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#even though i'm not really active in this fandom like before - i still really like this series. ;v;
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I (26, NB) dropped a long-term friend (23, not disclosing gender, I'll call them X) for being a proshipper, and now they're trying to get in the way of my other friendships.
A little more than a month ago, an old friend from when I was an itty bitty teen on the internet (we met when they were 12 and I was 15 or so) messaged me on twitter asking if we could share discord since they're more active on that platform, and they missed hanging out. Ok, no prob!! I missed talking to X and life was going kinda icky for me at the time. We exchanged discords and started talking more frequently, before we would talk through twitter dms maybe one day every few months, and we went from almost no contact to talking every single day. It was like being a teenager again; we still shared similar interests and we really fast clicked over old and new fandoms we were in. We talked about college and how they're starting to get the hang of their new job but needed support, talked about our family lives, etc., and in general I felt really comfortable and happy to be chatting again with someone I've known for so long. We were inseparable for weeks.
However... of course, as adults, and having known each other for YEARS, we started talking about fandom ships and fics we enjoyed. We didn't have the same taste in pairings, but that was okay. Until it wasn't anymore.
I shared my NSFW twitter with them, and they followed me. A few minutes later X told me, "I see you have "proship DNI in your bio, I just want to let you know that I am a pro-ship and enjoy some things in fandom that you might think is gross. I hope that's okay."
I was kind of weirded out, and told them that as long as they didn't like anything that would be criminal in real life, that's fine. They told me they *did* enjoy things in fiction that they "wouldn't condone in reality" and even though they "don't talk about it publicly" they still wanted me to know. For some reason. ?? Even though they KNOW that I have an irl history of abuse as a kid, they still told me this.
I was so fucking uncomfortable and really, really sad, and honestly I felt betrayed? I stepped away from my account for like, an hour before messaging them back and saying I didn't want to continue talking to them anymore. That I didn't know they were that kind of person and I'm not comfortable being their friend. I didn't read their response to me because I soft-blocked them.
While I was getting over that and trying to move on, a few days later I was talking to another mutual friend of ours when they asked if I was still friends with X. I got chills remembering how I broke off with them, and said no, we weren't talking anymore. That they were the kind of person that made me really uneasy and uncomfortable to be around. The mutual friend, I'll call R, said that X was "feeling kind of down about losing a friend recently" and talked about it in a discord server they share. X didn't mention my name but R wondered if it was me who dropped them since I was really touchy about boundaries online. I freaked out a little thinking about them talking about me, and asked what else they said, and R told me "not much, just that they felt sad but it was your choice in the end because you two were different" and I don't know why but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Were they trying to make people seem like I was the bad guy or something?? Idk.
I told R the reason why I stopped talking to X, and that X is a proshipper who likes things like inc*st and rape, and R wasn't as supportive as I thought he would be, saying that he understood how I felt but if X was being honest and open about their interests, it probably meant they trusted me and didn't want to "lie" to me. I don't understand how that's even relevant if X is a fucking proshipper. I don't want their trust in the first place if that's who they really are, and I felt betrayed that someone I knew for so long was hiding that for me until we were bonding again. R basically dropped it there and said "idk then" and I told him I was going to shut off my notifs for a bit. I really don't want to talk with him again right now especially since he didn't seem THAT bothered by X being a proshipper who's into really criminal shit.
Since then, friends of mine who are also friends with R (because he's a friend of X still, for some reason), haven't been replying to me as much anymore and I'm super sensitive to noticing these things, at first I told myself it was nothing, but there's an obvious decrease in our interactions. I can't help but think that X actually said bad stuff about me, and R didn't want me to know, or maybe X convinced R that I was a terrible person or something. I still haven't read X's reply to me because I genuinely do not want to interact with them ever again, but for the past few days I've been so angry and hurt by my other friend's actions that I can't help but want to blame them, since this all started when I left them.
AITA for dropping a friend because their interests made me SEVERELY uncomfortable? I don't know what to do.
What are these acronyms?
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knapptapp · 3 months
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Elevator- JamesPotter x GN!Reader
WC: 950
You are stuck in a muggle elevator with James Potter, Who wont stop flirting with you
Tags: Fluff, angst(?), Sarcastic reader, Slytherin reader, Flirty James Potter, Insecure reader
A/N: Wrote this from a prompt, trying to dip my toes into the Marauders fandom not a fully fleshed out fic or anything. A little experiment
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“This might be a bad time to mention it, but I really like your perfume.”
“Oh shut up,” You said with a scowl as you once again pushed the emergency button.
Professor Corbyn had thought it a wonderful idea to assign the seventh year class a lengthy list of ‘muggle activities’ to complete. She had also thought up the brillant of idea of assigning partners randomly. Though you had your doubts about the “randomness”.
Still, it was a project worth a good chunk of your grade. As much as you wanted to, you couldn't blow it off. Which is how you ended up stuck in an elevator with James fucking Potter. James who thought your perfume was of utmost importance at the moment.
“No seriously, it's quite lovely.”
You ignored him and pressed the call button. A moment passed…..Nothing. Great, not even the phone was working.
“Where did you get it? From Diagon alley or-”
“Can you be useful for once?” You interrupted.
James pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning on, “Can you apparate?”
“No.” You admitted begrudgingly. Getting your license was on your to do list, there just hadn't been enough time. You were really starting to regret not putting it up higher on your list. You fanned yourself with your hand.
“Someone will come for us eventually.” James said with a shrug. He seemed completely care free and not at all worried about the situation at hand.
“Yeah. If we don't die from heatstroke before then.” You settled against the wall opposite of him and slid down till you were seated. It was just a tad bit cooler down on the floor.
“I know how you could cool off.” James said with a smirk. Just in case you hadn't understood his comment, he lifted just the hem of his shirt to reveal a sliver of tanned skin. You quickly looked away, but not before you caught a glimpse of a dark trail of hair disappearing beneath the waistband of his jeans.
“Oh fuck off.”
James copied you and slid down to the floor. Instead of sitting with his legs tucked up to his chest like yours, he instead stretched them all the way out. The elevator was tiny and James’ legs were long, the sides of his red converse knocked against your thighs. Cloth shopping had been another part of the project.
“Have I told you your shoes are ugly?”
“Many times,” James responded unphased, “You just don't like them because they're red.”
“Horrible color.”
“I think you'd look really nice in red. Got one shade specifically in mind actually.”
“Yeah, no” You fidgeted with the fraying sleeve of your dark green jumper. House pride was taken very seriously in Hogwarts. Wearing gryffindor red was an act of betrayal.
“You would,” He insisted, “I even have a jumper that would look perfect on you! Says ‘Potter’ right across the back.”
“Careful now James, I might think you're hitting on me.”
“Did it take you this long to notice?”
You knocked his foot away with your palm. James allowed it before he returned it back to tapping against your thigh. He was such a tease. He had been on this since you two got assigned partners.
“Ha Ha very funny,” You replied dryly.
He tapped his foot rhythmically against your leg, you tried your best to ignore it. The elevator was completely silent. The music had cut off when the elevator had come to a sudden stop with a metallic screech. There was nothing but the sounds of James and your breathing.
Your whole body was on edge. You couldn't help but keep anticipating the worst. Any movement made you feel like the elevator would go crashing to the ground below, You were stuck on the seventh floor and you had heard one to many horror stories.
“I'm bored,” James said, “We should do something.”
“Like what?”
“Why don't we play a game of truth or dare?” suggested James.
“Truth or dare? Seriously?”
“What else do you have in mind?” he replied smugly.
“Fine, let's play.” you agreed reluctantly.
“Okay, I'll start. Truth or dare?” James challenged.
You sat for a moment, mulling over your choices. There weren't many dare options while stuck in an elevator, but everyone and their mothers knew James Potter was a master prankster. He could probably come up with something within a second. Hell, he probably already had fifty dares planned out. Better to play it safe then.
“Truth.”
“Okay..” James pretended to think for a moment, he stroked his chin and gazed up at the roof dramatically, “Why don't you like me?”
Oh. Straight into it. You looked away from him uncomfortably. The thing was, you didn't not like him. Honestly, it was the opposite. But you couldn't let him know that. You would never hear the end of it.
“I don't not like you…You're just loud…” You said carefully.
“I think i’m quite charming honestly,” James smirked.
“Yeah, you think that.” You said with an eye roll
“You don't think I am?” James tilted his head to the side, one loose curl fell in front of his eyes. God damn it. Yes, you wanted to say. I've thought that you are charming since fourth year. But of course, you don't say any of it.
“Not at all.”
“You're forgetting the rules of the game again.” He teased. He leaned forward, only a couple inches closer than before, but still all too close.
“I’m not lying.” You attempted to sound confident and self assured but you couldn't manage to bring your voice above a whisper.
The gods must have heard your prayers because the phone on the wall rang. James and you stared at each other for a moment. He finally pulled his eyes away from you and stood up to answer the phone. You and your feelings were safe for another day.
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lovelytsunoda · 4 months
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nation of two // oscar piastri
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summary: a camping trip in perth, and a set of missing sleeping bags brings together a pair of childhood friends in a way neither of them had quite anticipated
pairing: oscar piastri x female reader
warnings: lando being a little shit, wee lil' age gap (reader is a year and a half older than oscar is), general outdoorsy activities, forced teambuilding. for all intents and purposes, this is in the very beginning of lando and oscar's time as teammates and they don't know each other well yet.
authors note: I was so tempted to make this a fic for a different fandom but knew y’all would hate me if I started dropping top gun fics out of nowhere instead of the f1 goodness you’ve come to expect, and then this prompt was just so perfect for oscar and now here we are
the australian sun beat down as she trekked up the rocky hiking trail, rugged outdoor shoes digging into the dirt and mud beneath her feet. sweat soaked through the back of her concert shirt, her black bucket hat concentrating all of the sun's rays on her scalp.
"jesus, piastri! how much further?" she whined, taking oscar's outstretched hand and allowing him to pull her up the trail.
oscar laughed, looking over and grinning at how ridiculous she looked with her massive backpack and sweat stained shirt, the hot pink of her sports bra showing through the white fabric underneath the words 'duran duran'.
"don't be such a baby!"
"i'm older than you!" she shreiked, feeling the burn in her legs as she rested her weight on the younger boy. "carry me the rest of the way?"
"no! you have to get to the lookout yourself."
she groaned, rolling her eyes. "then where are lando and will? i'll sit in the damn wagon if i have to. how are you not winded?"
she hadnt planned to even be here. oscar had phoned her late the night before, asking if she would be up for a hike. she'd agreed, searching for a reason to get out of the house. it wasnt like she had anything better to do.
she'd known oscar all her life. in elementray school, they waited for the big yellow bus at the same stop, and were in the same homeroom for most of secondary school with oscar taking advanced classes for his age and y/n sinking down a level in maths, despite oscar's many absences. their mothers were in the same knitting club, and many a night teenage oscar would apologetically come to her house and collect his wine-drunk mother from the knitting circle. (despite it all, she loved nicole. how could she not, the woman was an icon)
"because i'm an athlete and you're out of shape?" oscar guessed jokingly, prodding at the cute pudge of her stomach.
the action gave her butterflies, a feeling in her stomach that wasn't welcome when thinking about the younger man she was leaning against.
they'd always been friendly. too friendly, some may say, eyebrows raising when people heard about the age gap. what did a sophisticated older woman want with oscar piastri?
it was simple: she liked stupid men with hearts of gold. and so far, nobody had compared to the 21-year-old. she was 22, so the gap wasn't even that bad.
and oscar didn't really think she was out of shape. he might joke, but that small bit of pudge on her stomach was so adorable, like a kangaroo pouch in his head, and he dreamed about the day he could cuddle up behind her and wrap his arms around it, skin to skin between cotton sheets.
"shut up." she whined, relieved that the group had finally stopped. she flung down her badly-packed and underprepared rucksack and slumped against it, pulling her hat over her eyes. it was getting cooler, though still humid, as the sun began to sink below the horizon.
"i think it's time we think about making camp." mark webber suggested, stretching out his old man limbs, tapping the giant stick he held as a walking aid against a rock. "this is as good a spot as any. lando, do you have the sleeping bags?"
"do i have the sleeping bags?" lando repeated jokingly. "what kind of muppet do you think that i am? of course will and i have the sleeping bags!"
the mclaren driver sidestepped towards the wooden wagon, dramatically ripping back the tarp on top to reveal the cardboard tent box (which had been duct taped back together so many times that it was more tape than cardboard) and the clusters of rolled up sleeping bags.
one by one, lando and will started tossing the bags at the hikers. in almost no time at all, everybody had a sleeping bag.
well, everybody except y/n.
"oi, orlando, what the fuck!" she shouted, deliberately getting his name wrong. "where's my stuff?"
not looking sorry at all, lando shrugged his shoulders, eyes hidden underneath the brim of his bucket hat. "i guess i miscounted."
"you didn't miscount shit." she glared at him, using both of her hands to flash the man her middle fingers.
lando stifled a laugh, looking over at oscar. "are you sure she's the older one?"
"lando, shove off." oscar defended before turning to her. "my sleeping bag is a double, we'll be just fine. as long as lando hasn't lost the second tent."
y/n chuckled darkly, using the rock behind her to push herself to her feet. "the tent is in my rucksack. there's no way in hell that i'm sleeping on the dirt floor."
"princess." lando coughed into his fist, hoping that neither oscar or y/n noticed.
see, lando norris had a plan. a plan that was formed out of one too many rom com nights with his girlfriend, and an impatience born from watching y/n and oscar run circles around each other like horny dogs too nervous to get to humping.
the way lando saw it, hiding the sleeping bag was just going to help that along.
"anyways, im heading out." y/n sighed, getting to her feet and brushing the leaves and twigs off her thighs. "you freaks better not follow me into the woods and watch me piss."
oscar watched her leave with a dreamy expression as she pushed branches out of the way, stumbling over tree roots and branches. he saw her loose her footing in the mud , scraping the side of her knee on the tree bark.
"you okay?" oscar shouted, ready to jump into the woods after her.
"i'm fine!"
when she came back from the woods, legs slightly scratched up from the way she stumbled, hat dangling from the chinstrap around her neck and her sweat-matted hair falling down her shoulders. oscar was setting up the tent, shirtless as he hammered the tent stakes in place. all in all, the tent was fairly well constructed considering that oscar had done it all himself.
"so, your new teammate is a jackass." she laughed. "who suggested this trip?"
"i did. against my better judgment." oscar rolled his eyes, straightening up at dusting off his hands before peeling back the zipper door to the orange tent. "welcome to my humble abode. ladies first, your highness."
"oh, shut up." she laughed, her face turning pink as she ducked into the tent.
it was a large space, backlit by the battery powered lantern from oscar's rucksack. the soft yellow lighting made their shadows dance as she sat down on the double sized sleeping bag, unsure of what to do next.
they hadn't shared a bed since they were sixteen years old on a joint family trip to fiji and they had been so drunk that they fell asleep together on a sun lounger.
it's okay. you can do this.
"can i have the right side?" she asked timidly as oscar followed her in, zipping up the door behind him.
"knock yourself out." oscar said, avoiding eye contact as he reached into his backpack and passing her a bag of cheetos.
the proximity and the rising heat in the tent was starting to make him uncomfortable. no doubt he was also thinking about the sun lounger.
"i'm glad that you came. i missed spending time with you, y/n."
she laughed, popping the bag open and cursing when she spilled orange cheese dust on her leg. "me too. i've been at a loss lately. a crossroads, if you will. this is exactly what i needed to get out of my head."
"remember what mark said? leave your problems at the bottom of the mountain!" oscar laughed. "just put one foot in front of you and keep moving.''
she grinned, popping a crispy cheeto into her mouth. "easier said than done when thinking about the future paralyzes you."
oscar moved his body along the sleeping bag so that he was sitting directly next to her, his thigh touching hers. the sleeping bag took up most of the floor space, neither of them wanting to lean back, lest they cause the whole tent to topple over.
the feeling of his skin against hers made the hair on her arms stand up, goosebumps following in its wake.
"you'll figure it out. i know you will. have some faith in yourself."
the way the led lantern highlighted every pore, every contour of his skin should have been reserved for the film crew on fifty shades of grey. he looked so breathtaking in the dark that it had just that effect: taking all of her breath away. she felt like she'd been hit in the lungs, unable to think about anything except the greek god in front of her.
and she was going to have cheeto breath when she kissed him.
outside the tent, their silhouettes danced in the half light as she leaned towards him, lips moving to whisper something inaudible but that the aussie seemed to understand instantly, wrapping his hands around her waist to pull her closer.
and when oscar kissed her? she forgot all her worries, this airy feeling spreading throughout her body. the skin around their lips would be stained from the cheetos, as would the sleeping bag where the bag toppled over, but neither of them could find it in them to care, too lost in the others touch as oscar's calloused fingers ran up her t-shirt, gently squeezing the part of her stomach that made her the most self-conscious,
"you're beautiful. and smart. and brilliant. and i'm sorry that nobody has ever told you that." he whispered in his kiss, his tongue licking into her mouth. he growled at the taste of cheetos, something that was suddenly so much sexier than he had ever believed it could be.
"shut up." she blushed, kissing him again.
outside the tent, lando and will sat by a crackling fire, watching the embers rise in the air and wondering if the pair knew that the lantern allowed them to see everything through the tent walls.
"i knew he had it in him." lando laughed. "look at the little guy go."
"should we tell him about the lantern?" will chuckled, popping a marshmallow into his mouth.
"nah. they'll figure it out in a minute when we all start wolf whistling."
TAGS
@magnummagnussen @httpiastri @sidcrosbyspuck @twinkodium @thatsdemko @userlando @libraryofloveletters @diorleclerc @lorarri
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ao3commentoftheday · 7 months
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I got a response to a post like two weeks ago that I've been thinking about ever since: how do I know whether I'm writing for myself or for others?
Sometimes this is an obvious answer and sometimes it's harder to pin down, especially when so often we're doing both at the same time - at least if we're posting our writing online.
Writing a story is one activity and posting that story to AO3 or tumblr is a different activity. Doing the first one doesn't necessarily mean doing the second. If you go into a story without the intention of showing it to anyone else, then you can feel pretty confident that it's just for you. But what about the times when you go in knowing that the end result will be read by others?
Fandom is a community space. Even when we write something self-indulgent, we often want to share it with others or to hear others tell us they enjoyed our work. That's normal and healthy and makes us an active and participating community member. What's not so healthy is when that desire for feedback becomes the sole driving force behind our writing. If you find yourself only writing in order to get that feedback, then you're most likely writing for others and not for yourself.
But that's also a scenario that lots of people talk about. You've probably heard that before - maybe even from me. What if that's not the issue, and yet you still feel uncertain about who you're really writing for?
That's when you need to start listening to yourself. And I don't just mean check in with your feelings. I mean listen to your own thought processes and reasons for making choices.
Are you developing a character in a direction that you think the fandom would like, even though you don't find that direction particularly interesting?
Are you pulling your punches in your whump or angst scenes because you don't usually write stuff "that heavy" and you don't want to "lose your audience"?
Are you making your smut tamer? Kinkier? Trying to satisfy someone else's idea of a hot scene instead of writing what you'd actually want to read yourself?
The decisions you make around your writing should please you, more often than they don't. If most of your decisions are based on the reaction of your imagined future readers, then you might be happy with the ship or the plotline or the resolution but feel less than satisfied about the smaller bits and pieces that make up the fic.
Give yourself the gift of not posting everything you write. Keep some of it back and just for you. Spend time on those works and really analyze why you're doing what you're doing there - and why you're not doing it in the works you share. Figuring out the difference might help you get a better idea of how to find the best way to reach the only guaranteed audience you ever have: yourself.
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voxisdaddy · 3 months
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Nifty Nifty Nifty
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Fandom: Hazbin Hotel
Pairing: Vox x Reader
Type: Fun and Fluffy! Platonic only! HEADCANONS
What if Vox had his own Nifty? Someone who’s just a short ball of chaos, easily entertained, and very quick?
c/tw: mention of cum (its still platonic, i swear)
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𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Alastor and Nifty’s relationship is weird. To Vox that is. He observes Alastor whenever he can, which Alastor tends to make it almost impossible to do so, but from what Vox has gathered-Alastor may or may not have a soft spot for this ‘Nifty’ lady.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Cringe. Anyways,
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ When you met Vox, let’s say it was in his early days in hell-before the Vee’s, fame, fortune, and, hell, even before the overlord status was placed upon him, so you were an early contract. One he didn't see a lot actually. For good reason!
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Vox sighed as he slumped back, defeated, on his chair. His eyes followed the hyper active little sinner who scurried along all around his monitor equipment. He was slightly worried they'd knock something over but the one thing (Y/N) hated with a burning passion was a mess. So he was a bit at ease knowing that his equipment likely wouldn’t be damaged.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "I dusted down the keyboard this morning. It's fine!" Vox insisted as he watched the little ball of speed come to a halt to tear apart his keyboard.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "Not enough! Did you even use that feather duster I gave you for our soul-contract-iversary? It's so unclean! You didn't even take off the caps to really get in there like you're supposed to!" The little thing rambled on. They weren't particularly venting about it though. It was all done because they were just excited. Which was a breathe of fresh air for Vox so he didn't immediately kick them out.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Maybe offering the 10 pound, 3 foot tall sinner a cup of coffee wasn't his most calculated move. You'd think he'd learn by now.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ But he just couldn't resist the hopeful teary eyed expression you gave him this morning when you asked for a sip of his coffee. He wasn't gonna share so he brewed a cup for you and made it just how he'd think you'd like it-a crap ton of sugar.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Velvette had inquired if that really was a good idea but Vox being the prideful, stubborn, 'I'm the boss' pissy baby he is, had shot her concerns down. Something about how he doesn't have to listen to someone else tell him how to control his souls.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Yeah Velvette was not happy with that and flipped him off. Telling him that whatever happens is his mess to clean up all on his own.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Oh yeah the other Vee's are familiar with you already. It was actually quite funny how you met them.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ When you first met Velvette you were sitting on some top shelf and giggling madly to yourself as you looked at her outfit that day. It was a lovely little outfit with artistic decisions in where the red melty heart symbols were located. "You got slime on your clothes!" You giggled, "I'll clean them!" Velvette backed away slowly as you whipped out a large sponge and a bucket of soapy water. Vox had intervened just in time to catch you midair before you could 'ruin' Velvettes outfit.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Valentino first met you in one of his night clubs-one specifically for sex favors. He was chatting with Vox in a separate room when they heard a shriek. Valentino had intended to ignore it until Vox ran out of the room, cursing under his breath. When the pimp entered the club room he watched with a confused look on his face as a little sinner scrambled around with a black light, tears in their eyes, and like a thousand cleaning materials in their arms. They wailed in Vox's arms about how filthy the entire room was. Valentino took an interest in you, maybe you could be quite useful in one of his films. Like a sexy little maid or something. Yeah before he could make an offer you had ripped off some of his fur, muttering about how unclean his coat was.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Oh Val, that would not be the only time a little ball of chaos ripped some of your fur off, would it?
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Anyways, Vox didn't keep you around much for, as previously mentioned, good reason. In fact, part of your contract was that you never reach out to him. He will be the one to reach out to you. It leaves your text messages and mailing address heavily one sided. Vox still cringes at the memory when the head of the mailing company had accused him of stalking some poor innocent sinner.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Vox liked to think he didn't have any favourites of all his contracted souls. The closest would probably be Travis (the name I gave his assistant in episode 2) but that was mainly bc out of all of Vox's assistants, Travis actually got shit done to Vox's standards. So yeah. Absolutely no favourites. Non whatsoever. Nope nope nope-
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "And in other news, VoxTek is releasing some new cleaning products for your VoxTek appliances!" Vox promotes on his 'Vox-2-Nite' show one evening. Suddenly your little happy face comes very close in front of camera 1, holding an armful of the cleaning products you managed to convince Vox to make. Vox stretches behind you to try and get his face back on camera 1, and maybe hint for a crew member for get you off the damn set.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ No one could mangle you away from the cameras though, leaving Vox to shamefully climb over his desk and retrieve you himself. He sat back on the guest seat, hand clamping over your mouth, arm holding your body as still as he possibly can as he hurried to end the show.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "That's it for tonight on 'Vox-2-Nite'! Tune in tomorrow night for a very special guest, Velvette-hey get back here!" You slipped out of his arms, running up to the camera and firmly grasping it in your hands. "Buy our cleaning products! Valentino says the soap is the same colour as Mister Vox’s cum-!" "AAAAAAAAA!!" Vox tackles you to the floor.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Velvette finds herself smiling smugly along side a chuckling Valentino at the...unexpected closing of the show. They wait for Vox to slam open the doors. But surprisingly Vox doesn't come charging in upset. Instead he looks unbothered as you cling to his leg wailing for your cleaning products back.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "I'll clean all of the Vee's tower! Every little corner! That's how I'll make it up to you, I promise!" Vox pulled you off his leg from the back of your top. "It wouldn't be a punishment if you enjoyed it now, wouldn't it?" Then he dropped on you the couch next to Valentino who scurried away out of fear that you'll rip out his fur again. He may or may not have ptsd from the first time.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ If you were a normal sinner, any of his other souls or employees, you'd be ripped apart by now or have some other form of harsh punishment-he's not above using some of his employees as target practice with a gun of course. But you weren't like the rest to him. Yeah. Definitely no favourites.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "Imagine being attached to some little sinner!" Vox laughed, spinning around in his chair with a cup of hot coffee on his iconic 'Fuck Alastor' customized mug. He looked at the monitor with an amused expression, with a smug, teasing smile. Alastor's fondness of this Nifty lady was just too comical. Cringe, even. "He's such a loser." He sipped his coffee.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "Can I have a sip?" You perked up suddenly next to him and eyeing his coffee. Vox hands the mug to you thoughtlessly. "Yeah, go ahead." He says before laughing again.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Valentino and Velvette, on separate monitors as the three were in a video call together, throw a 'really?' expression Vox's way. He fails to notice that though as he's still looking on in amusement and making his comments-laughing at his own jokes like the sad, little simp he is.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ I like to imagine that Vox kidnaps Nifty just to spite Alastor and Alastor, not one to back down from a challenge, in turn kidnaps you. So he's been doing his homework too it seems.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ It then becomes an awkward trade off of little chaos gremlins, with both Overlords inching towards each other holding each others little friend. Like, they don't even set them on the ground for them to find their way back to their masters-each somewhat paranoid that the others just gonna take both and run away. So they hold the two of you out, using the other arm to slowly reach for their respective little entertainment. As soon their fingers graze their friend, Nifty is swept up into Alastor's arms and you're swept up in Vox's. The two throw glares at each other, shadows curling dangerously behind Alastor and electricity flickering around Vox violently.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "I got stuck in his fancy toilet!" Nifty points at Vox.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "He took me to Cannibal Town and a lady named Susan tried to eat me!" You point at Alastor.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ One night as Vox sat in a meeting room surrounded by all his sharks, he downed a bottle of some hard liquor. It was another difficult day. Surprisingly enough, the nail on the coffin was when Vox finally admitted to himself that he does have a favourite.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "Can I stay here?" You suddenly appeared on the table which nearly gave Vox's dead cold heart a heart attack. "What?' He recovered. "I like it here. Velvette says I'm like a doll she can dress up and I get lots of new clothes. Valentino lets me clean his studio-with a promise I don't touch him." Vox nearly snorted. Almost. But a rare, vulnerable, genuine smile took its place instead.
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ "I suppose. Your presence is... not unenjoyable to have in the tower." Suddenly Vox finds you climbing his shoulders, hands gripping the top of his monitor to keep yourself steady. You take his hat and place it neatly on top of your own head. Vox glances up at you with a toothy grin. "Onward to my new room, Mister Vox!" Vox stands and cleans up after himself, not removing you from the piggy back you forced upon him. "Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that strange head of yours."
𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ You, dear (Y/n), are a soul worth keeping-and a friend worth having.
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This took longer to get out than expected. Sorry about that. I think it came out longer than I expected too. A lot longer actually. I might make a part 2 bc this was so fun! Thanks for reading! Likes + Reblogs are appreciated!
Tags: @viviannagiorgini @fabii275
207 notes · View notes
rysko · 3 months
Note
my request would be literally anything with luca changretta x shelby sister that pairing in this fandom is so my guilty pleasure love your writing so so much, whether you make it into a drabble, hcs or a mini fic i would be happy — gotta love that forbidden enemy lovin 😋
Too old for this - Luca Changretta x F!reader
summary: Keeping secrets, lying to your family, sneaking out...All to see a man, god, what are you? Seventeen again?
OR three times you snuck out to see Luca, and one time he snuck out to see you.
Warnings: Peaky-typical swearing, very minor violence, this is just romantic-comedy-themed fluff,
A/N: Special thanks (and a big fuck you) to @red-riding-wood, next time we race in writing we're making rules.
Aaaaaaanyways, So Sorry this took so long anon! This writing slump was horrible. I really hope you'll enjoy this silly thing!
tag list (yay i have one finally!): @red-riding-wood @peakyswritings
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This was stupid. This was so dumb.
Coat hung loosely around your shoulders, shoes in your hands as if to not make more noise than necessary, you snuck through the Small Heath Shelby house corridors. Almost cartoonishly so, when your frame passed one of the occupied rooms. If you had to guess, the last time you did that was years ago, when you were just a teenage girl with overprotective brothers, now you're an adult, rough-around-the-edges woman...with the same overprotective brothers.
Though, this time it's not a nice stableboy you're sneaking out to see. Now it seems like your brothers would have every right to threaten the man you're seeing with a blinding.
You slowly go down the old, wooden stairs, wincing at every crack and whine that echoes. The whole house is dark, the room illuminated only by the street lamps outside.
Almost...
Before you reach for the doorknob, you clumsily take the keys into your teeth to put your shoes on, which puts you in quite an embarrassing position when a table light behind you suddenly turns on.
"Aren't you a bit too old to be sneaking about Y/N?" Polly asked with a smugly raised eyebrow, nursing a glass of whiskey, legs crossed on the velvet red armchair. You spit out the keys.
"I'm not sneaking." You try to compose yourself as best as you can. "I'm going for a walk."
"Very conspicuous behaviour for a walk, love." The glass muffles her chuckle. Was she just...waiting here?
"I just don't want Tommy to get in my hair whenever I even look in the doors' direction." You whine. "I'll go crazy in this house soon." This seemed to soften Polly up just a bit, or maybe activate the part of her brain which insists on the 'fuck them' mentality when it comes to obeying Tommy's orders.
"Just don't get into trouble. God knows i need to tell you that." She dismissed you with a flick of the wrist, and you just nodded before rushing out the door, as if Polly could change her mind any second.
Street after street, the tension slowly eased off your shoulders as you were exiting the tight Shelby territory. It was a close call once in a while, someone almost recognizing you before you could cover your face more. A group of men whistling after you before you could disappear in a dark back alley. Slowly, you closed in on the place you agreed to meet a man by the name you even feared to say in your head, as maybe Tommy would sit there by sheer coincidence, resulting in you getting cut, or him, or both of you, how Shakespearean...
How has it gotten to the point where you are happily fucking the enemy? Devil knows, honestly.
In the back of your mind, you always had a nagging feeling Luca only started seeing you to spite Tommy. This wouldn't be a problem, of course, you regularly told yourself. You're spiting Tommy yourself!
No, that honestly didn't help. The truth is, whatever Changretta's intentions were, or, still are, you found him irresistibly captivating. Like a substance you just can't resist, one that soothes and pleasures, but at the same time comes with a fifty-page warning label. You can see this blowing up in your face from a mile away, in a million different ways. Yet, every visit, every phone call, hell, every sneakily delivered note shuts off any sense you have left in yourself.
And now you feel like losing it again, when just in front of the speakeasy Luca asked to meet you, a very familliar set of hands gently rest on your waist from behind.
"Took you long enough doll." A kiss on the cheek accompanies the low foreign drawl of Luca's voice, sending shivers down your neck and spine. Shit, if all of you will die soon, you might as well have some fun until then. It's not like Tommy's staying celibate in mourning.
"You're saying that to a doll that has to endure my brothers mythering about town. Sneaking out in the middle of the night isn't as easy for me as it is for you." With your arms crossed, you motion to one of the alleys you emerged from just moments ago. "There's all sorts of shady blokes out and about."
"M'sorry, i got impatient, that's all." You could feel his thumb gently rubbing against your waist "Anyone gave you trouble? You got the gun I got you?" Luca pulled back, looking you over, the slightest hint of concern visible in his dark eyes.
"Yes. To the second thing. I'll be fine." You sigh, relaxing your shoulders. "Are we going in?"
"Right this way cara." Luca's lips curled into a small smile. He linked your arms together and in a nearly over-the-top way led you down the stairs of the high-class Speakeasy.
You might as well have some fun, that's all this is after all.
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The loud whistle of the conductor woke you up from an on-and-off slumber, the train from Birmingham to London wasn't exactly the comfiest place to rest your head in. From outside the window, the ever-so-lively London train platform came into view.
To be honest, it surprised you when Luca invited you to spend the weekend in London, even more so when you managed to form quite an elaborate story to justify the trip to your family, or more accurately, Polly. Tommy seemed preoccupied with fighting the Italians, chasing the May lady around town, and making quite mediocre gin to even care what you were up to. Needless to say, officially you finally found a friend that you just have to visit. Polly seemed to pay it little mind, but the sly look in her eye, as she saw you off at the door, made you just a tad paranoid that she might have caught on.
Like always, this will bite you in the arse sooner or...sooner.
Up until now, every 'visit' you paid Luca hadn't lasted for more than half a day, only once reaching a full 24 hours when, to your horror, you managed to oversleep. That was a morning of sloppily put-on clothes and numerous muttered 'shits' and 'craps', of course, accompanied by a very amused Luca doing everything in his power to distract you.
What you were doing right now seemed like a step up from the usual routine. Two days aren't going to fly by with just sex, though, that wouldn't be so bad. But lately, you realized you just wanted to...ugh, spend time with him. However sappy this sounded. But that's not what this is. What even is 'this'? When you and Luca met, what happened was purely driven by want, maybe with more than a touch of curiosity of the 'forbidden fruit' in the form of the enemy. Sweet, with sour at the back of your tongue.
Lately, you realized, you only feel the sweet when you kiss Luca. And though you'd never admit it, you dread him not feeling the same.
You two have your moments. Pillow talks with topics never discussed with anyone before, coffee filled with banter worthy of an old married couple, and non-sexual touches that linger for just a bit longer than they should. It's addicting and confusing at the same time.
And that addiction and confusion just led you all the way to London.
Stretching out of your seat, you reach for your bag in the luggage compartment, only for a stranger to take it instead.
"There you go, Miss." The man, looking maybe a decade your senior smiled handing you the bag.
"Thank you, sir." You muster a polite smile, praying internally that the stranger isn't from the same place you are. "I could've done it myself though."
"It's really nothing, common kindness it is..." The longer he spoke, the more his voice trailed off. His eyes widened, studying your frame and most importantly, your face with a new approach. "You're-"
shit
"Thankyougoodbye." You rush and almost run out of the carriage, running into multiple people and throwing rushed half-assed apologies their way. You're stopped by a strong, painful grip on your arm, the man from before pushing you further down the platform, more secluded from people.
"I knew you were familiar." He grabbed the collar of your shirt and pushed you into a pillar roughly, knocking a bit of air out of your lungs. "One of those Shelby devils!" The man's gaze was furious, almost seeing red.
"Let me go." You ordered, trying your best not to attract attention to the both of you. "And we can both forget about this." You're trying your best to speak sternly and diplomatically, yet more than a hint of fear is hearable in your voice. He seems to notice.
"You ruined me!" The Brummie spat. "I'll cut your pretty face just like they cut me brothers." A rough, callous hand cupped your jaw to hold it in place, the other reaching into his jacket. You feel a mixture of panic and adrenaline make its way to your veins.
"Get the fuck off me!" All your strength goes towards your legs. You kicked him back a foot or two, which only seemed to infuriate him more. Before he could take even a step towards you, he's violently grabbed by... Wait, Luca?
"How 'bout you let the lady go, hm?" His grip on the brummies' collar turned red, almost lifting the man off the ground. That wasn't reflected at all in the way Luca was speaking however, for the first time he seemed...calm, condescending even. That only changed when the man didn't seem to take no for an answer. "That wasn't a fucking request." Luca's voice became a gravelly threat, which resulted in the attacker promptly looking between you and Luca as if weighing the risk and reward. Finally, he nodded his head frantically.
Luca didn't need to be told twice. He almost threw the man aside, letting him limp off into the distance. The Italian was almost immediately by your side, gently cupping your face, checking for any sign of hurt or damage. You feel his thumb caress a small spot next to your brow, despite you being almost sure you hadn't been hit anywhere near there. You take a look behind Luca to see the man at a larger distance.
"Wouldn't think you'd just let him go like that." You raise an eyebrow at Luca, not in a teasing way, it just feels oddly out of character for him to just let him go.
"Because I ain't gonna." He turns to a seemingly unaware civilian reading a newspaper, mumbling something that sounds like Italian, his head only slightly motioning towards the direction in which the Brummie fled. Ah, one of his men, cousin maybe. Just as he left, Luca stopped him for just a second more. "Alive." He let him go.
"Look at you, my knight in shining armour." You smile up at him while catching your breath and trying to calm down.
"Yeah yeah." He doesn't play into your teasing this time. "You alright?" He rubs your upper arm as if dusting off any remaining trace of the event before.
"Just a bit roughed up, had it worse after playfighting with Ada back in the day." You shrug. "I was prepared for you to bash his head in right here."
"That can wait a few days." His gaze followed a pair of men dragging the attacker off the station, his voice almost a promise.
"A few days? What happened to the vengeful, impatient Luca I know?"
"This Luca-" He holds out his arm for you to take. "-Is going to starve him a bit before giving him the mercy of a pipe through his skull."
"How romantic." You sigh in an exaggerated, lovesick voice. "Talk more like that and maybe I'll lift the 'no shop talk' policy." You wink at Luca as you link your arms together, his shoulder becoming the perfect pillow for your head. This time, Luca welcomes it happily.
"How gracious of you." His low chuckle meets yours as you head off to the London center. A fun weekend out is due, after all.
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Now, this was definitely an unusual location. 
At first, it seemed to you that Luca must have just confused locations when calling. Yet here you were, on the outskirts of a local forest, your only companions in the form of singing starlings and rustling trees.
All this seemed like a rope that was being pulled from only one side. You were the one to stress about being found out, evading family, hell, call sometimes. You felt like a brat, honestly. Technically, there was nothing Luca did that should have upset you, he couldn't have if there were no rules. Was that the thing though? Did you want there to be rules?
With every visit, you want to stay longer, talk more, and Luca seemed to entertain all of it. It confused you. What plan did he have with all this? Did Luca want you to catch feelings and lure you into a vulnerable state, resulting in killing you? Maybe he counted on you as a potential ally against Tommy, trying to manipulate you. Maybe he's just incredibly dense?
He can't want an actual relationship. Luca came here to kill your whole family, including you. The fact that he also likes to play with his prey is another thing, hell, he probably has a wife or girl back in New York. There has to be a wedding band under one of these tacky rings and signets.
"What the hell is he planning?" You kick a pebble down the dirt road in frustration. "A damn Picnic?" You finish off with a groan as you squat down.
Your answer came in the form of the sound of a Rolls Royce engine heading closer and closer toward you, the black car kicking up a hefty amount of dust and rocks. As it slows down next to you and ultimately comes to a halt, you see the familiar face of Luca's right-hand man.
"Get in." Matteo nodded in the direction of the backseat, though you didn't take it into consideration, and immediately headed for the shotgun seat.
"What is all this?" You look around the car as it backs up and starts speeding off in the same direction it came from.
"Luca asked me to get you to him safely," Matteo explained, not taking his eyes off the road. "He didn't want any uhh, repeat from last time."
"How sweet." You answer sarcastically. Ah, of course, he couldn't bother.
"He was definitely sweet when he put the bozo out of his misery." He laughed, looking to the side, as if seeking approval for his joke, but didn't get any. Matteo's laughter dies into an awkward cough.
"How long's the ride?" You try to position yourself as comfortably as possible in the stiff leather seats of the car.
"About an hour." He answers, and you visibly deflate in your seat, deciding to spend the time looking at the sights outside, fields, and occasional houses passing by.
A long, awkward silence passes between the two of you. It seemed to bother the man to your right, who tapped his index finger against the steering wheel while stealing the occasional glance. He looked like he was debating saying something.
"So..." He begins, almost like a father starting a conversation with a child he doesn't quite get. "Did you finish Ulysses yet?"
"Did..." You do a double take, studying Matteo for a long second. "...Did Luca give you conversation starters?"
"What if I made them up?" He blurts out.
"We've spoken twice, Matteo." You raise an eyebrow at him, arms crossed. "I never told you what I read."
"Maybe I just guessed what girls like nowadays." He smirked at you, feeling triumphant.
"I'm sorry, but you're the least qualified person to talk about girls." You say with a chuckle.
"Touche." He smiled, then looked back at the road, letting the silence sit only for a few seconds. "But you're right, we've only spoken twice."
"So?" You raised a brow.
"Sooo." Matteo draws out. "We have about an hour to catch up."
You're genuinely confused as to why Matteo was being so personal all of a sudden. Usually, as in, in the last few weeks or so, you've had two separate, short conversations with the man. Once, when you accidentally came into his room instead of Luca's during one of your 'visits'. The other time, when both of you had quite a boring and awkward conversation about English meals in a lift. "On what grounds should we 'catch up'?"
"On the grounds that you're fucking my cousin Miss Shelby." The way Matteo said that was surprisingly casual. "And family is important to me."
"It's not like I'm married to him." You reply faster than you'd want to.
"He damn well acts like you are." He chuckles, and you feel yourself stiffen, looking at the Italian like he just told you the earth is flat. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What do you mean by 'acts like I am'?" The question leaves your lips in an uncertain tone, almost shy.
"Never seen him so distracted by someone he's known for such a short time." He says with a shrug "Foolish if you ask me, but who am I to judge, at least he's happy."
He's happy??
"Uh, yeah." He throws you a pitiful smile, as if he could see how perplexed this information made you. "At least from what I can see."
Oh, of course, you said that out loud.
You quieted down, gaze resting on your lap. Now this was new information you had no idea how to process. You bit your lower lip in thought, unsure if the emotions you're feeling right now are uncertainty or... giddy, immature happiness.
You sit like that for a good few minutes before a small, sly smile graces your lips.
"Cousin, huh?" You ask, looking out the window, your good humour slowly creeping back in.
"I'm not telling you his secrets," Matteo says almost immediately as if he somehow knew that you were going to ask that.
"And I'm not asking you." You clarify. "But you probably have some nice stories."
"About what?"
"You knooooow..." You draw out, cocking your head to the side. "What was he like, back in the day?"
"Same as now, I guess. Only longer ago." It seemed like that was the end of your prying on Luca, but after a longer moment, Matteo mused more to himself than anyone else in the car. "More chipper in New York though..."
"Chipper? I'd like to see that."
"Oh yeah, and stupid."
"Now we're talking, tell me more." You lean forward in your seat, elbows resting on your thighs.
"No, I already told too much," Matteo says like he's telling his friends he's had enough drinks for the night. "He's going to skin me alive if he finds out I told you about this."
"Oh come oooooon. I won't tell." You shuffle your feet excitedly. Matteo looked forward, focusing on the road ahead, but after a moment of looking between the steering wheel and you, he let out a defeated sigh.
"...Back in New York, when we were just goons for Spinietta, Luca came up with a new con to scam people with, a really fucking stupid one..."
.
.
.
"And then, THEN it turned out the other guy was from London, and when he heard Luca speaking in a shitty Birmingham accent he-" He paused, but only to wheeze in laughter. "He beat the fucking shit out of him." Matteo finishes the story, on the verge of tears.
"No!" You gasped, though not hiding your laughter as well, leaning forward in your seat.
"Yes!" Matteo wipes a stray tear from the corner of his eye, still trying to calm down his laughter. "Never seen Luca on his ass faster in my life, ti giuro. "
"Oh god. And I'm supposed to NOT tease him about it?" You say in amused disbelief. "When he's all 'Look at me, I'm mister smug and aloof, I've never gotten beaten up like a bitch before'." You put on your best impression of the Italian, even going to the lengths of putting a match between your lips and exaggerating your words with excessive hand gestures.
"Hey, we're all hiding behind something principessa." Despite Matteo defending his cousin, he still couldn't help but laugh along with you. After a moment, both of you calmed down, this time falling into a pleasant, comfortable silence before you spoke up again.
"What about you?" You turned to Matteo again.
"What do you mean?"
"You said you want to catch up." You lean against the leather seat, bringing your knees to your chin. "We've got an hour, you ever played two truths and a lie?"
It was a nice ride.
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Everyone and their mother thinks the Small Heath home is haunted. Random objects flying off the wall at night, specific items appearing in places they weren't before, the occasional crooked painting.
Footsteps are definitely new.
The boys and Polly are dealing with business outside of town for once, while Ada just went out and should be here any minute. But that definitely isn't Ada.
Slow, almost wary footsteps cause the floorboards to creak on the ground floor. You're sitting next to the stairs, knees tucked to your chest and spare pistol in your hand.
Another step.
You press your ear to the floor, trying your hardest to pinpoint how many people were inside just by footsteps... Just one?
They appear to be coming closer, and you internally brace for confrontation with whoever broke into your home. As the intruder passes the corner you were hiding in, you stick out the gun and press it to the side of their head, making them immediately freeze in place.
Wait-
"Luca????" You blurt out in shock, your voice becoming at least a few octaves higher.
"Hey, you actually kept it," Luca says, sizing up the gun he gave you that's now pressed to his head. "Though I'd rather not die by it sweetheart, no offense."
"FUCKING hell Luca! You scared me half to death!” Your arms drop next to your hips. putting the gun on a table nearby.
“Relax, who would it be if not me?” Luca moves towards you, probably to say his hellos in the form of peppered kisses.
"Who would it be? What do you MEAN who would it be?!" You rub your eyes, not sure if out of frustration or as a way of trying to wake yourself up. “Police? IRA? My own bloody brothers?!” Somehow, this is exactly what you wanted. Luca being the one that sneaks through Small Heath and avoids the blinders, instead of it being always you. Though now, instead of it being a late-night fantasy of the charming man sneaking into your bed despite the dangers of doing so, it's a real-life nightmare of this idiot trying to get himself killed.
“Yeah well, it’s not them.” He shrugs, glancing around the house. “I’d like to see anyone try to stab you in the back in this house. I figure before I’ll get to them you’ll just kill them yourself.” 
“Yes, I am quite amazing.” You muse to yourself before snapping back into reality. “Don’t think you can butter me up and I’ll drop it, what are you doing here?!"
“I’m seeing my doll.” 
“Need I remind you you’re inside my idiot brothers’ territory?”
"Relax, we'll manage."
You two did not manage.
Who knew Luca Changretta had a talent for knocking down hanged pictures and stepping on the creakiest parts of the wooden floor.
“Shush for once in your life.” You hissed at Luca as you led him through the tight corridor, internally begging whatever made-up deity may be watching over you to please not let Arthur or Polly magically appear out of the corner.
“Please, it’s not like-” You can practically hear Luca roll his eyes, and despite you usually letting him release whatever condescending thoughts he had on the daily, you think you just heard a door open in the distance. You practically drag him the remaining meter to your room's door and push him inside, shutting it way too loudly.
As it turns out, the deity listened to you, but only to half of your half-assed prayer.
“Ada! Heyy!” You try to stay nonchalant as you lean against the door.
“...Hey?” Ada's pace slows down next to you, “What’s got you so pent up?”
“Pent up? Pshh.” You're really not good at this. “Well, I guess I’m just tired, I better get to bed.” Your thumb points back towards the door of your bedroom.
Ada stays put, looking at you puzzled and suspicious.
“Are you going?" She asks.
“Yes.” You blurt out. ”What about you?”
“Y/N, cut the crap. I heard something.” She looks at you for answers, but only when she looks at the door again it's almost as if a light turns on in her head. “Are you…Sneaking someone in?” She reached for the doorknob only to be stopped by you slapping it away.
“Ada no!” You shield the door with your whole body.
“Ow! Hey, come on, I’m not judging. God knows you deserve some fun once in a while.” She rubs her hand. “So who is he?” Your sister looks between you and the door excitedly, her voice now hushed, like all these years ago when the two of you spent hours under the covers giggling about the stupidest of things.
“Uhh, just-” You stammered, struggling to find the right words. or any words for that matter. “You don’t know him.”
“I trust he’s not afraid of Tommy since he followed you here.” She threw a wink your way. “Reminds me of Freddie and I back in the day.” A fond smile graces her face as she looks to the side.
“Oh he’s not, that’s for sure.” You laugh nervously, internally waiting for the sweet release of death. Ada seemed to notice.
“All right, I’ll get out of your hair.” She laughs at her sister, squeezing your cheek as she walks past you. “Don’t get her knocked up Romeo, then maybe I won't have to tell Tommy!” She calls, walking off down the corridor. Only after Ada completely vanished from your periphery you opened the bedroom door just a few inches and slid in. The door locked, checked three times, and you finally released a big sigh, hands sliding off the door to rest next to your hips.
You turn around to see a very out-of-place Luca. Almost everything about him clashed with your small childhood room, the humble interior looking somehow even cheaper next to him. After the company took off, the family never bothered to fancy up the place, instead, everyone went their separate ways into apartments and stylish homes. Yet somehow for you, no king-sized plush bed will ever replace the old, creaking twin you have right here in Small Heath, always ready for you with open arms.
Luca took his sweet time taking in the place. Picking up and then putting down every insignificant object, from small toys you never bothered to throw out or sell, to numerous books lying around the room. He spends the most time looking at an old, framed picture sitting atop your windowsill. Luca's thumb brushes off a heavy layer of dust from 10-year-old Y/N in her year 5 uniform, while the actual Y/N takes her place beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Adorable." Luca nudges you, a sly smile on his lips as he puts his other arm around your shoulders.
"Oh hush, I'm sure I can find a picture of little Luca if I sneak into your home." You stab a finger into his arm playfully, smiling fondly at the picture.
"Wishful thinking, doll. Wishful thinking..." Luca sets down the frame and focuses his attention on you. A kiss on your temple leads to his lips softly trailing down to your nose and meeting your lips. Now the stress of the whole damn ordeal seemed to start slipping away, and the sweet taste is there once again.
The sound of a door crashing on the far end of the hallway takes both of you out of your trance.
“So, that…was Ada.” You turn your head to try and hear any sounds of your sister leaving her room, but Luca doesn't seem to pay it any mind.
“She seems nice.” He hummed against your skin, his lips trailing down to your collarbone, biting down gently.
“What are you doing Romeo?” You turn your head slightly to squint your eyes at him, a distrusting smile gracing your lips.
“Breaking my promise to your sister.” His sly drawl is muffled against your skin as both of you step by step head towards the bed.
“Did you want to come here only to sleep with me under Tommy’s nose?” You sit down on the bed, your brows furrowing.
“I always come firstly to you and because of you,” Luca emphasizes every word as he slowly gets on his knees, never taking his eyes off you. “But yeah, being here does come with its satisfaction. If only they’d see you now, cara.” His hands push up your dress, finding their way to your thighs, fingers getting busy with the garters holding up your stockings.
“Yeah, maybe cut it with the Italian. My sister could be listening in.” Luca only seems to respond in a musing hum. “You never know.” 
“Should I put on my best Birmingham accent?” He looks up at you, his signature smartass grin more endearing than annoying.
“Not now. You’ll ruin the mood.” You murmur just mere inches from his lips, laying back into the old, creaky bed, Luca following put. “But definitely save it for later, I need to hear that."
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angstylittleb1tch · 11 months
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Who am I to you? (Aether x creator!reader)
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Summary: It is an imposter sagau universe where creator!reader escapes from her acolytes to the far corners of Sumeru and decides to start a flower shop but an unexpected guest comes for a visit...
Note: This is my very First Fic EVER. I do admit I'm no master at writing but I'm trying to learn and am open to criticism so please don't hesitate to correct me in my pronunciation, grammar, spelling or knowledge on any mentioned topic. Thanks!
Warnings: Yandere? (If you squint), mentions of swords, vines used as binding equipment (not bdsm you lil shits)
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The sky today was just as beautiful as it was every day. Granted it never really changed due to teyvat basically just being zero's and one's but no one but you knew about that so better not to mention it.
Previous to your 'decent' into teyvat, you were just like any other gacha gamer who stumbled upon Genshin by accident and became addicted to it in a short span of time. Naturally, that had let you to explore more about this fandom which had eventually landed you to the sagau corner of Genshin fanfics which is why being teleported or rather isekai'd to teyvat wasn't a very shocking experience.
However, you weren't just going to walk into Mondstadt like the other fanfics, no. You were much calmer and more grounded not to mention clever. Never once were the acolytes alerted of your presence in teyvat as you slowly over the span of a few months made your way to Sumeru, making sure to stay hidden for days on end and to take all the longer but less active routes.
In your first week in Sumeru, you had found out that the traveler had yet to cross paths with the dendro archon and was still in Inazuma, so you had a general idea of where in the timeline you were.
Since you had no family or even proof of birth or existence in teyvat, finding a job was increasingly difficult along with keeping your identity hidden. However, as if you were blessed by some all-knowing power, higher than gods, you encountered an old yet very kind lady who allowed you to live with her at the outskirts of Sumeru so long as you helped her run her little flower shop.
Months passed in the blink of an eye, and you found yourself growing soft towards the lady you grew to see as your own grandmother. She insisted you call her that and you happily obliged. Your trust and love towards her grew so much so that eventually you decided to tell her the truth about your origins and status of creator in this world.
Though shocked at first, she never treated you any differently than before, and appeared to be more understanding of your situation. Both of you lived your life in happiness, away from the world. However due to being cut off from the world you were late to know that the traveler had successfully taken care of the Shouki no Kami and saved Sumeru from the scheming Akademiya.
Neither did you have any idea about how frivolously Aether had been turning teyvat upside down trying to look for you.
Unlike the other acolytes, Aether held a deeper connection with you, the creator. He was the first one you guided and the first to get to know your aura. There was absolutely no way he wouldn't find out about your arrival to teyvat. It was honestly better the others didn't. Imagine if everyone knew the creator was just walking amongst the common folk. That would certainly cause a panic amongst everyone.
He had to find you before the others did. He had to know. He had to see your face in person. One he had seen through the illusion of the sky way too many times before. One he had grown to love.
Yes, Aether was indeed in love with you. He had fallen not too long ago but he had fallen far. How couldn't he? You were just perfect in every way conceivable. Your eyes? Absolutely beautiful, he could have one glance and an eternity would have passed for him. Your smile? Mesmerizing. Oh, what he wouldn't give just to see a glimpse of it. He was sure he'd slay even the mightiest of gods, even Celestia, if it meant he'd be rewarded with one of your smiles.
It was entirely safe to say that when he'd gotten wind that there was a flower shop located at the ends of Sumeru said to house flowers no one had ever seen before, he was beyond intrigued. Especially since some poor soul he saw in Sumeru city had the same flower his sister always wore in her hair just laying around, claiming he bought it from your shop.
Now he just had to figure out what kind of a person would sell such a rare and practically impossible flower to get your hands on so freely. So, without thought, he soon found himself Infront of your little flower shop in the middle of nowhere with his eyes set straight at the door.
He could definitely feel your presence, it was everywhere. The plants, the flowers, the animals and even the air itself felt.... purified. It had to be your work. There was no doubt about it. Even Paimon didn't say a word for once in her life. She was too curious and perhaps a little uneasy at what kind of a deity she was to face now.
Unlike Paimon however, Aether could barely contain himself enough to stand. After a while of trying to gather courage to step in, he finally opened the door and was greeted by a view equivalent to the Fields of Elysium.
The sun rays fell through the windows lighting up the place, vast arrays of flowers were laid bare anywhere the eye could reach, wisteria flowers were hung from the ceiling as if they were growing from the skies above.
Never once before had Aether truly felt at home anywhere before more than here.
"I'll be there in just a second!" A sweet voice called out to him breaking him from his trance. It was you; you were talking to him. Addressing him. Before he could fully fathom what was to happen, you came out from the back of the store finally giving him a full view of your face.
"Hello there, how can I be of help today?" You greeted him.
Despite keeping up your calm, aloof and cheerful persona, you were panicking inside. Never once did you think you would meet him today. Him. Aether. Of course, you knew who he was. If his bright blonde hair wasn't a dead giveaway, then the floating ball of joy next to him definitely shouted out his identity to you.
You wanted to shout, to scream, to go up and crush Aether in a bone wrenching hug. You wanted to tell him how sorry you were for not being able to help him on his journey to find his sister. You wanted to hold him and take all his pain away. You wanted to tell him that you would be there for him.
That you Loved him. That you Love him.
Alas you couldn't, because there was no way in the entirety of teyvat that he would be able to let a stranger do that.
That's all you were to him of course. He didn't know you. There was no way he would. No one knew who you were, otherwise, you wouldn't be alive in this shop right now.
"Uhm hello?" You asked him, finally getting out of your own thoughts and noticing that he had been silent the whole time.
As if something snapped by your words, Aether finally came to his senses and responded,
"Ah! Yes! Oh, hi hello ahem I'm totally not staring."
You chuckled at his nervousness. "Never said you were."
If Aether's cheeks and ears weren't red earlier, they definitely were now. Your laugh was so pretty. He could never get enough of it.
"So, are you looking for any specific flowers? We have tons of variety; some I can assure you've never seen before! If you need, I can recommend you if you're buying for a specific occasion or I could just show you some general-" You smiled as you talked on and rambled about the flowers and Aether wasn't even sure if he was listening.
You looked absolutely ethereal, and Aether was so sure he was in heaven right now or somewhere close to it because archons were you beautiful. Even the Archon of Love would be jealous of your allure.
It's as if you were an enchantress, and in all honestly Aether wouldn't mind if you were, all because of the look you were giving him right now. He was already in cloud 9.
"-and so, I would definitely recommend the peonies. Hey? Are you even listening?"
"Hmm? Oh! Yes of course, Peonies, right? I'll take a bouquet."
"Alright just a moment, by the way, you never told me how you got here? I mean this place is pretty off the map, quite hard to stumble by it."
You knew exactly what you were doing, there was no way Aether just stumbled upon your shop out of nowhere. It was too out of character for him. Was there a reason he came here? Did he know?
"Oh, uhm I was uh recommended! Yes, I saw another traveler I came across in Sumeru own a rather unique flower, so I asked him where he got it, and he told me it was from your shop so here I am."
"I see, what flower was it? If you liked it so much, I could give you a few, consider it on the house."
"Are you sure? It's completely fine, I'll pay for them."
"No, it's alright, you can have them for free, don't worry about it. So which one was it?"
"Ahem, well it's the 'Inteyvat'"
"Oh. That flower.... I see you have an eye for flowers huh."
"Not really, it just... holds sentimental value. How about you, how'd you come across it?"
"Ah well you see, the seeds were given to me by my grandma, i suppose it's a family heirloom."
Both of you knew that neither of you told the entire truth however addressing it would cause a LOT of explanation, one you just weren't ready for, not before your coffee at least.
"So, what did you say your name was again?"
"Why? Are you trying to take me out on a date?"
"Would you say yes if I were?"
"Paimon will pay for the food!"
I guess everyone's a little bold today.
"I'm sorry did I hear that right? You? Paimon? The one who has less mora than Zhongli? Will pay for my date? That is only possible if we're going on a date in my dreams."
"WHY YOU-! Fine! Paimon won't be paying for your food then since you're such a big meanie to Paimon. And excuse you- Paimon isn't broke ok! Infact Paimon is richer than the traveler!"
"Paimon, how many times have I told you, those 'primogems' of yours are not actual currency."
"AGH-! Paimon's had it with you today! First you make Paimon fly the whole way here without telling why and now you're making fun of Paimon! That's it, Paimon is going to tattle to xiangling about how you actually threw away the Black-Back Perch Stew she made for you and only pretended to eat it because you were so full from Sara's cooking!"
You watched stifling your giggles as Aether's Face dropped into a terrified expression.
"NO! I'm sorry Paimon, please don't tell xiangling about that, she will murder me if she finds out. You don't want me dying.... do you?"
"Hmph"
"Please Paimon I'm begging you I don't want to die so young! I'll never make fun of you again! I'll even stop calling you emergency food so please! Anything but xiangling's wrath...."
You just couldn't hold it in anymore. If anything, Aether's pleading added to your amusement, and you burst in a fit of laughs.
Aether had almost forgotten you were here. His gaze turned to you and a smile creeped up his face which soon turned into and embarrassed look as he realized you had front row seats to his predicament.
"Hey! It's not that funny y/n! I'm serious! Stop making fun of me- Oh just great now Paimon's laughing too!" Though Aether was seeming to be embarrassed he was happy he could make you laugh like that.
That was until your smile disappeared from your face as you registered what he said.
"I never told you my name."
Both Aether and Paimon looked at each other as the atmosphere took a turn for the worse. There was no humor in your voice and your face looked cold, completely contradicting your laughs and smiles earlier.
"I- Please let me expla-"
Just as Aether took a single step in your direction vines sprung at him, securing him in his place as they wrapped around him. Paimon tried to pry them off but to no avail. He looked back up towards you but all he saw was a pure black sword pointing at his throat and a dark look in your eyes.
"Who am I to you."
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Well, that went well. I think? I'm still trying to figure out how I want to end this fic but I'm not completely clueless. I will be making a nice lil happy ending though. Anyways if you have any suggestions on how you want this fic to end then I'm open to them. Gosh Writing is hard, my respect for authors just skyrocketed.
Also, just a reminder that THIS IS MY FIRST FIC so please be nice and generous in your criticism otherwise if you don't like it them you can fuck skedaddle right off, Thank you very much.
Anyways, I'm gonna go sleep now It's like 2 am rn and I have to go on a trip in like a day so yeah, until I decide to post the next part fellow beings.
Signing off.
Also, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT IM BEGGING YOU I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS WORK IS EQIVALENT OF SHIT OR IF ITS ACTUALLY DECENT.
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demonslayedher · 1 year
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Low-Key Married AU fluff
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Kochou said that I was disliked, so I asked her if she disliked me too. For someone so quick to have a smiling response to everything, she struggled to reply. She was the one who proposed marriage and swayed me, so I had thought that meant she had feelings for me. There would be no other way to read it. However, with as unbothered as she is by my absence, I have to wonder.
It’s been ten days since I had last contact with her. I went home to the Butterfly Mansion, but she had just departed for a mission, so I didn’t stay long so as not to trouble the girls. It may still be a few days before I can return again, but it’s always likely she’ll be busy. She’s incredible in that way, taking on all the care of our injured Corp members in addition to her Pillar missions. It must be in her personality to keep adding to what keeps her busy, like taking me in as though I looked like I needed the care. Although the times we’ve spent together have been nice, I don’t require it. My duties call for me to always be ready for battle, and I’ve always kept my heart steady.
So has she. We are Pillars first, and no amount of affection can sway us—whether an abundance or a lack.
I’m not bothered by lacking something I didn’t deserve in the first place.
Last night again, I was too late to prevent a family from being slaughtered. There were no survivors this time, aside from the eldest child who was still ravenous with a recent transformation. Having to chase him down and keep him from harming anyone else kept me off the trail of the progenitor of demons, who had to have been close by. For centuries, he’s evaded us this way over and over, sacrificing entire families to throw us off his trail. If I were to chide myself over every failure, I would have lost the ability to do anything ages ago. Each time, the anger is something I carry with me, to push myself harder the next time, and the next. Any extent more that I can push myself may be the difference to someone’s survival, no one can afford to lose their life over any of my own lost confidence.
“CAW!! TOMIOKA GIYUUUU! NEWS FOR TOMIOKA GIYUUUU!”
Each time it's a crow I think I recognize, my stomach drops. My mind is already playing the words I dread to hear, as though trying to protect my mind once I someday hear them.
"Kochou Shinobu has died."
Even if I hear them, I'm a Pillar first. That was what we promised each other. I'll always do as I must.
The crow says nothing as it delivers a letter.
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YES, YES, I KNOW, THIS FANDOM HAS TURNED ME INTO SHIPPER TRASH. For this pairing, it was more specifically my own joke AU which later bit me in the back and made me start really, really enjoying GiyuShino (which, for the record, I do not consider canon). Was throwing ideas back and forth with @reicchel again the other day and so here we are with ship content!
Part of the reason I love the Low-Key Married AU (in which it's mostly canon as usual, except that Shinobu and Giyuu have been married for over a year or so, and it's not a secret but they make such little deal about it that many people don't even know they're married) is that it's a frame through which to see every interaction and either make it really, really funny, or very, very, sad. Everything was supposed to be funny, but it keeps hurting, hahaha... aaahhhh.
For instance, in a regular romcom situation, it should be funny that Kanzaburo doesn't deliver all of Giyuu's letters. Knowing these two, who might had started this whole "well, we'll be a couple when we have time" thing by actively writing regular letters, this could had simply given the impression that the other person wasn't writing as much, so they both naturally decreased frequency to match. It's a little lonely, but neither one is going to push the other for more attention.
No!! I refuse to let this post end with angst! Time for omake!!!
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ivyinne · 22 days
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I feel like I'm in the minority here but I just feel like... I don't like Stuart. And I don't mean I think he's boring or reprehensible or a badly written character, I specifically mean that I don't think his relationship with Neil is as affectionate or parental as people make it out to be.
Fanon Stuart is overwhelmingly portrayed as someone who cares about Neil. Being actively involved in his life, sometimes to an unhealthy extent. Fanfics even go so far as to have Stuart fight for Neil if he ever incurs the Moriyamas' disfavour — and I love that relationship. I love that exploration, I love seeing a Neil who at least has his mother's family in his corner.
But in canon, we hardly have any evidence to support that version of Stuart. All of their encounters have an element of business to them; Stuart rescues Neil from Nathan but that wasn't what he came down there to do — he came there because he just really, really disliked Nathan. Finding Neil was unexpected, and the first thing Stuart did was leave him there as a distraction for the FBI.
Still, it's not like he could have helped things on that front. The same way he tells Neil he can't protect Neil after the whole deal with the Moriyamas has been struck — it's just not something that can be helped. In TSC, Stuart comes to meet Neil to walk him through a plan designed to protect the Moriyamas — because that's who Stuart has allied with, and that's who Neil belongs to. It's a business transaction with a common denominator, and I see very little evidence that these two have the sort of relationship fanon maintains they do.
I know there are crumbs here and there to indicate that they do have a positive relationship, I just don't think they consider each other family, or that there is even any uncle-nephew bonding going in. Neil orders the hit on Grayson, and Stuart treats it like it's a query from a stranger. Really, Stuart? It's your organisation and you're not even gonna offer your own nephew a family discount?! I know Neil has his blood money but he's spent so much of it — and he's a student!! Who has pledged 80% of his future earnings to a crime family!! Maybe just do him a solid this once?
I think it's best explained by this example — in the EC we came to know that the Moriyamas will eventually end up getting rid of Stuart in favour of another leader within the Hatford set-up, and that before doing so they will ask Neil if he's going to be a problem when it happens. And Neil will be pretty broken up about it, but he's certainly not going to be a problem.
Which is the crux of the matter: as the canon dynamics stand, Neil and Stuart's relationship is simply too regulated by a careful balance of politics and crime and power for them to ever view each other as family. They operate in fucked-up contexts and their normal interactions are too much the product of belonging to crime families and knowing the price of necessity. Do I think they're callous about each other? No. But there's certainly no overflowing familial warmth there either.
I love that fandom explores the potential of what their dynamic could have been. But I don't think it's canon. Feel free to share any disagreements or alternate reading you have of the text, though, because I'm really open to changing my mind! And I'm also really curious about why a large part of the fandom has interpreted Stuart as having such strong pride and attachment over Neil in the first place.
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senanatheskenana · 5 months
Note
Sorry if this is weird but I haven't seen anything like this before but could you maybe do some sort of headcanon for genshin characters with a s/o that had a cryptic pregnancy. Like they leave for one day or come home after a couple hours and s/o is just like "yeah I didn't know" while holding a newborn. Again sorry if it's weird
Sure, this sounds super interesting! Also sorry if this took a while i haven't been as active recently but ill try to get more into the fandom soon <3
(Ill only be doing the male character since the nature of this would be a little hard to plan out for the female characters, hope that's ok)
Genshin Men Reacting to Cryptic Pregnancies
Kaeya
Kaeya looks at you like you're crazy. He legitimately believes that you've just picked up some newborn orphan to baby-trap him without getting pregnant.
Well, at least that's what he believed until he saw what the tiny child looked like up close.
There was no room to deny that the child looked strikingly similar to him; dark blue hair and tan skin. The only difference between them was that this tiny baby had your eyes.
And as his tiny fingers grab the air in front of Kaeya, he becomes increasingly aware of what has happened.
You were pregnant for nine months. You gave birth.
And he wasn't even there when you did- he was drinking like his social life depended on it at the tavern.
"I'm a terrible husband," he laughs, incredulous of himself.
He couldn't turn such a child away, even if he wanted no children. It would be obvious who had fathered one of the two blue-haired people in Mondstadt.
Diluc
Diluc is at a loss for words.
He doesn't doubt you, he's known you so deeply that he can see in your eyes and in your body that you've been through something.
So when you hold the tiny infant out towards him, he carefully takes her into his arms as if she were a treasure so valuable he could not bear the idea of tarnishing it.
He presses her warmly against his chest and looks at you in such a way that you know he is not at all upset with you. In fact, he then looks away and places a triad of light pecks on her short red hair.
"I wish i had known" he says ruefully- and for a moment your heart sinks as though you think he was disappointed in such an outcome.
"If i had known sooner, we could have prepared a nursery"
Venti
Venti isn't quite sure whether he wants to run away from you or towards you.
It wasn't that he didn't like you anymore, or that he didn't want children.
He simply worried that he would not be a good parent, staying late into the night in bars playing music and over-drinking. He could see those days flying away from him in the eyes of the child.
But still, he could not harbour resentment for such a young, uncomprehending thing. Something that depended on him so greatly- far greater than any normal mortal had ever depended on him as an archon.
No, to him this was special.
He thought about it. Yes, his days of drinking every day were behind him. But something new would soon replace them. He traded wine for a son who loved him like no other would.
Venti surely had never planned on this, had he known you were pregnant he would have tried harder to break his ugly habit of day drinking.
But what is done is done, he thinks.
Now he just had to raise a child. How hard could it be?
Albedo
He sums it up as a curiosity, rather than sentimentality. He admits that yes he loves you, but this thing, surely he was only keeping it alive- feeding it, burping it, changing it- to satiate his curiosity of how it came to be in the first place.
Firstly, he was under the impression that he was infertile, let alone thinking you were pregnant. It simply wasn't something he accounted for.
But you see it differently to him. You can see that what Albedo is denying as intrigue was really paternal love. You weren't quite sure whether he was trying to deny it, to keep the child at arm's length, or whether he was just dense. That wasn't something anyone had really associated with Albedo.
He supposes that, in a way, the baby was rather cute. It abstained from taking on many of his attributes, which he found himself thankful for. If he was honest, the baby was more similar to you in appearance. The only thing he theorised may be a piece of him showing was the fact that the child seemingly could not take their eyes off of their surroundings.
Its a gradually thing, a feeling that develops over weeks of caring for it. What started out as wonder at how it happened slowly melded into the realisation that he no longer cared, and the point was that it did happen, and he was content with that answer for once.
Xiao
Xiao very nearly drops off the earth after you show him the child. It could not be his- or yours- he's sure he would have been able to sense the pregnancy if you were.
The weeks after are filled with worry and Xiao's absence. He sits atop the roof of Wangshu Inn, looking out at the city in the distance, wondering if you and, by extension, 'your' child is still there.
He's desperate to take another glance, to put his guilt to bed, to prove to himself that the child could not be his. He's also terrified it could prove the opposite, leaving Xiao in more guilt than before and with more responsibilities.
Xiao may have never seen you again had it not been for Zhongl's insistence that he appear to him. With you sat beside him.
At first glance, he comes to realise that it is undeniable that the child is his. He could feel it, stronger than any feeling he had ever felt before. He felt his heart clench painfully inside of his chest as though it were crying for the moments they had wasted.
But he still can't bring himself to touch his child, too afraid to stain it with his sins.
He cries against you that night, sobbing apologies into your shoulder and muttering promises to his son.
Tartaglia
Bro straight up does not even question it. He's heard of such things before and he's so sure and secure in your relationship that the idea that it isn't his or yours doesn't even cross his mind.
If he's honest, its obviously his. The ginger hair was a big hint.
Ajax is honestly incredibly happy- he's always wanted a family of his own and he feels as if this was a gift from the archons. A child that no one outside of him and you know exists yet. He's aware of how good a position that is given how high his place in the fatui is.
He cannot resist telling his family, asking them to keep if close to their chest for the baby's sake.
He didn't get the chance to look after you during the pregnancy, so he's making up for it now. He won't let you do anything in the first few months.
"Stay here gorgeous, I'll feed her!", "You worked so hard you deserve an hour where you aren't looking after our child", and "I just found the CUTEST little outfit in the boutique- look!" are all common things to hear now.
He hasn't brought it up yet, but he really, really wants another one. One that he can help you with during the pregnancy and anticipate.
Zhongli
I feel as though there is no way for you to be pregnant and have him not know at some point.
In fact, he tries to hint it to you in the beginning and later outright asks you if you're pregnant. When you deny it, he's astoundingly patient, waiting for you to realise it yourself.
He understands that it must be absurd to hear that you were pregnant when you have no symptoms of it.
So he makes it a point to always be close by, or to have someone (usually Xiao) keep an eye on you.
It's just an average walk through Liyue Harbour when you drop to the floor and groan in pain. Your husband is immediately there to steady you, offering his strong hand for you to crush.
People gather around you both in concern, encircling you like you were some spectacle. Zhongli tells them to step away, and as people start to realise the gravity a green-haired doctor slips past the crowd.
You give birth in the street, never realising you were pregnant before leaving the house.
Kaedehara Kazuha
Kazuha has always been fairly good at going with the flow and this was no exception.
If he was honest, he knows that even if it wasn't related to you both, and you just picked it up off the street he would never refuse it.
He does his best to accept things and help you with things after, to make sure you heal well.
He's never cared for a child, let alone his own but he's willing to try his best in doing so.
And he's an outrageously good father given he had no time to prepare.
He fashions a baby bed on the crux, sleeping with the baby on his chest every night before finishing it.
It's you who finds out that your child will only sleep when sung to, after Kazuha has been doing so for the first few weeks.
Kazuha hadn't expected this but he has to admit that having a child has made him feel at home in every place as long as it is with you.
Thoma
Immediately Thoma panics. Though not for the reason you expect.
"Now I have to give short notice when asking for paternity leave"
Of course, he doesn't make it your fault, he's aware it's half of both of you.
When the Kamisato siblings find out, Ayaka is extremely excited. Thoma is given paid paternity leave, and Ayaka gets to coo at your tiny baby, marvelling at how it managed to occur.
Thoma is a wonderful father and he always volunteers to get up in the night for feeds and changes.
Fatherhood suits him well <3
He may have one moment of apprehension about the pregnancy, briefly questioning whether you had really given birth.
Before he reigns himself back in and realises that he knows you would never do something like that.
Arrataki Itto
Cue five minutes of pure silence while he tries to understand what you just said <3.
Bro didn't even know that was possible, like no way.
But at the same time, he understands that you wouldn't joke about this sort of thing. Plus the baby has horns just like her father.
He's in a state of shock for a few hours, a dumb expression painted on as he sits down cradling the baby oni.
And then finally he responds.
"Wait so this is like mine? I have to keep it and like look after it and stuff?"
Gorou
Gorou could smell something different with you from the beginning but with nothing to go on he didn't press it.
And at some point he just stopped noticing it, there was no reason to assume when he saw no real change in your behaviour.
Until he sees two resistance members charging towards him and beckoning him to follow them as they run off once more.
And that's when he finds you, sat low against the wall of a hut, sweaty and tearstained.
And then he hones in on the babe tucked between your arms and chest.
And then the guilt hits him. He could have known this might be the case, surely he should have made you leave just until he was sure of the outcome.
"I- I forced you into battle... And-and you were pregnant."
Kamisato Ayato
Ayato is very sure that you would never lie to him but he knows that the circumstances will be suspicious to many and that those who doubt may spread rumours given your unmarried status.
He loves you and he'd sooner die than have people spread vicious lies about you like you were some harlot.
But he really can't bear the idea of giving up your son.
So he bites the bullet and he, you, and Ayaka make a public appearance when you both introduce your child and the godmother, Ayaka <3.
People talked about you both but he couldn't care less when he had something so beautiful to look forward to now.
Tighnari
Tighnari is also there to watch you suddenly give birth. However he remains calm, easing your pain with herbs and scents.
He kisses your forehead and squeezes your hand to reassure you of how well you're doing.
He has never had experience with one in person but he knows of them, and he takes the subsequent weeks observing you and the baby, all while caring for you both.
He hadn't expected a child so soon but he had desire for a whole family someday so he took it in stride.
He takes great pleasure telling Collei, knowing how excited she would be.
Cyno
Cyno feels his whole heart thump when he comes home from a week of work away from you to see you in a chair, rocking a baby back and forth.
"Are you babysitting for a friend, sweetheart?"
You jump as if you didn't hear him enter and then relax when your eyes find him in the doorway.
"Not quite," you murmur as you play with the baby's tiny hand/
He grows curious and gingerly steps closer until he is beside you, looking down at the child.
He'd recognise that hair anywhere. And those eyes.
He felt as though he was looking back at himself from his past.
Instinctively he reaches out to gently caress the small face that peers up at him.
And then he looks back at you as if asking for an explanation. How did this happen? Surely, he would have realised you were pregnant.
Scaramouche
No. He's unwilling to even entertain the idea that you were pregnant with his child, to begin with. He was sure he was infertile. there was no way this thing was his.
And its that simple to him, you think. He leaves and you never meet again.
What you don't know is that Scaramouche, now Wanderer, is none the wiser to your existence, and the child you share.
Sorry, that's quite a sombre ending. I would like to mention that with Scara, he would ultimately return to you if he knew you <3
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makeste · 6 months
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Do you actually believe the DFO theory? What do you think supports it? (Genuine question)
I do think Deku and AFO have a yet-to-be-revealed connection, and back in my early BnHA fandom days I did think Dad For One was a possibility. nowadays though, I'm convinced there's a different explanation for the link between them -- namely, that OFA and AFO are actually the same quirk, and Deku is effectively a horcrux of AFO. I have a post here which explains this theory more in-depth, but basically the gist of it is that OFA was never a separate quirk at all. Yoichi really was quirkless, and when AFO attempted to force a quirk on his brother, he accidentally gave him a piece of his own quirk in the process. just broke off a lil section of it, like a Kit-Kat bar.
I will say that regardless of which theory turns out to be true, there's definitely something going on between AFO and Deku. chapter 217 in particular is practically overflowing with hints that the two are linked. Katsuki sees it right from the start, and even theorizes that AFO might have something to do with the SIXQUIRKS activating. and rather than disagree, All Might simply says "I didn't want to raise that point," meaning he made the connection as well. and then they just freaking drop the entire subject never to mention it again. and Horikoshi lays this panel on us as a parting gift.
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which to me is confirmation that we'll be revisiting this at some point. simply because you do not lay the symbolism on that thick without some kind of game plan for the future. this isn't merely setting up OFA and AFO as foils; this is deliberately (and ominously) drawing attention to the numerous "coincidental" similarities between their two quirks. such as the fact that OFA is the only other quirk capable of holding multiple quirks within itself. and the only other quirk capable of being passed down to another user.
not to mention there's also the as-yet-unexplained link between Deku and AFO. the fact that Yoichi can "hear" his brother, and vice-versa. back in Jakku, the pre-Danger Sense Deku somehow knew that Tomura was awake before anything had actually happened. and when Deku first activated SIXQUIRKS, AFO was somehow aware, even miles away locked up in Tartarus. and we're just supposed to pretend this is all perfectly normal and makes total sense, lol.
so yeah there is definitely some sort of reveal coming up before this all ends. but I think DFO is more likely to be a red herring at this point. Horikoshi definitely knows about the theories, and that's probably why he still hasn't revealed anything about Dekupapa. he's the Hagakure in this scenario. distract me us with speculation about her, when in reality Aoyama was the culprit all along. it's the same tactic here. convince all the fans that AFO is Deku's father, when in reality the truth is even more insidious. he's not Deku's dad -- he's Deku's quirk. and the final final boss, secretly lurking not within Tomura, but within Deku himself.
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tell me that's not the perfect final showdown setup. you know it's true. you know it's coming. or at least I hope it is lol.
incidentally, during the process of typing this all up, it occurred to me that if AFO is capable of creating horcrux!quirks (which we know for a fact he is regardless of how this theory pans out, since that's essentially how TomurAFO was created)... then why not Deku as well? which immediately led me down a whole new different theory rabbit hole. that's going to have to be its own separate post, though. my mind is now going a mile a minute, holy shit. this is going to be a busy weekend.
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dreamcaught · 20 days
Text
Fandom has Critically Failed a Media Literacy Check: Thoughts on Ascended Astarion
TLDR: Yes, he's evil. Yes, he's still in love with you.
Okay so now that I know more about both Spawn and Ascended Astarion from personal playthrough experience, I have to say it's really weird to me how much the fandom is pinning them against each other. In all practicality, they're the same fucking person.
Astarion's non-romance specific lines are practically identical. If you're his friend with high approval, he's pretty badass, if a megalomaniac. His self-obsession and self-importance make sense in context, though, and they aren't even that much more pretentious than his earlier expressions of desire for power. It's just that he has the power now. He says he's happy, is excited to be prosperous in his own way, and continues helping you. He's no more cruel than he was before. I can't speak to low-approval lines because my games will always reach "Exceptional" levels of approval for my favourite party members, but I can't imagine them being any different than low-approval spawn lines.
On Love
When romanced, the biggest fandom criticism I'm seeing is this idea that Astarion no longer loves his romantic partner. I have been looking for evidence of this and can't find anything indicating its truth. The closest thing is a post-breakup conversation which, in my opinion, is a huge cop-out. Even still, it does not say anything about his love for you -- only your love for him.
"Of course I understand love. All too well. The greatest crimes committed in this world are committed for love. A hunger crueler than bloodlust. I know how to play with it, and I can't resist playing the hand I know. I would have ruined your love, used your trust until you were nothing. So, for what it's worth, I respect you for making the choice you did. I never knew you had it in you."
I can imagine these lines were written for a very practical reason: They don't want break-ups to affect game-play. An entirely evil Ascended Astarion would just swan the fuck off if his partner left him, and that's not fair to a player who just doesn't want to be in a relationship in-game anymore. This is different than if the character breaks up with the player, because that usually happens because of some sort of cruelty the player chose. Actively trying to kill him, failing to persuade him after showing support for his ascension, or kicking him the balls after agreeing to be his spawn are all actively mean on the player's part. (Or an unfortunate dice roll, but it is - after all - still a game.)
Having Astarion leave the player after he breaks up with you is a consequence of these cruel actions; having Astarion leave after you break up with him is a game-play issue. They can't realistically account for why the player would do so. So they've thought of a realistic reason for Ascended Astarion to stick around: he respects you.
But I also think this speaks to Ascended Astarion's character.
People like to point out the way he says love in this line, as though it is something disgusting - something beneath him. Yes, he probably hates the concept, hates the feeling of it. But: he didn't like it much when he first fell in love with you either, as a spawn.
And he's only felt it once before you broke up with him, so there's that.
Astarion is insecure, even ascended, and if the player speaks for him - tells him he can't love, says he is too cruel, his actions thereby will only justify those concerns. It is a self-fulfilling prophesy, but that is not a result of him not loving you; that's a result of you saying he can't.
Reflect on this: Of course I understand love. All too well. I would have ruined your[s].
He loved you. He loves you, still. He can't say he doesn't, even if he respects your decision to leave him. However, he also feels that love is ruinous. He has become an even darker, more evil creature than he was before, and he believes your connection to him would be destructive. Consider that you have just denied him what he wanted: you. His love for you has hurt him, so he feels that he would hurt you back. He gave his trust to you, and you broke his heart, so he maintains that the same would happen to you: that he would use your trust until you were nothing, like he is. That is Astarion's nature both before and after ascension, but it is not an argument to show that he no longer loves you. That is an argument to show that ascended Astarion is just as lost, insecure and retaliatory as he was when you first met.
On the other hand, if you do not break up with Astarion, there are copious lines which showcase his love and complete devotion to his partner:
"You sweet, sweet thing. I want what's best for you too, of course." (In response to: "I hope you learned to love me," he says,) "What's to say I don't? I'm willing to share all of this with you. What's that if not love?"
(In response to: "I hope we can work things out and stay together," he says,) "Of course we can. You're the one that I want, the one that I love... My dark consort. My right hand. My most beloved spawn."
("So what would I be? A vampire, or your spawn?") "You wouldn't just be some spawn - you're far more than that to me. We could be together for eternity, ruling this world side by side. We could have it all."
("It sounds like you'd have it all.") "I already have everything. Except you by my side."
These lines come from the conversation before choosing to become his spawn or breaking up with him. All of these responses explicitly demonstrate Astarion's love for the player. Now that he achieved his greatest goal to become his strongest self, his desire is to share his success with you. As a vampire, that means to become like him, to become his. In a very real but evil way, he is very obviously asking you to marry him. And he's being very honest about it.
I've seen a lot of arguments about these lines which pretty much come down to: he's lying. But, kindly, fuck off. That isn't an argument; there is absolutely no reason to think he's lying here unless you have already chosen to think he's lying, and that's just another self-fulfilling prophesy.
Astarion being evil does not automatically mean that he's lying. Astarion's voice acting here does not automatically mean that he's lying, either. Yes, he sounds different: he is more self-assured, more powerful, more arrogant - but he's not fundamentally different in his ideals or desires from his spawn self. There is no evidence to support the claim that Astarion is manipulating you or lying about his feelings to - what? Stay with you? Why would he? It is through this very conversation that he allows you to decide for yourself what you want to happen next, so trying to claim he's manipulating or lying to you here is shallow.
And at this point, people will bring up the wisdom check. Look, I have no idea why this check means that Astarion couldn't possibly love you or respect you. In fact, I argue that it's much the opposite: he respects the player so much that he thinks that they're degrading themselves to be with him. He thinks so little of himself that you are lowering your standards, lowering yourself, to be with him:
He will always see you as degrading yourself if you continue to be with him. But perhaps you wish to degrade yourself. And he knows it.
Your choice to become his consort is beneath you - not beneath him. Your wanting to remain at his side is not what you deserve because he thinks you deserve better: but he knows, at this point, that it's what you want anyway.
Dominant/submissive Undertones
"On your knees, darling." A lot of people feel uncomfortable with the new dynamic created when Astarion ascends. His relationship with the player is significantly more defined than it ever is when he's a spawn. This is true throughout a spawn playthrough, as well: it is only at the very end of the game, in the epilogue scene, that spawn Astarion confirms your relationship as fully established. Whereas with ascended Astarion, he considers you his established partner now - his eternal lover and consort.
The Dominant/submissive undertones created by the master/spawn dynamic makes some people argue that ascended Astarion is abusive, for some reason. But - no, it's not. Just - understand that actual abuse is a sensitive topic wherein claiming Astarion's dominant aspects are abusive is actually offensive to both people in D/s (Dominant/submissive) relationships and to survivors of real abuse.
But a few things:
Astarion is evil. Astarion is always evil. Astarion is chaotic evil as a spawn and more lawfully evil ascended. He is cruel with his words, has a twisted sense of pleasure and pain, acts selfishly and relishes in having power. He "has a casual relationship with murder," genuinely dislikes children/the weak, and legitimately does not care about most people. Ultimately, Astarion craves for control - over himself, over his life, and over others. But as Astarion learns in his own story arc: being evil does not mean he cannot love. These things do co-exist, and you are the exception. Your friends are like salads (side-dishes, add-ons, auxiliaries... they don't really count as much as the main course). So yes: he can be mean and he can be cruel - because he is, from the start, fairly evil. But since that's true for both spawn and ascended versions of him, this doesn't matter. You must accept this as part of his character; if you don't, that's on you, not the text.
Being dominant is not fundamentally abusive. There are countless real life examples of D/s relationships which are based on love and respect. These relationships are just as real and just as valid as any other kind of relationship. They are not based on abuse and should not be seen as such.
This relationship, as degrading and submissive as it is, is still based completely on consent. Astarion never forces you into your agreement, whereas he does thank you for it twice: "You have given me everything. Thank you." and "Gods, you're beautiful. And you will be beautiful forever. Thank you, for trusting me." Many people will see the subsequent inability to break up with him as abusive, but I must insist: he is very clear that this pact is eternal. That this is forever. If you break the consent of forever, then that's you being cruel again - not him.
On Possession
Another line he says in this post-breakup scene is this:
"And if we were beholden to each other? Well, how is that too different from being enslaved?"
In my opinion, this line is much more significant than the previous. It speaks to Astarion's tenuous grasp of relationships in general, but also how he views both himself and you when partnered.
Importantly:
"beholden to each other" is not "my ownership of you"
From the beginning of the game, he's using you and he's expecting you to use him. For Astarion, every relationship in his life has thus far been transactional. Every relationship except yours, which is the only one he wants to be real.
If the player breaks up with Astarion, the reality of this relationship is broken. He reflects on it once again as being transactional. He is no longer attached to you romantically, and so he strikes a business deal with you instead.
This devolution of Astarion's understanding of relationships does not happen if you choose to stay with him. He doesn't think of your relationship as transactional at all - in fact, he shows trust, devotion and reciprocation of possession and affection. He considers the relationship to be established and the most authentic one he's ever had.
Ascended Astarion considers his consort his "right hand," "by his side," -- these are just different, fancy ways of saying that you are his equal without saying it outright. He is as beholden to you as you are to him.
Astarion may be more open about his possessive tendencies toward his partner - but saying "my treasure," "my beloved spawn," or any other endearment with the possessive "mine" at the start of it isn't nearly so damaging as some people are claiming it to be. Spawn Astarion's "my love" is really no different. That Astarion is open and vulnerable with these endearments is just showcasing his trust in your shared devotion to each other. Think of it this way: you could very well be calling him something similar right back.
--
If you have not actually played an ascended playthrough - or, heck, if you haven't played the game at all and are making loud opinions about Ascended Astarion as a lying liar incapable of love or of Spawn Astarion being the better choice -- maybe stop. Maybe just enjoy what you like and let others enjoy what they like. Maybe practice some media literacy and note that Astarion is Astarion is Astarion - he's the same character, both beloved and hated by many, with virtues and vices that are compelling and flawed.
The writers have created a rich story. Understand that the story being told is the one being chosen by the player - whichever direction they choose to take it.
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hvly · 8 months
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as a fellow virgin male enthusiast, who are thee virgins of each fandom ur in??
— ⋆。˚。⋆ 。˚ 𓆩𖥔𓆪 ˚。⋆。˚。⋆ —
sᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ : ooooh, ive never really given any deep thought to who takes the virgin crown before. let’s dive in !
𓆩𖥔𓆪 — disclaimer ! these are just my opinions. if you disagree, cool. don't really care to hear it but let's be civilized and cordial.
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Chainsaw Man - Obvious Answer
i know. you know. we all know who it is. do you think I should explain why? no. we all know I don't so we're gonna move on.
Demon Slayer - Himejima Gyomei
I’ll be honest, I was torn between Gyomei and Giyuu, but ultimately, Mr. Stone is taking the cake on this one. Now listen, I know we’re all enamored and absolutely riveted by the man's sheer size, but we have to be honest with ourselves (even if it hurts). And it’s not because he’s a sensitive soul and he cries over grass getting cut, but because he’s just a pious man imo. I truly believe that intercourse of any kind is the absolute last thing on his mind, if it’s there at all. Even if he did have sex, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be for pleasure. 
Haikyuu - Asahi Azumane
i struggled with this one because id have to go school by school and more than one came to mind (maybe I'll do that later just for funsies 🤭) but Asahi is scoring high on my vir-dometer. Asahi seems like the type of guy who would wait until he's in a strong committed relationship before he has sex. Casual sex, one-night stands, and even early into the relationship. Something as intimate and personal as sex shouldn't just be done willy nilly (hehe, willy) and he has to be sure and secure in himself and his partner. What a guy, right?
Jujutsu Kaisen - Kokichi Muta
I feel like he's a virgin just because he's chronically in the friend zone. He just kind of has the misleading aura to him that keeps landing him there, like "Oh, he doesn't seem like the type that wants to be in a relationship/have casual sex. But I enjoy his company so win some lose some." Of course, he doesn't feel like that, but he also won't clear that misconception/misunderstanding up. Sure he'd like to get laid, but not at the expense of how people perceive him. He knows his time will come soon enough, though.
My Hero Academia - Shigaraki Tomura
Now before y'all jump down my gullet and bring up AFO Shiggy, I want to implore you all to be fucking forreal. That boy can barely talk to the people in his league, let alone get someone into his bed. And if he did (by some miraculous act of god), i'm almost positive he'd do one of two things. Sit there confused as to what to do next or he'd cum during foreplay and fall asleep. He's just incredibly, debilitatingly awkward to me and I pity the boy.
Obey Me - Belphegor
Belphie's just lazy, to be completely honest. I can't see him putting in any actual effort to lose his virginity. Sex is a physical activity that, depending on how soft or rough/fast or slow you are, can be quite strenuous. Is 10-20 minutes of physical activity worth like, 4 minutes of afterglow? No. No it isn't. It'd be much better spent sleeping. Or taking a nap. Resting his eyes, if you will. If he ever decides to spare the energy to bone, however, he's not doing any work. Purely spoiled pillow prince.
Tokyo Revengers - Kisaki Tetta
Kisaki is still a virgin just because of how obsessive and delusional he is. There's only one person for him and he's tunnel visioned on making them his and his alone. It's different from waiting for the right one because he knows who the right one is. They just don't know yet. He doesn't have a single moment to waste on some random fling or distract himself from his ultimate goal of making his target officially his.
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“The updates are making me like Idia more, but in the same way you'd like a character for being pathetic” I’m shocked you didn’t like Idia at least from what I remember? He’s basically the same as Rollo (a character you do like I think) and in more ways than one. They’re both gloomy looking guys and traumatized big bros that are self righteous and pathetic. What kept you from liking Idia before if you don’t mind me asking?
[Referencing something I said in this post!]
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Okay, confession time: when I was a little kid (I’m talking like 7-10 years old), I was SUPER into Greek mythology and more specifically the story of Hades and Persephone. I ate up ALL the Hades and Persephone retellings/reinterpretations I could find and actively hunted for more 💀 so you’d think I’d like Idia, who is twisted from Hades, given how I gravitated to Octavinelle because of my attachment to The Little Mermaid in my childhood…
I think what puts me off of Idia in spite of his similarities to Rollo, a character I do really love, is a combination of Idia's appearance and his attitude.
To tackle the shallower aspect first, I actually don't like characters that look "too" gloomy. I would say Rollo is stoic-looking, but not gloomy? He has a pretty neutral face most of the time and the only gloomy thing about him at a glance is the dark circles under his eyes. With Idia... There's a LOT going on here. The hair is definitely unique, but I've never been into super long hair. The nature of it kind of overshadows his face and Idia usually looks miserable as a default. I've mentioned before that I'm unnerved by his coloration too; the super pale skin plus the blue lips is reminiscent of a corpse and, well... while I do see there being an audience that finds him beautiful, I don't think that's a cute look for him.
Now, his attitude. I'm not going to fault Idia for being passionate about his hobbies, as we all have our niches that we're super into. What irks me is how Idia expresses himself and acts out on behalf of those interests. He talks down to people who "don't get it" and takes other measures to defend the things he likes that I think is crossing a line. For example, he tracks down the IP addresses of Ignihyde mob students that defaced his favorite idol group's website. In the EN version, Idia threatens to doxx the mobs too (though he never does, this was just a localization decision). Yeah, you could do that I guess... but should you? 😭 The other characters also do questionable things (as a J word fan, I cannot deny this) but those actions are usually so outlandish no one irl would do it (like how Azul is a high school student that runs his own shady business). Idia's behavior, meanwhile, embodies some very real and very toxic aspects of fandom culture. I think part of why I disliked Idia at first is also his manner of speaking; it's riddled with so much internet lingo that it's hard to take him seriously sometimes. This is even more true of the EN version of the game, which has added even more slang than was in JP. Like... sorry, am I NOT supposed to be giggling when OB Idia is making threats while talking like an enraged gamer (both in EN and JP)? There is a ceiling on how much pathetic I can take in one sitting, and Idia far exceeds it every time he talks. Other characters (like Rollo making cheesy villain speeches, Azul being teased, Jamil's DOKKAN, etc.) have their moments of funny ha ha-cringe as well, but at least I can still see them in a serious light.
Books 6 and 7 are enhancing my opinion of Idia solely because they focus on the "traumatized big brother" part to his character. In Glorious Masquerade too... Idia gets the courage to call Rollo out because he knows their experiences are so similar. I think the storyline was done very well, and I loved seeing how Idia grows from an event that no doubt affected him deeply and still continues to influence him to this day. It's clear that he cares deeply about both Orthos and will step up to protect them. I LOVE THAT FOR HIM, it's not as though Idia is completely throwing aside one brother for the other, he's acknowledging them both as his "true" brothers. The way he goes from laughing to crying in his post-OB flashback... Idia getting so mad at us attacking Phantom Ortho with lightning... the willingness to "go" with OG!Ortho to the world beyond... apologizing to Robo!Ortho for falling for the dream's promises of eternal happiness... Aaaah, it's just too good 😭
DIHLBASOFYIAYVYEBfsWPYWPF WHAT CAN I SAY... I like me a reliable onii-san character 🤡 I'M NOTHING IF NOT PREDICTABLE
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wilcze-kudly · 2 months
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I really want to see your post about how Katara is forcefully matured by the fandom, please!
Ok, while I wasn't ready to make that post in earnest, and frankly never might be, here's some of my cursory thoughts on the topic. I'd gladly talk about it in detail more but also ✨️fear✨️
So, let's get the obvious out of the way. Katara is a 14 year old. A child, barely a teen. In fact, the entirety of the gaang is made up of children.
Now, I haven't been fully active in the atla fandom in quite some time, mostly lurking on the peripheries, because the fandom is a shitshow. One of the reasons being the fact that most fans cannot, for the life of them handle the Gaang's inherent childishness.
This isn't just a Katara problem. Other than her, Aang suffers the most for the egregious crime of being a 12 year old survivor of a genocide. Suki is, of course, mainly ignored. The interpretations of Toph can vary wildly, from her being horrifically matured to being dissmissed as a chaotic, rude child. Zuko and Sokka's immature moments are looked at more permissively, being an angsty boi™️ and a goofy goober respectively.
I do find it odd that Aang doesn't get the "boys will be boys" pass, but ok, we'll blame it on him being... bald? a nice boy? not concerned with his own masculinity?
As for Katara, her maturity is treated like... a given. She's the mom of the group, the proverbial love interest, the feminist icon, the badass fighter, the trailblazer filled with feminine rage. The trophy wife to Aang, the (Lore Olympus style) Persephone to Zuko's Hades.
And true, she is, or at least can be, a lot of these things.
However she is, first and foremost, a child. This fact is presented to us on a silver platter in the first episode, when her and Aang are penguin sledding.
Katara : I haven't done this since I was a kid!
Aang: You still are a kid!
Katara is a child forced to mature. Her circumstances forced her to try to fill her mother's place and to fight for those who couldn't do so themselves. The fandom brands her as a mom friend. Sees her purely as an icon of empowerment. Or worse, degrades her character to being a love interest.
(im talking about both sides of the kataang/zutara debate. I have my biases, but I'm sure there are kataangers who treat her like this as well. I simply have encountered very few of them.)
Her story, while yes, has many themes of female empowerment is in huge part, a tragedy. The tragedy of a young girl forced to grow up much too soon.
Sadly, this is rarely spoken about. It's not spoken about directly and therefore a lot of the fandom doesn't see this. (Or simply doesn't want to see it)
This is not to say that Katara's more mature aspects should be dismissed or buried. She displays a lot of maturity for her age, to the point of being able to go toe to toe both intellectually and physically with the (admittedly usually incompetent) adults of the show. Additionally, she evolves as a character through the durtation of the show.
But a huge chunk of her maturity being forced and therefore unhealthy is a key aspect of her character.
I think what upsets me the most is that while the critiquing the idea of Katara being treated as the mom of the group in fanon is becoming more and more common, the treatment of her as something akin to a YA protagonist is on the rise.
Both these interpretations are so insulting to the character of Katara, what is wrong with you people?
I'm currently rewatching atla with a focus on Katara as a character (while also trying to give zutara a chance I am doing my best guys) and her childishness is an integral part of her. It's sad to see her treated as an adult by the fandom. And honestly unsettling, especially with how much of like a child she acts.
I wanna finish my rewatch before I give my full ramble on the topic. I also wanna look more into the many different opinions people in the atla fandom have on Katara's treatment by the show. Though even trying to skim the surfce was like injecting lemon juice directly into my tear ducts. Also I really, really don't wanna get sent death threats again.
I want to give the topic of Katara my full attention. However I don't think I'll ever make this post, actually. The atla fandom is a rabid horrid pack of creatures and I'm not sure if I wanna engage with all that.The post would probably bash a lot of things considered key arguments for Zutara, since, looking at Zutara through a child's doesn't exactly scream 'romance' and do I really want that on my blog?
Katara's role as a child isn't valued as much as her role as a woman and I just don't want to deal with people calling me mean names for talking about a little girl being traumatised.
I'd be glad to have a discussion but I made this blog mainly to have fun and enjoy a piece of media I like. I met some truly amazing people whom I can have really great discussions with, even if we don't agree. I don't want to jeopardise that by being a pretentious dick on a soapbox.
Call this and the last few posts I made on Katara me testing the waters.
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williaml0ver · 4 months
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☆ <3 Naib Subedar General Dating Headcanons ☆ <3
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[🖇️] word count: 1423
[🖇️] warnings: g/n reader, talks of ptsd, miscommunication, not proofread wdgaf!!!!!
[🖇️] author's note: I don't really know how big the IDV fandom is since i am still quite new to both the game and tumblr itself. I have no experience in writing so i am sorry if my work seems tacky, i will be working on it 😭 Like i said I don't know if this fandom is active here so someone will either read this or i will be feeding myself self delusion for these sweet characters. I'm confused but i got the spirit id love to make some mutual followers!!!!
I love Naib. He's so precious i want to cuddle and take ibuprofen with him. I'd like to write more about him if i stick around.
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☆ ☆ ☆
-You are his soft spot.
-Everyone in the manor would notice that his attitude changes when he's alone with you.
-He is going to absolutely always have his eyes on you when you're near. It's his love language.
-Naib's life has been forever stained by his early years in poverty and fighting during war, after so many hardships he would definitely try his best to make his loved one feel safe. He couldn't stand losing someone close once again. Showing you that you can feel protected near him means the same as saying "i love you".
-Naib is a mature person but you may sometimes hear flirtatious compliments from him.
-He sometimes questions himself why do you love him. While he doesn't necessarily understand he doesn't need any answers - he will cherish the moment as long as it lasts, making sure you know he is devoted to you.
-Naib may be a little insecure, but he'd like you to think he actually isn't. Whenever you'd praise him he would answer "I know".
-He's not afraid of showing you affection in public. And while he's not going to make a big show out of it, he would simply kiss your palms and hold them. Or hold you by your waist, sending death glares. That's enough for everyone around to understand that you're his and if someone messes with you they better start running.
-If you ever tell him you feel threatened by someone, he will tell you to go to his dorm and take matters into his own hands. You can beg as much as you like, but he will never tell you what he did.
-When someone hurts you, someone attempts to hurt him too.
-A lot of people may consider his ways rather weird, but to him, as someone who was forced to be the head of his household, defending his significant other is something very important.
-He would stand up for you every time.
-If no one is paying attention to what you're saying, he'd quickly tell everyone to let you speak.
-When he comes back injured from a match, if it's not something life threatening, he prefers when you take care of him. He's capable of bandaging himself etc. but the fact that his dearest one worries about him makes him feel loved.
-While Naib is protective it doesn't mean he believes you are defenseless. He will respect if you want to be individual, he hopes you understand that you are free to do whatever you desire, though if in need, he will instantly be there. If you are scared or anxious, please come to him.
-He may not be the tallest, but he is still strong, he wouldn't mind carrying you if you're tired.
-If you ask him to teach you some self defense moves, he would proudly instruct you.
-He may not always read you properly. But he's not doing it on purpose. Tell him about your mood and he'll do anything in his power to cheer you up.
-His protectivness may lead to some arguments. He is not going to hesitate to scold you for doing something rather dumb.
-He could come out as mean sometimes.
-If you are injured, he is going to take it very seriously. That moment pulls a big trigger. Naib becomes very aggresive.
-He worries. A lot. He is afraid of hurting you because he is aware of his mental struggles. He may even raise his voice at you - but while it seems scary please be understanding. He's never had a lover before and he wants to shield you from danger. He tries to quickly apologize to you.
-He just needs you to be safe.
-Communication is key in your relationship.
-Early in your relationship, there may be some misunderstandings. At first glance, Naib may seem closed off. He is not the best with his words.
-He TRIES for you.
-As a soldier, he developed an unhealthy habit of keeping every emotion to himself. It will take a lot of time for both of you to open up. You promised to Naib that if anything ever bothers you, you will immediately talk to him. And vice versa.
-He's a man of few words, he may struggle with talking you through it, however he's going to make sure his partner feels comforted and heard.
-His advices are always well thought and wise.
-You spend a lot of time together just talking about your worries, thoughts or hopes. Sometimes in his bed, sometimes on a peaceful walk. He may make a few comments, or give advice if you ask him, though he mainly just listens carefully and holds you. He wants you to feel like he's a boulder that stabilizes you.
-While supporting you, he has issues with opening up with his worries. He fears you would call him weak.
-Naib struggles with PTSD, therefore he's also in need of comfort and reassurance. He likes when you ground him, by covering him with your body, your face hidden in his chest. But there are also times when he may push you away during one of those times. It's important for you to keep talking to him. Not shaming him for who he is.
-He desires honesty.
-He'd like you to sing him to sleep.
-He is a considerate lover. While he rarely initiates any touches without reason or words of affirmation, Naib shows his love by being with you.
-But when the touches or kisses ARE initiated, you know he absolutely means it all.
-Speaking of which, he doesn't have a need to take you out for fancy dates. But don't take it wrong. He thinks all you need is spending time together, simply in bed or on a walk in solitude. If you don't feel like talking - that is fine too. You can sit on the grass and watch him train. Those are worth more than the most expensive restaurant. That doesn't mean he will never take you to a more lively place though.
-Naib isn't also keen on huge, extravagant gifts. Roses, necklaces, love letters are his favourite of showering his lover with romance.
-He is a good listener. He remembers several small details about your interests or preferences.
-Extremely supportive. He may not word it directly, but he worships you. Your inside and outside. He would very indescretely check you out when you wear something pretty.
-If you ask nicely, he is going to give you some of his clothing. He feels absolutely proud of the fact that his love wants to wear something that is his AND he could smell them when wearing it later.
-He would keep a photo of you in his pocket, along with a photograph of his mother. He captioned it "My treasure" in his native tongue. He never tells you what it means.
-His favourite photo of you is a picture of you wearing his elbow pads.
-Pet names are not his thing. Though on rare occasions he will refer to you as his love, or his treasure.
-A treasure he worships and is willing to die for. Naib may be very reckless when it comes to your safety. You have to make sure he is well taken care of as well. He enjoys taking baths with you, when you wash his hair and cuddle.
-Although enjoyable, he sometimes may push away your need for physical closeness. He just sometimes needs to be left alone. It's always good to ask if he would like to be touched. Consent is very important for Naib. He doesn't mind it if you are very clingy. In fact, it makes him feel appreciated. He himself though thinks that intimate contact is meant only for special situations.
-One of the few ways into his heart is, of course, through his stomach. He loves waking up to breakfast made by his lover. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just the fact that you cared enough to prepare something for him is enough.
-He would love to show you some traditional nepali dishes and guide you while preparing them!
-As cliche as it seems, he'd like it if you'd directly feed him.
-I feel like he swears a lot, both in english and nepali. You'd unawarely pick up a few of them because of him. He would feel surprised that you paid so much attention to him you even managed to memorize a few words in a foreign language.
-He'd teach you a few sentences in nepali if you'd ask.
☆ ☆ ☆
This took longer than expected to. The way i had to post this once again because of a certain issue. Ijbol... i'm kind of intimidated by this fandom. By the way if anyone's reading this i'd love to do William headcanons next omg
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