling him into a comforting embrace. But it doesn't matter when it's what you both need.

#spencer reid #criminal minds #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid blurb

[solarsa1nt]

𐚁֙࿐ HANAHAKI

ryōmen sukuna & itadori yuuji x fem!reader

Tags — fluff , happy ending , dubcon kissing? reader is fine with it though , implied sexual content at the end

Notes — fun fact: red carnations symbolize deep love and affection, while a pale red carnation represents admiration and the words, “my heart aches for you”. it is said that the deep red petals of the red carnation represent a beating heart that is filled with love too! i figured that this flower suits sukuna pretty well because of episode 5

It started off unsuspectingly; really, the change being unnoticeable to most and so minor it didn't make her so much as blink.

Only when a red petal fell from his lips, did it make Y/N pause.

"Was that... a flower petal?" Y/N asks, staring at the flower incredulously.

Y/N leans forward, picking it up off the library table as she looks at it curiously, inspecting it.

Huh? A carnation? Y/N wonders, gaze lingering on the flower for a moment longer before looking at her boyfriend.

Yuuji puts a hand against his throat, staring at the flower in blatant confusion.

"Uh... yes?" Yuuji answers, although it sounded more like a question.

"Were you eating flowers?" Y/N raises an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "I know you have a habit of eating weird things, but—"

"Y/N!" Yuuji cuts her off, face flushing in embarrassment. "I thought you agreed to stop teasing me about that..."

"Sorry, Yuuji." Y/N raises a hand to pet her boyfriend's head but her tone was completely unapologetic as she beams at him. "You're just too cute!"

At the action, Yuuji suddenly starts to cough again, Y/N blinking in surprise as she reels back, watching another petal fall from her boyfriend's mouth.

"Huh." A small frown tugs on Y/N's lips, rubbing her boyfriend's back as the coughing slows.

"So you didn't eat it, then?" Y/N frowns thoughtfully, a distant look in her eyes as her boyfriend glances at her curiously.

"Do you know what it is?" Yuuji asks, recognizing the look in Y/N's eyes.

"Mh... maybe?" Y/N hesitates before turning forward again and opening a new tab on her computer.

"It sounds familiar but..." Y/N trails off as she starts to type something, Yuuji peering over her shoulder.

Hitting the enter key, the page loads, results instantly showing up as Y/N perks up.

"Hanahaki?" Yuuji reads, eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"But it says one-sided love," Yuuji adds, pointing towards the part on the screen that sayid that.

"Uh... it's a fluke, maybe?" Y/N offers helplessly, earning a deadpan from her boyfriend.

"Yeah, yeah..." Y/N huffs, knowing the idea is stupid.

Y/N opens the page, scrolling through it before ultimately coming to a simple conclusion: there's no explanation for it.

"Maybe we could go to Shoko-san?" Y/N suggests, looking over the page once more before shutting her computer.

"Sure, don't see why not."

━━━━

Shoko levels the two with a mildly surprised look, leaning back against a metal table as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Hanahaki? It's not that common, but the curse appears in students every so often." Shoko admits, looking Yuuji almost as if she were taking him apart piece by piece, trying to understand something.

"Really? Really? Do you know what's happening with Yuuji then?" Y/N asks, looking eagerly at Shoko.

Shoko hums noncommittally, closing her eyes as a beat of silence passes them before she opens them again, tried brown eyes boring into the two.

"I have a theory." Shoko allows, her stare unbreaking as she scrutinizes Yuuji.

"It could be Sukuna." Shoko suggests as Y/N blinks in surprise, Yuuji frowning in confusion, about to say something— likely refute it due to Sukuna never saying anything genuinely positive about anyone, ever —when Shoko continues. "Since he doesn't have a body of his own, the curse would manifest in Yuuji."

"So... Sukuna's in love with someone?" Y/N asks, turning towards Yuuji.

"I mean, he's been weirdly silent throughout all of this..." Yuuji says slowly, as if he had only just noticed that detail.

"Ooo! I wanna know! I wanna know!" Y/N darts forward, nearly pouncing on her boyfriend as she pokes the outlines of Sukuna's second set of eyes.

"Who is it? Who is it?" Y/N was nearly vibrating where she stood, subconsciously repeating her words in an act of excitement. "Sukuna! Su-ku-naaaa! 'Kuna? 'Kuna!"

"Will you shut up, woman?" The curse finally makes an appearance, red eyes peering open as a mouth splits into a snarl on Yuuji's cheek.

"'Kuna!" Y/N beams, not so much as flinching at Sukuna's sharp glare. "Tell me! I wanna know!"

"C'mooon, who is it that's captured the heart of the king of curses?" Y/N snickers to herself as her gaze remains on Sukuna.

Meanwhile, Shoko raises an eyebrow as she watches the two interact.

It was an odd sight, a sorcerer excitedly asking the king of curses— Ryomen Sukuna —who he's in love with.

Sukuna spits out another insult towards Y/N, who only laughs in reply.

Shoko watches as something overwhelmingly fond flickers in the pair of red eyes, the feeling only caught by the doctor as Shoko sighs deeply.

She doesn’t get paid enough for this.

━━━━

Y/N peers up at Yuuji's unconscious face, her arms looped around his waist as she lays atop him, his arms wrapped loosely around her back.

"Su-ku-naaa..." Y/N calls quietly, poking Yuuji's cheek lightly, knowing that's where Sukuna often made his appearance on Yuuji's body.

"Hey... wake up. Do curses even need to sleep?" Y/N wonders, "I bet you do. You're, what, a thousand years old? Pft, old timer—"

Before Y/N could even process it, her and Yuuji's positioned were flipped, E/C eyes widening as they meet narrowed red ones.

"Uh..." Y/N murmurs helplessly, the hands that had been loosely hanging around her back now curling around her waist almost possessiv— no, Y/N didn't want to humor that thought...

Yuuji's (well, now Sukuna's) face had turned into one of pure frustration, all four eyes narrowed as he grits his teeth. Accompanying his expression, the hands on her waist were tightening painfully, no doubt leaving marks with the sharp nails.

"Th-This is new..." Y/N admits with a nervous laugh, trying to glance off to the side only for a hand to roughly grab her chin.

Nails dig into the side of her face as she was forced to meet the king of curses gaze.

"You want to know, Y/N?" Sukuna hisses out through gritted teeth, momentarily surprising the girl at the use of her first name.

'Y/N'? This is the first time he's called her by her first name.

That's the last coherent thought to pass through her mind before a pair of lips were roughly slammed onto hers.

Y/N yelps in surprise, eyes widening as she feels Sukuna, the bastard, grin against her mouth before a tongue was mercilessly shoved down her throat.

A unwilling moan rises out of her throat from the sensation as her face burns in humiliation.

Y/N yanks on his hair roughly, Sukuna eventually relenting as he leans away panting, the smug grin on his face remaining unchanging.

"W-Was that necessary...?" Y/N stammers, feeling lightheaded as she wipes a string of saliva from her abused mouth.

"Got the point across." Sukuna responds, taking in the sight of the debauched girl underneath him.

"Hmp. Great to know the king of curses is a pervert..." Y/N sighs before yelping as she was unceremoniously pushed further against the bed, a pair of lips smashing against hers.

Ah, this was going to be a long night for her, wasn't it?

© 𝓢OLARSAINT 2024 ─── all of my works belong me alone! do not copy, steal, plagiarize, or spread any of my works in any other social media platform. these have only been reloaded on my own accounts on ao3 and wattpad

#ryomen sukuna x you #sukuna x y/n #sukuna x you #ryomen sukuna x reader #ryomen sukuna #sukuna x reader #sukuna #ryomen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x you #jujutsu kaisen x y/n #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen #itadori yuji x you #itadori yuji x reader #itadori yuuji #itadori x reader #yuji itadori #itadori x you #yuuji x reader #yuji x reader

[kakujis]

do you love me?;

synopsis: waking them up at 3am just to ask if they love u. pt 2 here. 3 4

warnings: clingy reader, pet names, slightly suggestive in yuzuha's, but besides that none really! no set timeline. gn!reader. not proofread!

feat: mikey, baji, yuzuha.

a/n: this is so cute in theory, but i would probably fight if this happened to me irl!! anyways, i was sad and wanted to write somethin' cute. also, my first time writing for my yuzuha n i lost my mind.. expect more of her in the future!

mikey:

“manjiro..” you whisper, poking softly at his sleeping face. you knew this was a dumb idea, but sometimes you really just needed to hear it, something that would set your heart at ease. something only mikey could say. 

“mm.” is all you get, as you try to rustle him from sleep. he sleeps on his stomach, hair falling around his face like a curtain as his cheek presses against the pillow. 

“maaanjiroo.” you try again, voice a little louder this time as you poke his cheek even harder, dragging out the call of his name, giggling as you note the give of his plush skin indenting where your finger marks. so cute and so soft. 

“what?” mikey groans, shifting in his dream-like state so that he’s facing away from you, clearly annoyed. he pulls the blanket further over him as he does this, wanting to tune you out. he can’t help it, he’s sleepy. 

but you persist, moving closer and wrapping your arms around his covered form, eliciting another noise from him, but this time not so irritated. 

“i love you.” you murmur, resting your cheek on his shoulder and peering down at the tufts of blond hair peeking from beneath the fabric. “i love you sooo much, like i wanna explode when i look at you type of love.” 

you wait a moment before you pull the blanket down slightly. is he really not gonna say it back? you pull him down, forcing him onto his back. you pout, when you make eye contact with him. drowsy, black eyes peer up into yours with a dust of red on the tops of his cheeks. 

“do you love me, mikey?” you whisper, a little hurt he still hasn’t said it yet. 

he nods, before he brings his hands up to cup your cheek. “yeah, i love you a lot.” he gives a languid smile and you beam. 

“more than anything?” you ask, excitement tinting your voice, mood already brightened.

“yeah.” he yawns, head nodding as he answers your question.

“more than sleep?” you inquire with a tilt of your head that sets mikey’s heart racing. 

“mhm.” he hums.

“even taiyaki?” you press, readying the list of his favorite things, other than you of course. 

“mm, that one’s kind of a stretch.“ he quips, eyes filled with mirth, lips curling up into a bigger smile. 

“hey..” you frown, but mikey continues, pulling you in and hugging you a little harder in his embrace. 

“c’mon, let’s sleep. i’m sleepy.” he sighs, slinging his leg over you as he turns to spoon you, making sure you’ll sleep this time. 

“okay,” you resign, settling into his warm embrace. it’s not often mikey’s the big spoon, so you try your best to not pester him more. whenever you are like this, it’s snug and comfortable, cozy and reassuring. you close your eyes to try and let sleep take you. 

“…but by the way, my babu is really important-“

“mikey!” 

baji: 

baji had fallen asleep before you, mumbling something about how he’d tell you all about his day with toman tomorrow once he rested up. 

but there was something itching in you, something annoying that wracked your brain and crept up on you during the early morning hours like this. you peered over at his sleeping form, one arm flung above his head while the other laid on his midriff. he was snoring pretty loudly and you could see his pearly fangs under the moonlight. 

you couldn’t sleep, your insecurity gnawing at you from inside, so you turned to fully face him tapping on his side. 

“kei.. wake up,” you mumbled, inching closer to his sleeping face. 

unconsciously, the hand that was on his belly flings up to swat you away. there’s no power behind it and it is just an unconscious reaction, but it turns that insecurity into annoyance. 

“…oi.” you hiss, but the sound of your voice has his hand flying up again. you scoff, before taking his pointer finger and biting down. 

“what the fuck!” he yelps, amber eyes shot open at the pressure. at first he’s confused, but when he glances down he barks a laugh at you, your face contorted in anger as you nibble on him. “let go, dummy, i’m awake.”

he uses his free hand to flick at your forehead and you release. laying your head on his chest, you look up at him, feeling the rise and fall of his body and hearing the beat of his heart. 

“so, whatcha want?” he asks, fully awake from your little love bite. baji’s eyes are always soft when he looks at you, like he’s staring at the whole world. 

“do you love me?” you ask, pouting and blinking up at him with puppy dog eyes. 

baji ponders for a second, before poking your cheek. “do birds fly?” 

“seriously, kei!” you whine, shifting up and wrapping your arms around his neck. “do you love me?” you ask with such earnesty that something in baji’s chest blooms, and it blooms with such intensity he can’t help but cup the back of your head and bring you in for a kiss. 

his lips on yours are soft and when he pulls away, the grip on your hair lessened, you realize the silliness of your insecurity. but baji wants to make sure you hear it too. 

“i love you,” he grins, a finger touching the tip of your nose, “a little too much.” 

you smile, little pin pricks of tears lining your eyes and baji groans.

“one minute you’re biting my hand off, the next you’re crying… you make no sense.” he grumbles, playing with your hair in one hand. you hum when he tugs, melting a bit into his embrace. “you good?”

you nod, laying your head back onto his chest, “‘m good.” you sigh as you settle back into place, eyes closing at the feeling of baji’s hand running through your hair. he always knows what relaxes you best, he always knows that each fleeting thought in your head is best subdued with his own affirmations. what a dumb thought to have, of course he loved you. “love you so much, kei.” 

“i know.” he continues to play with your hair, fingers intertwining with your locks. he watches you with such warmth, you could say that he was the sun. 

“by the way, they don’t all fly,” you smirk, trying to stifle a laugh, “so that question was a little lame.” 

his hand pauses and even with your eyes shut, you can see his face contort in confusion. “huh?” 

“penguins. kiwis. ostriches. emus. none of those fly.” you snicker, “google it.” 

you feel him reach over for his phone on the nightstand. it only takes a few more moments for him to unlock his phone and look it up, but you can’t control your laugh when you hear him groan and say, “are you fuckin’ kidding me?!” 

yuzuha: 

you were always begging your girlfriend to watch a movie with you. every night without fail, she’d agree, rolling her eyes when you’d suggest a romcom for the nth night in a row. but you always thought yuzuha was so pretty when she laughed, the way her eyes crinkled and she’d look back at you as if to say “did that really just happen?” but there was also the way she'd seek your hand out in the more serious parts of the movie, squeezing wordless affirmations into your veins.

and your heart always skipped a thousand beats when she did. really, watching a movie with her was just an excuse to steal as many glances at her as you wanted as she was too distracted to notice. tonight was no different, the two of you giggling and cuddling away under the blanket. 

near the end of the movie, yuzuha had fallen asleep on the other side of the couch, her long strawberry locks cascading over the side of her face as she slept. you sat there, in the dark, watching the end credits when a sudden wave of sadness hit. 

it wasn’t the first time she’d fallen asleep on you, and you had fallen asleep on her a couple times as well, but you were still a little somber. you crawl over, wrapping your arms around her and she shifts in her sleep. 

“mm?” she blinks with sleep laden eyes, a little upturned smile when she notices it’s you. 

“yuzu..” you whisper, burying your face into her neck as her arms come around to hold you. 

“what’s up, angel?” she mumbles into your hair, rubbing her cheek against it. 

“do you love me?” you ask, still pressed against her neck. your breath fans across her skin and she giggles, telling you “that tickles!” but you huff again, not only from annoyance but because her giggle is like a birdsong.

“yuzuha..” you whine, as she continues to giggle, body trembling. you glance up at her both your faces tinted red, noses so close they’re almost touching, “do you love me?” 

“more than you could ever know.” she proclaims and you swear her golden eyes are twinkling. “what about you? do you love me?” she asks, tilting her head a little. 

“more than hakkai loves mitsuya… probably.” you tease and she scoffs, before closing the distance and pressing her lips against yours. the two of you continue to press kiss after kiss, even as the movie credits roll to an end and all the light that’s left is the slight illumination from the tv. 

you don’t even hear the shuffling of feet across the floor, too immersed in the plushness of yuzuha’s lips against yours. it’s not until you hear a particularly disgusted groan that you pull away, looking up right up at hakkai, holding an empty glass and is slightly turned to face the hallway wall. 

“if you’re gonna suck face, can’t you do it in your room sis?” hakkai asks, trying his best to not look at you. 

“oops.” she says, blinking up at her brother, “sorry about that.”

you pull off of yuzuha, face heating up in embarrassment. “sorry hakkai,” you say sheepishly, before you feel the tug of your girlfriend’s hand on yours, pulling you up off the couch. she winks at you as you interlock hands, starting the trek back to her room.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers fluff #baji keisuke x reader #manjiro sano x reader #yuzuha shiba x reader #baji keisuke #manjro sano #yuzuha shiba #baji keisuke x y/n #baji keisuke x you #manjiro sano x you #manjiro sano x y/n #yuzuha shiba x you #yuzuha shiba x y/n #pibby writing #mikey sano

[elementroar]

This is the "Why ABA and Paracelsus can feel horny" lore/theory post

The main Paracelsus deepdive post is a monster that I'm building in Google docs cos Tumblr can't handle it while it's WIP. This is a separate lore/theory monster I want to get out of my system first.

Here's my theory why ABA is consistently portrayed as being horny for Paracelsus from the start.

Translated excerpt from the Night of Knives Vol.2 audio drama CD, released in 2004 (20 IRL years ago):

Her being horny wasn't so much portrayed in-game in XX/AC+R really, prolly engine/sprite limitations and all; but then STRIVE happens and we get:

It's not just her being horny, and knowing exactly how to rizz Paracelsus up, and clearly has been doing this in her pocket dimension for a while now. PARACELSUS CAN FEEL HORNY NOW TOO!

And I stg I'm not joking...I think there's a legit lore reason for this.

Cos by the end of her arcade mode's flawless ending and according to the latest interviews with Daisuke-san and the game directors, it's explained that Paracelsus' form depends on what ABA thinks of Paracelsus, as well as her general mental stability.

ABA thought Paracelsus looked like a key, and he morphed into a key as part of his nature, which naturally makes him always fit to his wielder's preferences. In my deepdive I'll explain in more detail, but in addition to that, Slayer figured out that since ABA also saw Para as her hopeful "key to the future", Para's heart also began to change to basically fit her ideal of what he is.

So if ABA finds Paracelsus sexually attractive, and has made very obvious physical advances on him for years, then it follows that if she's horny for him, she can make Paras horny for her over time too, just like how Para is getting more key-like subconsciously just by being with her all this time.

I don't think this is entirely involuntary on Paracelsus end. I believe how much he wants to react to his wielder's emotions is still in his control...unless they become truly insane like with ABA's Jealous Rage being emotionally powerful enough to override Paras' ability to maintain his key form.

Also he reverts to his 'sharp teeth' design when he gets rizzed up, so he's losing his composure again and prolly holding back most of his...response. It's actually kinda telling cos Para used to just disassociate, ignore, scold ABA when she tries to make advances on him, so him actually responding now and to this degree is...interesting. And ABA seems very aware of this.

And for the bigger question of why ABA, an artificially created human would be created with the ability to feel horny...

Ok, crack theory time, it might be linked to why she apparently can summon an actual alchemical gate just whenever she wants, and even use it as her private pad. ABA doesn't just wanna rizz Paracelsus up as a key, she wants him in a human body since the start too.

Y'all remember Ghostbusters, and what the Gatekeeper and the Keymaster have to do to open the gate...?

#guilty gear strive #paracelsus guilty gear #my theory #I needed a quick diversion #my post #long post #surprise ghostbusters #nothing really alchemy related but the whole Gatekeeper and Keymaster 'joining' thing is just...right...there #a.b.a guilty gear #aba guilty gear #half-crack theory

[raayllum]

So I was thinking about the infamous

Seems to me that love's got a tighter grip on you than those chains around your wrists, so I'll do you a favour and set you free.

cut lines from "Finnegrin's Wake." And I've said before that I totally get and agree with why these lines got cut, because they just verbalize a dichotomy that is (hopefully) obvious to the audience anyway, i.e. giving Callum the choice to

'Be freed' by losing Rayla OR remained 'chained' by refusing to lose her

Obviously this isn't literal because 'being freed' means staying in his chains, and 'staying chained' means removing his chains. However, it is somewhat true from an emotional and a thematic standpoint. Callum knows what he's risking in giving Finnegrin the spell, and he knows what he's risking — playing into Aaravos' hands in ways he can't quite understand, but is deeply afraid of — in doing dark magic to get out of his chains. It's been theorized for years now by many people that Callum's desire to protect and help his loved ones is going to be what leads him into doing Aaravos' bidding / possessed again.

We also have good reason to believe that, ultimately, Finnegrin is going to be wrong. There's solid evidence that Rayla is going to be what helps Callum break free of Aaravos' control, and this line is a pretty pointed indicator. Callum's love for her is stronger than his current, literal entrapment. That can very easily take a positive turn and I expect that it will in coming scenes.

But I want to point out something that's like... specific and obvious and yet overlooked (myself included) about this line.

If Rayla being there can keep Callum chained down, and removing her can free (unlock him), then Finnegrin is stating that Rayla is the Key to Callum. She's his Key, capable of both locking and unlocking. And this makes perfect sense, given all the duality she represents for him ("Now you're back, and that's kind of good, and it's kind of bad" / "So they might kill you or they might save you?" / light vs dark with light not always being good).

We see this more literally in 5x08 itself with Callum's love for her being his motivation to do dark magic (locking himself) and being part of his motivation / ability to understand the Ocean arcanum (unlocking himself from Finnegrin's hold, literally). You can read more about that here if you'd like.

It also bodes well for the theory that the Key of Aaravos is his chest piece and has something to do with getting him out of his prison, because it was involved in locking him away (and therefore, can be involved in unlocking whatever led to him being put in there):

and that its presence in Callum's life is at its most pronounced when Rayla comes back, because — just as the Key of Aaravos is the key to Aaravos, she is the key to Callum.

#the dragon prince #tdp #key to his heart theory #theme: duality #theme: freedom #subset: keys #rayllum #devil and the lovers #parallels #mine #s6 speculation #predictions #cube hostage exchange theory #adjacently if nothing else #5x08 #arc 2 #yeah i feel good about this #analysis series #analysis #it's about the Framing

[jikookuntold]

What Is Like Crazy About?

Since the day "Like Crazy" was released, I wanted to post about it, but couldn't get the time to focus and do a comprehensive analysis. Finally, right before the first anniversary of this masterpiece, I got the time, and the post is ready now. Before starting off, I have to remind you of the fact that a work of art can be interpreted in many different ways, and none of those interpretations are necessarily right or wrong. Every work of art contains a message that is the artist’s main intention from that creation, but the artist doesn’t have to explain it to the audience because a true work of art speaks for itself, even though not all audiences can receive it thoroughly.

I know that in the past year, so many different types of analyses and theories were made by fans to explain this song, and most definitely, I couldn’t keep up with all of them. Therefore, I’m not claiming my analysis to be a breakthrough, and you might have read most parts of it somewhere else. In this post, we are going to discuss “Like Crazy” from a lyrical and conceptual point of view, trying to find out what message or messages Jimin wanted to convey by creating it.

About “Like Crazy”

“Like Crazy” as the title track for Jimin's first solo album, "FACE", stole the hearts of millions of fans and locals around the world, and inarguably became one of the most successful pop songs of the year 2023. I can talk for hours about how beautiful and successful “Like Crazy” is, and how it broke KPop boundaries and countless records. But, in this post, we are going to break to the surface and talk about the meanings and motivations behind this song and answer the questions like “How this song was made?” “What was Jimin's intention in writing these romantic lyrics?”

As I mentioned earlier, artists usually don’t directly address their main message and their intention in creating a form of art, but many of them speak about the motivations and inspirations that led them to the creation. Jimin hasn’t talked much about the sources of inspiration behind individual tracks of “FACE”, but I guess “Like Crazy” was an exception for him because he revealed on several occasions that he was inspired by “Like Crazy”, the movie. And this piece of information is the key to our analysis:

"I tried to express the feelings of that movie. You know, the somewhat complex, somewhat lonely, somewhat happy emotions. I tried to express all these ambiguous and subtle emotions in a slightly sexy way, but I’m not sure how it’ll end up being received by people.”

Like Crazy, The Movie

First of all, we need to keep in mind that “Like Crazy” is a completely original song, and Jimin has not used or sampled any songs, lines, or dialogues from the movie in his lyrical or visual concepts (even the intro and outro dialogues in the song were original and not from the movie). If Jimin had not stated his source of inspiration directly, the only hint that could have led us to it would be the title of the song, which duplicates the title of the movie since the title never appears in the lyrics.

So, Jimin chose this specific name for his song and announced his source of inspiration to make it clear that there is a straight and strong connection between the song and the movie. He made it clear that this connection is 100% conceptual and emotional, and if we want to know what “Like Crazy” is about, and what ambiguous and subtle feelings Jimin is talking about, we have to redirect the analysis to the concept of the movie, “Like Crazy”.

As we all know, “Like Crazy” is a romantic movie, and Drake Doremus directed it casting "Felicity Jones" and the late "Anton Yelchin" as the main characters, Anna and Jacob. Doremus based the storyline of this low-budget movie on his experience being in a long-distance relationship with his partner and developed it into a 90-minute-long movie, which was released in 2011 and became relatively successful.

Anna and Jacob

A few days before the release of “FACE”, I was informed that the title track, “Like Crazy” is based on a movie of the same name. After learning this fact, I had to re-watch it because I couldn’t remember anything after a decade, and I had some questions like: “What was in this movie that made it so special for Jimin?” “How would Jimin feel watching this?”. Having this mindset helped me to see the movie differently, but before explaining those new insights we need a short storyline of the movie:

Anna is a British exchange student in LA, where she falls in love with Jacob, an American student, and they start dating. Anna, blinded by her love for Jacob, overstays her student visa and consequently gets banned from re-entering the United States. After experiencing a forced LDR, Jacob flies to London to visit Anna, and her father suggests that getting married might resolve the issue, but they are not ready for this big step. Jacob goes back to LA and basically chooses his job over Anna, but after some time, they realize that they can’t be apart, and they decide to get married. Six months after the marriage, when the time for the appeal of Anna’s ban comes, it gets rejected, and they lose their last hope of being together. Again, they go back to their sad lives, but after some time, Anna is finally offered a visa, and she leaves everything behind to reunite with Jacob. The ending scene shows how this separation has damaged their relationship, and things will never be the same.

The movie portrays the hardships of a long-distance relationship and the damage the separation can do to two souls and their connection. I think the recent movie by "Celine Song" named "Past Lives" was partially similar to like crazy, but also there was a big difference; unlike Nora and Haesung in “Past Lives”, Anna and Jacob don’t leave it to fate, they don’t forget about each other and don’t settle down with others just because their love seemed difficult or impossible.

They found true happiness only next to each other and did everything against all odds (especially Anna) to take that back. Maybe if Anna and Jacob weren’t in love like crazy and were more mature and realistic, they would end up like Nora and Haesung (Sorry if this spoiled that movie for you), but they didn’t and made their own bittersweet ending.

Many people claim that “Like Crazy” is a breakup movie with a sad ending, therefore, Jimin’s song also must be a breakup song. But, first of all, the ending can somehow be considered an open ending. We don’t know what happens after the shower scene, but we see them together, in each other’s arms, and this is not a totally sad ending by any movie standards. Other than that, Anna and Jacob became separated a few times, but they don't officially break up by choice, their separation is the result of contractual rules and laws, made by society.

This movie, as its director explained, might be originally about a long-distance relationship, but also the main relationship in this movie can be seen as a relationship that gets strained by laws and regulations, it’s about the rules and imaginary borders that decide if two people can be together or ban them from it. It’s a story of the “love against law”.

A Heterosexual Love Story?

When “Like Crazy” was released in theatres back in 2011, it got positive reviews for good acting that made the movie feel sweet and intimate with mostly improvised dialogues. Meanwhile, the negative reviews were focused on the plotline of this drama, calling it far from reality. Other than the fact that Jacob could have easily resolved this issue by taking his job from LA to London, in reality, the couple wouldn’t have faced this much difficulty over the legal complications, especially after getting married.

The fact is, straight couples usually never face this kind of hardship, and governments take that easy on them otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many sham marriages around the world just to get citizenship. So, the idea of a couple getting separated by law is not common, and that’s why many people called this movie implausible. But, a queer person can familiarly receive this implausibility, like when they want to be with someone forever, but the laws don’t let them.

Could it be this feeling that made “Like Crazy” special and a source of inspiration for Jimin? Or was it something smaller like the Santa Monica beach scene? I have no answer, I only make theories, and I think it’s better to leave the movie here and start the lyrical interpretation to see how these words and feelings can get connected.

The Lyrics

[Intro]

(I think we could last forever (I'm afraid that everything will disappear Just trust me)

As I said earlier, this intro is not a dialogue from the movie, but the narrators were told to do it based on the audio from the movie that was sent to them. So, hypothetically, it’s Anna and Jacob having this conversation. He is afraid of losing everything, but Anna assures him that if he trusts her, they can last forever. In the MV, we see Jimin standing in the crowd, but the time goes in reverse, and through a transition into his eyes, we see him sitting alone. Weirdly, the outro of the song is playing in the background here, but we will figure out the reason later.

[Verse 1]

Korean Version, Translated

She's saying Baby, don't think about it There's not a bad thing here tonight Baby, it's fine if you leave Stay with me, just for today

English Version

She's saying, Baby, come and follow me There's not a bad thing here tonight Save your reasons all for later Stay with me a little while

Anna asks him to follow her and assures him that everything is fine, it’s fine if this is not going to last long. It’s not the time for reason and overthinking. The gendered pronoun here refers to Anna, but we will know more about her in the next verses. It is worth mentioning that in the primary handwritten lyrics by Jimin, there was no “She” and it was modified later considering the dialogues added to the intro. Anyway, we know Jimin didn’t release these drafts in his album for no reason.

In this part of the MV, we see Jimin sitting alone in a room, and with a flicker of lights, the room is filled with mud. Suddenly, a muddy hand of a girl grabs Jimin’s hand and leads him to a party. There are several symbols in this part, the lonely room is Jimin’s reality, and the party is his dream. The mud symbolizes dreams and desires that leave their trace on your life and soul.

[Verse 2]

Korean Version, Translated

Watch me go Drenching myself all night (Away) So that even the morning Gets drunk and doesn't arrive

English Version

Watch me go Now, I sink down, all alone away Where am I? A dark haze clouding up my eyes

From here, we don’t see the girl because Jimin and the girl became one. She was her reflection from the beginning, the side that leads him out of his loneliness, and allures him to his dreams and desires, tempts him to be careless and stop thinking too much. Some say she is Jimin’s Anima, but these lyrics never go to the deep levels of the subconscious to reach the Anima. She is his feminine side that is a tangible side of him, and Jimin’s asymmetric makeup gives it away. Also, the mirrored moves between Jimin and the female dancer in “Like Crazy’s” choreography made it clear that the feminine presence in this song is Jimin’s reflection.

[Pre-Chorus]

Korean Version, Translated

As the loud music I get faded out A cliché story like a drama I get used to it Have I come too far to find the me that you used to know Yeah, I know You know I know (Ooh)

English Version

I can hear the voices listening Don't know who they are Trying to take the pressure off Been reaching for the stars Tell me, will I find myself again? When I go too far? Yeah, I know You know, I know (Ooh)

Jimin enters the party and starts drinking, dancing, and having fun with the others. He laughs and enjoys himself in the crowd and trusts the supposed strangers, but the confusion doesn’t leave him alone. He feels lost, and as the lyrics say, he is worried about going too far and not finding himself again. The two opposite sides of him are conflicting. It’s the contradiction between "fear and desire", between "pain and numbness", between "loneliness and losing yourself", and between "reason and dream" that leaves him confused.

[Chorus and Post Chorus]

Korean Version, Translated

I'd rather be Lost in the lights, Lost in the lights I'm outta my mind Hold onto the end of the night Every night You spin me up high The moon with you in its arms Let me have a taste Give me a good ride (Oh, I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin') Oh, it's gon' be a good night (Oh, I'm fallin') Forever, you and I

English Version

I'd rather be Lost in the lights, lost in the lights I'm outta my mind Can you help me numb the pain? Each night, you spin me up high Emotions on ice Let me have a taste Give me a good ride (Oh, I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin') Oh, it's gon' be a good night (Oh, I'm fallin') Forever, you and I

In this part, he confesses which side he really wants to follow. He wants to go out of his mind, lose himself to the desire, and leave the reason behind. It’s the escapism that saves him from loneliness and the pain of real life. The chorus is the sexy and at the same time, the most poetic part of this song, especially where he is spinning up high in the arms of the moon.

The last line of the post-chorus, “Forever you and I” which also repeats in the last part of the interlude, is crucial because it declares that Jimin is not talking about vagrancy or promiscuity. He wants it all with his significant other, the only one who can help him numb the pain of real life and escape it. But this escapism has its consequences, and we see all that mud flush out of every corner symbolizing it. This scene artistically ends with Jimin facing his reflection in the crowd. The question is, is this reflection the same significant other, or is it Jimin himself? We will get the answer in the next part.

[Verse 3]

Korean Version, Translated

The me, reflected in the mirror Is going crazy endlessly I'm feelin' so alive, wasting time

English Version

All my reflections, I Can't even recognize I'm feelin' so alive, wasting time

His fear of losing himself was true, and it's happening now. This duality confuses him and makes him question his reality. Which side is the true Jimin? He doesn't care anymore because this escapism makes him feel alive.

Here in the MV, we see Jimin facing the reflection, and it immediately cuts to the restroom scene where he faces his literal reflection in the mirror and talks to him about not recognizing him anymore. Then, the restroom being dismantled symbolizes his state of mind. "The reflection of myself in an unfamiliar appearance" was the concept of "his "FACE" which was a whole album about Jimin himself.

[Outro]

This will break me This is gonna break me (Break me) No, don't you wake me (Wake me) I wanna stay in this dream, don't save me Don't you try to save me (Save me) I need a way we (Way we) I need a way we can dream on (On, on, on) (Alone again What's the point?)

Jimin knows the consequences of losing himself but embraces it. He knows it's gonna break him but doesn't want to wake up from his dream. He knows everything will collapse but doesn't need a savior. He wants to stay in that dream, but he knows it's impossible, and sooner or later, he will be dragged out of it.

Is there a way to cut all the connections to the real world of loneliness and stay in this dream forever? We get the answer in the MV, and it's not positive because suddenly, everything goes backward in speed, to where we started (remember the outro being played in the beginning? That was the clue).

He goes back to his lonely room with a muddy hand. Did his hand get dirty from a touch of his reflection, or was the muddy hand in the beginning his own hand? Is he trapped in a loop? Maybe. Maybe this wasn't his first or the last time coming back from that dreamland, and it was the reason for so much mud accumulated in his room. He is a regular in that dreamland and he can't quit.

Conclusion

It's understandable if this analysis of the movie, lyrics, and the MV didn't guide you in any direction, and maybe you are even more confused after reading it all. But don't blame yourself because Jimin already told us that, his emotions for this movie are complex. So, don't look for just one answer, maybe we are not supposed to end up with one conclusion, and this song also can have multiple interpretations and meanings. But what are these meanings?

If you pay attention to the lyrics and the MV you will realize that despite them being aligned and in sync, the lyrics have more connection to the movie. While filming the MV, Jimin mentioned that things (scenes of the MV) didn't happen like this in real life, which was an obvious fact, because this song is clearly not about being the life of the party and stuff like that, and has more internal meanings.

In "Like Crazy", Jimin talks about the loneliness of his real life, the isolation and limitations he experienced during the pandemic, and maybe other times. But Jimin finds an alternate reality, where he can be himself, be free and careless, and forget about the future. This alternate reality is rooted in two possibilities: The feminine side, and the significant other. The feminine side is what we face in the MV, and there are not many signs of it in the lyrics.

The feminine side appears as a muddy hand and a presence at the part that faces Jimin and becomes one with him as his reflection. The idea of "bigender" is nothing new in the concepts that Jimin has offered on different occasions, from his fake tattoos in ARMY-Zip 2019 to the performance of "Filter" in 2020 and his photopholio in 2022, he has expressed this fluidity in his work, and I think the visual concept of "Like Crazy" with his different makeup in the MV and the choreography was the epitome of it.

What about the significant other? As I mentioned in the analysis of chorus parts, "Forever You and I" Can only be interpreted as his exclusiveness to someone who is his significant other. This person is the one who saves Jimin from his loneliness and assures him about their happy ending. This person has no doubt in them lasting forever and only wants Jimin to trust him to take the lead and let that happen.

He keeps saying to his significant other that there is no future. They can't be together forever, this is just a temporary situation, and despite finding comfort in each other, they should not get attached because they will forced to be separated. It's not like Jimin doesn't believe in this love, he does and has the same wishes and dreams, but he keeps getting dragged to the real world where the rules govern.

This part is just a personal opinion as a Jikooker, but I did this analysis in my head last year when "Like Crazy" was newly released and had no intention of making a connection between this and Jikook, until "Seven" came out. We all know JK had no hand in making the sexy lyrics of "Seven", but after watching the MV (which had nothing to do with the lyrics), I couldn't unsee the fact that the concept of Seven's MV looked so much like a response to "Like Crazy's" lyrics. Still, we don't know if JK gave any ideas for the concept of the MV, but considering his record of working as an MV director, it's not impossible.

The End.

This is all I could say about "Like Crazy", a masterpiece that is still thriving in the charts and still touches people's hearts because it comes from real and deep emotions that Jimin had in his heart. That emotion got us the moment we listened to it for the first time, even though verbalizing it, is never easy, no matter how many analyses and reviews we write.

#jimin #jikook #like crazy #analysis

[blowingoffsteam2]

Kingdom Key D and Sora's Heart

Gonna paste some thoughts about Kingdom Key D that struck me last night:

Ok so on the topic of KKD being Sora’s true keyblade aka the one made from his heart (as KKL is made from Riku’s) it just struck me that in kh3 Mickey tells Yen Sid that his keyblade-kkd- was damaged in the realm of darkness along with Way to Dawn breaking in half.

Now we already know the theory that Way to Dawn actually broke during Riku’s sacrifice in the first unseen timeline, lining up with the “drop point” when Riku gets swallowed up by the demon tide in the RoD… but if kkd is made of Sora’s heart and what I suspect about Sora’s heart breaking or being damaged in some way during Riku’s sacrifice in the first timeline…That would perfectly explain why kkd randomly gets “damaged” despite them not even showing it to us and quickly glossing over it!

Think about it. Before kh3 we never even knew keyblades getting broken or damaged was a possibility- because keyblades are extensions of a person’s heart not a truly “physical” object. The only other time we’ve seen a keyblade actually be broken was in recoded when Maleficent breaks data Sora’s keyblade. And the ONLY reason she is able to do this, as explained, is because that keyblade was just a data imitation, it wasn’t tied to a real heart. Until Data Sora gets a heart of his own.

Keyblades don’t just break or get damaged because they get hit by a strong heartless. Sora and Riku have faced stronger enemies that small demon tide plenty of times. No. Keyblades only become damaged if the heart they are extension of become damaged. That has to be it.

The way Mickey says this and it’s just completely glossed over. Why would they even bother having KKD getting damaged and replaced when it’s an iconic keyblade and they don’t even SHOW the damage. It makes no sense... unless it’s planting a seed. Something to come back to with new context. Rather than getting a full replacement Mickey seemingly fuses KKD with Star Seeker, his bbs keyblade, in order to repair it.

This is also the first time we’ve seen this type of fusion of keyblades, again with zero explanation or showing it happening on screen. Star Seeker also happens to be the keyblade Sora gets with his first drive form, Valor form…

The fusion keyblade is called Star Cluster, and also apparently in jp it is “Kingdom Key W” (what does the W stand for??) The Star/Galaxy aesthetic also reminds me of that starry space in ReMind where Sora connects constellations…

Other things:

Apparently in Japanese the letter W is very commonly used as an idiogram for "Double" or "Two". This would make sense for a fusion keyblade like Kingdom Key W. Other ideas that were suggested: W for Waking, W for the "Win" timeline (as the previous timeline was fated to be lost to darkness). It's possible it has multiple meanings.

2. “Only King Mickey can open a door to the realm of darkness. It’s because he has a special Keyblade of Darkness. He figured out how to make it open the way.”

As stated in the kh3 glossary there are only three ways to enter the realm of darkness voluntarily: Beings of darkness have the power to open paths to it, a special keyblade of darkness (of which I believe KKD is the only known example- Nomura has explained that it doesn't mean that the keyblade's nature is dark or evil, only that it's a key that works on doors to/from the RoD), and the power of waking (which Sora uses to reach Riku).

I just think it's interesting if KKD is made from Sora's heart it just so happens to be this special keyblade of darkness. It's a complete mystery as to why KKD was just sitting there on the dark side of Destiny Islands. Mickey seems to know that it's a counterpart to KKL and that it would appear where KKL appeared....but how did he know that? What does it mean? Another interesting connection- during the fall of Destiny Islands notice how the door from Sora's dive to the heart appears in front of the Secret Place, and how the door within the cave only blasts wide open when Sora gets near.

Anyway, I've always thought KKD getting damaged was wierd and suspected it had something to do with what happened in the first timeline but assumed it had to do with Mickey's heart getting damaged somehow. But this makes so much more sense to me- after all we know KKD isn't made from Mickey's heart, it was just a keyblade he found. For both Way to Dawn and KKD to have become damaged as a result of Riku's sacrifice, due to whatever happened to Sora and Riku's hearts....it just makes sense. Sora's heart was damaged, so of course the keyblade made from him would be too.

#soriku #kh theories #Riku's sacrifice #kkd

[markeronacomputer]

Soul Hates Heart and Mind: A Message To The Chonny Jash Fandom (which dives into theory territory near the end)

Sorry guys, but I don’t see enough people talking about this, or enough fics that acknowledge this, so just in case I have to remind you:

You do remember that Soul… doesn’t like Heart or Mind, right?

No, seriously. He calls them parasites in The Soul Eclectic, is borderline forcing them to try and become Whole again (that one part of The Bidding), and he’s clearly only giving them the time of day because they’re the key to making him Whole: something that’s only important to him because it would basically kill them.

Not to mention, he also fucking sends death threats to them on a daily basis- death threats that he would absolutely carry out if doing so wouldn’t also kill him. Hell, at the end of The Soul Eclectic he plans to do it knowing it would also kill him.

If Heart’s problem is that he’s too emotional for his own good, and Mind’s is that he’s an arrogant jackass who bottles up all his emotions and judges people, then Soul’s is that he’s too obsessed with the past.

He doesn’t like what’s happened to his head, he wants things to go back to the way they used to, and he takes that anger out on Heart and Mind because it’s easy for him.

Hell, I’d say it’s not a bad theory that the only reason why Heart and Mind want to be Whole again is because Soul keeps telling them they have to.

And when Vol. 2 comes out… I think it’d be a pretty good plot twist that that obsession is what started the fighting in the first place.

So with that said… out of all three of them, who deserves it most? Who must pay the toll?

Not Heart, nor Mind, but the Soul.

#Chonny jash #cccc #cccc soul #cccc mind #cccc heart #chonny Jash heart #chonny Jash mind #chonny Jash soul

[hxney-lemcn]

Lovefool — Connor x gn! reader

summery: Connor tries to impress you, and it works <3

tw: none

a/n: Guys, the fav artist I mention might be a reference to Will Wood, no I won't shut up about him.

wc: 0.6k

Master List

It was a passing comment, something you didn’t think twice about. You were rambling to your friend, Connor, about some of your favorite songs and artists. Even before his deviancy he’d come to you with questions. At the time, you seemed to be one of the only people to treat him with some basic human decency, and a friendship was born. And you found someone you could finally ramble to, as when you’d bring something up, Connor would question it and you’d fall into the ramblings of topics you love. 

This time, it was about one of your favorite artists, and the reason why you believed you loved their music so much was because he played piano. And then that fell into you realizing that you found people who play piano were hot. You didn’t even notice the intense stare Connor held, or how his led spun yellow at the information. Just continued to talk about how much you loved that one musician.

You really didn’t think Connor would take that comment to heart. That he’d download programs that would teach him how to play the piano. Then proceed to learn a few pieces of music, some classical, some from your favorite artist. 

So when you walked through the mall with Connor by your side, you didn’t really question anything. Looking through windows to see if you were interested in anything. Occasionally asking Connor if he found anything, secretly wanting to buy him something. You stopped, watching as a piano played itself. People and androids alike walked past, not taking a second glance, but you couldn’t help but appreciate the waltz that was currently playing. You followed Connor curiously as he took a seat at the bench before the piano. 

“You know how to play?” You asked, watching intently as his fingers rested over the piano keys. His synthetic skin pulled away from his hands as he interfaced with the piano, and the waltz stopped playing. 

“Yes,” Connor nodded, glancing at me. “This will be my first time playing though.”

Before you could ask anymore questions, the familiar sound of your favorite song started playing. You felt your heart rate increase. You didn’t want to assume…but it was pretty hard not to. Why did he learn to play piano? And he said this was his first time playing, and it just happened to be a song from the artist you were gushing about not too long ago…

Oh…

You felt your heart stutter. Was this something to do with your offhand comment? That you found people who play piano to be attractive? You watched as his fingers brushed over the ivory keys, skillfully playing a tune you knew by heart. 

So far your theory wasn’t wrong. But this perhaps may be a bit of a cheat since you found Connor attractive from the beginning. You watched as his eyes stared at the nonexistent music sheets, perhaps he can view it with his HUD. You felt entranced as he continued to…serenade you? Was that the right term? Well, if that’s what he was out to do it was working real well. 

When he finished the last note, I clapped as loud as I could, cheering for him. I didn’t even realize the small crowd that gathered until they applauded with me.

“That was amazing Connor!” I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around his back as he tried to look at me. “Why the sudden interest?” You just wanted to make sure your conclusion was correct. 

“I, uh, you mentioned you found people who played the piano to be intriguing,” Connor slightly stuttered. 

You couldn’t stop the smirk that fit over your lips as you sat next to Connor, his eyes boring through your own, “I think I said a bit more than that.” You admired the blue tint that worked over Connor’s cheeks, the cool color contrasting well against his pale freckled skin. 

“Are you…” Connor trailed, unable to finish his question. A part of you wanted to play innocent, make him finish the question. But you decided to be merciful today.

“Yes,” You replied, leaning over and placing a kiss on his cheek.

#dbh connor x reader #connor dbh x reader #rk800 x reader #rk800 connor x reader #dbh x reader #dbh #detroit become human #detroit become human x reader #rk800