#the hearts of those who yearn freedom (canon)

[heartthumpnovel]

Heart Thump: Fantasy AU Short

The Cursed Prince

Word count: 3968

This is just a short story I wanted to write up in a AU where the gang are in a fairytale setting. Kinda an offshoot of Rapunzel but with G/t instead. May or may not cont. this depending on the reception and motivation. Thought something different to refresh myself for the canon story.

Part 1 (You are here) Part 2

cw: Implied past abuse

---

One might assume that being held hostage is not only terrifying but also an exhilarating predicament. In tales of old, damsels in distress yearned for freedom and often found romance with the noble hero who saved them in most derivative literature.

However, Jason's firsthand experience proved quite the opposite.

Perhaps it stemmed from the fact that Jason wasn't kidnapped by a fearsome beast, but rather, he was imprisoned by his own father and the individuals who had pledged their allegiance to the Anderheart royal family since his adolescence. The novelty of being confined in a tower forever gradually lost its appeal over time. Fortunately, those who locked him away occasionally sent servants and mages to inform him what era it was, provided they were brave enough to engage in conversation.

The prince wouldn’t consider himself a hostage, far from it.

In fact, he’s the fearsome beast that needed to be locked up.

It all started with a bit of family trouble back when he was a young boy. Not that he would like to remember much of what happened but, what did happen was his own mother cursing her son before she was executed for being a witch.

What horrible curse was he afflicted with? Falling into a deep slumber to be awoken by a kiss, or turning into a swan at a nonspecific lake?

No, that would be far too graceful for the poor prince. Whenever he felt true love or happiness, he would start to double in size when his heart raced. The second his father found out what happened to him, for the safety of the kingdom and to keep a respectful appearance of the royal family, Jason was locked up in a refurbished prisoner tower which was meant to hold powerfully dangerous wizard prisoners.

It wasn't akin to a dismal prison with meager accommodations and chains, considering Jason was still the prince after all. He occupied two entire floors, and all his possessions from his room in the castle were transported here. His extensive collection of books and plants kept him occupied throughout the years. The tower's walls were even enchanted to withstand his uncontrollable growth, ensuring he wouldn’t accidentally destroy his home. Admittedly, it caused him significant pain when that occurred, but Jason believed he deserved it for allowing himself to become such a monstrosity in the first place. The prince preferred not to view his current residence as a prison but rather as a place of self-reformation and eventual liberation from the curse.

Though things on that front were slow going. All kinds of wizards and bishops had given his humble tower a visit to see if they were the ones that could break Jason’s curse. None of them succeeded by even a little bit. The number of people claiming they could fix him dwindled and Jason could hardly remember the last time a magic user tried to break the curse. It didn’t help either, that no parameters were said on the solution to get rid of Jason’s burden. Thinking about this made his stomach drop and he’d rather not focus on his predicament.

While there hasn't been a recent visit from suppliers from the kingdom, Jason wasn’t completely left to his own devices. It would be idiotic to leave a giant shifter to go mad by loneliness. Years ago around the time Jason turned fifteen, he was given a druid attendant to originally help him cure his ailment. This druid attendant was only a mere apprentice and needed experience for her mage training. Of Course she never did help him with the curse, but she did stay to become his closest ally. She even taught him how to nurture plants and they bonded over book series they both really like.

Strangely enough, Jason couldn’t put a finger on why but she wasn’t disgusted by his curse and actually wanted to be friends. Sure she seemed fearful of him at first, though she ended up going past the whole giant thing pretty quickly.

Oh Ellinor, so sweet yet had an awful taste of companions evidently.

Jason longed for her presence, despite knowing that she would return in a month with supplies to ensure he didn't perish from hunger and would provide him with new books to read. Plus it wasn’t like he could force her to stay just because he really wanted someone to talk to. He’d just find things to do to avoid being needy for attention. Surely, given his expertise in enduring captivity for countless moons, he could find ample activities to keep himself busy.

It was only day three and he was already out of books to sink into.

Loneliness began to eat away at him like moths to a nicely crafted sweater. He could feel the holes in his heart widening and just needed to find something to keep him distracted.

The prince finally rose from his silk sheets from his self reflection and quiet sobs, trying to think of ways a damsel like himself could pre-occupy his time. There were moments when he almost wished he were tormented by a captor, as it would afford him someone to converse with, reminiscent of the stories he had read. Gently dabbing his tears with a handkerchief, he took a deep breath, attempting to compose himself.

“Just a couple of weeks Jason, nothing to get all emotional over.” he whispered to himself as he passed by the solitary window that offered a glimpse of the outside world. Pausing, he leaned out of the stone archway, beholding the tranquil forest that surrounded him. Despite being the sole view he had of the outside, it remained a breathtaking sight regardless of the season. The melodic songs of diverse bird species and the presence of adorable, fluffy rodents never failed to bring a smile to his face. If only the creatures weren't frightened of him, he could approach them closely. Oh, how he yearned to run his fingers through the soft fur of an endearing creature. What he’d also wish he could do was to check out the plant life around him when Ellinor isn’t around to help him pick it. Just after Ellinor left Jason just had to notice a fruitful bounty of lavender had decided to grow underneath a willow tree that was right across from his tower. Jason had read of the calming remedy the herb had and heard that it made for an amazing tea. Having something to help calm him wasn’t only useful in his separation anxiety but may help with keeping from getting taller.

His gaze lingered longingly upon the lavender patch, wondering if it would remain in full bloom by the time Ellinor returned—

Wait, who was that?

Jason hadn't anticipated encountering anything other than the usual lavender flowers nestled beneath the willow's branches, but the sight before him was no mere flower. She possessed a beauty as captivating as the very patch she was avidly plucking from. His extraordinary eyesight allowed him a better glimpse of the woman, who had dark skin and neatly braided hair fashioned into a crown. Her clothes seemed nice, though not too nice to be a high class nobel, but he assumed that was because a dress would be problematic in dense woods like these. Jason couldn’t get a better look at her as she was bent down on her knees to hog all of the sweet smelling lavender.

Normally, it would be ill-advised for the prince to engage with passersby outside his tower. More often than not, they were lost bandits or adventurers mistaking him for a trapped princess. Each encounter ended with Ellinor either chasing them away or their retreat in terror upon discovering Jason's true identity. Fools, all of them.

However, this time, Jason realized his precious herbs were at stake, and lavender was not commonly found in the area. The audacity of this beautiful intruder to take what was clearly near his tower, and to claim one of the few things that could have kept him grounded and normal… no, she had to go.

“HEY- YOU THERE. TRESPASSER!” Jason yelled out as he poked his head outside his stone window and held onto the balcony fence. The woman startled as she looked where the yelling was coming from. “YEAH YOU! MISS!”

The woman stood up from her business and the prince could finally see her face. Her skin was definitely glowing and well taken care of so she couldn’t have been a dirty bandit type he usually saw. Perhaps a traveling noble merchant or a mage? Could be a magic user as he noticed how enchanting her eyes were. Wait- Focus Jason!

Just because this flower thief was pretty didn’t mean she had the right to take his precious herbs. Though perhaps he shouldn’t scare the daylights out of her and just tell her to get lost.

As the woman pointed to herself and gave a puppy dog head tilt, Jason went on shouting from his window. “Those lavender flowers are already claimed!” Jason spoke, trying his best to seem authoritative though it was pretty lacking, “and this is private property you’re standing in!”

The woman looked back at the lavender patch silently and then did a double take at the tower. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, instead of leaving his yard, the lady decided the best idea was to walk even closer to the tower. Jason cringed and before he could tell her to back off, the woman cuffed her hands around her mouth and started to yell back.

“I don’t see a garden fence around here!” Shouted the beautiful stranger, “Also no offense, it looked like nobody lived in your dinky tower in centuries! How was I supposed to know!?”

Dinky?! Really? A three story tower is dinky to her? Jason’s fingers gripped on the stone window sill. "Well now you know don't you?!" Shouted back the whiny prince, "so why don't you leave my 'dinky tower' alone?"

Instead of just leaving like he asked, she stood there analyzing the scene before her. "You locked up here or something? Need help out of there?" She responded with a tinge of worry in her voice. Jason only rolled his eyes as he found himself again in this bothersome situation.

"You're not one of those Albion graduate heroes are you?" Jason spoke with his arms crossed, "No I'm perfectly fine thank you very much."

Her worried expression turned into a skeptical one as she still didn't make herself scarce.

"Oh really?" She retorted back with her hands on her hips, "Why don't you come down here to get the damn flowers yourself?"

Jason’s cheeks turned a tomato shade of red as his resolve began to crumble. He sputtered out his explanation.

"I-i can't…" Jason admitted, "I can not leave the tower but, I can assure you I'm perfectly fine."

That beautifully annoying woman smirked before she responded, walking over the tiny bridge that was over a stream, "You're literally in the middle of nowhere trapped in a prisoner tower. That doesn't look fine to me."

Oh by the gods, she's gotten so close to the structure that if Jason were to jump out of the window he'd probably land on her. He didn't need her that close.

"Look who ever you are- it's none of your business and I implore you to move on!" Jason tried to appeal to her, "you won't like what you see here I assure you."

The woman's response to that vague warning was to pat the sword handle at her side with a grin. Jason’s palms started to sweat, knowing she could bolt by the sight of his curse.

"What's keeping you here? Ransom? Dragon? Evil wizard? Your hair?" Natasha asked, her eyes looking at the tower to see where the door was.

Well, it seemed like he had to tell her the truth that nobody wanted to hear. That he was indeed the cursed prince of the Anderheart family. Jason leaned over the edge trying to be as stern as a lanky man could be.

He pointed to himself.

"I am, " Jason said, "I have a curse where I grow into a giant monster and I am kept here to keep the world safe."

That should have done it. Once people found out who he was they would either aim their arrows or run.

So why did she just stand there?

She stared up at the prince with an unreadable look on her face before she started to snicker. She put her hand over her mouth attempting to not break out into laughter. Right as Jason was going to ask what was so funny about his predicament, she answered with giggles.

"Seriously!?" Natasha spoke, "with a cute face like that?!"

Th-thump

Oh no.

Jason felt butterflies lunge in his stomach and that dreaded feeling of glee appeared. It was already too late as he felt the growth spurt suddenly making him several feet taller.

He also felt the stone window frame smack the top of his head.

“ACK!!” Jason yelped as his sudden growth caused him to smack the top of his head, he bent over for a moment to rub the bruise, “Ugh bloody hell that stings- I ugh, told you!” Thankfully he didn’t manage to fall out of the window, though he did also realize he wasn’t hearing screaming either. Jason’s eyebrows furrowed as he bent down to look outside the window once more wondering why he didn’t hear a reaction.

…

She was still standing there.

The woman stood there, eyes widened and definitely looked like she was completely caught off guard. Though she definitely wasn’t reaching for her sword as her arms remained crossed. The shock on her face slowly formed into a confused gaze.

“That’s it?” She spoke.

"What do you mean, 'that's it'!?" Jason exclaimed, his voice inadvertently louder, but he no longer cared. "I'm a bloody monster! You shouldn't be lingering around!" Was he actually feeling a twinge of offense that she didn't appear scared of him? It seemed that the years of isolation had truly taken a toll on the prince.

“I mean yeah you’re a little bit taller but like-” she said, gesturing with her arms, "but this? It doesn't scream 'monster' to me." A warm smile graced the woman's face, indicating she wasn't bluffing, although perhaps she lacked awareness of the potential danger. The 7-foot-tall prince cleared his throat, closing his eyes and crossing his arms in annoyance.

“I could be hundreds of men tall if it weren’t for this tower keeping me in check, you should be afraid. ” Jason coldly explained, truly unsure of this situation and the unknown was clearly making him uncomfortable.

“I mean-” Oh bother, she’s speaking again, “I’ve always had a thing for tall guys.”

Before he could react, his body swelled uncontrollably, leaving him scrambling to retreat into his room to avoid getting his head stuck in the window. His desk and bookshelves toppled over as his legs pushed them aside. Jason's back and head collided with the cold stone walls on the other side of the room. Struggling to catch his breath, he felt his face burning red and realized that his room now felt more like a cramped crate. Grumbling, he blew his bangs out of his face, wondering what he had done to deserve this. The nerve of this intruder!

“Hey you alright in there!?” That sweet little voice yelled.

Taking a deep breath was all the prince could do, as he needed to keep his temper in check. Even if the lady made him lose control, it wasn’t like she was trying to cause harm. A royal like him needs to be gentle and stern when asking for things. Especially if he was big enough to cause harm and he really didn’t want to scare people. Pulling himself forward, Jason mumbled a confirmation that he was fine. He then reached his arm out the window, which was as long as a horse, and pointed towards the willow tree.

“Look miss,” Jason said, “Just leave me be please, you can take the lavender if you want.”

There was silence. A very long one.

Jason pulled his arm back inside and curled up upon the cool prison wall. His fingers gripping opposite elbows as he held back tears. Thinking the situation over in his mind and feeling a deep pit in his stomach.

“Oh you gigantic moron…” Jason murmured to himself, “She just wanted to help and you had to go be a rude brute..” He curled into himself as he became a big sobbing mass in his itty bitty tower. The walls have never felt this closed in since the days where he was first thrown in there. Memories of him being chained up for the first few weeks came to mind and being left to starve as the servants who used to keep him alive were too scared to approach his door. He hadn't talked to anyone those desolate weeks and had to beg to convince his father that he wasn’t meaning to be dangerous. That he hated what he’d become and wanted more than anything to be fixed.

Jason grimaced and fiddled with the gem on his crown. Surely a cure was going to come around soon and he could step outside this tower without fear. At this point Jason didn’t even care about being a ruler or whatever. He just wanted to be happy.

Clank

Jason’s head rose and graced the ceiling, hearing a noise coming from the window that sounded like metal scraping rock. Hanging there over the window sill was a hook that had a rope tied on it. Was she planning on coming up here to slay him for being rude!?

“Hey buddy could you do me a favor and loop that rope through an anchor?” Her voice yelled up casually, “I’m sending a basket up.”

Wait what?

More confusion came to Jason, he wondered why in the world this person wanted to give him something after he yelled at her to leave. The prince crawled forward and desperately patted the ceiling as he searched for that rope hook he used to use during the first few years of his banishment. He hadn't found a need for it lately as Ellinor wasn’t scared coming into the tower. One of his giant fingers brushed against cold metal and he gave it a tug. Dust exploded from the anchor and unfortunately Jason inhaled a lot of it. He coughed harshly and waved a hand around to try to fan the dust outside the window.

The very kind person asked if he was okay and the giant tried to assure her that he’s just fine. Jason fed the rope through the hoop of the anchor and held onto the other end on the rope with one hand. The rope jostled a bit as pressure was added to the other end outside. It wasn’t heavy at all though there was indeed something tied to the other end. Just then there were two brief tugs to the rope and Jason took that as a signal to pull it up.

While it wouldn’t take much effort to pull it up strength wise, he was very slow and methodical with pulling up the basket. He wouldn’t want to accidentally jostle out the mystery contents in the basket. His eyes brightened in surprise when he managed to spot the basket on the other end and nearly dropped it.

It was a small bouquet of lavender.

The smell was just as wonderful as he thought it would be and they looked beautiful up close. His heart began to race once more as he felt his body push the limit of the tower’s allowance. Though he didn’t care about his desk being completely pushed into the wall or that he was completely cramped in his tiny room. Someone gave him a wonderful gift and it brought a huge grin on his face for the first time in a while.

While he wished he would go face her once more to properly say thank you, his head was just a bit too large to fit through the window, so instead he pushed an arm through the window. His index finger and thumb crossed over to the delight of the stranger.

“Uhm- thank you very much Miss… could I please get your name?” Jason asked with him trying to not sound like was crying.

The new friend spoke cheerfully, “Natasha Maryrose, I come from the Solaris Republic not far from here. Could I get yours as well?”

The Solaris Republic? He remembered that that democratic empire had a tense yet amicable relationship with the kingdom he was born to rule in. It seemed their borders were much closer than he initially thought.

“Prince Anderheart,” Said the prince, “Though you can call me Jason, if that's a bit too formal.”

“Oh so you are the cursed prince! Huh..” Natahsa scratched her grin, “Wow the tales about you are seriously bunk.”

“Wh-what tales!?” The giant arm flinched a little, “There’s tales about me!?”

“Heh, I’d say they’re more like rumors or stories that mothers tell their young kids to make them behave.” Natasha confessed as she leaned on the tower’s wall, “I wouldn’t give it too much thought, it’s not like you actually have claws and bake men’s bones into bread. ”

“Oh by the gods…” Jason responded as his arm went limp on the window’s edge, causing a giggle to come from below, “I hardly even speak to those that come around here…”

“I’m special then?” Natasha retorted as she noticed the fingers of the arms twitch, “I could try to help clear your name out here if you want.”

“Oh no no no, “ The arm crawled back into the window as if a snake was finding shelter in its den, “I would appreciate it if you kept me a secret for now, I honestly don’t want people knowing where I am when I’m stuck like this…”

“Yeah, that’s understandable,” Natasha responded, “Then your secret is safe with me ya little bone muncher!”

A laugh bellowed from within the tower, it was dainty yet shook the stone walls. Not enough to break them but, one would have thought a keg explosive went off in there.

Perhaps, a kind of emotional keg exploded there that day.

Jason whipped his tears with his other arm and smiled, having the outside arm give a thumbs up before gently grasping the window. Tapping his fingers on the sill as he took a large breath.

“Oh man alive…” Jason spoke, “Could I make another bold request if it’s not too much to ask?”

“Shoot.”

“Could you… pay me a visit sometimes? If-if you want that is. I know we just met and everything but, I-I think you’re really interesting and it gets quite lonely-”

“I’d love to.”

The arm froze in surprise, then melted back onto the window as it hung very low along the tower’s aging stone walls.

“Th-thanks, and I’m very, very sorry for the way I’ve treated you,” Jason began to apologize, “You were just trying to be nice and here I was yelling at you for it- Eh?!”

In the middle of his apology, he didn’t realize that his arm could reach so far down that it was just barely enough for someone to reach their hand out to touch the tip of his middle finger. He felt a silk-soft hand pat his finger, which initially flinched at the touch but let itself be petted. Jason couldn’t make out what Natasha was mumbling about, but, deep down he knew it must have been kind.

Finally, the dreaded cursed prince of the Atlas kingdom and Anderheart monarchy, had made another friend.

#g/t #giant/tiny #size difference #gt writing #heart thump #AU #Cursed Prince #gt #gt community #giant #giant tiny #writing #tiny #fantasy

[chiefbeifongcanrailme]

For the DVD commentary, from My Brother's Girlfriend:

You see, Tenzin admitted that he was quite the romantic. He had a talk with his parents about it very early on in life. He told them that he didn't want to be the father of the air nation even though that would inadvertently be his responsibility. He wanted to give his children the same childhood he had: one where his parents loved him and his siblings the same: bending, warts and all. He wanted to marry for love: not to repopulate the world of it's airbenders. Aang had hugged his son tightly that night. At the ripe age of eleven, the boy understood what most of his older acolytes couldn't seem to follow. Yes, the world needed more airbenders. Yes, what happened to the airbenders was an atrocity. But it happened in the past. Neither can one dwell in the past, nor must they yearn for a future. What mattered was the present and what one can do with the gift of today. Aang always told his kids to do their best every day and if they did that, the universe had it's ways of rewarding them. That night, Aang promised his son that he'd be free to do as his heart desired. That the universe will settle the unbalance.

And then there were airbenders. His own brother amongst them. 

Tenzin's conundrum between choosing a man, woman, or bender he loved and his legacy was finally resolved. Even though his father and the Avatar had already given him the freedom, this was the universe's way of telling him he was indeed free to make his own choices. He liked to think that everything changed after harmonic convergence, but really nothing had. He still traveled the world and taught the principles of air nation alongside airbending wherever needed. He spent a total of two years at every temple, summoning more and more airbenders and introducing them to their element. Even though he was constantly surrounded by benders and acolytes alike, the experience was rather isolating. Aang and Katara would visit him from time to time, but his only loyal companion was his trusty sky bison, Oogie, who grew up with the young bender. 

No, but this was not about legacies or bending. 

Tenzin was displeased- furious even, at whom, however, he didn't know. But why? Clear as day. Because while he was searching far and wide for the love of his life, his unknowing brother slid right past and won her over with his unequivocal charm. He couldn't even blame her- not that he knew her or her type- to fall in love with someone like Bumi. For the longest time, Tenzin would wonder how he was actually related to this cacophony of a man and to think that now his whole purpose- his soulmate- was the very point of commonality between them. 

Coming to Chapter 2 of My Brother's Girlfriend, where the plot actually begins plotting: I like to think of the first chapter as kind of a prologue, with the second chapter being where to story actually starts.

This whole excerpt here serves as the "We are throwing all of canon into the trash and this is what's up" memo to catch the audience up with what setting this fic/ship is going to take place in.

As you all know better than anyone by now, I love a good "more than one person is in love with Lin and she's oblivious" trope. But, because of canon, I also LOVE a good jealous Tenzin fic. My guilty pleasure is those fics where Lin and Bumi are together and Tenzin is losing his mind from the moment he finds out.

So, it was only fitting to sorta re-do canon from the point where it became a problem for my first ship: Linzin. What if Aang led the Harmonic Convergence instead of it being a random consequence of the actions of Korra and Jinora? What if Tenzin stayed true to being an air nomad? What if the oldest two kids of the legends of the 100 year war got together?

Despite poking holes in the "plot" of canon, I wanted to keep the characters true to as they were written. And enter, Tenzin: a hopeless romantic. Inspired by his own parents' iconic love story, he feels almost entitled, if not blessed to the opportunity of true love. He plays by the book. He does his due diligence. And he knew the universe would reward him. He didn't need to marry and "breed" for the sake of is legacy anymore. In fact, it wasn't just him, he was sharing the weight with Bumi who had gained airbending through Harmonic Convergence (on that note: I also wanted to explore what Bumi would be like had he not had the whole "I am a disappointment because I'm not an airbender" thing going on. Would he still join the United Forces? If so, would he return home once he got airbending?).

In that regard, Bumi and Tenzin surely have a better relationship here than in canon- in the sense that they don't resent each other and their parents for their biases. But there's still some tension due to their polar opposite personalities, and furthermore, there's one-sided tension on Tenzin's side because he falls hopelessly in love with Lin, at first sight. One minute he's thinking of ways to ask Lin out without wasting any time, and the next, he is introduced to her as his brother's girlfriend.

Like canon, Tenzin can be pretty entitled. He strongly believes that Lin's with the wrong man. He doesn't seem care to think about Lin's feelings on the matter. He has this mindset that's like "if she could fall for Bumi, she could definitely fall for me with so much more ease." And because of that mindset, he is convinced at a very shallow level, that Bumi stole his girl.

I hope you enjoyed this commentary!

#lin beifong #chief beifong #tenzin #bumi ii #merkittty answers #ask games

[yuriko-mukami]

What small quirks do they love about each other?

Who makes the other laugh more?

Which one wears the "I'm with stupid" t-shirt?

Questions for self ship/OC x canon couples

This answer is written together with @ruki-mukami-dl.

Who makes the other laugh more?

Yuriko makes Ruki laugh more. This usually happens when she says something she doesn't even consider funny but it makes Ruki chuckle anyway because he never thought the matter like that. He calls her adorable right after that.

Which one wears the "I'm with stupid" t-shirt?

Neither of them.

What small quirks do they love about each other?

We started to make a list of quirks together with Ruki's admin but it soon turned out more like a list of things these two love in each other. So... we decided to share that instead.

Ruki loves it...

💙 ...when Yuriko blushes

💙 ...when Yuriko is absorbed in the book she is reading

💙 ...when Yuriko's eyes curl into crescents while she is smiling

💙 ...when Yuriko raises on her toes while kissing him

💙 ...when Yuriko tries desperately to make him chocolates for Valentine's Day (maybe one day she is able to do that!)

💙 ...when Yuriko's eyes start to sparkle and she acts excited like a child over something

💙 ...how Yuriko shares his interest in literature and wants to discuss it

💙 ...how Yuriko has a big heart and she loves him unconditionally, forgiving and staying even after he killed someone for her

💙 ...how Yuriko can take a nap anywhere. He finds her cute

💙 ...how Yuriko is brave enough to sit on his lap. He loves to have her there

💙 ...how Yuriko cherishes her fox plushie. It reminds him of how he enshrines the photo of his parents

💙 ...how Yuriko wanted to save Yuuto. It's important for Ruki that she has a strong love for her family

💙 ...how Yuriko is almost always wearing skirts. It's feminine

💙 ...how Yuriko is a good girl and listens to his orders but at the same time, he loves it when she is brave and tells about her wishes

💙 ...how Yuriko spoke to him when she touched his scars for the first time

"I love you. You've been through a lot and it has left marks on you. Some memories aren't good but they're part of you. I... I love those dark parts too. Maybe one day... you can think about my fingers instead those people who hurt you. I love you the way you are..."

Yuriko loves it...

💙 ...when Ruki whispers directly into her ear

💙 ...when his fangs are peeking while he is chuckling

💙 ...when Ruki brushes her hair aside in a gentle manner

💙 ...when Ruki cooks for her. This shows her how much he cares about her. She loves especially chocolate chip cookies and vegetable soup since those are the first things Ruki made for her

💙 ...when Ruki is brave enough to show his weaker side to her

💙 ...when Ruki's tough shell breaks a little as Yuriko makes him chuckle. She finds that adorable

💙 ...how Ruki's expression changes very slightly when he is reading

💙 ...how Ruki dresses up. Yuriko finds him stylish

💙 ...how Ruki is willing to discuss literature with her and truly listens to her thoughts

💙 ...how Ruki's words of love are always very intense. She tends to repeat his words in her mind.

"This is your punishment for stealing my freedom. My thoughts are all about you. You made me and my mind your prisoner."

NSFW things they love in each other

💙 Ruki loves how Yuriko sometimes sways her butt

💙 He also loves it when Yuriko presses her bottom against him as if asking to be taken in that instant

💙 And he can't help but love it when Yuriko tugs his hair while they are having their heated moments

💙 The same goes when Yuriko asks to be bitten

💙 All these signs tell him how much she yearns for him which makes him feel wanted

💙 Yuriko loves it when Ruki pulls her bottom lip while kissing

💙 Ruki grazing the tips of his fangs over her skin drives her crazy

💙 It probably goes without saying but Yuriko loves it when Ruki bites her

💙 Yuriko also loves that Ruki knows the balance between rough fucking and gentleness, combining the both perfectly and making her melt

"I can’t... too... good! Gosh!"

"I'm not done... Now I'll make you scream my name~"

The gif made by me, the CG edits made by @elizabeth-virnien

#answered asks #elizabeth virnien #ruki mukami #yuriko mukami #rukiko #steamytimes #rukiko headcanons

[xaracosmia]

ꕥ — WELCOME TO CATA COSMIA, TILL. 🌕

ꕥ  — OOC INFORMATION;

name / alias: oli(s) age: 23 pronouns: any other characters in xc: jing nyan

ꕥ  — IC INFORMATION;

name: till age: 21 pronouns: he/him series: alien stage  canon point: post-ep 5.. before the fuckening... app triggers: human enslavement, humans treated as pets, child abuse, death game(?)

personality: 

till is someone who is deeply contradictory. whether that is inherent to him or a product of his environment is difficult to determine—either way, till is the way he is, and that is someone who is both difficult to interact with and to predict. more often than not, till has a rough and abrasive exterior. he's rude, aggressive, and standoffish, immediately disliking any signs of authority or anyone who seems to hold power over him. it seems that, if anything at all, till's rebellious nature is deeply innate to him—though his aggressive exterior was developed in response to the harshness of his childhood, his intrinsic desire to rebel even when it goes against his best interests has exacerbated his roughness. rather than rebellion born from pride or even conscious effort, till truly can't seem to hold himself back from lashing out when pushed. to till, it's an instinct that he can't suppress. 

unfortunately, this tendency towards rebellion has done little to benefit till throughout his life—instead of freedom, till has often been met with cruel punishment and solitary confinement, leading him to have spent vast amounts of time in utter isolation. it's perhaps due to these constant punishments, extended bouts of isolation, and a complete lack of care that other traits of till's arose. behind any false bravado, till is incredibly insecure, always doubting himself and his skills. he often likens himself to trash and in private, he's brutally self-deprecating. despite his low opinion of himself, he still yearns desperately for love and attention, though he'd be terrified to actually accept it; he's blisteringly fearful of rejection. till fares better idealizing and borderline obsessing over those he reveres than he does directly approaching them, and as such, he can spend years adoring someone with little to no interaction with them. he's the type that can only see what's directly in front of him, and focuses on it intently.

this hints at what lies deep within till—a soft heart, loyal and aching for affection, but terribly stunted due to his environment. in reality, till's true nature is that of someone who is timid, sensitive, and delicate. his feelings are easily hurt and he's just as easily frightened. his gruff outward persona is a hardy shell meant to defend his tender heart from the outside world, despite the soft tissue that lies within. till is both rough and gentle, brave and cowardly, aggressive and painfully anxious. he's someone with a warped perception of himself; even till has little understanding of who he is, and he struggles to express or even interpret his own feelings because of it. 

it's through artistic expression that till can most easily express himself and his emotions. though he hardly grasps the breadth of his own skills, till is a natural virtuoso with an inclination towards music and art—till's honesty is always found in his songs and voice, betraying what he endlessly struggles to keep close to his chest. 

something your muse struggles with:

emotional regulation; till is prone to severe mood swings and drops.

insecurity; he's got problems issues.

just in general he has every mental illness diagnosis possible 

your muse’s greatest strength:

artistic genius; he's more skilled than he will ever realize.

loyalty; when he decides to follow someone, he'll never turn his back on them.

determination; he can be incredibly single-minded and his focus is a thing of wonder.

history / background: 

unfortunately, fate was never meant to be on till’s side. 

born in a future where humans have been reduced to mere pets for alien amusement, till’s inherently rebellious nature meant life had few joys laid out for him. his endless defiance only led him to harsh and cruel punishments, never freedom; what he desired most was liberation and tenderness, and yet, as time went on, till found himself farther and farther away from both. in this world, he had no freedom and not a kind eye turned towards him; crushed under the weight of his loneliness and the pain of being owned, till withered. 

it was only due to till’s natural talent for music that he was afforded any benevolence at all. despite his disobedient nature, he was valued nonetheless by his alien “parent” for his singing skills and marvelous ability with any instrument offered to him. it’s due to these natural abilities that till was eventually enrolled in “anakt garden”, something like an alien boarding school for human children with potential for musical excellence. 

it was in the garden that till found salvation—or someone like it. there, he encountered mizi, a fellow human who seemed to have everything that till didn’t. till struggled to interact with others, while mizi was friendly and open. till had seen the harshness and brutality of aliens, but mizi had nothing but kindness in her heart. most days, till could barely muster a smile; mizi shone like the sun. she was everything till couldn’t be, and immediately, till adored her for it. lonely, affection starved, and spiraling, till found solace in the very thought of mizi, and fixated intensely on her to cope with his constant isolation and punishments. he admired her from afar for years—

( enough to throw away a chance at freedom, because what could till ever be without her? )

—and when the time came, when till stood on stage with mizi in view, he was ready to risk everything in order to express to her how she had saved him. finally, she would hear him.

when the guards tackled him to the ground afterwards, a concussion was more than worth even a split-second of her attention.

powers / abilities: NONE!!!!!

inherent abilities: he's a genius sorta maybe.

items / weapons: 

  a flower crown of clematis flowers.

starting ability: NOTHING!!! starting item: clematis flower-crown.

would you like this character to be housed upon arrival?: yeas....

extra:

considering the triggers involving alien stage, i’ll be avoiding direct mentions of till being a human pet in the main server. it is a big part of his backstory so mentions of being in like confinement/unfamiliar with normal human activities will be present, but i’ll never go into depth as to why outside of private rps/ discussions where it's been consented to.

anyways. let's cook and eat this guy 

“fuck it we ball” (malnourished, heavy eye bags, dehydrated, on the verge of insanity)

discord id: t1lltheend passcode: we should throw a rock at his head and see if there's an echo

#xc application #mun: oli #cata cosmia

[peachesandmilktea]

Taking requests? What about Shigaraki meant to be yours/heathers Hehehehehe

JD!Shigaraki x Veronica!Reader - Meant to be Yours

This is the cover I listened to while writing! I recommend listening to it while reading.

TW: JD!Shigaraki but in canon MHA (with quirks), Slight Angst, Yandere vibes I guess, I didn't remember where Veronica was supposed to be so Reader is hiding in a closet.

The closet felt cramped.

Dark. Too hot. Narrow like a cage.

His nails brushed against the wood of the door. If you listened well, you could make out the sound of his breathing from the little gap between the wood and the floor. Right there, a thin line of light penetrated in the little closet you'd locked yourself in.

It parted in a few places, divided by the shadow of his shoes. The sound his soles made as he stepped closer and closer to the last obstacle between the two of you made shivers run down your spine, icy and itchy like the legs of a thousand spiders striding down your back. You held back a whimper at the feel, and clasped a hand over your mouth to silence the scared little yelp that threatened to spill from your lips.

“I know you’re in there,” Tomura said, two fingers softly tapping the wood of the door. He could end this with just three more, you knew, but he chose to let you drown into your own stupid fantasies of escape instead, as if that cramped little closet could somehow bring you salvation from his hands.

“Let’s not fight anymore,” he offered, gentle as you knew he could be sometimes. But there was no erasing the blood, the dust, the decay his hands spread, shattering the world into pieces and leaving nothing but ashes and rumble and weeping survivors behind.

You didn’t reply. There was nothing to say when you’d offered your heart to a villain, a murderer, someone who held death in the palm of his hands. You’d tasted the sweetness of chaos on his tongue, only to choke on the tang of guilt that had coated your lips like venom then.

His kisses were too tender for such a wretched killer, and his embrace felt cold on your skin when you thought that those same hands cradling your face in their gentle palms were also the ones that made the world crumble between their fingers in just a single touch.

“I know you’re scared, I’ve been there,” he insisted, and you knew he had. The pain, though buried and left unspoken, pulled at his words, tore at his tone. It pulsed in his voice, burned in his throat when the syllables rolled on his tongue, lowly hissed between his gritted teeth. “I can set you free.”

Promises that you’d never want him to keep.

Freedom at his hands meant pain for others. He would tear the world into pieces if it meant having you, you knew. And though it sounded vain, it was but the truth - the way his hands and eyes and heart and lungs had worshipped every single part of you like you were the air he breathed, the sun in his sky, the lover from his sweetest dreams was the simplest testimony of his devotion, one that ran so deep and strong you wouldn’t even dare to deny it.

And you yearned for him, too. You would give in, if only he could be torn from the death and destruction he cradled both in his hands and chest. But it was part of him, now - it was one with his flesh, a vital organ that you couldn’t claw out from his rib cage, no matter how bloody your own fingers got as you dove deep, deep into his wretched mind.

“You were meant to be mine,” he whispered, and the words were as true as they were painful to hear. They fell like sharp blades from his lips, tearing through your skin and mind, dreadful in the way they called you back to him, back into his arms and away from the truth of what he truly was.

Villain. Murderer. Monster.

But what were you, then, but the one exception? If he was a monster to the world, he’d never been one to you. The ones who’d known him like you did were but ghosts and dust by now, and you were the only living being who’d tasted the true tenderness he held in his murderous hands.

Murderer as he was, he’d been nothing a gentle lover to you. Soft touches and low breaths tickling your collarbones in the middle of the night, words whispered and faint, genuine little laughs slipping from his lips when no one else heard, sweet kisses that tasted like peaches and honey - if you rejected him, the kindest parts of him would be lost to the world, safely tucked in your memories like a secret unshared.

He didn’t deserve that.

You didn’t deserve that.

And so, slowly, you raised a hand to the lock on the door. It softly clicked when you pushed it open, and light poured in your eyes, all blinding and somewhat painful since you’d been drowned into the darkness of the closet this whole time.

It was alright, though.

Because Tomura was right.

You were meant to be his, and he was meant to be yours.

——

THIS IS SO STUPID IM SORRY

idk where I was going with this. I tried to follow Veronica’s mindset at the time - she didn’t want to stay with JD because yaknow he killed a lot of people and all so I thought I’d do the same with Tomura and Reader BUT ITS SO MESSY IT MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM. I might rewrite it someday though

PLEASE TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS IT WOULD MEAN THE WORLD TO ME ❤️❤️

#shigaraki x reader #shigaraki x you #mha x reader #bnha x reader #heathers au #shigaraki x y/n #mha x you #bnha x you #mha x y/n #bnha x y/n #yandere shigaraki #yandere mha #yandere bnha #Peaches writes #shigaraki tomura #yandere shigaraki x reader #yandere mha x reader #yandere bnha x reader #geri my darling wro

[levihantrash]

Hi! Got a prompt for you if you're interested (feel free to write a drabble, a one-shot, or a multi-chap): Levihan, "One more chance." Open to interpretation. Thanks, and good luck! :)

okay so i decided to combine this prompt together with my headcanon for that levihan ring merch for a canon setting one-shot!

One More Chance

"What do you think of rings?" Hange asks Levi out of the blue, in the little room that could suffice as an office for his unofficial position as second in command.

"Why?" Levi knows that Hauge doesn't ask questions out of the blue without motives.

They could be random, absurd, silly, but there was always a reason behind their questions.

Hange plants one elbow on the table, bent forward in anticipation for Levi's answer. His eyes catch the glint of Hange's bolo tie as it swung back and forth.

Jewellery? Vanity aside, Hange knows better than Levi how expensive it is to obtain warm clothing and food, much less a bunch of shiny rocks. They spent days mulling over the Survey Corps’ budget, where to allocate resources, how to seek funding, and to keep expenses humane but tight.

“Why?” He repeats, unsure as to whether to sneak in a crass joke as Hange’s eyes were shining—in a different tone compared to the bright-eyedness that showed whenever they made a new discovery. It was, what was it? Nostalgia? Levi is certain that Hange had never, of ten years being by their side, even hinted at a desire for a ring, for whatever reason they might yearn for the object.

Hange knows Levi is perturbed—suspicious, even. They know that such an ambiguously-worded question, simple as it was, will not warrant a straightforward answer from Levi. He is far too observant to not think of Hange’s line of questioning as uncharacteristic from the usual. The usual Hange will elaborate; they will give details. Perhaps this is a ring made from a special sort of metal to go undetected from metal sensors to sneak past the enemy and pass on valuable information etched in code on the inside, for example. Whatever reason that prompted Hange to take a sudden interest in rings wasn’t for battle, or for moral good, which frankly, is more embarrassing for them.

“Do you keep those patches with you?” Hange changes the topic. Levi blinks, then turns to the drawer and pulls the handle. The open drawer speaks for itself; filled with rows and rows of haphazardly torn patches of the Survey Corp’s uniform, the emblem of the wings of freedom.

“You keep it here, huh…” Hange muses, touching one patch tenderly, feeling the crusted blood stain at the tip of their finger.

“Do you remember who each patch belongs to?”

Levi shakes his head, not defending the lack of differentiation between the patches. To him, each patch is louder than a name attached to it. A fellow soldier whose heart he carried on within him.

“If I die, Levi, will you bring back my patch?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions.” Levi is quick to retort, sounding mildly irritated that Hange brought up the possibility of death.

“We all die someday.”

“We should think about how to stay alive,” Levi says firmly. “And what does any of this have to do with rings?”

Hange laughs, patting Levi on the shoulder affectionately. “You won’t let that go, huh?”

“It seems important,” Levi says, disgruntled. “You’re not usually so hesitant.”

“It’s not.” Hange waves their hands defensively, straightening up to avoid Levi’s gaze.

“What’s that in your pocket? Your hand keeps touching it.” Levi is sharp as ever, Hange thinks, itching to back out and tend to more important commander duties.

“Maybe next time! I have to go!” Hange brisk-walks out of the office, leaving Levi in the dust. He has the immediate urge to follow them, to grab their arm and ask what’s wrong, to force some kind of coherent understanding to this muddled conversation. Yet, he continues sitting on the chair, wondering if their mutual awkwardness had swept past them in the form of a lost opportunity. The patches flutter a little in the wind, as though asking him, what are you so afraid of?

He closes the drawer and sinks back onto the creaky, wooden chair, waiting for Hange to come back.

The next time he sees them again is when he’s so battered that his back trembles at the prospect of sitting on another hard surface. The series of negotiations, arguments, plans, fly past him in a whirlwind of decisions led by Hange. He occasionally spots the bulge in their side pocket, but his head is spinning with a million of other more dire worries to figure out what the hell is this unresolved mystery from months ago.

One night, as Hange tends to the bandages around his head, traces the stiches on his face, and mumbles quiet nothings about how they’re glad he’s alive, he finally lifts a shaky hand to point at the bulging pocket.

“Are you going to tell me what’s in that?”

“Nothing that will help us stop this mess,” Hange says, sweeping some of the fringe off his forehead to wipe the sweat underneath.

“But it’s important to you,” he states. Hange nods slowly.

“And you want to show it to me.” He tries, unaccustomed to the presumptuousness of his claim. But there is little time. If there was ever time before, now they were running on thin, cracked lines of time, teetering over the edge.

Hange sighs, and stuffs a reluctant hand into their pocket to bring out a small box.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t use the Scouts’ funds.”

“The Survey Corps doesn’t exist anymore,” Levi reminds them, to distract his mind from speculating endlessly about what’s in the box. He wants to sit up. Physically straining himself feels unwise, so he settles with tilting his head to get a clearer view of both Hange and the box.

Hange carefully holds his shoulders to sit him up, leaning him against them.

“I got rings for us.”

“Huh?”

The box is opened, and inside were two shining rings in silver and gold. Purple embellishment on the gold and green on silver. Not to mention it was heart-shaped rings. Levi feels his cheeks getting warmer by the second by its blatant implications, and is thankful that the bandages literally covered half his face.

“I know, I told them not to make it heart-shaped but you know when Reeves knew it was for you he said I had to make it obvious, whatever that meant,” Hange says quickly, snapping the box shut so as to save themselves from having to confront what was glaring at them.

“It’s not practical for fighting,” Levi murmurs, reaching out to take the box from Hange.

“Dedicate your hearts… wasn’t that what Erwin said?” Hange, always the one to inject light humour in tense situations, decides it will be alright to quote Erwin’s war cry in what is essentially a confession.

“Right.” Levi opens the box, looking expectantly at Hange.

“What?”

“Rings are for wearing, right?”

“You said they weren’t practical!”

“We’re not fighting now.”

Running their hands through their hair, Hange looks rather sheepish. “It’s a bit selfish but I just want to be remembered. As more than a patch.”

Levi frowns, bandages crinkling. “You think I’ll forget you?”

“I don’t know.”

“I won’t forget you. Ring or no ring.”

Upon hearing the seriousness of Levi’s voice, the light-heartedness returns to Hange, as they cheekily present the ring to them.

“Well then, will you dedicate your heart to me, shitty Captain?”

“Whatever, Four-eyes.” He says it as flippantly as he can, yet handles the ring like sudden movement will break it.

“Hah! I wonder what the kids will say about the rings…” Hange stretches out and lays beside Levi, admiring the ring on their hand amidst the backdrop of night stars. He takes their hand and weaves his fingers through it, placing their interlocked hands on his chest.

After the plane takes off, Levi’s eyes are trained on the floor. The plane rattles, swerves, and gains momentum. Everyone around him is emotional—rightly so, because their leader had said a fleeting goodbye before leaping to their death. He holds one hand in the other, feeling the cold metal on his finger. Rings don’t leave the smell of Hange’s skin when they lie their head on his shoulder after a long day. Rings don’t capture the sound of Hange’s laugh when they make friendly banter with their juniors, or when Levi makes the occasional, dry joke that only they pick up on. Rings don’t emulate the dialogue of their late-night discussions in his office, the tea that he makes and that they drink from the same cup—to save the time needed for washing, according to Hange. He doesn’t protest.

Still, the ring is all he has left. The one chance Hange had, they entrusted in him this ring. They could translate Levi’s words into more palpable versions for other people, but they could not for the life of them come up with words to express their more vulnerable feelings. For Hange, the ring was another chance to cement what remained unspoken: I hope you remember me. I’m here with you.

The last chance Levi had, he placed a fist on their heart.

“Dedicate your heart.” The ring flashes in the sunlight, making Hange blink back tears.

Now, he clutches one hand in the other.

“See you, Hange.” The ring stares back, patiently. He closes his eyes, bringing the thin, metal sentiment to his lips.

“Keep watching us.”

thank you for the prompt @djmarinizelablog !! ^_^

#aot #levihan #rings #levi ackerman #hange zoe #levi x hange #fanfiction #my writing #hanji zoe #shingeki no kyojin #prompt #how many times can i use these same three lines from chapter 132 #yes i admit merch has inspired my writing what can i say #tbh a heart shaped ring irl sounds hard to wear XD

[favberrys]

I'm bored and in a kkg brainrot mood, so i'm just gonna rant about my opinions of kakegurui ships and i will make some headcanons:

Kirasaya

Ok i had to start with them bc they're just too iconic, i think they have one of the most interesting and complex dynamics in kkg, they really got me obsessed with them, it's probably my number one kakegurui ship and the reason i started watching the show and reading the manga. Honestly yeah their relationship has some power imbalance, since sayaka is kirari's secretary, and is probably disfunctional, but contrary to what some ppl say kirasaya is not abusive, kirari never physically or emotionally abuses sayaka throughout the story. Anyway they're a 10/10, peak lesbian yearning, if they don't kiss at least one i will jump the author. Probably one of my fav ships ever, i think they're made for each other and i can't see kirasaya with anyone else, they're just so good together and their chemistry is >>>>>>

Yumary

Ok this one is kinda an unpopular opinion bc most people like yumary, but honestly i can't get invested into it, there's something in this ship that doesn't make my heart go "fuck yeah they should be gfs". Personally i don't ship yumeko with anyone bc i can't imagine her in a relationship since her main thing is being a compulsive gambler, her existence revolves around it and she forms relationships when they're useful for her gambling games. I think yumary could be friends with benefits for some time, but after a while mary would probably break it off because i don't think she can handle a sexual/romantic relationship with yumeko and after a while it would make her go nuts. A friendship between them is already messy and complicated and honestly i don't think they are compatible that way. Yes they have chemistry and there's probably some mutual attraction but to me it's a no. Also can cishet dudes stop fetishizing this ship ? My vote is 6/10, mostly bc mary doesn't seem much physically comfortable with yumeko, idk mary just seems off with her in that sense and i prefer them as gambling partners or friends.

Meariri

I honestly love this ship, especially after reading the manga, they have such an great dynamic, i think they both care about each other, they have chemistry and i think they're compatible and that their personalities compliment each other, mary is often loud and aggressive and passionate while ririka is more closed off and quiet, they're like fire and ice and this case i think the saying "opposite attract" works with them. Mary counts on ririka and i love the fact that she is so comfortable with her physically (mary is almost always the one to initiate the contact, holding her hand, touching her head, etc) and ririka gets inspired by mary to be her own person and chase her goals. Plus they're really cute together, aesthetically i find them the most attractive couple, i'll give them a solid 9/10

Itsukaede

Lmao i don't even know if this is the correct ship name for itsuki x kaede, ok i don't hate it and i think they could work as a couple, it's not my cup of tea bc m/f ships bore me, but i like their relationship, they have the kind of old married couple dynamic that always works. 6/10.

Ryomeko

I can see it happening, i don't ship it, but i don't mind it either, i'm kinda neutral about ryota x yumeko, but i think he's one of the ppl who care about yumeko the most in that academy (with also mary ofc), the ship is boring bc ryota is bland (he's a good guy don't get me wrong and he defo doesn't deserve the hate he gets) and as i said previously i don't ship yumeko with anyone. Sorry i gotta give it 5/6 out of 10

Yumedari

Ok i love midari but just like yumeko, i don't ship her with anyone bc i see her as someone who's too much unstable for relationships, but i know that canonically she loves/likes/is attracted to yumeko so i don't hate this ship, i think it's decent, the only problem is that yumeko hates midari. Still i think that since they're the most insane mfs in that school somehow this ship could work. 6/10

Yuridari

Again midari in my eyes is kinda unshippable, but this ship is not bad at all, they would have that kind of bickering married couple dynamic like itsuki and kaede, i like it but it doesn't do much for me. 7/10

Ryomary

Jsjssjsksk i looked the name of mary x ryota's ship on wiki so if it sounds weird it's bc i don't know their ship name and i have looked at the first site google gave me. This ship is hard no, mainly bc ryota is very bland and i consider mary a lesbian (i read that she is a canon lesbian but idk if it's confirmed by the author, let's say lesbian mary is just my hc) so shipping her with men feels like a hate crime to me, mary is for the girls only, 4/10.

Tsumary

They are kind of cute together right ? I think they're adorable, tsuzura is mary's first love and i think that someone like her would make mary very happy. I still haven't finished kkg twin, so my opinion on tsuzura is incompleted and it might change, i don't hate her but i find her character a little basic/boring so even though this ship is cute it doesn't make me fall in love with them. 7/10 bc probably also tsuzura had feelings for mary and they have a healthy dynamic, you can see they love each other.

Midasaya

I enjoy this crackship, i know that they both like different people but i headcanon that they were together during middle school or that midari had at least a small crush on sayaka during that time, before kirari came to hyakkaou i like to think that they explored their sexuality together so midari was probably sayaka's first kiss, her first date, etc, so they would have history together and we also see that midari knows sayaka bc her character is described through her pov during tower of doors. I find this ship pretty funny bc sayaka is always so serious and composed and midari is a ball of chaos. 7/10

Yumesaya

This is another crackship i don't mind and find hilarious, yeah i'm a huge kirasaya stan but i'm also a multishipper and sayaka deserves all the girls in the world, so the more the merrier. I like to think this ship as one sided love in which yumeko sort of pines after sayaka and i think it would be very interesting to see kirari being jeaulous that sayaka is getting yumeko's attention. We saw jeaulous/protective sayaka in kakegurui, but i would also like to see how kirari reacts when someone tries to take sayaka away from her, it would be really interesting. Obv this would create some tension between kirasaya and also between kirari and yumeko, almost a sort of love triangle dynamic. My opinion is that yumeko is just too unstable to settle down, also they both probably would get bored/lose interest in each other after the heat of the moment. 6/10

Ririsaya

Sorry but i really can't see it happening not even if i squint, but i really enjoy the ririsaya fanfictions and i think those works are pretty great even though i don't ship them very much. It would be interesting if both twins were in love with sayaka and there was some tension/coldness between them for a while bc they liked the same girl (maybe i read too many fanfictions). My headcanon is that both sayaka and ririka had a crush on each other when they first knew each other and for sayaka it was probably pretty confusing bc she already had feelings for kirari. I see them as friends, 7/10

Yumemisaori

Again idk if this is the correct name of the ship, many said that yumemi and saori are a healthier/mentally stable version of kirasaya and i agree. the dynamics are similar bc we have the secratary that is willing to do everything for her boss and the relationship is a little more balanced, i think they would be very cute together, but sadly they had very little interactions and if i could see more of them i would probably ship them even more. I like them 7/10.

Sachiko x Mary

I didn't even find a ship name for this couple, so they must be pretty unpopular, i like both characters and their antagonistic dyanamic is very interesting, but i don't ship them much bc i think mary needs/wants someone who is completely different from sachiko, who wants to make mary her pet and mary is someone who cares very much about her freedom, her indipendence and wants to make her own choices and this completely clashes with sachiko's extremely sadistic and domineering nature. I prefer them as enemies who have some sexual tension or enemies with benefits or one night stand adventure, but nothing more. 5/6 out of 10 bc the only mary ship i really love is meariri and i also like tsuzumary a bit.

Sachiko x Mikura

This is probably one of the most unhealthy relationships in kakegurui, but i kinda like it. Their dyanmic is pretty much vertical with sachiko who has all the power and makes mikuro do everything she wants and mikura who is completely obsessed and devoted to sachiko (my opinion is that she developed a sort of stockholm syndrome towards sachiko). I think that someone like sachiko could never have genuine romantic relationships bc of her extremely sadistic nature, she sees ppl like toys to break and what she enjoys the most is seeing ppl suffer, so the only compatible person with sachiko is someone extremely masochistic like mikura. Giving them a 6/7 out of 10 bc their interactions are fun/interesting and spice things up.

Rin x Ibara and Yumeko x Kirari

Hard no to both of them, i don't ship incest, yall can do what you want but personally it's a huge no for me. When i first started watching the anime at the beginning i thought yumeko and kirari had some sort of tension and could have been enemies to lovers (lmaoo i was so naive), but then i discovered they were cousins and i saw more kirasaya interactions so i got completely turned off by this ship. 3/10 to both of these ships.

Sachiko x Sakura

Now this ship is very sexy, idk why i like it but i do, yes i don't see sachiko with anyone besides mikura, but this pairing is not bad at all, even though it's a crackship. I think they would be rivals with benefits and would argue a lot and then make out/have hot sex. 7/10 (maybe it's too high but since these are just my opinions i won't be objective)

Mary x kirari

Uhm is there really someone out there who ships them ? Yeah i thought they had some sexual tension in s1 with that tea scene, but it's a no from me, i don't like it and i don't think they're compatible in any way, i can't see kirari with anyone who isn't sayaka. 4/10

#i think i said them all but maybe i'm missing some ships #don't attack me these are just my opinions #kakegurui #kkg #kakegurui shitpost #ships #kakegurui manga #kakegurui anime #kakegurui twin #wlw ship #kakegurui moodboard #honestly idgaf if kirasaya is toxic i'm going down with this ship #me wants those toxic 💫💫💫 sapphics #there are probably grammar mistakes #eng is not my first language #kirasaya #meariri #itsuki x kaede #ririsaya #sachiko juraku

[cardentist]

I haven’t been in the star trek fandom for very long (I’ve only just started binging the series in the last couple months), so it’s been pretty surprising to find out just how negative the perception of the reboot movies are.

this isn’t coming from the perspective of someone who grew up with the series, so it hit different for me than it might for people with a different relationship to TOS, but I thought it was genuinely clever and Respectful with how it was handled.

To quote leonard nimoy: “Well the alternative timeline gives them license to escape from canon concerns. I can’t see people saying ‘they shouldn’t do that because…’ or ‘that doesn’t tie in to such and such’ because it is a different time and place. Am I right about that?” [Link]

the entire Premise is that the original series happened as it was presented in TOS, but an event late in Spock’s life caused the creation of a parallel universe in which everyone’s lives were significantly altered through two key changes to the timeline. this gives them the freedom to Both revel in fanservice And explore different facets of the characters and their relationships. 

the destruction of vulcan Vastly impacts the characters and the plot moving forward, and its a detail that a lot of people take issue with. but the emotional impact of sarek admitting Directly to spock that there is value in his humanity, that his feelings Aren’t wrong, that sarek married amanda because he Loved her cannot be understated. you can read all of these things into sarek as he was in the original series, but he Never had an open conversation about these things with spock. this creates a Believable and Rewarding change in their relationship, where we get to see a different facet of them Because of the changes made. and that’s exactly the appeal. showing us pieces of these characters that we never got in TOS that are nevertheless undeniably Them.

everyone is Different yes, but they’re also fundamentally the same people at their core and that matters.

kirk’s personality obviously takes the biggest change, with him experiencing trauma at a young age, losing his father, and having an implied abusive father figure after that point. he has a harsher personality in reaction to harsher conditions, he’s spikier and harder to love. but he’s also still fundamentally a Good person whose willing to risk everything to help people. he still has what made kirk prime a good captain and a good friend.

I’m not gonna say that it’s the most nuanced story in the world, but it explores a version of kirk that was born from even Less fortunate circumstances than kirk prime, exploring a kirk brimming with potential who learned to bite back after he was kicked down. exploring those themes of trauma and loss, of insecurity and growth, and coming to the conclusion that Fundamentally He Is Capable Of Good isn’t a Bad thing. you don’t have to like it, but his growth into a better person is The Point. they deepened his flaws (all of which were present in a less exaggerated form in TOS) To Show That Growth.

and then of course there’s his relationship with spock.

people are totally justified in not liking that they had a rough start to their relationship, I usually don’t like to see that kind of thing in reboots or hollywood adaptations either, but the way people talk about it is just unfair.

Yes kirk and spock and bones have a very strong relationship in TOS, they also already know each other by the time the show starts. to look at them having to learn to get to know and trust each other when they first meet and say that it’s Bad because they were already full on ride or die for each other in the og series is silly. TOS kirk and spock had to meet and fall in love with each other too, it didn’t just happen over night kings.

secondly, the entire point of the first movie is that Even With reality itself being altered to pull them apart they are fundamentally compatible people that are Bound to each other. they meet each other on bad terms because of circumstances outside of their control, and yet they’re still pulled into each other’s orbit and find the other slotting into place next to them as if they always belonged. one of the first things that spock prime says in the movie is “I am and always will be your friend,” spock and jim are Meant for each other and the movie goes out of its way to explain that. which is what makes it so Weird to see people complaining about how they don’t like each other.

it’s a Different relationship, but it’s absolutely no less steeped in yearning or queer subtext. 

speaking of queer subtext ! some people are Very unhappy with spock’s relationship with uhura.

first thing I wanna say is that making the argument that they’re doing anything that the original series hasn’t done is just, completely untrue. kirk has fallen in love with more girls in the og series than he knew what to do with, leonard nimoy was a heartthrob in his time (and he deserves it, awooga) and spock reflects that ! Spock usually turns the women who come onto him down (or when he doesn’t it’s because a plant has literally altered his mind), but there are exceptions to even that. all of three of the main boys have plenty of romance subplots, it happens. if that takes the possibility of them being queer off the table for you (which it shouldn’t, m-spec people exist) then I’m sorry to say that TOS is not exempt.

now, I can understand why Specifically This Relationship could rub people the wrong way or being disappointed that they didn’t outright depict kirk and spock as having a relationship (if not in the first movie then in the following ones after they’ve gotten to know each other), but even in that context the way I’ve seen people talk about it comes off as insensitive.

no, the relationship did not come out of nowhere. they considered having spock and uhura date each other in the original show (and you can see signs of this in the earlier episodes, where uhura very obviously flirts with him and they spend time together in their down time) before they decided against it, and spock was originally going to kiss uhura until shatner insisted that he wanted to do it (because it was the first interracial kiss on tv). [Link 1, Link 2, Link 3]

nichelle nichols was asked about this exact thing (spock and uhura’s relationship in the movie), you can read the interview in full here [Link] but I’d like to highlight this paragraph in particular:

“Now, go back to my participation in Star Trek as Uhura and Leonard (Nimoy) as Spock. There was always a connection between Uhura and Spock. It was the early 60’s, so you couldn’t do what you can do now, but if you will remember, Uhura related to Spock. When she saw the captain lost in space out there in her mirror, it was Spock who consoled her when she went screaming out of her room. When Spock needed an expert to help save the ship, you remember that Uhura put something together and related back to him the famous words, “I don’t know if I can do this. I’m afraid.” And Uhura was the only one who could do a spoof on Spock. Remember the song (in “Charlie X”)? Those were the hints, as far as I’m concerned.”

the film makers looked at the fact there were Hints for uhura and spock, that they were Interested in exploring an interracial couple for the first time (both before and immediately after interracial couples won the right to legally get married) but Couldn’t because of the circumstances of the times and decided to Make that depiction. you don’t have to Like their relationship just because of that fact, but it’s Incredibly reductive to play down it’s significance as just a No Homo cop out. explicitly queer relationships are not the only progressive or culturally important relationships in fiction.

moreover, if you can’t imagine polyamory in the communist utopian future that’s on you.

moreover, this perception that this was a soulless cash grab is just, unfounded.

leonard nimoy returned to the role as spock for the first time in 16 years (since 1991) and this was Entirely because of the respect they had for nimoy, spock as a character, and the franchise as a whole. 

Lets look at some quotes from nimoy in interviews regarding the film:

Leonard Nimoy: When I first read the script (...) I immediately contacted J.J. and said “I think it is terrific…I think you guys have done a wonderful job. There is still work to be done, but it is very clear that you and your writers know what you are doing and you know how to do this movie and know what it should be about….and I am very interested.” Then as time went by we worked things out with Paramount, but the most important things were J.J. and the script. (...) I am very pleased about that and I am very comfortable with where this is going. I think the writers have done a terrific job. They have a real sense of the characters and the heart of Star Trek and what it is really all about.

(...)

TrekMovie.com: Now in the case of the new movie you have been retired from acting for years. What was it about this one that made you want to act again and go through the make up again? What was it that made you say ‘I really want to do this?’

Leonard Nimoy: You are right, this is a special situation. First it is Star Trek and so I have to pay attention. I owe that to Star Trek. Second place is that it is J.J. Abrams who I think very highly of, he is a very talented guy. Then came the script and it was very clear that I could make a contribution here. The Spock character that I am playing, the original Spock character, is essential and important to the script. So on the basis of those three elements it was easy to make the decision. So those three things: Star Trek, J.J. Abrams, and an interesting Spock role.

[Link]

Praising the cast playing younger versions of characters from the original 1960s TV series, he [Leonard Nimoy] said: “Let me take the opportunity to say this. Everybody at this table [the cast] are very, very talented and intelligent people.”

“They found their own way to bring that talent and intelligence to this movie, and I think it shows. (...)  When Karl Urban introduced himself as Leonard McCoy and shook hands with Chris Pine, I burst into tears. That performance of his is so moving, so touching and so powerful as Doctor McCoy, that I think D. Kelley would be smiling, and maybe in tears as well.”

“The makers of this film reawakened the passion in me that I had when we made the original film and series. I was put back in touch with what I cared about and liked about Star Trek, and why I enjoyed being involved with Star Trek. So, it was an easy way to come on home.”

“[In this Star Trek] they said things and showed me things, and demonstrated the sensibility that I felt very comfortable with, and I think that shows in the movie. I like it.”

[Link 1, Link 2]

again, you don’t have to like it just because leonard nimoy did, you don’t have to Agree. but the idea that nobody working on the film Cared is provably false. near everyone working on the project was already a fan of the series or were excited to be involved and did their homework. it’s genuinely a Miracle just how much of a labor of love this was, and in my opinion you can feel that through the movie itself. I’d highly recommend looking into interviews and behind the scenes details about the movies. they had a respect not just for the source material, but for leonard nimoy as a person.

there’s definitely more I Could say about this, but it’s 4 am now so I’m gonna shelve it jklfdsa

that said! it’s Fine to not like the movie, not everything is going to be suited to everyone’s taste, but the specific criticisms I’ve seen feel very off base

#star trek #kirk #spock #uhura #nichelle nichols #leonard nimoy #star trek aos #aos #star trek tos #tos #meta #long post #hello followers I write essays about star trek now

[sadgothyanderefan]

Yandere Alphabet Michael Langdon

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get? Michael is very touch starved so he would defiantly participate in physical affection. Hugging, cuddling, handholding. On the more disturbing side and  I could definitely see him killing people in an attempt to impress you. Most like people who hurt you, ex-lovers, abusive family members, bullies. He finds the lives of people who would hurt you to be worthless, so in an attempt to show love he would kill them with no mercy.

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling? As mentioned earlier he would murder those who hurt you but he would also kill those that he believes to be getting in the way of you loving him. All of these victims would almost certainly be tortured by him.

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Very guilt trippy and manipulative. Goes off about how “Everyone else has left me I’m not letting you do the same” and “Please don’t hate me” and “I promise I won't hurt you, just trust me” 

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will? I can’t see himself forcing himself on his darling sexually, though he would touch them non-consensually (holding them down, playing with their hair, that sort of thing) not caring if they don’t like it because “I just wanna love you” and “I promise I won’t do anything gross.”

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling? He’d be a lot softer with his darling because he knows they can’t escape and will try to make you love him back.

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back? He’d defiantly be hurt but wouldn’t hit or yell at them because that would only make them hate him more.

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape? He would find escape attempts annoying to say the least, catching up to them truly isn’t challenging considering his powers. He would be hurt due to him already having abandonment issues. After getting his darling back I think he would probably cry asking them why they hate him so much and that he just doesn’t want them to leave because he loves them too much.

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them? I’d say how nonchalantly he is when talking about violence when he first kidnaps them. The fear of what one earth he plans on doing to them would be awful.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling? All he truly wants is for his Darling to love him back and to never leave him even with the opportunity, 

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope? As stated in other sections he lacks hesitance to kill those he believes are preventing his darling from loving him.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling? He wishes to gain their trust, therefore he tends to remain calm. He doesn't want to hurt them even though he's scared that he might and that they’ll hate him.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling? If his Darling was at the Outpost he’d probably offer them a place in the Sanctuary. 

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else? As stated earlier he would be a lot softer with his darling than others. 

Naughty: How would they punish their darling? Again he would he would guilt trip them intensely. His want to not hurt them would prevent physical punishment.

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling? Mainly their freedom, he would try to get them to not talk to other people and being quite controlling even before kidnaping them.

Patience: How patient are they with their darling? Extremely. 

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on? His intense abandonment issues make moving on nearly impossible. I doubt he would give up. 

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go? He would give feel bad for them being upset but wouldn’t let them go. More likely he’d try to cheer them up with alternative methods.

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc.)?His canonical fear of abandonment, and insecurities would make yandere traits form. 

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves? He’d feel guilty and would attempt to comfort them. 

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere? He relies on manipulation rather than violence with his darling.

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape? He’s not naïve so they cannot manipulate him. 

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling? No.

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over? He gives them gifts often, and as said before would kill those who hurt them in an attempt to win their favor.

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap? I think he would start a normal relationship with them but slowly get more and more controlling. Though in some instances he would stalk them, befriend them, gain trust, and then kidnap them.

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling? His manipulation may “break” them but his want to make them not fear him prevents intentionally “breaking” them.

[azenkii]

 ATLA Fic Rec 

because I've been spending way too much time reading it. Btw, this is a rec for gen fics and zukka fics.

Note: an asterisk after the description means that the fic or series is incomplete. (Sadly, this is a lot of them, but I'm pretty sure most of these fics are still currently updating.)

GEN:

Anything by MuffinLance is a must-read. my personal favourites are Salvage (where Hakoda ends up with one (1) grumpy new prisoner/crewmate/adopted son) and Little Zuko v the World (where Zuko is 12, and it's adorable).

The Family You Choose by TunaFishChris is a god-tier platonic soulmate au about zuko and the gaang, so like...go read that right now

The kintsugi series by discordiansamba is an AU where Toph's parents hire Zuko-as-Lee to be a bodyguard for her, and I love it so much. It has some of the best Toph-and-Zuko sibling bonding I've ever seen. *

Dragon Moon by Satirrian is a Dragon! Zuko AU and it's incredible. It also features Bounty Hunter Zuko, so do with that what you will. *

The What We're Given series by Haicrescendo is *chef's kiss*. It's an AU where Zuko flipped his father off early on into his banishment and started living his best life with Iroh. Enter the Gaang. Shenanigans ensue. *

The Internment series by Hannahmayski is another Zuko breaks free from his dad early AU, and it's also really good. Basically, Zuko was never given the option to capture the Avatar, making his banishment indefinite. He sails around with his crew fighting the Fire Nation and it's great. *

The best way to solve your problems (is to help someone else) by hewwodarkness is an AU where kids start disappearing in Ba Sing Se during Book 2, and Zuko takes it upon himself to do a little vigilantism. It's fantastic. *

The Blue Spirit AU series by H_Faith_Marr is an AU starting from, surprise surprise, the Blue Spirit episode. The Gaang takes in Zuko without knowing who he is, and the Power of Friendship™ goes to work on Zuko. *

The the first rule of earth kingdom fight club... series by ohmygodwhy is an AU where Zuko, among other things, fights in underground cage matches, meets Toph early, and realises that his dad might be wrong. It’s pretty funny and really good. *

The The Non-Existent Twin series by FoiblePNoteworthy is hilarious. It's an AU where Zuko poses as his own twin, Li, and the Gaang buys it hook line and sinker. *

The Guilt (The Jet Adopts Zuko AU) series by FoiblePNoteworthy is also really good. Like the title says, it’s a Zuko joins the Freedom Fighters AU. *

The new ways series by blueseam is just a Zuko and the Gaang bonding fic, mostly set in the Western Air Temple, with a side of Zuko not taking care of himself and the Gaang stepping up to the job. If you’re like me and am an absolute sucker for Zuko and the Gaang, go read this.

The Family Matters series by WinterSky101 is a really good fic if you’re looking for Hakoda and Zuko. That’s all I have to say: Hakoda and Zuko.

a nation, held by snowdarkred is a GREAT Fire Nation & Zuko fic - set before and during canon, not after it. Go read it, right now.

Notable mentions: a lot of works by naggeluide are gen and pretty funny, though if you don't headcanon any of the characters as LGBT+ you might not like some of them.

ZUKKA:

anything by Haicrescendo and dickpuncher420. For Haicrescendo, my personal favourite is the Carry On For You series, and for dickpuncher420, it’s love language.

sirens & sleepless nights by Satirrian is a modern AU that just borders on dystopian. Ba Sing Se has been overtaken by the Fire Nation, Zuko is a soldier who broke away from the Fire Nation and got shot for it, and Sokka finds Zuko on the street and brings him inside. It’s amazing, go read it!

do you take this jerk to be (your one and only) by jatersade is a fic that I’m 90% sure is on every zukka fic rec list, and it deserves to be. It’s an arranged marriage AU where Zuko is engaged to Yue, and Sokka is his cultural guide. *

midnight runs and other things by isamagicdragon is a modern AU where Zuko keeps sleepwalking into Sokka’s apartment. Shenanigans ensue. Also, top-tier Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee interactions. *

Unchained Melody by avocadolove is another fic that I see a lot on rec lists, and it 100% deserves it. It’s a long fic (as of now, it’s at 63.8k) and is an AU where Sokka, after getting taken to the Spirit World by Heibai, ends up as a ghost that only Zuko can see. Ft. great enemies-to-friends-to-lovers and an incredible plot. *

Ozymandias, King of Kings by Think_of_a_Wonderful_Thought is SO good. It’s an AU where, instead of being banished, Zuko was sent to work in a coal mine/prison, which eventually becomes the target of a Water Tribe raid after Aang’s return. It can get pretty dark, so watch out for that, and it’s really long (as of now, 168.8k). But trust me, it’s worth it. *

Heart Beat Here by thefangirlingdead is an adorable Modern AU oneshot where Zuko, while shopping for engagement rings with Katara, freaks out when Sokka lies about where he is. It’s a happy ending, don’t worry. One of my favourite fics.

feels like we only go backwards by oldpotatoe and A Certain Slant of Light by JustGettingBy are both amnesia fics where Sokka loses his memory several years after the war. They’re both so, so good. A Certain Slant of Light is finished, but feels like we only go backwards is not.

reality strikes, so bring back the night by zukkababey is a time-travel oneshot where Western-Air-Temple Sokka wakes up in the future to find his older self married to one (1) Fire Lord Zuko. Fluffy and funny. 

maybe i just see you (in everything) by epicbubbles is a really cute Modern AU oneshot with love confessions and just fluff all around. 10/10 go read it!!

it’s the illusion of separation by argentoswan is a fic that has legendary status and it absolutely deserves it. God-tier Modern AU where Sokka ends up working at the Jasmine Dragon alongside his former high school bully, Zuko. (Kind of) enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, and it’s just...SO good. *

say you like your shirt soggy by crosspin is a reallyyy nice 5+1 fic. It’s Modern AU, and it’s pretty short (3.7k), but the amount of yearning that gets packed into that 3.7k,,,,*chef’s kiss*

and they were roommates by flydunes is another Modern AU where sokka puts up an ad for a roommate. Zuko moves in, and Sokka gets a crush. It’s just good vibes all around :) *

like blood from a stone by catalinacat is a Soulmate AU that took a completely different direction with the soulmate trope. The summary does a better job of explaining it than I can. *

absence of heat, excess of destiny by theycallmesuperboy is one of the best soulmate AUs out there. it’s not too long, only 4.3k words, but it covers the entire series and then some. Seriously, go read this.

it isn’t strange, but it’s true by theholyterror is a 5+1 post-canon fic with some of the best pining I’ve ever seen, ft. Ambassador Sokka and Fire Lord Zuko. The 5+1 is times Zuko went out of his way to touch Sokka.  *

like the sun inside of you by ofherlionheart is another post-canon fic, and it’s incredible so far. the first chapter alone is 23k, so it’s already a decently long read. *

the stemverse: earth science zuko au series by acezukos is a REALLY good Modern/University AU. So far, it only has one work (earth system history) but that work is already *chef’s kiss*. The series is incomplete, but earth system history is complete!

rebellion’s such a hushed affair by zeitgeistofnow is a fantastic Modern AU that, like sirens & sleepless nights, borders on dystopian. Actually, I think it is dystopian, but it hasn’t been tagged as such. Anyway, 10/10, go read it right now immediately

Mark Time by foil is a Modern AU where Sokka ghosted Zuko years ago, and they get brought back together by Aang and Katara’s wedding. It’s really good, but the fic has some pretty heavy content, so make sure you read the warnings. *

That birds would sing and think it were not night by HisMomoness is a Modern AU that has Zuko tutoring Sokka, with absolute top-tier pining. Like, seriously, the pining is insane. Superr good

this love burns so yellow (becoming orange and in its time, exploding) by meliebee is one of the best post-canon fics I’ve ever read. It features a civil war in the Fire Nation (that gets resolved about halfway through) and some great Toph and Zuko interactions, as well as some Grade A pining. 

boy problems by burnt_oranges is FANTASTIC post-canon and has sokka and zuko in an accidental arranged marriage, plus some attempted assassinations. It’s great.

zuko vs the homie sexual agenda by parmigiano has Zuko and Sokka pining for each other in Ikea. Do I need to say more?

Friendship Bracelets by peachcitt is a Modern AU best friends to lovers. Pretty short (4.9k), but the pining is immaculate.

isn’t this the vision that you wanted by nebulastucky is INCREDIBLE, I read it recently because it just got completed and it’s *chef’s kiss*. It’s post-canon ft. mutual pining and some reallyyy good ‘and there was only one bed’ scenes.

Real Slow and no one knows anything but us by surveycorpsjean and quidhitch respectively are two of my favourite post-canon Ambassador Sokka and Fire Lord Zuko fics. Go check them out!

The Duke’s a Hazard by naggeluide is a really nice AU starting from the Western Air Temple, where the Duke decides that Sokka and Zuko are now his new parents. They bond over coparenting, and the (kind of) enemies-to-friends-to-lovers is really good. Plus, it’s funny.

Those Who Favor Fire by CSHfic and VSfic is a really good fic of the Spymaster Sokka AU. If you don’t know what that is, it’s an AU where Sokka fakes his death and goes undercover in an organisation that wants to kill Zuko.

Fics I added after posting (so far, all Zukka):

The Road Between Action and Inaction by Donvex is a fic that I can't believe I left out the first time?? It's a modern hitchhiking AU and it's great.

Rituals of the Ocean Floor by Donvex is a nice one too. It's only around 2.2k words, but it's a Fox Spirit!Zuko and Sharkman!Sokka AU, and I just really like the writing style.

by the stars above, i knew we were in love by theycallmesuperboy and The Fate of Nations in Our Hands by sapphic_ambitions are both top-tier post-canon fics. Be warned: by the stars above is a liiiittle bit angsty.

blue's clues by parmigiano is a really good Modern AU where Sokka, a university student journalist, gets ahold of the phone number of the Blue Spirit, a new campus vigilante. He ends up talking to the Blue Spirit to get an interview out of him, and it's really cute!

Honourable mention: the Avatar Zuko series by the_cloud_whisperer is one of the best series I've ever read, and it's really long - it got completed about a month ago, with 493.6k words in total (415k if you ignore the extra work made up of author's notes). It develops all the characters really well, especially Lu Ten, but the main ship is Zukaang. Personally, my biggest problem with Zukaang is the age difference, and Aang is aged up to be Zuko's age (or older, I think? I don't really remember) in this. I kept reading it because the plot was too good to give up, and I do highly recommend it, but yeah.

I’ll add more fics if I remember them, but this is what I had bookmarked. Also, shameless self plug here because I also write ATLA fic @ azenki on ao3

#atla #zukka #fic rec #zukka fic rec

[wedreamedlove]

MLQC Men Headcanon Notes

Now that I’ve spent more time with these men (it’s getting close to 2 years!) I wanted to share the general thoughts, themes, motifs, etc. that I keep in mind when I’m writing their character.

This is 1000% headcanon territory, so feel free to take what’s useful and ignore what’s not LOL but I’d also love to see people add in their own “character reference cheat sheet” to this!

(I’m especially curious because, due to being of Asian diaspora, I write best in English but my understanding of the characters come from CN/JP text). Incidentally, if anyone feels ANY of this when reading my fics, then that’s all I could ever ask for LOL.

LI ZEYAN

He is Capricorn² and, while the game doesn’t make explicit mentions to this, I associate the element earth with him because of this. He’s described with attributes like being steady, calm, and always in control. He is the epitome of an immovable boulder and things revolve around him, not the other way around. I like to draw on imagery of unbending steel and/or the stable ground.

Meanwhile, like the goat of his astrological sign, every step he takes to climb to his goal is assured. He doesn’t do anything spontaneous or without thought, so if he does lose control and act without thinking then it has to be a momentuous occasion. Basically, it’s really important to me that if I write a loss of control, then it’s likely to be the centerpiece.

Keeping in mind that his Evol is time control, I also like to try and subtly weave an atmosphere of how everything happens at his pace. Winter being his season only adds onto this because the world stills when it’s covered in snow; everything becomes muted, hushed, and slowed in this season.

The chemistry in his romance arc is how his pace and control gets disturbed, but he adapts quickly and learns to go along with these moments of whimsy. Or more like that’s his character development and how love changes him.

His canon (spirit) animal is the cat and lion. Felines go along very well with the emperor or noble archetypes he has in all his AU cards, because cats are stereotyped as being independent and haughty animals. He’s not big on PDA or excessive skinship, but he’s not disagreeable to them either. Too much stimulation and, like a cat, he’ll probably show exasperation. Ignore him for too long though and he’ll come to share his presence with you.

For me, his love is shown through quiet acts of service that don’t have any attention drawn to them. Him just being in the same room or giving his attention is how he emotes his love.

He’s quite low-key in his normal life so he doesn’t seem like someone who gets confused over commoner things, but there are also moments where he spends an enormous amount of money without blinking. If life can be made easier with money then why not, right?

Keywords: Calm. Steady. Earth. Immovable. Control. Exasperated Affection. Time. Cats. Literal Capricorn. Winter. Mature.

ZHOU QILUO

First thing that comes to mind is the sun and heat. Fire is his element and so I go for stereotypical imagery like flares of passion and burning bright. He switches expressions and moods at the drop of a hat and he’s a mood maker to the extreme, but there’s no hiding the way he shines with his love for his love.

However, because he’s also Helios, it’s really important for me to play around with dualities and explore the other side of this positive imagery. So, just like how the sun can bring warmth and life, it’s also a deadly laser something that can hurt people by blinding them or setting fires. It’s also fun to remember that the moon only has light from the sun’s reflection.

Game-wise, I believe Helios has been described with cold and ice imagery but, because I try to keep that imagery for Li Zeyan, what I like to consider instead is that extremely cold things can “burn” you too. Frostbite can also be called ice burn.

The sky is repeated imagery for Luoluo too, because of his eyes, but I’ll admit I’m still uncertain about how to interpret this for his character. Generally, the sky represents freedom but...? How I approach this is that the sky doesn’t discriminate and protects everyone below it (echoing his quote about how he protects the light in the dark).

On this note about the sky being welcoming, I view Luoluo’s love as one that accepts his love no matter what they’re like and he grows together with them (unlike the two adults, Li Zeyan and Xu Mo).

However, again, it’s super important to remember his duality and just because he’s a playful mood maker doesn’t mean he’s not able to switch into a serious and mature mode. He keeps his innocence and warm heart despite the darkness he’s seen and understands.

His canon animal is the bear which also makes me tilt my head. I can only see this as how bears are seen as both cuddly and cute, but also fierce and protective. He was also given a stag but... no one uses that LOL.

Keywords: Fire. Passion. Playful. Innocent. Little Sun! But Moon. Spring. Sacrifice. Darkness. Sky. Mischievous. Mood Maker.

BAI QI

Every single cell in his body is attuned to his love. You ever lose your phone and then, for the rest of the day, you feel as if you’re missing an important piece of yourself and you have intrusive thoughts wondering where it is? That’s him. You ever see something so cute you experience cute aggression and don’t know what to do with yourself? That’s him. You know those dogs that strain at their leashes on the streets because they want to go and greet you? That’s him.

It’s all about the yearning.

I know, I know, I wrote essays about how he can survive without his love and how he’s someone who carries both love and a greater justice BUT let’s not kid ourselves that he doesn’t revolve around his love like Jupiter around the sun.

Anyway, so the game shoves wind descriptions down our throats. It’s literally another vehicle for him to emote his love and, to be honest, I don’t do much with it other than use it for that. I talked about it extensively in my character essays, but I suppose I play with the irony of how he’s only free because he has a home can return to. [Loneliness SR Wind and Care Call] “Because I have a place for my heart, I can fly anywhere.”

I don’t believe the game emphasizes this any more than it does with the other men, but I try to always have a point of contact between Bai Qi and his love because, again, the yearning and vibrating with All That Love. He’s such a physical character (military archetype) that I also want to emphasize that in writing.

In addition, I’m all about him being the most feral of the men. Heck, his canon animal is the wolf which is great for both its stereotypical and non-stereotypical meanings, such as being a lone wolf and ferocious animal but also a pack animal that can’t survive on its own and needs a pack. Meanwhile, NW717 is described in-game as a monster.

Look, one of his signature descriptions in the game is resting his chin on or against his love’s head and nuzzling them. I’m not baselessly trying to push my kink I swear.

So, like how Bai Qi said in [Light Bath SSR: Tenderness Call] that maybe he only shows his gentleness towards select people (his love and mother), he’ll give the person he loves all the warmth of his being but, oh boy, I see him as being a beast who will remember his true nature upon being chained; the “chain” of love gives him the reassurance he needs to be truly free... in all its meanings.

Keywords: Ginkgo. Summer. Primal. Wind. Love is love is love. 3-Point Contact. Wolf. Yearning. Vitality. Justice. Freedom. Physical. Restraint.

XU MO

First, given how vocal I am about Elex’s changes, this is probably going to be the most drastically different section out of everyone vs. their English version.

Soft. Light. Gentle. Kind. Gossamery. Feathery. Ethereal. Faint. Whenever I write him, do I literally open up a thesaurus to find synonyms for gentle, light, and soft? Yup! LOL.

Fun fact, in CN and JP the word for “smile” and “laugh” is the same character and so sometimes there is ambiguity when translating if there’s no clear markers. The writers definitely had a word in mind when they wrote the scene, but unfortunately we don’t have the ability to check with them at every use and so sometimes it does come to subjective interpretation.

For me, Xu Mo is characterized by a lot of quietness. Game-wise, there are enormous usages of silence and descriptions of emotional fluctuations in his eyes so Significant Silences and Looks are a major thing with him and in my writing for him, which is why I always choose “smile” over “laugh” if there is any ambiguity in the line (I believe Elex leans towards chuckles).

On a similar note, the game also gives him a gigantic serving of descriptions that only ever use the word for “light, slight, faint, soft, gentle” in JP and CN. It gives him a very floaty and dreamy feeling, even if he’s doing something physical. So, it’s important for me to keep a similar atmosphere when writing and make everything feel as if it has to be shared in a whisper.

A bonus here is that it doesn’t require much to turn this ethereal feeling into a melancholic one, so you get that dash of angst that layers over everything. Leave a few things unknown here and there, incomplete actions, eyes that get averted and Boom. Angst.

Shifting gears, but if my imagery of Bai Qi’s love is like a tense, vibrating, and restrained chain of yearning then Xu Mo’s love is like a flood barely being held back by a dam. Knowledge of the quantity and weight behind the dam is terrifying, but it’s safe to be submerged inside it. Much like Luoluo and Helios, Xu Mo also has a dangerous duality in Ares and so I also like to play with this imagery.

So, on this point, I like to preserve an underlying sense of darkness (all-consuming possessiveness, etc.) and envision that he also wishes to stain his love in his colors, like a drop of ink on white paper and how it seeps into every fiber of the paper until the whole thing is saturated with him.

Incidentally, I’m reminded that—whenever possible and natural—I want to exclusively use water imagery with Xu Mo. The game supports this too! He is described with extensive water imagery and so I try to use water metaphors, analogies, and similes.

I try to make sure every sense is present, but I feel like the game emphasizes (especially with the red thread of fate imagery) that Xu Mo and his love are connected at a soul-deep level and so I always keep in mind a mental, emotional, and spiritual aspect.

Lastly, his canon animal is the fox (we ignore the black goat LOL) so contrasting his elegant, scholarly, and gentleman’s air with a black belly, teasing, and mischievous air is also important! Sexual but with, you know, class.

Keywords: Butterflies. Monochrome. Artist. Red Thread. Autumn. Melancholy. Water. Soft. Gentle. Light. Faint. Dreams. Spiritual. Fox.

LING XIAO

I’m getting more comfortable with him, but he’s still shrouded in so much mystery. If every one of the other men treat their loves with gentleness though Ling Xiao is definitely one who isn’t afraid of roughhousing. He’ll act first and then ask for forgiveness afterward, if needed.

But I like to keep in mind that, for all his roughness, he’s still a good kid at heart and when he saw MC’s skirt rising up when he tried to pull her over the fence he immediately stopped. So, a bit of a bully but without any humiliation.

Intelligent, strong, and dangerous but hiding all of that beneath a devil-may-care attitude and someone who does things on a whim. I don’t know what to do much with his canon animal being the shark except to attach it vaguely to this point and think that, as an apex predator of the sea, it does things at its own pace (somehow, it gives me the image that he likes to bite... but, uh, that’s probably just me LOL).

Keywords: Mercurial. Lightning. Sarcasm. Physical.

#love and producer #mlqc #mr love queen's choice #mlqc gavin #mlqc victor #mlqc lucien #mlqc kiro #mlqc bai qi #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc xu mo #mlqc zhou qiluo #love and produc(ing) meta

[swordmaid]

Brienne / Jaime / Samwise / Eowyn

brienne

favorite thing about them: difficult to answer because i talk about them everyday but i enjoy how the presence of choice is always present in her everything. it was her choice to follow renly, to serve catelyn, to keep her promise to catelyn, to find jaime’s honor. she is never forced to do anything; everything she has done is by her own choice which is such an interesting juxtaposition to characters like catelyn where they are very much tied down and limited by their society and how they expect women to be. brienne on the other hand, has the luxury of choice--which is a freedom on itself, but that is not to say she isn’t limited by their society. she still IS, but it’s interesting how she managed to achieve that semblance of freedom even though it isn’t since she’ll still being evaluated to their standards (and unlike cat, she’s being evaluated as both a knight and a woman and she’s seen as a failure of both). i also like how--despite the cruelties thrown her way--she never perpetuates it even though she could have!!! easily!! and it’d be understandable if she does but she chooses not to do it. she even feels sympathy for the people who played the bet on her when she heard what happened to them which is super crazy like those dudes didn’t give a shit about her but here she is giving a shit about them even if it’s just for a moment and it’s just like...........wow. you are choosing to be like that and i love you for it

least favorite thing about them: worst taste in men.

favorite line: her whole speech in the quiet isle is so heartbreaking and also one of my favorite passages in the whole story. her saying that selwyn deserved to have daughters who will sing and dance in his halls, and a son that would give him honor but all he is left with is the freakish one that’s not fit to be a son or daughter first of all heartbreaking ): second of all the underlying implication that if she’s the one who died but her other siblings--whether it be galladon, arianne or alysanne--that lived then maybe selwyn wouldn’t be so dishonored is so!!!!! the survivor’s guilt of it all even though it’s not her fault!!!! and it’s really the way that she DID try to be alysanne/arianne, and she DID try to be galladon for him but none of the roles fit because she’s meant for something greater 😭😭😭😭

brOTP: pod and brienne ofc! next to pia and brienne, then sandor and brienne, and then sam and brienne.

OTP: jb

nOTP: tormund x brienne LOL we dont do that here

random headcanon: brienne likes to write poetry and she wrote a bunch dedicated to renly LOL. her old poems are stashed in the bottom of her trunk, collecting dust in her childhood room.

unpopular opinion: brienne’s self-righteous, judgemental and stubborn nature is not as explored nor brought up when talking about her character tbh and i feel like that facet of her character shouldn’t be ignored. when we explore her flaws, it’s usually about her naiveté which is fair since she IS naive--but that’s not her only flaw lol

song i associate with them: rabbit heart (raise it up) by florence + the machine

favorite picture of them: erika’s drawing of brienne in her tarth armour is one of my favourite pieces ever + this one with dunk’s shield!!!

jaime

favorite thing about them: his pov in asos is what made me like him tbh he is just SO well written, and his character is compelling and interesting. his relationship with knighthood is so interesting too like he is THE stereotypical knight in shining armor except he’s not that. he is just so disillusioned by knighthood but he still continues to follow it despite all, and it’s really the way that his identity has been formed and given to him to wear!! from being tywin’s son, then cersei’s mirror, then the kingsguard then the kingslayer and it’s like none of these identities were made by his own hands but he wears them because they’re a role to play and that’s what he knows what to do, but then he suddenly learns to step back and craft his own identity and be whoever what he wants to be it’s like..........what are u gonna be huh!!!!! it’s like there is a mirror but the person on the other side has never been HIM till now i am going insane. and i was talking about the presence of choice being present for brienne but for jaime.........it isn’t .....not really.............not till now.

least favorite thing about them: that scene where he touched cleos’ mushy head was disgusting

favorite line: how can such a night be beautiful? he asked himself. why would the stars want to look down on such as me? which is so WAAH THE DRAMA. but it’s also the loneliness and the yearning and it’s grasping for something that he can never hold, arms outstretched to hold on to something so far away and it’s also about the celestial imagery of the stars and it’s relationship with brienne (the evenstar) and arthur dayne (star of the morning) and how those two are honorable knights but jaime is not!!! and why would they look down on someone such as him!!!! fuck.

brOTP: his relationship with tyrion ): i also like ilyn and jaime, and pia and jaime. sandor and jaime would be interesting as well since that’s like ~the two beasts~ for their respective batb

OTP: jb :\

nOTP: jaime/sansa lmao

random headcanon: jaime has a fat ass. like i know he’s canonically skinny now because of his imprisonment but you’re gonna have to pry jaime with thick thighs and fat ass away from my cold dead manicured fingernails

unpopular opinion: he’s going to live by the end <3

song i associate with them: time in a tree by raleigh ritchie

favorite picture of them: fawn’s drawing of jaime being a dilf ):

samwise

mind you i haven’t read the books so im going by the film lol

favorite thing about them: their everything <3 )):

least favorite thing about them: i dont think im allowed to say shit about sam tbh i feel like im gonna be tasered if i do

favorite line: it’s your sam!!!!!!!! and also i can’t carry it for you but i can carry you waaah

brOTP: frodo/sam

OTP: frodo/sam

nOTP: um idk

random headcanon: they’re super hot but that’s not a headcanon

unpopular opinion: nothing i love them

song i associate with them: i think how was your day? by mellow fellow fits them

favorite picture of them: this one bc it’s so cute kekeke

eowyn

favorite thing about them: they had very cute outfits honestly i think her wardrobe was my favorite out of everyone

least favorite thing about them: not enough screen time

favorite line: her iconic i am no man line ig

brOTP: eowyn and merry!

OTP: i would say with that guy she ended up with but i also dont know HOW they got together?? like 🧍

nOTP: n/a

random headcanon: idk enough about her to make hcs

unpopular opinion: i thought the aragorn one-sided romance was a bit ? lol like why are you hitting on him he already told you he got someone else

song i associate with them: king and lionheart by of monster and men ig but im not so sure and that’s so general

favorite picture of them: i haven’t seen much eowyn content to have a fave pic sorry!!

#send me a character and i'll list: #feels bad abt the last two oop. #but anyway this got long bc of jb TT #long post #Anonymous

[hope-to-hell]

Jewels in the Dark. Möbius x Loki. Allusions to smut (though none in-story), spoilers, gross abuse of canon. In the beginning was the Tree.

———

In the beginning was the Great Tree, a towering snarl of galaxies and portals and beauty beyond measure; it was a great jewel in the infinite black, a beacon of potential. It was a tree in the way that mountains and valleys and alluvial fans are trees; it was a tangled buzzing hum of what could be.

In the beginning there was the Tree, and it was beautiful, and it was good. But trees, like all things, must die.

And yet.

In the dark beyond dark there was a hand; it plucked one single branch and laid it aside where it could grow and thrive. In the dark beyond dark the infinite something left all the rest to rot.

(Selfishly, terribly; all those jeweled branches winking in the dark while everything spun into chaos and finally into nothingness)

In the dark the last remaining branch grew straight, its roots constricted; it yearned to blossom into beauty but all its potential was cut back before it had a chance.

We live and die and for what? None of it matters.

It matters because— because— each of us holds a little shard of chaos. Each of us can grow to become vast and terrible and beautiful; when we’re gone our bones will echo with the thrum of our blood’s memory.

How do you know? How can you be sure this isn’t all vanity, that we aren’t just scared and small as we huddle round our little fire?

We can’t be sure, we can only believe. But if you look to the stars you can see the afterimage of the Tree; you can sink to the bottom of the ocean and find roots there among the thermal vents and all the many eyeless creatures.

This is the last chance and the potential something; this is an ancient god and a man out of time. This is Loki and Möbius circling each other, wolf and lion, lupine and leonine, and oh their teeth are sharp. They are predatory each in their own way, and yet. And yet they could be soft together, in a way; in another life they might have fought great wars together, trickster and tactician; they might have licked each other’s wounds and slaked their passions in the taste of blood.

You wouldn’t last a day.

(He’s lying)

You’d stab me in the heart and leave me there.

(It’s true but not the way he thinks)

You’re boring (you’re beautiful, broken nose and all; in your weary voice I hear my own sorrows).

You’re crass and slimy (I see trails of myself in your wake. I see worlds that were; they are like dreams to me. I felt the ocean crusting salty in my hair and heard the beating heart of the world through the waves).

This is Möbius and Loki, obverse and reverse; of the two who could have guessed it would be Möbius to make the first move? Who could have guessed that in this little pocket of nothing, when they both were left for dead (worse than dead, unmade; removed like tumors), they would make a single room from their collective memory? Who could have guessed that, nose to nose, breathing hard, still feeling their atoms scattering like stars— who could have guessed that Möbius would mutter dumbass and press a kiss to Loki’s stunned and open mouth?

Order and chaos become chaos and order; they are close and ferocious and their hands grip tight; Möbius might not consciously remember how to do this but his body does, and his body says mine. His body and his bearing say give yourself to me, and Loki finds the freedom in saying take me for yourself.

Mine, and yet there is no time. The ability to go anywhere and anywhen and now they have no time. Here in this room that is not a room, this little capsule at the edge of everything, they could be lovers. Here they could stay and never change, until slicked with sweat they lay themselves down at last and let entropy take them.

If we survive this, what will you do?

I’ll ride the waves and smell salt and fuel all mixed together. I’ll be sunburned and tired and I’ll throw myself down onto the sand. I’d like it if you were there with me.

I suppose I could. For a while. If I had nothing else to do.

This is the dance of words unsaid, of chaos and fear and a little seed of hope. This is a scion of the Great Tree and a single bud that might become a branch. This is the promise of sweat and skin that is bound to a deeper pull, a binding of their separate strangeness into something vaster than their sum.

This is Möbius and Loki, and when they take their steps together through the door, their footprints are like leaves.

#loki #mobius #loki fic #loki x mobius #Loki x mobius fic #my fic #tom hiddleston #owen wilson #mcu #mcu fic

[mr-universe-au]

I'm curious. Why did you have Quartz's gem moved from the stomach to his chest? Is it because he "follows his heart" in a sense?

A/N: I was waiting for this question. >:3c

A gem’s placement on their light-body says a lot about the type of “person” they are. It says a lot about their personality, and their reason for doing things.

Rose, from the show? She has a belly/sternum gem. Even though she turned the gem to show a different “face” later (huehuehue), the position didn’t change. According to the general consensus of the fandom/what we’ve been told, belly-gems are those who follow their gut-instinct on everything. They are often very loving and caring (maternal), and have a sort of “hunger” specific to something that interests them.

But Quartz, Here? He’s a lot less “maternal” than his wife. According to what we know of his canonical human-backstory, he does in-fact learn to “follow his heart,” instead of his gut. Greg is the type of person to yearn for something, and eventually chase after it. A lot of the other heart-gems are known to have intense emotions, and be fun-loving, but are also often “ruled” by the way that they feel. They can also be known for being extremely stubborn.

There seems to be an “at their best” and an “at their worst” that’s agreed-upon for each gem positioning, but the basic difference is this:

Rose is the type of person who wanted to run to Earth for Earth’s sake, to save the people there, and to learn more about them. She’s curious to a fault, and finds beauty in everything, and thinks of ‘humans’ sort of like helpless little animal-toys to be studied and played with. And when she fell in love, she had no problem throwing everything away to create something “new.”

Quartz is the type of person who wanted to run to Earth for his own sake, to save the people there out of respect for what they’ve created, and to give-back to them in return for what they taught him. (Namely, about music, which he credits as the source of his joy, his freedom, and his discovery of himself.) When he fell in love, he felt he had finally found his purpose: To choose something for himself, that had nothing to do with his “purpose” as a diamond.

Nora inherits her father’s chest-gem. And as such, my “Steven” will act accordingly. She’ll still be recognizably Steven, but you may find she does something a little ‘differently’ every so often...

#Mr Universe AU #Mr-Universe-AU #Mr Universe AU Blog Asks #Human Rose #Gem Greg #Nora AU #Greg as Pink Diamond #Quartz #Rose Quartz #Rose #Nora DeMayo Universe #Nora #Steven Universe AU #SU AU

[agron-rebel-general]

“Do not fucking ridicule, but I would have you teach me to do hair as you weave yours,” Agron stated, wanting to learn it for Nasir; Naevia had taught him some styles but the Celt had other ones that Agron wished to try. 

@crippled-rebel-bastard  liked THIS for a one line starter! | Accepting |

#agron #nennius #spartacus rp #brotp #the hearts of those who yearn freedom (canon) #crippled-rebel-bastard #one line starter #role play #ic shenanigans #HEHEHE #I LOVE THESE TWOO!!! #THANKS FOR LIKING!! #hope this is ok!!!

[doctor-bus]

You've been visited by the random OC question fairy! :D ~☆

If your character had to choose one favorite memory, what would it be? How about their worst memory? Why would they pick these two memories? 

Aw, what a sweet ask! Thank you for the visit, OC fairy. Here's a little drink for you before you continue on your way 🌺

As for the answer (keeping it semi-vague since I mainly use them in different aus with my delightful friends, and also under the cut for length lol):

Lou: 

I feel like her best memory would probably be something sweet and simple. She didn't get a lot of simple pleasures in her early life, and would probably relish in the firsts. Getting a fun girls day out with her friends, maybe post-plot, where she's not on edge and looking over her shoulders constantly?? That'd be a great memory. A fun day where they got to just goof off and unwind, maybe hitting up a bakery and trading bites of the pastries they got, maybe doing some window shopping. One of those simple days that you never forget. 

BUT if we're talking strictly within canon, not including friend's ocs (Hi @randomhatthief hi @d4zed-dre4mer ily) I'd say her best memory is probably her first night of real freedom, fresh air on her tongue, starry sky stretching out into infinity above, a never-ending tapestry of brand new possibilities she never dreamed she'd have. Moonlight shining off Virgil’s hair as he tells her in urgent, hushed tones to keep her voice down, his hand shaking in hers even as the beginnings of what could, maybe, possibly be a smile tug at the corners of his lips. From anxiety? From exhilaration? From hope? A twisted concoction of all of the above?? And Darwin trailing behind (assuming this isn’t a Junebug au, in which he usually fares far better), hands sturdy and stable in all the ways Virgil’s aren’t, seeming like he’s really a part of this new world to explore with his moonlight hair. Normally still as stone in body and mind, but now moved quite easily, the hope of home overcoming him, or so she’d assume. It was hard not to be enamored with his tales of a home worth having. It’s a very intense moment all around, for sure. She never quite gets over the image of the sky that night. 

As for her worst memory? The starry sky may never truly leave her, but even more pervasive is the smell of ash, the overwhelming suffocating heat, the sizzle of flesh, the desperate helplessness of knowing exactly what’s coming and knowing she can’t even react-- she can’t let it get to her, it’ll just be worse if she shows she’s afraid, she can’t, she can’t make it worse, but it’s already so bad-- no, it’s fine, it’s fine it’s fine she’s fine she’s fine she’s fine-- 

She doesn’t have a gas range or a tea kettle in her home, once everything is over. Never.

Virgil: 

HM. I honestly might have to think about this more, but for now I’m going to say best memory is probably something similar to Lou in the sense of being post-canon once everything is settled and he’s got some peace in his heart? A house full of mechanical projects and plants and cats, and good friends if he’s lucky. Acts of mischief pulled off most expertly, escape artistry without the burden of life-or-death danger. 

Sticking to canon-only, my-ocs-only though: I think it’d again be similar, but the relief and awe would set in later than Lou. I think it’d only really sink in once they’re somewhere secluded and quiet and can take their first real break from running for a while. Sliding down the wall, exhaustion battling the adrenaline battling the need to keep his head, but finally getting the rush of holy shit, I did it, we did it, we’re all here-- and the absolute giddy pride it’d bring. A bubble of high-strung laughter now that it’s safe netting him fretting from Lou, advice that he should really be resting now-- but holy shit. Holy SHIT. They pulled it off. Verifiable Houdinis, free and clear. Having gone through the thistles and found home in the briar. I don’t think there’d be a greater high. Of course, they can’t let their guards down yet. The story has just begun, there’s far to go and dangers innumerable ahead. But for that one fleeting moment??? Sweeter than he ever dared to dream. 

As for his worst memory, it’s not something he can remember well. That’s probably for the best, the wavering soap-bubble moments he can recall haunt him. His arm never really recovered, not all the way. Marred and aching and, in his eyes, ugly. Faint flashes-- sharp nails digging into his wrist-- thrashing, the strain of his shoulders yanking, desperate-- the burning, the godawful burning, each moment feeling uniquely unbearable, absolutely unendurable, spreading out from a pinpoint to submerging his entire elbow in a furious smolder-- the endless din splitting his head in two, throat raw-- vague shapes, familiar colors, mixed up voices, all swirled around and swirled around again. It still gives him trouble, and no less as time goes on. Still, for as much trouble as time brings, it also carries with it some consolation. It’s done now. It’s over. And he’s never, never going back. 

Darwin:

All of his best memories are of home. He’s a simple man, he’s never wanted the chaos and excitement that has always seemed to- literally- haunt his every step. He just wants his family. His grandmother’s old kitchen table, dark sturdy wood with its decorative swirls, a bit scratched up after years of use but so inviting. The sunflowers in her garden, and slow afternoons pulling weeds wordlessly side by side. He’s never felt safer, more loved, than when he was under her roof. While he always knew he’d grow up and leave home, in nearly every scenario he’s yanked away far too soon. He can’t ever regain the time lost, but he can still find his family, make sure they’re well. Have another long, lazy summer afternoon, the kind where the air clings close to skin and brings a general dampness with it, the smell of dirt and the promise of future rains. Tying baby saplings to twigs, a gentle nudge to help them grow strong, not unlike his grandmother did for him when she adopted him. 

His best memory, his sweetest moment, would be returning to that. It’s not really over for him until he’s home, and his grandmother (so much older, so much smaller than he remembers, or maybe it’s that he’s so much taller now?) in his arms. 

Before that moment though, it’d just be the collective memories of home he yearns so desperately for. He wants to go back. He has to go back. He will go back. 

His worst memories? One would think, based on the above, it’d be the sudden departure. Being yanked away by people you don’t know to an unknown location, not even knowing if your family is safe, not even knowing if they’re still looking for you or if they’ve accepted the rumors of your demise. And certainly, that memory is bad.

But some things? Some things are worse. 

Having your body hijacked by a malicious stranger? Being a danger to others through no will of your own, a mere marionette in the hands of a being who should have passed on in peace but instead is determined to drag your life down with theirs? That carries a more visceral fear. His grandmother always seemed to have good sense about these things-- keep him safe, keep those around him safe, know her baby would come back sooner or later. This is the sort of thing you have to prepare for when adopting the posterchild for creepy horror movie kids everywhere and deciding to alter that fate. But I’m sure it didn’t make it any easier for her, to see a stranger with a familiar face. The possessions would never last too long, but they were always the worst. The ache after, bone-deep and throbbing, as he came back into himself. The disorientation of lingering ectoplasm in his system. The chafe from restraints on the unfortunate off chance they became necessary. And worse, the first time it happened away from home, in a new place with new people who don’t understand and don’t know to stop him. Sure, it usually isn’t bad-- a lost and confused soul who simply needs a little help getting to their ultimate destination. Some encounters downright sweet. But the evil souls would leave an impression. His catholic upbringing already had him wary, but nothing teaches as well as first hand experience. 

#levi.txt #thanks for the ask!!! #Lou #Darwin #Virgil #this was fun to write #I might have to tweak it as I think of more but this is the gist