#like this person obviously puts more effort into this friendship than me from the point where

[arent-i-the-fairest]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 (𝟐)

vil is seething over the fact that you and neige have become so close. but when he finds out you have no romantic feelings for the neige and are only into mature guys like himself, he becomes smug and doubles down on showing off.

part one here!

author’s note : desperate vil p2 is here! also, thank you to the anon who provided the plot! lovely idea!

“don’t you think neige and trickster’s blossoming friendship is just so lovely to see, roi du poison?”

vil doesn’t reply, but no. no he doesn’t. at all. he wishes he never invited you to that photoshoot so that none of this (= you and neige getting closer) would’ve ever happened.

he’s been taking L after L, and this might just be the biggest one— and of course it’s from neige of all people. but is he really surprised at this point? (no)

vil’s obviously really hating this, but y’know who isn’t?

epel. the boy is thriving seeing him mad, and plans to do something that’ll hopefully tip him over. he needs some revenge for all the work vil’s made him do.

lunch with the pomefiore trio is always a good time. today is not particularly the best example of that.. for you, at least. it’s a wonderful one for vil.

“prefect, are you in love with neige?” epel asks in a soft, innocent voice.

rook is looking at vil, vil is looking at you (very intently, might i add), and you’re looking at epel. you’re staring at him like he’s insane. he just smiles a little wider and bats his eyelashes as he waits for your response.

“you’ve got to be kidding. neige?? he’s like, practically a baby!” you sputter.

epel raises an eyebrow. “isn’t he the same age as you? or, no, was he older or younger? whatever, either way, you’re super close in age, y’know.”

“i didn’t mean age-wise. he goes to rsa, so obviously we’re going to be close in age. i’m talking about personality, and just the way he carries himself. he’s so cutesy and bubbly and stuff, and as lovely as it is, that’s just not the type of person i want to date.” you explain.

“fair. but that’s got me wondering, what is your type?” epel asks.

“mature dudes. more serious, responsible, smart ones, i suppose. no offense to neige. he’s just so cute, i can only see him as my little brother. so there’s no chance i’d fall for him.” vil’s hands fly up to his mouth to cover his grin.

hearing you say what you did at lunch yesterday was among one of the best things vil’s ever experienced. to know you haven’t fallen for neige’s charm like everyone else seems to have makes his heart swell. and his ego inflate.

he fits your tastes perfectly, does he not?

the pomefiore trio sat in vil’s room. “well, roi du poison? do you think you are the one trickster loves?”

vil scoffs at the question, throwing his hair over his shoulder. “obviously. i’m the only one who fits their interest.”

“but doesn’t leona exist? i mean—” epel slaps a hand over his mouth.

“him? tell me, do you think of sleeping all day, not attending classes, and slacking off on dorm duties as mature?”

“oh! oh! what about roi des roses?” rook asks, sitting up.

“.. i don’t appreciate the two of you thinking there could be someone as good as me. but riddle? i suppose he could be a possibility— if he didn’t so frequently have temper tantrums, that is.” he laughs. “but enough of these questions.”

“—just one more!” rook exclaims.

vil sighs. “what is it?”

“how do you plan on getting trickster to confess?”

“accentuating my maturity, of course. i would say i don’t have to put in any more effort than i already am, but it never hurts to shine a little extra.”

“may i assist you in earning thei—” 

“no.”

you and neige were sitting together, and vil decided he’d try and intervene somehow.

“ooh, it’s vil!” neige points towards him, and you give him a smile. “vil, hey! what brings you here?”

“you two seem to be enjoying yourselves, i simply wanted to know if i could join.” you nod, patting the empty space beside you.

“i’ve been meaning to catch up with you anyways, vi! how’ve you been?”

“busy, as always— having to do my job and leading pomefiore at the same time. it’s nothing i can’t handle though.” he looks at you out of the corner of his eye, searching for any kind of admiration on your face.

“wow,” neige marvels. “it’s incredible how well he can take care of things, isn’t it, prefect?”

you nod. “it’s really respectable!”

vil’s face reddens a bit, and he laughs. “so you’ve realized.”

new day, new problem. you just needed to buy some groceries, but you forgot to bring the most important thing when you go shopping.

it doesn’t take long for vil to realize you’ve forgotten your wallet. all it takes is one look at you digging in every pocket you have and your slightly panicked face. of course, he takes the opportunity to try impressing you.

“how clumsy of you to forget to bring essentials out with you, prefect.”

“i didn’t forget it, i swear i have it on me somewhe—” “no worries, i’ll pay for you.”

you look up at him. “is it really alright?” he nods as he hands the money to sam, who whistles. “look at you being quite the gentleman, little imp. appreciate the purchase!”

the bell at the top of the door jingled as you two exited the mystery store.

“thanks so much for paying, vil. i can’t help but feel embarrassed though, hehe.” you fumble around with the bags.

“it’s beyond me how forgetful you are sometimes,” he sighs. “though, i suppose you can just call me if you ever forget again. i’m always open to helping you.”

“you’re too generous.” you smile.

paying for your groceries wasn’t the last time vil acted like this towards you. far from it. he’s been stepping up and doing things for you, showing off how responsible he is, the list goes on.

during physical education, you and epel sit together in the field, taking a break from the harsh activities.

“i don’t know about you, but i think vil’s been acting kinda funny,” you confess before falling back on the prickly grass. “or maybe he isn’t and i’m imagining things.”

epel snorts. “no, he totally is. it’s cause..” you look expectantly at him. “nevermind. i don’t know why.” he’d rather not have vil after him for outing his plans. you just shrug it off.

“well anyways, i find it cute. scratch that, i find him cute. as in, attractive cute.”

“ew. keep it to yourself.”

#hdhfhdh imagining vil twirling his hair everytime you notice how great and mature he his #gn reader #twst #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #vil x reader

[strayheartless]

friendship bracelets:

Zack makes them, obviously, because he’s a sentimental dork, and in Gongaga it’s considered a sign of great affection to give someone something like jewellery. I like to think there’s a Gongagan tradition/ holiday a bit like Valentine’s Day but it’s for showing appreciation to everyone. And on this day people swap hand made jewellery to signify their respect and love for a person.

Mostly Gongagan kids swap them, and it’s a big thing in school, but Adults do also observe the day with those closest to them -or someone who has done them a great service through the year!

Zack hasn’t really observed the holiday since he left home, but when he finally becomes FIRST he gets kind of sentimental and homesick for some reason. So he buys a bracelet making kit from a craft store and makes a bunch of bracelets for his fellow firsts and Cloud and Kunsel, he makes one for Aerith too!

Giving them to Kunsel is pretty easy. They’ve been friends for years and have talked a lot about Gongagan holidays before. Kunsel is pretty touched actually, and hugs Zack. It’s a nice little moment between them. Quality brotherly affection. Hense the reason the word “brother” is stamped on the bracelet.

Giving Cloud his is funny only because Cloud goes bright red in the face and stutters through accepting it. Zacks pretty smug throughout the entire encounter about making Cloud blush like that. But he’s also incredibly emotional when Cloud turns up at 12:00 PM the same night and pushes a bracelet into Zack’s hand. Zack hadn’t known what to stamp on Clouds “best friend” seemed too weak and and anything more then that felt presumptuous to the point of impertinence, considering he was still battling with how he felt about Cloud. In the end he’d gone with “legacy” which felt like a cop out but Cloud seemed to like it.

It’s only as he looks down at the word printed on his bracelet that he realises he needs to seriously get his act together with Cloud… the word that both brakes his heart and makes it soar “everything”.

Aerith is pretty happy with her bracelet, and as she does with most things, gives him a bunch of flowers for his efforts! He deliberated on what to put on hers too. “Girlfriend” made him feel guilty. He loves her, he does… but he knows, and she knows that they’re playing a game until Zack tells her about Cloud. Instead he stamps “soul” on hers because she will always know his soul better than anyone.

Giving Angeal his is nerve wracking because it makes Zack feel stupid. He knows Angeal wouldn’t make fun of his homes tradition, but still… in the end the worrying is for nothing. Zack gives Angeal the bracelet stamped “mentor” and Angeal is very touched and even a little emotional over it actually. He gives Zack a side hug and puts the bracelet on immediately.

Genesis is -if possible- even more nerve wracking, because Zacknis absolutely sure he’ll be made fun of. He positively shakes out of his skin giving the bracelet stamped “hero” to Genesis and for a second Gen does do his whole “shoot it down in flames” thing until he realises two things: 1. Zack had gone to extend a art lengths to match the colour red to Gens coat, and 2. he turns it over in his hand and runs his fingers over the letters stamped into soft leather.

Zack absolutely panics when Genesis starts to cry. Gens emotional sure, but Zacks never seen the man cry. Gen asks him “why would you spend time on this for me?” And Zack tells him the truth, “cause you are a hero Genesis, and I wanted you to know that people see you that way.”

Genesis is never taking the bracelet off. Ever.

Then the only person left to give a bracelet to is Sephiroth. It is exceptionally hard to pin the man down that day, and in the end Zack has to wait a week for him to come back from mission. And then it’s terrifying to hand it over.

What’s even more terrifying is that Sephiroth kind of stops breathing for a second when Zack gives it to him. He sits on the edge of his desk heavily and stares at the inscribed bracelet in his hand. Zack says his name at least three times before Seph responds to him. When he does it’s with a shaking “why?” And Zack can only hug him and whisper back “because you are,”

The stamp simply reads “best friend” but it’s enough to bring the great general sephiroth to his knees.

***

Alternative title for this little headcanon is:

Zack Fair stops crisis core with the power of friendship.

#my boys #Zack fair and the power of friendship #Zack fair kingdom heartsing his way out of crisis core #his friends are his power #Zack fair headcanons #friendship bracelets #let me have this #it’s dumb but it’s mine #believe me friendship bracelets are more important than one might think #ffvii #zack fair #crisis core #cloud strife #genesis rhapsodos #angeal hewley #sephiroth #kunsel Zelda #ff7 #agszc #implied zakkura #heavily implied zakkura #aerith gainsborough #Zack and Aerith friendship

[utilitycaster]

A few recent books I've read and disliked led me to this conclusion but it feels like there's been this switch over time with queer stories. It used to be that queer relationships (or queerness in general) had to be Show Don't Tell because, well, you could not make them textual! So you get, for example, shows like Legend of Korra, or Xena: Warrior Princess, where you have women who are clearly devoted to each other to a degree that goes beyond mere friendship, and a ton of effort and care is put into that depiction because they can't actually be shown in an explicitly stated relationship. And as a result, these relationships, while they never receive confirmation in the show, are rich and complex.

Now not only is it much easier to make explicitly queer stories outside of niche areas; it's even popular (and, cynically, a marketing tactic). The problem is I've run into a bunch of stories that are marketed very clearly as A Queer Story that forget to like...be a story, or show me why these characters should be in a relationship. It's All Tell No Show: I'm told that the characters are gay and are in a relationship, but no work is done to actually explain why I should care about this beyond "well they are gay and in a gay relationship."

I'm not going to rehash what I discussed here, but Baru Cormorant is an example of those books where I'm given no real reason to care. The protagonist is a lesbian but the prose reads like a phone book. On the other hand, while Starless has a queer disabled woman as a one of the two protagonists, it also provides her with traits other than "queer, disabled, woman, important" and grants her a rich interiority (even though the story is told entirely from the first person point of view of the other protagonist.)

And the thing about the good examples in that link (Starless, Teixcalaan): they show and tell. It's both explicit that these are queer stories with a canon romantic relationship, but the little moments that make up the tapestry of a relationship are given the time that moments in a subtextual - or frankly, even a queerbaiting work are. That's the real tragedy; for queerbaiting to work, you have to actually make the relationship compelling enough for people follow it until you pull the rug out from under them; whereas you can slap a cold fish kiss on a cold fish queer relationship and technically you are Better because it was Explicit Representation even though everything about it was poorly constructed. I would rather have an lazy and shoddy explicit relationship than queerbait just on principle; but honestly I'd rather have a good story that does neither.

One of my more cynical interpretations of this is that writers are either intentionally or inadvertently taking advantage of the legacy of the Show Don't Tell era of queer coding to place the burden of those small moments on the audience. They know that people looking for queer relationships in fiction are used to having to dig for moments and subtext; but instead of providing that subtext, they set up the clunky text and assume the subtext to support it will emerge from the fandom. Or perhaps, more generously, especially for younger queer writers, they are just so used to having to provide that work themselves that they forget they are doing the writing and are able to (and should) layer subtext and text together and weave something actually good.

Either way, it's this that's led to the "Lesbian necromancers in space, need I say more"* era of recommendations, taglines, and writing, in which explicit representation is, if not plentiful, at least available; but a worrying amount of it forgets to actually write realized characters or a relationship with chemistry or a plot that makes sense.

I should also note: there's obviously a TON of straight romances and books that range from mediocre to abominable. I am under no circumstances arguing that "gayboring" media shouldn't exist. But while I don't think queer stories should be held to a higher standard, I don't think I should be obligated to settle for a lower standard either simply because it's gay. I know it's fraught, in that we're at risk of publishers and producers taking away the message "people hate this because it's gay" rather than "people hate this because it's poorly developed," but like...at the very least, could we recommend things in terms of "this is a great book that has a wonderful queer romance" and "this show is gay but it is also deeply mediocre, and if it weren't gay I wouldn't recommend it at all; do what you will with this information."

*I should note: I happen to like The Locked Tomb (of Lesbian Necromancers in Space fame) a lot! I know it's not for everyone; I know it can feel very gimmicky at times. But no matter how you feel, that tagline is DIRE and does a miserable job of representing the books. Like, that premise could suck, actually (and plenty of people find it does) if you're not sold on the mere fact that it's got lesbians, necromancy, or space in it. Worth noting that neither Starless nor the Teixcalaan books were heavily marketed as Queer Romance Fantasy/SF even though both very much are, which does further make me think this is a case of people writing good books that are queer, vs. people writing books with the intention to be on some New Queer SF list or, god forbid, Booktok.

#long post #the book i read this week (light from uncommon stars) was also like. really hit or miss #the locus review of it is spot on. like. i think one of the characters' stories is fantastic but i think it's afraid to have any bite. #also this was out of scope for this post but like. i have recommended terra ignota before #and like. it is saying THE MOST about Gender since Le Guin or Butler imo. but it's NOT marketed as queer at all #and part of that is that it's really not capable to read it as a romance (certainly not a happy one) despite there being queer pairs in it

[morkofday]

i find it so ironic how after becoming blind or, simply, disabled, day also turns invisible. suddenly, he's just not there, like it's not he who cannot see but he who cannot be seen.

ppl don't really talk to him, don't address him, barely give him any choices of his own. they talk over him and past him and around him, about him, surely, but not to him. it's like he's not there. he's this huge responsibility, but he's no longer a person. he's left to places like a dog or an object to wait for others to do all the things for him, and then he's just expected to agree with their plans. the same plans that still affect him and his life and future.

no wonder he's so angry and fed up with everybody. he wants to speak for himself. he wants to be heard and seen again. he used to enjoy having eyes on him – as a national athlete, there obviously were many (admiring, evaluating, assessing) eyes on him, and he liked the spotlight. he's obviously very proud of his own accomplishments and it must be frustrating to be suddenly reduced into nothing. like what he did never mattered. like who he is never mattered.

he is just this now. his blindness. someone who can be overlooked bc he cannot see it anyway. he's not far from being dead, as he puts it himself.

-

meanwhile, mork experiences the brutality of being abandoned over and over again. that's his wound. when his sister leaves, the pain gets the loudest, but even outside of that, he's hearing the same thing over and over again.

from what we got to know, no one ever really learned why exactly rung decided to kill herself. i assume it was the guilt over feeling like she failed mork, like she brought him more peril than was worth living for (debt?). she obviously wanted mork to have a good future, but i guess none of her actions ever translated to mork in that way.

to him, rung left after deciding that mork just wasn't worth it. she took "the easy way out" after realizing that fighting beside mork and tolerating his behavior just weren't worth the effort. mork really wasn't making the best choices, but i don't think he was ever "beyond saving". mork just thinks this is how it all went.

and then he keeps hearing the same thing from others:

after being in jail, his friends abandon him even if he took part in that fight for them. he wasn't enough for them to stick around (not that they were actually that good company, but he knew them, spent time with them, relied on them on some level)

porjai broke up with him bc mork was prioritizing his friends over his girlfriend. which porjai points out humorously, as is part of their friendship as exes, but which lands as a stab anyway. "you weren't enough as you are," it says. "you should've done better to not have me leave you."

no one wants mork to work for them bc all they can see is his past mistakes and not him trying to presently correct them. his skills aren't enough to overshadow what he did. him trying to be better cannot erase those mistakes he already made. "you should've been better to begin with," it says. "there's nothing you can do to change that now."

-

ppl keep turning their backs on mork, leaving him behind, labeling him unworthy or simply not good enough. even day's family does this, looking at him once and going, "you obviously do not belong here."

day disagrees. on some level at least, he disagrees. bc mork actually sees him. after all this time, someone actually sees him again.

meanwhile, well. we had that whole montage at the end of the episode to tell us how badly mork wishes to believe that someone is finally giving him a chance to prove he isn't a lost cause, that he is worth something.

-

my expectations for the second ep are that these two are going to learn just how bad it actually feels when someone is able to see you and how hard you will have to work to prove yourself to those who barely wish to listen.

#sorry this probably doesn't even make sense but #i had to get this out bc of that analysis i reblogged #cannot move on from day going blind and becoming invisible #it's so ironic #meanwhile there's the fact that no one believes in mork having a future #even he doesn't believe in having a future #and then he becomes day's caretaker and guide in life #which is like a blind guiding blind #which once again is ironic #last twilight

[milkywaydrinker]

Having watched Amphibia and thought it over, I guess I can understand why some viewers interpret Marcy's arc as having unfortunate implications regarding her parents, even if I personally don't see her parents as abusive.

Judging by Braly's statements regarding Marcy's father, the job he took that required his family to move out of state was a big 'opportunity' for him. From the way Braly worded it, Mr. Wu took the job not out of necessity, but because he wanted to, which can easily come across as selfish and uncaring, especially since Marcy's house in L.A. already looked pretty well-off.

With that in mind, I can understand why some would object to Amphibia answering this situation with 'Well, things change and it's healthier to accept it, for good or ill, rather than fight it.' In response, some people are like 'Hold up, why are you just ignoring the way Marcy's dad is acting? Surely the right thing to do is have Marcy's dad realize he never needed this job, appreciate what he already has, and start putting what his daughter wants ahead of his own wants.'

Now, a route like that would obviously clash with a story that desires to end with Marcy accepting the move. But looking back on things, I think one of the biggest reasons it's a shame we don't see Sasha or Marcy's parents is that we never get to see how Marcy's dad viewed his own choices. We see Marcy's reaction to it, but we never get to see his side of things.

I mean, what if Mr. Wu thought he was doing a good thing for his family by taking a job he didn't necessarily need? What if he understood he already lived a pretty good life, but believed that, if there was a chance for him to provide an even better life for his wife and daughter, he should take it?

I think there were ways to explore this that didn't make a villain out of the man and still end with Marcy moving. For example; Mr. Wu could learn it's not inherently wrong to desire more for yourself; what's wrong is ignoring/forgetting the feelings of those you love. Meanwhile, Marcy could learn the same lesson as in canon, with the added understanding that her dad, while making mistakes, genuinely thought he was doing good by her by taking the job. Knowing that, as well as her father apologizing, combined with her accepting that distance and time won't mean she loses Anne or Sasha's friendship, makes her more comfortable going ahead with the move. Mr. Wu could still take the job with Marcy's blessing, while promising to do better by her and make a greater effort to understand her better.

Think there was a missed opportunity for a more nuanced story here, or am I looking too deeply into things?

Sorry for the late reply! I think you're very much onto something here.

As someone whose parents decided to move just like so, this specific aspect of Marcy's story bothered me.

With enough time and perspective, as an adult living on my own, I grew to understand why they decided to do so. Despite that, moving as a neurodivergent child was a really traumatic experience for me. I had great friends in my first school, I had a group of peers who had the same hobbies as me and understood me. After the move, it took me many years (until high school) to get something similar again.

My parents also realized how much this hurt me, and while they couldn't undo the move, they did everything to help me through this time and after a few years apologized to me for their decision.

Showing what Marcy's relationship with their parents looked like, would've helped with actually fleshing out the emotional impact of the story.

(Same with Sasha but that is a whole another can of worms)

In the show, the narrative fails at making its points. It's both pro and anti authoritarian. It's trying to play the "respect your culture, respect your parents, be a good child" card and then calls it all off with adding Andrias and his backstory into the mix. It's not thematically coherent. I love children's media but it requires a delicate balance. It's an art of its own, to make a story that's both thematically cohesive and engaging without being overly scholastic.

Marcy does what she does for a good and valid reason. Sasha and Anne are her support network, people who tolerate her quirks and often indulge her even if they aren't even half as invested in her hobbies as she is. Tearing her out of her safe environment is cruel and hinted to be unnecessary. It's a "Parents know what's best for you so don't fight their decisions" moment. Showing something that would balance it out would have made it less harsh and seemingly cruel.

#amphibia critical #long post #ask #we dont even get to see a lot of her perspective at all but shes a character that many relate to for a good reason #her story feels lackluster because they never added the necessary dimensions to it that would make it pop more

[minarcana]

I demand a 5000 word essay on thanuri

okay, sure. This is mostly about Uri because he's my guy.

tl;dr (fig. 1)

I’m just going to sort my thoughts chronologically since it’s easier that way. As far as a thesis (necessary for any good essay— trust me, the only reason this is informal and doesn’t include Chicago citations is because it’d be too much effort to figure out how to put footnotes in a tumblr ask) goes, see image (fig. 1) above.

I both headcanon and write Urianger as having a crush on Thancred since about five minutes after they met, though Urianger “self awareness of a walnut, could not even tell you his favourite colour because he’s never thought about it” Augurelt is utterly incapable of putting that feeling in such words beyond a vague desire to be friends or something. I don’t think Thancred liked him back, he’s got things to do and presumably standards for better-looking people than Urianger. This is almost certainly for the best because look into my eyes: ARR era Urianger is so utterly unaware of anything to do with himself and so sincerely unused to actually having romantic inclinations that if Thancred flirted with him using any level of affected sincerity once, Urianger would be vaporized upon impact. Charri linked me this like four days ago and I've been thinking about it since because it would actually kill Urianger, party wipe, one mil points of damage, no hope, and that is super funny to me.

Urianger having a capital-R Reaction to Thancred 1. wouldn't occur with any flirting he thinks is not actually sincere (i.e. Thancred can oneshot him with being offhandedly tender, but not with offhand sexual overtures) 2. would be followed by Urianger being completely thrown off kilter for the next solid week. Just sitting there going "????????????????" at the concept that he 1. has feelings 2. has feelings for a coworker, which seems completely unprofessional 3. has feelings for Thancred, who is obviously out of his league and has zero reason whatsoever to pay attention to Urianger. Good luck, bud, at least Uri's good at repressing.

Urianger is also (in one of my fav things he does in ARR) one of the only people to express sincere irritation with Thancred's slutting it up (i.e. "Thancred there's a woman here asking about you. I'm giving her your personal address as a threat to you specifically.") which is where my take that he's 'a person who's jealous and doesn't know he's jealous of those who can ask for and get Thancred's attention' comes from. And he apparently remembers a lot of Thancred's flings' names, which is totally normal for your bro to do over women he isn't jealous of. He is so hilariously Down Bad but has no idea whatsoever.

They're also Good Friends (tm)(c)(r), as there's very few people who are casual enough to rib Urianger (Y'shtola and Moen are the other two). I like their friendship! Urianger, also, likes their friendship. They are two huge dorks and Thancred ends up translating Uri to other people a lot, I think. It's nice in your job of Mostly Dealing With The World Ending to have a friend who gets whatever weird bullshit you're on.

Their relationship is also very important to me in HVW patch, where Thancred is the person who brings Urianger back into the circle the Scions are standing in after his ostensible betrayal. It's a surprise to Urianger, as Thancred was who his subterfuge hurt the most (more than Minfilia, even, and she is the one who he feels he 'killed'), but they're tight!! They're tight enough for Thancred to forgive him for The Thing That Fucked Thancred Up The Most. Even if Urianger's a suspicious bastard, Thancred knows with full sincere certainty that Urianger's heart is in the right place and he's trusted. This both astounds Urianger and matters deeply to him. Urianger likes this dipshit.

It's called FRIENDS WHO TRUST EACH OTHER ENTIRELY AND GET EACH OTHER also I think in STB era when Thancred says he's not going to Gyr Abania with everyone else because he's making sure Uri is safe holding down the fort they can like, maybe hold hands. As a treat. For Me.

Great for all of us, spending three years with a bunch of faefolk is Uriangers Self Assurance Era where he spends three years living his best life and like, sharply becoming more comfortable with his various shit and with his relations he has. It is endlessly funny to me how Urianger lets Thancred and Minfilia stay with him in Il Mheg while the twins haven't seen him at all since they arrived. Urianger really went "eh, well, it's too dangerous for my siblings to visit. However my coworker being actively hunted by sin eaters and Eulmore knocked on the door and yeah I'll Do Anything He Asks Me For that's fine not dangerous at all I can organize that." He gets exactly self aware enough to be aware that his interest in Thancred is Not Platonic.

Just casual bro activity when your bro shows up at your door with a teenager because he needs a place for a few nights and you immediately do everything in your power to provide a space for them. Thancred and Minfilia have been able to visit Il Mheg for the years Urianger's been there, with clear comfort around the pixies, who when WoL and Co. show up, attempt to force the gang to stay there forever, meaning Urianger clearly had to do something to delineate Minfilia and Thancred as Do Not Touch Them. The pixies can fuck with them, but I do think Urianger's the type to, when told he has the opening to keep his best friend who he cares deeply about safe, go and make a good few deals for this sake. He's not going to tell Thancred about it.

He wards his home, and keeps space for Thancred and Minfilia for whenever they visit. He would make something more of overtures toward Thancred if he didn't think it was overstepping or unwelcome— he's awkward around actual feelings, and still isn't sure Thancred would have any interest in him if there were literally any other options. As it is, Urianger's just confident enough to have an open favoritism with the fact that he wants Thancred around him and likes being able to protect him and their kid.

(When Thancred first stays the 'night' at the Bookman's Shelves, it takes Urianger quite a bit of effort not to keep checking in on him or ask Thancred if he'd share a bed— Urianger lacks the words or the processed feelings to feel able to voice it, but he keeps remembering the vision of corpses every time he pictures Thancred sleeping, and keeps having the irrational fear that the times Thancred is lying still in his home he's stopped breathing. He knows it's misplaced paranoia, but he'd like to be able to lay his hands on what he's trying so hard to protect, without feeling like he'd overstep by the act of being sincere when he likely hasn't earned it.)

There are more than subtle story beats that show Urianger and Thancred are very tight. They are co parenting. Besties at minimum like you cannot look at how Urianger and Thancred interact in Shadowbringers and not be like oh yeah theyre each other's best friend And Possibly Boyfriend. Urianger isn't subtle. He also cares for Minifilia/Ryne soooo much, but he feels like he can't openly force Thancred to deal with his feelings because I dont feel like he thinks he has a place to obviously stick his foot in.

I;m adding stuff to this as I play and bud. Urianger and the gang finding Thancred near death in the desert. I cannot help but imagine Urianger, guy who is deeply traumatized by the death of his best friend when he wasn't there to help or even witness, felt super normal about leaving to find Alisaie and Co. (which I do think was an excuse— I see it as him wanting to leave because he was scared of seeing Minfilia's choice and possibly biasing her, afraid he would try to interject or he wouldn't be able to not react, so he tried to run) and coming back to see his current best friend (at minimum) nearly dead when Urianger wasn't there to protect him or help. Urianger, about to lose his marbles: haha hey guys please help me heal thancred im fine right now. look i need Urianger to be holding thancreds hand tight enough to bruise while speed-casting benefic because he is terrified.

I do think it's super cute in the Ryne naming scene how Uri's like WAIT YOU ACTUALLY LISTENED TO MY INFODUMPING?? and Thancred's just "eh, a little bit." Shut up just from that being his reaction I know he is out here doing his absolute best to listen to Urianger's rambling and given how when Uri gets to teach the WoL things in story he's always got this cute lil smile on Thancred's just sitting there as Urianger tries to speedrun teaching Thancred a language with delight. tfw you can tell your partner is experiencing Showing Love By Infodump and it's only right you participate but then act self conscious about it later. That's so cute. Thancred doing his best

Urianger is also self-aware enough to realize he's kind of a loser, and definitely not Thancred's usual type, so them fucking is either both of them going "haha we're doing this casually, definitely super platonic" or it's "Thancred art thou sure it is I thou hath interest in" "I am quite literally currently between your legs trying to remove your underclothes, what do you think".

This isn't 5000 words, but if you add this little drabble of them ARR and this HVW pornography with feelings, it is, and both of those contain my thoughts, so there's that. shameless self promotion.

[fleshing-out-fodlan]

Totally random thought but you know what I think could’ve been a fun addition to the FE3H games? Route specific supports (and I don’t mean like ‘oh Dimitri is only available on Azure Moon so all his supports are locked to that route’ I mean ‘we have two characters that can be together on literally any route but they have a support scene locked behind one/a few specific route(s)’). Why? Well, the characters can undergo very different arcs depending on what route they’re on, so it makes sense that the route you choose would impact who they befriend.

The obvious choice to me is a Dorothea/Ingrid A support locked to CF. So obviously those two have a CB support chain all of which can be unlocked pre time skip. To me, those supports have the vibes of two girls who talk in class and Dorothea is quite into Ingrid but I don’t think Ingrid likes her as much and sees her as more of just a school friend. For that reason, on AM I don’t think their friendship would really develop much. Sure, they’d probably chat, but Ingrid still has her home and the responsibilities that come with that along with all her friends who she’s much closer with than Dorothea, I don’t see her putting in the effort to get closer to Dorothea. But in CF, Ingrid abandoned her home and potentially her childhood friends depending on who else you recruit (although she always abandons Dimitri on this route). She’s going to be craving new connections, so who are the options? Well her two BE supports are Dorothea and Bernadetta and, while I am admittedly not very familiar with her Bernie support, I think her and Dorothea have more potential of forming a deep bond than her and Bernie.

Anyways, what would this support be? Well a major trait of Ingrid’s pre time skip is her extreme loyalty and desire to be a knight. Obviously, joining CF means her turning her back on her ideals and dreams. I think CF Ingrid would view knighthood as a toxic thing that she’s glad she escaped and she’d tell Dorothea about that and about the fate she imagines she may have had if she had went down that path. But then she’d wonder, am I just doing the same thing under a different name? Are we (her and Dorothea) just blindly following Edelgard? And it basically deals with her grappling with her feelings of whether or not she’s actually grown as a person or if she’s just gone from blindly following one cause to another and Dorothea also does some reflection on why she’s following Edelgard. Anyways, I love when unlocking supports alters some dialogue in the actual story so I also think it would be cool if, later in the story, there was a scene of Edelgard making some decisions that were questionable and, if the support is not unlocked, Dorothea goes along with it and praises Edelgard’s ideas but, if that support were unlocked, Dorothea actually points out the flaw in Edelgard’s plan and that results in the group coming up with new ideas.

I honestly think this idea has a lot of potential and want to think of some other potential route locked supports and would love it if other people reblogged or commented with their ideas (whether it be an A support locked to one route or an entirely new chain locked to one route).

#fe3h #fe3h supports #fe3h dorothea #dorothea arnault #fe3h ingrid #ingrid galatea #dorogrid

[nonclassyparty]

listen honestly woo pissed me off so bad this chapter. the way he defended yeosang and hit mc with the “he didn’t do anything wrong” i’m just like “you KNOW what he did, she cried to you about it idk how many times!! like is he playing dumb?” you like yeosang that much that you’d throw away a friendship like that? you only knew him for a week!! (i know it was longer but still 🙄)

and i know it’s their personality but idk why the first thing he isn’t trying to do is apologize to her. i feel like she genuinely deserves that but ig it’d feel like he’s apologizing for being with yeosang which is something he isn’t sorry for but at that point i’d fight bc what happened for y’all to fall that hard so fast you’d do your best friend like that?? we’d be fighting. it was definitely unfair and a cop out to throw it in her face how she lied to him and use that as justification bc she had apologized already and was even making an effort to not to do that again so idk where the hell he got off thinking it was his turn

and thinking about it now in the past ten chapters no one’s truly apologized to this girl after the bs they have put her through. and then have the nerve to try and feel sorry but never outright just say “i’m sorry for..” like i would be losing it

nono when he said "he didn't do anything wrong" he was referring to present time and the way yn was treating him in that moment, obv wy knows what ys did wrong otherwise he wouldn't have been hiding their relationship.

and wooyoung's first instinct WAS to apologize but the more yn was hostile the more he started giving her the same treatment as thats how they were when they were kids like they're both extremely explosive and when they go against each other like this it always brings out the worst in one another bc they're so similar. in chp 2 i think she even describes wy as being the only one who can keep up with her in that scenario and says he knows how to be even worse than her (meaning more cruel when the two of them get into it). the only difference is that after they become friends, yn always repeats to herself how she couldnt do or say anything to hurt wy which is why she held back so many times in the past but wy didn't do the same thing for her and i think besides the lying that's the thing that will hurt the most for her. that people who she always holds herself back from hurting when she's angry don't seem to be doing the same for her. which is heartbreaking...yeah 😭 and he's gonna hate himself for it (he already does)

besides that, he'll never be sorry for being in a relationship with ys bc that would make yeo feel like shit as well no? he's only sorry for lying and hiding stuff from yn and now for throwing san in her face like that.

your last paragraph got me thinking a little bit...bc i have never even thought of writing any of these characters to be nicer to her in the moments when they're supposed to be 'mean' no matter how bad they might seem. i guess what makes people think they can be unapologetically cruel to her is because she is cruel herself so they think she can handle it and that she won't even be thinking too much about it bc she's just in her own little world which is obviously wrong and she's a lot softer than she lets on and she was from the start. wy obviously knows better than that but san, mingi, hwa, her parents, jennie and the rest of those girls they all think she can handle it bc of the cold, untouchable and sometimes simply mean attitude that she carries herself with.

thanks for this message by the way, it's really fun to discuss like this with you guys <3

[inkofamethyst]

April 16, 2023

I can be described as a bit of a control freak.  In the way that I like to have control over every bit of my life as humanly possible.  I feel most stressed when I feel that I lack considerable amounts of control.  I wonder what my personal intersection of control and insecurity is?  Those two must derive from some specific fears, some specific formative moments.

Jennifer Morrison’s character in House is so different from Emma Swan in Once Upon A Time.  Emma Swan had that toughness, that red leather jacket.  Dr Carmody comes off as so much more bright-eyed (and she wears vests lol).  Actors man.  The thing is though, I straight-up dislike boss-subordinate romance thing in most cases, this one being no exception.  Idk, it’s just weird to me.

Also as entertaining as it is to watch a doctor with no bedside manner who ends up being correct about everything and saving the day in the end, I would hate to have him as a doctor or mentor tbh.  I am way too sensitive to go through that kind of nonsense.  But it is interesting--something I learned in a writing workshop is that people will follow a character (I’d even stretch to say this applies to celebrities who almost seem like characters with the way “we” fictionalize them) who is good at what they do even if they are unlikeable.  Don’t remember the reason though.

I got my grade back for stats and did significantly better than the first midterm which is wild because the content was a lot more difficult and I studied significantly less :/  I’m (obviously) not upset about the grade, I am learning things (and enjoying it a lot!  I’m actually looking forward to graduate level stats), I just think it’s funny.  Continues to validate my bad habits, though.

I once again feel compelled to complain about my status as an emotional booty call with my saxophone-... friend.  Literally the relationships/friendships that I dislike the most have to be the ones where the other person only calls/texts me when they’re sad or upset.  It’s not even that I don’t want to be there when my friends feel down.  It’s not even that I expect “50-50″ in a friendship at all times.  I fully recognize that friends will need more support through difficult times and that a person’s life has high and low points for varying lengths of time.  But friends are there for each other.  If someone doesn’t reciprocate an interest in my life, I check out.  I lose interest when they only reach out to me to complain about their own lives and almost never when they just want to hang out, no story attached.  And I feel bad for passively accepting the role of an emotional booty call wen I have minimized my investment in the person, but I also don’t put any effort to continue the relationship, so that person fully has an out if they ever decide that me not ever texting them first isn’t something they can put up with in a friend.  But until then, I open my ears, reassure them that their feelings are valid, smiling the whole way through, then come here to huff and haw.  

Anyway.  I’ve gotta get back to “writing” (more like formatting (and finishing!!)) what is essentially an undergraduate thesis but due to the circumstances of my research it cannot be officially deemed to be such a thing.  Good thing is, it’s a relatively simple project.  Another good thing, after the two presentations I’ve got coming up for it in a week and a half, I should be completely done with it.  Thankful for that.  Lowkey wish I didn’t have to travel again this week.  I feel extremely thankful for the opportunity, but I’m also incredibly exhausted.  Much more than I thought I’d be toward the end of my “easy” last semester.

Today I’m thankful... that there’s only a month left.  Less than a month, really.

Goal of being in bed by 2 am.

[etoilesombre]

Fetch wants friendship so badly, and he is so willfully terrible at recognizing it. 

I’ve been thinking about three of Fetch’s relationships in the first book: Hendricks, Pete and Simms 

Fetch says of Eliah Hendricks, when first talking about their relationship, “[He] had been my friend too. No soul in the world had ever treated me so well, and I never treated anyone worse.” Hendricks is the archetypal Friend in Fetch’s mind. But the thing is, whatever we think about that relationship, it was not equal and reciprocal. That is not to say there wasn’t love an affection on both sides; obviously it is incredibly complicated and one of the central questions of the books is how you interpret what was going on there. But I think that if a word had been used for it that did not imply some level of equality, but instead acknowledged the different level of responsibility conferred by Hendricks’s enormously greater power wealth and life experience, probably everyone would have been better served. 

Then we have Pete. Fetch says Pete “Isn’t a friend exactly” and he was “never sure if Pete secretly hated me and just put up with me for my boss’s sake.” Pete’s only redeeming quality is that he was connected to Hendricks. Things he says to Fetch immediately upon meeting him again: “You always did like a freak show didn’t you, delivery boy?” “I believe there might be more dog in you than me,” and “Why don’t you buy an old friend a drink?” Fetch knows. He knows and names what he is doing with the guilt and the connection. AND YET. At the end, when he sends Pete away it has become “I kept my eyes on his face full of hatred, and picked up the kid’s knife from the gutter. I pointed the blade at my friend.” Pete sure as fuck hasn’t done anything good in their first and last encounters to get upgraded to “friend.” I’m afraid what it is is that in his mind, “friend” is someone he betrays and disappoints. I am betraying and disappointing this person, ergo friend. 

Now Simms. Fetch tells us Detective Simms hates him. And I believe him that she has kicked him around, that she is rough on him and skeptical of humans. But nothing we see her do in the book reads to me as hatred. Its very typical PI and Cop Frenemies. We see that right away. Fine, still not a real *friend* perhaps though I’d take her over Pete any day. But then. Then then we see them work together to save people in a flood, no questions, and help each other after. We get this passage: 

We passed jibes and dry jokes and the occasional veiled compliment over the climbing pile of empty pint glasses, but mostly we sat in silence. For soldiers, it’s a familiar ritual. You have to be there for each other in those terrible times, after the adrenaline drains away and hard questions slide in to fill the space. Nobody should be alone when those questions come calling. Did I do the right thing? Did I give enough of myself? Would somebody else still be alive if I’d done things differently? When you’re stuck asking yourself those kinds of things, company is key.

Fetch, buddy, listen to yourself. And then she makes sure the police medic stiches his head up as well as seeing to her. They are in similar professions. They value he same things. They work together and come on, clearly have some fondness. Like. More than fucking Pete. But he refuses to conceptualize it as friendship. 

Bonus: Richie Kites. He would be a friend if Fetch just put any effort in. Which probably says more about what is actually going on here than anything else. 

#boy makes me sad #if he acknowledged that people like simms and richie (and eileen!) #could be friends #if he tried to be friends with people on an equal basis #instead of idolizing them #he would have to work at it #in an ongoing emotional effort way #not an atonement way like with pete #and that's a real risk #and is scary #fucking up when you put in effort #feels way worse than just BEING a fuckup #thanks for bearing with me while i talk myself through character things #which is what this lb has become #but yeah its not just 'poor boy fetch has never learned' #its a defensive posture #very typical of book one fetch with a lot of things #fetch phillips #fetch phillips archives #sunder city verse #last smile in sunder city #sunder city lb

[dearestaeneas]

resisting the temptation to ask you every one of the questions from the writer ask game and instead asking: 2, 3, 7, 13 (i'm guessing i know the answer to this but consider this an open invitation to share some fun lore), 26, 29, 30

kicking my feet and writing your name in hearts all over my dream journal

2) my two newest ocs are Matt + Justin! i was working on a thing for a zine i want to submit to, and the theme was 70s/80s/90s campy horror, so i picked just two lame ass 90s boy names. it's a silly little queer slasher story that i didn't expect to go so in-depth on!

3) uhhhhhh. my biggest self insert is probably that John Dearheart character i post little blurbs about sometimes. i realized i'm probably gonna need to change his name if i post more about him, though, because i completely forgot he's a Discworld character. i've been rereading Going Postal lately and while i was waiting for the library loan to come in i was scrolling through its tumblr tag and got whiplash seeing his name. it is deeply humbling thinking you had an original name and not only seeing its an already-established character, but an already-established character from a BOOK YOU'VE READ BEFORE. outside of him as my vent character, i put myself into all my characters! i'm very vain! Branwen and Ardan are my two biggest ones from hh, and lately its been Branwen more just for the sake of story themes :3

7) Celeste and the Old God is actually one of my favorite pairs to write about, and it's wild to me that i don't have them interact more. i think what really gets me about them is that Celeste's entire deal is that she's...normal. she has a "normal," healthy relationship with religion, and criticizing it is included in that, i think. and for that reason, those two are the closest to being equals. having one character be a devout believer/her religious trauma being something you actively get to see be established throughout the story (branwen) v. another character who's extremely cynical to the point of numbness who doesn't believe in anything (ardan), and in a context where branwen is genuinely helpless vs. ardan having more control than he realizes/freaks him out when he does realize it, it's so fun to write Celeste as being on equal playing ground. it's important to me that her entire deal is "actually no fuck you, you need me just as much as i need you." and i think that equal playing ground is why they have kind of a begrudging friendship.

i also like writing branwen and ardan together because they are bisexual.

13) not really any of them i don't do that kind of stuff<3*

26) American Gods!!! And Slaughterhouse Five. those are the two i always automatically say when asked! i read If We Were Villains sometime last year and it rewired my brain, also. i found it because of The Secret History, which also rewired my brain. Both of those books fundamentally changed my brain chemistry, but secret history did it derogatorily, if that makes sense. great book. i never think i have feelings about it until i start talking about it. Donna Tartt i am nearing your location. (also Piranesi!<3)

29) probably Harry Potter? unfortunately? (also, sucks that i have to say 'unfortunately'. like most people, those stupid books were very important to me at one point in my life! mostly because of the stuff i did with my friends because of it! go fuck yourself, Joanne!) i deffo wrote fanfic, though. i had a huuuuge fic i handwrote with a bunch of my friends

not my first fandom, but i thought you'd appreciate: i was also a huge percy jackson kid. obviously. probably more so than harry potter. i took latin in middle school, and one year we had this pretty big multi-part project where we could pick different prompts for different parts. super cool and fun, had i been the person i am now who actually like, cares about things and puts effort into them! but i suffered from the disease of all middle schoolers where i Fucking Sucked. i didn't realize one of my parts was due one day, and during the lunch period i speed-wrote percy jackson fanfiction that i had to Read Out Loud To The Class and then hand in for a grade. i got a 100, but only after reading it out loud, having what i believe was my first out of body experience, and then going back to my seat where one of my friends leaned over and said "was that the fucking plot of Mark of Athena"

30) good!!!! we're actively getting a snowstorm and i'm hoping it keeps up so work is cancelled tomorrow! who knows how lucky i'll be but i can hope!!

*if i was normal i could have left 13 at that and just let myself be funny, but i am nothing if not verbose. obviously hh! in taking up your offer to share fun lore, there's one character who i have been avoiding talking about because i think everything about him is so integral to the plot that like, making goofs about him would be a spoiler (is that...full of myself to say? it would be, though). that said, since the idea of "equals" is so relevant throughout hh, he's been fun to write because he technically falls on the Celeste end of the spectrum, but he's using it for evil. literally. a lot of his deal is unintentionally "what makes a god a god" and how he's this sort of nebulous figure because no one can agree what his deal is. he is accidentally my Odysseus character, and it kills me to admit that. little pansexual freak who wants to kill god.

#thank you!!!!!!!!! #my beloved!!! #mwah!!!! #sorry its so very long!!!!!!!!!

[absolutesort]

𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨   ;    ʙᴇᴀᴄʜ ʜᴜᴛ ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛ #4 !

who did you share a bed with last night ? how did you sleep ?

    “ i shared with miles. again. surprise surprise. ”  she’s fighting both a smile and the urge to roll her eyes.  “ we had a pretty steamy kiss on the terrace. and that meant that when we went to bed, things were... yeah, it kinda heated up. i got a bit excited and i had to make like, a pillow wall in the bed so we wouldn’t do anything. i know it probably doesn’t look like it, but i am trying to be good and respectful and keep everything above board. ”  although at this point, she’s not sure callie would give a shit about a pillow wall when she’s already fucking straddled him. and kissed him. and everyone in casa’s behaving like they’re basically a de facto couple now. yikes.

are you getting on with any of the bombshells ? who’s at the top of your list ?

   “  god ! a list. you sound like miles. ”  she snorts, and grabs at her bikini cups to cover any spillage.  “ i don’t really have a list. there’s obviously people i’m more drawn to than others. miles, adela and mali have put in the most effort with me, but with mali i think it’s becoming more of a friendship vibe. adela... i don’t know, we’ve always been flirty, but i thought it was in like a fun, jokey way, and then last night she said that thing about wanting to go somewhere together... i don’t know, maybe i should have said yes. but i don’t wanna fuck things with miles by exploring my options. i don’t know if he’d be cool with that, and i am starting to like, like-like him. ”  frankie mimes gagging on her fingers.  “ gross. ”

do you see yourself starting to focus on one person or are you still exploring ?

   “ miles is my priority right now. we’ve got insane chemistry, we can talk shit for hours, and he’s made it pretty obvious i’m the person he wants, so i feel like i should maybe put more effort in there. ”  although technically the bombshells are the ones meant to be doing the grafting, but still — couldn’t hurt to make him know his efforts are appreciated.  “ i feel like i’ve been playing pretty hard to get, and not really... giving him much to work with. so maybe today i’ll pull him for once. ” damn. she doesn’t even know how he takes his coffee. “ adela surprised me, though. the kiss with her was good and like... i think maybe she wants something with me. she flirts with everyone but that felt different. i’m not writing her off just yet. ” 

how was the beer pong game ? what was most memorable about it ?

   “ the most memorable part for me was how unbelievably crap everybody was. like, for a team of pretty athletic fucking people we sucked. everybody was taking L after L in that game. honestly, it was humbling. i still think it was rigged though. ”  frankie pauses for a moment, trying to remember if anything of note actually happened — aside from the terrible throws. “ dylan and phoebe kissed !  that was cute. i hope he drops naomi’s ass for her. i guess we’re like, friends or whatever now, but that girl is not loyal. ”

who did you vote for the hideaway ? why ?

   “ i voted for myself ! ” her hands snap over her face, laughing with the sheer embarrassment of it.  “ so cringe, but josh made me do it, gun to my head and everything. it felt fucking hilarious at the time, but now it feels like a dick move. i probably should have voted for dylan. ”  not that dylan would do anything anyway. he’s way too respectful to fuck someone in casa. is frankie that respectful, or would she let greed cloud her judgement ?  “ honestly, if i get it i’m not sure what i’d do. kinda shitting myself, actually. would miles expect me to go all the way ?  like on the outside, sure, we’d probably have fucked like ten times by now, but in here everything feels way more heavy. like a kiss in here is worth a thousand on the outside. ”

if you could have voted for a bombshell to go in the hideaway, who would you have voted for ?

   “ i guess i’d have voted for miles or adela. miles, because it would be nice to have a night alone without everyone fucking listening — presuming he’d pick me, lol, imagine if he chose someone else — and adela because she’s had a rough ride in here and i want her to get her ass ate. i don’t know who she’d pick. maybe josh, or dylan, or me. wow, that would’ve been such a bold move. i would’ve maybe voted mali, but apparently she’s already been laid ? so maybe someone else deserves a shot. and marcus and val clearly don’t need the hideaway, but i guess if they went it would give the rest of us some peace from the squeaky hinges and giggling... ”

what do you think the other villa would think of your actions in casa so far ?

   “ they’d probably have a warrant out for my death, actually. most of my close friends are in casa with me. i don’t think dylan’s exactly thrilled at the idea of me kissing someone else, so i’m guessing the other villa would be even less forgiving. ”  for a moment, she clams up, legs drawn up against her chest and her face sinking down into the valley between her knees.  “ this is actually a fucking horrible situation. i have no idea what i’m going to say to callie. i miss her so much. it feels like a part of me’s been sucked out and is like, there with her... maybe that sounds stupid considering everything that’s going on with miles. but i think you can really like two people at once. like, it’s not like you have to divide your heart up forty-sixty, or that there’s a certain amount of love you can give before it runs out. i think maybe i just love too much. ”

#crackon:prompt #now i have to do jude's. which i dont want to do. its gonna be so fucking sulky. god.

[sapphic-courtship-for-dummies]

Hello, hello!!

Just gonna start this off by saying- this might be a little depressing lol but it’ll make sense at the end. Basically, I’ve had this internet friend for about two years and over the past 6+ months I’ve realized I’ve caught feelings for them. I have tried to push it down because I love them dearly and don’t want to ruin a friendship but it’s only gotten worse (stronger) over time.

The main problems are that we have never met in person and we live very very far from each other. And money of course is an issue to travel. I would tell them but I obviously don’t want to ruin a friendship. Also, meeting irl is different than texting someone so what if we don’t even work irl? I’ve tried to get over them but the issue is I don’t WANT to which is brutal. I just have such a strong faith in them and know them so well that it’s hard to let this go. I don’t know the best move in this situation- should I tell them or should I not? We talk consistently and talk about anything and everything. I’ve held back from texting them while drunk multiple times now. When I think about the feelings I have for them, I feel calm which I don’t think I’ve ever really felt before with someone. They mean so much to me and I just wished we lived closer.

Hi anon,

I definitely agree that this is a tricky situation to be in. Long distance is not for everyone, and it can be difficult to navigate. But there are some potential avenues to explore here. (Heads up for a long answer.)

I guess one question that I have is if the two of you have video chatted or if it's been strictly texting? I know video can add a more personal element and give a better idea of the possibility of things like attraction and chemistry. If you have explored this method of communication and are still sure in your heart of hearts about your feelings for this person, then I move onto my next point.

I don't know how this person feels about long distance relationships, or if they would be willing to give it a try. I don't know if you've ever broached the subject (which might not be a bad idea). But I do know at least two queer couples who have successfully navigated long distance relationships for years. They lived states away until eventually, recently, both couples saved enough money to move in with their partner. As far as I know, they're very happy now. Of course it is difficult, and it takes time and energy and resources that not everyone has the patience for. But it is not impossible.

Another thing I'm quite sure of, based on my own experiences, is that bottling up your feelings and trying to ignore them without some form of definite closure for yourself can only work so well, or for so long. I don't think it's healthy to deny yourself the potential of having something without even knowing if you can have it. Obviously you feel very strongly about this person, and obviously it aches. I understand the fear of not wanting to mess up a relationship as it stands, but if a friendship has a strong foundation, then the two of you should come out stronger on the other side. And if you need examples: I kid you not, I've been confessed to/asked out by two friends just this year, for whom I do not hold romantic feelings for, and we were able to move past it and are still good friends. So even if your friend doesn't feel the same way, I honestly think it will be really good for you to get it off your chest. (And it would probably be better coming from you sober than otherwise.)

Of course, every individual and every situation is different, and you have to decide for yourself what it is that you need and what you think the best course of action is. I try to use the Best/Worse/Most Realistic Case Scenario method. 1) What is the best thing that could possibly happen? If you tell them how you feel, maybe they feel the same way and are willing to put in the effort to pursue a long term relationship and it all ends up working out! 2) What is the worst thing that could happen? Maybe they won't feel the same way, maybe they'll be super weirded out and never want to talk to you again. But I find this highly unlikely. And even if it did come to pass, then you would still learn from it, and be able to move on. 3) What is the most realistic thing that could happen? The most likely scenario is probably something in the middle. Maybe they don't reciprocate or aren't willing to pursue a long distance relationship but they still want to be friends. Or maybe they won't reciprocate and will need to take some space before talking again. Or maybe they do like you that way and you'll have to work together to find a solution. At the very least, I think you would have some closure, one way or another. But you won't know unless you tell them, unless you communicate.

I really feel for you anon, and I wish there was an easy fix solution I could give you. But no matter what happens, I know that you will get through it. You are not alone, and you are stronger than you think. So be brave, and be honest with yourself. Trust your intuition. That's the best that you can do.

Know that you are loved, and believed in, and that I'm always here if you need a friend. I hope this is helpful.

Best of luck,

Sappho ❤️

#asks #anons #long post #relationships #long distance #long distance relationships #friendships #advice #relationship advice #love advice #love #romance #crushes #queer #queer relationships #confessing #drinking mention #alcohol mention #drinking tw #alcohol tw #yearning

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Fandom:  MCU Pairing:  Baron Helmut Zemo x Reader Warnings:  Sexual intercourse with a female-identifying person with a vagina + a bit of sugar daddy Zemo vibes at the end Notes:  Y’all... don’t judge me. I have a power kink, and Marvel did me dirty by randomly deciding that Zemo is fifthly rich royalty. And my girl @henrysmorgan​ did me even dirtier by actively encouraging my attraction to this fucker. So, blame Marvel, and blame her. // This is kind of really fucking long, and I didn’t edit it much, because I wanted to get it posted before episode 4, in case that episode flips the script. So, potentially some editing issues, and slightly rushed writing. Hopefully it’s alright, but please let me know if I screwed up anywhere. // Lots and lots of TFAWS ep. 3 spoilers

When Bucky texted you to ask that you meet him in some dusty, old, abandoned-looking car garage, you certainly didn’t know what to expect. All you knew was that an old friend needed your help, so you intended to be there.

It had been a few months since you’d last seen him, and even longer since you’d participated in any sort of mission, but you suspected that was what you were walking into. Being exposed to the Mind Stone had granted you the power of telepathy, which meant that SHIELD was quite keen on persuading you to work for them. They trained you in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, and you went on miscellaneous missions a handful of times. They put in a lot of effort to convince you that it was your moral obligation as an “enhanced individual” to help them with these missions, but you ultimately decided that that simply wasn’t the kind of life you wanted. Instead, after the Blip, you began working a desk job for SHIELD, which is when you crossed paths with Bucky, helping him with paperwork associated with his pardon, and the two of you formed a friendship. But SHIELD kept trying to coerce you to get back into the field, constantly badgering you about it and making it clear that you weren’t wanted if all you were doing was paperwork.

The truth is, you weren’t cut out to be a superhero, and you had no desire to be. It didn’t help that your entire country had been reduced to rubble several years prior, leaving you with a bottomless pit of homelessness in your heart. So, you left SHIELD, and started a life in Berlin, where you were content to live out your days as the owner of a small bakery, residing in the small apartment above your shop.

That is, until Bucky Barnes dragged you into a particularly sticky situation, with a certain Baron Helmut Zemo.

You knew that helping Bucky and Sam would throw a colossal wrench in the life you’d created for yourself in Berlin, but after they explained the situation with the super soldiers, coupled with Bucky’s puppy dog eyes, you found yourself refraining from storming out of the building the second you saw Helmut fucking Zemo.

“We need you to keep an eye on him. You don’t have to tap into his mind 24/7, we just want a heads up if he’s going to screw us over,” Bucky explained.

"Look, we really need him. We’re obviously scraping the bottom of the barrel here, otherwise he'd still be in that cell. And neither of us want to be packing a criminal around like a rich bitch's chihuahua, so we need you here to make sure we're not gonna get bit," Sam explained.

"Fine. But you both owe me," you relented, and they both took sighs of relief. You glanced at Zemo, locking eyes with him for several tense moments. He gave you a polite smile, giving off the impression that he had nothing to hide – which he didn't, as his thoughts showed his intentions were pure at the moment. "We're good for now. He just genuinely wants the opportunity to take down these new super soldiers."

Sam and Bucky nodded, visibly releasing tension from their shoulders as they moved to head out, now reassured that Zemo was truly on their side. Meanwhile, Zemo eyed you with curiosity and awe, murmuring, "Fascinating."

The four of you walked on the landing strip toward a private jet, owned by Zemo.

"So all this time you've been rich?"

"I was a Baron, Sam. My family was royalty before your friends destroyed my country," Zemo explained, before glancing at you with a small smile. "But you knew that already."

"Wait, how did she know that?" Sam asked, then turned to you. "How did you know that?"

"I am Sokovian myself. I was certainly not royalty, but I lived there for my entire life, until it was destroyed," you explained, stopping outside the jet as Zemo greeted the elderly butler, Oeznik, in your native language. It made you smile to yourself; it had been years since you'd heard it spoken. Zemo shot you a grin when he noticed, and when you took a peek into his mind, you saw that he understood exactly how you felt.

As the butler handed Zemo a flute of champagne after you all boarded the jet, the Baron smiled politely as Oeznik stated, “Apologies if that's a little warm. The fridge is out, but I will see if there is some good food in the galley.”

Zemo glanced as you sat across from him, then in Sokovian, Zemo told Oeznik, "Another flute for the lady, please. And if the food does not pass the smell test, give it to the gentlemen."

"It's good to have you back, sir!"

As the man retreated to the cockpit, also in Sokovian, you noted, "You are a mischievous man, even more so than in your infamously criminal ways."

"You will find that there is more to me than meets the eye, angel," he responded coolly, the Sokovian language rolling off his tongue like honey. Before you could respond, admittedly enjoying speaking Sokovian, Sam grew tired of everyone speaking a language he couldn't understand.

"Why don't you tell us about where we're going?"

After a tense exchange between Bucky and Zemo, followed by a discussion about Marvin Gaye, Zemo finally got to the point: Madripoor. You exhaled slowly, resting your forehead in your palm in exasperation.

“You couldn’t have invited me on a mission to Cancun? Or Paris? Why must it be Madripoor?” you asked Bucky, who shot you a tight-lipped, pitying smile, silently apologizing for what he was dragging you into.

“What’s up with Madripoor? You guys talk about it like it’s Skull Island.”

“It’s an island nation in the Indonesian archipelago. It was a pirate sanctuary back in the 1800s,” Bucky explained.

“And upon seeing it, you would see that times there haven’t changed one bit since then,” you added.

“It’s kept its lawless ways. But we cannot exactly walk in as ourselves. James, you will have to become someone you claim is gone,” Zemo said.

You frowned as you caught a glimpse of Bucky’s thoughts as he went silent. Fear. Anxiety. Disdain. Apprehension. You reached across to rest your hand on his shoulder and give it a reassuring squeeze. He shot you a small smile, then looked out the window.

Upon landing in Madripoor, one of Zemo’s contacts met you on the landing strip with a new wardrobe for you, Bucky, and Sam, and Zemo explained that each outfit was per his instruction, carefully chosen to fit the role each of you would be playing in Madripoor. One by one, you took the covered clothes hanger to the bathroom of the jet and changed. Bucky was first, stepping out in some sort of leather number, looking eerily similar to the Winter Soldier you’d seen in photos. Sam was next, donning a three-piece suit of burgundy and gold. He looked sharp, although he was immediately complaining about how ostentatious it was. And finally, you stepped into the room and closed the door behind you, unzipping the covering on the hanger and revealing your “carefully chosen” outfit.

“Ich werde dir im Schlaf die Eier abreißen, Zemo!”

Bucky choked on his water and Zemo chuckled under his breath, while Sam looked between the two in confusion.

“I don’t know what she said, but she sounded pissed,” he observed, eyeing Zemo suspiciously.

“She informed me that she intends to remove my testicles in my sleep.”

“And why is that?”

“Perhaps because he’s chosen to parade me around Madripoor like a cheap whore,” you said angrily, stepping out of the bathroom with your hands on your hips, glaring at Zemo.

“That dress is by Armani Prive, and your shoes are Louboutins – far from ‘cheap.’ And you do not look like a whore, the dress is merely more revealing than what you are used to,” Zemo argued, standing and walking over to survey your outfit. He seemed to be enjoying what he saw, judging from the way his eyes raked up and down your body, but you didn’t dare check his thoughts to confirm or deny it.

If you were honest with yourself, he was right. It was a very nice dress; plum purple, matching the color of Zemo’s turtleneck, with long, fitted sleeves, all of it made of the softest silk you had ever touched. It was fitted at the top but flowy from the hips down, with a low balconette-style neckline, showing more of your chest than you were accustomed to, although you pulled it off quite nicely. It ended just above your knees, which was fine, as you sometimes wore skirts of that length. Overall, the luxury of it and the low-cut neckline ensured that you were out of your comfort zone, but you looked stunning – and expensive, despite your spite-fueled initial claim.

“I thought the color would look nice on you, and I was right. And I knew that the flow of the fabric at the bottom would allow for this,” Zemo said, his hand gingerly trailing from your waist to your thigh, where he pulled up the hem of your dress slightly to reveal the edge of the Glock strapped into your thigh holster. He smirked as his suspicion was confirmed. He knew you’d find a way to arm yourself, regardless of what you wore.

In hindsight, the way Zemo touched your side and lifted your skirt was all far more intimate than you should have allowed, and yet… you couldn’t deny the way your breath caught in your throat when he touched you, or how his close proximity made your body temperature rise, as he gazed down at you with those intense brown eyes.

Christ, you needed to get laid. Soon. Before you further entertained the idea of jumping the bones of a highly wanted criminal.

“Touch me like that again, and I will kill you where you stand,” you informed him sternly, and Zemo immediately took a step backwards, looking apologetic. From the corner of your eye, you saw both Sam and Bucky visibly relax, tension leaving their shoulders. You had read their thoughts briefly, and they were both wondering why the hell you were so calm about getting cozy with Zemo. The absolute last thing you wanted was for them to know that you were, in fact, inexplicably drawn to being that close to the Baron.

As the four of you walked along a bridge in Madripoor, Sam was quick to resume his complaining.

“We have to do something about this. I’m the only one who looks like a pimp.”

“Only an American would assume a fashion-forward Black man looks like a pimp. You look exactly like the man you’re supposed to be playing. The sophisticated, charming African rake named Conrad Mack, aka the Smiling Tiger.”

“He even has a bad nickname,” Sam grumbled, then looked at the phone Zemo handed him. “Hell, he does look like me, though.”

“And who am I supposed to be?” you inquired, glancing down at your clothing to see if you could guess who you were meant to be portraying. An heiress or socialite, perhaps.

“My fiancée,” Zemo answered simply, the faintest smile on his lips.

You barked out a crude laugh, “Oh, I think not.”

“There is no one involved with Madripoor who looks like you. And it is rare that there are newcomers to the island, especially not in the place we’re going. Pretending you are someone random would raise concerns about the intentions of your presence; you would be perceived as a potential threat, which would jeopardize our mission. It is far easier to simply pretend we are engaged, I assure you.”

You hesitated a moment, before arguing, “No one will believe that we are engaged.”

Zemo pulled something from the inside pocket of his jacket, took your left hand, and slipped it onto your ring finger. It was a solitaire diamond ring; not large enough to be gaudy, but enough to catch anyone’s eye.

“They will if you play your part well,” he told you, then addressed the rest of your party when he added, “No matter what happens, we have to stay in character. Our lives depend on it. There is no margin for error.”

The four of you reached a sleek black car, and climbed in, you in the back between Sam and Bucky. The ride to Low Town was tense and silent, as each of you mentally prepared for what lay ahead. When you arrived, Zemo offered you his hand as you exited the car, and the pointed look in his eyes told you that it was time to begin playing your part. You took his hand, and as you began walking into the heart of Low Town, he laced his fingers with yours. As the crowd drew near, Zemo wrapped his arm around your shoulders, gloved fingers brushing against the exposed skin of your shoulder. After reading his mind, you realized that it was both for the sake of protecting you, and showing possessiveness to make it believable that you were his girl – and because he simply enjoyed having your body close, although you suspected that he’d rather you have not known that.

Despite the fact that you had been on a few missions for SHIELD, you were not exactly incapable of fear; you did not possess nerves of steel. All of the missions you’d been on were low-profile, and you were mostly just there for the sake of gathering information from those reluctant to share it. Sure, you’d been in danger before, you’d had to fight your way out of several sticky situations, but this… this was different. You were in the crime capital of the world, a lawless place filled to the brim with crooks, thieves, and murderers. More than likely, any given person around could slit your throat and never bat an eye or give you a second thought. Swallowing your own pride in the face of fear prompted you to return Zemo’s gesture, wrapping your arm around his waist and sticking close to him, which earned a smile from the man.

When you arrived at your destination, Zemo approached the bar and leaned against it confidently on one arm, the other still wrapped firmly around your shoulders.

“Hello, gentleman,” the bartender greeted, before his eyes fell on you. “Who’s your new lady friend, Baron?”

“My fiancée,” Zemo answered, then turned to you and ran his finger along your jawline, as you looked at him in adoration. “Isn’t she lovely?”

“Very,” the bartender acknowledged, then turned to Sam. “Wasn’t expecting you, Smiling Tiger.”

“His plans changed. We have business to do with Selby,” Zemo responded.

The bartender made ‘Smiling Tiger’ his usual drink, which apparently consisted of… something he cut out of a snake, and dropped in a shot glass with a bit of liquor. You shared a look with Bucky before he turned away to survey the room, and when you read his thoughts, you found that you both desperately wanted to laugh out loud at Sam’s ‘short end of the stick’ situation, but didn’t want to risk everyone’s lives for the sake of a chuckle. You returned your attention to Zemo, opting to sell the whole “fiancée” thing a bit more by turning into him and tracing patterns on his chest as you gazed at him affectionately, while the bartender handed you and Zemo each a shot glass of your own – sans snake organs, thankfully. You both downed yours, while Sam understandably struggled a bit more with his, but still managed it.

A random man approached Zemo then, and as Zemo turned to face him, he protectively moved you behind him a bit.

“I got word from on high. You ain’t welcome here.”

“I have no business with the Power Broker, but if he insists, he can either come and talk to me…” Zemo countered, gesturing toward Bucky, who looked menacing as he pretended to be the Winter Soldier. “Or bring Selby for a chat.”

After a weary look in Bucky’s direction, the man walked away, and Zemo turned back around to face the bar, this time keeping you in between him in the bar, in case someone were to come up behind him – which they did a few moments later.

“Winter Soldier… attack,” Zemo commanded in Russian, as a different man came up and laid a hand on Zemo’s shoulder. With a pained look in his eye that quickly shifted to cold determination, Bucky grabbed the man’s hand with his vibranium arm, twisting it as he removed it from Zemo’s shoulder. Zemo took a step away from the bar to allow you room to turn and observe as Bucky beat the absolute shit out of various challengers. Zemo wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him as he noted, “Didn’t take much for him to fall back into form.”

The unmistakable sound of numerous guns cocking drew your attention away from the altercation, and Zemo gently pushed you behind him as he surveyed the room to note all the weapons drawn. Sam grabbed Bucky’s bionic arm to stop him, but Zemo whispered, “Stay in character or the whole bar turns on us.”

“Well done, soldier,” Zemo then said to Bucky in Russian, signaling for the ‘Winter Soldier’ to stop.

“Selby will see you now,” the bartender interjected, and Bucky released his grip on the random man’s throat.

“Thank you,” Zemo responded, walking off to find Selby, grabbing your hand to guide you, but not before you spared a sorrowful glance at Bucky as your friends followed closely behind.

As Zemo took a seat on a couch across from Selby, you sat close to him, crossing your legs gracefully as you leaned into him, your arm wrapped around his as he clasped his hands in his lap authoritatively. You watched his exchange with Selby in silence, as did Sam – and Bucky, of course, considering he was pretending to be the Winter Soldier.

“By the way, I thought you were rotting away in a German prison,” Selby told Zemo, then smiled as she looked you up and down, before her eyes found the diamond ring. “And not engaged – to a woman far out of your league, I might add.”

“People like us always find a way, don’t we?” Zemo answered calmly, then looked over at you, staring into your eyes with warmth and adoration, and you smiled lovingly at him. “My beautiful fiancée was a guard at the prison. We fell in love over the years, and she helped me escape. Anyway, I’m sure you have already figured out what I’m here for.”

The conversation went relatively smoothly after that, until Sam’s goddamn phone rang and screwed the entire operation. In the blink of an eye, Selby was shot dead, you had shot two of the guards with the gun strapped to your thigh, and Sam and Bucky had each knocked out one, before Zemo suggested sneaking out of the bar as best you could, without any weapons. You secured your gun back in its holster, not missing the way Zemo watched as you hiked your dress up to do so, before making a break for it with the three of them.

Once you were on the streets of Madripoor, bounty hunters began to come out of the woodwork, and when they began shooting at you, Zemo abruptly grabbed your hand and ran down a nearby alleyway. As you were running, the heel of your stiletto caught on a grate, and you’d have fallen flat on your face if Zemo hadn’t caught you.

“Are you alright?” he asked hurriedly, his arms wrapped tightly around your waist as he supported you, before standing you back onto your feet. You nodded, and he glanced over your shoulder as he noticed a few men looking down the alley. “Forgive me.”

You were about to ask what he was talking about, but then Zemo abruptly grabbed you by the backs of your thighs and lifted you up, pinned you against the wall behind you, and kissed you.

The men at the end of the alleyway muttered something about “freaks who do it in public,” then their footsteps faded as they walked off, clearly thinking the two of you were some overly horny couple, not two of the people with an insane bounty on their heads. But you were barely paying them any attention, a bit preoccupied with the fact that Zemo was fucking kissing you, and much to your chagrin, you really fucking liked it.

Once there were no more voices and no more footsteps, Zemo broke the kiss and sat you down. The two of you stared at each other for a moment, before you heard more gunshots, and you broke into a run in the direction Bucky and Sam had gone, desperate to find your friends, and no time to process what the hell just happened.

As soon as you caught up with them, the two bounty hunters nearby were shot dead, and the four of you turned to see Sharon Carter emerging from the shadows.

An hour later, you found yourself in her swanky home in High Town, in a change of clothes, since the brick wall Zemo had held you up against ripped the back of your silk dress. You lied to Sam and Bucky, saying that it happened because you fell while running in your heels, and thankfully, they believed you. Sharon commanded the four of you to lay low and enjoy the party, which Sam and Bucky left her living room to go do, entrusting you with ‘Zemo watch.’

It seemed as though he was merely nursing his brandy in lieu of abandoning it for the party prior to finishing it off, but his eyes were on you most of the time. You didn't necessarily believe he could be plotting to overpower you and run off, but there is always that possibility, so you delved into his mind to check.

Expecting to find thoughts of strategy about how to defeat the super soldiers or travel plans, or even plots to escape you, Bucky, and Sam, you were astounded to find nothing but thoughts of you.

The way it felt to kiss you in that alleyway, and how he had monetarily debated just staying there, having his way with you against the brick wall before Sam and Bucky could locate you. The dress from the bar, and how it rested on your thighs, revealing just enough to have his mouth watering without being revealing to the point of immodesty. The way your necklace currently rested against your bare collarbone, and how desperately he craved to litter the area with love bites. The delicate skin of your throat, thinking of how it would look with his hand wrapped around it, just enough to cut off a bit of air but not enough harm you. How alluring your voice is, and how much he'd like to know what it would sound like to hear you scream his name. The softness and warmness of your skin when he had his arm around you in the bar, and when he held your hand as you fled the scene, and he wondered how soft and warm you were elsewhere.

"Your thoughts are filthy."

He bristled immediately, sitting straighter in his seat and eyes going slightly wide, either forgetting you can read minds or not realizing you'd be doing it right then. It only took a moment for him to regain his composure, before he took one long, last drink of his brandy and set the glass on the table in front of him. He turned his whole body to the side to face you, as you sat on the opposite end of the couch, wearing a small, somewhat mischievous smile.

"I suppose there is no sense in denying it, is there?"

"What game are you playing, Zemo?" you snapped. He was rattling you. As much as you hated to admit it, he was. For the entirety of the time you'd been around him, this wanted criminal had been flustering you, and goddammit it, you wanted to know if it was accidental, or for nefarious purposes. He could be using it as a tactic to throw you off your game, so that he could get away when it was just the two of you – like right now.

"There is no game, Liebling," he stated softly and sincerely, sensing your discomfort. Slowly, he scooted closer to you on the couch, so that the arm he had laid across the back of it was now behind you, as he stared intently into your eyes. "Merely the natural response of a man who has been widowed and then locked in a prison cell, and therefore has not known the touch of a woman in many years, sitting next to a woman of absolute ethereal beauty."

You said nothing, merely stared at him, sizing him up to see if he was toying with you or telling the truth. Zemo sensed your lack of belief in his words.

"If you doubt my true intentions, you are welcome to delve as deep into my mind as you'd like to find the truth."

In all honesty, you'd have done that already if you weren't trying to avoid being even more flustered by his thoughts about you – but you couldn't tell him that. So, you did as he bade you, and searched his mind to find any shred of malevolence towards you, but you came out empty-handed. Zemo genuinely just wanted you, craved you, like a starved man sitting in front of an endless buffet. He watched you carefully as you came to this conclusion, and although you said nothing further, he knew that you had found what you needed to know.

"Just say the word, and I will never approach the topic again, as well as attempt to quiet my thoughts about you. But if there is any part of you... deep inside you," Zemo paused, eyes grazing you up and down purposefully, before continuing, "that has any interest in being with me... I will do anything to bring that to fruition."

The ball was in your court now. You could tell him to get bent and never speak to you like this again… or you could get your rocks off, and maybe even get something more in return.

"Such as?"

"Name it, Schätzchen. Anything you want. A car, a mansion, jewels – say it and it's yours, if you will be mine," Zemo proposed earnestly, licking his lips quickly as he looked at you, visibly thrilled that he was getting somewhere with you.

You weren't the type to accept gifts from men you barely know, but… this was Zemo. A man who had done a great many terrible things, which soothed your guilty conscience. So, you said the first thing that came to mind.

"A car," you blurted out, then explained, "Mine broke down a week ago, and it's beyond repair, so… a car."

"Tell me the make and model of your preference and I'll have it delivered to your home within a week's time," Zemo said calmly, then brushed a lock of hair away from your face, before allowing his fingers to trail delicately along your cheek and jawline. "Is that all, Kätzchen?"

"No. One more thing," you replied, then looked at him sternly. "You must agree to never speak of this to Bucky or Sam."

"You have my word," he assured you, smiling in amusement.

"Then I'm yours."

Zemo's smile faded slowly, and he merely stared at you for a split second, before cupping your face in his hands and pulled you into a searing kiss, full of ferocity and sheer desperation. It shouldn't have been this easy, to kiss a man who's done such terrible things – yet here you were, melting into his embrace, allowing him to pull you into his lap and straddle him, your hands resting on his shoulders and gripping the black fabric of his turtleneck. His hands laid flat against your back as he kissed you in this new position, slowly gliding down, down your sides and to your hips. He kissed you in a way that was feverish and fast and hungry, as his fingers dug into your skin, holding you firmly against him as if he were fearful that this was all a dream and you'd disappear at any moment. Upon taking a peek into his mind, you realized that was actually exactly what he was thinking. Additionally, he mentally spoke to you directly, somehow knowing you were reading his thoughts at that moment.

"Tell me if I do anything that you do not like, and know that you have absolute freedom to end this at any given moment."

You pulled away slightly to nod in confirmation that you received his message, before resuming the kiss. Mind hazy and instincts taking over, you found yourself tugging his bottom lip between your teeth, earning a low groan from Zemo. One of his hands darted upwards to grab a fistful of your hair, right against your scalp at the base of your neck, and he pulled on it harshly, causing you to let out a wonton moan. He then laid that hand flat against the back of your neck, holding your lips firmly against his as he kissed you with even more fervor, and the other vacated its position on your hip to slide slowly up your torso, until he began palming your beast through your shirt. You moaned softly against his lips, but not as loudly as a moment ago.

Zemo wanted more, needed more; he longed to hear you loud and desperate. So he delved that hand at your neck back into your hair, gripping it tightly once more, and used it to pull your head backwards a bit, so that he could have better access to your neck. The action itself, and the tightness of his grip, earned an embarrassingly loud moan to escape your lips, and you felt him smile against your skin. He moved his hand to the middle of your back, supporting you as you leaned back a bit to grant him better access. As he littered your neck and décolletage with kisses, you felt him pull the neckline of your blouse down a little, then felt the sharp pain of a bite on your chest, above your breast. When you looked at him with narrowed eyes, he wore a cocky little grin.

"You should not be surprised, Liebling. I know you saw that I've been wanting to do that all day when you read my mind," he noted. "Wear a high neckline tomorrow, it will be fine."

Before you could respond, Zemo pulled you flush against his chest with that hand behind your back, and into another heated kiss. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, and without thinking, you ground your hips down on the bulge resting against your core beneath your skirt. He groaned, both hands flying to your hips to push them down again, guiding them as you repeated the action. It only took a minute or two of this before Zemo had enough, abruptly grabbing you by the throat and throwing you down onto the couch beside him. He then loomed over you, one hand propping himself up and the other applying slight pressure to your throat, gazing at you with admiration in those searing eyes, pupils blown wide from lust. You looked right back at him, pupils undoubtedly dilated as well, eyes half-lidded, panting a little, and hair a bit of a mess.

"You are an absolute vision," Zemo praised softly, to which you smiled, then he released his grip on your neck to lean down and kiss you again. That only lasted a moment, before he broke the kiss to pull your blouse up and over your head, tossing it carelessly to the side. Your bra joined it shortly after, then he moved to your skirt, fussing with the zipper for a moment, but it seemed to be caught on something, as it wouldn't budge. Before you could interject and state that you'd get the zipper yourself, Zemo ripped the seam apart with his hands, before tearing the article from your body and tossing it like he had with the blouse. A gasp escaped you, but you had no time to think much about his actions, before he was pulling off your panties and bra as well, dropping them somewhere beside the couch.

He was then looming over you again, kissing you breathless as he rested on one elbow while the other hand toyed with your nipple, his knee coming up to rest between your legs as he laid between your body and the back of the couch. You tangled your fingers in Zemo's hair, moaning against his lips as you sought friction against his leg. He smiled softly against your lips, before your hands wandered, finding the hem of his shirt and tugging it off of him. You had just managed to get his belt off before his hand left your breast, trailing downwards across your torso as he moved his knee further away from you, before delving between your hips and expertly locating your clit.

No longer capable of focusing on ridding Zemo of his clothes, your hands gripped his shoulders, and he hissed deliciously as your nails dug into his skin when he began rubbing small, methodical circles on your clit. Small moans fell from your lips as he watched the way your mouth hung open slightly, face relaxed and eyes closed as you enjoyed his work. But again, he wanted more, needed more. Still observing you, he delved his middle and ring fingers into your core, causing you to let out a loud gasp that faded into a long, low moan. Zemo smiled to himself. That was the reaction he was dying for.

He kissed you senseless, drinking in your moans and gasps of pleasure like wine, his free hand cradling the back of your head as your arms wrapped around his neck. It didn't take Zemo long to find that sweet spot, deep inside you – as he'd subtly alluded to earlier – that longed for his attention the most.

You couldn't help but moan loudly and cry out, "Fuck! Baron!" Zemo growled low in your ear, clearly a fan of your usage of his title as he picked up the pace, fucking you with his fingers with expert precision and speed, sending you hurtling over the edge with a string of curses in both Sokovian and English. By the time he removed his fingers from you and stood, you were seeing stars, breathing heavily as you laid flat against the couch. When your dazed gaze found him, he was naked from the waist down, and was just finishing rolling a condom over his length. You had no idea where he got it from, but you were way beyond giving a shit at this point. Zemo then rejoined you on the couch, roughly spreading your legs apart as he kneeled between them, looking at you with a primal, deep hunger in his eyes.

"You are certain that you want this?"

"Yes, please – fuck," you cut yourself off as he began rubbing your clit again.

"Yes please, what?" His voice was low, teasing, as he continued his work below. "I want to hear you say it again, Kätzchen."

"Yes, please, Baron."

"Good girl."

Zemo took your leg and rested your calf on his shoulder, before easing himself into you, agonizingly slow. You watched through half-lidded eyes as his brows furrowed together, his jaw went slack, and his eyes squeezed shut as he bottomed out. He was silent, but you very much preferred it when he was a bit vocal. So, you flexed your muscles down there, and he groaned, letting his forehead fall against your shoulder.

"Do not do that if you want this to last long," Zemo suggested through clenched teeth. You smiled to yourself, then said the magic word that you knew would get him going.

"Yes, Baron."

He growled again, right in your ear, then sat more upright to begin a harsh, quick pace of thrusting. His hips collided with your body each time, causing a delicious sort of pain, and he leaned down to lock you in a messy, deep kiss.

A few minutes later, Zemo moved your other calf to his shoulder as well, and the new position enabled him to get delectably deep inside you. You raked your nails down his chest, watching as a shudder ran down his spine, all the while releasing small, breathless moans and whimpers. When he opened his eyes again to gaze down at you, he licked his lips before delving both hands under your head and into your hair, and forcefully gripped two fitfuls of it at the base of your skull. The moan that tore its way from your throat was animalistic, as your nails dug into his forearms as you desperately gripped them from their positions on either side of your head. Just then, he hit a spot deep inside of you, and that familiar, tight coil in your lower belly began to form.

"Fuck! Right there, Baron, please, right there!"

"As you wish, Schätzchen."

Zemo began to thrust even faster, careful to maintain the same angle as he released his grip on your hair and leaned up a bit, so that he could resume rubbing your clit. Moans began to fall from your lips practically endlessly, and somehow, you still needed more. More, more, more. You took his free hand and laid it on your neck, and he instinctively wrapped his fingers around your throat, careful to apply pressure on the sides but not the front, as to avoid harming you. When he opened his eyes once again and looked down at you, he couldn't stop the moan that escaped him.

"You will be the death of me, mein Engel," Zemo whispered, seemingly more to himself. All you could do was moan in response.

"Baron, I'm going to – fuck – I'm —"

"Yes, come for me, Kätzchen. I want to feel you."

That was all the encouragement it took. Well, that plus how perfectly he was rubbing your bundle of nerves, and how his pace nor angle had faltered once since you had requested exactly that. You came undone again, legs shaking as your nails clawed at his shoulder blades, earning a series of groans from him. As you came down from your high, Zemo's hips began to falter, enthralled by the waterfall you had become, soaking the base of his cock as your walls squeezed around him. His hand at your wet heat abruptly moved to grip your hip, at the same moment his hand around your throat clutched at your hair again, and he met his end with a loud, gruff moan as he spoke a mantra of nonsensical praises and your name.

Zemo rested on his arms on either side of your head, and he let your legs fall to the sides of him, breathing hard against your neck as he occasionally peppered kisses there. He remained inside you for a few moments, savoring the feeling, before you chose to have a bit of extra fun by flexing your lower muscles and squeezing yourself around him again. With a sharp intake of breath, he pulled out of you, shooting you a glare.

In Sokovian, he murmured, "You are a naughty little thing."

"You adore it."

"That I do," Zemo conceded, then stood and walked off to the restroom. You heard the tap run, and a few moments later, he returned with a glass of water for you, sitting beside your feet on the couch and resting his heels on the coffee table. He was exceptionally handsome like this; still catching his breath, sweat glistening on his forehead and chest, a content look upon his face. You spent a minute or two admiring him, before he looked over to you, and a smile blossomed on his lips.

"I cannot thank you enough for that. I must admit, I spent countless nights alone in my cell, dreaming about getting to touch a woman like that again. Especially considering the fall of our country, I never could have imagined I would be lucky enough to lay with a stunning, intelligent Sokovian woman."

"In the spirit of confessions, it's been a while for me, too. My last boyfriend was about two years ago. And I'm not the one-night-stand type. So, do with that what you will," you stated, earning a small chuckle from Zemo. You sat up so that you were sitting beside him, instead of laying down, as you continued. "I fantasized about it a lot myself, but I never even dared to think my next time would be as good as this was."

Zemo smiled, a mix of pride and joy, then his smile softened as he leaned toward you, brushing a lock of hair away from your face. "This doesn't have to be our last time, you know. I would be honored to have you as often as you'd allow me to. And I assure you, I would make it worth your while. I will give you whichever vehicles your heart desires, more jewelry than you know what to do with, take you to the most beautiful places in the world, dine at only the finest restaurants – and above all, treat you like my queen. Take care of me, and I will take care of you, Liebling."

You allowed your curiosity to get the better of you, as usual when you feared that someone was lying to you. You searched his mind for any fraction of false pretenses, but there were none. The man simply found you intoxicating, and would do whatever it takes to keep drinking you in.

The arrangement wouldn't exactly be an easy one, nor would it be all that wise – nor morally correct, in all honesty. But he was undeniably sexy, and the danger and reprehensibility of it all made it that much more alluring. And besides all that – the way his power and wealth turned you on, how good he was capable of making you feel – most Sokovians were dead, and you missed home. Getting to speak your native tongue with him, chat about your country – it made you feel at home with him.

But you wouldn't give Zemo the satisfaction of agreeing to him that quickly.

“We'll see.”

—————

Part Two

#zemo #baron zemo #helmut zemo #baron helmut zemo #zemo x reader #baron zemo x reader #hermut zemo x reader #mcu #my writing #zemo fan fiction #zemo fanfic #zemo fanfiction #zemo fan fic #zemo fic #baron zemo fan fiction #baron zemo fan fic #baron zemo fanfiction #baron zemo fanfic #baron zemo fic #helmut zemo fanfiction #helmut zemo fanfic #helmut zemo fan fiction #helmut zemo fan fic #helmut zemo fic #baron helmut zemo fan fiction #baron helmut zemo fanfiction #baron helmut zemo fanfic #baron helmut zemo fan fic #baron helmut zemo fic #the falcon and the winter soldier

[emmacifer]

Art analysis: 'Poe and Ranpo' chapter-opening art

The upward eight of swords? The Black Cat? The Murders in the Rue Morgue?

*Spoilers ahead for the manga, ‘The Black Cat’ by Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ by Edgar Allan Poe

Chapter 32 is the chapter where Poe challenges Ranpo and Yosano, but mostly Ranpo, to solve a mystery he has spent 6 years meticulously constructing, thinking that he finally would have his revenge on Ranpo. And, for what’s worth, I think it’s interesting to point out the potential references that are embedded in this chapter opening art.

# All my analyses are personal opinions and I do not mean to override any takes the reader might have. That being said...

The first reference is the upward eight of swords.

In the art, we can see a hand, or possibly just the hand of a body, reaching out from a coffin, and eight swords in an upright position jutting out of it. I haven’t really learned anything about tarot cards before but after reading up on it, I feel like it might have something significant to the card of the upward eight of swords. Please do correct me if I am wrong on any accord.

The upward eight of swords represents a situation where you feel trapped in a situation but you have no way out. The more that you think about it, the more that you feel trapped. But in actuality you are not bound by the situation itself but the thoughts by which you chain yourself. You are able to escape the situation if you want to.

In the tarot card, the woman is fenced by the upright swords but isn’t necessarily imprisoned by them. She would know that she can escape if only she’d take the blindfold off.

So far in the manga, there has been two scenes where Ranpo admits that he does not have an ability and that his deduction skills are his own observative intelligence and methodology:

Chapter 32, which we are analysing right now

And, chapter 56, where he tells Mushitaro he will defeat him even though he does not have an ability, but since his comrades think he’s invincible (dazaiscans)

Ranpo kept telling Yosano all throughout the first part of the chapter that he needed his glasses so that they could solve the mystery of the novel they were trapped in and return to the real world. He's shown to have not wanted to question the guests or investigate his surroundings, but since Ranpo's "ability" has always been himself, he is subconsciously or unconsciously doing it anyways. He notices things when he's not even having to put in the effort to do so. He can point out his deduction process and justify the outcome as he always does.

But he still said that he wasn't doing fine. I don't mean to mischaracterize Ranpo in any way, he is a very brilliant character with a childish, occasionally teasing personality but serious when the time calls for it. But in this chapter, his initial statement that says he couldn't use his ability because he did not have his glasses, did put him in a tight place for a hot minute. Now this is what would relate to the upward eight of swords. The card symbolizes a situation where you feel trapped in a situation but it is not the situation itself binding you, but your thoughts. You are able to escape if you want to. The lady in the card is able to escape if only she took her blindfold off. I wouldn’t necessarily say Ranpo is in denial of the fact that he does not have an ability, because, evidently, he very much is aware of said fact and acknowledges it himself.

The second reference is the black cat behind the window.

While most ability users in BSD have their abilities named after a famous work of them or a reference to one of their works, Poe's ability name ‘Black Cat in the Rue Morgue’ has a combination of two of his works: 'The Black Cat' and ' The Murders in the Rue Morgue'. And the mystery novel that he introduced Ranpo to in Chapter 32 also seems to be a combination of the tales of irl Poe's two stories, 'The Black cat' and 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', with, I'd say, only the exception of it being set in the future since the original novels of irl Poe did not have any futuristic elements in them. I’m not saying that the mystery novel is an exact replica and combination of the two irl novels, it’s just that the overall atmosphere of the novel seems to somewhat reflect certain elements of the irl novels.

The Black Cat is a story about a man who hanged his own cat from a tree and later killed his own wife in the heat of a moment. The protagonist of this novel enjoyed drinking to the extreme and it was in the moments when he was highly intoxicated that he committed acts such as gouging out the eye of his beloved cat, Pluto, and hitting his wife over the head with an axe, accidently killing her.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue is a story of how the intelligent mind of Auguste Dupin solved the muder mystery of two french ladies who were killed by an unknown murderer in their apartment at Rue Morgue street. Said unknown murderer later turned out to be an orangutan that a sailor captured from Borneo then brought to Paris, In the novel, several people known to have heard the murder were questioned individually about the unknown culprit, just like how the people in the mansion were questioned about the murderer in chapter 32, in the novel. It could be said that questioning witnesses is a common theme that can be found for any mystery story but it’s just an interesting similarity.

The thing about the mystery novel BSD Poe wrote was that-

a) There was a murderer whom the people did not know

b) The protagonist was trying to find out who the murderer is

c) The protagonist himself was the murderer

In the story of ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’,

a) There was a murderer whom the people did not know

b) The protagonist, or protagonists, since there were two of them, were trying to find out who the murderer is

Obviously BSD Poe’s mystery novel did not feature an orangutan that accidently happened to kill people but that is where the element of the story of ‘The Black Cat’ comes in, because the protagonist of ‘The Black Cat’ murdered both his cat and his wife in the name of intoxication, which leads us to

c) The protagonist himself is the murderer

Personally, I feel like ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ fits better than ‘The Black Cat’ for the references in BSD, since it features a protagonist, who was amazed by an individual who had a very observant mind. The protagonist of the novel had much admiration for Auguste Dupin’s thought process and how he could read something seemingly simple to deduce something deep out of it. Much like the admiration and respect that Poe has for Ranpo’s ability, the non-ability.

The third reference is the roses.

Everyone knows that roses are typically associated with love, romance and passion, but they could also have different meanings depending on their color and their symbolisms in different cultures. Yellow roses in Japanese culture are said to mean jealousy, at least according to source. It might symbolize the jealousy that Poe has of Ranpo and his aspiration to beat Ranpo. But he is equally jealous of it as he is fascinated by it, which orange roses can symbolize: fascination and desire. They could also mean enthusiasm and passion, both of which Poe has for Ranpo’s company and ability. He admires Ranpo and his ability, in the way that one would admire their opponent in a friendly rivalry sort of relationship. He is constantly awed by it, and draws a lot of inspiration from Ranpo.

In conclusion, I think the fascination that Poe has of Ranpo and the fact that Ranpo acknowledges his and Poe’s encounter six years ago as ‘the only time I got pushed to my limits by another detective’(easygoingscans) is very compatible of them and I do believe that their rivalry and friendship is something that helps both of them grow and benefits both individuals. It is something beautiful.

Some more sources below for the meaning of roses if anyone wants to find out more!! Also thank you so much nika @nikadoesanart for beta-ing this analysis >//<

https://www.pickupflowers.com/flower-guide/rose-flower-meanings.

https://www.thursd.com/articles/different-colors-of-roses-and-their-meaning/

https://blossomtown.com/bt-news/what-do-flowers-mean-find-flower-language/

#bungou stray dogs #bsd analysis #ranpo edogawa #edgar allan poe #bsd ranpo #bsd poe #bungou sd #i've been putting this off for a long time about time I posted this #art analysis #bsd art analysis #yosano akiko #bsd yosano #bsd meta

[cherry-lem0n]

And here we go, my take on the “My Little Pony: A New Gen” movie (this first part DOES NOT have spoilers, you’ll see when the spoilers start):

1-Opinion on the film: I really liked it , I feel it was worth all the months of waiting, it has a very good animation (I liked it more than Disney / Pixar lately), the dubbing is well done(I saw it in latinoamerican Spanish), and this is an important point because in the trailer it looked like the audio was a little shifted and that did not give much hope but you really notice a good effort from that part.

2- About the story: although I feel that it was a bit rushed,you cannot put too much in 1:30 hour. I feel that this is just laying the foundations for something bigger, it is as if this was simply the grand entrance and hopefully if they it gets a sequel (I don’t care if its a second movie or a tv series, just that it is a sequel)

3- What do I expect for the future about this new generation? Explain what happened between the last chapter of "The magic of friendship" until now. There is a very large lore gap, everything is taken in the same time line and well they cannot really leave a long chunk unexplained

4- Do I recommend it? YES! DEFINITLY! It will be a good 1:30 hour spent on something beautiful

5- The music: I liked it, without repetitive rhythms, original ideas and especially good lyrics. I'll wait for them to put it on Apple Music and I'm going to learn them, all of them (and I say this because the songs that I learn/want to learn are the ones that I like the most)

From here on ⚠️Spoiler alert⚠️

Now let’s go with a few personal important points:

Favorite Pony: Pipp, I knew I was going to love her, they didn't give her much participation but the amount of time she had was really good, the concert scene made me laugh and her attitude is nice 9.9 / 10 (just because I don't like to give perfect grades)

7- Opinion on the villain: Sprout, the madman who makes power go to his head and when he realizes the crazy things he did, he shows regret. I like it, it's not the redemption of the century like Starlight’s or Hunter DeVil but it's good

8-The Mane5: I liked the group they put together, two sisters, two childhood friends and a hyperactive character, the good thing is that it is not like the Mane6, and I say good because it would be repeating quion and then that would not have been cool (obviously there's more to this but right now I want to keep it short)

And now the things I predicted, did they happen or not ?:

9- In the end everyone would get their cutie mark because they recovered the magic: It was not like that, the only thing that was lost was the magic of the unicorns and pegasi, the magic of the cutie marks is still there. This is because in some promos they didn’t had their cutie marks

10- References to social media: Yes it happened, and in fact Pipp is the greatest exponent of this point, fortunately they didn’t shove it in our faces, it was smooth

11- Queen Heaven was going to be the antagonist of the film: no, the antagonist turned out to be Sprout, and I mean that she didn't see it coming

12- They would make forced inclusion: Fortunately that didn’t happened, I don’t like when it happens. But as I said this didn’t happened

Conclusion: Is it a good movie? From what I am writing you may already have your answer, YES, by the time you finish reading this I want you to go see it, grab some popcorn and not stand up for an hour and a half. My final grade is: (drum roll)

9.8 / 10

#⚠️SPOILERS⚠️ #mlp #mlp g5 movie #mlp g5 #spoilers #my little pony: a new generation #pipp petals #zipp storm #sunny starscout #hitch trailblazer #izzy moonbow #my little pony #brony #pegasister #pony #mane 5