#waaay less subtle

[isa-ghost]

was reading through your q!phil hc masterpost and was wondering if you could add any of your codebreakers/etoilza headcanons into the fray…? :3

YESSSS I CAN'T BELIEVE IT TOOK THIS LONG TO GET ASKED /LH

qPhil headcanons masterlist

RESTATES for my and your convenience (heads up, there are suggestive/mildly explicit mentions!!):

--He's FWB with Etoiles. Extremely QPR, Etoiles is an aro king --He and Phil started out as friends and that has Barely changed if at all, but sparring matches get a little too homoerotic sometimes and neither of them can resist the other when they're popping off extra hard. Things have. Escalated a few times. If yknow what I mean. Of all Phil's harem members polycule partners, he & Etoiles have absolutely ZERO emotional investment in the Spicy(tm) things they do together. It's simply a very intimate way of showing each other their respect & admiration for the other. What they have going on is a "*spanks you* good game, let's hit the showers team" kinda deal. They're the type of mfs to finish in bed then shake hands like "gg." Casual sex is >>>> to these two, but it happens waaay less between them than it did Phil & Fit, Fitza was habitual (pre-Pac). Codebreakers is a once in a while thing --Etoiles has 100% asked Phil who fucks the best out of the polycule bc like everything else, it's a competition & he Must win, he Must have the best dick game. This amuses Phil very much --Phil is attracted to Etoiles the same way he's attracted to Fit, HOWEVER, the reasoning is different. Etoiles has raw skill and talent, but it's the way he wields it and demonstrates it that makes Phil wanna act up. Also Etoiles is fucking hilarious. Who can resist a good sense of humor? Those dramatics make Phil swoon --Etoiles is one of the people who is best at catching Phil's Tells for when something is wrong --Etoiles is one of few people who can convince (or goad) Phil into doing something he normally wouldn't, especially if he's drunk --Speaking of Phil being drunk around Etoiles, the way he can still absolutely body someone or snipe smth from miles away makes Etoiles want to kiss him stupid --Etoiles left a scar on Phil's back during Purgatory when he killed him Day 1. Phil didn't know for the longest time, but it took him a while to show him his wings after that. --Phil was genuinely afraid of Etoiles (& Fit) for a while after Purgatory --Sometimes Phil's laughs and startled yelps sound almost like squawks. Also his hiccups. It's very rare, but whenever it happens, he gets teased for it. Especially by Etoiles. --Phil goes back and forth on gifting one of his shed feathers to Etoiles --Technically all of the Polycule vs Ender King hcs apply to Etoiles in some way --Phil could listen to Etoiles teach him about French culture for hours

And now the new stuff :D

Etoiles's dramatics can get Phil in tears laughing. His sides and stomach will hurt before it's over, and Etoiles can go on for MINUTES. Sometimes he'll keep going purely because it has Phil dying so hard and he loves seeing what a kick Phil gets out of it

Etoiles is (playfully) salty that Phil is such a My Kids Come First kinda guy bc GOD does he want Phil to be down to do dangerous pvp and dungeon busting shit without the "euuu we gotta make sure it's safe" aspect more often. He wants that Angel of Death. Etoiles is the #1 Dadza (Derogatory) islander /lh

See, Fitza is more explicit and deadass about their,, Time together. Codebreakers is more subtle. Yknow that "media literacy is knowing when something that isn't gay sex is gay sex" post? That's Codebreakers. Sparring, dungeon busting, whatever high-risk high-exertion thing they're doing together. That.

It should go without saying how down Etoiles would be to throw hands with Ender King. It would be the most exhilarating fight he's ever had

Phil's still lowkey lost about the whole resistance thing. And schedules lately have not been kind to the two of them, so he hasn't had a chance to talk about it with Etoiles as extensively about it as he'd like to

Btw he's secretly concerned as hell smth bad is gonna happen to Etoiles if more of his body becomes corrupted by code :)

They 100% refer back to the time Etoiles said this regularly, and similar things like it. The same can be said for Fitza but my god the extent to which these two are more than willing to kill for each other. OUGH.

Phil does not realize how much pent up stress and emotion he can vent out via sparring or hitting something really fucking hard. Etoiles is going to fix that one day.

Phil's Etoiles impression has made Etoiles attempt to learn how to mimic Phil in retaliation but he cannot for the life of him get the hang of Phil's fuckass accent. Geordies stay winning to this man's dismay

Etoiles is frustratingly yet fascinatingly hard for Phil to clock sometimes. It's difficult to gauge exactly how he's feeling or what he's thinking. And yet as inconvenient that can be sometimes, something about it is incredibly attractive to Phil at the same time. Which is funny because unpredictability is usually not something his survivalist brain would like. Something about how he trusts Etoiles and therefore his being a wildcard is not so scary,,

Etoiles 🤝🏻 Chayanne - Wanting Phil to take them on a flight

I don't know if I'd call Etoiles an anarchist the same way I would Phil, but either way he is SO DOWN to fuck with the Feds if it entails any kind of pvp or the need to be geared up

Ok listen I have to call back to the gay sex subtext thing. Things that are more sex than gay sex to Codebreakers: Sparring, adrenaline, battles of wit, flexing powerful gear, thinking too much about what an absolute potential killing machine the other is, watching one another be in The Zone during a fight

Phil has more physical strength than skill with weapons and Etoiles has more skill with weapons than physical strength. Ok now imagine that while they're in a 2v# fight

I would not put it past Etoiles to pull a Missa and say smth wildly out of pocket and suggestive so fast in French that Phil doesn't catch it.

#qsmp #qsmp philza #philza #q!philza #qphil headcanons #qsmp etoiles #q!etoiles #etoiles #codebreakers #qsmp codebreakers #q!codebreakers

[misguidedasgardian]

The Lovely Hallows (III.I)

III. Teacher's pet

MASTERLIST

Summary: getting to know your professors is tricky, specially when someone else is better at it than you 

Pairings: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader (platonic), Aemond Targaryen x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Cursing, magical objects, Mugglephobia, magic! might miss some warnings 

Wordcount: 1,5 k

Notes: I’m very slow with this fic, but I really enjoy writing it. I have big plans for it, but for waaay into the future… when the kids are older, but I don’t want to back down now, so… I decided to write small chapters for the first years, a 1.000 words or so, of little snippets of the times reader and Aemond had crossed paths, until we can get to the really fun stuff… anyways, it’s me rambling, I always try to write 2.500 to 3.000 words for each chapters, so I don’t want you to worry when you see they are short… the longer chapters are coming later… ANYWAYS… ONE LAST THING! Reader has a secret father that we will discover later in the story, you might love it or hate it

You looked like… well… a child

You looked at every place, every detail of the castle with wonder, as your prefect led you to your first class… potions

“They say professor Snape is the meanest of all teachers”, you heard someone whisper, and you believed it to be true, even when you met him in the Malfoy Manor, he looked severe and mean

You took seat between Draco and Goyle, and soon, Snape burst into the room walking rapidly, using his wand to close all windows and the door behind him, his eyes found you in a second 

“There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to enjoy the subtle science and exact art that is potion making. However, for those select few…”, he looked at both of you, with a less severe look, “who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death…”, he kept looking on to find Potter writing without paying attention to him, “then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not...pay...attention”, he stopped in front of him, only after his friend nudge him is that he looked up

“Mr. Potter. Our...new...celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”, he mumbled, but didn’t answer, “You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?”

“I don't know, Sir”, he answered shyly, and you were thankful that you weren't him because you couldn’t have answered either

“And what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfbane?”

“I don't know, Sir”, Draco looked at you smugly, you smiled back

“Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mr. Potter?”, he then turned to the other Slytherin in the classroom, “mayhaps you, Targaryen, could answer?”, your eyes found the white haired boy, just like Draco’s, and he smiled softly

“With powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood you get a very powerful sleeping potion, you can find a bezoar in a goat’s belly, you should know that, because it will cure you for almost all poisons, and also… those are the same plant, also known as aconite”, You almost saw Snape smile

“Why are you not copying this?”, he asked everyone, you shared concerned looks with Draco and then started writing frantically in your  parchment

“5 points for Slytherin!”, Snape said, and even though Draco frowned, angry for he didn’t know the answers either, you smiled, relieved that he got it right instead of a Gryffindor

“And did you see him answering everything Snape asked? he had the professor practically drooling by the end”, apparently, Draco didn’t find it as endearing, now he was mocking your house mate, “anyone could have answered that, did you see that girl Granger raising her hand desperately?”, he continued his rambles as you walked to your next class, “pathetic really”

Then you went to McGonagall's class, Transfiguration, where she was going to teach you how to turn things from one thing to another, very impressive really. You were excited about all classes that require your wand and enchantments 

That Taragryen boy, again, sat in front of you, first line to the class, and was as cooperative as in Potions. You wondered why he didn’t end up in Ravenclaw if he was that smart, but you paid more attention to Gryffindor's head teacher.

But then… came the really exciting class

Flying lessons

With Professor Hooch that had the most extraordinary eyes 

You had this class with the Gryffindors, which you didn’t particularly liked, Harry was standing right in front of you, and even though he had said nothing to you, you were a bit angry for him rejecting Draco’s invitation, as grass as it was.

You looked down at the broom, the training broom that had been provided by the school for the first years, you couldn’t wait to get the nimbus 200 as soon as this school year ended 

“Good afternoon, class”, Professor Hooch greeted

“Good afternoon, Madam Hooch”, you all answered in a chorus

“Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say, Up!”,s trite to business, you liked that, you raised your hand over the broom and commanded it, and immediately, she flew to your hand, the very first try. You cheered excitedly as the chorus of voices repeated the word 

“Up!”, Draco demanded and his broomstick also obliged, your friend smiled smugly 

“With feeling!”, demand the teacher, as many haven’t been able to succeed on the first lesson, you looked up to the exact moment the broom went up and hit Aemond Targaryen in the face, you hissed, sympathizing with his pain but Draco deadass laughed 

“Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end”, you did as she told you to, this was a very exciting moment for you, you had never been able to do this before 

“When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle...3...2…”, you shared excited looks with Draco before doing exactly what Professor Hooch instructed, which you did perfectly 

But your classmate, Longbottom took off from the ground

“Mr. Longbottom”, called the teacher, clearly scared

“Neville!, what are you doing?”, called one of his classmates

“Neville...Neville… we're not supposed to take off, yet”, But he was raising to the skies in a incredible speed, he screamed bloody murder, scared for his life

“Mr. Longbottom! Down! Down!”, demanded Hooch

“Ahhhh!”, he only managed to scream. Even Potter screamed for his friend but he couldn’t command his broom, flying randomly over your heads 

“Help!”, he cried and you felt scared for him

“Come back down this instant!”, but to no avail, he soars through the sky and hits a wall, conking along it and then swooping off. All the while, he is screaming

He flied until he crashed into a statue in the top of the building adjacent to the field, luckily his cloak got trapped in the sword, which prevented him from flying, but then he fell to the ground in a grunt of pain

You all ran to him to make sure he was alright, of course the professor got to him first. He was whining and whimpering, that was a tall fall 

“Is he alright?”

“Oh, oh, oh, oh dear. It's a broken wrist! Tch, tch, tch. Good boy, come on now, up you get”, Meanwhile, Draco by your side leaned in and grabbed Neville’s Remembrall front he grass 

“Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, Quidditch”, demanded Professor Hooch as she lead Neville out of the field

“Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd have remembered to fall on his fat ass”, he said loudly for everyone to hear

“Give it here, Malfoy”, demanded Harry when he realized what he was holding 

“No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find”, he got on his broom, like he had many times before in his house, “How 'bout up on the roof?”, he flied higher with incredible mastery, showing all of you the glass ball on his hand, you felt proud, the first tie you got in his father’s old brooms had been tricky 

“What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?”, he mocked. Harry grabs his broom and runs to get on it. But his friend Hermione stops him

“Harry, no! You heard what Madam Hooch said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly”, but he doesn’t hear her, instead he flies as high as Draco

“Give it here, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!”

“Is that so?”, he teased back, making tricks in the air, “Have it your way, then!”, he throws the ball far, and Harry swoops in quickly to grab it, almost crashing against a building 

Draco comes back to the floor next to you, and you giggled excitedly, the positions in Quidditch were as much as yours for next year 

But Harry’s catch… that was impressive too, all your classmates cheer him on and run to meet him when he comes down from the skies, and you only turn to see Aemond roll his eyes 

Then Professor McGonagall appeared, making all of you takes steps back away from Potter 

“Harry Potter? Follow me”, he was in trouble, Draco, Goyle and Crabbe laughed loudly, he was going to get spelled!

Again, I repeat, I'll be tapping out of th movie's transcripts for help continuesly on the next few chapters, but on more Slytherin's side of things... and I want to go fast to get to the really good part, and let me just say that I have big plans

I will indulge... reader will be THAT GIRL like that reader that is super cool and is everywhere, this will be one of my guilty fics, she will be so badass, and I know how it will end

like I said, she has a secret father that I wasn't sure to write BUT, now its the heart of the story, you might love it or hate it but... I hope i CAN MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!

MUAHAHA anyways... sorry I got more notes than chapter on this one, but again, they are babies

taglist! @dreamingofyourmoons @aelora-a @fan-goddess @alitaar @winter-soldier-101

took the liberty of adding some who showed interest on this story!

#misguidedhogwarts #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen #house of the dragon crossover #harry potter crossover #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter #slytherin!aemond #house slytherin

[kasienda]

Bend the World Around It - Ch 4: Ladynoir is Canon

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Read on Ao3

Inspired by @blur0se for @marimbles. Thanks to @coffeebanana for being an amazing beta!!

Chapter 4: Ladynoir is Canon

“Oh my god! I can’t believe you!” Ladybug yells, her arms crossed. 

Chat laughs, and sweeps her to the side of a beam of light. “Focus on the akuma, m’lady! That one almost got you.” 

Ladybug harrumphs, and her yoyo shoots out. “Stop being so distracting then!”

Chat’s grin grows two fold on his face. “Oh? Is my lady distracted by meow ?” 

Alya’s phone is trained on the exchange, not missing a moment. Something has definitely shifted between the two of them, no matter how much Marinette denies it.

“Is it just me, Ladybloggers, or is Ladybug acting a little smitten these days?” 

Nino, beside her, snorts, but refrains from commenting. She grins at him, careful to keep her phone camera on the superhero duo. 

Marinette might kill her for adding fuel to the rumors, but Alya would be teasing her a ton later in person anyway. Marinette probably thought she was being subtle, but the girl didn’t know the meaning of the word. Not when it came to falling in love. 

Alya loved that about her. 

Flirting banter aside, they work in tandem more smoothly than ever and the akuma is defeated and purified in less than two minutes. 

The two heroes turn towards each other for their traditional fist bump. Alya always loves to catch this part - even though it’s always the same. There’s something so powerful about acknowledging each other’s support every time, about never taking it for granted.

Only when their hands meet there’s no fist bump at all. 

Ladybug pulls Chat Noir to her and whirls him around into a dip. Then, she’s kissing him senseless.

Alya almost drops her phone. 

“Nino!” she hits him in the shoulder. “Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?”

Nino nods rapidly, his own face lighting up in a smile. “Yup! Definitely babe!” 

“Come on!” She can corner Marinette later for details, but that runs the risk of letting Nadia Chamack get the first interview, which, as the founder of the Ladybug, Alya absolutely cannot let happen. 

“Ladybug! Chat Noir!” she calls, running up to them with her video still rolling. “That was quite the display! Are the two of you dating?” 

Alya half expects Marinette to glare at her, but she doesn’t. Instead, she turns an absolutely besotted love sick smile towards her partner. 

“Actually, no. We’re married.” 

Alya drops her phone. “What?! Ma– Ladybug! What?!” 

She sweeps up her phone off the ground and keeps recording.

Ladybug’s fingers are interlaced with Chat’s as they stare into each other’s eyes waaay too sweetly.

Chat Noir turns to her first. “Actually, today’s our anniversary!” 

Ladybug’s face dissolves into total confusion. “What? No, it’s not.” 

Chat Noir turns back to her. “Three years, six months,” he tells her, kissing her knuckles of their joined hands, “to the day.”

Alya shakes her head. That doesn’t make sense! They haven’t even known each other for that long. Alya’s been listening to the blow by blow of Marinette’s love life since they became friends.

But Ladybug’s face melts into goo. “That is not a thing.”

He grins, and kisses her nose. “It is now.”

Pink blooms across Marinette’s face. “Gah! How am I ever going to compete with you romantically?!” she demands. 

Chat Noir smiles and it’s like the rest of the world doesn’t exist for him. Not the akuma victim, not Alya or Nino, or her phone still recording this exchange. 

He brings her hand up to his face, and deposits the gentlest kiss. “M’lady, it’s not a competition, but if it was, you’ve already won. At least in my book.”

Ladybug surges up to her tiptoes and kisses him again. The kiss does not stay chaste.

Nino whistles. 

Alya bites her tongue on all the questions she wants to demand of her best friend for the sake of the video.

When they pull apart, gasping, Alya lets herself speak. 

“You heard it here first, folks. Looks like Ladynoir is canon!” 

Ladybug and Chat Noir both giggle, and wave to the camera. 

Alya grins. She has never seen Marinette quite this happy – and she’s seen Marinette positively giddy during a sugar high after Adrien told her he liked her outfit. 

She supposes her curiosity can wait. 

…

Marinette is suspiciously hard to get ahold of for the whole next day. 

Alya: You had better call me back before tomorrow! I’m going crazy, girl! You can’t just drop that on me in front of all of Paris and expect me not to slip up! I’m about to burst! And the only person I can talk to about this is Nino!  And he can’t keep a secret! Call me back!!

Her phone immediately buzzes in her hand. She answers immediately. 

“Just come over,” Marinette invites. “I’m home. We can have a sleepover!” 

Less than an hour later Alya has a pillow hugged to her chest across from Marinette on her bed. Marinette tells her about an akuma that hit both Ladybug and Chat Noir with Jubilation an entire six months prior. Six months . Marinette kept this from her for six months!

“Three years?!” Alya echoes. “You dreamed up a life together for three years?”

Marinette nods.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Alya’s not upset. She is confused. 

Marinette glances away. “I don’t know. It felt too fragile. Like an alarm clock would go off and I’d wake up and it’d all be a dream.” 

“If you had told me it might have started to feel real!” 

Marinette smiles. “Yeah, you’re right. But it also felt so unfair because he can’t talk about it with anyone in his life.” 

Alya’s chest clenches. That would be so hard. 

Marinette’s smile grew threefold. “But I feel so free now that we’re public. Before, we could only see each other once in a while. It was so hard to pretend that he wasn’t part of my life. And I still can’t talk to anyone about it as myself.” 

“Besides me,” Alya insists. 

Marinette nods. “Besides you.”

Alya scoots forward on the bed eagerly until there’s no space between their knees anymore. 

“So tell me everything.” 

Marinette giggles. “Well, so apparently, Chat Noir’s family owns an unused apartment in downtown Paris.” 

“Unused?!” Alya repeats. How wealthy did he have to be to just have an apartment lying around. 

Marinette nods. “Uh huh. Chat proposed that we live there together whenever we could get away. So, one day a week, that’s what we do.” 

“Oh my god! Girl!” 

…

Sabine slides the white cardboard box across the counter. “Can I get you anything else?” 

The customer smiles. “No, thank you. That will be all.” 

The bell doorbell rings, signaling the arrival of more guests. 

“Thank you! Come again!” Sabine calls after the customer. 

Everyone in the small bakery front turns and gasps. It’s none other than Ladybug and Chat Noir who have arrived. They hang back from the counter, discussing the menu over one another’s shoulders. Sabine can’t help the smile that blooms across her face at how comfortable they look standing side by side even with all the extra attention. 

Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the presence of two superheroes in the dining area, she pokes her head around the back. Her husband is folding a rectangle of dough for tomorrow’s batch of croissants. 

“Tom, they’re here again.” 

He looks up with a huge grin. “Have they ordered yet?” 

“Not yet.” 

He always makes a point of checking in on the heroes himself. She thinks giving them special attention is his way of thanking them for purifying his akuma not once, but twice. 

“And have you seen Marinette?” he asks. She has grown scarce as of late. 

She shakes her head. “Not today, but I’m less worried now. She’s been far more energetic and upbeat in the last two weeks or so.” 

She steps back into the showroom, behind the counter. “What can I get you?” she asks the next customer.

She carries out the order automatically. 

“Ladybug! Chat Noir!” she greets as they step forward. “Always lovely to see you! What can I get you?” 

Since the two heroes started coming in regularly just over two weeks ago, Chat Noir has always ordered the same thing: a cheese danish, a salmon quiche, and a single passionfruit macaron that Tom only started adding to the regular menu when he learned it was the hero’s favorite flavor. Ladybug is less predictable, often selecting the special, but the girl seems to have an eye for which items are the freshest and orders those. 

“Mme. Cheng! You are looking radiant as always,” Chat Noir greets. Ladybug smiles at him, pink dusting her cheeks. 

Sabine’s chest floods with warmth at the sight. She just loves young love. There’s something so pure about it. 

Once they order, they settle into two seats by the window. The same seat they always choose if it’s open. Sabine wonders if they choose that seat to advertise for the bakery intentionally. 

Tom delivers their orders to them a few minutes later. “Can I get you anything else? On the house.” 

Chat Noir only lets Tom and Sabine treat them when Ladybug pressures him into letting them taste test their new pastries in exchange for honest feedback. 

Ladybug turns to him, her arms shooting out to the side the same way Marinette’s do when she gets excited. “M. Dupain! Can you convince my idiot boyfriend that marmite frosting on fruit would be absolutely atrocious?! That it needs to be a marshmallow and cream cheese mixture!” 

Tom laughs with his whole belly. “You sound like my daughter. I do use a marshmallow-cream cheese mixture on many of my desserts, but I’ll also have you know the finest delicacies often come from unconventional experiments.” 

“What?! Traitor!” Ladybug squawks. 

Chat Noir bursts into laughter. 

“Anything else?”

“Would Marinette happen to be here today?” Chat asks.

Tom shakes his head. “Sorry to disappoint. I think she is out with friends at the moment.” 

Chat Noir literally wilts in place. Ladybug glances away before turning back to them again. 

“Maybe we’ll get lucky another day, Chaton. We’ll just have to keep trying.” 

…

“We’re going where?” Nino asks his girlfriend. He had to have heard her wrong. 

“To dinner, with Ladybug and Chat Noir,” she says again.

“Is this in an interview?” 

She laughs. “No, we’re just going over there for dinner as their friends.” 

Their friends?! Like sure, they are friends in the sense that they have stood back to back against hordes of akumas on more than one occasion. You can’t depend on each other in violent and life threatening situations and not come out the other side as friends. 

But they had never just hung out. They don’t really know each other, like, as people.

Which Nino is completely on board to change! Absolutely! One hundred and ten percent.

And he’s also super super intimidated by them. This isn’t just anyone. This is Ladybug and Chat Noir . 

“Wait. Wait. Where is there?” 

“Their apartment.” 

“They have an apartment?!” 

Ladybug and Chat Noir had an apartment. A really nice apartment on the top floor in the expensive part of downtown Paris. 

“Rena! Carapace!” It’s absolutely surreal to be called that while Nino’s wearing an ordinary blue graphic tee and his usual red hat. “We’re so glad you could make it!” Chat greets with a beaming smile and open arms like they’re old friends. 

Chat Noir’s arms clap around his back. 

“H-hey mec! How’s it going?” Nino stammers.

“Great! Great! Come in! Come in!” Chat enthusiastically herds them inside into the apartment.

The place is waaay too fancy with expensive rugs and antique furniture that do not match Ladybug or Chat Noir’s aesthetic in any way as far as Nino can tell. And yet, they both are super comfortable in the space as they give them the tour of the four bedroom flat. Alya’s jaw drops at the spacious kitchen with an entire wall of pantry cupboards, generous marble counter tops and an island with a stainless steel grill on one side. 

“Girl! You have to let me use this kitchen. My mom would be so jealous!” Alya exclaimed. 

Ladybug laughed. “Let’s do it!” 

They have family pictures of the two of them on every wall, just like his nana. Like, they live here. 

He frowns. How old are they? He had always assumed they were about the same age as him. 

Twenty minutes later, Nino is more confident than ever that he’s fallen into some kind of twilight zone. He’s sitting across a polished mahogany dining room table from Ladybug and a baby doll that is sitting in a high chair. An actual doll with a mop of dark hair and plastic eyes that stare blankly into space. Nino wants to ask, but Alya hasn’t said anything, and he always follows her lead. So he ignores the doll. 

Ladybug pours sparkling water into crystal flutes that are so nice that if Nino hawked them he could probably pay for his parents’ rent for two months. She and Alya chatter about potential future dishes they might try making in the ridiculously nice ladynoir kitchen. 

Chat Noir brings out a quiche lorraine that he apparently made completely by himself and is quickly cutting it into pieces to serve to each of them on porcelain plates. He even cuts an incredibly thin slice that he places in front of the doll.

“This is delicious, Chat Noir!” Alya says. “Ladybug says you’ve improved a lot in a short time. I never would have known you were a beginning chef from this!”

“Thanks, Rena!” 

Alya elbows Nino, and he startles into better posture, glancing between the two heroes who are both looking at him expectantly.

Nino hesitates for only a moment before he takes a bite. 

“Do you like it?” Chat asks eagerly.

“It’s great!” He takes another bite to avoid having to elaborate. Not that it isn’t good! It is! But Nino doesn’t know how to talk about food in any kind of classy way. Not like Alya. 

But apparently it doesn’t matter because Chat Noir beams like Nino had just told him he won a national cooking championship.

Alya shakes her head in what he knows is fond exasperation. 

Conversation flows between the other three like they really are just old friends, and Nino doesn’t know what to do with himself, still worried about using the wrong fork, which is ridiculous because there’s only one, but isn’t that a wealthy person thing? Nino feels like he should know with Adrien as his best friend, but he had been banned from the Agreste mansion so early in their friendship he hasn’t had any practice. 

After dinner, Chat Noir continues to share things about the apartment. Little things he’s done to make it a more comfortable space. Talks about what Ladybug has been teaching him in the kitchen with so much excitement and pride. 

Ladybug and Alya get along like they’re life long friends. And Chat Noir is being insanely friendly specifically to him, the guy who thought Chat Noir had tried to steal his girlfriend. 

Like an idiot.

“Mec, can I ask you a question?” 

Chat Noir beams at him. “What’s up?” 

“Why are you being so nice? Why are you sharing all this with me? ” 

“Well, apparently Ladybug and I cannot learn each other’s identities. That means I can’t bring her into my civilian life. I can’t introduce her to my friends or anyone. And it’s been driving me crazy!” 

Nino tries to imagine not being able to talk about Alya with his family or with Adrien. He doesn’t think he would be able to do it. 

“That sounds really hard.” 

Chat nods. “So I guess I want to share this part of my life with the people that I can.” Chat shoulder bumps him. “And you are my friend, right?” 

Chat bites his lower lip, like Nino’s potential answer could wreck him.

Which is wild . 

“Yes!” Nino blurts. “As long as you see me that way. I know I wasn’t exactly–” 

Chat puts a hand on his shoulder and offers a disarming smile. “It’s fine. Promise.” 

Nino smiles back, feeling the last of his nerves fade. “What’s with the creepy doll?” Nino asks without thinking.

Chat bristles like an angry cat. “She’s not creepy!”

Nino throws his hands up in surrender.

Chat relaxes. “Her name is Emma. She… she was our daughter in our dream.”

“D-daughter?!” Nino echoes. “Wait! Dream?! Back up, mec! I’m so lost.” But he suddenly wanted to understand. 

Chat smiles softly. “There was an akuma with the power of jubilation. Ladybug and I got hit together. We were trapped in a dream together that showed us the future we both wanted. We lived years together. And then, we had to wake up.”

“Fuck, mec.”

“Yeah.”  

…

The camera shot over Ladybug and Chat Noir sitting side by side on a rooftop, eating ice cream, probably from Andre’s Ice Cream Stand if Gabriel had to guess. 

“Ladybug and Chat Noir have announced that they’re going to renew their wedding vows later early this fall,” the voice of Nadia Chamack announces. “They plan to invite all former akuma victims. I for one am delighted to honor their relationship that has always resulted in the teamwork that has kept all of us safe from Monarch.” 

Gabriel scowls at the screen as the report continues. 

It was especially grating how often the two heroes were about, and how seamless their teamwork had become against his akumas since they had come together romantically. 

“They’re not even old enough to be married,” he grumbles. 

“You don’t know that,” Daizzi insists from her glass cage.  

“They’re on timers!” Gabriel snaps back. 

“They can’t get married legally without revealing their names anyway.” Perhaps they would get married as their civilian selves. He should have Nathalie look into all marriages a month before and after the event and see if she could find any suspects. 

“They can get married in their hearts!” Daizzi coos with her front paws clasped together and her head cocked to the side. “They deserve that much happiness!” 

“Silence!” Gabriel roars. He doesn’t care about Ladybug and Chat Noir’s happiness, but they were foolish to announce their wedding date to all of Paris. He will be able to use the event to corner them once and for all. 

…

#miraculous ladybug #ladynoir #established relationship #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #pre reveal #jubilation au #romance #speed write #only write the fun parts #my own content #bend the world around it

[vampirealpaca]

My thoughts on the pjo show (now that the season is over) (this is going to run long) Overall Rating: 8/10 :

Ok first of all, I actually LOVED the show and the cast is literally awesome; I do have some thoughts and feelings tho.

The GOOD :D

The visuals were eating ngl

THE CAST!!!! they literally were amazing cannot stress this enough

I think a lot of the changes were handled super well, especially Medusa (although I don't love all of the changes...see below in the next section lol)

I LOVED the set design for pretty much all of the scenes!!! Like the set & costuming was literally so good; sometimes it looked a little Volume-y but I think it's ok since they also clearly did a bunch of on-location stuff

Driving scene was literally so funny like no notes on that + the acting was On Point pretty much All of the Time.

I actually think they slayed with the special effects

Pretty accurate! (overall a waaaaaay better adaptation than the movies)

BLUE FOOD!!!!

More Sally content was awesome!! And I cannot stress this enough the ACTORS WERE SO GOOD in their roles!! Like I think they were the perfect choices ngl and I hope to see more of them in season 2 (if we get one, idk if its greenlit yet)

I also liked how they focused on Grover's character more (lowkey my fav now)

Genuinely had a great time watching the scenes from the books I've loved since Forever come to life onscreen!

The character dynamics were GIVING

Loved getting more info about Percy's backstory

The way they showed the Mist was honestly so cool!! This might be filed under Visuals but still...it was so cool

Fight choreo fluctuated, but I liked the Percy vs Luke fight (altho the scorpion erasure ;-;)

Again the chemistry with the actors like adkjhfdkjdfkjhdfjkhk I think the acting may have been my fav part honestly lol

All of the easter eggs for the fans!!

Rick's subtle rewriting of the story was sometimes very cool! (Like with the water grabbing Percy etc) --- you can definitely tell that he's thinking about how he'd change the story if he were to write it today

...HOWEVER i have gripes :(

THE LIGHTING WAS TOO DARK IN NIGHT SCENES!!!! HATE THAT TROPE WHY CANT I SEEEEEEEE (looking at u medusa scene)

I feel like they should've fallen into like…at least one trap without Knowing Everything about it. Like, I get the Medusa change and am pretty on board with it, but I feel like a few of the other changes weren't really necessary & messed with the stakes. A lot of the time it felt like I was watching them explain "Oh you're THIS person so you will do THIS so I will do THIS" instead of like...showing me.

Not enough blood (this is prob a Disney problem, not the show creators fault but like...cmon Disney...they have swords, let the children get More Injured...they are Fighting for their Lives)

Felt kinda...dryer than the books? idk how to explain it...like it felt like there wasn't the same Vibes in some parts if that makes sense, like they switched out a lot of funny moments (esp with how they changed Charon and the Crusty scenes lowkey im bitter)

the tone was definitely sometimes waaay different from the books (like it was way more serious I think, which is good sometimes and less good other times)

Idk if this is 100% true bc my last reread was a few months ago, but I think they separated the main trio more than in the book (?), it felt like they were duo-ed with diff members for a lot rather than building off of their main dynamic -- they had some trio moments but ig i just wanted more (again, I could be wrong on this one tho)

Lotus Casino not really being as Fun (the pumping lotus flowers in the air was a cool detail tho!)

It generally felt like they took a lot of the funny parts in favor of talking more about how messed up the gods are (which I liked sometimes!! but the kids are 12 let them have more funny moments too yaknow) (Rip the Died in the Bathtub line...gone but not forgotten)

I really didn't love the changes that made the story feel more Cliche and Basic (the ones that annoyed me were changing the entire DOA to just Some Standard Death Eater Looking Fellow & Annabeth's interactions with Cerebus being completely changed)

Mixed feelings on Gabe...I wanted him to be more evil at the beginning but I get why they changed it ig. Plus he was literally so funny when he (spoilers?) got murdered by opening someone else's mail. That's what happens when you commit a federal crime ig.

General Character Thoughts:

PERCY: Walker Scobell was such a good casting call... like you can tell he really cares about the books & getting the character right. Acting was on point, sass was on point (but I do wish he got to be sassy a bit More); Really gives off the energy of Percy Jackson and definitely was AMAZING in this role!

ANNABETH: She was spectacular in this role!! Leah got literally all of Annabeth down to a T --- her kindness, her pride, her wisdom, etc etc without resorting to any kind of "stock smart girl" vibe. She was literally SO GOOD! I loved seeing her talk about her dad, and the detail about her not having seen a movie is such a mood and so in-character lowkey. Leah really nailed Annabeth's dry humor and general vibe like dfajkhfdjhkfdhjk

GROVER: He was my favorite! Like, his acting was AMAZING fr!!! They brought a lot of newer things into his character that I think worked really well & it definitely strengthened his characterization --- he was also really funny & so sincere I just loved his portrayal of Grover!

HOWEVER I think some of the arcs are shakier since the characters didn't struggle as much, since they were figuring out a Lot of things

Overall, I took 2 points from the rating because the Spirit and Humor weren't fully there and I felt some of the changes made it feel less like the OG and more cliche (looking at u Charon). However, the great acting, pretty slay writing (except for the tone stuff), Vibes, and all the other stuff I think they did right pulled through to get it ranked a little higher lol. Plus, I liked it, even if I didn't like all of it.

No hate if u loved the show adaptation tho!! Feel free to disagree, these are just my thoughts lol. I really genuinely hope there's going to be a season 2, although I would like if they fix a few of these problems in that potential season (please...let me see what's happening in the dark scenes...please...)

#pjo tv show #pjo #percy jackon and the olympians #review #percy jackson and the olympians tv show #pjo series

[three-seperate-johns]

Eight shows to get to know you :) I was tagged by @thetideseternaltune

I’ve taken the ‘getting to know me’ part to heart - I don’t even follow tags for all these shows on tumblr. They are not necessarily my favourite right now, nor are they the shows I write/read fanfic for.

In no particular order:

Numb3rs - I grew up without a tv, so numb3rs was the first show I really picked out for myself, and I started watching it when I was ~15. It’s the only show I’ve ever gone out and bought every season of for myself. It’s just a really solid monster of the week detective show, with subtle and charming characters who are not too closely involved in the plots they investigate. Which is exactly my jam. One of my friends watched Numb3rs and chatted with me briefly about it, but I’ve otherwise never fangirled over it with anyone. Even though I still count it as one of my favourite shows of all time 15 years down the track. I’ve actually never read fanfic for Numb3rs, and I know next to nothing about the making of. I wouldn’t recognise the names of the actors or any of the showrunners, which is actually my ideal media consumption experience xD 

Buffy - First show I ever watched while surrounded by people who are obsessed with the show, and I had an excellent time with it. It was interesting because all my friends were teenagers when they watched it for the first time, but I was in my early twenties, and it was really interesting to see where my experiences of the show diverged from theirs. I don’t usually read Buffy fanfic, and some of my Buffy opinions are pretty controversial :P I think seasons 4-6 are the best, and I love Riley which seems to really bother some of my friends xD

Fallet - This show is a fucking fever dream. It took me a whole episode to work out that it was a comedy, it had some real ‘Douglas Adams’ vibes at the end, which was fun. It’s a murder mystery set in sweden that uses a mix of swedish and english, and it is best described as ‘kooky.’ My only IRL friend who watched it (after much nagging) did so while slightly feverish with covid. They seemed to have a good time, but I would not recommend doing this xD It’s wild enough without the delirium.

Vera - the quintessential ‘slow moving, episodic, british murder mystery.’ Vera is awesome (especially in the early seasons) for just being really fucking good. My favourite thing about this show is the leading lady - Vera is a grumpy, frumpy, middle aged woman without a maternal bone in her body. I am so sick of women needing to be kind and selfless to be a protagonist.

VGHS - now for something completely different! It’s a show made by a youtube special effects guy about a high school where you learn to play videogames. And it made me cry. A death notification set to an in-universe laugh track? Sign me up! It’s mostly super goofy, and the main character is way less interesting than all his friends, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Probably the closest thing to a pure comedy I will watch, but it makes it oddly poignant moments all the sweeter. Also, 10/10 ending. I don’t read fanfic of it either, and these days I’m waaay too old for the characters personally. I definitely had a bit of a thing for the main character’s gf tho. Ngl.

Shetland - I do this thing where I avoid looking at fan content for a show if I’m enjoying it on its own merits, because I want to experience it without the brain rot. Kinda weird, but it works for me. Shetland is funny because I could immediately see a pairing I wanted to explore, but I waited years for the show to go downhill before I let myself open ao3. Luckily, I think they caught up with the books, and changed hands around season 4ish, because the quality nosedived and I have read and written so many things for Jimmy/Duncan, and do not intend to stop xD I actually haven’t had the heart to watch the latest season, because I don’t think I’ll enjoy it all that much. Cool theme song though! And everyone should watch the early short seasons.

Capitani - I hate the hays code. And not just because of the moralising and the homophobia - it makes storytelling predictable. The impact it continues to have on all english speaking media is never more obvious than when you watch something from another part of the world and are completely blindsided by the emotional arc. Capitani fucking killed me. I’ve read that Capitani is Luxembourg’s only globally successful media product. I don’t know if that’s true, but I wasn’t sure if Luxembourg was a country or a city before I watched it, so it’s probably not far from the truth. I now have a fun little rap song in Luxembourgish on my spotify playlist! It won my heart forever when they set up a joke and completed it four episodes later without any call backs. Imagine having that much faith in your audience! I would read the shit out of fanfiction of the fucked up love story between Capitani and Karla, but unfortunately, there is none :(

MASH - My ex step father owned every season of MASH on DVD, and when I was 14 my friend and I would rush to my house to watch them while having sit-up competitions. I don’t know why this was a fun activity for two 14 year old girls, but I have so many fond memories of this time. It was the first tv show I ever watched sequentially, and the first show I ever watched start to finish. It was also the reason I beat all the boys in my class when we had to do those fitness tests in PE! xD I’m personally a bigger fan of the show post-season 3 when they had the big tone shift. While there are definitely funny scenes, the image in my head when someone mentions MASH is always Charles smashing up his record player. So while it’s famous as a comedy, that’s not really how I remember it. I keep meaning to go look up the show on ao3, because I am sooo curious about what the common pairings are, and what kind of tone the fics take.

I had a lot of fun with this :) Thanks for tagging me! I’m way too shy to tag eight people, but would love to hear about the viewing past of: @republicofgaypirates @galadriel1010 @leliesblou @scullyverse @justplainsalty

#tag games? #im going to be honest i have no idea what this is called #numb3rs #buffy #fallet #vera #vghs #shetland tv #capitani #mash

[dizzyoatman]

squidbeak splatoon poker night: the video game

i came up with this idea 30 mins ago i need to inform the internet of this

you play as Neo 3 and this event was organized by cuttlefish to "bring the team closer together for future missions." The REAL reason is that cuttlefish was bored as fuck and thought it would be really fun

Captain A.K.A. Agent 3: Competent and has a very very very subtle tell but dosent bluff too often.

Agent 4: Isn't actually there (they had finals the next day) BUT they do call Marie sometimes when thier parents arent paying attention

Agent 8: Is not playing and vibing with Acht (ill get to them later)

Neo 3: who you play as

Cuttlefish: Cracked. Hes an old man playing poker im not quite sure what you expected. Probably won a few tourtaments and plays recreationally. Suprisingly, he only has the second best AI at the table...

Callie: Surprisingly good. Shes played against cuttlefish many many times so shes picked up on his tells and also learned a few tricks over the years

Marie: A rival to Cuttlefish, 3rd best AI at the table easily. Snarky as all hell and generally fun to play with. One big problem with her though: Sometimes when Agent 4 calls, 4 asks for her hand and shes just. Says her whole ass hand. Out loud. And then asks for advice. Sometimes Callie elbows her if shes still in the game but everyone else is frantically memorizing her hand.

Pearl: Never played before today. Goes about as well as you would expect. Cheers on Marin a lot when she gets out. She does not know what a Full House is and thinks its like go fish so every time she won the pot she would shout "FULL HOUSE!!" And everyone would be really confused

Marina: There because Pearls there. Shes doing her best. She at least knows how the game is played but shes waaay too nervous to bluff.

Acht: Here because 8 invited her because 8 didnt know anyone else besides the weird old man playing poker and she didnt really wanna 3rd wheel Pearlina. Acht is the dealer because she had a stint in whatever the splatoon equivalent lent of vegas once while she was taking an extended leave from school. She's actually pretty good but just never plays. Marina is very surprised to see her, but happy nonetheless.

also acht in formal wear seems like such a vibe

Shiver: She is there to WIN. She dosent give two shits about team bonding or whatever, she just wants to rub it in this old geezer's face. Teamed up with Frye to keep Big Man away from the Squid Sisters. Middle of the pack AI but has really obvious tells. Warms up a little after losing to both other members of Deep Cut. Cheats in early rounds. Acht notices she marked the cards the whole time, but instead of calling her out she quietly gets a new deck between rounds just to fuck with her.

Frye: Fawns over Off The Hook the entire time and Shiver gets kinda annoyed. Slightly better than shiver with less obvious tells. Folds hands very angrily.

Big Man: Remember when I said Cuttlefish was only second best? Meet the REAL king. Gambling is in his BLOOD. How do you think the Manta Family Clan rose to power? Kraken racing. They would illegally give some of the krakens swim speed up in splatoon 1 days before it was banned. His family is all CONS and CHEATS. So it's no wonder Big Man is a sweep. The only other person who can really challenge him is Cuttlefish, and thats part of the reason cuttle organized this whole event (Cuttlefish only lost his tournaments to members of the Manta Clan). Cuttlefish and Big Man are throwing so much trash talk around the whole time. If he wins the pot he dosent split it, despite Shiver and Frye's protesting, because the Squid Sisters cuss out Shiver and Frye and they just sigh dejectedly and apologize.

anyways thats all nintendo hire me

#Splatoon #splatoon 3

[destinyc1020]

SM is toxic and we all need breaks from it here and there. But I do notice Tom is more affected by it compare to Z. Why is that?

I don't even think it's so much that Tom is way more affected by it than Z, I just think that Tom is more vocal about it? 🤷

Z herself has stopped posting personal things to her sm accounts for years... Idk if you've noticed. It's just kind of rare that she does now days. She used to post (Especially on SnapChat lol) ALL the time... the WHOLE DAY in fact! 😅🤣 While I do miss those days and glimpses into her personal life, I can totally understand why she stopped doing it. Not only is she trying to be seen as a more "serious actress", but she is also a grown woman now, AND, she probably realized that fans were getting a little TOO much of her private life and it wasn't healthy. 😔

I think that the more followers she got, the less "safe" she felt posting certain things online. Just my theory. She even mentioned this in interviews a while back about how social media makes her anxious and also how she kind of lost the desire to post on social media, especially because she feels this pressure to post...

Zendaya also admits to being a shy child growing up, and so this too probably also plays a part.

Overall, I just think that social media may affect various people differently? 🤷 Tom might be highly sensitive to certain things. T and Z are two totally different people, so they feel differently about different things. What may affect me may not affect you, and vice versa. I also feel like the MALE fandoms can be waaay more overwhelming sometimes. 🥴 I feel like male celebrities have way more fans lol...or, shall I say, they have more of the teenage/younger female fans who can sometimes be quite fickle (love you one minute, hate you the next lol 😅🤣), and maybe Tom just isn't used to that pressure?? I mean, being famous (especially at his level) is a LOT of pressure. Female celebrities get a lot of hate too (a lot of times worse than the guys imo because they have to also deal with sexism, misogyny, etc.) make no mistake. But it just seems like male celebrities (on average) tend to have wider fanbases or something lol. 😅

[doorbloggr]

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Media Recommendations #40

Thursday 10/11/22

So hey 40 Media Recommendations? That's a pretty big number, and it only took me most of a year and a half on what was originally a weekly project.

I have nothing too special in mind for Entry Number 40, it's just another week, another couple things I waste my spare time on. Maybe if I reach 50 I'll do something more interesting?

Anyway ignore the slight passive aggressive fight I'm having with myself. This week I'm recommending one of fave recent anime series.

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Aneko Yusagi/ Kinema Citrus DR Movie

The Pitch

Naofumi was a college age nerd living in regular Japan when one day he happened upon a seemingly random half finished book in a local library. Next thing he knows, he's been summoned to the fantasy, slightly videogamey land of Melromarc. He and four other strangers have been summoned to act as heroes in the fight against demonic waves of monsters threatening the kingdom.

Each of the four Cardinal Heroes are mastery of one main type of medieval equipment. Sword, Spear, Bow, and... Shield. Due to ancient superstitions and the meddling of a local religion, it soon becomes clear to Naofumi that the Shield Hero is not smiled upon. Each hero may only weild their designated weapon, so all Naofumi can do is protect himself and those in his party.

A scandal is fabricated and any support from the throne is dissolved. Naofumi the Shield Hero is left the fend for himself in this cruel world. He recruits the help of a slave "demi-human" (part animal people with lesser rights) named Raphtalia, who becomes his sword. Together they grow to make themselves stronger, both physically and within. They are also joined by a magical bird girl named Filo, who fights with Raphtalia for Naofumi's affection.

Despite the reputation that is thrust upon the Shield Hero, Naofumi is a man of the people. He fights for the little guy, travelling across the land saving towns from famine, defeating evils, and righting wrongs. And although he tries to act tough, treating it as a business that he gets paid for, the Shield Hero, Raphtalia, and Filo become known throughout the land for their kindness and heroism.

My Thoughts

Many Isekai stories welcome the protagonist as a portent of good fortune, or introduce an unlikely hero who quickly gains favour with a key figure to grow into a light for the realm, but Rise of the Shield Hero is an interesting story of a protagonist that is quickly demonised, and shunned by society at large. And unlike some other quirky takes on the genre (e.g. Kono Suba), Shield Hero doesn't show a quick turn around for redemption.

Naofumi abandons the royal family, and only shows kindness to those he knows can't help themselves. The way he treats heroism as a business, with an expectation of payment everytime, is a stance I haven't seen a lot in fantasy anime. But the subtle way he is lenient with how he is payed and how much, shows that he still has the humanity that makes him the Hero of the Shield.

At the time of writing, there are two seasons, and in my opinion, the first season is waaay stronger. Without spoiling, the first season is about Naofumi and Raphtalia growing as heroes, and about them and the other Cardinal Heroes coming together as a force for the greater good. The second season, although presented as a tale of equally grand scale, feels almost like a side story spinning off from the main plot (for most of it at least). Since Naofumi has done most of his growing, it is less of an interesting journey, in my opinion at least. They do put more focus on characters around Naofumi growing, and although it is engaging, it's not as compelling.

That growth is also something I want to commend the series on. Although sometimes it can come across as edgy, Naofumi's hatred and rage at his treatment is fuel for his character. He doesn't just smile and shake hands once he proves himself worthy of the title of Hero. He holds onto the grudge, and this anger becomes a source of power in itself. And I mean a literal power that he can use to defeat monsters. But it damages his soul, and the journey he takes to leave that rage behind takes most of the series to resolve, and goes well into season 2. And it makes sense. It's hard to forgive being wronged, it's easy to hold onto anger. But it's not good for you.

The best lessons we can take away from Rise of the Shield Hero are about being your best self. Don't allow yourself to be pushed around, make your own destiny. And it's OK to be angry when you're wronged. But don't let that anger consume you. You have to let it go to become a better person.

Thanks for Reading

Read more recommendations in my Pinned Post.

#blog #blogpost #media recommendations #anime recommendations #the rising of the shield hero #shield hero #naofumi iwatani #raphtalia

[natterings27]

beverage reviews: lavender chamomile jasmine green(?) kombucha 9/10 refreshing and lovely would get again subtle without being flavorless good balance

Weird German beer from Annapolis that I can't pronounce 4.5/10 I rated it higher earlier but after drinking a lot of it I can say it's not to my taste it's too sweet and too light while also being cloying somehow would not get again

Peach white chocolate coffee: 6.5/10 if you use too much it's waaay too acidic but with less grounds and more milk it's quite palatable have had better though

Peach mango juice from wegmans: 3/10 we drank so much of this kinda shit spiked with liquor in prior years that the taste itself is a living flashback also I dislike its viscosity

Vintage sparkling water: 8/10 plain but can't go wrong no notes

Lemon Yerba mate: 7/10 didn't like it as much as before for some reason but it's still quite good I'd rather just brew up some on my own and add lemon to it tbh

#virgil #reviews #did i have a tag for these

[room303-cherrylane]

2023(33) WRAPPED! :]

hi, it's been a while. here's an attempt at writing my 2023 wrapped! it's been a crazy year. i've felt like burying myself six feet underground, as well as soaring like a fireball in the sky. here's what went down:

🍒 physical

weight training wasn't a focus this year. i lifted whenever i wanted to. wasn't super hard on myself on the weeks or even months i went without lifting a dumbbell. i understood that my depressive episodes even made it hard for me to simply wake up. on the days that felt really bad, i'd take myself out on afternoon walks around the village. i was really thankful i enrolled for expressive dance and walking for fitness this year though! :) when i had my f2f classes for expressive dance, i got to walk around upd and move under the late morning sun. when i moved into my dorm in september, i'd also walk a lot! actually i walk SO MUCH now! 2km is easy-peasy. i'd walk whenever i could. i didn't think i could walk 100m per minute, but i do now. i think my ass got bigger? LOL. still feel conscious abt my subtle weight gain and being less toned, but we love the tummy at the end of the day :3

🍒 mental and emotional

like a can of worms if you ask me. jesus christ. i went thru ALLAT this year. went back to therapy again because of the family problem. i'd see my therapist bi-weekly and we went from february to august. i took in my sessions waaay better than i did last year, though. every unearthing i had felt less world-shattering. i think it's because i got to ease myself into this process already, as compared to 2022 when the sessions went by more quickly and unpacking felt entirely new. keeping strong was definitely a challenge. i think i did go through some extremes, i wish i had dealt with those moments with more grace. i learned now. i'm more in tune with myself. dorming also helped me realize that. i remember my triggers and patterns, know what my behaviors and bodily reactions indicated whenever a particular one floats up the surface. i talk to myself more. whenever i also felt something in myself that i didn't like, i'd take the time to ask myself why i feel that way, why it upsets me. i left myself hanging a lot, in a good way. i stopped digging in too much to find answers. i wait for them to appear instead. for now, my best takeaway is: when i hate myself, i go to my friends. when i feel like the world hates me, i nap it off. when i hate everything, i go for a walk. ending the year with more grace. more grace. more warmth. more thought.

🍒 family

straight out of MMK. i kid you not. i dont know how all of THAT really happened. a literal rollercoaster. lots of unraveling, grieving what i thought always was but was actually not or was something different. so many tears. a lot of anger, anxiety, tension. at some point, i had been racking up my mind on how i would be able to move myself out the house as soon as possible. it felt unsalvageable. but 6 months after what went down, i do feel like i was also naive into thinking it could have been that simple. it was difficult. i'd also like to give myself a hug. i don't want to fault myself into making my family enemies. i don't want to forget the realizations i also had. but at present, i'm thankful we have made it through right now on a more pleasant note. a part of me is convinced that dorming, the distance, and the damned cat made some difference. i think i understand my mother and sister a little bit better also. i hope it gets better from here.

🍒 friends

always THE BEST. thank you guys for being here--is what i always think about. my anchor and my rock. my friends really modeled to me what healthy relationships should be. this year, i learned to be more nurturing and soft. all the hardness i had accumulated through my 22 years of living had thawed out. i found my way back to the warmth i innately had in my childhood with the help of my friends. there were also those i eventually distanced myself from because being with them just made it feel so muddy. it's okay, i learned how to check in with myself on that now too. what standards i had for those i want to keep close. i fear closeness less now. i've been less shy to say to my friends how they really mean to me. i made new precious buddies! i'm applying at a music org :] i found super cool people to be with. i love their presence. i always visit my friends at fa. i'd message and check-in with long-distance friends. so vibrant. i'm full with your love and care and thought. each year i'm excited to take all of you with me to the next!

🍒 romantic

still bleak haha. i went back to bumble at some point and thought i found the guy. i think i got ahead of ourselves. ah well, i tried. he was alright, that fellow. quite awkward, but it was a learning experience, to know when to tap out because i was pushing something that wasn't real. in other news, every person i found likeable would have a significant other already. gotdamn???? or just liked men. aha. well. i do think about my friends' approach to this: "so what?" and right... So What? if i adore you anyway, then i adore you. so i'm at that :) i adore someone. a friend right now. i've been shoving it under the rug since september because i thought it was just me hyperfixating and projecting onto a person again, but right now it's all swimmingly well? i like our growing friendship a lot and at the core, i just want to know him more. i think he is a thoughtful and cool person. i do have to stop projecting though really. i want to know the real him so, self, let's stop ourselves, okay? just don't think. and drop everything when he's around. take the real him in. not the specter. take the real him in. the thoughtful cool person who i assume has a soft spot for eating kimchi :)

🍒 passions

my best year in art so far. a lot of "i didn't know i had that in me" moments. i let myself be the most free, and i soared. did 9 art market events and met so many beautiful strangers. i loved meeting people so much. produced my artworks physically. it's still insane to have my works out in the world like that. i re-opened my shop on my birthday. i packed and shipped out so many orders. i printed on tote bags. silver stickers. temporary tattoos led me to my current illustration style. I DIDN'T THINK I'D ACTUALLY GET INTO ILLUSTRATING? THE FUCK? getting to produce my works into merch helped me understand the sustainability, the life of my works. i appreciate their existence more deeply now. whenever i put new stuff out, i want it to linger for as long as it can. it deserves this lifetime. the whole world has yet to know all of you exist. i don't always need to have anything new or even anything grand.

got back into music :(<3 the first love of my life. joining upmc really awoke a dormant passion in me. it's been asleep for a while. god. got to be a part of 2 bands, did band rehearsals each week, did vocal arrangements, rocked out on stage, i sweated under the vibrant stagelights they got into my eyes and i could only wink while still feeling electric. love my talented bandmates they're all so cool. love you natra and paramarami! currently writing an original song with a bandmate. my singing got 10x better idk it's like it just went full on steroids it's crazy, i never thought i'd sound this good in this lifetime. i love performing. no more stage fright. i was just aflame. more gigs next year! OK!

🍒 general

kickass year. 10/10 actually. i lived all the lives i've always wanted to. holy shit. thank you. thank you. thank you.

i'll update w any additional details in 2024 if something comes up :) haha. so clutch, i'm writing this on dec 31 at 4:12am. i really wanted to get this done. AAAA!

#Spotify

[sshbpodcast]

We’re ready for our closeups, Mr. Vulcan

By Ames

[Tiny little Vulcan Jake with Ethan Phillips!]

If we haven’t made it abundantly clear over on the A Star to Steer Her By podcast, your four hosts also dabble upon, before, or behind the theatrical stage. Acting, directing, playwriting, designing one hell of a programmable clock. That sort of thing. And since we are constantly impressed by all the Star Trek characters and their actors, we’ve all got our own wish lists for what would be the most fun to play should a casting agent come calling. They won’t, but go with us here for the sake of argument.

Let’s pretend for a hot second that hours and hours of sitting in the makeup chair (or worse, getting a plaster cast of your whole head!) isn’t excruciating while we make these decisions. What roles would have you signing a contract before you even read the script? Read on below and/or listen to this week’s coverage (discussion starts at 1:29:51) to find out who we have our eyes on…

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Ames: Borg

Let me start things off since I also have the weakest performance chops of the bunch, so my ideal role would be more for the sheer experience of the whole thing than pretending I can believably act even for this made-up scenario. That’s why I’d go all in and want to play one of the most emblematic species on the show with a makeup application that does a bulk of the work for me: The Borg. Drone, Queen, corpse in a pile of machine parts, whichever. That’s my kink right there. I’d gleefully suffer through metallic contact lenses to say “Resistance is futile” any day.

Chris: Romulan

Chris might have the longest acting resume of the four of us and can play subtle nuance as well as he can play your standard zany caricature (you’ve all listened to him in my radio play, Fine-Tuned Universe, right?). Luckily, his choice to play a Romulan capitalizes on both! We’ve talked about them back in our favorite Romulans blogpost because there’s a lot to love about this race of schemers, and also a lot to get excited about the idea of playing one. I’ll have you know, Chris could play a conniving villain who gets easily foiled with the best of them. There’s also waaay less makeup to suffer through, if that’s a deciding factor.

Jake: Q

Jake has a bit of a flair for the dramatic, so big, boisterous characters are going to be the most appealing to him. And who is more over the top absolutely all of the time than a Q? There’s no downside in playing one of our omnipotent friends from the continuum: They are very obviously having nonstop fun, they get to wear extravagant costumes like all the ones we listed on our Q appreciation post, and they get to hang out with Picard whenever they want! This race of overactors is just perfect for Jake and looks like they’d be a delight to play on set.

Caitlin: Gorn

Caitlin’s got more range than she lets on, but who could possibly see any fault with wanting to play one of the most instantly recognizable and memorable races we saw in The Original Series? That’s a really great case for playing a Gorn. But wait, there’s more! If dealing with literally any makeup has you turning up your nose, this race doesn’t even have to deal with that: just a costume and sweaty rubber mask. And you might even not have to provide the voice in the end, as we learned that Ted Cassidy, who played Ruk (one of my favorite androids and TOS races) and voiced Balok’s puppet, was the infamous lawn-mower growl of the original Gorn!

—

Sadly, the casting director isn’t on the phone offering us the chance of a lifetime, or even backstage tickets, anytime soon. But a Trekkie can dream. Keep following all our hot takes and takes of other temperatures as you consider for yourself who you’d want to play in a new episode of Star Trek. 

You should also follow along with our walkthrough of Voyager, especially if you’re like me and want to see more Borg Queen action, on SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts. Hang out in the greenroom with us on Facebook and Twitter, and five minutes to places, everyone!

#star trek #star trek podcast #podcast #alien races #costumes #makeup #acting #the original series #the next generation #deep space nine #voyager #borg #borg queen #romulans #q continuum #gorn

[johnbbutmakeitace]

five reasons why pope heyward is screwed, a series part (4/5)

part three is here

Reason Number Two; Thunder

Pope has never been afraid of thunder. 

Growing up in the outer banks meant growing up with tropical storms. Didn’t matter if you were on the cut or the figure eight, a pogue or a kook. Everyone had to deal with the weather. It was just a part of the life. 

Sometimes the sun would shine, the birds would fly, and the ocean would sparkle like a true paradise on earth. Other times, the clouds were black as pitch, and the waves crashed on the shore like they were trying to grab the outer banks and swallow it whole.

Pope’s never been afraid of storms. Weather is explainable-- something he can see and research and understand. He always thought that storms were kinda beautiful. 

So it does make him sad, a little, when the low rumble of thunder, even from all the way across the ocean, is enough to make John B flinch. 

They’re all sitting outside the chateau, JJ and Kie in the hammock and Pope and John B in the lounge chairs beside them. It’s late into the evening, the barest slivers of the purple pink blue sunset just enough illuminate the sharp, thin black line of storm clouds along the horizon. 

The storm is miles off, but sound carries far across still waters, and the low rumble washes over their little group like a wave. 

Pope watches John B, who had been half asleep and fading fast, jump awake in his chair-- eyes flying open as he looks around wildly for a moment, sucking in a sharp, panicked breath. 

JJ and Kie -- who had been in some kind of ridiculous debate about the idea of a biodegradable beer can -- both turn towards the sudden movement, expressions turning to ones of concern. 

When he realizes there’s no danger, John B lets out a stunted breath before settling back down, and Pope’s heart twinges in sympathy. 

“You okay?” He asks, quiet enough not to startle, and in the low light Pope sees John B’s shoulders slump as he sighs. 

“Yeah,” John B clears his throat, nodding. “Yeah I’m good.” 

“You sure?” Kiara asks gently, and John B gives her a halfhearted smile. 

“More or less,” he admits, and Pope and Kie exchange a look.

“I brought my uke,” she offers, “we can go inside and mess with the guitar, if you want.” 

She uses that voice that’s hard to say no to. John B contemplates it for a moment, biting his cheek as another low rumble sounds in the distance, before nodding and rising to his feet. “Sure.” 

“Have fun,” Pope smiles as Kie climbs out of the hammock, and John B gives him a small smile when Pope waves goodbye. 

“Remember to be safe kids,” JJ chimes in and Pope and John B snicker at the “ow, hey!” he lets out when Kie pinches his arm. 

“Don’t fall asleep out here. That storm will be here in the morning,” Kie calls over her shoulder as she follows after John B into the chateau. “And don’t leave the beer outside all night!” 

Both JJ and Pope give her a salute and a “yes ma’am,” that she rolls her eyes at, but her smile is fond. 

Soon enough the screen door of the chateau is clacking shut, and then it’s just Pope and JJ in the fading colors of the sunset with the silver lining of a storm. 

“I don’t know about you,” Pope says, and pushes to his feet and moves to pop open the cooler, “But I could use another beer.” 

“Hell yeah, dude,” JJ grins, shuffling to one side of the hammock to make room, “Grab me one too.” 

Pope obliges, snatching up two beers and closing the cooler with his foot before hopping onto the hammock. It rocks perilously for a moment -- JJ laughs while Pope tries to balance with the beers, muttering “shit, sorry,” -- before coming to rest at an even equilibrium once more. 

Pope tries not to let his gaze linger on the bruises littering JJ’s face. When he’d shown up that morning, they had been fresh, the blood still drying on his lip. 

His mom had always taught him that hate only breeds hate, and that you should never hate anyone that didn’t truly deserve it, but-- well. 

Pope really, really fucking hates JJ’s dad. 

In the sunset, the bruises across JJ’s face turn a deep, dark purple. Not his eyes, though. 

In the sunset, his eyes are as blue as paradise. 

“You ever been scared of thunder, Pope?” JJ asks as Pope passes him one of the beers. 

He’s got Pope’s sweatshirt on today. He has to roll the sleeves up a little, usually, and when they slide down to pool around his wrists when he reaches for the beer, something warm spreads through Pope’s chest at the sight.

“Not really,” he says, leaning back on the hammock while JJ pops the cap off his beer, shifting to get comfortable. Their legs end up a little tangled together, but JJ doesn’t seem to mind, so neither does Pope. “What about you?” 

“Nah,” JJ says, and takes a heavy swig. It must hurt to drink from the bottle with that split lip of his, but he doesn’t complain. 

“When I was little,” Pope says, idly watching the condensate form on his beer bottle, “my mom would always take me outside to dance whenever it rained.” 

“Really?” JJ asks, looking up at him, and Pope nods. 

He thinks about those cloudy, windy days, when the sky would let its fury fly and fall. 

His mother would lead Pope outside, her hand gentle and warm in his own. The concrete of the sidewalk was still warm from under their bare feet, and they’d spin and clap and dance to the melody of wind and thunder and rain. 

“It was a long time ago, but I always remember the rain was never cold,” he says, and smiles while he thinks about it. “We’d have competitions to see who had the best dance moves. I was terrible, but it would make mom laugh, so I did it anyway.” 

“Dad would always watch from the kitchen window,” he tells JJ, smiling fondly at the memory, “And when we were done, he’d come out with two towels that he put in the dryer for us. And we’d eat dinner out on the porch and watch the rest of the storm.” 

Pope remembers being settled snugly between his parents, his head on his mother’s shoulder and his father’s arm around them both. He doesn’t think he’d feel safer, than right there, in his parents’ arms. 

It was so much easier back then-- when the only thing Pope ever looked forward to was dancing in the rain. Back when school and scholarships didn’t matter so much. So much simpler, too.

So, no-- Pope had never been afraid of thunder. In a way, it always reminded him of safety. Of home. Of love. 

Maybe that’s why Pope’s always been drawn to the storm in JJ’s eyes. 

When he looks, JJ’s smiling as he looks at the sunset, like maybe he got lost in Pope’s memories right along with him. 

They fall into a comfortable silence as they watch the sunset fade while the storm inches closer, and it’s so simple, so easy, and everything about it just feels right.

And Pope realizes, right then and there, that it’s not just this moment. Every moment with JJ feels this way. 

And that’s just how love is, Pope supposes. 

Sometimes love is like fireworks, erupting fast and beautiful and over so quick you’ll miss it if you blink, but the smoke still lingers-- distant but bright and loud and wonderful in memory. Other times love is slow and sinking, and one day you wake up and suddenly you’re submerged in it’s warmth and beauty and you never want to let go.

And sometimes -- Pope realizes, with a startling amount of clarity and peace -- sometimes love is none of that. Sometimes there are no fireworks, no sinking feeling of content oblivion. 

It’s just there, and it’s simple, and it’s easy, and it just feels right. 

Loving JJ just feels right. And it always will. 

And, yeah. Pope thinks he’s pretty okay with that. 

The sunset does fade, eventually. The hour finally catching up with the two of them. Every time Pope blinks, he feels his eyes get heavier and heavier, and the idea of sleep becomes more and more appealing. 

The sky becomes dull and dark, the approaching thunderstorm slowly inching closer and closer. And with those clouds comes a fresh, cool wind that sends slight shivers across Pope’s skin. 

“You cold?” JJ asks, warm hand coming to rest on Pope’s shin, and Pope feels himself wake up a bit. When he looks, JJ is watching him with tired, content eyes. 

“A little,” he admits, shifting to seek the heat JJ’s radiating like a goddamn furnace, or something.

“You want your sweatshirt back?” JJ asks, and that feeling of simple, easy, right inside of Pope gives a little tug.

“Nah,” he says, and bumps their knees together, “I told you you could keep it. I don’t mind.” 

JJ opens his mouth like he’s gonna say something to that, but Pope gives him a look before he gets the chance. JJ’s ears go red, but he smiles, fingers curling into the navy blue sleeves a little. 

“We should head in anyways,” Pope says, “Don’t want Kie putting our heads on spears for leaving the beer out all night.” 

JJ hums, then lets out a big yawn, and Pope smiles. 

“You’re tired,” he says, and JJ lets out another sleepy hum. Pope jostles him gently as he starts to get out of the hammock, “C’mon.”

“Mmkay,” JJ mumbles, and follows after him. 

That’s how Pope ends up putting the rest of the beer away while JJ flops onto the pullout couch without actually helping, but Pope doesn’t mind so much. 

By the time he’s done putting away the beer, JJ has already managed to kick off his shoes, worm under the thin blankets and basically take up half of the pullout. His hair is already a mess, blond locks flopping this way and that, but his face is peaceful -- despite the bruises and cuts and everything -- and Pope finds himself melting at the sight, a little.

God, he smiles to himself. He really is screwed. 

Pope finds that he doesn’t mind that so much, either. 

Pope makes his way over to JJ’s side. The pullout creaks as he sits down, and he looks over at JJ’s form as he takes off his shoes. 

“JJ.” Pope whispers, reaching out and gently nudging his friend’s shoulder. 

“Hm?” 

“You awake?” 

“No,” JJ answers, and Pope huffs out a quiet laugh.

“You gonna move over?” 

“Don’t wanna.” 

“C’mon, dude. I’m tired too. Scooch.” 

“Nooo.”

“You want me to sleep somewhere else?” 

There’s a pause, and then, “No.” 

JJ starts shuffling over to make room under the blankets, and Pope feels a familiar warmth bloom inside his chest. 

“C’mere,” JJ says, and Pope goes. 

It takes a bit of shuffling and repositioning, but eventually the two of them are laying side by side facing each other under the covers. And here, lying beside JJ with a breadth between them, that warm, welcome feeling of simple, easy, right gives another tug in his chest, and Pope decides, then and there, that he wants to hold onto this feeling and never let go. 

“Hey,” Pope whispers. Gently, he reaches out and intertwines his fingers with JJ’s, gives them a squeeze. When JJ opens his eyes to look at him, Pope asks, “Next time it rains, you wanna go dancing with me?” 

JJ looks between their hands and Pope’s face, blinking, like maybe he’s not sure if he heard Pope correctly. His smile comes slow. “Seriously?” 

“Yeah dude,” Pope smiles, too, “I wanna see all those great dance moves of yours.” 

Even in the low light, Pope can see the way JJ’s ears turn pink. 

“Hate to break it to you, but,” JJ all but whispers, “I’m not the best dancer out there, Pope.” 

“That’s okay,” Pope whispers back. “I can teach you.” 

JJ stares at him, and it’s a look that Pope is starting to recognize. 

“Really?” 

“Really,” Pope assures him, giving the fingers laced with his a gentle squeeze. 

“Okay,” JJ says, then huffs quietly, like he can’t believe what he’s saying, “Yeah. I’ll take you up on that.” 

“Good,” Pope says, and when JJ smiles, it’s warm and content and looks a whole awful lot like hope. Hope, and maybe -- just maybe -- a little bit of love, too. 

When the two of them finally drift off, their hands stay laced together all through the night and into the beginnings of morning.

part five is here!

#outer banks #outer banks fic #pope heyward #pope outer banks #jj maybank #jj outer banks #john b routledge #john b outer banks #kiara outer banks #kie outer banks #kiara carrera #mayward #jjpope #but like #waaay less subtle #five reasons why pope heyward is screwed #the sweatshirt series #feedback is also appreciated <3 #NEW CONTENT BABEY #I MISSED MY BOYSSS #my fic

[sandiegokpop]

I think I see what happened. Jay been hanging w/DJ Wegun's baby a lot & caught that baby fever. He probably ready to settle down & that's where all that retirement talk came from. Or he's just overwhelmed as hell, but there was a drastic change in attitude about retirment from the previous yr. He was still about grindin & showing the world what he could do. Maybe he's just feeling really underappreciated & undervalued. Like wth is Roc Nation doing for him since signing him?? He's still hustlin on his own & making his own connections.

#jay park #that really came out of the blue tho like less than a yr after him saying he'd never retire #or he'd retire waaay in the future #i was genuinely worried like i hoped it wasn't because he was sick #since i started noticing subtle changes in his appearance #& what was this 'shit' that was supposed to hit the fan? #maybe that would've forced his early retirement

[takes1]

dabi becoming obsessed with inexperienced!reader p.3

this has been my fav part to write so far. definitely some steamy pay-off in the next one! featuring my fav headcanon: dabi's intense, repeated, physical and emotional trauma of his quirk/his whole life makes him waaay more prone to substance abuse/chasing highs

(GREAT POST GO SEE: dabi's condition and chance of survival by possessedfuzzybear-- i'm scared to tag im not sure ab etiquette?)

warnings. lite!nsfw, stated substance abuse/addiction, dabi has a grandpa cough

details. fem!reader / lov recruit!reader / inexperienced!reader / corruption!kink dabi / healingquirk!reader / shigaraki cameo / vibrators / dabi vapes / cuddling / yandere!dabi? / 2.9k words

🤍 scenario series. dabi p. 1 + 2 and full list here.

more links. my ao3 / dabi headcanons / requests open!!

For the fifth time that night, Dabi caught the tail-end of your not-so-subtle attempts to check him out. Your eyes darted back to the television screen and you adjusted the pillow in your arms while his gaze lingered for a good seven seconds.

He was growing impatient.

The dancing around the topic, the restraint he put himself through to be 'respectful,' the staring that never amounted to anything on both sides of this horrible display of mushy feelings, was all a tired old tango that needed to end soon, for his sanity's sake.

He thought the birthday present would work. You'd take it as what it was intended to be, an offer, and invite him into your room, or maybe you'd go to his for the night so he could put this neverending hard-on to good use and be done with his dumb crush.

Unable to think of a better way to tell you 'let's cuddle,' he kicked his leg up onto your lap and scoffed when you wasted no time to push it off. You were too damn nervous for your own good, sabotaging yourself by evading his hints.

The present was passed to you in a little black bag after you came home from a few drinks with your work friends. It turned out to be a luxury vibrator with a note that read: 'Keep thinking of me, Little Mouse.'

Of course, it was radio silence for the next few days. When you saw him around, he only received a small 'hi,' as you sought to get as far away from him as possible. Did he scare you off? Apparently not. You didn't leave when he chose to join you on the couch to watch a movie he didn't care about.

He thought about kicking you instead, for the harsh shove, but knew that wouldn't get him anywhere constructive.

Another long drag from the device hidden in his hand sent out a big puff of translucent white into the air. You watched it, curious, and he caught you again. Neither of you paid attention to the screen.

"Want a hit?"

An immediate, uneven, "No."

You cleared your throat and weren't sure if you should look at him or not, "No, I'm okay."

He hummed. Didn't smoke, didn't fuck, and only drank on special occasions. Those three activities were his favorite things to do-- did you do anything fun?

Another sigh up to the ceiling at the slow, revolving fan. It spun the vapor around in circles, circles, circles until it disappeared. That would be him soon if he didn't make a move already.

"What-what are you doing?" You spat.

Your hands hovered away from him as he crossed the cushion between you, turned to lay on his back, and rested his head onto your soft thighs. He wrenched the pillow from your tight grip and tossed it onto the floor, for good measure.

Dabi didn't bother fixing his shirt that rode up in the process, or adjusting the obvious tent in his pants, now that his back was flat on the couch. He bent his knee because it was more comfortable. It made the print a little less clear.

A cloud blown in your face made you turn away from him.

"Getting comfortable, sweetheart."

It smelled much sweeter than you anticipated. Strawberry.

When you looked down at him, wiping the icky feeling off of your pouted face, he shot you a shitty smirk in return. He was completely insufferable.

You rolled your eyes at his dragon breath. It was nice of him to (sort of) quit smoking cigarettes and switch to this instead for the sake of your apartment's walls, but it seemed like even more of a crutch for his substance abuse issues. He almost never had two empty hands nor two clear lungs. And even still, he went on the balcony to escape the rest of the house for a pack of Camel Blue sometimes.

At least he wasn't popping pills, or drunk.

Unbeknownst to you, the pleasure-seeking junkie in your lap preferred the taste of women over nicotine-- living at your place had inspired him to quit that habit cold-turkey. He leaned on other fixes for the past two months while he worked up the finesse to get you in his bed.

"Oh, smoking's a crime now, huh?" He stretched his free arm to bring down your still-hovering arms, "Or do ya just not like strawberry?"

His forearm was heavy, weighing on your tense hand to reassure you that not every touch was inappropriate.

Dabi's chest was firm with a little give-- lean, bordering on kinda skinny, but his confidence made it work. The top he wore was soft cotton, like most, if not all, of his clothes, easy and light on his temperamental skin.

"No, I don't- care," Your tummy was doing flips at the light circles his thumb worked into your wrist.

You added, mouth a little dry, "I like strawberry fine."

One hand still left with nothing to do, you struggled to find somewhere to rest it, and before you could sandwich it between the couch and the armrest, it was guided to the top of his head.

His hair was dry, damaged, and fine. The feeling shocked you so much that, without a second thought, you activated your Quirk to heal up from the roots of his hair.

Dabi jolted up but settled back down when you gave a soft laugh at him. The cool, trickling sensation did that to most people, but it was cuter with him.

A 'shut up,' was on the tip of his tongue, but you broke the tension first with, "You dye your hair?"

Smoke billowed from his lips in a quiet mutter, "Don't wanna talk about it."

Though he shut down your attempt at conversation, he didn't plan on staying quiet. He moved on very quickly from the dodgy subject and leaned into your light touch.

"How is that?" He asked with closed eyes.

"...How is what?"

A grin showed his straight, white teeth, "Ya know, havin' a Quirk that actually works right."

It was practically impossible to not look over his extensive scars after that self-deprecating jab. The hand on his chest was resting over one of his stitch lines. You knew it didn't hurt him. But you still put extra care in taking more weight off of that spot.

"It's okay," Your skin prickled up when he caught you staring again, "Got me a nice job."

He raised his brows briefly and shut his eyes again.

"Guess so. I can't stand hospitals."

Dabi was such a secretive guy, you didn't want to ask or pry into why that might be. Most people that didn't like hospitals had shit memories there. Even if it was just a spooky-place-thing, it wasn't worth bringing up something that might upset him.

"Yeah, half the time I can't wait to leave," You splayed your fingers flat against his scalp and scratched, feather-light.

Long shifts and terrible patients defined most of your days, but it paid well. With a Healing Quirk, there was almost no other direction you could go in because if you worked in anything other than healthcare, your 'gift' was would be a 'complete waste.' You sympathized with most villains; your Quirk defined your path, too.

"What can you heal?"

He took your hand from his chest, and for a moment, you wondered if he'd try to make you heal some of his scars, but he started playing with your fingers instead.

"Open wounds, pretty much everything inside the body. But--,"

Dabi adjusted your hand to make three fingers upright, took a drag, and placed them in the center of his mouth. Before you could pull your hand away, he created a shower of tiny vapor rings that shot in two separate directions.

It made you laugh, even through the small kiss he gave to your fingertips. You rationalized it as anything but.

"Um," You chuckled as he laced his long fingers back through yours and put them on his chest once more, "I can't heal scar tissue."

He nodded, knuckle running over his jaw, contemplating something.

"If I came back burned up," Another smirk and a bounce of an eyebrow, "You'd fix me?"

His tone was suggestive, his eyes low and flirtatious, as if he wasn't threatening to go get fucked up on purpose just so you'd heal him.

A raspy voice and the sound of bare footsteps stiffened you up straight. It erased all of the progress Dabi had been working up to-- you didn't hear the small 'Jesus Christ' under his breath.

"(Y/n). How do you fix the thermostat."

Shigaraki pressed into the back of the couch and made a face at the unexpected sight of Dabi, hard as a brick, in your lap. You retracted the hand from his hair and the one on his chest instantly.

Dabi sneered up at him and the lack of physical touch, "Hey dickweed, we're kinda in the middle of something here--,"

"Nooo, we're not!"

"--so get lost."

Most of the time, Shigaraki was so easily provoked that 'dickweed' would've earned a threat on his life, but he felt uncomfortable talking to a man that was so bricked-up, and your nervous face was enough to make him forgive it.

"Um, there's a little panel that you slide up, and you just hold down any button for three seconds to access the settings, sir."

Dabi scoffed obnoxiously loud and dragged your hand back into his hair, mouthing, 'Sir.' As adorable as you were nervous, he didn't enjoy it as much when it wasn't because of him.

Shigaraki liked you the best out of anyone in this Godforsaken place. He liked your respect, more specifically. It was a refreshing change from the childlike behavior of Toga and Twice, to whatever shit name Dabi felt like calling him that day.

One more glance between the hand being forced onto Dabi's head and your anxious face.

"Thanks."

You craned your neck to watch him disappear down the hall before pulling on Dabi's roots to get him to let go. It didn't work but did earn you a crooked grin and a chuckle.

A dramatic gasp, "Does little ol' Shigs scare you?"

Your head hit the back of the couch with a sigh.

"That's cute."

Heat rushed up to your neck and face. His grip was so rough and unnecessary against your wrist like he was sure you'd move it away again, even though you had no intentions of it anymore.

"What are ya so worried about? He recruited you for a reason. Fuck, you've got the best job security here with that Quirk of yours."

Sure, he was positive of that, but you didn't have much to do other than paying bills right now. The deal you signed was to fix them up whenever they came back beaten or bloody, but the only time you got to do that was when Twice cut the tip of his finger chopping up carrots their first week.

They had been laying low, leaving you pretty much useless and itching for some way to prove your worth.

"It's called professionalism," You tried to keep a firm face at him, but his hard stare was intense, "I don't want to start off on a bad note--."

You winced at his grip growing stronger on your joint as he sat up and, very quickly, you regretted getting tough with him. His body was much larger, not so skinny anymore, this close to you. You couldn't move without a struggle either, with his legs draped over your lap.

His brows raised, then dropped, "Professionalism? He was wearin' a damn snuggie!"

Dabi paused when you didn't smirk or laugh at his joke. Your brow was tight, the muscle in your jaw working, and you looked away from him. He felt the rapid beat of your heart in his hand and let it slip from his fingers.

Raised voices and rough handling usually worked for the women he went for. He was at a loss when the subject of his attraction required softness, patience, and understanding.

He took a big sigh and leaned back against the side of the couch. When you understood he wasn't going to lash out or yell again, you eased up but didn't relax entirely.

That word rang in his head, bouncing between his ears. He heard that term somewhere recently.

"Wait-- did Toga put that shit in your head?" He rolled his eyes and forgot his manners again, "You know she only told you that because she doesn't want us to fuck, right?"

The soul might as well have left your body. If half of his body weight wasn't weighing down your lap, you would've added some distance between you. Instead, you opted for crossed arms.

There was no response you could give that would do you any good.

"Silent treatment, huh?" He leaned on one elbow and sucked his teeth when you shivered away from the hand on your shoulder, "That's what I get for shootin' my shot."

You looked back with a tight face to see him slump back, lazy and almost disinterested while he took a long drag from his pen.

"I'd really appreciate it if you stopped making fun of me," You spoke, quiet, but even.

Dabi coughed out his exhale, a very strained and ugly sound. His eyes teared up a little in the process.

"Jesus-- fuc-k, I'm not! I'm," He cleared his throat, waving away the cloud, "--I'm not kidding around, sweetheart."

He sniffled, trying to catch his breath, while you came around to the realization that every advance was not some elaborate prank, but an actual, tangible offer that you did nothing but ignore.

A small, "Oh, God," Escaped your trembling bottom lip while he almost hacked out a surely blackened lung.

"You thought-- mm," He swallowed, gasping, "You thought I'd drop two-fifty on a joke vibrator?"

"You spent two-hundred-and-fifty dollars on that thing?!" You rubbed your heated face as he grinned at you, "I can't even get it to-- wait, wait wait, what about the note? How was that not a joke?"

From the sound of it, it was as if you wanted him to be kidding. He rolled his eyes and contemplated taking another hit, but decided against it after that coughing fit.

He pinched your warm ear and tugged until you moved his hand away. From there, he held your fingers hostage between his and explained, "I thought there were little critters in the walls. Turns out you were just gettin' off to me. I thought I'd be a good friend and help you out."

Humiliated, you were now the one that couldn't seem to catch their breath. You knew you were being too loud that night, but got caught up in the moment and did it anyway. Maybe, subconsciously, you wanted his attention.

"And... ya know, I can help in more direct ways, too," Dabi led your hand to cross over his shoulder.

Those big, nervous eyes were back as he pulled you over him. He only got about five to seven seconds of hovering before you retracted and let out a shaky exhale.

Frustrated, hurt, and wildly uncomfortable from this record-breaking erection, Dabi found it more than difficult to take your feelings into account.

"That's alright--," He groaned as he sat up and swung his legs off of you, only to wrap a hand around your waist and press you onto your back, "You just don't like being on top."

It happened too fast. Not quick, by any standards, but he was too smooth, too aware of how to orient you and himself that it caught you off-guard.

Belly exploding with a swarm of angry butterflies and a knot in your throat that you couldn't choke down, you pushed on his chest to try to maintain a Jesus-length distance.

They were moved out of the way, above your head, with a pressure that wasn't painful, but still unmovable.

He didn't put his hips on you, but something touched your thigh and you choked out an embarrassing, frightened noise.

Your breath was short, fast, and you jutted your head to the side, eyes scrunched closed.

One warm, soft kiss to your cheek, followed by a hesitant, but just as gentle peck to the side of your lips, made you squeal through gritted teeth.

Dabi brought you out of your borderline nervous breakdown with a quiet whisper, "Was that so bad?"

You took a peek out of one eye and found his gaze to be loving, but still playful. His pupils were so big, like he was out-of-this-world high, and he didn't have an ounce of stress in his face.

The proximity was still killing you, but it was easier to talk to him when he didn't seem as threatening.

"Mm-mm," You shook your head lightly.

He pressed another one into your forehead. A tingly feeling spread across your face as he whispered against your skin, "So whaddya say?"

It felt like you two were the only living people left on the planet. Lost in his secretly kind eyes, you forgot how to speak and he took it as hesitation.

"I can teach ya all kinds of stuff," Another peck to your temple this time, "We can do whatever you want, baby."

At this point, you couldn't bring yourself to care if he was fibbing or not. If he flipped at the drop of a hat and turned out to be some monster that only wanted to ruin your 'purity,' so be it. At least he was a sexy monster.

"'Kay," You sighed with a hypnotized nod, "I'm okay with that."

taglist:

@ptv-hades @croomdoom @orenjineki @dxrkdreamer @mirayasimpinghard @whore-for-anime-men @moonlightmiya @tojicvmslut

#dabi x reader #dabi todoroki #mha dabi #dabi x y/n #my villain academia #dabi scenarios #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #dabi smut #touya todoroki #todoroki touya #touya todoroki x reader #touya todoroki x you #bnha touya #dabi my hero academia #todoroki toya x reader #mha x reader #bnha x reader #yandere dabi #takesone

[blooming-cecilia]

a thought on the traveller as a vessel for the creator in sagau

aka rambles and general thoughts on the bond between the player and their chosen vessel + some other things bc i got carried away whoops🧎

so the traveller has a canon name (aether/lumine) but u never rlly see/hear it said anywhere and is instead replaced with whatever the player inputs for their name for players to self-insert onto right

and the only time the canon name was really said was when the abyss! twin and the traveller meet in we will be reunited

so i like to think that. perhaps only the player and the abyss twin gets the privilege of knowing their real name. they use whatever name you give them at the start because they are your vessel and this must be what you want

that and as your vessel, the one who has been with u and have felt your guidance for the longest out of everyone, they are naturally in sync with u and understand u + your intentions

basically: they have a lot of trust in u. because your guidance has not led them astray befor and you have brought them to where they are now. the least that they could do is to give you their name, let themselves be an open book to you; you and their sibling know them more intimately than anyone in teyvat has the privilege to

(you can also hear their own thoughts, and while the traveller isn't as aware of it, it would not be so surprising when they find out that u are able to. they expected nothing less from their guide.)

on that note: what does the traveller know about their guide? not a lot of personal details i'm afraid. there's limits on what personal things we can directly say bc we are supposed to be acting as the traveller, but the traveller is observant and takes notice on the little things you do and the way you guide them so they do pick up some personslity traits and gets a gist of what kind of guide you are

aka they pick up on your playstyle!

are you a good strategist? able to utilize your team and their strengths well? do you like fighting in general, and are you fond of challenging the abyss?

or perhaps you like to focus more on their (your) relationship with the other characters? the story of each nation you travel to?

are you perhaps the more curious type: fond of exploring the vast world you've stumbled into? never letting a stone go unturned, each ruin thoroughly investigated thrice over?

maybe you like to hoard and stock up materials: always picking up various items, making sure to always have a full inventory?

or maybe you like to spend time decorating in your teapot, making the prettiest builds and making the place an even more welcome home after a long day of adventure?

whatever your playstyle is, it's fun for the ever curious traveller to learn more about you in these ways!

i like to think when your presence fades and can't be felt as strongly (or: when you log out), the traveller and paimon like to discuss and talk about what you did for the day, like you're a puzzle they want to solve and they've picked up new pieces of you along the way today

when you have more characters in your roster, i also think they join in on these little chats traveller and paimon have, but the two of them definitely know you waaay better than everyone else! (paimon does not hesitate to gloat and say it out loud often. the traveller feels the same way, but they're a bit more subtle/modest with it, with a smug grin and a line about it every now and then.)

#sagau #ive been rlly into fics that implement more game mechanics lately #it's really fun to see how everyone makes a mechanic make sense in their sagau fics #i think i just really like media that plays with characters being self aware in some way shape or form #also i definitely was not thinking about off when i was typing down those hcs #definitely not #edit: help im rereading the whole post again bc it literally is just a thought dump and #i just started w the name explanation but as per usual i spiralled outta control and just threw every thought i had in here #embarassing #im so glad this is just a sideblog nobody can see my shame

[astaroth1357]

Ok but like, what if MC's fandom starts to make ships with MC and the guys. Just think about the ship wars, the fancams, the fanarts, the absolute CHAOS when the brothers find out. It would be even worse if they start shipping MC with the undatables, one day everything is normal and the next day there are ship wars fighting over MC x Barbatos vs MC x Solomon (who are both very smug about it)

The MC's Fanclub are… Shippers?!

Perhaps… The italics blurb has been fulfilling its greater purpose all along…? Perhaps in its state of existential angst, it has in fact developed a plot of its own… An arc of introspection and self-discovery in which its own longing for purpose has forged a meaningful identity… It now has… a story…

Lucifer

As if they couldn't get any MORE frustrating…

He's not an otaku. He's not a part of ship culture. He's not even sure why anyone would care about who dates who around this school, but apparently it's a big deal to some people...

He only became aware of their interest in him and the MC's relationship through some very… subtle clues…

Like the groups that would follow them around in the hallways with their phones out.

Or the multitude of fan rumors about their relationship that Satan spams him with from time to time just to irritate him.

"MC refused hug from Luci in halls today!! Are they bout breakup??? 🥺"

"Tots got pic of kiss today!! Relationship upgrade??"

"IS ARE MC+LUCIFER SECET LVRS?!? PLEASE RESPOND"

It only got worse after he found out the MC gets shipped out a loooooot….

If he had to pick his least favorite ship, it'd be MC x Mammon. He can kind of see it with any of his other brothers (admittedly, Levi is also a little mystifying) but the idea of them ending up with Mammon makes his skin crawl...

He once found a drawing of the MC and Mammon in an… explicit position in one of the classrooms and he was so disgusted that he wouldn’t even touch it. He just set fire to the paper outright. Disgusting...

Mammon

Shipping, eh…? More money making opportunities!

Has some passing idea of what shipping is from Levi and, from what he knows of it, shippers eat cutesy couples stuff right up!! If all he's got to do to make bank is to look all couple-y around the MC then sounds like a win-win to him!

He'll happily pose for a photo or two (paid in advance) of him throwing his arm around the MC or something. Want him to hold their hand? Sure thing!

But since this is still Mammon we're talking about, the second MC actually starts getting into any of it he'll still turn into a blushy, stuttery mess...

For WEEKS the headline picture on so many of their fans' blogs was an image of him turning beet red while the MC kissed him on the cheek. (A fan really got their money's worth there... 😏)

Though he doesn’t exactly like the MC getting shipped with other people, he'll still totally sell pictures of any of them together. He almost paid off an entire credit card with the money he got from the t-shirt sales of the MC and Satan!

If he had to point to one ship he doesn't like it's either MC x Asmo or MC x Levi. His opinion, but Asmo won't treat them right and they could do waaay better than a shut-in. Like him. Ship the MC with just the Great Mammon, got it?

Leviathan

… Lowkey super active in the MC shipping community but is a self-shipper to the extreme.

Like, he never uses his real name on anything (and would probably die from embarrassment if anyone ever found out) but a lot of their fans probably know a couple of his aliases.

He does everything from mod forums, runs a couple blogs, even anonymously posts his own work of him and MC that are totally not his secret fantasy dates or AU versions of themselves, shaddup.

It’s a lot easier for him to keep his involvement secret because he’s hardly at RAD, but the few times he does show up he tries to keep an eye out for anybody prowling for pictures so he can get in a good pose and save the image later.

Mind you, his version of a “good pose” rarely gets more spicy than linking pinkies, but even then he’s still lit up a Christmas Tree throughout.

Naturally, he’s also not a big fan of any ships that aren’t just him and MC and he can find a reason to be jealous at almost anything. But he keeps a special corner of hate for MC x Mammon and MC x Diavolo. Like, the first one doesn’t even need an explanation but MC x Diavolo?? Really??? Do those two even talk?? (please, please, please make sure they never actually talk because a guy like him versus literal royalty? He’d lose MC for sure….!! 😫)

Satan

He hates to actually agree with Lucifer on something, but their fans are starting to get out of hand...

Knows what shipping is in concept, he may have done it once or twice to characters in his books, but he was kind of surprised how it could evolve into such a… group activity?

He was pretty quick to pick up that the MC’s fans had a bit more interest in them together than they did when they both were apart…

I mean, those hideous shirts that Mammon was pedaling were kind of a dead giveaway…

Considering he finds their fanclub all rather annoying, even without their bizarre interest in his love life, when they started actively meddling with him and the MC he was ready to smash some heads.

No. He will not stop for pictures. No. What things they do together is none of your business. No. He has zero interest in seeing your explicit fanart and if you don’t start running that will be the last question you ever ask.

He DOES, however, appreciate the cringy “annoy Lucifer” ammo. They could keep that up for a lifetime... 😏

He doesn’t have a least favorite ship because he doesn’t care about any of this, leave him alone. (That’s a lie, it’s MC x Lucifer. He pokes fun at Lucifer, but he can’t stand it either. Big shock, I know 🙄).

Asmodeus 

Oh he is shamelessly a part of the community, are you kidding?? 

He could practically call “Shipping the MC” one of his favorite pastimes. He’ll openly gossip with their fanclub about who they’ve been with, who they’re seeing, who’s got a chance, etc… He lives for this shit!

He’s the only person who knows that Levi is also in the community and what his aliases are (not because he told him, but because Levi’s not as subtle as he thinks he is… Who else would call themselves “SupremeRuri666” and speak mostly in outdated chat lingo?) but he doesn’t out him because he thinks his very obvious crush is kind of cute. 

Plus, Levi needs the outlet waaaay more than him…

Doesn’t stop him from constantly trolling him and getting into arguments over who the MC would be better with though (the two are “virtual nemeses” as far as Levi is concerned).

Appreciates all forms of expression that comes out of the community (especially the saucy kind 😏) and will happily feed into his own shippers without a care in the world.

Truthfully, Asmo will say that there isn’t a ship he doesn’t like but if someone mentions one that he thinks is kind of “eh,” he’ll just add himself into the mix. “Oh, you like MC x Barbatos? Well how about Asmo x MC x Barbatos? That sounds loads more interesting doesn’t it??”

Beelzebub 

Oh, Beel… Sweet, sweet Beel… Beel doesn’t even know what their club is doing…

Because Beel has a reputation of being pretty protective of MC - and against the fanclub in general - the club keeps a healthy distance… but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to sneak in some picture or make a SHITLOAD of fanwork about them.

Between classes and practice Beel is a busy guy, so sometimes he just doesn’t notice that there’s people hiding behind trees when he’s out with MC. 

Honestly, his complete ignorance of it all makes it even cuter because when he acts sweet, it’s not just for the camera. That’s the real deal.

Mammon was the one who eventually let it slip that there was even shipping happening and Beel was… kind of creeped out because isn’t this stalking? But also kind of weirdly happy(?) that MC x Beel was so popular… Very conflicted boy here.

He never actually acknowledges the community, though, and just keeps on being Beel (which still gave the fans more than enough material so all’s well that ends well?)

Beel genuinely doesn’t have a least favorite ship (because he believes the best ship is whoever makes the MC happy) but his second favorite under himself is probably MC x Belphie. They look very cute together...  😊

Belphegor 

Ride or die, Beel x MC x Belphie. 

Just kidding (kind of), Belphie isn’t into the shipping but if asked he’d be pretty okay with that one.

His campaign against the MC’s fanclub and their attention stealing ways means that he found out about their shipping thing only slightly ahead of Beel when Mammon was trying to get pictures of them napping together…

Honestly, he couldn’t care less if a bunch of weirdos were weirdly invested in their relationship, but he’s not about to let Mammon just make a quick Grimm off of it. Belphie makes sure that he gives him NOTHING to work with. 

Since Mammon is the main dealer, the shippers in both the MC fanclub and Belphie fanclub aren’t nearly as well fed and pretty desperate for anything... You best believe he plays that to his advantage (because it’s okay if he does. He’s not Mammon).

Really helps that MC x Belphie is legitimately a very cute looking couple, carried by Belphie’s cuteness alone if nothing else. Add an adorable MC and you reach levels so cute it could actually melt people into puddles of goo... They could be a registered weapon.

Least favorite MC ships are any that don’t involve him or Beel. Any others may as well just not exist, he won’t even acknowledge them. MC x Who? Yeah, that’s what he thought.

#i guess this is a series now #wasn't expecting that #obey me #obey me shall we date #shall-we-date-obey-me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me headcanons #obey me scenarios #obey me suggestions