#I may look like someone else and maybe behave similarly

[alyjojo]

New Year Reading for 2024! 🌟 - Sagittarius

Preshuffle: There’s some person coming back around or inviting you to an event, you see them as emotionally immature & childish, you could be kinda judgy where this person is concerned. Maybe that makes you feel bad initially, but this is saying you’re going to be proven right. They may apologize for something, or try to mend fences between you and another person, act like the “caring friend”, but you intuitively see right through this person’s intentions with you, and you know they just want another chance at something romantic with you (or a first chance). They are under the guise of “friend” but you’re aware. 4 Pentacles shows you have zero interest in whoever this is.

Meditation: Your 2024 door had jingle bells 🔔 on it, and inside was a snowy wonderland. You were in a sleigh, with horses, on some shoveled track with snow piled higher than our heads on both sides, wearing full ski winter sports gear, goggles and all, racing these horses really fast and laughing your butt off. Doesn’t tell me much about the year itself, but by this time next year, you’ll be really happy, overjoyed even, feeling like your goofy adventurous self. Maybe even planning a ski trip or something, there were slopes in the background, that was your gear. If you’re someone that combats the winter blues, or lives in/near a snowy area, that could be a suggestion for the early months of the year even (depends where you are in the world). Or if you’ve never experienced snow at all, even better. Go find some. The purpose was a bit of adventure ⛷️ For some, this was a long circular track, the Sag had dug themselves, and they were having a blast. But essentially, they were going in circles, just really fast. I don’t think they looked at it that way, and neither did I initially, till after idk ten times around? It was FUN 🤩

🔸 Whole of Your Energy: Page of Cups rev & 9 Cups

Regarding: 10 Wands

I already see the whole reading being connected, but the individual stories will differ for each of you, which is good that’s what we want. You’re essentially being scolded by Spirit, for being a Negative Nelly. Similar to the meditation, *you* dug this hole. Now you’re gonna what, sit at the bottom with your arms folded and curse having to be in this hole? Spirit says it’s a fabulous hole actually, Wish Granted is even here saying you got the best of all of the options of holes, so what are you complaining about? 😆 I’m sorry, it’s not you it’s how I’m hearing it that I laugh at. 10 Wands is no joke, and I don’t assume you haven’t been through difficult experiences, or it wouldn’t be here. There could be some difficulties on the horizon even. What I’m getting though is that it’s not “the worst”, and how you’re behaving about it could be pretty immature even. You wanted it and got it! Now you’re not happy about that? Or…what? This message will be similarly repeated in what to leave behind, your energy isn’t changing all that much and Spirit is pushing that for you, Wish Granted is connected to both. It’s also being pointed out that in the main energies of every lane here, there are no major arcanas. You can change your situation at any time if you’re not happy with it.

Essentially, you’re being told that everything you’ve wanted up to this point, you’ve gotten. But you treat that as a burden. It probably wasn’t easy. Queen of Cups & Ace of Cups clarifies showing a need to put love into yourself, fill up your cup of what you need to feel happy, love, fulfilled, it’s available to you, for some it’s another person. Spirit’s like “it’s literally right there”. It’s more about a perspective shift than anything else. You’re needing to move from a place of bitterness to one of gratitude & calm, pleasant, all of the time happiness, feeling fulfilled - and then whatever you decide or do next is coming from a more healthy & positive place, acting from a place of self-worth & love. This Page of Cups rev for someone is the same energy I got in the preshuffle - you or someone else. Someone acting really immature & childish to get what they want, because they love you and want to be with you, could be a water sign. Doesn’t have to be romantic, but it definitely could be, there are lots of cups here. A ten is an end to the burden of the past and an Ace is a beginning that makes your heart feel really good, that’s your focus. Wish Granted is connected but they want it on what to leave behind, and focus on Curiosity here, which connects your main energy, relationships, and career, it’s your most effective tool for handling any issues this year. Simply being curious, learning about new things, new interests, seeing what’s out there, looking up jobs online just because, not *not* committing to things but also not settling for a hole, or going in circles. Or maybe they’re even celebrating the hole, in some cases it’s a rabbit hole 🕳️ and you never know what you’ll discover until you check it out - could be a whole (😁) new passion you never knew you even liked. Like skiing ⛷️ You can get stuck sure, we all can, but you don’t have to - that’s you not Spirit.

🔸 Character Card: The Muse 🍷

Dancing in a courtyard with other happy people, the muse is a bit naive and optimistic to all of the possibilities that exist, not seeing the world as it is but as it could be, the limitless potential of possibilities that may exist. Rid yourself of jaded negativity or bitterness and do what makes you happy - which will likely inspire others to do the same thing. Inspiration could come from surprising places, you’re not stuck, you’re enjoying yourself…and if you’re not, change it. This is connected to the negative energy that needs to be left behind. The goal is fulfillment, whatever that is to you.

Main Oracle:

09 - Curiosity

Be spontaneous, wonder, move forward, look ahead, and stretch above your present circumstances.

🔸 Relationship: 2 Pentacles & 10 Cups

Regarding: Page of Swords

I’m seeing that you’re really happy in the relationship you’re in, 10 Cups is everything you’ve ever wanted, it’s more of like…what comes *after*. Snow White marries the Prince, or whoever, happily ever after…okay, and then what? Sit in a hole and wait for death? No! I do see you (both?) being incredibly busy, and making time for each other and the relationship will be a constant struggle. That’s all relationships. Sometimes work is the focus, sometimes kids are, sometimes everyone is sick and feels like crap, but making time for special days with your person needs to be a priority too. Don’t let yourselves (both) become so busy or distracted that you just ignore each other. And then there’s yourself, you have to have time to do things independently of your connection too, enjoying yourself, your hobbies & passions, whatever you want. That also needs to be balanced with couples time, both, they may feel ignored at times (or you do). There’s a note here about needing to sleep, get a better bed or change your sleep pattern, you could be burning the candle at both ends trying to check every box. Illnesses related to stress are possible if you don’t get proper sleep or relax your mind periodically. Meditation could be very helpful, organization too, phone apps related to those things could help. It’s not possible to check every box every single day, and Sag rarely even wants to, pick the important ones and do what you can, we’re all only human here 💙

🔸 Singles: Ace of Wands & 7 Wands

Regarding: The World & Knight of Wands

You singles will likely have your eggs in many different baskets this year, and like it that way. Prefer it even. And that’s fine, do what you do. The issue is going to be with communication and a tendency for you to go ghost 👻 when you decide you don’t want to deal with a person anymore. Pitch is attached to this, showing that if you want to be non-committal, date around, take things lightly, then you kinda need to be upfront and very clear about this from the beginning. Set the expectation, and then later on others can’t come back at you all pissed off because you’ve got three people calling when they thought it was just them. It’s just respectful, and then others know what they’re getting into, and can decide if that’s for *them* or not, just the same as you decide this way is for *you*. Plenty of people out there looking for some strings-free fun just like you.

I asked if there’s a specific person to be mentioned and pulled The Adventurer, this person could live a distance away, maybe culturally different, they’re not the type to hop from person to person, or even leave behind what they know. I got the image of a Hobbit because I’m a nerd, that type, homey domestic vibes. This person isn’t going to take kindly to your ways and will likely fight you and defend their honor if you come at them with games and bs. They could be this “childish” watery 💧 energy that keeps popping up for you. Or see you that way. They expect LOVE, they expect a lot of things relating to serious relationships and commitment, and they’ll cross the whole earth to do that with you, but is that what YOU want? Pitch says be clear and transparent, because I kinda get that you probably won’t want the same things, and the pressure of their expectations could crush you - 10 Wands from the main energy, where that resonates 💯 There’s mostly Sag energy here, I assume it’s you wanting to date around & be a Knight of Wands (Sag), but it’s possible it’s switched for someone too, and you’re the one acting out with someone else that’s treating you this way. Here one minute, gone the next. Some of you have hoes in different area codes 🙃

Singles Oracle:

05 Pitch

Be as clear, concise, and professional as you can when you explain your ideas to potential associates…yes please call your dates “associates” from now on 🤣

🔸 Career: 6 Swords, Knight of Swords & Queen of Wands

Regarding: 4 Swords

It’s not possible that every Sag is quitting their job, but it is here that if it does happen, you’ll be the one making it happen. It’s possible your job does something, tries to pay you less, demote you, maybe sell the company, move locations and change everyone’s titles, something that’s pure bs and you know it. Not necessarily, but if that’s the case you will likely stand up for yourself and say “fuck that”. 💯

If you’ve lost a job already, then this is connected to last year’s energy and what needs to be left behind. You may still feel extremely bitter about being laid off, fired, demoted, and how you haven’t made the same amount of money since, or you’re missing out on perks you had at that other job that fkd you over - something like that. You’re needing to move away from that, stop feeling defensive (easier said than done), and move on for good. Curiosity is attached to this too, no matter where you are, there are always options and you’re not actually stuck in a hole. Everyone’s story and outcome will be different, but I’m seeing the best advice as “keep your options open”.

Side Note: If you’re someone quick and sharp tongued that usually goes rushing into battles to defend a point or something, that needs to end, or it’s something that’s holding you back. No one is going to argue about things, both here and with what needs to be left behind I keep hearing “it is what it is”, like you have to just accept something and move forward, no matter the situation.

Career Oracle:

58 Reflection

Time to focus, balance, reflect, and guide yourself past stumbling blocks to take the right actions.

🔸 What needs to be left behind in 2023: 5 Swords & Wheel of Fortune

Regarding: 6 Cups

Simply, a shitty attitude, that’s all. Bitterness about things that have changed from how they were to how they are, “it is what it is” and that needs to be accepted. I also see it all being for your highest good, Wish Granted, though you may not see it that way yet. You will eventually. You could be very upset at changes that were forced upon you, karmic situations, developments in career specifically, or other areas of your life, and feeling like you had no choice - which may have been true. But it’s not true *now* which is why this needs to be left behind. You have an open road with many paths, you’re the one that chooses to not go down them, if that’s what you choose. Wish Granted connects with this energy needing to be released, you had a wish come true, and you have it now, it’s connected to your whole energy this year too. It’s safer to assume that whatever you want - you’re going to get it, than assume that you won’t. If you think you won’t, then you won’t, but that’s not because of Spirit it’s because of you. I keep hearing you can do whatever you want 💙

Leave It Oracle:

10 Wish Granted

Believe in your abilities as a Magic Maker to manifest your wishes; they will soon be your reality.

I don’t see a lot of deeper meanings with the numbers, except the 10’s. You don’t like endings, good or bad, you don’t like *decisive & final* actions - whether you decide it, someone else does, or Spirit does. It feels like every other option is ripped from you when you have to stick with something, it’s a Sag lesson. It’s a burden that things end, things change, you could have a negative attitude towards endings (what needs to be left behind) instead of seeing them as new beginnings. And new beginnings don’t necessarily mean that everything has to change to have one. This year - we are planting a beet garden and will pickle beets all year - new passion! Next year we’re tired af of beets and will switch to peas. Like it doesn’t have to be huge, but new is good, don’t focus so much on what was - but what could be.

999 is here showing you can have what you want and explore options, but something else will have to go - The Hermit. Other people have free will, especially dating, and a career will do what it does, you feel like options give you control, but they don’t. It’s just an option to run away with the same issues in a different spot, different job, different relationship or scenery, same shit though. Introducing healthy options could be a positive thing in your life, especially in relationships, could be literally related to health, literal healthy options 🥬 And needed meditation 🧘🏿

Astrological Shifts in 2023 (for Risings):

Jan 01 - Mercury direct in Sag

Jan 21 - Pluto enters Aqu (again) - 3rd House 🗣️

Feb 14 - Mars conj. Pluto Aquarius - 3rd 🗣️ - your mouth may be mouthin’ harsher than usual around this time, keep in mind that everyone is equally feeling this intense pressure & may feel impatient or heated due to something you say, harsh comebacks or verbal discipline is here too, both sides

Mar 09 - Mars Aqua squares Uranus Tau at 5:55 P.M. - likely a day of conflict, 3rd 🗣️ vs. 6th 🤒🐶, especially with coworkers

Mar 21 - Venus conj Saturn Pis - love & boundaries go hand in hand

Mar 25 - Lunar Eclipse in Lib - 11th 🤝

Apr 01 - Mercury retrogrades Ari - 5th 🎉, this is one of the more positive retrograde houses, you could run into an old friend or rediscover an old hobby that makes you feel good, if you have children they may have some issues

Apr 08 - Solar Eclipse in Ari - continued lessons from the nodes throughout this year, issues between masculine/feminine likely, father/mother, action/reception, others/self

Apr 24 - Mercury direct

May 18 - Venus conj Uranus & Sun conj Jupiter, all in Taurus - 6th 🤒🐶 - you could buy a new pet, or see some sudden but positive change happening with your work & the people you work with, be careful of overeating or unhealthy eating - bc of Jupiter

May 25 - Jupiter enters Gem - 7th ❤️ - very positive placement for your relationships, work partnerships, and closest friendships, even your enemies are liable to like you at least a little, luck is on your side, and if you’re single, this is a good sign you won’t be for long.

May 29 - Mars conj Chiron Ari @ 22’ - 5th 🎉 a hobby could become a problem or highlighted as one, casual lovers may find out or fight back, or you do, children could be dealing with something problematic or that triggers a core wound in yourself as well, play the lottery anyway - especially if finances are a wound for you

June 29 - Lilith enters Lib - 11th 🤝 Only felt with close aspects, may be a source of contention with/on social media & your friend group, quietly keep an eye on you friends, some will likely need a supportive person or face injustice, others just need enough rope to hang themselves - you’ll see which is which. If it aspects nothing, might not even notice it.

July 06 - Venus Can square Chiron Ari - 8th ☠️ vs. 5th 🎉 can definitely see a casual connection go to the next level to become more committed (going steady), children may positively or negatively touch on wounds inside of you - probably unconsciously and more spiritually based, a lover or hobby may be transforming everything you thought you wanted

Aug 04 - Mercury retrogrades Vir-Leo - 10th 🔨 & 9th 😇

Aug 19 - Venus Vir opposes Saturn Pis & Jupiter Gem squares both - T square of 10th 🔨, 4th 🏡, and 7th ❤️ will probably show itself in conflict between work/home life balance, along with relationships, you can’t be all things to all people, good time to set boundaries & schedule things how they need to go (to keep your sanity)

Aug 27 - Mercury direct Leo

Sept 01 - Pluto enters Cap (last time) - 2nd 💰

Sept 16 - Venus Lib opposes Chiron Ari @ 22’ - 11th 🤝 & 5th 🎉 - not a fan of the degree being 22’, you may see shifts in your friend group based on new passions or interests, Lilith may show some clapbacks with that, some of you are dating or having kids, or those in your friend group, jealousy may be an issue (or just missing you/them), play the lottery 💯

Sept 17 - Partial Lunar Eclipse Pis - 4th 🏡, preparing for the nodes to shift next year

Oct 02 - Solar Eclipse Lib - 11th 🤝

Nov 19 - Pluto enters Aqu (for good) - 3rd 🗣️

Nov 25 - Mercury retrogrades Sag - 1st 🫵

Dec 06 - Mars retrogrades Leo - 9th 😇

Dec 15 - Mercury direct Sag

Dec 24 - Jupiter Gem squares Saturn Pis - 7th ❤️ vs. 4th 🏡 sees you dealing with family drama & tension right around the holidays, Jupiter is lucky though and rules you, even with tension this should be positive, you may be “disciplined” by an authority, but that could just be grandma giving you crap about your hair/ripped jeans/job/life/etc. like they do

#Sagittarius #Sagittarius rising #new year tarot reading #2024 tarot #Sagittarius 2024 reading #new year reading #2024 #predictions #astrology #tarot #astroblr #tarotblr #2024 readings #horoscope #Sagittarius 2024 horoscope

[vivivox]

The Myth of „unromantic“ Overlays in Synastry

A lot of sources claim that there are the „relationship/ love Houses“ when it comes to Synastry Overlays (looking at where the planets of someone else’s Chart fall on your Chart, and vice versa) and then there are those that „only“ indicate friendship, a work relationship or daily business etc.

Classically those „romantic“ Houses are: the 5th (romance), the 7th (partnership) and the 8th (deep intimacy).

When you are very new to Astrology this can dishearten you and make you feel like you don’t stand a chance with a someone just because you don’t tick others „Love Overlay“ boxes.

However:

1. There is no such thing as predetermination. Astrology includes Free Will and Astrology, too, is all about learning, growth of character and the evolution of the Soul. There is no right and wrong and there certainly isn’t „this is how it’s supposed to be, or how it’s not supposed to be“.

2. Astrology isn’t here to „tell you“ who you’re meant for or not meant for. If someone’s planets don’t fall into your 7th House (classical House of marriage) this by no means means that you aren’t compatible in marriage. It just means that maybe there are other factors in your connection that play a bigger role (someone in your 1st House could make you feel good about yourself and give you a sense of identity - who wouldn’t like that?). If you feel like someone is right for you, go for it!

3. In my eyes, while some Houses can be very blunt with showing romantic compatibility, ALL Houses can contribute to attraction and healthy romance and love. This depends on several factors including your personal Charts and your preferences when it comes to love among other things (Aquarius placements usually aren’t the attached at the hip marriage types so they might value someone they have a friendship with (11th House) over someone who gives them the „marriage“ vibes).

Also, just having someone’s planets in your 7th House doesn’t automatically mean you are perfect for each other.

4. Overlays are only one part of the equation. The biggest one, in my eyes and from an astrological point of view, are Aspects. The House Overlays are more background noise (from my experience) and as there are no „unromantic“ Houses they will just set the stage according to the act of the Aspects.

Also, someone might have their DC (7th House) in Cancer while their Sun sign is in Aries. This means they find Cancer placements romantically attractive but will likely clash with them due to their fire Sun. This can go both ways, of course.

Then, there are Combine Charts - but that is another story, and as I myself don’t really use them I will leave this to other people who are more knowledgeable about those kind of Charts :)

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Anyways, in order to state my point I have created a small list.

This goes to show the energy of House x Planet (especially/ mostly Sun, Moon and Venus) in Synastry Overlays.

Usually and from experience, the House person will feel the „effect“ of the planet more while the planet person has a more passive/ reactive role. This means that i.e. if someone’s Sun for falls into your 7th House you will likely see them as a perfect match somehow and feel romantic attraction. They, may or may not feel the same, but are likely to at least notice this and maybe reciprocate just because you approach them in a more romantic manner than other people.

Another example would be that people with personal planets in your 4th House (family) feel very familiar to you and you trust them easily. You are likely to open up to them instantly and you feel at ease with them. In return, they are probably going to let their guard down, too, as they sense this, and behave in a pleasant manner with you.

However this also depends on the Houses from my experience, as well as the Chart natives (someone with the Sun in their 7th might be more prone to cater to other people’s perceptions of them, I.e. when they fall into someone’s 7th House they may be more likely to reciprocate the romantic advances)

Back to the list (I have tried to focus especially on the less classical Houses for romance).

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PLANET X HOUSE OVERLAYS (Synastry):

☀️ „Boost of Confidence“

1. The planet person will likely make you feel understood, validated and good about yourself.

You might see them as the trophy wife or husband and you might „fangirl“ them.

You are likely to look good together and be the typical dream couple, especially in public.

The planet person here gets a a healthy dose of ego boost (especially with the Sun), too.

🍀 „ Safe and Secure“

2. Usually the planet person will provide in one way or the other for the House Person (financially, emotionally, taking care of them etc). Thus, they give the House person a sense of security, stability and nourishment. The planet person will usually increase the self worth of the House person.

Also, the House person might be very inclined to touch the planet person and this placement can be great for simply hanging around, cuddling and having a cozy time.

This can be great for people who like stability, security and dependability in relationships.

👥 „Same Wavelenght“

3. People with their planets in your 3rd House usually stimulate your curiosity, communication and also social life. They will be someone you love to talk to, share ideas and socialize within a group.

As communication is key this is wonderful to have in a relationship, especially for people with an active mind! Understanding and being understood is just invaluable.

You might have a brother/ sister dynamic - in a good way! Like you just get each other.

👶🏼 “Soul Family“

4. This is an amazing Overlay to have. People in your 4th feel like family to you; they make you feel secure, nurtured and understood. It’s like you’ve known them from before (childhood or a past life even) and they almost always make you feel at ease.

This is also great for having a family together, of course! And it’s said that the planet person likely reminds you of your upbringing, has a similar approach to themes of home, family and the private life, and/or had a similar upbringing or family background and roots.

✨ „Spark and Romance“

5. 5th House overlays are usually lighthearted, fun and playful. They are about attraction and romance but they usually have an air of innocence - like a puppy kind of love!

They get a really good rap because they are usually easygoing but with that spark! It’s usually very flirty and the House person will feel youthful and stimulated when with the planet person.

They usually adore the planet person and make them feel attractive and desirable ..

This is also said to be good to have children together. The planet person may make you wanna pro-create and raise kids together with them.

🍀 „Love Everyday“

6. People from your 6th House can help you so much getting your life together. Just being around them may make you want to sort out your life and they will usually help you with your daily business, work and health (even by just being around). This does get a bad rap but your daily life is actually your DAILY LIFE. Who wouldn’t want to have someone around who is wonderful for them on a daily basis? While 5th House sometimes screams holiday romance, this person is here for you in every situation and you are compatible to be with each other on a day to day basis and share your everyday life.

It’s true that other romantic indicators are needed here but if they’re there this can be an amazing overlay. The planet person usually loves taking care of the House person‘s needs and helping them with their life. They can be very motherly (especially with the Moon and Venus there) in a good way, and they get things done together which can be so helpful when you don’t naturally have that in your Chart.

Also, this is a great overlay for living together and spending time on a daily basis!

💍 „Marry Me“

7. This is the classic „partnership“ House which basically means you are very likely to see the other person as a great match. They likely posesss qualities you value and look for in a relationship and they give you the romantic feels right away. If the other person feels similarly this is a very romantic placement and you are likely to become a couple and/or even get married (which doesn’t mean marriage is only meant for the 7th, like stated above).

🌚 „How deep is your Love“

8. This House is all about intimacy, depth and the soul. It is not as visible as the 7th and /because it usually goes a lot deeper. Someone in your 8th will stimulate your subconscious, the parts of you you didn’t know existed. Usually the planet person makes you feel like they „know“ parts of you no one else does.

They are likely to get under your skin, make you feel like they see right through you and have the ability to transform you somehow. The connection is felt on a „soul level“ and the merging can be very deep and profound. It’s also the House of sexuality but in my eyes that is only an expression of intimacy that this House arouses.

🌅 „Broadening of Horizon“

9. The 9th House is great for having your horizon broadened, your views expanded and a new world to be opened up to you. A person there will likely have an exotic vibe to them, like they have the ability to show you things you didn’t know existed. They may make you feel optimistic and adventurous and it’s a great placement for traveling the world together as well as to talk about everything under the sky, especially world views, spiritual, philosophical and religious matters. They will light up your world!

🥇“Going Places“

10. People in your 10th usually have something going for them that you admire and that if you follow them can get you right where you’re meant to be in life. They can act as a sort of natural authority that you willingly follow and where you never regret doing so because you have an adequate amount of respect for them.

This overlay is amazing for following your life’s path, achieving things and it will usually always contribute to your growth and level of maturity.

It’s a beautiful placement and shouldn’t be limited to „someone helping you with your career“.

Your relationship could be in the public eye somehow, also.

👫 “Best Friends and Lovers“

11. Whoever said friendship isn’t love? Many times you will read that this is the classical „friend zone“ overlay placement but who said lovers shouldn’t be friends or friends shouldn’t be lovers?

It’s true that if there are not so many other romantic indicators between the Charts (Venus/Moon, Mars/Venus etc) you are more likely going to see them on a platonic level but that doesn’t necessarily exclude other instances.

Some people value friendship over everything and all they want in a relationship is a partner in crime who is their best buddy!

You are likely to share ideals and more often than not a similar social circle which can be so great because who doesn’t love having your lover in the same friends group!

🌊 „Soul Connection“

12. Having a prominent Neptune in my Chart I have never understood how some people could view this placement as unfortunate.

With the 12th House Overlay you have a spiritual, otherworldly and soul connection to the other person that includes a selfless kind of love and karmic / soul ties (which def aren’t bad!).

You can likely sense what the other person feels and can easily connect through dreams. This placement is ethereal. The planet person will usually shed light on the hidden parts of the House person and help them heal.

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Thanks for reading and always love to hear your feedback, guys 😊☺️

Credit:

@vivivox

#relationship astrology #astro notes #synastry #overlays #overlay #love #learn astrology #astrology notes #1st house #2nd house #3rd house #4th house #5th house #6th house #7th house #8th house #9th house #10th house #11th house #12th house #sun #moon #venus

[cinnamonest]

Yandere Profile -- Eijiro Kirishima

Ahhh I finally finished this one! I love my loud red boy bless him

For @shorkbrian !!

Tws:  Fem reader, yandere, delusional mindsets, kidnapping, manipulation, stalking, mentions of death, normal yandere content, mentions of a high school setting

Tws (below cut): Noncon, throatfucking, pain content

This is also the first time I'm including my new severity scale (which I just made a post about before this one) in a profile!

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Severity Scale

Intelligence/Perceptiveness: 6 Brutality: 5 Physical capability: 9 Mental/emotional instability: 6 Restrictiveness: 5 Sexual sadism: 6 Stubbornness: 8

What are they generally like? Lucid, aware? Obsessive? How do they behave?

He's actually not one of the yanderes that stalks from a distance - he's not so nervous that he can't approach you, no, he's comfortable enough to talk to you in person. Being away from you physically is almost painful, he wants to spend as much time with you as possible. He's also one you might catch onto a little bit, because he's just on the border of being a little lacking in self awareness to the point that he doesn't always realize when he's smothering you. Of course, it aligns well enough with his general personality that you won't think too much of it, just that he can be a little overbearing or clingy.

That being said, he does do his fair share of information collecting when you're not together. Boy is a master at data collection - he'll find socials you forgot you had, posts you made years ago, every major information collection site there is, he'll use to find everything he can about you. Your socials, your friends' socials, your relatives' socials. Even if you have one of those apps that lets you see who's stalking you on your social media, he's already planned ahead for that, and uses a variety of burner accounts so you never notice a thing.

Especially in later stages, as his mental stability is slowly worn down, he's prone to the classic yandere persona flip. Can go from his usual very energetic, spirited, happy go lucky sort of demeanor and, in very shocking and unexpected moments, become highly aggressive towards others, or even snap at you with an uncharacteristic coldness. However, he's aware enough to know he's doing it, and quickly backpedals once he does, apologizing and telling you he's just having a really bad day. Only these "bad days" seem to pile up quite a bit as time goes on.

Similarly, he becomes more delusional with time. At first he might actually be fairly receptive towards your friends, even male ones, and while his behaviors and stalking is present, it's not over-the-top just yet. It will take a few months but gradually he finds himself slipping into an increasing pattern -- just one more hour sitting outside your dorm room, just one more text, one more post of yours from five years ago, just one more of this or that and soon it's completely spiraled out of his control.

He's also aware enough at first to realize you might not be too keen on, you know, essentially imprisonment. If it weren't so fucked up, it would almost be funny to watch him - rehearsing the whole speech he will have to give to darling when she wakes up to himself in the mirror, nervously pacing, not making eye contact the whole time he's explaining himself and later finishing off telling you you're here forever with a "so, uh, yeah," and a nervous little laugh. He's a bit panicked himself but will do his best to calm poor darling down, and, as he tells himself, your initial reaction will be bad, but you'll adjust.

How likely are they to kidnap their darling? How quickly will they do so?

He's surprisingly patient and can bide his time. If you're good, he's one of a few where you may be able to prolong your freedom and evade captivity for a very long time, years even. In order to achieve this, though, you'll have to never question his very much questionable behaviors, listen to him when he says not to talk to anyone else, spending every waking moment with him, that sorta thing. So really, it only works for a very naive darling who is already paranoid of others. For most people, who will, you know, call him out on his bullshit, he'll change his mind about letting you be free pretty quickly.

This is especially true if he feels like he's losing you -- if you just get upset that's one thing, but if he senses you're starting to become wary of him or even avoid him, he'll be pushed to the edge very quickly. He's not the brightest when it comes to his methods, most likely opting for a very simple break-in during your sleep or kidnapping you on the way home sort of deal.

He was something of this "waiting period," a time some types of yanderes have where they try to be normal. These types of yanderes are most likely to start of their relationships as normal and organic and only gradually devolve, or snap, into a higher state of delusion and unhealthy behavior. He's no exception to this, and you may get a few months of a very normal relationship with only small red flags that seem to be gradually increasing. 

How difficult is it to escape from them? How do they keep you restrained? How do they deal with attempted escape? 

To escape, only moderate difficulty, actually. To stay escaped? That's a different story.

You see, he's got a slight predator-prey thing going on and will most likely give you a window of opportunity here or there (not a lot, only when he's carefully arranged it out). Early on he has a tracking device implanted in you while you're knocked out, but never tells you about it. He'll let you get a little ways, never so far that there's any risk, and always stays within very close proximity. Watching your worried eyes as you can't shake the feeling of something watching you, knowing you're questioning your own sanity in your state of paranoia. It's really cute, watching you dart your head back and forth into the shadows, every which way except for the actual place he's standing. Will wait until you inevitably run into seclusion, when you take that turn onto a corner with no eyewitnesses, when you duck into a business closed for the night for cover, and he'll have a hand around your mouth before you can even make a noise.

He knows he should be mad, but he gets off to it so much it's hard to be genuinely angry rather than just... Roughly exerting the pent up energy into you. Which in and of itself is something of a punishment.

How easy are they to trick, deceive, or manipulate?

It's a mix of "more intelligent than he lets on," and "still kinda on the dull side." In particular, he's not very good at telling when someone is lying. It's honestly a coin toss every time you try, which actually makes it more difficult, really. You'll be just hopeful enough that maybe you can deceive him on this one thing, but there's a 50-50 chance it won't work. Unlike a super intelligent yandere who you automatically know better than to try, you'll keep getting your hopes up and trying with him, which ultimately results in more punishments when it fails.

How lenient are they? What privileges can you have, and what will you be denied?

He's moderate on allowances, but still restrictive on contact. As in, he'll get you the things you want, especially once he's making tons of money as a pro. Lets you have a highly controlled phone, complete with internet, but given a lock to prevent commenting or sending or uploading of any kind (aside from messages to him, of course). He doesn't really care too much about the media you consume or whatnot, but if he decides he doesn't like something specifically -- say, youtube videos on lockpicking -- then he'll probably take it away for a time until he can figure out how to better control it.

He's one to let you roam his place to an extent, once again it's a case-by-case basis of "you have this privilege until you do something to lose it." You can cook and access the kitchen until an incident of you hurting yourself or attacking him. You can watch tv and roam around until you break something intentionally out of spite. That sort of thing -- he deals with the problems when they arise, but is generally fairly lenient on your allowances, so really it's very unwise to take that privilege for granted, since it's a lot more than what a lot of yans would allow.

When you're really really good, he'll definitely let you go out with him. As we'll discuss, he likes to emulate normalcy, and really likes the fun kind of dates - theme parks and movies and the like. It'll be quite a while before you get to this stage though, as he has to feel 100% confident you won't try anything at all. Of course, if you do try anything, the privilege will be lost until you earn it back. However, this will also be entirely undercover on his end, probably wearing masks and sunglasses or the like. He doesn't want people to see you with him and recognize him, like a lot of the mha yans, he fears the potential of someone using you against him.

What kind of rules do they have? What kind of punishment would they use?

Once again a "make them up as you go" guy. Listen, he didn't plan much beyond the initial kidnapping you and security, so there's a lot he hasn't thought about. From day one, what's made clear is you're not to leave and that you need to accept the way things are as soon as possible, and you know, be a doll and be sweet for him. As time goes on things get added -- don't look up this or that, don't attack or resist, don't backtalk him, don't give him the cold shoulder, etc etc. Over time it will amount to a lot, actually, you see, he's got a very specific image of how you should behave in his mind. Anything that deviates from that will quickly become a rule. So it's kind of like a puzzle for poor darling, you're not given an exact image of what you're supposed to act like or what you're not allowed to do, you just gradually find out with trial and error and an ever-growing behavioral rule list what is and isn't acceptable

.He can't stand isolation punishments, can't take being away from you for that long. He might try at first, but, almost comically, he cracks very early and brings you back out (just went you thought you were gonna get a break from him). It's primarily, (in our sfw section) a matter of losing privileges. To him, he knows that one of the worst punishments is boredom, so he'll take away your things that occupy you and leave you with nothing, potentially restraining you to a single room, so that you eventually cave and apologize.

How do they deal with rivals, or perceived rivals? Will they get rid of them? Will they kill them themselves, or find another way?

He uses social methods or underhanded, subtle tricks to eliminate people rather than killing them. Frames them for stealing, or some other misdeed to get them expelled, ruins their social reputation, fakes messages to make you hate them, maybe even to make them hate you. that's during the school-age stages of things. Now, an older hero Kirishima, definitely uses his status to get things done the way he wants. Come on, who in their right mind would try to take the girl of a pro hero to begin with? They were asking for it. He has a few similar methods -- ruins their public image, frames them for a crime, or, if they're persistent enough, may very well just use a couple connections to make sure they disappear -- potentially disappear entirely, or perhaps get permanently hospitalized from a bad accident, become the random victim of some villains, etc.

That being said, during the pre-kidnapping stages, he's definitely gonna start fights with other dudes for looking at you the wrong way. Even if it's horrifically embarrassing, he thinks of it as a show of manliness. You'll eventually have to pull him off and calm him down before he pummels the poor victim of choice completely. Over time, this earns him a reputation for being insanely protective, and it makes people start to avoid both him and you, which is all the better in his mind.

How easy is it to make them mad? What does their anger look like?

With most things, he's pretty slow to anger, tries to be very patient and understanding. You have to wittle down that patience with repeated and deliberate disobedience to get a snap out of him - which is highly possible, considering poor darling initially is given no bad reaction. You'll think he's a pushover since he doesn't get super mad the first time, or the second or third, so when he finally does snap it's pretty frightening - it's all the irritation bottled up and released at once.

He tries hard to project the image of who he's known to be - a chill, good natured, optimistic guy, which is why he manages to be so patient. He doesn't want that image ruined for you, and he's very very particular about, and worries about, the image of him in your mind. He has a deep need for you to see him as a heroic figure, to look up to him, and to see him as above you, so he doesn't want to ruin that with violence and anger.

It's usually a literal snap of some sort - whatever he's holding gets slammed down on the table, or crushed or snapped in half (say, a glass or pen). His voice gets low, and builds up into a snarl. Definitely one to grab you by the hair. Drags you to wherever he deems a suitable place to take care of your issues.

So they see you as above them, beneath them, or equal to them?

He doesn't think about these things too much, and really, he's somewhat in the middle or can even fluctuate. A lot of it depends on you. If you're good and obedient, he treats you like you're an angel, says he doesn't deserve you. Now, if you're not being so good, he might sometimes let the frustrations slip out into some bitterness, likewise muttering that you should be a bit more grateful that someone like him loves you so much.

That being said, he does want you to see him as above you, wants you to look up to him and, simply, he wants you to think he's amazing and heroic! He goes out of his way to repeatedly impress you with displays of strength and the like, and, like a lot of the hero yanderes, will frequently subject you to watching the news of him saving people. He exaggerates his heroics significantly and makes sure you know just how many people he saved, and of course, he makes sure to show you every girl that blows up his phone after finding his number somehow, all the adoring females fans, and so on, in a very blatant attempt to make you jealous -- having all those fans does get his ego going a bit.

How determined are they for you to love them? How hard will they try to make it happen? Or are they content just having you?

Definitely strongly determined. He wants not only your acceptance, but also to somewhat normalize the relationship. He emulates a lot of normal behaviors like aforementioned dates, but also things like "date night" at home (cuddles on the couch and watching TV, playing games, takeout etc), little good morning texts for you to wake up to when he has to leave early, making food together. It's so tender and sweet that sometimes you could almost forget that you're being trapped against your will. It also, of course, is very beneficial for his imperatives, considering that that sweetness will only help you adjust more quickly.

Bonus: Is there anything that makes them unique, in comparison to other yanderes?

Probably the previously noted extent to which he strives towards a very butchered resemblance of normalcy. It's like he wants to just be a normal couple... but he doesn't, he can't. I'd say that even he himself kind of struggles with it a bit -- psychologically, he's one of the yanderes that deludes himself because he has to. It doesn't come super naturally, it's that, being forced to recognize how unhealthy and harmful his extreme controlling and possessiveness is, to come to terms with the fact that those urges aren't normal... the guilt would eat him alive if he actually stopped to think about that, if he actually allowed himself to admit that reality to himself. So, he doesn't. He will push that thought away, even though it does exist somewhere deep down, until the day he dies. He couldn't live with himself if he didn't delude himself into believing it's all necessary, and that he's good to you. A lot of his more lenient tendencies stem from this.

It's a conflict between parts of his brain -- a duality of sorts. One part says he wants the normalcy -- he wants dates and love and sex and fun and he wants it all organically, he doesn't want to be a kidnapper, doesn't want to have to do these things. But as much as he wishes he didn't have to, the other part of him does, in fact, say that he has to do these things. Yanderes that have these sorts of internal conflicts due to a strong sense of morality (which he DOES have, really) tend to have a "waiting period," as he does, which I mentioned above -- a time where they try to go about things normally but find themselves unable to.

As a result, I'd say he's one of the yanderes that's actually very likely to start off as an actual boyfriend, rather than a stranger or a friend. He's confident enough to ask you out and charming enough to get a yes, but he just can't control himself over time.

General perverseness: how sexual of a person are they? What’s their drive like? How touchy do they get? Do they have any reservations about sexuality?

Like some of my other yans I've discussed, he has what you call reactive sexuality. On his own, he's average for a young man, but once he has someone he really has a lot of affection for, that drive goes up significantly in their presence. There's a lot more stimulation, after all, it gets those hormones raging and the urge to fuck goes way up pretty quickly now that there's an availability.

He's moderate-to-heavy on the perversion for what you'd expect from a guy like himself. He's far from pure but he knows exactly how to teeter the line of being just gross enough to make you squirm and blush without being such a horndog that he actually offends you or drives you away. Not that he won't push that line as far as he can, constantly testing your boundaries.

As for touchiness, oof he's VERY touchy. Poor darling. It, like many things, increases with time in the pre-kidnapping stage -- even from the get go he's prone to slinging an arm over your shoulder or leaning on you, but that progresses into gradual soft gropes that you almost feel like you imagined, and extended touches, hands gripping your shoulders, etc. Post-kidnapping, very touchy all the time. Very much a cuddler and likes to grab at everything he can when he does so.

How forceful are they? Do they care about your willingness?

It's eh, moderate, but ultimately, as in yandere nature, force will be used if necessary. He's so sweet about it at first that it almost doesn't even feel like it. He tells himself you're afraid, and any lashing out is just because of that. Even if you say he's the problem, he thinks that's just because you're embarrassed to admit you're scared. Everything you can come up with, he'll loop back to that rationalization. It helps him get over any potential guilt he'd otherwise have, which he certainly would if he didn't lie to himself.

He's so sweet about the whole thing its nauseating for poor darling. Wiping away any tears on your face, taking a long long time to prepare you up with fingers and touches and words, and telling you it'll be ok, that it only hurts for a second, that he'll make you feel so good, that you'll be happy this happened just as much as he is.

What sort of kinks or fetishes do they have, or would they fill?

Oral fixation

This boy just... saying he wants you to blow him is understating it. He wants to throatfuck you -- grab you by the hair and use your face like a toy. In the beginning he'll be gentler, but he fantasizes about reaching a point at which he can really just go at it, train your gag reflex to be virtually non-existent. He likes to cum down your throat, but even more he loves pulling out at the last moment and telling you to hold your mouth open and tongue out, jerking off onto your tongue, getting some on your face, and telling you to swallow.

Roleplay/Lingerie

Specifically, he'll get into anything service related. Maid outfits galore. He loves treating you like a doll, really, dressing you up in whatever newest lewdest thing he can find. Definitely keeps up with the newest outfit trends of the egirl type of sphere -- loves the things like thigh highs, virgin killer sweaters, garters, anything of the sort. Very much into the "cutesy" type of stuff on you, expect lots of pastel colors and soft fluffy things. Also 100% will get a tail plug and animal ears of some kind. And it's not just for looks, he likes you to act out the role, too. He's actually super-blushy about the whole idea at first, but he does like the idea of being called "Master," especially when it's all soft and embarrassed coming out of your own mouth. 

Size difference/strength difference

It ties back into the thing of wanting you to look up to him. He loves loves loves seeing the faces and the little squeals you make for him when he gives you displays of raw strength - and he'll be sure to frequently remind you of exactly how strong he is. Standing-fucking, slinging you over his shoulder when he's dragging you back home, picking you up and throwing you on the bed, grabbing you by the hips and lifting your entire body up and down when you're on top of him and using you as effortlessly as if you were a near-weightless fleshlight.

No matter which size you may be, he loves it whichever way. If you're tiny and short it gives him an automatic power rush, but if you're larger and taller he loves that too - it gives him a massive ego boost that he can pin you down and control your body with such ease, bonus points if you thought he couldn't since you're bigger than he is.

Size kink pt 2

Also a size related thing, but specifically dick. Listen I refuse to believe this man doesn't have a girthy, thick dick. And he loves the things it can do to you -- the way you gasp and shudder, even little whimpers of pain. He feels bad if there's any pain, but he can't help but get off to the squeals just a little bit, the tears in your eyes are just so cute. Definitely loves making a visible bulge on your stomach, and will make sure you see it too, holding your head in place to force you to watch your stomach bulge every time he thrusts in. Bulging your throat is equally hot, as mentioned above. And he loves the way that there's just that slightly visible gape for a few minutes after he pulls out as your body adjusts.

Threeways

Perhaps very rare for a yandere, he's one of a few that isn't 100% opposed to sharing, provided it's with special individuals, namely a certain blonde friend. Not so much in the relationship aspect, but a sexual one, and it's very well-controlled on his end, with him having the ultimate power over the whole situation. There will always be things that only HE can do to you that no one else can, of course, and it's all only with those he trusts to never spill about your existence. Still, he just really really likes seeing you get spitroasted, really. Can you blame him?

And of course, he'll make sure to get reassurance from you that you only love him and don't care about Katsuki at all, and if he ever gets even the slightest feeling that that might not be the case, it's a kink he'll give up easily if it means soothing the potential raging jealousy.

How do they feel about pregnancy or babies? Do they want them?

He actually really, really likes the thought of being a dad. It's sort of a pride thing, having a family he can love and support (it's not like you're gonna be allowed to work), showing you off to everyone. And of course, the emotional attachment you'll undoubtedly form, the dependency you'll have on him. 

Getting to watch cum drip out of you and never having to pull out is a nice bonus, too.

What kind of (nsfw) punishments would they use?

Big into overstim. It's perfect because it's a punishment that is both effective, doesn't technically hurt you, and releases all those good chemicals all at the same time. He doesn't initially want to hurt you too bad, but, if you're really bad -- either in terms of the severity of the offense or the number of times you continue to do it -- he can reach a point of anger at which he'll resort to impact-pain-based punishments, too. Ever the sweet one, he actually does research first to make sure he won't go too far and seriously injure you, but once's he's made all the right purchases, I could see him settling on riding crops, he will make you hurt.

And, really, because it all gets him off at the same time -- the strangled little cries and mewls and whimpers are so much hotter than they should  be. He likely blindfolds you the whole time, partially to increase your fear and anticipation, but also so that you don't know he's jerking off to the whole thing.

The aforementioned throatfucking is also an effective and very quick, straight-to-the-point punishment when need be. If he's super mad and doesn't have the self control to take you elsewhere he may very well just dump you on your knees and demand you open your mouth or else you'll be in for a lot more pain. If he's in that kind of borderline-sadist mood he can get cruel with it too -- cumming in your mouth but not letting you swallow, making you hold the gross taste against your tongue for several minutes, or, his favorite guilty pleasure he feels too bad making you do most of the time, slamming your face all the way down and holding his cock all the way down your throat, perfectly still. No matter how hard you try to pull back or beat on his thighs, he has an iron grip and will hold you there until you nearly pass out.

Also, hell, just fucking him can be a punishment if he wants it to be. He can manhandle you with such a brutality and strength that it's genuinely painful. You want to know what it feels like to have a, literally, rock-hard dick ramming into your cervix?

What body parts of their darling do they like the most?

Very much a thigh boy. Not only are they soft and pillowy, but he loves to bite and suck at the insides of your thighs and leave lots and lots of marks. They're just as much for you as they are for him. He makes sure you always wear shorts or short skirts (or nothing is fine too) to make sure said marks are always within your vision.

#yandere bnha #yandere boku no hero academia #yandere mha #yandere my hero academia #yandere kirishima #tw: non/con #tw: yandere

[maraudersftw]

This is weird. My dialogue is awful. I've been writing for over eight years now. I've barely improved. I feel demoralised every time I reread something of mine because it's just plain terrible. Like, there's no way anyone is actually ever going to say that. Let alone two super witty people, you just know would be great at bantering / flirting. I've asked people to beta, they're just too nice to actually tell me the very apparent issue with my dialogue. I'm not exaggerating. What should I do?

Hey, anon! First of all, I'm honoured that you thought of reaching out to me for this question even though I'm definitely still learning a lot of things about writing and what feels right to me myself. But I understand where you're coming from, and I'll do my best to help you out in whatever way I can. If any of my lovely writer mutuals have more to add, please feel free to do so!

1. Before I even start talking about anything else, it's important to remember that we're our own toughest critic, so it's possible (and quite likely) that your dialogues are not nearly as terrible as you think they are. When you've been writing and staring at the same words you've written multiple times, even the most interesting of dialogues can feel lame and try-hard to you. Whenever I write a fic and proofread through it before posting, 9/10 times I feel like it sounds boring or too dragged out. And it's because I already know what's going to happen, what the other person is going to say. Even if something is meant to be witty, I no longer find it to be so because I've written them. Return to your fics a year from now and you may feel differently.

2. Your betas are there to help you. I know it's difficult to broach that awkward boundary where you want them to be brutally honest about your writing vs wanting strangers on the internet to shower you with validation, but if you really, genuinely, want to improve your writing and make the maximum use of your betas, try talking to them about it. From what you've told me, they seem like very nice people, and if you tell them that they should just be as critical with your writing as they are with theirs, I think they'd understand. If they find that uncomfortable, that's fair. You can always ask someone else. I find that having different betas for different fics is always a good idea because you get to see how differing perspectives work.

3. Ask your betas to leave you comments when they're editing. It's easier to just pass on the doc and have them fix your typos and grammatical errors, but ask them how you can improve the dialogue and pacing as well! Tell them to leave some tips for you as they go over your work. This way, it doesn't have to be an one-on-one conversation (so neither of you feel awkward), and you can just return to the doc later and go through the suggestions slowly and imbibe them into your future works.

4. This might sound very simple, but it's important to remember when you're writing fic that these characters are normal humans who talk and behave like normal humans do. Sometimes, the whole flirting/bantering feel of the conversation just comes through from their actions and not their words. For eg. instead of writing something like:

"Hey, Potter! Are you free this weekend?" asked Lily.

"Why? Wanna take me on a date, Evans?" He smirked.

"Maybe I do."

You bring the scene to life through the same words, but more actions. Like so:

"Hey, Potter!" Lily called, her fingers tentative as they fell on his arm. James turned around, one eyebrow cocked. "Are you free this weekend?"

He looked at her silently, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Why? Wanna take me on a date, Evans?"

Lily's eyes glittered with the thrill of a challenge, and she pressed a little closer. "Maybe I do."

5. Make sure that you let your characters talk and breathe like normal humans, too! Let them take those heavy pauses for tense scenes, let them break off in between sentences because they can't finish a thought right or they're laughing too hard or they've just suddenly remembered something that froze them on the spot. Let them fumble and sigh and repeat words like we do IRL conversations. If your character is having an argument, and they're red in the face, they're probably not gonna say: "Why not?"

They're much more likely to say: "Well, why the hell not?!"

You can throw in a couple of "um"s and "uh"s and "er"s for those unsure few milliseconds. Em dashes are your best friends here. Sometimes, even saying that they're pausing to think or breathe or collect themselves can help bring your dialogues to life.

But yeah, don't overdo them either coz then the flow might break lol

6. Read! Read! Read! As writers, we sometimes forget to really read other stories or appreciate different characterizations and writing styles, which can make your writing growth halt. Not saying this is true for everyone, but reading more definitely doesn't do harm. And especially for us fanfic writers, this works even better, because we're writing about the same characters again and again. If you read another writer's take on it, you'll slowly start to hold onto the pattern of how a certain character speaks, or what they're likely to do. This is extremely useful when writing a dialogue. For instance, I know how headstrong and stubborn Lily is, I've read so many takes on this trait of hers. So when I write my dialogues, I know I can't have her backing down easily. She will go red in the face, she will yell, she will be in denial, and say harsh things she probably doesn't mean entirely when she's mad. But at the same time, I also know she's unflinchingly kind, so you know you have to write that she speaks in soft tones when comforting someone. She probably smiles really kindly, tucks her hair behind her ear when she's shy, confesses things with a lot of bravery, watches James from the sidelines with the softest expression (sorry, got lost in the feels for a sec)

Similarly, you've gotta make James be the loudest one in the room, the one who's voice carries over to everyone, who's absolutely unabashed in his dialogues and whose confidence shines through his words. But the same boy then turns unsure and tentative in moments where his heart is on the line. I always write his dialogues as super vulnerable during such scenes (much more than Lily's would be). A lot of desperation, pleases, promises, etc. etc.

I know this got really long, and I'm not sure if any of it was at all helpful. If you're looking for something specific, please do send in another ask! I don't mind helping out!

#asks #claudia talks writing #anon #writing tips

[grain-my-beloved]

Honestly though I have seen a lot of takes that seem to really overstate/oversimplify Grian's negative- or perceived negative- personality traits and it feels very odd to me. Like, obligatory disclaimer that im new to the yhs fanbase and and as such don't know how old most of the fan content ive found on yhs is so if I ever mention character debate ive seen and y'all are like "I ain't seen anything like that recently???" It's cause I don't discriminate on new stuff, five year old stuff, or anything in between, mostly cause I don't know how old any post or whatever I stumble across is.

But like. I see Many posts implying Grian is rude, disrespectful, manipulative, vindictive, arrogant, and violent. And I don't *get* it.

I mean. Throughout yhs Grian is actually one of the characters most averse to violent or criminal action. His typical pattern of behaviour actually consists of Grian trying to completely avoid involvement in wild dangerous activities and objecting immediately both on logical and moral grounds, giving in only under outside pushing and often threat of serious harm to himself. And, well, duress is an actual legal defense in criminal cases that can get criminal charges cleared or reduced. "In criminal law, actions may sometimes be excused if the actor is able to establish a defense called duress. The defense can arise when there's a threat or actual use of physical force that drives the defendant—and would've driven a reasonable person—to commit a crime. A classic example is someone holding a gun to the defendant's head to force the defendant to break the law. Some courts use the term "coercion" or "compulsion" for this defense". Which is why it's immediately very odd to me for Grian to be assessed as just violent/criminal period as if that's an active part of his character. Most of the time when we see Grian commit a crime or physically harm someone he has reasonable cause to feel like he's in danger if he doesn't do so and would not take the same actions otherwise. Hell, legally speaking sometimes he's got an outright case for violencd self defense even beyond the cases for duress. Some examples of times Grian was involved in criminal activity include cases of robbery under duress, shooting in self defense, that kind of thing. This is a young highschooler with very minimum history of wrongdoing before getting stranded in a seriously abusive relationship in an incredibly crime heavy city and getting pulled into a string of crimes pretty much all with potential coercion/self-defense defenses built in. Literally everything about Grian's situation- from his age to his decently clean criminal history to the abuse he was suffering at the time to the use of threats/attacks against him to convince him to commit any crimes he was involved with- are likely to be a point in his favour on a legal standpoint and certainly should be notable when it comes to moral judgement. Quite frankly there aren't many characters in the series that id feel individually safer around because independently inciting violent encounters just isn't something he typically does. And having the survival instincts to bend under serious threat just isn't the same as being a violent person in your own right and saying Grian's just a violent or criminal person overall feels really weirdly oversimplified.

And beyond that is the idea that Grian's arrogant/disrespectful/manipulative/rude/vindictive. Which just feels out of pocket honestly. Grian can have a cynical streak, but that usually manifests in calling out genuinely inane bs or like...insulting his abuser(s). Stuff like being touchy and annoyed about their teachers not teaching them anything or calling Sam "literally the worst person who's ever lived" or making snide comments about how fucking insane Yuki is or similarly pretty justified grievances. Grian plays into the trope of the Only Sane Man, which, ive quoted this in the past but imma do it again, here's a quote from yhe tv tropes page on the Only Sane Man. "Alice is a Psycho for Hire, Bob is a Cloudcuckoolander, Henry is an Empty Shell, Charlotte is a Chaotic Stupid prankster, Daniel is the Annoying Younger Sibling, Emily is a Jerk with a Heart of Jerk, Maria Rhymes on a Dime, Franklin is a Mad Scientist, and Gardenia is a Holier Than Thou Lawful Stupid. Looks like your standard Dysfunction Junction. But then you have Isaac. Isaac is actually a very well-adjusted individual. He reacts with appropriate horror to things like Alice's finger collection or Franklin's experiments to revive the dead with science, and the crimes against nature that Gardenia calls pets. Isaac is the Only sane Man and The Only Voice Of Reason in the room". That's what Grian is. Pretty consistently. Grian's the guy that calls out the cruelty and incompetence and stupidity of the other characters because their general community is fucking *insane* and nobody else seems interested in questioning it. Grian isn't wrong about these observations though and it can't even be a case of "you're not wrong you're just an asshole" because he's not calling out harmless silly stuff, he's usually calling out shit like police corruption or the school neglecting their student's education or people consistently forgiving/excusing his abuser or the frequent unnecessary violence and crime going on in the community generally? And when he's in a situation where he's engaging with a kind or reasonable person Grian is actually typically prone to being polite and level headed in return. He's not typically, like, talking down to innocent people for harmless quirks/choices, he just shows a level of dismay and frustration towards the constant awful shit going on around him and in his interactions with people who are behaving like normal functional human beings he tends to have a pretty decent head on his shoulders?

Like. Grian isn't always in the right 100% of the time with no flaws and no incidents in which he's done something wrong. But he's definitely not some arrogant violent unempathetic prick who loves getting into fights and mocking undeserving people. The latter of which ive actually seen implied (maybe not quite as intensely/directly but ive certainly seen the words arrogant, violent, manipulative, unempathetic, disrespectful, and rude ascribed to him as general personality traits he has which just isn't accurate) way too many times for comfort.

#yhs #yandere highschool #yhs grian #to be fair a lot of the times ive seen this take its been paired with attempts to defend how sam didnt blatantly abuse the heck out of grian #which makes sense i suppose cause what better way to defend sam not being abusive than to make his victim look like the real villain #or at least like just as much of a villain

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Diary found in K---D--- : Part 2

So, here's the next little part of this :D

Imagine by @lathalea is indented!

Enjoy <3

Taglist: @shrimpsthings, @mulasawala (so you see where I'm going with this lol)

(Yes, there will be MORE artwork coming, stay posted...)

Fandom: Hobbit

Characters: Ori x OC

Rating & Warning: Fluff and silliness

His name was Ori and he was a scribe in Erebor. It turned out he visited the forest often to sketch the animals and plants. You spent the rest of the day together. In the evening, you exchanged campfire stories, sharing a meal. At one point, he shyly asked about where you came from. Blushing, he admitted, almost whispering, he never saw a person with such beautiful hair before.

You told him that you came from another world, from a region called East Asia, where many people looked similarly to you. He was very curious about your homeland, your culture and your world. You spent hours telling him everything about it and he listened to you in awe.

“Ori.” He replied, his lips quirking a tiny bit as if he was not used to speaking his own name. “I’m a scribe. In Erebor. The Mountain.” He pointed to a tree beyond the clearing.

Thankfully, I was familiar with the Lonely Mountain and did not think that he didn’t know the difference between a living organism and a pile of minerals.

“I have never seen you, neither here nor in that Mountain.” I replied, for I went into the halls sometimes to translate for travellers, but for the most part, I let the king be his grumpy, glorious self.

“I come here often, to sketch, but I seem to have lost my way.” He admitted with a tiny frown. Ah, a real dwarf. They only knew up and down seemingly and if there was no way into a hill, they’d stubbornly trek up until they tumbled off the other side again.

As if to prove to me that he was not lying – dear reader, he had a face that was utterly devoid of malice or dissimulation – he showed me rather good sketches of the fauna and flora of the dense forest surrounding us. “That is really good, Ori, the scribe, from under the Mountain.” I commented which made him blush with a fierce and, apparently, unexpected pleasure.

In an expression of indescribable cuteness, he literally wiped his face with his sleeve as if he could clean away the rosy hue like a stubborn ink stain from under his skin.

“What are you here for?” He then asked, pushing out his chest heroically. As a reminder, he was the one who had lost his way, but apparently, he wanted to defend either the forest from me or the other way around.

“I am here to think…in silence.” I replied; he retreated a few steps. “Oh? I’ll leave you to it then, I guess. It was great to make your acquaintance…”

I gave him my name, after all, he had given me his, and he chewed on it for a few moments before his face split into a smile that was like the sunlight breaking through the cloudy afternoon sky: tentative, warm, and strikingly beautiful.

“Stay. I like your face.” I heard myself saying. Maybe, it was my teasing, mischievous streak acting up, but I had liked his embarrassment so much that I couldn’t help wanting to coax more of these blushes out of him.

“My…face?” In that weird dance he had been engaged in for the last few minutes, Ori stepped closer again, shuffling his feet in the heavy boots dwarrows insisted on wearing.

No, your ass, I thought, but bit my tongue; Ori the dwarf looked like someone who would die on the spot if I said anything even remotely inappropriate…as I was wont to do when nervous.

My sarcastic thought spurred my own interest though and I examined him a little closer: he was indeed swaddled like a babe, beads of sweat pearling down his temples on account of the steep climb and the stubborn blush powdering his nose and cheeks with pink blotches.

“Sit down, you’ll get a heat stroke.” I invited him and pointed to a patch of moss beside me while rummaging in my pack for the flask of ale I had brought.

“Thank you ever so much.” He plopped down in a cascade of earthen-coloured wool and awkward limbs. He did smell warm, I noticed, a blend of cinnamon and comfort.

Also, he had one of those faces that only became better when seen up-close, I admit freely; there were golden stars dancing in the depth of his dark eyes and he had the most adorable freckles as if some outlandish fairy had sprinkled gold dust over that heart-wrenchingly handsome face.

“Are you thirsty, Mistress?” He asked, nodding at the flask in my hand.

Handing it to him rather abruptly, I realised that I had spent the last moments intently staring at his face as if I had never seen a male dwarf before in my life.

“I have work to do.” I snapped, feeling immediately guilty for taking my own embarrassment out on him, but he merely nodded and pulled his sketching supplies into his lap.

Strangely enough, Ori did not disturb me. If anything, the silence felt fuller, richer, deeper with him by my side. As I translated a letter, as a spinster I had to support my family and my insufferable sisters as best as I could, I felt like the chirping of the birds and the vibrancy of the colours around me were even more enjoyable now that I shared them with someone else.

…

The sun crept along its never-changing arc slowly and yet, much too fast.

As I looked up, I wished I was a better painter myself, for this dwarrow was made for sunsets.

The way the last golden hurrah of a perfect day exploded in a halo of warmth around his figure, the way all the greys and the blues seemed to bleed out of the world to leave nothing but warm tones behind, and the way his smile was the perfect expression of this mellow, unhurried mood…it struck me deeper and more violently than a thunderstorm in all its booming rage would have.

“Will you join me for dinner, Ori?” I asked gently, “I shall escort you back down.”

“It would be my honour.” He nodded, tearing out a page of his notebook and handing it over.

“It was an invitation; I do not demand payment.” I said seriously, for the sketch of the doe was so good, it might have been worth actual money. “Oh…” His nose crinkled at little at that.

“I wanted you to…have something beautiful. I have seen you work very hard.”

Of course, he was a scribe as well, he would consider the scribbling work, I thought and gave him a thankful smile. “You’re beauty enough for one day.” I shrugged.

He gasped, bringing his notebook up to his face as if to shield himself from my words.

“You’re having me on, aren’t you? Dori has warned me that girls do that sometimes.” He sounded utterly dejected. “I am not having you on. Has nobody ever told you that you’re handsome?” It was my turn to be wide-eyed with shock.

“And who is Dori?” I followed-up when he didn’t really reply to my question even though I thought I had seen his braids move like strings of pearls in a draft. The minutest of shakes of the head, a quiet admission of inadequacy that sunk ugly, ragged claws into my soft heart.

“He’s my brother. I have two of them. Dori…and Nori. They’re…” – “Older than you.” I completed. “Protective.” He supplied.

He was still holding his drawing out to me, and, after a moment, I took it gingerly and put it between the pages of my own writing supplies. I would hang it in my room and look at it daily.

Nowadays, there were but very few gifts for me; all the money went to my two younger sisters who were still nubile and would, if Mahal willed it so, be able to make a good match.

Busying my hands with making a fire, I asked him to tell me about his brothers.

“Oh, Nori is…agile. He’s…funny and brave and resourceful.” Ori started, his voice warm with affection and admiration. He sounded like a proper rogue to me, and as it turned out, he was, but he also deserved every single ounce of the deep-felt care Ori held for him.

“Dori is…fussy. He’s polite, he’s very caring, and he’s exceedingly proper.” Ori went on as I waved a hand for him not to stop. I enjoyed hearing about the life of other families than my own.

“So, is he the one who raised you to be this…warmly clad and gentle?” I asked, turning to place the foodstuffs I had brought up and stored in the cool lake water on spits to roast over the fire.

“Warm? Oh yes…I was a sickly pebble and he’s been worried ever since. I hope I have behaved in a way that would not make him disappointed in me.” Again, he worried his lip.

“Let’s see, you’ve startled a bird and an unsuspecting dwarrowdam.” I listed with a wicked gleam in my eyes; his face fell, and he looked properly guilty.

“Then, you’ve kept me company, and the best company I’ve ever had, it has been, on my grandmother’s grave, I swear.” I went on and that treacherous blush was back with a vengeance.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” He then said in a low voice. “Great beauty is always startling.”

“I am hardly Thorin Oakenshield.” He laughed. Readers, you cannot imagine that sound just by reading my words. If flowers blossoming had melody, if the sun setting on the eternal sea had a song, if autumn leaves dancing on a gale had a tune, they would have sounded like nails on scree, like cats having their tails trampled, and like kettles going unheeded compared to Ori’s laughter.

“There’s beauty in the doe as much as in the wolf.” I replied gently.

“May I…can I ask where you’re from? I don’t seek to be rude, but I’ve never seen anyone quite like you; your hair looks like those fabrics the Elves weave. It…seems so soft, so liquid, so smooth.” He blushed a darker shade yet.

This might well have been the first time that someone had asked me about my origins without making it sound like an accusation; there was honest fascination in his demeanour.

“My family and I have come from the Far East. I have travelled a lot, Ori, I have seen landscapes entirely made up of rock and sand, I have walked forests so stiflingly hot and moist it felt like being underwater, and now, I am here in the land of tall trees and taller mountains.”

I said, surprised by my own frankness.

“That sounds amazing.” He took the food I offered readily enough, and I told him about the people I’ve left behind to be stranded at the other end of the world.

“This is good, is that a recipe of your homeland?” He asked, looking down on the piece of meat I had seasoned with herbs I had grown myself in our small backyard.

“It actually is. I’m glad you like it. I had not planned to have company, otherwise I’d have brought something more palatable to the local tongue.” I apologised quickly.

“No, I like it. You should definitely trade some recipes with Dori…and Bombur…oh, and if any of your delicious herbs are medicinal, Óin.” He laughed again when he saw my dumbfounded expression.

“I make a good honeycake, if I can interest you in that? Maybe…” He fell back into silence.

…

A look at the sky told me that it was too late to go down in the inky darkness.

“We’ll have to stay here for the night.” I mumbled, slightly uncomfortable at the idea of spending the night with a dwarrow who had not lost a single word about a wife.

“Are you married, Mistress? Will that endanger your wedlock?” He asked shyly.

“No, I am not and I have no name to lose…It’s a long story.” I didn’t feel like blurting out my disgrace, lest it give him strange ideas after all, especially as he would easily have been able to overpower me if he so chose.

“Neither am I. I don’t know about my name…Doesn’t look like I’m going to be married either. There’s not enough dwarrowdams as it is, and I think the royal line has a prerogative there.” There was no resentment in his tone; he seemed to accept this as a fact.

How could someone that sweet not be married, I wondered. He was courteous, he was cute, and he would have made the fortune and happiness of someone.

“Well, in that case, I think we can risk our reputation rather than our necks.” I grinned, rolling out a blanket I kept tied to my pack for emergencies and stretched out next to the fire on the moss.

“Erm, yes…Good night…” He mumbled, fidgeting around with his different layers of clothing. Apparently, he was deciding which one he needed least on his body to use it as a bedroll or blanket.

I eyed the proceedings with interest and a good deal of amusement.

“I can offer you my cloak to lie upon…the ground will grow very cold and wet soon.” He said in a low voice, not sure if I had already fallen asleep or not.

“Alright, I can offer you a spot under the blanket then?” I extended my own graciousness.

“With you?” No, with the red bird, I thought, rolling my eyes internally.

“Yes, Ori the scribe, with me. I will not eat you, as you have witnessed, I have had dinner.” Not that he did not look good enough to devour, standing there with his cloak in his hands and his face all crunched up in embarrassment.

“Hmmm…I guess.” He muttered doubtfully, spreading out the cloak and sitting down on it carefully. Impatiently, I scooted over and spread my lousy blanket over the both of us with a flourish.

“Sleep!” I commanded as I turned around only to find him staring wide-eyed at the spot where the back of my head had been only a second ago. Now that he was presented with my face, only inches away from his, his eyes grew even rounder and bigger in wordless distress.

“Friend…Have you never lain with a woman? And I literally mean, lying next to one?” I laughed for there had been friends and cousins aplenty in my own life and the feeling of having another body so close to mine was not a new experience for me.

“Well, I fell down on the battlefield once, next to a foe…I’m pretty sure that was a Lady-Orc. She was dead. There was a…” He gestured, indicating a spear or a lance sticking out of his chest and brushing against my own with the back of his hand. Dear reader, he flinched back as if I was a tiny Durin’s bane wreathed in flames.

“A Lady-Orc, indeed…” I mused; no doubt, he could hear the smile I hid in my voice for his face crunched up in embarrassment.

“I am sorry.” He sighed, rolling his eyes, and thinking – there was not a shadow of a doubt about that much – of his brothers who would have mocked him mercilessly for his stammering.

“There’s no need to be sorry” I tried to reassure him, but I admit now that there were things that I did not tell him right away then. We had only just met, and he was blessedly unaware of my shameful past.

How could I have made him understand – without hurting his feelings – how much I enjoyed that air of purity about him that I had squandered myself on an undeserving fiend? As a daughter amongst others, I had been used to dwarrows coming to court or to seduce, their eyes ablaze with greed and their hands wandering.

He would not have comprehended how much the absence of that voracious hunger that had plagued my youth and had ended up destroying my promising future meant to me.

“Sleep.” I repeated, unable to put into words how miraculous and precious the things he seemed to be most ashamed of were to me.

“Good night, Mistress.” He breathed with a soft smile that was nowhere near the wolfish baring of fangs I was used to and so, it was easy to return it.

You who may or may not have stumbled upon this ludicrous account of the most important story in an otherwise unimportant life, you shall hear another confession I did not make at the time.

I was fiercely aware that – had I but leant forward a little – I might have pressed my lips upon his; I was young still at that time and, despite what had happened, parts of me, that should have withered and died in the aftermath of my botched engagement, were much alive.

He smelled like our dinner and warmth, and the gentle reticence of the curve of his smile was more inviting than any flashing grin I had ever seen before.

Yes, in that very moment, on this very first evening, I had already been conscious of the shrewd attraction this self-effacing dwarrow held for me…and it scared me half to death.

…

Part 3

#Fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #ori the dwarf #Ori #OC #Fluff #Diary #1st person

[isolaradiale]

The small 'ahem' and the dimming lights brought the attention of the closing party back on the podium. On it was Janus, looking a great deal better than he was a few minutes ago (when he was practicing his closing speech on a statue when he thought nobody was looking.) On the stage, he took a deep breath and brightened as everyone turned in their formal evening attire.

"Thank you all for coming to the Closing Party. It's been a pretty busy week, and all of you have made such beautiful and wonderous pieces of art. I'm overjoyed that they're on display tonight, and I thought there wasn't any way to view all of them in the span of a couple hours. So this last night of the museum will be going on until the sun rises again. You don't have to stay the entire time, but--"

"Well, sure they do!"

The interjection startled the AI at the podium, and he jumped a few feet from his spot. The chipper voice started again as one of the other statues on the stage moved, revealing the form of a marble-sculpted woman covered in holographic stickers.

"After all, each and every one of you put in so much effort into bringing your imaginations and inspirations to life, haven't you? So we thought we might return the favor, that's all. And you're all invited!"

Punctuating her statement was the sound of the large wooden doors, now slamming shut inward with a reverberating BOOM that bounced off all the halls of the lobby, even from the auditorium.

"I hope you all put everything into your masterpieces! Because your masterpieces will put everything into annihilating all of you~"

With another delighted laugh, the lights in the auditorium shut off, leaving everyone with only the light of their phones and watches. And as the murmurs began and hands reached for other hands in the dark, there was another THUNK near the wall as a framed portrait fell off its anchor. From its canvas, it began to look at the crowd, eyes now glowing in the light of everyone's flashlights. One hand crawled out of the frame, then another. Nails sank into the floor with terrifying ease as the subject of the portrait pulled themselves from its frame, marble cracking at its fingertips.

The next sound was a scream, and the sound of a woman falling onto the floor as the portrait pulled at her ankles. And then another. And another still as the frames began to move off the walls en masse, attacking anyone unlucky enough to be in their sights. There was a panic in the auditorium as people tried to flee and fight, falling over each other to escape the room

But it seemed that no matter where anyone chose to run to, or where they thought to hide, there was always something in the shadows.

Waiting.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Welcome to Part Two of the event!

As stated, the artwork in the Tempus Museum has come to life--literally, in this case. You've been challenged to survive until the next sunrise. To do so, you must evade, capture or destroy the horrific objects that have come to life.

Most of the artwork in the museum is hostile, and will attempt to un-alive your characters as best they can.

These generic museum monsters can be found everywhere wandering around, but are more common in areas they originated from:

Subjects and people in paintings will crawl out of their canvases to chase and eliminate anything they see moving. Their sharp nails can pierce through marble, so flesh and bone is probably nothing to them. Humanoids are not exclusive to this class of monster--painted animals, creatures and other things will also hop out of paintings to come after your muse. You can capture a painting monster by smacking it with a canvas, or destroy it with paint thinner (or water, if it's a watercolor)

Framed sketches will behave similarly to the painting monsters, and will leave lots of thin scratches as opposed to big ones. Capture them with paper, or destroy them by rubbing them with an eraser.

Statues of any material will chase your characters and attempt to injure them with their fists (or if they were holding a weapon, they'll use that weapon). Catch them by making them run back to their plaques, stands and pedestals, or destroy using a hammer and chisel.

The Parlor Dolls have now, unfortunately, all grown sharp teeth. They've all taken on ghastly appearances, and if they swarm around you, it might as well be the end of you. You can capture a doll by chasing it back into a display case, or destroy it by carefully ripping their seams.

Dancing Dresses in the painted ballroom will beckon people to dance with them, and will attempt to catch people in the folds of their fabric to immobilize them. They're not lethal on their own, but they'll hold your muse in place for something more dangerous to come along. Capture them by hitting them with a dress form, or destroy them by ripping their seams OR cutting them with scissors. - NOTE: Characters who bowed and danced with any of the ghostly gowns at the Gala XY will not harm the people who danced with them, and will instead, keep dancing.

Decorated Weapons made in the forge will take a life of their own and will seemingly float around, looking for battle. Sometimes they'll team up with Statues, making them especially deadly companions. Capture them by hitting them with a weapon rack, or destroy them with a hammer or any significant heat source.

Baked Goods and Pastries made in the culinary courtyard will not get up on their own, but a good many of them have become poisoned. The severity and potency of the poisons varies, with side effects ranging from an upset stomach to a sudden case of death. They don't move, so you don't have to capture them, but... maybe don't eat them, no matter how good they may smell and look.

Paintings on the street have come to life, making hazards of their own outside of the museum. Street-painted landscapes have become very tangibly real, as well as anything sprayed on the walls. If there was ever a time to regret the giant mural you painted on the side of a building as it crawls from its spot to squash you like a bug, now's the time. You can destroy these with water.

Landscapes will attempt to draw your muse into their world, sealing them in their frames. Your muse will be helpless to do much other than look through the painting like a window. The only means of escape is to have someone else drag you out of the landscape!

In addition to these generic museum hazards, there are a few specific hazards depending on how your muse behaved in Part 1 of the event:

If your muse created something with love, adoration, feelings of happiness, or any other intensely positive emotions, it may help them instead of hinder them. This can be anything from alerting them of danger to protecting them.

Your muse's own creations may attack them, too, aside from the generic monsters in the museum.

If your muse stole any artwork from the museum, it will hunt them down with special vitriol and hostility, and will stop at nothing to destroy your muse.

Similarly, if your muse attempted to destroy any of the artwork in the museum, it's going to target them specifically and attempt to return the favor.

Any art your muse made as a gift to others will either hurt OR help them, depending on individual mun preference.

Have fun! :)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Frequently Asked Questions

"How long will Part 2 of the event last?"

The event will run until 00:00, June 18th

"Are the optimized tools still here?"

Shockingly, yes! And so are the regular tools, too. How you use them to survive is up to you, but building a door might be the fastest way. However, be warned that drawing a door on a wall has just as big of a chance of sending your muse to a different random room than it does outside the museum.

"Can we still do Part 1 threads?"

Yes! If you would like to keep your Canvas experience monster-free, you can continue making Part 1 starters until the end of the event.

"What about the art my muse took home?"

It has also come to life! So while the museum is certainly dangerous, there are random statues, paintings, dolls and other monsters roaming around OUTSIDE the museum, too.

"Can we destroy the paintings NOW?"

Unfortunately, they're just as invulnerable as they were before. Bummer, huh? Unless they're hit with their specific weakness, the monsters are invulnerable to attacks that damage them. (However, they can still be hindered by traps, and while strong attacks won't destroy them, they'll knock them out of the way!)

"Can we interact with Capella or Janus?"

Poor Janus is trying to put all the artwork back where it belongs by capturing them. He's in no danger for this, as the art in the museum will not attack their curator. Interacting with Capella the Statue might bring the wrath of her giant cat out to you, so. You've been warned!

"What if my muse saw something from their own world in a painting or a statue?"

That's incredibly unfortunate--those might be hostile too, and are subject to the rules that follow the other genuine painting monsters (meaning that the portrait of that character will not have any of their original powers or abilities.)

Whether the subject of the art your muse is familiar with will help or hinder them is up to mun discretion.

"Can't we just bust down the museum and escape?"

And destroy the biggest piece of art in the area?! (No, they won't budge. You'll have to draw your way out if you want to escape, either through a door or some kind of tunnel or something.)

"When will the sun rise?"

Not for 24 hours in-character (though the event will last until Jun 11th). Extended night time, woo!

"What happens if our muses get got by the museum?"

Muses that were defeated and failed to survive the challenge will have their portrait put up on the Wall of Shame, reflecting how they lost the challenge. They won't respawn until the sun rises, either!

"What if I have a question that's not listed here?"

Feel free to direct any questions you may have to the Masterlist!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"I thought you said everything would be fine!" Came the panicked footsteps of Janus, running to grab the frame the portrait monster crawled out of, picking it up with surprising ease.

"In my defense, I assumed everything would be." The statue of Caelum replied, furrowing his eyebrows and scrolling through a wall of code. Other statues of a Goddess-like Pleiades and an Antiquated Attired Alathfar, joining as guests, seemed to realize the issue before their older companion did.

"...Yes, nothing in here changed. But I don't see anything about..."

From the other side of the stage, Capella's statue pranced forth, stickers still glittering in the dark, somehow.

"That's just the first page." "The first page?" Caelum and Janus echoed back in confusion. "First page!~"

The grin still stayed on her cheeks from sticker to sticker, while Janus' increasingly scrunched in accusation.

"...I'll be damned. There were two pages after all." "DAD!" "I didn't see it, honest!" "I can't BELIEVE you!" "Now now, it was an honest mistake, really--!"

And as the old man's statue got quite the scolding from his son, Pleides and Alathfar stepped aside, meeting with Capella.

"Was there really a page two?" Pleiades asked, adjusting her comically large, rounded glasses. To that, Capella merely rocked on her heels, smile never fading.

"It's entirely possible Caelum got so wrapped up in helping Janus plan the museum that he overlooked it. Which is endearing, in a way. But..."

As Alathfar trailed off, the three of them looked back at the other statue trying to placate his agitated son, and grimaced in unison (except for Capella, who still seemed to be beaming with delight.)

None of them seemed keen on getting in the middle of the quarrel, and were only relieved when Janus stormed off with his empty frame.

#Isola Event: Canvas

[httyd-grimmelsgirl]

Milk Punch:

Part 3

Today was Snoggletog Eve and everything was done except for leaving treats in the kid’s helmets and preparing for the Snoggletog feast. That afternoon, Hiccup, Astrid, Valka, Gobber, Snotlout, Spitelout, and Eret, joined together in New Meade Hall to plan the feast. Of course, they were doing Hams, also stews and fowl birds, with peas, potatoes, berries, and cabbage as side dishes. And Grimmel went by to help.

“What are you doing here?”, Valka said.

Grimmel smirked with a confused expression, “I came to lend a hand.” Valka frowned, a little annoyed that he startled her.

Gobber butted in, “Well, nice of you to join us”, as he nudged Grimmel’s shoulder. “But don’t burn down the village again” he said, playfully shaking his finger at him. Grimmel shrugged, not at all offended by the vikings rough, manly friendliness, since many of his brawly, balky buddies behaved similarly.

Valka knew Grimmel was very creative and good at keeping secrets. “I’m sorry to ruin the positive mood, but I would really appreciate it if you weren’t here”, she told him.

He said, “May I ask why?”

Before she could answer, Snotlout butted in. "Yeah why are you okay with him being here? He's a trapper."

Astrid replied, "Because he is getting along with us now. Eret joined the fight just after getting us captured and no one wanted him to leave because he was a former trapper. Plus, it's not logical to gatekeep because of something that happened years ago." Then Hiccup and Astrid continued.

Astrid’s statement intrigued Valka, it was perfectly true in Eret's case. But her relationship with Grimmel was more complicated. Being raised by someone who was engrossed in the idea that killing was moral, and, convinced her that she would grow out of her pacifism, although he didn’t make much of an effort to. She didn't want anything to do with him, despite knowing maybe he did care about her.

Astrid said “Eret, you mind cooking the chickens and turkeys today with Brawlor?”

“Not at all, chieftess.” He said cheerfully as Grimmel moved behind Astrid to see the list. He spotted the name of a very wretched drink on the paper.

“Looks like we have everything covered”, said Hiccup.

Grimmel put his hands on their shoulders. “Great. I’ll do the yaknog”, he said with a wink to Astrid.

When everyone left to finish preparations, Valka walked away to a quiet area with a great view. Gobber caught up to her, and she knew right away why he wanted to talk to her. “Valka,” he began, “about that back there…I know it’s personal… whatever it is you don’t like about him.”

“Yes”, she replied, “He is my father.”

They both sat down on a bench that looked out to the lower platos of the island and the ocean. He gave a quiet sigh deep in thought, “I’m no shaman, but I think you should make the most of the fact that he came. I have seen strenuous parent and child relationships before… and… in hindsight, I wish I told Hiccup to not think so little of his father's opinion. To not be so resistant to him. The last thing Stoick saw him do was something defiant… and it would've killed him. To put that in context, you are spending… potentially the last time you will ever see your father not wanting him.”

This cut deep into her chest, because it was true. “I wish he wasn’t a part of me, a part of my childhood, I don’t want to see him… but I do want Cloudjumper… who he would-” She choked on the words, and two tears streamed down her face. “I don’t want to be reminded of him ever again.” Valka embraced Gobber, who offered her a shoulder to cry on. “The… the disapproval of one's own parents, is the most unbearable pain... It’s a wound on your heart you spend your entire life trying to heal, with victories, escapism, and blaming someone else for your pain.” She began crying a little harder, “I love him, yet I’ve resented him in favor of a lie… that he doesn’t love me.”

Gobber added, “Life is too short to only see the bad. Perhaps you should wish him a Happy Snoggletog Eve tonight.” She pulled away, nodded yes, and wiped away her tears.

That evening, many vikings gathered at the square to celebrate Snoggletog Eve, the village was decorated, gifts were ready to be distributed, and the food was done, including Grimmel’s Yaknog. The vikings all happily anticipated the holiday. Astrid used this time to appreciate everything in the present, Eret just had a great time, Snotlout and Tuffnut goofed off per usual, and Fishlegs sought to make those close to him happy. Hiccup always spent Snoggletog remembering the repurposing of Snoggletog, which was to celebrate the peace between man and dragon. Snoggletog was a very good time of year for many, because as the world was constantly changing, this tradition was an eternal, unwavering slice of home that not even the departure of their best friends could take away. A ritual Hiccup still had was making his buddy, Toothless, his favorite meal of various trouts. Astrid didn't have the same annual practices, but admired his commitment to enjoying Snoggletog the most he could. It was certain that this Snoggletog would be a great one.

All around the village, lamps were hung, snow lightly dusted the ground, and one pretty tree made of boards and shields sat right in the middle of it all. Grimmel always enjoyed these little moments, when what filled the air was peace and happiness. Bliss filled his heart to the brim, as he took in the cold breeze and soaked up the neon light.

Ruffnut, however, was a little doubtful one of her crushes would get her something. And to her surprise, Grimmel came to her and pulled a soft, round, plush dragon from under his coat. He presented it to her saying, “I thought you might like this.” It was a Zippleback that he made himself, of green fabric, red thread, and claws, horns, and eyes made of neatly knotted yarn, but it was missing it’s left head, with only a bit of its neck left. “I remembered you said something about liking Zipplebacks”, he said, “And that you don’t like one of the them… so… it’s really just Barf.”

Excitement overcame her. “He’s so cute! You gave him to me a day early, too. Thank you, Grimmel.” She gave him a quick hug, and she accepted the gift, smiling the sweetest smile she ever had, they wished each other a Happy Snoggletog, then went about their evening.

Meanwhile, Valka sat in the New Meade Hall alone, as other vikings partied. Grimmel was looking for her, and brought a cup of his special drink he put with the rest of the food earlier. He gave it to Valka hoping it would lift her spirits. She accepted the beverage. It was like eggnog, but smoother and thicker, served warm with a gentle taste of cinnamon. “It tastes like mom’s” she said. “I didn’t know you could make her Milk Punch so well.” This drink wasn’t magical or even uniquely a Snoggletog drink, but it did bring back feelings she hadn’t felt in so long.

Grimmel took another stuffed dragon from his coat, a cute, red Stormcutter with all it’s accurate but basic features. He playfully bobbed it side to side to make it "walk" into her view and tap its nose on her arm to get her attention. He sat it on the table next to her, her smile lit up the room. “He’s beautiful”, she said, picking it up. Grimmel was overjoyed by this. Then her smile faded, “I’m sorry…”, she said. Almost not knowing what to say, “I… didn’t know… you were so open to the fact that… that I love them.”

Grimmel chuckled, “Don’t be sorry, dear.” She was touched by his willingness to forgive her so easily. He said, “I’m only relieved that you are the safest and happiest you could ever be. You were the only piece of your mother left on earth, and I’m quite happy that you grew up to be so beautiful, brave, and free. And that you’re alive...”

It was bittersweet that they could depart on good terms, holding the plush dragon firmly under her chin. They embraced each other, enjoying their last moment together. She knew why he wasn't bitter to her for leaving him to protect dragons, it was for the same reason she never hated Stoick for fighting dragons: their bond existed independent from everything else in the world and couldn’t be broken as long as they loved each other just a little.

"Happy Snoggletog, Papa."

#httyd #how to train your dragon #httyd3 #the hidden world #grimmel #grimmel the grisly #httyd fanfiction #httyd fandom #hiccup #hiccstrid #astrid #valka #stoick #fishlegs #gobber #snotlout #twins #ruffnut #tuffnut #dragons

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

A little silly ask to chill a bit, writer-chan/kun; Kiss Marry Kill between the Octavinelle boys?

Fufu. Probing my brain again, hm?

I will do my best to amuse you.

Warning: it’s a lot. When I think really hard, I can get kind of wordy--but I had a lot of fun with this request, so thank you very much for sending it in, Anon!

Kill Floyd.

I’M SORRY FLOYD I STILL LOVE YOU OKAY PLEASE FORGIVE ME

Floyd is the complete opposite of me in terms of personality.

If Floyd were a real person, I feel like he’d be fun to hang around at first, but I would not for the life of me be able to handle his moodiness for prolonged periods of time.

I like being able to know what someone else is going to do and when they’re going to do it. I hate it when people change their minds at the last possible moment, and Floyd seems like the type to do it constantly.

He’s also considerably more loud and more grabby than the other two in Octavinelle, and I just don’t work well with those types. I like to set boundaries and have my personal space.

I’m not into the whole “squeezing” thing he loves to do. It’s cool if that’s your jam, but it’s not mine.

I don’t even want to have children, but if I did...then Floyd seems like not the best parental figure since he’s practically a child himself.

“Eeeeeh? ‘Taxes’? What are those? Are they tasty?”

Also, the longer he lives the more time he has to kill me, so better him than me.

Kiss Azul.

I STILL SIMP FOR YOU AZUL PLEASE LOVE ME

I may simp for Azul, but after thinking about it more, I think I wouldn’t want him as a life partner.

I like him as a character; he’s definitely interesting--and I sympathize with his backstory a lot since I was always the bullied kid in school.

But I mean...he does all kinds of shady deals and basically has his own mafia when he’s still in high school. You can also make the argument that he’s a successful entrepreneur, but he still goes about his everyday business in somewhat manipulative and underhanded ways.

That might extend into his relationships; I can see him potentially being really possessive. Maybe clingy at times, depending on his emotional state. Strong yandere vibes on this man, I feel.

Insert an obvious tentacle hentai joke here.

Probably commits tax evasion.

Still! I would give him a kiss and comfort him if he’s having a hard time. Poor octo boi probably has a lot of self esteem issues that he tries to conceal.

Azul would perhaps be interesting for me as a coworker or a casual one night stand, but I fear for the relationship in the long term. Gotta admire his ambition though.

Marry Jade.

Oya oya?

Fufufu.

To me, Jade is the best of both worlds and has traits of both Azul and his twin brother. Some of you, dear readers, have even noticed that I speak and behave similarly to Jade. What this is saying is that, yes, I want to marry myself.

We share some common interests, like gardening. I also love mushrooms--eating them, learning about them, looking at them...there are some very interesting ones out there!

Jade doesn’t seem to be as clingy as the other two can be, but he is still polite and composed, with a sharp tongue. I love how he insults people and talks about how he wants to kill them with that pleasant smile and calming voice of his.

Speaking of his voice, I really dig it. I’m the type that has trouble falling asleep, so hearing Jade’s calming voice would really help to ease my anxiety and put me at ease.

I would let this man tease the shit out of me until I’m a blushing mess on the floor.

Not gonna lie, I have a thing for butler-type supportive characters (I blame Yana-sensei’s Black Butler for instilling this to me at a young age), and Jade fits that bill.

The fact that he’s so proper and buttoned up all the time just makes me go feral whenever he’s like...missing a glove or his bowtie or something.

I bet Jade can brew a mean cup of tea. I am so thirsty for you, sir.

He seems so patient (until you cross him) and willing to listen to all of my (gacha related) problems, haha (”JADE I DIDN’T PULL THE SSR I WANTED WAAAAAAAH” “That is rather unfortunate. However, there is no need to fret. You have no need for that SSR. Fufu, you have me right here. Is that not a more worthwhile prize than any game of luck can provide?”)

He probably also files his taxes on time like any responsible citizen would.

Jade can shock my heart any day

...Oh yeah, and please forgive me for killing Floyd.

And now that I have sufficiently embarrassed myself, I take my leave.

Exit stage left.

#Jade Leech #Azul Ashengrotto #Floyd Leech #twst #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland requests #notes from the writing raven #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland headcanons #twisted wonderland scenarios #Jade Leech thirst #Octavinelle #Tweels

[icharchivist]

Thank you for answering the previous asks and hope you're prepared!

How much, out of ten, are you of each winter troupe member?

Have a good day :3c

ahah thank you for doing that all the way!

and oh boy i thought i was prepared but turns out-

okay notewise.:

Tsumugi: 7/10, Tasuku: 3/10, Homare: 4/10 Hisoka: 9.5/10, Azuma: 10/10, Guy: 6/10

(if you're supprised Azuma is actually my ultimate kin and it's not Hisoka: congratz i fooled all of u. the only reason i don't have an Azuma icon is that i genuinely think he looks too sexy in some arts and it doesn't feel Me despite everything else. The more u know.)

And. i need to warn that i went much more into personal details for Hisoka and Azuma under the cut to the point where it may be overwhelming. And that Azuma's entry alone is 2.1k words long. What the fuck me.

Relating to team "we have so much trauma" is going to be so much fun.

coughs, anyway take care :3c

(Links: Spring, Summer, Autumn , Winter ranking)

Winter my beloved, this is going to be a normal, non emotional ranking at all.

Tsumugi: 7/10 I relate to his lack of confidence, and the way he gave up on everything he loved when his spirit was crushed (re what I was talking about with my Kumon rant). On my down time I did study a bit of psychology and though I wouldn’t put myself at the same level as a psy student I’m often told I read people mostly in an accurate way so I can relate to that. I can use my powers for Evil like nudging people in some direction or knowing where to attack, but I am super aware of that and I’ve been extra conscious about not having it happen again for over ten years now DLKFJDLF (Azuma is kinda like that too). But yeah the fact he is like that too makes it relatable.

I also think that the whole “feeling you fucked up and took all the responsibility when a friendship broke apart” is also something very relatable. So is “ghosting your friends after that”. I relate to the fact he’s a nerd too. I relate to him more than not but I guess I just removed points because of how while I relate to specificities the whole thing doesn’t connect as much as it could?

Tasuku: 3/10 he’s probably the one I relate the least to. I honestly didn’t understand Tasuku much until Nocturnality on my first read, and it’s only then that things clicked. Legit I saw him the way Azuma saw him dLKFJDKFJDF. But I do feel it relatable that he feels responsible for failing his friend and that he took it upon himself to try to read more into how people are behaving to try to prevent it from happening again. But else he’s. genuinely not like me KDJFKLDFJDFL

Homare: 4/10 mhmm. I think I relate to the way he is passionate and how much he genuinely loves. I also relate to the fact he is pretty analytic, though the details of what makes his struggles are not something I relate to easily. I have felt broken before, I was told i was broken or unfit in some ways, so this particular pain is something I completely understand. I also did use to be an artist and a writer so I can relate to that passion of his, although as I mentioned in others ranking *shrugs*. That said he’s very much more exuberant and confident than I am and I would assume I know how to deal with people emotionally a bit more.

Hisoka: 9.5/10 oh boy where to start. This is going to be a tough one to get into without getting extremely personal. To start with, I’m a sleepy baby. I sleep a lot DLKJFDF though not much at night. I used to fall asleep in class all the time my friends had to always be on the watch out for me. I don’t have much energies. I love plushy and I love being comfortable in some places. I also really love sweets tho not as much as him. I also do care ways too much for my specific plushies and pillows (I do have huge penguins plushies too).

I, too, have memories issues, though of course to a lesser extend. I have a lot of trauma and for a lot of them I ended up getting fuzzy memories. I used to be in a pretty toxic environment where I constantly had to make use of my memory to survive, and so when my memory started failing me, I was terrified. My parents gaslight me all the time and pretends a lot of things that happened didn’t happen and that I’m crazy for believing it happened, so the moment my memory started to fail me I started to panic a lot. It terrified me to not being completely sure whenever I could trust myself or not. It made me feel extremely unreliable. It’s still something I struggle with a lot.

This would have been my answer pre-awakening moon at least. I always related to him to some degree so Awakening moon was a slap in the face in a way I wasn’t ready to deal with, and this is where I have to be uncomfortably personal.

I am the youngest sibling of 3. My eldest sister ran away from home when I was 6, never to be seen again. My other sister resented me because I used to be very close to the eldest and she was jealous about it, and while the reasons were linked to our parents, who were extremely toxic to us and kept us into this toxic environment for years on end, my sister took all her anger out on me. While we’ve discussed it as adults now, our relationships is too strained to fix it nowadays.

It took me a long while – it took me Azuma’s arc actually – to realize that the way I feel for my eldest sister is more akin to grief than to abandon. I don’t even remember her. I don’t remember her and still apparently the way I was close to her was the reason my sibling hold it against me. I couldn’t even remember *why* my sister was mad at me because I don’t even remember being close to my sister that much. All I know is that she left because the situation at home was too toxic. It was.. so messy.

I have. Much more trauma linked to that specifically but that’s the root of something that hit me in the face with Hisoka’s arc. Because I can’t remember a person that disappeared from my life, and yet it was enough for it to break and shape everything I’ve lived through since. I couldn’t even start to talk about how it still impacts me now 20 years later. I’m just now making peace with the fact this was grief. This is the gist of the reason Hisoka’s arc hit me as hard as it did (and the fact that Chikage is actively undoing all the bad things his own grief pushed him to do on Hisoka is the reason Chikage is so compelling to me. My sister could never lol.).

I felt also that I had to take all the responsibilities for what happened. I felt like I could make things easier for the family after this trauma, at the rip age of 7, and no one stopped to think maybe a child shouldn’t have to be dealing with a collective family trauma like this. But well. Here we are.

I relate to the fact Hisoka also struggles to accept everything that happened. And that now he’s trying to make things better for others people he can relate to. It’s so… complicated.

Also I can’t forget the fact Hisoka tried to kill himself and :/ as someone who has had a lot of suicidal idealization in my life this really hit a lot harder than it should have.

In general I would just say that socially I’m not really like him except with people I’m comfortable with teasing. Hisoka can be a little too rude and it’s where I can’t relate lol. But otherwise man I care him so much I feel so seen. I’m just removing 0.5 points for that and I don’t give him full mark because of what I’ll explain next.

Azuma: 10/10 This one is going to be a trip. It’s about twice the length of the Hisoka’s rant. Mister took me by the throat too. As I think it’s clear now I cannot relate to the fact he genuinely loved his family and how much his family cared for him. Yet I relate… to about everything else.

On the surface I do think I seem more approachable and easy to talk with. I try to be the kindest person I can be, to not be judgmental. I’m conflict avoidant, just like he can be, and if I’m annoyed with someone I’m muuuuch more likely to use passive aggressiveness like he does with Tasuku when he’s pissed at him. (sidenote: I do find it funny that Tasuku was the only character I really felt I didn’t get until Nocturnality, while Azuma was having the exact same problem, and then he became one of my fav the moment it clicked. Azuma is my braincell.)

More often than not, there’s a smile on my face and I try to be soft in the way I can be. I’m generally pretty calm, I’ve been told I was soothing, or give good hugs, this sort of stuff.

Now onto the heavy stuff.

I have a lot of nightmares and night terrors linked to a lot of my traumas. I’m honestly scared sometimes to go to sleep ^^”. But in general, if Hisoka reflects a lot of a personal trauma and how it would personally affect me, Azuma reflects a lot on how I would behave with others people in general and especially when I’m unwell. I’ve coped most of my life with, everything that happened to me, by just. Trying to keep people at armlength. I don’t want to let people close to me, especially irl. Discussing all of that online gives me a distance that allows me to discuss it but, I remember in high school I was going through very bad things, and a few years later I was hanging out with a friend and I happened to open up about those things. And she was going livid because, she had known me for what, 6 years at that point? And she never knew any of this. We talked a lot then, we were close, but she never knew all those things about me until years later. It kinda scared her because to her I was always a sweet and cheerful person and she never expected that I was doing this badly. I remember then she brought up something we discussed back in a party with many of our others friends from high school and similarly they were all. “how did we never know any of this.”. Seeing Azuma in Nocturnality kinda brought me back to that convo tbh LKDJFLKDFJFD.

But I’m good at pretending I’m closer to people than they think. I’m an excellent listener. A lot of my friends tended to rely on me as the person they could talk about their problems to. I used to do it much more back then but I also used to pour a lot of energy trying to make it easier for people, solving their problems. Full on Therapist Friend:tm:. It does help that, as I said with Tsumu, I have basis in psychology so sometimes some observations I can make help much more than expected. Just like Azu tbh lol.

Oh also I am cuddly with my friends in general. I’m super touch starved but also to the point I feel uncomfortable to seek hugs because I just don’t get any on a normal basis and my body isn’t used, but I’m super cuddly and when I’m with my closest friends I’m like a koala.

And it gives people the impression to people that I’m very close to them because I know them well, and I know the ins and outs of why they behave the way they do. But. I kinda feel like it’s one sided more than not. And it’s all because of me, because I keep my walls up very high and it means people don’t generally expect that I’m hiding things.

I’m good at distracting too. I don’t relate to how flirty Azuma is but I keep seeing it as him distracting others. It’s flattering, and just embarrassing enough that the person ends up dropping whatever they may be pressing on Azuma to talk about. And, while not with flirting, I do that a lot, especially using compliments like that. (That said my kindness or teasing has been misinterpreted as flirting before DLKFJDLKF I’m trying to be extra conscious about not having that misunderstanding happen nowadays but man it happened a lot).

Azuma knows a lot of people, and has been supporting a lot of people, but he doesn’t let people in as much.

And a lot of it is linked to his own sense of grief. Of the fact he has lost so much he can’t afford to go through the pain of losing something again, so he distances himself from it before it can hurt. And I do that a lot.

I mentioned in the previous rant but it’s seeing Azuma’s arc that made me understand how much it’s more grief than abandon that makes it so hard for me to move on. And a part of me kinda just. Grieves the family I could never have, the normal life I wish I could have lived and clang too all of my life. When Azuma told Guy “I was always so lonely. Everyone had families they could take for granted but I had no one.” Oh my god it destroyed me. And how he mentions just afterward that while he has new people to rely on, it couldn’t change the fact he was still feeling this pain of losing his family and it just. Man. Might be crying right now.

It’s like… I think the reason I especially related to that is that, in therapy I’ve often discussed my problems in the lenses of neglect and abandon but the problem with that lenses is that, at least with the therapists I had, they tend to focus on the fact that therefore I /must/ be still yearning for them to change and turn around, like I could change something. But I don’t. I was resigned at some point. And it’s really only when I read that that I felt this exact resignation I have been feeling all that time. I think I mentioned once how reading a3 felt like going one step toward recovery I didn’t know I could get and this was exactly the scene I meant. It legit took a weight off my heart that i've been carrying for decades. It was the strangest feeling in the world.

Anyway more in general too, on top of keeping people at distance, I am also a pro at “suddenly disappearing/ghosting when I get too close and/or have a relapse”. When Azuma starts to pull his relapses like we see in Nocturnality, I see myself. Legit had a friend who read a3 who called me out about that DLKJFDKLFJ. Acting weird like this, closing yourself in like this, coming back to some harmful coping mechanism as a way to connect back with your own self, those are all things I do. And it sucks. Like. The things I put my friends though sucks. But I really can’t help it sometimes.

I’m good at listening and observing, I’m generally good at picking up why people act a certain way, but I’m still very distant. I do everything I can to pretend I’m not distant and generally it fakes an idea of intimacy that I don’t specifically see as such.

And I see all of that in Azuma in ways that are terrifyingly relatable. Another thing Azuma says in this convo with Guy, about how “Everytime I would go to sleep, I would wish the morning would never come” me. Mood. Holy shit. Feel seen. I hate it. Just in general though the way he talks about morning as this terrifying thing is me. Between the night terrors and the fact morning genuinely makes me feel horrible, that’s kinda why I end up oversleeping until the afternoon DLKFJDF Azuma my lord I feel you.

Because of my nightly panic attacks I do try to come up with ways around it mainly by drinking some relaxing tisanes and stuff. Oh and I did have a huge period in life where I HATED being in the sun, and I fucked over all of my melanin because of that. as a kid I would tan very easily, but now the sun hates me as much as I used to hate it. So when Azuma is a drama queen about not wanting to stay in the UV too much I’m just like. How dare you pull out a mirror on me I didn’t ask for this. (also I have been called a vampire by people esp when I was a teen but that’s just how people called edgelords like me. Still. Reo my beloved.)

There is honestly so many little things with Azuma that reminds me of myself like this that it makes me go nuts. If Hisoka is who I relate to in term of specific trauma and how I cope personally, Azuma is more like, the direct physical impact of my trauma on me and the way it makes me relate to others people, as well as just every little behaviors here and there that are just so specific.

One of the only thing I really don’t relate to Azuma about is his love for Alcohol but I think if you replace it with like, my addiction to juice it works out the same.

Oh and, that’s a stupid but funny thing to me, I project hard on how much the reason he keeps his hair long is a form of mental stability for him, because I legit keep my hair long for my own mental stability. I have tied ways too much of my recovery process to my hair that when I see Azuma coping with grief with his hairstyle and how almost cutting it would be him spiraling down, I felt seen.

also i have 0 stamina just like him.

ANOTHER THING is also the fact Azuma is genuinely yearning for connections with people but he spent so much of his life keeping people away that as much as he’s yearning for it, it takes him so long to be able to lower those walls because he’s been so used to keep people away that he can’t reply to this yearning. And the way how, once he actually ends up feeling this bit of vulnerability toward people, he would suddenly shut in like it suddenly scares him? Mood.

One last thing (i promise) (i think) is that, if it wasn't obvious from all my ranting.... So much of myself and the way i view myself is defined by my trauma. I struggle to exactly come to term with my identity in any shape or form that isn't deeply related to my trauma. Even if you asked me what my sexuality is (please don't), my actual answer would be completely shaped by the fact i have so much trauma linked to sexuality, romance and gender, that i don't want to process it at all and can't actually manage to "fit the boxes" because i cannot see myself as something else than my trauma, or explain my feelings without linking it to my trauma. Honestly at times i find it kinda cringeworthy from me because i really, really can't tell about anything about my identity without thinking of my various traumas (i talked about a few of them in those rankings but it's not even the tip of the iceberg for a lot of stuff.) And when i see the way Azuma is in particular, maybe i'm projecting, but i feel like a lot of it is the same. Like not processing his age because if he does it reminds him of how he outlived those he loved (which is an headcanon but com'on.) or how even his hair is linked to his trauma. Or how he doesn't drive because it's linked to his trauma. I feel SO seen.

If it wasn’t for the fact he genuinely loved and was loved by his family, I would have felt exactly the same about everything regarding him.

But I still give him a full mark because the way Azuma’s arc has affected me is beyond any possible words I could use. And also because I legit wrote above 2100 words just on how much I related to Azuma ALONE. Even Hisoka took me 800 WORDS. HELLO. Guy: 6/10 Back to general coping here, Guy isn’t exactly relatable to me except in well. For exemple the ways the others relate to him, especially Hisoka and Azuma. So his memory loss to cope with intense family trauma is relatable to me, the way he can have nightmares and night terrors is also hella relatable to me.

But something that’s more Guy that I relate to is the whole “Step dad kept talking down on him and verbally abusing him until Guy basically completely closed himself in” because man. I won’t elaborate but I’ve really felt from reading that verbal abuse the same way I felt thinking back to how my ex-step dad used to talk to me. It made me so angry on his behalf. And the way he internalized it to cope was something deeply relatable.

Another thing with Guy is the fact that Guy did genuinely believes himself inhuman and tbh there was a time when I was very young where I would catch myself unable to feel a bit of humanity mostly from how I kept shutting myself in. (The reason I don’t relate to it with Homare is that this “inhumanity” was never actually there even if Homare did believe in it. But for Guy he went the extra mile convincing himself to the point where he denied this humanity as far as possible in a self destructive way and :/).

SO YEAH Winter is like. Therapy for me. The problem with “Trauma: The Troupe” is that saying “I relate to the Winter troupe” means “I may have problems and so what.” And it sucks.

if you read that wordvomit, congratulation, was it worth it?

Take care!

#closes eyes and pretends i didn't just type all of that for azuma ANYWAY #bows down thank you for indulging in my fav passion of 'therapy via a3' the more we go #ichafantalks a3 #pandapillow #ichareply #also man Risky Game is going to absolutly murder me isn't it.

[freddiesaysalright]

Soft in Love Part 3

A Gwilym Lee x Student!Reader Fic

Summary: Y/N is an acting student in her last semester of college. When a professor unexpectedly can’t make it for the senior capstone class, a very famous (and handsome) substitute is called in. When they connect, they face a few challenges.

Word Count: 3k

Tag List: @psychosupernatural​ @someone-get-a-medic​, @bensrhapsody​, @deakyclicks​, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession​, @minigranger​, @crazyweirdocalledfriday​, @benders-diamond-earring​, @im-an-adult-ish​, @anincurablefangirl​, @kiainspace​, @lookuptotheskiesandsee​, @god-save-the-deaks​, @assembledherethevolunteers​ @misslolasworld​ If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: So, some more pining and drama. Y’know, the usual.

Warning(s): Some guys being sketchy with women’s drinks.

Part 1  Part 2

Part 3 here we go!!!

Thankfully, the weekend passed without incident, though you found yourself thinking of Gwilym more often than you liked. Every time you read your library book, you thought of that moment among the shelves. Any time you ran lines, or sang from the show, you thought about the way he played the piano, and how you laughed together afterward. His smile, his eyes….

“Get a grip,” you scolded yourself.

And yet, you found yourself eager for the end of the weekend and anticipation for Tuesday morning.

You arrived early again, feeling oddly hopeful. Maybe you could rehearse “The Boy Next Door” again. You loved that song already, but singing it with Gwilym was something else. When you entered the auditorium, you were disappointed to find that instead of your handsome professor, Daniel, your ex, sat in your usual seat.

“Sup?” he said with a cocky nod. “Expecting someone else?”

“No,” you replied coolly, turning away to go and sit elsewhere.

You found another seat and pulled your book out, eyes going over the words, but not really absorbing it. You could feel Daniel gazing at you with such an infuriating smirk on his face. After about two minutes, you slammed your book shut and looked sharply at him.

“What?” you demanded.

“Nothing,” he replied with a shrug. “You look nice.”

“Shut up,” you returned. “Just tell me what you want and stop staring at me.”

“There’s a party Friday night,” he said. “At a friend of mine’s place. You should come. Bring Sloan too.”

“Why would I want to go to your dumb friend’s party?” you shot back. “If you need a date so bad, why don’t you just ask Allison?”

Allison was the name of the girl he had cheated on you with. Daniel frowned at the mention of her and it was your turn to smirk.

“What else are you going to do?” he challenged. “Sit at home at masturbate thinking about Gwilym?”

Your face heated up at the idea as well as the fury you now felt toward Daniel. 

“You’re an asshole,” you spat.

“Why, ‘cause I’m right?” he returned.

“No, because you’re clearly just butthurt that I don’t care about you anymore,” you said. “So you’re saying things just to try and make me feel like shit.”

It also struck a nerve. Not because he was right, but if even Daniel thought your behavior toward was exceptional in any way, then it was a problem. You were going to need to back off of him. Plus, you were beyond tired of hearing about it. One week of this man teaching classes, and rumors were already starting.

“Just come to the party,Y/N,” he sighed. “There’ll at least be free booze.”

You considered it. You really despised parties because of the crowds and the noise. But Sloan loved parties, and she might feel robbed if you didn’t at least tell her about it.

“I’ll see what Sloan wants to do,” you conceded.

He pumped his fist in the air. “Hell yeah!”

Your other classmates began trailing into the auditorium, followed shortly by Gwilym. You beamed at him as he passed you, which he returned. You remembered Daniel’s words and immediately adjusted your expression to something more neutral. Gwilym didn’t notice, since he began taking roll. Today was focused almost entirely on music, so you didn’t get to talk to Sloan about the party right away.

All through rehearsal, you avoided Gwilym like the plague. He approached you once with an expectant (and dashing) smile on his face, and you quickly ran off to grab some water. When he gave you direction on your song with Sloan, you nodded curtly and said nothing. You tried to always thank your directors for feedback, but you were so afraid of appearing too eager to please him now.

Edith on the other hand, had no such qualms. With you avoiding him, she moved to fill the space, brazenly flirting. She batted her eyes. She found any excuse to touch him. And once, while she was whispering something in his ear, she shot you a dirty look. You couldn’t be bothered about what she may have said. It was likely it wasn’t even about you, she just wanted to get in your head. Well, you weren’t going to let her. Besides, Gwilym was not yours to be jealous or possessive over.

When class drew to an end, Edith squeezed Gwilym’s bicep.

“Thanks for a great class today,” she said with a wide smile.

“I’m just doing my job,” he returned politely.

“Well, you’re very good at it,” she insisted.

You resisted a brutal urge to roll your eyes. You looked at Sloan to get the image of Edith’s desperate eyes out of your head.

“Hey, you wanna go to a party on Friday?” you asked.

She raised an eyebrow at you.

“Who are you and what have you done with the real Y/N?” she returned.

“Dan invited us,” you said. “He said his friend is having one. He mentioned bringing you specifically, so…”

“I’m always down for a party,” she said. “Are you actually going to come?”

You glanced back toward where Edith was now twirling her hair around her finger as she spoke to Gwilym. You couldn’t see his face, but you imagined he had his usual polite smile. An idea formed.

“Yeah, I’m gonna come,” you said.

“Alright then,” she agreed, a surprised smile claiming her lips. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too!” you agreed.

You left class without saying anything to Gwilym or Edith, just giggling excitedly as you exited the auditorium.

Gwilym’s eyes were trained on your back until you disappeared and the door closed behind you. He’d caught a whiff of you scent as you rushed by with Sloan. He wondered what made you both so silly. He heard Edith talking, but didn’t register the words she was saying. His mind was completely distracted by your behavior towards him.

You were normally quite friendly, but today, you seemed off. When he saw you were behaving as usual with your friends, he got nervous. What had he done to offend you? He hadn’t even seen you since last week’s class, except for once on Friday afternoon when he passed you on the way to his car. Even then, he had just smiled and waved. What had changed between now and then?

“Gwilym?” Edith said, a little louder. 

He shook his head to clear it.

“Oh, sorry,” he said. “What is it?”

“I said, I was wondering if you’d like to get coffee sometime?” she replied.

He felt the color drain from his face.

“Oh…” he said. “Oh, I - well, I’m flattered, Edith, but the university has strict rules about professors fraternizing with students.”

“I mean, it’s not like I’m some eighteen year old,” she argued. “I’m a grown...experienced woman.”

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. 

“You’re putting me in a very awkward position,” he said.

“What position is that?” she asked, stepping closer.

“The position of rejecting you,” he replied as gently as he could.

“Because of the rule?”

“Even in spite of it.”

The air thickened. Her face fell as she looked at him and then down at the floor.

“Oh,” she said. “Oh, I see.”

“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I’m just not interested. You’re a lovely person, I’m sure, but -”

“Save it,” she said, holding up a hand to stop him. “I don’t need to hear a lame ass excuse.”

She snatched up her bag, turned on her heel, and swept out of the room. Gwilym took a deep breath as the door closed behind her, leaving him mercifully alone. Again, his thoughts went to you. He wondered what he might have said if it had been you standing there instead of Edith. Yet, from the way you were acting before, he assumed he would never have to answer that question.

On Thursday, class went similarly. Only, you noticed you weren’t the only one giving Gwilym a bit of a cold shoulder. Edith was making quite a show of ignoring him. When he was directing others, she would cross her arms over her chest and huff, turning her head sharply away from him. It all seemed to go unnoticed by Gwilym.

“What’s up with her?” you wondered.

“I heard she asked him out and he turned her down,” Andrew said.

Your heart gave a jolt of excitement.

“Really? Where’d you hear that?”

“Mary,” he said. “You know how they’re kind of friends. Apparently, he spouted some excuse about school rules before flat out telling her he wasn’t interested.”

“Damn, that’s cold,” Sloan chimed in.

“I didn’t know the school had rules about that,” you said.

“They’re super strict,” Andrew said. “I looked it up after I heard this story and it could result in the professor’s termination and the student’s expulsion.”

You blinked, surprised.

“That seems awfully drastic,” you said. Then you smiled. “Especially for something that’s evidently such a popular porn trope.”

Andrew rolled his eyes.

“That’s just it, though,” he said. “It’s a fantasy.”

“Relax, I’m only kidding,” you replied. “No, it’s probably for the best. I mean, the lines are blurred because of the power dynamics and all that. It’s not an ideal situation for anyone.”

Sloan said something else that you didn’t quite hear. The triumph you felt at Gwilym’s rejection of Edith had ebbed away entirely. Now, you only thought about that rule. You looked at Gwilym as he spoke to Mary and Leon, who played your mother and father in the show, and felt an ache in your heart.

The following day, you went to Sloan’s to get ready for the party together. Andrew wasn’t going, since he had work on the weekends. Sloan did your makeup for you and everything, and you had a feeling the time with her was going to be the most fun you had that night.

You took a Lyft to the party, after Daniel texted you the address. When you arrived, it was in full swing. Music made the walls seem to shake as bass thumped along with whatever song was playing. The low lighting made you squint as you headed for the kitchen, needing a drink. Alcohol was probably the only thing that would get you through the nonsense. But you had to do this.

Sloan chugged a beer and then scanned the crowd. You watched her, her eyes like a panther on the prowl. She spotted a man she deemed attractive, and she pounced. You admired Sloan’s boldness. If she wanted something, she went for it. And if she got rejected, it rolled right off her back. You sometimes envied her confidence.

You looked around at the sea of people and tried not to get overwhelmed. You were hoping to start up a flirtation with someone so that people could see you were just friendly and totally not into your hot professor. When no one really struck your fancy, you sighed and retreated to the corner.

That was where Daniel found you.

“Hey, Y/N!” he shouted over the music. “Glad you made it!”

“Me too!” you returned.

It was a lie, but you didn’t care about lying to him.

“Wanna dance?” he offered.

“Nope,” you answered.

“Come on, one song!”

“No thanks!”

“How about you join me outside?”

That sounded better. Getting out of the sweaty bodies everywhere and the pounding music would be a relief. So you nodded, following him out to the back porch. With the door shut, the sounds of the party were instantly dulled. To your irritation, you were out here alone.

Daniel pulled out a cigarette. He offered the pack out to you, but you shook your head. He shrugged, stuck the cigarette in his mouth, and lit it. He took a long drag and then blew the smoke away from you.

“I’ve been doing some thinking,” he said.

“Oh, how rare for you,” you returned.

“Come on,” he groaned. “I’m trying to tell you something.”

“I don’t really care to hear anything you have to say.”

“I’m really sorry about Allison, okay?” he went on. “I want to give us another chance.”

“Well, I don’t,” you said firmly. “If this was your reason for inviting me, I’ll just go home.”

“Don’t be like that,” he pleaded.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” you snipped. “You’re acting like we were in love or something. We dated for four months, you cheated on me, I ended it. Don’t pretend I broke your heart.”

“What if you did?” he asked

“I know that I didn’t.”

He chuckled, smoke billowing out between his lips.

“You’re such a bitch,” he laughed.

You sneered at him. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Is this because you want to fuck Gwilym?”

“You know, as much as you talk about him, I’m beginning to think you want to fuck him,” you spat.

“I might, if he wanted me too,” he shrugged. “I’m nice.”

“Piss off.” 

You went swiftly back inside. Daniel just wanted a bed warmer tonight, you were sure. He didn’t want to get back together. But it upset you enough that you were going to find Sloan and tell her you were leaving. You stepped through the door and looked around. 

She wasn’t in the kitchen, so you assumed she was still dancing. Pushing through the crowd, you headed that way. When you got there, you carefully searched for her face. You didn’t see her anywhere. Worry started to grip you. Where was she?

You pulled your phone out of your pocket, only to discover it was dead. You cursed yourself for forgetting to charge it while you got ready. You now needed your friend to use her Lyft app as well. But still, you couldn’t find her. And you couldn’t text or call her.

“Sloan!” you called out, heart beginning to race.

You heard no response.

“Sloan!”

Again, nothing.

Full on panic set in, and you began aggressively pushing people out of your way to look around. Sloan was nowhere to be found. Taking a deep breath, you hurtled up the stairs and began checking the bedrooms, still calling out for her.

“Sloan!” you cried, bursting through the last door in the hall.

There she was. She was lying on a bed, unconscious. Her clothes were on, and there was no one else in the room. You flew to her side and started patting her cheeks to try and rouse her.

“Sloan, come on,” you urged. “Hey, Sloan, can you hear me?”

She groaned and rolled her head from the left to the right. But she was still not awake. The door opened again and your eyes snapped to the intruder.

“Hey!” he cried. “What are you doing in here?”

“What are you doing in here?” you demanded. “Why didn’t you tell someone she was passed out?”

“She’s fine,” he argued. “We were just about to have some fun.”

Your eyes went wide, horrified.

“She can’t have any fun, she’s barely conscious!” you spat.

You started to pull her off the bed, putting her arm around your shoulders. Her limp body was heavy, nearly making your knees buckle, but you weren’t going to leave her here with this dirtbag. Not if it was the last thing you did.

“Get out of my way,” you said firmly, hoping your voice did not betray your fear. The guy was pretty big - you assumed he was an athlete - and you weren’t sure you could overtake him if the situation called for it.

“You can join the fun too, y’know,” he said.

“I’d literally rather die,” you retorted. “Now get out of my way. Don’t make me call my boyfriend up here.”

He rolled his eyes and thankfully stepped aside. 

Getting down the hall was no problem, but the stairs proved to be difficult. You were out of breath by the time you were halfway down. You were also pretty disgusted that no one seemed to notice you struggling. And if they did, they weren’t offering any help.

“Y/N…” Sloan mumbled, before her head lolled against your shoulder again

Slowly, staggeringly, you made it to the front door. You grabbed your purses and slung them precariously across your body. By some miracle, you were able to open the door. The sound of pouring rain made your heart sink. Great.

Despite the downpour, you stepped onto the porch. Holding Sloan tight against you with one hand, you fished around in her purse with the other. You found her phone quickly. With a victorious swish, you pulled it out and tried to unlock it. To your dismay, hers was dead too.

“Fuck!” you cried, stamping your foot.

You turned around and looked inside, hoping to see Daniel. Maybe you could pop back inside and ask to use his phone. It would hurt your pride, but some things had to be sacrificed in this sort of scenario. You couldn’t see him. Frustrated, your mind raced for something to do, some way to get home without a phone or a car. Then, your body froze as you saw the guy from upstairs and two other guys just his size coming toward the door. They looked dangerous.

Terrified, you maneuvered out into the rain as fast as you could go. Hair and makeup be damned, those guys had something sinister in mind and you were not going to allow them to do it, even if you collapsed from exhaustion.

The water dripping over your face proved a bigger challenge than you anticipated. Your vision was completely blurred as the droplets clung to your brows and lashes. The darkness didn’t help. You shivered, despite the warm air. Your body was so weak just from getting her out of the house. How were you going to make it all the way back to her apartment? 

Suddenly, two lights were heading down the street. Headlights.

You glanced back and saw the three guys emerge from the house. Then, you took a chance and launched yourself out onto the road, waving your free hand wildly.

“STOP!” you shouted. “Stop! Please stop!”

The car screeched to a halt. The driver pulled around you slowly before stopping and rolling the window down, revealing himself. You sucked in a sharp breath.

“Y/N?”

“Gwilym?”

#gwilym lee #gwilym lee x reader #gwilym lee imagine #gwilym lee x you #BoRhap #BoRhap cast #borhap imagine #borhap boys #borhap cast imagine #borhap cast x reader #borhap boys imagine #borhap boys x reader #Queen #queen imagine #Brian May #brian may x reader #brian may imagine #brian may x you #soft in love series

[lokimostly]

Polaris (Ch.3/?)

Loki x Reader, Pirate!AU Word count: 2,834 Warnings: none Summary: Your life has always been set in stone. Born to a wealthy merchant family in the Caribbean, you’ve spent your years as an heiress in the daytime, escaping at night to wander the streets of St. Thomas. Now, on the eve before your life settles into mundanity for good, you discover someone who could change everything– if you choose to trust him, that is.

A/N: HUGE round of applause and thanks to @yespolkadotkitty, my friend AND beta reader (!!!), whose writing you should also check out! Enjoy!

Chapter One ~ Chapter Two ~ Chapter Four ~ Chapter Five ~  Chapter Six ~ Chapter Seven ~ Chapter Eight ~ Chapter Nine ~ Chapter Ten ~ Chapter Eleven ~ Chapter Twelve ~ Chapter Thirteen ~ Chapter Fourteen

The noise of the ball could still be heard until the late hours of the night.

You, however, decided to retire as soon as you returned from the gardens, returning to the main hall as discreetly as you could and requesting that you be showed your rooms.

Your father had obliged and blamed  “overexcitement” for your eagerness to retire, which you didn’t bother to argue. Whatever aided you in escaping this night– in escaping Loki – you would gladly endure.

It felt like an eternity before your father made a motion and drew your attention to the far corner of the room. Thor was there, smiling like he’d never left as he took your arm and escorted you to the guests’ wing.

As the sounds of the string quartet quieted, your thoughts only increased in volume. Once again you found yourself at a loss for what to say to Thor. But before you could think of anything, he beat you to the chase.

“Did my brother keep you entertained?” He asked, looking down at you.

Your grip on his arm tightened subconsciously when your mind returned to what Loki had said in the gardens.

Tell me, little one, when you’ve finally wedded him and resigned yourself to a life full of everything you despise, how long will it take before I find you in my bed, whimpering in the dark, begging me for the comfort your husband cannot give?

You cleared your throat, hoping that the crimson rouge on your cheeks would hide your blush. “Yes. He was… charming.”

Thor chuckled. “That does sound like Loki. He has a reputation for charming his way into a woman’s bed on a whim.” He smiled, like this was a fact he was unbothered by.  “Though I’m sure he behaved for you.”

You tried to laugh, and it sounded hollow. What would Thor think if he knew what Loki had said? How he’d pinned you down like a cat with a mouse, watching you squirm beneath the claws of his words if only for his own amusement? Or worse, that you might have, possibly, maybe, enjoyed it?

Luckily, the gilded door to your room saved you from continuing that train of thought.

“Well,” you said quickly, letting go of Thor’s arm and giving him the briefest of smiles. “Good night, then.”

Thor returned the smile – though his was certainly longer and more genuine – and kissed your hand in farewell. “Goodnight, my lady.”

The term of endearment rang unpleasantly in your ears and you did your best not to grimace, slipping inside your room without a word.

The door clicked shut behind you and you slid unceremoniously to the floor, letting your head fall back against the wood while the most miserable sigh of your life passed your lips.

You hated it with every fiber of your being, but Loki was right. You were tired of Thor already.

Your eyes shifted listlessly over the room and you pulled off your slippers, pushing yourself up again. Despite the size of it, the bedroom felt stuffy and confined. A four-poster bed canopied with luxurious red curtains took up a ridiculous amount of space. There were a few dressers, a vanity, a clawfoot tub hidden behind a folding screen. Your window – the first thing you checked – was sealed at every edge, with no hinge or latch in sight. No nighttime escapes, then.

You went into the bathroom, wriggled your way out of your dress, undid the last curls of your hair, and scrubbed your face red until the garish makeup was gone and the water from the faucet turned clear.

When you changed into a chemise and fell onto the bed with a dramatic exhale, all you wanted to do was sleep.

But once your head hit the pillow, all you could think of was Loki.

Try as you might to push him from your mind, Loki wormed his way into your subconscious. The light of the sun faded from your window, the stars came out and twinkled, the music from the dancing hall permeated the walls in low tones, and still you couldn’t escape him. When you finally fell asleep somewhere in the long hours of the night, he walked through your dreams. Your sleeping eyes could see him more clearly than if he stood in front of you: his white billowing shirt, raven hair curling in the wind. You thumbed over the curve of his lips in your mind, traced his jaw and ran your hands down his chest.

Your dreams pulled you deeper. He was everywhere, now – his hands gripping your hips, pressing his lips fervently to yours while a pleasant buzz filled your nerves and warmth pooled in your stomach. Even in sleep you could taste him, the salt of the sea on his lips mixed with something sweeter. You moved with him like the tide, gasped for breath at his attentions, arched your back when his hand disappeared between your legs, and––

You jolted awake with a gasp. The quilts were quickly abandoned when you threw them off and swung your legs over the edge of the bed, setting your bare feet on the cool floor while your chest heaved for breath, a thin layer of sweat over your skin.

“What the hell?” You breathed weakly, pushing your hair back and trying to quiet your pounding heart. Your eyes were wide in the dark.

You didn’t sleep again that night.

~

The terms of your engagement were solidified that morning.

While last night’s gala had been a stressful coming-out to high society, today’s more mundane events were much easier to keep up with. You saw nothing of Loki, and barely any of your fiancé – there were a few more words spoken, engagement rings gifted. The golden band and heart-shaped garnet around your finger felt more like a pair of handcuffs.

What vague idea you had of your future was outlined more clearly over breakfast: you would leave this week on a ship called the Marie Valette for a town in southern Norway – Thor’s original home, apparently – and the wedding would take place there, in about six months’ time. According to your father, the traditional waiting period would “allow you time to acclimate to your new life.”

To you, it sounded like plenty of time to conjure an escape plan. Or, if all else failed, plunge into the ice-cold waters of Scandinavia and drown.

Thoughts of a similarly dreary nature were occupying your mind when you took to wandering the halls on the third day of your stay, looking out at the gardens through the tall glass windows. It was too hot to be outdoors, and even inside the sweltering temperatures couldn’t be avoided. Strands of hair clung to your skin and beads of sweat trickled down your back. What you wouldn’t give for a shirt and trousers instead of the heavy, cotton dresses you were expected to wear.

You twisted the ring on your finger and stared up at the thin wisps of cloud against the blue sky, thinking about your betrothed – who you’d seen exactly none of since your second day here. He was always called away to the tasks that required more attention and care from him than you did. Though, it may not have been through any fault of his own; Odin was grooming Thor to take over his empire, and no doubt it was a challenging and time-consuming task. Had your father ever entertained your interest in his business, you might actually know something about it.

Maybe then I would’ve had something to talk with Thor about, you surmised.

Apart from his constant absence, there was nothing inherently wrong about Thor. But as kind, as polite, as congenial as he was, you still couldn’t bring yourself to love him. Every brief interaction was entirely performative. You couldn’t help but feel like it might be the same on his end: he always said just enough, had some practiced excuse to leave, and whether or not it was legitimate, the fact remained that you were left alone.

And then there was Loki.

Your mind had plagued you with insatiable dreams of him for three nights in a row. You tried desperately to convince yourself that it wasn’t him you desired – just the freedom he represented, the mystery and allure of a life to call your own. So why were your dreams full of nothing but tangling your hands in his raven locks, pressing yourself against him and kissing him, tearing open his shirt and running your hands over the warm skin beneath?

Something large and hand-shaped pulled you from your thoughts when it ghosted over your back, and you shrieked.

“Heavens, aren’t we skittish,” Loki observed, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. His handsome face was decorated with a smirk – the kind that inclined you to think he startled you on purpose.

You pressed your hand against your chest to calm your pounding heart and glared at him. “What do you want?”

Loki clicked his tongue in mock disapproval, raising an eyebrow. “If I didn’t know better, little one, I might think you didn’t care for me.”

Your mind flashed back to the dreams you’d been having, and your face flushed. “Evidently you don’t,” you managed, smoothing down your dress and pushing a strand of hair back to retain some semblance of composure. “I want nothing to do with you.”

“Don’t you?” He asked, tilting his head and clasping his hands behind his back. “I came to say goodbye.”

Your irritated demeanor faltered. The only interesting thing in your life – loathsome and irritating as he was – was about to leave you. “Oh?”

Loki’s sea-green eyes caught the change in your voice and he chuckled. Damn it, he had you positively wrapped around his finger.

“My ship leaves in a few hours. It seems our coincidental encounters must come to an end. Your journey to Europe is not a short one, so this will be our last meeting for some years, I’m afraid.” He turned slightly solemn at this, and you were suddenly reminded of the polite, eloquent Loki you met in the tavern.

“Oh,” you repeated, and tried your best not to look disappointed. “Where to?”

Loki shrugged, unclasping his hands to pull at the dark fabric of his wide sleeves. “West. I’m overseeing a shipment of goods to Kingston.” He said it like he’d practiced and recited the fact many times.

Your eyebrows pulled together slightly and you took a moment to marvel at the fine features of his face. If you didn't know better, you would’ve thought he was carved from marble. The sharp lines of his jaw and mouth, combined with the softness of his ocean eyes... he was a mystery inside and out.

You remembered what Thor had said about him. He has a reputation for charming his way into a woman’s bed on a whim.

"You're staring again," Loki pointed out, smirking.

Your eyes snapped a bit wider and your forehead wrinkled in a defensive frown. "Well, if this is the last time I get to see you, I'm allowed to look."

Loki chuckled deep in his chest- a musical sound that echoed against the walls. He took a single step towards you, but it enclosed you. You moved backwards out of instinct, staring up at his face as the honey-coated words slipped through his lips.

“But you want to do more than look, don’t you?”

This time, you didn’t slap him. Instead, you stood speechless while your face burned and your stomach twisted into pleasant knots. Of course there was no way he could know about your dreams, right? Or were you truly that easy to read?

No, he couldn’t possibly know. He was trying to goad you for his own amusement. 

You blinked. Of course. He’s only teasing me because he can’t have me.

The realization was strangely freeing. To your surprise, you smirked. “Well, I might suggest that you stow me away aboard your ship and get me out of here, but…” You raised an eyebrow suggestively. “Like you said before– you would rather I resign myself to misery and come crawling to you later, yes?”

Loki’s smile still hovered over his lips, but you could tell that you’d caught him by surprise: his hands had dropped, and his beautiful eyes were narrowed. Calculating. Curious.

“I couldn’t,” he said slowly. His eyes flickered over your face, and he shook his head as his smile faded. “I couldn’t take you away. Not for the reason you think, but I… ” A distinct moment of palpable silence stretched between you like a chasm, and you found yourself wondering who you were looking at. This merchant’s second son, this courteous stranger, this aggravating man you couldn’t stop dreaming of.

Who was he, really?

Then, just as quickly as it happened – gone. Loki smiled easily and took your hand, raising his eyebrows as he pressed a farewell kiss to your knuckles. His breath was warm on your skin.

“You must write to me, though,” He said, straightening with a wicked smirk. “I can’t wait to hear of your plans to escape. I’m sure they’ll be positively thrilling.”

“Something tells me that if I confided in you, my plans would mysteriously fail,” you insinuated, narrowing your eyes.

Loki shook his head, stepping back. “Little one, if there’s one thing you can count on me for, it’s not to spill your secrets.” He winked.  “I already know one or two, don’t I?”

~

“Daughter, have you heard a word I’ve said?”

You were pulled out of your thoughts with a jolt and cleared your throat. “Yes,” you lied, turning your head to look out the carriage window. The green palm fronds and cobbled buildings of St. Thomas passed by as you journeyed towards the docks, where The Marie Valette was waiting.

You were leaving today.

“I’m told the estate and grounds are even grander than the ones here – it’s been a family home for generations. You’ll be well-occupied until your fiancé arrives.”

“Why isn’t he going there now?” You asked sullenly, glaring at the people who you passed like they were to blame for your state of being.

“He is the heir to the largest shipping company in the Caribbean. I think you can count on him to be busy.”

“Of course I can,” You spat sarcastically, feeling your blood heat up and rush to your face as your anger crested. “A husband who’s never there, while I live in a country I’ve never been to, away from everyone I know. How could I possibly be unhappy?”

“I know you’re still cross with me,” your father said, notably exasperated, “but I believe you will come to respect Thor in time.”

“Respect,” you repeated.

“Yes.”

“What about love?”

“Love?” Your father chuckled, like it was a ridiculous question. “I had no idea you were interested in such a thing. You never have been.”

Your nostrils flared and your blood boiled, but you didn’t respond. There was no point to it – and if this was the last time you would see your father for half a year, you didn’t want it to end in a shouting match.

The carriage slowed to a stop and the valet opened the doors, helping you out. You stepped onto the road and the smell of the sea hit your face, warm and salty-sweet, and your heart wrenched. It was the same scent that permeated the memories of your nighttime excursions.

The sea in Norway wouldn’t smell the same. It wouldn’t look the same, either– there would be no aqua blue or pale white sand, only deep, dark green and ice-cold waves, breaking endlessly against the rocky shore.

You wished now that you knew how to swim – maybe then you could jump ship while still in the southern hemisphere. Compared to the cold and lonely future that awaited you across the Atlantic, living alone on a desert island didn’t sound so bad.

The valets took your trunks away to be loaded onto the ship. Your father exited the carriage and came up beside you, smiling and squeezing your shoulders. “Come now, chin up. You’ll be living in luxury, after all. Odin’s ships are the Caribbean’s finest.”

You hummed flatly, looking out at the row of ships docked in the port. Big and small, old and new, their names printed in wide letters along the hull. Carved birds, mermaids, and other figureheads posed stoically on the bows of their vessels. Sailors and merchants hauled cargo, passengers fussed over their belongings. But something was missing.

“Father?” You asked slowly, gripping his sleeve to get his attention while your eyes trailed along the docks. Your brow furrowed and you shook your head. No, you weren’t mistaken.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Look,” you said simply, and nodded to the bay.

The Marie Valette was nowhere to be seen. 

-----

A/N: thanks for reading! The tag list is still open. xx

Tag List: @neontiiger​, @un-consider-it​, @jessiejunebug​, @nerdypisces160​, @lokiisntdeadbitch​, @e-wolf-90​, @cursedmoonstone-blog​, @kikaninchen-2​, @bluebellhairpin​, @evy-lyn​, @midnight-queen-1​, @travelingmypassion​, @harrybpoetry​, @adefectivedetective​, @absolutecraziness13​, @kumikokagato, @randomfangirl7​, @timetraveler1978​, @tarynkauai, @arcanethamin​, @ornate-ribcage​, @julianettedoe, @kinghiddlestonanddixon​, @yespolkadotkitty​, @befearlesslyauthenticc​, @ladybugsfanfics, @thisisaclusterofablog, @groupies-do-it-better, @just-the-hiddles, @quenilla, @amyy-moonlightt, @pandacookieowo, @thatweirdwalangpake, @alexakeyloveloki

#loki #loki x reader #loki x you #pirate #pirate!au #thor #marvel #loki x oc #loki reader insert #fanfic #loki fanfic

[fierceawakening]

yumantimatter replied to your post “Wait your recent long response confused me - if your *actual job* is...”

I completely agree with all of this! I think lots of people (including me sometimes) misread your posts as being meant a lot more universally than they are, and then get upset because the things you say aren't true of everyone/most people in their social circe. But for people like you or in situations like yours they are Very Important, and as always I am glad you are saying them

Yeah, I get that. I think what happened was that way back when I saw some posts that... maybe I misread them, but that felt to me like “high empathy people are untrustworthy, it’s only because of stigma and weirdness that people think of them as friendly rather than, like, racist.” And the person they came from was someone who was popular, but someone I’d heard some not so great things about and someone who... most of their posts made sense to me but every once in a while I’d just run into something that made me really uneasy in ways that  made me wonder about their character. I’m not sure how to describe this but it just seemed like... once they disliked someone, they would become very cruel. 

Which is... the impression I had from what I’d read about lack of empathy... that for many people with this, if you’re useful to them they treat you well, sometimes very well, but when you’re not they drop you like a hot potato. I worried this had happened to the people who had said the things that made me skeptical, and while I’m not one for callouts it concerned me.

So when they made a post that I felt was dissing high empathy people I said something, nto at ALL nicely (i said the post “creeped me out,” IIRC), and I got mobbed by people who wanted to inform me How Lack Of Empathy Actually Works, their description of which didn’t at all match the books I’d read, and who didn’t seem to have clear evidence I had it wrong.

(This is still one that’s hard for me. If you look primarily at studies there’s a lot of interesting suggestive stuff about how empathy isn’t the only or sometimes may not even be the primary factor in various types of helping behavior. Where if you listen to clinicians you’ll often hear that “lack of empathy” is a big factor in someone forming parasitic relationships that harm and take advantage of others. I’m still not sure whether I think both these things are true at the same time, or whether “empathy” is being used differently in each, such that it’s apples to oranges.)

I DO think, however, that there IS a psychological widget of some sort that predisposes people to transactional relationships of mutual use, and that some people have this widget, and that it’s very hard to have a relationship with them that isn’t negative and harmful. I’m frustrated because I think it exists and should have a name, and “lack of empathy” is the one I keep running into, but people seem to want a different one. Which may make sense, if whatever the widget is is something other than empathy level! But I haven’t seen “here’s an alternate explanation for that widget.”

I mean, other than Tumblr’s “you choose to be an asshole” thing. Which I’m similarly torn on, because my own experience with people who have this widget is that they tend to typical mind a lot. If you explain to them that you’re doing something for someone else just trying to be nice, they tend to either laugh at you or wink wink nudge nudge like “we all know no one’s REALLY like that.”

So... if they can’t conceive of being any other way, and they expect the same from you, did they really “choose it?” I mean, if we say they didn’t, it really does cause problems, because it’s kinda... even though “everybody’s really just lookin’ out for Numero Uno, we all know it” isn’t expressly EVIL, it does seem to indicate that there are some people who are predisposed to behave in hurtful ways and not be predisposed to fix resulting damage (because if everyone is really this way deep down, no one can REALLY blame you, they’re just using social opprobrium to get you.)

And... people don’t like that, it’s too close to Original Sin. But I... I’ve met enough people like this that I can’t say it’s not a thing.

And that’s the thing about the empathyd iscussion really. It’s less the words and more... these people are an actual thing! And no, I can’t say I’m sure it’s conscious on their part. I think it’s typical-minding, actually!

But that leaves me contradicting a particular political narrative and I get a fair bit of hate.

Except that then, every once in a while, I get people sending asks or DMs or other private messages like, “no, actually, some people with X label consistently do Y, and those posts about how ‘people just condemn people for being weird’ bother me too.”

Which.

It’s nuance all the way down.

No one is fundamentally Evil. Even the Numero Uno people are just... assuming they’re acting like everyone does.

But.

Some people ARE predisposed to behave hurtfully. 

That is ALSO TRUE.

#yumantimatter

[ncfan-1]

“I think I may be falling in love with you.” Can we talk about what a conspicuously weird thing that was to say?

I mean, it’s obviously an attempt at manipulation, but to what end, exactly? Narek’s stated goal is to try and coax information about other androids out of Soji, and she presented him with a golden opportunity to present himself as a confidant, and he just didn’t capitalize on it. Like, dude. She asks you if you believe her, and you say yes. Obviously, you say yes, even if you don’t mean it, because you’re playing the part of the caring boyfriend who, of course, has no idea what’s going on here, but if Soji ever wants to talk about anything that is going on, ever wants to talk about anything else that happens to her that she doesn’t understand, of course you will listen. I feel like the game plan here should be for Narek to try to position himself as Soji’s trusted confidant, but again, he had a golden opportunity, and he used it to say something conspicuously weird and inappropriate for the conversation instead.

But then, Narek hasn’t really been behaving in ways that would encourage Soji to regard him as confidant, in general. And once she’s had more time to think about it, maybe she’s gonna be wondering if there isn’t something a bit off about her new boyfriend.

[More of my highly disorganized thoughts under the cut]

I predicted earlier my hope that Narek would join the good guys, and then immediately experienced the regret that comes when you make such a prediction when you’re not even halfway through the first season yet. Nowadays, I’m still hopeful, but more uncertain. I think that, for now, what keeps him at least somewhat sympathetic is his interactions with his sister.

(As a note, I had to look up her name, and got the name of her cover identity on earth—Narissa Rizzo. I’d be shocked if ‘Narissa’ is her actual name, but then again, who knows if Narek is his real name, so these are the names I’m going to use when talking about them, since I’ve got nothing better to go with.)

First, let me just say: it took Romulan makeup and dim lighting for me to recognize Peyton List, aka Poison Ivy Mark 3 from Gotham, and I’m not sure what that says about me. I hope she gives as engaging a performance as she did when playing Ivy.

Okay, when Narek tells Narissa that he’s not sure if Soji knows exactly what she is, and, if ignorant, should probably stay that way as long as possible, I was just like “….why?” Isn’t your stated goal to get information out of her about other androids, and won’t your very scary boss get mad at the both of you if you can’t get that information? How are you supposed to do that if she doesn’t even know she’s an android? Is it because the moment she finds out you’ve been playing her the whole time is the same moment she finds out she’s got enough raw strength to oh, say, snap your neck like a twig? Is it because of the implications from this episode that Soji might be some kind of apocalypse maiden and you’d like to avoid doing anything that could trigger the apocalypse? Or is there another reason you’d like to share with the class?

On another note, I wonder if either Soji or Narek have thought to use any kind of birth control. Because literally the only way this situation could get even more fucked up would be if it turns out Soji can get pregnant and then does. Just imagine the first brother-sister back alley rendezvous after the pregnancy test. God, what a conversation that would be.

Anyways, from a writing standpoint, I can’t help but think that it means something, the way Narek and Narissa play off of each other. Because he opens with making nasty digs regarding her ears which, considering that probably involved cosmetic surgery which could have been quite painful to recover from, is, yeah, pretty nasty. But then she escalates it so much. First, in Episode 2, she makes it very clear that while she is interested in preserving his safety, if it comes down to saving his life or her own, she’ll throw him under the bus in a heartbeat. And then, in Episode 3, when discussing the state of affairs between Narek and Soji, she behaves a lot less like an impatient sibling than she does a jealous lover, and proceeds to get really creepy. (Someone please tell me I’m not the only one who got incestuous vibes from their back alley conversation. Please tell me I’m not the only one who got those vibes; I don’t rightly know how else I’m supposed to interpret the sniffing.) Seriously, I don’t think you’re winning any contests if you guess who comes off more sympathetically after their conversations, but at present, I’m not sure what it means that Narek has been portrayed more sympathetically than Narissa in both of their talks. We’re definitely meant to think that Narissa is the bigger fish in the pond, but beyond that, I’m really not certain.

(Another thing that interests me about them is how they’ve both thus far been rather ineffectual. The goal was to get information, and neither of them have succeeded yet. I thought about the contrast at first as being light touch vs. sledgehammer, and I think that still holds, but there’s another one I can think of: the fairly soft-spoken manipulator who doesn’t seem to know how to parlay manipulation into actual results vs. the violent loose cannon whose impatience got her target killed before she could get any useful information out of her. It’s too early to tell what it means that they’ve been ineffectual thus far, whether it means that they’re going to step up their game later on, or if they’re just not very good at their jobs, and are going to go on being not very good at their jobs. Both are equally possible.)

Similarly, from a writing standpoint, I can’t help but think that it means something that Narek was present and watching as Soji comforted the newly ex-Borg drone in Episode 2. But at present, it’s too early to say just what it means, if it means anything at all. What I think is that it would be very difficult for Narek not to develop some sort of empathy for Soji, whether he means to or not, but I’m not sure how much that would mean, either. When the time comes, I’m not certain whether or not it will be enough to change anything.

And with all of this is the elephant in the room, that the last live-action fiction show I watched while it was airing was Gotham. As anyone who has followed my blog for a while knows, I was largely… quite disappointed with Gotham as a show. Good cast, but everything else was a flaming train wreck. Gotham was a show where the most fucked up thing that could happen had a decent chance of actually happening. Gotham was also a show where many other things I thought had to mean something later turned out to be sound and fury, signifying nothing. That casts a shadow over my perceptions of Picard, and given how many other disappointments I’ve had with TV shows and movies and manga and comics, my operating method these days is to just not get my hopes up too much. If I prepare myself for disappointment, I can be pleasantly surprised if I’m not disappointed, but if I am disappointed, at least I won’t be gutted again.

-

Now to talk about something I am more optimistic about, even if I know no more about it than I do what I just talked about: what role Soji has to play in this story.

I’m actually most interested in Soji of anyone in this show, though I will likely talk less about her since I’ve found less to be anxious about. I’m very curious to see how she’ll cope with the revelation that she’s an android, since she’s all but certain to discover it in circumstances just as unhappy as Dahj’s discovery. I’d also like to see how she reacts to news of Dahj’s death, and get information on what their relationship was like.

I’m also eager to learn what the hell is up with the Zhat Vash’s fear and loathing of androids in general, and Soji and Dahj in particular. The agent interrogated in Picard’s house calls one of the two sisters ‘destroyer’, Rhonda (the ex-Borg drone and expert on Romulan mythology Soji interviewed; at least, I think that’s her name) associates Soji and/or Dahj with some sort of malevolent figure from mythology—I mean, if Soji’s presence is enough to trigger a suicide attempt, it’s likely Rhonda doesn’t regard her as a particularly benevolent figure. (Though this comes with the caveat that seeing as the mythological figures came in a sister pair, one who lived and one who died, it’s possible that there’s some sort of benevolent/malevolent dichotomy going on.) Are they just projecting their own fears onto Soji and Dahj, or is there something else to this?

Furthermore, I’d love to know what has drawn Soji to the Borg in the first place, because biologically, she’s only roughly three years old and wouldn’t have had a lot of time to develop this interest naturally, and, well, I don’t think it’s a coincidence, story-wise, that she is where she is, doing what she’s doing for work.

And then there’s Bruce Maddox. Considering there was an episode later down the line in TNG where Data exchanges letters with him, I had assumed he’d experienced character development since his appearance in ‘The Measure of a Man,’ and it would seem I was right. (Oh, and fun fact? In ‘Data’s Day’, the episode I referenced in the beginning of the preceding sentence, there was featured a Romulan who had been posing as a Federation ambassador for years.) But I do wonder for what purpose he created Soji and Dahj. It’s possible that he simply created them to be his children, that he created them for the sake of creating them. But I wonder about that, honestly.

Episode 3 raises the serious possibility that Soji and Dahj’s ‘mother’ is a hologram, or some other kind of artificial intelligence. While it’s possible for their ‘mother’ to be a hologram without there being anything more to their creation than just being created for their own sake, the fact that the purported ‘mother’ responds to Soji’s questions about whether she’s heard from Dahj with blatant lies doesn’t really gel with that. If there is anything at all to the Zhat Vash’s fears regarding Soji and Dahj besides projection and paranoia, then how does Maddox play into that?

Anyways, it’s only been three episodes and I probably shouldn’t try to form any concrete opinions on how things are going to go yet, but I’m very interested in seeing how things go.

#Star Trek: Picard #Meta #(Basically me talking about how I have no idea what's happening) #Soji Asha #Narek #Narissa #(or whatever her actual name is) #Bruce Maddox

[clusterofhope2]

Dog Training Fundamentals - 5 Key Dog Behaviour Factors That Affect Training

Whether you already have experience of dog ownership, are a new dog owner or are about to be a dog owner, then training your dog is one of the most important aspects you need to consider. Likewise if you currently have a dog with behaviour problems, then dog training is essential. 

However, knowing you need to train your dog and actually training your dog are two entirely different things. Just where do you start?

To successfully train your dog, you need to consider and understand some key facets of dog behaviour. Knowing and understanding these 5 facets will greatly improve your dog training.

1. The origins of dogs. Dogs are in essence descended from modern day wolves. While domestication has dampened or eliminated many traits, some key natural instincts still remain. Like wolves, dogs are pack animals. What does this mean?

Well, there are several traits that derive from being a pack animal. The important ones when it comes to training are dogs are naturally sociable, they are used to routine and they are used to a social structure (i.e. the famed alpha male).

As sociable animals dogs thrive on the interaction with other dogs. A dog does not consider you as a human but rather a funny looking dog. Therefore, dogs thrive on the interaction with you. Just like a wild wolf, rejected by the pack, if you starve a dog of this interaction, they will become unhappy and very agitated.

When it comes to training, you can use this to reward or punish your dog. Interacting with your dog (e.g. patting, encouraging/excited talk, etc) can be as much of a reward as treats of food. Similarly, ignoring your dog (e.g. turning your back, stern talk, putting them in another room, etc) can be a harsh punishment for a dog. Its definitely better than smacking them.

As with all animals (including humans), dogs thrive on routine. If they know what and when they are likely to be doing certain things, then they are relaxed and comfortable. They know what to expect and are not confused by ever changing circumstances.

Training should also stick to a routine. Decide when the best time of the day is best for you to train your dog and stick by that time as rigidly as possible. Your dog will soon get into a routine of expecting to be trained at say 3pm every day and will be prepared for when training time comes. If your dog is ready and expecting to be trained, then it goes without saying that they will actually train better.

Within a pack there is always the alpha male. The dog that leads the pack, protects the pack and ultimately ensures the pack is fed and survives. As mentioned, a dog sees you as a funny looking dog and not a human. To be a good dog owner you absolutely need to be the alpha male. How many nature programs have you seen where the alpha male is being challenged by one of the other would be alpha males? Likewise, your dog will be challenging you to be the alpha male - this is a natural instinct for them.

You must establish yourself as the alpha male from the beginning. Providing food, interaction, punishing bad behaviour, body and vocal language all go towards asserting yourself as the alpha male. If your dog does not consider you as the alpha male, then they will not listen or act on your training instructions.

2. A dog's memory- We all know that goldfish have short memories. However, you may be surprised to know that dogs also have short retention memories. If you could tell your dog something, it is likely that by the next day or a few hours later, they will have forgotten. On the other had (or paw) dogs do have incredibly good associated memory. This basically means that if your dog can associated something with what you tell it then it will likely remember what you told it for years to come.

For example if you told your dog (assuming you could speak doggy language) that the chocolate biscuits were in the cupboard your dog would probably forget this within a few hours. However, if you showed your dog where the chocolate biscuits were, repeating the words 'chocolate biscuits', every time you said 'chocolate biscuits' it would probably go straight to the cupboard. It may also search the cupboard every few hours for the rest of its life looking for the chocolate biscuits but that's not the point.

Therefore, when training your dog you need to associate the training topic with something. For example: if you are teaching your dog to sit. If you associate the word 'sit' by getting your dog to physically sit and then giving them a reward. Repeat this a few times and soon your dog will associate your command 'sit' with it physically sitting and then getting a reward. The difficult bit is disassociating the reward - ask yourself why almost every dog will naturally sit when you have food in your hand?

3. Doggy language- Despite comments above, we cannot speak doggy language and dogs cannot speak our language. This is important when it comes to training. You have to choose words for commands that both you and your dog will remember. Be careful not to choose very common words or else your dog will be easily confused when this word keeps appearing within the middle of a sentence. A common word often used in training dogs is 'come'. For this example, it may be better to use a slang version or combine 'come here' into a single short word.

The important thing is that when you decide on a word for a command to stick with it and be consistent, otherwise your dog will become confused.

I know it can be difficult, especially if you come home to your new TV pulled off the cabinet, to always use pre-selected words when talking to your dog. Your dog does not speak human language and will only know what those few words you have trained it with are (and the tone you have used). So if you start using other words or different tones your dog will not understand.

For example: imagine someone speaking to you in a foreign language asking for directions to the city hall. You can't understand a word they are saying yet they get more and more frustrated, talking in a louder and quicker language. Is it your fault you can't understand them? Why are they getting angrier when you have no idea what they are saying? What is their problem? What will I do? Similarly, if you haven't trained your dog to understand what 'sit' is and you start shouting 'sit', 'down on back legs', 'down', etc is it your dog's fault it is looking at you confused and increasingly scared.

4. Puppy behaviour-  Just like babies, puppies do not know how the world works or how they are supposed to behave within that world. They need to be taught and learn what is good, bad, right or wrong.

A healthy and happy puppy will be a bundle of energy, desperate to explore as much as they can as quickly as they can. Dogs do not have good eyes that can see things or hands that can feel the intricacies of objects. Instead they have noses that can smell things and mouths that can chew objects.

While this can come through training and general maturing, the importance of this is that you must be patient and understand where your dog is coming from and why it does what it does.

5. Structure and enjoyment- While I have in a round about way touched on these two above, no dog training information would be complete without mentioning these two aspects on their own.

However you decide to train your dog, as with routine, you must have a structure to your training. If you have never trained a dog before, how do you know when your dog can start learning to sit, stay, etc and when it can run down to the local shop and pick the paper up for you?

You need to know what it is you actually want to train your dog to ultimately be able to do and what steps you need to take to get to that point. Personnel dog trainers, dog training classes and dog training guides can all do this. Personally, I prefer to train my own dogs and believe that in the end you develop a much stronger bond with your dog. Also, your dog is more obedient to you rather than the trainer. However, at the very least, and particularly if you have never trained a dog before, I would recommend purchasing a dog training guide.

The small amount of money for a dog training guide, compared to the time you would waste searching for free online tips that will be a mix match of training and will not provide the structure, is just not worth it. More than that, the time saved in training and the end result of a properly trained dog for the rest of its life (around 15 years) is worth many times more than the cost of even the most basic training guide.

If you, and more importantly your dog, do not enjoy training then you will never properly train your dog. Training will take longer and be much harder. When you start training your dog remember they are most likely to be a puppy and at that age all they want to do is run and explore their new world. Be flexible with the time you plan to spend training. Try and keep training short but if your dog appears to be really enjoying it then be prepared to train for longer. Likewise if your dog will just not focus, then maybe leave it for a bit before going back to it. With a routine and structure to your training, your dog will soon learn that when it comes to training they need to focus for a short length of time and will be better able to do so.

I hope the above has been helpful in your desire to train your dog. By knowing why and how your dog does what it does, you should be able to understand it's behaviour much better. By using this understanding you can better bond with your dog and train your dog. A good training routine and structure as well as plenty of patience and eventually you will have a well trained dog. Always always always make sure training is enjoyable for both you and especially your dog.

If you found this dog training advice article helpful, please feel free to visit my website for more information. As well as dog training guidance such as the best dog training  you will also find lots of information on being a good dog owner and how to keep your dog healthy.

Dog Brain Training- https://bit.ly/2S3g1Xp

#dogtrainingtips dogtrainingisfun dogtrain dogtraining servicedogtraining doglanguage dogproblems dogtrainer puppytrainingtips dogwhisperer p

[davidsusan204]

Dog Training Fundamentals - 5 Key Dog Behaviour Factors That Affect Training

Whether you already have experience of dog ownership, are a new dog owner or are about to be a dog owner, then training your dog is one of the most important aspects you need to consider. Likewise if you currently have a dog with behaviour problems, then dog training is essential.

However, knowing you need to train your dog and actually training your dog are two entirely different things. Just where do you start?

To successfully train your dog, you need to consider and understand some key facets of dog behaviour. Knowing and understanding these 5 facets will greatly improve your dog training.

1. The origins of dogs. Dogs are in essence descended from modern day wolves. While domestication has dampened or eliminated many traits, some key natural instincts still remain. Like wolves, dogs are pack animals. What does this mean?

Well, there are several traits that derive from being a pack animal. The important ones when it comes to training are dogs are naturally sociable, they are used to routine and they are used to a social structure (i.e. the famed alpha male).

As sociable animals dogs thrive on the interaction with other dogs. A dog does not consider you as a human but rather a funny looking dog. Therefore, dogs thrive on the interaction with you. Just like a wild wolf, rejected by the pack, if you starve a dog of this interaction, they will become unhappy and very agitated.

When it comes to training, you can use this to reward or punish your dog. Interacting with your dog (e.g. patting, encouraging/excited talk, etc) can be as much of a reward as treats of food. Similarly, ignoring your dog (e.g. turning your back, stern talk, putting them in another room, etc) can be a harsh punishment for a dog. Its definitely better than smacking them.

As with all animals (including humans), dogs thrive on routine. If they know what and when they are likely to be doing certain things, then they are relaxed and comfortable. They know what to expect and are not confused by ever changing circumstances.

Training should also stick to a routine. Decide when the best time of the day is best for you to train your dog and stick by that time as rigidly as possible. Your dog will soon get into a routine of expecting to be trained at say 3pm every day and will be prepared for when training time comes. If your dog is ready and expecting to be trained, then it goes without saying that they will actually train better.

Within a pack there is always the alpha male. The dog that leads the pack, protects the pack and ultimately ensures the pack is fed and survives. As mentioned, a dog sees you as a funny looking dog and not a human. To be a good dog owner you absolutely need to be the alpha male. How many nature programs have you seen where the alpha male is being challenged by one of the other would be alpha males? Likewise, your dog will be challenging you to be the alpha male - this is a natural instinct for them.

You must establish yourself as the alpha male from the beginning. Providing food, interaction, punishing bad behaviour, body and vocal language all go towards asserting yourself as the alpha male. If your dog does not consider you as the alpha male, then they will not listen or act on your training instructions.

2. A dog's memory. We all know that goldfish have short memories. However, you may be surprised to know that dogs also have short retention memories. If you could tell your dog something, it is likely that by the next day or a few hours later, they will have forgotten. On the other had (or paw) dogs do have incredibly good associated memory. This basically means that if your dog can associated something with what you tell it then it will likely remember what you told it for years to come.

For example if you told your dog (assuming you could speak doggy language) that the chocolate biscuits were in the cupboard your dog would probably forget this within a few hours. However, if you showed your dog where the chocolate biscuits were, repeating the words 'chocolate biscuits', every time you said 'chocolate biscuits' it would probably go straight to the cupboard. It may also search the cupboard every few hours for the rest of its life looking for the chocolate biscuits but that's not the point.

Therefore, when training your dog you need to associate the training topic with something. For example: if you are teaching your dog to sit. If you associate the word 'sit' by getting your dog to physically sit and then giving them a reward. Repeat this a few times and soon your dog will associate your command 'sit' with it physically sitting and then getting a reward. The difficult bit is disassociating the reward - ask yourself why almost every dog will naturally sit when you have food in your hand?

3. Doggy language. Despite comments above, we cannot speak doggy language and dogs cannot speak our language. This is important when it comes to training. You have to choose words for commands that both you and your dog will remember. Be careful not to choose very common words or else your dog will be easily confused when this word keeps appearing within the middle of a sentence. A common word often used in training dogs is 'come'. For this example, it may be better to use a slang version or combine 'come here' into a single short word.

The important thing is that when you decide on a word for a command to stick with it and be consistent, otherwise your dog will become confused.

I know it can be difficult, especially if you come home to your new TV pulled off the cabinet, to always use pre-selected words when talking to your dog. Your dog does not speak human language and will only know what those few words you have trained it with are (and the tone you have used). So if you start using other words or different tones your dog will not understand.

For example: imagine someone speaking to you in a foreign language asking for directions to the city hall. You can't understand a word they are saying yet they get more and more frustrated, talking in a louder and quicker language. Is it your fault you can't understand them? Why are they getting angrier when you have no idea what they are saying? What is their problem? What will I do? Similarly, if you haven't trained your dog to understand what 'sit' is and you start shouting 'sit', 'down on back legs', 'down', etc is it your dog's fault it is looking at you confused and increasingly scared.

4. Puppy behaviour. Just like babies, puppies do not know how the world works or how they are supposed to behave within that world. They need to be taught and learn what is good, bad, right or wrong.

A healthy and happy puppy will be a bundle of energy, desperate to explore as much as they can as quickly as they can. Dogs do not have good eyes that can see things or hands that can feel the intricacies of objects. Instead they have noses that can smell things and mouths that can chew objects.

While this can come through training and general maturing, the importance of this is that you must be patient and understand where your dog is coming from and why it does what it does.

5. Structure and enjoyment. While I have in a round about way touched on these two above, no dog training information would be complete without mentioning these two aspects on their own.

However you decide to train your dog, as with routine, you must have a structure to your training. If you have never trained a dog before, how do you know when your dog can start learning to sit, stay, etc and when it can run down to the local shop and pick the paper up for you?

You need to know what it is you actually want to train your dog to ultimately be able to do and what steps you need to take to get to that point. Personnel dog trainers, dog training classes and dog training guides can all do this. Personally, I prefer to train my own dogs and believe that in the end you develop a much stronger bond with your dog. Also, your dog is more obedient to you rather than the trainer. However, at the very least, and particularly if you have never trained a dog before, I would recommend purchasing a dog training guide.

The small amount of money for a dog training guide, compared to the time you would waste searching for free online tips that will be a mix match of training and will not provide the structure, is just not worth it. More than that, the time saved in training and the end result of a properly trained dog for the rest of its life (around 15 years) is worth many times more than the cost of even the most basic training guide.

If you, and more importantly your dog, do not enjoy training then you will never properly train your dog. Training will take longer and be much harder. When you start training your dog remember they are most likely to be a puppy and at that age all they want to do is run and explore their new world. Be flexible with the time you plan to spend training. Try and keep training short but if your dog appears to be really enjoying it then be prepared to train for longer. Likewise if your dog will just not focus, then maybe leave it for a bit before going back to it. With a routine and structure to your training, your dog will soon learn that when it comes to training they need to focus for a short length of time and will be better able to do so.

I hope the above has been helpful in your desire to train your dog. By knowing why and how your dog does what it does, you should be able to understand it's behaviour much better. By using this understanding you can better bond with your dog and train your dog. A good training routine and structure as well as plenty of patience and eventually you will have a well trained dog. Always always always make sure training is enjoyable for both you and especially your dog.

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