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#seeing my favourite chapters animated made me feel so many emotions...
nootnootles · 4 months
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Uwee Mash, Finn and first kisses
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skygemspeaks · 9 months
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thoughts on episode 7 of opla!
given that arlong park is supposed to be the climax of the east blue saga, i'm a little tiny bit disappointed with how this episode played out, especially given how standout episode 6 was. some of the disappointment comes from me not liking some of the creative choices they made with it, but some of it is also just the limitations of the medium
emily rudd's performance of nami, especially during the scene where she's stabbing her arlong tattoo, was absolutely phenomenal. all the actors in this show have been doing such an awesome job so far, but at the end of the day, there's no way it can really stand up to the manga and anime versions of this same scene. oda is a masterful artist, and the way he's able to depict such raw despair and grief has always been one of my favourite things about his art. and one of the things about animation is that they're able to exaggerate certain expressions and body language to give more of an emotional impact, in a way that real humans can't really do, so i feel like in some ways, live action is always gonna fall short. so far the live action has been doing a good job of adapting the story in a way that plays to the medium's strengths, but i do feel like this was a rare L for them. and that's not to say the episode wasn't well done! because it really was. i think that in this case it suffers from having to try and live up to the source material.
i'm not sure how i feel about them having nojiko not knowing about nami's plans. i think one thing that i really liked about this arc in the manga was how all the villagers knew nami was trying to buy back the village, but they were being hostile to her because they knew how hard it was to do what she was doing, and if it ever got to be too much for her, they wanted her to be able to turn her back on them without feeling bad. they didn't want her to feel obligated to save them. that's neither here nor there though, and it did open up a chance for them to have a heartfelt conversation and make up.
i've seen some people upset that Hachi wasn't part of the arlong park arc, and i was a little sad we didn't get to see him too, but i do also think that it makes sense as a creative choice. so far when you look at the storytelling choices they've made with this series, a lot of their decisions seem to come from the mindset of "don't assume we're going to get more seasons, but lay down a bit of subtle groundwork just in case we do" and this seems to be one of those choices. in the event that we ever do make it to the sabaody archipelago, hachi is going to become a friend, and it's going to be easier to get the audience on his side if he wasn't one of the antagonists that was enslaving nami's village. in the event that we do get to sabaody, i'm assuming we're gonna get some flashbacks to nami's childhood when he WAS with arlong, but then he left before the canon timeline because he couldn't deal with how awful arlong is? i don't know, but that's just a guess. the manga had the leisure of slowly winning the audience over to his side by the simple fact that we were able to spend so much time with him, he was around for many chapters and we were slowly able to get attached. but the live action is going to have a much more limited run time, so we won't have the time to do it that way. this decision is just a bit of a shortcut. that's my reasoning at least
the flashbacks were well done! i like how sweet genzo seems, and bellemere's actress did a good job. she had big mom vibes. i am a bit surprised that they did actually show bellemere slapping nami. i would've thought they'd cut that out. glad they didn't though!
the prosthetics for the fishmen were AWESOME! i'm so so so glad they decided to go practical effects instead of doing it all with cgi, they look fantastic
i LOVE how they gave arlong park more of a waterpark/amusement park vibe. it calls back to the fact that it's heavily inspired by sabaody park, and that, paired with arlong being very defensive when he perceives that he's being looked down on by humans because he's a fishman, work together to show that all of arlong's behaviour is stemming from a place of hurt, and a lifetime of alienation.
i like seeing helmeppo and koby slowly becoming friends! i was really surprised when helmeppo bought a drink for koby, and then it was pretty funny when koby just couldn't help but blurt out that luffy is garp's grandson. they're growing to become pretty good partners
zeff and garp's conversation was good! loved the mention of jaya, and also i think the two of them make good parallels. both grand/parents to some upstart pirates - one of them trying desperately to cling on to his grandson, the other one having to practically push his son out of the nest. zeff tries to convince garp that sometimes you just gotta let go and let your kid tread his own path, but garp still isn't ready to hear that, and maybe he won't ever be ready to hear that.
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pink-sparkly-witch · 1 year
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The Widow - Chapter Three
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Chapter Three
Summary: Sam and Y/N are happily married, but everything changes after a fatal car accident leaves her a widow. The Winchester motto: "Family Don't End with Blood," takes on a whole new meaning for Y/N as she navigates her new normal with the help of her brother-in-law, Dean. But what no one can tell her, is what happens when she falls in love again?   
Pairing: Sam Winchester x F!Reader (past) | Dean Winchester x F!Reader (eventual)
Warnings: grief, angst, fluff
Words: 2,450
A/N: I am so sorry for making so many of you cry or get emotional from the last chapter. Although I made myself cry writing it, but I never thought it would have the same impact on the readers *hugs*. This one shouldn’t be so bad 🫣💖
You can catch up here!
My Masterlist     AO3    Ko-Fi
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One Month Later
Grief is a funny thing; on the good days, you can function like a normal adult by eating and sleeping quite well. But on the bad days, you stay on the sofa just staring at the wall, wearing pyjamas that – like your hair – haven’t been washed in days, and you can’t remember the last time you ate because everything tastes like ash.
Today though, is a good day. You’ve eaten, showered, done the laundry, and now you’re washing the dishes from the lunch you had with John and Dean. One of those things on its own is a huge achievement, and the fact you did them all feels like it should be worth celebrating, but your sense of accomplishment is whipped away just as quickly as it had appeared.
“Have you thought any more about clearing out Sam’s things?” John speaks softly and carefully, like he’s dealing with a caged animal. But when he’s met with silence from you, he lets out a sigh. “Darlin’, it’s not healthy staying cooped up in the house all day surrounded by his things.”
“Dad…” Dean attempts to shut down the conversation.
“Look,” John continues, ignoring his eldest son’s plea. “I know you’re hurting, believe me, I do. And honestly, it’s gonna be like that for a long time. Maybe even always. I’m just trying to make it easier for you. All these things you’re doing,” John gestures around the open-plan living area of the home you shared with your late husband, “aren’t healthy.”
You don’t need this right now. This is a good day. So, you do what you always do when John brings it up; you walk away.
Dropping the plate back into the soapy water, you quickly dry your hands, pick up the basket filled with clean laundry from the kitchen table, and walk away. You know it’s childish, but his argument is one you don’t want to hear because you know he’s right. You know seeing Sam’s things everywhere doesn’t help. You know wearing clothes that still hold a little bit of his scent will only prolong your grief. And you know that calling his number to hear his voicemail message several times a day isn’t healthy. You’re just not ready to let go yet. And that’s something neither he nor Jody seems to understand.
“Dad, you need to drop this. She’s grieving,” you hear Dean say as you step into the hallway. “Do you want to push her away? Because that’s what’s gonna happen if you don’t leave her be!”
“I’m only trying to help, son,” John sounds defeated, and you pause to listen to what else they have to say about you. “She’s a good girl, Dean, and she’s choosing to waste away by locking herself in this damn house day after day!”
“Sam only died last month! Her husband has only been dead for six weeks,” Dean yells. “He’s barely cold in the ground, just let her grieve!” 
You smile softly at the way Dean always has your back. That’s why the days he comes to check in on you are your favourite. He listens and understands you – or at the very least, pretends to. He gets why you’re still holding on. He gets that it’s not as easy as putting your big girl panties on and getting back on the horse. You lost your husband. The love of your life. You don’t just get up, dust yourself off and walk away from that. And Dean seems to be the only one who understands, which surprises you because John lost Mary when he was around your age and you thought that might make him understand what you’re going through a little more.
You hear John sigh, and from the scratching sound, run his hand over his stubbled face. “I just hate seeing her hurting. In all the time I’ve known her, I’ve never seen her do anything other than smile, and now, I never see that smile. Some days, like today, that hurts more than the loss of my son.”
“I know, dad. I miss her smile too, but she’s going through a process, and she’ll take her own time to do it. What she needs is for us to be supportive and stop pushing her to move on before she’s ready.”
You smile again, grateful beyond words that Dean gets it. Gets you. He’s always been good at reading people and emotions. He knows you better than you know yourself. Better sometimes, than even Sam did.
You’ve heard enough and make your way upstairs to put the laundry away, taking the time to stop, breathe, and reset because today is a good day.
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Deciding you’ve hidden away upstairs long enough, you make your way back down to your guests, but stop short when you see John standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“I gotta get going, darlin’. I’m sorry if I upset you, it wasn’t my intention. I’m worried about you and trying to help.” he steps towards you and places a kiss on your forehead.
“I know,” you smile softly. “And I appreciate it… Sometimes.” You smirk, and John chuckles.
“I’ll see you in a few days, alright? I’ve been putting this hunting trip with Bobby off for a couple of weeks and I’ve run out of excuses!” he chuckles again.
“It’ll do you good to get away. You work too hard, and you’ve been taking care of me too, you deserve a break.” John’s been getting the family business ready for Dean to take over for the past few weeks, and you have the suspicion he isn’t quite as ready for retirement from Winchester Auto Repair as he says he is.
“Alright, I’m going. Dean, take care of our girl. Y/N, take care of Dean,” he jokes, and you let out a bleat of laughter, the sound now so foreign to the men in your hallway that they grin like little kids on Christmas morning. With a hug and another kiss on your forehead, John heads out.
“I’m sorry about dad, sweetheart. When mom passed, he didn’t have a choice and had to keep going because of me and Sammy, you know? I think he thinks everyone should be able to do the same.”
“I get it, I really do. But I don’t have anything to fight for, and I feel like I’m barely treading water most days,” you chuckle sadly. “Jody says the same kinda things, you know?” You glance up at Dean and see he’s got his whole attention on you.
“Her latest is: ‘Honey, when are you gonna stop wearing his clothes? Surrounding yourself in his scent constantly is tricking your brain into thinking he’s coming home…’” You mimic Jody’s voice perfectly, albeit a little whinier than she really is, causing Dean to chuckle. “I know she’s right… and so is your dad, just don’t tell them I said that!” you point at Dean in warning, and he holds up his hands.
“Your secrets are safe with me, sweetheart. No one needs John Winchester knowing he’s right about anything,” Dean chuckles before asking the question you know is coming. “So, if you know they’re right, what’s holding you back?”
“Because some days it comforts me. Wearing his clothes, smelling him, seeing his stuff exactly where he left it, makes me feel like he’s still here. Like literally here, watching me,” you sweep your arms around you, “and that makes me feel safe and comforted and loved. And I’m not ready to give that up yet.”
“You said some days,” Dean brings up. And of course, he picks up on that.
“What?” You ask, in a bid to delay the inevitable.
“You said, ‘some days it comforts me’. Are there days it doesn’t?” 
“Me wearing his clothes, leaving his stuff around… it’s my choice. But sometimes I catch his scent when I’m not expecting it or find something in a drawer, and it hits me so hard, and I feel like I’m drowning in anger and grief and I–” your voice catches and you stop to take a deep, shaky breath. “Those are the days that kill me. The days I don’t move from the couch or even get out of bed. It’s like if I do these things – even though I know it’s not healthy – it feels better when it’s a choice I have and not forced on me.”
“So, it’s about controlling your grief?” Dean questions and it makes you stand a little straighter and give him your full attention. “They say the last stage of grief is acceptance, right?” He looks at you with a raised brow and you nod your head. “Sweetheart, I think you’re almost there, standing right at the line, but you’re not ready to cross it.”
“What are you, my therapist?” Your attempt at joking falls flat because you know he’s hitting the nail on the head.
“Hey, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it. I’m just trying to understand where you’re at and what’s stopping you from getting to the other side.” He stares at you intensely, and you can feel the heat rise from your neck. “Come on, sweetheart, help me out here. I just wanna figure out what’s going on in that pretty head of yours to see if I can help.”
“What if crossing that line means I’m forgetting him?” You mumble meekly.
“Y/N/N–” Dean starts but you cut him off, realising the need to say it out loud.
“If I clear out Sam’s things, get rid of all his clothes, put the photographs away, I’m removing every trace of him from this house. Our house. What if by doing that, and without seeing those reminders of him every day, it makes me forget him?”
“That’s never gonna happen, Y/N. Your relationship with Sam, your love for him and his for you, will always be a part of you,” Dean takes your hand and pulls you with him to the sofa and sits you down. Rather than take the seat next to you, he sits on the coffee table facing you. “I can tell by the look on your face you don’t believe me, so let me ask you a question.”
“Okay.” You’re dubious but agree anyway.
“Who was your first love? And I don’t mean Sam,” Dean states before you can try that argument. “I mean your first, first love. I’m talking like middle school and the first guy you thought you couldn’t live without.”
“Billy Richie.” It comes out of your mouth before your brain fully registers his question.
“What was Billy like?” Dean smirks, and you grin back at him, understanding where he’s going with this.
“He had blond hair, blue eyes, and a really cute smile. Oh! And he wore a leather jacket all the time, whatever the weather,” you giggled. “He sat next to me in Math class, he was always chewing gum and would wink at me every time he sat down.”
“Oh, Billy was a bit of a bad boy, huh?” Dean chuckles.
“Nah, he was a big teddy bear. He just looked the part.” You smile at the memories Billy Richie is stirring up. “He was my date to prom, and my first kiss.”
“And with that smile on your face, sweetheart, I’d say you remember him just as well now as you did fifteen years ago,” Dean holds your gaze, even gently pulling your chin towards him when you try to look away. “My point is that if you can remember bad boy Billy Richie so clearly after fifteen years, you’re gonna remember Sam even clearer in fifteen years because he was your husband.” Dean leans forward, placing a kiss on your forehead.
“I get that you’re not ready to take that final step, and trust me, I have your back against anyone who tries to push you over that hurdle before you’re ready to make the jump. And when you do jump, I’ll be right here with you.” Dean smiles softly as he takes your hands in his. “But I do want you to think about doing one thing for me,” Dean’s voice is kind and gentle, and you know whatever he’s going to say to you is a suggestion rather than an order.
“I would really like you to think about going back to work. Seeing people, getting out of the house and having a distraction for a few hours a day will do you the world of good, sweetheart.” 
Dean stares at you with such intensity and all you can see is how much he cares about you. It’s clear that he thinks this is the best thing for you, and the more you think about it, the more you agree with him.
“You know what? I’ll think on it a little more, but I think you might be right,” your answer is not what Dean expects by the way he looks like he’s just won the lottery.
“Awesome,” Dean declares. “Now we’ve got that out of the way, The Lost Boys is on tonight. Wanna order pizza and watch it?” He grins at you, and you can’t help but smile at how boyish he looks when he does that.
“Dean, it’s Friday. Don’t cancel your plans with whichever girl is your flavour of the week to spend the night in with me,” you tease.
“I, uhm,” he rubs his hand over the back of his neck, “haven’t had those kinda plans since the night Sammy…” he doesn’t finish his sentence. He doesn’t need to. “Even if I did,” he continues, “One: you are much more important than some girl in a bar, and two: I’d much rather spend the night watching movies with you.”
“Dean–”
“I mean it,” he insists. “You’re not a burden or an inconvenience – I know that’s what’s running through your head, don’t even try to argue with me! So, are we watching this damn movie together or are you gonna make me go home and watch it by myself? All alone. On a Friday night.” Dean’s feigned grumpiness makes you laugh.
“Fine! I’ll order the pizza! But I don’t have any beer, so if you want some, you’ll have to go to the store.”
“On it!” Dean stands and leans over to press another kiss on your forehead, something that was second nature to all the Winchester men where you’re concerned, but you aren’t going to complain about the sweet gesture. “You need anything else?” he asks as he picks up his car keys.
“No, all good. Just… please promise me you’ll drive safe,” you beg, worrying at your bottom lip.
“Always, sweetheart. I promise.”
Next Chapter>>
@deans-spinster-witch @muchamusedaboutnothing @kazsrm67 @twinkleinadiamondsky @waters-2567 @leigh70 @waynes-multiverse @jesllianaquilesrolonsworld @chriszgirl92 @stoneyggirl2 @marilynnlew @ilovedean-spn2
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beanghostprincess · 4 months
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Love the new layout with Ed and Nikolai !! 💕 Also the bernadette quote... I see you fyolai (I still haven't recovered from the new chapter)
What did you think about the ending of fmab?? I saw your post about Roy's blindness (which I 100% agree with, he should have stayed blind) but I didn't run into your general opinion, if you made a post about it. It has to be one of my favourite anime endings of all time, it ties everything together sooooo nicely. I cried when I finished rewatching it a few months ago 😭😭
Thank you!!! 💖💖 I will never recover from the new chapter and that song and,,, And they live in my head rent free. Decided to change the layout since now I talk about those animes too 😭💖
I haven't posted about my general opinion, so I'll just use this ask to do it!!
Okay, yes, first of all, Roy's blindness. That's the only thing that bothered me. Like. The ONLY thing. The whole scene hurt so much and felt like something his character would have to live forever with? It was so shocking and well-written, too? And I expected him to be able to work like that and grow up as a character. Learning to live with that and Riza helping him go through that by his side. It was just perfect. I was so satisfied with the angst and the thought of him living with blindness. And then the whole thing is so rushed, too? I understand the point of using the philosophy stone for something good so he can build a better future but, damn, you could've still done it without that. But whatever, it doesn't bother me that much, tbh. It could be worse. Blind Roy Mustang I love you. You will forever be missed </3
And my general opinion? Perfect. I've never seen a shonen ending so perfectly. Wrapped in a beautiful bow. It's written with so much love and care for the characters and the story,, It amazes me. I was hoping for it to be disappointing because building up something like Ed and Al's story for so many episodes is always hard to finish neatly. But??? It was awesome. I spent, like, the last three episodes crying (to not stay the whole fucking show ngl). Usually when you say "The main characters end up married and having kids" it looks like a shitty ending BUT NO! THIS WAS WHAT THEY WANTED AND I AM SO HAPPY FOR THEM!!! Edwin's proposal? Beautiful. Hilarious. Laughing between tears. Al getting his body back? Such an emotional scene. From beginning to end. I was SCARED for them. But the way Ed realizes what the truth is??? The way Hohenheim offers his life for Al's??? THE WAY ED CALLS HIM DAD??? I was losing it. They killed me. It was perfect. What shattered my heart the most was Greed leaving Ling's body and dying right after filling the void inside of him with fucking LOVE BY THE WAY??? LIKE??? This show is so good. And Hohenheim's death. This man. This man is a sweetheart. I called him a deadbeat when I started the show and now I feel bad because I love him. He just wanted to be with his family and now that he wants to stay he has to die?? C'mon. Frustrating but understandable and painful but, like, in a good way. Maybe another thing that bothered me was May and Al? Not that the relationship bothers me, I just feel like they didn't get much romantic development so I am kind of indifferent about their romance. Loved the whole thing with Ling being the emperor but protecting May's clan. Loved the ending scene in general. Loved- Loved everything, really, aside from little things and the obvious.
It's really hard to write a perfect ending but FMAB made me feel so SATISFIED. So well fed. So happy. It's an awesome show. 9,5/10 because Roy should've stayed blind. Otherwise, it'd be a 10/10.
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biffjerky · 2 years
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going to start using my blog as a review place bcus idk cramming everything in tweets isn’t incohesive, and just painful.
but i got to read the first volume of case files of jeweler richard today, and it’s been a few hours but i keep rotating so many things about it in my mind. it’s a novel i have been looking forward to ever since i’ve heard about the anime a long while ago... didn’t watch the anime beyond one episode, BUT patience paid off because it got liscensed at some point :D
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now, i don’t know how long this post will be, but i’ll put it under a read more lol.
i’m not the smartest with words, my points might be strange, or not make sense at all. but maybe writing these reviews will help me improve lol.
somewhat not spoiler free? idk. read at own risk anyway.
onto some stuff i like:
seigi and richard as characters as a whole, the themes brought up in each chapter, the attention to detail, how seigi learns things and it comes back in small ways in the other chapters, how there’s no restraint to mention LGBT and incorporate it in the story, just the overall structure of chapters & narration and... just how cute richard can be at times lol.
i think one aspect i really, really like and really surprised me is how it deals with queerness, for the lack of a better word. it’s not a topic i find often in jpn media that isn’t explicitly promoted as ”lgbt”. and i like that. I really believe that to normalize lgbt people is to let them be part of the world, without aways singling them out. neatly sorted in categories and genres, where you go in thinking “oh well yeah duh theres gonna be gay people in it”. and the fact that it’s possibly not just confined to but oh there Are lgbt characters, just characters on the side & nothing else, but that also how the MC seigi is involved with it.
it’s not spelled out, it’s not made painfully clear, and i think thats what makes it a very interesting read. seigi is learning about himself, what kind of people there are and the world as a whole. and queerness happens to be an aspect of it. it’s not the only focus, but it’s present.
the alphabet soup people aside (i say this lovingly), i really enjoyed the “case by case” chapters. the different people that show up and how seigi goes out of his way to help them. how it all ties in back to gemstones and what it can mean to different people. chapter 4 really left an impression on me, and its definitely my favourite so far.
i feel like there’s a lot of care, to detail, to people, to emotions... it’s what keeps me hooked. i love slice of life stories, i love seeing the most mundane things be inspected in detail, seeing characters just go on with their life and grow from it. so this novel really scratches all the itches in my brain. makes me wonder if there’s more stuff like this out there to read... well, probably is lol. though can’t say i really found it throughout the years with all my attempts of reading light novels. then again most stuff that gets translated is “My Friends Little Sister Secretly Loves Me But She’s a Tsundere!” or “Senpai Sees Bunny Girls When He Sleeps In Class”, whatever.
looking forward to the rest though, i’m buying them physically because books on my shelves are Nice. also the cover art is pretty and coincidentally by the artist who does the art for my fave idol franchise ever so...
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shenvs3000f23 · 8 months
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Blog 4
prompt: Who are you to interpret nature through art? How do you interpret “the gift of beauty”? (Your readings – specifically Chapter 5 of the textbook – will be helpful for this!)
Nature is something that is often difficult to describe in words. It brings to us a complexity that sparks emotions and feelings. There have been countless times where I, and I am sure others, have felt this way. Whether its an awe inspiring sunset or an animal in its natural habitat. Even something simple that has a great meaning to you, like a special creek or fishing hole. Art allows for a snapshot of these events that are often better at portraying how they made you feel, than words.
Art to me can be anything, from pictures, sculptures, paintings, and music. I have always consumed art, whether it be consciously or unconsciously. From my friends posting photos of nature online, to seeing paintings in my local museum and family members houses. I always understood, on the surface, what the purpose of these works of art were, however, never that in depth. This is something I have been actively trying to work on. If a work of art catches my eye, I will not only appreciate the vain beauty of it, but try to go deeper. Why was this created? What do the elements of the piece mean? Is there anything excluded from the piece, why? When you are critical in viewing art, you begin to see a story. You feel as though you are in the shoes of the creator of that piece. It is truly an amazing experience to be able to appreciate the moment that inspired the artist so much to want to capture it. This is a skill I am still working on, and will be forever as there are endless ways to look at and interpret art. That is what makes it so great, anyone, at any age can appreciate it in their own way and interpret the gift of beauty.
I have found that the one method of art that always intrigued me the most was music. Ever since I was younger, I have been in touch with the lyrics of songs and appreciated the story telling more than anything. This is why it is my favourite form of art. In just a three minute clip, someone can tell you a story about an event in their life. The instrumentals add to it as well. They can inspire emotions based on what the person is singing about and add a layer to that story that makes you feel as they did. With high upbeat tones making you feel happy or excited, as they were. To slow and drawn out instrumentals bringing sadness, longing, or defeat. There is an element of music that touches so many senses at once to provide a completely immersive experience of art.
Art can often seem as something that is exclusive. That is is something for the rich or more experienced to own and appreciate. However, what makes art so great is anyone can interpret it. This is why is it so important in regards to nature. Not everyone can see in person the great phenomena and beauty of it. However, especially with technology, it makes it easier than ever to view any piece of art. This allows a unique opportunity for anyone to experience a snapshot of events in nature that they likely never would have. it Allows anyone to build an appreciation for the gift of beauty that is nature.
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mishqua · 1 year
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Thank you @louveclaviere for inviting me to join! Sorry for the delay uwu
Rules:
post the top 5 works you're most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular),
your top 4 current WIPs that you're excited to release in the new year,
your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year,
your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year,
and your number 1 favorite line you've written this year!
tagging @willofhounds @littleunigreekdreamer @ggadtomarry (No pressure!)
Top 5 Works!!
Well, not many really-
Pride of a Graveyard Flower
I am very, very happy about this. Mostly because so many ideas gosh and the scene that prompted me still isn't here! Harry is still building his power base (not that he will agree to it) and he met LV finally, properly at chapter 48 so can you say I am impatient? I love every thing about this. Theo, Evan, Mippy, Scabier, Rosa and Death <33 Ugh, shatter that Dark Lord's confidence, my little necromancer!
A Handful of Dreams
Somehow it went from soft angst to fluff to all combination and I don't know how it happened? But I wanted to see if I strip everything that made Harry the chosen one, will LV still be his fated? YES, yes he is!
A Parody of Emotions
The fic where I let go of all my sadistic intentions- it was so fun torturing our boy~ digging out what could make him jump and most importantly the challenge of tying a LV in canon era to Harry irrevocably oooo
I Adored You, Time and Again
I haven't managed to give it as much time as I want mostly cause irl screwed with me hard, but this is particularly beloved to me with how beautiful it is in my mind. I never thought I would write Grindelwald in a lvhp fic, but here we go
A Parody of Emotions
The fic where I let go of all my sadistic intentions- it was so fun torturing our boy~ It was interesting digging out what could make him jump and most importantly the challenge of tying a LV in canon era to Harry irrevocably oooo
Petal Soft Plunder
Not a tomarry fic-!! but god the darkness I hid in every smile of Mr. Riddle *chef's kiss
=.=
4 CURRENT WIPS!!
Ok there are a lot of things I had in mind ^.^*
Death Eater Harry fic
Less of angst, and not crack either. But going with a cute and fluffer tone. I am not saying there won't be dark things there (LV<) but it is def going to be a cute af, reckless Harry
2. Yona of the Dawn inspired fic
Inspired! There won't be anything like the anime. But there is def betrayal and a lot of wife-chasing in there lol
3. A non-human series
A plan in progress to make Harry every creature available and then make it Tomarry/lvhp- simply because I am out to prove that they will be together no matter what hehe maybe crcky, or fluffy or serious who knows!
4. A non-human Harry one-shot
Not a cracky one. Inspired by a folk-tale but I won't say it!
=.=
Three Improvements!!
Learned to be flexible. Sometimes I have to write a draft first and sometimes I can type it out to sit- I don't have to worry endlessly over which one if perfect and which is not
Experimented with changing my tone of writing (?) It was loads of fun and I am still figuring out which one I like best but I don't have to vow by it either!
A regular writing schedule!- Well,not exactly regular, but I realized it is best to feed my muse often (even if it is just snippets), if I don't want to go into a spiral of everything negative
=.=
Two Resolutions!!
To write more lvhp/tomarry!! gahhh my muse is a nattery thing!!
I thought writing is for myself- but I never thought crowd control is a thing. But!- never to let anyone's words take me down. Any time I feel it so, just look at the wallpaper and reflect on what (or who) actually drives me ~
=.=
One Line!!
Everything about pogf is my favourite! But I will give you -
“Such fancy little tricks.” Harry threw back the words at the man, “The human sacrifice mustn’t have been worth more than a knut.” He mocked, adrenaline tripping over the rage as he glared at the Dark Lord impudently, hands reaching out to touch the heart of the man-
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daikon1 · 1 year
Text
My 2022 Fanfic Year in Review!
I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but 2022 has been a rough one for me. Between challenges in my offline life and modding for the Drops of Moonlight Zine eating up most of my fandom time and energy, I didn’t write as much as I might have liked in other years.
Anyway, here’s my Ao3 Wrapped!!
Fair warning, spoilers for anything I posted this year abound below the cut!!
1. List of fics completed this year:
Well, I changed some of how I post this year (for example, I stopped posting to FFN entirely and decided to use ‘collections’ on Ao3 instead of chapters going forward for related but standalone shorts/one shots).
That said, I completed 5 fics:
A (Blind) Date with Destiny!
Moving In
then you showed up and I can’t get enough
We Do This Every Time
I Know All About Your Reputation (This is Bound to be a Heartbreak Situation)
I also began a new ongoing multichapter, Close to Home.
2. Number of words written:
61,054 that have been posted - fewer than previous years, but more than I’d thought!
3. Your most popular fic this year:
Of what I posted this year, (Blind) Date got the most hits, but overall The Runner-Up remained quite popular and got a lot of engagement.
4. Your personal favourite this year:
This is always a cruel question, given that everything I write feels like my baby/a part of me. The two I was most actively excited/couldn’t stop while writing were Blind Date and then you showed up… so… coin flip between the two?
5. Your favourite scene:
I *loved* writing the date in Blind Date with Destiny. Their dancing around each other and flirting and playing that ‘but do you remember me and if you don’t do I have to tell you’ game was SO MUCH FUN and basically flowed directly out of my brain and onto the page.
6. A fic or scene that challenged you:
Day six of my UsaMamo week fic (We Do This Every Time) gave me a lot of trouble. Turns out it’s hard to consolidate an entire arc from an anime into a single chapter, who knew 🤣
7. A line of writing you’re proud of:
I feel like this is always the hardest question to answer and the one I put off until the very end, in part because when you write 60k+ words in a year (which comes out to like 2.5k sentences the way I write them), it’s hard to single out one!!
This year, I’m going to highlight this line from Close to Home:
Mamoru took an obnoxiously slow sip from his water glass. “Do you bring a lot of dates home?” he asked in an offhand way that made her want to dump her curry on top of his perfectly coiffed hair.
8. A comment that touched you:
I always feel like I get too many sweet reviews to single out just one; in fact, I now have a designated folder in my email titled “Review Joy” where I file away some of the ones I want to revisit when I’m feeling low. So here is a much-too-short and entirely non-exhaustive roundup of a few snippets from some of my favorite reviews this year:
Just crossed your story today and *had* to go on Ao3 to read the second part!
I can’t picture things clearly or for long in my mind, but this scene was crystal clear, at least Usagi bowing to the little rabbit and talking in a friendly, but quiet and gentle, almost reverential way because Usako was part of Mamoru, vulnerable, almost like part of his soul.
I love all the check-ins for consent - they were so natural!! So good!! Thank you for writing!!
The scene of him putting things together was also suitably spooky and conspiratorial, like the ending of the Usual Suspects kinda.
Ngl I was SHRIEKING AT MY PHONE when I saw she'd written something SO SWEET into the book?! AND THEN DASHED LIKE THE LITTLE ADORABLE IDIOT SHE IS?
I’m always filled with excitement when I see a new story from you and it never disappoints. This is an absolutely wonderful beginning filled with emotions and sweetness and I cannot wait to see where you lead us.
Seeing bisexual rep in usagi meant the world to me as a young, questioning teen, and seeing you showcase that here and have her friends be so knowing & accepting of that really just made my heart feel so whole <3
Impeccable plotline, character depictions, and the fluff was *chef’s kiss*!!! 20/10!!!
I wish I could showcase all of every review I’ve received this year, but sadly I would run out of space way too fast. Just know that if you’ve taken the time to review for me, I am grateful from the bottom of my heart 🙏🏻
9. Something that inspired your writing this year:
Okay so I’ve already disclaimed it in the author’s note, but My Ex’s Best Friend by Machine Gun Kelly is the entire reason that then you showed up… exists.
Like honestly the line “I swear to god I never fall in love” just STUCK IN MY BRAIN as a very Mamoru-ish sentiment and I had to explore it. With instalove semi-blind-date hijinks.
10. Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic; etc):
Probably have to go with finishing day 6 (Reunion) of UsaMamo week this year (We Do This Every Time). I basically knew what I wanted to do with it as soon as the prompts dropped, but actually whipping it into shape and getting it to be near the level I envisioned it took me longer than I hoped it would!! Was very proud to get that monster off my TBW list 🤣
11. Do you have any writing goals for the next year?
I would like to refill my tank, tbh. As I mentioned above, it’s been a rough year and in many ways I’m running on fumes - and I do think that’s been reflected in my writing (or lack thereof) in this back half of the year.
So in an ideal world, I’d like to have the time and bandwidth to feel excited about writing again. And maybe also make some progress on Close to Home.
————
As always, I would love to see some other people do these! I’m not going to tag anyone, but if you see this and want to participate, consider yourself tapped in.
Cheers to the end of 2022!! May 2023 be a gentle and healthy year for you and yours 😘
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kn1felady · 1 year
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If you want to read QUITE POSSIBLY THE BEST WRITING I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!! then I highly suggest reading Dermabrasion by Pennydaniels.
It’s an incredibly popular fanfic so I’m not surprised if most have read this already but the final chapter just posted today and I legitimately cried my eyes out.
The link is at the bottom (sorry about the shitty formatting)
Here is the comment I left on the chapter:
Words cannot explain how much I loved this fanfiction. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I bawled my eyes out by the end of this chapter. No writing before this (even in published works of fiction) has ever made me feel such a wide range of emotions - the most prevalent being content. I love how it didn’t end with the “happily ever after”, but with so many threads that still can be pulled. The best way to describe this ending was bittersweet. It was just…perfect, honestly.
I loved Natsuo’s whole storyline and how he used this trip as a way to escape from heartbreak. I also found it refreshing for a relationship to just…end. Things like that happen. I wasn’t expecting dabi and Hawks to split (how could they??) and thought Haru and Fuyumi was unlikely, so I thought this choice was a great idea.
Fuyumi is one of my favourite characters in this fic because even if she doesn’t always significantly affect the “over-arching” story in the manga/anime, in this she does and it’s given justice. She’s truly the heart of the todosibs. I liked how she was given her time to shine in this chapter, dealing with all the realistic adult issues she would.
Dabi is always fantastic. His one liners always make me exhale through my nose (even chuckle at times!!!) but what I love most is his ability to get vulnerable and, inexplicably, profound. His relationship with hawks was one of my favourite parts of this story and knowing that they’re happy together, even considering marriage, just clenches my heart a tad. A truly understated part was “ Dabi muttered before he turned to Hawks and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.” I’m pretty sure (if my memory serves correctly) that this is the first instant of “romantic” physical intimacy. Seeing how Dabi went from being unable to stand casual touch and the idea of sex with another person, the fact that they’re so comfortable with eachother shows their growth. And I also love the time dedicated to Hawks’ own traumas. One of the first times I genuinely shed a tear for this chapter was when I read: “ And if he walked the Todosibs to the lift and stayed watching the numbers go down and long after for far longer than necessary or appropriate that was his own secret to keep.” Again, I’m not really sure how to explain it aside from how my heart ached for him. Like, I’m happy that this fictional character now has someone to hold and, in extension, a family of his own, but there’s also a part of me that pities him. Does that make sense? Maybe not. It feels like he’s in disbelief with how lucky he is…when he should’ve had it all in the first place.
And that moves me onto Shouto.
Shouto took a bit of a backseat (haha) in this chapter which I…actually don’t mind. This fic started with him alone but now it ended with him accompanied by the people he loves most. He has always been my favourite character for reasons I don’t really know why. The way you write him makes him so much more loveable in so many different aspects. Whilst he may not talk a lot in this chapter, I love how he’s always in the background doing something. I like knowing that he doesn’t have to force himself into discomfort and he can just be. The part that broke my heart a little was: “Sometimes this happened, he was randomly hit by happiness. It could be a little frightening in its intensity sometimes and the fact that (like all intense emotions) it never stayed.” It reminded me of one of the earlier chapters when he left Mina’s party and wanted to shout out that he could be happy. Like Hawks, it makes my heart ache but in a way that I don’t mind. I’m glad he’s happy, with my whole being.
The ending was just the cherry on top. To be perfectly honest, I was expecting a conversation between Shouto and Dabi as the final send off but…I’m not too bothered anymore. They’ve been the central focus within this story and so it doesn’t feel out of place for us to be left with the knowledge that they are just that: Dabi and Shouto. Shouto and Touya. The (I’m assuming) Naruto reference was perfect and added the bittersweet ending I think we all were expecting. It had been a while since the last Naruto reference so it really was a blast from the past!! And the cameo from class 1A was always going to be comedically perfect too!! (as well as the League…who could forget them?? I didn’t even know that I wanted them to find out who Dani’s secret boyfriend was!)
I think what I like most about this fanfiction is how contained it is. It didn’t have to be that massive fiery showdown between Dabi and Endeavor, or a melodrama between Hawks and Dabi. Instead, it’s the complicated mess of relationships and how trauma can be healed. I love the title too; “dermabrasion”. I have to be honest, I had no idea what that meant about a year and a half ago when I first started to read this. But now, especially after finishing it, I’m in awe of how aptly named this is. Dermabrasion doesn’t have to be harsh and quick, it’s the slow healing of skin.
In the thoughts of Natsuo: There in the glow of the little bonfire they made Natsuo felt like… well he felt good. And that was it. Simple.
I’m just so happy they’re all okay now.
I am one of four siblings myself - I’m in Natsuo’s position as the second youngest - and so I feel like the reason I was so emotional reading this final chapter is because I can resonate so well with the Todosibs. It’s currently the winter holidays so for the first time in around 7 months it’s been all my siblings back together again. My two older sisters were both away at university and my younger brother and I were slowly getting on each others nerves. Being together all of us again made me happy. Simple. And it’s weird because we’re finally at an age where we can just be friends now. There’s fewer petty squabbling and I can talk to them as if they /are/ just my friends. One of my sisters is going back to uni tomorrow and I’m sharing my room with the other, and I genuinely feel like I’ll miss them all the more.
Anyway, I commend you if you read all this way (yes, I know it’s really ramble-y) but I just couldn’t think of a way to otherwise express how much I loved going through this journey. I feel eternally grateful for you creating something as truly heartfelt, painstakingly perfect, and beautiful as this. If you ever decide to write something as amazing as this, I’ll be sure to follow every step of the way.
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books-and-catears · 3 years
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Okay so I've been thinking of writing this for a while now. (Spoiler alert for chapter 16-20)
After MC is brought back to life, everyone approaches them as Lilith. And everyone seems to be all over them as if they weren't just almost killed by Belphie.
So MC feels uncomfortable over this whole thing. Not only do they feel like a replacement for Lilith but they can't even tell anyone about the trauma of almost dying cause they are demons, they can't possibly sympathize with human fragility. Well maybe one of them can.
The only brother who didn't know Lilith firsthand. The only brother who has spent centuries studying humans and reading all about their emotions.
Satan.
Tags: Angst, Hurt, Comfort
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Only You
GN! Reader X Satan
"Ah MC...It seems you have only a week more left in Devildom." Lucifer announced in the middle of breakfast.
Everyone paused and stared blankly. Even Beel stopped chewing and put down his sandwich. You smiled, "Ah I was guessing it might be. Thank you for confirming, Lucifer."
One more week and then you could stop pretending to be okay. One more week of being Lilith. One more week of holding in your trauma. You smiled at the thought of being free of it all.
Everyone around looked dejected. Mammon was the first to break the silence, "Oi! You both are kidding right?!" Lucifer shook his head sternly.
"Ah how unfair! It seems only yesterday we met MC!" Asmo piped in.
"B-but we have so many animes left to finish in our watchlist, MC! And so many games we're still waiting for release!" Levi whined.
"So we can not have MC's cooking anymore?" Beel asked sadly.
"I barely got enough time with them! And you all are complaining?!" Belphie said, annoyed.
Satan was still silent. You looked at him only to find him staring right at you. You blush and look down, picking at your food. No matter how many times he did that, you still couldn't get used to it.
"You must have missed home a lot MC. Happy to go back?" Satan asked softly into your ear. You nodded slightly.
Then you felt your chest tighten. You did want to leave but that would mean no more Satan. You wanted to open up to him. If there was anyone among the brother's who could understand you - it was him.
After breakfast was over you stopped everyone before they left for class.
"Um..since it's my last week here, I have a request on how I want to spend it." You announced. All the brothers nodded and stared attentively.
"I will spend one whole day with each of you individually. And the order will be Beel, Belphie, Lucifer, Mammon, Levi, Asmo and Satan. Is everyone okay with this?"
Everyone shared confused glances at the sudden statement but obliged never the less.
The rest of the week flashed by and soon it was your last day. Satan's day.
You woke up early that day, already prepping his parting gift. A bookmark made of dried flowers, with two petals on top shaped like cat ears, inside your favourite book from the human world.
"MC? Are you awake?" Satan called out, after knocking on the door.
You were still dressed in your flimsy pajamas but who cares? You ever going to leave tomorrow anyway. You put on some cat ears and called out, "Come in Satan!"
"Good morning MC, I think you'll like what I've planned for-" Satan stopped in mid speech. His eyes widening at the attire that did a fine job of wrapping around your body seductively.
"Good morning...sorry I was too busy to freshen up haha.." You apologize. "Wait for me here, it'll only take me a few minutes."
Satan nodded, hiding his blush behind his golden locks falling all over his cheeks as he lowered his head. You sighed. How was he so beautiful early morning?
Satan held out his arm like the gentleman he was as you prepared to leave for your date. "Take my arm, MC. We have lots of places to be."
You chuckled and did as told. "I can hardly wait."
You spent the day as if you were in a Romance novel. Cat Cafe, the bookstore, walking in the park watching the setting sun, holding hands. Satan really knew the ways to your heart.
After the sun set, you returned to the house of Lamentation.
"Would you like to come to my room later? We could read your favourite book together one last time before you leave?" Satan requested, his fingers still interlocked with yours.
"Yes..." You nodded, "I was going to ask you the same..."
"I'll be waiting." Satan said, walking you to your room and reluctantly letting go.
After dinner when everyone was asleep, you sneaked into his room. He was wide awake, waiting. He was sitting in his bed in only his black t-shirt and jeans, reading a book. The room was dark with only candles providing enough light to read. He looked up when you called for him softly.
"Satan I'm here...sorry for making you wait.." You said sheepishly.
His eyes lit up and he held out his hand for you to take. "Come sit with me."
You joined him on the bed. He swiftly put an arm around you, holding you snug against him. You could smell his scent and feel his breath on your cheek.
"I got something for you. It's not much but.." You handed Satan your gift.
"A gift? For me?" Satan saw the cover of the book and flipped to where the bookmark was. "That's... beautiful. Thank you MC I can't believe you'd- wait what's this?"
He fished out a long strip of stray paper in the middle of the pages beside the bookmark.
You remembered what it was and tried to snatch it away. How did this even get in there?! What the hell?! "IT'S NOTHING!", You scream
Satan smirked as he held it beyond your reach and started reading it. "A poem for Satan? That doesn't seem like nothing MC."
You tried getting up to gain better access to snatch the paper from him. "DON'T READ IT I SWEAR IT'S NOT SOMETHING SERIOUS. I WAS JUST BEING SILLY!"
Satan tightened his grip on your waist and started reading it out loud to your utter humiliation. You struggled in his grip, gave up and hid your face instead. He stopped midway.
"You read it to me." He demanded.
"Like hell I will!" You rebutted.
"Please." He splayed out his fingers on your back holding you close. His locks tickling your nose.
"N-no. It's embarrassing. I can't-" You started but he looked so dejected you gave in. "Fine but you have to look away from me."
Satan swiftly turned his face away and nodded. You cleared your throat nervously and started.
"Dear blonde boy with the sea in his eyes,
I'll be gone soon, so I'm done with the lies,
I've liked you for a long long time,
But it's too late to impose now, so I guess it's fine?"
"You see me for me, like I see you for you,
Everyone else, they just put me in her shoes,
But these shoes don't fit, they're not mine
And I'm sick of having to toe this line."
"But with you, I'm better, I'm more like myself,
And I can't thank you enough for all your help,
For your kindness, smiles and touch,
You always save me when it gets too much."
You stop. The next part of the poem feels like oversharing. Maybe you should have talked to him about this first. He squeezes your arm, asking you to continue.
"Satan I should explain this-"
"I know. I've known this for a while. But I want to hear this first please continue."
Shakily, you continued.
"I feel his fingers on my throat, unforgiving and unkind,
Help it's getting dark...am I going blind?
I let out a tiny scream with whatever voice I have left,
You're the only one here who didn't turn deaf."
"So replace his touch with yours, with your fingers so gentle and nice,
Hold me, warm me, I feel as cold as ice,
I wish I was a kitten, in your care,
You may be full of wrath, but I was never scared."
"But I'll be gone soon, I don't want to return,
But for you my bookworm, my heart will yearn,
Blonde boy with eyes of sea,
One last time, will you kiss me?"
You had barely finished when Satan spun around and cupped your face. He peppered some kisses on your lips, going upto your ear. He nipped at your earlobe and you let out a soft gasp. His face felt warm and flushed.
He placed his head against yours and sighed. "I can't get enough of you. How do I hold myself back when you're showering me with this much love and that too so beautifully?"
He wrapped his arms around you protectively. You instinctively buried your face in his chest and put your arms around his torso.
"You don't need to hold back..." You whisper.
Satan stiffens. "MC, you don't know what you're asking for."
You hold him tighter, lifting your head you place kisses on his jaw and nibble on his shoulder. "I know."
"Then I won't hold back any longer" He says, slowly pushing you down against his pillows.
He reached down and removed your slippers off your feet. "A part of me suspected you might feel this way. But you're not Lilith. You never will be and you don't have to pretend to be. You're MC. And that's all you need to be."
You looked away, outside at the moon. "Tell me honestly...if I didn't have Lilith's bloodline, would you all care the same way?"
Satan held your chin and turned your face towards him. He may never have been an angel but awash in this silvery moonlight, he certainly looked like one.
"Remember when I told you how much I hated being a part of Lucifer? And you told me that I'm my own person. You told me there was more to me than my wrath."
"Of course." You reached out to hold his face. "You're the smartest demon I know. And your love for cats and literature is unparalleled."
"Well then you're the only human who has swayed my heart. The human so strong and capable enough to bring a semblance for harmony to a dysfunctional family of demons." He smiled gently, running his fingers in your hair.
You felt warm inside. Atleast there was someone who liked you for you. You were so happy you could cry.
"As for what Belphie did, I made sure you never really alone with him." Satan said, now intertwining his fingers with yours. You give him a questioning glance.
"Remember the book of defense spells I gave you? I cast one on you whenever he's in the vicinity. It will render him useless if he dare attack you." He said, matter of factly.
"You knew...? But I never told anyone." You said, confused.
"I know. You held it in for our sake didn't you? You repressed it so much. I can't imagine what kind of hurt you went through." Satan's fingers tightened around yours.
"But one night, you fell asleep in the library. I went to put a blanket on you when I heard you mumbling for help. You kept saying it hurts and you can't breathe. And then you said Belphie's name and asked him to stop hurting you."
"I was so furious I rushed straight to the twins room. I was going to yank Belphie out of bed and renact what he did to you. But Beel woke up and stopped me. I told everyone in the morning before Belphie woke up. You've never been alone with Belphie ever since. One of us always stayed nearby."
You listened in utter shock. "You...you were protecting me all this time?"
Satan nodded, "Well I can't take all the credit. My brother's helped too. But just know that you're not a replacement for Lilith. And Belphie's an ass who doesn't know how to apologize. I'm sorry you had to go through that alone. I know it's your last night here, MC... so I'll make this one worth remembering."
You smiled and pulled Satan towards you for a kiss. "I'm glad I saved the best for last."
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blue-pastel-cat · 3 years
Text
Xiaobedo Fanfic Recommendation
Welcome to my personal “if you are new to xiaobedo peeps please read these” list. As said before this is my personal list so please feel free to reblog/comment/hit me for not including any gem here. I might miss a lot of them because I am drunk or blind. (mostly have them on my to read and then forgot as I am being assault by real life shit).
I would like to say first that so far there are 150+ Xiaobedo fics on Ao3. I can’t review all of them but I can say that I have read a majority of them. Most of them are just pure love and I would like nothing more than a thousands thank you for all the fic writers who spent their free time writting these gems for us to read for free. But these...these takes the cake as it finds a special landing spot in my heart that I would just thrust them into someone’s hand if they say “I am new to this ship can you recommend me?”
1. Orange dust by bobamilkteas (Wes)
In which Xiao learns to open himself up to the world a little more after the collapse of Rex lapis's contracts but it was not always easy for a soul doomed to eternal damnation. Meanwhile, Albedo liked to tempt fate where the extraordinary are concerned.
If only the traveler's comrades are made of saner bunch.
Comment: Long ago when I like both Albedo and Xiao as a character, I was wondering hmmm....will anyone actually even write about them lmao they never met each other. I am surprise to see this one as the 3rd fic in the whole 3 Xiaobedo fic on Ao3 (yeah back when there’s literally only 3 fic for this couple). I was like I’ll read it for the curiosity, I’ll probably won’t ship them. And that people is how I put my clown make up on my face upon finishing reading it. This ONE fic alone convert me into a devotee of Xiaobedo. Please consider joining me in this circus if you want to know what is Xiaobedo. I would put this as the first of my “Big 3″
Orange Dust also come with its compliation of short stories over the course of the game and a big sequel to it. Please also consider reading ALL OF THEM.
2. Solar Wind by birdpriestess (Sparrow)
For the yaksha, his duty was his life, and his life was his duty. No human could ever hope to understand the eternal war he fought out of sight and in silence.
So why, then, did he feel that Albedo would understand?
---
Finding himself at death's door once more, Xiao is saved by a surprising person, setting off the unlikeliest of adventures.
Comment: Do you like crying? Do you like the feeling of getting your heart ripped into pieces as the author destroy your emotions over the end of each chapter as the story picked up the climax? Yeah, this one is for you masochists. The action, the characterisation, the drama THE EMOTIONS OH WOW. I kid you not that it was so good I read this while workinng when I am not suppose to me. Also, this fic has my favourite characterisation of Gold ever. I love that dramatic queen Mad Alchemist. AND DAIN. I LOVE DAIN IN THIS FIC. Our dearest Sparrow manage to toy with our feelings like how I bully ruin guard for big numbers lmao. This is the secound of “Big 3″ of my Xiaobedo list.
Again, just like Orange Dust, Solar Wind comes with its own compliation of short stories of what came after that. Please also consider reading ALL OF THEM.
3. Castle of Glass by AlchemicalStardust (Morgie) 
A black shadow rises over Huaguang Stone Forest. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Albedo flees the shaking ground and the crash of boulders tumbling form the sky. As the dust settles, Albedo finds a young man – an Adeptus – amidst the carnage. Despite the karmic agony ripping his body from the inside, Xiao’s only question is “How?” How did a human survive after witnessing his battle?
Comment: The last of the “Big 3″ of my Xiaobedo list. And it is still on going! Castle of Glass? More like I AM IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTIONS! Have you read a fic about 2 people yearning, longing, reaching out for each other so damn well that you just want to throw your phone in the air as they both had their impending doom coming down upon them? Yeah this is one of them. You will like want to be stuck in the moment they express how much they just yearn for each other’s love and care that you want to shake the author for what comes next. Like...everytime Morgie update I am expressing my gratitude at the end of the chapter by writing on Xiaobedo discord “MORGIE COME HERE AND LET ME BONK YOU WHY ARE YOU ENDING IT THERE”
trust me when you read you will def feel the same. With just Big 3 and their compliation alone that would give you like a LONG list of reading already LMAOOOOOOO
4. Find a place to call it home  by yamajiroo 
Our room, he said. Xiao’s brow twitches. Zhongli never said anything about this. But then again, perhaps he should anticipate this from the beginning...
Xiao looks over at Albedo, who is now tilting his head, his look as innocent as ever.
“Are you not okay with sharing a room?”
Comment: College AU for Xiaobedo! One thing that I love this is the slow burn and what made me LOVE LOVE LOVE this fic more is how cute Klee is in this fic. Their relationship in this one is very simple, but that simplicity highlight why their chemistry work. Xiao is someone who was just very gentle, who was largely misunderstood by his lonesome nature. Albedo was someone who like peace and quite in his introvert bubble. And how they respect that bubble that each other has actually made their relationship work. I love it when fic highlight this and this one captures it.
5. I Can't See Your Face From the Other Side of the Classroom by MissWeaver  
When Albedo and Xiao unexpectedly start eating lunch together, they begin to find that they have more in common than anyone would have realized. They both struggle in their own ways with blossoming feelings, too many assignments, and annoying classmates as they navigate a relationship for the first time.
Comment: I’ll be honest, I usually hate high school au just because its so cliche. I don’t even watch and drama/anime surrounds high school student anymore LMAOOO (unless it’s very good). So if there’s an high school AU that I actually keep come back and read after a couple of chapters, it means that the cliche that I hate wasn’t there or barely was there at all. The pinning in this fic makes me want to bang their head together sometimes LMAOOO The tag wasn’t kidding when they said both Xiao and Albedo are bad at feelings. Also that’s a lot of heart broken caused by these two idiots XD
6. new world, same me, same bullshit  by  bobamilkteas (Wes)
At the belly of Dragonspine, Albedo lost control to the festering corruption that permeated his senses and watched, from the recesses of his mind, as his devoured body turned his allies into enemies. Before his rampage reached its climax, he is sealed in a crystalized confinement by the last hand of Reindottir, where he then reawakens centuries after, in a rebooted Teyvat.
Comment: Yeah I know it was list in Orange Dust but here me out. This sets out in an entirely different universe. And if you like Polyamory, this one has Zhongli joining the duo and I love it because I also love ZhongXiao with my life. Time Travel is my biggest kink. Especially when I am the person who love it when people explore Archon War era/ Alatus!Xiao. So this one hits double of my kink. Of course it is still on going and I will bully Wes whenever I can to see that new chapter. Albedo is a total fucking badass in this story and I completely agree from using him in Abyss so often. Everyone should write badass Albedo.
7. misplaced heart of mine by  inkburn           
“If you are ill, then you should be resting at home. In Mondstadt.” He emphasized Mondstadt with a pointed look in his direction.
“I assure you I won’t be troublesome, Adeptus Xiao,” Albedo said, “You’ll find I���m a rather low-maintenance traveler.”
“Travel,” Xiao scoffed, “without airstep?”
Albedo looked him up and down. “Are your legs just for decoration?”
(albedo is sent to liyue on mandatory vacation. xiao is his unfortunate bodyguard.)
Comment: Most of the time you will see Albedo and Xiao starting their relationship with one of them taking interest in another. But this one took another approach, they starting off by make them hating each other’s guts LMAOOOO and I live for every second of it. There’s only 1 chapter so far but wow it was SOOO GOOD. I am really really excited for next chapter and is waiting patiently ;w;
8.  Blossom of Grace  by birdpriestess  
One day in Liyue Harbor, Albedo watches a street performance by an enigmatic dancer named Xiao. And he becomes completely obsessed.
Comment: Have you ever look at Xiao fight and thinking that he’s one of the most beautiful deadly thing ever? How it was like he was dancing around the battlefield? How about actual dancer Xiao being so absolutely beautiful and perfect and that slow burn of Albedo falling in love with that beauty with a touch of Modern AU and cute Ganyu as the Wing woman. Yes, Sparrow delivers yet again another beautiful slow burn and while it’s still ongoing it is worth the read.
9. i think we could make this work (could get used to this) by outspaced               
“Xiao? What are you doing out here?”
“I—”
“It’s raining,” Albedo says, as if it isn’t obvious. “You could get struck by lightning.”
“What are you doing out here then?” Xiao does the only thing he knows how to do, he challenges Albedo. “It’s raining.”
Albedo just hums. “If I get struck by lightning, it’s for science.”
Comment: A short one-shot where I read the summary and went “This is it... this is their relationship.” I am sold immediately. Oh god Albedo why are you like this.
10. Ephemeral by criedprinz        
“It’s not for your investigation, is it?” Aether asked mildly.
Albedo traced a finger around the sketchbook, considering the question. “No,” he admitted finally. “I... I just want to see them again.”
He opened the sketchbook to reveal the drawing he’d just finished. Aether nodded, clearly recognizing the sharp golden eyes.
“Xiao,” he said. “You were rescued by an adeptus.”
When a visit to Dragonspine goes horribly wrong, Albedo is rescued by an unknown stranger, wielding powers he's never heard of. Led on a search to find out who it is, he finds himself in the middle of an unforgettable encounter..
Comment: A really really well written one-shot that I love. The yearning oh godddd the yearning from Albedo side is just so so much that I have to put it here. (I think you can see the trend here lmao. I am a sucker for yearning). And the moment they get to meet each other again is just chef kiss. MWHAA
11. Idle Yaksha, Brilliant Yaksha by Pit0fTheEarth
Alatus didn’t have a lot of responsibilities to keep. He spent most of his days dancing across the sky and eating away all nightmares that plagued a person’s sleep.
But one fortunate encounter led to too many unfortunate ones, taking his carefree existence and plunging it in darkness. His wings, stripped from him. His gentle touch, replaced by an unforgiving grip of destruction.
There was a lot of blood on his hands. With each passing moment, it became harder for Alatus to recall the last time someone gently held him.
Comment: This is one of the ongoing fic where I am very very much excited on the take of Naberius. And the way the author portray Xiao when he’s still the innocent Alatus is just *clench fist*. Baby ;w; Baby why do you have to lose all that innocence. Also the fic has long LONG flashback to Xiao past and his relationship with Naberius. We are unwielding more what happened to both of them and why perhaps does this have to do with Albedo.
That’s it for now, might add more later! Thank you <3
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acourtofsnakes · 3 years
Text
Ret'urcye Mhi - Rogue, Chapter 7 | The Mandalorian x Force Sensitive! Reader (F)
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Summary: Can things go back to normal after the Mandalorian saw you break down? Or have walls been torn down that can’t be replaced?
Warnings: Light swearing, I don’t want to give it away but no smut but… a ‘moment’ with some certainly hot thoughts and pining but nothing heavy though, reader has a back tattoo, let me know if I forgot anything!
AN: I have brought in Cara Dune in this, and she will be a frequent character. I by no means condone what Gina Carano did, and I am pleased and relieved that she is gone. However, I do like her character, as many others do. She IS only mentioned in this one briefly but will be a main character in a few future chapters. 
Also, Readers tattoo is loosely based on this design!(link)  I’m not sure who the exact creator is, but it was posted by Urban Threads on Pinterest, but if you know, please tell me! ❤️
Word Count: 8231
As always, credit to whoever owns the gif. I usually find them on Google or Pinterest, so message me if it’s yours ♥︎
Rogue Taglist:  @snipskixandbeskar   @weirdowithnobeardo @the-bottom-of-the-abyss​ @jackgrzs
Rogue Masterlist | Introduction| 1: Solus| 2: Arir | 3: Tor | 4: Gaa'tayl | 5: Kyr’am | 6: Cabur | 7: Ret'urcye Mhi |
Mando’a Translation: Ret'urcye mhi - Goodbye
Neither of you mentioned that afternoon. 
It hadn’t come up in the 3 days since, and it hadn’t come up today. You made sure of it. 
Every time Mando looked at you, and you just felt he was going to mention it, you’d change the subject. Or just walk away. You didn’t need to have that conversation with him. You couldn’t have that conversation with him. Or anyone. 
The Mandalorian had sat there, holding you for the hours it took for you to cry yourself out. When the shuddering sobs had given way to hitched breaths and a numb stare, he’d still sat there. Rubbing your back in gentle circles, in time with Duru’s tail gently swaying over your arm. He hadn’t uttered a single word either, just letting you break down in his arms. 
When the quiet ambiance of the ship and the pressure of his hand had lulled you into sleep, he’d carried you to his bed – well, the narrow cot that jutted out from the wall in what was supposed to be the medical area. He’d given up his sleeping compartment to Grogu a long time ago, to keep the little creature warm and safe. 
He’d laid you in, covering you with the blanket and then one more that he pulled out from a unit. 
You were asleep, so you hadn’t seen the way his gloved fingers gently brushed back the hair from your tear flushed cheeks, the way they’d lingered for a moment as he’d looked down at the soft strands gliding over his fingers. You hadn’t felt the way he’d frozen when a sudden want crashed through him, to yank off his gloves and run his bare hands through your hair, feel the silkiness and the texture for himself. 
And you also wouldn’t have noticed the way his breathing went ragged for a moment and he’d lurched back, stumbling away so quickly he nearly overturned a box on his way out of the door. 
Your sleep hadn’t remained easy. Only a few hours later, you had woken up screaming, unsure of where you were, why you were on a thin cot that smelled like metal and smoke and something distinctly unique and almost like sandalwood. It was somehow comforting, soothing. You had inhaled the scent, trying to calm down your pounding heard and regain control of your breathing.  
It was only when you could suck in a full breath that you realised where you were, who’s bed this was. 
A feeling of gratefulness had crashed over you, only to be immediately wiped out by shame. You had broken down in front of him, spat such awful, awful things to his face.
And when you heard footsteps outside the compartment door, the husky baritone of his voice as he called out your name softly, you’d gone still. Like you were back on the run, mere inches away from a hunter and one move would mean disaster. 
He’d lingered, you could see by the shadows of his feet under the tiny gap at the bottom of the door. A wild thought had come to you, that he had his hand pressed to the door and you could just.. open it. Open it and let him come in, let him carry the burden of your nightmares and your feelings even If it was just for a little while. You could share some of those plaguing thoughts that you’d unleashed today. And he would listen. You didn’t know him that well, but you knew him enough to be confident he would sit there, let you talk. He knew what it was like to be alone, to have emotions and worries that you had no choice to bear yourself. 
The temptation was so strong, you craved that contact and connection so much that you were halfway across the room before your snarling argument came back in full technicolour. The things you’d said to him. The appalling way you’d acted. 
No.
You couldn’t see him. You couldn’t face him after that. After what you had said and the way you had cracked. You shook your head firmly, waiting until you heard a sigh so soft you might have imagined it and retreating footsteps. 
It was only then you that you returned to the bed, pulling the twin blankets up high over your shoulders. 
You’d deal with seeing him in the morning, but for now, all you could do was bury your face in the thin pillow and try not to notice how it smelt like him.
Something had changed between the two of you since that afternoon. He had glimpsed a part of you that you normally kept perfectly hidden, even from yourself. 
You were on your way to another bounty, one of the last couple of pucks that Mando had left. 
Mando had mentioned it was a hot, desert planet and he’d prefer it if you stayed in the ship with Grogu. It’d be far too hot for the little guy out there. You had obliged happily, more than fine to stay in. You didn’t like to be too hot, it made you uncomfortable and agitated. 
The cockpit was quiet, a peaceful silence had descended upon it as Mando flew the ship. 
You’d found yourself drawn to watching his hands lately. There was something… oddly soothing about it. Watching him work the controls, hold Grogu, clean his weapons. 
You wondered if he missed the sensation of touch, and then wondered if yours and the kids presence here made it harder for him. Meant he had less chances to take off his armour and be free of it. 
Of course, that had then led you onto the thought of wondering if he slept naked when he was alone. 
The thought of him lying there, nothing hiding him, separating him from the world. 
The thin blankets sliding over the body you knew was toned, yet soft enough in all the right places. 
It made your mouth a little dry, your cheeks a little pink and you struggled to find something else to think about. 
Your eyes drifted to his hands again, remembering the sound of the gloves being drawn off the other night. 
They were mesmerising, agile, and you couldn’t stop thinking about them in your hair, on your skin. 
Stars above, get a grip, girl. 
You mentally scolded yourself for these thoughts, trying to steer your damned imagination onto something more appropriate. 
Luckily, your saviour came in the form of Mando himself. He tilted his head back slightly, enough for you to know he was talking to you, “What’s your favourite planet? Or one you’d like to visit?” 
The question surprised you, you had to admit. You weren’t used to people asking about your likes and dislikes. You smiled though, perhaps this was his gentle way to break any tension left over. “Hmm… I think… I’d have to say the planet I’d like to visit most... either Hoth or Coruscant.”
Mando laughed, that gorgeous rough, honey laugh, “Okay, Coruscant I can understand, but Hoth? Really?”
You pouted at the back of his head, “Yes!! It sounds beautiful.”
The Mandalorian laughed more, “Beautiful? Sweetheart, it’s covered in ice. It’s freezing there. All you would see is ice and snow… and more ice and more snow.”
You scowled at him now, throwing the leftover wrapper of Grogu’s cookies at his helmet, “And? Snow and ice are stunning. They’re powerful and strong. I’ve only ever been in a proper snowfall once, and I fell in love. The way the flakes float down and.. dance even if there’s the faintest breeze. And then when they land on your skin or your eyelashes like little cold kisses… The sound it makes under your boots when you walk on a fresh fall. And it softens everything, makes it easier on your eyes to see across the landscape… it’s quiet, muffled… Besides, I like the cold.”
Little did you know, Mando was grinning like an idiot under his helmet, adoring the way you defend it to him, the way you describe something as simple as ice and snow. “You like the cold, huh? Then why are you always grumbling that the heating is broken?” The teasing lilt to his voice was evident, so animated and content, compared to his usual cooler, calm silence.
You opened your mouth, then closed it again. “That is… completely irrelevant.” You looked at the back of his head, “What about you? If my choices are so hilarious.”
The Mandalorian made a thoughtful noise, “I wouldn’t say there’s one place in particular… But… there’s a few sanctuary planets dotted around. Places with really pretty, dense forests where you could walk for days and not spot anyone else. They’re protected and safe, no dangerous animals or anything allowed… literally sanctuaries. I’d like to take Grogu there… let him wander and have fun and eat things he shouldn’t without having to look over my shoulder.” 
It was the most you’d ever heard him speak in one go, and there was a tenderness in his voice that brought tears to your eyes. This man truly loved his little green adoptive son and would do anything for him. “That sounds... stunning. I’ve heard of those planets and always wondered what they were like...” 
He made a hum of agreement, fingers working over the control panel as he put it in autopilot. “One day…” He turned around in his chair, “What about your favourite colour?” 
You moved to sit cross-legged in the seat, defying the concept of a chair. “Blue. Darker blues, like a midnight blue.” You swayed your chair from side to side slightly, “Actually, the same colour as the cloak you got me. So well done, kudo’s for you.”
Mando leant back in his own chair, tapping the side of his helmet before resting his hands on his thighs again. “This thing lets me read minds; you know.”
You began pulling the pins from your hair, “Mmhm, and I can fly.” You raise an eyebrow at him, grinning. 
He chuckled, watching you intently behind the helmet though you wouldn’t know that, watching every pin get removed from holding up your hair, “It wouldn’t surprise me at this point, princess.” He tapped his thighs absently, “You wanna know the real secret?”
You nodded, reaching in for a pin that had become stuck deep in your hair, the last one. “Surprise me.” Got it. You yanked the pin out, letting your hair fall down and your fingers through it. You sighed a little in relief as you rubbed your fingertips against your scalp, chasing away any tightness from the day. 
Mando didn’t say anything. He was too distracted, to struck into silence by the sight of your hair. 
The light from the ship and coming in through the windows turned some of the strands to gold, igniting them with that fire that blazed within you – and that he’d been on the receiving end. 
His hands tightened over his thighs, because he was overtaken by a craving, a need to remove your hands and feel your hair for himself. 
It wasn’t the first time he’d had these thoughts. 
Fuck, he’d been having these thoughts since he first saw you. He just hadn’t realised them until that night he’d nearly lost his life and woken up to you passed out on his chest. 
He’d frozen, even his breathing stopping as he felt the warm weight of you, even though the armour. 
He couldn’t bear to move you, to take away that pressure, the closeness of another human that he had missed for so long. 
So, he hadn’t. He left you there. Spent hours watching you sleep, the warmth of your breath slightly fogging up the armour on his chest. 
“Lori? Anyone in there?” You tilted your head, watching the man before you that was staring at you intently, his breathing somewhat ragged. 
He startled slightly, coming back to himself, “Huh?”
You chuckled, “Where did you go? I was waiting for you to knock me off my feet with your revelation.”
He made a noise, “Uh… I.. actually can’t remember...” He tugged at his glove, an odd gesture so at odds with his usual confident demeanour. 
You tilted your head, still smiling a little, “Are you okay?”
Luckily, he was saved from answering by the beeping of the controls behind him. 
You’d arrived at the planet. 
~
It was hot. 
Beyond hot. 
The air was warm, the water was warm, you were warm. 
And already awake, having just calmed your breathing down from another nightmare, when you heard Grogu, his little coos and gurgled filtering down the hall to you. 
The poor little creature had probably woken up from the heat. You had been on this desert planet for a couple of days, opting to stay in and look after the Child whilst Mando hunted down the bounty. The days here were scorching, a dry heat that sucked the life from you immediately. Even the nights were hot, unlike normal freezing desert nights. 
Mando had returned this evening, panting from the heat after coming up from the carbonite chamber. “I swear it’s getting hotter out there.”
The cooling system on the Crest was just as temperamental as the heating, so it wasn’t exactly cool in here. The metal floors, which were normally always chilled, were warm underfoot. Mando had let you keep his room, and it was just as hot, being contained in with itself, so you’d been sleeping with the doors open. 
Not that it made a dent. Every single closed space was like a heat trap, especially Grogu’s little compartment. So, no wonder he had woken up. 
You stretched, then slipped from the cot and made your way to Grogu.
It didn’t take long to settle him, he was all tuckered out from the games you’d been playing today, so after patting his skin with a cool cloth, he had fallen back under. 
You were now at the small ‘kitchen’ area in the ship, washing out the cloth. You huffed, splashing some water on your wrists and pulling out the pin that was holding up your hair, and falling out. Grogu had a habit of tugging the ends of your hair in his little fist. 
You’d taken to wearing a thin floaty dress to bed, one you’d picked up in that market before it had turned into a horror show. The material was gauzy, allowing the heat to escape your body without it sticking to your clammy skin. What helped enormously was the large cut out in the back. It secured at the back of your neck, and then fell open, exposing almost your whole back before joining again at the base of your spine. 
It was probably the flimsiest, most sinful thing you’d ever worn, but it was gorgeous and hey, it did the job. 
You rolled your shoulders, pressing the cool cloth to your neck and you couldn’t help the sigh that escaped your lips and you could have sworn you heard a sizzle. 
Footsteps behind you startled you, breaking you from your reverie, and then Mando’s voice filtered through the silence, “Are you okay?”
You turned around, smiling when you saw him because he was still in all his armour… not that you were surprised. He must have been boiling though, under all those heavy layers. 
You nodded, lifting the cloth from your neck, “The kid was awake, but I settled him down, he was really warm.”  
His head was covered, naturally, so you wouldn’t have seen the way his eyes followed a bead of water rolling down your neck, and the unbidden thought of his tongue catching it “Thank you for seeing to him, I didn’t hear..” 
Weird. Normally he was so attuned to Grogu, hearing him before he even woke up if you were sitting together. Maybe he was tired, from his hunting. 
What you didn’t know, couldn’t know, was that he had been staring at the ceiling for the 3rd night in a row. Having thoughts that he should not be having, his body yearning for things it shouldn’t. 
You shook your head, still smiling and turned back to the sink area, “It’s no worries, I was awake anyway so… And you’ve been hunting. You deserve the rest.” You set down the cloth, running your hands through your hair and reaching for your pin to secure it back up. You faced him again, gathering your hair in your hands, “How was it?”
But he wasn’t listening. 
He suddenly moved forward, and then he was in front of you. “Wait.” His voice was low, almost strained. There was a husk to it that hadn’t been there before, but it ignited something within you. 
You froze, your hands still stuck in your hair. You looked up at him, raising your eyebrows slightly, “What..?” It was only now he was right in front of you that you could see his chest, rising and falling rapidly. “Mando, are you okay?”
He shook his head quickly, his helmet tilted down to you, his hands curling and uncurling at his sides, “Let your hair down.” His voice was still that rumbly order, and it was such an odd request that you did just that, letting it tumble back down again. Your own hands trembled slightly as you lowered them. 
A shudder seemed to roll through his body, and he rocked forward on his feet, lurching toward you in a movement that lacked his usual smooth elegance. It was unsteady, unsure. 
He stopped when he was a mere few inches away, the closest you’d been to each other since that afternoon. 
This close, you could practically feel the heat roiling off of him under his armour, and you tilted your head up to meet him, concern in your eyes, “Mando, you need to go and have a cold shower.. You sound like you’re burning up… do you feel flushed?” 
He shook his head jerkily, his hands raising, “Shh… please. I just.. I need to..” He broke off, a sharp intake of air cutting his words. 
Something else began to curl through the worry in your belly, like some instinct knew things you didn’t. You swallowed, your voice low when you next spoke, “You need to what..?”
The Mandalorian was shaking, his body tensing and untensing like he was fighting himself, telling himself not to do this. “I.. I need to touch your hair.” 
Stars, you could feel the flush that crept up his neck and cheeks, like it burned through his helmet but you stayed completely still. 
His words were whispered through gritted teeth, like he was physically trying to bite them back, “I just... I need to do this, please… I’m sorry, but I cant-” He sounded like he was in pain, still breathing raggedly. 
Heat flared through your blood, igniting a flame within you that was irresistible. You nodded, letting him see you, “Okay.” Like you could say no to him. 
The vocoder nearly didn’t pick up the huff of relief that escaped his lips and he curled his hands into fists again, “Turn around. And close your eyes.” That rough command was back and you were more than obliging to let him navigate this moment. 
You turned around, facing the kitchen area, looking over the darkened surroundings before shutting your eyes. It immediately threw all your other senses into overdrive, so you could hear every single rasp of his breath as you exposed your skin to him, and the pounding of your own heart. 
“You have to keep them closed. You cannot turn around or look.” There was a desperate plea in his voice, an edge to it that hurt your very soul. He was audibly torn, between his Creed… and this desire that he seemed to have given into. 
You nodded again, aching to reach back and reassure him, “I won’t. I won’t open my eyes or turn around until you tell me, I swear on it, Lori.” You let every ounce of truth and understanding seep through your words, praying that it would be enough to convince him he could trust you. 
Seemingly, it was, because the next noise that you heard could have struck you dead. 
It was the sound of leather rubbing against skin, the friction as they were pulled off, then a soft thump of the material on the floor. 
He had taken off his gloves. 
He was standing behind you… with his hands bare. 
You. A person he hasn’t known for very long at all, and he was partially bare, uncovered. 
Your head exploded, a million thoughts racing through it once, sending your heart into overdrive and your own breathing rapid and unsteady. 
There was a pause, like he was steeling himself and then… then the slightest sensation, like he was catching the ends of your hair, just brushing them. 
That simple movement sent a shiver down your spine, and it was enough to get him to move more. He lifted his hands and then you felt fingers slide into your hair at the back of your head, then slowly, slowly, drag down the length. 
You heard a sharp intake of breath behind you, and then a soft mutter, “It’s so soft..” You barely picked it up, even though the ship was silent. The fingers ghosted through your hair again, and his voice was bewildered, “How do you get it this soft in that tiny ‘fresher..” It was like he was talking to himself. 
You couldn’t help the soft laugh, a release of tension from this whole thing, “I can’t reveal my secrets, Lori. Can’t have your hair being softer than mine. There’s only room for one on this ship.”
He chuckled, and it ran over your bones like honey, dousing them in such a sweet sensation. “I’ll get it out of you one way or another, princess.” 
You rolled your eyes but didn’t get the chance to speak because then his fingers were running up your scalp from the base of your head to the crown, with a light pressure and the feeling was so unbelievably good, that you couldn’t help it. Your head leant back into his touch and the faintest sigh left your lips. “Keep doing that..” Your cheeks flushed, embarrassment crashing over you. Why did you have to say that?
The Mandalorian’s hands had paused, absorbing that soft sigh of pleasure and trying to cool his body. But you had a hold over him, he couldn’t say no. He merely did it again, with a firmer press of his fingers against your scalp, a light scrape of his nails just to get you to make that noise again, to be convinced that you were enjoying this just as much as he was.
You didn’t stop the next sigh, this one louder, more delighted. It was like you knew what the other was thinking, could read each other that well.  
He was driving you insane, rendering you speechless just from playing with your hair. 
You don’t know how long you stood there for, his hands running through the soft locks. 
He lifted it slightly, then made a soft noise. “I didn’t know you had a tattoo.”
A tattoo? Oh right. 
It was true, you did. It was a delicate piece, spanning from the top of your spine to just above your hips, lining your spine. It showed the phases of the moon, drawn in a minimalist style, with small stars and additional lines coming out of every other piece. 
You nodded quickly, “I’ve had it for years.” Fuck, could your voice sound anymore needy?
“What does it mean?” His words were murmured and then the next thing could have had you on your knees. 
You heard a sound that had haunted you since the night he nearly died, the sound of leather sliding over skin. The soft plop as it fell to the floor. 
No way. Has he just..
His fingers, his bare fingers ghosted down your spine, following the line of it with a touch so fleeting it almost made you whine. 
In fact, it did, a whimper rising from deep in your chest. 
He was touching you. 
His bare skin, skin that he had sworn by Creed to keep covered and hidden until marriage, was trailing down your spine as light as wings. 
Pleasure shot straight though you, making your nerves and blood sing, making your knees shake and your belly hot. 
A tug on your hair, a tug that was sharp enough to send a faint tinge of pain through your scalp had you moaning, you couldn’t help it. Your lips parted and the moan fell from them, soft, a little high and drawn. 
Mando swore under his breath, his whole body twitching behind yours, “I asked you a question, sweetheart.” There was a hoarseness to his voice that hadn’t been there before, a straining note like your moan had shot right through him. Which is had. 
What does it mean… what does it mean? Focus!!
“Um… right. When I was on the run, initially in the beginning, I never had a place to call home. Everything I knew had been torn away, and I could never settle anywhere. Every night, I would look up into the sky and watch the moon. No matter what planet I was on, no matter where I was, or if there two moons or 4, it was always there. I only had to look up, and there was something up there to ground me, give me some sense of comfort. It might look smaller, or be a different colour, but it was still the moon. And it made me feel… safe. Like it was a… a companion in a way. I just had to look a little closer, beneath the colours or the distance and there it was. It was always in the sky, so I wanted to get it tattooed so that it would always be with me. No matter if I was outside, as free as I could be, or inside and trapped.” You flushed a little, “That probably makes no sense and sounds so stupid.”
You could sense the Mandalorian shaking his head, his voice still low and soft, “No.. I think it’s beautiful. And I get it. I move around so much too, there’s only a few things that always remain the same. So I know the value of having something familiar.” He ghosted his fingers down it again, trailing all the way down to where the cut out portion of your dress stopped and then back up again. 
When his hand reached the top of the tattoo, he slid it up further, cupping the back of your neck in his broad, warm hand. 
It sent electricity shooting across your skin, that blazed as he wrapped his thumb and fingers around either side of your neck, just a gentle pressure there. 
You moaned again; you didn’t even try to hide it. Your head fell back, exposing your throat to him in a sign of instinctual submission, even though you knew he wouldn’t kiss you. You didn’t mind, you just needed more, more than this teasing touch, more than the faint brush of his fingertips. Your chest shuddered, knuckles white as you gripped the counter in an effort to stay still, “Lori…” You whined his name, hoping it would spark something in him, would force him to do something. 
You felt him shudder again, felt his hips draw back from your body like he was trying to hide just what these noises did to him. 
Fuck. 
It burned you, turned your belly molten and the power that washed over you was heady. You had turned him on just from your hair, your skin and your moans. 
The voice that came out was equally as tight, husky and you might have lived and died inside the low baritone “What is it, princess?”
Your fingers curled around the side of the counter in front of you, and you were glad he couldn’t see your face when you whispered, “Please..”. Your voice was low, pleading and aching. 
You felt him shudder behind you, a tiny groan echoing through the helmet.
His next words nearly undid you there and then, “Like I could say no to you.”
Then his fingers pressed into your spine, caressing down your back over the tattoo with such admiration, such warmth that it arched slightly, chasing more of that sensation. 
Your head was spinning, convinced you were dreaming, that this wasn’t real. 
This didn’t happen between you both. 
You flirted, sure. But that was harmless, playful. 
This… this was real. He was letting you feel his bare skin, uncovered and unhidden. 
And it was tearing you apart. 
The scrape of his thumbnail on your skin tore you from those thoughts, ripped you back to the present as it ran down the curve of your back. If your eyes had been open, they would have rolled into the back of your head. 
Your head fell forward, back arching completely into him and the sound that you let out was sinful. You could only concentrate on the that sharp, pleasurable hurt that you felt in your belly, the feeling of his other hand as it held your shoulder, holding you in that arch. 
Heat pooled low in your belly, and every dream, every thought you’d been trying to suppress about him came blasting into full technicolour. All because of his hands. 
Those damn hands you’d been pining over since saving his life. 
His head was so close over your shoulder that you could hear the low pant of his breath, the coolness of his armour barely brushing your shoulders as you pressed back into him. 
Fuck, did he want this as much as you did? 
By the way his hand tightened, he had to. You didn’t know how you knew it, but you did. 
You swallowed, licking your lips to say something, anything, spur him on but a harsh beeping suddenly broke through the thick tension on the room. A light was flashing, and by the time the fog of pleasure cleared in your head, he was gone. 
Gloves picked up and yanked on, boots disappearing up the ladder into the cockpit to check on the autopilot. 
The taut sensation in your body snapped, making you sink to the floor as though the strings had been cut.
You lifted shaking hands to your face, burying them in them with a low noise. Your head was a mess, you couldn’t get over it. Couldn’t stop feeling his fingers on your back, your hair. Hear the ragged pant of his breathing, the rise and fall of his chest against your shoulders. 
It was just touch, just the simple act of touch but it had igniting something so fierce within you. 
Something had changed. 
What the fuck was that?
You sat there on the floor for Maker knows how long, before dragging yourself up and hurrying off in search of a very, very cold shower. 
~
You weren’t quite sure how to face him the next morning. 
You had taken your cold shower, and it had done nothing to cool the fire in your blood so you had to take the initiative, hoping the crash of the water and the fact you were biting down the back of your free hand would cover the desperate moans you made. 
Little did you know, the Mandalorian was going through the exact same thing, back arched, lips biting into his lip to stop the groans. 
You hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it, stop thinking about what had occurred between you. 
Surely it broke some kind of rules of his Creed?
He had touched you with his bare skin. You weren’t married. You weren’t together. You didn’t even know his name. 
Yet he had touched you and.. reacted to you. 
Maybe that was just instinct, his body’s natural response to such things. 
But he had carried on… until you were disturbed anyway. 
Your head went round and round in these circles until your body had calmed down enough to sleep. 
You rose early, wanting to be washed, dressed and ready and doing something to occupy you before you had to think too much about what you were going to say.  Maybe just… Good morning?
Sure. Good morning was fine. 
Normal. 
It totally didn’t reveal what you’d had to do in the shower, or the thoughts you were still having about it. 
You had this discussion with yourself all the way up the ladder of the cockpit, and when you rose to your height, you blurted it out in a cheery voice before you could bail, “Morning!”
Breezy. Nailed it. 
The Mandalorian was sitting in the pilot’s chair, fiddling with controls and levers, gloves firmly on. “Good morning. Did you sleep okay in the heat?” 
You nodded, sinking down into the pilots chair and feeding Duru a treat, “Yes, thank you. Finally.” You stroked under Duru’s chin, your eyes straying to those hands as he slide them over some switches. 
The same hands that had cupped the back of your neck and trailed fire down your spine. 
A flush started to creep along your cheeks, so you quickly looked away, “Did you?”
The light bounced off of his helmet as he nodded, “Yes, thank you.”
Polite. His words were polite. Almost... distant. 
Okay… Okay, so maybe he just feels awkward?
You bit your bottom lip, worried if you should say something. 
No, leave it. He no doubt feels over-exposed and maybe shy about what happened last night. Don’t bring it up. Just act normal.
You nodded faintly to yourself and returned your attention back to Duru. 
~
Mando was ignoring you. 
You had been trying to deny it, but he most certainly was. 
Yesterday, he had engaged in talking to you now and then throughout the day, but only passing comments and a few spare words. 
You had spoken more when you were beating the shit out of each other. 
You kept telling yourself that it was just lingering awkwardness from how to go back to normal after that night, but the gnawing in your gut told you otherwise. 
It had been shouting at you this morning when he had parked the ship on a planet, announced he was going hunting and he’d be back in a few hours. 
Then he’d just gone. 
You had waited for him all day, mooched around the ship, played with Grogu and Duru and tried not to worry. 
You sat up for hours, even when the little ones had gone to sleep, waiting to talk to him. 
You’d convinced yourself that you should talk about. You should tell him you didn’t expect anything from him. That you didn’t hate him, that he didn’t hurt you or anything like that. 
Just to tell him whatever you needed to stop this frostiness. 
You had it all planned, had every phrase and comment worked out to stop this atmosphere. 
About 15 minutes ago, you’d heard the ramp open. 3 minutes after that, the hiss and echo of the carbonite chamber. 
Then you’d heard him go and check on the kid, then go to his quarters. 
And now, it was his booted feet on the steps to the cockpit that held your attention. 
You took a deep breath, prayed to the Maker and spun your seat to face him as he rose up. 
The mere sight of that beskar-clad body set your heart thumping, but you coaxed an easy smile on your lips anyway. “Hey, how was the hunt? Cause you any trouble?”
Mando didn’t turn his head to look at you, just padded over to his seat and spun it to the control panel, “It was fine. Easy.” His words were clipped, not harsh, just… efficient. Straight to the point. 
You swallowed, your courage faltering a little. 
Mentally, you scolded yourself. You didn’t falter in the face of a man who’d touched you and now wouldn’t talk to you. You didn’t whimper and pander to a tense atmosphere. 
You sat up a little straighter, pulling your shoulders back and you looked over at him. 
Now or never. 
“About the other night-”
“I’m taking you to Nevarro.”
What?
You had both spoken at the same time, your eyes now bewildered as you beheld him. “What?”
He said nothing, just fiddled with some controls. 
“Mando, what do you mean?” Your voice was shocked, but steady. Did nothing to betray the shock that had just hit your chest like a punch. 
You didn’t hear him swallow, only heard his words, “I’m taking you to Nevarro. We’re on the way now.” He said them softly, evenly. 
Hearing it again only made your heart drop to somewhere around your waist. 
He was leaving you. Dumping you on some planet. And going. 
Your hand tapped your leg as sort of nervous habit, and then the words were out, “Is this because of the other night?” 
It was his turn to sound bewildered, his head just turning to the side, but you knew he couldn’t see you in his peripheral, “What? What do you mean?” 
Your heart was starting to beat uncomfortably in your chest, a sense of shame beginning to creep over you, “Because of what happened in the kitchen. I didn’t see you, I didn’t see your skin.”
Mando turned to face you, one hand still on the panel, his hair half turned but head rotated all the way to look at you, “No, no it’s not because of that-“
You cut him off, “You didn’t… you didn’t offend me. Or hurt me. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry if.. if my reaction made you feel awkward or think something. I don’t.. I don’t expect anything from you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I never have, so please don’t think that.” You flushed, the shame colouring your cheeks. You couldn’t help it. But this was the reason, right? The only reason why he would be dumping you. 
He shook his head, “Stop. Stop..” His voice softened slightly, “No. It’s not because of… that. I know you didn’t see me. And I know you don’t expect anything from me.” He took a breath, “I’m taking you to Nevarro to keep you safe. That’s all. I have friends there, Cara Dune and Greef Karga. They’ll look after you. They’ve already set up accommodation for you, so you don’t need to worry about that. 
They already knew? 
Something like hurt flashed in your eyes, colouring your tone, “They… You already planned this..?” There was no bite in your voice like you would normally have in this situation, you were too shocked by the sudden change in direction your journey was taking. 
Mando tilted his head, “I contacted them whilst I was on the hunt… I wanted it set up before we got there, so you wouldn’t stand out to anyone looking.” He still looked at you, “Is that okay?”
You sensed you wouldn’t have a choice in this. So you decided to take the high road. You wouldn’t whine about this. 
You smoothed your expression over into a mask of calm, “Yes… I was just a little surprised that’s all. But thank you, really. I’ll… set about packing my things.”
He sounded confused, his head tilting back to watch you rise from your chair, “We have a couple of days yet.”
You nodded, “Oh, I know, I just want to make sure I have everything. And all the things I want to steal from you.” You laughed, even going so far as to nudge his shoulder before escaping. 
You were gone to quickly, so you wouldn’t have seen the way he slumped in his chair, dropped his head into his hands. You wouldn’t have heard the pained sigh that escaped his lips at the thought have having to part with you. 
~
~
~
The Mandalorian stood at the top of the ramp with you, staring out across the dusty, volcanic terrain of Nevarro. Your new home for… however long. 
You said nothing, running your fingers along the edge of your cloak, observing the landscape and trying not to let any emotion show on your face. You had kept up natural conversation the past few days. Saying nothing of the wrenching pain that tore in your chest every time you remembered you were departing. 
Mando cleared his throat, one arm holding Grogu and the other hand resting on his hip in a gesture that was becoming painfully familiar, “Cara and Greef know you’re coming. They’ll be waiting in Cara’s office for you.” 
Grogu was sulking, squirming every now and then to try and get out of Mando’s grip. He had screamed the whole morning, and only calmed down when you hugged him and sung to him on the way here. 
You nodded, also trying to ignore the thoughts swirling round in your mind as to why he was leaving you here. Was it because of your argument? The way you had broken down in front of him? Or was it because of the other night? The way his fingers had run through your hair, and then trailed down your spine, mapping your tattoo. His bare fingers. The things he’d whispered to you, “I just... I need to do this, please… I’m sorry, but I cant-”
“I’ve been thinking about this for days..”
Had he known then that he was going to leave you here? Or was it after that, that he’d decided he had broken one too many rules and had to get rid of you. 
Words floated over to you, and you realised he was talking again so you hauled your attention back to the conversation at hand. 
“-safe here. No one will come looking for you. Greef has taken all the pucks that have come through with your name on them and Cara will do sweeps every couple of days to make sure.”
You looked down at your feet, a bitter feeling leeching through your veins that was getting stronger with every moment you got closer to leaving the Crest. 
“Hey… look at me..” 
It was that honey softness of the Mandalorian’s tone that finally had you looking up at him, your expression perfectly masked to hide every ounce of emotion in you aside from a calm neutrality. 
He tilted his head a little, turning his body toward you, “Please don’t think I’m dumping you here. I had planned to bring you here since I destroyed the puck and the fob.”
Like that made you feel any better. 
He must have read the flicker in your eyes, because he stepped closer, his hand lifting to your upper arm, “I want you to be safe.” You could almost feel his eyes boring into yours, “I am more than grateful for everything you’ve done for me. And the kid. More than you’ll ever know. But, travelling with me.. it only increases the target on your back. People know you’re with me. I don’t want that for you.. you deserve to be free..”
And what about what I want?
You only smiled, forcing your expression to one of a lighter one and you nudged him gently, “Hey, I get it. You have to get rid of me because I’m showing you up on hunts. Can’t have anyone destroying your infamous reputation.” You rolled your eyes, laughing even if it did send daggers into your heart. 
And his. 
He squeezed your shoulder playfully, then dropped his hand. “You’re hilarious. I told you, the day you beat me is the day the stars implode.” You could feel a line of humour in his voice though, and it softened your shoulders, made you relax. 
He was doing this to keep you safe. He had planned this for weeks so you could have a break, a chance to rest. 
So, you lifted your head a little higher, your smile becoming more real. “Thank you, Mando. For everything. I can’t ever repay you for this, for what you’ve done.” You motioned to the outside. 
He nodded, his hand resting at his sides again now, “We’ll call it even.” His head remained focused on you, lingering on you and then he reached into a pouch and held out his free hand, “Here.”
You let him drop the objects in your hand, a small stack of credits. 
“It’s not much, I know, but it’ll be enough to get you some food and supplies you need. You don’t need to worry about a place to stay, Cara will show you but… You can get what you want and need.” He withdrew his hand slowly, almost reluctantly.  
You swallowed, closing your hand around the credits and you slipped them into the pocket inside your cloak. “Thank you..”
The Mandalorian merely nodded again, leaning back against the threshold of the ramp, his thumb absently rubbing circles on Grogu’s belly.  
It seemed that there was nothing else to draw this goodbye out, so you took a breath, straightening your cloak. “Well… I guess I’ll say goodbye then.” You looked up at him, then stuck out your hand for his, realising only a few seconds later how dumb that was. 
Before you could pull your hand back, he reached out and clasped your hand in his own, wrapping his fingers around your distinctly smaller hand. “Goodbye… princess.” You heard the smirk in his voice, and you couldn’t help the chuckle and the eye roll again, not failing to notice the way his hand tightened involuntarily and then withdrew. 
You looked at Grogu in his other arm, who was still avoiding looking at the pair of you, wriggling in his father’s arms. You bent down to draw your face to his level and you stroked his ears, “I’ll miss you, little guy. Make sure to keep your dad on his toes, okay? You gotta make up for both of us now.” You pressed a kiss to the top of his head, feeling his little hand pat your cheek with a mournful noise. Tears burned the back of your eyes, so you leant back, instead picking up Duru so she could say goodbye. 
Grogu cooed sadly again, stroking Duru’s cheek, looking up at her with his glossy eyes. 
You let Duru but her head against him, chitter a goodbye and then you stepped back, allowing her to climb up your shoulders as you looked up at Mando. 
You just watched him for a moment, his armour reflecting the light on one side and then, with a soft inhale of courage, you turned and walked down the ramp, Duru padding at your feet. 
You had only just cleared the ramp, stepping onto the hard, compacted ground when Mando called out, “Wait.”
You turned quickly, hope blooming in your heart, in your expression though you tried to stop it. 
He had made a step onto the ramp, body poised like it was trying to run to you but he was holding back. He hesitated, almost as if he were torn with what to say – or what not to say, but all that came out was, “Ret'urcye mhi.”
You couldn’t help the shiver that licked down your spine, the way his voice turned into dripping honey when he spoke Mando’a. “What does that mean..?” You prayed he couldn’t hear the slight hoarseness to your tone.
He tilted his head down to look at Grogu, then lifted it back up to you, “It means goodbye…. And maybe we’ll meet again..” 
Your heart swelled a little, a flush of pain going through it but you smiled softer, your expression melting and you inclined your head slightly, “I would like that.. very much…” 
There were a million other things that threatened to roll off your tongue, pour from you but before they could, you turned around, walking toward the town and feeling his eyes on you the entire time, burning into the back of your head like a fiery brand. 
You were about 4 metres away when you heard Grogu start crying, when your own tears broke through and spilled down your cheeks. You kept walking, even when your vision began to blur and go fuzzy.
So you didn’t see the way Mando hugged Grogu closer, whispered, “I know, kid, I don’t want her to go either.”
You’d be okay. It would be fine. 
So you and the Mandalorian were parting. It was no big deal. You had helped each other; you had returned each other’s debts. You owed each other nothing. 
The sound of engines whirring filtered into your ears, and you waited until you heard the Crest lift from the ground before turning round. 
You paused, wiping your cheeks as the ship that had become a haven of sorts lifted into the sky. It hovered for a second, as if hesitating and then shot up higher, taking with it the two people that you had come to mean more to you than you realised. It felt like the Razor Crest had taken your heart with it. 
How comes you hadn’t realised before how much they meant?
Too late now.
You remained watching the sky, long after the ship had vanished into the atmosphere. 
With a shuddering breath, you wiped your cheeks. You kissed Duru’s tail, and then returned to walking toward the town. 
You’d be okay… right?
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softinkshadows · 3 years
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Shingeki no Kyojin Astrology: sun-moon-rising combinations
I was looking around tumblr for detailed astrology speculations of my fave anime characters, but there aren't that many! Being q well-versed in astro myself, i thought why not do my own version (very spoiler-free, don’t worry)! I followed the birth dates given by isayama:
Eren Jaeger - Aries sun, Scorpio moon, Cancer rising Aside from the fact that he can be hotheaded and impulsive, Eren's feelings of vengeance run deep and explosive. Remember that time he was chained to the bed after the attack on trost, and his eyes were wild with the need to violently eradicate all titans? He's so tenacious and emotionally stubborn too (a Scorp moon trait) to the point of being closed off from everyone else, especially towards the end where he seems to take the weight of the world's burden on his own shoulders. And all for the sake of protecting his community and ensuring the safety of his friends for the rest of their lives. His comrades and family are his motivation. This is his Cancer rising steering his life.
Mikasa Ackerman - Aries sun, Aquarius moon, Aries rising "Look that moody brat is running off on her own again." Mikasa is similar to Eren in her impulsiveness and determination, but different in two ways- what they aim to protect and their extent of fearlessness. Eren is aware of his own weaknesses and helplessness, but Mikasa's amazing physical prowess makes her act without any hesitation at all. She's hella fierce and driven to keep herself in shape too, doing all those sit-ups and chopping firewood post-injury. I think she deserves a double Aries! An Aries rising means a Libra descendant too, which is reflected her whole-hearted devotion in her close partnerships (Eren and Armin). Her aquarius moon really shines thru with her stoic independence, focus and perseverance.
Armin Arlet - Scorpio sun, Virgo moon, Pisces rising He's the brain of the 104th cadet corps, and is second to Erwin in terms of strategy! An intelligent planner with low self-esteem often found second guessing his own analytical abilities, Armin is a true blue Virgo moon. His emotional self stands out the most from the main three protagonists - Eren & Mikasa mostly express anger and desperation, whereas Armin is usually shrouded in fear and worry. He's a very soft bb, hence the Pisces rising, not to mention he gets so dreamy imagining the sea, the vast plains, and the magical world beyond the walled universe he knows. A spiritually-attuned and curious explorer :")
Levi Ackerman - Capricorn sun, Scorpio moon, Virgo rising Levi is such a complex person, thanks to Isayama's brilliance. Like many Cap suns, Levi is authoritative, cold and incredibly savage. That's not to say he doesn't feel anything either. Levi is an evolved Scorp moon (maybe even moon in 11th house) because his feelings are never for himself, but he hurts so much for others - you can tell every death hits him so hard, but he doesn't show this to anyone else. He also exudes this quietly intimidating aura of natural competence, a common characteristic of this sun-moon combo. He can take things personally as well (re: height issues) but it never snowballs into more than passing irritation. The turbulence of his emotions and habit for violence is balanced out by his earthy Virgo rising, which is emotionally subdued, quite thin and delicate in physique, and super neurotic and nitpicky when it comes to cleanliness and health. Cap, Virgo and Scorp are some of the most guarded signs, and a combi of all 3 are hellish. You can tell this poor beautiful man is always caught between feeling and thinking, between maintaining his humanity and forsaking it.
Erwin Smith - Libra sun, Capricorn moon, Leo rising In another life, Erwin Smith would be the damn CEO of a global conglomerate because he oozes so much charisma. Hell if charisma were energy Erwin Smith would be its prime, eternally renewable source. His stature alone is so commanding, and I find some strong Leonine traits in his thickset physique, strong eyebrows, beautiful hair, and that way he shouted in full glory atop wall Rose in that one episode to the cheering masses below. He might be a Libra sun, diplomatic in political affairs, but his Capricorn moon is what drives his decisions. Cap moon has a rep for being cold and unemotional, but i believe they are way more than that! Cap moons rarely boast about their long list of achievements, instead looking forward to the next goal. They struggle with emotional expression, and are super driven and disciplined. Erwin is capable of making the hardest decisions, putting aside emotions to strive for an abstract ideal, and this is to be expected of the commander who takes on the role of the devil.
Hange Zoe - Virgo sun, Sagittarius moon, Gemini rising All hail our favourite mad scientist!! Hange is such a breath of fresh air in the Survey Corps, balancing out the heaviness of missions with their wacky tales of titan research and experimentation. Their penchant for study and higher knowledge is typical of a Sagittarius moon, who is drawn to advanced academic study and spiritual truths. It's also a lighthearted and optimistic sign, true to Hange's upbeat personality. The Virgo in them contributes to their sheer intelligence and obsessiveness with research subjects. We also know they LOVE to talk, and once Eren asks Hange about experiments, they cannot stop (Gemini governs communication). Virgo, Sag and Gemini are the most intellectual signs, and because they are mutuable Hange tends to follow orders rather than give them, making it difficult to adapt to their new role towards the end of the series. Mutable signs also means rapidly-changing emotional states, and a whole lot of chaos, which suits our beloved squad leader.
Jean Kirstein - Aries sun, Virgo moon, Taurus rising Our third Aries on the list ohmygod. The snk universe is full of feisty hotheads. Jean is always seen clashing with Eren, fuelled by Eren's closeness with Mikasa and his own adorable jealousy. I mean, they had a full on fist fight right after dinner in the mess hall, although everything went downhill after the first few punches. Our first impression of Jean during his cadet days is coloured by his desire to work in the interior, and this favour for material safety and wealth is perhaps common to a Taurus rising. Also, Taurus is ruled by Venus, planet of beauty and harmony, and thus often figures in the charts of artists. If you've seen Jean's drawing skills in that special episode, you'll know that his artistic abilities are the finest we have seen, exceeding even that of isayama himself. Jean's strong principles such as being averse to killing people and oftentimes cynical nature, is also characteristic of the moral and cautious Virgo moon.
Sasha Braus - Leo sun, Gemini moon, Taurus rising Not all Leos are showmans. Sasha is the type of Leo who displays more of the quirky, unabrashed personality suited to her opposite sister sign Aquarius. Authority doesn't exist when food comes into play, as we see when she breaks potato with Shadis and later steals a slab of meat from the officer's warehouse. Unlike the visual artistry that Jean possesses with his Taurus rising, Sasha's Taurus centers around her love for food, and hell she can have fiery determination for it (rmb the wild night she mistook Jean's hand for meat?). I love that both of them were pitted with each other in that cooking special episode. I considered placing her as a Taurus moon, but Taurus moons are usually steadier and classier in emotion, whereas Sasha is often breezy, gets nervous and chaotic, with stellar intuition, making her likely a Gemini moon.
Connie Springer - Taurus sun, Cancer moon, Gemini rising Although not much attention is paid to Connie's growth, his character development reminds me a lot of Aang from ATLA. Cheery and happy-go-lucky at first, before the incident with his mother made him more prone to feelings of anger and vengeance, especially near the later chapters. His strong protective bond with his mother is what compels me to say he is a Cancer moon, which is a moon sign that is very homebody and drawn to family and traditions. His goofy self and him referring to Sasha as "his twin" puts him as the spunky Gemini rising, another sign he shares with her.
Reiner Braun - Leo sun, Pisces moon, Capricorn rising Aside from his natural leader personality (Leonine), Reiner likes to take on the persona of the big brother of the group. His outward stoicism, decisiveness and task-oriented nature is typical of a Cap rising, who is often serious and solemn in appearance. He reminds me of that Cap rising workaholic who does his best in a corporate organization, working 9 to 5 plus overtime as it fulfills his sense of purpose. Beyond his stoic facade reveals a more troubled personality. Like a Pisces moon, Reiner is impressionable, and it's difficult to tell if his emotions and personalities are his own, wavering and absorbing traits from those around him. His internal war with his identity and the ensuing fatigue characterises him during the second half of the series.
Annie Leonhart - Aries sun, Aquarius moon, Virgo rising Annie is the kind of Aries that is so motivated to achieve her goals that everything else is sidelined, including her own emotions. She's quite ruthless in chasing her objectives, and her composure, focus and endurance is highlighted with an Aquarius moon. I'm guessing she has a 4th house influence somewhere because of her motivations to go home to her father and lead a normal life. I find the daintiness and delicateness of her features similar to Levi, who is also a Virgo rising. The Virgo effect also registers as a brutal, unfiltered honesty (also seen in Levi), and Annie doesn't hesitate to speak the truth about her own or her opponent's capabilities.
Other characters which I won't go into much detail about:
Bertholdt Hoover - Capricorn sun, Virgo moon, Pisces rising Bertholdt is quiet with an unobtrusive personality. His lack of supposed iniative and aggression can perhaps be attributed to the mutuability of Virgo and Pisces, which goes with the flow instead of charging forward. He keeps his feelings to himself, but reacts when the people he wants to protect are threatened.
Historia Reiss - Capricorn sun, Libra moon, Cancer rising Historia initially lives for the sake of others (esp Ymir), and is more co-dependent than many of her other squadmates. She also tends to put up a front of pleasantness, afraid of disappointing or offending people. She has a strong tie to family, and a profound sense of duty.
Ymir - Aquarius sun, Pisces moon, Aries rising Ymir is extremely astute when it comes to evaluating human behaviour. The religiosity of her background is also usually found in this sun-moon combination, which tends to attract paths of strong spirituality. She also has a bold and noble sacrificial streak for the sake of her companions.
Zeke Jaeger - Leo sun, Capricorn moon, Scorpio rising A headstrong, intelligent and radical character. In a way similar to Erwin in his ruthlessness, but emotionally darker and much more sinisterly private.
Kenny Ackerman - Aquarius sun, Sagittarius moon
Rod Reiss - Virgo sun, Libra moon
Dot Pixis - Virgo sun, Sagittarius moon
Hannes - Capricorn sun, Taurus moon
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theblurrxdface · 3 years
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Spoilers for Life Is Strange True Colours/3. Specifically about how the powers work, but I've tried to keep the rest non-specific
A review, that I'm perhaps posting to the wrong audience, however I believe this game is really interesting even if you'd never consider playing a game in your life. No gaming skill is required. Watching it like a film for free online is entirely possible but you won't get to make your own choices. However the modern motion capture and voice acting and graphics make that still a very viable option. I recommend Eurogamer on YouTube for a pleasant, thoughtful playthrough.
The latest stand-alone Life Is Strange game has a protagonist with the superpower of empathy. Yeah, a bad name that doesn't sound like a superpower at all and had many perspective players unenthusiastic in the build up to the launch, but Alex's abilities are very much supernatural. Capable of seeing people's strong emotions as an aura, Alex lives with the blessing (or curse) of being able to feel what they feel to the point where she can read their thoughts in relation to these strong emotions. She has had an incredibly tough upbringing involving the care system and unwillingly feeling many unwanted and unmanageable emotions in these environments, causing her to get into repeated trouble. At 21 she's in a position to start over when a sibling finally tracks her down.
Throughout this small town mystery she goes on to develop her power, as other Life Is Strange characters with abilities have done, gaining the ability to see the world through the eyes of people in these strong emotional states to truly understand what is going on with them. She realises she can help with her power rather than just be helplessly overcome by others' emotions. Whether that be a child's imagination running wild or an elderly woman losing her memory, Alex is able to see and feel it and then help resolve it. And it looks amazing with beautiful graphics and in the format of an interactive game you can walk around in and truly explore through Alex's eyes and their eyes.
Each chapter features objects with emotional memories linked to them that Alex can also 'read' to gain insight into the characters around her and contribute to the ongoing story. Unlike previous LIS games, a small touch has been made where looking at items again at a different point will appropriately change her mental observations on them rather that just playing the same recording of ther thoughts on the item forever. It makes exploring far more interesting. I looked at everything.
A darker twist on Alex's powers occur when we are presented with a character consumed primarily by anger, a loved one has died, she can't help but blame people who were around at the time who she knows aren't really at fault (including her son who is probably about 10), she hates them all and hates herself for it, she feels she has failed as a mother. She's in a very dark place. A potentially dangerous one. Alex figures out she might be able to take these feelings away and absorb them for herself, but the consequences of this are unknown. At the time I expected the anger to take a toll on Alex, and I thought how dark it would be if we left the other person devoid of emotion. But I didn't think the game would go that far. So I opted to take on her anger, fearing she could be in danger otherwise. Unfortunately my worst fears came true and the character remained numb and dispassionate throughout my game while Alex struggled with the anger she took on. And yet, I still found myself backed into a corner later on where I hesitantly chose to use my powers similarly. Such is the power of LIS games upon their players.
Overall, I wouldn't be sure how to grade this installment of LIS out of 10. It's probably not my favourite of them, but it was very good. Initially I found the game too colourful and the animation a little too 'Pixar', it lacked the classic LIS art style and the whole vibe seemed too lighhearted. But it grew on me quickly, the colours and expressive faces make sense for a game about emotions, and the story quickly developed into something deeper. This is the most expensive game they've released so far, especially if you're like me and can't resist the Ultimate Edition of it (complete with remasters of the old games and an extra chapter so there is at least actual content for your money and not just cosmetic stuff), but LIS games go on sale all the time and usually start giving away the first chapter free after a few months/a year-ish. So if you're interested should you buy? Yeah, I think so, you can always start with a base edition and upgrade, or watch the first half an hour on YouTube and see if it captures your interest first.
Before I go, I want to clarify that I do know that non-supernatural empathy is a minefield for many people in different respects, and I'm not trying to be dismissive of that. Simply the name of this superpower seemed to generate less buzz than its predecessors of telekinesis and time travel which I think is also fair until you understand what it consists of.
I originally wrote this review for my Facebook where 3 people read it and that was more than I expected, I don't know if it'll gather any attention here either. On the off chance it does and you'd like my take on any other games I've played, let me know. I've enjoyed writing this. I even have vague thoughts about a side-blog. And if you enjoyed this, please like it, reblog if you can, and don't steal my writing. Thanks guys.
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lavender-lotion · 3 years
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Fanfic Writer Asks
I was tagged by @asarcasticwitch - thank you so much!
1) How many works do you have on AO3?
737, which is an ugly number :(
2) What’s your total AO3 word count?
1,890,054 words, which ... AH I might actually get to 2mil by the end of the year!
3) How many fandoms have you written for, and what are they?
thank you, ao3 dashboard for this handy list:
Teen Wolf (TV) (377)
X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies) (187)
Marvel Cinematic Universe (93)
Glee (29)
Young Justice (Cartoon) (11)
Kingsman (Movies) (9)
Original Work (9)
The Avengers (Marvel Movies) (8)
Criminal Minds (US TV) (7)
Thor (Movies) (6)
Deadpool (Movieverse) (5)
Weird City (TV) (5)
X-Men (Original Timeline Movies) (4)
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga) (4)
Ragnarok (TV 2020) (4)
Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies) (3)
Teen Wolf (TV) RPF (3)
Iron Man (Movies) (3)
The House in the Cerulean Sea - T. J. Klune (2)
Venom (Marvel Movies) (1)
Stranger Things (TV 2016) (1)
Captain America (Movies) (1)
Fate: The Winx Saga (TV) (1)
Power Rangers Ninja Storm (1)
X-Men - All Media Types (1)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan (1)
Riverdale (TV 2017) (1)
X-Men Evolution (1)
Push (2009) (1)
4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
With You, I Belong
Mates and Marriage Proposals
The Perceptions of You and I
(baby) maybe that matters more
Breathing You In
5) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
ughh so, fair warning, I have a lot of works. I definitely do not remember all of them, however I do have four works tagged as Unhappy Ending and then another nine works tagged Ambiguous/Open Ending, which is way more than I’d thought I had! 
however, there is one fic that stands out in mind when I think about which of my works has the angstiest ending! Heed the tags :)
And Now?
Teen And Up Audiences | Major Character Death | M/M | Teen Wolf (TV) | Chris Argent/Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski | Chris Argent, Peter Hale, Stiles Stilinski | Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canonical Character Death, Peter Hale Dies, Unhappy Ending
Stiles Stilinski finds out who his soul mates are by setting one on fire.
6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?
ughhhhhhhh I truly do not know??? 
7) Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?
I don’t write many crossovers at all! I have some mcu/teen wolf cross overs, I have a teen wolf/glee cross over plotted (that i’ll probably never write), but my strangest is probably this teen wolf/x-men cross over!
what-ifs (don’t fuckin’ matter to no one)
Teen And Up Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | M/M | X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)Teen Wolf (TV) | Logan (X-Men)/Sheriff Stilinski | Logan (X-Men), Sheriff Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski | Memory Loss, Telepathy, Mentions of War, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Child Neglect, Grief/Mourning, Telepath Stiles Stilinski, Telekinetic Stiles Stilinski, Nightmares, Cuddling & Snuggling
There’s somethin’ there. Somethin’ that has him sleeping curled up on his side with a pillow tucked to his chest, somethin’ that has him splittin’ up his food ‘fore he eats ‘cause he don’t need as much as a baseline. Has him turnin’ to tell someone shit that ain’t there. There’s just...there’s just somethin’ there that’s missin’ and it shouldn’t be missin’.
8) Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
sometimes! I don’t write a lot of smut because I actively dislike writing it, but the smut I do write is super super soft and sappy and full of emotions lol
9) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
I respond to almost all of my comments! comments i won’t respond to: negative comments, unsolicited criticism, comments that aren’t relevant to the fic itself, comments simply asking for more 
I love love love responding to comments! I love every single comment that I get and I want to show how much I appreciate getting them, and personally I think responding to comments is the only way to do that! everyone has different comment philosophies, but for me, if someone is taking the time to comment on my fic like I so badly want them to, I think it’s important to respond to show my appreciation! 
10) Have you ever received hate on a fic?
aha YEAH I DO. this past weekend I actually got a number of shitty comments and had to file two ao3 abuse reports for harrasment (: I love it
I am no stranger to hate comments. I write copious amounts of age difference fic. I write copious amounts of incest. I am not going to apologize nor am I going to feel bad for enjoying either.
11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?
ughhh I sure as heck hope not! 
12) Have you ever had a fic translated?
Yes! I have a number of them :) I always always do my best to make sure it’s linked to the original fic, AND that I add a tag noting that there’s a translation!
13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?
I have made a few attempts! the only successful attempt is there's nothing i wouldn't do to make you feel my love which is a collaboration with @flightinflame, not quite a co-write!
14) What’s your all-time favorite ship?
I am unable to answer this lol I don’t have an all-time favourite. mutli-shipping forever.
15) What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
god okay this is such a good question! imma ramble about a few so bear with me here! (i may have 700 posted works but I also have a few hundreds wips & ideas floating around in my gdrive, too)
gone & past - this is a starrish wip i’d started in 2017. I ended up deleting it from ao3 to rewrite it and never got there, but I have about 20k of content! I built my home, inside of you - thorki human au with college jock thor and high school dancer loki. i’ve got a start and nothing else Sheriff Stilinski Gets Some Sweet Sweet Lovin’ - massive wip where... well, the sheriff fucks his way through the entire pack. I want to write it but. trans allison au - this is an au where allison is trans and that changes the entire season 1 canon. it features stallison, petopher, and a looooooong ass outline that will never exist beyond my wips You Fill My Heart (With Such a Gentle Love) - this is a stetopher a/b/o au with pregnant omega stiles and alpha pair petopher falling in love. it started as a labour of love to someone I no longer have in my life. I have about 30k, a full outline, but idk. makes me sad to think about it they slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered - this is my big x-men first class rewrite that I honestly don’t think i’ll ever finish. I have a few thousand words, a full outline, but no love lost for cherik so. doubtful Physiotherapy (I'll Be Your Baby) - this was a fic I was SO excited about, and then it kinda flopped and stayed a wip because I didn’t have a plan or the motivation to finish it. it’s a winterspider human au with amputee bucky and science twink peter that I adore the premise of but who knows breathing you in chapter 2 - I have a massive second chapter planned for this fic but the first did so good so fast I am way too intimidated to write more in case everyone hates it lmao
there are more arjgoirjeg there are so many more but these are the bigger ones I can think of right now!
16) What are your writing strengths?
ughhhhh I hate answering this because I have, like, seriously bad imposter syndrome around my writing BUT I do think i’m able to weave poignant backstory into narration & i write strong, distinctive narrative voices!
17) What are your writing weaknesses?
literally I can’t write settings at all. I don’t know how people vividly describe settings but I absolutely cannot do that and it’s one of the reasons I haven’t delved into original fiction. I need to write the town my characters live in?? fuck that imma just use a location we’ve seen on screen & let readers fill in the blanks lmao
I am also shit at long fic. I don’t have the mind for long and interesting plots, and I don’t have the focus to write long fic (which is why every long fic i’ve ever posted has taken me literal years to complete smh).
18) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
I like it! both as a reader and as a writer. as a writer, I generally only use a few words, or small sentences that can be understood by context, and I generally don’t 
19) What was the first fandom you wrote for?
the last thing I wrote and posted was this one:
Languish
Teen And Up Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | M/M | X-Men (Original Timeline Movies) | John Allerdyce/Bobby Drake | Bobby Drake, John Allerdyce, X-Men (Team) | Not Canon Compliant, Future Fic, Established Relationship, Summer, Teasing, Fluff
It was a really, really hot Saturday, and most of the school was outback, enjoying the sun, not caring about the heat, and having the time of their life.
Everyone but Bobby, of course, who was melting away.
“I just want to remind everyone that I make ice. I am the Ice Man. I am not built for the heat and soon enough I’m going to melt away into nothing.”
20) What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?
this is another impossible question! I have a few I really enjoy, but I really don’t think I have a favourite that stands out above the rest!
i’m tagging: @4magicandmayhem @insertmeaningfulusername @midrashic @wynnefic @ikeracity @stronglyobsessed @elledelajoie @wolfnprey​ & anyone else who sees it and wants to do it! seriously! go ahead :)
blank questions below the read more!
1) How many works do you have on AO3?
2) What’s your total AO3 word count?
3) How many fandoms have you written for, and what are they?
4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
5) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?
7) Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?
8) Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
9) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
10) Have you ever received hate on a fic?
11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?
12) Have you ever had a fic translated?
13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?
14) What’s your all-time favorite ship?
15) What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
16) What are your writing strengths?
17) What are your writing weaknesses?
18) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
19) What was the first fandom you wrote for?
20) What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?
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Note
I'm. The new covers, op. The new covers. Gosh. Both of them hold so much symbolism. And technically they both are canon, they are both original ideas that could perfectly be valid. Horikoshi simply found something better. But anyways, I'm going to go ahead and ramble about it because Im- Op, prepare for a long ask! Hope you like it!
So!
On the one where Katsuki's the one in the picture, he's not on his knees like he is in the other two covers. Instead, he has his face down, body forward, one hand on one leg, the other one holding out for something...He's bowing. Bowing in Japanese culture is a pretty big deal. Hes not just tilting his head a bit, his head and body are on full on commitment.
Such a tilted bow means a LOT, specially from THIS guy, Mr dont let anyone walk in front of me. Even more when hes not just bowing, but accepting such an open display of given help, Mr shonen anime lone wolf. Accepting something he always has trouble admitting to. Accepting the past, accepting the wrongs. Accepting Izukus help means so much, and that's what these three covers have in common.
His hand is sctretching out. He's ready to say yes to that hand out in the air.
(Ps. I wonder if he's watching his own reflection on the water in this panel, as well?)
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Hes in middle of the picture with those childhood friend at the back, which means audience. It means letting people see what hes done, what he's sorry for. He is being open and exposed and vulnerable. That's no fighting stance.
Remember guys, in case you haven't noticed before, Horikoshi puts lots of metaphorical value in his manga and on his covers. Sometimes you've got to dig in deep and think to get the bigger picture. And in this case, the bigger picture screams regret and wanting to make things right from the start.
This cover occurs in the past, at the moment where everything started, and Katsuki fully remembers this. Katwuki has thought of this, is thinking about this. He's had eye bags for gods sake, he's clearly troubled by all of what it means.
These three covers are the visual explanation of what's going on inside Katsuki's head, because this is clearly focused on him and his perspective.
(Ps. Rivers symbolise the massage of time. If that doesnt add to everything else, I dont know what to tell you.)
So! Next!
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Wow, if this isnt one of my favourite things ever. Okay. Christ.
I have two options here. Scratch that, three options. Scream into the void, scream into this post, or actually make a good presentation of my inner turmoil. I'll have to go by the third option. (Haha. Just like horikoshi did. Dont # me, I'm funny in my head.)
This cover melted my insides, froze them all over, and hit me with them like a hammer.
I know they're kids, but let me get this straight-so kids seriously look at their friends with these looks in their eyes and think "ah, yes. This is my very good friend. This gentle smile and kind look I'm giving him as if he was my whole world? Well, hes just a very good friend."
I looked at my childhood crush this way, I dont know what to tell you.
Anyway, let's actually jump to the information at hand.
This panel seems like it's making a reference to what Katsuki wishes could have been. And if that's not absolutely soul-crushing...this cover is Katsuki's feelings, guys. These are probably his very thoughts. This scene has gone through Katsuki's head at some point.
We've got Izuku in his stuck up pose all over again, in just an awkward angle. It's like katsuki isnt looking AT this katsuki right now, but at the spot where the actual past Katsuki, at some point, was. As if this Isuku is frozen in time. Dont believe too much in this paragraph, I still have my doubts about that, but I feel it's a possibility. Izukus eyes seem to be focused on the water, while Katsuki is just the tiniest bit back, reaching for Izukus hand. And gosh.
I dont think I've ever seen older NOR child Katsuki have this look plasted into his face before. He's...sheepish. Kindly, awkwardly sheepish. No hate, no anger, no shame, no nothing. His face is clear and sweet and has this "Whoops. You got me. But thanks." kind of expression on.
The hand behind his head, just the tiniest but embarassed? That little smile? It's all so soft.
Rambling about softness though- I really liked the hand scene in this particular panel. If you close up your view, you realise that theres no effort to pull anyone out of nowhere. In this panel, they are simply holding hands in frozen time for no purpose at all.
Katsuki has his hand around Izuku...simply holding there.
Again, because the angle is awkward, it's kind of messy, but you get the point.
It's all simply beautiful. Horikoshi clean likes give me life.
And lastly. The actual cover.
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I screeched so hard when I saw this. My first instinct when seeing this for the first time was to straight up go trigger happy fingers and write about it to my friends. Christ.
Everything is so...SOft. horikoshi made a good decision by mixing both previous drawings in one. We have parts of the two covers in one, which is amazing. In this one, Katsuki isnt alone, as Izuku's there too. But we dont have the audience either. Probably because the main focus on this panel is no one else except them two.
Again, Katsuki looks like he's bowing, but instead of looking all the way down, he's in the middle. Not looking at Izuku nor looking at the ground, like it shows in the previous covers. Instead, Horikoshi found a middle ground. He's looking at his hand. At the gesture.
Hes not holding hands quite yet, but his hand is there. At arms reach. Not close enough but there. Wanting.
Theres so much regret and again, softness.
Again, like you Op said a bit bad, the angle is off here. This is present Katsuki remembering his past. The angle is off because this Izuku isnt holding out for our Katsuki. This is a memory. A wish. Katsuki's wish.
(Ps. Izukus trousers drenched in the rivers water. This detail was so nice. It's a subtle action that describes Izukus characterization so much. Izuku went in the river with Katsuki in mind, not caring if he got his clothes soaked in the process too. For Izuku, only Katsuki was there. And for Katsuki, only Izuku is.
As a plus, I can't believe the cover of this is literally called Bakugou Katsuki rising. They named the entire thing after that one chapter. Actually, I very much, totally believe it. It's the moment so many people have been waiting for, after all. The moment so many scenes have been amounting for, little by little.
*dreamy sigh*
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this little thing, I had to get it out of my system and dont want to bother my dear friends anymore than needed.
Have a good day, OP! I'll stay updated!
You kinda just...took my heart and curb stomped it, not gonna lie. Your observations are so beautiful and so accurate. The sketch with little Bakugou taking Izuku’s hand is so...raw, and yeah, that expression is definitely one of love. Those eyes, the way he is HOLDING Izuku’s hand, not TAKING it. He isn’t taking it to stand up, he is literally just...holding it. 
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That isn’t the way you take someone’s hand when you’re trying to pull yourself up. It’s an awkward angle and just...wouldn’t work right. No, he is literally just holding his hand, and that’s exactly what Bakugou wishes he did all that time ago. He wishes that he not only took Deku’s hand, but held onto it. Held it as if it were something precious, something to be cared for and protected. 
These are Bakugou’s true feelings expressed in these drawings, and I think Horikoshi released them on purpose, to show us more of what he wanted Bakugou to be feelings through all of this. Since after all, we know that Bakugou expresses himself in action, not so much words. And because Horikoshi is an absolute genius, he thought to give us these other glimpses in how he feels through these actions. 
And the other sketch with him bowing his body to Izuku, and the way the log looks like it’s on his back with his ‘friends’ on top of it. 
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The pressure of needing to be the coolest, the strongest, the best. Those kids put that kind of pressure on him, even if they never realized it. They encouraged his behavior and fed his ego, and it never allowed him to see how he was wrong. But now he is realizing it, and he is bowing himself in light of that acknowledgement. He is lowering his head and putting his pride away, so he can get back what he lost all those years ago; the opportunity to take Izuku’s hand.
To take the hand of the only one of those kids that ever loved him unconditionally. Who never pressured him or expected him to be invincible. Who saw all of his flaws and was completely prepared to support him despite all of it. The only one. 
I’m just a mess over all of this, and I am so incredibly thankful to Horikoshi for creating this beautiful relationship. AND IN A SHOUNEN MANGA, NONETHELESS!!  
Thank you friend, for your beautiful thoughts. I think they’re spot on, and I am so emotional all over again because of this. 
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